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Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State Sun Devils have become the talk of the college football world over the last month as they continue to ascend in the rankings and have become one of the most interesting teams in the nation. Originally predicted to finish dead last in the Big 12 Conference this year, Dillingham has flipped the script in his second year as the head coach in Tempe, and has his team playing for a spot in the conference championship game with an 8-2 record. Coming into Saturday with a huge game against the BYU Cougars, Dillingham made it clear that he was pulling out all of the stops with hopes to win and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. One of those "stops" — a brilliant onside-kick in the first half with his team leading 14-0 — had fans on social media talking about Dillingham's former coach with the Oregon Ducks, Dan Lanning. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Lanning and the Ducks have gone for unexpected onside kicks multiple times over the last few years, including once this year against the Ohio State Buckeyes where the kicker aimed straight for a front-line player, drilled him in the stomach, and had an Oregon player hop on the ball. The Ducks also surprised Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins with a first-half onside kick a couple of years ago in an advantageous spot. It's clear that Dillingham remembered, and deployed the same tactics on Saturday against BYU. When you have a 34 year old head coach, you call an onside kick up 14-0... and you recover it Kenny Dillingham, ladies and gentleman pic.twitter.com/qAXOHr7wWh Kenny Dillingham took a page out of Dan Lanning’s book👀 pic.twitter.com/xPDCY5gkIc Kenny Dillingham with his best Dan Lanning impression with that onside kick Dan Lanning watching Dillingham call an onside kick in the middle of the game. pic.twitter.com/g3OYFaedbb Kenny Dillingham really is Dan Lanning Jr. 🥹 ASU's kick wasn't quite as savage as drilling an opposing player in the stomach, but the result was all the same, and led to a third rushing touchdown for ASU running back Cam Skattebo, putting the Sun Devils up 21-0. We will see how the rest of the game plays out, but it's pretty clear that Dillingham has his team firing on all cylinders and playing some of their best football in the first half against BYU. If they can keep this up, there may be a world in the future where Dillingham and the Sun Devils might face Lanning and the Ducks in the playoff down the road. Related: Fans Regret College Football Playoff Expansion After Ohio State-Indiana Blowout

Morrissey throws 67-yard TD pass to Calwise Jr. to lift Eastern Kentucky over North Alabama 21-15The history of bath seen as political mobility

Financial Highlights : 4 th Quarter consolidated sales of $446.7 million; $1.80 billion for fiscal 2024 Outstanding debt reduced by $53.8 million during the quarter Cost reduction actions progressing well Company sets adjusted EBITDA guidance for fiscal 2025 Webcast: Friday, November 22, 2024, 9:00 a.m., (201) 689-8471 PITTSBURGH, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matthews International Corporation (NASDAQ GSM: MATW) today announced financial results for the quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. In discussing the Company’s results, Joseph C. Bartolacci, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Our consolidated operating results for the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter reflected another quarter of solid performance by our core businesses and, consistent with prior quarters, was impacted by continuing customer delays in our energy business. Our previously announced cost reduction program is now underway, as evidenced by the charges reflected in our GAAP results this quarter, and progressing well. Overall, we were pleased with the consolidated operating results as we again demonstrated the resilience of Matthews and our employees in mitigating the challenges faced by one of our segments. For the year ended September 30, 2024, consolidated adjusted EBITDA was $205.2 million. “The Memorialization segment reported higher adjusted EBITDA for the current quarter despite lower unit volumes, which were related to a decline in U.S. deaths compared to a year ago. Ongoing cost control efforts combined with improved price realization were the key drivers in the improvement in operating margins. This segment has done a tremendous job of maintaining its level of performance over the past several years despite the declines in unit volume following the pandemic. “We are also pleased to report that our SGK Brand Solutions segment reported another consecutive quarter of year-over-year sales growth. This segment has stabilized nicely over the last two years with modest improvements in margins and is continuing its recovery following the global impacts of the pandemic and the European impact of the Russia-Ukraine war. Sales for the segment increased compared to a year ago primarily reflecting improved pricing to mitigate inflationary cost increases, higher sales for the merchandising and private label businesses, and growth in the Asia-Pacific market. “Sales for the Industrial Technologies segment for the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter declined from a year ago primarily resulting from further customer delays in our energy business. The current quarter also reflected a continued soft warehouse automation market; however, order rates have been improving recently which could bode well for a good recovery next fiscal year. “With respect to our cost reduction program, current quarter charges include non-cash goodwill impairment and other asset write-downs primarily in connection with our European operations, in addition to severance and other costs. The program is also targeting general and administrative cost reductions. For our fiscal 2024 fourth quarter, we reported another quarter of lower corporate and non-operating costs compared to a year ago. For the year, corporate and non-operating costs were approximately 5% lower than last year. “During the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter, we reduced our outstanding debt by $53.8 million. In addition, we completed the refinancing of outstanding senior notes due December 1, 2025. Due to current interest rates and the ongoing strategic review of our business portfolio, we opted for a shorter-term bond (three-year maturity) with an ability to call in one year. We are projecting higher operating cash flow next year as our working capital investments in fiscal 2024 begin to convert to operating cash flow, which will be partially mitigated by costs in connection with our cost reduction program. “Looking forward to fiscal 2025, we continue to face the uncertainty of project timing in our Industrial Technologies segment, specifically relating to our energy business. While we currently expect deliveries to be substantially completed during the year, quarterly timing is still difficult to forecast. Our cost reduction programs should mitigate some of this impact. “We expect another solid performance for our Memorialization business in fiscal 2025 as U.S. deaths appear to have generally normalized following COVID and we are projecting continued growth in our cremation-related products sales. Continued growth is also projected for our SGK Brand Solutions segment reflecting ongoing improvement in U.S. market conditions, more stable conditions in Europe, and further growth in the Asia-Pacific region. In the Industrial Technologies segment, our product identification business is projecting growth next year and we should start to realize benefits from the launch of a new printhead product, which is currently scheduled for the latter half of the fiscal year. Also, as noted earlier, recent improving order rates for warehouse automation solutions should support recovery in this business. With these considerations in mind, we remain cautious and are projecting adjusted EBITDA in the range of $205 million to $215 million for fiscal 2025. “Lastly, as growth opportunities for the Industrial Technologies segment continue to emerge, the Company has been exploring strategies with respect to its portfolio of businesses. Accordingly, we have retained J.P. Morgan to support the evaluation of potential strategic alternatives.” Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2024 Consolidated Results (Unaudited) Consolidated sales for the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter were $446.7 million, compared to $480.2 million for the fiscal 2023 fourth quarter, representing a decrease of $33.5 million. Net loss attributable to the Company for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 was $68.2 million, or $2.21 per share, compared to net income of $17.7 million, or $0.56 per share, for the same quarter last year. On a non-GAAP adjusted basis, earnings for the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter were $0.55 per share, compared to $0.96 per share a year ago. The net loss on a GAAP basis in the current fiscal quarter primarily reflected asset write-downs, including a goodwill impairment charge, and charges in connection with cost reduction programs. Adjusted EBITDA (net income before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and other adjustments) for the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter was $58.1 million, compared to $61.9 million a year ago, primarily reflecting lower adjusted EBITDA in the Industrial Technologies segment. Fiscal 2024 Consolidated Results (Unaudited) Consolidated sales for the year ended September 30, 2024 were $1.80 billion, compared to $1.88 billion a year ago, representing a decrease of $85.2 million, or 4.5%, from the prior year. Net loss attributable to the Company for the year ended September 30, 2024 was $59.7 million ($1.93 per share), compared to net income of $39.3 million ($1.26 per share) for fiscal 2023. On a non-GAAP adjusted basis, earnings for the year ended September 30, 2024 were $2.17 per share, compared to $2.88 per share last year. The net loss on a GAAP basis for the current fiscal year primarily resulted from asset write-downs, including a goodwill impairment charge, and charges in connection with cost reduction programs. Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended September 30, 2024, was $205.2 million, compared to $225.8 million a year ago. The decrease reflected lower adjusted EBITDA for the Industrial Technologies and Memorialization segments, offset partially by higher adjusted EBITDA for SGK Brand Solutions and lower corporate and other non-operating costs. Webcast The Company will host a conference call and webcast on Friday, November 22, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review its financial and operating results and discuss its corporate strategies and outlook. A question-and-answer session will follow. The conference call can be accessed by dialing (201) 689-8471. The audio webcast can be monitored at www.matw.com . As soon as available after the call, a transcript of the call will be posted on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.matw.com . About Matthews International Corporation Matthews International Corporation is a global provider of memorialization products, industrial technologies, and brand solutions. The Memorialization segment is a leading provider of memorialization products, including memorials, caskets, cremation-related products, and cremation and incineration equipment, primarily to cemetery and funeral home customers that help families move from grief to remembrance. The Industrial Technologies segment includes the design, manufacturing, service and sales of high-tech custom energy storage solutions; product identification and warehouse automation technologies and solutions, including order fulfillment systems for identifying, tracking, picking and conveying consumer and industrial products; and coating and converting lines for the packaging, pharma, foil, décor and tissue industries. The SGK Brand Solutions segment is a leading provider of packaging solutions and brand experiences, helping companies simplify their marketing, amplify their brands and provide value. The Company has over 11,000 employees in more than 30 countries on six continents that are committed to delivering the highest quality products and services. Forward-looking Information Any forward-looking statements contained in this release are included pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies of the Company regarding the future, and may be identified by the use of words such as “expects,” “believes,” “intends,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “plans,” “seeks,” “forecasts,” “predicts,” “objective,” “targets,” “potential,” “outlook,” “may,” “will,” “could” or the negative of these terms, other comparable terminology and variations thereof. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company’s actual results in future periods to be materially different from management’s expectations, and no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove correct. Factors that could cause the Company's results to differ materially from the results discussed in such forward-looking statements principally include changes in domestic or international economic conditions, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, changes in interest rates, changes in the cost of materials used in the manufacture of the Company's products, any impairment of goodwill or intangible assets, environmental liability and limitations on the Company’s operations due to environmental laws and regulations, disruptions to certain services, such as telecommunications, network server maintenance, cloud computing or transaction processing services, provided to the Company by third-parties, changes in mortality and cremation rates, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of consolidation in the industries in which the Company operates, or other factors such as supply chain disruptions, labor shortages or labor cost increases, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of domestic or international competitive pressures, ability to achieve cost-reduction objectives, unknown risks in connection with the Company's acquisitions and divestitures, cybersecurity concerns and costs arising with management of cybersecurity threats, effectiveness of the Company's internal controls, compliance with domestic and foreign laws and regulations, technological factors beyond the Company's control, impact of pandemics or similar outbreaks, or other disruptions to our