Weve reviewed a ton of earbuds for Android throughout 2019, and we expect that to increase in 2020 as even more OEMs look to add their own hardware to the mix. However, theyll have a tough act to follow in the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro earbuds.

The Anker subsidiary was most definitely not the one I expected to produce the best sounding earbuds of the year but here we are. Thats not to say Anker makes poor products far from it. My initial instinct was to be cautious as there is a growing list of companies claiming to have the best-sounding earbuds, I just didnt expect it to be Soundcore.

People will like to overlook the design, the name on the box, and the fact that they are priced closely to more established brands. But by skipping the Liberty 2 Pros though, youll be missing out on some of the most impressive earbuds of the year with a price-tag that puts some of the other big players to shame.

Thats not to say they are perfect as there are some things youll want and need to consider.

Speaking strictly from the design perspective, the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pros are not what I would call the most attractive earbuds. They are large and bulbous, stick out quite a bit and remind me for better or worse of a dung beetle.

Each bud is large and completely at odds with the AirPods clones you tend to see everywhere else on the market. Like the AirPods, you can only pick up the Liberty 2 Pros in one color option: matte steel with black trim. Its a pretty standard design but they do feel weighty and well put together in the hand. There is a fin to help you get a better fit in the ear too. Im usually not a fan of these but the soft silicone seems pretty good in my testing.

I like the case but dang is this little slidey-pebble design is big. It will definitely fit in your pocket but its very noticeable that its there. I like the matte design and the only logo is pretty small. At the back, youll have to unplug a stopper to get at the USB-C charge port. I do like the plug though, as it means the port wont get filled with gunk and dirt if you keep the case in your pocket or floating around in the bottom of a bag.

Placing each bud into the case is easy enough, although the orientation is confusing at first. The magnets will likely guide them into place and once the lid is slid closed, the buds are safe and secure plus the sliding lid means its less likely to pop open and scatter your headphones around.

I was trepidacious simply due to the design of each Liberty 2 Pro earbud. The fin design is not my favorite but the soft silicone means they are easy to maneuver and fix into your ear. The silicone tips on each bud are also similarly soft and fit snugly without discomfort. You can change both the fin and the tips though should they not be right for your ears straight out of the box.

Placing them in you can just twist ever so slightly to effectively lock each bud into place. It doesnt match the feeling of security you get with the Galaxy Buds twist and lock approach though. This really helps for isolation but it also helps seal in the sound exceptionally. Doing so also means that the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro buds dont wobble or come loose which is important if youre particularly active.

Given the size, you may find that wearing them for mammoth sessions simply isnt possible. I topped out at around two-ish hours of continuous wear before feeling the need to give my ears a rest and pop the Liberty 2 Pros out. Of course, your own mileage may vary significantly and will be determined by battery lifespan too spoiler: youll get uncomfortable quicker than the battery drains.

Like many Bluetooth earbuds, the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro earbuds can be paired in a couple of ways. You can go the easy route and just pair using Androids in-built pairing menus or you can download the dedicated Soundcore app and connect to your buds and gain some extra controls and personalization tools.

It makes no difference which route you take though. Pairing is quick and painless, especially as the Liberty 2 earbuds have quite a good overall Bluetooth range of around 20 feet.

If you were to read the box-art youd likely read the hyperbole of the sound endorsed by 10 Grammy award-winning producers. To be honest, I felt as though this must have been some paid-for promotion but while I dont know who the producers are, they seem to have actually backed up the bold claims.

While Im not particularly in love with the design, it does mean that the large drivers can pump out full, rich sound that Ive not really heard on many other true wireless earbuds and at least none in over the past 12 months.

The sound profile is pretty sublime. The soundstage is open, wide, and the bass really manages to thump. You get such good overall dynamic sound that handles the nuances of tracks exceptionally. Those larger drivers really help push the audio without crushing the extra details, while the passive isolation of the shape and fit means that tracks are bursting with life.

Im particularly impressed at the separation in busy tracks, with vocals standing out clearly from the mess of audio underneath. Its a pleasure to listen to just about any genre, while podcasts and audiobooks have extra detail and clarity. The fact that you can tune the audio experience of the Liberty 2 Pros using the Soundcore app is just an added bonus.

The Liberty 2 Pros also support Qualcomms aptX HD high-quality audio codec. That means you should see a major step up over cheaper buds that use AAC or SBC when streaming audio. Because most people now stream their music, that means you should see a difference when streaming Spotify at 320kbps or when using other services high-resolution audio streaming options.

Part of the improved sound is the inclusion of the impressive HearID feature. This is essentially a tailored EQ optimizer that allows you to tune the audio in to suit your particular listening capabilities. This is done using the Soundcore app and has you listening to various tones to help identify what your upper and lower hearing limits are to create a unique personal EQ setting.

The controls are one area that really let the Liberty 2 Pros down. Despite the large panels on the side of each bud, there are no touch controls. Instead, youve got one small physical button on each earbud that can do a few things.

It does mean that you dont have to learn any tricky swipe and tap tricks but you only get two controls per bud. A single tap pauses and plays audio nothing, a double-tap on the right bud skips a track, a double-tap on the left bud skips backward. Holding either side will activate the Google Assistant on your Android phone although you can change this to volume up or down controls.

Thats probably just enough for most people in actual fact, but the controls can nudge each bud out of your ear. Using buttons also means that you can get that awful clicky noise right in your ear canal. That said, even touch controls suffer from this and Im not really sure what the best solution really is in all honesty.

Another very impressive area of the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pros is undoubtedly the battery life. For starters, the lifespan of each bud is around seven to eight hours in-between charges. That far exceeds many of the other headphones and earbuds on the market right now although not all. Some of that is, of course, owing to the slightly larger size but it really does mean all-day listening is par for the course.

The oversized carry case adds up to 30 more hours of listening, which in my experience has been pretty much what Ive experienced. Im so glad that Anker decided to go with USB-C and wireless charging, as 10 minutes plugged into a charger will give you around two hours or extra listening. On a wireless charge pad, its a little slower but its still nice to not have to think about cables if you prefer a wireless existence.

One problem I do have is that the battery indicator LEDs are a little basic as there are only three LEDs. To make it a little easier to understand, I worked on the principle that one lit LED would be approximately one full charge. However, I found that wasnt always the case so my advice would be to just try and keep the carry case fully charged.

Given the sheer wealth of truly wireless earbuds out there, the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro definitely have some stiff competition but they bat it away thanks to exceptional battery life and sound that just keeps me coming back for more. Id love the see the case and bud size just shaved down a little but there is no denying that if you value sound quality and experience, Anker has totally and utterly knocked it out of the park here.

Touch controls will likely be a big miss, and phones calls are iffy but these are things that dont ruin the experience and really are secondary to the sound. The fact that the Liberty 2 Pros come priced under the established competition and beat them in the area that matters most is the reason why they are our favorite wireless earbuds of 2019.

The Liberty 2 Pros are currently available for just $109 on Amazon which is an absolute steal for those that value audio over everything else.

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Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro review: The best-sounding earbuds of 2019 [Video] - 9to5Google

The 2019 circus portion of the Democratic presidential primary contest has starkly highlighted a major flaw that may handicap the party for another decade or more. The year drove home the disquieting fact that all of the real players within the Dem dynamic today are either rapidly aging career politicians or strikingly immature radicals. Given that an overwhelming percentage of the American people are beyond fatigued with Swamp lifers and every bit as put off by brash young socialists promoting revolutionary unrest, Democrats find themselves stuck between a wheezing rock and a wild-eyed hard place.

Hes not a healthy guy, Dr. David Scheiner, who served as Barack Obamas personal physician for 22 years before the latter became president, stated after examining the medical records released by Joe Bidens campaign. Hes not in bad shape for his age, but I wouldnt say hes in outstanding health, Scheiner told The Washington Examiner. Could I guarantee he wont have issues for the next four years? He has a lot of issues that are just sort of sitting there.

Joe Biden

Scheiner said the information provided on Bidens medical records have him concerned that the 77-year-old former vice president is at a heightened risk for strokes, and the physician declared he would like to see an MRI or CT scan from Biden. The records also reveal Biden suffers from an irregular heartbeat and sleep apnea at his advanced age. I had no idea Biden had such a history. My goodness gracious, hes got a lot of history, Scheiner told the paper.

This alarm from a respected doctor means Democrats feature two candidates atop their 2020 presidential nomination totem pole who are nearing 80 and are saddled with significant health issues. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) suffered a serious heart attack in the Fall, shortly after turning 78. These two fragile White House aspirants combine for some 80-odd years of time spent in elected office. Bidens alleged appeal to moderates in the party is largely built around establishment standing accumulated from 40-plus years of sitting in a cozy chair in the Swamp.

It is certainly reasonable to ponder whether there may be a health component to Bidens highly erratic behavior on the campaign trail. As Liberty Nations Graham Noble aptly put it, every one of Bidens gaffes, bouts of amnesia, inappropriate statements, and uninvited physical interactions will not be cataloged here, but suffice it to say his antics, over the years, can variously be described as baffling, creepy, jaw dropping, and very often unintentionally hilarious. Yes, his record on this score dates back to his disastrous 1988 presidential run, but Biden has exhibited all of these bizarre traits to an even more pronounced degree over the past few months.

Sanders, meanwhile, is eventually going to have to explain how holding down a political office nonstop (with one brief respite) since 1981 qualifies him as a change candidate. He will have to do so while reassuring potential voters that his precarious heart health will not be a liability in a strenuous general election campaign.

On the other edge of the partys movers and shakers are the young radical firebrands. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) just turned 30. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is a bit older at 38. Both scare the daylights out of Heartland Americans with their revolutionary social justice stylings and socialist economic agenda. Yet Ocasio-Cortez went from bartender to leading voice of young Democrats overnight. The fact that she was able to instantly climb such a party pedestal is further evidence of the dearth of responsible and mature non-elderly Dems with real standing on the political landscape.

Kirsten Gillibrand

This points directly toward what is sizing up to be a lost generation of Dem leaders. The 2019 portion of the presidential campaign revealed with searing clarity just how devoid of gravitas the 40-55 age group of Dems has shown itself to be. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, 53, ran a shockingly lightweight campaign flavored with cheesy reality TV posturing instead of forthright policy positions. Trading dresses with drag queens in Des Moines and downing whiskeys on the campaign trail amazingly did not propel a pandering Gillibrand to the top of the heap.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) is 55. Thrust into a larger spotlight after a successful first debate performance, Harris instantly wilted, evincing a total inability to articulate a meaningful vision to potential voters.

From the very beginning of his nondescript run Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), 50, has tried to float by as a 2020 Obama, hoping that a minority face preaching a vague theme of unity would be enough to get him to the top. He has barely registered a pulse.

Former Housing Secretary Julian Castro is 45. He has focused far too much on racial grievance and stumping for illegal aliens. A nonentity in the polls, Castro has been most recently seen lecturing Iowans that they are too white to have the first opportunity to cast votes in the Dem primary race.

This was the heart of the middle-aged Dem presidential field. At an age where life and work experience should have cloaked them in an air of seriousness and heft, there was only pose and vacuity. The older but not quite yet elderly Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), 70, and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), 59, are sputtering in place as we head into 2020. It would seem that Democrats best shot to have a strong, sensible candidate able to do battle with the instinctively talented campaigner that is President Trump has been dashed due to the across-the-board weak performance put up by the forty- and fiftysomethings.

And so Dems are left with doddering geriatric career politicians and immature, inexperienced agitators as the tip of their political spear heading into a presidential election with an incumbent president armed with rock-solid support from his base. Dems like to portray themselves as the dynamic, progressive party of the future, but 2019 has revealed that they lack the combination of liveliness and stability needed to effectively connect with mainstream Americans. President Trump may be 73, but his energy and vitality more than make up for that. Democrats must be heading into the new year scratching their heads over what happened to their middle-aged hopefuls. Before push has even come close to shove, they have all melted away with nary a whimper.

~

Read more from Joe Schaeffer.

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Dem Voters Caught Between the Geriatrics and Socialist Swampsters - Liberty Nation

In Libertys current predicament as an FBS Independent and only one secondary bowl agreement with the Cure Bowl, not only do the Flames need to get to the necessary six FBS wins to become bowl eligible, Liberty also needs help.

Here are the top games to keep an eye on this weekend, in addition to Liberty against New Mexico State, to help the Flames bowl chances.

Both the AAC and the Sun Belt have enough bowl eligible teams to fill their respective bowl slots, including the Cure Bowl. There still is a chance one spot will open up if the champion from either the AAC or the Sun Belt is the top ranked champion from the Group of Five conferences and gets a spot in the New Years Six. The AAC champ is currently holding this title with Memphis and Cincinnati.

Can both teams win? We need the AAC champion to stay ranked ahead of Boise State, currently both the Bearcats and Tigers fit that bill, but one must lose this week. Cincy has already clinched a spot in next weeks AAC Championship game while Memphis is tied with Navy. A Memphis win is probably best, but we probably need whoever wins this game to also win the AAC Championship game to stay ahead of Boise State.

A Boise State loss would greatly help the Americans chances at getting their champion into a New Years Six bowl game.

A Troy loss would eliminate them and the win by Appalachian State would keep them in the hunt for a New Years Six slot which would also help Libertys chances.

This year there are 39 bowl games resulting in 78 bowl spots. If Liberty does not get into the Cure Bowl, but there is an empty spot elsewhere from not having enough bowl eligible teams, the Flames will get the nod.

There are currently 72 bowl eligible teams and 13 teams that are 1 win away from becoming bowl eligible, not counting Liberty. Here are those 13 teams and their games this week:

Its very unlikely, but a loss by the Bearcats would eliminate them.

This is a huge game for Libertys chances. The Flames need to pull for Coach Hugh Freezes former team, Ole Miss, to eliminate Mississippi State.

Eastern Michigan is already bowl eligible. Kent State needs one more win. We need Eastern Michigan to win to eliminate the Golden Flashes.

We need to pull for Iowa to knock off the Cornhuskers and eliminate them.

Missouri is an interesting case. They have been given a bowl ban but can qualify for the postseason by defeating Arkansas while the school fights the bowl ban with an ongoing appeal. Hopefully, they lose to the Razorbacks and we dont have to worry about it.

Go Mountaineers!

We need Boston College to lose which will eliminate them.

We need Maryland to pull off the big upset to eliminate the Spartans.

We need the Ducks to eliminate their in-state rival.

We need the Wolfpack to knock off the Tar Heels and eliminate them from bowl contention.

Utah should win and that would eliminate Colorado.

Louisiana has had a terrific season, and we need them to pull off a win against their rival to eliminate UL Monroe.

The AAC making a New Years Six Bowl and the Flames sliding into the AACs Cure Bowl slot is most likely, but theres still a chance Liberty could slide into another spot. 13 teams are fighting for the final six spots. It should make for a fun week. We will update this throughout the week as the games are played.

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Games to Watch This Weekend for Liberty's Bowl Hopes (11/26 edition) - A Sea of Red

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LIBERTY Dental Plan of Florida has proudly served Floridians concerning their dental benefits for the past 10 years, and currently serves approximately 1 million Medicaid members as one of three dental plans directly administering the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Dental Program. LIBERTY Dental Plan of Floridas operational center is in Tampa and administrative office in Tallahassee. LIBERTY of Florida employs approximately 250 individuals throughout the State.

