2024 - Page 217 of 232 - Cactus three

Thompson: Brock Purdy managed up, managed down and saved the 49ers

30

Jan

New miscellaneous

Thompson: Brock Purdy managed up, managed down and saved the 49ers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The most important run of the night may not have been by Christian McCaffrey. Or Deebo Samuel. Or even by George Kittle on one of his epic catch-and-runs.Nope. It was probably by the game manager. The most momentum-seizing, back-breaking, Lions-taming runs, a case could be made, were by Brock Purdy, the conductor of a 17-point comeback in the San Francisco 49ers’ 34-31 win Sunday over Detroit in the NFC Championship Game.“I’m blocking my man, and next thing I know I hear screaming,” left guard Aaron Banks said from the party in the 49ers locker room at…

Focused Cuts and Fewer Layers: Tech Layoffs Enter a New Phase

30

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

Science and Technology

Focused Cuts and Fewer Layers: Tech Layoffs Enter a New Phase

Last year, Mark Zuckerberg declared 2023 to be a “year of efficiency.” His company, Meta, soon laid off a third of its employees. Amazon, Google and Microsoft also cut tens of thousands of workers.Their worlds did not stop. Not only that, the companies were rewarded. Their stock prices soared. Some divisions were more productive. And the companies — including X, formerly known as Twitter, which has chopped nearly 80 percent of its staff since late 2022 — continued operating.Other chief executives took notice. And a month into 2024, tech companies have entered a new phase of cost cutting.After last year’s…

After China Evergrande, Real Estate Crisis ‘Has Not Touched Bottom’

30

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

Investments and Business

After China Evergrande, Real Estate Crisis ‘Has Not Touched Bottom’

The unwavering belief of Chinese home buyers that real estate was a can’t-lose investment propelled the country’s property sector to become the backbone of its economy.But over the last two years, as firms crumbled under the weight of massive debts and sales of new homes plunged, Chinese consumers have demonstrated an equally unshakable belief: Real estate has become a losing investment.This sharp loss of faith in property, the main store of wealth for many Chinese families, is a growing problem for Chinese policymakers who are pulling out all the stops to revive the ailing industry — to very little effect.…

Widening Mideast Crisis: Drone Strike Kills 3 U.S. Soldiers in Jordan, White House Says

29

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

New miscellaneous

Widening Mideast Crisis: Drone Strike Kills 3 U.S. Soldiers in Jordan, White House Says

Three U.S. service members were killed in Jordan on Sunday and at least 34 others were injured in what the Biden administration said was a drone attack from an Iran-backed militia, the first American military fatalities from hostile fire in the turmoil spilling over from Israel’s war with Hamas.The attack happened at a remote logistics outpost in northeast Jordan called Tower 22 along the country’s shared borders with Syria and Iraq. The one-way attack drone hit near the outpost’s living quarters, causing injuries that ranged from minor cuts to brain trauma, a U.S. military official said.But the deaths of U.S.…

29

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

Health

The Man in Room 117

Sam and Olga had concluded that only involuntary treatment could break the cycle for Andrey — something open-ended, combining long-term injectable medications with intensive therapy and counseling.They are part of a much larger ideological shift taking place, as communities grope for ways to manage ballooning homeless populations. California, one of the first states to turn away from involuntary treatment, has passed new laws expanding it. New York has made a billion-dollar investment in residential housing, psychiatric beds and wraparound services.Sam had staked his hopes on Washington’s new involuntary treatment law, and found it maddening that this fall, when Andrey was…

Mike Macdonald lets the Ravens defense do his talking

28

Jan

By Benjamin Hall

New miscellaneous

Mike Macdonald lets the Ravens defense do his talking

The Athletic has live coverage of Ravens vs. Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. If Mike Macdonald’s ascent to one of the NFL’s hottest coordinators and a legitimate head-coaching candidate feels meteoric, that’s probably because he has never embraced the art of self-promotion.The 36-year-old second-year Baltimore Ravens defensive boss has consented to side media interviews in recent weeks largely because he wants to tout the chemistry and cohesion of his staff, not because he wants any more attention. He likes to call himself a “steward” of head coach John Harbaugh’s vision and will point you in the direction of two…