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Gestational Trophoblastic Disease Market Growth with Trends, Analysis by Segments, Regions, and Forecast to 2031 | Accord Healthcare, Inc, Eli Lilly and Company, SanofiCourt hears arguments in challenge to Dept. of Energy's natural gas furnace rules
WSU’s long-term success depends on much more than next head coach | AnalysisThe ‘Most Comfortable Pajamas Ever’ Are Just $50 at Nordstrom Right Now
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Mom left in tears after her two-year-old son cut off her hair as she slept before supergluing it back onLand near Dow's Lake being cleared in advance of new Civic Campus construction
GigaCloud Is Discounted For Good Reasons - Reiterate HoldNEW YORK: Wall Street's main indices closed higher after choppy trading on Thursday, with the blue-chip Dow and the S&P 500 hitting one-week tops. Dow Jones Industrial Average gains were aided by cloud company Salesforce's 3.1% advance after three brokerages lifted their price targets on the stock. Shares of Wall Street's biggest company, Nvidia, added 0.5% after teetering following its earnings release on Wednesday. The chip company surpassed expectations for quarterly results, and projected fourth-quarter revenue above estimates. "(Nvidia's) earnings report was really, really good. Some of the whisper numbers were higher and they disappointed there, but the fundamentals of AI and Nvidia continue to fire on all cylinders and the outlook for next year is positive," said Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial. Some investors were unimpressed that the forecast was its slowest in seven quarters. The broader Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index climbed 1.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 461.88 points, or 1.06%, to 43,870.35, the S&P 500 gained 31.60 points, or 0.53%, to 5,948.71 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 6.28 points, or 0.03%, to 18,972.42. Alphabet slid 4.7% to touch a four-week low after the Justice Department argued to a judge that Google must sell its Chrome browser and take other measures to end its monopoly on online search. The stock's losses weighed on the communication services sector, which was the biggest sectoral decliner, falling 1.73%. Utilities stocks led the S&P higher. Amazon.com fell 2.2% after a report said it will likely face an EU investigation next year into whether it favors its own brand products on its online marketplace. On the data front, a weekly report on jobless claims showed they fell unexpectedly last week, suggesting a rebound in job growth in November. Investors will be closely monitoring commentary from Federal Reserve officials before the mid-December FOMC meeting. Money-market bets favor a 25-basis-point interest rate cut by the Fed in December, according to the CME Group's FedWatch. "We’ve moved on from the election a bit, we got the Nvidia report, so the next thing markets will look for is the Fed meeting, and some policy speak from Fed officials this week have pointed to maybe a pause in the making for December," Saglimbene said. Richmond Fed president Tom Barkin said the United States is more vulnerable to inflationary shocks than in the past, according to a media report. Chicago Federal Reserve president Austan Goolsbee said on Thursday he supports further interest rate cuts and is open to doing them more slowly. Traders also monitored geopolitical tensions between Ukraine and Russia that sent crude prices higher and aided a 0.8% gain in the energy sector. Shares of machinery manufacturer Deere gained 8% after reporting an upbeat fourth-quarter profit, while AI company Snowflake jumped 32.7% after raising its annual product revenue forecast. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 3.17-to-1 ratio on the NYSE. There were 380 new highs and 88 new lows on the NYSE. On the Nasdaq, 2,875 stocks rose and 1,444 fell as advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.99-to-1 ratio. The S&P 500 posted 67 new 52-week highs and four new lows while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 138 new highs and 149 new lows. Volume on US exchanges was 15.32 billion shares, compared with the 14.55-billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days. — ReutersNearly two dozen rescuers help retrieve hiker's body from New Hampshire mountains
How Long Will the "Trump Bump" for the Stock Market Last? Here's What History Shows.Former US President Jimmy Carter Dead at 100
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Nebraska's Dylan Raiola talks key late hit on day he sets school freshman season passing markBy SARAH PARVINI, GARANCE BURKE and JESSE BEDAYN, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s requirements on using AI , but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly vowed to repeal Biden’s AI policy when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the AP. Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how they plan to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, “limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people “may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s ISAP program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years.
