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80jili.ph OTTAWA — Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada's new border plan with Donald Trump's transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Both Trudeau and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who Trudeau has been courting to become Canada's next finance minister, shared posts on X Thursday, a day after Trump's latest jab at Canada in his Christmas Day message. It isn't clear if Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who has repeatedly insisted Trump's 51st state references are a joke, will raise the issue with Trump's team when he and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly meet with them in Palm Beach. The two are there to discuss Canada's new $1.3 billion border plan with just under four weeks left before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada's plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada LeBlanc's spokesman, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, said the ministers will also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump's threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers will build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau "governor" instead of prime minister. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw "explains Canada to Americans." The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. "In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada," Brokaw says in the video. Trudeau did not expand about why he posted a link to the video, posting it only with the words "some information about Canada for Americans." Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau's recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump's antics on X Thursday, calling it "casual disrespect" and "carrying the 'joke' too far." "Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership," said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. Freeland's sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau's leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian PressAP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:06 p.m. EST

NoneQatar tribune QNA Doha Minister of Social Development and Family (MSDF) HE Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi honoured the qualitative initiatives of private associations and institutions during a ceremony organised by the ministry as part of its unwavering support for partnership with them, in recognition of their vital operations that support the ministry’s functions. Held on Sunday, the ceremony was attended by Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council HE Dr Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti, MSDF’s Assistant Undersecretary for Social Development Affairs Fahd Mohammed Al Khayarin, alongside several chairpersons and members of the boards of directors of private associations and institutions, as well as executive directors. The honouring ceremony came in recognition of the extraordinary efforts of private associations and institutions dedicated to serving the community and reinforcing the sustainable development, in addition to underscoring the importance of their role in fostering partnership with state institutions to achieve the national development goals. The private associations and institutions undertake an instrumental role in advancing the local community, Khayarin underlined, adding that collaboration between the public and private sectors is a fundamental factor to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), since these qualitative initiatives reflect dedication and innovation in serving the society. Khayarin added that he feels a sense of pride in the tangible milestones these projects have achieved, underlining that the ceremony is part of efforts devoted to fostering the role of private associations and institutions in executing development projects. He noted the MSDF’s steadfast commitment to supporting these initiatives and providing an environment conducive for optimizing the level of offered social services. For his part, Director of the Private Associations and Institutions Department Naji Al Aji affirmed that supporting the qualitative initiatives aims to spur social institutions to continue offering innovative services and contribute to building far more cohesive and enduring communities. The ceremony also witnessed the honouring of the associations that won outstanding initiatives, where the Qatar Livestock Society (ANAAM) took first place, followed by the Qatar Arabic Language Association in second place, and the Qatar Society of Engineers in third place. Supportive entities were also recognised, including the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs’ General Directorate of Endowments and, Qatar Charity (QC), associations participating in offering diverse initiatives, such as Qatar Society of Radio Amateurs (QARS), the Qatari Women Association for Economic Awareness & Investment, the Qatar Lawyers Association, the Qatar’s Mental Health Friends Association and the Qatar Association of Certified Public Accountants. Also honoured were members of the jury committee for their instrumental role in evaluating the initiatives and ensuring their compliance with standards. Additionally, numerous associations featured their salient achievements, and successful projects were highlighted in recognition for their contribution to improving the livelihood of the targeted segments. Copy 25/11/2024 10NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #284 (Thursday, December 12 2024)Zoominfo CTO Ali Dasdan sells $53,911 in company stock

OTTAWA — Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada's new border plan with Donald Trump's transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Both Trudeau and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who Trudeau has been courting to become Canada's next finance minister, shared posts on X Thursday, a day after Trump's latest jab at Canada in his Christmas Day message. It isn't clear if Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who has repeatedly insisted Trump's 51st state references are a joke, will raise the issue with Trump's team when he and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly meet with them in Palm Beach. The two are there to discuss Canada's new $1.3 billion border plan with just under four weeks left before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada's plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada LeBlanc's spokesman, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, said the ministers will also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump's threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers will build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau "governor" instead of prime minister. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw "explains Canada to Americans." The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. "In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada," Brokaw says in the video. Trudeau did not expand about why he posted a link to the video, posting it only with the words "some information about Canada for Americans." Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau's recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump's antics on X Thursday, calling it "casual disrespect" and "carrying the 'joke' too far." "Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership," said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. Freeland's sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau's leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press

