Today’s news headlines and Thought for the Day for school assembly: 26 November 2024Article content Wide open spaces, shared interest in hydrogen fuel, Canadian tech know-how, German engineering—there are a number of reasons for Germany’s ambassador to Canada, Tjorven Bellmann, to stop in at Edmonton this week. Alberta and Germany are seasoned trading partners, but business between the two is somewhat lopsided, and not yet back to pre-COVID levels, Bellmann said in an interview with Postmedia Tuesday. Her official introductory visit to Alberta comes early in her tenure because “the ties are very strong,” she said. Bellmann notes an estimated 17 per cent of Albertans have German heritage. “You have the highest number of students who learn German in public schools in Canada,” she said, also touting research ties between Albertan universities and Germany. The two trading partners have an imbalanced exchange of some of the same kinds of products—mechanical, health, and technology. Germany exports $860 million to Alberta, and Alberta exports $120 million to Germany. Alberta will have its own delegation and pavilion at the upcoming Hanover Messer in March, a huge international trade symposium for industrial technologies, where Canada will be the guest country. “I hope that can foster additional business ties and investments in both directions,” Bellmann said. Additionally, Germany invests in Alberta. West of Edmonton, Heidelberg Materials is building the first carbon capture, utilization, and storage facility for the cement industry. Where Alberta-Germany policies part But while Alberta is protesting federal caps on oil and gas, Germany is transitioning energy towards renewables and green energy. “So the energy politics are a bit different in both countries,” Bellmann said. Germany is already at 60 per cent renewables, with the aim of reaching 80 per cent by 2030, she said. A darling of Premier Danielle Smith, hydrogen is of particular interest as a fuel, Bellmann said, with Germany building a hydrogen core network of pipelines in the near future—refurbishing some lines, and building others, until 2032—an initial $19 billion EUR investment. Meeting with Smith on Tuesday afternoon, Bellmann said her message is for cooperation with Alberta in as many ways as possible. “We believe, in spite of maybe different views we have on some of the energy policy, it’s good to seek opportunities together, for example, in the hydrogen area, and that we hope that we can increase the business ties between Germany and Alberta in terms of investment in both directions,” she said. Bellmann said she’s hoping to see increased bilateral connections—youth exchanges, city-to-city, and even province-to-province pairings. “If Alberta is interested, I could very well imagine trying set up something like that, that like we have it with between Bavaria and Quebec, for example, they have offices in both provinces, which helps a lot if you see connections and want to find quick partners. So why not look into that?” G7 coming to Alberta Bellmann has an eye on the next meetup of The Group of Seven (G7), the political and economic forum of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the European Union as a “non-enumerated member.” This year, Canada will host in scenic Kananaskis. “I think for Canada, it’s a big chance, but also a big responsibility to be at the helm of that. We know that we have very experienced partners who are preparing the summit and look forward to it,” Bellmann said, noting the meetup comes at a time of political churn for a number of member countries, with a new American administration and a new German government. As a small group of cooperating nations, the small, close-knit format of the G7 pact is uniquely effective, she said. “It brings together the economically most powerful countries, and it’s been at the forefront, for example, on important issues like supporting Ukraine.” Germany was G7 chair when the Russian war against Ukraine started, and the organization’s format made unprecedented coordination possible, Bellmann said, citing sanctions against Russia, weapons support for Ukraine, support to rebuild the energy net when Russia started bombarding civilian infrastructure and using energy as a weapon, and alternatives after the grain trade was interrupted. “It’s a very dire situation. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has just been in Kyiv yesterday and announced another package of $960 million CAD worth of military aid, which will reach Ukraine in December. He’s also said that we will continue to be Ukraine’s biggest supporter after the U.S. and that we are determined to continue the support, and that Putin is under an illusion if he thinks he can just wait us out,” she said. “It’s very important for allies to continue the support for Ukraine, and then we will see whether there is a political process or not, but it’s also clear from us that there mustn’t be any negotiation on Ukraine. Any process would have to, of course, include the Ukrainian government. And we all want peace, but the question is, on what terms? It can’t be a dictated peace. It has to be a just and lasting peace,” she said. Elsewhere in Eastern Europe, Bellmann pointed out twinned recent deployments in support of NATO—Canada’s contingent from Edmonton to Latvia last week, and Germany sending troops to Lithuania. “That’s in order to ensure that there is no Russian aggression against NATO territory, which is a threshold that Putin has never crossed so far. At the moment, NATO deterrence holds,” she said. The deployment shows strong allies are ready to defend every inch of allied territory, she said. “Russia should never make the mistake of miscalculating,” she said. Husband and wife co-ambassadors Both qualified, experienced diplomats, Bellmann and her husband Matthias Lüttenberg are a first for Canada—two ambassadors for the same country, job sharing the four-year post in eight-month segments. “We have decided to share the position of Ambassador, which is the first time we are doing that as a couple, and also the first time for Canada that a couple here shares that type of position,” Bellmann said. That puts her in the driver’s seat at the embassy in Ottawa until the end of March, and then from April onward until November it will be Lüttenberg. Only one partner at a time makes a salary. It’s not a new phenomenon for Germany; they’re the third couple to do so. “There’s only always one of us who’s in charge at the embassy and one of us who’s in charge at home, with our three children,” she said. “It’s also easier for the host country, if there is a clear division of labor, who’s in charge, and to have a longer period where you really get to know people, so you can start a project, you can finish it and it gives you more continuity,” Bellman said. “For the family, it’s also better if you have continuity at home because otherwise, your mind is constantly on the job. If you rotate every day, you never really stop working. So it’s also a deliberate investment into our children, who have the right to see a bit more of their parents than they did for the past years.” jcarmichael@postmedia.com Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.kijiji brampton 。

