online games addiction effects PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts may sit out a potential NFC East clincher against Dallas because of the lingering effects of a concussion . The Eagles could also just rest Hurts to play it safe -- even if he’s medically cleared ahead of Sunday’s game -- and protect their franchise QB from additional injury over the final two games. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni kept quiet this week on which QB will start Sunday, in large part, of course, because of the head injury suffered by Hurts in last week’s loss to Washington that forced him into the concussion protocol . The issue was complicated by backup Kenny Pickett’s rib injury suffered in relief of Hurts in his first real game competition in nearly a year. Tanner McKee, the third-string QB, could move into a backup role — or maybe even get the start against the Cowboys. Philadelphia's starting quarterback situation has surged past Saquon Barkley's chase at Eric Dickerson's season rushing record as the most intriguing talking point in the final two games. The Eagles (12-3) appear certain to win the division title — they're two games ahead of Washington (10-5) — and a No. 2 seed in the conference no matter the quarterback headed into the playoffs. Even with an unsettled QB spot, the Eagles are are still 7 1/2-point home favorites to beat division rival Dallas, per BetMGM Sportsbook. Sirianni appreciated that quarterback depth has been a strength for the Eagles. “We feel good about that room,” he said. So why risk Hurts against the Cowboys? There's little reason to make Hurts play only a week after absorbing a pair of blows to the head and the extra week off — maybe two if the finale against the Giants is truly meaningless — could add to his recovery time ahead of a home playoff game. The Eagles were burned in a similar situation last season when Hurts and star wide receiver A.J. Brown were both injured in the final game against the Giants with little at stake. With both players hampered by unnecessary injuries, the Eagles were dumped the next week by Tampa Bay in the NFC wild-card playoff game. The Eagles have options if Hurts is inactive. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards in relief, throwing a touchdown pass to Brown and an interception. Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers before he was traded to the Eagles in the offseason. McKee was the Eagles’ 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford. The 6-foot-6, 231-pound quarterback has yet to take a snap in a regular-season game. He's mostly used in practice on the scout team or in developmental periods — at best, he'll stay late after practice to get some reps in with the top receivers. “Every week, every opportunity, it's knowing it could be my shot, my chance,” McKee said. He could finally get that shot against Dallas. Rolling with Rush With the Cowboys out of playoff contention, the questions persist for coach Mike McCarthy about bypassing Cooper Rush for a look at Trey Lance before both QBs hit free agency. McCarthy’s answer hasn’t wavered: Rush gives Dallas the best chance to win. Rush is 4-3 since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring tear after going 5-1 over two previous stints as an injury replacement. That’s 9-4 total. Half the losses came in both of Rush’s starts against Eagles – the last of five games filling in during the 2022 season and the first game this season. “The mindset is to win,” McCarthy said. “We’re going to Philadelphia to win the game.” Barkley watch Barkley leads the NFL with 1,838 yards rushing for the season through 15 games. He still needs two big outings in the final games of the season against Dallas and the New York Giants to top Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. Barkley is 268 yards away from passing Dickerson for the season mark and 162 shy from becoming the ninth player in NFL history with 2,000 yards rushing in a season. He ran for only 66 yards in the first game this season against Dallas. Dallas ranks 28th in the NFL in rushing defense, surrendering 135.9 yards per contest. Philadelphia, behind Barkley’s stellar play, tops the league at 187.9 yards per game on the ground. The Eagles have already have set a team record for yards rushing in a season with 2,818, and they are within four rushing touchdowns of tying the club’s single-season mark of 32, set in 2022. Barkley needs four more rushing touchdowns to tie LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record, set in 2011 and just 33 yards from scrimmage to break McCoy’s mark of 2,146 set in 2013. Seeing double digits Star Dallas edge rusher Micah Parsons needs half a sack to reach double digits in each of his first four seasons despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain, the first injury absence of his career. The 2021 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year would be the fifth player to reach 10 sacks in each of his first four seasons. The other four — Claude Humphrey, Reggie White, Derrick Thomas and Dwight Freeney - are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. ___ AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed from Arlington, Texas. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Dan Gelston, The Associated PressPredictions For The Future Of Digital Healthcare Platforms

