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login slotvip register The Detroit Lions will play without two high draft picks in rookie cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. while possibly getting back veteran Emmanuel Moseley against the host Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Arnold was downgraded Saturday from questionable to out because of a groin injury. He was limited at practice on Thursday and participated in a full practice on Friday. The Lions drafted Arnold with the 24th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Alabama. Arnold, 21, has started all 10 games and has 38 tackles and six passes defended. Rakestraw (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve after not practicing all week. He already had been ruled out for Sunday's game. Detroit picked Rakestraw in the second round (61st overall) out of Missouri. He has played in eight games and has six tackles. Rakestraw, 22, has played on 46 defensive snaps (8 percent) and 95 special teams snaps (42 percent). Moseley had full practice sessions all week and was activated from injured reserve on Saturday but was listed as questionable for Sunday. The 28-year-old is in his second season with Detroit and appeared in one game last season before going on IR in October 2023. He was placed on IR on Aug. 27 with a designation to return. Moseley played from 2018-22 for the San Francisco 49ers and had 162 tackles, four interceptions -- one returned for a touchdown -- and 33 passes defensed in 46 games (33 starts). Detroit elevated linebacker David Long on Saturday for game day. Long, 28, signed with the practice squad on Tuesday after the Miami Dolphins released him on Nov. 13. He had started six of eight games for the Dolphins this season and had 38 tackles. In other Lions news, the NFL fined wide receiver Jameson Williams $19,697 for unsportsmanlike conduct for making an obscene gesture during a touchdown celebration in last Sunday's 52-6 home win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the NFL Network reported Saturday. Williams, 23, scored on a 65-yard pass from Jared Goff with 12:55 remaining in the third quarter. --Field Level Media

Juan Soto gets free luxury suite and up to 4 premium tickets for home games in $765M Mets dealBrock Purdy will miss Sunday's game for the 49ers with a shoulder injuryDwarfed by China in shipbuilding, US looks to build its defense base to fend off war

1. An educational talking microscope (featuring the voice of Bindi Irwin!) that comes with a bunch of cool slides to gaze at and help kids learn about different creatures. This *may* come with a ton of follow up questions for parents, but at least you'll all be learning together. Promising review: "Wanted to get a nice educational gift for a kid and got this. Accidentally ordered two and gifted both. Both kids loved it. It narrates the slides so kids actually learn something while seeing it under the microscope." — Amy Get it from Amazon for $28.07 . 2. A set of sensory tubes that make a popping sound when pulled and a crunching sound when they're pushed back together — it'll delight kids of all ages and annoy most adults (haha). Pick your battles — would you rather whining kids or entertained ones who aren't pestering you so you can unload the dishwasher real quick? I'd choose the latter. My kids have these sensory tubes and I often find myself absentmindedly playing with them. They're very satisfying to push and pull, despite the somewhat annoying sound they make. Both my toddler and my baby love them! My daughter chews on them (that's fine, right?) and my son loves wiggling them around like worms. They're a simple toy that gets the job done. Promising review: "My toddler daughter is gonna love these tubes, but grandpa is gonna be annoyed by the noise. Haha. Good quality toy." — Sheena Get a set of eight from Amazon for $7.99 (available in three sizes). 3. A Quick Push Game Console designed to help kids improve their reflexes, memory, and concentration skills — despite its teeny handheld size, there are four different ways to play with this lil' device! Promising review: " I have three boys and bought them this for Christmas! WOW they loved it and still a year later are playing it anywhere we go! Great for car rides, family get togethers, solo play and more! Would 100% recommend! Has many levels for many hours of entertainment and the quality is there!" — Tasha Hibdon (The Farmhouse Sparrow) Get it from Amazon for $9.45+ (available in six styles). 4. A yodeling pickle I can't even type about without giggling — I mean, it's a pickle that shouts "yodel-ey-eee-hooo!" It needs zero explanation as to why it's a perfect stocking stuffer — it just is. 10/10, no critiques. Promising reviews: "He's no average yodeler, he's 'the' yodeler, the teacher of all yodelers. He's the yodel master. And, he is my best friend. I'm beyond fortunate to have met him. I now share my home with him. You can only hope that your yodeling pickle is half as good as mine. And if not, I'm not sharing — he's mine, all mine. Hear that? So, how did my yodeling pickle and I meet? My sister gave him to me for my 23rd birthday. I was so excited, I started crying, but the streams flowing down my cheeks were tears of joy. You know what my pickle did for me next? You'll never believe it. He serenaded me with a yodel birthday song — Yodel-Aey-Eee-Ooooooo. The way those five syllables rolled off his tiny pickle tongue was pure bliss to my ears. It was divine. The voice of my yodeling pickle is sweet as honey. " — B & J "Bought it as a stocking stuffer for my teen. Got a lot of laughs." — Angela Get it from Amazon for $13.34 . 5. A screaming goat figurine that'll elicit endless laughter each time they click it and it shouts "AHHHHH!" It also comes with a teeny tiny book any goat-lover will appreciate. Promising review: "This little piece of screaming plastic has created an excellent outlet for resolving frustrations in our home. Every time a conflict or struggle arises we push the little goat, get a gratifying screech, chuckle, and move on throughout our day. No regrets on purchasing this. When you get one, get four or five because you're going to want to share with family and friends." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $8.18 . 6. Flickin' Chicken — a game that will have your family cackling from the first time you play. Players are encouraged to make up their own rules so you'll have a different experience every time. Boredom? I don't know her. Promising review: "So yes, the chickens bounce everywhere. But that's what makes it fun! Get creative and put a hula hoop around the target to create levels of points awarded. It really is impossible to get the chicken on that small red target so make a wider range. These are fun on the lawn or in the pool. They float and you can try to toss them into donut-shaped pool floaties. These chickens are all-around fun to play with and you can make a game out of them so many ways. The kids played with the chickens for hours and adults have fun with them too." — E. Barnes Get it from Amazon for $15.99 . 7. Daisy the Yoga Goat , who you've likely heard your kiddo rambling on and on about — and for good reason. She does silly yoga stretches and poses and lets out *~a lil' gas~* as needed. We can all appreciate a little potty humor once in a while, right? Promising review: "Super cute!! My daughter loves it when you feed it and it makes the slurping noise! She was practicing her yoga moves with the goat and following what he did!" — mbear1 Get it from Macy's for $39.99 . 8. A Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll that boasts 4 songs and 16 phrases — all of which have been embedded into parents' brains already. If you *don't* know all the words to "Icky Sticky Sticky Sticky Bubble Gum" you're about to. 