Heather Stearns joined LIBERTY in February 2018, as Vice President of Government Relations. Prior to joining LIBERTY, Heather worked in Florida Governor Rick Scotts Administration, most recently as the Chief of Staff for the Florida Department of Children and Families. Previously, Heather worked for the Executive Office of the Governor. There, she served as Special Counsel to the Chief Inspector General, Deputy General Counsel to the Governor, and General Counsel to the Division of Emergency Management. Prior to her time in state government, Heather practiced law in the private sector. Heather earned her bachelors degree in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of Miami, and her Juris Doctorate from Florida State University College of Law. Heather serves on the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission as one of nine commissioners, who interview and nominate applicants for appointment by the Governor to the Florida Supreme Court. She lives in Tallahassee with her husband and their daughters.

I am pleased and proud that Heather has agreed to serve and accept the appointment as President of our Florida company and programs, said Dr. Amir Neshat, Founder and CEO of the LIBERTY Dental Plan companies. I know based on her prior service that she brings unique perspective and valuable experience to this role, which includes the administration of our Medicaid Dental Program throughout the State of Florida.

You may contact Heather at: hstearns@libertydentalplan.com

ABOUT LIBERTY

LIBERTY Dental Plan was founded and is led by a dentist and provides full dental administrative services to over 4.5 million members in public and commercial programs in 50 states including approximately 3 million Medicaid members in Texas, California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York.

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Heather Stearns of Tallahassee, Florida, Has Recently Been Appointed President of LIBERTY Dental Plan of Florida, Inc. - Business Wire

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Hold on to your mop hats and powdered wigs, because the colonial construction project in Liberty Square appears to be preparing to open. As we noted from the last time we stopped by Magic Kingdom, the cobblestones had been laid and workers were starting to clean up around the site. We now know why they were tidying up! The dining areas umbrellas, tables, and chairs have arrived!

The top of the umbrellas were easy to spot poking out over the top of the green construction fencing. The brand new maroon umbrellas were wrapped in plastic.

The new tables and chairs are brown and match the other outdoor seating in Liberty Square at Sleepy Hollow.

The poor tree in the middle of the square seems to have lost a bunch of its leaves. We hope that it will be alright.

Once completed, this area will offer more of the much needed dining area for Liberty Square Square Market. Well be the first to let you know when this area finally opens. Check WDWNT for all of the latest Disney construction news!

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PHOTOS: Umbrellas, Tables, and Seating Appear at Liberty Square... - wdwnt.com

Just in time for busiest travel day of the year, the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey, marketing campaign is showcased in Terminal A; information now shares the destination's highlights with passengers of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

ELIZABETH, N.J., Nov. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --Just before the busiest travel day of the year, Elizabeth, New Jersey, is taking advantage of the holiday rush in conjunction with Port Authority's increasing efforts to enhance traveler's experience during the busy holiday season. With the growing support and partnership from Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, the Elizabeth Destination Marketing Organization [EDMO] has successfully built out a strategic marketing campaign that illuminates one of New Jersey's Newest Destination's: The City of Elizabeth located in Union County, New Jersey.

"The City of Elizabeth is proud to be showcased on the new marketing initiative in Terminal A," said Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. "Elizabeth has so much to offer its visitors and anyone walking through this section of the airport will be able to see that on display. From our numerous historical sites to our diverse dining and shopping, there's something for everyone."

"The Freeholder Board is very proud to work with the City on projects that enhance economic growth in Elizabeth and throughout the county and region," said Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. "The Welcome to the City of Elizabeth campaign effectively highlights the city's position as a true gateway to the State of New Jersey. Now visitors as well as residents have informational resources at their fingertips showing all Elizabeth has to offer, easily giving them the opportunity to experience the history, tourist attractions and shopping opportunities available."

The City of Elizabeth's new renderings at EWR airport showcases different attributes that the city of Elizabeth has to offer for arriving passengers. The "Rest. Refresh. Revive" rendering represents the nine different hotels that are in Elizabeth, which serve as exquisite relaxation stops for passengers after a long flight. "Your Shopping Paradise" outlines the city's high-end outlet shopping mall, the Mills at Jersey Gardens (0% tax on clothes and shoes)- making Elizabeth, NJ one of top shopping destinations in America. Lastly, "History's Best kept Secret" represents the city's various historical sites- after all, Elizabeth holds the title of the original capital of the State of New Jersey, established in 1664. Elizabeth, New Jersey has been recognized an emerging tourist destination that welcomes art, culture, and diversity, as an alternative just minute from the Big Apple.

"Newark Liberty International Airport has many strong assets, one of which being its convenience to some of New Jersey's amazing cities and towns, which many travelers may not be aware of," said Jeffrey Vasser, Executive Director of New Jersey Travel & Tourism. "The work that the Elizabeth Tourism office is doing to not only showcase its offerings, but also educate the EWR staff is going to have great rewards for enhancing the travelers experience, providing great experiences that are just minutes away."

In addition to the airport's new renderings of the city of Elizabeth, the Elizabeth Destination Marketing Organization has been working closely with Port Authority to personally train the EWR ACES (Airport Customer Experience Specialist) and EWR's Traveler's Aid Staff on all things in Elizabeth that can enhance their traveler's experiences just outside the airport terminals. With this training, the airport staff now has the GoElizabethNJ mobile app accessible on their tablets, to guide all passengers in real-time with daily updated events/activities throughout the city of Elizabeth (whether this is recommending a restaurant, event, or hotel). The "Layover Survival Guide" is also available to airport passengers, who might need an idea on what to do during a three to seven hour layover.

"Our host cities are important to us," said Jenny Davis Port Authority Chief of Intergovernmental Affairs. "This airport welcomes more than 46 million passengers a year, and we are happy to help promote Elizabeth as an exciting travel destination."

Story continues

New Jersey's newest tourist destination, just minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport, with easy access by bus, car, train or plane, groups can plan their destination adventure by booking an overnight stay, just minutes from New York City, at any of Elizabeth's nine franchised hotels ranging from full service to limited service properties. Through EDMO's website and mobile app, the local community and visiting tourists are able to stay "in the know" learning about all there is to do around town in real-time with daily updates on the City's hottest events, historical tours and sites, as well as featuring its diverse culinary cuisine establishments and trending nightlife venues. Definitely not forgetting to mention, what's made Elizabeth one of top shopping destinations in America, it's high-end indoor outlet shopping mall The Mills at Jersey Gardens. A SIMON property with 200+ stores and 0% tax on clothes and shoes. For more on Elizabeth's hotels and tourism information, please visit https://www.goelizabethnj.com/

SOURCE Elizabeth Destination Marketing Organization

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Newark Liberty International Airport is Actually in Elizabeth, NJ- (County of Union) Now the Destination is Visible to Passengers - Yahoo Finance

The Liberty Flames look to stay perfect on the season when they take on the Morgan State Bears in the opening game of the 2019 The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase. The Flames (5-0), who tied with Lipscomb for the Atlantic Sun Conference championship at 14-2 and were 29-7 overall in 2018-19, were 2-3 on neutral courts a year ago, while the Bears (3-2), who finished 11th in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference at 4-12 and were 9-21 overall last season, were 1-1 on neutral courts in 2018-19. Friday's tip-off from Baha Mar Convention Center in Nassau, The Bahamas, is set for 11 a.m. ET. Morgan State leads the all-time series 3-1, winning the last meeting 51-50 on Nov. 26, 2014. The Flames are 14-point favorites in the latest Liberty vs. Morgan State odds, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 125.5.Before making any Liberty vs. Morgan State picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model and see what it has to say.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has crushed its top-rated college basketball picks against-the-spread the past three years, returning $2,770 to $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Liberty vs. Morgan State. We can tell you that the model is leaning over, and has generated an extremely strong against the spread pick that is hitting in well over 70 percent of simulations.You can head to SportsLine to see it. Now, here are the betting lines and trends for Liberty vs. Morgan State:

Liberty is off to its best start since 1991 and is one of 12 teams in Division I with a record of 5-0 or better. Of the 200 minutes played this season, the Flames have trailed a total of just five minutes, 46 seconds. Through five games, Liberty, which is fifth in the country in scoring defense, has allowed 259 points (51.8 average), the fewest during the school's Division I history and fewest since they allowed 242 in 1984.

Offensively, the Flames have been led by senior guard Caleb Homesley, who is averaging a team-high 14 points per game to go along with 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists. In his last game, Homesley poured in 25 points, while grabbing nine rebounds and adding four assists against East Carolina. He missed the game against Navy with an undisclosed injury and is questionable for Friday's contest.

But just because the Flames are playing well, does not guarantee they will win or cover the Liberty vs. Morgan State spread on Friday.

That's because Morgan State has won two in a row and is coming off a big 88-52 win over Regent. The Bears are led by senior guard Stanley Davis, who is averaging 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds and is shooting 59 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the free throw line. Morgan State is 4-0 against the spread in its last four games following a straight-up win of more than 20 points.

Junior forward Troy Baxter is a force inside and already has 13 blocked shots, tied for 36th in the country and leads the Bears with 6.8 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Sherwyn Devonish has scored in double figures in all five games and is averaging 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. He scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win over George Washington last week.

So who wins Morgan State vs. Liberty? And which side of the spread can you bank on in well over 70 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Morgan State vs. Liberty spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $2,700 on its college basketball picks the last three years, and find out.

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Liberty vs. Morgan State odds: 2019 The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase picks, predictions from proven model - CBS Sports

On Sunday night, the Liberty Flames defeated the Kansas City Kangaroos, 62-49, in the Championship Game of the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase in Nassua. With the win, the Flames continue to improve upon its program best start, moving to 8-0 on the season.

It was a dominating performance in the Bahamas for the Flames as Liberty won all three games 22 average margin of victory in the three games. Kyle Rode was named the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase Tournament MVP.

Once again playing without the injured Caleb Homesley, who played just 6 minutes in the three game tournament, Liberty got off to a strong start for the third consecutive game in the Bahamas. Scottie James scored the first 5 points of the game and Kyle Rode knocked down his 7th three-pointer of the tournament to give the Flames an early 8-0 lead by the first media timeout. The Flames wouldnt look back as they maintained the lead for the entire game.

The lead would grow to 10-0 on a Rode acrobatic putback before the Kangaroos finally got on the board. The Liberty defense frustrated the Roos in the opening minutes of the game, but they would settle in and string together a few quality possessions.

The Flames would maintain the lead thanks to a Darius Mcghee three-pointer, that came from beyond NBA range, and 4 quick points off the bench from Myo Baxter-Bell. Liberty led 17-8 at the under 12 media timeout of the first half.

Nothing came easy for Kansas City on the offensive end of the floor as this packline defense has reached a different level this season under Ritchie McKay. The Roos were thankful to bank in a three pointer as Liberty pushed its lead to 26-15 thanks in part to Rodes second triple of the evening as he led all scorers with 8.

UMKC was able to cut the lead to 6, as close as they had been since the opening minutes of the game, thanks to a quick 5-0 sport out of the timeout. The run was ended by a couple of Shiloh Robinson free throws as he got into the paint and drew a foul.

Liberty would close out the half strong as the Kangaroos did not score in the final 3:19 of the half as the Flames pushed its lead to 32-22 at the break. Kyle Rode led all scorers with 8 points, as he connected on 2 of his 3 three point attempts in the first half. Scottie James chipped in 7 points and 6 rebounds while Myo Baxter-Bell added 6 points and 3 rebounds.

Out of halftime, UMKC was again able to cut it to 6, the third time theyve gotten that close since the beginning of the game. A couple of buckets by Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz and one by Baxter-Bell would spurt a 6-0 Liberty run as the lead grew to 12 once again at 38-26 with 14:49 left in the game.

The run would balloon to 10-0 off a couple of turnovers by the Roos. Elijah Cuffee and Shiloh Robinson with the buckets to continue the spurt as the Kangaroos have gone over 5 minutes without a point. Robinsons bucket came on a beautiful post move, as the true freshman from Kearney, Nebraska continues to showcase more from his game. The Flames forced 7 UMKC turnovers during the scoreless stretch.

The run would end at 12-0, but the game was all but wrapped up at that point as the lead swelled to 20 points. Scottie James, Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz, and Darius McGhee were the offensive firepower for Liberty during the stretch of play.

The Flames were paced by a balanced attack as has become the norm under McKay. Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz finished with a team-high 14 points while Scottie James added 12 and Darius McGhee had 10.

McKay has guided the Flames to an astounding 27-3 record over the teams previous 30 games dating back to Libertys win at UCLA.

Liberty returns to action on Friday in the Vines Center against Kentucky Christian with tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m.

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Liberty defeats UMKC to win the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase - A Sea of Red

The Liberty Foundation closed the 22nd edition of the Liberty Foundation Golf Invitational Tournament awarding an unprecedented donation of $422,000 for 18 nonprofit organizations on the island. The donation was presented on Thursday, November 21 during the Tournaments Driving Dreams Gala Dinner, held at the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Ro Grande.

The 18 organizations that received donations this year were Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico, Casa Familiar Virgilio Dvila, Casa de Nios Manuel Fernndez Juncos, Centro Espibi, Centros Sor Isolina Ferr, Felisa Rincn Gautier Foundation, Fundacin A-Mar, Fundacin CAP, Hogar Santa Teresita del Nio Jess, Hogares Teresa Toda, Instituto Nueva Escuela, Jvenes de Puerto Rico en Riesgo, Make Music Happen (Berklee in Puerto Rico), Movimiento para el Alcance de Vida Independiente (MAVI), Nios de Nueva Esperanza, Para La Naturaleza, Ponce Childrens Choir and the San Juan Childrens Choir.

As the foundation grows, so does our commitment to empower the organizations we support so they can continue helping underserved communities and individuals in Puerto Rico, said Naji Khoury, president and CEO of Liberty Puerto Rico and Liberty Foundations president. We are grateful for the support of our friends and partners, who have made it possible for us to make this record donation, the highest in the history of our tournament. With it, they validate the work that the Liberty Foundation is doing in favor of Puerto Ricos socio-economic development and future.

In a moving celebration, all of the guests had the chance to nominate one of the 18 beneficiaries for a raffle that awarded an additional $5,000 to the grants they had received originally. The raffles lucky NPOs were San Juan Childrens Choir, Casa de Nios Manuel Fernndez Juncos, Fundacin CAP, and Para la Naturaleza. In addition, the San Juan Childrens Choir delighted guests with a sample of their repertoire, while a band made of participants from the Berklee in Puerto Rico program closed the evening with a set of Latin Jazz, Latin American folklore, Puerto Rican standards and numbers from the 80s.

Khoury also thanked the dozens of Liberty Puerto Rico employees who donated their time and talents to ensure the tournaments success. He added that their contribution was vital in each step of the process, from the fundraising to the organization and execution of the tournaments logistics, which involved the coordination of over 300 guests and events in two separate venues.

Being able to make this historic donation to a higher number of beneficiaries is a dream come true for us. We are inspired by the courageous work these organizations do every day and these funds enable them to carry on despite Puerto Ricos challenging situation, said Yadira Valdivia, Liberty Foundations executive director. We hope to continue expanding our scope of work so many other organizations can also make dreams come true for communities and individuals in need.

As the Foundations key fundraising event, the 22nd Liberty Foundation Golf Invitational raised a net amount of $650,000. The remaining funds will be used to continue the Foundations philanthropic program throughout the entire year. The tournament has been raising funds for community organizations in Puerto Rico since 1996, when it raised $19,000 for the Hogar San Jos in Luquillo. Since then, the event has raised over $2.8 million for over 20 nonprofit organizations throughout the island, including this years donation.

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The Liberty Foundation Awards $422,000 to 18 Nonprofit Organizations | Business Gallery - The Weekly Journal

JERSEY CITY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New Jersey is home to some of the worlds most accomplished innovators in applied science. Three of them who are pioneering research and solutions in antibacterial therapies, genetics, human life extension, and food production are being honored by Liberty Science Center at its inaugural The Genius of NJ celebration on Monday, December 2.

The celebration starts at 5:30 pm with cocktails and unique technology demonstrations: a full-body 3D scanner from Lenscloud that can scan a person in half a second with 120 cameras and create a realistic 3D avatar; bomb-disposing robots and an autonomous fighting robot from Picatinny Arsenal; and Flyer, a personal aerial vehicle from Kitty Hawk, headquartered in Mountain View, CA.

The New Jersey honorees are Bonnie Bassler, Chair of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, who is developing novel antimicrobial therapies to render pathogenic bacteria harmless; Dr. Robert J. Hariri, Chairman, Founder & CEO of Celularity, Inc. who is pioneering the use of stem cells to cure disease and slow aging; and David Rosenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of AeroFarms, the worlds leader in mass-scale vertical indoor farming.

Our inaugural Genius of NJ Award Winners represent the best this state and the world have to offer in harnessing science for the betterment of humanity, said Liberty Science Center President and CEO Paul Hoffman. Each is using his or her exceptional intellect and creative abilities to disrupt and innovate both in their respective fields and in their commitment to making the world healthier and safer.

Bonnie Bassler is the Squibb Professor of Molecular Biology and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, as well as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Professor Bassler deciphered the chemical language bacteria cells use to communicate by studying a harmless marine bacterium called Vibrio fischeri, known to bioluminesce, or make light, like fireflies do. She is a winner of the MacArthur Genius Grant and is now developing therapies that disrupt communication among harmful bacteria and strengthen communication among helpful bacteria. At a time when an increasing number of bacteria are resistant to traditional kinds of antibiotics, Dr. Bassler offers a promising new approach to antimicrobial therapy.

The Chairman, Founder and CEO of Celularity, Inc., in Warren, NJ, and Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of Human Longevity, Inc., Dr. Robert Hariri is the quintessential renaissance man. Hes a neurosurgeon, a medical researcher, and a serial entrepreneur in two technology sectors: aerospace and biomedicine. Dr. Hariri has advised the Vatican on genetics, and in 2018, Pope Francis bestowed on him the Pontifical Key Award for Innovation. Dr. Hariris path to discovering that the placenta, a temporary organ discarded after birth, was a potent source of stem cells began in the 80s when he viewed a first trimester ultrasound of his oldest daughter and wondered why the placenta was so large. Today Dr. Hariri is working to use placental stem cells to cure disease, slow aging, and augment healthy human lifespan.

Prominent entrepreneur David Rosenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of AeroFarms, set out to reinvent one of the most basic aspects of food production, farming. AeroFarms has grown 800 species of plants indoors and can grow them 365 days a year without sun or soil, achieving yields 130 times greater than conventional farming. His system uses 95 percent less water than field farming and no pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Rosenbergs adoption of cutting-edge technology has been a cornerstone of AeroFarms, which set up its first indoor vertical farms in abandoned warehouses in Newark. He employs plant biologists, microbiologists, geneticists, systems engineers, and data scientists. AeroFarms innovations in indoor vertical farming have improved not just plant yields but also taste, texture, nutritional density, and shelf life.

Additionally, LSC will honor non-New Jersian Sebastian Thrun, CEO of Kitty Hawk, a company spun off from a Google moonshot effort to free the world from traffic. Kitty Hawk is developing all-electric, vertical take-off flying machines for everyday use. Known as the godfather of self-driving cars, as a Stanford professor in 2005, Thrun led a team that won the $2-million Defense Department Grand Challenge to build an autonomous vehicle which drove itself unassisted on a 132-mile course across the Mojave Desert. His winning entry, Stanley, is now on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. While at Stanford, in 2011 he and colleague Peter Norvig offered their Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course online to anyone, for free. Over 160,000 students in more than 190 countries enrolled! The MOOC (which stands for Massive Open Online Course) was born, and Thrun founded the online education company Udacity, with the goal of democratizing education. Thrun relinquished his tenured Stanford professorship to join Google and founded the companys semi-secret R&D division called Google X (now called simply X) to develop breakthrough technologies, such as self-driving cars, that make the world a radically better place.

Ticket prices for The Genius of NJ start at $750 per guest with options for table sponsorship from $12,500 to $50,000. For more details, please visit The Genius of NJ online. All proceeds from this event will support LSCs mission to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

About Liberty Science Center

Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot nonprofit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. More than 250,000 students visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Centers off-site and online programs. Welcoming more than 750,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.

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Liberty Science Center's Inaugural Genius of New Jersey to Honor Innovators Who Make the State a World Leader in Cutting-Edge Applied Science -...

Sixty minutes for 60 more.

Liberty football coach Hugh Freeze uttered those words Saturday to break the palpable disappointment in the Flames locker room at Scott Stadium. The four-touchdown loss to Virginia particularly stung for the players, and Freeze wanted to shift the focus to a bigger picture.

The Flames still control their destiny in becoming bowl eligible, and the regular-season finale at home Saturday against New Mexico State serves as the final opportunity to pick up the elusive seventh victory for a chance to play in a bowl game for the first time in program history.

Weve got 60 that are on the schedule and weve got a shot if we win those 60 to have 60 more to play together, Freeze said. It should would be fun to do, especially for these seniors.

Liberty is 6-5 and needs to defeat the Aggies to become bowl eligible in the programs first season as a full-fledged member of the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Flames need to reach the seven-win mark because two victories have come against Football Championship Subdivision programs (Hampton and Maine), and only one triumph counts toward bowl eligibility.

Freeze laid out his goals for the program when he met with the media during his introductory press conference nearly one year ago, and the one at the top of the list was getting Liberty to its first bowl game.

When he reiterated the teams primary objective following Saturdays loss to UVa, the seniors understood the magnitude of what was in front of them and the need to quickly regain focus and prepare for the teams second meeting against NMSU this season.

This is the biggest game of the season, senior quarterback Buckshot Calvert said. ... Weve got to come out swinging and make big plays. Coach Freeze said it: Play 60 minutes for another 60 minutes. I think weve just got to have that mindset to play a whole 60 minutes, therefore we can reach our goal and play another 60 minutes after the regular season is over.

Liberty is one of 14 teams that can become bowl eligible with a victory this weekend.

Seventy-two teams have reached bowl eligibility with six spots available in the 39-bowl game schedule.

The Aggies (2-9) enter the important matchup for Liberty as winners of two straight over Incarnate Word and Texas-El Paso.

The Flames opened as 14-point favorites and won the seasons previous meeting 20-13.

If we dont win, its my last game ever in the collegiate ranks, redshirt senior running back Frankie Hickson said. This game means a lot to the seniors, and it means a lot to all the other guys, too, for the seniors who have looked out for them and tried to make sure they are starting in the right direction. The game means a lot.

Liberty has a secondary tie-in agreement with the Cure Bowl that will open the door to an invite for LU to the Dec. 21 game in Orlando, Florida, if the American Athletic and Sun Belt conferences can not fill their respective bowl slots.

Both conferences have enough bowl eligible teams to fill their slots (AAC with seven and Sun Belt with five), and if either Memphis or Cincinnati remains as the top Group of 5 team in the final College Football Playoff rankings, that would open the AACs slot for the Flames to go bowling.

Its definitely important to get another chance to play another football game, redshirt senior rover Elijah Benton said.

It really is bigger than me; its bigger than the seniors. Its what a win would do for the program to make it to the first bowl game. Its a legacy that will never be able to be erased. Its the first time that well be bowl eligible to make it to a bowl game. Thats really the biggest goal.

Damien Sordelett covers Liberty athletics for The News & Advance. Reach him at (434) 385-5550.

Damien Sordelett covers Liberty University athletics and local golf for The News & Advance. Reach him at (434) 385-5550.

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Sixty minutes for 60 more: Liberty focuses on final chance to become bowl eligible - Lynchburg News and Advance

Endless war. A $23 trillion national debt. Intrusive regulation. Criminal injustice. Presidents who don't think the Constitution limits their powers.It's easy to point to troubling aspects of modern America, and I spend a lot of time doing that. But whena journalist asked me what freedoms we take for granted in America, I found it a good opportunity to step back and consider how America is different from much of world history and why immigrants still flock here.

If we ask how life in the United States is different from life in most of the history of the world and still different from much of the world a few key elements come to mind.

Rule of law. Perhaps the greatest achievement in history is the subordination of power to law. That is, in modern America we have created structures that limit and control the arbitrary power of government. No longer can one man a king, a priest, a communist party boss take another persons life or property at the rulers whim. Citizens can go about their business, generally confident that they wont be dragged off the streets to disappear forever, and confident that their hard-earned property wont be confiscated without warning. We may take the rule of law for granted, but immigrants from China, Haiti, Syria, and other parts of the world know how rare it is.

Equality. For most of history people were firmly assigned to a particular status clergy, nobility, and peasants. Kings and lords and serfs. Brahmins, other castes, and untouchables in India. If your father was a noble or a peasant, so would you be. The American Revolution swept away such distinctions. In America all men were created equal -- or at least that was our promise and our aspiration. Thomas Jefferson declared that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God. In America some people may be smarter, richer, stronger, or more beautiful than others, but Im as good as you is our national creed. We are all citizens, equal before the law, free to rise as far as our talents will take us.

Equality for women. Throughout much of history women were the property of their fathers or their husbands. They were often barred from owning property, testifying in court, signing contracts, or participating in government. Equality for women took longer than equality for men, but today in America and other civilized parts of the world women have the same legal rights as men.

Self-government. The Declaration of Independence proclaims that governments are instituted to secure the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that those governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Early governments were often formed in the conquest of one people by another, and the right of the rulers to rule was attributed to Gods will and passed along from father to son. In a few places Athens, Rome, medieval Germany there were fitful attempts to create a democratic government. Now, after Americas example, we take it for granted in civilized countries that governments stand or fall on popular consent.

Freedom of speech. In a world of Fox and MSNBC, Facebook and Twitter, its hard to imagine just how new and how rare free speech is. Lots of people died for the right to say what they believed. In China, Russia,Africa, and the Arab world, they still do. Fortunately, weve realized that while free speech may irritate each of us at some point, were all better off for it.

Freedom of religion. Church and state have been bound together since time immemorial. The state claimed divine sanction, the church got money and power, the combination left little room for freedom. As late as the 17th century, Europe was wracked by religious wars. England, Sweden, and other countries still have an established church, though their citizens are free to worship elsewhere. Many people used to think that a country could only survive if everyone worshipped the one true God in the one true way. The American Founders established religious freedom.

Property and contract. We owe our unprecedented standard of living to the capitalist freedoms of private property and free markets. When people are able to own property and make contracts, they create wealth. Free markets and the legal institutions to enforce contracts make possible vast economic undertakings from the design and construction of airplanes to Bitcoin and Venmo. But to appreciate the benefits of free markets, we dont have to marvel at skyscrapers while listening to music onour iPhones. We can just give thanks for enough food to live on, and central heating, and the medical care that has lowered the infant mortality rate from about 20 percent to less than 1 percent.

A Kenyan boy who managed to get to the United States told a reporter for Womans World magazine that America is heaven. Compared to countries that lack the rule of law, equality, property rights, free markets, and freedom of speech and worship, it certainly is. A good point to keep in mind this Thanksgiving Day.

A version of thisarticlewas publishedin 2004 and was included in my book The Politics of Freedom.

Link:

What to Be Thankful For | Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute

John Malone chairman of Liberty Media

Michael Kovac | Getty Images | Vanity Fair)

Liberty Media Chairman John Malone has some reservations about HBO's bid to enter an extremely crowded streaming market.

AT&T's WarnerMedia announced last month its HBO Max streaming service will launch in the U.S. in May of 2020. Starting with about 10,000 hours of content, the cable company is slated to compete with a slew of monthly subscription services including Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Lionsgate's Starz, Apple TV+, just to name a few.

"I don't see the growth for HBO in going this route," Malone spoke to CNBC's David Faber in an exclusive interview on Thursday. "I really have trouble seeing HBO being able to get the scale to be able to be at the top of the chart in terms of direct consumer subscribers."

Malone believes HBO would have a hard time attracting new subscribers and the company also doesn't have the capacity yet to become an international player.

"The way I look at it is in the U.S., if you wanted HBO, you already have HBO. So I don't see they gain a lot of new customers," Malone said.

"They certainly don't have the budget to defend and protect their content supply long-term, and they don't own the rights to international distribution and it will take them years to develop and hold onto enough content to be a real player internationally," he added.

AT&T aims to reach 75 to 90 million subscribers by 2025, WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey said previously. The company said it will spend $4 billion over the next three years building HBO Max.

CBS and Viacom have agreed to merge, planning to accelerate their streaming strategies and expand globally. Malone said the combined company, which will be called ViacomCBS, is "cheap at the moment."

"What they don't have is global presence. While they make a lot of their own content, a lot of it is bought," Malone said. "CBS is totally dependent in my opinion on sports right... I'm not sure about long-term profitability or whether or not CBShas the market power to carry all of those channels."

The combination reunites the two media companies controlled by Sumner Redstone's National Amusements. Viacom spun off CBS in 2006.

"I think Viacom underinvested in the content on their channels for a number of years while they were spending their money buying back stocks at high prices," Malone said. "I think that was kind of a tactical mistake."

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Liberty's John Malone sees HBO losing out in the streaming wars - CNBC

Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei believes the company is well positioned to capitalize on the growing popularity of podcasts and other audio content.

Maffei, who joined CNBC's David Faber from Liberty's investor day in New York on Thursday, said that while there is competition for audio content, exclusive agreements should prove lucrative over time.

"Exclusives are what you want to have. And there are different forms of that," the CEO said. "We have exclusives obviously in things like Howard Stern. We have exclusives in the fact that if you want to listen to CNBC in the car, we're the way to do it, ESPN and the like."

"We have an exclusive with Marvel, we have an exclusive now with Lebron James called 'Uninterrupted,'" he continued. "Lots of things that are unique just to us."

Under the leadership of Maffei and Chairman John Malone, Liberty originally acquired a 40% stake in Sirius XM Radio back in 2009, saving the satellite-radio company from bankruptcy. Four years later, Liberty took majority control of Sirius.

"Not only is there upside in listenership and the kinds of content, including podcasts, but they're under-monetized. I think there's an opportunity to see increases in how podcasts and other forms of audio content are monetized," Maffei said.

"Yes, there's a little bit of a bidding war for audio content, but you can't spend on audio. A great podcast might be $250,000 a year; an hour of one of these high-end shows could be $10 million," he added. "The numbers are so far apart and the war is way less."

SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer echoed Maffei's bullish outlook on the opportunity presented by podcasts.

"There are debates on what the slope of the line is going to be in podcasts, but there is no question where north is," Meyer told CNBC later on Thursday. "It's going to grow exponentially, because people have always loved talk content but younger people consume it differently than people from my generation."

To ensure SiriusXM is able to monetize on that exponential growth, Meyer said the company is focusing its efforts on improving its advertisement technology.

It's an area where SiriusXM which has been assimilating with Pandora since acquiring the music streaming service last fall has much room for growth, Meyer said.

"Advertising technology is crucial," he said. "We're great at it in music, we've got to transition that. Pandora never did it for spoken word. We've got to get that bridge in the next couple months."

Even so, the bridge doesn't necessarily lead to a crystal-clear future for audio revenue generation, Meyer cautioned. He said despite his confidence that future generations will always consume audio, "what I'm not positive of is what the revenue models will be five years from now, 10 years from now."

"So you have got to get really good at subscription. We are. You have to really get good at digital advertising. We now are," Meyer said. "And you have to get really good at cross promotion between, and that is the part we're going to have to work really hard at in the next 18 months."

More here:

Liberty CEO sees Sirius well positioned in audio boom with exclusive content like Howard Stern - CNBC

As an American Ahmadi Muslim, I look forward every year to Thanksgiving - a holiday often associated with reflection and thankfulness for all that we have. Despite all the conflict and uncertainty in the world, we have much to be thankful for.

Islam stresses thankfulness yearround, both to God and to his creations. It is stated in the Holy Quran, Surely, Allah is gracious towards mankind, but most of them are not thankful (10:61).

The Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) has also stated: One who is not thankful to people, is not thankful to Allah.

I would like to wish everyone an enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving. I hope everyone can take this holiday as an opportunity to ponder and reflect upon how blessed we are to live in a great nation where we are granted basic liberties and have access to the basic necessities of life.

Samar Ahmad,

North Canton

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Count liberty among our blessings this Thanksgiving - cleveland.com

Hong Kong, November 25, 2019 - Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR), a global Fintech leader and part of the S&P 500 Index, today announced that Liberty Securities Limited has selected Broadridge to streamline its post-trade processing for Hong Kong-listed equities and derivatives.

Liberty Securities is a participant of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and is licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission, providing brokerage services to retail investors as well as high net worth individuals (HNWI) and institutional clients across Asia. Broadridges consolidated multi-asset solution will help Liberty Securities increase efficiency with the highest level of straight-through processing automation.

We are excited to work with Broadridge and implement its agile, simple out-of-box post-trade processing solution to replace our legacy solution. They are the right long-term partner, providing us with the flexibility we need to expand into new asset classes and markets going forward, said Alan Cheung, Director at Liberty Securities. Given our extensive reporting requirements, Broadridges ability to aggregate front-, middle- and back-office information into a single, customizable reporting and data management solution will dramatically improve data consistency and accuracy.

We are delighted that Liberty Securities has chosen to use our post-trade processing solution in the Hong Kong market, leveraging our deep local expertise and global scale to bring more efficiency to its operations and help the company get ready for whats next, said David Becker, head of Asia Pacific at Broadridge. Broadridge is focused on supporting our clients in Asia, helping them to grow their businesses, while navigating ongoing regulatory and market changes.

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Liberty Securities Selects Broadridge to Simplify Post-Trade Processing for Hong Kong Equities and Derivatives - Bobsguide

Liberty began this past weekends game at Rutgers without Brandon Tillmon occupying one of the starting linebacker spots. The contest ended with several players going down with injuries, which will force the Flames to test their depth Saturday at UMass.

Depth is going to be a factor, Flames coach Hugh Freeze said Monday. Were going to have to get our two-deep ready with kids that havent played a lot of snaps this year. Then hopefully by Saturday, some of these that are on the day-to-day list will be able to be added bonuses to us.

Tillmon and fellow starting linebacker Solomon Ajayi both were listed as day-to-day on the injury report. Ajayi was injured late in the first half against the Scarlet Knights but returned and played the majority of the second half.

He was sporting a walking boot on his left foot leaving the stadium.

Tillmon suffered a small fracture in his right foot early in the Flames Oct. 5 victory at New Mexico State. He played against Maine two weeks later but was unable to go against the Scarlet Knights.

The injuries will necessitate more reps in practice for Amarii Jenkins, Tyren Dupree, Waylen Cozad and Malik Caper.

Jenkins, a redshirt sophomore, made the second start of his career against Rutgers in place of Tillmon at Will linebacker.

Brandon being the great player that he is, making the plays that youve seen in the past couple of games, it was a huge loss, Jenkins said Monday. Hopefully he gets better so he can help out the defense a lot for the rest of the season.

Dupree, a redshirt freshman, has served as Ajayis backup this season with seven appearances and posted a career-high six tackles against Rutgers. Cozad, the junior college transfer, started against Louisiana on Sept. 7 and finished with a season-high nine stops against the Scarlet Knights.

Caper, a true freshman, has played in two games this season and can play in two more while retaining his year of eligibility. He traveled with the team to Rutgers.

With those two being kind of banged up, [linebackers coach Kyle] Pope is going to make sure he does his best to get the rest of us ready, Jenkins said. Were kind of young and inexperienced. Its not an excuse for being able to step up and take in a role that needs to be taken when somebody goes in.

The injuries werent limited to just the linebacker corps.

Free safety JaVon Scruggs and defensive end Austin Lewis, both sophomores, are in concussion protocol.

Scruggs, the Appomattox County High product who posted a career-high 10 tackles against Rutgers, was hit on one of the Flames two onside kick attempts.

He took a vicious hit on that onside kick, which was not a clean play, Freeze said.

That means Isaac Steele, who only played on special teams against Rutgers until Scruggs injury late in the fourth quarter, will receive most of the first-team reps at the position.

Micah Glaize and Benjamin Alexander will serve as Elijah Bentons backups at rover.

Lewis was one of three defensive ends to see consistent playing time against Rutgers in the first half, and his absence forced Jessie Lemonier and TreShaun Clark to play the majority of the second-half snaps.

Freeze added he wants to prevent nose guard Ralfs Rusins from playing as many snaps as he did against Rutgers, which could mean a larger role for Elisha Mitchell.

The good thing is well be able to present to our defense exactly what they want to see because it is a mirror image of who we are, Freeze said of preparing for UMass offense. Its identical. The same RPOs, the same runs, the same sets. They may go a little bit more two-by-two spread than we do, but thats typically when theyve gotten behind a bit that they go to that. If they can stay in the game, they stay in their comfort zone, which is the RPO world.

NOTE: Libertys Nov. 9 matchup against BYU is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. EST kickoff at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

Damien Sordelett covers Liberty University athletics and local golf for The News & Advance. Reach him at (434) 385-5550.

Damien Sordelett covers Liberty University athletics and local golf for The News & Advance. Reach him at (434) 385-5550.

Excerpt from:

Liberty defensive depth to be tested against UMass - Lynchburg News and Advance

Liberty University is known as one of the preeminent Christian schools in the entire country. But recent revelations about its internal practices have shed light on some troubling developments at the institution, circumstances that have reportedly led to a campus culture of fear, as one writer argues.

Liberty offers a useful case study in how higher education institutions that pursue unique missions can also be susceptible to unique governance pitfalls, writes Christian Barnard atthe James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.

