Day: January 6, 2025

Metaplanet eyes upping Bitcoin holdings to 10K BTC in 2025  Cointelegraph
source

Profile
Sections
Local
tv
Featured
More From NBC
Follow NBC News
news Alerts
There are no new alerts at this time
In what could be considered the biggest game of the 2024-25 NFL season, the Detroit Lions will host the Minnesota Vikings on “Sunday Night Football.”
The winner will earn the NFC’s top seed, the NFC North title and a first-round bye. Everything is at stake. Buckle up.
NBC News will be with you all night as two of the league’s best teams square off.
Rohan Nadkarni
The Vikings tried to pick up a 4th-and-goal from three yards out but Sam Darnold couldn’t find Justin Jefferson in the end zone, ending the drive.
Minnesota went 47 yards in eight plays before the drive’s climactic play. Jefferson caught a pass for 31 yards to get the team inside the 10 to set up the goal-to-go situation.
Without the conversion, the Vikings still trail 7-0.
Andrew Greif
Minnesota built its 14-2 record by routinely producing strong starts. Its 6.8 points per first quarter tied for second-best in the league with Washington, and behind only Tampa Bay. Yet against Detroit, two of the league’s best offenses have struggled to get going, with the Vikings managing only two first downs in the opening quarter.
Rohan Nadkarni
Brutal drive for the Lions, who lost 21 yards in three plays and punted. A penalty, a backwards pass and a sack doomed Detroit.
The Vikings will take over with good field position, starting at midfield trailing 7-0.
Rohan Nadkarni
The Vikings can’t answer the Lions’ touchdown, punting after only three plays. Sam Darnold was sacked on first down for a loss of 17, and Minnesota couldn’t dig out of the hole.
Darnold almost completed a pass for a first on 3rd-and-18, but overthrew T.J. Hockenson up the left seam.
Detroit now takes over on its own 30.
Rohan Nadkarni
One play after Jared Goff delivered a perfect pass on fourth down, the Lions get in the end zone.
Jahmyr Gibbs found a seam up the middle for a 25-yard run and score.
One play earlier, Goff took a big hit on 4th-and-5 but found a crossing Jameson Williams for a first down.
Detroit now leads 7-0.
Andrew Greif
All that remains to be determined is who will play in Los Angeles. The Rams will host the loser of this Vikings-Lions game.
Rohan Nadkarni
We’re scoreless after two drives following a Vikings punt. Minnesota picked up 29 yards in eight plays but couldn’t convert a 4th-and-9 from the edge of Detroit territory.
The Lions will take over on their own 22.
Rohan Nadkarni
The Lions’ first drive ended in a punt after a 3rd-and-8 from their own 36 run lost seven yards. Maybe Detroit was trying to set up a 4th-down attempt but curious playcall!
The Vikings take over for the first time on their own 14.
Rohan Nadkarni
The NFC North Championship Game is underway! The Lions have the ball first and their first play from scrimmage was a two-yard run by Jahmyr Gibbs.
Andrew Greif
The Vikings wideout is seeking to join Andre Johnson, Marvin Harrison, Antonio Brown and Julio Jones as the only receivers in NFL history to begin their career with three consecutive seasons with 100-plus catches and 1,500-plus yards. Jefferson has 100 catches already but needs 21 more yards tonight to reach 1,500.
Andrew Greif
The Lions quarterback enters Week 18 tied with Tom Brady (2007) and Kirk Cousins (2019) as the only players to have completed at least 75% of their passes in eight games in a season. He can break that tie and own the record for accuracy all to himself tonight.
Andrew Greif
If the Vikings quarterback produces a passer rating over 100 tonight, he’ll join Aaron Rodgers in 2020 as the only QBs in league history to record 14 games in a season with a rating of at least 100, per the NFL.
Andrew Greif
Under coach Dan Campbell, the Lions have been the league’s most fearless team in attempting fourth-down conversions. Since he became coach in 2021, Detroit is 82-147 when going for it, a success rate of 55.8%; the marks are league-highs. Minnesota, with its defense under coordinator Brian Flores, is seemingly one of defenses best prepared for the Lions’ willingness to gamble. The Vikings have allowed conversions 11 times out of 31 attempts this season, a stop-rate of 64.5% that leads the NFL.
Andrew Greif
Both Minnesota and Detroit locked up their playoff berths week ago, but as for their seed, it all comes down to one, final game. The stakes are simple, yet significant: Whoever wins this game claims the NFC’s top seed in the playoffs and with it, a first-round bye and home-field advantage.
The loser, however, faces consequences — namely, one extra game. The loser would become the NFC’s No. 5 seed and open the playoffs with a guaranteed road game during the wild-card round, facing the division winner with the worst record. Being the No. 5 seed could mean three consecutive road games just to make the Super Bowl. Only the 1985 Bears, 2005 Steelers, 2007 Giants, 2010 Packers and 2020 Bucs have won three road postseason games and gone on to win the Super Bowl. Detroit this season is 8-0 on the road.
It should be noted that Detroit has never been a No. 1 seed in its long history.
Andrew Greif
This is the first game in NFL history between two teams with at least 13 victories. The Vikings and Lions are both 14-2.
This is partly a quirk of the 2021 rule change that added a 17th regular-season game. But also, it’s a remarkable testament to how strong the NFC North has been this season while becoming the most competitive division in the league. Minnesota, Detroit and Green Bay all entered Week 18 having outscored their opponents by at least 122 points in the aggregate this season. Meanwhile, only four other teams in the entire league had a point differential of plus-100 or higher.
Another sign of the North’s strength? Entering Week 18, an 11-5 record was only good enough for third in the division (Green Bay). That same record, meanwhile, would have led three of the league’s seven other divisions.
Andrew Greif
A preseason prediction that Detroit quarterback Jared Goff would make the Pro Bowl would not have been outlandish; coming off last season’s deep postseason run, the Lions appeared primed for Super Bowl contention. But perhaps no one would have predicted Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold would earn a Pro Bowl nod, as he did this week.
Darnold, set to be the Vikings backup until a preseason injury sidelined Minnesota’s first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy, has led the Vikings to nine consecutive wins for the first time in the franchise’s history since 1975. And in his last seven games, Darnold has thrown for 18 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
Statistically, Goff has been even better over that same seven-game span, having thrown for 20 touchdowns and just one interception. It’s helped Goff already throw for a career-high 36 pass touchdowns with one game to go.
Andrew Greif
Befitting these teams’ success this season, each was rewarded with plenty of Pro Bowl recognition.
Seven Lions and six Vikings were named to the roster for the league’s de facto all-star roster, which will play a flag football-style game Feb. 2 in Orlando.
© 2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