industries, customers, or supply chains, the impact of global conflicts, such as the current war between Russia and Ukraine, the outcome of the Company's dispute with Tesla, Inc. ("Tesla"), and other factors described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Included in this report are measures of financial performance that are not defined by GAAP, including, without limitation, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and EPS, constant currency sales, constant currency adjusted EBITDA, net debt and net debt leverage ratio. The Company defines net debt leverage ratio as outstanding debt (net of cash) relative to adjusted EBITDA. The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures to assist in comparing its performance on a consistent basis for purposes of business decision-making by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect the Company’s core operations including acquisition and divestiture costs, ERP integration costs, strategic initiative and other charges (which includes non-recurring charges related to certain commercial and operational initiatives and exit activities), stock-based compensation and the non-service portion of pension and postretirement expense. Constant currency sales and constant currency adjusted EBITDA remove the impact of changes due to foreign exchange translation rates. To calculate sales and adjusted EBITDA on a constant currency basis, amounts for periods in the current fiscal year are translated into U.S. dollars using exchange rates applicable to the comparable periods of the prior fiscal year. Management believes that presenting non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors because it (i) provides investors with meaningful supplemental information regarding financial performance by excluding certain items that management believes do not directly reflect the Company's core operations, (ii) permits investors to view performance using the same tools that management uses to budget, forecast, make operating and strategic decisions, and evaluate historical performance, and (iii) otherwise provides supplemental information that may be useful to investors in evaluating the Company’s results. The Company's calculations of its non-GAAP financial measures, however, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. The Company believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to those measures, provided herein, provide investors with an additional understanding of the factors and trends affecting the Company’s business that could not be obtained absent these disclosures. * Depreciation and amortization was $7,368 and $6,646 for the Memorialization segment, $6,028 and $5,600 for the Industrial Technologies segment, $9,724 and $11,299 for the SGK Brand Solutions segment, and $1,209 and $1,172 for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Depreciation and amortization was $27,768 and $23,738 for the Memorialization segment, $23,772 and $23,184 for the Industrial Technologies segment, $38,667 and $44,842 for the SGK Brand Solutions segment, and $4,563 and $4,766 for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. ** Acquisition costs, ERP integration costs, non-recurring/incremental COVID-19 costs, and strategic initiatives and other charges were $1,309 and $22 for the Memorialization segment, $40,069 and $614 for the Industrial Technologies segment, $307 and $3,878 for the SGK Brand Solutions segment, and $6,784 and $2,502 for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Acquisition costs, ERP integration costs, non-recurring/incremental COVID-19 costs, and strategic initiatives and other charges were $3,514 and $1,002 for the Memorialization segment, $54,357 and $4,108 for the Industrial Technologies segment, $3,001 and $10,905 for the SGK Brand Solutions segment, and $10,290 and $3,201 for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. † Strategic initiatives and other charges includes charges for exit and disposal activities (including severance and other employee termination benefits) totaling $41,353 and $6,003 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. $29,283, $1,492, and $10,578 were presented in cost of sales, selling expense, and administrative expense for the three months ended September 30, 2024, respectively. Charges of $4,925 and $1,429, and a credit of $351 were presented in cost of sales, selling expense, and administrative expense for the three months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. Strategic initiatives and other charges includes charges for exit and disposal activities (including severance and other employee termination benefits) totaling $45,705 and $13,210 for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. $32,526, $1,379 and $11,800 were presented in cost of sales, selling expense, and administrative expense for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, respectively. $9,028, $1,925 and $2,257 were presented in cost of sales, selling expense, and administrative expense for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, respectively. Accrued severance and other employee termination benefits totaled $42,245 and $7,321 as of September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Matthews International Corporation Corporate Office Two NorthShore Center Pittsburgh, PA 15212-5851 Phone: (412) 442-8200New York (CNN) — Following a brief outage that grounded all American airlines flights during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, American Airlines says it has resumed service Tuesday morning. American Airlines said a “vendor technology issue” was responsible for delaying all of its flights in the United States. But the company began boarding flights again at around 8 am ET, and flights have since resumed, airline spokeswoman Sarah Jantz told CNN. The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its nationwide groundstop order for all American flights. The FAA in a statement said American requested a nationwide ground stop but it referred all questions to the airline for more information. The outage came on a day when the airline is scheduled to have more than 3,300 domestic flights, according to the aviation analytics firm Cirium. The airline resumed service with residual delays but without a substantial number of cancelations. “It’s all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible,” the airline said. “We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.” American said delayed customers should be on their way with minimal disruption. “Expect some delays throughout the day but [we’re] working to mitigate those and avoid cancels,” Jantz said. “We have a smaller schedule today and have the staffing to support the quick recovery.” Just 26 flights across all airlines were canceled nationwide, according to data tracker FlightAware. More than 1,000 flights into, within and out of the United States were delayed – a number that picked up shortly after the American outage, but it could also be caused by airport congestion and some winter weather in the Northeast. David Myers, a 62-year-old disaster consultant traveling from from Salisbury, Maryland, to New Orleans with a layover in Charlotte said he was first alerted to the issue at 6 am Tuesday morning. He and his wife are trying to spend Christmas with their children. “It’s Christmas Eve, so