Snow, fog hamper rescue of 15 hikers in backwoods above Jordan RiverNetanyahu's office says his security Cabinet has approved ceasefire deal with HezbollahSumedha Lakmal Introduction Willdan Group, Inc. ( NASDAQ: WLDN ) stock has performed tremendously over the last year, which may have been considered an AI-adjacent play for many, driving up the company’s shares by over 100% YTD. I wanted to take a look at the Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
BERLIN (AP) — Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest. Germany is to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalize the country’s stagnant economy. Musk's guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag —a sister publication of POLITICO owned by the Axel Springer Group — published in German over the weekend, was the second time this month he supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD. “The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country," Musk wrote in his translated commentary. He went on to say the far-right party “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality.” The Tesla Motors CEO also wrote that his investment in Germany gave him the right to comment on the country's condition. The AfD is polling strongly, but its candidate for the top job, Alice Weidel , has no realistic chance of becoming chancellor because other parties refuse to work with the far-right party. An ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the technology billionaire challenged in his opinion piece the party's public image. “The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk’s commentary has led to a debate in German media over the boundaries of free speech, with the paper's own opinion editor announcing her resignation, pointedly on Musk's social media platform, X. “I always enjoyed leading the opinion section of WELT and WAMS. Today an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag. I handed in my resignation yesterday after it went to print," Eva Marie Kogel wrote. A critical article by the future editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Jan Philipp Burgard, accompanied Musk’s opinion piece. “Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong,” Burgard wrote. Responding to a request for comment from the German Press Agency, dpa, the current editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Ulf Poschardt, and Burgard — who is due to take over on Jan. 1 — said in a joint statement that the discussion over Musk's piece was "very insightful. Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression.” “This will continue to determine the compass of the “world” in the future. We will develop “Die Welt” even more decisively as a forum for such debates,” they wrote to dpa.Forecasting sports stocks as 2024 turns into 2025: The news that Miami men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga was immediately retiring would’ve been big in any other era. However, these days it’s merely a blip anywhere outside of South Florida. And he summed up the current climate for coaches perfectly with one word: Exhausted. The winningest coach in Miami history, Larrañaga steps away after leading the Hurricanes to six NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2023 Final Four, and a pair of ACC regular-season titles. He took over at Miami in 2011, five years after leading George Mason to the Final Four. There was some surprise that Larrañaga, 75, didn’t retire two years ago. The more recent assumption was he would do so in 2025. But instead of making one more push for a postseason run, Larrañaga called it quits 12 games into this season. The Hurricanes (4-8, 0-1 ACC) have lost seven of their last eight games, including a 83-79 defeat to Charleston Southern on Nov. 30. He’s another in a line of coaches who’ve thrown their hands up rather than try to grind as they always have. It’s a nationwide phenomenon, though the ACC is being hit especially hard. Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett, 55, abruptly quit in October just before the season started; Wake Forest football coach Dave Clawson, 57, pivoted earlier this month to an advisory role with the university. Both have cited the impact of the transfer portal, NIL and the evolution from student-athletes to athlete-employees as the reason. None, however, were quite as blunt as Larrañaga as they made their way to the door. “At this point, after 53 years, I just didn’t feel that I could successfully navigate this whole new world I was dealing with,” Larrañaga said, “because my conversations were ridiculous with an agent saying to me, ‘Well, you can get involved (with a player) if you’re willing to go to $1.1 million.’ And that would be the norm.” Meanwhile, some other coaches keep grinding. They're bending to the ramped-up conditions as they continue to work under increased scrutiny. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State’s football coach since 2005, agreed to a pay cut a few weeks ago on the heals of a 3-9 (0-9 Big 12) season. The to-be-announced amount deducted from his previous $7.75 million salary will go toward Oklahoma State’s NIL initiatives and the revenue sharing with athletes, expected to begin next summer. Gundy, who’s periodically been a problem child at Oklahoma State, was coaxed into reworking his contract. Florida State football coach Mike Norvell, however, could hear loud footsteps behind him and voluntarily reduced his salary. Norvell will make $5.345 million in 2025, a massive cut from the $9.9 million deal he agreed to only a year ago. The difference in dollars is going to FSU’s Vision of Excellence fundraising campaign for athletics. So, we now know the price to go 2-10 at FSU is apparently $4.55 million. And to think ... a deal was essentially done for Norvell to become Nick Saban’s successor at Alabama before FSU backed up an armored car. Now he’s taking that money to help buy a better roster and try to save his job. Oh, we’ve also learned the sticker price for missing the College Football Playoff three straight seasons at LSU when you make almost $10 million a year. Apparently, it’s $1 million, that being how much coach Brian Kelly is now contributing to the Tigers’ NIL treasury. At least LSU had a winning season. You have