Analysis: Protecting QBs from violent late hits like the one that leveled Trevor Lawrence isn't easy (copy)Barry Keoghan has revealed that he deleted his Instagram account, saying that he can "only sit and take so much." Those on social media noticed that the actor had deleted his page on Friday evening. There had been rumours that Mr Keoghan and his partner, musician Sabrina Carpenter, had split up. However, clarifying on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Dubliner explained that his name had been "dragged across the internet in ways I usually don’t respond to,” In a statement , he wrote: "I have to respond now because it’s getting to a place where there are too many lines being crossed. I deactivated my account because I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work. The messages I have received no person should ever have to read them. Absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent and every other inhumane thing you can imagine. He continued: “Dragging my character and everything I worked extremely hard for and stand for. "Talking about how I was a heroine baby and how I grew up and dragging my dear mother into it also. Knocking on my grannies door. Sitting outside my baby boy’s house intimidating them. That’s crossing a line Mr Keoghan added: “Each and every day I work harder to push myself on every level to be the healthiest and strongest person for that boy. I want to provide opportunities for him to learn, fail and grow. I want him to be able to look up to his daddy, to have full trust in me and know I will have his back no matter what. "I need you to remember he has to read ALL of this about his father when he is older. Please be respectful to all,” he concluded.The sprawling, windowless warehouses that hold rows of high-speed servers powering almost everything the world does on phones and computers are increasingly becoming fixtures of the American landscape, popping up in towns, cities and suburbs across the United States. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and urban and rural governments alike are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to move into more densely populated areas, abutting homes and schools, parks and recreation centers, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. In Northern Virginia, more than 300 data centers dot the rolling hills of the area’s westernmost counties and butt up against wooded bike trails winding through the suburbs. But one of the latest proposals in the area, Plaza 500, would see a 466,000-square-foot facility and adjacent electrical substation built a few hundred feet from townhomes, playgrounds and a community center. The pitch from Starwood Capital Group, the private investment firm founded by billionaire Barry Sternlicht, to Fairfax County officials promised jobs and a significant property tax boost. But data center critics say the incentives aren't enough to counteract the consequences of building the facilities so close to homes. Tyler Ray, a leader in the fight against the Virginia project, worries that more data centers in the area could compromise the already stressed power grid: Over 25% of all power produced in Virginia in 2023 went to data centers, a figure that could rise as high as 46% by 2030 if data center growth continues at its current pace. Some estimates also show a mid-sized data center commands the same water usage every day as 1,000 households, prompting concerns over the cost of water. Ray also frets over air quality, as the massive diesel generators that help power the data centers’ hardware send plumes of toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. Ray and his neighbors tried to stop the development, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in September said all newly proposed data centers must adhere to stricter zoning rules, but the Plaza 500 project was exempt. “I don’t know how a general resident, even someone who has been engaging intently on an issue, has any chance to go up against the data center industry,” Ray said the night the supervisors voted. For local governments, attracting data centers to their municipalities means a financial boon: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in 2024 that Virginia’s current data centers brought in $1 billion in tax revenue. For average-sized facilities, data centers offer a small number of direct jobs – often fewer than 100 positions. Google announced recently that its investment in nearby Loudoun County, which included two data centers, created around 150 direct jobs, a figure that data center opponents say isn’t worth the hassle. But data center advocates argue that the number of indirect jobs like construction, technology support and electrical work make the projects worthwhile. In that same announcement, Google said their investment spurred 2,730 indirect jobs. Kathy Smith, the vice chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, voted in favor of the Plaza 500 proposal because, in her estimation, data center growth is inevitable in the region, and Fairfax County should reap the benefits. “I have a responsibility to step back from what we do and look at the big picture,” Smith said. “Data centers are not going away.” On the other side of the country, in Morrow County, Oregon, Amazon Web Services has built at least five data centers surrounding the 4,200-person town of Boardman, nestled among vast stretches of farmland flecked with mint patches and wind turbines, next to the Columbia river. Last year, AWS paid roughly $34 million in property taxes and fees stipulated in the agreements after receiving a $66 million tax break. Those payments, in addition to $1.7 in charitable donations from the company