Elite domination

A future that uses quantum computing is not far off — but not quite here either. When it does arrive, it will ultimately render the methods we use to encrypt information useless. And while some organizations and businesses may be slow to act, bad actors are already preparing, stealing large amounts of encrypted data and putting it on hold until a later date, when quantum capabilities become available and allow them to decrypt it. These attacks are known as harvest now, decrypt later (HNDL) attacks — and they pose a serious threat in the future, should bad actors gain access to quantum computers and find the means to actually use them. "What we need is a new way for us to be able to encrypt data which protects that data now and in the future as well," says Frey Wilson, co-founder and CTO at Cavero Quantum. Cavero has created a cryptographic system that uses symmetric keys in two different ways, one using computation complexity and the other using an information theoretical method. The latter typically uses physical resources, but Wilson notes that Cavero achieves it by using the properties of random numbers . "If you can create two correlated data sets and ensure that any third data set is correlated [but] not in the same way as the initial two, then from the correlated data, you can use essentially low entropy sections of that data to be able to generate a key mutually," says Wilson, ahead of a Black Hat Europe 2024 briefing on the approach. Related: Library of Congress Offers AI Legal Guidance to Researchers These keys aren't passkeys , though the intention is on the same track, Wilson stresses. Passkeys fall under the category of asymmetric keys, a cryptographic method of encrypting and decrypting data. The risk with this, however, is that passkeys are limited within their own ecosystems, such as Apple or Amazon, unable to cross-correlate with other ecosystems. "Because this key is sent from a central server initially, there's a moment that the key is in transit to get to a device," says James Trenholme, CEO of Cavero Quantum. "It has the potential to be hacked or viewed by a third party." Cavero aims to solve this problem by providing a solution that doesn't share any information publicly. Keys are mutually generated for each party using the correlating numbers mechanism, so that even if a threat actor is watching the exchange in the middle, they are unable to gather enough information to calculate or intercept the key, Trenholme adds. Wilson says the solution, which uses smaller key sizes and is deployable on any device regardless of the size, is unique in its approach. Related: 'White FAANG' Data Export Attack: A Gold Mine for PII Threats "That appeal to history is absolutely something that we hear regularly," says Wilson of their solution, which is nearly 12 years in the making. "This is based off a body of work that has existed here that we’ve taken, and we've expanded on. It just so happens that we've taken it in a direction that's been slightly different to other people." Wilson plans to go into detail on that at Black Hat Europe, noting that "it's a new way of looking at the methodology that sits underneath it." Going forward, the pair would like to see Cavero's keys used as the cornerstone in many, if not all, types of communications. And while its natural for a CEO to say this about their company's product, it seems as though Cavero's keys are in the best interest of communications processes in the name of privacy and security. Some industries will benefit from Cavero's technology sooner than others, like those that manage high-value data or have a long-term data source. "We'd like to see it used in every kind of communication, whether it be a voice call, a message, a data transfer, logging applications, the list goes on," says Trenholme, including telecommunications, defense, financial services, identity frameworks, and more. Related: 'Bootkitty' First Bootloader to Take Aim at Linux Skilled writer and editor covering cybersecurity for Dark Reading.

