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'Quite a debate': Alabama, Miami first teams out of CFP field
President-elect Trump transfers close to $4 billion worth of his Trump Media shares to a trust
TOMS River, N.J. (AP) — A U.S. senator has called for mysterious drones spotted flying over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region to be “shot down, if necessary,” even as it remains unclear who owns them. “We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday as concerns about the drones spread across Capitol Hill. People in the New York region are also concerned that the drones may be sharing airspace with commercial airlines, he said, demanding more transparency from the Biden administration. The White House said Thursday that a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in any restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard has not uncovered any foreign involvement from coastal vessels. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. The drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information about the drones. On Wednesday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said they are not U.S. military drones. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once. The worry stems partly from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was frustrated by the lack of transparency, saying it could help spread fear or misinformation. “We should know what’s going on over our skies,” he said Thursday. Fantasia, a Morris County Republican, was among several lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the sightings from the New York City area across New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. It is unknown at this time whether the sightings are related. Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, say the military should shoot down the drones. Smith said a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer briefed him on an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a motorized Coast Guard lifeboat “in close pursuit” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo on Wednesday told The Associated Press “that multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in the vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.” Associated Press reporters Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and reporter Darlene Superville and videojournalists Serkan Gurbuz and Nathan Ellgren in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. Recommended Videos “Specifically, NASCAR informed us that it would not approve the (charter) transfer unless we agreed to drop our current antitrust lawsuit against them,” Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row, said in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. The two teams in September refused to sign NASCAR's “take-it-or-leave-it” final offer on a new revenue sharing agreement. All other 13 teams signed the deal. Front Row and 23XI balked and are now in court. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan has said he took the fight to court on behalf of all teams competing in the top motorsports series in the United States. NASCAR has argued that the two teams simply do not like the terms of the final charter agreement and asked for the lawsuit be dismissed. Earlier this week, the suit was transferred to a different judge than the one who heard the first round of arguments and ruled against the two teams in their request for a temporary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams as the case proceeds. The latest filing is heavily redacted as it lays out alleged retaliatory actions by NASCAR the teams say have caused irreparable harm. Both Front Row and 23XI want to expand from two full-time cars to three, and have agreements with SHR to purchase one charter each as SHR goes from four cars to one for 2025. The teams can still compete next season but would have to do so as “open” teams that don't have the same protections or financial gains that come from holding a charter. Freeze claimed in the affidavit that Front Row signed a purchase agreement with SHR in April and NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Freeze in September the deal had been approved. But when Front Row submitted the paperwork last month, NASCAR began asking for additional information. A Dec. 4 request from NASCAR was “primarily related to our ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR,” Freeze said. “NASCAR informed us on December 5, 2024, that it objected to the transfer and would not approve it, in contrast to the previous oral approval for the transfer confirmed by Phelps before we filed the lawsuit,” Freeze said. “NASCAR made it clear that the reason it was now changing course and objecting to the transfer is because NASCAR is insisting that we drop the lawsuit and antitrust claims against it as a condition of being approved.” A second affidavit from Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI Racing, claims NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of manufacturing “new circumstances” in a renewed motion for an injunction and of a “coordinated effort behind the scenes.” “This is completely false,” Lauletta said. Front Row is owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, while 23XI is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Jordan, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. NASCAR had been operating with 36 chartered teams and four open spots since the charter agreement began in 2016. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. The teams contend they must be chartered under some of their contractual agreements with current sponsors and drivers, and competing next year as open teams will cause significant losses. “23XI exists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, striving to become the best team it can be. But that ambition can only be pursued within NASCAR, which has monopolized the market as the sole top-tier circuit for stock car racing,” Lauletta said. "Our efforts to expand – purchasing more cars and increasing our presence on the track – are integral to achieving this goal. “It is not hypocritical to operate within the only system available while striving for excellence and contending for championships,” he continued. “It is a necessity because NASCAR’s monopoly leaves 23XI no alternative circuit, no different terms, and no other viable avenue to compete at this level.” ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Assassin's Creed Shadows' Canon Mode Can Make Story Decisions For You - IGN Daily Fix In today's Daily Fix:Assassin's Creed Shadows will have an optional feature where you don't need to worry about story decisions at all. Unofficially dubbed 'canon mode,' the feature will let you focus on gameplay while the game itself handles important dialogue options that affect the game's story. Perfect if you get nervous about making decisions, or just don't care about the story and want to go back to assassinatin'. In other news, a new trailer has leaked for Mafia: The Old Country, and it features a release window. The Game Awards are tonight, so maybe we'll see it officially revealed then? And finally, a new Mew-focused set is coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” A look at some of the issues covered: Trump has threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn’t believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich.” He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. ”All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field,” Trump said. He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. “Honestly, they should go to jail,” Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump’s role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: “I have the absolute right. I’m the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I’m the president. But I’m not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. “Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee,” Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, “No,” and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. “I want her to do what she wants to do,” he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, “I’m not looking to go back into the past.” Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. “I think you have to do it,” he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end “birthright” citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — although such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, “I want to work something out,” indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not “want to be breaking up families” of mixed legal status, “so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.” Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he “absolutely” would remain in the alliance “if they pay their bills.” Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies’ commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated “fairly” on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin’s invasion. “Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure,” Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump has called for an immediate cease-fire . Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged: “I haven’t spoken to him recently.” Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to “impede the negotiation.” The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy , including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: “Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious” that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump's pick for FBI chief, then “he’s going to be taking somebody’s place, right? Somebody is the man that you’re talking about.” Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. “We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient,” he said. He added that “we're not raising ages or any of that stuff.” He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would “probably” not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, “Well, I commit. I mean, are -- things do -- things change. I think they change.” Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had “concepts” of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called “lousy health care.” He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for “better healthcare for less money.” Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.
