sports festival

sports festival NEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of "The Simpsons Funday Football." Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

TCU's TD barrage breaks open tight game vs. ArizonaUS to require passenger vehicles to sound alarms if rear passengers don't fasten their seat belts

President-elect wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” he wrote. Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the , had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was , whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. “Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. , including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology. do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don’t change their clocks at all.Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more! When it comes to haircare, there are few products that get us as excited as Olaplex products. In fact, we named Olaplex as the best shampoo and conditioner brand due to their bond-building technology that noticeably strengthens hair while reversing damage. So, imagine our excitement when we discovered the brand’s holiday gift set is just $50 on Amazon! It’s perfect for any last-minute gifting you need to wrap up this week. It’s no secret Olaplex hair products are a little pricey, which is why we adore the Olaplex In Good Repair Hair Kit . For just $50, your giftee gets to test run almost everything the brand has to offer, including the No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner, No. 3 Hair Perfector and No. 7 Bonding Oil. Each product helps control frizz by reversing damage and strengthening hair to prevent split ends and dryness. The formulas also enhance shine, improve softness and prolong color vibrancy. What’s not to love? Get the Olaplex In Good Repair Hair Kit for $50 at Amazon! Just take it from the 10,000+ Amazon shoppers who have purchased the haircare gift set this month. “If you want to try Olaplex, this is the box for you,” one five-star reviewer says . ‘The shampoo is great because you really only need a small amount. This will last you a very long time. The oil to me does not leave my hair feeling overly oily and weighed down. Just a little goes a long way.” “I recently started using this three to four months ago, and it really is a game changer!” another shopper shares . “I have used the No. 3, shampoo, conditioner and my hair has improved. I caught this set on sale and bought it as a gift for my sister. If you’re contemplating buying it, just do it! You won’t be sorry.” “This product really works,” another five-star reviewer says . “After only two times of using the shampoo, conditioner and oil, I could already see the change in my hair. It looked healthier and shiny, especially the ends that were so dry. I’m so happy that I could find the solution to my dry hair.” If you want it to arrive at your doorstep in time, add this gift set to your cart ASAP! Who doesn’t want the gift of luxurious, bouncy hair this holiday season? Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Get the Olaplex In Good Repair Hair Kit for $50 at Amazon!ECU CB Shavon Revel Jr. declares for NFL draft

Ex-Indiana doc refuses sex abuse questionsTwo University of Arizona faculty members were elected fellows of the National Academy of Inventors in 2024, bringing UA's number of faculty fellows in the academy to 20. Shibin Jiang , an adjunct research professor in the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences, is “recognized globally as a pioneer in photonic glasses, fiber amplifiers and lasers.” Shibin Jiang Abhijit Mahalanobis , an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, conducted research focused on “video and image processing” for defense applications, weapons, sensors systems and automatic target recognition. Abhijit Mahalanobis, standing, with doctoral student Natnael Daba. “Being elected to the National Academy of Inventors is a distinguished honor recognizing both technical innovation and its impact in the world,” said UA President Suresh Garimella, also an NAI fellow, in a UA news release. The honor will be bestowed on Jiang and Mahalanobis at the academy’s annual conference on June 26 in Atlanta. Overall, the NAI 2024 class of fellows includes 170 members from 135 research universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutions worldwide. Jiang, who holds 52 U.S. patents, developed erbium (Er3+)-doped phosphate glass fiber to enhance fiber’s ability to amplify light, a technology which was licensed to NP Photonics, one of the many companies he founded and co-founded. Jiang’s “patents in fibers enhanced with rare-earth elements have enabled the creation of high-peak-power fiber amplifiers and lasers able to deliver high power in short pulses, which are integral to ultrafast lasers, wind detection, space applications and coherent lidar able to determine an object’s velocity and distance,” according to the news release. “It was the hard work of the scientists, engineers and technicians I worked with that earned me this significant award,” said Jiang. “I surely will continue to work hard, hoping to produce more useful inventions and creative works to make a little bit of a contribution to society and humankind.” In addition to NP Photonics, Jiang has founded and co-founded AdValue Technology, AdValue Photonics and Arizona Industrial Lasers. He has also edited 40 books and eight special journal issues as well as published 98 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Mahalanobis has published more than 190 journal and conference publications, is the owner of six patents, has co-authored a book on pattern recognition, contributed several book chapters and edited special issues of several journals. “I am humbled and deeply honored to be recognized by the NAI as a fellow,” said Mahalanobis. “... In this capacity, I hope to foster creativity in our students, and contribute to innovative solutions for challenging problems in my areas of research.” Mahalanobis worked previously at Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, has partnered with numerous small businesses on projects with the U.S. Army and Navy, and has returned to academia to help prepare the next generation of aerospace and defense engineers. "The University of Arizona excels in many areas, but the commitment of faculty to moving inventions from the lab to the world impresses me every day," said Doug Hockstad, associate vice president of Tech Launch Arizona, the UA office that commercializes inventions stemming from university research and innovation. Jiang and Mahalanobis’ selection as NAI fellows “reflects their remarkable achievements in turning ideas into impactful solutions that serve society and inspire the next generation of inventors,” said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, UA senior vice president of research and innovation. Reporter Prerana Sannappanavar covers higher education for the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson.com . Email her at psannappa1@tucson.com or DM her on X . Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Higher Education Reporter

Yadagirigutta Temple Board to Get Nod in the Next Cabinet MeetingGoogle has named Debbie Weinstein, a senior executive for the tech giant in the UK, as its president in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Until now, Ms Weinstein has been the US firm’s vice president and managing director in the UK and Ireland, having previously worked at Unilever. She said her focus will be on “unlocking AI-powered growth for everyone”, calling the current AI boom a “pivotal” time for the tech giant. Google has joined many of its rivals in launching a string of high-profile generative AI products in recent times, led by the firm’s generative AI-powered assistant, Gemini. “Europe, the Middle East and Africa is an amazingly diverse and varied region, but the enormous growth opportunity that AI can create is universal,” she said. “My focus will be on unlocking that AI-powered growth for everyone – users, businesses, partners and governments across every part of the region. “I’m excited to be stepping into this role at a pivotal time, in a company where I’ve spent the last ten years and leading a region where I’ve spent much of my life.” Google employs more than 29,000 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with 56 offices across 35 countries in those regions working on many of the firm’s largest products, including its search engine, the Android mobile operating system and its Chrome web browser. Its AI research arm, at Google DeepMind, is also led from London. Philipp Schindler, Google senior vice president and chief business officer, said: “This is the AI era and we are only just beginning to see its transformative impact on business and society. “In such a pivotal moment for technology, I’m thrilled we’ve appointed a visionary leader to be our President of Google EMEA. “Debbie brings a track record of unlocking growth that benefits everyone, alongside the passion and focus needed to help our customers succeed, as we bring the best of Google’s Gemini-era to everyone across EMEA.”