Hanna resigns as Jefferson's girls basketball coachBOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey spent months clamoring for lawmakers to finish work on a sweeping jobs package she filed in March, and she wound up needing only about 60% of the time allotted for her review before making it law. Healey on Wednesday signed her approval on almost the entirety of the 319-page, roughly $4 billion package that offers hundreds of millions of dollars of long-term state support to the life sciences and climate technology industries, clears the way for development of a professional soccer stadium in Everett, controversially shields a nonprofit accused of predatory lending, and more. The governor is approaching the midpoint of her four-year term, and has now signed into law a major jobs package, a borrowing bill she believes will supercharge housing production and a tax relief package, all of which she identified as priorities. Agreeing to almost everything the Legislature packed into the bill, including scores of project earmarks, she did not veto any language from the bill (H 5100), and she sent a single section dealing with motor vehicle liability insurance back with a proposed amendment. “This legislation includes nearly all of the authorizations and transformative policy initiatives that I filed in March, bringing the total authorized to nearly $4 billion, and takes important steps toward implementing our economic development plan,” Healey wrote in a letter to lawmakers. “This bill is essential to keeping the Massachusetts economy strong and adaptable in a rapidly changing world.” Healey had until Sunday to review the bill, but decided Wednesday that she was ready to act. The measure reaches across different facets of the state’s economy, and lawmakers crammed it full of additional policy riders — some that are controversial — including language admitting Massachusetts to a national nurse licensure compact and a section that opponents say could shield a Boston nonprofit facing predatory lending accusations from lawsuits. One section would effectively protect BlueHub Capital, a Roxbury nonprofit that was sued in 2020 over predatory lending allegations, according to the Boston Globe. An earlier iteration of the language drew scrutiny from Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who described “serious consumer protection concerns,” the Globe reported. The issue burst into the spotlight Wednesday, when someone in the crowd interrupted Healey at an event in Waltham to criticize her for not vetoing the language. “I was your attorney general. I went after the subprime predatory lenders. I’m pretty well-schooled in this, and we took them on and took them down,” Healey replied. “I probably more than anybody know what it means to stand up ... and fight predatory lending.” On the borrowing front, large chunks of capital funding would flow to two industries that lawmakers and administration officials view as current or future cornerstones: life sciences, and climate technology. The law reauthorizes another $500 million over 10 years for the state’s Life Sciences Initiative, which launched under Gov. Deval Patrick and continued under Gov. Charlie Baker, and it boosts the annual life sciences tax incentive program from $30 million to $40 million. It includes $400 million in capital authorizations and $300 million in tax incentives for the climate tech field, which Healey described as “modeled on the same type of investments that have successfully transformed our life sciences sector into a global powerhouse.” Another $100 million will go toward creating a Massachusetts AI Hub. “Look, AI is here to stay. We’ve worked together to put together a program for an AI hub in Massachusetts that’s going to help transform all of our industries, and that includes small businesses,” Healey said in a speech to retailers on Wednesday. Many of the law’s most eye-catching provisions go beyond dollars and cents. One section would authorize municipalities and government entities to enter into project labor agreements, which often require unionized labor only. Another would allow the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to craft an alternative certification process for some teachers, which supporters say will help diversify the educator workforce. In a boost for the Kraft family and the New England Revolution soccer team they own, the law would remove the designated port area classification from a parcel of land in Everett, viewed as a key hurdle toward developing a new stadium there. It took lawmakers years to get on the same page supporting the change, and the final accord prohibits public funding from flowing toward construction of the stadium. Developers would also need to strike community mitigation agreements with the cities of Everett and Boston. Another section of the law installs new regulations around event ticket sales, including by prohibiting the use of “bots” that quickly snatch up many tickets. Consumer groups had criticized language outlining requirements for nontransferable tickets, arguing that it would give buyers fewer choices on the secondary markets, but Healey opted to sign her approval on the full package. Her only proposed amendment would change the amounts and effective date for new limits on motor vehicle insurance liability coverage. Healey wrote to lawmakers that the existing limits “have not been updated in over 30 years” and signaled support for raising them. “I support these limit increases, but I also recognize that the language as currently drafted would become effective immediately upon my signature, providing insurance companies inadequate time for implementation,” she wrote. “Insurers must update current policies and submit new forms and rates to the Commissioner of Insurance for review and approval before implementing these changes. Based on feedback from industry stakeholders, pushing out the effective date to July 1, 2025 will ensure that these changes take place in an orderly way.” The bill takes a limited run at tax policy changes to boost economic development, with tax incentives focused on the life sciences and climate tech sectors and a new tax credit to assist the live theater sector. On Oct. 31, the Tax Foundation released its State Tax Competitiveness Index, formerly the State Business Tax Climate Index, and Massachusetts ranked 41st among the 50 states. The foundation cited “overly burdensome” individual income taxes, property taxes, and unemployment insurance taxes in Massachusetts, and said property taxes here are “among the highest in the nation.” While the new income surtax on high earners is facilitating major new investments in education and transportation — two focus areas of businesses — the foundation blamed the 2022 constitutional amendment approved by voters statewide for “dismantling the state’s formerly competitive flat income tax and making Massachusetts less attractive for productive households and businesses.” Aides said the governor “will host a ceremonial signing event in the near future” to bring more attention to the new jobs law. Sam Drysdale and Michael P. Norton contributed reporting.

Special counsel moves to dismiss subversion case against TrumpINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts defense started this season struggling. It couldn't stop the run, couldn't keep teams out of the end zone, couldn't get off the field. Now the script has flipped. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's group is playing stouter, holding teams — even the high-scoring Detroit Lions — largely in check long enough to give Indy a chance to win, and it's the Colts offense that has struggled. “They are playing their tails off. You don’t want them on the field a bunch and as an offense you want to be able to play complementary football,” running back Jonathan Taylor said after Sunday's 24-6 loss. “I would say specifically on offense, it sucks when you can’t help your defense out when they are fighting their tails off all game.” Indy's defense held up its end of the bargain by limiting the Lions (10-1) to 14 first-half points and allowing just 24, matching Detroit's lowest output since Week 3. The problem: Even when the Colts (5-7) did get Detroit off the field, they couldn't sustain drives or score touchdowns. Again. Anthony Richardson provided the bulk of the ground game by rushing 10 times for 61 yards, mostly early. Taylor managed just 35 yards on 11 carries and a season-high 10 penalties constantly forced the Colts to dig out from deep deficits. Part of that was by design. “We knew Jonathan Taylor was going to be the guy we needed to shut down,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We did that. The quarterback runs. It got us on a couple but overall, we did what we needed to do, and we kept them out of that game." Part of it could be because of an injury-battered offensive line that has started three rookies each of the past two weeks and finished the previous game with the same three rookies. Whatever the fix, Indy needs a good solution. There is good news for Indy is that its schedule now gets substantially more manageable. After losing four of five, all to teams in playoff position and three to division leaders, Indy faces only one team with a winning record in its final five games. The most recent time the Colts played a team with a losing mark, Richardson rallied them past the New York Jets 28-27. But Colts coach Shane Steichen knows that's not the answer. The Colts must get this offense righted now. “We’ve got to get that figured out. We’ve got to get him going on the ground,” Steichen said when asked about Taylor, who has 92 yards on his past 35 carries. “We’ll look at the offensive line. We’ll look at everything." What’s working Pass rush. Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner's presence certainly has been felt since he returned from a sprained ankle Oct. 27. In those past five games, the Colts have had 14 sacks, including three of Jared Goff on Sunday. What needs work Penalties. The Colts have had one of the cleanest operations in the league most of this season. Sunday was an anomaly, but one that can't merely be written off. Stock up WR Michael Pittman Jr. The five-year veteran is one of the league's toughest guys, but playing through a back injury appeared to take its toll on Pittman's productivity. Since sitting out in Week 10, Pittman has 11 receptions for 142 yards including six for 96 yards, his second-highest total of the season, Sunday. Stock down Tight ends. Each week the Colts want their tight ends to make an impact. And each week, they seem to fail. It happened again Sunday when Drew Ogletree dropped a TD pass that would have given Indy a 10-7 lead. Instead, Indy settled for a field goal and a 7-6 deficit. Through 12 games, Indy's tight ends have a total of 26 catches, 299 yards and two TDs. That's just not good enough in a league where versatile, productive tight ends increasingly signal success. Injuries Pittman and WR Josh Downs both returned to the game after leaving briefly with shoulder injuries. WR Ashton Dulin did not return after hurting his foot in the second half. But the bigger questions come on the offensive line. LT Bernhard Raimann (knee) was inactive Sunday, and rookie center Tanor Bortolini entered the concussion protocol Monday. Bortolini was one of three rookie starters the past two weeks, replacing Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly who is on injured reserve. Key number 55.88 — Indy has scored touchdowns on 55.88% of its red zone trips this season. While it puts it near the middle of the NFL, it's cost the Colts multiple wins. Next steps Richardson needs to rebound from this latest 11 of 28 performance and show he can lead the Colts to victories week after week. He'll get plenty of chances over the season's final month, starting with next week's game at the New England Patriots. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Michael Marot, The Associated PressCOMOG backs suits against Wesley Girls’ Senior High School

Yankees Social Media: All hail the 2024 AL MVP and 2024 AL ROTYWASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is expected to announce that it will send $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia has launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defense officials acknowledged that that the Defense Department may not be able to send all of the remaining $5.6 billion in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. RELATED COVERAGE Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire Ukraine’s military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses Russia arrests 4 suspects accused of plotting to kill top military officers on Ukraine’s orders Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin . Many U.S. and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he won’t provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about $4.35 billion. Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Zelenskyy decide it’s time to negotiate. One senior defense official said that while the U.S. will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until Jan. 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about $1.2 billion remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the U.S. has provided more than $64 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Greg McGarity had reason to be concerned. The Gator Bowl president kept a watchful eye on College Football Playoff scenarios all season and understood the fallout might affect his postseason matchup in Jacksonville. What if the Southeastern Conference got five teams into the expanded CFP? What if the Atlantic Coast Conference landed three spots? It was a math problem that was impossible to truly answer, even into late November. Four first-round playoff games, which will end with four good teams going home without a bowl game, had the potential to shake up the system. The good news for McGarity and other bowl organizers: Adding quality teams to power leagues — Oregon to the Big Ten, Texas to the SEC and SMU to the ACC — managed to ease much of the handwringing. McGarity and the Gator Bowl ended up with their highest-ranked team, No. 16 Ole Miss, in nearly two decades. "It really didn't lessen our pool much at all," McGarity said. "The SEC bowl pool strengthened with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma. You knew they were going to push traditional SEC teams up or down. Texas ended up pushing just about everyone down." The long waiting game was the latest twist for non-CFP bowls that have become adept at dealing with change. Efforts to match the top teams came and went in the 1990s and first decade of this century before the CFP became the first actual tournament in major college football. It was a four-team invitational — until this year, when the 12-team expanded format meant that four quality teams would not be in the mix for bowl games after they lose next week in the first round. "There's been a lot of things that we've kind of had to roll with," said Scott Ramsey, president of the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee. "I don't think the extra games changed our selection model to much degree. We used to look at the New York's Six before this, and that was 12 teams out of the bowl mix. The 12-team playoff is pretty much the same." Ramsey ended up with No. 23 Missouri against Iowa in his Dec. 30 bowl. A lot of so-called lesser bowl games do have high-profile teams — the ReliaQuest Bowl has No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan (a rematch of last year's CFP semifinal), Texas A&M and USC will play in the Las Vegas Bowl while No. 14 South Carolina and No. 15 Miami, two CFP bubble teams, ended up in separate bowls in Orlando. "The stress of it is just the fact that the CFP takes that opening weekend," Las Vegas Bowl executive director John Saccenti said. "It kind of condenses the calendar a little bit." Bowl season opens Saturday with the Cricket Celebration Bowl. The first round of the CFP runs Dec. 20-21. It remains to be seen whether non-CFP bowls will see an impact from the new dynamic. They will know more by 2026, with a planned bowl reset looming. It could include CFP expansion from 12 to 14 teams and significant tweaks to the bowl system. More on-campus matchups? More diversity among cities selected to host semifinal and championship games? And would there be a trickle-down effect for everyone else? Demand for non-playoff bowls remains high, according to ESPN, despite increased focus on the expanded CFP and more players choosing to skip season finales to either enter the NCAA transfer portal or begin preparations for the NFL draft. "There's a natural appetite around the holidays for football and bowl games," Kurt Dargis, ESPN's senior director of programming and acquisitions, said at Sports Business Journal's Intercollegiate Athletics Forum last week in Las Vegas. "People still want to watch bowl games, regardless of what's going on with the playoff. ... It's obviously an unknown now with the expanded playoff, but we really feel like it's going to continue." The current bowl format runs through 2025. What lies ahead is anyone's guess. Could sponsors start paying athletes to play in bowl games? Could schools include hefty name, image and likeness incentives for players participating in bowls? Would conferences be willing to dump bowl tie-ins to provide a wider range of potential matchups? Are bowls ready to lean into more edginess like Pop-Tarts has done with its edible mascot? The path forward will be determined primarily by revenue, title sponsors, TV demand and ticket sales. "The one thing I have learned is we're going to serve our partners," Saccenti said. "We're going to be a part of the system that's there, and we're going to try to remain flexible and make sure that we're adjusting to what's going on in the world of postseason college football." Get local news delivered to your inbox!One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services,” the statement said. “The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would have used “physician work time values,” which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits; maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. But Dr. Jonathan Gal, economics committee chair of the American Society for Anesthesiologists, said it’s unclear how CMS derives those values. In mid-November, called on Anthem to “reverse the proposal immediately,” saying in a news release that the policy would have taken effect in February in New York, Connecticut and Missouri. It’s not clear how many states in total would have been affected, as notices also were and . People across the country registered their concerns and complaints on social media, and encouraged people in affected states to call their legislators. Some people noted that the policy could prevent patients from getting overcharged. Gal said the policy change would have been unprecedented, ignored the “nuanced, unpredictable human element” of surgery and was a clear “money grab.” “It’s incomprehensible how a health insurance company could so blatantly continue to prioritize their profits over safe patient care,” he said. “If Anthem is, in fact, rescinding the policy, we’re delighted that they came to their senses.” Prior to Anthem’s announcement Thursday, Connecticut comptroller Sean Scanlon said the “concerning” policy wouldn’t affect the state after conversations with the insurance company. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an emailed statement Thursday that her office had also successfully intervened. The insurance giant’s policy change came one day after , another major insurance company, was shot and killed in New York City.

Wake up the ghosts! Texas, Texas A&M rivalry that dates to 1894 is rebornMiss Manners: I only want some of the people in my walking group to attend my party ... this is a problem

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