STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) — Joseph Octave scored 24 points as Stony Brook beat Maine 74-72 on Saturday. Octave also added five rebounds for the Seawolves (4-8). Ben Wight shot 4 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to add 11 points. CJ Luster II shot 3 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-6) with 15 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Jaden Clayton added 15 points, four assists and three steals for Maine. AJ Lopez finished with 13 points and four assists. Stony Brook went into halftime leading Maine 34-30. Octave put up 10 points in the half. Octave led Stony Brook with 14 points in the second half as his team was outscored by two points over the final half but held on for the victory. Both teams next play Sunday. Stony Brook visits Albany (NY) and Maine plays Boston University at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .777jogo xom 。

NoneCatches like this are why Puka Nacua is one of the NFL's most exciting young receivers. With 7:33 left in the first hall of Sunday's showdown against the Bills, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looked downfield to Nacua on the sideline on second-and-10. Nacua delivered with a catch that few in the NFL can make. The ball was thrown on a line and appeared destined to sail out of bounds. But with cornerback Christian Benford in tight coverage, Nacua leapt face out toward the sideline and raised both hands high to snag the ball from midair. Then came the hard part. Somehow, Nacua landed with toes from both feet inbounds to complete the catch and the first down. PUKA NACUA! 📺: on FOX 📱: — NFL (@NFL) Benford didn't want to believe it. He stood up from dragging Nacua out of bounds waving his arms, confident that his counterpart didn't secure a legal catch. But his protest was to no avail. Another angle confirms that yes, Nacua did come down with both feet inbounds and the ball firmly in his grasp. PUKA NACUA! ABSOLUTELY UNREAL! 📺: | — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) The Rams went on to pay off on the 19-yard gain. Eight plays later, Nacua scored a touchdown on a jet sweep that Bills defenders were helpless to stop that extended the Rams lead to 24-14. PUKA TO THE HOUSE! 📺: | — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) An injury cost Nacua five games earlier this season. Stafford is certainly glad to have him back.

NoneWith Trump on the way, advocates look to states to pick up medical debt fightWith a focus on human rights, US policy toward Latin America under Jimmy Carter briefly tempered a long tradition of interventionism in a key sphere of American influence, analysts say. Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100, defied the furor of US conservatives to negotiate the handover of the Panama Canal to Panamanian control, suspended aid to multiple authoritarian governments in the region, and even attempted to normalize relations with Cuba. Carter's resolve to chart a course toward democracy and diplomacy, however, was severely tested in Central America and Cuba, where he was forced to balance his human rights priorities with pressure from adversaries to combat the spread of communism amid the Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. "Latin America was fundamental and his global policy was oriented toward human rights, democratic values and multilateral cooperation," political analyst Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington, told AFP. During his 1977-1981 administration, which was sandwiched between the Republican presidencies of Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, the Democrat sought to take a step back from US alignment with right-wing dictatorships in Latin America. An important symbol of Carter's approach was the signing of two treaties in 1977 to officially turn over the Panama Canal in 1999. "Jimmy Carter understood that if he did not return the canal to Panama, the relationship between the United States and Panama could lead to a new crisis in a country where Washington could not afford the luxury of instability," said Luis Guillermo Solis, a political scientist and former president of Costa Rica. Carter called the decision, which was wildly unpopular back home, "the most difficult political challenge I ever had," as he accepted Panama's highest honor in 2016. He also hailed the move as "a notable achievement of moving toward democracy and freedom." During his term, Carter opted not to support Nicaraguan strongman Anastasio Somoza, who was subsequently overthrown by the leftist Sandinista Front in 1979. But in El Salvador, the American president had to "make a very uncomfortable pact with the government," said Shifter. To prevent communists from taking power, Carter resumed US military assistance for a junta which then became more radical, engaging in civilian massacres and plunging El Salvador into a long civil war. Carter took a critical approach to South American dictatorships in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, suspending arms deliveries and imposing sanctions in some cases. But his efforts "did not achieve any progress in terms of democratization," said Argentine political scientist Rosendo Fraga. The American president also tried to normalize relations with Cuba 15 years after the missile crisis. He relaxed sanctions that had been in force since 1962, supported secret talks and enabled limited diplomatic representation in both countries. "With him, for the first time, the possibility of dialogue rather than confrontation as a framework for political relations opened up," Jesus Arboleya, a former Cuban diplomat, told AFP. But in 1980, a mass exodus of 125,000 Cubans to the United States, with Fidel Castro's blessing, created an unexpected crisis. It "hurt Carter politically with the swarm of unexpected immigrants," said Jennifer McCoy, a professor of political science at Georgia State University. Castro continued to support Soviet-backed African governments and even deployed troops against Washington's wishes, finally putting an end to the normalization process. However, more than 20 years later, Carter made a historic visit to Havana as ex-president, at the time becoming the highest-profile American politician to set foot on Cuban soil since 1959. During the 2002 visit, "he made a bold call for the US to lift its embargo, but he also called on Castro to embrace democratic opening," said McCoy, who was part of the US delegation for the trip, during which Castro encouraged Carter to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Cuban All-Star baseball game. "Castro was sitting in the front row and we were afraid he would rise to give a long rebuttal to Carter's speech. But he didn't. He just said, 'Let's go to the ball game.'" In the years following Carter's presidency, Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) would go on to resume a full-frontal confrontation with Cuba. Decades later, Barack Obama (2009-2017) opened a new phase of measured normalization, which Donald Trump (2017-2021) brought to an end. US President Joe Biden promised to review US policy toward Cuba, but hardened his stance after Havana cracked down on anti-government protests in 2021. "Carter showed that engagement and diplomacy are more fruitful than isolation," McCoy said. bur-lp-rd-jb/lbc/mlr/bfm/sst/bbk

NEW YORK (AP) — Keith Higgins Jr. had 16 points in Lehigh's 60-59 win over LIU on Saturday. Higgins also contributed three steals for the Mountain Hawks (4-6). Tyler Whitney-Sidney shot 4 for 12, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc to add 11 points. Ben Knostman had 10 points and shot 3 of 4 from the field and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Jamal Fuller finished with 20 points and eight rebounds for the Sharks (4-11). LIU also got 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks from Shadrak Lasu. Blake Lander finished with 10 points. Higgins scored eight points in the first half and Lehigh went into the break trailing 35-28. Knostman led Lehigh with nine points in the second half as their team outscored LIU by eight points over the final half. Lehigh plays Neumann at home on Sunday, and LIU hosts Le Moyne on Friday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Lewis scores 17 as Marist takes down UMBC 76-73 in OTIs news bias fueled by journalists supplying slanted views or readers’ demanding them?

Cruise into this holiday season with a non-traditional vacationNoneNorthern Highlands is skating in unfamiliar territory. Defending a state title isn’t anything new, as it’s the third time the program is doing so since 2019. The manner in which it is doing so this winter is different. After the 2018 and 2022 championships, Northern Highlands had a heavy core of upperclassmen leading the charge. This time around a lot of weight is being put on the shoulders of underclassmen. Just six juniors and seniors occupy roster spots this season and the team has yet to play a game with a full healthy roster. “The freshmen and sophomores especially, it’s been a learning process,” said Northern Highlands head coach Jason Beswick. “Highlands believes extremely strongly in defense. These kids are not taught that in youth hockey right now, so they’re starting to come around.” 12/29 - 1:30 PM Boys Ice Hockey Final Northern Highlands 5 Randolph 0 Despite that, the team has stayed afloat and will enter 2025 on a hot streak. In the final test of 2024, Northern Highlands, No. 15 in the NJ.com Top 20, matched up with No. 10 Randolph in a rematch of last year’s North Jersey, Public final. Brent Beswick, one of the few seniors and the reigning Player of the Year, had a big performance at Mennen Arena that night with three goals and three assists and was at it again on Sunday. Brent scored twice and added two assists to make program history and support a 38-save shutout from Quinn DeBruyn in a 5-0 win over Randolph in the Ice Vault Classic at the Ice Vault in Wayne. The four-point afternoon helped Brent eclipse 200 for his career, becoming the first player in Northern Highlands history to do so. In the process, he also passed Patrick Erstling’s mark of 197 career points in 2010 to become the program’s all-time leading point scorer. Beswick stands alone at Northern Highlands Brent Beswick has been at the centerpiece of Northern Highlands’ recent historical success. The historic accomplishments on the horizon became a footnote in his mind given the stretch his team was going through. “My biggest focus was getting the team back on track,” Brent said. “We got off to a rough start. Just wanted to make sure the team’s getting back to the win column, and I’ve been focusing a lot on playing really good defense, so the points are just an extra bonus.” Northern Highlands won its first three games but dropped three of the next four. The final loss, which came against St. Joseph’s Collegiate (NY) gave the team a spark. It rebounded the next day with a 3-2 win over Darien (CT) and built on that with Sunday’s win over Randolph. In the last four games, Sunday included, those underclassmen have combined for five goals and 12 assists. Davin Friedman and Laken Rohdiek combined for two goals and six assists against Randolph. “Those freshman, sophomores have stepped up huge,” Jason said. “I always say be prepared to block a shot with your throat, and they’re prepared to do that. They’re doing it and right now we’re in a good place.” It was also a great cap on 2024 for DeBruyn, who didn’t play for the team last year after appearing in six games as a sophomore during the 2022-23 season. It’s a hard task taking over after the last two starting goalies, Daniel Moor and Reade Adams, both led the team to state titles. The shutout jumps his save percentage on the season to .934 and .960 in his last three starts. Sure there have been some hiccups, injuries and a learning curve but Northern Highlands is putting itself in a great position to defend its title as the top Public team in the state. “The last two games we’re missing three of our top six forwards, and guys just stepped up,” Brent said. “I think our defensive play led. We have high-end guys that can score big goals. With a stud goalie in net, I think we’re a pretty good team.” Brian Bobal may be reached at bbobal@njadvancemedia.com . Follow him on X at @BrianBobal. The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appears in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)

DALLAS, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beneficient (NASDAQ: BENF) ("Ben” or the "Company”), a technology-enabled platform providing exit opportunities and primary capital solutions and related trust and custody services to holders of alternative assets through its proprietary online platform AltAccess, announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Mercantile Bank International Corp. ("Mercantile Bank”), a Puerto Rico-based International Financial Entity ("IFE”), in exchange for an aggregate purchase price of $1.5 million, which is payable in up to approximately 2.1 million shares of the Company's Class A common stock and cash. "We are very excited about the potential avenues for revenue growth that would be facilitated through this acquisition,” said Beneficient. "Acquiring Mercantile Bank would enable the Company to offer an expanded range of companion custody and other fee-based services that complement our existing businesses on a broader scale with the potential to generate additional cash flow in the near term. Our objective is to deliver additional alternative asset custody services to customers with the potential to generate higher fee rates than are generally available for traditional custody services. We also believe the acquisition has the potential to enhance and broaden our current offerings in ways that may open new international opportunities, allowing us to further democratize the market for illiquid alternative assets.” IFEs are licensed and regulated by the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (the "OCIF”) and may provide specific banking and other financial activity from Puerto Rico for persons, entities, and organizations around the globe that are non-residents of Puerto Rico. An IFE's authorized activities may include custody, clearing, and payments and related traditional and digital products and services and, as approved by the OCIF, traditional banking services, such as deposits, lending, investments, and trusts. Upon closing of the acquisition, the Company, which has primarily focused on meeting the needs of individual investors and small-to-midsized institutions, expects to expand its offering of custody services to also address the current needs of large institutional investors and the growing needs of third-party alternative trading systems and foreign securities exchanges. The acquisition would position Ben to offer alternative asset custody services that include, among other potential items, a companion line of business focused on issuing depositary receipts to assist holders of foreign investments gain access to the capital markets of additional international jurisdictions. The Company believes these alternative asset custody services may yield higher fee assessments than more traditional custody offerings. The Company expects this companion business line to begin generating custody and depositary receipt issuance fee-based revenue and cash flow during calendar year 2025 that it would deploy to fund Ben's ongoing operations and ultimately our core alternative asset liquidity product offerings. The acquisition reflects Beneficient's execution on its objective of expanding its alternative asset custody fee-based service offerings to third parties and institutional investors. Closing of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including, among other things, approval by OCIF, and is anticipated to be completed in the second calendar quarter of 2025. About Beneficient Beneficient (Nasdaq: BENF) - Ben, for short - is on a mission to democratize the global alternative asset investment market by providing traditionally underserved investors − mid-to-high net worth individuals, small-to-midsized institutions and General Partners seeking exit options, anchor commitments and valued-added services for their funds− with solutions that could help them unlock the value in their alternative assets. Ben's AltQuoteTM tool provides customers with a range of potential exit options within minutes, while customers can log on to the AltAccess ® portal to explore opportunities and receive proposals in a secure online environment. Its subsidiary, Beneficient Fiduciary Financial, L.L.C., received its charter under the State of Kansas' Technology-Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institution (TEFFI) Act and is subject to regulatory oversight by the Office of the State Bank Commissioner. For more information, visit www.trustben.com or follow us on LinkedIn. Contacts Matt Kreps: 214-597-8200, [email protected] Michael Wetherington: 214-284-1199, [email protected] Investor Relations: [email protected] Disclaimer and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements can be generally identified by the use of words such as "anticipate,” "believe,” "could,” "estimate,” "expect,” "intend,” "may,” "plan,” "potential,” "predict,” "project,” "should,” "target,” "will,” "would,” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements relating to the anticipated timing of closing the acquisition, benefits of the acquisition and the Company's anticipated product and service offerings following the closing of the acquisition. These forward-looking statements reflect our views with respect to future events as of the date of this document and are based on our management's current expectations, estimates, forecasts, projections, assumptions, beliefs and information. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct. All such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control, and could cause future events or results to be materially different from those stated or implied in this document. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. These risks include, but are not limited to, the ultimate outcome of the acquisition; the Company's ability to consummate the acquisition in a timely manner or at all; the ability of the parties to satisfy the closing conditions to the acquisition; the possibility that the Company may be unable to successfully integrate Mercantile Bank's operations with those of the Company or realize the expected benefits of the acquisition; the possibility that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming, or costly than expected; the risk that operating costs, customer loss, and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, contractors, and customers) may be greater than expected following the acquisition or the public announcement of the acquisition; the Company's ability to retain certain key employees of Mercantile Bank; the ability to launch and receive market acceptance for new products and services; and risks related to the entry into a new line of business; the risk factors that are described under the section titled "Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC”). These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this document and in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) — Joseph Octave scored 24 points as Stony Brook beat Maine 74-72 on Saturday. Octave also added five rebounds for the Seawolves (4-8). Ben Wight shot 4 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to add 11 points. CJ Luster II shot 3 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-6) with 15 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Jaden Clayton added 15 points, four assists and three steals for Maine. AJ Lopez finished with 13 points and four assists. Stony Brook went into halftime leading Maine 34-30. Octave put up 10 points in the half. Octave led Stony Brook with 14 points in the second half as his team was outscored by two points over the final half but held on for the victory. Both teams next play Sunday. Stony Brook visits Albany (NY) and Maine plays Boston University at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Tennis coach Judy Murray says those born male should only compete with menMENLO PARK, Calif. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Meta Platforms, Inc. (Nasdaq: META) board of directors today declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.50 per share of the company's outstanding Class A common stock and Class B common stock, payable on December 27, 2024 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 16, 2024 . Contacts Investors: Kenneth Dorell investor@meta.com / investor.fb.com Press: Ryan Moore press@meta.com / about.fb.com/news/ View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meta-announces-quarterly-cash-dividend-302324358.html SOURCE Meta Best trending stories from the week. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. You may occasionally receive promotions exclusive discounted subscription offers from the Roswell Daily Record. Feel free to cancel any time via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter you received. You can also control your newsletter options via your user dashboard by signing in.