in 2023, have been instrumental in updating infrastructure and bolstering services. These funds have gone toward a new ladder fire engine, a school resource officer and $5,000 grants for homebuyers so far totaling at least $2.8 million. “This road right here? Wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for AWS,” said Boardman Mayor Paul Keefer, riding in the passenger seat of Police Chief Rick Stokoe’s cruiser, pointing out the window at construction workers shifting dirt and laying pavement. AWS has cultivated relationships with local officials including Keefer and Stokoe, who have both been in positions to vote on whether to authorize tax breaks with the company. Some former county commissioners and residents worry that those relationships are too cozy. Kevin Miller, AWS’s vice president of global data centers, said in an interview with the Associated Press that “our interest is in being a model corporate citizen, to really be partners with those communities.” Skepticism of the deals started years ago, when three formerly elected officials allegedly helped approve data center deals while also owning a stake in a company that contracted with AWS to provide fiber optic cables for the data centers. In June, they each paid $2,000 to settle an ethics complaint. Those officials are no longer in office. But the latest data center deal struck between Morrow County officials and AWS, which gives the company an estimated $1 billion in tax breaks spread over the 15 years to build five new data centers, again raised eyebrows. Two former Morrow County Commissioners, Jim Doherty and Melissa Lindsay, pushed unsuccessfully in 2022 for AWS to pay more in taxes in new data center negotiations. “We didn’t want to blow it up. We didn’t want to run them off,” said Lindsay. “But there were better deals to be made.”skygames777.com 。

MENLO PARK, Calif. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BillionToOne, a next-generation molecular diagnostics company with a mission to create powerful and accurate tests that are accessible to all, today announced that they will be presenting at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, CA , on January 14, 2025 . BillionToOne marks a transformative year of achievements as it looks toward 2025. The company closed an oversubscribed, upsized Series D funding round led by Premji Invest in June, and was recently recognized as the Biotech Breakthrough Awards' Diagnostics Company of the Year. More than 500,000 patients have received BillionToOne tests to date, and the company has grown from $0M to $150M+ in annual recurring revenue over the past five years. This will be BillionToOne's second year in attendance at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, and the company will present on the topic of "Redefining Molecular Diagnostics with Single-Molecule Precision." Presentation details are as follows: Location: Mission Bay (32nd Floor) at The Westin Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Time: 2:30-2:55 pm PT A webcast and presentation materials will be available on BillionToOne's website: https://billiontoone.com/event/jpm-2025-43rd-annual-healthcare-conference/ About BillionToOne Headquartered in Menlo Park, California , BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company on a mission to make molecular diagnostics more accurate, efficient, and accessible for everyone. The company's patented Quantitative Counting TechnologyTM (QCTTM) molecular counting platform is the only multiplex technology that can accurately count DNA molecules at the single-molecule level. For more information, please visit www.billiontoone.com . SOURCE BillionToOne"Temporary hardships" in the name of federal "efficiency" promise considerable harm to millions of Americans, LZ Granderson writes in a Los Angeles Times column. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular Underground fire causes partial parking lot collapse at Williamsburg Premium Outlets Underground fire causes partial parking lot collapse at Williamsburg Premium Outlets Underground fire still burning at Williamsburg Premium Outlets; officials advise caution Underground fire still burning at Williamsburg Premium Outlets; officials advise caution 7 people in custody after barricade situation in Norfolk 7 people in custody after barricade situation in Norfolk New, old owners agree: NYC businessman’s push to save SS United States is too late New, old owners agree: NYC businessman’s push to save SS United States is too late Virginia live election results Virginia live election results Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of ‘Love Connection’ and ‘Scrabble,’ dies at 83 Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of ‘Love Connection’ and ‘Scrabble,’ dies at 83 Feeding with love: Williamsburg area’s 1st free grocery market opens in Grove community Feeding with love: Williamsburg area's 1st free grocery market opens in Grove community AUTO RACING BRIEFS: EARNHARDT TRIES TO END RUMORS AUTO RACING BRIEFS: EARNHARDT TRIES TO END RUMORS Army-Navy 2024: Navy specialty uniforms to honor Jolly Rogers aviation squadron Army-Navy 2024: Navy specialty uniforms to honor Jolly Rogers aviation squadron Editorial: Judge correctly rules Youngkin acted unlawfully by ordering RGGI exit Editorial: Judge correctly rules Youngkin acted unlawfully by ordering RGGI exit Trending Nationally Series of racist text messages referencing slavery sent to New York state students, police say Netflix’s “Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?” takes on Boulder murder in three parts Here’s how Orlando International Airport hopes to solve baggage delays A kayaker faked his own death and fled overseas. Now he’s telling how he did it Percival Everett, 2024 National Book Award winner, rereads one book often