Police deny sitting on evidence as Netflix doc brings renewed attention to JonBenet Ramsey's killingIRVING, Texas -- The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include face mask penalties and other plays. Officials have missed several obvious face mask penalties this season, including two in a three-week span during Thursday night games. "When we see it, because I see it like yourselves and the fans, I have an opportunity to see it from a different angle and see it from a slo-mo," NFL executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the league's winter meetings. "When you think about the position of where the officials are, things are happening so fast. Sometimes the face mask can be the same color as the gloves. There's a lot happening. Concerning? Yes, because that's a big miss. That's a big foul. That's why we would like to consider putting that for the membership to consider putting that foul category that we can see, putting that [penalty flag] on the field to help. There is a frustration, and we believe that is one category we can potentially get right." Editor's Picks Goodell: NFL aware of allegation against Jay-Z Ex-NBAers Carter, McGrady join Bills ownership Berlin to host 1st NFL regular-season game in '25 Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was grabbed by his face mask and brought down in the end zone to end the Minnesota Vikings ' comeback attempt against the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 24. But there was no call. On Oct. 3, officials missed a face mask on Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving while he ran for 7 yards late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay instead was called for holding on the play, got forced out of field goal range and Kirk Cousins rallied the Atlanta Falcons to an overtime victory. "That is one this year, the face mask seems like it was the obvious one" Vincent said. "That keeps showing up." Vincent also cited hits on a defenseless player, tripping, fair catches, an illegal batted ball, an illegal double-team block, illegal formations on kickoffs and taunting as other areas that warrant consideration for replay assist. Current rules allow replay assist to help officials pick up a flag incorrectly thrown on the field, or in assisting proper enforcement of a foul called on the field. The NFL's competition committee will review potential recommendations for owners to vote on for expanding replay assist. Low blocks Vincent was emphatic about the league's desire to eliminate low blocks that could lead to serious injuries. "The low block below the knee needs to be removed from the game," Vincent said. "You look at high school, you look at college, too. Every block should be above the knee, but below the neck. All the work that we've done for the head and neck area, all the things that we've taken out of the game, this is the right time for us to remove the low block out of the game. Be consistent with high school. Be consistent with college. Every block should be above the knee and below the neck." Onside kicks The league will consider changes to the onside kick after dramatically overhauling the kickoff rule on a one-year basis. "We need to look at that. That's a dead play," Vincent said of the onside kick's low success rate. "That is a ceremonial play. Very low recovery rate. When we look at the kickoff and maybe where the touchback area should be during the offseason, we need to revisit the onside kick." Options include giving the team an opportunity to run one play to gain a certain number of yards to keep possession. Commanders in RFK Stadium The Washington Commanders ' search for a new stadium site includes options in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and work has escalated on one in particular. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and controlling owner Josh Harris met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week about the RFK Stadium site in Washington, which requires a bill getting through Congress to transfer the land to the District government before anything else can happen. "I think there's a bipartisan support for this," Goodell said, adding he'd like to see it get to a vote soon. "We hope that it will be addressed and approved so that it's at least an alternative for the Commanders if we go forward. I grew up in Washington, and I know would be exciting for a lot of fans." Expanding schedule The NFL continues to discuss a potential 18-game season but would need approval from the players' union. "We are doing analysis I would say, but we are not finalizing any plans at this point," Goodell said. "They'll share that analysis with the players' union, which would need to agree to any change."Saints hope to ride the Rizzi factor back to relevance after their bye weekUnwrap the latest AI features with Amazon Fire Tablets

TORONTO (AP) — The Utah Hockey Club said players were forced to walk to their game against the Maple Leafs after their bus got stuck in Toronto traffic Sunday night. The team posted a video on social media of team members walking to Scotiabank Arena, with player Maveric Lamoureux saying the bus was “not moving at all.” Several city streets had been closed during the day for the annual Santa Claus parade. The Maple Leafs earned their fourth consecutive win by defeating Utah 3-2. The viral incident prompted Ontario Premier Doug Ford to call the congestion “embarrassing” and “unacceptable,” highlighting his government’s plan to address the city’s gridlock through bike lane legislation. It wasn’t the first time a Toronto visitor had to ditch their vehicle to make it to an event on time. In June, former One Direction band member Niall Horan had to walk through traffic to get to his concert at Scotiabank Arena. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlSaints hope to ride the Rizzi factor back to relevance after their bye week

Bowls miss out in 4 CFP teams in latest postseason twistBELOIT - For a long time, Beloit was considered a hockey town. In the 1990s, the Beloit Youth Hockey Association was the largest youth hockey association in the state. Beloit Memorial High School's hockey team advanced to the state championship game in 1981 and 1989 and then finally won it in 1999. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.Check out these Tampa Bay holiday pop-up bars

Talen Energy Corporation Announces Closing of Incremental Term Loan B Financing and Related Repurchase of Common StockNone

WHEELING, W.Va. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WesBanco, Inc. ("WesBanco") (Nasdaq: WSBC ) and Premier Financial Corp. ("Premier") (Nasdaq: PFC ) today announced that WesBanco's shareholders and Premier's shareholders have each voted overwhelmingly to adopt and approve, as applicable, all proposals relating to the previously announced merger agreement for WesBanco to acquire Premier. The votes were held at the respective special meetings of WesBanco's shareholders and Premier's shareholders today. Approximately 85% of the votes cast at WesBanco's special meeting voted to approve the merger and to approve the proposal to issue shares of WesBanco common stock as described in the joint proxy statement/prospectus for the special meeting, and approximately 68% of the outstanding shares of Premier common stock voted to approve the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. "Shareholder approval is a key milestone that reflects strong confidence in the opportunities this merger creates for our communities, customers, employees and shareholders," said Jeff Jackson , President and Chief Executive Officer of WesBanco. "With this step complete, we look forward to receiving the required regulatory approvals and then scheduling the closing of the merger, so we can bring our community commitment and the resources of a stronger organization to all of our communities." With the completion of this critical milestone, the companies believe the merger is on track to close during the first quarter of 2025. The transaction remains subject to the completion of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals. The merger will create a regional financial services institution with approximately $27 billion in assets, significant economies of scale, and strong pro forma profitability metrics. With complementary and contiguous geographic footprints, the combined company would be the 8th largest bank in Ohio , based on deposit market share, have increased presence in Indiana , and serve customers in nine states. About WesBanco, Inc. With over 150 years as a community-focused, regional financial services partner, WesBanco Inc. (NASDAQ: WSBC ) and its subsidiaries build lasting prosperity through relationships and solutions that empower our customers for success in their financial journeys. Customers across our eight-state footprint choose WesBanco for the comprehensive range and personalized delivery of our retail and commercial banking solutions, as well as trust, brokerage, wealth management and insurance services, all designed to advance their financial goals. Through the strength of our teams, we leverage large bank capabilities and local focus to help make every community we serve a better place for people and businesses to thrive. Headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia , WesBanco has $18.5 billion in total assets, with our Trust and Investment Services holding $6.1 billion of assets under management and securities account values (including annuities) of $1.9 billion through our broker/dealer, as of September 30, 2024 . Learn more at www.wesbanco.com and follow @WesBanco on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. About Premier Financial Corp. Premier Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: PFC ), headquartered in Defiance, Ohio , is the holding company for Premier Bank. Premier Bank, headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio , operates 73 branches and nine loan offices in Ohio , Michigan , Indiana and Pennsylvania and also serves clients through a team of wealth professionals dedicated to each community banking branch. For more information, visit Premier's website at www.PremierFinCorp.com . Matters set forth in this press release contain certain forward-looking statements, including certain plans, expectations, goals, and projections, and including statements about the benefits of the proposed Merger between WesBanco and Premier, that are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from those contained or implied by such statements for a variety of factors including: the effects of changing regional and national economic conditions, changes in interest rates, spreads on earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and associated interest rate sensitivity; sources of liquidity available to WesBanco and its related subsidiary operations; potential future credit losses and the credit risk of commercial, real estate, and consumer loan customers and their borrowing activities; actions of the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Institution Regulatory Authority, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, the Securities Investors Protection Corporation, and other regulatory bodies; potential legislative and federal and state regulatory actions and reform, including, without limitation, the impact of the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act; adverse decisions of federal and state courts; fraud , scams and schemes of third parties; cyber-security breaches; competitive conditions in the financial services industry; rapidly changing technology affecting financial services; marketability of debt instruments and corresponding impact on fair value adjustments; and/or other external developments materially impacting WesBanco's operational and financial performance, the businesses of the WesBanco and Premier may not be integrated successfully or such integration may take longer to accomplish than expected; the expected cost savings and any revenue synergies from the proposed Merger may not be fully realized within the expected timeframes; disruption from the proposed Merger may make it more difficult to maintain relationships with clients, associates, or suppliers; the required governmental approvals of the proposed Merger may not be obtained on the expected terms and schedule; changes in economic conditions; movements in interest rates; competitive pressures on product pricing and services; success and timing of other business strategies; the nature, extent, and timing of governmental actions and reforms; and extended disruption of vital infrastructure; and other factors described in WesBanco's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Premier's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, and documents subsequently filed by WesBanco and Premier with the SEC. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available at the time of the release. Neither WesBanco nor Premier assumes any obligation to update any forward-looking statement. SOURCE WesBanco, Inc.

