SYDNEY—ANZ Group shares are on course for their best day since 2020 after the country’s fourth-largest lender cut its first-quarter costs by more than analysts had expected.
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ANZ Bank Shares Enjoy Best Day Since 2020 as Cost Cuts Show
Parker, EDD, Griffin among finalists for ’26 Basketball Hall of Fame class
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Ramona Shelburne
Multiple Authors
Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne, both former WNBA MVPs and champions, headline the finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 announced Wednesday.
Parker is the only player in WNBA history to win championships with three franchises (the Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky and Las Vegas Aces). One of the first true positionless basketball players, Parker was a phenom at every level — winning the dunk contest at the McDonald’s All American Game in high school, two national championships at Tennessee, two Olympic Gold medals and two WNBA MVP awards.
She’s still the only player in WNBA history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (2008).
Delle Donne is also a two-time league MVP (2015 and 2019) who became the first WNBA player to shoot 50% from the field, 40% from 3 and 90% on free throws. She led the Washington Mystics to their first championship in 2019, cementing her legacy as one of the greatest pure shooters the game has seen.
Two members of the LA Clippers‘ “Lob City” era were also named as finalists. Six-time All-Star Blake Griffin turned around the fortunes of the beleaguered franchise with an electric, high-flying style, punctuated by his win in the 2011 slam dunk contest in which he jumped over a Kia automobile.
Griffin grew into a far more complete player over his 14 seasons in the league, finishing his career with more than 14,000 points and 3,000 assists.
Doc Rivers, who coached many of those Lob City teams, was also selected as a finalist. Rivers, whose 1,114 (and counting) career coaching wins rank eighth on the all-time list, led the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship in 2008. He is the current coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
A’mare Stoudemire is a finalist again. Stoudemire averaged 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in 846 career games over 14 seasons for Phoenix, New York, Dallas and Miami, the first eight of which were for the Suns.
The 6-foot-10 forward/center was a six-time All-Star and an All-NBA first-team selection in 2006-07, forming one-half of a formidable pick-and-roll duo in Phoenix with point guard Steve Nash.
Stoudemire was also named the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year after entering the league directly from high school.
Other player finalists include Kevin Johnson, Buck Williams and Marques Johnson. Official Joey Crawford is a finalist, as is Tal Brody, who helped shape Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball, and Mike D’Antoni, in the contributor category.
Other coaches besides Rivers include Gonzaga‘s Mark Few, Houston‘s Kelvin Sampson and Jerry Welsh, who coached Potsdam in upstate New York to NCAA Division III titles in 1981 and 1986. They’re joined by Gary McKnight and Dick Motta.
The 1996 gold medal-winning U.S. women’s national team will also be considered for induction, as will Jennifer Azzi, who was a member of that Atlanta Games team and is a finalist again as an individual. Accompanying her as a women’s committee finalist is Chamique Holdsclaw.
Molly Bolin-Kazmerm, the first player signed by the Women’s Professional Basketball League, is a returning finalist nominated by the women’s veterans committee.
The final Class of 2026 will be announced during the NCAA Final Four weekend in April, with the formal enshrinement ceremonies scheduled for August in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former Gov. Bill Richardson's name no longer on UNMH Pavilion building
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s name no longer appears on a University of New Mexico Hospital building. The hospital named The Pavilion after Governor Richardson and his wife, Barbara, when it opened nearly two decades ago. However, the signage now indicates the building is simply called Pavilion. In a statement, a […]
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CAGE FIGHT Announce New Album Exuvia, Share Scorching Single “Un Bon Souvenir”
UK metal band Cage Fight have announced their second studio album, Exuvia, set for release on May 1 via Spinefarm. The news arrives alongside a new single, “Un Bon Souvenir”, and its accompanying video — an unflinching statement of intent from a band leveling up in both sound and substance.
Comprised of vocalist Rachel Aspe, guitarist James Monteith, drummer Nick Plews, and bassist Will Horsman, Cage Fight continue to channel hardcore’s raw physicality while pushing into more expansive and emotionally charged territory.
Lyrically, “Un Bon Souvenir” pulls no punches. Aspe explains: “Don’t bite the hand that feeds. This song is a reference to a previous experience in a band controlled by a toxic, manipulative person. It’s a reminder that bringing people down won’t elevate you. A challenging experience, but as he once said, it’s still a good memory, ça reste un bon souvenir.”
The video expands on those themes of power and deception. “The video depicts the unraveling of the protagonist’s false world, built on manipulation and control,” Aspe says. “Though he initially appears strong, his convictions are fragile… Once seeming to be the rock of this world, he is exposed as a snake. This is the collapse of a false king.”
Recorded by Sam Bloor at Lower Lane Studios and mixed by Jim Pinder (Sleep Token, Malevolence), Exuvia preserves the old-school hardcore heart of Cage Fight — meaty grooves, pummeling rhythms, and “a wave of furious anger that feels like a punch to the gut.” At the same time, the album broadens the band’s palette with layered atmospheres and melodic depth, making their sound feel bigger, tighter, and more epic than ever.
Across its 11 tracks, Exuvia shows a band unafraid to experiment. “Pick Your Fighter” features guest vocals from Julien Truchan of Benighted and draws unlikely inspiration from the French pop track “Et c’est parti…” by Nâdiya — even if its crushing heaviness gives nothing away.
The album also marks a major milestone for Aspe, who wrote all the lyrics herself for the first time. The results are deeply personal, tackling anxiety, assault, online harassment, and grief.
Visually, Exuvia ties these themes together through its striking cover art, shot by Manuel Acquualeni, which depicts a radiation mask. Pre-orders are available here.
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WeRide Using AI to Cut Costs as It Grows Robotaxi Fleet
Chief Executive Tony Han says the Guangzhou-based company has reduced its data collection and training costs by 75% and wants to at least double its fleet this year.
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2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am odds, predictions, field, sleepers: Golf picks from PGA model
The first PGA Signature Event of the season arrives this week as the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am unfolds at the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. Rory McIlroy won this event in 2025, and he’s set to make his season debut this week after skipping the first four tournaments. McIlroy is +1400 in the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, trailing only favorite Scottie Scheffler (+300) in a loaded 2026 Pebble Beach field with the first tee times coming at 11:45 a.m. ET on Thursday.
Other Pebble Beach contenders include Si Woo Kim at +2000, Tommy Fleetwood and Xander Schauffele at +2500 and Cameron Young, Viktor Hovland, Chris Gotterup, Russell Henley and Just Rose all at +2700. Before locking in any 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am picks, or making any PGA DFS picks on sites like FanDuel or DraftKings, be sure to see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, simulated every PGA Tour event 10,000 times and reveals golf betting picks that have a history of being extremely profitable.
This same model has also nailed a whopping 16 majors entering the weekend, including the 2025 Masters — its fourth Masters in a row — as well as this year’s PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting sites.
New users can also target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets if your bet wins:
Now that the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am field is locked in, the model simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.
2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am predictions
One major surprise the model is calling for at the WM Phoenix Open 2026: Hideki Matsuyama, who is coming off a playoff loss against Chris Gotterup at the WM Phoenix Open, doesn’t even crack the top 10 this week despite being at +3000 in the odds. Matsuyama finished outside the top 10 in his first two event of the season, and he’s finished T48 and T71 in his two appearances at this event. See who else to fade here.
Another surprise: The model is extremely high on Kim. He has been one of the hottest golfers on Tour so far this year, finishing no worse than T11 in his four events. He’s been T6 or better in his last three events, and is coming off a T3 at the WM Phoenix Open and a T2 the prior week at the Farmers Insurance Open. He’s also finished in the top 15 in this event in two straight seasons. See who else to pick here.
New users can also check out the latest FanDuel promo code and get $100 in bonus bets at FanDuel if your $5 bet wins:
How to make 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am picks
The model is also targeting four huge longshots, including one golfer at +10000. You can only see the model’s picks here.
Who will win the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and which massive longshot will stun the golfing world? Check out the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 16 golf majors, including three in 2025.
2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am odds, favorites
Get full 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am picks, best bets and predictions here.
(odds via FanDuel and subject to change)
Scottie Scheffler +300
Rory McIlroy +1400
Si Woo Kim +2000
Xander Schauffele +2500
Tommy Fleetwood +2500
Cameron Young +2700
Viktor Hovland +2700
Chris Gotterup +2700
Russell Henley +2700
Justin Rose +2700
Hideki Matsuyama +3000
Maverick McNealy +3000
Matt Fitzpatrick +3300
Jake Knapp +3500
Robert MacIntyre +3500
Ben Griffin +3500
Patrick Cantlay +3500
Ludvig Åberg +3500
Michael Thorbjornsen +4000
Jason Day +4000
Collin Morikawa +4500
Sepp Straka +4500
Daniel Berger +5000
J.J. Spaun +5000
Shane Lowry +5000
Pierceson Coody +5000
Harris English +5000
Akshay Bhatia +5500
Min Woo Lee+6000
Sam Burns +6000
Ryan Gerard +6000
Taylor Pendrith +7000
Rickie Fowler +7000
Kurt Kitayama +7500
Wyndham Clark +7500
Nick Taylor +7500
Jacob Bridgeman +8000
Harry Hall +8000
Keegan Bradley +8000
Corey Conners +8000
Jordan Spieth +8000
How Mexican cartels employ drones as tools to smuggle drugs and fight enemies
MEXICO CITY — The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday caused unease south of the U.S.-Mexico border and put the spotlight on the use of drones by Mexican cartels.
The criminal groups have used the technology to modernize their operations, smuggle fentanyl, organize migrant border crossings, surveil territory and wage war on rival cartels and Mexican authorities.
U.S. officials initially said the airspace was closed to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones, though others familiar with the situation later put that explanation in doubt.
Steven Willoughby, deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security’s counter-drone program, told Congress in July that cartels use drones almost daily to move drugs across the border and to monitor Border Patrol agents.
According to their data, in the last six months of 2024 more than 27,000 drones were detected within 500 meters (1,640 feet) of the U.S. southern border, mainly at night.
Here’s what you need to know:
Drug trafficking by air is not new and is linked to the history of Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso.
In the 1990s, drug trafficker Amado Carrillo Fuentes, founder of the Juarez Cartel, specialized in transporting large drug shipments in small aircraft, earning him the nickname “The Lord of the Skies.”
When he died under suspicious circumstances following botched plastic surgery in 1997, his brothers and sons continued operating out of Ciudad Juarez.
Fifteen years later, when his brother Vicente was arrested — Vicente was sent from Mexico to the United States last year — it was estimated that 70% of the cocaine entering the United States came through Juarez.
Mexico issued an international alert in 2010 about drug traffickers’ use of remotely piloted aircraft systems, and from then on the practice grew.
Between 2012 and 2014, U.S. authorities detected 150 unmanned aircraft systems crossing the border with Mexico. A decade later, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 10,000 incursions in the Rio Grande Valley area of southern Texas alone, according to data from the International Narcotics Control Board.
Over time, the drugs flowing into the U.S. were changing too, shifting from heavy bales of marijuana to more compact synthetics like methamphetamine and fentanyl that drones could carry.
In 2021, the Mexican government began publicly reporting the use of explosive-laden drones to attack security forces.
At the time, it was a tactic of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) detected in the states of Michoacan, Guanajuato and Jalisco.
The army said then that the drones were not as effective as criminals would like because they could only carry small explosive charges, sometimes taped onto the drone.
The use of drones spread to nearly all criminal groups and, according to Mexican authorities, they are used both for attacks and for surveillance, even transmitting real-time images.
In states such as Michoacan, both commercial drones and larger agricultural drones about one meter (3.3 feet) in diameter are used; instead of sprayers, they are fitted with adapters for explosives, according to data from that state’s government.
In 2025, the International Narcotics Control Board reported that cartels were increasingly using this method to smuggle fentanyl, sometimes with homemade drones capable of carrying up to 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) of cargo, because with new satellite technologies traffickers can pre-program precise landing sites and reduce risks in deliveries.
Mexico’s government, too, has used drones for their own purposes, both to combat cartels and to monitor migrant caravans in 2018 and 2019. It has also used specialized anti-drone equipment to fight back in states.
The army operates such systems along the borders dividing Sinaloa, Jalisco and Michoacan, primarily, although the latter state has its own unit dedicated to that work.
Last July, the southern state of Chiapas went a step further, announcing the purchase of a fleet of armed drones to battle the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels that were fighting for control of Mexico’s southern border.
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Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Gun control debated in the roundhouse again
Senate Bill 17, known as the “Stop Illegal Gun Trade and Extremely Dangerous Weapons Act,” passed the New Mexico Senate a few days ago, aiming to prevent the sale of certain firearms, including AK and AR-15 rifles, without affecting existing firearms.Authors of the bill say it would prevent the sale of what they called “extremely dangerous weapons,” but proponents of the bill say it infringes on their rights.The bill has become highly contentious and heavily debated after passing through the Senate. It would prevent the sale of most modern semiautomatic rifles and limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds. It also calls for gun dealers to follow stricter rules.”It’s either going to die in this House, or it’s going to die in the courthouse, one of the two, but it’s going to die,” said Harlan Vincent, a state representative for Lincoln and Otero counties.The new set of rules for gun dealers would include increased security measures. For example, gun dealers must have cameras in the stores and keep all recordings for at least two years. Gun store employees will also have to be 21 or older and must pass a state-created training program.”Essentially, 77% of guns that have been discovered in the course of a crime being committed in New Mexico have come from a legal gun sale, meaning somebody bought the firearm and then sold it to a criminal who committed a crime in New Mexico,” said Andrea Romero, a state representative for Santa Fe County.Critics argue that the bill could negatively impact businesses. “There’s lots of people that, sell guns, and this also puts them out of business. We’ve already taken away jobs. Now we’re taking away businesses,” Vincent said.The bill only passed the Senate by four votes, and it appears there could be another close outcome in the House. If the bill passes the House, it will head to the governor, whose office has indicated she plans to sign it.
