Senior management at the MBTA displayed “poor judgment” in going ahead with the opening the new Green Line Extension last year despite knowing there were issues with the tracks, and in not disclosing those failures to Gov. Maura Healey’s administration, the governor said Monday.News came last week that more than half of the track on the T’s new 4.4-mile Green Line Extension into Somerville and Medford is too narrow, and will need to be “regauged” to increase space between the two rails.Healey’s appointed MBTA general manager, Phil Eng, said he only was informed of the problem “recently,” though senior officials under former Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration may have known about the problems as early as 2021.“What’s important is that it was not disclosed, and it was really not addressed,” Healey said to reporters Monday when asked if her administration has any answers as to why the problem was not disclosed. “That is something we’ve been really clear about. Under the prior administration, senior management at the T, for whatever poor judgment, made the decision not to disclose identified failures, and then made the poor decision not to address those failures prior to the opening of the Green Line Extension.”The Union Square branch, which was opened in spring of 2022, needs to have about 50 percent of its track regauged; and the nascent Medford/Tufts branch, which opened in December last year, needs repairs on about 80 percent of its track.Healey said Monday that Eng informed her of the issue “as soon as … [he] discovered those deficiencies.”“We’ve been transparent with the public about not only the disclosures and the failure to disclose, but also the fixes, and I’m confident that General Manager Eng — as he has at every turn so far in his tenure — will make sure that those issues are addressed and remedied. That work is underway,” Healey said.The Boston Globe reported that two people with senior roles on the extension project were no longer employed at the T as of Thursday.Asked by a reporter if there is anything else her administration did not know about from the prior administration or if the T was trying to find out if there was anything else not disclosed, Healey took the opportunity to tout some of the progress she says has been made at the T during her time in office. She mentioned the creation of new positions such as chief safety officer and an officer in charge of station conditions, as well as the hiring of about 1,000 employees.The Mass. Taxpayers Foundation estimated in April that the T needed to hire 2,800 workers by April 2024 in order to maintain system operations, and Eng predicted in August that the T is on track to hire about 1,300 new employees by the end of the year.“It’s hard to speak to what you don’t know about,” Healey responded to the reporter. “I will say this, that every effort has been made to make sure that with this administration, we have a team in place that understands its responsibility, and takes that responsibility seriously.” (Copyright (c) 2023 State House News Service. Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox Source link

Instagram is testing a feed that will only display posts from Meta Verified users, according to Instagram head Adam Mosseri. The new toggle will appear under the “Following” and “Favorites” options listed when you click on the Instagram logo in the app. “We’re testing a way for people to explore their Instagram feed and reels by toggling to only Meta Verified accounts,” Mosseri wrote in his broadcast channel on Instagram. “We’re exploring this as a new control for people and as a way for businesses and creators to get discovered.” The official announcement comes two months after Instagram told TechCrunch that it was not testing such a feature, after reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi found that the code in both the iOS and Android Instagram apps was showing a new feed filter that would display Meta Verified subscribers. Instagram likely sees the new feed as a way to promote Meta Verified subscriptions and get people interested in signing up, as it is now offering them an opportunity for increased visibility. Meta Verified, which costs $11.99 per month on the web and $14.99 per month on mobile, gives users access to a blue checkmark, enhanced customer support, increased visibility and reach in search and comments, exclusive stickers and more. Meta is clearly borrowing from Elon Musk’s playbook with the new Verified-only feed and with Meta Verified in general. After the Tesla CEO acquired Twitter (now X) last fall, the social network debuted paid verification for $8 per month through its revamped X Premium subscription service. The subscription gives users access to a variety of features, including a Verified tab in users’ Notifications. The service also includes other features like an edit button and support for longer posts. Source link

PARKLAND, FLA. (WSVN) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested one person after they conducted court-ordered law enforcement activity in Parkland.According to a tweet from @FBIMiami, agents are in the vicinity of the 7200 block of Northwest 68th Drive. The public was urged to avoid the area but the situation has since been resolved.Authorities took one person into custody. Officials did not give more information, but 7News will recieve more details as they become available.Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story. Copyright 2023 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox Source link

Chris Billam-Smith will make the first defence of his WBO cruiserweight world title against Mateusz Masternak on Sunday December 10 in Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports.Power-punching Pole Masternak is highly experienced with a 47-5 (31) record and has long been pressing for his world title shot. Currently ranked No 5 with the WBO, Masternak will challenge Billam-Smith at the Bournemouth International Centre, headlining a big BOXXER bill. Returning to the UK for the first time since his 2015 European championship war with Tony Bellew, Masternak is riding a six-fight win streak into the bout. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Chris Billam-Smith defeats Lawrence Okolie in a thrilling contest to win the WBO cruiserweight world title. Three of those wins have come by knockout, one of them a fourth-round stoppage of Albania's Armend Xhoxhaj, who went five exciting rounds with Billam-Smith last year.Having sold out the BIC on two previous occasions, December will mark Billam-Smith's third time headlining Bournemouth's largest indoor arena. It will be his first contest since May, when he beat Lawrence Okolie in front of a capacity crowd at the Vitality Stadium. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Watch highlights of Mateusz Masternak's convincing points victory against Adam Balski. Ahead of his maiden world title defence, Billam-Smith has committed his future to BOXXER by signing a new extended deal with the next-gen promoter, which includes a commitment to rematch Lawrence Okolie in a repeat of their sold-out stadium fight. That event was the biggest boxing event in south coast history and Billam-Smith's return to action in December will be a triumphant year-end homecoming. Grateful for the years of loyal support, the champion requested the Sunday slot in order to allow travelling Bournemouth AFC fans to return from Saturday's away game. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player New WBO cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith says is ready for a rematch with Lawrence Okolie, before setting his sights on a possible unification bout. "Mateusz Masternak is a superb fighter, he's proved that throughout his career. He's got double the amount of fights that I have - he's actually got more KO wins than I have fights - and his only losses are at the very top level. His style matches well with mine and I think it's going to be a very exciting fight, I'm really looking forward to it," said Billam-Smith.Masternak said: "I think Chris Billam-Smith is a very good boxer. He showed his warrior soul in his last fight and proved that he deserves to be champion. I have a lot of respect for him in that way, but I believe more in my skills and my experience. I've been dreaming of the world championship since I started boxing. My boxing journey has been like a movie, all the highs and lows. I hope in December we get the best scene. I'm looking forward to fighting in England again, the fans create a great atmosphere there." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Chris Billam-Smith says Brits fighting each other keeps the cruiserweight division exciting. BOXXER founder and CEO Ben Shalom added: "Chris Billam-Smith wanted his first defence of the WBO world cruiserweight championship to be a big crowd-pleaser of a fight in his home town. Mateusz Masternak ticks all the boxes; he's ranked No 5 in the world, he's got a ton of experience and he rarely takes a backwards step. He's a very dangerous opponent and Billam-Smith is taking a serious risk here."Anyone who has ever experienced a BOXXER event at the Bournemouth International Centre will know just how crazy the atmosphere gets in there and I think this one will take that to a new level, the crowd are going to raise the roof. We're ending the year with a guaranteed Christmas cracker and I can't wait." Source link

Danny Pellegrino is used to sharing the spotlight with celebs. On his hit podcast Everything Iconic, the writer and comedian discusses pop culture phenomenons and has interviewed everyone from Elizabeth Olsen to Andy Cohen. In 2019 he wrote Vanderpump Rules stars and then-couple Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval’s drink recipe collection, Fancy AF Cocktails (in addition to various ghostwriting gigs). But as he publishes his essay collection The Jolliest Bunch: Unhinged Holiday Stories, the follow-up to his New York Times bestselling memoir How Do I Un-Remember This?, he’ll do so alongside the most anticipated celebrity tell-all of recent times: Britney Spears’ The Woman in Me. “My parents already ordered two copies of it, and I had to force them to pre-order my own book,” he says with a laugh. Pellegrino, true to form, has a healthy sense of humor about the whole thing. He spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about what his fans can expect from the new book (partially inspired by works like David Sedaris’ Holiday on Ice), his concerns about the new season of VPR, and being the opening act, of sorts, for Spears. “I will be consuming Britney’s book the minute it’s released, so I know a lot of people will too,” he adds. “I just hope they pick up mine when they’re done.” I imagine you wrote your holiday essays before season two of The Bear came out, but I couldn’t help but make some comparisons between your descriptions of chaotic family holidays gone awry and what I saw in “Fishes” … God, wasn’t that episode so incredible? There’s often one single person that is spearheading the family holidays, and for me that was my mom — but the more she tries to keep it together the more things fall apart. It was fun to tell stories about the absurdities that happen when someone is trying to make the perfect holiday, or the perfect holiday dinner. They often think they’re portraying the perfect version of themselves and that’s not the case. Everyone can see through it, that they’re not keeping themselves together, but somehow they think that they are. Was your mother concerned about being very central to some of these holiday stories? She was concerned when my first book came out, because she knew there were going to be family stories in there and she was worried about how she would come across. But then when she read it herself, and heard reactions from friends and family, she realized that even when we the reader were looking at her a little sideways, it was all done with love. I created a little bit of a monster actually, because now she thinks she’s a star. (Laughs.) She’s now very excited about this coming out. She’s read half of it so far and she likes it so far. I also really hope it comes across how much I am turning into my mother myself. I revere her and I note the fact that I’m slowly morphing into Linda Pellegrino. Did anyone in your life come out of the woodwork after you released your first essay collection? I did change a lot of names and dates on stories about anyone who wasn’t my immediate family. I heard from people who thought a story was about them, but it wasn’t. I was also very worried about whether I was telling the stories properly, am I representing them correctly, and often times people would tell me details about each story that made them even more wild than how I wrote them. I realized that truth really is stranger than fiction. But no one got mad at me or anything, and I don’t feel as stressed about that happening this time. Ultimately these are meant to make people laugh and I think people will take them in that spirit. Have you ever been approached to write, or thought about writing, a Bravo-specific book? When I was trying to sell How Do I Un-Remember This, I was finding a lot of publishers were saying to me, we don’t know about this but would you be interested in an oral history of a Bravo show? I love the Housewives world and all, but I really wanted to tell my own stories and be able to put whatever I wanted into my books. So I was really grateful that I could write my first book, and that it did well enough that now I get to do a holiday collection. But I will inhale every single Bravo-related book that you put in front of me. I even read the Housewives’ memoirs. You’ve also ghostwritten before — do you find it harder to do that or to write your own material? For me it’s harder to write somebody else’s book. You have to do it in their voice, and as a creative person it’s so stifling — you could have a joke or a line that you want to say but you can’t because it doesn’t align with the voice of person you’re writing for. You have to censor yourself a lot. Have you seen a boost in the sales of Fancy AF, the cocktail book you wrote with Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix, after Scandoval broke? I don’t know what the numbers were exactly but I do know that it shot up on Amazon. That was surprising to me, because it’s a cocktail book and not a book about the people involved. But I’ve been loving seeing the photos on social media of people rediscovering it — I even saw one where someone FaceTuned Tom out of the cover. Would you ever help Ariana and Katie [Maloney] write a book of sandwich recipes for Something About Her? I’m so excited to be able to go and get a sandwich at the shop. I dream of being able to hop into that store. I think Ariana might have a new cocktail book coming out soon, too. But as much as I loved and am so grateful for my experiences ghostwriting and co-writing, I don’t know that I plan to do that anymore. I hope I’m answering that in a PC way. (Laughs.) I would love that book and I would buy it in a heartbeat. So do you have more ideas for your own books in the future? I do. I’m really hopeful that people pick up The Jolliest Bunch so that I can keep writing, because I do have two different ideas that I’d like to move forward with. I’ve also loved being able to workshop stories with my podcast audience — especially with the first book, I was really able to hear what they latched on to. They let me know that they loved my family stories, or the way I’d weave in pop culture references. I’m going to write these stories regardless, so I just hope I keep getting an opportunity for an audience to see them. Are you excited for the new season of Vanderpump Rules, or do you have any concerns coming out of last season? I’m excited to watch but I don’t think it can be as good as last season. I don’t know if we’ll ever have a moment in the world of reality television again that even comes close to Scandoval. That was a once-in-a-lifetime situation. Even something like the Jen Shah arrest or Erika Jayne’s scandal, although they infiltrated the news ecosystem outside of Bravo, they didn’t have the same impact. My hope for the new season is that they show the impact of Scandoval behind-the-scenes. I want to see the development deals coming together, the cast dynamic as people were getting sponsorships. And the fallout, too. Is there anything else in pop culture that is really exciting you right now? I’m very culturally interested in the NSYNC reunion. I know we got a Trolls movie song, but I’m fascinated by whether or not we’re going to get a tour. I need JC [Chasez] to be back in the public consciousness. Source link

ATLANTA — Attorney and prominent conservative media figure Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a reduced charge over efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia, tearfully telling the judge she looks back on that time with “deep remorse.” Ellis, the fourth defendant in the case to enter into a plea deal with prosecutors, was a vocal part of Trump’s reelection campaign in the last presidential cycle and was charged alongside the Republican former president and 17 others with violating the state’s anti-racketeering law. Ellis pleaded guilty to a felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. She had been facing charges of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer. Jenna Ellis. (Photo by Fulton County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images) She rose to speak after pleading guilty, fighting back tears as she said she would have not have represented Trump after the 2020 election if she knew then what she knows now, claiming that she she relied on lawyers with much more experience than her and failed to verify the things they told her. “What I did not do but should have done, Your Honor, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true,” the 38-year-old Ellis said. The guilty plea from Ellis comes just days after two other defendants, fellow attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, entered guilty pleas. That means three high-profile people responsible for pushing baseless legal challenges to Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory have agreed to accept responsibility for their roles rather than take their chances before a jury. She was sentenced to five years of probation along with $5,000 in restitution, 100 hours of community service, writing an apology letter to the people of Georgia and testifying truthfully in trials related to this case. The early pleas and the favorable punishment — probation rather than jail — could foreshadow similar outcomes for additional defendants who may see an admission of guilt and cooperation as their best hope for leniency. Even so, their value as witnesses against Trump is unclear given that their direct participation in unfounded schemes will no doubt expose them to attacks on their credibility and bruising cross-examinations should they testify. The indictment in the sweeping case details a number of accusations against Ellis, including that she helped author plans on how to disrupt and delay congressional certification of the 2020 election’s results on Jan. 6, 2021, the day a mob of Trump supporters eventually overran the U.S. Capitol. Ellis is also accused of urging state legislators to unlawfully appoint a set of presidential electors loyal to Trump at a hearing in Pennsylvania, and she later appeared with some of those lawmakers and Trump at a meeting on the topic at the White House. The indictment further says she similarly pushed state lawmakers to back false, pro-Trump electors in Georgia as well as Arizona and Michigan. Before her plea, Ellis, who lives in Florida, was defiant, posting in August on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, “The Democrats and the Fulton County DA are criminalizing the practice of law. I am resolved to trust the Lord.” But she has been more critical of Trump since then, saying on conservative radio in September that she wouldn’t vote for him again, citing his “malignant, narcissistic tendency to simply say that he’s never done anything wrong.” Along with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Ellis was a leading voice in the Trump campaign’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, appearing frequently on television and conservative media to tell lies about widespread fraud that did not occur and spread misinformation and conspiracy theories. She was censured in Colorado in March after admitting she made repeated false statements about the 2020 election. That punishment was due in part to a Nov. 20, 2020, appearance on Newsmax, during which she said, “With all those states (Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia) combined we know that the election was stolen from President Trump, and we can prove that.” Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors accusing her of conspiring to intentionally interfere with the performance of election duties. Powell will serve six years of probation, will be fined $6,000 and has to write an apology letter to Georgia and its residents. Chesebro pleaded guilty to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents just as jury selection was getting underway in his trial. He was sentenced to five years’ probation and 100 hours of community service and was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, write an apology letter to Georgia’s residents and testify truthfully at any related future trial. A lower-profile defendant in the case, bail bondsman Scott Graham Hall, pleaded guilty last month to five misdemeanor charges. He was sentenced to five years of probation and agreed to testify in further proceedings. Trump and the other defendants, including his White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, have pleaded not guilty. ___ Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report. Source link

WASHINGTON – Countries are deadlocked over how to design a fund to help countries recover and rebuild from climate change-driven damage, with just over 30 days left before crucial United Nations climate negotiations kick off in Dubai. Two dozen countries involved in a committee tasked with designing a "loss and damage" fund wrapped up the last meeting in the early hours of Saturday in Aswan, Egypt, with developing and developed countries at odds over central questions: which entity should oversee the fund, who should pay and which countries would be eligible to receive funding. The committee was expected to draft a list of recommendations for implementing the fund, which was agreed in a breakthrough last year at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and would be the first U.N. fund dedicated to addressing irreparable climate-driven damage from drought, floods and rising sea levels. Instead, the group agreed to meet one more time in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 before the COP28 U.N. summit begins in Dubai on Nov. 30 to try to bridge divisions, which could set the tone for the two-week climate negotiations. "The entire COP28 negotiations could get derailed if developing countries’ priorities on funding for loss and damage are not adequately addressed," said Preety Bhandari, a senior adviser on finance at the World Resources Institute. Among the most contentious issues last week was whether the World Bank should host the fund — a position pushed by the U.S. and developed countries — or whether the U.N. create a new body to run the fund, as developing countries have urged. Housing a fund at the World Bank, whose presidents are appointed by the United States, would give donor countries outsized influence over the fund and result in high fees for recipient countries, developing countries argue. "Its operational culture, the way in which the World Bank has been assisting countries in their development policies, I think it's not fit for purpose in relation to what we're looking for from this new climate facility," said Cuba's U.N. Ambassador Pedro Pedroso Cuesta, chair of the Group of 77 (developing countries) and China. He said the creation of a "new independent entity" to run the fund is the core of its position. In response to these criticisms, a spokesperson for the World Bank said: "We are supporting the process and are committed to working with countries once they agree on how to structure the loss and damage fund." While the issue of which body will host the fund dominated the meeting, other key issues remain unresolved. The United States, the European Union and others want a more targeted fund. The EU wants a fund dedicated to the most "vulnerable" while the U.S. has said the fund should focus on areas like slow-onset climate impacts such as sea-level rise. Countries are also split over who should pay. Brandon Wu, director of policy & campaigns for NGO ActionAid USA called on the United States to back off its insistence that the World Bank house the fund. A State Department official said on Monday that U.S. support of the World Bank as the fund's host is not a red line for negotiations and it is open to other arrangements. The official said it is open to a proposal floated at the meeting for the World Bank to host the fund on an interim basis while countries evaluate its performance. Source link

Detroit has earned many monikers over the years — the Motor City, Motown and the Arsenal of Democracy are among the more well-known — but there’s one that might come as a surprise to many: “Bird City.” It is a nickname that anyone who has spent more than a minute or two in Detroit’s public and private spaces will immediately understand. Pheasants are everywhere. Detroit-based filmmaker Diane Cheklich, who recently completed a film focused on the city’s pheasants, pointed out that Detroit is probably the “only major urban center where pheasants or any wild game birds on a large scale can be seen wandering city streets and pathways.” “You don’t find them in New York, Chicago or San Francisco,” said Cheklich, a bird enthusiast who serves on the board of Detroit Audubon. “Ask any Detroiter. Everyone has a story about a pheasant encounter. It’s pretty cool. In fact, the bird has become an icon here.” Detroit even has a soccer team called the Corktown Pheasants and you can grab a beer at Brewery Faison (French for “pheasant”) while keeping an eye out for birds that wander the streets and wooded areas nearby. Recently, the flamboyant grasslands birds were one of eight species memorialized in a wildlife mural unveiled along the Dequindre Cut Greenway between Eastern Market and the Detroit Riverfront. The mural, created by Detroit-based artist and muralist Ed Irmen, is a public art project commissioned through a partnership between the Michigan Wildlife Council (MWC) and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to bring awareness to Michigan-managed wildlife. “While the abundant pheasant population in Detroit is not a direct result of any statewide conservation or management initiative, it is emblematic of the important work being done to preserve and enhance our outdoor space,” said Nick Buggia, chair of the MWC. “All Michiganders — whether in urban, suburban or rural communities — have a stake in wildlife management and protecting the outdoors.” In Michigan, conservation funding for the DNR relies primarily on hunting and fishing license fees — not taxes. Last year, those fees provided more than $65 million for conservation, habitat restoration and protection from invasive species. The Michigan Game and Fish Protection Fund, which is the DNR’s largest revenue source and is therefore critical to statewide conservation work, relies almost exclusively on hunting and fishing license fees, including a $25 license fee for pheasant hunting. This year, the DNR is releasing pheasants in 13 state game and wildlife areas throughout southern Michigan in time for the fall hunting season. It should be noted that Detroit’s urban pheasants can’t be hunted. Detroit’s pheasants have found a place of their own where residents and visitors alike can’t avoid running into the eye-catching bird nearly anywhere they go in “The D.” Cheklich said the birds’ presence is a result of the city’s abundant green space, something she called “accidental habitat” created unintentionally but preserved and expanded intentionally. “The pheasants don’t care whether their habitat is intentional or unintentional,” she said. Adam Shook, a DNR wildlife technician at Pointe Mouillee State Game Area south of Detroit, pointed to the city’s thriving pheasant population as an example of how a species can adapt to a changing landscape but must rely on thoughtful management and conservation over time. Meanwhile, Buggia emphasized the important role hunting plays throughout the state in wildlife management and conservation. “Hunting and fishing fees foot the bill from a state perspective as we work to protect Michigan’s wildlife and ecosystems by being good stewards of the land,” Buggia said. “It takes all of us — biologists, conservationists, bird-watchers, wildlife enthusiasts and all who love and enjoy the outdoors — working together to protect the beauty and vibrancy of our natural world,” Buggia said. “It has been said that it takes a village and it truly does.” The MWC is a governor-appointed, nine-member public body established by Michigan Public Act No. 246 of 2013 to educate the public on the importance of wildlife management. More information about the Michigan Wildlife Council and its work is available at www.HereForMiOutdoors.org. Source link

WILTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Haru Japanese Steakhouse has opened its doors in Wilton. The restaurant is in the former Golden Corral space at 15 Old Gick Road, across from Walmart. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Haru officially opened on October 19. The restaurant is owned by Tehen Yu, who also owns Koto Japanese Restaurant in Colonie. Golden Corral in Wilton closed at the beginning of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened. The Haru menu includes sushi, hibachi, fried rice, noodle and meat dishes, bubble tea, and more. You can view the full menu on the Haru website. New owners taking over former Miss Adams Diner The restaurant is open for dine-in and pick-up. Haru is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 9:45 p.m. Source link

Spotify gave an early peek at its two-week-old Audiobook rollout with chief executive Daniel Ek telling investors, “It’s early days, but we feel good.” “We just believe it is going to be a great product that will open up more authors to more consumers. And what we have seen is that when we enter a business, it gets bigger,” he said on a call after strong third quarter financials that included a swing to profitability as users weathered price hikes pretty well and despite investment in the audiobook launch. CFO Paul Vogel called the quarter an “inflection point” for the company which now expects to be consistently profitable. Audiobooks on Spotify, announced early this month, has launched in a few markets including the UK and will roll out to the U.S. this winter. Premium subscribers get 15 hours free a month and can top that off with discrete credit card payments if they want more. “We are seeing them [users] doing that,” some “heavily,” Ek said. “The base is obviously very small [but] we are encouraged by what we are seeing” by the company’s next big push after podcasts. The CEO and founder was also upbeat on advertising as Generative AI will make it cheaper and easier for marketers to move into the audio ad market. Today creating a great audio ad is quite costly, said Ek. Marketers “obviously already make the investment for video because there are a lot of platforms that are available. But we are one of the few that offers audio ads in a big way at scale.” AI lowers costs. And it can help advertisers scale their creative “in unimaginable ways,” he said. “You can translate whatever creative you have into lots of different languages. You can use the same voice actor, instead of producing one or two ads, you can have a thousand or ten thousand or even a hundred thousand ads that are individually created for each user…So there’s lots of possibilities that lowers the barrier to entry for marketers on the ad side using generative AI.” It’s early days here as well but “we are experimenting” with what Ek expects to be “a big catalyst” for its ads biz going forward. Spotify has also introduced DJ, an AI personalization technology that offers users music recommendations based on listening history as wel and facts about thhe music, artists and genres. Source link

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested and now faces multiple charges for allegedly interacting with a minor.Jemiah Thomas, 35, is now booked at the Broward County Jail where he awaits his court hearing, set for Tuesday morning.This arrest, carried out by the same agency where Thomas served, comes after he was accused of obscene communication using a computer to seduce a child, transmission of harmful material to the child, travelling to meet a minor after using a computer to solicit them, and lewd and lascivious behavior. Thomas will be able to bond out of jail after appearing before a judge. BSO officials have been contacted for more details. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story. Copyright 2023 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox Source link

Newsletter Sed ut perspiciatis unde. Subscribe The Connectivity Standards Alliance has announced the release of Matter 1.2, the second update to the Matter standard. Matter 1.2 – now available for device manufacturers and platforms – brings a slew of enhancements, including nine new device types, core specification improvements, and robust certification and testing tools. New device types Matter 1.2 introduces support for a range of new devices, enhancing interoperability and security. These include: Refrigerators: In addition to basic temperature control, this device type encompasses a wide range of related appliances, including deep freezers and specialised fridges designed for items such as wine. Room air conditioners: Standalone units with temperature and fan mode control. Dishwashers: Featuring remote start, progress notifications, and operational error alerts. Laundry washers: Providing cycle completion notifications. Robotic vacuums: Supporting various cleaning modes and detailed status reporting. Smoke & carbon monoxide alarms: Notifications, audio-visual signals, and self-testing features. Air quality sensors: Reporting on various pollutants with location-based AQI information. Air purifiers: Utilising Air Quality Sensors, offering filter status notifications. Fans: Including movement control, airflow direction adjustment, and speed settings. Core improvements In addition to new devices, Matter 1.2 includes core specification enhancements: Latch & bolt door locks: Tailored for European markets. Device appearance: Descriptions for accurate device representation. Device & endpoint composition: Hierarchical device modelling for complex setups. Semantic tags: Enabling consistent rendering and application across different clients. Operational states: Expressing device modes in a generic way for universal support. Under-the-hood enhancements Matter 1.2 brings vital improvements to testing and certification: New platform support in SDK: Expanding developer possibilities. Enhancements to the Matter Test Harness: Ensuring correct implementation and open-source availability. Looking ahead With Matter 1.2, engineers and product leaders globally can support new device types and features—promising an even richer smart home experience for consumers and developers alike. Expect a surge in Matter-enabled products this Fall, with continuous updates and expansions slated for 2024. (Photo by Ihor Saveliev on Unsplash) See also: Eseye: ‘Sub-standard connectivity’ is jeopardising IoT success Want to learn about the IoT from industry leaders? Check out IoT Tech Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with Digital Transformation Week. Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here. Tags: connectivity standards alliance, csa, internet of things, IoT, matter, matter iot, matter standard, smart home, standards Source link

monsitj Bond Stuff While many, if not most, readers are familiar with exactly why rising interest rates have pummeled bonds and bond funds over the last two years, sometimes the basics are worth revisiting. When interest rates rise, yields on outstanding bonds rise as well. The mechanism by which this happens is the falling of the bond's price on the secondary market. Compared with the stock market, the bond market is relatively precise--it is difficult to find and take advantage of market mispricing, and when the opportunity does arise the payoff is usually quite small, or must be executed with significant leverage for the juice to be worth the squeeze, so to speak. Thus, bond fund holders have found themselves subject to the business end of the ruthless reality of a bond market in a rising interest rate environment (something few market participants can claim to have experience of). PIMCO Dynamic Income Fund (NYSE:PDI) knows this pain all too well. PDI 3-Year Price Return (Seeking Alpha) Over the last three years, PDI has declined by 32% on a price return basis. On a total return basis (which assumes dividends are reinvested), the return is somewhat better at a negative 4%. Several analysts on this site have made the bull case for PDI in recent week, and in this article we hope to present a contrarian view that PDI's pain is far from over. Let's dive in. The Fund The PIMCO Dynamic Income Fund, according to its website (accessed October 21, 2023), is intended to do the following: Offering access to PIMCO's best income-generating ideas across multiple global fixed income sectors, the multi-sector fund seeks current income as a primary objective and capital appreciation as a secondary objective. The fund normally invests worldwide in a portfolio of debt obligations and other income-producing securities of any type and credit quality, with varying maturities and related derivative instruments. The fund's investment universe includes mortgage-backed securities, investment grade and high yield corporates, developed and emerging markets corporate and sovereign bonds, other income-producing securities and related derivative instruments. The fund also notes in the following paragraph that "[t]he Fund may normally invest up to 40% of its total assets in securities of issuers economically tied to emerging market countries." As of this writing, the fund boasts an impressive forward dividend of 16.6% according to Seeking Alpha data, which is naturally the main attractor of investors to the fund. Now, there are lots of funds that invest "worldwide in a portfolio of debt obligations and other income-producing securities of any type and credit quality," but very few of them can generate a dividend of PDI's magnitude. Why is that? Leverage. PDI Leverage (PDI Website, accessed October 21, 2023)) According to PDI's Fund Card from June 30, 2023, the fund has net assets of $4.58 billion, and total managed assets of $8.16 billion. That leverage allows the fund to magnify returns in the fixed income instruments in which it invests. As can be seen, virtually all of the leverage takes the form of reverse repo agreements, which are agreements between the fund and counterparties to exchange cash for securities with an agreement to buy them back at an agreed upon (and generally higher) price. This arrangement isn't free, of course, and once the cost of the leverage is factored in, PDI becomes relatively pricey (you can view the fund's fees in greater detail on page S-5 of the Fund Prospectus). PDI Fees & Expenses (Fund Website, Accessed October 21st, 2023) Once the expenses from the leverage are factored in, PDI's total expense ratio comes out to 5.12%. Looking back in time would likely show a smaller expense for leverage, since the going rate for reverse repos typically moves with interest rates. So as it stands today, investors in PDI are looking at 5% off the bat in expense annually. Are there environments where this strategy would work quite well? Yes, of course. Is the current environment one that is conducive to the strategy? We don't think so. To evidence this, consider the fund's undistributed net investment income profile: PDI UNII Sheet (PIMCO Fund Website, Accessed October 22, 2023) The Fund had a negative $0.59 per share in estimated undistributed net income for the month of September. The notes to this section point out that "A negative or zero value for UNII represents the potential for a return of capital (ROC) on an estimated tax basis." This figure has been falling since at least March of 2023: PDI Estimated UNII (PDI Data, Author's Collation, Accessed October 23rd, 2023) The Outlook Market participants seem to be souring on the outlook for interest rates in the next three to four months. Fed Rate Probability for 31 Jan 2024 (CME FedWatch) Bond traders now think there is a roughly 40% chance that interest rates will be at 5.5%-5.75% come January 2024. The current target rate is 5.25%-5.5%. The current estimated duration of PDI is 3.48 years, so, while not fully precise, it can be estimated that a 1% move in rates either way will result in a NAV reduction (in the case of rising rates) or increase (in the case of falling rates) of 3.48%. Our estimates tell us then that a 25-50bps increase in interest rates could negatively impact PDI's NAV by 87-174bps. The Bottom Line PDI's strategy is sound, but we do not believe that the current environment is a favorable one for it. With the possibility of higher interest rates on the horizon and the leverage utilized by the fund, we think that the prospect of pain is far from over. Risks to our thesis include a dramatic cut in interest rates, but we think that in the event of a recession it is more likely that the Fed would pursue a gradual reduction strategy. Source link

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The 2023-24 NBA season begins Tuesday night with two Western Conference matchups that should set the tone for another spicy season. The defending champion Denver Nuggets will receive their rings and then host the Los Angeles Lakers in the season’s first game. There might be lingering beef from the Nuggets’ Western Conference finals sweep, so bring the popcorn. In the second game, Kevin Durant returns to the Bay Area with the Phoenix Suns’ Big 3 of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to face the Golden State Warriors, who now employ “sixth starter” Chris Paul. You’ll need a popcorn refill for that one. On Wednesday night, hyped rookie Victor Wembanyama debuts for the San Antonio Spurs, highlighting a full slate of games. Giannis Antetokounmpo and new running mate Damian Lillard will face the Philadelphia 76ers (with or without James Harden) on Thursday. Yahoo Sports will have full coverage of all opening-week highlights. Ahead of training camps and the preseason, Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Ben Rohrbach recapped a busy offseason with 16 key storylines. While some have found their resolution, a lot is still to be determined as the season opens Tuesday. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of tipoff. Yahoo Sports’ predictions 🔮 It wouldn’t be a new season without a set of predictions of what lies ahead. Yahoo Sports’ senior NBA writers — Vincent Goodwill, Dan Devine, Jake Fischer and Ben Rohrbach — make their picks for the league’s top awards, playoff teams, conference finals matchups, the NBA Finals matchup, NBA champion and Finals MVP. (Illustration by Michael Wagstaffe/Yahoo Sports) (Illustration by Michael Wagstaffe/Yahoo Sports) Agree or disagree? Make your picks in the comments. (Illustration by Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Wemby Watch 👀 From comparisons to the best and most-hyped NBA players to sold-out Summer League sessions and eye-popping preseason highlights, NBA fans can’t get enough of 2023 NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama. Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill writes: Nobody does hype better than the NBA, utilizing every avenue to promote its current and future stars. Oftentimes, the trailer makes the movie look better than it is. There’s been too many cases to count, too many laughable instances of players not being worth the paper their posters were plastered over NBA-sanctioned canvases. 🔗 Read more from Goodwill on Wembanyama’s expectations. 👶 Yahoo Sports NBA Draft analyst Krysten Peek on other rookies to watch this season. NBA Levels 🏆 Yahoo Sports set out this preseason to come up with a definitive placement of the top players for the 2023-24 season. Nine Yahoo Sports writers, editors and producers submitted ballots with their individual player placements in four levels. Players were assigned points based on the level they were placed on each ballot to determine overall level placement. Players had to appear on the majority of ballots to be considered for this project. Players were not ranked numerically in each level nor in the overall project. Instead, they were assigned a level based on the aggregate voting. Each level has a varied number of players for a total of 39 players making the project. 🔗 See the full list of the top 39 NBA players in four levels. (Illustration by Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) (Illustration by Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) (Illustration by Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) (Illustration by Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The Bill Russell Scale 🐐 Now in its third season, The Bill Russell Scale aims to create an unbiased ranking of the top-75 unassailable players in NBA history based on a career that was close to perfection. Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Ben Rohrbach designed the system to rank past and current NBA players based on Russell’s career. The 75 greatest players in NBA history, according to the 100-point scale (active players in bold): 1. Bill Russell (100)2. Michael Jordan (99)3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (97)4. LeBron James (96) T5. Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant (92)T8. Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal (89)10. Larry Bird (87.2)T11. Bob Pettit, Oscar Robertson, Karl Malone (84)14. Hakeem Olajuwon (83.9)15. Jerry West (82.9)16. Kevin Durant (82.8) 17. Moses Malone (80)18. John Havlicek (79.2)19. Dirk Nowitzki (79)T20. Kevin Garnett, David Robinson, Chris Paul (78) 23. Charles Barkley (77)24. Bob Cousy (76.3)25. Stephen Curry (75.4) 26. Dolph Schayes (74.8)27. James Harden (73.4) 28. George Mikan (72.2)29. Elgin Baylor (72)30. Dwyane Wade (71.7)31. John Stockton (71)32. Patrick Ewing (70.2)33. Julius Erving (69.2)34. Dwight Howard (68.8)35. Scottie Pippen (67.5)36. Russell Westbrook (67.4) 37. Elvin Hayes (67)38. Steve Nash (66.6)39. Gary Payton (66.3)40. Giannis Antetokounmpo (66.2) T41. Paul Arizin, Allen Iverson (65.5)T43. George Gervin, Clyde Drexler (65.2)T45. Rick Barry, Jason Kidd (64.9)47. Dominique Wilkins (64.4)48. Paul Pierce (64)49. Robert Parish (63.1)50. Isiah Thomas (62.6)51. Sam Jones (61.8)52. Carmelo Anthony (61.3)53. Walt Frazier (61)54. Ray Allen (60.5)55. Pau Gasol (60)56. Tracy McGrady (59.3)57. Tony Parker (59.1)58. Hal Greer (59)59. Damian Lillard (58.9) T60. Bill Sharman, Nikola Jokić (58.7) 62. Anthony Davis (58.6) 63. Chris Bosh (58.2)T64. Willis Reed, Reggie Miller (57.9)66. Kawhi Leonard (57.4) 67. LaMarcus Aldridge (57.2)T68. Dave Cowens, Kevin McHale (56.9)70. Chauncey Billups (56.6)71. Paul George (56.3) 72. Grant Hill (56.2)73. Bob McAdoo (55.5)74. Jerry Lucas (55.4)T75. Bob Lanier, Vince Carter (55.3) 🔗 See the full methodology and where more current players rank.  Hot Takes We Might Actually Believe 🔥 Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Ben Rohrbach takes an annual trip too close to the sun, daring you to stand the swelter of these views in his preseason series, Hot Takes We Might Actually Believe. 5 Most Interesting Teams 🤔 Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Dan Devine took a closer look at a handful of squads he finds particularly compelling heading into the 2023-24 season. His look at the five most interesting teams in the NBA — to him, if not necessarily to anyone else: Reintroduction to the NBA title race 🎰 Dan Devine looked at the six teams enter the 2023-24 campaign with championship odds of 15-to-1 (+1500) or better, according to BetMGM, earlier this month. While the odds have slightly changed, the teams remain. He makes the case for and against each title contender. Milwaukee Bucks (+400) Boston Celtics (+400) Denver Nuggets (+550) Phoenix Suns (+650) Los Angeles Lakers (+1300) Golden State Warriors (+1400) Fantasy basketball tips 📱 Welcome to the start of a new fantasy basketball season! Navigating through all the potential paths that lead to success can be tricky with all that goes into drafting. Don’t worry, though, because Yahoo Sports fantasy basketball analyst Dan Titus shares insights into what works and doesn’t so you can move forward confidently. Quick tips: 😴 Sleeper picks: Centers | Forwards | Guards 📉 Players to fade: Centers | Forwards | Guards 💪 Breakout candidates: Centers | Forwards | Guards 🔢 Draft ranking tiers: Centers | Power forwards | Small forwards | Shooting guards | Point guards 💻 Mock drafts: 12-team points | 12-team category How to watch the NBA season 📺 National TV broadcasts will again be on ESPN, TNT and NBA TV this season, with some teams choosing local broadcast options available in those markets. NBA League Pass is available for fans who want to watch out-of-market games (local restrictions apply) that aren’t nationally broadcast. Stream every out-of-market game NBA League Pass 📅 Dan Devine’s can’t-miss games of the 2023-24 NBA season. Follow Yahoo Sports’ NBA coverage all season 🏀 🎧 Ball Don’t Lie podcast: Subscribe to the “Ball Don’t Lie” podcast feed where ever you listen to podcasts for four shows per week from Vincent Goodwill, Dan Devine and Jake Fischer. Mondays: “Good Word with Goodwill” hosts Vincent Goodwill’s friends around the basketball world to discuss the latest news and buzzy topics around the Association. Tuesdays: “Devine Intervention” brings you some basketball therapy as Dan Devine hosts guests who need some self-help. Wednesdays: Vincent Goodwill is back for a second “Good Word with Goodwill” solo episode where he talks through whatever is on his mind. Thursdays: “No Cap Room” features Jake Fischer and Dan Devine taking you behind the scenes to tell you what’s really going on in the NBA. 📧 Ball Don’t Lie newsletter: Subscribe to the weekly “Ball Don’t Lie” newsletter to get the latest basketball news from Yahoo Sports’ insiders each Thursday in your inbox. 👩‍💻 Follow Yahoo Sports on social media: Be part of the “Ball Don’t Lie” community on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. 🟪 Yahoo Sports quick links: Scores/schedule | Injury report | Standings | Statistical leaders | Fantasy hoops | Latest news /* */ Source link

Membership Garrafones, an undefeated soccer group from South Los Angeles, arrived in Irvine on Saturday able to play. The opposing group, Irvine Zeta FC II, was youthful and decrease ranked however managed to drag an upset. A purple card gave Zeta a penalty kick within the second half, and so they scored, finally profitable 2 to 1. After the sport ended, a back-and-forth between opposing gamers become a dispute, an outright combat and, finally, a brawl.Gamers pushed each other. Mother and father, household and spectators descended onto the sphere. Kicks, shoves and punches got here in waves over the following jiffy.“Certainly one of their gamers got here up and punched my participant,” stated Bryan Wallace, head coach of Irvine Zeta, “and that began your complete factor. Their group and their dad and mom and a bunch of men on their bench simply began attacking.“Certainly one of their coaches attacked the goalkeeper. One of many different coaches attacked and kicked a mum or dad. That to me is mind-blowing,” Wallace stated. “We're purported to set an instance of how you can act.”The combat resulted in considered one of Wallace’s 17-year-old gamers struggling a damaged nostril; a participant’s dad was kicked within the head; a number of gamers left with cut up lips, and one other had a chipped tooth.“They're on paper higher than us, and so they misplaced the sport,” Wallace stated. “They usually had been actually triggered by that.”The brawl lasted a minimum of 4 minutes. The incident is beneath investigation, stated Sgt. Karie Davies of the Irvine Police Division. The inquiry will entail poring over cellphone footage by witnesses, which was broadcast by Fox11.“I reviewed the video, and it’s very chaotic,” Davies informed The Occasions. “It should take time to type out what occurred and get folks recognized.”United Premier Soccer League, the skilled improvement league with greater than 400 golf equipment, together with Zeta and Garrafones, introduced this weekend it was investigating the dispute. Late Monday, the group expelled Membership Garrafones “efficient instantly.”“Because of a mindless and violent, post-game altercation on Saturday, Membership Garrafones has been faraway from the UPSL and a lifetime ban has been put in place for the group and its teaching workers,” the league stated in an announcement. “All their remaining video games will probably be declared a forfeit.”Reached Monday, the top coach and proprietor of Membership Garrafones stated he and his gamers felt maligned by the swift expulsion and what he referred to as a rush to judgment.The coach, Roger Navarro, and his spouse, Evelyn, informed The Occasions that the opposing group — Wallace’s gamers — began the dispute. Of their telling, considered one of Garrafones’ gamers fouled considered one of Wallace’s gamers close to the sport’s ultimate moments. As a substitute of strolling away, the Zetas participant “went and tried to assault the participant that fouled him,” Navarro stated. One other Garrafones participant tried to intervene and break up the scuffle, solely to get hit from behind. “That’s the way it began. That was the primary brawl — but it surely wasn’t recorded,” Evelyn stated. Navarro was extra blunt: The Zetas “had been whooping our a—” earlier than the digicam began rolling. His level was that after the cameras started recording, an act of self-defense appeared like useless aggression.Navarro conceded the sight captured by video cameras was not fairly. “Every thing appears dangerous on our facet. I do know we glance dangerous. But it surely wasn’t like they are saying it was,” Navarro stated. Navarro and his spouse stated his gamers — practically all Latinos from low-income backgrounds — confronted repeated harassment and racial slurs from the opposing group in Irvine as the sport pressed on Saturday evening. The goalie, who wore a pink uniform, was taunted as “Peppa Pig” and shamed for his look, whereas different gamers had been derided with slurs like “wetback” and “beaner.”“We didn’t begin nothing, sir,” Navarro stated. “We had been defending ourselves.” Wallace, the coach of Irvine Zeta, rejected the accusation that his gamers uttered racial slurs.“That’s full nonsense,” Wallace stated. “My very own gamers could be offended if any of my gamers stated that.” He famous the a number of gamers on his group who hail from Mexico, Korea, and France. “My goalkeeper who obtained beat up is Mexican,” he added. “The rightback is Black from France. ... It’s a mix of individuals.”Police sirens introduced the combat to an finish. Navarro and his group left and returned to L.A. Wallace stated he stayed behind to speak to police, and the officers collected statements from spectators who had noticed the melee. The referees additionally drew up a report on what they witnessed, which was used to tell soccer league officers as they weighed whether or not to expel Navarro and his group.Wallace stated the opposing coach left the scene rapidly, and questioned why he would achieve this: “When you really feel you're on the flawed facet of something that occurred Saturday, keep. Communicate to the police. Make your case. Communicate up. Don’t run away. Present up, comply with the principles, belief the system.“The sort of habits is unacceptable,” he later added.Navarro stated the brawl and the elimination from the league had been setbacks for him and his group. He contrasted his soccer membership with different wealthier teams within the league, with dad and mom sometimes paying a whole lot of dollars and spending way more for his or her youngsters to journey and compete.“We’re not like each different academy that prices all these charges,” Navarro stated. He and his spouse stated the group had supplied a pathway for gamers to push themselves to finish their GEDs and go to group school. “We need to assist hold these youngsters out of hassle.” Source link

Tyson Bagent prides himself on his preparation. It's, he says, a giant a part of what has propelled him from being a zero-star highschool recruit in West Virginia to the verge of his first NFL begin Sunday at Soldier Discipline. So when the query got here to Bagent on Wednesday throughout his first information convention because the Chicago Bears Week 7 beginning quarterback, he responded as if he had ready for this too. What was his backup plan if this dream to play within the NFL didn’t materialize out of his uncommon path by means of Division II soccer? “I used to be going to principally simply CrossFit my life away, get as ripped and jacked as I probably may,” Bagent mentioned with out lacking a beat. “And be a instructor at Martinsburg Excessive Faculty.” Martinsburg Excessive, positioned in japanese West Virginia about 80 miles from Washington, D.C., must wait to rent its ripped alumnus. Bagent, 23, has extra odds to defy. 5 years in the past, Bagent was starting his collegiate profession at Division II Shepherd, in Shepherdstown, W.Va., his native college and the alma mater of his mother and father. He had acquired simply two Division I FCS presents — and no FBS presents — regardless of main his highschool crew to 2 state championships. Lower than six months in the past, he went unselected within the NFL draft regardless of a record-breaking collegiate profession and stable efficiency on the Senior Bowl. Seven weeks in the past, after a powerful coaching camp and preseason, he beat out veteran PJ Walker to make the Bears roster regardless of getting into camp because the fourth quarterback. Now, on Sunday when he takes the sector in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders, Bagent will turn into simply the fourth undrafted rookie quarterback since 1990 to begin inside the first seven video games of the season, the final Devlin Hodges in 2019, based on NFL Communications. The period of this chance is unclear. The Bears have mentioned starter Justin Fields’ return from a thumb damage will rely on his grip energy, and coach Matt Eberflus provided an encouraging replace Friday, saying Fields shouldn't be headed towards injured reserve or surgical procedure as of now. However no matter how lengthy Bagent has, he hopes to guide the Bears with a confidence that has impressed teammates and coaches — and that he says comes from being ready for a second he and his father, a world champion arm wrestler, all the time believed was going to reach. “Me and my dad actually have been the one ones who thought that this was going to occur,” Bagent mentioned. “After that, it was simply determining how I may outwork everyone that perhaps had extra issues than I did, had higher amenities and all that stuff. It was actually simply attempting to get it out of the mud, placing a variety of work within the shadows, simply so I’d be prepared for this week.” ‘Working his tail off’ On the brief break NFL rookies get between minicamp in June and the start of coaching camp in July, Bagent knew he wanted to observe relaying play calls, so he enlisted the assistance of Michael McCook, a former Shepherd tight finish, present assistant and the son of head coach Ernie McCook. Bagent stood in the course of the soccer subject sporting an earpiece and took cellphone calls from his good friend. Michael McCook delivered the play name to Bagent, who then went by means of the presnap course of, approaching the invisible huddle to present the decision, placing his imaginary teammates in movement and making changes on the line of scrimmage. “They did it in particular person, after which if one was on trip or on the seashore, they'd do it by phone,” Ernie McCook mentioned. “And that’s who he's. I informed each NFL scout that got here in right here, ‘You're by no means going to embarrass your self by bringing him up, leaping on the desk for him. I don’t know if he could make your crew. However no one is ever going to say, why did we deliver this man into camp?’ And I believe that’s displaying up.” Ernie McCook watched Bagent develop up. He went to the identical church because the Bagent household and taught Bagent’s father, Travis, at Shepherd. He noticed the household’s oldest little one from afar, noting the way in which he carried himself with poise as a highschool scholar who was well-known within the space due to his prep success. And as quickly as Bagent signed with Shepherd, McCook noticed the work the quarterback was prepared to place in. Bagent, nonetheless a highschool senior, arrived at spring practices to face behind the huddle and observe. McCook likes to inform a narrative from July of Bagent’s sophomore 12 months. The Friday earlier than offensive coordinator Tye Hiatt left for a household trip, Bagent known as to see if he may go over to his home to evaluate some issues on offense. That evening, Hiatt’s spouse made dinner and packed the van so the pair may speak soccer. It was the center of summer time, however Bagent couldn’t wait per week to confer together with his coordinator. Bagent sees work like that as a gas for his confidence, particularly going up in opposition to competitors that's far superior to what he has confronted for many of his profession. “Going by means of school soccer, you begin to see guys who're actually good that don’t make it as a result of they don’t know the place they’re going,” Bagent mentioned. “So in the event you’re not the quickest man right here and also you’re not the very best athlete on the sector, so long as you understand the place you’re going … or know what everyone’s doing, you’re normally going to function a little bit bit higher than guys that is perhaps a little bit bit higher than you bodily. “Particularly at this degree, everyone’s actually good and actually quick, so actually understanding what’s happening round me has been the one actual point of interest since I’ve been right here.” When Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy first received to know Bagent whereas teaching on the Senior Bowl in January, Getsy thought the quarterback was a little bit nervous. However as he received to know Bagent higher all through the week, he realized Bagent was merely ultrafocused on his preparation. “It was as a result of he was working his tail off a lot by the point we received to Wednesday, Thursday (of that week) I noticed a man able to rock and roll,” Getsy mentioned. That work has carried over to making ready in his position with the Bears. Vast receiver Tyler Scott sat subsequent to Bagent on a few airplane rides dwelling from video games, and Bagent already was diving into movie. When Bagent watched Fields take starters reps throughout practices earlier this season, Eberflus requested the backup two or thrice per interval to inform him a couple of play — and Bagent all the time was on it. And tight finish Cole Kmet mentioned Bagent didn’t mess up a play name within the huddle over the past week of observe. “And these are lengthy play calls,” Kmet mentioned. “You’d have a tricky time repeating this stuff.” Bagent mentioned when the Bears wanted him to play when Fields was injured within the third quarter Sunday in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings, he reassured them he was prepared. “No matter they wish to placed on that decision sheet shall be understood by means of and thru on my own,” he mentioned. “I put that on me going into the sport final week. I simply informed them, ‘I do know you guys have a variety of religion in me, however I wish to let you understand I do know the entire name sheet so don’t be afraid to do your factor, name your performs. Don’t hinder the offense simply because I’m getting into there as a result of I’ve ready for this all week.’ So I take satisfaction in doing that.” Alongside together with his preparation, Bagent has one thing else that provides him confidence — a complete lot of soccer underneath his belt, even when it was in opposition to lesser competitors. A record-breaking profession The throw Brian Walker calls “arguably the best move in Division II historical past” got here in opposition to Notre Dame within the remaining seconds of the second spherical of the 2021 playoffs. To be clear, that’s Notre Dame School of South Euclid, Ohio. Notre Dame took a 34-31 lead with 28 seconds to play. However after a kickoff return and a 32-yard Bagent move, Shepherd had the ball on the Falcons 23-yard line with 10 seconds to play. Because the pocket collapsed, Bagent broke proper and delivered a strike within the remaining second to Josh Gontarek, who made the leaping catch ultimately zone, tumbled down and ran to the fence, the place exuberant followers watching from a hill scrambled right down to have a good time. “The stadium goes loopy,” Walker mentioned. A couple of weeks later, Bagent gained the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the very best participant in D-II soccer. That landing move was one in every of an NCAA all-divisions document 159 Bagent threw throughout his profession at Shepherd. Walker, a decent finish, caught No. 149, which set the D-II document in opposition to East Stroudsburg, whose coach, Jimmy Terwilliger, held the earlier document. And Walker additionally caught No. 158 in opposition to Indiana (Pa.), which broke the NCAA all-divisions document held by Monmouth’s Alex Tanney, now the Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach. “We knew a very long time in the past that Tyson was the true deal,” mentioned Walker, who spent the offseason program with the Baltimore Ravens. “What he’s doing proper now could be nothing however wonderful, however not shocking for guys which have seen him for therefore lengthy.” Out of highschool, Bagent solely acquired presents from FCS Albany and Robert Morris, an apparent “mistake” by different applications, McCook declared. “Their choices made me very fortunate and our program very fortunate,” he mentioned. Bagent seized Shepherd’s beginning position as a freshman, throwing for 518 yards in his first sport, and by the tip of that season, McCook realized Bagent was his greatest participant and chief on the sector. His stats received higher every season, getting to five,000 yards and 53 touchdowns in his junior 12 months. “We by no means felt we have been out of a sport,” McCook mentioned. “He has a solution to will groups to win. He has nice poise and composure. He has an incredible competitiveness. And he’s one in every of these gamers I actually imagine make folks round them higher.” After that 2021 season, Bagent entered the switch portal to weigh going to a Division I college and made official visits to West Virginia and Maryland. He strongly thought-about Maryland however ultimately determined to remain at Shepherd as a result of the trail to commencement would have required considerably extra credit score hours if he transferred and he needed keep close to his sick grandfather. “I didn’t suppose it might have an effect on my capacity to get (to the NFL). I believed it would have an effect on the inventory a little bit bit,” Bagent mentioned of not transferring. “However I felt like I used to be already enjoying for the very best teaching workers. I felt like I used to be already in a successful scenario. In hindsight, I undoubtedly made the appropriate choice in staying and coming again.” McCook had listened to Bagent all through the entire course of as a highschool coach may advise his recruit, attempting to take away his viewpoint from the scenario, however when Bagent known as to inform him he was staying at Shepherd it was a reduction for each. Bagent was set to go to the compliance workplace to be faraway from the portal the next Monday, however snow blanketed the Shepherd campus, shutting down the amenities and delaying the transfer. The following day when Bagent went into the athletic workplaces, an anxious McCook provided to stroll him right down to the compliance workplace. “It was a kind of issues I needed to ensure it occurred,” McCook mentioned with amusing. “It was one thing I’m glad he did as a result of he received an opportunity to discover it. … I simply needed to ensure he had a possibility to get into an NFL camp.” McCook mentioned they tried to “roll out the pink carpet” for the scouts from each NFL crew that traveled to Shepherdstown over the following 12 months as Bagent threw for 4,580 yards, 41 touchdowns and eight interceptions as a senior. That Bagent wasn’t one in every of 14 quarterbacks drafted this 12 months was a shock to these at Shepherd who noticed him throw for 17,034 profession passing yards — the Athletic had given him a seventh-round grade — nevertheless it paved the way in which for the Bears to step in and signal him as an undrafted free agent. Poise wanted Throughout Bagent’s school profession, Shepherd had a soccer fundraiser known as “Pulling for the Rams,” at which gamers competed in tug of warfare in entrance of followers. On the finish, Travis Bagent lined up the entire gamers and arm wrestled every one after the other. “He put us all down,” Walker mentioned. “We’ve all had our style of the arm wrestling, and none of us have been pursuing it since.” Within the few conferences with Chicago reporters to date, Tyson Bagent is fast to attach his household’s assist to his success and motivation. Travis Bagent, whom Walker known as “every part you’d need in a dad, every part you’d need in a sports activities agent, marketer,” is a loud, outgoing man who earned a reputation by means of his arm-wrestling prowess effectively earlier than his son turned identified. Bears broad receiver Darnell Mooney had seen a video of Travis arm wrestling NFL Network host Tom Pelissero on the scouting mix this 12 months. When Mooney put it collectively that Travis was Tyson’s father, it made sense. “I’m like, ‘Oh, I see the place you get your confidence from,’ ” Mooney mentioned. As McCook sees it, Travis has been a driving power in his son’s aggressive nature, whereas Tyson’s mom, Casey, is the extra laid-back, calming presence. Tyson, he mentioned, is a mixture of each. And Bagent definitely will want each this weekend. Bagent didn’t brush off the questions this week concerning the variations between enjoying West Chester (Pa.) one 12 months in the past and the Raiders and Professional Bowl defensive finish Maxx Crosby this week. He was made conscious of what he was dealing with three snaps into changing Fields in opposition to the Vikings, when security Josh Metellus knocked the ball from his palms and linebacker Jordan Hicks returned it for a landing. Bagent bounced again to guide a landing drive however then threw an interception to Byron Murphy Jr. on an underthrown deep shot to DJ Moore because the Bears have been attempting to take the lead. It was one in every of many studying experiences he’s certain to face for so long as he’s beginning for the Bears. “He’s proper in the course of the pocket and he took three hitches,” Getsy mentioned. “He actually ran himself into the left guard. So, it’s one hitch, let it fly. … Should you get the hesitation, you then’ve received to go get your checkdown, and he didn’t try this.” Poise has been a typical descriptor amongst those that know Bagent effectively and people nonetheless attending to know him. It’s certain to be examined Sunday, however Walker mentioned he all the time handed the problem at his earlier cease. “Cool as a cucumber,” Walker mentioned. “That’s not coachable. That’s one thing you’re born with and also you develop by yourself. … He can throw an interception and he’s not going to come back to the sideline and begin screaming and yelling, throwing stuff round, nothing like that. He evaluates what occurs, takes it, will get again on the market and makes the correction.” Bagent’s alternative within the beginning position is perhaps short-lived. Eberflus mentioned the swelling in Fields’ hand has gone down and Fields is getting some energy again in it. The Bears will give him the reins again when he’s wholesome. So Bagent must reap the benefits of what he's given to make an impression. Bagent mentioned his members of the family checked in with him all week to ensure he wasn’t “freaking out behind the scenes” as he ready. He informed them he was good. “Coming from the place I come from, I’ve just about beat each odd that there was for me,” Bagent mentioned. “So I’ve received nothing to lose. I’m going to go on the market and combat with these guys to the loss of life and attempt to stack up as many wins as I can till we get Justin again.” () Source link