Manchester United Football Club is to cut the funding it provides to its charitable arm as part of a purge of costs being overseen by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, its newest billionaire shareholder. Sky News has learnt that the Premier League club plans to inform the Manchester United Foundation that it intends to curb the benefits it provides - which totalled close to £1m last year - from 2025 onwards. Sources close to the situation said a substantial element of the support given to the Foundation by the club would be axed, although Old Trafford insiders insisted on Sunday that it would still provide "significant" support to the charitable wing. A decision is said to have been made by the club's leadership to proceed with the cuts, with the Foundation expected to be informed about the scale of the reductions in the coming weeks. In 2023, the club paid the MU Foundation nearly £175,000 for charity services, which include managing the distribution of signed merchandise to individuals raising funds for charitable causes. Manchester United also provided gifts in kind amounting to £665,000 last year, which were understood to include use of the Old Trafford pitch and other facilities, alongside free club merchandise and the use of back-office services such as the club's IT capabilities. The MU Foundation works in local communities around Manchester and Salford to engage with underprivileged and marginalised people. Its projects include Street Reds, which is targeted at 8-18 year-olds, and Primary Reds, which works in school classrooms with 5-11 year-olds. It also organises hospital visits to support children with life-threatening illnesses. The disclosure about the latest target of cost-cutting by Sir Jim's Ineos Sports group, which now owns close to 29% of Manchester United's, comes just a day after The Sun revealed that an association set up to facilitate relations between former players, would see its club funding axed. A similar move has been made in relation to funding for the club's disabled fans' group, while hundreds of full-time staff have been made redundant in recent months and costs have been slashed across most areas of its operations. People close to the club anticipate further cost-cutting measures being introduced as soon as next month. One club source said it remained "proud of the work carried out by the Manchester United Foundation to increase opportunities for vulnerable young people across Greater Manchester". "All areas of club expenditure are being reviewed due to ongoing losses. "However, significant support for the Foundation will continue." Sir Jim has injected $300m of his multibillion pound fortune into Manchester United, although it will need to raise substantially more than that to fund redevelopments to Old Trafford or a new stadium. Last year, the club, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, lost more than £110m, with sizeable interest payments totalling tens of millions of pounds annually required to service its debt burden. The men's first team has seen an alarming run of results under Ruben Amorim, who was appointed to succeed Erik Ten Hag in the autumn. United have lost three of their last four matches - the exception being a derby win away at Manchester City - and lie 14th in the Premier League table. Mr Amorim has acknowledged that he could face the same fate as Mr Ten Hag unless results improve. Dan Ashworth, who was brought in from Newcastle United FC as sporting director in the summer, left after just five months. Manchester United declined to comment formally on the proposed cuts to the funding of its charitable arm.7.0 earthquake off Northern California prompts brief tsunami warning

CLEVELAND (AP) — The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is ending the season on injured reserve for the second year in a row. The league has been reviewing the case for months , trying to determine whether Watson should be punished. “The matter is closed,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said Friday in an email to The Associated Press. “There was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.” Watson, who served an 11-game suspension in 2022, was accused of assault in Texas by a woman in September. She was seeking more than $1 million in damages before the sides reached a confidential settlement. Watson strongly denied the allegations through his attorney, Rusty Hardin. The 29-year-old Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture in October. He's been rehabbing the injury in hopes of returning next season. The Browns still owe Watson $46 million in each of the next two seasons after they traded three first-round picks to Houston and signed him to a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract that has backfired. Watson has only played in 19 games over three seasons due to the suspension and injuries. He was acquired by the Browns, who were comfortable with his character despite Watson being accused of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. While he's in the clear with the league, Watson's future with Cleveland isn't so certain. His massive contract — and its salary-cap ramifications — has put the Browns in a bind in terms of trying to improve their roster. Cleveland has had a disappointing season after making the playoffs a year ago and could move on from Watson, but the cost would be exorbitant if the team just releases him. The Browns signed Jameis Winston for one season to be Watson's backup. Winston has gone 2-3 as a starter since taking over and he's put some life into Cleveland's offense, which didn't score 20 points or gain 300 yards with Watson before his injury. His 2023 season was ended by a broken bone in his shoulder, requiring surgery. Winston has indicated he would come back, and he could be a viable option as a starter even if the Browns draft a young QB. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLNo. 2 Ohio State takes control in the 2nd half and runs over No. 5 Indiana 38-15 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a score and No. 2 Ohio State beat previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana 38-15. All Ohio State has to do now is beat Michigan at home next Saturday and it will earn a return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 in a wild one back on Oct. 12.

Chinese and Pakistani academic achievements in resistant rootstocks for economic forests and grafted and fodder plants were exchanged at the just finished 4th China-Pakistan Tropical Arid Non-Wood Forest Science & Technology Exchange Conference. Over 500 professionals from China and Pakistan attended the conference simultaneously in Zhengzhou and Gwadar, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Saturday. Starting from 2021, in the Belt and Road Engineering Research Center for Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest, professionals from the Chinese Society of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, China Overseas Ports Holding Company Limited, Yulin Holding Company Limited, University of Karachi, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, and Indus University, etc. are working together on germplasm resource collection and new variety breeding, improved variety seedling propagation, cultivation and demonstration of drought-tolerant and infertile-tolerant economic plants, and technical training. Supported by the center, a tissue culture laboratory and a seedling nursery have been built in Gwadar, integrating China’s advanced economic forestry technology with Pakistan’s local conditions. At the conference, Chinese and Pakistani researchers shared their latest findings on various topics, including grafting and cutting propagation of improved varieties of Eucommia ulmoides, the potential for transforming timber and non-timber forest products in arid regions of Pakistan with a special focus on the propagation of medicinal and oilseed plants, efficient heterologous biosynthesis of plant natural products, and a digital intelligent precision water and fertilizer control system for chestnut.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Has $17.59 Million Stake in nCino, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCNO)

While Clippers Nation and other parts of the NBA world await the return of star Kawhi Leonard, his teammates haven’t been sitting idly while his right knee recovers. They have won games that they had no business winning and are taking care of games that they should win – all without their star player. The Clippers are 18-13 and have a chance to improve upon that during a three-game trip that begins Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Kawhi? “We’re not thinking about Kawhi coming back yet,” center Ivica Zubac said, in a moment of honesty. When Leonard does return – Jan. 4 reportedly is a good bet – he will find a Clippers team that has developed a solid chemistry, come to rely on James Harden for leadership and Norman Powell for points and built a reputation for stingy defense. “We want to win games, we want to win every game no matter who’s out there and we got it done,” Zubac added. “No matter how it looks, we gotta win. We’re going to play hard; we’re going to defend. “Some nights we’re not going to shoot well, or we’re not going to defend, but one thing we can do every night is play defense. That’s what this team is going to do, we’re going to play hard and play tough on the defensive end and that’s going to give us a chance to win.’ With or without Leonard. “We just focus on what we can control and be in the moment,” Harden said. “Whenever that happens, (we’ll) get to that bridge when it comes. But we’re focused on the next game and the games that we’re in.” Don’t mistake the players’ insouciant attitude for not caring about their superstar teammate. They want Leonard back but can’t get caught up in the hoopla and speculation. They have at least three more games to play without Leonard, who stayed behind to get in more reps before the Clippers’ next home game. “It’s been next man up all year,” said Powell, who is averaging 24.4 points and shooting 46.6% from the 3-point range in Leonard’s absence. “When Kawhi comes back, they’ll figure it out. That’s not our job. Our job is to figure out our new roles and make it all work. “We all are pulling in the same direction. We all continue trying to prove everybody wrong and how they view us, and the job is to be ready for a deep playoff run. That’s how we see it.” When Leonard does return, (Jan. 4 has been rumored) there certainly will be changes in the lineup, players will need to sacrifice either minutes, points or both. “Everybody’s going to have to sacrifice and Kawhi comes back,” Powell added. “I mean, he’s a franchise player, but good thing about this team is we have no egos. We all want to win. We all got something to prove and we’re doing it together.” Harden said Leonard is aware how his comeback could upset what has been building all season. But the veteran point guard believes Leonard’s return will be seamless. The Clippers will continue to play aggressive defense and attack the basket. “We’re still going to put it the same way. It’s just now we got another elite weapon on both ends of the floor, so it’s definitely a bonus for us.”Where to Watch Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders on TV or Streaming Live – December 7