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Live updates | UCLA’s Morales jumps to early lead at US Open

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Follow along for live updates on the opening round of the 123rd U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.___Omar Morales, who attends college just up the way at UCLA, has grabbed an early share of the lead in the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.The 20-year-old sophomore went around the front nine in 3-under 32.The Bruins have access to LACC about twice a month, and Morales, who went through local qualifying to make the 156-man field, estimates he’s played it about two dozen times in his two years at UCLA.He had the first tee time of the day, along with another local qualifier, Jacob Solomon, who got to 3 under after 10 holes to share the lead with Morales.Elsewhere, Xander Schauffele opened his day with a 40-foot birdie putt and was 2 under through three holes.___Golf’s second-oldest championship has started with words never heard amid the glitz and glamor of Beverly Hills: “Welcome to the 123rd United States Open.”The USGA chose UCLA sophomore Omar...

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett enters Year 2 focused on the details

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kenny Pickett spent his first few months in the NFL intentionally buried on the Pittsburgh Steelers depth chart, coach Mike Tomlin’s way of trying to ease the pressure on a young quarterback saddled with the outsized expectations that come with being a first-round pick at the most important position in the game.A year later, a lot has changed. Pickett is no longer running with the scout team. And a strong finish to his rookie season has Pickett entering his second year in the league seemingly in full command of a Steelers offense that believes it can keep pace with the powers that be in the AFC.The relentlessly tenacious approach that carried Pickett from modest high school recruit to ACC Player of the Year at the University of Pittsburgh to 20th overall pick in the 2022 draft has followed him to the other side of the complex the Panthers share with one of the NFL’s marquee franchises.It’s not unusual for Pickett to arrive early and throw himself ...

Destacado clavadista mexicano se une a OnlyFans para pagar su entrenamiento olímpico

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

Como destacado clavadista de 10 metros, Diego Balleza está acostumbrado a usar pequeños trajes de baño que muestran su cuerpo. Ahora, desesperada por la falta de recursos económicos de cara a los Juegos Olímpicos de París del próximo año, el mexicano da el salto a otra plataforma en la que también lleva poca ropa: OnlyFans. Balleza es uno de varios atletas mexicanos que se han visto afectados por una disputa entre World Aquatics y Ana Guevara, la jefa de la comisión nacional de deportes de México que, desde enero, dejó de pagar mensualmente a los atletas acuáticos. World Aquatics suspendió al presidente de la federación mexicana, Kiril Todorov, y nombró una comisión para hacerse cargo mientras se realizan nuevas elecciones. Todorov fue suspendido por el incumplimiento de las normas de buen gobierno del organismo rector por parte de la Federación Mexicana de Natación. Pero Guevara se negó a reconocer la comisión a pesar de que el Tribunal de Arbitraje Deportivo confirmó el cambio. ...

Average long-term US mortgage rate falls to 6.69%, second straight drop since climbing to 2023 high

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate fell again this week, positive news for potential homebuyers after rates reached their highest level since November earlier this month.Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan slipped to 6.69% from 6.71% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 5.78%. Despite easing the past two weeks, the average rate is only down slightly from its 2023 high of 6.79% set in early June. The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with those refinancing their homes, rose this week to 6.10% from 6.07% last week. A year ago, it averaged 4.81%, Freddie Mac said.The pullback comes a day after the Federal Reserve decided to forgo another increase in its benchmark interest rate. The pause in hikes followed 10 straight increases in 15 months. But the central bank also warned that it could raise interest rates two more times this year in its battle against inflation. Investors’ expectations for fut...

Lennar, AutoZone rise; Kroger, John Wiley fall, Thursday, 6/15/2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that are trading heavily or have substantial price changes on Thursday:Lennar Corp. (LEN), up $4.26 to $119.01.The homebuilder reported strong second-quarter financial results.Kroger Co. (KR), down $1.81 to $45.40.The grocery chain reported weak fiscal first-quarter revenue.NexTier Oilfield Solutions Inc. (NEX), up 47 cents to $9.40.Patterson-UTI is buying the oilfield services company.Jabil Inc. (JBL),up $4.85 to $104.54.The electronics manufacturer beat analysts’ fiscal third-quarter earnings and revenue forecasts.MicroVision Inc. (MVIS), up 35 cents to $4.95.The maker of drivers for miniature video displays withdrew a public stock offering, citing market volatility.AutoZone Inc. (AZO), up $58.58 to $2,458.The auto parts retailer increased its stock buyback program by $2 billion.Mersana Therapeutics Inc. (MRSN), down $5.43 to $4.13.The biopharmaceutical company gave investors a discouraging update on a potential ovarian cancer treatment.John Wiley &...

