Conor McGregor embarked on a social media rampage as he called rape accuser Nikita Hand a "vicious liar" after a civil jury found that the MMA fighter sexually assaulted his accuser in a Dublin hotel in 2018. The 36-year-old was found liable by a jury in the High Court in the Irish capital , as $259,002.55 was awarded to the complainant in the civil trial. The allegations were first made by Ms Hand in 2021, with the verdict eventually delivered after six hours and ten minutes of deliberation from the jury on Nov. 22. This followed an eight-day trial, during which the former UFC champion admitted he had consensual sex with Ms Hand, as well as taking cocaine with her. McGregor having since vowed to appeal against the decision , while it was determined by the jury that a second defendant, James Lawrence, was cleared of any wrongdoing after being accused of assault. Every word Conor McGregor's rape accuser said outside court after winning case Conor McGregor loses rape case as UFC star learns jury verdict McGregor has now taken to social media to give his view on the findings of the civil trial, as posted the following message on Twitter/X: "Justice was served for James Lawrence, yes! Deplorable what they done. Nikita Hand, vicious liar! APPEAL! "Two men falsely accused. One vindicated, the other soon to be! Congrats James Lawrence on absolute exoneration! Twice this heinous accusation was put to you and twice it was shown as FALSE! LIES! "It is absolutely disgraceful what they put you through here. Disgraceful! I look forward to seeing you further vindicate yourself and lambast those responsible in court! We know what happened that night! Everyone present knows, yet it was ignored. Every single statement of persons present on the night was ignored. And they all disputed Nikita’s LIES! "However James they did believe you but just in certain parts for some strange reason. And they apparently did not believe Danielle Kealy at all. Laughable! Also with the damages (60k and 188k, interesting choice of figures it seems they didn’t believe Nikita much either. How could they, her original story was she was gang raped by security and chased from the hotel on foot. "Absolute nonsense. How these lies were accepted, I will never know. A court of feeling and opinion, brainwashed in to people via the mainstream media. Not of fact! The reporting in court a laughing stock to everyone present. As clear as day bias. This is not a court of hard evidence and truth." DON'T MISS: UFC president Dana White makes Donald Trump U-turn after election victory Jon Jones handed suspension after brutal ending to UFC 309 fight Dave Portnoy takes aim at Zach Bryan after UFC star gets caught up in feud He added: "It is a kangaroo court of opinions and feelings. We are not done yet. Not by a long shot. No chance. On we fight! Justice and truth will prevail! Appeal! Appeal! Appeal! As well as other. Congrats James! Onwards and upwards!" Speaking after the conclusion of the civil trial, Ms Hand issued a statement as she expressed gratitude for the support she has received during proceedings. She said: "I would like to start off by saying I’m overwhelmed and touched by the support I have received from everybody.” “I want to thank all the women and men out there who have supported me throughout this trial. For every person who reached out to me – a card, a letter, an email, everything – it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thank you, I really appreciate it so much. Ms Hand added: "I know this has impacted not only my life, my daughter’s, my family and friends tremendously. It’s something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. Now that justice has been served, I can now try and move on and look forward to the future with my family and friends and daughter."r777 slot 。

Unique among ‘Person of the Year’ designees, Donald Trump gets a fact-check from Time magazineIn recent years, Tencent Video has been facing growing criticism as the rights and benefits of its membership program continue to shrink. The company's decision to reduce the perks and privileges available to its subscribers has led to a surge in complaints, with the number of grievances reaching an unprecedented high in the past five years.As the football merchandise industry continues to evolve, players like Lee Gang-in are reshaping the landscape and demonstrating the power of personal branding in driving sales and engagement. With his unique blend of talent, charisma, and marketing savvy, Lee is well-positioned to continue his ascent in the world of football merchandise sales and solidify his status as a fan favorite both on and off the pitch.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin topped $100,000 for the first time this week as a massive rally in the world's most popular cryptocurrency, largely accelerated by the election of Donald Trump, rolls on. The cryptocurrency officially to rose six figures Wednesday night, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitcoin has soared since Trump won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. The asset climbed from $69,374 on Election Day, hitting as high as $103,713 Wednesday, according to CoinDesk. And the latest all-time high arrives just two years after bitcoin dropped below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX . Bitcoin fell back below the $100,000 by Thursday afternoon, sitting just above $99,000 by 3 p.m. ET. Even amid a massive rally that has more than doubled the value of bitcoin this year, some experts continue to warn of investment risks around the asset, which has quite a volatile history. 