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High prices, reduced benefits: Local food bank sees need up, donations down

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

The 12,000-square foot warehouse in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is buzzing on a Monday afternoon, with staff and volunteers at Manna Food Center packing food boxes as cars pull up to distribute donations at local schools.In the center of it all is Jackie DeCarlo, CEO of Manna, who says hunger isn’t just a holiday issue; it’s a year-round problem, and it’s been getting worse.The need for food assistance, she told WTOP, has grown since the spring, when a number of pandemic-related benefits were decreased or ended.Referring to the number of families looking for assistance each month, DeCarlo said since the spring, “We’ve been seeing in the 5,000s every month, whereas at the height of the pandemic, we were more in the 4,000s.”Manna receives funding from a number of sources, and DeCarlo said: “Our donors in Montgomery County are always exceedingly generous,” but recent food drives and financial donations are down.DeCarlo said it’s obvious...

Qatar confirms four-day cease-fire, swap between Israel and Hamas; start time to be announced within a day

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar confirms four-day cease-fire, swap between Israel and Hamas; start time to be announced within a day.Source

Auburn bolts out of the gate en route to 84-54 win over Alabama A&M

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Reserve Chaney Johnson scored 15 points and Aden Holloway scored 13 points and Auburn started fast on its way to an 84-54 win over Alabama A&M on Tuesday night.Jaylin Williams scored 10 points and reserve Johni Broome 10 for Auburn.Chad Moodie led Alabama A&M with nine points. Auburn (4-1) built a 12-0 lead and never trailed. Of the Tigers’ first 10-made attempts from the field, four were from beyond 3-point range. Holloway and Williams started the game with back-to-back 3s, William Tavares made one for the Bulldogs to make it 14-5 and K.D. Johnson’s with 11:29 before halftime made it 19-8.Auburn led 49-14 shooting 18 of 34 (52.9%) but just 4 of 13 (30.8%) from distance. The Bulldogs (0-3) by comparison were 6-of-26 (23.1%) shooting overall before intermission.To its credit, Alabama A&M went on an 18-3 run and took advantage of a stretch of sloppy play from Auburn though still trailed by 28.This was the fourth meeting all-time between Aubu...

JaKobe Coles scores 20 points, TCU beats Alcorn State 93-74 to move to 5-0

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — JaKobe Coles scored 20 points and unbeaten TCU cruised to a 93-74 victory over Alcorn State on Tuesday night. Coles was a point shy of matching a career best, making four 3-pointers and shooting 7 of 11 from the field. Emanuel Miller added 13 points for TCU (5-0), which shot 47% (27 of 57) from the floor and had 20 assists. Micah Peavy chipped in 11 points and Essam Mostafa had 10. Byron Joshua scored 20 points and Jeremiah Kendall added 17 to lead Alcorn State (1-5). TCU had a double-digit lead for most of the first half and led 41-33 at the break. Joshua made the first jumper of the second half to cut the Braves’ deficit to six points, but the Horned Frogs answered with a 15-4 surge and had a double-digit lead the rest of the way. TCU has won its first four games by an average of 30.5 points per game.It was the first meeting between the teams.Alcorn State plays at UT Arlington on Wednesday. TCU hosts Houston Christian on Monday. ___ Get poll alerts a...

Haliburton scores 37 as Pacers beat Hawks to clinch quarterfinal berth in In-Season Tournament

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton scored 37 points, Buddy Hield hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer in the final minute and the Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 157-152 on Tuesday night to clinch a spot in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals.Hield’s jumper from the left wing broke a 152-all tie with 52 seconds left. Dejounte Murray was called for an offensive foul on a 3-point attempt on the Hawks’ next possession, then missed a difficult layup following an Indiana turnover with eight seconds remaining. Hield made a layup at the buzzer.The Pacers are 3-0 in East Group A with one game left in group play. The Hawks dropped to 1-2. The quarterfinals will be held Dec. 4-5.Haliburton, who leads the NBA in assists, had 16 against the Hawks. Hield had 24 points and Obi Toppin scored 21 off the bench. Bennedict Mathurin added 19 points, including a buzzer-beating shot to close the third quarter.Trae Young led the Hawks with 38 points and eight assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 2...

Tyrese Proctor’s 22 points propel No. 9 Duke past La Salle 95-66

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Tyrese Proctor has joined the scoring parade as No. 9 Duke keeps unveiling sources of high-powered offense.The sophomore guard scored a career-high 22 and the Blue Devils had several big second-half runs to bury La Salle in a 95-66 win Tuesday night.“My shots started falling early,” Proctor said. “I realized I could get downhill more. I just tried to use that to my advantage.”Kyle Filipowski added 17 points, reserve Sean Stewart scored 16 to go with 10 rebounds, and Mark Mitchell had 12 for Duke (4-1), which won for the third time in eight nights.“I thought we played a well-rounded game,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “It’s probably the closest we’ve had to a 40-minute game so far.”Anwar Gill scored 17 points and Jhamir Brickus posted 13 points for La Salle (4-1), which had been off to a 4-0 start for the first time in nine years. The Explorers shot 41.4% from the field in their first road game of the season.La Salle’s Fran Dunphy, in his 32nd season as a Division...

Argentina beats Brazil 1-0 in World Cup qualifying after crowd violence delays start

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Many fans came to the Maracana Stadium on Tuesday to watch Lionel Messi in his likely last match in Brazil, a superclasico in World Cup qualifying against the hosts. Instead, they saw Nicolás Otamendi score the only goal in a 1-0 win for Argentina after a brawl between fans that delayed the start of the game.The World Cup champions inflicted the first home defeat on Brazil ever in World Cup qualifying. It was Brazil’s third consecutive loss in the round-robin tournament — another negative mark for new coach Fernando Diniz.Messi left the pitch in the 78th minute amid a mixture of jeers and applause from Brazil fans. Dozens of children arrived at the Maracana wearing the shirts of Barcelona, the star’s previous club, and Inter Miami. The Argentine star wasn’t able to end one of his last barriers in the sport at the Maracana, though, to score against the Brazilians in a World Cup qualifier.Argentina will return home not only atop the South American qualifyin...

Thomas’ 30 lead Hofstra over Wright State 85-76

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

ESTERO, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Thomas’ 30 points led Hofstra over Wright State 85-76 on Tuesday night in the Gulf Coast Showcase. Thomas shot 9 for 19 (4 for 8 from 3-point range) and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Pride (3-2). Darlinstone Dubar scored 16 points and Jaquan Carlos had 15 points. Brandon Noel scored 17 points to lead Wright State (1-4). Tanner Holden had 15 points and AJ Braun had 12.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

Thomas’ 17 points and late 3-pointer leads Albany over Army 62-59

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — Sebastian Thomas scored 17 points and his 3-pointer with 28 seconds left served as the game winner and Albany beat Army 62-59 on Tuesday night.Josh Scovens and Blake Barker missed 3-point attempts in the final seconds attempting to tie it.Thomas shot 6 for 16 (2 for 6 from 3-point range) and 3 of 5 from the free throw line for the Great Danes (2-3). Amar’e Marshall added 16 points while going 6 of 12 from the floor, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and 3 for 3 from the line with eight rebounds. Aaron Reddish had 16 points and shot 5 for 8 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free throw line.Scovens led the Black Knights (0-5) with 11 points and two blocked shots.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

Qatar announces Israel-Hamas truce-for-hostages deal that would pause Gaza fighting, bring more aid

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:11:18 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Qatar on Wednesday announced a truce-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas that would bring the first temporary halt in fighting in a devastating six-week war, win freedom for dozens of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, and also lead to the release of Palestinian prisoners.Qatar's Foreign Ministry said it would announce within a day when the clock will start ticking on a four-day truce, during which 50 hostages will be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Those freed by both sides will be women and children. Humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza would also increase. The announcement came hours after Israel's Cabinet approved the deal. It capped weeks of indirect Qatari-led negotiations between Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that has ruled Gaza for 16 years. The United States and Egypt were also involved in stop-and-go talks to free hostages.Hamas said the deal includes the release of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners, a...