source

Airdrops, often hailed as a promotional tool in the crypto world, may not be all they seem. Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David Schwartz, recently took to social media to deliver a reality check on the controversial practice, warning that airdrops could ultimately do more harm than good for both projects and investors.
Airdrops have become a widely used strategy for distributing tokens or coins to potential users, often in exchange for minimal actions like joining a mailing list or following social media accounts. These events are typically marketed as a way to increase awareness and grow the user base of a new cryptocurrency or blockchain project. But Schwartz, known for his technical insights and deep knowledge of the crypto space, has serious concerns about their effectiveness and long-term impact.
Schwartz argues that airdrops, while offering short-term benefits in terms of visibility and user acquisition, often fail to create real, lasting value for projects. In his view, they are frequently abused by opportunistic actors who are only interested in acquiring free tokens to sell them for a quick profit, rather than engaging with the project or supporting its long-term vision. This behavior can lead to increased volatility, with token prices crashing shortly after an airdrop event, leaving projects struggling to maintain credibility and user trust.
Moreover, Schwartz highlights the potential legal and regulatory risks associated with airdrops. As governments around the world continue to tighten regulations on the cryptocurrency space, airdrops could draw unwanted attention from authorities, especially if they are perceived as unregistered securities offerings or fall under other regulatory frameworks. This could lead to legal battles, fines, or even shutdowns for projects involved in improperly conducted airdrops.
Instead of relying on airdrops, Schwartz advocates for more sustainable methods of growth and engagement. He suggests that projects should focus on building strong, dedicated communities of users who are genuinely interested in the value the project provides. Rather than incentivizing short-term attention, crypto projects should prioritize education, utility, and real-world use cases to drive adoption.
As a prominent figure in the blockchain space, Schwartz’s warning serves as an important reminder that while airdrops can generate buzz, they should not be seen as a magic bullet for success. For long-term growth and sustainability, projects need to focus on creating real value and building trust within the crypto ecosystem.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

source

Lost wonders: Extinct animals we dream of bringing back to life  Hindustan Times
source

ACC and Big 12 officiating crews draw the Semifinal assignments
Week 18 referee assignments
Week 17 referee assignments
Week 16 referee assignments
Week 15 referee assignments
Officiating crews for the 2022 season
Officiating crews for the 2021 season
Officiating crews for the 2020 season
In addition to pass interference, replay is undergoing a ‘configuration change’
Schedule of fines for the 2019 season
Rules School: Officiating mechanics at the end of the half
Rules review video: Targeting, consecutive timeouts, and drones
Mob rule: USFL and XFL revise touchback rule on fumbles to give the ball back to the offense
Rules school: What replay assist can and can’t do
After review, a reversal. NFL won't allow a holder to elevate a teed kickoff ball
College Football
2024-25 bowl games Sugar Bowl
2024-25 bowl games Rose Bowl
2024-25 bowl games Fiesta Bowl
2024-25 bowl games Fiesta Bowl
College Football
College Football
College Football
College Football
College Football
Published
on
By
The 51st Stagg Bowl, the 2024 Division III football championship game between North Central (Illinois) and Mount Union (Ohio), will be officiated by a crew from the Landmark Conference. The game is broadcast on ESPN.
The game supervisor is Jim Corpora. Former NFL head linesman Mark Baltz is the coordinator of officials for Division III.
The namesake for the championship game is Amos Alonzo Stagg, one of the pioneers of football as a coach and rulesmaker from the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Congratulations to this year’s championship crew.
MIAA crew works Division II Championship
Ben Austro is the editor and founder of Football Zebras and the author of So You Think You Know Football?: The Armchair Ref’s Guide to the Official Rules (on sale now)
MIAA crew works Division II Championship
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Copyright © 2024 Equity Creative Group, LLC

source

More details about the death of Hollywood director Jeff Baena, husband of Aubrey Plaza, have been revealed. As fellow industry collaborators like Molly Shannon and Allison Brie pay tribute to the 47-year-old, Los Angeles medical examiner records confirm Jeff’s cause of death.
18 minutes ago
36 minutes ago
37 minutes ago
39 minutes ago
about 1 hour ago
about 1 hour ago
about 1 hour ago
about 1 hour ago
September 20, 2013
September 19, 2013
September 22, 2013
September 22, 2013
September 22, 2013
September 22, 2013
September 22, 2013
September 22, 2013
3 days ago
5 days ago
5 days ago
5 days ago
6 days ago
9 days ago
9 days ago
10 days ago
Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and ​celebrity gossip. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows!
© 2025 E! Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. All rights reserved.

source

source

The Shenzhou-19 crew successfully completes tasks such as fruit fly collection, clearing of cultivation boxes, and sample organization, (Photo/CCTV)
The Shenzhou-19 crew has made smooth progress in the space life sciences and human research project focused on the space hypomagnetic effects on drosophila and their molecular mechanisms. The “fruit fly family” is thriving, with the potential to become the first species to reproduce for three generations aboard China’s space station, according to the China Central Television on Sunday.
Last week, the crew successfully completed tasks such as fruit fly collection, clearing of cultivation boxes, and sample organization. Earlier, with the successful launch of the Long March-7 Y9 carrier rocket, China sent fruit flies to the space station for the first time to conduct scientific experiments.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, the fruit fly is one of the model species frequently used in genetic experiments. It is small, measuring only 3 to 4 millimeter in length, and has a short life cycle with fast reproduction capabilities, enabling it to produce a large number of offspring within a short period, according to Zhang Wei, a researcher involved in the selection of in-orbit scientific experiments, at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“The genes of fruit flies share many similarities with those of humans, so the study can help with understanding human genetic diseases and provide insights into how humans adapt to space environments,” Zhang said in a recent interview.
On the space station, fruit flies from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) were divided into two groups. One group lives in the microgravity environment of space, while the other is placed in a magnetic shielding device, simultaneously subjected to the combined effects of microgravity and a hypomagnetic field, China Science Daily reported on December 16.
Upon arrival in space, the fruit flies went through a fascinating adaptation period. In the microgravity environment, a simple flap of their wings would send them shooting forward like bullets. When they stopped flapping, they would drift uncontrollably, attempting to kick their legs to change direction.
Fortunately, these small creatures quickly adapted to their new environment. Researchers at CAS, led by Professor Li Yan, jokingly referred to these terrestrial flying experts as having learned to “swim like frogs” in space, according to the China Science Daily report.
A video transmitted from space on November 19 showed a tiny fruit fly emerging from its pupa and curiously observing its unfamiliar surroundings. This fruit fly, affectionately called the “first baby fruit fly born in space” by the research team, marks China’s first successful fruit fly reproduction in space.
On Earth, fruit flies can reproduce a new generation in 12 to 15 days. With an expected on-orbit experiment duration of 36 days, they are likely to become the first species to achieve “three generations under one roof” aboard China’s space station.
After the fruit flies return to Earth, Li’s team will further analyze their behavior and gene expression during their time in space. The goal is to uncover the effects of microgravity and hypomagnetic fields on animal behavior and the underlying neural and molecular mechanisms, said in the China Science Daily report.
Li told the China Science Daily that one could imagine future generations establishing bases or even permanent homes on the Moon, where gravity is only one-sixth that of Earth and the magnetic field is extremely weak. She wondered whether animals would be able to reproduce across generations on the Moon, noting that fruit flies are pioneers in humanity’s exploration of space.

Tiangong Space Station implements 181 scientific and application projects: report
China’s first progress report highlights scientific research and applications enabled by its space s
Shenzhou XVIII crew return with space project samples

source

US Dollar Strength Keeps Global Currencies In Check  Finimize
source

A woman was found dead at a home in Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood Sunday morning, according to police, who confirmed a death investigation is underway.
Detectives responded around 10:06 a.m. to 20 Cohasset Street after a woman in her 20s was found deceased, police said. Her name has not been released at this time, and police haven’t said how she died.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
>Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
Further details were not immediately available.
NBC10 Boston has reached out to Massachusetts State Police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for more information.
An investigation is active and ongoing.

source