Alouettes clinch home playoff date with 24-12 win over Redblacks | Canada News Media
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Alouettes clinch home playoff date with 24-12 win over Redblacks

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OTTAWA – The Montreal Alouettes want to give themselves every advantage heading down the stretch and Saturday’s 24-12 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks was a big step forward.

With the win the Alouettes (11-2-1) remain unbeaten on the road (6-0-1) and clinched a home playoff game. They were also the first team to beat Ottawa (8-5-1) at TD Place snapping their unbeaten home streak (6-1-1).

“A win’s a win, but sometimes when you say it’s a big game all week, I mean, they feel a little differently,” said Alouettes head coach Jason Maas. “As the season progresses there’s things that these games mean for us and, obviously, this one meant a lot for where we are in the standings.”

Maas pointed out the importance of being seven points up on second-place Ottawa and wanting the opportunity to play in front of their home fans in the post-season.

“We love to be able to do that, so it’s an accomplished goal.”

Ottawa was looking to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2018 but are now facing a two-game losing streak for the first time this season. Things could get even more difficult.

Already playing without a number of key starters, the Redblacks also lost starting quarterback Dru Brown, who aggravated an ankle injury late in the second quarter. They also lost wide receiver Eli Stove (knee), OL Drake Centers (shoulder), DB’s Ty Cranston (stinger in arm), Brandin Dandridge (knee) and Alonzo Addae (knee).

Ottawa head coach Bob Dyce didn’t use injuries as an excuse admitting his team made too many mistakes and took too many penalties — 11 for 137 yards.

“They certainly took advantage of our mistakes and didn’t make big enough ones on their end to cost them the game,” said Dyce. “So, I’m not going to take any credit away from Montreal. They’re a very good team, very well coached team, but on the opposite side of that, there’s things that if we play clean football, that we talk about playing, I believe the result would have been different.”

Brown was 8-for-16 for 69 yards with two interceptions before Jeremiah Masoli finished the game going 17-for-26 in passing for 218 yards and one touchdown.

Ottawa’s Lewis Ward kicked field goals from 18 and 46 yards.

Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 16 of 27 pass attempts for 226 yards and scored a rushing touchdown.

“This felt like a playoff game,” said Fajardo. “Our defence played incredible, our special teams played awesome and our offence did enough to win the football game. We’ve just got to clean some things up and I think we’re well on our way.”

Fajardo added that it was at a similar time last year that the team started getting hot and rode it into the playoffs and it’s time for a repeat performance.

Alouettes kicker Jose Maltos scored field goals from 17, 13 and 30 yards. A 30-yarder by Maltos midway through the fourth quarter stretched Montreal’s lead to a dozen points.

Ottawa finally found the red zone when Masoli connected with Justin Hardy on a 25-yard touchdown pass, but fell short on the two-point conversion to start the second half. It was Hardy’s fourth TD of the season for a career high.

“It’s frustrating,” admitted Masoli. “We put in a hard week of work and then come out and not play to our standard. It’s definitely frustrating because you see the guys putting in the effort and the want every day. We didn’t really show up for four quarters today. You know, we kind of dug ourselves a hole early on.”

The Redblacks trailed 20-6 at halftime.

Brown’s two early interceptions set the tone, with Montreal’s Dionte Ruffin returning one for a 79-yard touchdown. Brown was picked off again on his next drive.

Ottawa finally got down field, but settled for an 18-yard field goal to trail 7-3 after the first quarter.

Montreal then scored a punt single and Fajardo followed it up with a one-yard dash to score, followed by 17-yard field goal by Maltos.

Ward kicked a 46-yard field goal for Ottawa and Maltos countered from 13 yards in the second quarter.

UP NEXT

Redblacks: Visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-7-1) next Saturday.

Alouettes: Visit the Toronto Argonauts (7-7) next Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2024.



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Bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on

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NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin topped $98,000 for the first time Thursday, extending a streak of record after record highs since the U.S. presidential election. The cryptocurrency has rocketed more than 40% in just two weeks.

Now, bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000, just two years after dropping below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. The recent, dramatic rally arrives as industry players expect the incoming Trump administration to bring a more “crypto-friendly” approach toward regulating the digital currency.

Bitcoin traded as high as $98,349 early Thursday, according to CoinDesk, and was slightly below that level at 1:25 p.m. ET.

As with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is impossible to know. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks.

Here’s what you need to know.

