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LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Quinton Cooley rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns, Billy Lucas added 131 yards and a score, and Liberty gained 419 on the ground with four touchdowns in a 38-21 victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday. Liberty (8-2, 5-2 Conference USA) has won eight-plus games for the sixth consecutive season to keep alive hopes of a second straight trip to the conference championship game. The Flames play Sam Houston (8-3, 5-2) on Friday. Liberty scored 21 straight points to close the first quarter, the last covering 90 yards in just 45 seconds to take a 21-7 lead. Amarian Williams made two interceptions, including one with 2:03 remaining to seal it. Caden Veltkamp was intercepted three times before finishing 20 of 34 for 262 yards and two touchdowns for Western Kentucky (7-4, 5-2). Cooley reached 1,000 yards rushing for the second straight season. The Flames entered ranked No. 5 nationally in rushing yards/game (249.8). Quarterback Kaidon Salter also carried 11 times for 66 yards and a touchdown. Three other players had at least two rushes for Liberty, which ended with 63 carries. The Flames, in their season finale at Williams Stadium, avoided dropping multiple conference games at home for the first time since 2005. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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AUBURN, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 17, 2024-- Zones, a global leader in end-to-end IT solutions, proudly announces its inclusion on Forbes’ prestigious list of America’s Largest Private Companies for the third consecutive year. This recognition highlights Zones’ sustained growth, innovation, and commitment to delivering world-class technology solutions to clients worldwide. The Forbes list celebrates privately-owned companies excelling in size, revenue, and influence. Zones’ consistent presence on this list is a testament to its unwavering dedication to providing transformative IT services, fostering strong client relationships, and driving industry-leading initiatives. Firoz Lalji, Chairman and CEO of Zones LLC said, “We are honored to be recognized on Forbes’ list once again. This milestone reflects the passion and hard work of our global team and our continued commitment to delivering exceptional value to our customers and partners. As we grow, we remain focused on innovation, operational excellence, and creating impactful solutions for businesses around the world." Zones has established itself as a trusted partner in delivering end-to-end IT solutions, offering expertise in cloud and data centers, networking, security, digital workplaces, IT lifecycle services, and staff augmentation. The company’s global presence and dedication to excellence continue to drive its success and recognition. To learn more, visit the Forbes list of America’s Largest Private Companies here . About Zones: Zones is a global provider of end-to-end IT solutions and services with an unmatched supply chain. Positioned to be the IT partner you need, Zones, a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) in business for over 35 years, specializes in Digital Workplace, Cloud & Data Center, Networking, Security, and Managed/Professional/Staffing services. Operating in more than 150 countries, leveraging a robust portfolio, and utilizing the highest certification levels from key partners, including Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Lenovo, Adobe, and more, Zones has mastered the science of building digital infrastructures that change the way modern organizations do business. We are the Real People Behind ITTM – and our customers’ First Choice for IT.® Lead with Zones.com : Visit Zones Innovation Center , zones.com , blog.Zones or follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241217926333/en/ CONTACT: Zones Contact: media@zones.com KEYWORD: WASHINGTON UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: NETWORKS SECURITY HARDWARE TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE SOURCE: Zones Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/17/2024 02:11 PM/DISC: 12/17/2024 02:10 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241217926333/en
MOSCA, Colorado — A handmade sign at the start of a long dirt road in the rural San Luis Valley indicates to visitors that they’ve arrived at the future site of Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa . The peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains barely make a dent in the big blue skies above the 40 acres purchased by founder and CEO Gamal Jadue Zalaquett. He aims to transform the land into a resort featuring 20 villas, a spa, a restaurant and a planetarium. “It’s a place of alignment. Kosmos is a place of connection,” Jadue Zalaquett said. “Kosmos, in a way, is a place to heal, and the San Luis Valley has a lot to do with healing.” He bought the property for $11,000 in December 2020. But with glass domes for stargazing and expensive price tags to stay the night, Jadue Zalaquett’s ambitious brainchild falls snugly into the category of “luxury ecotourism.” His site is an ideal spot for admiring constellations and distant galaxies. According to the National Park Service, the nearby Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is considered an International Dark Sky Park. Jadue Zalaquett said the area is a class two location on the Bortle dark-sky scale, which translates to “ truly dark ” skies. The resort’s planetarium will include a 1-meter telescope. In terms of getting visitors to Kosmos, “that’s gonna be the biggest attractor,” Jadue Zalaquett said. Development is still in the early stages, but it’s already garnering attention from the public: More than 12,000 Instagram users follow the resort’s page where project renderings and updates are shared. Kosmos plans to open its first villa early next year, said marketing operations manager Jennifer