complaining doesn’t seem quite right,” Myers told CNN. “And safety always comes first. But more information at the gate would be helpful.” Customers on social media began complaining early Tuesday morning that some flights were returning to their gates and that delays are about 90 minutes. “Captain says @AmericanAir software outage preventing weight & balance calculations ‘company-wide’ with no estimate on resolution. Flights unable to depart as a result. Not a good start to Christmas Eve travel!,” a person posted on X. In a video posted from Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida, an agent is heard saying “our system is down” and they are keeping passengers at the gate. American Airlines’ (AAL) stock initially fell nearly 3% in premarket trading, but rose 1% following the resolution. Holiday travel delays are nothing new, but glitches and outages can make annoying situations significantly worse. In July, during the peak of summer travel season, a global tech outage led to travel chaos around the world. Most airlines recovered within a day, but Delta’s systems failed to recover for about a week. The meltdown ensnared an estimated half a million people, ruined holidays and travel plans and prompted a federal investigation In December 2022, a punishing winter storm that dumped multiple feet of snow across much of America led to widespread flight cancellations over the Christmas holiday. Although air travel was more or less back to normal a few days later, Southwest Airlines continued to face massive cancellations and delays as its outdated scheduling systems became overwhelmed. That storm had hit Chicago and Denver hard, where Southwest has two of its biggest hubs, exposing the airline’s technology shortcomings. The airline faced massive fines and lawsuits, but it has since upgraded its tech. To remove this article -

The spread of bird flu globally has raised concerns among health officials battling against other diseases. The Sunday Observer spoke to Dr C.S. Botenne, Virologist, Medical Research Institute to explain how the disease for which there is still no vaccine is spread and how we can protect ourselves. Excerpts of the interview: The spread of bird flu in different parts of the world including Sri Lanka’s neighboring countries such as India and Pakistan has raised concerns among health authorities here of the possibility of this disease spreading to our island and prompting a health alert to the public. Since most people are ignorant about this disease, could you tell our readers what bird flu is? Is avian flu and bird flu one and the same thing? Does it affect only migrant birds such as water fowls, wild duck, geese, storks etc? Or can it also spread to domestic poultry such as chicken and ducks? Dr C.S. Botenne Avian or bird influenza mean the same. It is an infectious type of the influenza A virus that spreads among birds. Infected birds can shed the virus in their droppings, nasal secretions and saliva. Domesticated birds such as chicken, ducks, turkeys can also get infected with the virus through direct contact with infected waterfowl and other migrant birds or through contact with surfaces that are contaminated with the virus. Q: I read that the disease could also affect animals such as cats, dogs, cows ,goats and pigs if they come into contact with an infected animal. Your comments? A: Yes, there have been cases of infected cats , dogs, goat kids and dairy cows over the years in countries such as Thailand, Germany, Poland, South Korea and North American countries. Q: What about humans being infected? Can an infected bird or animal pass it on to them? A: Humans can get infected by touching infected birds, touching droppings or beddings, killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking , markets where live birds are sold could also be a source of bird flu. Q: Is human-to-human transmission possible if an infected person lives in the same house as a non infected person? If so, how? Could the infection spread from nasal drops or touching contaminated surfaces? A: The human-to-human spread of the virus is very rare. It usually spreads to only a few people, so sustained transmission is unlikely. Most cases of human-to-human transmission takes place after prolonged close contact without protection. Although rare, it can occur, as you correctly mentioned, if someone inhales the virus from the air or touches a contaminated surface and then their eyes, nose or mouth. It’s still important to monitor and be on the lookout for human-to-human transmission, even if it’s uncommon, because of the potential of pandemics. Q: What about eating cooked chicken or eggs contaminated by the virus? If so, can the virus infect a person? What are the chances? A: If chicken, eggs or any poultry are thoroughly cooked, the chances of infection are minimal. Pasteurised milk and dairy products are also safe to consume. However, drinking raw or unpasteurised milk carries an increased risk of serious illness, as it hasn’t undergone pasteurisation to eliminate harmful microorganisms. Q: Are there different categories of bird flu? If so, what are they? A: There are two categories of avian influenza viruses. They are low pathogenic avian influenza A virus (LPAI) and highly pathogenic Avian influenza A virus(HPAI). This division depends on their molecular characteristic which means on specific details in their genes and its ability to cause disease and death in chickens. So as the name suggests, low pathogenicity avian influenza causes either no disease or mild disease whereas the highly pathogenic type causes either severe disease or death in chicken/poultry. Only some avian influenza A(H5) and A(H7) viruses are classified as HPAI A viruses, while most A(H5) and A(H7) viruses circulating among birds are LPAI A viruses. Q: What is the most common strain of bird flu? A: The commonest type of Avian influenza in birds is H5N1 whereas the types of avian influenza frequently infecting humans are H5NI, H7N9 and H5N6. Q: Which is more dangerous and why? A: The subtypes which I have mentioned above gives rise to more severe disease and death among humans and therefore they are considered dangerous Q: Do the strains mutate and change over time? A: Yes, of course. Avian influenza poses a high pandemic risk because it has the potential to mutate and gain the ability to spread between people. If this occurs, the disease may become severe and infect a large number of people. Q: What are the symptoms to look out for in suspected cases of bird flu? A: Bird flu in humans include symptoms such as high temperature, aching muscles, headaches, cough, sore throat, and shortness of breath. There can also be symptoms such as diarrhoea, chest pain, conjunctivitis , bleeding from the nose and gums. Q: Can it be mistaken for some other disease such as bronchitis or viral influenza? A: Yes, it can, as all of these conditions can present with respiratory symptoms such as fever, headache, cough and shortness of breath, making it difficult to differentiate. Q: What are the complications that could arise if not detected and treated in time? A: The main complications may include worsening of chronic lung conditions, such as asthma or cystic fibrosis; ear and sinus infections; failure of the respiratory system, known as acute respiratory distress syndrome; kidney problems; heart problems; bleeding in the lungs; a collapsed lung; bacterial pneumonia and a life-threatening condition called sepsis, in which your organs do not function properly due to infection. Q: How is it diagnosed? If someone with suspicious symptoms comes to your clinic how do you determine whether he/she has the disease? Is it with a blood test or X-ray? Walk us through the usual procedure. A: If a patient comes to the hospital or clinic with the aforementioned symptoms, doctors usually gather a history from the patient. They will specifically look into factors such as travel history and any exposure to poultry if there is a suspicion of avian influenza. The doctor will then examine the patient’s general condition, listen to their chest and conduct a general examination to gain a better understanding of the patient’s condition. Following this, the doctor will probably order some blood tests, specifically a full blood count and CRP, as well as some cultures if needed. A chest X-ray may also be ordered for further analysis. If there is suspicion of avian influenza, specimens will be taken from the respiratory tract and sent for a test called PCR (polymerase chain reaction), which is similar to what was done during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This test will detect the subtype of influenza the patient has. However, in the meantime, we can start antiviral treatment for influenza and antibiotics may be added if necessary. We do not have to wait for the PCR results to begin antiviral therapy. Q: Are these tests available in our state hospitals free-of-charge to all patients? A: Yes they are available free-of-charge to all patients if the treating physician requests. Q: Age wise and gender wise who are most likely to develop avian influenza and why? A: Age-wise, all ages are vulnerable if they have risk factors. However, those who are at the extremes of age and those with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and liver disease, are at higher risk of contracting the infection and its complications. There is no preference for the infection based on gender. Q: Can an infected pregnant woman pass it to the foetus? A: Cases of avian influenza in pregnant women are uncommon. Nonetheless, research indicates that the A/H5N1 virus has the ability to pass through the placental barrier and infect the foetus. Q: Can an infected mother pass it on to her baby when breastfeeding? A: No it is unlikely that a pregnant mother can pass the avian influenza virus to her baby via breast milk. Q: What are the preventive measures? A. Stay away from animals in areas with flu outbreaks especially farms and markets. Don’t touch surfaces with animal waste. Children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with weak immune systems should not handle eggs or help with food preparation. Don’t go near sick or dead animals, and report any to the local authorities. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitiser, especially after touching animals. B. Keep raw and cooked food separate, wash hands, cook food well and store meat properly. If you’re in areas where there is an outbreak, avoid farms and markets. If you get sick after travelling, see a doctor. Q: What has the Health Ministry and the Sri Lanka Association of Virologists done to prevent the spread of avian influenza in recent months? A: Right now, there is ongoing surveillance for flu-like illnesses and severe respiratory infections at major government hospitals across the country carried out by the National Influenza Centre, Medical Research Institute and the epidemiology unit. This is a great chance to spot any cases of avian influenza. The Department of Animal Production and Health is conducting animal surveillance in partnership with the Ministry of Health. All these sections under the Ministry of Health and virologists in Sri Lanka hold monthly meetings to discuss avian influenza and pandemic preparedness efforts in the country. If someone arriving at the airport/port is suspected of having avian influenza, they will be sent to the Infectious Disease Hospital which is equipped to handle such cases. Q: What is the role of the Medical Research Institute (MRI) regarding infectious diseases such as bird flu? Has the availability of high technology helped to detect and treat the spread and is it more effective? A: The National Influenza Centre at the MRI is equipped to perform specialised PCR tests that can identify avian influenza cases in a day, enabling prompt and targeted treatment for patients when needed. Q: Do you see any shortcoming in the care of avian flu patients which needs to be filled? A: At present, we have enough facilities in State institutions and we don’t see any major gaps in the health sector regarding the management of patients with bird flu. Q: Do you have a message for worried readers on reducing exposure risks to avian influenza? A: So far we have not come across any person with avian influenza in Sri Lanka and the risk of infection for the public remains low. However, it’s essential to adhere to basic precautions outlined above to help prevent the spread of the virus and ensure you receive appropriate care. If you experience symptoms and have had potential exposure to poultry, visit the nearest Government hospital and inform the doctor of your status.Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE goes missing; Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. That's according to what the Israeli prime minister’s office said Saturday. The office said: "Since his disappearance, and against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country.” Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. At least 19 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 19 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat sent to restaurants nationwide. Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli, which can cause life-threatening infections. No illnesses have been reported outside of Minnesota. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. Actor Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend drops assault and defamation lawsuit against once-rising star NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend has dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against the once-rising Hollywood star after reaching a settlement. Lawyers for Majors and Grace Jabbari agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice Thursday. Jabbari is a British dancer who had accused Majors of subjecting her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Majors didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Jabbari’s lawyer said the suit was “favorably settled” and her client is moving on with “her head held high.” Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and sentenced to a yearlong counseling program. Hyundai, Kia recall over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix problem that can cause loss of power DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80. Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024. The affiliated Korean automakers say in government documents that a transistor in a charging control unit can be damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery. Dealers will inspect and replace the control unit and a fuse if needed. They also will update software.

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It’s hard to even comprehend how much PC gaming has changed in the past 20 years. But it was the classic FPS Half-Life 2 that convinced people to install this weird military-green launcher app named Steam and take the plunge on digital distribution. Not only was it a fantastic game, it built on Valve’s established track record of mod support, providing creators with the tools to create their own levels, campaigns and total conversions, even if the studio's own plans could be a bit of an inscrutable black box. Smash-cut to two decades later. We’re still waiting for an official reveal of Half-Life 3 , but at least we’ve had plenty to chew on in the meantime. While never quite as explosively popular to remix as Doom (largely due to much more demanding mod tools), Half-Life 2 has maintained an active community of creators, mappers and modders since day one. Some went on to create fully standalone games like No More Room In Hell , or G String , Black Mesa or Infra , but plenty more kept hammering away at free goodies for us all to gorge on. After installing many, many Half-Life 2 mods, here are my choice picks from recent years to get you up to speed with Gordon and pals. How to install Half-Life 2 mods Despite a steady drip-feed of small updates over the years, it wasn’t until this 20th anniversary weekend that Valve finally made it easier to install Half-Life 2 mods. The game now has integrated Steam Workshop support , but at the time of writing, only a handful of items are available there, so to access some of the best mods you’re going to have to shuffle some files around for yourself. Not a huge hassle, but it could be easier. You will, of course, need to own Half-Life 2, along with its expansions. To install stuff not on the Steam Workshop, you should follow each mod’s individual installation instructions, but the most common first step is to have either the Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer or the Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer packages installed on Steam, from the Tools section of your Steam library. If you own Half-Life 2, both of these should be accessible. You should also right-click on either/both, go into Properties/Betas and select the ‘upcoming’ branch for Singleplayer, and ‘prerelease’ branch for Multiplayer. This’ll ensure that you’re using the very latest build, which most mods require. Once you’ve got that downloaded and updated, all you need to do is drop any unzipped mod folders into your Steam\steamapps\sourcemods directory (usually starting with C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\ ). If all’s in working order, close and re-launch Steam to have the mods pop up in Steam itself as part of your library. If they don’t, double-check to make sure everything has been unzipped to the right place. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Fortunately you won't need to go through these steps for some of my picks. As while Valve haven’t made mod distribution especially easy for Half-Life 2 until just recently, it has approved a large assortment of fan-made adventures and more polished mods to be released directly on the Steam storefront. Here’s some easy-to-install must-plays: The best Half-Life 2 mods on Steam Workshop Half-Life 2: Update by Filip Victor Available: Direct on Steam No longer quite as essential, but still an important community favorite, released around HL2’s 10 year anniversary. Until the impressive Half-Life 2 RTX drops, this subtle community-produced remaster is worth using. For the most part this is Half-Life 2 just as you remember, albeit with slightly better lighting and effects, and a lot of old outstanding bugs (many spawned by Valve themselves while updating the engine) crowbarred into submission. It’s Half-Life 2 as nostalgia tells you it was, not as it actually was. While this mod does only cover the original Half-Life 2 and neither of its expansions, it’s a polished and smart enough production to be worth installing. Especially if you turn on the optional Community Commentary mode, featuring anecdotes, insights and reminiscing from an assortment of avid Half-Life 2 fans, YouTubers and streamers. While that might sound like torture to some (and admittedly not quite as impressive as Valve’s own commentary), they’ve got some fun insights, and if you’d still rather not hear it, it’s entirely optional. In a similar vein, those lucky enough to own a pair of high-tech goggles should check out Half-Life 2 VR (including Episode 1 & Episode 2 ) to experience the classic campaign from a fresh new perspective. Entropy : Zero 2 by Breadmen Available: Direct on Steam Still one of the biggest and best. Sequel to the solid but slightly rough-hewn Entropy : Zero , this campaign puts you in the alien jackboots of ‘Bad Cop’, who is a bit of an arsehole even by Combine police standards. But evil alien governments being what they are, he’s marked as expendable before long, sending him on a shockingly well-written adventure through the bowels of an old Aperture Labs (yes, from Portal) research facility, where he teams up with Wilson, a sapient gun turret, for some buddy-action comedy hijinks. It’s just top notch Half-Life, and explores new and interesting sides to the setting without feeling too much like overwrought fanfic. And there’s still plenty more Entropy : Zero on the horizon, too. There’s two expansions in the works, one continuing Bad Cop’s story following EZ2’s good ending, and one prequel campaign putting you in the shoes of a Combine assassin shortly after the alien takeover. On top of that, the third-party expansion Entropy : Zero - Uprising is still chugging along, with its first chapter available now. And to top it all off? Entropy Zero 2 has its own Steam Workshop page , packed with community-made maps and mods. Swelter by SDE Development Team Available: Direct on Steam Another excellent singleplayer campaign. Experience a day in the life of a regular Resistance grunt, sent on a diplomatic mission to Combine-held Central Asia (most likely former Kazakhstan) in this sunny, chaotic little campaign. It’s a full self-contained three-act adventure. Only a few hours long, but never a dull moment as you bounce between setpiece after setpiece, gunfight after gunfight, and some gorgeously detailed environments. Day turns to night turns to dawn as your mission progresses, keeping the atmosphere fresh as you travel across the country. As well as the usual horrors of Combine occupation, the formerly Soviet state is full of sun-bleached structures emblazoned with fading red stars, as well as local art and architecture. It’s nice to see another culture and part of the world through the lens of Half-Life 2’s sci-fi war for survival. But also you probably won’t have long to appreciate the sights because there’s a whole lot of shooting to be done using an assortment of HL2 staples and a stack of cold war hand-me-downs. Can’t go wrong with an AK at least! Jabroni Brawl: Episode 3 by Team Jabroni Available: Direct on Steam A rare multiplayer pick, but a fantastic time if you bring the right people to the party. Jabroni Brawl: Episode 3 is an anarchic, enormous collection of competitive multiplayer maps and modes, and spiritual successor to the deeply chaotic Jaykin’ Bacon: Source . The tagline ‘For idiots, by idiots’ isn’t messing around. Over 130 maps and 150 player models (many borrowed from other games) and 80 weapons (including a dubstep cannon, an AK with an axe-bayonet and the classic Rocket Crowbar) spice up 14 game modes including ‘Sneaks vs Mallcops’ and ‘The Shidden’. On a server with game modes set to shuffle and all the maps in rotation, you won’t be bored. Sadly, despite Jabroni Brawl being actively supported and still getting regular updates with new maps, modes and features, there’s not many people playing it. And those that do frequent the game’s public servers tend to be a raucous and abrasive lot. Our advice is to BYOB (Bring Your Own Buddies) and convince your favorite gaming Discord community to install it, set up a password-locked server of your own and jump in with a bunch of people you know. Half-Life 2 mods from the border worlds (not Steam) Half-Life 2: MMod by Gunship_Mark_II Available: On ModDB If HL2 Update was giving the game an oil change, a wash and a wax, then MMod blesses Half-Life 2 with a full engine tune-up, a flashy new spoiler and a fresh decal kit. Sequel to a similarly impressive overhaul for Half-Life 1 , MMod aims to tune up Half-Life 2’s core gunplay and visual effects, with more particles, dynamic lighting, much slicker weapon animations and some minor balance tweaks. No massive or sweeping changes to gameplay, but a subtle shift towards modernity, buffing out some of the worst scuff marks that HL2 has picked up over the years. It’s a neat way to replay Half-Life 2 and its expansions. It’s impressive enough in action, with the now-bassy SMG spitting out smoking brass and the shotgun putting the fear of Gord into the Combine, but where MMod shines brightest is in its portability. The Addons page on ModDB for it contains a vast library of compatibility patches, letting you apply MMod’s enhancements to dozens upon dozens of other campaigns, maps and mods. Some of these patches are for older, slightly less polished versions of MMod, but it’s still a fantastic excuse to dive into the Half-Life extended universe, including some of the RTSL campaigns below! Run. Think. Shoot. Live. Available: On the RTSL Site Not a single mod recommendation, but rather a community, and one at the heart of Half-Life 2 modding to this day. While big projects like Entropy : Zero 2 are the tips of the iceberg, this is where you’ll find the deepest, purest and coolest ice. RTSL organizes, hosts and distributes a constant, steady drip feed of interesting Half-Life collaboration projects, usually built around themes, challenges or restrictions for their community of mappers and modders, like a Doom-inspired all-action level pack or a set of high-verticality maps where backtracking is part of the fun . I'm hoping to see some of these uploaded to the Steam Workshop soon! It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Maybe not the most professional and polished productions, but endlessly varied flavors and textures to experience. With around 1600 hosted projects, you’ll have a nearly endless supply of HL2 to dive into here, but for starters, check out the recent TWHL Tower: Source . The latest in a series of Exquisite Corpse collaborations, a creative community patchwork campaign built around a simple concept: The player is storming a Combine-held tower, starting on the bottom floor. Each staircase introduces a new mapper, and often a completely different brand of gameplay. Expect claustrophobic, densely packed encounters and some very creative levels (of wildly varying quality—be warned) as you ascend, including (among other things) a System Shock 2-themed escape room. SourceWorld (Demo) by Bronco Development Available: On ModDB Last, but by no means least is one of HL2’s most mechanically ambitious mods to date, turning the game into a fully procedurally generated dungeon crawl. Set long after the Combine have been driven from Earth, you’re an unfortunate agent trying to pay off a massive debt by running smash-and-grab raids on parallel dimensions. It’s classic Half-Life 2 combat, but with escalating stakes. There’s even a little bit of Hades in here, with a story that unfolds over the course of multiple runs, with more equipment and even a persistent character skill tree giving you long-term progression options. The combat has been re-tuned somewhat to make even overly familiar threats menacing again. Don’t go underestimating the zombies, as they’re faster and more aggressive than you remember. Even if the current version of the mod is just the demo (featuring a limited range of map tile-sets and story events in the lab), it’s an astounding technological feat, and hints at Half-Life 2 still having some real life in it as a modding platform even as we hurtle into the very futuristic-sounding year of 2025. Here’s hoping for a bit more verticality in the maps come the final release, though. While Half-Life 2’s modding scene may not be buzzing with energy, it’s still producing some interesting and surprising projects. With SourceWorld pushing the engine to its limits (it was REALLY not built for procedural generation and I dare not peek at the nightmare spaghetti-code underpinning it all), perhaps this is the beginning of a grand resurgence, combined with the launch of Workshop support and expanded map size limit. Will we meet back here in another decade? Probably not, unless the editors lock me in the PC Gamer basement. But the right man in the wrong place can make all the difference.ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan's defense of the national championship has fallen woefully short. The Wolverines started the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25, making them the third college football team since 1991 to be ranked worse than seventh in the preseason poll after winning a national title. Michigan (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) failed to meet those modest expectations, barely becoming eligible to play in a bowl and putting the program in danger of losing six or seven games for the first time since the Brady Hoke era ended a decade ago. The Wolverines potentially can ease some of the pain with a win against rival and second-ranked Ohio State (10-1, 7-1, No. 2 CFP) on Saturday in the Horseshoe, but that would be a stunning upset. Ohio State is a 21 1/2-point favorite, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook, and that marks just the third time this century that there has been a spread of at least 20 1/2 points in what is known as "The Game." Michigan coach Sherrone Moore doesn't sound like someone who is motivating players with an underdog mentality. "I don't think none of that matters in this game," Moore said Monday. "It doesn't matter the records. It doesn't matter anything. The spread, that doesn't matter." How did Michigan end up with a relative mess of a season on the field, coming off its first national title since 1997? Winning it all with a coach and star player contemplating being in the NFL for the 2024 season seemed to have unintended consequences for the current squad. The Wolverines closed the College Football Playoff with a win over Washington on Jan. 8; several days later