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Microsoft's EVP sells $1.5 million in stockNetflix will have one of its biggest days Wednesday since the site launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL games for the first time. “NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” begins with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m., before Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City. Baltimore faces Houston in the second game. The streaming giant agreed to a three-year contract in May to carry Christmas Day games. Netflix’s 282.3 million subscribers in over 190 countries will be able to stream the games, marking the first time one outlet has distributed an NFL game globally. Netflix will have the games available in five languages — English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. The games will also air on CBS affiliates in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston. NFL policy dictates that games on cable or being exclusively streamed must also be on an over-the-air station in the competing teams’ markets. It will also be available on mobile devices in the U.S. for those who have NFL+. The biggest reason is money. The league is getting $150 million from Netflix for the two games this season. It also continues the NFL’s moves into streaming — Thursday night games are in their third season on Amazon Prime Video and the “Sunday Ticket” package moved to YouTube TV last year. That’s true, but the league wasn’t about to give up Christmas after seeing the ratings. Last year’s three games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the way, averaging 29.48 million. The Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens and Texans played on Saturday, giving them the same turnaround they would have if they played on Sunday and then Thursday. All four have clinched playoff spots in the AFC, but seeding remains up for grabs. Kansas City (14-1) can clinch the top seed — which would mean a first-round bye and home field throughout the playoffs — with a win over the Steelers. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are tied atop the AFC North at 10-5, with the Steelers holding the tiebreaker due to a better conference record. Houston (9-6) has wrapped up the AFC South and holds the fourth seed. Netflix hopes so. Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction series and sports, said the system was stress tested, and then some, during the Nov. 14 bout, along with internet service providers reporting they were also overwhelmed by the surge that occurred before and during the fight. The bout peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, including 38 million concurrent streams in the United States. According to the website Down Detector, nearly 85,000 viewers logged problems with outages or streaming leading up to and during the fight. Possible? Yes. Likely? No. The largest audience for a streamed-exclusive NFL game was 23 million on Peacock for last season’s AFC wild-card game between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs. Nielsen will measure the ratings for the Christmas Day games, with early numbers expected late afternoon on Thursday. It will probably beat kickoff for both games, but especially around 5:45 p.m. EST. That would be near halftime of the Ravens-Texans game, and when Beyoncé will be performing. Mariah Carey will kick off the day with a taped performance of “All I Want for Christmas is You.” There is no word if Taylor Swift will make the trip to Pittsburgh to watch her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Swift has been spending time in Kansas City since she wrapped up her Eras Tour two weeks ago. The NFL will have at least two games on Dec. 25 in 2025 and ’26, with Netflix slated to have at least one each year. Amazon Prime Video will have a night game with Christmas on a Thursday next year. Netflix’s worldwide partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment will begin on Jan. 6 when “Monday Night Raw” moves to the streaming service. On Friday, Netflix secured the U.S. rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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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." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!China's AI balancing act — beating the U.S. but keeping the tech from threatening Beijing's ruleSeveral times following New England’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wanted to review the game film before making a final assessment of his team’s performance. He did, and on Monday he said the overarching feeling he was left with was one of pride. Going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the NFL is commendable. Mayo also remains confident this group has even more room for growth over its final two games this season. “To be frank, I don’t believe in good losses,” Mayo said. “I think there’s a lot to learn from the game. Look, we’re headed in the right direction, but it’s all about consistency, and we have to do that on a down-after-down, a game-after-game basis to be successful in this league.” What is also clear is that despite their 3-12 record, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye wants people to know that he and his teammates believe in their coach. No matter what conversations might be going on outside the Patriots locker room regarding shortcomings by the coaching staff, or Mayo’s job status. “We’ve got his back, and he’s coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all frustrated,” Maye said. “We’re just plays away, and it’s basically me turning the ball over. I think it’s just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we’re not going to make the playoffs; we’re out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don’t score. ... So, I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.” The Patriots entered the week scoring only 7.5 points per game in the first half this season, which ranked 29th in the NFL. The offense woke up with 14 points in the first half on Sunday, notching multiple offensive touchdowns in the first half for the first time in 2024. Stopping the run has been an issue for New England’s defense for most of the season and it was on display against the Bills. With Buffalo trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, running back James Cook sliced through the interior of the Patriots defense and broke free for a 46-yard TD run. It was a big chunk of Buffalo’s 172 yards on the ground for the game. CB Jonathan Jones. He was tasked with being the primary defender on Buffalo’s top receiver Khalil Shakir for most of the game. The veteran held his own, helping limit the Bills’ leader in catches and receiving yards to only two catches for 22 yards on six targets. Jones also forced a fumble by Shakir in the fourth quarter, though Shakir was able to recover it. Marte Mapu. The linebacker started at safety with Jabrill Peppers sidelined with a hamstring injury. Mapu was strong for most of the game and had a chance to set up the Patriots offense in the second quarter when he snagged his second career interception, picking off Josh Allen’s pass in the end zone. But Mapu decided to run the ball out of the end zone and was tackled on the New England 1-yard line. The poor starting field position eventually led to a punt and the Patriots couldn’t add to their 14-7 lead. The Patriots didn’t announce any injuries during the game. But along with Peppers, cornerback Marcus Jones also sat out with a hip injury. 2-6 — The Patriots’ record in one-score games this season. Four of those have been by three or fewer points. The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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NoneOF NOTE Twin Cities TV station FOX 9 announced that Symone Woolridge is joining as an evening anchor. Woolridge most recently spent nearly three years as an anchor for WTMJ4 in Milwaukee. Woolridge will anchor the 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. newscasts. ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS KOSE , a Minneapolis-based, digital-first media agency, announced it received a Bronze Shorty Award for its campaign for the Minnesota Department of Health , designed to inspire Minnesotans to get updated COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. Shorty Impact Awards are selected by the Real Time Academy , a consortium of social-media professionals. ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING St. Paul-based engineering and architecture company Short Elliott Hendrickson announced the election of Matt Bolf and Deric Deuschle to its board of directors and Erica Olsen as board secretary. Bolf is an SEH principal and regional civil practice center leader; Deuschle is an SEH principal, regional mobility sector leader, and a certified Minnesota wetland professional; Olsen is an SEH principal and regional civil and water resources practice center leader. FINANCIAL SERVICES Ameriprise Financial , Minneapolis, announced that Edina-based financial adviser Steve Salmon has joined the firm’s independent channel from LPL Financial with $110 million in assets. HONORS The Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce announced its Business Excellence Awards for 2024 : Nonprofit of the Year: 360 Communities ; Emerging Leader of the Year: Amy Sousa, Eagan City Lifestyle Magazine ; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Champion: DARTS ; Small Business of the Year: Greater Good Marketing ; Large Business of the Year: Dakota Electric Association ; Legacy Award: Ann Bailey , president of DARTS. ... Catholic Charities Twin Cities announced it has presented St. Paul-based Otto Bremer Trust with its “Spirit of Community Award.” LAW The Minnesota Legal Services Coalition has honored attorneys Andy G. Pomroy and Kevin P. Goodno with the Pro Bono Publico Award for outstanding work in support of civil and legal services in the last two Minnesota legislative sessions. Pomroy is senior government relations specialist at Fredrikson , Minneapolis, which made the announcement. Goodno is an attorney with the firm. ... Dorsey & Whitney , Minneapolis, announced the following Minneapolis-based partners: Keith Ahlgren , Mergers & Acquisitions; Christopher DeLong , Government Solutions & Investigations; Kiley Petty Henry , Tax, Trusts & Estates; Jack Huerter , Securities & Financial Services Litigation; John Jorgenson , Mergers & Acquisitions; Joshua Oie , Commercial Litigation; Mara Sanders , Healthcare Transactions & Regulations, and Mike Sevilla , Labor & Employment. MARKETING IFC National Marketing, a Coon Rapids-based insurance-industry marketing organization, announced that Gintas Garsys has joined as regional sales director for Medicare and health products. Garsys most recently worked at Minnetonka-based health insurer Medica as an agency relationship manager, serving Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. OPENINGS U-Haul Moving & Storage announced the opening of a retail, moving and storage center at 1717 W. River Road North, Minneapolis. PHILANTHROPY The Andersen Corporate Foundation , the charitable arm of Andersen Corp. , a Bayport-based maker of windows and doors for the residential market, announced the following philanthropic commitments: Science Museum of Minnesota , $400,000; Neighborhood House , $75,000, and Second Harvest Heartland , $125,000. TECHNOLOGY Tamarack Technology , a St. Paul-based provider of artificial intelligence-based software and services for the equipment finance industry, announced it has hired Mike Olson as its client success director. Olson’s background includes a 26-year tenure at Wells Fargo , with a decade on the equipment finance team. ... TravelNet Solutions , a Cottage Grove-based provider of a vacations rental property management software platform, announced the promotion of Odus “Boogie” Wittenburg from president to CEO. He succeeds company founder and CEO Ryan Bailey , who transitions into the role of executive chairman. Related Articles Business | Ramsey County selects Maria Sarabia as chief of staff Business | Community Thread in Stillwater names new executive director Business | Business People: Flint Hills exec Holli VanOverbeke to lead Dakota Chamber board Business | Catholic Charities appoints Jamie Verbrugge as president and CEO Business | Forest Lake dairy farmer, part of Autumnwood Farms family, wins Excellence in Agriculture competition EMAIL ITEMS to businessnews@pioneerpress.com .

Say cheese: Vancouver cheese shop increasing security over rise in theftActress Josie Davis (“Charles in Charge”) chatted about her new holiday film “Festival of Trees,” which will premiere on UPtv Sunday, November 24th. “It was really fun,” she admitted. “We had such great people. The two people that played my assistants, Nicole and Erin, were so funny. We created this whole world. I brought a bunch of personal objects that I gave them, so we had this entire relationship off-camera, and we brought this energy and this whole world in with us.” “We made it so much bigger and better than what the script had,” she said. “There was all this behavior and excitement.” The synopsis is: Jacquie Miller (Kate Miner) is an interior designer desperate to catch a break. The city’s annual Festival of Trees decorating competition, known for putting local artists on the map, may be just the answer! Competing with the city’s top designers is not for the faint of heart. With the help of her quirky assistant, a charming stranger and an inspirational young girl, Jacquie embarks on a humor-filled and heart-warming journey to create a tree that will knock the stockings off of Santa himself. She was drawn to her character, Alice, for several reasons. “I played this horrible person, but I made her really funny,” she said. “It was so much fun to be nutty and crazy like that.” “I’ve played a lot of leads in Lifetime movies, and I’ve played the villain a few times, and those were the audience’s favorites,” she noted. Davis revealed that she had actually bought a Christmas tree from Trader Joe’s that was a foot and a half tall, and now it is three feet tall and two feet wide. “The tree is actually still alive and people had told me that I wouldn’t be able to keep it alive,” she admitted. Davis noted that she is also playing a comedic villain in “Glowzies,” which stars James Remar. “It is actually a kids movie and it’s on Apple TV among other platforms,” she said. On her future plans, Davis shared that she is writing a book and she will be producing a movie as well. “I have to find the right script,” she said. For young and emerging actors, she said, “Only do it if you absolutely love acting. Don’t do it to try and be famous. It is such a brutal and difficult business. Ever since I’ve started, it has been so up and down.” On the title of the current chapter of her life, Davis said, “Exposing it all.” “I am writing a memoir,” she said. Regarding her definition of the word success, Davis remarked, “Doing what you really believe that you are meant to do.” “It also has to do with your personal life, love life and your family,” she said. “Success is about being balanced in all of those areas.” For fans and viewers, she stated about the new UPtv film “Festival of Trees,” “I hope this movie inspires other people to be deep, and to help other people, and to look at life in a deeper way... that would be great. I would like people to get that meaning out of the script.” “I want people to laugh, and to feel warm,” she concluded. To learn more about actress Josie Davis, follow her on Instagram . Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News.Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 21,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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By 2029, the total global spend for digital identity verification checks will spike by 74 percent to reach $26 billion, according to a new report from Juniper Research. With set to transform the digital economy in the EU, West Europe is forecasted to spend a substantial chunk on ID verification, as is China and the far east; each account for nearly a quarter of total spend. North America is likewise a healthy market. Pegged at $15.2 billion in 2024, the industry will grow as innovation finds new ways to reduce friction in checks, with behavioral biometrics flagged as a key enabling technology. The , “Three Technologies Enhancing the Digital ID Verification Experience,” predicts that behavioral biometrics will “detect anomalous user behaviour for device inputs such as keystrokes and screen swipes to identify fraudsters, enabling identity verification vendors to detect fraudulent activity earlier and more efficiently.” But it also emphasizes that “to create a more user friendly and efficient situation” and attain the best results in digital identity verification, three key technologies need to be combined or used in tandem: , facial recognition and . Passive liveness in particular, enhances the frictionless user experience during digital identity verification. The report notes the ongoing evolution of biometric technology: “biometrics is not standing still, with several emerging methods adding new capabilities that can be leveraged across different scenarios.” A couple focus on the eyeballs, namely and retina scans, both of which Juniper says have particular potential as fraudsters develop better spoofing and against facial recognition systems. Handprints, the report dismisses as a fading tech, forecasting that “there will only be limited growth in the use of handprint recognition technology, unless there is a significant change in its usability.” And while has limited implementation, it is “an extremely secure verification method.” Juniper says blockchain-based technologies driving self-sovereign principles will enhance the security of identity verification in highly-regulated sectors such as and financial services. Data sovereignty, minimal necessary data sharing and user control will all play a role in how identity verification develops. So will standards. “The ‘electronic Identification, Authentication, and trust Services’ (eIDAS) regulation is ushering in massive change in the EU, with interoperable being offered to all citizens by May 2026,” the report notes. “The research recommends that vendors adhere to digital identity standards by working with decentralised databases to maximise the security and privacy of user information.” | | | | | |AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:51 p.m. EST

After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey , U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is urging the federal government to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify and ultimately stop the airborne pests. The New York Democrat is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special technology that identifies and tracks drones back to their landing spots, according to briefings from his office. Schumer’s calls come amid growing public concern that the federal government hasn’t offered clear explanations as to who is operating the drones, and has not stopped them. National security officials have said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference. “There’s a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Fox News Sunday. “The answer ‘We don’t know’ is not a good enough answer.” President-elect Donald Trump posted on social media last week: “Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so. Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down.” Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to “incapacitate” drones, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “But we need those authorities expanded,” he said, without saying exactly how. The drones don’t appear to be linked to foreign governments, Mayorkas said. “We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter,” Mayorkas said. Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their identities. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is operating the drones swarming locations in New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas’ office didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability. Schumer is calling for recently declassified radar technology to be used to help determine whether an object is a drone or a bird, identify its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday said federal officials were sending a drone detection system to the state. “This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,” Hochul said in a statement. The governor did not immediately provide additional details including where they system will be deployed. Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility and over Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.Analysis: Protecting QBs from violent late hits like the one that leveled Trevor Lawrence isn't easy