Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said he would be “reluctant” to welcome Chinese-owned business ventures into his state, another indication of how US-China tensions have reverberated across America’s local politics.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-21/oklahoma-governor-kevin-stitt-reluctant-to-host-chinese-ventures
The No. 13 Hurricanes have been hit hard by the injury bug in recent weeks, but some players may get back on the field when UM travels to play Virginia Tech this weekend. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. was not on Thursday’s injury report, cornerback OJ Frederique Jr. is probable and defensive tackle David Blay Jr. is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. However, linebacker Kellen Wiley Jr. was listed as out. Fletcher has missed UM’s previous two games, and Frederique has missed the previous three games. Blay suffered an injury against Syracuse and did not play last week. Additionally, wide receiver CJ Daniels, who has missed the last three games, was not listed on the injury report. Daniels was not listed on last week’s game-day injury report, but UM held him out of the game anyway. Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said it was his call to keep Daniels out another week, but he expects him to play Saturday. “I feel great about his availability this week,” Cristobal said. Nickelback Keionte Scott is listed as out for the game, as expected. Cristobal said Monday that he did not think it was likely Scott would return this season. “I don’t know,” Cristobal said. “Like we mentioned, it is a more significant injury. You certainly hope and pray for (him to come back). But it doesn’t look like it’s very likely. But I hate to rule it out completely because you just never know.” The ACC is mandating its football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball teams report which players are available prior to each conference game. Football teams are required to submit an initial report two days before the game, an updated report one day before the game and a game day report no later than two hours before the game starts. Teams “must act in good faith to comply with this policy,” according to the conference. The conference mandates teams announce which players meet certain designations. -Available: Available to play -Probable: likely to play or greater than 50 percent chance to play -Questionable: uncertain to play or less than 50 percent chance to play -Out: will not play or 0 percent chance to play On game day reports, players can be listed as available, “game time decision” or out. Here is the Hurricanes’ initial availability report before facing Virginia Tech on Saturday: OUT -DB Keionte Scott -DE Hayden Lowe -TE Brock Schott -TE Jack Nickel -LB Malik Bryant -WR Tony Johnson -LB Kellen Wiley Jr. QUESTIONABLE -DT David Blay Jr. PROBABLE -DB OJ Frederique Jr.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/20/um-vt-injuries/
Ten states are demanding answers from U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on the federal government’s collection and use of state voter roll data.
https://kdvr.com/news/politics/colorado-politics-news/states-demand-to-know-if-trump-officials-misled-states-on-collection-use-of-voter-roll-data/
LaMelo Ball appeared to dispute a report suggesting that he’s open to being traded out of Charlotte. The Hornets star posted a clown emoji in response to a social media post about a Yahoo Sports report published Thursday evening that said he was “frustrated.” According to the report, Ball is said to be open to a trade, having grown frustrated with the organization and the Hornets’ front office becoming disillusioned with him. The reported turn in the relationship from Ball comes after the Hornets dropped to 4-11 with a loss to the Pacers on Wednesday night, a game Ball sat out the last 4: 32 of regulation. From the team’s perspective, according to the report, they’ve shifted their view on the 24-year-old and his ability to be a key piece to the franchise’s long-term plans, with the Hornets being “increasingly hesitant.” The Hornets, who are also open to trading Ball elsewhere, reportedly seem more willing to build their offensive system around Brandon Miller and rookie Kon Knueppel. One thing that could make moving Ball difficult is his contract, which is slated to pay him $37. 9 million in 2025-26, since he still has more than $130 million coming to him over the next three years of the deal following this season. Ball has played in nine games this season and has dealt with a right ankle injury. He’s averaged 21. 6 points, 9. 6 assists and 6. 9 rebounds this season. Charlotte is 12th in the Eastern Conference ahead of only the Nets, Pacers and Wizards. The Hornets’ only wins this season have come against the Nets, Wizards, Jazz and Bucks.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/20/sports/hornets-lamelo-ball-calls-out-report-saying-hes-open-to-trade/
Communication sophomore Alex Slabic’s debut as a social media influencer began on a whim. When a friend needed a high school graduation banner, Slabic picked up a paintbrush, turned on her video and recorded her signmaking process. She posted it on TikTok, where“literally out of nowhere, it just went viral,” Slabic said. That spontaneous post became the spark for Signs by Alex, a custom hand-painted banner business that has since taken off on both TikTok and Instagram. In just a year and a half, the Texas A&M sophomore has gone from a high school creative to a small business owner collaborating with national craft brands. Within just seven months of launching her brand on Instagram, Slabic’s following skyrocketed to 100, 000 followers, and she hasn’t slowed down since. As of late October, her Instagram had surpassed the 500, 000-follower mark, while her TikTok account now boasts over 221, 000 followers. Like many modern entrepreneurs, Slabic’s story began online. After her first viral TikTok drew thousands of views and messages from people eager to place orders, she decided to turn her creative hobby into something bigger. “I still run it completely by myself because I don’t want it to get too big or stressful,” Slabic said. “But I recently hired a brand manager who talks to companies like Michael’s and Home Depot for me. That’s been amazing since emailing them was so scary at first.” As a full-time college student, Slabic carefully balances coursework with running her business. Between classes, exams and fulfilling banner orders for customers nationwide, her days are full. Her fast-paced life means every second of the day counts, and Slabic has managed to balance lectures and line work with great precision. Her time management skills have become just as important as her artistic talents. “I always keep my planner updated,” Slabic said. “I paint in the mornings before school because the lighting’s better. When I get home, it’s too dark for photos or videos.” Slabic has learned to treat her mornings as her creative window, dedicating her early hours to painting before the campus rush begins. She shifts her afternoons to editing videos and responding to customer messages. Her process is simple but organized: clients contact her through direct message to start things off. She then sends an order form, designs each banner about two months in advance and ships them out across the country. Her banners can vary in size and pricing with her smallest being $175 for a 5-feet-by-30 inch banner and her largest being $215 for a 6-feet-by-35 inch banner. Each order represents a personal connection from graduation celebrations to engagement parties and knowing that her role plays a part in people’s milestones keeps her motivated, Slabic said. Still, it hasn’t been without challenges. Balancing her creativity with consistency on social media can be tough, especially when every post and video must meet the audience expectations. Slabic admits that staying inspired while managing growth takes both discipline and patience. “Lighting and camera angles are everything,” Slabic said. “When I moved into my apartment, the window was on the wrong side, so I had to completely change how I filmed my videos.” Behind the colorful paint strokes and viral videos lies a philosophy rooted in faith and authenticity. Salbic often credits her success to staying genuine and not chasing any trends just for views. Her followers tend to respond most when she posts real moments of her process. “I never thought I’d be at this point,” Slabic said. “It’s just a gift from the Lord. I don’t even want to take too much credit, because I’m not in control of the TikTok algorithm or why it went viral. I’m just thankful.” Her innovation, faith and consistency have opened doors to collaborations with art brands like DecoArt, which often sponsor giveaways when she hits follower milestones. To celebrate her most recent milestone, Slabic announced a giveaway featuring one of her signature handmade baskets, a gesture that reflects both her gratitude and the close-knit relationship she’s built with her followers. “I used to be scared no one would enter,” Slabic said. “Now every giveaway gets tons of engagement. It’s crazy.” What started as a small gesture of appreciation have turned into community-wide celebrations. Her followers often tag friends, share her posts and fill the comments with supportive messages, creating an atmosphere that feels more like a family than a fanbase Even with her growing platform, Slabic stays grounded about what got her started. “My favorite part is making banners for friends and family,” Slabic said. “It’s special to give them something handmade.” Those personal products remind her of why she even began in the first place with choosing creativity rooted in connection instead of competition. Although she plans to keep Signs by Alex running as long as she can, she’s also practical about the future. She hopes to continue growing her brand while exploring new ways to combine her communication degree with her creative skills through marketing, strategy or brand management. “I don’t want to bank on doing this forever,” Slabic said. “But having the platform I have, I could definitely do something else with it one day.”.
https://thebatt.com/life-arts/inside-alex-slabics-social-media-business-journey/
Many schools respond to misbehavior by assigning detention, where students are required to sit still and keep to themselves. But one school counselor in Maine, Leslie Trundy, is offering a different option: detention hikes. Trundy’s novel approach captured national media attention when she began offering students the option to join her for hikes on nearby trails. A year-and-a-half into this novel offering, the results are compelling: Fewer students have been receiving detention since the new option was introduced, and teachers have observed more positive engagement in the days following hikes. While there has not yet been a formal research study to quantify the impact, detention hikes appear to be a meaningful, relational alternative that supports students while connecting them to the benefits of time in nature and physical movement. From Isolation to Connection There is a stark contrast between the environments of traditional detention and a hike. The experience of detention can be isolating, as teens are restricted from talking with peers as they sit in a classroom as a consequence for their behaviors. But this isolation does little to teach students skills or support their well-being and sense of belonging-factors that can contribute to improved behaviors. But a detention hike offers students an experience that facilitates connection to their peers, the school counselor, and to nature. Trundy notes that most hikes begin with some level of guardedness, but as the group hikes alongside each other, conversations flow and defenses soften. “What happens on the hike is that there’s a moment where we start to connect through this shared experience,” she explained. “Students loosen up. It feels like they’re rediscovering a childlike quality-less of the hard shell of a teenager, more playful and relaxed.” These hikes also strengthen a student’s connection to the school. “I have a stronger relationship with the kids I’ve hiked with,” Trundy added. “Now I can say hi in the hall or check in with them.” Evolutionary Mismatch Many students end up in detention because the school environment requires something that runs counter to their biological wiring: staying indoors, sitting still, and focusing for many hours. “Often the reason a student is in trouble is because being confined indoors, and having to maintain their attention and focus all day, and then doing what’s asked of them is tough,” Trundy says. From an evolutionary perspective, we humans, and especially teens, are wired for movement, exploration, and time spent outdoors in stimulating, novel, and rejuvenating environments. Throughout human history, the mind and body developed in reciprocity with the natural environment-nourished and regulated by sunlight, fresh air, and physical activity. The school environment often requires the opposite: stillness, sustained focus, and quiet, in a constrained environment- creating an evolutionary mismatch. But a hike provides the conditions that the mind and body were designed for: natural light, fresh air, physical movement, and connection with community. Time in nature supports emotional recalibration. The environment itself becomes a part of the intervention to support meaningful shifts toward regulation for stressed students. From an Ecopsychology Viewpoint Ecopsychologists celebrate Trundy’s innovative work because it aligns with what the field already knows: Time in nature is foundational to well-being. The human nervous system is intimately connected to the natural world, evidenced by research that shows a reduction in stress hormones, improvements in mood, decreased impulsivity, and enhanced emotional stability while in nature. Research by Gregory Bratman and his colleagues shows that hiking reduces rumination and decreases activity in the part of the brain associated with negative thoughts and self-criticism, allowing hikers to turn their attention outward rather than being internally focused. The Attention Restoration Theory explains observations made by teachers: Students engage more in class after hikes, as they refresh their cognitive resources and ability to concentrate. Nature Metaphors and Identity Expansion Hiking exposes students to challenges like rain, rugged terrain, or the cold. Trundy uses these uncomfortable elements to reflect: “I help the kids understand that it’s going to be alright, and we have the gear to handle it. That in itself is a great metaphor for life: not everything is perfect, and yet we can often do incredible things in the midst of adversity.” Adventure therapy research supports this concept: Reasonable challenges promote self-efficacy, build resilience and perseverance, and may lead to positive identity expansion. When a student faces the discomfort of the weather, they may internalize a new message: “If I can do this, maybe I can handle other hard things in my life, too.” The Environment Facilitates Well-being The Children & Nature Network (C&NN), a research-informed nonprofit, notes that “time in nature can be a powerful antidote to the negative impacts of trauma and stress in children’s lives.” Drawing on a curation of studies, C&NN highlights that nature-based interventions such as hiking can reduce impulsivity, support healthy identity development, strengthen a sense of community, and foster a sense of belonging.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/move-the-body-heal-the-mind/202511/what-happens-when-you-replace-detention-with-a-hike
You can take advantage of the abundance in nature to decorate for the holidays with natural materials from your yard and garden. As long as you prune with care, you can harvest branches from most evergreens as well as other landscape plants, without damaging their appearance. This material will often be fresher than purchased greenery and potentially last much longer. Evergreen boughs form the backbone of almost all projects. Pine and fir boughs are the most commonly used because they hold up the longest. Hemlock and spruce drop their needles quickly, especially indoors. Take care, though, when harvesting pine and fir because these trees only grow on new growth, not old. That means if you remove the end of a pine bough, new growth will not develop in that spot to replace what was lost. This is especially important to consider when it comes to valuable landscape plants. You can often cut more than enough branches from wild trees but remember to get the landowner’s permission before you harvest. When in doubt, you should be able to purchase some extra material at a florist shop or Christmas tree farm. Other evergreens can also be harvested like juniper, cypress (Chamaecyparis) and yew, which are not only attractive in arrangements, but will produce new growth on older wood to a certain extent. Conservatively clipping a few boughs won’t hurt the overall look of the plant and may help control size. Skip arborvitae unless you only plan to have it on display for a short time (it tends to discolor rather quickly both indoors and out). Many broadleaf evergreens can also be attractive accents on wreaths and swags and shouldn’t be overlooked. Good candidates for decorating include holly, rhododendron, mountain laurel, boxwood and inkberry. Beyond greens, other natural materials can enhance arrangements. The red berries of winterberry can be a festive addition, and dried grasses and cones can give decorations a natural look. Colorful dogwood branches and crabapple fruit are often underutilized. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to natural materials, so have fun experimenting! It is a good idea to keep all decorative greens out of reach of inquisitive children and pets. All parts of yew, holly, inkberry, winterberry, rhododendron and boxwood are poisonous if consumed. If you are unsure whether a plant is considered non-toxic, check out the list of toxic and non-toxic plants from the ASPCA. If you have a question for Homegrown NH, you can send us an email or voice memo to HomegrownNH@NHPR. org. See you in the garden!.
https://www.nhpr.org/show/homegrown-nh/2025-11-20/homegrown-nh-forage-in-your-yard-for-holiday-greenery
YouTube ^ Posted on by Java4Jay New images from airport security video shows the UPS plane’s left engine detach from the wing moments before the deadly crash. (Excerpt) Read more at youtube. com . TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events KEYWORDS: ups 1 posted on by Java4Jay Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4353706/posts
AI is the new Grinch that’s stealing Christmas. Nervous laughter was Kelly Bowron’s visceral, hysterical response to her son learning the truth about Santa Claus on Tuesday courtesy of a Google search. Her little Leo, age 11 whose belief in the jolly old elf had remained firmly intact from childhood to preadolescence until this week simply wanted to know St. Nick’s spending budget, per child, worldwide. Unfortunately, however, Google’s AI overview instantly turned his merry curiosity into holiday dismay with its answer, reading, “There is no set amount Santa spends per child, as he is a fictional character.” “He screamed, ‘A fictional character?’” Bowron, a UK mother of two, told The Post. “And I was shocked, laughing in disbelief, telling him, ‘No, no. Google doesn’t always tell the truth. I still believe in Santa. Don’t listen to Google.’” A Google spokesperson told The Post that, despite its AI overview which derives responses from top-trending web content the company “believes in Santa,” noting that the site even features a dedicated Santa tracker, counting down the days until his big night. Still, peeved parents like Bowron aren’t pleased that their tiny tots, who would likely prefer to remain all aglow, can easily open up the internet and be gifted a lump of coal. After several hours of damage control, Leo so crushed by Google AI’s revelation that he gave it the middle finger seemed to buy his mom‘s insistence that Santa is real. But Bowron, wanting to preserve her youngest child’s innocence for as long as possible, spent the rest of the evening “annoyed” at the search engine and artificial intelligence for nearly spoiling the spirit of the season. With sophisticated technology at our fingertips and now, thanks to built-in speech features on most digital devices, at our beck and call large language models like ChatGPT, Grok and Google’s Gemini are everywhere and accessible to everybody. It’s a frustration most parents of Gen Alpha and Gen Beta kids, those under age 14, may face this year and beyond. Jeanice Perez, 37, a single mom of one from Las Vegas, didn’t even have time to adapt or even brace herself before her third-grader, Jordyn, stormed through the front door after school one day and yelled, “We need to talk!” Google had given the little girl a rude, Yuletide awakening, telling her Santa Claus isn’t real. It felt like a “betrayal” to Perez. “I was offended,” said the lifestyle influencer, whose daughter is now a teen. “I’d spent years committing to the bit perfecting my ‘Santa’ handwriting, making sure the reindeer had their carrots, nibbling the cookies just right, making sure not to let her find the wrapping paper ‘Santa’ used for her presents in the closet.” “Then, one day, I was just betrayed by Google.” The “betrayal” may be less of a surprise to some. Recent research found that 51% of children aged 8 and younger already have their own mobile devices. The data also determined that roughly 33% of parents allow their broods to access AI chatbots through those gadgets for answers to everyday quandaries including questions like: “Is Santa real?” Jeremy Gutsche, an AI expert and married father of two, told The Post that in the war between artificial intelligence vs. concerned parents, the bots will likely come out on top. “Is advanced technology the end of childhood wonder? Not exactly,” Gutsche, author and founder of Trend Hunter, an AI trends-spotting imprint, explained to The Post. “But it is an unstoppable force, which may push us to rethink how we teach our children about Christmas and whether or not Santa is a real character.” The pro warned that many major tech companies might soon implement kid-friendly guardrails to censor certain information but they are virtually ho-ho-hopeless. “There are dozens of competing models, and it would be nearly impossible for each platform to have one universal response to questions about Santa,” Gutsche noted. “The difficulty with embedding any rule into AI is that it can cause truth-seeking consequences in the future.” He said moms and dads will just have to learn to go with the high-tech flow. “We need to retrain our thinking in order to quickly adapt to changes in this new AI world,” said Gutsche, “versus hoping there will be regulations, which probably won’t happen.” Natalie, an NYC mom of two who preferred to use pseudonyms for her and her children, felt a similar sting when her 7-year-old daughter, Tara, announced that Google had recently burst her Santa-belief bubble. “I was walking my daughter to school the other morning and she turned to me and said, ‘I don’t believe in Santa anymore,’” Natalie recalled. “I asked why, and she replied, ‘Well, I asked Google whether Santa was real, and Google said ‘no.’ Google said that Santa was invented by Coca-Cola. “‘So I don’t believe in him anymore.’” The second grader’s sudden disillusion was hard for the mom to stomach. “Honestly, I felt quite sad about it,” she confessed. “You think, as a parent, that it’s much more in your control about how your kids find out about these things.” Her elder daughter, now 12, discovered the real deal about Kris Kringle two years ago, in what she called “a more normal, organic way” that kept the magic of Christmas alive. But that whimsical cheer might die with the tykes of today. Natalie revealed that debates about Santa’s existence are “now all flying around all her classmates,“ owing to overly chatty chatbots. One of the Gothamite’s mom friends plans to unplug her family’s Google Home smart speaker until the new year, hoping to avoid any anti-Santa leaks. Another pal, an elementary school teacher, told her that she lets her students the ones that skip AI altogether, and ask her if Santa is real what they think about his lore. She then follows up with a mini lesson on “beliefs” versus “knowledge.” But by that point, the child’s lost interest and often runs off, screaming “6 7!” It’s the silly, sad reality of kids and Christmas culture today. “I can just see that we’re raising a generation of slightly more cynical kids thanks to AI,” said Natalie. This may not be the answer you wanted . The Post asked Google, ChatGPT, Grok, Siri and Google Gemini the controversial, age-old question: “Is Santa real?” Check out what each chat said, in part.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/20/lifestyle/hey-google-is-santa-real-ai-is-ruining-christmas-for-kids/
A St. Louis man accused of abandoning three dogs over the summer was released Thursday on a personal recognizance bond while awaiting trial.
https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/dogs-abandoned-in-boarded-up-home-tried-to-chew-their-way-out-police/
