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SentinelOne misses quarterly profit estimates, shares fallPrecious few garments have been made of spider silk. In 2012, a cape and shawl made from natural spider silk were displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where visitors learned that the garments were the result of a unique project that spanned eight years and involved the harvesting of silk from 1.2 million spiders. In 2019, a rather less painstaking project utilized fibroin, the protein found in natural spider silk, to fabricate an outerwear jacket, North Face’s Moon Parka. Starting with fibroin meant that silk could be sourced from genetically modified bacteria, which are easier to work with than spiders. Nonetheless, the Moon Parka, which takes its name from the word moonshot, was never meant to be mass produced. It was available by lottery for just a limited time. Museum pieces and moonshots are hardly synonymous with “mass production.” Is there another way to generate spider silk–based textiles, one that has more commercial potential? Yes, according to Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, which uses transgenic silkworms to produce lines of recombinant spider silk. The company plans to produce up to 10 metric tons of spider silk in 2025. Production of actual spider silk lines on this scale would allow textile manufacturers to test the silk on their own equipment. It’s not just textiles that may benefit. Recombinant spider silk’s tensile strength, weight, and durability make it attractive for myriad applications, including tissue scaffolds and sutures in the biomedical field, as well as textiles and ballistic materials. “In a silkworm, there are several proteins that are produced in the silk glands,” Kim Thompson, founder and CEO of Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, tells . “One of those—a heavy chain fibroin—contributes roughly 96–98% of the molecular weight of the fiber.” Replacing the gene responsible for producing that protein with its counterpart in the spider results in recombinant spider silk. Kraig Biocraft produces spider silk using hybrid silkworms. As Thompson explains, hybrids of the two parental strains are more vigorous and produce better shaped cocoons. That vigor is passed down to subsequent generations. Kraig Biocraft’s approach appears to be unique in the spider silk industry. Other companies use vat fermentation to produce proteins that must be extracted, purified, and transformed into threads, adding steps and costs to the overall process. Spider silk’s high strength and light weight have attracted the interest of the U.S. Department of Defense. Dragline spider silk (which spiders use for the radial lines of their webs) requires 120,000–160,000 J/kg to break, whereas Kevlar requires 30,000–50,000 J/kg and steel requires 2,000–6,000 J/kg. Dragline spider silk weighs 1.18 and 1.36 g/cm , whereas Kevlar weighs 1.44 and steel weighs 7.84. Because spider silk combines strength, biocompatibility, and elasticity, it could be useful in tissue matrices and sutures. Dragline silk can increase its length by 27%, and flag silk (which spiders use for the spiral lines of their webs) can increase its length by 270%. Spider silk—or rather the technology behind it—could also be of interest to biopharmaceutical companies. For example, transgenic silkworms could serve as expression and production platforms for proteins other than spider silk proteins. Still, for Kraig Biocraft, the most immediate applications are in materials science. “We haven’t branched out into other areas that require more regulatory approval yet,” Thompson says. Thompson first approached the challenge of producing spider silk about 20 years ago. “I was looking at all the companies involved in that space,” he recalls. “The leader, Nexia Biotechnologies, was producing spider silk proteins in the milk of dairy goats.” “I thought that Nexia had misdiagnosed the problem and that it was about to hit a wall,” Thomson continues. Nexia’s method not only had difficulty with the mechanical challenges of transforming the proteins into fibers, but it was also extremely expensive. Thompson thought it would be better to create a cohesive fiber with the desired mechanical characteristics, than to create spider silk protein. He even suggested to Nexia that its scientists should use genetically engineered silkworms to produce fibers rather than using dairy goats to produce proteins. Nexia, however, preferred its approach, which yielded small proteins that were too weak to be spun into fiber. It declared bankruptcy in 2009. The University of Wyoming (UW), which held the rights to the genetic sequences Nexia has used to produce spider silk protein, granted Thompson exclusive rights to those sequences. “UW’s chief scientist, who had worked with Nexia, listed five reasons why it was scientifically impossible for these sequences to work in silkworms,” Thompson says. What that scientist may not have considered was that Thompson, working with molecular geneticist Malcolm J. Fraser, PhD, who then headed a laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, had a way to insert those sequences into silkworms. Fraser had co-developed the piggyback transposon, which “at the time was the only way to genetically engineer silkworms,” Thompson notes. Nonetheless, objections raised by the UW scientist reemerged every time Thompson approached a venture capital company for financing. Only by demonstrating dogged persistence did Thompson finally secure Kraig Biocraft the funding it needed to develop spider silk suitable for use by textile mills. Today, the company looks forward to starting commercial-scale production. “Our next inflection point is to produce the first metric ton of spider silk,” Thompson says. He adds that he is in discussions with “a number of significant players” to test Kraig’s recombinant spider silk on their machinery. The limiting factor, until now, has been an insufficient supply of product. “It’s hard to run a test when the world supply of spider silk has been measured in tens of kilograms,” he points out. To overcome supply problems, Kraig Biocraft plans to make good use of its new manufacturing site. “We have a backlog of order for prototype materials so they can make a test run,” Thompson says. According to Kraig Biocraft’s website, a kilogram of recombinant spider silk costs less than $300 to produce—about one tenth the cost of the protein alone using vat fermentation production methods. “To my knowledge, there are only three other companies involved in making spider silk: AMSilk, Bolt Threads, and Spiber,” Thompson says. Each uses vat fermentation to make the spider silk proteins, which he says significantly increases the costs. Thompson envisions a future of composite fibers in which spider silk is mixed with other textiles: “A lot of work continues to be done in that area, and it is accelerating.” He also points out that there are thousands of markets and technical applications for the advanced materials that are possible using recombinant spider silk: “We’re interested in capturing as much market share as we can, and we’re looking at new and expanded mechanical properties.” In the very near future, recombinant spider silk may be found in a range of products, from tissue scaffolds and sutures to performance fabrics. In that world, capes or expedition jackets made of spider silk won’t be rarities. They’ll be off-the-shelf articles. 