Nuggets Podcast: Nikola Jokic’s Game 2 masterpiece, an MVP denied and the Western Conference finals in sight

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

Nuggets Podcast: Nikola Jokic’s Game 2 masterpiece, an MVP denied and the Western Conference finals in sight In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after the Nuggets took a 2-0 lead on the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals. Among the topics discussed:Nikola Jokic, the MVP who wasn’t, carried the Nuggets in Game 2 against the Suns with a 39-point masterpiece. Mike and Matt discuss the Joker’s big game, coming on the eve of his runner-up finish to Joel Embiid in the NBA MVP race.With Michael Porter Jr. struggling from the field, head coach Michael Malone opted to bench the Nuggets’ sharpshooter. A one-off in a defensive slugfest? Or a sign of things to come in this playoff run?Kevin Durant and Devin Booker struggled to keep the paper-thin Suns roster afloat in the first two games, especially the former. What are the Nuggets doing defensively to limit the Suns’ superstar duo?On the other side of the bracket, the Warriors and Lakers are getting ready for a knock-down, dra...

Letters: Players flood transfer portal — perhaps CU not ready for Prime Time after all

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

Letters: Players flood transfer portal — perhaps CU not ready for Prime Time after all Perhaps CU not ready for Prime Time after allRe: “Sami, 4 others enter transfer portal,” April 26 sports story, and “Ugly side of Sanders Effect? Kids who felt pushed to transfer,” April 25 sports columnAfter having just read several reports about new Colorado football coach Deion Sanders forcing multiple players into the transfer portal, I believe the CU administration has their own housecleaning to do: force Sanders and his staff into their own transfer portal.Sanders feels that he has to treat these players like old furniture. These are young men whose dreams of playing football were destroyed by Sanders. Not only do they have to find a new school to attend, they risk losing scholarships and will have to spend large sums to relocate. In addition, players were initially deprived of access to their practice tapes for no good reason.Does the CU administration approve of these cheesy tactics? One reasonable alternative would be to bring out the bulldozers and ...

Opinion: Diversity is going from a virtue to a vice on college campuses

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

Opinion: Diversity is going from a virtue to a vice on college campuses The politically craven assaults on diversity, equity and inclusion on college campuses in Florida and Texas are embarrassing. Unless you’re an opportunist looking for a leg up in a possible run for governor. Then, the attacks are inspiring.Case in point: Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is now demanding information on what the state’s public universities are spending on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, including staffing, the names and aims of the programs.“These programs are particularly concerning when taxpayer funds are used to enforce the type of intellectual and political conformity that appears to be the hallmark of many campus DEI initiatives,” wrote Jones in a letter to University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue. Jones is being mentioned as a possible GOP candidate for governor in 2026.Perdue drew Jones’ wrath for criticizing the Legislature’s $66 million cut to the higher education budget, telling The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “This is an incredibly dis...

Why the Warriors need Jordan Poole to let it fly against the Los Angeles Lakers

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

Why the Warriors need Jordan Poole to let it fly against the Los Angeles Lakers SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors had nine seconds left to tie Game 1 back up. After a 14-0 run punctuated with a Steph Curry 3-pointer that erased a deep fourth quarter deficit, the Chase Center crowd had every reason to believe a victory was in reach.The Lakers had reclaimed the lead with a D’Angelo Russell driving layup and a free throw with plenty of time for a Warriors counter. They trapped Curry up top, leaving Jordan Poole wide open on the other side of the wing.About a half-second separated Draymond Green’s swing pass and Poole’s shot release from 27 feet out. The ball bounced off the side of the rim, all but securing the Warriors’ 117-112 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday night. And, no, Poole didn’t see Lakers head coach appearing to wave his hand in front of him as he took the shot.After his rough series against the Sacramento Kings, Poole’s gutsy 3-point attempt might’ve made Warriors fans groan. But a Poole with space and rhythm to...

Opinion: Will you need the latest COVID booster? It depends

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

Opinion: Will you need the latest COVID booster? It depends As the Biden administration prepares for the federal COVID-19 public health emergency to end on May 11, the new normal is markedly better than the earlier phase of the pandemic in which we lost more than a million American lives. We’ve gone from the 2021 peak of an estimated 3,000 Americans dying daily from the infection to about 250 a day now. But this “normal” still includes more than 30,000 COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of 2023, and the virus remains a leading cause of fatality in the United States. This is not acceptable.We face confusing realities: The pandemic’s acute phase is over, but COVID remains a significant cause of death. New variants always loom. Any long-term approach to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 will require periodic boosters — yet as of March, fewer than 1 in 5 eligible Americans got the booster that was made available in September, suggesting that interest in the shots has dipped alongside the virus’ toll.The newest available mRNA vaccine is the bivale...

2 men from Oxon Hill killed hours apart in separate Prince George’s Co. crashes

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

2 men from Oxon Hill killed hours apart in separate Prince George’s Co. crashes Two men from Oxon Hill died hours apart after separate crashes in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on Tuesday, police say.Several others, including children, were also injured in the crashes and taken to area hospitals, according to Maryland State Police — the agency leading both investigations.The first two-vehicle crash happened just before 6 a.m. at the intersection of southbound Crain Highway and Brandywine Road, police said in a news release.A Lexus traveling east on Brandywine Road entered the intersection at the same time as a Honda that was traveling south on Crain Highway.The driver of the Lexus, Aaron Lewis Johnson of Oxon Hill, was taken to the hospital, where he later died.The driver in the Honda was also taken to the hospital. Two girls, ages 5 and 3, inside the car were taken to a children’s hospital to be treated for their injuries.The road was closed for roughly two hours after the crash.The second two-car crash happened a few hours later at 12:45 ...

Malibu Boats: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

Malibu Boats: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot LOUDON, Tenn. (AP) — LOUDON, Tenn. (AP) — Malibu Boats Inc. (MBUU) on Wednesday reported fiscal third-quarter profit of $51.9 million.On a per-share basis, the Loudon, Tennessee-based company said it had net income of $2.51. Earnings, adjusted for stock option expense and non-recurring costs, were $2.59 per share.The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $2.37 per share.The maker of performance sports boats posted revenue of $375.1 million in the period, which also beat Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $345.2 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MBUU at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MBUUSource

McDonald’s franchisee employed 10-year-olds, US Labor Department says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

McDonald’s franchisee employed 10-year-olds, US Labor Department says A McDonald’s franchisee in Kentucky employed two 10-year-old children in violation of federal labor laws, the Department of Labor said Tuesday.Bauer Food, LLC, a Louisville-based operator of 10 McDonald’s franchise locations across two states, employed the children, the DOL said in a news release.Officials said the children were not paid, yet sometimes worked as late as 2 a.m. and they “prepared and distributed food orders, cleaned the store, worked at the drive-thru window and operated a register.” Investigators learned that “one of the two children was allowed to operate a deep fryer, a prohibited task for workers under 16 years old.”Bauer Food franchise owner Sean Bauer told CBS News that the children were visiting their parent, who works as a night manager. He said the kids were not approved to be in that part of restaurant by franchisee organization management and that any work the children did was at the direction of, and in the presence of,...

Neurocrine: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

Neurocrine: Q1 Earnings Snapshot SAN DIEGO (AP) — SAN DIEGO (AP) — Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. (NBIX) on Wednesday reported a loss of $76.6 million in its first quarter.On a per-share basis, the San Diego-based company said it had a loss of 79 cents.The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 10 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 26 cents per share.The biopharmaceutical company posted revenue of $420.4 million in the period, exceeding Street forecasts. Eleven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $413 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on NBIX at https://www.zacks.com/ap/NBIXSource

Horizon Therapeutics: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:36:16 GMT

Horizon Therapeutics: Q1 Earnings Snapshot DUBLIN (AP) — DUBLIN (AP) — Horizon Therapeutics Public Limited Company (HZNP) on Wednesday reported first-quarter profit of $54.7 million.On a per-share basis, the Dublin-based company said it had profit of 23 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 83 cents per share.The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.17 per share.The drugmaker posted revenue of $832.1 million in the period, which also missed Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $896.2 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on HZNP at https://www.zacks.com/ap/HZNPSource