quarterback J.J. McCarthy announced he was skipping his senior season; and it took more than another week for Jim Harbaugh to bolt to coach the Los Angeles Chargers. In the meantime, most quality quarterbacks wanting to transfer had already enrolled at other schools and Moore was left with lackluster options. Davis Warren beat out Alex Orji to be the team's quarterback for the opener and later lost the job to Orji only to get it back again. No matter who was under center, however, would've likely struggled this year behind an offensive line that sent six players to the NFL. The Wolverines lost one of their top players on defense, safety Rod Moore, to a season-ending injury last spring and another one, preseason All-America cornerback Will Johnson, hasn't played in more than a month because of an injury. The Buckeyes are not planning to show any mercy after losing three straight in the series. "We're going to attack them," Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer said. "We know they're going to come in here swinging, too, and they've still got a good team even though the record doesn't indicate it. This game, it never matters what the records are." While a win would not suddenly make the Wolverines' season a success, it could help Moore build some momentum a week after top-rated freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan. "You come to Michigan to beat Ohio," said defensive back Quinten Johnson, intentionally leaving the word State out when referring to the rival. "That's one of the pillars of the Michigan football program. "It doesn't necessarily change the fact of where we are in the season, but it definitely is one of the defining moments of your career here at Michigan." AP Sports Writer Mitch Stacy in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Morrissey throws 67-yard TD pass to Calwise Jr. to lift Eastern Kentucky over North Alabama 21-15

The rise of the Chill Guy memes has been nothing short of a sensation. From an artwork shared in X, it first became viral and now has hit the crypto market as a meme coin and surged over 538% in a couple of days. Now, the man behind the image of the 'Chill Guy,' also known as the 'My Character' meme, artist Phillip Banks, is enforcing copyright on the image. Phillip, who first posted the image of the Chill Guy - a dog dressed as a human, is a North Carolina, US-based artist who regularly posts his work on multiple social media platforms. He was born on April 8, as per his X profile. He has over 20,000 followers on Instagram and over 60,000 on X. On Thursday, Banks announced that he will be enforcing copyright protection on the image of the 'Chill Guy.' "Just putting it out there, the chill guy has been copyrighted. like, legally. i'll be issuing takedowns on for-profit related things over the next few days" Banks wrote on X on November 21. Also read: Todd Blanche Family: All About Wife Kristine And Children Sydney And Justin In an Instagram Question and Answer session in October 2023, Banks explained that the idea of the Chill Guy came from a character "who you could tell was chill guy but I also wanted people to know that he lowkey didn't give a fu**." The “chill guy” meme, known for its smirk and relaxed pose, offers relatable advice about reducing stress and embracing simplicity in animated form. The character gained traction on platforms like X and TikTok, inspiring numerous memes and videos. Recently, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele also featured the “chill guy” on his official X account. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US Buzz, World and around the world.

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored the Celtics’ first 15 points on five consecutive 3-pointers and finished with 29 points, before Boston withstood a late charge to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-105 on Sunday. Jayson Tatum added 26 points and eight rebounds to help Boston post a season-high fifth straight victory. Anthony Edwards had 28 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota, which has lost five of its last seven. Julius Randle added 23 points, and Rudy Gobert finished with 10 points and 20 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season. Minnesota got within 55-54 early in the third quarter, before a 14-0 run by Boston. The spurt featured four 3s by the Celtics, including two by Tatum. The lead grew to 79-60 with 4:26 to play in the period. But the Timberwolves chipped it all the way down in the fourth, getting within 107-105 with 34 seconds left on a driving layup by Randle. Timberwolves: Minnesota will be looking to for some wins at home, after dropping four of its last five on the road. Celtics: The Celtics have struggled at home at times this season but improved to 6-2 at the Garden. The Timberwolves had the ball with 7.1 seconds and a chance to win. Edwards got the inbounds and tried to drive on Brown. But he was cut off, and the ball swung to Naz Reid, who failed to get off a 3 as time expired. Boston assisted on 25 of its 37 made field goals. The Timberwolves host Houston in NBA Cup play on Tuesday, beginning a four-game homestand. The Celtics host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nbaRico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, dies at 85

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 24 points and No. 6 Notre Dame defeated JuJu Watkins and third-ranked Southern California 74-61 on Saturday in a marquee matchup on the West Coast. Watkins and the Trojans (4-1) fell behind early and were down 21 points in the fourth quarter. She had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Hidalgo came out shooting well, hitting 5 of 8 from the floor in the first quarter and had 16 points at the break. She added six rebounds and eight assists. Hidalgo's backcourt mate, Olivia Miles, added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Fighting Irish (5-0). Even though Hidalgo outshone her, Watkins’ imprint was all over the game. A documentary about her life aired on NBC leading into the nationally televised game. A buzz arose when Snoop Dogg walked in shortly before tipoff wearing a jacket in USC colors with Watkins' name and number on the front and back. Her sister, Mali, sang the national anthem. Notre Dame: The Irish struck quickly, racing to a 20-10 lead in the opening quarter. Even after cooling off a bit, they never trailed and stayed poised when the Trojans got within three in the second and third quarters. USC: The Trojans were without starting guard Kennedy Smith, whose defense on Hidalgo would have proven valuable. It was announced shortly before tipoff that she had a surgical procedure and will return at some point this season. The Trojans got within three points three times but the Irish remained poised and never gave up the lead. Notre Dame's defense forced the Trojans into 21 turnovers, which led to 22 points for the Irish. Watkins, Kaleigh Heckel and Talia von Oelhoffen had five each. USC was just 1 of 13 from 3-point range Notre Dame plays TCU on Nov. 29 in the Cayman Islands Classic. USC plays Seton Hall in the Women's Acrisure Holiday Invitational on Nov. 27 in Palm Desert, California. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball