word roulette game NBA's Christmas Day ratings skyrocket, even going up against NFL gamesNew Braunfels' McKenna Foundation awards thousands of dollars to 6 local schoolsAs far as physical activity goes, American kids are mostly C and D students. And “everything is graded on a curve,” says Jordan Carlson, a professor of pediatrics at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Carlson is the committee chair of this year’s United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth , which was released last month. It offers a stark rendering of how our children and youth are “insufficiently active.” The report draws upon data from a number of nationally representative surveys. Its goal is to inform (and in many cases, warn) about how kids are doing in relation to federal physical activity recommendations. More specifically, 20-to-28% of 6-to-17-year-olds meet the 60 minutes of daily physical activity guideline set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Their overall grade: D-. “This is a systemic problem,” says Pam Watts, president of the Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) , which puts out the report card. “This isn't just a funding problem or a programming problem or a localized problem. This is a pervasive, systemic problem.” While the report is a call-to-action for policymaking and advocacy about the "urgent" need to help support and improve our kids’ overall fitness, it also provides an opportunity to take stock in how we’re handling our roles as sports parents and coaches. A slew of poor grades within the report across a number of categories — like sedentary behavior (D-), active transportation among kids (D-) and organized sports participation (C-) — give us insight as to how we can improve our kids’ sports experience from the time they are young. “I'm sure you’ve met the parents who were hell-bent on getting their kid into a D-I scholarship situation in college,” Watts says, “and that's how they approach youth sports. There are downsides to that. That's OK for some kids, if that's what they want. “PAA works across a lifetime of physical activity, the youth being such an important part of that.” USA TODAY Sports spoke with key contributors to the report about how its data can benefit all of us, whether our kids aspire to play competitive sports in high school and beyond or use sports for a healthy dose of extracurricular activity and stress relief. As you may have found, those goals don’t have to be mutually exclusive. First and foremost, make sure your kid loves a physical activity or sport “The message of the report card is not that kids are failing. It's not that parents are failing,” Carlson says. “It's that there's all of these societal barriers to physical activity and that we need to address those things.” Let’s start with the highest grade in the report (B-). It comes in early care and education, where one study found that 74% of the early care and educations settings provide two or more physical activity opportunities per day. The federally recommended one hour of “moderate-to-vigorous intensity” physical actions for kids includes aerobic, muscle- and bone-strengthening activities. We don’t realize we’re getting these benefits when we climb playground equipment and run around in the schoolyard early in our lives. We are put in these situations, and we thrive within them, not because we’re faster than another kid, or we win a competition of jumping rope, but because they are so natural. Carlson says we don’t have a lot of data on physical activity among preschool children, but what we learn there reinforces something our bodies are inclined to do: Move. We move as we get a little older, biking to our friends’ houses and running after each other in the backyard during games of manhunt or freeze tag (at least that what’s we used to do) not for the exercise, but because we enjoy it. Today, kids are involved in youth sports as early as preschool (as my two boys were) because we feel the need to get them started on what we hope are long and fruitful careers. We put them in sometimes even knowing the odds that only about 1-to-2% of high school athletes get an athletic scholarship to help pay for college and an even lower percentage go pro . Here is another stat you probably don't know: About 70% of adults living in households with children met their own recommended physical activity guidelines . That means, these adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. Instead of trying to put your kid on the sports fast track from an early age, show him or her how much you love to move, too. In fact, move together during a run or on a basketball court. It's all part of establishing a physical literacy that will develop motor skills and confidence for later sports endeavors. Take a 'bike to school' approach to youth sports According to a 2022 National Household Travel Survey, 10% of children usually walk or bike to school. The grade “active transportation” among kids received was the same as the one for overall physical activity (D-). Neither grade has increased in a decade. We can point to safety factors, both with traffic and in neighborhoods, and “built” environment factors such as sidewalks and direct paths to school. (The "community and built environment" category got a C+ nationally.) But the lower grade is also a sign of our lives today. “It takes extra time to walk to school versus throwing your kids in the van and driving them or picking them up,” Watts says. “We've just got these societal expectations around all that we accomplish in a day or a week or a month. And you know, when I think about 20, 30, 50 years ago, it's that shift in what we expect of our time, how many things we think we're going to do in a day, to be, whatever you call successful. “It is in your control to rethink some of that.” In addition to being the president of the Physical Activity Alliance, Watts is the executive director for NIRSA , a non-profit association that provides resources and education for advancing college campus recreation. She’s also the mother of two college-aged kids, a daughter who played club soccer through early high school and a son who played sports whose experience, Watts says, was all about being social and engaged. “It wasn't about winning or caring if you were good,” she says. “So he did a variety of recreation sports, and then had to go club only, because at a certain age, at least in our community, the recreation leagues dry up as the kids move to club or just drop out of sports or whatever. And then in high school, he found a love through swimming and swim team.” Seven out of 10 kids quit organized sports before they become teenagers. There are a variety of reasons , such as parental pressure and the sometimes-toxic culture of youth sports , but a primary one is that they aren’t fun anymore. We can all take a bike-to-school approach to kids sports. Movement from sports and physical activity, studies have found, improves our cognitive function and, as we get older, enhances academic achievement in addition to physical literacy. Get your kid into sports for those reasons, as well as to build resilience, self-esteem and effort, which can help them achieve their full potential in many areas (while enjoying the ride). Coach Steve: What is fun? It's not winning. Just ask Andre Agassi Be inclusive: Youth sports participation is about accounting for everyone. Sports participation (defined by whether a kid played on a team or took a sport lesson) among 6-to-17-year-olds declined over five years through 2022, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health. The figure helped give the category of “organized sports participation” a C-. However, Amanda Grimes, an associate professor of health sciences at Missouri-Kansas City who headed this section of the report card, has seen steady decline for a decade. She says economic disparities are a driving force behind it. “The pay to play model is becoming increasingly common in organized sports, even among school- and community-based sports, resulting in lower-income youth being forced out of participation,” she tells USA TODAY Sports. “Low-income families also face other burdens such as lack of transportation and often rely on older siblings to care for younger siblings after school. Both hinder sports participation for youth.” The school-based sports category gets a D-. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 50% of high school students attended physical education classes at least one day a week. We can lobby in our schools for more P.E. and in our communities for more low-cost and free opportunities. If we are travel sports coaches, we can also offer our rates at reduced costs to families who can’t afford them. But there is a larger theme at play here, too. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the discontinuation of sports for any reason during childhood plays a role in the more than 75% of U.S. adolescents failing to meet physical activity recommendations. And rates for 12-to-17-year-olds meeting those recommendations appear around 15%, according to two national health surveys. Sports should always be about inclusion. We need to make everyone on our teams feel welcome within them. Kids can have bad sports experiences because their teammates, or even their coaches, marginalize them. If kids aren’t good fits for a team, help them find another one, or an alternative space to continue to play sports. Coach Steve: 10 questions kids need to ask if they play on a travel team D(minus) is for devices, which can distract our athletes The sedentary behavior grade dropped from a D to a D- since 2022 because children are on screens more often. The rise in sedentary behavior represents perhaps the most dramatic shift in the report card, according to Amanda Staiano, its co-committee chair. Staiano says international guidelines recommend no more than 2 hours per day on non-school screen time. Only about 