😉 You can read my entire review on the doll riiiiiight here . My kids (aged 2 and 6 months) are equally obsessed with our savior, Ms. Rachel. I've been using the fantastic Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll to help get us through the crankiest times of the day (one click of it changes my daughter's entire persona, it's wild). It's been crafted by Gund, so you know it's a quality plush item. My son immediately wanted this doll to sleep in his crib — we just turned the sound off for the evening and told him Ms. Rachel needed some rest (haha). He is also loving the Ms. Rachel Melissa & Doug Letter, Number, and Game Wooden Learning Blocks and my daughter loves grabbing at this Herbie Sensory Take-Along Toy while in her car seat. Promising review: I love the size, color, and design of this doll. Not only is it easy to use, but the quality of the material is impressive. The detail they've put into this toy is just astonishing. My two-year-old is absolutely obsessed with it. The interactive features are a huge hit. It's such a cute doll that fits perfectly in the little ones' hands. This has quickly become a favorite in our home!" — williamsclan Get it from Amazon for $29.97 . Check out all of the Ms. Rachel products while you're at it! 9. A Dyson Ball toy vacuum with the ability to actually suck up the crackers your kiddo crushed into your carpet — it's about time they started helping around the house. 😉 Promising review: "Our son is absolutely obsessed with our Dyson (the real one). Which is why we purchased this toy Dyson vacuum for his birthday. He's 2-years-old and he is really enjoying having his on 'working' vacuum cleaner!!! He seriously plays with it for hours during the day. Turning it on and off and pushing it through the house just like we use our real vacuum. I would buy this again! It was his favorite gift!." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $19.99 + (available in three colors). 10. A Skip Hop Baby Activity Center that'll grow with your baby, making it worth the money *and* the space it takes up in your home. It features a rotating seat (with a cover that is, thankfully, machine washable) an array of toys around the edge and can be transformed into a play table. This is one of the few things my 6-month-old actually enjoys hanging out in these days (she's very difficult to please). She's teeny tiny but we plop a pillow underneath her feet so she's able to spin on her own. She LOVES the pop-up owl toy, and I typically plop other little toys around it (which she promptly throws across the room). It keeps her occupied for a bit so my husband and I can try to wrangle our toddler / eat a meal as fast as possible. That being said, my son also loved using this as a tot and enjoyed it as a play table when he outgrew it! Promising review: "It was a great purchase because I could tell he was getting bored in the bouncer, but I also wanted him to be more physically and mentally stimulated. All I can say is that he thoroughly enjoys it. It was easy to assemble, and it’s sturdy." — Will Get it from Amazon for $106.98 . 11. A Little People Toddler Play set Disney Princess featuring lights, sounds, two characters and a whooooole lot of magic to keep your kiddo entertained. My son has a ton of Little People figures, so we were thrilled to get this castle as a gift. There's zero discrimination — everyone from the Disney Princesses to construction workers and tractor drivers get to hang in Noah's castle 😉. There is literally zero set up (a parent's dream!) so your kiddo can start playing immediately. Noah loves putting different characters at the top of the castle and pushing them in the tiny swing. The Princess details throughout the toy are *so* fun and adorable. We love this toy, simple as that. Get it from Amazon for $34.97 . 12. Or an interactive Barbie DreamHouse bundle complete with seven Little People figures, a car, and an impressive 45 songs, sounds, and phrases! It'll set your tyke up for lots of fun *and* hopefully give you a short time frame of peace (aside from the sounds, of course). Promising review: "Our toddler absolutely LOVES this toy! The songs are cute, the accessories and set up are so fun too! Little People toys are wonderful and this is a great addition to your Little People collection!" — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $66.37 . 13. A Gund animated elephant stuffie that does so much more than just receive hugs (although it does that, too). This doll flaps its ears, sings, and plays peek-a-boo — it's enough to make any kid happy. We originally got this toy for my son and have now passed it along to my daughter. They both still get a real kick out of it — I've found them both giggling while the adorable elephant plays peek-a-boo. So cute! Promising review: " Best toy ever. We gave this to my 9-month-old granddaughter, and it quickly became her best friend. She was and still is enthralled by the moving ears and is learning to clap to the musical tune. She even giggles every time the elephant does. The toy is very soft and is a good size. Quality and fun!" — Sari Get it from Amazon for $35.86 (also available in five other styles). 14. Silly Poopy's Hide and Seek — which is pretty much exactly what you'd think it is. It's a rainbow, light-up poop-shaped toy your littles can take turns hiding throughout the house. It'll shout out clues and play a song when it's finally found! Promising review: " This game is HILARIOUS. My kids love playing with it and taking turns hiding it (8, 6, and 3 years). They all think poop is funny and run around yelling 'Silly Poopy, where are you?' It keeps them busy for at least half an hour at a time and they leave me alone. Also? It's pretty durable. I found it outside in my garden in the 20-degree winter weather. I guess my 8-year-old left it out there for a few days. It also gets thrown down the stairs and Silly Poopy just keeps on giggling and having fun." — Adele Get it from Amazon for $9.88 . 15. A LeapFrog 100 Words Book that'll interact with your eager-to-learn little one and teach them all kinds of useful words in both English and Spanish! Promising review: " My 1-year-old loves to touch the different animals and hear the book say their name and animal sound. He’s got a good vocabulary, but we’re working with him to encourage more and more words. His doctor recommended teaching him animals and the sound they make, so this is great to add to what we’re already doing. Great toy that is fun and also teaches. They learn through repetition — and this was just what I was looking for! I also love that this toy will grow with him. He using the name/sound mode right now, but is also has a mode that gives facts for when he’s older and also has Spanish! 10/10 recommend." — Jessica Grace Get it from Amazon for $12.97 and check out the animal version here . 16. Talking Bluey plush dolls — if you can't decide which Heeler to invest in, save yourself the trouble and buy them all. You won't regret it. Promising review: "I bought this for my grandson because he loves Bluey . The minute the Bluey song played he just lit up and smiled. It was well worth the purchase to see the smile on his face." — Lille Bowler Get it from Amazon for $14.89+ (available in Bingo, Bluey, Chilli, Bandit, or Chattermax). 17. A bubble machine that'll have your toddler scoffing at the old handheld bubble wands they're used to seeing — this one will take playtime to the next level without filling the house with extra noise. See this bubble machine in action on TikTok here . This bubble maker includes: bubble gun, two bottles of bubble solution, a rechargeable battery, a charger, and a plate to place the bubble solution. My sister got it for my son for his birthday and we've been using it through all the seasons — bubbles don't discriminate! We broke it out during a Labor Day BBQ with a bunch of toddlers present and they all were bursting with excitement! I mean, just look at the GIF above — the bubbles really come atcha!! Promising review: "I ordered this for my daughter's birthday, and she has always loved bubbles! So when I found this bubble gun on TikTok, it was a no-brainer. The amount of bubbles that you get out of that is so fun and it lights up. It's easy to use and pretty inexpensive for what we wanted. Even the adults enjoyed it." — Tina Get it from Amazon for $32.99+ (available in five colors). 18. A Toniebox Audio Player Starter Set , which is essentially a tiny stereo toddlers can control all on their own just by swapping out which character magnetically sits on top of it. Each individual figure tells different stories and sings different songs — it's a great way to keep kids entertained without a screen. This toy has bought me so much time. My son adores his — even though he's only 2.5 he has had no problem understanding how to turn the Toniebox on, change the volume, and place different characters on top to tell various stories. He's a big fan, as am I! It can also be used while it's charging, so there's no need to worry about your toddler having a meltdown if they want to play with it while the battery is drained (phew). This specific kit comes with the Toniebox as well as Tonies figures of Cinderella, Belle, Moana, Tangled, and Playtime Puppy There are so many different Tonies you can add to keep the fun going — check 'em out . Get it from Amazon for $154.99 (available in two colors). 19. A karaoke machine that'll transform any living room into a party from the moment you and your kiddo connect it to the app of your choosing. Ahem, that's just me clearing my throat to treat you all to my rendition of Aladdin 's "A Whole New World." Promising review: "I am absolutely so happy with this purchase as it was affordable and the size of the speaker is perfect and blends in nicely with my home. This was a birthday present for a child and they loved it so m uch. The functionalities are so easy to use and the speaker is surprisingly much higher quality than I thought. For the price and everything you get with it, this is the perfect present, especially for someone who likes karaoke but you don't have to deal with any of the clunky speakers and you're able to move it around wherever you want." — Syeda Karimushan Get it from Amazon for $28.99+ (available in three colors and in a two mic version). 20. A giant FAO Schwartz piano mat (yes, just like the one from Big ) adults and kids alike will love compose their own songs with. Dance partaaaaay! Promising review: "I gave this to my grandkids for Christmas and they were thrilled. They had so much fun making the notes with their feet and they loved hearing back what they 'composed.'" — MammaMe Get it from Target for $27.99 . 21. A marble run set that'll help kiddos work on their problem-solving skills while also having an a -maze -ing time crafting endless structures for their marbles to race through. Promising review: "So fun! Our 2-year-old loves it. He is too young to build his own run but I enjoyed building one and he loves to drop the marbles down and watch them go. I like that they are transparent so you can see the marbles easily. Great quality too. I think this will grow nicely with him as well considering that I even had fun with it as an adult." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $49.99+ (available in three styles). 22. A handheld card reader for kiddos who are eager to learn new words — all you have to do is turn it on, slide a card in, and let the machine read it aloud. There are two words per card, so your little one will be chatting up a storm in no time! My son has this toy and has, honestly, learned SO much from it. Animal and vehicle sounds make noises after the word has been read out (his favorite is firetruck, of course). It's so simple that little ones will easily pick up on how to maneuver the machine on their own. It's a very basic toy, but my toddler loves it more than most of his others! Additionally, my best friend is a speech-language pathologist and uses it with her students. Promising reviews: "Wow! That's all I have to say! The technology behind this toy is fantastic! My daughter is learning by the day, and she loves this toy! It teaches her, keeps her entertained, and helps her pronounce words correctly. I recommend all parents to purchase this!!!" — Jon monterrosa Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in eight styles). 23. A Disney Junior play kitchen complete with lights and sounds that'll take any little pretend chef's playtime to the next level. Hope your hungry for some fake spaghetti and meatballs! Promising review: " I bought this for my son’s second birthday and he absolutely loves it, and so do my two older girls who are 7 and 5. It is super cute and all the food is amazing. They love everything. I even bought the extra items that you can buy separately and they are having a blast." — Heather B. Get it from Amazon for $99.99 . 24. A Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy that'll entertain your fussy babe with catchy melodies by the likes of Mozart, Vivaldi, and others as well as exciting and twinkling lights. My son received this as a gift around the holidays two years ago and it's, surprisingly, fantastic! It's really a simple toy but he enjoyed playing with it *all* the time. He loved the sounds and the lights while I personally like that it's not HUGE (so many musical toys are very bulky). It's been a great toy option for the car thanks to its size. Promising review: " The best baby distractor EVER! Every person with a child must have this toy! I had about five tucked in various places in case one got lost. My son loved them from basically birth and sometimes it would distract him for hours of not crying! (Heaven for a new mother.) Of course, in the beginning you have to keep pushing the button for them, but compared to swinging him in his car seat that was easy! Then we he got older he would spend entire car rides just playing with this one toy. I give it to everyone I know who has a baby." — NH-Mommy Get it from Amazon for $8.88 . 25. A DJ turntable for kids , in case you're hoping your mini-me will become the next Daft Punk. It'll certainly fill your home with all kinds of fun, music, and learning! Check it out on TikTok ! I got this for my son for Christmas last year and nearly a year later it's still a big hit — he loves interactive toys that make lots of noise (of course) and enjoys that this toy lets him put on a show for us. Promising review: "This activity little center for my grandsons and the music is too cute. There's a lot going on therefore they stay entertained for a while." — Yvette Get it from Amazon for $32.99+ (available in two packaging styles). 26. A toy crab that'll playfully chase your kiddo around the house while pumping out an upbeat tune (apologies, it definitely won't leave your brain). Prepare for lots and lots of giggles! My son has received this TWICE as a gift (lucky me, haha) and he loves chasing it around. It's designed to help encourage toddlers to crawl. It truly just runs around the room back and forth until my son inevitably picks it up like "I GOTCHA!" It's very cute, very noisy, but VERY fun. It comes with a USB plug so you can recharge it as needed. You can see it in action on TikTok ! Promising review: "This little toy is entertaining for the whole family. I did not expect it to move so fast. My daughter squeals and laughs every time I turn it on. I only wish there was a volume adjustment because it can seem a bit loud depending on your space at home." — Jacobe Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in three styles). 27. A twist on a classic Eric Carle book featuring 30 buttons that play different animal sounds — kiddos will be clucking, mooing, and learning about their fave farm creatures while *also* reading a book. Win-win! My toddler loved on this book for many months before he attempted to rip out a page (don't worry, we taped it back together). The animal sounds are exciting and fun — he's liked it so much I've also given this book as gifts! Promising review: "I love the quality. The pictures are bold and colorful! It’s definitely not a book that a toddler should handle alone. It has delicate pages. The book has an interactive panel attached with lots of animals." — She Loves to Shop Get it from Amazon for $11.99 . 28. An adorable wooden piano that plays real music and includes six sets of beginner "sheet music" so your mini Beethoven can slowly but surely learn some tunes (or, you know, just bang away happily on the keys). Promising review: " My 1-year-old is obsessed! Love that it will grow with her... Right now she just loved the music and sounds, but later on, she can learn from the cards that come with it." — Heather Get it from Amazon for $28.14 . 29. An ice cream truck bouncer — it's as hilarious for you to watch your kiddo jump in as it is fun for them to play in. Transform your tyke into an entrepreneur and cheer them on as they "sell" ice cream all day long — someone's gotta pay for the mortgage, right? As a baby my son has loved this Fisher-Price ice cream jumper for as long as he was able to hold his head up. He was always an adventurous baby that's longed for mobility so this was one of his favorite toys. It was great for helping him burn up some energy (he had SO much of it, even at a very young age), entertained him for a bit, and provided me with a place to safely contained so I could go pee (seriously). Now that he's a toddler his baby sister is ready to take the wheel — and, of course, she loves it. The height is adjustable so as kids grow taller you're able to give them more jumping room. It has three different play settings with various sounds both my kids absolutely adore — and they've both loved holding onto the steering wheel and "driving" along to the tunes. Promising review: "It is perfect! Fairly easy to put together and great that it can be used for infants and toddlers. My granddaughter loves it!" — Nala Get it from Walmart for $119 . 30. An interactive toy from Fisher Price that'll let you record your own fun sounds into it — it bops around and plays all kinds of sounds and phrases (75, to be exact!) to keep tykes groovin' and giggling. We have this toy and while, as a parent, it makes me want to rip my hair out, my son adores it. It bounces around like a kangaroo, plays a lot of songs he loves to bop to, and you can create your own remixes by recording things for the toy to say. If he didn't love it so much I would absolutely give it away to someone else to enjoy but, alas, I've chosen my child's happiness over mine. Promising review: "This toy is better than expected!! Absolutely adorable!! My 8-month-old absolutely adores it! It springs up and down while playing music. There is a button on there where you can record your child’s name and it’ll repeat it back while singing and dancing! Highly recommended!" — A Get it from Amazon for $30.49 . 31. The 60th-anniversary version of the Hess Truck you just know is going to be loud and proud after one look at it — it comes with a truck that makes four realistic sounds and features a *ton* of flashing lights, a Fire Chief car that also lights up (of course) and a rescue-style motorcycle with working head and taillights. My son is a huuuuuuge fan of trucks, cars, etc, so it was a no-brainer to snag him one of these classic Hess trucks again this year (he's received them as gifts the last two years(. This one makes a variety of loud noises (which is bound to excite him to no end) and as the added bonus of two separate vehicles to push around. It's a classic toy you really can't go wrong with adding to your collection. Promising review: "I purchased the 60th-anniversary fire truck as a second birthday gift for our grandchild since he loves anything having to do with trucks. He seemed to love everything about it, the sound effects and all the moving parts and extra vehicles. Days later it continues to be a big hit. I’m very happy with the purchase." — Elizabeth Dixon Get it from Hess for $45.99 . 32. A LeapFrog Build-a-Slice Pizza Cart that'll encourage your toddler to dive into some imaginative play *and* keep them occupied so you can sit down for a few minutes and catch your breath. My toddler absolutely loves this toy. It has so many sounds effects and a bunch of lights that seem to amaze him. It even throws in a few words in Italian for kiddos to learn! It likely doesn't hurt that he loves pizza more than anything else on this planet. Anyways, he also loves filling the pizza box with food and "delivering" it to anyone whose around and willing to play. It's a fantastic toy I think we'll all enjoy for a long time. Get it from Amazon for $38.99 . 33. A Yoto audio player kids will squeal with delight over — it'll allow them to pop in cards on their own and experience songs, stories, fun sounds, and special messages from their loved ones! It also has a built-in customizable clock and nightlight. It is recommended for kids ages 3–12+. The starter pack comes with the audio player (obviously) and seven exciting cards. However, you can continue to buy other fun cards like this Disney Classics set filled with stories from their favorite characters. Promising review: " I honestly can’t say when I’ve last been as impressed with a device as I am this one. My husband is an engineer and usually picky with his praise, but he can’t stop talking about how amazing our new Yoto is. Our almost 4-year-old is able to navigate through all of the different features with little help from us. She listens to either stories before bed, or the built in radio station. Then once she’s tired she flips it over and uses the night light. If she ever forgets we can just control things through the app without having to go into her room. I can see this aging really well as she grows, as many of the books are ones that I read well into my youth." — WS Get it from Amazon for $99.99 . 34. And, of course, a fold-out drum set that might just become the bane of *your* existence but will likely be the light of your kid's life. The good news is they have a volume button *and* the option to plug in headphones to keep the noise down. Promising review: "I bought this for my 4-year-old grandson, and he loves it. It uses headphones, and so he can bang away without the rest of us having to listen. It's easy to put away and doesn't take up much space. Highly recommend for kids." — Kathryn Townsend Get it from Amazon for $56.99 . Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.WATERBURY – A downtown institution will reach a milestone Sunday morning when the Fischang-Cicchetti Memorial 5-mile/5K Road Race takes off for the 50th time. About 200 runners are expected to compete, exceedingly more than when the race began in 1975 with only a handful of Waterbury Track Club members participating. The inaugural race started and finished at the former Saint Margaret’s-McTernan School on Chase Parkway. The event later moved to West Side Middle School for a run through the Town Plot section of Waterbury. In 1993, it made the trek to the downtown, where it starts and finishes at the Waterbury Green. The race was named in 1978 for two of the founders, Al Fischang and Janice Cicchetti, who both died of cancer. This year, the race will honor the legacy of its longtime race director, the late Carl Cicchetti. Carl, the husband of Janice and a longtime city attorney, died last year at the age of 76 of Parkinson’s disease, but his influence is still felt. Jim O’Rourke, CEO of the Greater Waterbury YMCA, which stages the race, still considers himself assistant race director – “Carl will always be the race director” – and remembers his friend’s attention to detail. “He would yell if a mile marker was 10 or 15 feet off,” O’Rourke recalled with a chuckle. The starter’s pistol will sound at 9 a.m. in front of the YMCA at 136 W. Main St., sending runners off on a trip that wends its way out to Hamilton Park and back. There will be one course change in the park because of work being done on the Hamilton Park pool, but O’Rourke assured, “We’ll have volunteers to direct runners.” The weather forecast calls for sunshine and 40 degrees, balmy compared to the subfreezing temperatures and 40-mph winds that runners endured in the memorable 2013 race. “A lot of relatives come to town for the holidays. We get a lot of out-of-town runners, which is cool,” O’Rourke said. Meriden’s Joe Decker has won the 5-mile race the past two years, although he hadn’t registered to defend his title as of midweek. Waterbury’s Kateri Danay was the top female 5-mile finisher in 2023. Cheshire’s Trevor Genthe won the 5-kilometer race and Kate Cicchetti, Carl’s granddaughter, was the first female in the 5K for her fourth time. Runners can register online at runsignup.com/takingoverthestreets or at the YMCA on race day. Proceeds from the race go to the YMCA’s Youth Scholarship Fund. For more information, call 203-754-9622.

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OTTAWA - Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not tip the scales in the Conservative party’s last leadership race that installed Pierre Poilievre at the helm. But he offered up Thursday that he changed some of the language he was using after getting pushback from an Indian diplomat that some of his comments could sound like he was endorsing ideas of Sikh nationalism. Brown, who was a candidate for the leadership in 2022, was summoned to a House of Commons committee Thursday to answer questions on the 2022 race after a report from a committee on national security referred to allegations of Indian interference in an unspecified Conservative leadership campaign. “I don’t believe foreign intervention affected the final outcome of the Conservative leadership race,” Brown told the House of Commons public safety and national security committee Thursday. A CBC/Radio-Canada article this week quoted several confidential sources from Brown’s campaign alleging that representatives from India’s consulate interfered to undermine his leadership bid. On Monday, Brown posted on social media about the committee’s summons to say that he had no new evidence to add, and that the public inquiry on foreign interference was the proper venue to evaluate the allegations. Brown insisted to the committee Thursday that no members of the Indian government reached out to him or his campaign workers during his leadership bid, saying the relationship was “already very strained” at that point. The CBC News story also contained allegations that his national campaign co-chair Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner was pressured to withdraw her support for Brown — something she denied. When NDP MP Alistair MacGregor quizzed him on the news report, asking why she left the campaign, Brown said she left seeking to launch her own leadership bid to replace UCP leader Jason Kenney in Alberta — not from pressure from India. “At no time when we talked about her departing the campaign did she ever say it was over pressure from the consul general,” he said. He said the article likely referred to a conference call more than a month before she left, after the consul general raised concerns with Rempel Garner about Brown using the words “Sikh nation.” “The consul general had expressed directly to (Rempel Garner) that, obviously that was something they didn’t agree with, that it could be viewed in nationalistic terms towards the Sikh community,” he said. That led him to change the language he was employing to a Punjabi term that he said meant the same thing. Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell asked if that’s “an appropriate election activity by a foreign government,” charging it was a clear instance of foreign interference. Brown replied that Indian officials “have been more robust in their opinions than some of us would be comfortable with.” A bombshell report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians into foreign interference released last spring referred to “India’s alleged interference in a Conservative Party of Canada leadership race.” Brown said he was not under any kind of non-disclosure agreement with the Conservative Party that prevents him from speaking publicly about what happened during the race. He said he believes it’s important to guard against foreign meddling in democracy but that he does not want to get drawn into partisan debates on Parliament Hill. Brown was not included as a witness in the public inquiry into foreign interference, which wrapped up hearings earlier this fall with a final report due in the new year. He was disqualified from the party’s 2022 leadership race due to allegations related to financing rules in the Canada Elections Act. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) — Joseph Octave scored 24 points as Stony Brook beat Maine 74-72 on Saturday. Octave also added five rebounds for the Seawolves (4-8). Ben Wight shot 4 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to add 11 points. CJ Luster II shot 3 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-6) with 15 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Jaden Clayton added 15 points, four assists and three steals for Maine. AJ Lopez finished with 13 points and four assists. Stony Brook went into halftime leading Maine 34-30. Octave put up 10 points in the half. Octave led Stony Brook with 14 points in the second half as his team was outscored by two points over the final half but held on for the victory. Both teams next play Sunday. Stony Brook visits Albany (NY) and Maine plays Boston University at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .The Biggest GPU Launch Yet! New NVIDIA Gaming Cards Set to Drop

Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers sayJames, Quigley and Hayes combine for 59 points as No. 20 NC State women beat Coastal Carolina 89-68Chinese ‘spy’ scandal isn’t Prince Andrew’s fault, source suggests

2024 Goody Business Book Awards Honor Top Impact AuthorsWASHINGTON — The House shut down Democrats’ efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It’s unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers only have a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It’s the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee’s five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump’s announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump’s choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg, a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison.

The Detroit Lions will play without two high draft picks in rookie cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. while possibly getting back veteran Emmanuel Moseley against the host Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Arnold was downgraded Saturday from questionable to out because of a groin injury. He was limited at practice on Thursday and participated in a full practice on Friday. The Lions drafted Arnold with the 24th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Alabama. Arnold, 21, has started all 10 games and has 38 tackles and six passes defended. Rakestraw (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve after not practicing all week. He already had been ruled out for Sunday's game. Detroit picked Rakestraw in the second round (61st overall) out of Missouri. He has played in eight games and has six tackles. Rakestraw, 22, has played on 46 defensive snaps (8 percent) and 95 special teams snaps (42 percent). Moseley had full practice sessions all week and was activated from injured reserve on Saturday but was listed as questionable for Sunday. The 28-year-old is in his second season with Detroit and appeared in one game last season before going on IR in October 2023. He was placed on IR on Aug. 27 with a designation to return. Moseley played from 2018-22 for the San Francisco 49ers and had 162 tackles, four interceptions -- one returned for a touchdown -- and 33 passes defensed in 46 games (33 starts). Detroit elevated linebacker David Long on Saturday for game day. Long, 28, signed with the practice squad on Tuesday after the Miami Dolphins released him on Nov. 13. He had started six of eight games for the Dolphins this season and had 38 tackles. In other Lions news, the NFL fined wide receiver Jameson Williams $19,697 for unsportsmanlike conduct for making an obscene gesture during a touchdown celebration in last Sunday's 52-6 home win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the NFL Network reported Saturday. Williams, 23, scored on a 65-yard pass from Jared Goff with 12:55 remaining in the third quarter. --Field Level MediaGuwahati: The BJP on Saturday defeated the Congress in the closely-watched by-election to the Samaguri assembly seat, which witnessed widespread violence during campaigning. BJP candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarmah defeated Congress nominee Tanzil Hussain by 24,501 votes. Tanzil’s father Rakibul Hussain, a former state minister, won the minority-dominated seat for five consecutive terms. His election to the Lok Sabha necessitated the bypoll. The Congress’s loss in the seat is being seen as a personal defeat for senior Hussain, who created a record by winning the Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency with a margin of over 10 lakh votes. Sarmah polled 81,321 votes while Tanzil secured 56,820 votes. Samaguri was among five assembly seats where by-elections were held, and the BJP-led NDA bagged all of them.What's next for the 2025 real estate market? We may see better prices and more inventory

So when Lindauer entered the transfer portal at the end of last season and then committed to Union, one had to wonder what the Madison, Wisconsin native was going to bring to the Garnet Chargers. It turns out that Lindauer has brought a lot to Union. In 11 games, Lindauer has two goals and eight assists. His 10 points are tied for sixth with Caden Villegas. The Union men's hockey team plays its final ECAC Hockey games of 2024 this weekend when it visits Princeton and Quinnipiac. Garnet Chargers players Josh Nixon, Parker Lindauer and Caden Villegas offer their thoughts. What has been most impressive about Lindauer is his vision when he sets up behind the opposition’s net. He surveys the situation before making the perfect pass to set up a goal. That was the case in last Saturday’s 5-2 Union win over Niagara. Lindauer set up shop behind the Niagara net, and spotted Josh Nixon to the left of the net. Lindauer sent the puck to Nixon, who fired it into the net. Lindauer, who had a career-high three assists in Union’s 6-3 win over RPI on Oct. 25, can’t explain why he’s so good at setting up behind the net. “I think we just have so many options that a team doesn't really know who they should take or who they should defend,” Lindauer said during Tuesday’s media availability at Messa Rink, “because I have Colby [MacArthur] on one side, ‘Nixie’ in the middle and ‘Vegas’ [Caden Villegas] on the other side. So how do you decide who you're going to cover?” Union head coach Josh Hauge called Lindauer a great passer. The Union men's hockey team plays its final ECAC Hockey games of 2024 this weekend when it visits Princeton and Quinnipiac. Garnet Chargers head coach Josh Hauge offers his thoughts. “He can find holes where most people can't fit a puck through,” Hauge said. “He's really good with deception with the stick. He'll look as if he's going one way and pass the puck back the other way. He's got a knack to just create space where there isn't any. And he’s really intelligent, so I think that's been one thing for us is his brain makes him a really good player.” So what happened at Maine? Why didn’t things work out there? “They're a deep team, and some things just don't happen,” Lindauer said. “And it's all about opportunity, right? ... I'm not saying I wasn't given an opportunity there. I loved my time there, and I'll never talk bad about them. But it's just like I came here and right away I found a little click with these guys, and I just felt more comfortable around here. I'm glad I'm here, and I'll never regret going to Maine, that's for sure. But I'm glad I ended up here.” So are his teammates. “He's a great player, a great person,” Nixon said. Villegas was a teammate of Lindauer’s at Tri-City of the United States Hockey League. “We were always hanging out there, too,” Villegas said. “We were there for a year, but I feel like we got pretty close there. So when I heard he was coming here, I was super happy. I was juiced. I was calling him. I was like, ‘Can't wait for you to get here.’ I know he's having a hell of a year for us, and we need him to continue doing that.” When I spoke to Maine head coach Ben Barr last week before the Black Bears played at RPI, I asked him about Lindauer. Barr said he’s happy for him. “He's a phenomenal kid,” Barr said. “He put a lot of work in here. He didn't always get a shot. At the end of both years, he was here and he was playing for us. He's a really high-character kid. He wants to be a player. He's willing to put the work in. I think he's manufactured himself into a really good player, so it's awesome to see him doing well.” If Lindauer continues to produce, it certainly will be a big win for Union. Time for another installment of my look back at some memorable Union men’s and women’s games in Messa Rink history. Dec. 6 2023: Maine 3, Union 1 — Former RPI player and Union assistant coach Ben Barr returned to Messa Rink for the first time as a head coach, guiding the Black Bears to a 3-1 victory over the Garnet Chargers. Dec. 9, 2017: Union 4, Holy Cross 2 — The Dutchmen trailed 2-0 after one, but they rallied to win. Jack Adams and Cole Maier scored second-period goals. Ryan Scarfo broke the tie with 2:16 left in the third period. Ryan Walker added an empty-net goal 61 seconds later. Dec. 5, 2015: Union 3, Dartmouth 0 — Alex Sakellaropoulos stopped all 34 shots he faced to lead the Dutchmen past the Big Green. Brett Supinski, Spencer Foo and Mike Vecchione scored for Union. Dec. 7, 2013: Union 6, Quinnipiac 4 — In the first meeting between the two teams since the Bobcats beat the Dutchmen in the 2013 NCAA hockey tournament East Regional final, Union erases a 4-3 third-period deficit to win. Eli Lichtenwald and Michael Pontarelli each had two goals and an assist. The game also featured an errant pass by Shayne Gostisbehere that went into an open Union net during a delayed penalty against Quinnipiac. Dec. 11, 2010: Union 6, Army 2 — Daniel Carr had a hat trick, and the Dutchmen went 6 for 9 on the power play to beat the Black Knights. Dec. 10, 2010: Union 8, AIC 1 — Jeremy Welsh had a hat trick to lead the Dutchmen to a rout of the Yellow Jackets. Justin Pallos had two goals and an assist, Kelly Zajac added a goal and two assists and Wayne Simpson collected three assists. Dec. 10, 1995: Cornell 5, Union 5 — After the Big Red were called for icing, Reid Simonton scored with two seconds left in the third period to tie the score and send the game into overtime. Cornell had 52 shots on goal, and Union 51. Dec. 5, 1975: Ottawa 4, Union 2 — This was the first-ever game played in the arena, when it was known as Achilles Rink. The Union women’s hockey team closes out the 2024 portion of its schedule this weekend when it hosts Yale at 6 p.m. Friday and Brown at 3 p.m. Saturday in ECACH action at Messa Rink. The Union women's hockey team plays its final of 2024 this weekend when it hosts Yale and Brown in ECAC Hockey play. Garnet Chargers head coach Tony Maci, goalie Monja Wager, forward Maddie Leaney and defenseman Maren Friday offers their thoughts. The Garnet Chargers are looking to move up in the standings. They are tied for seventh place with St. Lawrence with 12 points. Union (4-3-0 ECACH, 7-10-1 overall) is 2.5 points behind fourth-place Yale, and 1.5 points in back of fifth-place Brown. “We want to build some momentum [heading] into Christmas break, going into the ECAC play,” Union head coach Tony Maci said. “Got a couple teams coming in that are right ahead of us that we want to try and grab some points from, so it's going to be a big weekend for us.” Union tied and lost to St. Cloud State last weekend. In the 2-1 loss, the Garnet Chargers had just nine shots on goal. They had two through two periods, and those shots on goal came in the first period. “I think the most important thing is doing what we know produces success for us,” Union forward Maddie Leaney said, “and that's using our speed, and playing physical is huge for us and just doing the little things right.” Here are my latest ECAC Hockey Power Rankings. 