Mike Mitchell Jr. scored 22 points, all in the first half, and Minnesota pulled away for a 90-68 win over Morgan State on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. Dawson Garcia added 18 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (8-5), which won its second game in a row. Parker Fox finished with 11 points. Kameron Hobbs scored 25 points to lead Morgan State (6-10), which fell to 0-8 on the road. Will Thomas scored 13 points, Rob Lawson had 11 and Daniel Akitoby registered a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Minnesota shot 51.7 percent (31 of 60) overall and 44.8 percent (13 of 29) from 3-point range. Morgan State shot 40 percent (24 of 60) from the field and 36.4 percent (4 of 11) from beyond the arc. The Golden Gophers finished with a 31-4 advantage in bench points. Minnesota surged to a 55-37 lead at the half. Mitchell scored 22 points in 15 minutes before the break by going 8-for-8 from the field. He drained his sixth 3-pointer to give the Golden Gophers a 53-32 advantage -- tied for their largest lead of the first half -- with 1:59 to go. Minnesota increased its lead to as many as 27 points in the second half. Caleb Williams came off the bench to bury a 3-pointer and put the Golden Gophers on top 86-59 with four minutes to play. Frank Mitchell helped Minnesota reach the 90-point mark with a layup with 1:27 to go. He finished with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting. Hobbs finished the scoring with a layup in the final minute for Morgan State. Morgan State kept it close during the first five minutes. Hobbs made a layup to pull the Bears within 12-11 with 15:32 remaining in the opening half. Thomas made a pair of free throws less than four minutes later to cut Morgan State's deficit to 23-17. That proved to be as close as the Bears would come for the rest of the way. Minnesota went on a 9-0 run to pull ahead 32-17 with 9:23 to go in the half. Frank Mitchell capped the run with an offensive rebound and putback. --Field Level MediaORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — In a season that began with many questions and lowered expectations , it was apt watching Bills quarterback Josh Allen join coach Sean McDermott lay on the cold, wet sideline to make snow angels in celebrating Buffalo’s earliest clinching of a division title in team history. That Allen took part was no surprise. The newly engaged 28-year-old has maintained the happy-go-lucky approach he brought with him to Buffalo as a raw-talented athlete in 2018, while gradually blossoming into one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. For McDermott, it was a pleasant surprise to see the usually reserved eight-year coach finally let his hair down — figuratively, because the few jokes he does make are usually about being bald. With his latest do-it-all three-TD outing — one rushing, one receiving and, the coup de grace, being credited with receiving his own pass for a score off a lateral from Amari Cooper — in a 35-10 win over San Francisco on Sunday night , Allen continued making his strongest NFL MVP case. What’s also becoming apparent is how much McDermott deserves consideration for coach of the year honors. Without the two, the Bills (10-2) wouldn’t be in this position in becoming just the eighth NFL team — and first since Indianapolis in 2009 — to clinch a division title with at least five games remaining in their schedule. It’s reflective of how the two have grown together in what, on the outside, could be perceived as an odd couple relationship between an offensive-minded, swashbuckling quarterback and a defensive-minded coach, too often knocked for being too conservative. Perhaps, it’s Allen’s boyish nature that has brought out the risk-taker in McDermott, who has carried over the aggressive approach he takes to defense by placing trust in his quarterback. It’s become apparent in everything the Bills have accomplished so far in having at least 10 wins through 12 games for just the fifth time in team history, and first since 1991, when Buffalo was led by eventual Hall of Famers in coach Marv Levy and quarterback Jim Kelly. Buffalo has won seven straight since consecutive losses to Baltimore and Houston. And the Bills have scored 30 or more points in six straight outings, matching the team record set in 2004. Allen is doing more with less on an offense that was supposed to be hampered following the offseason departures of receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis and center Mitch Morse. The Bills are more balanced in leaning on their running attack, while Allen has also curtailed his turnover-prone ways. He's lost two fumbles and thrown just five interceptions after being picked off a career-worst 18 times last season. Meantime, McDermott has taken a different approach to fourth down situations. The Bills have converted 13 of 15 fourth down attempts after going 9 of 16 last season and 7 of 13 in 2022. The most fourth down attempts during McDermott’s tenure came in 2021, when Buffalo converted just 11 of 22. This is but an example of the bond the quarterback and coach have built in a shared objective of overcoming past playoff failures. Clinching a division title is but one step, with the Bills now focused on catching the Kansas City Chiefs (11-1), whom they’ve beaten already , for the AFC’s top seed. In calling it the team’s next goal, McDermott went off script from his usual game-at-a-time message by noting the importance of celebrating a division-clinching win, if only for one day. “Being 50 years old and 20-plus years in this league, I’ve learned to try and enjoy the moments,” McDermott said. “And this is a moment, right?” It certainly was. What’s working Turnover differential. Buffalo’s defense forced three fumbles, including one at its goal line, while the offense didn’t commit a giveaway. The Bills upped their league-leading turnover differential entering Monday to plus-17. What needs help Run defense. Though the conditions were snowy and slick, the Bills allowed 119 yards rushing in the first half before the 49ers were forced to start passing the ball once the score became lopsided. Buffalo particularly struggled in stopping Christian McCaffrey, who had 53 yards on seven carries before leaving the game with a potential season-ending knee injury . Stock up LB Matt Milano was in on five tackles while playing 37 of 48 defensive snaps in his first outing in nearly 14 months after being sidelined by a broken right leg and torn left biceps. Stock down CB Kaiir Elam, the 2022 first-round pick was a healthy inactive for a second straight outing, and still having difficulty finding a regular role. Injuries None reported. Key number 9-0 — The Bills' home record going back to last season, marking their second-longest run in team history. Next steps Hit the road for two outings, starting with a trip to face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl John Wawrow, The Associated PressBurt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at 90

Syrian rebels celebrate in captured Homs, set sights on DamascusATLANTA — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes, with some calling the move misguided and unwise after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges with a grant of clemency that covers more than a decade of any federal crimes his son might have committed. The 82-year-old president said in a statement that his son’s prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a federal weapons purchase form were politically motivated. “He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who along with Biden and other White House officials insisted for months that Hunter Biden would not get a pardon . That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats, angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump , who has argued that multiple indictments and one conviction against him were a matter of Biden and Democrats turning the justice system against him. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wrote of Biden on the social media platform X. “When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation,” the governor continued, a reference to the president invoking fatherhood in explaining his decision. “Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.” Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., said on X: “This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers.” Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said Biden “put personal interest ahead of duty” with a decision that “further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.” Michigan Sen. Gary Peters said the pardon was “an improper use of power” that erodes faith in government and “emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests.” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., called the pardon “understandable” if viewed only as the “action of a loving father.” But Biden’s status as “our nation’s Chief Executive,” the senator said, rendered the move “unwise.” Certainly, the president has Democratic defenders who note Trump’s use of presidential power to pardon a slew of his convicted aides, associates and friends, several for activities tied to Trump’s campaign and first administration. “Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, as well as his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner — who he just appointed US ambassador to France,” wrote prominent Democratic fundraiser Jon Cooper on X. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said there “is no standard for Donald Trump, and the highest standard for Democrats and Joe Biden.” Harrison pointed to Trump’s apparent plans to oust FBI Director Christopher Wray and replace him with loyalist Kash Patel and suggested the GOP’s pursuit of Hunter Biden would not have ended without clemency. “Most people will see that Joe Biden did what was right,” Harrison said. First lady Jill Biden said Monday from the White House, “Of course I support the pardon of my son.” Democrats already are facing the prospects of a Republican trifecta in Washington, with voters returning Trump to the White House and giving the GOP control of the House and Senate. Part of their argument against Trump and Republican leaders is expected to be that the president-elect is violating norms with his talk of taking retribution against his enemies. Before beating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump faced his own legal troubles, including two cases that stemmed from his efforts to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Those cases, including Trump’s sentencing after being convicted on New York state business fraud charges, have either been dismissed or indefinitely delayed since Trump’s victory on Nov. 5, forcing Democrats to recalibrate their approach to the president-elect. In June, President Biden firmly ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son, telling reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case: “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.” As recently as Nov. 8, days after Trump’s victory, Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying: “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.” The president’s about-face came weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges. It capped a long-running legal saga for the younger Biden, who disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after his father’s 2020 victory. The sweeping pardon covers not just the gun and tax offenses against the younger Biden, but also any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024.” Hunter Biden was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when , prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He had been set to stand trial in September in a California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. But he agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges in a surprise move hours after jury selection was set to begin. In his statement Sunday, the president argued that such offenses typically are not prosecuted with the same vigor as was directed against Hunter Biden. “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said in his statement. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son. ... I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”HDFC Bank is in the final stages of assigning a Rs 12,372 crore car loan portfolio, its second such transaction in two months as the bank seeks to bring down its credit-deposit ratio (CD ratio). India Ratings & Research, a Fitch affiliate, has assigned AAA rating to India Universal Trust AL2 under which the loans have been securitised. HDFC Bank is the originator of the loans which were given before October 31 2024 with an average tenure of 17.5 months, with an original loan-to-value of 84%. The average balance in the loan pool is Rs 6.76 lakh and an internal rate of return of 8.91%. The loans will be continued to be serviced and collected by HDFC Bank through their respective tenures. This is the second time in two months that the bank has securitised its car loan book for instutitonal investors in an attempt to reduce its high credit to deposit ratio. In September the bank has made a similar seucritisation of Rs 9062 crore car loans which were also rated AAA by India Ratings. 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ABSs are created when a originator pools the loans into an instrument which is then sold to investors. Mutual funds, credit funds and insurance companies could be buyers of such securitised loans which pays a steady stream of fixee interest, like bonds. These assets will be reflected as an off balance sheet item for the bank and help it to reduce its CD ratio which was at 100% at the end of September, higher than its 87% pre merger number but down from 110% after its patent HDFC was merged with it in July last year. A high CD ratio indicated that the bank's loan growth is outpacing its deposits at a time which is considered unhealthy for a bank. The ratings agency said HDFC Bank's origination and servicing capabilities are strong as reflected in its wide geographical presence and customer base. "For auto loans, the seller’s origination and underwriting practices primarily focus on the customer income profile, leverages and past repayment track records including detailed analysis of the repayment capabilities of underlying obligor and assessment of vehicle. All loan collections are through NACH mandate or standing instruction. It has an adequate telecalling infrastructure and field presence to facilitate the collections across the country," India Ratings said. The loans have been divided into three buckets, namely Series A1, Series A2 and Series A3 according to the maturities of the pooled loans, which is November 2026, November 2027 and November 2030. The loans also have a default guarantee of Rs 334 crore bundled in within structure in case some loans in the trust face a default. India Ratings has derived a base case gross default rate of 0.9%-1.1% after analysed loan pool for itd default rate, recovery rate, recovery timeline and prepayment rate. 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Daily Post Nigeria Christmas: NSCDC deploys 1550 officers in Abia Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News Christmas: NSCDC deploys 1550 officers in Abia Published on December 23, 2024 By Daniel Chibuike The Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has deployed 1550 officers and men to ensure a safe and secure environment for the Yuletide season in the state. According to the state commandant, the deployment is aimed at ensuring the general public enjoys the holidays in peace. Aderemi added that the NSCDC Abia State Command has made adequate provisions for personnel to be deployed to all places of worship and recreational centres across the state. He noted that the personnel deployed include officers and men from various departments, units, divisions, and area commandants across the state. “The NSCDC will focus on securing critical national assets and infrastructure, recreational parks and centres, strategic facilities, and public spaces. The Commandant felicitates with Christians and urges peace, love, and unity among all citizens,” he said. He warned criminal elements, particularly vandals, to desist from their illegal activities or face the wrath of the law. Related Topics: abia NSCDC Don't Miss BREAKING: Tax reform here to stay — Tinubu You may like Otti appoints Abia State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board Mutane 10 sun mutu a mummunan hadarin Abia Gwamnan Jihar Abia ya nada sabbon shugaban ma’aikata Eight feared dead, 3 injured in Abia road crash Truck driver flees as Abia Govt agency confirms 6 dead in Ohafia accident Fire destroys shops in Abia market Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdTicket to Ride launched and won the Spiel de Jahres 20 years ago. Along with Catan and Carcassonne , it is widely considered to have helped push the popularity of modern board gaming. The original title is really easy to pick up, just as easy to teach , and it has enough direct competition for routes to keep it interesting. But, after 20 years, you’re probably a bit sick of trying to get routes into Miami and Las Vegas. Fortunately, since its launch, Ticket to Ride has spawned an absolute ton of map packs and variants, most of which bring new game mechanics as well as alternative maps. Below are the 10 that we feel are the best. Note that the map collection sets below do require you to have either the original Ticket to Ride or Ticket to Ride: Europe to play them as you need the train cards and trains from one of these games. 1. Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails Ticket to Ride is a game all about trains. Except when it isn’t. As the name suggests, Rails & Sails combines trains with boats. First, you can choose from the Great Lakes or the whole world map on the double-sided board. Then, once you’ve picked your destination cards, you split your transportation stock between trains and ships, and you can’t change your mind later. Substantial bonuses and penalties are awarded in this game, and while the original can be considered a bit light, Rails & Sails ’ complexity may put some people off. It also lasts longer, with a game taking around 90 minutes. 2. Ticket to Ride: Europe Ticket to Ride: Europe was one of the first standalone variants of the game and it introduced ferries and tunnels as well as stations. The European map is excellent and the new mechanics do add an extra layer but without over-complicating matters. This is still easy enough for beginners to grasp, although the original title remains the best teaching game of the bunch, and you can always add the Europa 1912 expansion for even more depth. 3. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 7: Japan & Italy Map Collection 7: Japan & Italy includes a double-sided board. In Japan, certain routes are reserved for the Bullet Train. Once a single player claims the Bullet Train route, all players contribute to the shared project. At the end of the game, points are awarded to players according to how much they contributed. There is also a separate inlay for routes that involve the Tokyo subway system. Italy has regions with bonuses for connecting more regions. There are also ferry routes, which require the use of ferry cards as well as standard train cards. 4. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 5: UK & Pennsylvania The UK side of the UK & Pennsylvania map pack adds a whole new mechanic of technology. Initially, players won’t be able to build many routes but, as the game progresses and more technology is researched, many options open up. Pennsylvania is similar to the original titles except it incorporates stocks and shares for some light investment action. 5. Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries is a standalone game that is similar to the original but does add a couple of location-specific mechanics – tunnels and ferries. To use a tunnel, the player flips the top 3 train cards from the deck. If one of these trains matches the color of the tunnel, the player has to pay extra or forego building the route. Ferries require the payment of a set number of wild cards to establish the route. 6. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 6: France & Old West The France board doesn’t have routes between cities. Instead, players turn cards and the routes could benefit anybody at the table. It ramps up the luck element of the game, which some people will appreciate. The Old West map is the one we prefer here, with players having a starting city. Routes must be built outwards from that starting point rather than anywhere on the board. 7. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 4: Nederland Nederland is a unique Ticket to Ride map because it incorporates money into the game. When a bridge route is first claimed, the player pays a toll to the bank. If another player claims that route, the first player receives the toll fee. Bonuses are awarded according to how many toll tokens players have at the end of the game. 8. Ticket to Ride: London Ticket to Ride: London is a standalone variant of the game that is especially popular for its brevity with a single game taking around 20 minutes to complete. In London, players are building bus routes rather than train routes, to complete destination tickets, connect districts, and, of course, get the most points by the end of the game. 9. Ticket to Ride: First Journey Ticket to Ride: First Journey is almost identical to the original Ticket to Ride , except it scores differently. Rather than adding up routes and calculating the longest contiguous route lengths, the winner of Ticket to Ride: First Journey or Ticket to Ride: First Journey (Europe) is the first player to complete six destination tickets. It’s a simpler system and is designed to keep the attention of younger players. 10. Ticket to Ride There’s a reason so many variants and expansions of the original have launched, and that’s because Ticket to Ride was and still is a brilliant game. Despite having a collection comprising some of the latest, greatest, and meatiest board games available, we still reach for Ticket to Ride when we want a simple, enjoyable, chilled family game. If you want to get into titles with greater complexity or added mechanics, Ticket to Ride is the best place to start, and if you want to play the map packs you will need one of the base games so you can use the trains and other elements of the game. And, in a lot of cases, if you have Ticket to Ride , you likely won’t need the versions aimed at children, unless they are very young.Vegans, caviar and petrostates: the irony-free world of Cop29