to think it's a matter of time before coaches coming off sub-.500 seasons such as Kentucky's Mark Stoops ($9.9 million), Wisconsin's Luke Fickell ($7.7 million) and Auburn's Hugh Freeze ($6.7 million) are pressed to give back some cash. Because there will be more ponying up when they fall short. Even the most deep-pocketed universities and boosters have a threshold when it comes to getting a return for their investment. And coaches essentially swapping checks with their employers — getting paid big bucks and then returning it when the heat cranks up — won't be sustainable. Add it to the list of things thinning the profession. So the question isn’t to whether or not to buy stock in the trend of coaches raising white flags, but perhaps instead picking futures options on who’s next to go. Suggestion: Buy in bulk The beefed-up CFP’s opening weekend was a bummer if you judge it only by every game being decided by double-digits. Or if you’re still clinging onto second-guessing the selection committee. Or if you’re just a contrarian. But, final scores aside, the on-campus games were fantastic and meaningful. They also provided a nice rhythm to December going from conference championships to Army-Navy to the CFP. Picking the correct field is still a moving target, but it’ll be further polished perhaps as soon as next year. Likewise for the format with regards to seeding, etc. It will eventually work itself out. In the meantime, consider this: 21 of the 30 CFP games played during the 10-year, four-team era were decided by two or more scores. That includes a couple of title games decided by at least 28 points. We didn’t chastise the selection committee for picking a bad field when that happened, but instead celebrated the greatness of the champions. That's the correct approach now as the CFP quarterfinals approach. Because there are likely more blowouts to come as things from here on out are played at neutral sites. Everyone just needs to relax. The playoff rocks. Suggestion: Buy Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia sued the NCAA , arguing that his two seasons of junior college football hindered his ability to earn via NIL and shouldn’t count toward his four years of eligibility. A judge agreed and he’ll presumably be back with the Commodores in 2025. The NCAA is appealing, but also issued waivers for other athletes in similar situations rather than be inundated with a bevy of similar lawsuits. That’s the smartest thing the NCAA has done in years considering how it regularly falls flat in court. It’s 0-3 since 2021 in cases involving unlimited transfers, NIL regulation and what will lead to millions in revenue sharing with athletes. It’s a nice turn for folks such as Pavia, who likely don't have pro futures. The money they make could go a long way toward giving them running starts after college sports. Still, it’s also more proof that we’re moving closer and closer to a world where college athletes aren’t college age. Remember how charming and quaint it was when FSU’s Chris Weinke won the Heisman Trophy at the ripe old age of 28? Suggestion: Dump it all.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter died Sunday, confirmed by his family to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Washington Pos t. He was 100 years old. Born James Earl Carter, Jr., in Plains, Georgia, on October 1, 1924, the Democrat pursued state politics before he was elected to one term in the White House, where he served as the 39th president between 1977 and 1981. Carter's mother was a nurse, and his father was a businessman and farmer who grew peanuts, cotton, sugar and corn. The National Park Service currently oversees the Carter family farm as part of the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, which is open to visitors. Carter attended public school in his hometown before enrolling in Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He ultimately graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for seven years. Once his time at the academy was completed, Carter married Rosalynn Smith, who later became the first lady during Carter's time in office. The couple had three sons and one daughter and would be married for 77 years, the longest marriage in presidential history. Carter first decided to pursue a career in politics in the early 1960s, when he was elected to the Georgia Senate . He launched his first gubernatorial campaign ahead of the 1966 election and lost, but went on to win his second bid for governor four years later, becoming the state's 76th elected leader and serving from January 1971 through January 1975. After a brief time overseeing the Democratic National Committee , Carter announced his intention to run for president in late 1974. He defeated incumbent Republican Gerald Ford with 297 electoral votes to Ford's 240, with former Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale joining the new Democratic administration as Carter's vice president. Mondale died in 2021 at 93. In a statement Carter released at the time, he remembered Mondale as "the best vice president in our country's history" and a "dear friend." While president, Carter was credited with encouraging a peace agreement in the Middle East that ultimately resulted in the Camp David Accords, which the Office of the Historian at the U.S. Department of State described as "historic." The White House archives lists the Panama Canal treaties and an agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union restricting nuclear weapon production as some of Carter's biggest victories overseas. In the U.S., Carter pursued deregulation in a handful of industries, including energy and transportation, and pushed for new environmental protections. The U.S. Department of Education also launched during his time in office. Carter's presidency is often remembered by the Iran hostage crisis and struggles at home as the U.S. faced an economic downturn. A White House Historical Association overview of Carter's administration credited the hostage crisis—which continued for more than a year and didn't end until Carter's final day as president—with impacting the Democrat's unsuccessful bid for re-election. Carter lost the 1980 election with 41 percent of the popular vote and just 49 electoral college votes. He was succeeded by Republican Ronald Reagan. Shortly after leaving the White House, Carter established The Carter Center in Atlanta with his wife and in collaboration with Emory University. The former first lady was Carter's "full partner" in their efforts at the nonprofit and was continuing her work by chairing its Mental Health Task Force as of January, according to her co-founder page on the organization's website. The Carter Center was created "on a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering" and describes its continuing mission as seeking "to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health." In 2002, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Carter was its choice for the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." At the time of the announcement, the committee recognized Carter's work on the Camp David Accords while he was president, as well as his efforts in protecting democratic elections overseas and defending human rights through the Carter Center. More recently, Carter continued voicing his positions on voting rights in his own country as a slew of states weighed the implementation of new election-related restrictions. In March 2021, Carter criticized his home state's legislature for pursuing election-related legislation that he said seemed "to be rooted in partisan interests, not in the interests of all Georgia voters." "As our state legislators seek to turn back the clock through legislation that will restrict access to voting for many Georgians, I am disheartened, saddened, and angry," Carter said at the time. Two months later, the Carters were visited at their home in Georgia by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden . Carter had previously congratulated Biden on his win in the 2020 election through a statement in which he and Rosalynn said they both "look forward to seeing the positive change they bring to our nation." In the years before his death, and following a series of hospital stays, Carter began hospice care at home, opting to spend his remaining time surrounded by family. Rosalynn, who was also in hospice care at their Georgia home following a diagnosis of dementia, died in November 2023. Carter is survived by his four children, Jack, James, Donnel and Amy, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information.The provided some quality entertainment beyond the game with a living life to the fullest before and getting . This year's Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday kicked it up a notch with three mascots, which had , sprinkles painted on the sidelines and a working that surprised ESPN's broadcast booth. There was also a moving tribute to the , which came back as a zombie. The love college football fans have for the Pop-Tarts Bowl is just one example of how absurd and ridiculous the sport is, and it's so much fun. He is risen! — Pop-Tarts Bowl (@PopTartsBowl) So here are nine comical photos of the Pop-Tarts Bowl mascots doing their thing at the game between No. 13 Miami (Fla.) and No. 18 Iowa State.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck made a big announcement about his future on Saturday. Beck announced on Instagram that he will forego his final year of eligibility and enter the 2025 NFL Draft. The quarterback made clear that he plans to support the team through the end of their College Football Playoff run despite his injury, as they pursue “unfinished business.” A post shared by @carsonbeck Beck had another year of eligibility had he chosen to use it, but this decision does not come as a surprise. He had been viewed as a potential first-round pick when the college season started, but an up-and-down campaign has likely hurt his draft stock. His situation is further complicated by the season-ending elbow injury he suffered in the SEC Championship, which is likely to impact his pre-draft preparation. As a senior, Beck threw for 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns to go along with 12 interceptions while completing 64.7 percent of his passes. With the exception of the touchdown tally, all of those numbers are worse than the ones he posted as a junior. This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.DENVER (AP) — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's “America’s Got Talent” meets “American Idol,” with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it’s never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at “Dream Team” status given the men’s side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023 . The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. “We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport,” said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. “We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world.” Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores . “Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That’s something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok , the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado’s two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. “If a receiver is running around, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,’” Daniels explained. “They’re like, ‘No, you can’t.’ I’m just like, ‘So I’m supposed to let this guy just run?!’ I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn.” The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. “I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. “I’m not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, ‘I played NFL football for five years. I’m popular. I have a huge name.’ I’m still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise.” Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It’s his way of working on avoiding a “defender” trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. “You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the ‘Redeem Team’ led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, ‘That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. “Everybody thinks, ‘Yeah, the U.S. just wins,’” Daniels said. “But we work hard all the time. We don’t just walk in. We don’t just get off the bus thinking, ‘We’re going to beat people.’” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL