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Pedro Martinez Losa made all the right noises in the aftermath of Scotland’s fairly insipid draw with Finland at Easter Road on Friday night. Scotland only need one goal. The result is the same for both teams. The tie is very much alive. All true. But equally true is that the balance of the tie is tipped in favour of Finland who will feel emboldened by the point they took against Scotland. With home advantage in Helsinki for Tuesday’s second leg, one suspects they will ask deeper questions of Scotland. Martinez Losa’s remit when he was appointed as manager of the women’s national team in 2021 was to get Scotland back to a major tournament. The World Cup in 2019 was still fresh in the minds, albeit the wounds of the fallout at that time remained visible. Defeat to the Republic of Ireland at Hampden to deny Scotland a place at last summer’s Women’s World Cup was no barrier to a fresh contract offer for the Spaniard who signed an extension to his deal last September. Read more: This time last year Scotland were battered by England at Hampden in a Nations League group that was more than simply sobering. Scotland have regrouped since then. They went into these play-offs on the back of solid results, encouraging performances and with lots of talk that this is a team who deserve to be competing on the biggest stages, against the best teams. Yet there was nothing of that aggression or conviction on show. If Scotland are to prevail – and it is still within their grasp – the performance needs to be night and day from what it was on Friday night. Eartha Cumings was by far the busier of both goalkeepers while her opposite number had little of note to cope with. It is worth pointing out that Scotland are the last team to beat Finland in Finland so anyone looking for a bit of hope can find it, should they tend to a glass half full philosophy. But they won’t find it on the evidence of Friday’s night game. It was a turgid and flat affair. That may not be entirely unusual in a two-legged play-off final when the stakes are so high for both teams and there is an inevitable anxiety within the game. What was notable, though, was the lack of courage within the game. Scotland looked inhibited by the challenge rather than excited by it. Erin Cuthbert had suggested before the game that she was sick of talking about it and wanted to give everything she had to say on the matter into a performance on the pitch. But she was unable to influence or dictate in the middle of the park. Ditto Caroline Weir. The Real Madrid midfielder has been flying in Spain after her return from an ACL injury but Finland shackled her – and Scotland – on Friday night. For a team who had gone into the game on the back of a sequence of eight games unbeaten, the confidence ought to have been oozing out of Scotland, as it was when they played Hungary last month to get to the play-off final. Perhaps it is a mental thing; Finland ended Scotland’s last European Championships campaign four years ago at the same venue around the same time of year. There is historically very little between the teams – the Finns beat Scotland in a penalty shoot-out in the Pinatar Cup in February this year – but it was the visitors who looked the more assured at Easter Road. Scotland need to ramp it up in Helsinki if they are to harbour any serious ambition of being at the Euros rather than with their noses pressed against the glass this summer. Read more: AND ANOTHER THING Celtic manager Elena Sadiku was named Women’s Manager of the Year at an awards dinner at Hampden last night. It would have felt a little parochial when compared to the company she ended the week keeping. While the Swede would have been delighted to accept the accolade, of far more significance is her name on FIFA’s ‘The Best’ shortlist. It is unlikely that Sadiku would be oblivious to the attention she has received in recent months but her presence on such a prestigious and globally renowned celebration would underline how much of a hot ticket she is at the minute. The Swede, the youngest coach in the men’s or women’s Champions League, has made a bit of a name for herself since taking over the Celtic job at the start of the year. Having led Celtic to the their first ever title and to a place in the group stages of the Champions League for the first time, it will be interesting to see whether or not she is still at the club after this season. AND FINALLY Who can name the recent winners of the BBC Women’s Player of the Year? This year’s winner, Barbra Branda, has his hit the headlines and for obvious reasons. The cynic within would suggest that there was a reason for why Branda was given the award and it would be interesting to read the details of the reasons why the player was designated to be the best in the women’s game. The award’s shortlist was decided by a panel of independent football experts with the winner selected by public vote. But there is a serious need for legislation of what constitutes a male and female player. The danger here for women is that women’s sport, which has been the subject of a longstanding battle for equality and recognition, is under threat of erosion.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Miles Brewster had 18 points in Boston University's 75-71 victory over UMBC on Saturday. Brewster also had six rebounds for the Terriers (2-4). Matai Baptiste added 13 points while shooting 4 for 5, including 3 for 3 from beyond the arc while they also had nine rebounds. Michael McNair went 3 of 6 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points. Josh Odunowo led the Retrievers (3-4) in scoring, finishing with 23 points and six rebounds. UMBC also got 18 points from Bryce Johnson. Marlon Short had 10 points and three steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Trump taps Rollins as agriculture chief, completing proposed slate of Cabinet secretariesNumber of people 'dispersed from area' at Oxford United football match, police say

NoneWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Then-President Donald Trump looks to Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as she speaks during a Jan. 11, 2018, prison reform roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as his former domestic policy chief. She is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins, 52, previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Brooke Rollins, assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the time, speaks during a May 18, 2020, meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins’ pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Brooke Rollins speaks at an Oct. 27 campaign rally for then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. ___ Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.SMU seeks 7th straight win with visit from Longwood

STATE & LOCAL LAWS & REGULATIONS California Privacy Protection Agency Advances New Security, ADMT Regulations : The California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”) initiated the formal rulemaking process for proposed regulations on cybersecurity audits, risk assessments, and automated decision-making technologies (“ADMT”) at its November public meeting. The proposed regulations would regulate artificial intelligence (“AI”), which would fall within the definition of ADMT. The proposed regulations define ADMT as “any technology that processes personal information and uses computation to execute a decision, replace human decision-making, or substantially facilitate human decision-making” and specifically includes AI and profiling. The proposed rules would provide consumers with a number of rights with respect to ADMT, including the right to opt out of the use of ADMT and to appeal significant decisions relating to a business’s use of ADMT. The proposed rules would also require businesses to conduct risk assessments related to certain uses of ADMT, among other things. As it relates to cybersecurity, the proposed regulations would require certain businesses to conduct cybersecurity audits. Cybersecurity audits would require identification, assessment, and documentation of the business’s cybersecurity program, including authentication, encryption, zero trust architecture, and other areas. Businesses would be required to submit a written certification to the CPPA on an annual basis that the cybersecurity audit was completed. The formal comment period for the proposed rules opened on November 22, 2024, and will close on January 14, 2025. California Privacy Protection Agency Adopts New Data Broker Regulations : The CPPA also formally adopted new data broker regulations . The new regulations would define a “direct relationship” under California’s data broker law as a relationship where “a consumer intentionally interacts with a business for the purpose of obtaining information about, accessing, purchasing, using, or requesting the business’s products or services within the preceding three years.” The new regulations would also require data brokers to disclose the types of personal information the data broker collects that are subject to other laws, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and information on the products and services the data broker offers that are covered by those laws. If the regulations are approved by the California Office of Administrative Law, they will become effective on January 1, 2025. Colorado AG Releases Revisions to Draft Colorado Privacy Act Rules : The Colorado Attorney General’s Office released the second version of its proposed amendments to the Colorado Privacy Act rules. This round of revisions seeks to take into account concerns expressed through public input to the first draft of the amendments. The rules address two laws amending the Colorado Privacy Act that heightened protections for biometric data and children’s data that were signed into law in 2024. The amendments to the Colorado Privacy Act require businesses operating in Colorado to keep written policies on how they handle and dispose of biometric data and to provide consumers with notice of the collection of biometric information take effect July 1, 2025. The draft rules define the notice and consent requirements for biometric data, including notice and consent requirements for employees, contractors, and subcontractors. Amendments to the Colorado Privacy Act relating to children’s data take effect on October 1, 2025, and will require companies to use “reasonable care” to avoid harms to a consumer they know is under 18 and limit use and collection of minors’ data. Reproductive Data Privacy Legislation Introduced in Michigan : SB 1082 , the Reproductive Data Privacy Act (“RDPA”) was introduced in the Michigan legislature. The RDPA is modeled after Washington’s My Health, My Data Act, but would apply specifically to entities that provide products or services related to a person’s reproductive health data. Reproductive health data is defined under the law as “information that is linked or reasonably linkable to an individual and that identifies the individual’s past, present, or future reproductive health status.” Reproductive health status is in turn defined as including, but not limited to, reproductive health, menstrual cycle, fertility, pregnancy, pregnancy outcome, plans to conceive, or type of sexual activity. The RDPA would require entities to provide notice and obtain consent from consumers before collecting or processing reproductive health data, and to minimize the reproductive health data that they collect to only that data which is necessary to perform the purposes for which it is collected, among other things. As introduced, the RDPA would also provide consumers with a private right of action to seek statutory damages between $100 and $750 per violation or actual damages, whichever is greater. Texas Lawmaker Releases Draft Comprehensive AI Legislation : Representative Giovanni Capriglione (R) released draft legislation entitled, the Texas Responsible AI Governance Act. Representative Capriglione stated he intends to introduce the legislation in the 2025 Texas State legislative session. The draft legislation provides for a risk-based approach and borrows a number of concepts from the Colorado AI Act that was passed in 2024 and similar Connecticut legislation that failed to pass last year. The legislation would require developers and deployers of high-risk AI systems to use “reasonable care” to avoid algorithmic discrimination, including through regular testing and requiring non-compliant AI systems to be disabled or recalled until problems are resolved. High-risk systems are defined by the draft legislation as an AI system that makes or is a contributing factor in a consequential decision, which is a decision that has a material legal, or similarly significant effect, on a consumer’s access to, cost of, or terms of employment, financial services, healthcare, and certain essential services, among other things. Lawmakers in other states around the U.S. are expected to introduce AI legislation in 2025. FEDERAL LAWS & REGULATIONS CFPB Releases Report on State Consumer Laws and Consumer Financial Data : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) released a report examining federal and state privacy protections for consumers’ financial data. The report finds that all of the major state data privacy laws passed to date exempt financial institutions, financial data, or both if they are already subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act or Fair Credit Reporting Act. The report further finds that existing federal laws are limited in scope and may not protect consumers from companies’ novel and increasingly pervasive methods of collecting and monetizing data. The report encourages state lawmakers to consider these gaps and to extend the protections of state privacy laws to financial data to help regulate and provide consumer protections with respect to, monetization of consumer financial data and commercial surveillance. CFPB Finalizes Rule on Oversight of Digital Payment Apps : The CFPB also finalized a rule to supervise large nonbank companies offering digital funds transfer and payment wallet apps. The CFPB previously maintained enforcement authority over the funds transfer and payment activities of such companies, but the new rule will extend the CFPB’s proactive supervisory authority over the industry. Companies offering these products that handle more than 50 million transactions a year will now be supervised under federal law like large banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions already supervised by the CFPB. The CFPB stated that the new rule will enable to supervise companies in key areas, including data privacy and surveillance, errors and fraud, and debanking. This includes extending federal law allowing consumers to opt out of certain data collection and sharing, providing mechanisms to dispute transactions that are incorrect or fraudulent, and protecting consumers from loss of access to their payment apps without notice. 32 State AGs Write Congressional Leaders to Urge Passage of Kids Online Safety Act : In a letter written by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, 32 state attorneys general urged Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (“KOSA”). The attorneys general highlighted that KOSA would enhance online protections for minors by requiring platforms to automatically enable their strongest safety protections instead of offering them on an opt-in basis, allow minors and parents to disable manipulative design features and algorithmic representations, and provide parents with new tools to report dangerous content. The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced KOSA in September, but House leadership appears not to have made its passage a priority amid concerns that KOSA would violate the First Amendment. State laws in California, Texas, Ohio, Utah, and Arkansas that provide for varying types of online protections for minors have faced legal challenges alleging similar constitutional violations. FTC Issues Paper on Smart Devices and Software Updates : The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released a paper that stated 89 percent of smart device products surveyed by the FTC did not disclose on their websites how long the products would receive software updates, which can help patch security flaws in the devices and ensure they continue to operate properly. The staff paper stated that manufacturers’ failure to inform prospective purchasers about the duration of software updates for products sold with written warranties may violate the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, which requires that written warranties on consumer products costing more than $15 be made available to prospective buyers prior to sale. Failing to provide software update information to consumers could also violate the FTC Act if manufacturers make express or implied representations about how long the product is useable, according to the paper. NIST Releases Initial Public Draft of Privacy Workforce Taxonomy : The National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) announced the release of the initial public draft of the NIST Privacy Workforce Taxonomy (“Workforce Taxonomy”). The Workforce Taxonomy contains Task, Knowledge, and Skill Statements aligned with the NIST Privacy Framework, Version 1.0, and the NICE Workforce Framework, which establishes a common lexicon to describe cybersecurity work and workers. The Workforce Taxonomy is intended to help organizations better achieve their desired privacy outcomes, support recruitment, and inform the education and training of professionals. Blank Rome Secures Landmark Ruling on Retroactive Application of BIPA Amendments : A Blank Rome team representing DNJ Intermodal Services LLC prevailed in striking the complainant’s prayer for relief, which sought $1,000 or $5,000 for each of the thousands of times six plaintiffs allegedly had their hands scanned at work. Will County Judge Roger D. Rickmon found—perhaps the first among Illinois state judges—that a recent amendment to the Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA” or “the Act”), which stipulates that a business collecting identical biometric data multiple times from the same person in violation of the law is liable for only a single violation, applies retroactively to claims that arose and were filed prior to August 2, 2024, the effective date of the Act. This landmark ruling shaves potential BIPA damages for most pending cases from astronomical damages of millions (or hundreds of millions) of dollars to $1,000 or $5,000 per person. The question of whether BIPA’s amendment applies retroactively is simmering in courts throughout the state of Illinois and is expected to eventually make its way up to Illinois’ Courts of Appeals and perhaps the Illinois Supreme Court. Tech Group Files Challenge to California Social Media Addiction Law : NetChoice, a technology industry trade group that has challenged a number of recently enacted social media laws around the country on constitutional grounds, filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction asking a California federal court to strike down California’s Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act (the “Act”). NetChoice argues that the Act violates the First Amendment by restricting how and when personalized feeds can be disseminated and also by “placing multiple restrictions on minors and adults’ ability to access covered websites and, in some cases, blocking access altogether.” Among other things, the Act would require that covered platforms display content chronologically, rather than in a personalized way. NetChoice also flagged the Act’s requirements that platforms obtain parental consent to show minors personalized feeds and send minors notifications during school hours or late at night as unconstitutional restrictions on speech. NetChoice instituted a challenge to California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act last year and secured a court decision temporarily enjoining that law. Company and Ex - employee Settle Trade Secret Lawsuit Involving AI Application Recording of Phone Calls : A former salesman of cloud technology company CX360 settled the company’s trade secrets lawsuit against him, which included allegations that he used an artificial intelligence application to record company conference calls. The employee was terminated by CX360 in February of 2024. After that, the company claimed that it discovered the former salesman forwarded confidential messages to his personal email address, which amounted to theft of trade secrets for company accounts. The alleged theft came to light when Otter AI, an AI call recording and transcription application, tried to join a sales manager’s call under the ex-employee’s name after the employee was terminated. The District Court hearing the case previously issued a temporary injunction ordering the former employee to assign his Otter AI account to CX360 as part of the court order that he return all company property and customer information to CX360. U.S. ENFORCEMENT FTC Proposes Settlement with AI-Enabled Review Platform: FTC announced that it has entered into a settlement with CGL Projects, Inc. d/b/a Sitejabber (“Sitejabber”), which provides an AI-enabled consumer review platform. The FTC alleged that Sitejabber misrepresented to consumers that the ratings and reviews it published came from consumers who experienced the reviewed product or service, artificially inflating average ratings and review counts. Sitejabber collected ratings and reviews for its online business clients from consumers at the time of purchase ( e.g. , asking consumers to rate/review their overall shopping experience so far), before they received or had the chance to experience the products or services they bought. The proposed order against Sitejabber specifically prohibits Sitejabber from misrepresenting, or assisting anyone else in misrepresenting, any ratings, average ratings, or reviews it publishes, and requires that such ratings or reviews reflect the views of customers who actually received or experienced the product or service purchased. CPPA Announces Settlements with Data Brokers: Following their announcement of a public investigative sweep of data broker registration compliance, the California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”) has settled with two data brokers, Growbots, Inc. (“Growbots”) and UpLead LLC (“Uplead”), for failing to register as a data broker and pay an annual fee as required by California’s Delete Act. Growbots will pay $35,400 to resolve the CPPA’s claims that the company failed to register between February 1, 2024, and July 26, 2024. UpLead will pay $34,400 to resolve the CPPA’s claims that the company failed to register between February 1, 2024 and July 21, 2024. In addition to the fines, both companies have agreed to injunctive terms, including agreeing to pay the CPPA’s attorney fees and costs resulting from any non-compliance. The Delete Act imposes fines of $200 per day for failing to register by the deadline. FCC Proposes Fine Against Chinese Video Doorbell Manufacturer: The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) proposed a fine against Hong Kong, China-based smart home device manufacturer, Eken, for violations of FCC rules that require the company to designate an agent located in the United States. The FCC found that the mailbox of Eken’s designated agent had been inactive since 2019. Providing a false address for a designated agent on three FCC applications constitutes three apparent violations of FCC rules. Accordingly, the FCC proposed three penalties of the maximum forfeiture amount allowed under the law against Eken, totaling $734,872. The FCC also announced it would audit the certifications that used the same U.S. designated agent information as Eken. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau is further continuing its investigation into privacy and data security issues related to Eken, following news reports that Eken’s video doorbells exposed users’ home IP addresses and Wi-Fi network names and allowed access to photos and videos from household cameras by third parties. New York Attorney General and New York State Department of Financial Services Fine Auto Insurance Companies for Data Breaches: The New York Attorney General and New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) settled with two auto insurance companies, the Government Employees Insurance Company (“GEICO”) and The Travelers Indemnity Company (“Travelers”), for data breaches the companies experienced, resulting in the personal information of approximately 120,000 New York residents being compromised. The data breaches were part of an industry-wide campaign by hackers to steal consumers’ personal information, including driver’s license numbers and dates of birth. For GEICO, the cyberattacks occurred by exploiting vulnerabilities on GEICO’s consumer-facing insurance quotes website and insurance agents’ quoting tool. For Travelers, the cyberattacks occurred through compromised agent credentials. The New York Attorney General and NYDFS settled with the companies with GEICO agreeing to pay $9.75 million and Travelers $1.55 million in penalties. The companies also agreed to implement specific security controls, including maintaining a data inventory, authentication procedures, logging and monitoring systems, and threat response procedures. FTC Proposes Settlement with AI Security Screening Company: The FTC has proposed a settlement with Evolv Technologies (“Evolv”) for the misleading claims Evolv allegedly made with respect to its AI-powered security screening system. The FTC alleged that Evolv deceptively advertised that its scanners would detect all weapons (when it failed, for instance, to detect knives but flagged harmless personal items like laptops) and made misleading claims that its use of AI made its scanners more accurate, efficient, and cost-effective than metal detectors. Under the proposed settlement, Evolv is required to notify certain K-12 school customers that they can cancel their contracts. Additionally, the proposed settlement prohibits Evolv from misrepresenting its scanners’ accuracy, false alarm rates, and ability to detect weapons; the screening speed of its scanners and labor costs compared to the use of metal detectors; testing or the results of any testing; and any material aspect of its scanners’ performance, including the use of AI. HHS Announces Settlement of Ransomware-Related Enforcement Action with Healthcare Provider : The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced that it had entered into a settlement with Plastic Surgery Associates of South Dakota for alleged violations of the HIPAA Security Rule arising from a 2017 ransomware attack. Threat actors infected nine workstations and two servers with ransomware after obtaining access to Plastic Surgery Associates’ network through a brute force attack on their remote desktop protocol. The records of 10,229 individuals were affected and the provider was unable to restore affected data from backups. OCR stated its investigations revealed multiple potential violations of the HIPAA Security Rule, including failures to conduct a compliant risk analysis or implement security measures sufficient to reduce risks and vulnerabilities to electronic protected health information to a reasonable and appropriate level. Plastic Surgery Associates will pay $500,000 and implement a corrective action plan that requires them to take steps to resolve potential HIPAA Security Rule violations. OCR also reiterated a number of recommendations that covered entities and business associates should take to prevent or mitigate cyber threats, including integrating risk analysis and risk management into business processes, utilizing multi-factor authentication, and encrypting protected health information. INTERNATIONAL LAWS & REGULATIONS European AI Office Publishes First Draft of General - Purpose AI Code of Practice : The first draft of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice (“Code of Practice”), written by independent experts, was published by the European AI Office. The Code of Practice will detail the EU AI Act rules for providers of general-purpose AI models and general-purpose AI models with systemic risk. The EU AI Act rules on general-purpose AI will become effective in August 2025. The EU AI Office is facilitating the creation of the Code of Practice to provide additional detail on those rules. The Code of Practice is intended to guide the future development and deployment of trustworthy and safe general-purpose AI models, including principles of transparency and copyright-related rules, as well as how systemic risk is evaluated. The EU AI Office plans to facilitate four drafting rounds of the Code of Practice with the final round planned to occur in April 2025. EU AI Office Launches Consultation of AI System Definition and Prohibited AI Practices Under EU AI Act : The EU AI Office announced it is launching a multi-stakeholder consultation on the application of the definition of an AI system and the prohibited AI practices established in the AI Act. The consultation is targeted to stakeholders, including providers and deployers of AI systems such as businesses, governmental authorities, academia and research institutions, trade unions and other workers' representatives, and the general public. The EU AI Office prepared a questionnaire for the consultation, which will be open for comment through December 11, 2024. Questions include requests from stakeholders to rate or select elements of the definition of AI systems and prohibited AI practices that would most benefit from additional clarification. EDPB Adopts First Report on EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework : The European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) adopted a report on the first review of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (“DPF”), a mechanism that allows for the lawful transfer of EU personal data to companies in the U.S. that certify compliance with the DPF. The EDPB noted that the U.S. Department of Commerce took all relevant steps to implement the certification process. This includes developing a new website, updating procedures, engaging with companies, and conducting awareness-raising activities. It also noted that the redress mechanism for EU individuals has been implemented and that there is comprehensive complaint-handling guidance published in both the U.S. and EU. However, due to the low number of complaints received so far under the DPF, the EDPB highlighted that it would be important for U.S. authorities to separately monitor the DPF compliance of certified companies. The EDPB recommended that the next review of the EU-U.S. adequacy decision regarding the DPF should occur within three years or less. Australian Information Commissioner Publishes Tracking Pixel Guidance : The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (“OAIC”) released guidance for private sector organizations to assist them in meeting their obligations under the Australian Privacy Act when using third party tracking pixels on their websites. The Guidance clarifies that organizations seeking to deploy third-party tracking pixels on their websites are responsible for ensuring they are configured and used in a way that is compliant with the Australian Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles. The Guidance also states that, when deploying third-party tracking pixels, organizations should adopt a data minimization approach to ensure that pixels are configured to limit the collection of personal information to the minimum necessary, ensure sensitive information is not disclosed to third parties through tracking pixels, and ensure that privacy policies and notifications contain clear and transparent information about the use of third-party tracking pixels, among other things. Daniel R. Saeedi, Rachel L. Schaller, Ana Tagvoryan, P. Gavin Eastgate, Timothy W. Dickens, Gabrielle N. Ganze, Jason C. Hirsch, Tianmei Ann Huang, Adam J. Landy, Amanda M. Noonan, and Karen H. Shin also contributed to this article.BOSTON (AP) — Donald Hand Jr. scored 15 of his career-high 29 points in the first half and grabbed 10 rebounds to help Boston College beat Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 on Saturday. Chad Venning scored a season-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting for Boston College (8-5). Ahmed Barba-Bey was fouled on a 3-point shot and made all three free throws before Terrence Brown converted a three-point play to cut FDU's deficit to five points with 2 minutes left and Barba-Bey’s 3 with 39 seconds left made it 74-70. Hand answered with a layup 10 seconds later and followed with two free throws that capped the scoring with 18 seconds to play. Barba-Bey, a graduate transfer from Division-II Jefferson, hit eight 3-pointers and led Fairleigh Dickinson (4-11) with a career-high 31 points on 10-of-12 shooting. Brown added 20 points and Bismark Nsiah scored 10, all in the second half. Hand hit a 3-pointer that gave Boston College the lead for good with 17:17 left in the first half and scored 13 of the game's first 24, including a three-point play that gave the Eagles a 17-7 lead with 11:58 left before the intermission. Barba-Bey hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut FDU's deficit to four just over a minute later but Boston College scored the next eight points and the Knights got no closer until the second half. Boston College won for just the second time since beating Boise State 63-61 on Joshua Beadle's late 3-pointer to win the Cayman Islands Classic on Nov. 26 and improve to 6-1. The Knights have lost four games in a row overall and are 0-10 away from home this season. Boston College won the lone previous meeting between the programs 72-54 on Dec. 10, 1992. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Illinois coach Brad Underwood believes in players pushing each other during practice to improve themselves and the team. That's why he often pits starting guards Kylan Boswell and Kasparas Jakucionis against each other in practice. Underwood figures if it worked for Ayo Dosunmu and Trent Frazier, why not his newest backcourt? So far, that method appears to be paying off again as Boswell and Jakucionis are keying a strong start for the No. 24 Fighting Illini (8-3). They'll shoot for a non-conference win Sunday afternoon when Chicago State (0-14) visits Champaign, Ill. Boswell and Jakucionis' imprints were all over Illinois' 80-77 Braggin' Rights win over Missouri in St. Louis on Dec. 22. They combined for 37 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, with Jakucionis scoring 21 for his sixth straight game with at least 20 points. Underwood said pitting the two against each other in practice is a win-win. "I play them opposite each other so they can just exhaust each other and beat each other up," the coach said. Jakucionis, who averages a team-high 16.5 points a game on 46.8 percent shooting from the field, co-signs on that philosophy. "We elevate each other," he said. "In practice, we're pushing each other by defending and attacking each other. And it makes one another better each day and every day." Boswell adds 10.6 ppg to go with 3.5 assists, while teammates Tomislav Ivisic (13.9 ppg) and Will Riley (12.5) also are in double figures in scoring. Perhaps the best thing about this team is that it appears to have more ceiling left. Illinois is averaging 83.6 points a game without being efficient from the field (43.3 percent) or the 3-point line (32.3 percent). The Illini likely will find more efficiency against the winless Cougars, who are searching for answers and consistency in their first year as a member of the Northeast Conference. They haven't played since Dec. 21, when they fell 81-57 at Cal State Northridge. It was predictable that Chicago State would struggle. After earning 13 wins last season at a program that has had a hard time winning consistently, coach Gerald Gillion left to serve as Rod Strickland's lead assistant at Long Island. New Cougars coach Scott Spinelli, who worked under Mark Turgeon (Maryland) and Jim Christian (Boston College), not only had to replace most of his roster but brought a new style of play to town. Gillion played a methodical half-court game, and Spinelli is trying to play at a faster pace. "We want to have guys out there that can get up and down the floor," Spinelli said this past summer. That hasn't come to fruition yet. The Cougars are last in Division I in field-goal percentage at 35.1 and third from the bottom in scoring at 59.6 points per game. They also rank near the bottom in free-throw percentage, 3-point percentage, rebounding, assists and turnovers. Jalen Forrest is the team's leading scorer at 9.1 ppg but is shooting only 33.6 percent from the field. Cameron Jernigan averages a team-high 4.5 rebounds. --Field Level MediaCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson was carted off the field and taken to a hospital with a neck injury late in the first half of Saturday's game at No. 24 Missouri. Jackson appeared to injure his neck while trying to tackle Missouri running back Jamal Roberts. Medical personnel tended to Jackson for approximately 10 minutes before he was placed on a backboard and driven to a waiting ambulance. Jackson gave a thumbs-up sign as he was carted off the snow-covered field. Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said Jackson had movement in his arms and legs but was experiencing pain in his neck. He said Jackson was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Jackson leads the Razorbacks with 9 1/2 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks, and is considered a potential first-round pick in next year's NFL draft. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Since their introduction last year, WhatsApp Channels have evolved significantly, with Meta consistently adding new features. The latest addition, now in beta, enables users to easily share, discover, and follow Channels via a quick response (QR) code within the app. This feature is currently being tested on the latest WhatsApp beta versions for both iOS and Android, and it's expected to be available to all users in the near future. ALSO READ | Google Faces Fresh CCI Probe Following Complaint From Real-Money Gaming Firm WinZO: Here's What Went Down WhatsApp New Feature: Export WhatsApp Channel QR Codes To Other Apps The new QR code sharing feature was recently discovered by feature tracker WABetaInfo in the latest WhatsApp versions for iOS and Android. Beta testers with the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.25.7 or WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.24.10.76 can try the feature. To use it, users must be on the latest beta version, manage an existing WhatsApp Channel, and open the Channel information panel. From there, they can choose the sharing options, including the ability to generate a QR code. Once the QR code is created, users can share it with others via WhatsApp or any messaging app. The QR code, which is presented as an image, can also be sent through third-party apps, email, or even printed out. This feature could be particularly useful for businesses aiming to make it easier for customers to follow their channels. It's not yet clear when this QR code sharing feature will be made available to all users in the stable version. WhatsApp is also testing other new features, such as sharing entire sticker packs, a 'Search on the web' image lookup tool, and cross-device contact management. These features are expected to be rolled out to users after further testing in the beta program.

South Korean prosecutors say Yoon authorised ‘shooting’ during martial law bid

PUBG creator Brendan Greene just released a free tech demo of his new game engine on Steam that lets you play with 'an Earth-scale world generated in real-time'