‘Dictatorial’ father of Sara Sharif said daughter ‘brings smile to my face’Paul Fiddler, an assistant manager at a non-league football club, has been named as the first casualty of the devastating Storm Darragh after a tree toppled onto his van near a police headquarters. In his 40s, Paul was killed at the scene on the A59 in Longton, Lancashire, last Saturday afternoon. Despite the swift response of emergency crews who arrived at the scene at around 9am, the "well-loved coach" tragically lost his life to his injuries. His passing is one of two fatalities attributed to the storm, which wreaked havoc across transport networks and led to significant flooding. The UK faced severe weather alerts, including an uncommon red "danger to life" warning from Friday night, prompting millions to remain indoors. Lytham Town FC, where Mr Fiddler also worked at a local television shop, paid tribute to him as a "well-loved coach, football player, gaffer but most of all a true friend". The club's website honoured him as the first team assistant manager, reports the Mirror . A club spokesperson released a heartfelt statement: "Today, we would like to take the time to remember a Lytham Town FC legend, Paul Fiddler. Our thoughts are with the Lytham Town lads, his friends and family at this time. Rest in Peace Paul. We will miss you." Tributes have poured in on social media. A friend shared their condolences saying: "My heart goes out to Paul's family during this sad time for everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Paul was a massive support for countless families in their moments of need, and his kindness will always be remembered." Another message read: "So very sad. RIP Paul. Fly high lad, and thank you for everything you did to help families like mine. You will never be forgotten, deepest condolences to his family." Echoing the sentiments, a third person added: "Rest in peace Paul. One of the nicest blokes you could ever meet. Thoughts are with your family." Meanwhile, a fourth person added: "Rest in peace Paul. Such a wonderful person always went out his way to help. Thank you for all you have done over the years. Sending lots of love and prayers to you and your family right now." Det Sgt Matt Davidson, from Lancashire Police, commented on the tragedy, stating: "Very sadly this incident has resulted in the death of a man and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time. An investigation is ongoing, and I would appeal to anyone who saw what happened or has any dashcam or mobile phone footage to please get in touch." The incident follows another recent event in Birmingham where a second man lost his life after a tree fell onto his car while driving along Silver Birch Road in Erdington on Saturday afternoon. A second fatality has been reported due to the severe winds brought by Storm Darragh, although the victim's identity remains undisclosed. According to West Midlands Police, they responded to an incident on Saturday, shortly after 3 pm, where a tree toppled by the storm's strong gusts had struck a vehicle. Sergeant Benjamin Parsons of the roads policing unit expressed condolences, stating, "Our thoughts are with the man's family at this time, and his next of kin have been informed. A report will be passed onto the coroner. Anyone who saw what happened or who may have dashcam or mobile phone footage, is asked to please get in touch." Get all the latest and breaking news in Yorkshire by signing up to our newsletter here.
The New York Jets have now officially gone 14 years without making the playoffs, which is an active record for the NFL . The embarrassment doesn't stop there, though: it is an active record for virtually all major American professional sports leagues, including the NBA , NHL , MLB , and the WNBA. With a loss today at Miami, the Jets now have been eliminated from the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season, extending the longest active drought across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and the WNBA. pic.twitter.com/Sxj0vpaXC0 More News: Former First-Round Pick Jets LB Likely Out For Rest Of Season The Jets' playoff hopes were officially extinguished in a gut-wrenching 32-26 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins, a game they had been on the brink of winning. With just seconds left in regulation, New York had driven deep into Dolphins territory, setting up what appeared to be a game-winning field goal. However, after exchanging field goals to end regulation, the game took a devastating turn in overtime. Miami received the ball first, and Tua Tagovailoa led the Dolphins downfield, capping the drive with a touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith, who had been silent throughout regulation but caught three crucial passes on the decisive possession. The Jets (3-10) were eliminated from playoff contention, while the Dolphins (6-7) kept their postseason hopes alive. The loss marked the Jets' fourth consecutive defeat and their ninth in the last 10 games, extending their streak of futility in Miami to nine straight losses. Despite holding an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Jets once again failed to finish strong, sealing their fate and ending any hopes of a late-season rally. This loss makes the Jets the team to go longest without making the playoffs in active professional leagues, which has to sting even more than the other major losses of the season. To be fair, the season has been an extraordinarily chaotic one for the Jets and it is difficult to imagine any team performing well under the circumstances. In late November, the team fired general manager Joe Douglas, just six weeks after dismissing head coach Robert Saleh. More News: Jets Owner Could Give Up Team To Join Donald Trump Administration To fill the void, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was promoted to interim head coach, where he wasted no time reshuffling the coaching staff. He demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and promoted Todd Downing to offensive play-caller, hoping to spark some life into a struggling offense. In an effort to ignite the offense, the Jets made a major move by acquiring Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders, which has not paid off quite as well as they might have hoped. However, owner Woody Johnson had considered even bolder changes earlier in the season, as the team struggled to find its rhythm. After a dismal 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 4, Johnson reportedly floated the idea of benching Aaron Rodgers in favor of Tyrod Taylor, citing concerns that Rodgers' performance was hindering the team's progress. While the organization has denied these rumors, the team's current 14-year losing streak will likely cause some shakeups for next season and it's anyone guess whether Rodgers will stick around in 2025. For more on the NFL , head to Newsweek Sports .