The school was started by Jerry Falwell in the early 1970s, Barnard writes; Falwell said that the goal was not to create another Bible college but rather a venerable academic institution with a distinctively Christian environment. Falwell succeeded in growing the scope and prestige of the university over the next several decades. After his death in 2007, his son, Jerry Falwell, Jr., took over, reportedly leading to a new and arguably degraded campus environment:

Critics argue that Falwell has created a culture of fear where people are unable to speak out. They point to examples such as how faculty outside of the law school cannot obtain tenure and the routine use of non-disclosure agreements that stop current and former staff and board members from discussing sensitive matters around Falwells leadership.

Documented incidents of retaliatory firings when staff criticize university leadership make this fear a legitimate reality.

Students live under scrutiny and fear along with the staff. Other stories from students and alumni detail his micro-management of the campus newspaperclaiming that he reserves the right to edit or reject any columns of which he disapproves. The school newspaper isnt even student-run anymore. Other accounts note incidents like the universitys past derecognition of Campus Democrats, Falwells forced removal of an anti-Trump pastor, and when campus shut down a student booth where libertarian students tried to discuss legalizing marijuana.

Other highlights of malfeasance include making loans to friends contrary to the schools financial interests, signing massive construction contracts with personal associates, and investing in real estate thats owned by friends and family. The reports from Politico and Reutersalso question Liberty-sponsored political activitylike selling merchandise that features both the Liberty and Trump brandas potential violations of IRS rules governing nonprofits.

Since faculty have little job security and students are limited in their ability to voice their dissent, its unlikely anyone on campus will stand up to Falwell. He simply isnt being held accountable by a governance model that placed too much power in the hands of one person, Barnard writes.

Read the report here.

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The 'cautionary tale' of Liberty University - The College Fix

LIBERTY The Town of Liberty has announced that Phase 1 of its sign blight initiative, undertaken in partnership with the Village of Liberty, has been completed. Town of Liberty Councilmen and Village of Liberty Trustees have worked collaboratively from the design and planning stages, through funding and implementation to replace outdated and in some cases dilapidated signage with new, visually appealing installations that have been completely grant funded.

Signage installed during Phase 1 includes two new gateway signs, as well as eight new directional wayfinding signs throughout the Village and Town of Liberty. One gateway sign is located on Route 52 between Denman and Hysana Roads, near Stephensons Garden Center, and includes the Town name and the slogan Live. Play. Do business here. The other gateway sign has been installed on Harris Road in Ferndale, near Sullivan County Animal Hospital. The directional wayfinding signage serves to point travelers toward Libertys downtown district, among other key recreational locations.

Removing these eyesores and replacing them with new signage that is modern in appearance and clean has been a goal of ours for some time, said Town of Liberty Supervisor, Brian P. Rourke. They are a significant improvement to the gateways of our community, both aesthetically and physically, and have been 100 percent funded by grants.

Two 2018 Sullivan Signs Grant Funding Awards from the Sullivan County Planning Department have helped make the upgrades possible. The Town of Liberty was awarded $7,500, while the Village received its own $7,500. An additional $10,000, received as a 2016 Sullivan Renaissance Silver Feather Award Grant, was also earmarked for the project.

The combined grant money we secured for this project has meant no financial outlay by the community weve applied zero tax dollars, managing to carry out a major civic beautification project with zero impact on our taxpayers, said Rourke.

As the Town and Village proceed into Phase 2 of the project, Department of Transportation attraction signs will be consolidated, along with the addition of more parking-related directional signage and two more directional wayfinding signs. During a recent meeting, the Town of Liberty Town Board also approved a large Welcome to Liberty billboard. Its retro Catskills design will be unveiled soon.

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Phase 1 of new signage in Liberty completed - Times Herald-Record

In his first inaugural address in 1789, George Washington said he hoped that the foundations of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality. John Adams added, It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. In a letter to the Massachusetts Militia, Adams also added, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People.

Washington and Adams were in essence saying that without religious freedom and absent public morality, the freedoms framed in the Constitution were merely window dressing.

Both Washington and Adams invoked the Latin phrase sine qua non without which (there is) nothing, connecting the essential nature of religious liberty and public morality to freedom and the American Constitution.

Through the years, and with increasing blunt force and brute strength, the secular world has attempted to attack and dislodge religion and morality from the public square. Governments around the world, including in the U.S., have altered, limited and targeted religious liberty and religious institutions.

But on Oct. 23 at the University of Oxford, Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered a landmark address titled, The Impact of Religious Freedom on Public Morality.

A speech delivered by a world religious leader on religious freedom and public morality may seem unremarkable. His remarks, however, created a perfectly fitted frame around the principles required for the light of liberty to burn brightly and provided a window through which to look at the world today and the critical criteria necessary for true freedom to endure.

Following in the footsteps of Washington, Adams and others, Elder Cook stated, Freedom to believe in private and to exercise belief and speech in the public square are essential to protecting unalienable rights.

Elder Cook went on to declare, I am equally concerned that the foundations which have historically supported faith, accountability to God, and the religious impulse are increasingly being marginalized in a secular world and derided and even banished from the public square.

He also detailed how religious liberty has been established as part of essential human rights through the ages.

Elder Cook made a compelling case that the sine qua non of religious liberty and public morality were the foundation from which one of his personal heroes, William Wilberforce, launched his pursuit to abolish slavery in Great Britain. Without the protections of religious liberty and the power of public morality, Wilberforces crusade against slavery would have been snuffed out before it ever sparked the flame of justice and human dignity. The long, arduous battle for the emancipation of slaves in the British Isles was eventually victorious.

Providentially, the flame of freedom for slaves rose as the light in the life of Wilberforce flickered. Emancipation was proclaimed one week before Wilberforce died. Elder Cook noted that many of the great breakthroughs and advancements in history began with a person of faith entering the public square to make a moral stand.

Another religious leader, Rabbi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik, regularly speaks to the need for faith to be taken into the public square. He remarked, When the state demands disloyalty to ones faith as the price for entering society, that is an assault on the human soul, and that is intolerable, because the soul of man is the candle of God.

Rabbi Soloveichik continued, The soul of man is the candle of God. It is a powerful and enduring image. The human soul is a candle kindled by the Creator. Like a candles flame, the souls sanctity is so easily extinguished when buffeted by the winds of change, by the zeitgeist, by social pressure or by persecution. And yet like a flame, the soul, if protected, if sustained, if fueled by freedom, by faith, by courage, contains within it an infinite amount of power that can spark and inspire.

He then concluded, Originally, until recent times and in Jerusalem today, Hanukkah lights were kindled not inside but outside the door of Jewish homes, right outside the door. Lighting candles outside the doors of our homes expresses that when people of faith leave their homes and enter the world, they take their beliefs and their religious identity with them. They do not check their beliefs at the door when they enter the public square. Their souls, the candle within each person, illuminates their path wherever they may lead.

What we bring to the public square as individuals is so much more than our physical presence. We should be bringing our whole, authentic self to work and to our communities that includes our religious beliefs. Leaving our deeply held beliefs at home, in the mosque, synagogue or church is to leave a portion of self behind and accept a smaller portion of the illuminating light that emanates from the soul of every man and every woman.

As the capstone to a life of service and sacrifice to the nation, Washington chose to include in his farewell address this counsel: Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

American liberty and a constitutional republic are but window dressing to human flourishing without what Founding Fathers like Washington and Adams, along with todays world religious leaders like Elder Cook and Rabbi Soloveichik, have declared. Religious freedom and public morality are indeed the sine qua non of liberty. If America is going to remain a beacon of hope and freedom, every leader and every citizen must live within their shared public morality and seek to secure the religious freedom required to promote and defend it.

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Boyd Matheson: Liberty without morality and religious freedom is but window dressing - Deseret News