1) Dartmouth: The Big Green played tough in a two-goal loss to Boston College in a matchup of ranked teams last Friday, then bounced back two days later to beat Vermont. 2) Union: Impressive road sweep of Niagara. 3) Clarkson: Edged by Providence and tied UMass Lowell last weekend in Lake Placid. 4) Brown: The Bears are unbeaten in their last five (3-0-2) after tying and beating Air Force last weekend. 5) Colgate: Off last weekend 6) Quinnipiac: Had a tie against Cornell in The Big Apple at Madison Square Garden last Saturday. 7) Cornell: Rallied from 3-2 deficit to tie Quinnipiac 8) Princeton: Swept No. 12 Ohio State 9) Harvard: Went 1-1 in the Friendship Four 10) Yale: Got swept by LIU 11) RPI: Lost twice to Maine by scores of 6-0 and 6-2. Gave up 100 shots on goal in the games. 12) St. Lawrence: Losses to UMass Lowell and Providence extended the Saints’ losing streak to six games.NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points. Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting. He didn't pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. Ohtani joined Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. He was the first player to twice become an unanimous MVP. He had combined with Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 for the first year both MVPs were unanimous. Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. "The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series, which we are able to accomplish," he said through a translator. "The next goal is for me to do it again and so right now I'm in the middle of rehab and working out and getting stronger." When Ohtani returns to the mound, could he win MVP and the Cy Young Award in the same year? "That would obviously be great, but right now my focus is just to get to get back healthy, come back stronger, get back on the mound and show everybody what I can do," Ohtani said. Ohtani became the first primary DH to win an MVP in a season that started with the revelation his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, had stolen nearly $17 million from the star to fund gambling. Ohtani is the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each). Balloting was conducted before the postseason. Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 31 stolen bases and 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs. When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. Judge had discussed the MVP award with Philadelphia's Bryce Harper, the NL winner in 2015 and '21. "I was telling him, `Man, I'm going to try to catch up to you with these MVPs here, man,'" Judge recalled. "He'd say, hopefully, he could stay a couple ahead of me, which I think he'll do." When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. He is the Yankees' 22nd MVP winner, four more than any other team. Judge was hitting .207 with six homers and 18 RBIs through April, then batted .352 with 52 homers and 126 RBIs in 127 games. "March and April were not my friend this year." Judge said. "Just keep putting in the work and things are going to change. You can't mope. You can't feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, nobody's going to feel sorry for you. So you just got to go out there and put up the numbers?" ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Petersburg City Council reversed course Thursday on whether to spend more than $23 million to repair the hurricane-shredded roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark, initially voting narrowly for approval and hours later changing course. The reversal on fixing Tropicana Field came after the council voted to delay consideration of revenue bonds for a proposed new $1.3 billion Rays ballpark. Just two days before, the Pinellas County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bonds, leaving that project in limbo. “This is a sad place. I'm really disappointed,” council chair Deborah Figg-Sanders said. “We won’t get there if we keep finding ways we can’t.” The Rays say the lack of progress puts the new stadium plan and the future of Tropicana Field in jeopardy. “I can't say I'm confident about anything,” Rays co-president Brian Auld told the council members. The Trop's translucent fiberglass roof was ripped to pieces on Oct. 9 when Hurricane Milton swept ashore just south of Tampa Bay. There was also significant water damage inside the ballpark, with a city estimate of the total repair costs pegged at $55.7 million. The extensive repairs cannot be finished before the 2026 season, city documents show. The Rays made a deal with the Yankees to play next season at 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field, New York's spring training home across the bay in Tampa. The initial vote Thursday was to get moving on the roof portion of the repair. Once that's done, crews could begin working on laying down a new baseball field, fixing damaged seating and office areas and a variety of electronic systems — which would require another vote to approve money for the remaining restoration. The subsequent vote reversing funding for the roof repair essentially means the city and Rays must work on an alternative in the coming weeks so that Tropicana Field can possibly be ready for the 2026 season. The city is legally obligated to fix the roof. BRIEFLY PIRATES: Pittsburgh hired Matt Hague as its hitting coach, bringing him back to the team that drafted him in 2008. Hague replaces Andy Haines, who was fired after Pittsburgh finished in the bottom 10 in the majors in every significant statistical category last season, including runs (24th) and home runs (25th), while also striking out a club-record 1,504 times, second-most in the National League behind Colorado. The 39-year-old Hague spent last season as an assistant hitting coach with the Toronto Blue Jays. Get local news delivered to your inbox!As winter closes in and, in some locales, crime rates increase in relation to areas like burglaries, theft, business robberies, the firm Adobe Express has investigated which cities in the UK are safest for employees. The exercise was part of a wider national study to find the most employee friendly cities. The collected crime data takes into account safety perception, property crimes, specified crimes and violent crimes to reveal the 30 safest cities to work in. Determining the safety rankings of cities requires a comprehensive analysis of various factors. The analysis reveals that Norwich, Newcastle and Brighton top the list; whilst Bradford, Coventry and Birmingham are deemed the least safe places to work. The top ten safest cities were identified as: The Crime Index takes into account survey responses about: • General perception of crime levels • Perceived safety: Survey responses from residents and visitors regarding their feelings of safety while walking during daylight and at night. • Concerns about specific crimes: Survey questions about worries regarding mugging, robbery, car theft, physical attacks by strangers, harassment in public places, and discrimination based on factors like skin colour, ethnicity, gender, or religion. • Property crimes: Assessment of the extent of property-related crimes, such as burglary, theft, vandalism, etc. • Violent crimes: Evaluation of the perception of violent crimes, including assault, homicide, sexual offenses, etc. Under these measures, Norwich comes out on top . Norwich offers a safe and welcoming environment. The city’s low crime rates and effective community policing contribute to its safety. Norwich also boasts well-preserved heritage buildings and beautifully landscaped parks, creating a safe and pleasant atmosphere. In contrast, the least safe top ten is : While the data is broadly indicative of ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ on the measures applied, there can be variables impacting on the data. For example, people in some countries are more likely to report a crime than in other countries. In addition, the data from governmental institutions can be prone to collection error. Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.A Sydney business is looking to clean up Pacific beaches with a unique recycling process, turning plastic litter into power poles and Frisbees. While labour-intensive sorting and cleaning makes most recycling processes financially unviable, a new pilot, developed by Brookvale firm Talon, shreds and melts down mixed plastics, meaning any collected materials can be used. Sam Melrose and university intern Lily Bilston showing how a toy truck containing a cocktail of different plastics can be shredded and reused. Credit: Louie Douvis Geoff Germon, an adjunct professor of design at Canberra University and Talon’s chief executive, said the system was an opportunity to remove and reuse vast quantities of plastic littering Pacific beaches. Talon opened a micro-processing plant in Fiji last month. Known as the LPM Project , and supported by the University of Southern Queensland and the British government, its process breaks down mixed plastics into shreds just a few centimetres in size. Those shreds are “consolidated” using heat and pressure into a large mass or matrix that can be pressed into a shape. Early trials on plastics collected from Fiji have included power poles, dog bowls and Frisbees. Sydney plastics recycling firm Talon has opened a micro-processing plant near Suva in Fiji. Credit: The matrix is covered with a laminated fabric layer made of cotton and recycled plastic bags to make it stronger and more marketable. “Conventionally, you would have to sort waste into polyethylenes and polypropylenes, which are the common packaging plastics,” Germon said. “Then you might have some car parts, which are ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and some polycarbonates and some PT (Polyethylene terephthalate), which is all the clear plastic bags and bottles.” Stages of the process from shredded plastic (left), composite matrix bowl (multicoloured, top), laminated fabric and finished bowl (right). Credit: Louie Douvis Germon said those processes meant that at present only about 13 per cent of materials were recycled. “Everything else goes to landfill,” he said. “We collected 220 kilos from a one-kilometre beach; it took about 40 kids an hour to do it, but then it would be a full day of sorting it with people who know what they are doing. It’s not viable.” Lead project manager Sam Melrose said their process could manage the several different types of plastic in, for example, a discarded swimming pool filter. “It all goes in the shredder, and we use the material that comes out. Even if the item has a paper label on it, it doesn’t affect us.” Canberra University industrial design students were presented with the raw recycled material. Lily Bilston, now an intern at Talon, devised a fence post system, while others designed vertical gardens to be used alongside motorways and a module for artificial reefs. Fiji’s Centre of Appropriate Technology and Development is training workers for the project. The centre’s director, Aporosa Silatolu, said the technology would “make a significant difference to the wellbeing of Fijians, particularly those in rural communities”. A recycled pole manufacted from plastic waste on Fiji. Germon said Talon wanted to make big, heavy and thick products to use up large amounts of plastic, with street poles the current focus. “We are making things that replace steel or concrete,” he said. “The mission is about trying to suck the plastic out of the community. We have got the tech solution and enough marketing to show it has potential, we don’t necessarily have the skill set to take it to a global level.” The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here .

Jones 3-8 3-4 9, Francois 3-10 4-4 10, Calderon 4-13 0-0 8, Cartagena 2-3 2-2 6, Kimbrough 8-12 3-3 19, Ford 0-1 0-0 0, Mushore 0-1 0-0 0, Berry 0-4 0-0 0, Brown 0-1 0-0 0, Butler 1-2 0-0 2, Ellis 1-1 0-0 3, Joseph 1-4 2-2 4, Washington 4-8 1-1 9, Totals 27-68 15-16 70 Merritt 4-6 0-0 9, Sanogo 2-4 0-0 4, Fritz 0-3 0-0 0, Maupin 6-11 5-7 20, Shavers 3-12 3-4 10, Mora 0-0 0-0 0, Peat 1-3 3-5 5, Blacklock 3-9 0-0 8, Bristow 7-13 3-4 17, Johnson 2-6 1-3 5, Martin 0-0 0-0 0, Wynn 0-2 0-0 0, Totals 28-69 15-23 78 3-Point Goals_New Orleans 1-14 (Jones 0-2, Francois 0-4, Calderon 0-2, Cartagena 0-1, Berry 0-2, Butler 0-1, Ellis 1-1, Joseph 0-1), Texas Tech 7-31 (Merritt 1-1, Fritz 0-2, Maupin 3-7, Shavers 1-7, Blacklock 2-8, Bristow 0-2, Johnson 0-2, Wynn 0-2). Assists_New Orleans 11 (Calderon 3), Texas Tech 15 (Maupin 4). Fouled Out_New Orleans Cartagena. Rebounds_New Orleans 49 (Francois 17), Texas Tech 37 (Bristow 8). Total Fouls_New Orleans 23, Texas Tech 19. Technical Fouls_None. A_4,130.TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Reserve Jahni Summers led Indiana State past St. Louis Pharmacy on Saturday with 22 points in a 101-53 win. Summers went 8 of 11 from the field (6 for 9 from 3-point range) for the Sycamores (8-4, 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference). Markus Harding finished 6 of 7 from the field to add 13 points. Samage Teel shot 5 of 8 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points. The Eutectics were led in scoring by Ahian Barnett, who finished with 12 points. St. Louis Pharmacy also got 10 points from Moctar Keita. Bryant Odunayo also put up 10 points. Indiana State took the lead with 19:49 left in the first half and never looked back. Summers led their team in scoring with 14 points in the first half to help put them up 56-19 at the break. Indiana State pulled away with a 13-3 run in the second half to extend a 39-point lead to 49 points. Indiana State visits Ohio State in its next matchup on December 29. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . The Associated Press'Crooks' target Leander neighborhood for vehicle break-ins

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The Galen Center’s crowd palpably buzzed as JuJu Watkins collected the opening tip-off. It was a sign of USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb ’s program-rebuilding success, turning the Trojans back into a national championship contender — a sign of growing support and interest. But No. 6 Notre Dame was able to dissipate the buzz, stifling No. 3 USC in a 74-61 win. The Trojans, who entered the game averaging 98.3 points per game on their home court, albeit against unranked squads, shot just 35.8% from the field. USC (4-1) committed eight turnovers in the first quarter — and 21 overall — to fall into an early 10-point deficit. Notre Dame sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo scored 24 points. Watkins scored 10 points in the third quarter on the way to finishing with 24. Watkins’ third-quarter surge brought the Trojans within three points, but Notre Dame capitalized on offensive rebounds from Cassandre Prosper and two three-pointers from Olivia Miles to stretch the Fighting Irish’s lead to 21 points as fans trickled toward the exit. USC freshman guard Kennedy Smith, who averaged 10.3 points as a starter, did not play after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed reason. Kayleigh Heckel replaced Smith in the starting lineup and made the most of her opportunity. Providing bursts of energy by chasing balls out of bounds and bullying her way into the paint for rebounds, the 5-foot-9 freshman guard provided versatility not in the box score. She finished with six points and four rebounds. USC will next play Seton Hall at the Women’s Acrisure Holiday Invitational in Palm Desert on Wednesday. Another big nonconference matchup looms, with the Trojans playing at No. 2 Connecticut on Dec. 21. Notre Dame (5-0) faces Texas Christian next on Friday.Free clinic offered in Jamestown in 1921LSTAR reacts to Bank of Canada interest rate cut

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