2723 S State St, Ste 150, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (734) 619-8066 Kim Thompson, Founder and CEO 20 Recombinant spider silk–based fibers from genetically engineered silk worms.The Indiana Pacers reached an agreement to acquire center Thomas Bryant from the Miami Heat, ESPN reported Friday. Bryant becomes trade-eligible this Sunday, and the Heat will ship him to Indiana for a swap of future second-round draft picks, according to the report. Bryant, 27, is in his eighth season in the NBA and his second with the Heat. Bryant got into 10 games this season and averaged 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game, his lowest averages since his rookie year. In 277 career games (138 starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers (2017-18; 2022-23), Washington Wizards (2018-22), Denver Nuggets (2023) and Heat (2023-24), Bryant has averaged 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The Pacers were seeking a new backup center after both Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman were lost to torn Achilles tendons. Bryant played collegiately at Indiana. --Field Level MediaHow the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Stock market today: Wall Street drifts to a mixed close in thin trading following a holiday pause Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Gains by retailers and health care stocks helped temper the losses. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose. Finland stops Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finnish police say authorities detained a ship linked to neighboring Russia as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables. It was the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure. Police and border guards boarded the Eagle S and took control as they investigate damage to the Estlink-2 undersea power cable. The cable brings electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea. The cable went down on Wednesday. The incident follows damage to two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Both have been termed sabotage. Russian ship that sank in the Mediterranean was attacked, owner says MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian operator of a cargo ship that sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria says it has been hit by a series of explosions in an act of sabotage. Oboronlogistica is a state-controlled company that operated the Ursa Major freighter. The company said the vessel was wrecked by three powerful explosions just above the water line in what it described as a “terrorist attack” that caused it to sink on Monday. The company said in a statement carried by Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency on Thursday that the explosions left a hole in the ship’s starboard and filled the engine room with acrid smoke. That hampered the crew’s attempts to access it. Undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia hit by outage, prompting investigation FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finland’s prime minister says authorities are investigating an interruption in a power cable under the Baltic Sea between his country and Estonia. Petteri Orpo said on X that power transmission through the Estlink-2 cable suffered an outage Wednesday. Authorities have been on edge about undersea infrastructure in the Baltic after two international data cables were severed in November and the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany were blown up in September 2022. Japan to maximize nuclear power in clean-energy push as electricity demand grows TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese government panel has largely supported a draft energy policy calling for bolstering renewables up to half of Japanese electricity needs by 2040. It also recommends maximizing the use of nuclear power to accommodate the growing demand for power in the era of AI while meeting decarbonization targets. Cabinet is expected to formally approve the plan by March following a period of public consultation. The policy says nuclear energy should account for 20% of Japan’s energy supply in 2040, with renewables expanded to 40-50% and coal-fired power reduced to 30-40%. Working Well: Returning to the office can disrupt life. Here are some tips to navigate the changes NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of workers are facing an unsettling reality heading into 2025. After years of working from the comfort of home, they're being told it’s time to return to the office full-time for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. That can bring a host of challenges, including losing time with family. Workers at Amazon, AT&T and other companies have been called back to the office five days a week. Experts have advice to share about how to navigate the changes when an employer calls you back to the office. Workers can convey what they need, seek flexibility and if all else fails, consider other options. US applications for unemployment benefits hold steady, but continuing claims rise to 3-year high WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. The US Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claim applications ticked down by 1,000 to 219,000 for the week of Dec. 21. That’s fewer than the 223,000 analysts forecast. Continuing claims, the total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits, climbed by 46,000 to 1.91 million for the week of Dec. 14. That’s more than analysts projected and the most since the week of Nov. 13, 2021. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs.

'They can say what they like' - Tim Walter makes Hull City vow amid supporter backlashThe world stands at the dawn of a “third nuclear age” in which Britain is threatened by multiple dilemmas, the head of the armed forces has warned. But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” The first nuclear age was the Cold War, while the second was “governed by disarmament efforts and counter proliferation”, the armed forces chief said. He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”

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Stocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high. The S&P 500 rose 20.63 points, or 0.3%, to 5,969.34. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week and is within about 0.5% of its all-time high set last week. The Dow rose 426.16 points, or 1%, to 44,296.51 as it nudged past its most recent high set last week. The Nasdaq composite rose 42.65 points, or 0.2%, closing at 2,406.67. Markets were volatile the past few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump’s presidential victory, before falling again. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 12.8% after handily beating analysts’ third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 2.2% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.8% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company’s Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.2%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company grew to a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.7%. Its quarterly earnings forecast fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.7% after the Supreme Court allowed a multibillion-dollar class-action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the largest U.S. retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts’ expected. Get local news delivered to your inbox!‘World at dawn of third nuclear age’, armed forces chief warnsForeign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is not escalating a war of words with Mexico, after the Mexican president criticized Canada’s culture and its framing of border issues. “I fundamentally believe that many conversations, when it comes to diplomacy, are always better when they remain private,” Joly said Monday during a teleconference from Brussels. The rift between the two trading partners started with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s declaration that he plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods from both countries unless they stop the flow of migrants and illegal drugs into the U.S. Several federal and provincial officials in Canada responded by saying the issues at the Canadian border are vastly different from the Mexican border. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for example, has voiced concerns that the level of Chinese investment in Mexico goes against the economic-security goals of Ottawa and Washington. Some premiers have called on Canada to negotiate a trade deal with Washington independent from Mexico, ahead of the 2026 review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, which replaced NAFTA during Trump’s last tenure in the White House. In a Monday press conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico “must be respected, especially by its trading partners.” She also noted that Canada has “a very serious problem with fentanyl consumption,” more than Mexico, and possibly as a result of some drug-decriminalization measures. “We are not going to fall for a provocation of which country is better,” she said, chalking some criticism from Canada up to political pandering. “Mexico should not be used as part of (Canadian) electoral campaigns,” she said. Yet Sheinbaum also said Canada “could only wish they had the cultural riches Mexico has,” saying her country has civilizations dating back thousands of years. Asked to respond, Joly said she is reaching out to Mexican officials after speaking with the U.S., including about the “very important trade agreement” that includes all three countries. “I know there has been many conversations in Canada about how we can work together and how we can, at the same time, protect our interests,” she said. “We have a positive relationship with Mexico, and we need to work with the country; that’s definitely my goal.” Christopher Sands, director of the Canada Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, said tensions between both countries played out in the NAFTA renegotiation, when there was limited communication between Ottawa and Mexico City. “The Canada-Mexico relationship has always been the weakest part of the triangle of North America,” he said. “There was a lot of feeling during the (CUSMA) negotiations that Mexico was willing to go it alone, and that Canada particularly toward the end was on the outside looking in, and had to fight its way back to the table.” He said Washington would rather have a trade pact with all three countries so it can limit the time and attention it needs on continental issues. “The U.S. is probably the most trilateral of all three countries,” he said, with a caveat. “I think Donald Trump looks at this going into 2026 and says, ‘Great, divide and conquer.’” Sands added that Sheinbaum and her predecessor have implemented nationalist policies that have been at odds with Washington. “The Mexican government has been moving in a direction which is antithetical to the North American project (through) nationalizing parts of the economy, by reversing energy reforms, by doing deals with the cartels. (They are) sometimes working co-operatively with the Americans in the borders, and sometimes not.” Sheinbaum indicated a week ago that she would be writing a letter to Trudeau. That has not been made public, although she did release a letter she had sent to Trump.

Work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms said the move aims to drive “real improvements” for disabled people, whom the ministers will be encouraged to engage with on a regular basis. He told the Commons: “I am very pleased to be able to announce today the appointment of new lead ministers for disability in each Government department, they will represent the interests of disabled people, champion disability inclusion and accessibility within their departments. “I’m going to chair regular meetings with them and will encourage them to engage directly with disabled people and their representative organisations, as they take forward their departmental priorities. “And I look forward to this new group of lead ministers for disability together driving real improvements across Government for disabled people.” This came during an adjournment debate on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling raised concerns about “floating bus stops”, which have a cycle lane between the stop and the pavement. Intervening, the MP for Torbay, who is registered blind, said: “The Government needs to ban floating bus stops.” Sir Stephen said: “I do think this issue about floating bus stops is an important issue which we need to work across Government to reflect on.” Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, who led the debate, had earlier criticised the lack of accessibility for disabled people on trains. The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP said: “Our train network does not have level access, and we heard Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson from the other place make this plea back in the summer, absolutely outrageous what she was put through. “But I was absolutely shocked to find, when I had a presentation of the TransPennine route upgrade, that the rolling stock yet to be commissioned is not going to provide that level access. “It’s absolute nonsense, it’s not even in the design of that procurement, so we must do better than this.”Manmohan Singh Net Worth: Here’s What We Know About The Former PM And What He Left Behind. Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street on Thursday as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 fell less than 0.1% after spending the day wavering between small gains and losses. The tiny loss ended the benchmark index’s three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1% and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as US markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.7%, and Amazon and Netflix each fell 0.9%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, finishing 1.8% lower. Some tech companies fared better. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.4%, Micron Technology added 0.6% and Adobe gained 0.5%. Health care stocks were a bright spot. CVS Health rose 1.5% and Walgreens Boots Alliance added 5.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 3%, Ross Stores added 2.3%, Best Buy rose 2.9% and Dollar Tree gained 3.8%. Traders are watching to see whether retailers have a strong holiday season. The day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. US-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 16.4% respectively. The Japanese car makers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. All told, the S&P 500 fell 2.45 points to 6,037.59. The Dow added 28.77 points to 43,325.80. The Nasdaq fell 10.77 points to close at 20,020.36. Wall Street also got a labour market update. US applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labour Department reported. Treasury yields mostly fell in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.58% from 4.59% late on Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands (AP) — Javohn Garcia scored 16 points as McNeese beat Illinois State 76-68 on Friday. Garcia also contributed seven rebounds for the Cowboys (3-2). Brandon Murray shot 4 of 10 from the field and 5 for 7 from the line to add 13 points. Sincere Parker shot 4 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. Ty Pence led the way for the Redbirds (3-2) with 14 points and six rebounds. Malachi Poindexter added 13 points for Illinois State. Logan Wolf had 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from .

ORCHARD PARK — Cole Bishop’s eyes glanced the wrong way for less than a second. That’s all it took for Houston Texans receiver Nico Collins to run by for an easy 67-yard touchdown. Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas gave Bishop an earful before Collins even crossed the goal line. It was Week 5 and Bishop’s first NFL start after being drafted in the second round in April. The day after Bishop was drafted, Bills general manager Brandon Beane made it known how excited the Bills were to have gotten Bishop, while simultaneously pumping the brakes on any ideas he was an immediate replacement for Jordan Poyer or Micah Hyde. Safety is among the most difficult positions to learn in the NFL and it’s even harder in Buffalo’s scheme. Rookie safeties almost never start for coach Sean McDermott, dating back to his days as a defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. The communication and disguising are more important than physical traits once the ball is snapped and a newcomer to the system can feel like they are drowning. Bishop had his struggles subbing for Taylor Rapp while he recovered from a concussion early in the season and he had a few in his second career start against the Detroit Lions in Week 15. But Bishop’s lightbulb appears to have turned on and it’s brightening with every start he gets. “I’m just learning,” Bishop told GNN Sports. “I’ve gotten a lot more reps (since earlier in the season). In practice, in games, every rep is just helping you feel more comfortable out there.” Is simply winning a game no longer enough for #Bills fans? How much goodwill can the #Sabres get back after a 13-game losing