Latest news with #HOUSTON
Reuters
16-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
North Dakota oil producers plan to drop rigs due to weaker prices, state regulator says
HOUSTON, May 16 (Reuters) - Oil and gas operators in North Dakota have indicated they plan to drop rigs and frac crews due to weaker oil prices, a move that is likely to impact output in the third largest U.S. oil producer, the state's Department of Mineral Resources said on Friday. Oil producers have started to slow output, dropping rigs, as prices have fallen below $65, the price required to break even. North Dakota breakevens have historically been in the $55 to $60 a barrel range, said Nathan Anderson, director of the state regulator. "We're expecting the rig count to soften just a little bit, and most certainly related to soft prices and a little bit of a volatile price environment that we're in right now," Anderson said. About four or five operators plan to drop rigs either as part of their business plans or due to low prices, Anderson said. The state's rig count is likely to drop to about 27 by August, he added. The rig count stood at 31 on Friday. Two of the 14 frac crews currently operating could also be reduced, Anderson added.
Malay Mail
10-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Texas secures US$1.38b settlement with Google over user tracking and data privacy violations
HOUSTON, May 10 — Google has agreed to pay US$1.375 billion (RM5.91 billion) in a settlement in principle reached with the state of Texas over allegations the company violated users' data privacy, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said yesterday. The agreement settles two lawsuits that covered three products for allegedly violating Texas consumer protection laws. 'In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law. For years, Google secretly tracked people's movements, private searches and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services. I fought back and won,' said Paxton in a statement. Details of the settlement were not disclosed. The Texas attorney general did not say how the money would be used. Google said the agreement settles claims encompassing Incognito, Location History and biometrics-related allegations. The company did not admit any wrongdoing. 'This settles a raft of old claims, many of which have already been resolved elsewhere, concerning product policies we have long since changed,' said a statement from José Castañeda, a Google spokesperson. 'We are pleased to put them behind us, and we will continue to build robust privacy controls into our services.' Paxton sued Google twice in 2022, alleging that it had collected from Texas residents records of their face geometry and voiceprints without obtaining proper consent. He also alleged the company tracked users' location even when they thought they had disabled the feature and misled users about Incognito mode, which is meant to provide private browsing. The settlement does not require product changes, according to a Google spokesperson. Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, agreed last year to pay US$1.4 billion to settle with Paxton over allegations it unlawfully collected and used facial recognition data. — Reuters
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The top 10 biggest storylines of the transfer portal on Saturday
Jeff Douglas, Inside ND Sports The transfer portal opened on Wednesday with a flurry of activity. Here are the biggest transfer announcements from day four of the 2025 spring transfer window. MORE TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer Team Ranking | Football Player Ranking 1. HOUSTON CB A.J. HAULCY The Houston secondary took a big hit for the second day in a row when All-Big 12 safety A.J. Haulcy announced he'd be entering the transfer portal. He joins fellow Cougar defensive back Jeremiah Wilson in the transfer portal and neither will have a shortage of options. Advertisement Haulcy had started every game for the Cougars over the last two seasons and dominated the defensive backfield in the league this season, tying for first in interceptions with five and finishing second in pass breakups with 13. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH HOUSTON FANS AT 2. SAFETY KENNEDY URLACHER TO USC USC coach Lincoln Riley and GM Chad Bowden have made a concerted effort to improve on the defensive side of the ball. For their latest addition, the Trojans tapped into Bowden's Notre Dame connections to sign Kennedy Urlacher. The freshman safety and son of NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher played in 14 games for Notre Dame last season, recording 12 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH USC FANS AT 3. DB JULIAN NEAL TO ARKANSAS Arkansas and head coach Sam Pittman added to their top 10 transfer class when they signed former Fresno State and Stanford defensive back Julian Neal. The Razorbacks now have five defensive backs in this transfer class as they work to field a stronger pass defense this coming season. Neal was a standout at Fresno State last season but transferred to Stanford in December. When the Cardinal fired head coach Troy Taylor, Neal went back into the transfer portal to find a new home for this season. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ARKANSAS FANS AT 4. BYU LB HARRISON TAGGART BYU has lost more than 20 players to the transfer portal this cycle and Harrison Taggart is the latest to announce he is leaving Provo. Last season, Taggart started every game for the Cougars, finishing second on the team in tackles (69) and posting two and a half tackles for a loss, one sack, one forced fumble, three pass breakups and one interception. 5. DT DE'MARION THOMAS TO OKLAHOMA STATE The Cowboys are quickly improving their defense this spring. De'Marion Thomas makes three defensive commitments in as many days for Oklahoma State. The former starter at Vanderbilt has two more seasons of eligibility remaining and he'll aim to use both of them in Stillwater. Advertisement Thomas, who is originally from Tulsa, played nearly 400 snaps for Vanderbilt last season, recording 34 tackles, one and a half tackles for a loss and one sack. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OKLAHOMA STATE FANS AT 6. WR DACARI COLLINS TO LOUISVILLE Louisville and head coach Jeff Brohm were active during the winter transfer window and now they have their first addition of the spring in Collins. The former N.C. State wide receiver has caught 38 passes for 526 yards and four touchdowns over the last two seasons. Collins, who began his career at Clemson, has one year of eligibility remaining. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LOUISVILLE FANS AT 7. CB TEON PARKS TO COLORADO Colorado had its spring game on Saturday and finished the day off with a commitment from Teon Parks. The former Illinois State defensive back is coming off an excellent 2024 campaign in which he only allowed completions on 38 percent of the passes thrown in his direction. Parks played 729 snaps last season and was credited with one interception, nine pass breakups and one forced fumble according to Pro Football Focus. He has two more years of eligibility remaining. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH COLORADO FANS AT 8. WR XAVIER LOYD TO MISSOURI After beginning his career at Kansas State and then transferring to Illinois State, Xavier Loyd is heading back to his home state to finish out his college career. Missouri is bringing in Loyd to add experience, depth and size to its receiver room. Advertisement Loyd, who has two years of eligibility remaining, was credited with 65 catches for 909 yards and six touchdowns last season. Florida State, Oklahoma and others were also pursuing Loyd. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MISSOURI FANS AT 9. RB CJ HESTER TO MICHIGAN Michigan already strengthened its running back room this offseason by adding former Alabama standout Justice Haynes. Now it added more experience and depth by bringing on CJ Hester. He was the second-leading rusher for UMass last season and has two years of eligibility remaining. Hester, who is originally from Michigan, began his college career at Western Michigan. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MICHIGAN FANS AT MAIZE& 10. EDGE PHILLIP LEE TO ARKANSAS After signing Julian Neal earlier in the day, Phillip Lee became the second defensive commitment Arkansas secured on Saturday. The edge defender is expected to play a fairly significant role for the Razorbacks this season. At Troy, Lee led the team in sacks a year ago and Arkansas will be counting on him to impact the passing game in a similar fashion this season. He is entering his final season of eligibility. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ARKANSAS FANS AT
New York Times
05-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Connections: Sports Edition hints for April 5, 2025, puzzle No. 194
Need help with today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle? You've come to the right place. Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores. A quick public service announcement before we continue: The bottom of this article includes one answer in each of the four categories. So if you want to solve the board hint-free, we recommend you play before continuing. Advertisement You can access Saturday's game here. Game No. 194's difficulty: 4 out of 5 Scroll below for one answer in each of the four categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yellow: STAR Green: TENNESSEE Blue: HOUSTON Purple: DUKE The next puzzle will be available at midnight in your time zone. Thanks for playing — and share your scores in the comments! (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic)
New York Times
30-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Astros takeaways: Isaac Paredes' influence, late-game outfield moves and Chas McCormick's role
HOUSTON — Seventeen innings is not a sample size to lose sleep over, so Joe Espada stayed encouraged. His new-look lineup remained the only one in the sport without an extra-base hit but did fulfill an objective. 'Look back (at) last year and tell me when we walked nine times in two days,' Espada requested following Friday's 3-1 loss against the New York Mets. Advertisement The answer, appropriately, is that the Houston Astros drew exactly nine walks over a two-game stretch nine times last season. They also had 10 other two-game spans that featured more than nine walks, fitting for a lineup that drew the fourth-fewest free passes in the sport. Runs, not walks, are required to win games, so some of Espada's excitement fell on deaf ears. Eighty-three plate appearances passed before his Houston Astros had their first extra-base hit of the 2025 season — a solo home run that Jeremy Peña snuck over Daikin Park's 19-foot high left-field wall on Saturday. A frame later, Yordan Alvarez supplied the second, annihilating Griffin Canning's elevated slider 416 feet off the facade of Houston's bullpen. Isaac Paredes flew from first to home on the double. No player felt more fitting to score a series-deciding run. Paredes is generating the least fanfare among an army of Astros newcomers, but he brought a new dimension this lineup desperately needed. Across Houston's first three games, Paredes personified the front office's offseason objective: addressing a lineup that grew far too aggressive last season. Paredes saw 65 pitches across the 12 plate appearances he took against the Mets. He collected just one hit in the series — a single in Friday's loss — but provided plate appearances that can be contagious for a lineup trying to reverse its tendencies. 'He saw more pitches than what I did in half of last season,' utilityman Mauricio Dubón joked after Saturday's series-clinching win. 'Me and Peña were talking about it, he makes the pitcher work and it helps us a lot. That's who he is.' 'He's a guy that can put 40 (home runs) in the (Crawford) Boxes, but at the same time he can take his walks. We're grinding at-bats. We're seeing pitches. I don't know how many pitches I saw today, but I saw a career high probably.' Advertisement Dubón saw 13 during his three plate appearances, a massive amount for a player who averages 3.51. Prospect Cam Smith saw 23 in four plate appearances on Friday, while new first baseman Christian Walker watched 28 during his first eight plate appearances as an Astro. Production remains a baseball team's foremost priority. Houston scored just six runs in three games while finishing 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Thirteen of the lineup's 15 hits were singles. Striking out 23 times makes it difficult to take pride in plate discipline or patience, but Espada left the series more encouraged than the numbers may suggest. 'That stuff matters,' Espada said. 'If you do that throughout a season, you're going to find yourself getting on base and giving your teammates opportunities to hit with people on base and you're going to get yourself some good pitches to hit.' Carrying Cam Smith on the Opening Day roster removed any chance for Chas McCormick to carve out an everyday role. 'But, my whole career here, have I been an everyday player?' McCormick asked before not playing during Friday's 3-1 loss. 'Maybe for a month or two out of my five years I've been here.' It's a pertinent question from a player whose role has always been debated. Even during McCormick's breakout 2023 season, former manager Dusty Baker refused to label him a 'big boy,' sharing concerns internally about McCormick's weight while measuring his playing time. McCormick took 457 plate appearances that year. Seven Astros accumulated more, though McCormick did battle a back injury early in the season. McCormick hasn't taken more than 407 in any other season, allowing him at least some solace as he transitions to his new normal. A subpar spring sunk any hopes McCormick had to seize the right-field job. Asked whether Smith's inclusion on the Opening Day roster surprised him, McCormick replied 'No, not really.' Advertisement 'Obviously, I wanted to start Opening Day. That's a huge honor. And I want to be able to play (and see) them give me a chance to play every single day. But I know they still will give me a chance, even if I'm not playing every day and I've been in this role before,' said McCormick, who started in center field on Saturday and reached base twice. 'Was it hard individually? Yeah, obviously, you want to play every single day. But at the same time, I know where I'm at and I know where my role is.' McCormick is opening up his stance in hopes of doing more damage against elevated pitches or those in the middle of the strike zone. The strong plate discipline he showed in spring remains intact — he worked a five-pitch walk on Saturday — but McCormick's path to playing time must involve doing more damage. McCormick's decision to lay down a sacrifice bunt during Thursday's season-opener — against a left-handed reliever, no less — seemed suspect in the moment, but may speak to how hard he is still searching for his swing. 'My job is to play defense, move runners over,' McCormick said. 'I'll get opportunities to play and hit and swing, but my swing definitely feels better from the beginning of spring training until now. I've been doing some things. We'll see, but I definitely feel better.' Saturday offered the first test in Houston's post-Ryan Pressly world. Starter Spencer Arrighetti threw six impressive innings, staking his club to a one-run lead. Setup man Bryan Abreu and closer Josh Hader were available to pitch, meaning Espada needed one arm to build a bridge. The skipper chose southpaw Bryan King, a fast-rising, former Rule 5 pick who may now hold the title as Houston's third-most trusted reliever. King required 13 pitches to retire the middle of New York's order, sandwiching strikeouts of Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte around Mark Vientos' flyout. Advertisement 'He's just super confident,' Espada said. 'That 92-93 (mph) plays up. He's got a really good slider. That fastball sneaks up on you. He's pitching very confident right now and he knows that he's going to get his opportunities.' Summoning King seemed logical given two left-handed hitters were looming, but Espada — and everyone else in Houston's dugout — should've known Mets manager Carlos Mendoza would deploy one of the four right-handed hitters on his bench. When Marte arrived, King froze him with three well-located four-seamers on the outer-half: a key to neutralizing the platoon advantage. 'Coming through the minors, I was never told I had a good fastball until I got here and they were like, 'Hey, there's something special there,'' said King, who uses above-average extension to allow his fastball to play up. 'That's definitely something we've used. I think that helps play with the other pitches — the sweeper, two-seam. It's a good combo that freezes hitters a lot.' Deploying such an inexperienced outfield could present daily dilemmas for Espada, a manager unafraid to use his bench when a win is within his grasp. 'Once you go into the eighth or ninth inning and I'm bringing in two of the best relievers in the game, I feel like the game should be over,' Espada said, 'so I'm going to protect that lead with defense.' And so, on Thursday and Saturday, he did. With Abreu and Hader ready to protect slim leads, Espada made a flurry of late-game substitutions that may soon become the norm, underscoring Houston's rationale in constructing its Opening Day roster. On Thursday, Espada removed Smith from right field in the eighth inning in favor of McCormick. McCormick started in center field on Saturday, but shifted to right in the eighth inning so Jake Meyers could play center. A frame later, Espada lifted Altuve from left field. Mauricio Dubón, who started the game at second base, replaced Altuve in the outfield while Brendan Rodgers played second. Advertisement Dubón in left, Meyers in center and McCormick in right is the team's best defensive outfield, but it's worth wondering how many times Espada will be able to construct it. That there were five spots in the batting order ahead of Altuve's made Saturday's decision somewhat easier, though that isn't a luxury he'll often find. Still, as Espada pointed out, he made all these moves with two lethal bats still sitting idle on the bench: Smith and catcher Yainer Diaz. 'I have the best closer in the game coming in,' Espada said. 'Jose understands the situation that we're in — we're trying to get three outs.' (Top photo of Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Peña: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