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, XRP, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money, but most daily financial transactions are still conducted using fiat currencies such as the dollar. Also, bitcoin 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. Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, has 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. On Thursday morning, hours after bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 mark, Trump congratulated “BITCOINERS” on his social media platform Truth Social. He also appeared to take credit for the recent rally, writing, “YOU’RE WELCOME!!!” Top crypto players welcomed Trump’s election victory last month, 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. And the industry has made sizeable investments along the way. Back in August, Public Citizen, a left-leaning consumer rights advocacy nonprofit, reported finding that crypto-sector corporations spent more than $119 million in 2024 to back pro-crypto candidates across federal elections. Trump made his latest pro-crypto move when he announced his plans Wednesday to nominate Atkins to chair the SEC. Atkins was an SEC commissioner during the presidency of George W. Bush. In the years since leaving the agency, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. He joined the Token Alliance, a cryptocurrency advocacy organization, in 2017. Under current chair Gary Gensler, who will step down when Trump takes office, the SEC has cracked down on the crypto industry — penalizing a number of companies for violating securities laws. Gensler has also faced ample criticism from industry players in the process. One crypto-friendly move the SEC did make under Gensler was the approval in January of spot bitcoin ETFs, or exchange trade funds, which allow investors to have a stake in bitcoin without directly buying it. The spot ETFs were the dominant driver of bitcoin's price before Trump's win — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection. What does bitcoin hitting the $100k mark mean? Could it keep climbing? Bitcoin surpassing the coveted $100,000 mark has left much of the crypto world buzzing. “What we’re seeing isn’t just a rally — it’s a fundamental transformation of bitcoin’s place in the financial system,” Nathan McCauley, CEO and co-founder of crypto custodian Anchorage Digital, said in a statement — while pointing to the growth of who's entering the market, particularly with rising institutional adoption. Still, others note that the new heights of bitcoin's price don't necessarily mean the asset is going mainstream. The $100,000 level is “merely a psychological factor and ultimately just a number,” Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at British investment company AJ Bell, wrote in a Thursday commentary . That being said, bitcoin could keep climbing to more and more all-time highs, particularly if Trump makes good on his promises for more crypto-friendly regulation once in office. If Trump actually makes a bitcoin reserve, for example, supply changes could also propel the price forward. “It is hard to overstate the magnitude of the change in Washington’s attitude towards crypto post-election,” Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, said via email Thursday, reiterating that prices could keep rising if trends persist. “There is a lot more demand than there is supply, and that’s usually a pretty good recipe for success.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is never promised. Worldwide regulatory uncertainties and environmental concerns around bitcoin “mining" — the creation of new bitcoin, which consumes a lot of energy — are among factors that analysts like Coatsworth note could hamper future growth. And, as still a relatively young asset with a history of volatility, longer-term adoption has yet to be seen through. Is it too late to invest? What are the risks? Today’s excitement around bitcoin may make many who aren’t already in the space want to get in on the action. For those in a position to invest, Hougan says it's not too late — noting that bitcoin is still early in its development and most institutional investors “still have zero exposure.” At the same time, Hougan and others maintain that it's important to tread cautiously and not bite off more than you can chew. Experts continue to stress caution around getting carried away with crypto “FOMO,” or the fear of missing out, especially for small-pocketed investors. “A lot of people have got rich from the cryptocurrency soaring in value this year, but this high-risk asset isn’t suitable for everyone,” Coatsworth noted Thursday. “It’s volatile, unpredictable and is driven by speculation, none of which makes for a sleep-at-night investment.” In short, 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. Coatsworth points to recent research from the Bank for International Settlements, a Switzerland-based global organization of central banks, which found that about three-quarters of retail buyers on crypto exchange apps likely lost money on their bitcoin investments between 2015 and 2022. 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 rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. And the 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, and again, now the post-election frenzy. But lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could also mean less guardrails. This story has been corrected to refer to Anchorage Digital as a crypto custodian, not a crypto asset manager.