Bulgaria wants to join the EU’s ammo-for-Ukraine club

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

SOFIA — Bulgaria’s new defense minister said the country is looking to step up its support for EU efforts to supply Ukraine with the ammunition it needs to continue fighting Moscow’s troops.NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss how to ramp up the alliance’s industrial capacity to support Ukraine — as well as defense and deterrence capabilities in the run-up to a key summit in Vilnius next month.EU countries in May finalized a deal to send 1 million 155-millimeter shells and missiles to Kyiv by March next year, agreeing to give ammunition immediately from their own stockpiles and for member states to get partial reimbursement for their efforts. They agreed €1 billion for this part of the plan, and another €1 billion for a joint procurement scheme to provide rounds to Ukraine and refill their stocks. The Commission also proposed a €500 million initiative to boost Europe’s ability to manufacture arms and ...

US Senator Mark Warner: China leads the world on AI rules

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

There’s a global race to build guardrails for how governments tap artificial intelligence — and China is setting the pace of development, Sen. Mark Warner warned Thursday.“Many of us believe that we are in an enormous technology competition, particularly with China, and that national security means winning the battle around AI” and other emerging technologies, the Senate Intelligence Committee chair said in a video interview for POLITICO’s Global Tech Summit in London.Warner, a Virginia Democrat, said China “has a variety of efforts in AI, and they have already actually moved even further than Europe in having specific legislation.” The senator said China presents a tough technological challenge for the U.S. “because it has such scale — both in terms of data and compute power — is a leading competitor in this field.”His remarks aired shortly after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) took an aggressive tone about Beijing’s advances in AI development and regulation. ...

Bank of England deputy governor: Digital pound will be private but not anonymous

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

Payments made by a digital version of the U.K. pound will be private but with certain conditions, according to the Bank of England’s deputy governor.Privacy and anonymity are two different things, Jon Cunliffe said during POLITICO’s Global Tech Day — a principle that’s enshrined in today’s payment systems and which will be no different for central bank-backed digital currencies (CBDC).“Every transaction you make with your credit card, with your phone, using your bank account, is recorded and stored,” he said. “Under certain circumstances, the authorities, law enforcement, tax … can have access to the records of all of your transactions in your bank accounts.”“For a CBDC, we would completely respect that balance,” he continued. “Complete anonymity has with it the potential for social harms, tax evasions, crime, terrorist financing,”  The central bank is currently collecting public comments on how to design virtual pound coins and banknotes that can settle payments in...

Singapore warns US, EU chip subsidies will ‘drive up costs’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

Singapore is worried that the massive subsidies Washington and Brussels are about to spend on new microchip projects will upset a “finely balanced” global market.“When we start doing these things, then I would say it functions almost like a tax,” David Koh, chief executive of Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency, said during a panel at POLITICO’s Global Tech Day in London on Thursday. Koh warned that planned chip subsidies from the United States and Europe could impose “false barriers” that “end up driving up costs.”“These costs will then feed into the global economic system,” Koh said.Despite its small size, Singapore produces 5 percent of the world’s semiconductor wafers.Last year, Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act, a law that pumps $52 billion into domestic chipmaking facilities and research labs. And in April the EU advanced its own Chips Act, which will funnel roughly $47 billion in subsidies to semiconductor firms that set up shop in Europe.Koh su...

NATO vs. Canada, its nicest truant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:13:45 GMT

BRUSSELS/OTTAWA — NATO loves Canada — but hates its defense spending. The North American country has a reputation within the West’s military alliance as an agreeable partner: Reliably committed to transatlantic relations, never obstructionist, and, well, just pleasant to work with. But with a war on, that’s not enough.Frustration is mounting over Canada’s long-standing resistance to catching up with NATO’s spending targets. The country not only remains far behind on an agreement to eventually spend 2 percent of economic output on defense, it is now part of a tiny group resisting a push to set 2 percent as the alliance’s spending floor, rather than the ceiling. Emotions are running high. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced NATO to redesign its military plans, and it needs money for that. Money for more advanced weapons. Money for more ammunition. Money to get thousands of troops ready to defend NATO’s eastern flank. And thus far, Canada appears unwilling ...