Latest news with #Georgetown
Washington Post
9 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Guyana to crack down on gold smuggled in from Venezuela at the urging of the US government
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Guyana has pledged to crack down on gold smuggled across the border from neighboring Venezuela at the urging of the U.S. government. President Irfaan Ali said late Friday that the government of the South American country is dedicating 'enormous resources' to thwart the smuggling, which has long been a problem. He said authorities have increased border patrols and improved monitoring in mining regions. Local officials have said they suspect that Venezuelan-sanctioned gold is being mixed with gold mined in Guyana and then passed off as local production and sold to markets in the U.S., Canada, the Middle East and elsewhere. In 2021, the Royal Canadian Mint suspended gold purchases from a major export company in Guyana because officials suspected some shipments had been mixed with Venezuelan gold, an allegation the company denied. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Guyana has suspended the visas of several miners suspected of smuggling Venezuelan gold overseas. Gold is Guyana's second most important export after oil, generating nearly $1 billion last year. Some 434,000 ounces of gold were produced last year, up from 432,000 ounces the previous year, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. It noted that up to 50% of local gold production is smuggled out of Guyana. U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot on Friday praised Guyana's cooperation, noting that the countries have worked together to secure Guyana's border with Venezuela . Relations between the two South American neighbors remain tense given a bitter dispute over the Essequibo region , which Venezuela has long claimed as its own. It represents two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources. It also is located close to massive offshore oil deposits , with current production averaging some 650,000 barrels daily.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
OKC Thunder draft picks: Grades for Thomas Sorber selection, Kings trade in 2025 NBA Draft
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The Oklahoma City Thunder selected two players in the 2025 NBA Draft. OKC first selected Georgetown's Thomas Sorber with the 15th overall pick. He's a 6-foot-10 forward/center who averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and two blocks last season as a freshman. Advertisement OKC then selected Northwestern's Brooks Barnhizer with the 44th pick. He's a 6-6 guard who averaged 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists last season as a senior. The two rookies will now join an OKC team that just won its first NBA championship in franchise history. Here's a breakdown of OKC's draftees and initial grades for the selections. Pre-order our new book on Thunder's run to NBA title More: 2025 NBA Draft tracker: Live updates on Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and all first-round picks First round, No. 15 overall | Thomas Sorber, F/C, Georgetown Sorber should fit right in with the Thunder. Advertisement OKC posted a league-best defensive rating of 105.7 during the regular season. It boasts plenty of elite defenders such as Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso. Now, it adds another standout disrupter in Sorber. Sorber has great length, which he uses to swat shots and intercept passes. The 6-10 big man averaged two blocks and 1.5 steals last season as a freshman. Sorber is also able to finish around the rim. He can use his strength or his soft touch to score, and his high IQ allows him to make some impressive passes at his size. Sorber has room for improvement when it comes to being more switchable on the perimeter, and his range on offense is a work in progress. He also underwent season-ending foot surgery in February. Advertisement Those concerns prevent me from giving this pick an "A" for now. But Sorber has the potential to develop into a two-way contributor for OKC, which did well to land him outside of the lottery. Grade: B+ More: What to know about OKC Thunder offseason: Draft picks, contracts after winning NBA title Thomas Sorber (center) reacts after being drafted 15th overall by the Thunder the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25. OKC trades No. 24 pick to Sacramento Kings, who select Colorado State's Nique Clifford The OKC Thunder sent the No. 24 pick to the Sacramento Kings, who selected Colorado State guard Nique Clifford. OKC is reportedly receiving a 2027 first-round pick that originally belonged to the San Antonio Spurs. It's top-16 protected, and it'll become two 2027 second-round picks if it doesn't convey. Advertisement This trade shouldn't come as a surprise. OKC entered the draft as one of the deepest teams in the NBA, and it selected Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber with the No. 15 pick. With limited roster spots, OKC opted to trade for a future pick instead of bringing in another rookie. And, considering the trajectory of a San Antonio team that recently paired De'Aaron Fox with Victor Wembanyama, it's likely to convey. OKC will also be a significantly more expensive team by 2027, so the addition of someone on a rookie deal will be good for the books. This isn't a splashy trade, but it's a necessary one. Grade: A- Second round, No. 44 overall | Brooks Barnhizer, G, Northwestern Barnhizer is going to be a fan favorite. Advertisement The 6-6 guard is a good on-ball defender, and he thrives at getting into passing lanes. He averaged 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks through 17 games before his senior season was cut short due to a broken foot. Barnhizer is also as tough as they come. He had his two front teeth knocked out twice last season but didn't let that stop him from playing with an incredibly-strong motor. Still, there's work to be done if Barnhizer wants to stick around in the NBA. Even though he'll be able to hold his own defensively, Barnhizer will have to become a more consistent shooter. He only shot 31% from deep throughout his college career. Advertisement It's difficult enough to find minutes on an OKC team with plenty of depth. It'll only be more difficult if Barnhizer isn't able to knock down his shots. Grades: B- Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@ or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder draft picks: Grades for selections in 2025 NBA Draft
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Bolsters Bitcoin With Sanctuary Designation
(Texas Scorecard) – Senate Bill 21, drafted by State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R–Georgetown) and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday, June 20, creates the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The reserve will be used to diversify the state's investments, giving the Texas comptroller discretionary power to manage the reserve separately from the general fund. Texas joins Arizona and New Hampshire, who established their own cryptocurrency reserves in May. Texas' initiative, however, has received more praise from cryptocurrency advocates for its built-in flexibility. Arizona's reserve only pertains to cryptocurrency seized by the state as unclaimed or abandoned assets or confiscated in criminal investigations. It does not allow direct investments in the reserve. New Hampshire's reserve limits state cryptocurrency investment to a '5 percent cap of the total amount of public funds.' Unlike the reserves in Arizona and New Hampshire, Texas' Bitcoin reserve has no official cap. The comptroller has the discretionary authority to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrency. This means that Texas has an unlimited capacity for investments in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies that have an 'average market capitalization of at least $500 billion over the most recent 24-month period.' This flexibility enables Texas to increase its Bitcoin reserve as a hedge against periods when the dollar's value is volatile or, when the need arises, to dump the reserve periodically to save its investments. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March to create the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile. Both of these federal cryptocurrency reserves follow a framework of forfeiture and seizure much like Arizona's. In addition, they are prevented from receiving direct investments. Texas has the first fully unrestricted Bitcoin reserve in America, making it the leading Bitcoin sanctuary in the nation. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
OKC Thunder 2025 NBA Draft live updates: Pick results, trade rumors for Round 2
The 2025 NBA draft is here. The two-day event moves onto Thursday, June 26. Fresh off an NBA championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year's class with three draft picks. The Thunder had a quiet first round. They selected Georgetown's Thomas Sorber with the No. 15 pick. They then traded away the No. 24 pick to the Sacramento Kings for a 2027 first-round pick (via Spurs). The protections were not released, but it's reportedly a top-16 protected pick. The Thunder enter the second round with the No. 44 pick (via Hawks). Of course, they could easily move up and down throughout Day 2 if needed. It's one of the busiest days in the league. Plenty of transactions have already happened and will continue to do so. Rebuild teams will hope to add young talent while contenders will sell off their draft capital for win-now moves. The Thunder are in a rare sweet spot where they can do both. Thunder Wire will conduct live updates of the 2025 NBA draft Round 1. Please regularly check back to this post for instant reactions to what the Thunder do a day after they celebrated their championship with a parade: Full details on Thunder-Kings trade The Thunder kicked the can down the road with their late first-round pick from the Clippers. Not a ton of upside from what they received from the Kings, but the champion roster has too many players under contract already to take on a loaded draft class. Thoughts on Thomas Sorber While the Thunder were busy chasing a championship, they kept their draft board up to date. Sorber was their sole first-round pick. He was a one-and-done prospect from Georgetown. The 19-year-old has been out since February with foot surgery.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
In Northwest Division, NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder get deeper, Jazz get busy, Wolves go big
After building an NBA championship team with a commitment to young player development, the Oklahoma City Thunder dived back into the draft pool a few days after the celebration. The Thunder used the 15th overall pick in the first round on Wednesday night on Thomas Sorber, a 6-foot-9 versatile defender with the potential to be an effective low-post scorer who played one season in college at Georgetown.
