By JAMES POLLARD

NEW YORK (AP) — MacKenzie Scott, one of the world’s wealthiest women and most influential philanthropists, is now known for her “no strings attached” surprise grantmaking. But, as a Princeton University sophomore, she learned what it was like to be on the receiving end of generosity.

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Facing the prospect of dropping out if she couldn’t come up with $1,000, Scott was crying when her roommate, Jeannie Tarkenton, found her and got her dad to loan Scott the money.

“I would have given MacKenzie my left kidney,” Tarkenton told the Associated Press recently. “Like, that’s just what you do for friends.”

Today, Scott’s net worth is around $34 billion, according to Forbes. In October, Scott wrote that Tarkenton’s act is among the many personal kindnesses she has considered as she has donated more than $19 billion of the wealth she amassed mostly through Amazon shares as part of her 2019 divorce from company founder Jeff Bezos. And when Tarkenton started Funding U, a lending company that offers last-gap, merit-based loans to low-income students without co-signers, Scott said she jumped at the chance to help.

A quarter century passed between the end of their sophomore year and Funding U’s creation, a period when Tarkenton realized just how many more students were being pushed into her former roommate’s position by the rising cost of college. That Scott took an interest in her old friend’s mission to help economically disadvantaged students finance school is unsurprising. Her unusual gifts — which she rarely discusses or discloses outside of essays and a database on her website, Yield Giving — tend to focus on issues of equity, higher education and economic security.

But the revelation of Scott’s Funding U support offers a new glimpse into her investments. Scott wrote last year that she would invest in “mission-aligned ventures” led by “undercapitalized groups” that focus on “for-profit solutions” to the challenges that her philanthropy seeks to address. However, this is among the few confirmed publicly.

“She’s looking for innovative ways to create opportunity for those that don’t have it,” said Marybeth Gasman, who runs Rutgers’ Center for Minority Serving Institutions and follows Scott’s donations. “I have to say, as somebody who went to school on a Pell Grant and who came from an extremely low-income family, that’s really meaningful.”

Amplifying impact

Scott, in many ways, resembled the exact students that Funding U seeks to serve. Tarkenton recalled the undergraduate Scott as a “hardworking student with very good grades” who was “highly focused” and had already been accepted into a competitive program.

Her lending company plugs those sorts of details — student transcripts and internship experiences, for example— into an algorithm that determines the likelihood applicants will complete college, get a job and make enough money to pay back the loan.

Tarkenton suggested that this formula is fairer — and more predictive — than existing criteria that determine loan eligibility based on the credit histories of students or their co-signers.

Scott provides most of the “junior debt” they use to reduce the risk for larger investments from banks such as Goldman Sachs, according to Tarkenton. She is among a handful of philanthropists who provide 30 cents for every dollar that Funding U loans. These funders lend at concessionary rates, meaning they make less money back than the market suggests they should and wait a longer period of time to recoup the money.

Funding U gets the other 70% from banks, who support them to comply with federal laws aimed at preventing anti-poor discrimination by requiring banks to make loans that benefit their communities.

“I wanted to combine capital from people who were participating in this because they cared about the underlying person,” Tarkenton said, “and also, knowing that scale of philanthropy wasn’t quite big enough, bring to the table some sort of market solution alongside that capital.”

A philanthropic endeavor?

Tarkenton is clear: the endeavor isn’t philanthropic. Funding U is a company, after all, and Scott will eventually get her money back — just as she repaid Tarkenton’s informal loan all those years ago at Princeton.

But the approach represents a model that Scott’s former roommate thinks more philanthropists should embrace. Tarkenton said there’s more space for the likes of Scott to “bring a spirit of investment” that serves a “greater good” but isn’t purely charitable.

“I think philanthropists can get a little messier and do more with their money,” Tarkenton said. “I’m all about pushing philanthropists in a very aligned way.”

It’s why she started Funding U. Working at an Atlanta-based adult literacy nonprofit, Tarkenton said she noticed persistent disparities in degree completion rates based on socioeconomic status. She found the problem too big for philanthropy to solve. But the need was too small for most market players to care about addressing, she said.

Scott described the Funding U loans as “generosity- and gratitude-powered” in an Oct. 15 essay about the ripple effects of kindness.

Panorama founder Gabrielle Fitzgerald, whose social impact nonprofit tracks Scott’s giving, said the investment is “very consistent with her approach to ensuring students have access to higher education.” She said many funders see impact investing as a critical part of their giving portfolios.

“It shows that she’s using all the tools at her disposal to pursue her goals,” Fitzgerald said.

And the full circle impact of Tarkenton’s college-era loan?

“It’s a really lovely story in a time when we’re not seeing a lot of kindness and generosity,” Fitzgerald added. “And just a reminder that helping your fellow humans is both a good thing to do at the time and something that could have a massive impact down the road.”

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Cade and Hunter Tyson, a pair of 6-foot-7 brothers, have reached some impressive heights on a wide variety of basketball courts.

Cade is having a strong start to his senior season with the Gophers men’s basketball team; the transfer wing leads the Big Ten Conference in scoring through six games. His older brother Hunter surged in his last year at Clemson and became a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft; the small forward now comes off the bench for the Denver Nuggets.

Yet a piece of both wishes they were just kids again, playing one-on-one in North Carolina.

Their first hoop was nothing more than iron rim fastened to a five-foot wooden post stuck out in their grass yard. No frills, not even a backboard. “Very Carolina of us,” Hunter recalled.

When in elementary school, the boys, along with their sister Laikyn, received a quality half-court set-up, complete with glass backboard and a big, flat concrete slab. At the time, it was a world-class court.

“I wish I could get that time back,” Cade told the Pioneer Press while on his new home court, Williams Arena, in October.

“Looking back, I miss those days, man,” Hunter said before a Timberwolves-Nuggets game at Target Center in November.

While they fondly look back on their youth, it sounded like combat training.

“Fouling the heck out of each other,” Hunter recalled.

Their father Jonathan served as referee. Well, sort of. “I would use that terminology lightly,” he said in an interview. “I would just keep them from hurting each other. I would let them pretty much go at it.”

Through the fog of time, Cade, who is three years younger, remembers it being a bit more one-sided.

“My brother liked to throw some elbows in the paint a little bit,” he said. “… But looking back, it made me tougher.”

Cade has needed that durability.

When Hunter was getting his first taste as an NBA rookie in 2023-24, Cade was riding high in his sophomore season at Belmont, shooting 46% from 3-point range and averaging 16.2 points a game.

With a big frame and smooth shooting stroke, Cade was highly ranked target in the NCAA transfer portal that spring and picked traditional powerhouse North Carolina.

Growing up south of Charlotte in the town of Monroe, Hunter was a Tar Heels fan, while Cade said he didn’t have a “dream school.” UNC did have an influence on him, however, as a family photo shows Cade decked out in Carolina blue while playing on that concrete slab.

But last season in Chapel Hill was a struggle for Cade: He played only eight minutes per game, 29% from deep and averaged 2.6 points across 31 contests.

“We tried to keep him from getting discouraged,” Jonathan said. “There were times where he was discouraged. I mean, I’d be lying if I didn’t say we were all discouraged.”

But Jonathan tried to remind Cade of what he could control, showing up to work every day. One message: “The biggest thing you need to understand is (UNC guard) Seth Trimble is one of the best defenders in the country. You’re practicing against him every single day. … You need to develop your offensive game.”

Cade hit the transfer portal again and landed at Minnesota. While it’s only a small sample size, his 21.3 points-per-game average sits No. 1 in the Big Ten and 14th in the nation going into games Wednesday night. He is showing signs of being a three-way scorer: from behind the arc, at the rim and from the foul line.

Tyson can continue to build on that hot start when Minnesota (4-2) plays Stanford (4-1) in the Acrisure Series at 8:30 p.m. Thursday in Palm Desert, Calif.

Gophers head coach Niko Medved knows what a competitive household looks like; he had two younger brothers while growing up in Roseville.

“It’s wanting to beat your brothers more than anything,” Medved said. “I think for Cade, being in those (younger brother) shoes really, really helped him grow. Cade has an unbelievable work ethic and he’s very competitive, but he’s also got great discipline.”

The Gophers honored Tyson for scoring 1,000 career points before the 7 p.m. tipoff against Chicago State on Nov. 18, and Tyson showed his commitment by being one of the first players onto The Barn court before 5 p.m.

“He obviously built great habits growing up,” Medved said. “His dad was a coach. His brother was a terrific player. It’s been in his blood and in his culture. … I think so many of those habits have been ingrained in him. He’s just so fun to coach every day.”

Jonathan Tyson played at Wingate and his coaching career led to plenty of gym access for his kids. They also attended a variety of games, from high school to college and to the Charlotte Hornets.