20% of 6-to-17-year-olds meet it, according to the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The figure rises to 58% when we include schoolwork, but it’s still nearly a failing grade, even on the curve. “Screens have their place in a child's life for discovering or reinforcing concepts learned in school, writing and researching for papers and projects, playing games that teach academic content,” says Staiano, director of a pediatric obesity and health behavior laboratory at Louisiana State University. “Screens can also be used for social interactions with friends outside of school, including multi-player video games and social media. But kids and adults can become immersed in long bouts of entertainment screen time that results in extended sitting, which has been shown to be harmful for the body."We know as athletes, as we get into the high school years, promoting ourselves and connecting with college coaches on social media can be a critical component of the recruiting process. But just remember this advice from Jerome Williams , the longtime NBA player who has become a father to Division I athletes: It's hard to make a high school or college team when you’re on your phone 4 to 5 hours per day while your competition for a roster spot is practicing. Is the outlook 'bleak?' We control more than we realize We can always encourage our athletes to sleep more. Have kids aged 6-to-12 get 9-to-12 hours per night and 13-to-18 get 8-to-10, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine says. Sleep received a C+, the second-highest mark among categories. “I think that the report is one of many tools,” says Watts, the PAA president. “It is really a way to keep attention and conversation and focus on this frankly bleak reality of what's going on for youth in terms of physical activity.” One category, family and peer support for physical activity, got a grade of incomplete due to a lack of data. It’s our job to help fill it in with positive experiences our kids can take into life. “It's fun, right?” Watts says of sports parenting. "It's social. It becomes a family affair. We really enjoyed all those years. Kind of missed it when they graduated.” Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here . Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@usatoday.com

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Following a four-year break, a massive Dogecoin investor has returned to the market, not only raising their DOGE holdings but also making a big investment in the newly founded Rexas Finance (RXS). With DOGE undergoing price corrections even as on-chain activity points to increasing network involvement, the Bitcoin market is providing contradictory signals right now. Rexas Finance , which specializes in Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization, has attracted interest for its innovative approach and has drawn both new and seasoned investors. This is the reason this significant Dogecoin investor is betting whale-sized on Rexas Finance while grabbing additional DOGE. Why Would the Dogecoin Investor Want to Pick Up wAdditional DOGE? The price of Dogecoin has been erratic; a recent correction dropped the coin from its $0.42 peak to about $0.37. Dogecoin's on-chain statistics demonstrate a remarkable increase even with these temporary price changes. Large transactions on the Dogecoin blockchain have soared, and the number of active addresses keeps growing, evidence that the currency is still receiving major attention from both institutional investors and ordinary traders. This fresh interest is probably why the massive Dogecoin investor is increasing their DOGE holdings. The foundations of the cryptocurrency are still firm; indications of this are the development of a declining wedge pattern and a possible bull flag configuration. A breakout resulting from this technical configuration would cause DOGE's price to rise back toward $0.47, or maybe more. Given these signs, the investor probably sees the drop as a buying opportunity in readiness for another surge, particularly with the social media attitude about DOGE continuing to show favorable growth. Why the Investor Stocks Rexas Finance? The investor is diversifying their portfolio by significantly betting on Rexas Finance (RXS), even while they remain confident in Dogecoin. Rexas Finance is drawing investors unlike Dogecoin, which is mostly motivated by community excitement and social media trends because of its innovative approach to asset management. The platform focuses on tokenizing real-world assets, including real estate, art, commodities, and intellectual property, enabling more liquidity and access for investors all around. Currently, in its presale, Rexas Finance has stage 6 in progress with the token price set at $0.08. For early investors, there is a big chance since the platform sold over 171 million tokens out of the 200 million accessible and raised over $9.9 million already. The coin is planned to debut for $0.20 on significant exchanges. For individuals who take part in the presale, this shows a possible 150% gain, which makes investments appealing. Rexas Finance is concentrated on community-driven development, unlike many other blockchain initiatives depending on venture financing. This strategy has produced a very active and dedicated investment base convinced of the long-term viability of the platform. Supported by its CertiK audit, the project's emphasis on security, openness, and blockchain technology has given investors confidence. Rexas Finance is fast becoming well-known in the Bitcoin community with listings on CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko. The growing interest in Rexas Finance lately is not only speculative. The ability of the platform to tokenize actual assets has the power to upend the established asset management sector and create great chances for worldwide investors. The platform is hinting at a startling 24040% price increase in the next bull run as it keeps becoming more well-known and extends its ecosystem. Whales and smaller investors both find this prediction appealing, along with the creative ideas on the site and expanding user base. With its $1 million giveaway event, whereby 20 lucky winners will each get $50,000 worth of RXS tokens, Rexas Finance is also creating buzz. With almost 240,000 entries already, the giveaway has generated further interest in the platform by highlighting its democratizing asset tokenizing goal. Rising Bitcoin prices combined with a bull market might create a perfect storm for Rexas Finance, setting it to profit on the unrealized market of real-world asset tokenization. Conclusion Together with their smart stake in Rexas Finance, the return of the massive Dogecoin investor to the market emphasizes the increasing attractiveness of fresh and creative ideas in the bitcoin field. Although Dogecoin is still a major asset with high network activity, Rexas Finance presents a different option by introducing blockchain technology into the asset management industry. Investors are being advised not to pass on this exciting prospect even if the next bull run offers possible large returns. Rexas Finance might very well be the next big thing in cryptocurrency with a community-first strategy, a dedication to openness and security, and a pricing trajectory poised to rise. Website: https://rexas.com Win $1 Million Giveaway: https://bit.ly/Rexas1M Whitepaper: https://rexas.com/rexas-whitepaper.pdf Twitter/X: https://x.com/rexasfinance Telegram: https://t.me/rexasfinance Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp _____________ Disclaimer: Analytics Insight does not provide financial advice or guidance. Also note that the cryptocurrencies mentioned/listed on the website could potentially be scams, i.e. designed to induce you to invest financial resources that may be lost forever and not be recoverable once investments are made. You are responsible for conducting your own research (DYOR) before making any investments. Read more here.

In case you missed Saturday’s NYT Mini Crossword puzzle, you can find the answers here: The last Lazy Sunday of the year is upon us, and I recommend you take full advantage of it. Hell, I recommend you take Monday off and just keep the weekend rolling straight through New Year’s Day. School’s out for winter. Stay home and play games, watch some of the great movies and TV shows that are out this weekend, and eat way too much food. You can get back to all your healthy, productive stuff on Thursday. But first, let’s solve today’s Mini Crossword! The NYT Mini is a smaller, quicker, more digestible, bite-sized version of the larger and more challenging NYT Crossword, and unlike its larger sibling, it’s free-to-play without a subscription to The New York Times. You can play it on the web or the app, though you’ll need the app to tackle the archive. Answers to today’s Mini Crossword below . . . . Spoilers ahead! ACROSS 1 — Getting closer, so to speak — WARM 5— First-string crew — ATEAM 7 — ___ journalism, style associated with Hunter S. Thompson — GONZO 8 — Prized "activity" for new parents — SLEEP 9 — Opposite of more — LESS DOWN 1 — Moves like an excited dog's tail — WAGS 2 — Ring-shaped reef — ATOLL 3 — Zellweger of "Bridget Jones's Diary" — RENEE 4 — Puzzles in a children's coloring book — MAZES 6 — Cleans the floor — MOPS This was a pretty quick Mini even if a couple of the words were a bit trickier than others. I actually skipped 1 and 5 ACROSS and went straight to 7—GONZO—and then 9—LESS. I kept thinking NAPS for 8-ACROSS but it ended up being SLEEP. Close enough! I had to think a bit before I came up with ATOLL for 2-DOWN but the rest were pretty obvious. Today’s Mini took me 1 minute and 11 seconds. How did you do? Let me know on Twitter , Instagram or Facebook . If you also play Wordle, I write guides about that as well. You can find those and all my TV guides, reviews and much more here on my blog . Thanks for reading!

Aquarius, Weekly Horoscope, December 29 to January 04, 2025: Focus on balancing expensesThe Dallas Cowboys ruled out right guard Zack Martin and cornerback Trevon Diggs with injuries on Saturday, one day prior to a road game against the Washington Commanders. Martin has been dealing with ankle and shoulder injuries and didn't practice at all this week before initially being listed as doubtful to play on Friday. He also physically struggled during Monday night's loss to the Houston Texans. Martin, who turned 34 on Wednesday, has started all 162 games played in 11 seasons with the Cowboys. He's a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a seven-time first-team All-Pro. Diggs has been dealing with groin and knee injuries. He was listed as questionable on Friday before being downgraded Saturday. Diggs, 26, has 37 tackles and two interceptions in 10 games this season. The two-time Pro Bowl pick led the NFL with 11 picks in 2021 and has 20 in 57 games. The Cowboys elected not to activate receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) for the game. He returned to practice earlier this week and he was listed as questionable on Friday. Dallas activated offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (toe) and defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (knee) off injured reserve Saturday, placed safety Markquese Bell (shoulder) on IR and released defensive end KJ Henry. Tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) was previously ruled out. Tight end Princeton Fant was elevated from the practice squad to replace him. Cornerback Kemon Hall also was elevated from the practice squad. --Field Level Media

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.Pathstone Holdings LLC boosted its position in Tetra Tech, Inc. ( NASDAQ:TTEK – Free Report ) by 371.6% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 112,601 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 88,726 shares during the period. Pathstone Holdings LLC’s holdings in Tetra Tech were worth $5,310,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Tetra Tech by 630.8% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 36,430 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,718,000 after buying an additional 31,445 shares during the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its position in Tetra Tech by 615.8% during the third quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 22,310 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,052,000 after purchasing an additional 19,193 shares during the period. SFE Investment Counsel boosted its position in Tetra Tech by 374.8% during the third quarter. SFE Investment Counsel now owns 36,330 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,713,000 after purchasing an additional 28,679 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in shares of Tetra Tech by 401.8% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 17,093 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $806,000 after purchasing an additional 13,687 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VELA Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Tetra Tech by 703.9% during the 3rd quarter. VELA Investment Management LLC now owns 58,510 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,759,000 after buying an additional 51,232 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.89% of the company’s stock. Tetra Tech Trading Up 0.4 % Shares of NASDAQ:TTEK opened at $40.96 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $47.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.62. Tetra Tech, Inc. has a 1 year low of $30.92 and a 1 year high of $51.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The company has a market capitalization of $10.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.25 and a beta of 0.94. Tetra Tech Announces Dividend Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Kimberly E. Ritrievi sold 6,500 shares of Tetra Tech stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.48, for a total value of $302,120.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 143,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,655,936. This trade represents a 4.34 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link . Also, EVP Leslie L. Shoemaker sold 78,420 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.11, for a total value of $3,615,946.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 296,015 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,649,251.65. The trade was a 20.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 121,750 shares of company stock worth $5,633,239. Company insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes TTEK has been the subject of several research reports. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Tetra Tech from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Tetra Tech in a report on Friday, November 15th. KeyCorp decreased their price objective on Tetra Tech from $56.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Tetra Tech from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Tetra Tech presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $49.32. View Our Latest Analysis on Tetra Tech About Tetra Tech ( Free Report ) Tetra Tech, Inc provides consulting and engineering services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Government Services Group (GSG) and Commercial/International Services Group (CIG). The GSG segment offers early data collection and monitoring, data analysis and information management, science and engineering applied research, engineering design, project management, and operations and maintenance services; and climate change and energy management consulting, as well as greenhouse gas inventory assessment, certification, reduction, and management services. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TTEK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Tetra Tech, Inc. ( NASDAQ:TTEK – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Tetra Tech Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tetra Tech and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .SOMERVILLE, N.J. , Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Specified Technologies Inc. has announced their latest Firestop Clash Management (FCM) and Firestop Locator (FSL) releases. FCM automates the process of locating and assigning firestop solutions to conditions within Autodesk ® Revit ® , enabling firestop novices to find firestop solutions like a firestop expert. In this latest release, STI has further expanded the capabilities of FCM by integrating it with their firestop documentation and compliance tool, Firestop Locator (FSL). FSL enables contractors and facilities' teams to document the status, location, and products used for any and all fire life safety services across a building. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. 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