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Former Knicks center Felton Spencer dead at 55

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

Felton Spencer, a longtime NBA center who played two seasons with the Knicks, died Sunday at age 55, his family announced.The former first-round pick out of Louisville died “peacefully,” said his sister, who did not disclose a cause of death.“It was befitting that he received excellent care in his final hours from the providers at the University of Louisville Hospital, his Alma mater that he loved so dearly,” Tammy Pollock tweeted. “He was a kind, gentle giant whose physical presence will be sorely missed.”The 7-foot Spencer starred at Louisville from 1986-90, setting a school record with a career field goal percentage of 62.8%.Spencer went sixth overall in the 1990 NBA Draft to the Minnesota Timberwolves and also played for the Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs before spending his final two seasons with the Knicks from 2000 to 2002.The best seasons of his 12-year NBA career came with Utah. He started all but one of his 184 ga...

Former Jets QB Mike White signs two-year deal with rival Dolphins: reports

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

Sometimes, you can go home again.After four seasons with the Jets, quarterback Mike White will sign a two-year contract with the rival Dolphins, according to a source. ESPN reports that White’s contract will be worth $16 million as Miami now improves its backup quarterback position.White was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale as he attended high school at University before going to college at South Florida and later Western Kentucky. Last season, White became the Jets’ starting quarterback last November after they benched former first-round pick Zach Wilson following a 10-3 loss to the Patriots.In four starts last season, White passed for 1,192 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. White did miss time due to five broken ribs he suffered against the Bills in December. He aggravated the same rib injury against the Seahawks as he missed the season finale against the Dolphins.Last year, the Dolphins had Teddy Bridgewater and rookie seventh-round pick Skylar Thompso...

Biden OKs Alaska oil project, draws ire of environmentalists

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

By MATTHEW DALY and CHRIS MEGERIAN (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Monday it is approving the huge Willow oil-drilling project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope, a major environmental decision by President Joe Biden that drew quick condemnation that it flies in the face of the Democratic president’s pledges to slow climate change. The announcement came a day after the administration, in a move in the other direction toward conservation, said it would bar or limit drilling in some other areas of Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.The Willow approval by the Bureau of Land Management would allow three drill sites, which would include up to 199 total wells. Two other drill sites proposed for the project would be denied. Project developer ConocoPhillips has said it considers the three-site option workable, and company chairman and CEO Ryan Lance called the order “the right decision for Alaska and our nation.”Houston-based Cono...

How to keep crowdfunding proceeds on the right side of tax rules

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

By Sabrina ParysCrowdfunding organizations, such as GoFundMe, have made it easier than ever to raise and collect funds for personal causes.If you found yourself at the helm of a campaign last year, or if you set up a fundraiser for another person, chances are that meeting your donation goal was top of mind. But there are also some important tax considerations to be aware of as you prepare to file.The nature of your campaign and how you go about collecting funds play a big role in whether the IRS will deem the money you raised to be taxable. So, if you want to avoid a headache at tax time, knowing the rules helps.Is crowdfunded money taxed?Donations can be considered nontaxable gifts for tax purposes, according to the IRS. However, you may have to pay taxes on money raised in a crowdfunding campaign for a few reasons:If donors receive something of value in return for their contribution, the IRS could consider the donation a sale, which would mean any profits could be taxed as persona...

Police: 4 die in shooting at Dallas apartment building

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — A man and woman have been arrested and charged after four people were found fatally shot in a Dallas apartment where an infant was found unharmed, police said Monday.Artemio Maldonado, 18, and Azucena Sanchez, 20, have been charged with capital murder, police said. Jail records did not list an attorney for either suspect.Police responding to reports of a shooting at the apartment in northwest Dallas around 7:10 p.m. Sunday found two men and two women who had been shot. They all died at the scene. Authorities have not released the names of the victims and have not provided information on a possible motive for the shootings. Police said officers located the suspects’ vehicle a few miles from the scene at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday and both were taken into custody just after 10 p.m.The Associated Press

School pulls test question equating politics to race, gender

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s largest school system is removing a test question given to a college-level social studies class that equated liberals and conservatives with specific racial and gender demographics.The question appeared on a test given to students of an AP Government class at Fairfax County Public Schools’ Online Campus. The multiple-choice question asked students, “Which of the following is an accurate comparison of liberals versus conservatives?” The potential answers for “liberals” included “Young, white males;” “Middle aged, urban lesbian;” “College-educated black male professional” and “White, upper-middle class suburban male.” The potential answers for “conservatives” included “East Coast, Ivy League educated scientists;” “Southern male migrant laborer;” “Catholic, midwestern middle-aged male” and “West coast, Hispanic teacher. ”Rory Cooper, a Fairfax County parent and school system critic who posted the question on Twitter, said it i...

Review: U2 reworks past in thrilling ‘Songs of Surrender’

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

“Songs of Surrender,” U2 (Universal)Imagine walking into your living room and all your stuff is there, but it’s different. The sofa has moved, the bookcase is leaning on a different wall and the framed photos have swapped locations. That’s the feeling you get listening to U2’s new album.“Songs of Surrender” is a “reimagining” of 40 songs from the Irish quartet’s deep catalogue, cleverly presented from “One” to “40.” Think of it as a thrilling home makeover.“I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside,” Bono sings in the new “Where the Streets Have No Name” — lyrics that perfectly fit this sonic experiment. This version of the song is virtually unrecognizable from the one the band made famous in 1987.That’s the point of this exercise led by Bono and The Edge. “Once we surrendered our reverence for the original version, each song started to open up to a new authentic voice of this time,” The Edge writes in the liner notes.There are triumphs and a fe...

S&P/TSX composite down, U.S. markets rise amid volatile trading over bank fears

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

TORONTO — Equity markets have been zigzagging throughout the day while digesting multiple developing stories, including two recent bank failures, the U.S. government’s plan to backstop the financial system and changing investor sentiment about interest rate hikes. While equity markets were largely down to start the trading day as they caught up to the latest news about the closures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, U.S. indexes recovered as the morning progressed, with the Nasdaq in particular making gains of more than one per cent. However, even as the U.S. market reversed its earlier losses, bank stocks continued to drop as Wall Street worries about further failures in the financial sector.Meanwhile in Canada, the S&P/TSX composite index was down 123.28 points at 19,651.64 mid-afternoon, reflecting continued weakness in the energy and financials sectors. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 115.47 points at 32,025.11. The S&P 500 index was up 25.40...

Canada on sidelines as U.S., Britain, Australia move ahead on new security deal

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

OTTAWA — Experts are warning that Canada’s omission from a military pact involving three of its closest allies is symptomatic of a larger problem in how this country is perceived by its friends.U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to join the prime ministers of Britain and Australia at a news conference later today to announce the next steps of their AUKUS agreement.That will include formalizing American and British plans to help Australia develop a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in response to growing concerns about China’s actions in the Pacific.The Trudeau government has refused to say whether Canada was invited to join AUKUS and downplayed its importance even as parts of Canada’s military and foreign establishment have called for its inclusion.Canadian Forces College professor Paul Mitchell believes Canada’s exclusion reflects the perceptions of its closest allies that it remains uncertain about its aims in the Indo-Pacific region.Defence analyst Da...

Biden administration lets Ukrainians who fled war stay in US

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:47:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is allowing thousands of Ukrainians who fled their homeland when Russia invaded a year ago to stay in the United States longer, the administration said Monday. The decision provides relief to Ukrainians whose one-year authorization to remain in the U.S. was set to expire soon.The Homeland Security Department said the extension is for certain Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members who were let into the U.S. before the Uniting for Ukraine program started.Ukrainians who came in under the Uniting for Ukraine program generally got two years of humanitarian “parole” in the U.S. whereas those who arrived before them generally got permission to stay only for one year.Thousands of Ukrainians came to America last year fleeing the war.The U.S. government used a program called humanitarian parole to admit them into the country. Humanitarian parole is a way to allow people from other countries to enter the United States on an emergency b...