streak? And just how much coal did @billhoppe.bsky.social get in his stocking? fireside.fm/episode/sMvb... Bishop’s NFL beginnings were stunted when he injured his shoulder on the third day of training camp and his recovery extended almost the entire preseason. He was already battling veterans Damar Hamlin and Mike Edwards for a starting job and Hamlin seized it through his knowledge of the defense and injuries to prolonged Bishop and Edwards. When Hyde didn’t re-sign in the offseason and Poyer was released, not only did the Bills draft Bishop and re-sign Rapp, but they also added four veterans between free agency and the preseason. When Week 1 arrived, the Bills named Rapp and Hamlin, the two safeties with most experience in the defense as the starters, but even Rapp needed a full season in the system to get comfortable. “It took Po and I a full season to really get comfortable with all the adjustments we needed to make week-to-week,” Hyde said. “... Going on our second season is when we started to know the playbook like the back of our hand and we’ve been through and installed plenty of times. ... I don't know how he was in the beginning, but I know that now he's an intelligent football player and instinctive. So I'm eager to see him finish off this season.” When Bishop arrived in Buffalo, he quickly latched on to Edwards, who was signed on a one-year deal after spending four years with the Buccaneers and last year with the Chiefs. But after being a healthy scratch six times in the first nine weeks, Edwards requested his release and it was granted. When Hyde re-signed to the practice squad Dec. 5, Bishop immediately started seeking his advice. But whether it’s coaches or veterans, Bishop is constantly trying to pick up more information and feedback, which is why Hyde is strategic when he gives input so that Bishop isn’t overloaded. At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Bishop is a longer, heavier safety than they have used under McDermott. Bishop showed his explosiveness at the NFL scouting combine by running a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and recording a 39-inch vertical leap. But what Bishop adds to the defense is a safety who can play near the line of scrimmage and be an enforcer against the run. In three seasons at Utah, Bishop played 73% of his snaps near the line of scrimmage. If the Bills bring a safety into the box or blitz one, it’s typically Hamlin, who is roughly 10 pounds lighter. “He's already, to me, a freak athlete. Just how big he is and how well he can move,” Bills cornerback Taron Johnson said. “But what sets him apart, I think, is his mindset and how he's so coachable, always listening to the coaches and talking to the older guys, trying to see how they see things. And I feel like he's going to be a really good player.” Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said Bishop is improving with each rep. But for most of the season, Bishop wasn’t getting many. At least not during games. While Bishop was learning in practices and watching film, there is no way to simulate how to execute all of the information gleaned at the speed in which games are played in the NFL. For Bishop, that wasn’t an easy transition, especially for a player who was used to learning by doing in college. In Bishop’s first true action over 2 1⁄2 games, it seemed like the Bills were trying to bring him along slowly. He played in the box roughly 53% of the time as Buffalo preferred a two-high safety look. But against the New England Patriots, Bishop played in the box on 50 of 73 snaps. In Bishop’s three starts, the Bills have allowed 89.3 yards rushing on 3.7 yards per carry, compared to 125.5 yards on 4.8 yards per carry in the other 12 games. And it’s also easy to see Bishop becoming a better communicator on the field. On safety Cam Lewis’ interception, Bishop effectively communicated a Banjo coverage with linebacker Dorian Williams, where the outside defender takes the inside receiver, and without that communication, Lewis isn’t able to bait Patriots quarterback Drake Maye into throwing at Williams’ receiver. “When we get the game plan, I try to get all the fundamentals of it, all the details and just try and execute it,” Bishop said. “So whatever they’re asking, I just try to execute to the best of my ability.” S Damar Hamlin (rib), DB Cam Lewis (shoulder), S Taylor Rapp (neck) and WR Curtis Samuel (rib) all wore red non-contact jerseys and were limited in Thursday’s practice. ... OL Tylan Grable did not practice for personal reasons.

'I can't pay my bills,' ex-Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani says in courtroom outburstCowboys WR CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) done for year

Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards was ruled out for Saturday's road game against the New England Patriots with an ankle injury. Fellow Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins is close to returning from a four-game absence because of a knee injury, as he was listed questionable to play. Offensive lineman Trey Pipkins III (hip) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin) also have been ruled out for Saturday. Edwards, 29, has gained 365 yards rushing this season with four touchdowns, including two in Los Angeles' 34-27 victory over the Denver Broncos on Dec. 19. Dobbins, 26, gained 766 yards with eight TDs in 11 games (nine starts) during his first season with the Chargers. Dobbins joined the Chargers in the offseason while coming off an Achilles tear with the Ravens last season. The Chargers also have running backs Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins on the depth chart. Vidal, a rookie, has 131 yards in eight games this season, while Haskins has just 26 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. The Chargers (9-6) can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie against the Patriots. --Field Level Media