Soccer-Corner kings Arsenal beat Manchester United to cut gap to LiverpoolThe case has raised important questions about the rights and safety of individuals, especially women, in our society. It serves as a stark reminder of the need for greater protection and support for those who may be vulnerable to such acts of coercion or manipulation.Texas' abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine Texas has sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. It appears to be the first challenge in the U.S. to a state shield law that's intended to protect prescribers in Democratic-controlled states from being punished by states with abortion bans. Prescriptions like these, made online and over the phone, are a key reason that the number of abortions has increased across the U.S. even after state bans started taking effect. Most abortions in the U.S. involve pills rather than procedures. Anti-abortion groups are increasingly focusing on the rise of pills. Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital’s historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has brought an American who was imprisoned in Syria for seven months out of the country. That's according to two U.S. officials, who said Friday that Travis Timmerman has been flown to Jordan on a U.S. military helicopter. The 29-year-old Timmerman told The Associated Press earlier Friday he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” New Jersey governor wants more federal resources for probe into drone sightings TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into the ongoing investigation of mysterious drone sightings being reported in the state and other parts of the region. Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious drone activity. Murphy and other officials say there is no evidence that the drones pose a national security or a public safety threat. A state lawmaker says up to 180 aircraft have been reported to authorities since Nov. 18. Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she 'sustained an injury' from fall on official trip to Luxembourg WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman. Pelosi is 84. She was in Europe to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Her spokesman, Ian Krager, did not describe the nature of her injury or give any additional details, but a person familiar with the incident said that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. The person requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly. Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with a massive attack by cruise missiles and drones KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia fired 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones in Friday's bombardments. He says it is one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. He says Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this year. Zelenskyy renewed his plea for international unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin. But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital U.S. military support for Kyiv will continue. Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA's idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it 'absurd' NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers are again urging a judge to throw out his hush money conviction. In a court filing Friday, they balked at the prosecution’s “absurd” idea for preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies before sentencing. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. Some in seafood industry see Trump as fishermen's friend, but tariffs could make for pricier fish PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes to seafood, one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy. Some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they fear Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive. Conservationists also fear Trump’s emphasis on deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries said they expect Trump to allow fishing in protected areas and crack down on offshore wind expansion. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. Paula Abdul settles lawsuit alleging sexual assault by 'American Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paula Abdul and former “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe have agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show. Abdul filed a notice of settlement in a Los Angeles court Thursday. The lawsuit filed nearly a year ago had also accused Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul after she left “American Idol” and became a judge on Lythgoe’s other show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Lythgoe said at the time that the allegations were “an appalling smear.” Both sides said in statements Friday that they were glad to put the case behind them.On the other hand, supporters of the decision see it as a courageous move that confronts the reality of greed in Taiwanese society and prompts a much-needed conversation about ethics and morality. They argue that by shining a spotlight on the negative impact of greed, Taiwan has an opportunity to reassess its priorities and work towards building a more just and equitable society. The selection of "贪" as the representative character for 2024 may serve as a wake-up call for the nation to address the root causes of corruption and inequality.

Southern University's youngest graduate ever has his diploma. Here's what's next for him.In conclusion, while profit-driven algorithms have the potential to revolutionize business operations and drive economic growth, they also pose significant risks in terms of bias, discrimination, and social inequality. It is imperative for businesses to balance the pursuit of profit with ethical considerations and societal impact to mitigate the negative consequences of algorithmic decision-making. By fostering a culture of responsibility and accountability, businesses can ensure that algorithms are used as a force for good rather than a source of systemic indifference.Fabian Hurzeler plays down Julio Enciso social media post after being left out of Brighton squad

Fu Jing, known for her compelling performances in a variety of dramatic roles, is excited to showcase her comedic chops in "Moonlight Madness." In the film, she plays the role of Lily, a quirky and free-spirited woman who finds herself embroiled in a series of hilarious misadventures when she discovers a hidden treasure map in her late grandmother's attic.

The situation in Syria serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability faced by Chinese nationals living in conflict zones across the globe. While diplomatic efforts are made to ensure the safety of citizens abroad, the reality is that in times of crisis, individuals must often rely on their own resourcefulness and ingenuity to safeguard their lives and well-being.Elijah Precciely, 17, the youngest ever Southern University graduate, receives his diploma from Dr. Lealon Martin during the school's fall commencement at F.G. Clark Activity Center on Friday, December 13, 2024. Javier Gallegos Elijah Precciely, 17, the youngest ever Southern University graduate, stands up to wave at his family during Southern University fall commencement at F.G. Clark Activity Center on Friday, December 13, 2024. Javier Gallegos Elijah Precciely at age 11 in May of 2018 when he becomes a full-time student on a full-ride scholarship at Southern Univeristy. ADVOCATE STAFF PHOTO BY BILL FEIG Elijah Precciely, 17, the youngest ever Southern University graduate, walks on stage to receive his diploma during Southern University fall commencement at F.G. Clark Activity Center on Friday, December 13, 2024. Javier Gallegos Elijah Precciely, 17, the youngest ever Southern University graduate, walks toward the exit while holding up his diploma during Southern University fall commencement at F.G. Clark Activity Center on Friday, December 13, 2024. Javier Gallegos Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save When Elijah Precciely was handed his diploma Friday morning, under the lights inside Southern University's Minidome, the 17-year-old became the youngest graduate in the university's 144-year history. Precciely, 17, has now completed his journey at Southern, one that officially started at 11 years old when he was awarded the full Joseph S. Clark Presidential scholarship. He leaves the university with bachelor's degrees in physics and mathematics, hundreds of hours of class credit and research time, and strong claims to being the youngest university graduate in Louisiana history and across all historically black colleges and universities in the nation. But in many ways, Precciely is like any other graduating teenager, proud of his years of hard work and ready to finally have some time to relax. His parents, Steve and Pamela Precciely, tried to get their son to understand the full weight of what he has accomplished. To them, this is not simply a once-in-a-lifetime success for Elijah. It is more, because most people don't reach this level of achievement so early in life. "I said, Elijah, in the whole state of Louisiana how many people got moved up a grade or two? You'll probably have thousands," Steve Precciely said. "How many started college early? You will probably have some hundreds, maybe. But if you ask how many started college at 11 years old? I said that will only be one ... and that one is you." Early learning signs A community of family, friends, advisers and professors have worked to make this opportunity possible for Elijah, and each did so because they saw his potential. "When he was maybe 3 or 6 months old, a family member prophesied that he would attend college at 12 years old," Steve Precciely said of a premonition felt by Elijah's aunt, Rosetta James. Pamela Precciely finished the story, "First she said he'd attend at 12 years old, then she paused, and said 'no ... it'll be at 11.'" There was good reason to trust James' prophecy: Elijah's two older sisters also achieved accelerated placement during their schooling. As he developed, the signs began to mount. First, at Trinity Christian Academy preschool, where by the time Elijah was 18 months old the attendants said they had nothing left to teach him and asked the Preccielys if they could move him to learn with the older toddlers. Then, as Elijah grew, he increasingly came to his parents with questions that surprised them, some they even struggled to answer for him. How many bones were in the body? What were taxes and how did they work? How did magnets move on their own? The couple had been at a similar point with their daughters, "but we didn't know what to do with them, and we weren't in contact with anyone else who knew what to do with them," Pamela Precciely said. She was determined to find the right resources for Elijah, fighting to get him accepted into a program for gifted elementary students before he was old enough. When she eventually won that fight, Elijah immediately was jumped three grade levels. Most of his early education was done at the home school the Preccielys ran for their daughters and other students alongside Elijah. Here, the Preccielys taught using the guiding phrase that students could "go as fast as they wanted, but never as slow as they wanted." "It was quite phenomenal to see him to have that space and that liberty to explore and to learn at a very young age," Steve Precciely said, "We did not chop that learning up or stop it. We did not block it, and that's what happens with most children." During this time, Pamela Precciely had kept her eye on a summer program at Southern University for gifted students. But a session hadn't opened in the previous few years. "I kept waiting and kept waiting. I said, 'I need this young man. I cannot leave him where he is,'" Pamela Precciely said. One day, in her desperation, she woke Elijah, had him get dressed, and drove him to Southern's campus, certain that if she could just get him in front of the right people, they would see his capabilities. As soon as the professor who ran the summer sessions finished his interview with 8-year-old Elijah, he told Pamela Precciely, "He must start classes now." From that day on, Elijah was a Jaguar, even if he didn't start earning credit for the classes he attended until three years later when he was officially enrolled and awarded a full academic scholarship. His parents were even able to use home schooling credits alongside Elijah's college transcript to fulfill his high school education requirements, all by the time other children were entering middle school. 11-year-old on campus Soon, Elijah was in his first lecture: college algebra and physical science. His mother would bring him to class each day, with a lunch packed for both of them, and supervise Elijah in his classes. It wouldn't be until he was 13 that Elijah would attend classes alone. During these early semesters, Pamela Precciely was still unsure about how a young boy's presence would disturb a college class. She asked Elijah to not ask as many questions. The students' responses surprised her, however, with many wanting Elijah in their class, motivating them to remember that learning should be fun. To the Preccielys, the "billion dollar question" they often hear is how other parents can accelerate their own children like Elijah. The couple is working on a book to compile what they have learned from all of their children's experiences. "We didn't put any brakes on him, saying 'oh no, let him stay here this is his age,'" Steve Precciely said. Determined to find success For years his routine continued at Southern, getting up, going early to class, reviewing during passing period or taking a power nap, then heading home to pursue the research project he was working on. The pace was relentless. "No one will ever be able to understand the level of determination," Elijah said of the past six years. "You won't understand the weight until you bear it on your own shoulders." But Elijah did find one man who understood his burden, Dr. Jamar Montgomery, a Southern grad who Elijah met while Montgomery was studying business and law. Montgomery himself had accelerated schooling, graduating with a mechanical engineering degree at 19. "He saved me 20 years," Elijah said about his mentor. "He's helped me not be so hard on myself, because when people have been hard on you your whole life, you believe that you're failing even when you're not." They also bonded over living outside of the traditional high school or college experience. Both have dealt with finding friends outside of class or having friends who weren't close to their ages. Elijah did have many of the same opportunities as a traditional high schooler. He played sports when he was younger and even attended a Baton Rouge prom. Elijah said he is often confused when people ask him about the high school or college "experience" and its importance, because to him, this is the only life he has lived. And if you ask Elijah or Montgomery, both will tell you the journey is worth it. "I think some of the opportunities that I have had have been not necessarily because I was young or because I had been accelerated, but the fact I had been accelerated was proof that I could handle basically anything you could throw at me," Montgomery said. This is how Elijah understands the benefits of his accelerated schooling. It isn't just having the knowledge early that makes him exceptional; it is being able to self-motivate to learn and to keep