THE Kansas City Chiefs are set to get a top offensive weapon back from injury. Marquise Brown suffered an injury ahead of the season and has yet to play a game for the Chiefs. According to The Athletic's Nate Taylor, Brown is expected to begin practicing this week. Brown had surgery for a sternoclavicular joint injury, and it was initially feared he could miss the entire season. However, Brown is now close to making a return to the roster. "He’s getting close," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said on Wednesday. Read more on the NFL "He’s champing at the bit to get back out there, but he’s got to visit with the doctor to make sure he gets clearance there." Patrick Mahomes also gave an update on his weapon nearing a return. "Yeah, no. I mean, he’s been, he’s been working, man. He’s saying he’s ready to go," Mahomes said. "I mean, obviously it’s a long break, and he has to get cleared, and all that different type of stuff to play. Most read in American Football "But I mean, he’s ready, he’s ready to go. And I’m excited for him, and hopefully, he’s able to get out there quicker, sooner rather than later. "I think once he gets out there, many will be able to kind of fit right in and get some reps. "We got to be smart, obviously, but you want to get them wrapped up and ready to go for the playoffs." Chiefs fans were thrilled to hear their star wide receiver could make a return and shared their excitement on social media. "Put some bubble wrap around this man," one fan said. "Hallelujah!" another fan said. "It’s about to get scary," a third fan said. August 1 - Hall of Fame Game - Houston Texans vs Chicago Bears August 8 - Pre-season begins August 27 - Deadline for 53-man rosters September 1 - Final day of pre-season September 5 - Season opener - Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs November 5 - Trade deadline January 5 - Week 18 of regular-season January 11 - Playoffs begin February 9 - Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana "Now if only we could have rice back," a fourth fan said. "That's what I've been waiting for," a fifth fan said. Brown has played five seasons in the NFL , compiling 3,644 yards in those years. Read More on The US Sun He has scored 28 touchdowns in his career. Brown has yet to catch a pass for the Chiefs.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."

(BPT) - Tech gifts are consistently some of the most popular presents to give and receive during the holidays. In fact, according to the annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns report , a record 233 million U.S. adults (89%) will buy tech products during the 2024 holiday season. But with so many devices out there, it can be hard to decide on the perfect option for the loved one on your list. A tablet like the new Fire HD 8 from Amazon offers the versatility of an all-in-one device, with access to streaming, gaming, video chatting, reading or writing all at your fingertips. Fire HD 8 also features a vibrant 8-inch HD display and lightweight, portable design, for high-quality entertainment on the go. Plus, Fire HD 8 comes with three new AI features that can help you get the most out of your tablet experience. Check them out below and learn how they can help you with daily tasks this holiday season and beyond. 1. Meet your personal writing assistant Do you struggle with writing a heartfelt message or finessing a tricky email? Fear not! Writing Assist is here to help. Writing Assist works as part of your Fire tablet's device keyboard and compatible apps, including email, Word documents and social media. In just a few taps, you can transform your writing from good to great. Try Writing Assist's pre-set styles to turn a simple email into a professionally written note. Or, you can ask Writing Assist for grammar suggestions to make your writing more concise, or elaborate on your ideas. You can even "emojify" your writing to add more fun and personality. 2. Learn more in less time Say goodbye to scrolling through pages of information. The new Webpage Summaries feature allows you to learn pertinent information as quickly as possible. Available on the Silk browser on Fire tablets, Webpage Summaries provides quick insights on web articles. In a matter of seconds, this feature will distill the key points in an article or on a webpage into a clear, concise summary of what you need to know. 3. Get creative with your device wallpaper With Wallpaper Creator, you can easily add a touch of creative flair and customization to your tablet's home screen. You can choose from one of the curated prompts to get started on creating a unique background. Or, if you're ready to let your imagination run wild, type a description of what you'd like to see. For example, you can ask for an image of a tiger swimming underwater or a watercolor-style image of a desert landscape in space. Wallpaper Creator will then turn your vision into a reality, delivering a high-resolution image that you can use as your tablet's wallpaper. Celebrate an AI-powered holiday season Writing Assist, Webpage Summaries, and Wallpaper Creator are now available on Amazon's new Fire HD 8 and other compatible Fire tablet devices, including the latest Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11 tablets. To learn more, or to order a new Fire tablet this gift-giving season, visit Amazon.com .

The AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . ESTERO, Fla. (AP) — Sydney Shaw scored 20 points and made four 3-pointers, JJ Quinerly added 14 points and No. 12 West Virginia handed Boise State its first loss, 82-47 on Saturday in the Gulf Coast Showcase. West Virginia advances to the championship game on Sunday, while Boise State plays for third place. The Mountaineers have started 8-0 in back-to-back seasons after last year’s 11-0 beginning. Quinerly also had three steals to help West Virginia reach double figures in that category in every game this season. The Mountaineers also forced 20-plus turnovers for the eighth straight game. Boise State was held to just six points in the first and third quarters. West Virginia went on two 10-0 runs in the first quarter to build a 16-point lead. The Mountaineers led by double figures the rest of the way. It was 45-23 at halftime then Quinerly scored four straight points to begin a 9-0 run that ended in a 32-point lead. Freshman Jordan Thomas, coming off her first career double-double, had 10 points and six rebounds for West Virginia. Elodie Lalotte scored 11 points for Boise State (7-1). Teryn Gardner addd 10. RELATED COVERAGE JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen score 30-plus points and No. 6 USC routs Saint Louis 104-65 No. 4 South Carolina, coming off rare loss, uses 32-0 run to roll past No. 15 Iowa State 76-36 Watkins scores 20 points to lead No. 6 USC over Seton Hall 84-51 in Acrisure Holiday Invitational West Virginia was coming off an 89-54 victory over High Point on Friday to begin the tournament. The Mountaineers led by as many as 39 points and forced 22 turnovers in that one. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

NoneThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is and from collecting, using, and selling “sensitive” location data of Americans, the agency announced on Tuesday. The FTC targeted Gravy Analytics, its subsidiary Venntel, and Mobilewalla for allegedly violating the FTC Act by collecting and selling information that could be used to track people to healthcare facilities, military bases, religious sites, labor union gatherings, and other sensitive locations. The FTC says ( ) Mobilewalla “relied primarily on consumer information that Mobilewalla collected from real-time bidding exchanges” by bidding to show people personalized ads on their mobile devices and then retaining tracking info identifying them. It also bought info from other sources and used additional data to build out the profiles attached to each advertising ID. Combining that data, according to the complaint, allowed Mobilewalla to create audience segments targeting pregnant women, as well as provide analysis of people who attended protests over the death of George Floyd. Meanwhile, Venntel’s scheme is explained ( ) as collecting location data from otherwise ordinary mobile apps, and then selling access to the data to other businesses or government agencies. reports that the IRS, DEA, FBI, CBP, and ICE have all purchased Venntel data. Now, the companies must comply by never “selling, disclosing, or using sensitive location data in any product or service, and must establish a sensitive data location program.” Mobilewalla’s proposed settlement order will prohibit the company from: Misrepresenting how it collects, maintains, uses, deletes or discloses consumers’ personal information, and the extent to which consumers’ location data is deidentified. Using, transferring, selling and disclosing sensitive location data from health clinics, religious organizations, correctional facilities, labor union offices, LGBTQ+-related locations, political gatherings and military installations. Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon, who led efforts to target a loophole data brokers used to sell sensitive personal data on the market, applauded the FTC and CFPB for limiting what the companies can collect. In a statement sent to , Wyden said these companies could sell information about “law enforcement, judges and members of the armed forces is on the open market” to “anyone with a credit card,” putting citizens and military personnel in danger. Wyden also said US government agencies spied on Americans by obtaining this data without a warrant. “Many federal agencies hid behind the flimsy claim that Americans consented to the sale of their data, but the FTC’s orders make it clear how untrue these claims were,” said Wyden.

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