Kevin Kisner, a four-time PGA Tour winner, will serve as one of Keegan Bradley‘s vice captains on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, the PGA of America said Wednesday.
The U.S. squad will try to reclaim the trophy from Europe this year at Bethpage Black in New York.
Kisner, who boasts an impressive match play record as a professional but had never been part of a Ryder Cup team, joins vice captains Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker on Bradley’s staff.
“Kevin is a great addition to our leadership group and will be a trusted voice throughout the coming months and this year’s Ryder Cup,” Bradley said in a news release. “His extensive match-play success and strong relationships make him a perfect fit. I look forward to working with him closely as we get ready for Bethpage Black.”
Kisner won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in 2019 and finished runner-up in 2018 and 2022. Kisner also owns a 2-2-3 career record in three Presidents Cups.
Kisner, 40, served as a captain’s assistant on the U.S. team that secured a 10th consecutive Presidents Cup victory last September.
“I love match play and the Ryder Cup is one of the greatest events in sports,” said Kisner. “I cannot wait to be a part of it and look forward to doing everything I can to support Keegan, Webb, Brandt and our talented team in September.”
A representative for Liam Payne was charged with manslaughter in connection with the One Direction veteran’s death in October, Argentine officials confirmed Monday.
The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office of Argentina announced in a Spanish-language statement that Judge Laura Graciela Bruniard on Friday prosecuted five people for alleged involvement in the pop singer’s death. Payne’s representative (identified as “R.L.N.”) and the manager and the head of reception of the Buenos Aires hotel where the British singer fell to his death were charged with manslaughter.
Another hotel employee and a waiter whom Payne met in a restaurant were charged with allegedly supplying the singer with narcotics.
Payne, an “X Factor” alum who was one-fifth of the global boy-band sensation One Direction, died Oct. 16 after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. He was 31. Shortly after his death, officials determined the singer died from multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding caused by the fall.
Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system when he fell, officials announced in November. Prosecution at the time said it was considering ruling out the possibility of suicide.
In Monday’s announcement, the prosecutor’s office detailed the defendants’ alleged roles in Payne’s death. The hotel employee (identified as “E.D.P.”) and waiter (“B.N.P.”) both allegedly supplied Payne with cocaine multiple times during his stay in Buenos Aires. Payne died two weeks after arriving in Argentina, where he attended an Oct. 2 concert by his former bandmate Niall Horan.
According to Monday’s announcement, Payne’s representative “failed to comply with his duties of care, assistance and assistance that he had with respect to” the singer. Prosecutors alleged R.L.N. abandoned the singer despite knowing he was “unable to fend for himself” and having previous knowledge of Payne’s struggles with addiction.
The prosecutor’s office detailed an alleged incident where Payne was carried up to his third-floor room by a group of three people prior to his death. The hotel manager (identified as “G.A.M.”) and the hotel’s head of reception (“E.R.G.”), who allegedly led the group, should have kept Payne “in a safe area without sources of danger, in company and until he could be provided with medical care,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Bruniard, the judge, said Monday that the hotel managers “did not act maliciously” in connection with Payne’s death “but they have been reckless in enabling him to be taken to his room and driven there respectively.”
“They created a legally disapproved risk and Payne’s death is the realization of that risk,” Bruniard said.
R.L.N. is “responsible for the crime of manslaughter … given that he had assumed a position of guarantor toward” Payne’s family, Bruniard added.
Ultimately, Payne’s representative and the hotel managers “have contributed, although not in a planned manner, to creating a risk that resulted in Payne’s death, whether by action or omission,” Monday’s statement said.
The two people charged with supplying Payne drugs before his death were sentenced to pre-trial detention. R.L.N. and the two hotel managers were charged without pretrial detention, according to the prosecutor’s office.
More than a month after Payne’s death, his former bandmates, family and friends gathered for a funeral service in England. Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Horan attended the ceremony northwest of London. Also in attendance were “X Factor” judges Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole (who shares a young son with Payne), and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
Though Payne is best known for his work with One Direction, he also pursued a solo career after the boy band went on hiatus in 2016. As a soloist he released songs “Strip That Down,” “Bedroom Floor” and “Teardrops” and teamed with artists including Quavo, Ed Sheeran and Charlie Puth.
Payne was also open about his struggles with mental health and addiction. In a YouTube vlog shared in 2023, he revealed he was six months sober.
Times staff writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.
The upcoming Field & Stream Music Fest has revealed its slate of performers for the Oct. 3-5 event set for Winnsboro, S.C. Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Riley Green, Bailey Zimmerman, Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top have top billing at the festival, which is co-produced by Field & Stream alongside key investors Church, Morgan Wallen and Southern Entertainment.
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The three-day festival will feature more than 40 artists performing on multiple stages. Alongside the headliners, the fest will feature performances from artists including Shane Smith & The Saints, Kameron Marlowe, Boy Named Banjo, Ashland Craft, David Lee Murphy, Taylor Richardson, Maddie Rean, Whey Jennings, Larry Fleet and more.
One of the key differentiators for this upcoming fest is the number of activities it offers beyond hearing musical sets. The fest offers themed “villages,” such as the Ugly Stik Fish on America Village, which gives fishing tips and casting competitions, while the OnX Hunt Village showcases various outdoor gear and gives expert-led demonstrations. The GameWatch Football Showdown Village delivers a place for sports fans to watch games on massive screen and offers a fully stocked bar and various activities. The fest also offers excursions such as trophy fishing, archery, mountain biking and off-road tours, while the At the Field & Stream Expo will highlight interactive exhibits and showcase new outdoor innovation from top brands.
The 2025 Field & Stream lineup comes after last year’s festival (which was to be its inaugural year) was postponed due to the destruction Hurricane Helene brought to the Carolinas and other states. Last year, Church and Wallen teamed up to acquire the iconic Field & Stream brand. In addition to announcing the music festival, the acquisition also included reviving Field & Stream in print, starting the Field & Stream 1871 Club and more.
Pre-sales for the 2025 Field & Stream Music Fest launch Thursday, Jan. 9, for Field & Stream 1871 Club Members, with tickets on sale to the general public Friday, Jan. 10.
An ultrasound test that takes less than 20 minutes could improve the accuracy of prostate cancer diagnosis, scientists say.
The technology was found to correctly identify tumours in 94% of cases and provide a 20-fold increase in resolution compared with MRI images.
The method involves injecting patients with a contrast agent containing millions of tiny, harmless microbubbles. A technique known as super resolution ultrasound imaging (SRUI) is then used to track the microbubbles as they travel through the bloodstream to the prostate.
Due to the altered blood flow in cancerous tissue, the image highlights previously unseen tumours, enabling earlier diagnosis.
Less Grey Imaging Ltd, a spin-out from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, said tests at the Western General Hospital showed “extremely encouraging results”.
The company’s co-founder Professor Vassilis Sboros said: “This is exactly what the new Government needs to tackle the challenges facing the NHS.
“Back in 2019, we proved the concept worked in our lab but now we have shown it works during our initial patient trials.
“It’s just like looking inside the body with a microscope, allowing clinicians to see 20 times more detail than before. Even concealed tumours are possible to identify.
“With one man dying from prostate cancer every 45 minutes in the UK, we hope earlier detection will radically improve treatment outcomes, saving lives while reducing the number of people sent for unnecessary and often risky tests.”
Around 52,000 men receive a prostate cancer diagnosis every year in the UK.
Patients who are at high risk are eligible for the prostate specific antigen test, which searches for elevated levels of hormones linked to the disease. If flagged, they can be sent for MRI scans followed by biopsies.
However, up to 28% of clinically significant tumours are missed and around half of people who received positive MRI scans receive a native biopsy result, according to the researchers.
The ultrasound test uses existing equipment and could be rolled out on the NHS to improve image quality, they argued.
Dr George Papageorgiou, chief executive of Less Grey Imaging, added: “Currently, prostate cancer diagnosis varies widely across the country, with many patients being diagnosed too late for curative treatment.
“By integrating ultrasound more prominently into the diagnostic pathway, we can ensure equal opportunities for early diagnosis across all regions of the UK.”
Professor Alan McNeill, a consultant urological surgeon at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh and founder trustee of charity Prostate Scotland, said: “The initial trial results are extremely encouraging, providing really useful information for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
“This is the most common cancer in men but, if it is caught early while the cancer remains within the prostate, it can be cured in the majority of cases.
“Nearly every week, my colleagues and I meet men in their 50s or early 60s suffering from advanced prostate cancer that leaves them with fewer treatment options. We continue to raise awareness and encourage earlier diagnosis for all men.”
Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars was incredible. The themes were interesting (hurray for hair metal!) and kept viewers tuning in. Plus, the cast was great, except for the addition of fraudster Anna Delvey. Overall, there was a lot of talent and big personalities in the ballroom. In the end, Bachelor star Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson waltzed away with the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. Olympian Ilona Maher and her partner, Alan Bersten, came in second place, while actress Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong nabbed third place.
So, people were excited about the 2025 Dancing with the Stars tour. Unfortunately, fans in Richmond, Virginia, were just given news that the show was postponed.
Why is the Dancing with the Stars show postponed?
The DWTS show was scheduled to open on January 7, 2025, but the show was postponed. The tour’s official Instagram page featured the announcement. “Due to the ongoing water outages and conserve water advisory in the city of Richmond, VA, we regret to announce that we have had to reschedule our show at the Altria Theater tonight to tomorrow night Wed. Jan. 8th,” the post read.
The announcement continued, “All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We are sending our best wishes and thoughts to everyone in the city impacted by this incident. We can’t wait to kick off this tour and will see you all tomorrow night.” The tour opens on January 8th and is scheduled to run through April 6, 2025. After such a stellar season, I’m sure the show is amazing.
So, what exactly happened in Richmond? Winter weather caused several major problems for residents. According to ABC News, the Richmond water treatment plant lost power during the storm. As a result, a “malfunction of the IT system” caused the plant to flood and water production stopped. A water boil advisory for Richmond residents will stay in effect “until all required testing is complete and approved in accordance with drinking water quality standards,” a press release from the city of Richmond read. At this time, the denizens of Richmond are on day three of no water.
The Reality Tea Team hopes these problems will be resolved quickly for the citizens of Richmond.
Right asThe View began to run its new live episode on Wednesday (January 8), teasing that the first “Hot Topic” of the day was Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial decision to remove fact-checkers from Facebook, ABC News jumped in with a lengthy special report dedicated to the ongoing fire crises in California.
After airing several minutes of a press conference with city officials, revealing the human cost of the Pacific Palisades Fire and in the Los Angeles area, anchor Kyra Phillips continued to reveal news of the events, with correspondent Matt Gutman on the ground in front of the blaze as well.
The special report continued until 11:29 a.m., when The View returned to air to show a portion of the interview with actress Glenn Close, talking about her experience at this weekend’s Golden Globe Awards. (For what it’s worth, the actress had an accidentally very timely joke to share, revealing that when she asked Harrison Ford what he’d do if there was a fire alarm, he responded with, “I’d probably just sit here and watch everybody get clogged… unless there was a fire in my pants!”)
For those fans who are hoping to catch the full episode, including the minutes that were preempted by the breaking news coverage of the wildfires on the West Coast, not to worry. As of this season, the show’s full episodes are made available online on the show’s official YouTube channel in the mid-afternoon hours.
According to a new report by Business Insider, Microsoft will be cutting positions across the company “soon” and will focus on underperforming employees in various roles, including security.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to the outlet that cuts were imminent but didn’t provide details on how many employees would lose their jobs, or when.
“At Microsoft, we focus on high-performance talent,” the spokesperson told Business Insider. “We are always working on helping people learn and grow. When people are not performing, we take the appropriate action.”
The spokesperson also told the outlet that the company usually backfills cut positions.
In the summer of 2024, Microsoft had around 228,000 full-time employees.
The tech industry has been laying employees off in a big way since 2022.
In 2024, there were around 151,484 employees laid off from 542 tech companies, according to TechCrunch and layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks job layoffs.
Investing.com — Shares of Arcadium Lithium plc (NYSE: ALTM, ASX: LTM) surged 8% following the announcement that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has completed its review of the company’s proposed acquisition by mining giant Rio Tinto (NYSE:) and found no unresolved national security issues.
The clearance marks a significant step forward for the deal, which was initially announced on October 9, 2024. With the CFIUS hurdle now cleared, Arcadium Lithium has also received merger control clearance in several other key jurisdictions, including Australia, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom (TADAWUL:), and under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in the United States. The United Kingdom has also granted investment screening approval.
Despite this progress, the acquisition is still awaiting investment screening approvals in Australia, Canada, and Italy, in addition to other customary closing conditions. Arcadium Lithium remains optimistic, expecting the transaction to finalize before mid-2025.
The company’s stock movement reflects investor confidence in the acquisition’s progress and the positive implications it holds for Arcadium Lithium’s future operations and growth. The clearance from CFIUS is a crucial step in international deals involving U.S. business interests, as it ensures that the transaction poses no threat to national security, which can be a significant concern in the mining and production of critical materials like lithium.
Investors are closely monitoring the remaining regulatory approvals, keenly aware that the successful acquisition by Rio Tinto could enhance Arcadium Lithium’s position in the global lithium market, a sector that is becoming increasingly important due to the rising demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage solutions.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.
American Express shut down a luxury wellness perk at its exclusive Centurion Lounge at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and replaced it with a full-service coffee bar.
The credit card company last year shuttered its Equinox Body Lab, where members could partake in restorative therapy sessions that include self-guided meditations, stretching, compression boots and a vibroacoustic chair for relaxation.
Instead, cardholders who have access to the luxurious lounge will have the choice of picking up a free cup of joe at “Blue Roast by American Express,” a full-service coffee bar that offers espresso beverages, cold brew, seasonal specialty coffee drinks, smoothies, avocado toast and chia pudding.
The American Express Centurion Lounge is seen above at Terminal 4 of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. American ExpressThe Equinox Body Lab at Centurion Lounge is no more.
When reached by The Post, a spokesperson for American Express confirmed the change. The company said that the coffee bar has proven to be a hit among cardholders traveling through Seattle.
The JFK location is the second complimentary coffee shop that American Express has opened at its Centurion Lounge, according to the company.
Several media reports indicate that the Equinox Body Lab was closed down recently, but The Post has learned that it has been closed since April.
American Express moved to close the spa and use the space for a coffee bar in order to accommodate a greater number of lounge members, according to a source.
The Centurion Lounge offers amenities for exclusive cardholders such as a speakeasy bar. American Express
American Express made similar moves last year at airports in Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami, where it shuttered Exhale spas from its Centurion lounges.
In October, The Points Guy reported that the spas were closed down due to the overwhelming demand.
The spas were staffed by between two to four treatment therapists at any given time — meaning that a large number of cardholders needed to wait for an appointment, according to The Points Guy.
The Equinox Body Lab offered compression boots treatments. TikTok/mizzaddytude
The luxury spas were first included in the Centurion Lounge as a means to enticing American Express cardholders to upgrade to its more premium credit cards such as the Platinum Card and the Black Card — the ultra-exclusive account that requires holders to spend at least $250,000 annually and pay annual fees of at least $5,000.
This week, Mayor Eric Adams and I were proud to report that overall major crime declined in New York City in 2024, with 3,662 fewer crimes this year compared to last.
Murders in our city are at a five-year low.
Shooting incidents and shooting victims were down for the third straight year — including the lowest number of shooting incidents in Brooklyn since the early 1990s.
Major crime is down in public housing, and it’s also down in our transit system for the second straight year. In fact, discounting the pandemic years, 2024 was the safest our subways have been from major crime in 14 years.
Make no mistake: These crime reductions were achieved thanks to the hard work and grit of New York’s Finest — but we know that many New Yorkers don’t feel safe.
Their perception of public safety has become their reality, and we know why: surging recidivism.
Compared to 2018, 2024 witnessed an unacceptable increase in the number of individuals arrested three or more times for the same crime in the same year.
The increase was 61.3% for burglary, 71.2% for grand larceny, 64.2% for shoplifting and 118.6% for auto theft.
And when we look at felony assault, the increase was a staggering 146.5%.
The deck has been completely stacked against our cops by a shocking lack of accountability for crime.
Without a course correction, we cannot achieve the low crime levels New York City enjoyed before January 2020, when changes to criminal justice laws made it more difficult to keep recidivists behind bars.
The subways will always be a bellwether for the perception of public safety in our city.
And I’ll say this to New Yorkers: subway crime is not in your head.
While it’s true that major crime in transit is down, random acts of violence are up. And in many instances, these terrifying crimes are committed by recidivists who absolutely should not be on our streets or in our subways given their violent propensities.
NYPD officers walk Jamar Banks out of Transit Bureau District 2 station in New York City, U.S., January 5, 2025. REUTERS
With 40 prior convictions, Banks has a violent criminal history stretching back at least 36 years.
He was arrested for stabbing a man on a subway train in 2022, and arrested with a knife while shoplifting in 2023.
This New Year’s Day, he stabbed a man in the back after an argument on a Manhattan train; less than 24 hours later, he stabbed an off-duty MTA employee on a train in the Bronx.
Banks was arrested on January 5; when will our criminal justice system put him back on our subways again?
A mugshot of career criminal Gary Worthy.
And we’re seeing this scenario play out above ground, too.
Last month, career criminal Gary Worthy robbed a Queens deli at gunpoint before shooting and injuring a responding NYPD officer, and an innocent bystander.
Worthy had 17 prior arrests, seven of which happened while he was out on lifetime parole — including arrests for robbery, burglary, and menacing within the past year.
This is a dangerous criminal who should not have been on the streets, but it’s a story we see repeated again and again — and New Yorkers have had enough.
The problem is further compounded when you look at misdemeanors.
Compared to 2018, misdemeanor crimes in New York City were up in 2024.
At the same time, and for these very same crimes, the rates of decline to prosecute were up 31%, while 54% more pre-trial defendants were released on their own recognizance.
Imagine how disheartening it is for our cops to arrest the same people, for the same crimes, in the same neighborhoods, over and over.
And how scary it is for New Yorkers to see the same person who victimized them one day, walking the streets the next.
The time for band-aids and half measures is over, because the revolving door of the criminal justice system fails to put the rights and needs of victims first.
New Yorkers demand, and they certainly deserve, better.
Jessica Tisch is the police commissioner of New York City.