But letting ’em play on that variety of courts was primarily about having them “figure it out. Developing the competitive spirit was really the big idea.”

Jonathan now serves as the Chief of School Performance for the Union County Public Schools, a district with 53 schools and 41,000 students. He also wanted his children, including high school volleyball player Laikyn, to gain the nuances of sports.

“Soft skills that they could learn, being a good teammate, working with others, by being competitive, by practicing and preparing to be your personal best,” Jonathan said.

The NBA was not the goal for his sons. They also played baseball growing up and didn’t start playing hoops on the traveling circuit at young ages.

“I was just hoping (Hunter would) get an opportunity to go to college,” Jonathan said. “And to be quite candid, help us financially, so he could go to college (on scholarship), so neither he nor I nor our family would be in a great deal of debt.”

When Cade struggled at UNC last season, his NBA older bro was there to help.

“It was a tough year for him last year, but (it was) the way he worked super hard this summer,” Hunter said. “Last year, (I was) just trying to encourage him. He always kept his faith and kept working hard and just knew it was a short storm that he would eventually get out of.”

Mother Torri said her boys were competitive off the court, too, including in the Chutes and Ladders board game. But while Jonathan was “definitely pretty tough” on the boys, Torri would be there to “remind them of the softer side.”

“We are so blessed,” Torri said. “It’s not just all the success that you see, but all the stuff people don’t see. The ugliness of social media can be pretty hard, so seeing them overcome that in the mental aspect of the game. That is what I’m more proud of.”

Pioneer Press reporter Jace Frederick contributed to this story. 

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By CHAN HO-HIM and KEN MORITSUGU, Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in years blazed late into the night on Wednesday as authorities confirmed at least 13 people, including a firefighter, had died and others remained trapped.

Hundreds of residents were evacuated as the blaze spread across seven high-rise apartment buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex.

Fire chiefs said the temperatures at the scene made it difficult for crews to mount rescue operations. It was not immediately known how the fire started.

Nine people were declared dead at the scene and four others were later confirmed dead at hospital, authorities said. At least 33 others were injured.

The fire sent up a column of flames and thick smoke as it spread quickly on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that had been set up around the exterior of the housing complex in Tai Po district, in the New Territories. About 700 people had to be evacuated to temporary shelters.

Records show the housing complex consisted of eight buildings with almost 2,000 apartments housing about 4,800 people, including many elderly people.

Multiple buildings close to each other were set ablaze, with bright flames and smoke shooting out of windows as night fell. Authorities said that hundreds of firefighters, police officers and paramedics were deployed. Firefighters aimed water at the intense flames from high up on ladder trucks.

The blaze, which started mid-afternoon, was upgraded a level 5 alarm — the highest level of severity — as night fell. Authorities said that conditions remained very challenging for firefighters.

“Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings (is) falling down,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Service operations. “The temperature inside the buildings concerned (is) very high. It’s difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.”

Officials said the fire started at the external scaffolding of one of the buildings, a 32-storey tower, and later spread to inside the building and also to nearby buildings, likely aided by windy conditions. The fire department said that it received “numerous” calls requesting assistance and some residents remained trapped as of Wednesday night.

Firefighters deployed 128 fire trucks and 57 ambulances to the scene.

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The dead included a 37-year-old firefighter, while another received treatment for heat exhaustion, Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung said.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday expressed condolences to the firefighter who died and extended sympathies to the families of the victims, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He also called on all efforts to minimize casualties and losses.

District officials in Tai Po have opened temporary shelters for people left homeless by the fire.

“I’ve given up thinking about my property,” a resident who only provided her surname, Wu, told local TV station TVB. “Watching it burn like that was really frustrating.”

Tai Po is a suburban area in the New Territories, in the northern part of Hong Kong and near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects, though the government said earlier this year that it would start phasing it out for public projects because of safety concerns.

The fire is the most deadly in Hong Kong in years. In November 1996, 41 people died in a commercial building in Kowloon in a fire that lasted for around 20 hours and also was classified as a level 5 alarm.

Ken Moritsugu reported from Beijing.

While cruise lines run flash sales and specials throughout the year, they traditionally reserve some of the best deals of the year for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with some discounts already available.

Here’s a rundown of discounts from some of the lines.

Atlas Ocean Voyages: The all-inclusive luxury line offers up to 40% off and a complimentary amenity on 20 expeditions. Book by Dec. 5. Details at atlasoceanvoyages.com or call 844-442-8527.

Carnival Cruise Line: Shop the Black Friday pre-sale with cruises from $79 per person, per day. Packages also include room upgrades from $1, a bonus onboard credit of up to $50 and up to 40% off cruise rates for sailings through April 2028. Carnival is rolling out deals throughout Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Travel Tuesday and Green Monday. Details at carnival.com or call 800-764-7419.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key opens to guests for the first time in July. The cruise line offers Black Friday deals to customers. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

Cunard: Fares start at $899, plus up to 40% off launch fares, included onboard credit, reduced deposits and more during the Black Friday event. Book by Dec. 8. Details at cunard.com or call 800-728-6273.

Celebrity Cruises: Black Friday Kickoff offers 75% off a second guest’s cruise fare, savings of up to $700 per room and $100 bonus savings on all Caribbean and Europe sailings. The kickoff sale lasts through the end of the day on Nov. 26. Details at celebritycruises.com or call 888-751-7804.

Costa Cruises: The line is promoting cruises starting at $52 per day for cruises booked by Nov. 30. Details at costacruises.com or call 800-462-6782.

Emerald Cruises: The line offers up to 35% in extra savings per suite on river cruises and yacht cruises, plus 2-for-1 fares on select 2025-2027 departures for river cruises and select 2025-2028 sailings for yacht cruises. Book by Nov. 30. More details at emeraldcruises.com or call 857-216-7413.

Celebrity Xcel, the cruise line’s newest Edge-class ship, is docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 10. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

Holland America: Save up to 30% on fares with more than 800 itineraries to choose from. The deal also includes 50% reduced deposits, free fares for third and fourth guests and free prepaid gratuities for sailings booked by Nov. 30. Details at hollandamerica.com or call 855-932-1711.

Hurtigruten Expeditions: Black Friday cruise deals offer up to 50% off select itineraries now through Sept. 2026. Book by Dec. 3. Details at hurtigruten.com or call 888-967-9864.

Margaritaville at Sea: Explore up to $950 in instant savings on all cruises through 2027, plus free cabin upgrades, free third and fourth guests and up to 50% off the Cruise+ Bundle with drinks and WiFi. Details at margaritavilleatsea.com or call 800-814-7100.

The MSC World America docks at MSC Cruises’ private Bahamas island, Ocean Cay, in April 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)

MSC Cruises: The line is offering cruises from $199, plus up to $1,000 onboard credit and kids sail free. Book by Nov. 28. For a limited time, get up to an extra $250 onboard credit for Caribbean sailings. Details at msccruisesusa.com or call 833-625-6659.

Norwegian Cruise Line: The line is offering 50% all sailings booked during the Black Friday sale and bringing back its Free at Sea promotion package with beverage packages, Wi-Fi, dining experiences and shore excursion credits. The deal also includes $150 free with CruiseFirst credits, which can be purchased and then applied to a future cruise. Details at ncl.com or call 866-234-7350.

Oceania Cruises: Save up to 50% on select luxury cruises plus the free amenities of “Your World Included,” which includes gourmet specialty dining, unlimited WiFi, wine and beer during lunch and dinner restaurant hours and shore excursion credit. Book by Dec. 2. Details at oceaniacruises.com.

Star Princess is docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 10. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

Princess Cruises: The cruise line offers up to $800 in instant savings and up to 50% off cruise fares, plus 50% off deposits. Third and fourth guests sail free on select itineraries. Book by Dec. 1. Details at princess.com or call 800-774-6237.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Book by Dec. 2 for up to 40% savings and a $500 shipboard credit per suite. Details at rssc.com or call 844-324-5118.

Royal Caribbean: The line offers up to $900 off select sailings and third and fourth guests sail free during the Black Friday sale. Some getaways start at $169-$179. Vacationers can take advantage of 50% off onboard extras, including drink packages, internet and excursions. Details at royalcaribbean.com or call 866-562-7625.

Viking Cruises: Take advantage of free airfare on select itineraries, plus $500 shipboard credit per couple and a $25 deposit valid on select river and ocean cruises. The offer expires Nov. 30 and can be redeemed with the code NS25. Details at vikingrivercruises.com.

The Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady is docked at PortMiami’s Terminal V in October. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)

Virgin Voyages: The Richard Branson-backed cruise line is offering 80% off a second fare, as well as up to $500 in free drinks, on sailings booked through Dec. 4. Select voyages in 2025 and 2026 also have a “Lock-It-in-Rate” starting at $99 during the Black Friday sale. Details at virginvoyages.com.

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