Geerlings. Although it’s still under construction, the resort has already booked more than 2,000 reservations, she added. “A lot of it, for some people, is the excitement of being the first to be able to stay in an experience like this,” Geerlings said in a phone interview. “There’s really no other resort that’s doing this.” While Jadue Zalaquett put about $500,000 toward getting the project off the ground, a crowdfunding campaign raised $1.9 million, Geerlings said. Donors paid a one-time fee to receive 50% discounts off their reservations for early 2025. So instead of paying the usual $700 nightly rate, they booked at $350 per night, Geerlings said. And after the campaign’s end, people continued to contribute directly via Stripe, which put total revenue from crowdfunding at more than $2 million, Jadue Zalaquett added. So why is it worth it to stay at Kosmos? For Geerlings, the answer is a combination of the villas — with their jacuzzis nestled in glass domes under the stars — and amenities like the planetarium. “You’re able to experience some of the best stargazing. The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye,” Geerlings said. “A planetarium is something that’s never been at a resort before.” Future plans for Kosmos In November, director of field operations Auston Duncan stepped over sagebrush and loose hardware to outline the state of construction on the project. An unfinished villa offered a hint of what’s to come. The rectangular building with exposed wooden rafters and newly-installed glass sliding doors will soon house a bedroom and a bathroom. Jeremy Stephen, the founder of Steamboat Springs-based Evolve Construction , built the villa out of hempcrete , which is made of hemp, water and lime. It works as an eco-friendly insulator, helping to mitigate heating and cooling costs and lending itself to the vision of Kosmos as a resort with sustainability in mind. On one side of the villa, a hot tub will be installed. On the other, a dome made out of glass and wood from Ekodome will cover the kitchen and loft area. The development will occur in phases. Next year, 16 stargazing villas (which hold up to four guests) and 4 galaxy villas (which hold up to eight guests) will be constructed, Geerlings said. Every stay includes an hour of a guided stargazing experience and telescope training. In 2026, the amenities will be built out. Those include the Mediterranean-style restaurant and the wellness center with spa features like hyperbaric chambers, a sauna and a cold plunge. In 2027, the planetarium will be added to the resort. To ensure dark skies, guests will park their cars and use electric golf carts to navigate the resort, Jadue Zalaquett said. He mentioned that discussions with consultants on the stargazing center included a NASA representative, who was interested in hosting a mission workshop at Kosmos next year. Both the planetarium and the spa will be open to the public, Geerlings added. “Back at my roots” All in all, it’s a bold plan. And Kosmos is looking to hire to make it happen. Right now, the business is in search of employees to lead their stargazing experiences. So far, it’s recruited a former Great Sand Dunes ranger, Geerlings said. The team is considering college students from Adams State University in Alamosa as interns. Kosmos will also need to staff resort operations, including housekeeping, security and front desk workers. “We’re gonna try and hire pretty much everyone locally,” Geerlings said. For Jadue Zalaquett, taking on an endeavor like this runs in his blood. He currently lives between Alamosa and Boulder, but Jadue Zalaquett was born in Chile and grew up in Miami. When his family migrated to Chile, they ran hotels. Several paternal relatives work as architects. However, Jadue Zalaquett didn’t initially follow the family business. Instead, he worked in technology startups for almost a decade. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he visited the San Luis Valley. He realized that, although the Great Sand Dunes were located less than a half hour away, tourists could only choose from a few lodging options. So came the idea for Kosmos. And “here I am, back at my roots,” Jadue Zalaquett said.The listed gaming major also announced the appointment of Arun Bhandari as company secretary and compliance officer Nazara has also signed a call option agreement with Pokerbaazi's parent Moonshine Technology to get a "call option" to purchase up to 1% stake for up to INR 25 Cr. Nazara’s board also approved the extension of the second close long stop date for the acquisition of 22% stake in adtech company Datawrkz to January 31, 2025 Listed gaming major Nazara Technologies, which is on an acquisition spree, has appointed strategic mergers and acquisition (M&A) consultant Arun Gupta as an additional director on its board. In an exchange filing, the company said that Gupta, who also serves as a non-executive director on fintech SaaS startup Zaggle’s board, has been appointed to its board for a period of five years. Gupta has experience spanning three decades across investment banking, media, gaming, animation, education and IT industries. He was previously associated with startups such as Rebel Foods, Biryani By Kilo, Darwinbox, Clovia, Vedix, among others, as either a board member or an investor. Besides rejigging its boardroom, the listed gaming major also announced the appointment of Arun Bhandari as company secretary and compliance officer. This comes as outgoing interim executive Krunal Wala’s term came to an end on December 17. In addition, Nazara also took decisions on a couple of its acquisitions during its board meeting held on Tuesday (December 17). As per the filing, the gaming major has decided to extend the timeline for its biggest acquisition till date, Pokerbaazi, till December 31. Nazara, which plans to acquire 47.02% shareholding in the real money gaming startup, also signed a call option agreement with Pokerbaazi’s parent Moonshine Technology to get a “call option” to purchase up to 1% of the latter’s share capital, on a fully diluted basis, for an aggregate consideration not exceeding INR 25 Cr. In its latest filing, Nazara said that it will acquire 18.69 Cr fully paid-up equity shares of Moonshine Technology by way of share swap and cash consideration. While the cash consideration will see Nazara cough up INR 624.22 Cr, the share swap will be worth INR 195.90 Cr. This follows the listed company signing a definitive agreement to acquire a 47.7% stake in Moonshine Technology for INR 831.5 Cr. Its board had also approved an additional equity infusion of up to INR 150 Cr in Pokerbaazi, bringing the total size of the deal at the time to INR 982 Cr. Meanwhile, Nazara’s board on Tuesday also approved the extension of the second close long stop date (proposed timeline for the completion of an M&A) for the acquisition of 22% stake in Bengaluru-based adtech company Datawrkz to January 31, 2025. Now, the company will acquire 14,999 equity shares of Datawrkz by the end of January next year for INR 21 Cr and the payment will be made in one or more tranches. Earlier in the day, the listed major also said that its subsidiary Paper Boat Apps inked an agreement with children-focussed media production company Moonbug Entertainment to expand offerings for its flagship app Kiddopia. A day ago, Nazara announced the purchase of 1,000 equity shares of Nextwave Multimedia for INR 2.3 Cr, effectively increasing its stake in the developers of the mobile cricket game franchise World Cricket Championship to 74.88% from 71.88% previously. Shares of Nazara ended Tuesday’s trading session almost flat at INR 1,033.20 on the BSE.
CMS Energy Corp. stock rises Monday, still underperforms marketThe Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5) on Wednesday, December 25, 2024 at Acrisure Stadium and will attempt to build on a five-game winning streak. What channel is Chiefs vs. Steelers on? What time is Chiefs vs. Steelers? The Chiefs and the Steelers play at 1 p.m. ET. NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more. Chiefs vs. Steelers betting odds, lines, spread Chiefs vs. Steelers recent matchups Chiefs schedule Steelers schedule NFL week 17 schedule This content was created for Gannett using technology provided by Data Skrive.Former prime minister Gordon Brown has declared his opposition to legalising assisted dying, which will soon be debated by MPs. The former Labour PM said the death of his newborn daughter in 2002 did "not convince me of the case for assisted dying; it convinced me of the value and imperative of good end-of-life care". In a rare intervention ahead of the Commons debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday, November 29, Mr Brown shared a glimpse of the time he and his wife Sarah spent with their baby, Jennifer, who died when she was only 11 days old. Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Mr Brown said: "We could only sit with her, hold her tiny hand and be there for her as life ebbed away. She died in our arms." "But those days we spent with her remain among the most precious days of my and Sarah's lives." While he acknowledged that at the heart of the assisted dying debate is a "desire to prevent suffering", the former Labour MP called for a commission on end-of-life care to be set up, instead of the law change which MPs will consider. This commission, he said, should work to create a "fully-funded, 10-year strategy for improved and comprehensive palliative care". "When only a small fraction of the population are expected to choose assisted dying, would it not be better to focus all our energies on improving all-round hospice care to reach everyone in need of end of life support?" he said. Mr Brown added: "Medical advances that can transform end-of-life care and the horror of people dying alone, as with Covid, have taught us a great deal." "This generation have it in our power to ensure no-one should have to face death alone, uncared for, or subject to avoidable pain." Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP sponsoring the assisted dying Bill through the Commons, said she was "deeply touched" by Mr Brown's decision to share his story. The Spen Valley MP said she agreed completely with his calls for better end-of-life care. But Ms Leadbeater added: "He and I agree on very many things but we don't agree on this." "Only legislation by Parliament can put right what Sir Keir Starmer calls the 'injustice that we have trapped within our current arrangement'." "The need to address the inability of the current law to provide people with safeguards against coercion and the choice of a better death, and to protect their loved ones from possible prosecution, cannot wait." "So for me it isn't a case of one or the other. My Bill already includes the need for the Government to report back to Parliament on the availability and quality of palliative care, and I strongly support further detailed examination of its provision. We need to do both." Though Ms Leadbeater made reference to the Prime Minister as she set out her difference from Mr Brown's position, Sir Keir has opted not to say whether he will support the Bill. MPs will be given a free vote on the legislation, meaning their political parties will not require them to vote for or against it, and it will be a matter for their personal consideration. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is the latest senior minister to disclose her position on assisted dying, signalling to broadcasters on Friday that she may support the Bill. "I continue to support the principle of needing change but also to ensure that we've got the proper safeguards and systems in place," she told ITV's Good Morning Britain. Asked if that meant a "yes" when the Bill comes to the Commons, she replied: "I think I last voted on this about 20 years ago and so I have supported the principle in the past and continue to believe that change is needed but we do need to have that debate on the detail and I'll continue to follow that debate next Friday."
What does Big Tech hope to gain from warming up to Trump?
What does Big Tech hope to gain from warming up to Trump?Haiti gangs fire on journalists covering a planned hospital reopening, leaving casualties
BOULDER, Colo. — Travis Hunter is a throwback-type player — an elite receiver one moment, a lockdown cornerback the next — who rarely leaves the field and has a knack for making big plays all over it. The Colorado Buffaloes' two-way standout (see: unicorn) even celebrates at an elite level, unveiling imaginative dance moves following touchdowns and interceptions, some of which include the Heisman Trophy pose. It's one of the many awards he's in line to win. Hunter is the The Associated Press college football player of the year, receiving 26 of 43 votes Thursday from a panel of AP Top 25 voters. Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty finished second with 16 votes and Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo received one vote. "Couldn't do what I do without my team," Hunter said in an email on a trip to Las Vegas for an awards ceremony. "So I view being up for these awards as team awards." A player with his particular set of skills doesn't come around that often. He's a flashback to the days of Charles Woodson at Michigan or Champ Bailey at Georgia. Or even his coach, Deion Sanders, a two-way star in the NFL. The prospect of significant playing time on both sides of the ball is what led Hunter to join Sanders at Jackson State and why he followed Sanders to Boulder. "Coach Prime was the only coach who would consider allowing me to do what I'm doing," said Hunter, who's expected to be a top-five pick next spring in the NFL draft, possibly even the No. 1 overall selection. "He did it and knows what it takes — how much you have to be ready on both sides of the ball." Want to fuel Hunter? Simply tell him he can't. "I'm motivated when people tell me I can't do something," Hunter said. "That I can't dominate on both sides of the ball. I want to be an example for others that anything is possible. Keep pursuing your dreams." Hunter helped the 20th-ranked Buffaloes to a 9-3 record this season and a berth in the Alamo Bowl against No. 17 BYU (10-2) on Dec. 28. He played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the lone Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Hunter has already won a second straight Paul Hornung award as the game's most versatile player. He's up for the Walter Camp (player of the year), Maxwell (most outstanding player), the Biletnikoff (best receiver) and Bednarik (top defensive player) awards. And, of course, the Heisman, where he's the odds-on favorite to win over Jeanty this weekend. Hunter can join the late Rashaan Salaam as the only Colorado players to capture the Heisman. Salaam won it in 1994 after rushing for 2,055 yards. Hunter wasn't a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive back. That drew the wrath of Sanders, who earned the award with Florida State in 1988 and vowed to give his trophy to Hunter. Hunter's high school coach, Lenny Gregory, knew he had a special player the summer of Hunter's freshman year. Gregory, then the coach at Collins Hill in Georgia, had a conditioning test for his players — run six 200-yard dashes with a minute rest in between. Defensive backs had to complete each in under 32 seconds. Hunter never even got winded. He played safety/cornerback and receiver as a freshman and helped Collins Hill to a state title his senior season. "I remember just talking to colleges the spring of his ninth-grade year and telling coaches that this kid's going to be the No. 1 player in the country," recounted Gregory, who's now the coach at Gordon Central High in Calhoun, Georgia. "They'd look at him and laugh at me, 'What are you talking about? This scrawny kid? He's not big enough.' I was like, 'Just watch. Just watch.'" Hunter finished the regular season with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver. On defense, he had four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced one crucial fumble, which secured an OT win over Baylor. Overall, Hunter had 92 receptions and allowed 22. He hauled in 14 receiving TDs and allowed just one. He was responsible for 53 first downs and gave up just six. He was targeted 119 times by Shedeur Sanders & Co. but only 39 times by opposing QBs. Hunter's likely final game in Boulder, a rout of Oklahoma State, was a three-touchdown, one-interception performance. "I'm used to seeing him do all this spectacular stuff," Shedeur Sanders said. "I'm used to all this stuff — you all are just now seeing it on national stage." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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Travis Hunter named AP player of the year