learning outside of the reward system set up by traditional school. Elijah is proudest of his research, from carbon nanotubes to self-repairing concrete, all real technologies that he studied alongside Southern's professors. "I want my work to speak for me, not just my age," he said. For the future, Elijah hinted at a vast plan for many more years within academia, maybe venturing outside of his degree into biology. But for now, he is content to tackle his next big project: Getting his driver's license before he turns 18 in March.Before Jake Hannah, 22, left for his commercial fishing trip on Saturday night, he called his mother, who lives in his hometown of Coos Bay. “He said, ‘Hey mom, we’re getting ready to go out, I love you,’” Carol Hannah told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “That was our promise, ‘You always call me before you leave, and you always call me when you get home.’” But the second call never came, she said. Instead she learned her son’s boat, the Wind Walker, had capsized in the stormy waters off the coast of Sitka, Alaska, with four other people on board. “I thought, ‘God please no, let these boys be safe,’” Carol Hannah said. “It wasn’t just Jake that I was worried about; it was the whole crew.” So far, the boat and its five occupants have not been found, and the U.S. Coast Guard announced on Monday that it was calling off the search. According to a GoFundMe fundraising campaign, the Hannah family is attempting to hire a marine recovery company to locate the boat and the remains of the fishermen on board. In his home state of Oregon, Jake Hannah continues to inspire people to remember who he was before he left for Alaska. “He was an all-around awesome guy; you couldn’t ask for a better friend,” Carol Hannah said. “He was the best son a mom could ever want.” Carol Hannah said she adopted Jake and his two siblings when he was 6, and he grew up in Coos Bay with her older biological kids as siblings. He started loving boats at a young age, she said, and built an 8-foot long boat in their backyard with cedar limbs and branches when he was 7 — spending many afternoons and evenings playing in it with his siblings and his best friend, Ben Martinez-Yates. Tiffany Yates, Ben Martinez-Yates’ mother, said that Jake Hannah and her son were troublemakers together when they were young, but that Jake Hannah was loyal to everyone he cared about, a trait she said he carried his whole life. “Jake was the same exact adult as he was a kid,” she said. “He would do anything for anybody. If he knew you, he’d take care of you.” Martinez-Yates said that the two fished together in their youth, often disappearing for eight to 12 hours at a time and returning with buckets of fish — a hobby that they shared until Martinez-Yates left to fish commercially in Alaska when he became an adult. At 16, Jake Hannah got a job unloading fishing boats in Coos Bay, and his hobby became a fascination with fishing as a profession. “That’s when the fishing industry really grabbed him; he just fell in love,” Carol Hannah said. “That’s all he ever talked about.” Around the time that he discovered commercial fishing as a teen, Jake Hannah began battling a drug addiction, his mother said. He overcame it, she said, but the struggle prompted him to find ways to leave the small coastal town and the influence of a social circle that was making it hard for him to stay sober. When Martinez-Yates texted him from Sitka to tell him about a job opening on a salmon boat in June 2022, he jumped on the opportunity. “He was one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met,” Martinez-Yates, 22, told The Oregonian/OregonLive, adding that he and Hannah once caught over 9,000 salmon together in four days. “He started out salmon fishing and it was a hit, immediately.” Despite the long hours and hard work, Jake Hannah called home nearly every day, his mother said, and regularly called with his nearly 2-year-old daughter and her mother, who now live in Texas. Martinez-Yates explained that Oregonians who leave their hometowns to fish in Alaska are drawn by the beautiful landscapes and economic opportunities. After only a few years of working, Jake Hannah was able to buy his own boat, and he was saving up for a fishing license to operate it commercially. But with frigid waters, unpredictable weather and monster storms, the work Jake Hannah took on was dangerous — and he soon took on even more dangerous work as a deep-line fisherman, trawling nearly 2,000-foot depths for halibut. The boat Jake Hannah was working on was deep-line fishing when it was lost, Martinez-Yates said. Martinez-Yates said that before Hannah’s boat went down, he tried not to think about something happening, but now the worst has come to pass and thinking of fishing without him is painful. “He was like a brother,” Martinez-Yates said. “I don’t even want to go fishing but I know that he would want me to, and I know if this thing happened to me, I wouldn’t want him to stop because he loved it.” ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.