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to emerge as an innovative tool across numerous industries, SeamonWhiteside has already incorporated the set of technologies in performing key tasks, such as processing new proposals and acting as a virtual assistant. Defined as a realm of study involved in producing computers and machines that can learn, reason and operate much like human intelligence does, AI is gradually being rolled out by the design firm. "We obviously use AI as a virtual assistant to attend some of our meetings, where it takes notes, it records the meetings [and] gives you a synopsis of what happened," explained Senior Landscape Architect Whit Dawson from his Greenville, South Carolina office. However, before going full bore on implementing AI, the company will need to draft a specific policy for when and how to use this new ability to perform tasks. And while AI remains a "work in progress" throughout SeamonWhiteside offices, including locations in Mount Pleasant and Summerville, it will ultimately allow the firm to accelerate the creation of conceptual layouts. Offering SeamonWhiteside a faster way to layout conceptual drawings and ideas, said Dawson, will rank as one of the top benefits the firm will derive from AI. Expediting that process, he continued, will help ease the back-and-forth conversations between the company and its clients in trying to maximize the profitability of a potential development project. The plan is for AI to be initially utilized for industrial and commercial building types, but not in single-family construction, which factors in buffers, slopes, various overlay districts and topography. In the event of AI revamping SeamonWhiteside's design methods over the next three to five years, its application will only be conceptual at the start, according to Dawson. "Eventually, it'll get to be very good at overall design. But its still going to have limitations of designing within the requirements of the municipality. And that municipality data has never really been standardized yet, and that's going to take years," said the Brunswick, Georgia native. "If that gets standardized and somehow gets put into AI's design brain, then yeah, it'll be a big game changer. But I think we're at least five to 10 years away from that." When asked by the Moultrie News on whether AI and its ChatGPT model would result in job loss down the road, Dawson maintained that it isn't a significant concern at the moment. Specifically, he observed that while he isn't worried about job loss among current staff, AI could in time impact the volume of interns at SeamonWhiteside. The reasoning behind that is that interns, typically college undergrads, need to be taught basic tasks before they can tackle more complex duties. Over the period of an intern's one-to-two-month stint, Dawson maintained, the same volume of information can be fed to an AI chatbot. "And by the end of the week or month or two, AI is so much better than before — and it only gets better and better and better," added the University of Georgia grad. For more information on SeamonWhiteside's services, visit https://seamonwhiteside.com/ .

NoneManmohan Singh: Architect of Economic Reforms and Humble StatesmanSheana Keane was once one of RTE’s top presenters. However, after deciding to step back to focus on her family and her career, she is now set to become a doctor. She has spent years studying and even holds two Master’s degrees from one of Ireland’s top universities. Read more: Vincent Browne’s life after retiring from TV3: RTE career, life with wife Jean and two children Read more: What happened to Jean Byrne? RTE weather presenter career, incredible home and retirement Sheana was born on 27 May 1975, making her 49 years old. She is originally from Howth in Dublin. After finishing school, she began studying at the University College Dublin. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1992 and for a year afterwards, she completed a Master’s degree. Sheana has a commercial background as a change management consultant. She started working at RTE as a researcher for Wanderlust, an internet-based blind date programme, in 2001, and then as a researcher and broadcaster on the daytime talk show Open House in 2002. She went on to present Health Squad between 2001 and 2006 and then The Afternoon Show between 2004 and 2010 - she took a year out after having a child. She was a co-presenter alongside Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh and returned for their third season taking over from Anna Nolan . Speaking about coming back, she told Hot Press at the time: “I was actually quite surprised to be asked back.” “I knew Anna [Nolan] was leaving but it didn’t occur to me that it would happen for me again. I was still on maternity leave when they asked me would I do it. The first month was difficult because I wasn’t totally prepared for it but I was eventually able to get a child-minder so it’s great now and I love it.” Nearly four years later, she switched over to TV3 and briefly presented Late Lunch Live with Jim McCabe. They filled in for Lucy Kennedy and Martin King. At the time, she shared: “I love, love, love this show. It makes me laugh everyday so to be asked to fill in for Lucy is both a treat and an honour because I think she’s absolutely brilliant. “It’s been four years since I’ve been in front of a camera so I’m half way between very excited and planning a fake illness. Half a bottle of Rescue Remedy later and I’ll be grand!” After stepping back from her TV duties, Sheana returned to university and began studying again. She went back to University College Dublin and completed another Master’s degree. She now has a Master’s degree in social and organisational psychology and another in mindfulness based interventions. Sheana is currently a PhD researcher focused on the psychological aspect of diversity, inclusion and prosocial behaviour. She started in 2020 and is on track to graduate next year.