Back up. What is cryptocurrency again?

Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now. But, chances are, you’ve heard about it more and more over the last few years.

In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it’s typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain.

Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like ethereum, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money — but it can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions.

Why is bitcoin soaring?

A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

Crypto industry players have welcomed Trump’s victory, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for — which, generally speaking, aim for an increased sense of legitimacy without too much red tape.

Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, recently pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies.

How of this will actually pan out — and whether or not Trump will successfully act quickly on these promises — has yet to be seen.

“This is not necessarily a short-term story, it’s likely a much longer-term story,” Citi macro strategist David Glass told The Associated Press last week. “And there is the question of how quickly can U.S. crypto policy make a serious impact on (wider adoption).”

Adam Morgan McCarthy, a research analyst at Kaiko, thinks the industry is craving “just some sort of clarity.” Much of the approach to regulating crypto in the past has been “enforcement based,” he notes, which has been helpful in weeding out some bad actors — but legislation might fill in other key gaps.

Gary Gensler, who as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission under President Joe Biden has led a U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry, penalized a number of crypto companies for violating securities laws. Gensler announced Thursday that he would step down as SEC chair on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.

Despite crypto’s recent excitement around Trump, McCarthy said that 2024 has already been a “hugely consequential year for regulation in the U.S.” — pointing to January’s approval of spot bitcoin ETFs, for example, which mark a new way to invest in the asset.

Spot ETFs have been the dominant driver of bitcoin for some time now — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection. According to Kaiko, bitcoin ETFs recorded $6 billion in trade volume for the week of the election alone.

In April, bitcoin also saw its fourth “halving” — a preprogrammed event that impacts production by cutting the reward for mining, or the creation of new bitcoin, in half. In theory, if demand remains strong, some analysts say this “supply shock” can also help propel the price long term. Others note it may be too early to tell.

What are the risks?

History shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you’ve made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, during high demand for technology assets, but later crashed during an aggressive series of Federal Reserve rate hikes. And in late 2022 collapse of FTX significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall, with bitcoin falling below $17,000.

Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs. But experts still stress caution, especially for small-pocketed investors. And lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could mean less guardrails.

While its been a big month for crypto — and particularly bitcoin, which McCarthy notes has set record highs for ten of the last 21 days — there’s always risk for “correction,” or seeing prices fluctuate back down some. Some assets may also have more restrictions than others.

“I would say, keep it simple. And don’t take on more risk than you can afford to,” McCarthy said — adding that there isn’t a “magic eight ball” to know for certain what comes next.

What about the climate impact?

Assets like bitcoin are produced through a process called “mining,” which consumes a lot of energy. Operations relying on pollutive sources have drawn particular concern over the years.

Recent research published by the United Nations University and Earth’s Future journal found that the carbon footprint of 2020-2021 bitcoin mining across 76 nations was equivalent to the emissions from burning 84 billion pounds of coal or running 190 natural gas-fired power plants. Coal satisfied the bulk of bitcoin’s electricity demands (45%), followed by natural gas (21%) and hydropower (16%).

Environmental impacts of bitcoin mining boil largely down to the energy source used. Industry analysts have maintained that clean energy has increased in use in recent years, coinciding with rising calls for climate protections



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Transgender community gathers in remembrance, opposition to Alberta legislation |

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Members of Edmonton’s transgender community and their loved ones gathered to mark the international Transgender Day of Remembrance where they held candles and mourned for transgender people who have recently died from violence or suicide. In Alberta, the gathering was also about opposing proposed legislation in the province. (Nov. 21, 2024)



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Canadian basketball player Chad Posthumus dead at 33 after brain aneurysm

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WINNIPEG – Canadian basketball player Chad Posthumus, a founding member of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, died Wednesday. He was 33.

The CEBL’s Winnipeg Sea Bears said Thursday that Posthumus, the team’s captain, suffered a brain aneurysm during a training session in Winnipeg on Nov. 9.

He then battled complications from a corrective surgery that left him in critical condition in the intensive care unit and did not recover.

Posthumus, a Winnipeg native, played for the CEBL’s Saskatchewan Rattlers, Ottawa BlackJacks, Edmonton Stingers and Brampton Honey Badgers before joining his hometown team.

He also played for teams in Argentina and Japan.

Internationally, the six-foot-11 Posthumus played for the 3×3 national team, representing Canada at the 3×3 AmeriCup in 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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