Marshall withdraws from Independence Bowl matchup against Army
NoneGRAND RAPIDS, MI – A $10,000 reward is being offered for information that helps solve a young man’s homicide nearly one year ago. Martin Eduardo Martinez-Ramirez, 20, was found shot to death in his car Jan. 27, in a parking lot on Wing Avenue. Now, Silent Observer, in partnership with the Martinez family, are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. RELATED: ‘We are all heartbroken:’ Family devastated after young man found slain in vehicle The reward and an impactful billboard campaign called, “You Know Who Killed Me,” are efforts to seek justice and bring closure to the family. The billboards, featuring Martinez-Ramirez’s photo, will appear in the Wyoming and Grand Rapids area to remind the community that every tip matters. Martinez-Ramirez worked at an Amazon warehouse and was two months from his associate degree in automotive technology. His family said he was an easy-going young man who got along with everyone and was known for his kindness. Anyone with any information is asked to call Silent Observer at 616-774-2345. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free “ 3@3 Grand Rapids ” daily newsletter.
Global Biodigester Market Set For 7.0% Growth, Reaching $36.34 Billion By 2028
An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalitionDartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!” Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing. Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. It said that against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country. Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict.
Gorosito's 21 lead Ball State past Bellarmine 86-82
The international criminal court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over the war in Gaza has been welcomed by Palestinians as a landmark moment in their decade-long fight to challenge the Israeli occupation through international institutions. Thursday’s announcement from the international criminal court’s pretrial chamber of arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, has sent shockwaves through the international legal system. As the first time that officials from a democratic, western-allied state have been charged with war crimes, it is widely seen as the most significant action taken by the court since it was set up at the turn of the century. “We had no illusions about how tough this road was going to be. Every step leading to this moment was difficult, but Palestine stayed the course,” said Ammar Hijazi, who leads the Palestinian Authority’s delegation to The Hague, the seat of the ICC. “We told the world justice for Palestine will be the litmus test of the international system; we were not being hyperbolic.” Diana Buttu, a human rights lawyer and former Palestinian peace negotiator, said: “The days ahead for Palestine are not good ... At the same time, Israel will struggle to remove the stain of these warrants. When countries like Canada and the Netherlands say they will implement the court’s decision, it calls weapons sales and the level of political support for Israel into question.” The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced in May his office would seek arrest warrants for the two Israelis, as well as Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Haniyeh and Sinwar have since been killed. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Deif, who is believed to have died in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in July, although Hamas has not officially confirmed his death. In an extraordinary rebuke of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and its conduct in the war in Gaza, the chamber ruled there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bore criminal responsibility as co-perpetrators for “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts”. The warrants severely curtail the Israeli officials’ ability to travel abroad, since the ICC’s 124 member states would be obliged to arrest them, further deepening the country’s growing international isolation. The move presents fresh challenges for Israel’s western allies, which are struggling to reconcile support for the Jewish state with evidence of war crimes in the conflict and respect for the rules-based order. Member states of the ICC now have a choice between “international law and accountability for all or none at all”, Hijazi said. “They can’t pretend that the system has relevance and works if they give Israel a free pass. If states that have declared their compliance with and respect for the court match their words with actions, Israel will feel the impact on many fronts.” Israel is not a member of the ICC and denies committing war crimes in the war in Gaza sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023. Many in Israel have long maintained that the UN and associated bodies such as the ICC are biased against it. Palestine was recognised as a member of the court in 2015. The Guardian revealed in May how Israel ran a nine-year-long secret “war” against the court , deploying its intelligence agencies to surveil, hack, smear and allegedly threaten senior ICC staff in an effort to derail the court’s inquiries. Earlier this year, after the court’s chief prosecutor applied for arrest warrants, Palestinian civil society hoped the growing threat of prosecution might have had a deterrent effect on Israel’s actions. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion Instead, the country reacted by announcing new settlements in the occupied West Bank, which were described as a punitive measure for Palestinian cooperation with the court. Israel also stepped up its military campaign on Rafah, the southernmost town in the Gaza Strip, which at that point was the last place of relative safety for civilians in the Palestinian territory. “Palestinian civil society has been working towards this moment since 2009; the fact that it has taken this long is an indictment of the international system. Eight thousand people have died in Gaza since [warrants were sought]. Maybe those lives could have been saved,” Buttu said. The US president-elect, Donald Trump, is expected to impose renewed sanctions on the ICC in support of Israel, and is even less likely than Joe Biden to exert any kind of pressure on its ally to end the occupation or return to peace talks. The US, like Israel, is not a member of the court. “If Trump has an agenda to potentially upend international politics and diplomacy as we know it, defending the international order from such a threat is an international and collective responsibility; understanding that throwing Palestine under the bus will not achieve that is critical,” Hijazi said. Buttu added: “We are going to pay a very heavy price for Trump being elected. But I hope the ICC decision means Netanyahu will also pay a heavy price for his actions.”ETSU football announces eight new players on signing day
LONDON — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor "brutally raped and battered" her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the "modest award." Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. "She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice," she said. "I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served." The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. "He's not a man, he's a coward," attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. "A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is." Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him "no" as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, "now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times," referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. "I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again," she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said "she never said 'no' or stopped" and testified that everything she said was a lie. "It is a full blown lie among many lies," he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. "How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings." McGregor's lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. "You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise," attorney Remy Farrell said. "I'm not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch." The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor's arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked "happy, happy, happy." McGregor said he was "beyond petrified" when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor's friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent. Get local news delivered to your inbox!ORCHARD PARK — Taylor Rapp had some extra energy as he ripped off his red No. 9 practice jersey after practice Thursday. The non-contact jersey he was wearing the last few weeks was a necessity as he nursed an ailing neck and shoulder injury. Rapp declined to discuss the exact nature of his injury, but it was enough to keep him out of the last two games. When Rapp dressed for practice Friday, he didn’t put the red jersey back on, instead returning to the defensive white uniform. Officially listed as questionable, Rapp’s return would provide a boost to the Buffalo Bills secondary — as should the return of cornerback Rasul Douglas — as the safety has emerged as the conductor on the back end. To decipher Rapp’s value, look no further than the games the Bills have allowed the most passing yards. Rapp was playing injured or out in four of the five games Buffalo allowed more than 250 yards through the air, including the last three games. It’s a flip from where Rapp was a year ago, serving as the team’s third safety on third downs after signing with the team on a prove-it, one-year $1.77 million contract. “From a safety perspective, across the league, this is definitely one of the harder systems and schemes,” Rapp told GNN Sports. “Just being able to get that first year under my belt to learn from guys like Micah (Hyde) and (Jordan Poyer), some of the best to ever do it in this system. Just having that first year under my belt to get comfortable and keep it moving.” Is simply winning a game no longer enough for #Bills fans? How much goodwill can the #Sabres get back after a 13-game losing streak? And just how much coal did @billhoppe.bsky.social get in his stocking? fireside.fm/episode/sMvb... Last week’s 253 passing yards allowed to rookie quarterback Drake Maye and the New England Patriots marked the first time the Bills have allowed 250 yards in three consecutive games since 2020. They have never had four such games in Sean McDermott’s eight seasons as head coach. Now the Bills get the New York Jets and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who despite dropping 10 of their 12 games, has thrown for over 250 yards in three consecutive games, the first time he’s done so since December 2021. . Having Rapp in the lineup gives the Bills a playmaker who has two interceptions, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. Typically the Bills are among the best in the league in limiting opposing playmakers. The brand of defense Buffalo plays is designed to limit long passing plays and the Bills have allowed just eight passes over 30 yards, second in the NFL to the Green Bay Packers. But the Bills have given up three passing plays over 50 yards after allowing one in the previous two seasons combined and two over 60 for just the second time (2021) under McDermott. But the Bills view it as a communication issue rather than a decline in talent. All five Week 1 starters in the secondary have missed at least one game due to injury, with cornerback Christian Benford being the only player not to miss more than one. The Bills played without three starters in back-to-back weeks, while slot cornerback Taron Johnson missed parts of last week's game while being assessed for a concussion and safety Damar Hamlin (rib) is questionable to miss a third consecutive game after wearing a red non-contact jersey all week. “Just hone in on the details,” Rapp said. “It always starts with the details. ... Honing in on the game plan, knowing what you’re supposed to do and knowing your job.” The 41-year-old Rodgers is tasked with facing the Bills defense with his blindside protected by New York’s third-string left tackle. It may seem like a game for the Buffalo pass rush to feast, but the Jets will surely have a plan. Rodgers already has the fourth-quickest release in the NFL this season, getting the ball out in 2.64 seconds on average. Buffalo held him to 2.71 seconds in the 23-20 Week 6 win, but the Jets have added receiver Davante Adams since then. The Bills have struggled with quarterbacks with quick release this season. Opposing quarterbacks are unloading in 2.68 seconds this season, faster than the league average of 2.8. Nearly half of passing attempts against the Bills have left the quarterback’s hand in 2.5 seconds or faster and they are completing 76.7% on those throws.The Bills are allowing 7 yards per attempt on those throws, up from 6.3 on throws over 2.5 seconds. Buffalo hasn’t been able to get to the quarterback on quick-release throws, with seven of its 34 sacks coming on attempts longer than 2.5 seconds. Often the only hope on those plays is to knock passes down, but the Bills don’t have any batted balls on quick throws this season. “We’re expecting a lot of quick throws, a lot of timing things to get him in rhythm and try to get us to second-guess ourselves,” Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa said. “But if we can keep a one-track mind and keep getting after him, I think we can get to him.” Keeping running back Breece Hall in check should help the Bills put Rodgers in more positions to hold the ball a little longer. But an offense that ranks 31st in the NFL with 88.7 yards rushing per game put up 121 on the Bills in the first matchup. And even if the Bills can make the Jets pass reliant, they must do a better job closing out games defensively. Buffalo has one fourth-quarter sack since Week 10 — it came last week on a bad snap — and they have not had an interception in the final frame since picking off Patrick Mahomes to seal a Week 11 win. Opposing quarterbacks have gone 31 of 38 for 357 yards and four touchdowns the past three games. Not only does the defense know it’s going to be a passing play when playing from behind late in the game, but the offense knows the defense is rushing four and dropping seven in coverage to prevent big plays. “It’s not like we’re hiding what we’re doing,” Epenesa said. “They do certain things to help protect, whether it’s chipping, mixing up protection plans, bringing people in and out from different formations to block. It’s just us trying to get on our stuff and get after it.” The Bills have no chance at the No.1 seed in the AFC after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans on Wednesday. They are now focused on the No. 2 and just need a win over the Jets to clinch it for the third consecutive season. If the Bills don’t beat the Jets, it likely puts them in a position to have to play the Patriots without resting starters in the regular season finale. It would also squander an attempt to go 6-0 in the AFC East for the first time since 2020 and finish with an unbeaten home slate for the first time since 1990. “That's a precedent that (McDermott) sets early on from everybody that gets here of defending our dirt and making sure that that's one of the best ways to help yourselves get in the playoffs, is being a good team at your home field,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. S Damar Hamlin (rib), DB Cam Lewis (shoulder), S Taylor Rapp (neck/shoulder) and WR Curtis Samuel (rib) are questionable to play Sunday.
Georgetown ventures out of D.C. for first time to face West Virginia