Marcos rallies support for MMFF: Watch all 10 entriesPNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in STERIS plc ( NYSE:STE – Free Report ) by 0.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 37,931 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $9,200,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in shares of STERIS by 13.7% in the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,442,805 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $1,414,453,000 after buying an additional 778,613 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in STERIS by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,738,630 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $390,880,000 after acquiring an additional 120,616 shares in the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc boosted its stake in STERIS by 29.7% during the 2nd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 1,150,517 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $251,663,000 after purchasing an additional 263,383 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of STERIS by 9.5% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,114,224 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $270,230,000 after purchasing an additional 96,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of STERIS by 12.8% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 840,194 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $184,439,000 after purchasing an additional 95,412 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have recently commented on STE. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of STERIS from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of STERIS from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $230.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $260.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com cut STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, STERIS presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.00. STERIS Stock Performance STE opened at $214.34 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $227.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $228.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 2.41 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market cap of $21.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.26 and a beta of 0.85. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $195.47 and a 1-year high of $248.24. STERIS ( NYSE:STE – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.12 by $0.02. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.78% and a net margin of 8.02%. The business had revenue of $1.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.03 EPS. STERIS’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. STERIS Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 19th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.06%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 52.05%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other STERIS news, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total transaction of $5,763,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 42,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,603,710. This represents a 35.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. About STERIS ( Free Report ) STERIS plc provides infection prevention products and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Healthcare, Applied Sterilization Technologies, Life Sciences, and Dental. The Healthcare segment offers cleaning chemistries and sterility assurance products; automated endoscope reprocessing system and tracking products; endoscopy accessories, washers, sterilizers, and other pieces of capital equipment for the operation of a sterile processing department; and equipment used directly in the operating room, including surgical tables, lights, and connectivity solutions, as well as equipment management services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for STERIS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STERIS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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Rays will play 13 of first 16 games at home and 47 of 59, then have 69 of last 103 on roadThe decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Mr Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him. The move, announced in court papers, marks the end of the Justice Department’s landmark effort to hold Mr Trump accountable for what prosecutors called a criminal conspiracy to cling to power in the run-up to his supporters’ attack on the US Capitol on January 6 2021. In court papers, prosecutors said the Justice Department’s position “is that the Constitution requires that this case be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated”. Mr Smith’s team emphasised that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in Monday’s court filing in the election interference case. The decision was expected after Mr Smith’s team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Mr Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Mr Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated and has vowed to fire Mr Smith as soon as he takes office in January. The 2020 election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing the Republican as he vied to reclaim the White House. However, it quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Mr Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The US Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Mr Smith’s team filed a lengthy brief in October laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will over voters after he lost to President Joe Biden.None

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal be returned to Washington, complaining of "unfair" treatment of American ships and hinting at China's growing influence. Here are five things to know about the waterway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The 80-kilometer (50-mile) interoceanic waterway is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous public entity. The Central American nation's constitution describes the canal as an "inalienable heritage of the Panamanian nation" that is open to vessels "of all nations." The United States is its main user, accounting for 74 percent of cargo, followed by China with 21 percent. Panama's government sets the price of tolls based on canal needs and international demand. Rates depends on a vessel's cargo capacity. "The canal has no direct or indirect control from China, nor the European Union, nor the United States or any other power," Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino said Sunday as he dismissed Trump's threat. All vessels, including warships and submarines, are given a Panama Canal pilot. Panama's independence from Colombia in 1903 is linked to the canal. Following the failure of French count Ferdinand de Lesseps to open a channel through the isthmus, the United States promoted the separation of the province of Panama and signed a treaty with the nascent country that ceded land and water in perpetuity to build it. After 10 years of construction and an investment of $380 million, the canal was inaugurated on August 15, 1914 with the transit of the steamer Ancon. Some 25,000 deaths from disease and accidents were recorded during its construction. The canal "is part of our history" and "an irreversible achievement," Mulino said. Washington's establishment of a "Canal Zone" -- an enclave with its own military bases, police and justice system -- gave rise to decades of demands by Panamanians to reunify the country and take control of the waterway. More from this section In 1977, Panamanian nationalist leader Omar Torrijos and US president Jimmy Carter signed treaties that allowed the canal to be transferred to Panama on December 31, 1999. "Any attempt to reverse this historic achievement not only dishonors our struggle, but is also an insult to the memory of those who made it possible," former president Martin Torrijos, the general's son, wrote on social media. Under the treaties, supported by more than 40 countries, the canal is deemed neutral and any ship can pass through. The only conditions are that ships must comply with safety regulations and military vessels from countries at war must not pass through at the same time. Unlike Egypt's Suez Canal, the Panama Canal operates using freshwater stored in two reservoirs. A drought led to a reduction in the number of transits in 2023, but the situation has since normalized. The canal, which has a system of locks to raise and lower vessels, transformed global shipping. Crafts can travel between the two oceans in about eight hours without having to sail all the way around Cape Horn, the southern tip of the Americas. The canal allows a ship to shave 20,300 kilometers off a journey from New York to San Francisco. Five percent of world maritime trade passes through the canal, which connects more than 1,900 ports in 170 countries. By the early 21st century, it had become too small, so it was expanded between 2009 and 2016. Today, the canal can accommodate ships up to 366 meters long and 49 meters wide (1,200 feet by 161 feet) -- equivalent to almost four football pitches. It generates six percent of Panama's national economic output and since 2000 has pumped more than $28 billion into state coffers. More than 11,200 ships transited the canal in the last fiscal year carrying 423 million tons of cargo. jjr/fj/dr/mlmNEWSMAKERS OF 2024

Richard Parsons, the former chairman who became a go-to executive brought in to steady such troubled organizations as CBS Corp., Citigroup and the , died Thursday. He was 76. Parsons died at his Manhattan home of bone cancer, Ronald S. Lauder, a member of the Estée Lauder board and a close friend, . He also battled multiple myeloma, a pernicious blood cancer, over the years. In September 2018, Parsons was named interim chairman of CBS after chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves resigned following allegations of sexual harassment. He was a key player in negotiating the Moonves exit and in appointing COO Joseph Ianniello as acting CEO. He also brought in six new directors. Parsons’ tenure, however, lasted less than a month. On Oct. 21, he announced he was leaving the post after learning that his health had taken a turn for the worse. Parsons had been in remission for multiple myeloma following a stem cell transplant in 2016. Parsons was for many years the highest-ranking African American in any media company, though that was a distinction he frequently played down. He advised young African Americans to focus on their new opportunities. “The sky’s the limit,” he told magazine in 2016. “Those barriers that were almost impenetrable a generation ago, certainly two generations ago, are gone. There are other structural things that we need to do in our society to level the playing field, but you can go from the top to the bottom almost regardless of race, origin creed or sexual orientation.” The commanding but soft-voiced executive was a 6-foot-4 former basketball player, White House insider, corporate lawyer and protege of New York governor and U.S. vice president Nelson Rockefeller. He had a gift for inspiring others, yet always claimed he lacked personal ambition. “I’m actually a type-B personality,” he in a February 2018 profile. “I’m not driven. But I am competitive.” He was thrust into the media limelight in May 2002 when he took over the chairmanship of Time Warner when the company was in free-fall after one of the most infamous mistakes in corporate history: the merger of internet goliath AOL with old-school media company Time Warner. “At that moment,” he said, “they were not looking for a visionary or necessarily Mr. Charismatic or someone to replicate the dimension of a mogul.” He added: “Almost nobody recalls that I was the CEO who had the largest recorded loss in the history of American corporations. For the year 2002, my first annual report, we took a write-down of $99 billion. Stunning.” Parsons was president of Time Warner when his immediate boss, chairman and CEO , began to consider a merger in the late 1990s. Nearing the end of his corporate career, Levin was keen to leave a legacy akin to that of board member Ted Turner. After finding himself seated near AOL’s chief executive, Steve Case, when they were in Beijing in October 1999 for a 50th-anniversary celebration of the Chinese Revolution, he came upon the idea of old meeting new. The Levin-Case talks gathered steam upon the colleagues’ return to the U.S., and soon after, Levin told Parsons about his merger plan. “It wasn’t completely Machiavellian,” Parsons told , “though Jerry could be Machiavellian at times.” Parsons acknowledged that he shared some responsibility for the disaster insofar as he did not strenuously object to the merger, which stunned Wall Street when it was presented as a purchase of Time Warner by upstart AOL. “History will record that it was really Jerry’s deal,” he said, “but at the end of the day, I voted for it. I thought we could make it work.” He was wrong. Very quickly after the companies made their pact public in January 2000, when they announced that AOL would buy Time Warner for about $160 billion to create a new entity worth $300 billion, things began to veer off course. Levin and Case had believed that Time Warner’s content would make AOL subscriptions vastly more appealing; Parsons, by his own reckoning an old-school guy with little knowledge of computers and technology (“You don’t even like the internet,” his wife told him), was unable to counsel them that the changing landscape would soon rule that out. “The value proposition with AOL was, ‘We have a walled garden and you have to pay to get in — and once in, the world is yours, so you’ll be happy to pay us $14.95 a month,'” he explained. “But the walled-garden model was starting to break down. All these new services were offering content for free. That model just collapsed.” So did AOL Time Warner’s shares, which plunged from a high of $104 to a low of $10 within two years, wiping out billions of dollars (and costing Turner alone an estimated $2 billion). It was clear that Levin, his reputation in tatters, would have to depart, and in 2002 he did, leaving the question of who would replace him. Rather than turn to an outsider, the AOL Time Warner board selected Parsons as chairman and CEO, and the man who professed to be lacking in vision, who could barely work a computer, let alone navigate a course for the digital age, proved a solid choice. He immediately sold off some AOL Time Warner assets and replaced several top staffers; but more than anything, he sent a message of stability and confidence that was rooted in his measured, empathetic manner — a warmth and human appeal that he described as “wet,” in contrast to Levin’s “dry.” Gathering 300 top staffers together, Parsons brought in a Gulf War leader, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, to speak to them. “Norman was asked, ‘What are your rules of leadership?'” said Parsons. “He said, ‘I have two. Rule No. 1: When put in a position of command, take charge, make decisions. And rule No. 2 is: Do what’s right.'” Added Parsons: “I tend to subscribe to that.” He made the decision to sell AOL and restore the company’s former name, Time Warner; and he promoted Jeffrey Bewkes, paving the way for Bewkes to succeed him when Parsons voluntarily stepped down in 2008. Bewkes would remain there another decade, until Time Warner’s recent merger with AT&T. Throughout, Parsons was a voice of skepticism that old- and new-school media could ever function together in harmony, even though at first he had thought they might. “You couldn’t make them work seamlessly,” he said. “The disrupters, the new-media people, just had a whole different way of thinking about business, and when you really cut to the core of it, their job was to disintermediate the old-media guys.” When Parsons stepped down, he was given great credit for restoring the brand, even if its stock price had barely shifted. He was “the steady hand” Time Warner needed after the challenge of AOL, said James Goss, managing director of Barrington Research. Added analyst Harold Vogel, “He was the right guy in the right place at the right time.” Born on April 4, 1948, Richard Dean Parsons was raised in Queens, one of five children of an electrical technician and a homemaker. He was clearly bright and in those early school years was allowed to skip two grades, but then he coasted and had an undistinguished time as a student at the University of Hawaii. Reports that he played basketball for the school were later discounted by him and others. “I was perhaps the least successful student of my generation,” he quipped. That changed when the newly married man went to Albany Law School and interned with the state legislature, then worked for Gov. Rockefeller, who became his mentor. (Parsons’ grandfather had served as head gardener at the Rockefeller estate.) After graduating first among the 4,000 potential lawyers who sat for the New York State Bar, he went to work for Rockefeller when newly named President Ford chose him as his vice president in 1974. He arrived to find a White House in chaos following the resignation of President Nixon, with Ford forced to turn to Rockefeller’s staff to make up for a lack of contenders for top staff jobs among his own inner circle. That gave Parsons immense opportunity. He became general counsel and associate director of what was then the Domestic Counsel and remained a lifelong admirer of Rockefeller, whose charitable foundation he later headed. Parsons stayed at the White House for three of the Ford administration’s four years before leaving to seek a job that paid more and allowed him to spend time with his burgeoning family that included his wife, Laura Bush, a child psychologist whom he had met as a student, a boy and two girls, one of whom is transgender. Hired by the law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, he remained there until 1988, when he was brought in to run the troubled Dime Savings Bank. In 1991, he was recruited by Time Warner, where he became president in 1995, and, a decade later, assumed the top position. In the years after Parsons left the company, he remained active — indeed, far more than he had intended. He bought a vineyard in Tuscany, Italy, planning to spend much of his retirement there; instead, he was asked to help Citigroup in 2009 after the bank endured five straight quarters of losses and was forced to seek $45 billion in government aid. He was similarly brought in to help save the NBA’s Clippers following a scandal that broke out in 2014 when club owner Donald Sterling made racist remarks and was forced out. Then, he was named CBS’ interim chairman in the wake of the Moonves imbroglio. A strong advocate of education opportunities for the disadvantaged, Parsons toyed with the idea of running for mayor of New York and passed on the possibility of becoming President Obama’s commerce secretary after he learned that he was ill. He had numerous nonprofit involvements, chairing the Jazz Foundation of America and the Apollo Theater Foundation as well as the Smithsonian’s advisory board for its new African American museum. His political activities continued when he chaired a commission on social security for President George W. Bush and worked on the transition teams of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. He is survived by his wife, their children and a daughter he had out of wedlock with model and philanthropist MacDella Cooper. Parsons’ experience with AOL made him skeptical of the Time Warner/AT&T merger that was approved in June 2018. Four months earlier, he said he was “cautious” about its chances. Even if it were to succeed, he said, “It’s going to take longer than people think, and it’s going to be more difficult.” THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood ReporterMarcos rallies support for MMFF: Watch all 10 entriesRetraction of US-backed Gaza famine report draws anger, scrutiny

Donald Trump nominates the new ambassador to Panama amid the diplomatic crisis over the Canal

Ireland's political landscape faces a pivotal moment as its two major centre-right parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, begin negotiations to form a new government coalition. Despite losing almost all its seats, the Green Party's exit leaves Fianna Fail and Fine Gael needing to secure enough partners to form a ruling alliance. With options mainly involving left-leaning Labour and Social Democrats or more conservative independents, this will significantly shape Ireland's political path. Talks are under time pressure with both parties expressing hopes to finalize a deal before the U.S. presidential inauguration, recognizing the global economic implications stemming from potential U.S. policy changes. (With inputs from agencies.)McGuire still hasn’t resigned his state Senate seat weeks after congressional win

GANG boss Gerry Hutch has flagged up housing, crime, the cost of living and immigration as his key issues in the election. In a video posted on social media, The Monk made his plea to voters in his constituency of Dublin Central but offered little in the way of solutions to the problems he flagged. Hutch has called for more Gardai on the streets and said: “They’re talking about extra Gardai for Christmas , is Santy Claus arriving with something special for Christmas? What about the rest of the year?” The mobster took aim at empty homes being “locked up” in the middle of a housing crisis , but offered no way to fix this. On immigration, he said the Government should stop “ramming gangs of people into one community without consultation with the community”. And he said he did not have a problem with ­people “coming with their toolbox” ready to work ­— but claimed people should not be allowed to come to Ireland to “sponge off the State”. On the cost of living , Hutch spoke about elderly people not being able to keep their heating on because of the prices. The Dail hopeful last week said his bid is "nothing to do" with taking on Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald , as he added: "I couldn't care less about what she does." The 61-year-old criminal mastermind is confident of gaining a seat in McDonald's stomping ground but says people can tell him to "f*** off" if they want. Speaking on a three-part podcast on Crime World and the Sunday Independent, The Monk - who is still on bail for alleged money laundering offences in Spain - said he has been “an unofficial politician” in his community for the last 40 years. He added: "I’ve always had a bit of a politician in me over the years, mediating with people, helping people, and doing stuff like that. "I've been a politician the last 40 years, in the community, an unofficial politician.” He has rejected suggestions that he is running to take her seat or is doing it as a revenge mission against Sinn Fein after the party's former councillor, disgraced Jonathan Dowdall, gave evidence against him. Dowdall, who remains behind bars for his role in facilitating the Regency hit, turned state witness against Hutch as he stood trial charged with the murder of Kinahan thug Byrne. Hutch said: "It's nothing whatsoever to do with Mary Lou. "I couldn't care less about what she does, or what Sinn Fein say they will do. "I'm focused on what I will do. I could probably be considered old, but I'm fresh. I've a lot of life experience. "To go into the Dail, you have to be hungry and ready to fight, and I am." He reiterated that people in his community wanted him to run and he wants to "serve". But he added: "I'm not the type of person who would beg anyone for their vote. If you want to vote for me, then do. I won't be twisting anyone's arm. I will be out, knocking on certain doors. "People can tell me to f**k off if they're not interested. I have to expect that cheek from people. Am I confident I'll get elected? Absolutely I am." Meanwhile, the Green Party has defended its climate change policies after it came in third place in an assessment of election manifestos and climate commitments by an environmental group. Labour emerged as the party with the best climate action policies in the assessment commissioned by Friends of the Earth. It was given the highest grade for its manifesto among the parties assessed, with the Social Democrats coming in second place, followed by the Green Party and People Before Profit. The three biggest parties, Fine Gael , Fianna Fáil and Sinn Fein, were joint fifth. In response to the findings, the Green Party’s Catherine Martin said: “I would say, to really get on top of the climate action, you do need more parties taking this issue seriously. So I welcome there are a number of us topping the charts here. “What is alarming is that the three main parties, one who will probably hold the office of the Taoiseach, are failing and failing miserably. “I say alarming, but not surprising, having been in government with two of those parties.”

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star forward Paul George will miss a few games due to a bone bruise that he suffered in his left knee. George will be re-evaluated in a few days to see where things stand on the injury. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported the news on social media. Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George has a bone bruise in his left knee and is listed out for the next two games. He will be re-evaluated on Monday. pic.twitter.com/vxKeON5z78 George suffered the injury during the 76ers game on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. The star forward got injured in the second half of the game and didn't return. After the fact, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse assumed that the issue was a bone bruise but couldn't comment too much on it. Nurse did say that George may have been able to return to the court but the team decided against it. "I think they said it was similar to last time, which was a bone bruise, I think," Nurse said . "He was actually fairly close to coming back in the game, but then it kind of stiffened up as he got out a little bit more, so I decided not to, and now we got to take a look at it, make sure." The game against the Grizzlies was the first time that Philadelphia had all of their three All-Star players together on the court in George, center Joel Embiid and point guard Tyrese Maxey. But fate had other ideas and that dream ended fairly quickly. It has been a nightmare season for the 76ers as they sit with a record of 2-12 currently. The franchise has seen each star miss time due to an injury already this year, so this issue with George has to be frustrating. "Listen, it's certainly not easy," Nurse said . "Tyrese just getting back and didn't really have a feel tonight, and Paul going out. Certainly not easy ... but we didn't put enough together again for 48 [minutes of game time]." The 76ers spent heavily over the offseason to bring George to Philadelphia to pair him alongside Embiid and Maxey. They were seen as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference this season but injuries have completely derailed those plans. Thankfully, it seems that George may have dodged a massive bullet with this issue but due to his injury history, Philadelphia will likely be cautious in allowing him to return. For now, all the 76ers can do is take things one game at a time as they try to climb out of this massive hole that they have dug for themselves to start the year. For more 76ers and NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.

Broncos cornerback Riley Moss is set to return after missing a month with knee injuryPressley: Biden 'must act' on clemency before leaving officeNo, Greenland isn’t for sale

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: A French court has indicted tech billionaire Pavel Durov on charges that he allowed a wide range of crimes to flourish on the messaging platform Telegram. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: This is a case of interest to anybody who uses social media and of special interest if you happen to be one of the billionaires who own social media platforms. Durov is co-founder of this service. It's an app you download on your phone. You can send private, encrypted messages or talk on public channels. He's not accused of committing crimes himself but of running the platform where crimes took place and then of failing to cooperate with authorities. The charges followed Durov's surprise arrest, and they add to the debate about free speech and the internet. MARTIN: Reporter Rebecca Rosman has been following the case. We caught up with her in London. Good morning, Rebecca. REBECCA ROSMAN, BYLINE: Good morning. MARTIN: Before we get into these charges, can you just tell us a little bit more about Telegram and its CEO? ROSMAN: So the CEO Pavel Durov is someone who has long been seen as an antiestablishment figure. He was born in the then-Soviet Union in the mid-1980s. His first big social media company was actually a site called VK, which is Russia's answer to Facebook. He famously left Russia in 2014, though, after refusing to comply with the Kremlin's demands that he turn over information about the site's users. This is what prompted him to start Telegram, which he now runs from Dubai. And while it's less popular in the U.S., it has nearly a billion users worldwide and is especially popular in countries like Brazil, India, Russia and Ukraine. One thing that users find particularly attractive about the platform is its limited oversight of what users can say or do. But this has also made the app a favorite tool for far-right extremist groups, terrorist organizations and criminal gangs. MARTIN: Is that what led to these charges? ROSMAN: Yeah, more or less. So the Paris prosecutor's office announced a pretty wide range of charges yesterday evening, but they're mostly tied to allegations that Durov was complicit in the spread of all kinds of illegal activities on Telegram, so things like the spread of child sexual abuse materials, drug trafficking and money laundering. French investigators say Durov failed to cooperate with them or provide information that would have helped them shut down these illegal operations. And he's now under judicial supervision and is banned from leaving French territory. He also had to post a bond of $5.5 million dollars and will be required to report to French police twice a week while he's under investigation. And if he's convicted, he could face up to a decade in prison. And I should say these charges are groundbreaking in the sense that this would certainly appear to be the harshest action any government has taken against a social media executive to date. MARTIN: OK, France is not the only place where people are worried that these platforms are being used to commit crimes and also to spoke (ph) social division, which has actually led to violence in many places. But there are also the free-speech absolutists who consider rulemaking a form of censorship. And I take it we're hearing a lot of outrage from some of these folks, especially from other tech moguls. ROSMAN: Right. And what these tech moguls say is that it is simply not their job to be policing these platforms and that forcing them to do so actually sets a dangerous precedent for free speech on the internet. A number of well-known individuals have spoken out against Durov's arrest. You have people like Elon Musk who posted the hashtag #FreePavel on his platform, X. But the French government has defended its actions, with even French President Emmanuel Macron himself taking to X earlier this week to write his country was, quote, "deeply committed to freedom of expression" but that in a state governed by the rule of law, things need to be upheld within a legal framework, whether that's in real life or on social media. MARTIN: That is reporter Rebecca Rosman in London. Rebecca, thank you. ROSMAN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Angela Merkel's newly released memoir, 'Freedom,' delves into the intricacies of her 16-year leadership as Germany's Chancellor. The book highlights her dealings with influential figures such as Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, offering a behind-the-scenes look at her diplomatic and political strategies. Merkel revisits pivotal moments, including the global financial crisis, the influx of refugees in 2015-16, and the COVID-19 pandemic. She particularly examines her controversial decision to maintain strong trade ties with Russia and help broker a peace deal for eastern Ukraine. The memoir also reflects on Brexit, with Merkel questioning her efforts to prevent it, and recounts her choice to step down on her own terms, addressing public health concerns and the personal stress of leadership. 'Freedom' paints a comprehensive portrait of Merkel's impactful yet challenging career. (With inputs from agencies.)CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in a Major League Baseball 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. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Week 12 has started with an upset. The Cleveland Browns prevailed over the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 on Thursday Night Football , surviving the elements of the first snow game of the 2024 season. Cleveland took a commanding 18-6 lead early in the fourth quarter with Pittsburgh unable to find offensive rhythm, but it came back to seize a 19-18 lead late on fueled by forcing turnovers in the weather. However, Jameis Winston responded with a late nine-play, 45-yard drive to give Cleveland the advantage again. Russell Wilson had the chance to reply one last time for the win, but the Browns swatted down his last-ditch Hail Mary attempt. The shock result moves Cleveland to 3-8, while Pittsburgh dropped to 8-3 in an AFC that is tight at the top. Let's analyze the game further with winners and losers: WINNER: Nick Chubb, Browns Chubb has been far from his best after returning from gruesome leg injuries sustained last season, but he played a pivotal role for Cleveland. The 28-year-old rushed for 59 yards on 20 carries for two touchdowns, including the eventual game winner. It was his first multi-rushing touchdown game since Halloween of 2022. Though this game may not spur Cleveland up the AFC ladder, it's a positive sign for Chubb to pick up individual momentum. LOSER: Steelers' offensive weapons The Steelers typically deploy a robust defense under Mike Tomlin, but the offensive talent around Wilson has been in question. Mike Williams was acquired at the deadline, but he's still yet to produce for any team this season and did not feature in this game. Wilson completed 21 of 28 passes for 270 yards, one touchdown and a pick, but the offense's inability to consistently move the chains in the first three quarters was evident. Pittsburgh's downfall in this game may have just foreshadowed how its season could end against stronger teams. WINNER: Snow games Cleveland hosted the first snow game of the season. While the temperature and field was just fine during the first half, the snow kicked it up a notch in the second. It predictably resulted in more drops by receivers and fumbles. The two teams combined for five fumbles, with three recovered by the opposition. Cleveland's fourth-quarter miscue could've been costly, but it held on for the victory. LOSER: Third-down disparity Most of the key team stats point to this being a game the Steelers let slip away. Specifically, the third-down disparity ended on a brutal note from Pittsburgh's point of view. Pittsburgh converted on a solid 7-for-16 third downs, and had more total yards, drives and possession time along with fewer penalties. Cleveland, on the other hand, converted on just 1-for-10 third downs. But it flipped the switch when it mattered the most, moving the chain on all four fourth-down attempts. Pittsburgh wasn't limited by the snow given how it managed to retake the lead during the pouring, but the statistics will definitely frustrate Mike Tomlin and Co. WINNER: Jerry Jeudy, Browns After a slow and poor first eight weeks of the season, Jeudy has found improved form with Winston as QB1. He ended the game with six catches on six targets for 85 yards, coming up big whenever the Browns needed him. It also marked four straight games of at least five or more catches for the 25-year-old. While that might not sound like a lot for the former first rounder, he logged three straight games of just one catch each from Weeks 5-7. Last time out against the Saints he recorded six catches on 11 targets for a season-high 142 yards and a score.