SANTA FE, N.M. —
Senate Bill 17, known as the “Stop Illegal Gun Trade and Extremely Dangerous Weapons Act,” passed the New Mexico Senate a few days ago, aiming to prevent the sale of certain firearms, including AK and AR-15 rifles, without affecting existing firearms.
Authors of the bill say it would prevent the sale of what they called “extremely dangerous weapons,” but proponents of the bill say it infringes on their rights.
The bill has become highly contentious and heavily debated after passing through the Senate. It would prevent the sale of most modern semiautomatic rifles and limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds. It also calls for gun dealers to follow stricter rules.
“It’s either going to die in this House, or it’s going to die in the courthouse, one of the two, but it’s going to die,” said Harlan Vincent, a state representative for Lincoln and Otero counties.
The new set of rules for gun dealers would include increased security measures. For example, gun dealers must have cameras in the stores and keep all recordings for at least two years. Gun store employees will also have to be 21 or older and must pass a state-created training program.
“Essentially, 77% of guns that have been discovered in the course of a crime being committed in New Mexico have come from a legal gun sale, meaning somebody bought the firearm and then sold it to a criminal who committed a crime in New Mexico,” said Andrea Romero, a state representative for Santa Fe County.
Critics argue that the bill could negatively impact businesses. “There’s lots of people that, sell guns, and this also puts them out of business. We’ve already taken away jobs. Now we’re taking away businesses,” Vincent said.
The bill only passed the Senate by four votes, and it appears there could be another close outcome in the House. If the bill passes the House, it will head to the governor, whose office has indicated she plans to sign it.
Multiple Greg Biffle Tributes Planned During Daytona 500 Weekend
Several drivers racing during Daytona 500 weekend will strive to “Be like Biff.” Greg Biffle‘s death will be on hearts and minds as the new NASCAR season begins. His legacy is certain to be a major storyline.
Read More: Who Were Greg Biffle’s Wife + Kids?
The 2026 Daytona 500 airs on FOX on Sunday (Feb. 15) at 2:30PM ET. This is the first race since Biffle was killed. Even though he was retired, he remained active in the NASCAR community. Many of his friends and proteges will pay their respects.
Greg Biffle Daytona 500 Tribute
The most visible Greg Biffle tribute at the Daytona 500 will be how several drivers choose to display their vehicle numbers. The four RFK Racing (Biffle’s former team) cars will use Biffle’s font for the number. So too will Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and AJ Allmendinger.
Daily Down Force shared a list of social media posts from teams intending to do similar. Brad Keselowski and Corey LaJoie are two more.
Earlier weekend races will find cars and trucks with a “Be Like Biff” sticker on the body. Niece Motorsports is using Biffle’s font for four trucks racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
This race will feature a new driver very familiar to Biffle’s fans, friends and family.
YouTube personality Cleetus McFarland (real name Garrett Mitchell) shared that Biffle was on his way to Florida to visit with him when his plane crashed shortly after takeoff. They’ve worked together on several levels, with the newcomer taking advice to build his career.
This weekend, Mitchell will make his NCTS debut in the No. 4 truck.
Who Else Was Killed In the Greg Biffle Plane Crash?
Biffle’s wife Cristina, daughter Emma and son Ryder were also aboard the plane. Part of their trip to Florida was a family vacation ahead of the holidays. Emma was Biffle’s daughter with his first wife.
Additionally, a pilot named Dennis Dutton and his son Jack were killed in the crash, as was NASCAR motorhome driver and close Biffle friend Craig Wadsworth.
R.I.P.: 40 Country Singers and Songwriters Who Died Too Soon
These country singers had so much more to give. See 40 country singers who died much too soon: Keith Whitley, Mindy McCready, Troy Gentry and more.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes