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As the Bills clinched the AFC’s No. 2 seed in blowout fashion, a 40-14 thumping of the down-and-out Jets, everything was coming up 17. The Bills completed a total of 17 passes. Josh Allen, their franchise player, ended the game with 17 yards rushing. The Bills scored their first touchdown, you guessed it, on the 17th play of the afternoon — scored by none other than No. 17 himself. Advertisement Heck, even the weather stayed on theme. When the game began, the announced wind was blowing at 17 mph. And as the Bills concluded their No. 17 day with a touchdown pass in true Josh Allen style — a cross-body howitzer after he extended the play rolling to his right — the collective thoughts in Highmark Stadium were verbalized all as one. With the Bills up 33-0, “M-V-P” bellowed throughout the stadium. Several offensive linemen waved their arms as chants started to form, asking them to grow louder. The fans in attendance heartily obliged. Although it’s an award for only one person, all of Allen’s teammates have been invested in him winning it. The quarterback’s three-touchdown, no-turnover performance in only three quarters might be his final statement to MVP voters. With the No. 2 seed sewn up, the Bills have little else to play for in Week 18 on the road against the Patriots. And if Sunday was Allen’s final game, his 2024 campaign ends with a fifth straight season accounting for 40-plus touchdowns, the best touchdown-to-turnover rate of his career, over 4,000 total yards and his third 13-win season as the team’s starter. GO DEEPER Bills secure AFC's No. 2 seed with 40-14 blowout win over Jets: Takeaways As the chatter grew louder from national pundits in favor of Lamar Jackson’s MVP case in the middle of the week, Bills head coach Sean McDermott had a statement of his own. “Josh Allen’s the MVP,” McDermott said. “I’ve been around this league long enough to know, to see MVPs for many years. What he has done on this team, in this organization, in this community — and no offense to anybody else — but I’ve got a hard time believing somebody has done more. I really believe that.” Here’s what stood out from the Bills’ victory to secure home field through at least the first two weeks of the postseason. A necessary statement game for the defense Although they made it interesting in the early parts of the game, the Bills must be thrilled with how their defense responded after three straight games of allowing yards and points in bunches. It hit a low note last weekend against the three-win Patriots, with the opponents racing out to a 14-0 lead while continuing to move the ball. The Jets had been playing much better offensively in recent weeks, and they even had some success early on, but the Bills defense closed the door in the first half and then barricaded it the entire second. Advertisement The Jets moved the ball in bunches in their first two drives. Four plays gained 10 yards or more out of their first 16. On those first 16 plays, the Jets averaged 7.2 yards per play — an unsustainable rate for the Bills defense. But on both drives, even if they took the term to the extreme, the cliché bend-but-don’t-break Bills lived up to that reputation. On the first drive, they stopped the Jets on a fourth-and-1 attempt in Bills territory to force a turnover on downs. On the second, with the Jets in the Bills’ red zone, defensive end Greg Rousseau’s long arms tipped an Aaron Rodgers pass into the air that fell right into defensive tackle Jordan Phillips’ breadbasket. The Bills escaped without yielding a single point either time. BIG. PHIL. INT. 📺: @paramountplus & @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/y3l9OAmDLl — Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 29, 2024 The dominant portion of the afternoon began on the third drive. With the safety forced on that possession, the Bills defense put together an insurmountable lead, winning that scoring battle 2-0. In the second half, before the removal of Allen and Rodgers from the game, the Bills sacked Rodgers three times, picked him off, forced a fumble and allowed the Jets to gain only 32 yards on 17 plays — an average of 1.9 yards per play. The Bills defense certainly still has large question marks remaining about it. How much will its penchant for allowing explosive plays against better teams hurt the Bills in the playoffs? Is their run defense, which again showed signs of weakness, going to force the Bills into shootouts in the postseason? And can they rectify their third-down defense, which has gotten worse as the season has gone on? Those are answers we won’t have until the playoffs arrive. But at the very least, Sunday was what the defense needed. If the Bills rest their starters next week, they’ll be heading into the playoffs with far more confidence than they had following the Rams, Lions and Patriots games. Amari Cooper gets going, but with one caveat In recent weeks, the Bills have had trouble jumpstarting trade deadline acquisition Amari Cooper. Over the previous two games, Cooper was targeted only twice and caught only one pass for 10 yards. He had been held to under 15 yards in four of seven games active with the Bills, a concerning majority given the draft asset they gave up for him. While it wasn’t a massive outing, Cooper brought in three passes for 56 yards, including a highlight-reel 30-yard touchdown catch. After the game, McDermott said getting Cooper going was “huge” heading into the postseason. And although Cooper put up his third-best yardage total for a single game with the Bills, it did not come with a spike in his usage. Advertisement In fact, his time on-field was lower than it had been in any game since his Bills’ debut in Week 7. Including penalty plays against the Jets before Mitchell Trubisky and the second-team offense took over, Cooper took only 22 out of a possible 61 snaps — a snap rate of 36.1 percent. And it wasn’t due to getting checked for a concussion, as he was cleared before the next drive began and also took a snap three plays into that drive. Over his last six games, Cooper had snap percentages ranging anywhere from 45.7 to 53.3 percent. It remains to be seen if they are saving his role to grow in the postseason, but Cooper has been the fourth receiver in snap rate for several games in a row. That may just be how the Bills view him. What a catch by COOP!!️ 📺: @paramountplus & @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/yMecgbX7VR — Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 29, 2024 An eye on Matt Milano’s role and how the Bills handled it in his return The last time the Bills had Matt Milano available was against the Lions, and his role had grown from his previous outings. In that game, Milano remained on the field for the vast majority of third downs until he left the game with an injury. That was different from his first two games after returning from the long-term injury, where he only played on first and second down before leaving the field in obvious passing situations. There was a key difference in that Lions game, as defensive back Cam Lewis, who had been the player substituting in for Milano on third downs, started the game at safety due to injuries to Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin. That led to some intrigue as to how the Bills would use Milano against the Jets now that Lewis no longer had to start at safety. Although the Bills didn’t face many third-and-long situations early in the game, once they did, Milano returned to the same role against the 49ers and Rams. He took all the early-down work and stayed on the field for third-and-short plays. But when the Jets entered obvious passing situations, Milano left the field and was once again replaced by Lewis. That may have been a product of this being Milano’s first game back from a one-week absence with a groin injury. However, Lewis has played his bevy of roles this season well, to the point where the Bills view him as an asset to their defense. It would not be a surprise if, as long as the safeties and nickel corner Taron Johnson are all healthy, this trend continues into the playoffs — especially after the Bills had the amount of defensive success they did against the Jets. A new twist at defensive tackle The Bills have been tinkering with their defensive tackle group for much of the season. The mainstays are starters Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones, but the Bills carry four additional players at the position on their 53-man roster in rookie DeWayne Carter, Austin Johnson, Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson. Over the last four games, all four of those rotational players have taken a turn as a healthy scratch. In Week 14, it was Phillips, then Jefferson in Week 15. Last week against the Patriots it was Carter, and then Sunday against the Jets it was Johnson’s turn. McDermott said on Friday that part of the decision to make Carter a healthy scratch against the Patriots was in an effort to find their best five defensive tackles. However, what made the Johnson inactive decision interesting on Sunday is that it left the Bills without a true backup one-technique role — a critical component to run-defending. So when the substitute defensive tackles entered the game, Carter lined up in the one-technique role on each snap, either next to Phillips or Jefferson. This is a big switch for Carter, as he has played the majority of his snaps this season as the three-technique. The film will reveal if it was a good idea or one the Bills need to leave alone for the playoffs, but it was obvious that the run-defending play from Johnson had been a bit uneven in recent weeks. If ever there was a time to figure it out, it was this week against a solid Jets rushing attack. That backup one-technique role is TBD until they get to the postseason. Bills MVP: DE Greg Rousseau — The defense needed big plays with the Jets still in striking distance, and Rousseau’s tipped pass led to an interception in the first half. He followed it up with a sack in the second half that put the Jets into a dire 3rd-and-19, which became the team’s second interception. When Rousseau is on his game, the whole defense is better. Bills LVP: No one — The Bills were out to a 40-0 lead before the Jets put together a scoring drive. It was utter domination in the second half. Up Next: The 13-3 Bills head on the road to take on the 3-13 Patriots in the 2024 regular-season finale. (Photo of Josh Allen: Gregory Fisher / Imagn Images)NEW YORK — The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York in an interview Thursday that investigators have uncovered evidence that Luigi Mangione had prior knowledge UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York City. Mangione also mentioned the company in a note found in his possession when he was detained by police in Pennsylvania. "We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So that's possibly why he targeted that company," Kenny said. UnitedHealthcare is in the top 20 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization but is not the fifth largest. It is the largest U.S. health insurer. Mangione remains jailed without bail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday after being spotted at a McDonald's in the city of Altoona, about 230 miles west of New York City. His lawyer there, Thomas Dickey, said Mangione intends to plead not guilty. Dickey also said he had yet to see evidence decisively linking his client to the crime. Mangione's arrest came five days after the caught-on-camera killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. Police say the shooter waited outside the hotel, where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, early Dec. 4. He approached Thompson from behind and shot him before fleeing on a bicycle through Central Park. Mangione is fighting attempts to extradite him back to New York so that he can face a murder charge in Thompson's killing. A hearing was scheduled for Dec. 30. The 26-year-old, who police say was found with a " ghost gun " matching shell casings found at the site of the shooting, is charged in Pennsylvania with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Mangione is an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family. In posts on social media, Mangione wrote about experiencing severe chronic back pain before undergoing a spinal fusion surgery in 2023. Afterward, he posted that the operation was a success and that his pain improved and mobility returned. He urged others to consider the same type of surgery. On Wednesday, police said investigators are looking at his writings about his health problems and his criticism of corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Kenny said in the NBC interview that Mangione's family reported him missing to San Francisco authorities in November.
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Aston Villa’s disallowed goal would have counted in England – Unai EmeryA superb solo effort from Millennium High junior Leo Kristo was enough for the Falcons to take a hard-earned 1-0 road victory back to Tracy Tuesday night. Kristo was at the heart of everything dangerous for the Falcons’ offense against the Mustangs and he was finally able to break the deadlock just three minutes into the second half. Kristo went on a mazy run down the left sideline, beating two Mountain House defenders before entering the box and arrowing a nice shot into the bottom left corner to give his side the lead. With something to protect, the Falcons kept their discipline defensively and did not allow their hosts to create any clear-cut opportunities. The Falcons improved to 1-1 in the win after falling at the hands of Tracy High (1-0) 3-0 in their season opener last Friday. For the Mustangs, the defeat was their fourth straight after they took down Kimball 4-1 in their campaign curtain-raiser last Wednesday. Mountain House has been held scoreless in each of their four losses — raising some concern for head coach Luis Montanez. However, the hosts started brightly. They created plenty of chances in the early stages — largely through the speed of senior Jayden Lownes on their right wing. Lownes was extremely unlucky in the opening frame as he had five glorious opportunities to give his side the lead before the break. A couple of those were saved well by Millennium’s sophomore goalie Emiliano Valdez Hernandez. The others called the busy Falcons’ defense into action. Lownes’ best chance of the night came 22 minutes into the first half when he latched onto a crisp through ball from senior Priyansh Nath before rounding the keeper and seeing his open goal effort cleared off the goal line by the Falcons’ Rameen Sattar. Lownes also had another attempt blocked on its way past Valdez Hernandez by the Falcons’ Bryce Perry. After getting away with it on a couple of occasions, the Falcons grew into the game in the latter stages of the first half and should have taken the lead five minutes before the break if not for the woodwork. Kristo was menacing again on the left side and he was brought down inside the Mustangs’ area after winning a foot race to earn his team a penalty kick. His brother, Dario Kristo, stepped up to take and rattled the post to keep the game at 0-0 at the half. Spurred on by head coach Darlha Canas’ team talk, the Falcons came out of the interval with newfound energy and edged in front 180 seconds later. The visitors had an opportunity to ice the game in the 70th minute when a nice corner delivery from senior Landon Vatran found the foot of Leo Kristo on the goalmouth but his shot went just wide of the post. The Mustangs had a last ditch attempt at an equalizer in the last second after being awarded a free kick 25 yards out. Junior Rhys Dominguez claimed it but hit the wall with the ensuing shot, prompting the full time whistle. The Falcons will be back in action on Dec. 4 when they take a short trip to Kimball (0-2). The Mustangs will be at Grace Davis on Dec. 2. Elsewhere, the West High Wolf Pack have started their season 1-1. They beat Franklin 1-0 in their opener last Wednesday courtesy of a goal from junior Gavin Atwal. The Pack lost to Patterson 2-1 Monday night. Senior Alvin Gaitan was the lone scorer. Contact Arion Armeniakos at aarmeniakos@tracypress.com , or call 209-830-4229.
PLAINS, Georgia (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. The untimely death of his father, a farmer who went by “Mr. Earl,” brought the submariner and his wife, , back to a rural life they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant would never be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. And, years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The life of James Earl Carter Jr. ended Sunday where it began. Plains fueled the rise of the 39th U.S. president, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service as a global humanitarian. With an optimism rooted in Baptist faith and an engineer’s stubborn confidence, Carter showed a missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day,” Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told The Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Many Americans judged his presidency ineffective for failing to end an energy crisis, turn around the economy or quickly bring American hostages home from Tehran. He won widespread admiration instead for The Carter Center — which has advocated for , human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the many years he and Rosalynn swung hammers with . Carter’s allies relished that he and Rosalynn, who died Nov. 19, 2023, lived to see . “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a repeat visitor during his own White House bid. Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative.” Republicans cast him as a left-wing cartoon. He could be classified a centrist, Buttigieg told the AP, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Carter’s vow to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate with a transparent, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who cast government as the problem. His efficiency mandate could put him at odds with Democrats. Still, he scored wins on the environment, education and ; expanded federally protected lands; began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking; ; and unlike later presidents, added a relative pittance to the national debt. Carter had , grinning enthusiastically and promising he would “never lie” to them. Once in Washington, he could seem like a joyless engineer, insisting that political rewards would follow facts and logic. Such tenacity worked well at Camp David as Carter brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Egypt’s Anwar Sadat, but it failed him as the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to get past a “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone, saying “there you go again” in response to a wonky debate answer. “The Great Communicator” won all but six states. Carter later acknowledged an incompatibility with Washington insiders who looked down on his team as “country come to town.” His closest adviser was Rosalynn Carter, who joined his Cabinet meetings. When she urged him to postpone relinquishing the Panama Canal, Carter said he was “going to do what’s right” even if meant he wouldn’t get re-elected, recalled her aide, Kathy Cade. “She’d remind him you have to win to govern,” Cade said. Carter won by navigating divides on race, class and ideology. He offered himself as an outsider to Atlanta and Washington, a peanut farmer with a nickname who carried his own luggage. in a home without running water or electricity, he was raised by a progressive mother and racist father. He and Rosalynn privately supported integration in the 1950s, but he didn’t push to desegregate schools, and there’s no record of him supporting the 1965 Voting Rights Act as a state senator. Carter ran to the right of his rival to then landed on the cover of Time magazine by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” He didn’t befriend civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.’s family until he ran for president. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southernness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor who wrote a book on Carter’s campaign. Carter was the last Democratic nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, as he did in Georgia, he used his power as president to appoint more nonwhites than all his predecessors had, combined. Many years later, Carter called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t consult Rosalynn before moving their family back to Plains or launching his state Senate bid. He called the mother of their four children in government and at The Carter Center as well as at home. “I just loved it,” she said of campaigning, despite the bitterness of defeat. True or not, the label of a failed presidency had for many years. Carter remained relevant as a freelance diplomat, writing more than 30 books and weighing in on societal challenges. Carter declared after Donald Trump’s presidential victory that But he also warned Democrats against moving too far left, lest they help re-elect him, and said many failed to understand Trump’s populist appeal. Pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again for would-be presidents in recent years, and well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ , where he and where his last funeral will be held. In his farewell presidential address, Carter urged citizens who had embraced or rejected him to do their part as Americans. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” to where he had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” Bill Barrow, The Associated PressAppalachian St. 66, Sam Houston St. 63
Nearly 13 months after his beloved wife Rosalynn died in November 2023, former President Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100, the Carter Center confirmed on Sunday. The former president made a rare public appearance at her memorial service. He sat in a wheelchair with a blanket that had a picture of him and Rosalynn together. He would also make a rare public appearance on October 1 as his hometown celebrated his 100th birthday. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President Carter said after his wife passed away. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” The couple was married for 77 years. They met as children, both growing up in Plains, Georgia. Their storied romance started when Jimmy was 17 years old. After their first date, he reportedly told his mom, “She’s the girl I want to marry.” The pair would marry not long after — in 1946. The couple moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where Jimmy was stationed after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. Like many military families, the Carters moved from city to city. Their three sons were born in three different states: Virginia, Hawaii and Connecticut. Their only daughter was born in their home state of Georgia. Jimmy left the military in 1953 and began a career in politics about 10 years later. RELATED STORY | Former President Jimmy Carter dies at age 100 Rosalynn was reportedly an important member of Jimmy’s campaign team when he ran for governor of Georgia, a race he won in 1970. After serving four years as governor, Jimmy decided to run for president. During the campaign, Rosalynn traveled the country independently, proving to be a strong advocate for her husband’s vision for the country. Jimmy Carter would go on to defeat President Gerald Ford and become the 39th president of the United States. Rosalynn was an active first lady. She attended cabinet meetings and frequently represented her husband at ceremonial events. Rosalynn shared in her husband’s efforts to work to make the U.S. government more “competent and compassionate,” the White House said. After leaving the White House in 1981, the couple returned to Georgia. They would go on to become some of the most notable philanthropists in the world. They founded The Carter Center, which is committed to protecting human rights around the world.Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman today called for unity among all anti-fascist political parties to build a "new Bangladesh" inspired by the aspirations of the youth. Speaking at the 12th General Council of Khelafat Majlish at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan this morning, Shafiqur emphasised the need for collective action to establish a democratic future for the nation. "... In the new Bangladesh, all anti-fascist political parties will stand united," he said. The Jamaat chief also expressed concern over what he described as ongoing injustice towards Islamic scholars in the country. "Over the past decade and a half, the nation's Islamic scholars have been subjected to unprecedented levels of injustice and vendetta," he said. The conference was attended by leaders and activists from various Islamic political organisations. Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman today called for unity among all anti-fascist political parties to build a "new Bangladesh" inspired by the aspirations of the youth. Speaking at the 12th General Council of Khelafat Majlish at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan this morning, Shafiqur emphasised the need for collective action to establish a democratic future for the nation. "... In the new Bangladesh, all anti-fascist political parties will stand united," he said. The Jamaat chief also expressed concern over what he described as ongoing injustice towards Islamic scholars in the country. "Over the past decade and a half, the nation's Islamic scholars have been subjected to unprecedented levels of injustice and vendetta," he said. The conference was attended by leaders and activists from various Islamic political organisations.D ame Amanda Blanc enjoyed a moment of reflection. As she sat down for her Christmas lunch with her family, the chief executive of the FTSE 100 insurance company Aviva knew she had pulled off one of the biggest takeovers of 2024. Barely 48 hours before the stock market shut down for the festive season, Aviva had announced a £3.6 billion acquisition of its smaller rival Direct Line to bolster its position in car and home insurance. It was not the only transaction squeezed into the small trading window before the two-and-a-half day closure of the stock market, which reopened on Friday. On Christmas Eve, a deal at the other end of the size spectrum was pulled off when the maritime analysis business chaired by the
Dallas (5-8) at Carolina (3-10) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, FOX. BetMGM Odds: Panthers by 3. Against the spread: Cowboys 4-9, Panthers 6-7. Series record: Cowboys lead 11-3. Last meeting: Cowboys beat Panthers 33-10 on Nov. 19, 2023 in Carolina. Last week: Cowboys lost to Bengals 27-20; Panthers lost to Eagles 22-16. Cowboys offense: overall (20), rush (28), pass (11), scoring (21) Cowboys defense: overall (25), rush (30), pass (22), scoring (31) Panthers offense: overall (30), rush (22), pass (27), scoring (28) Panthers defense: overall (31), rush (32), pass (12), scoring (32) Turnover differential: Cowboys minus-8; Panthers minus-5. Panthers edge rusher Micah Parsons vs. Panthers offensive line. Parsons seems to be getting better as the season progresses and will be a tough matchup for Carolina's offensive line regardless of where he lines up. Parsons has 3 1/2 sacks over his past three games. WR Adam Thielen. The veteran wide receiver was Bryce Young's favorite option last season and is finally developing into that again this season after battling back from a hamstring injury that left him on injured reserve. Thielen has 17 catches on 21 targets for 201 yards and a touchdown over the past two games. When the Panthers need a first down on fourth down, the pass is almost always going to Thielen. Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle vs. NFL's worst run defense. Dowdle has had the first two 100-yard outings of his career the past two weeks, resetting his career best both times. The undrafted fifth-year player on an expiring contract had 131 yards in the loss to the Bengals. Since taking over as the lead back at the start of November, Dowdle is averaging 16 carries and 81 yards with a touchdown rushing and another receiving. On Sunday, he will face the league’s 32nd-ranked run defense. Carolina allowed Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley to run for 124 yards last week and Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving to run for a career-high 152 yards the week before that. The Panthers are allowing more than 170 yards per game on the ground and 4.97 yards per carry. Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown was set for season-ending surgery on the right knee he injured in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Bengals. The second-year player from Texas missed all of his rookie season after tearing a ligament in his left knee in a preseason game. ... DE DeMarcus Lawrence, who hasn’t played since Week 4, is close to returning from a foot injury. With the playoff hopes all but gone, the question remains whether to press the 32-year-old into action. Lawrence is on an expiring contract. ... Rookie C Cooper Beebe sustained a concussion against Cincinnati.. ... The Panthers are hoping to get WR Jalen Coker back on the field this week after he has missed the past three games with a quad injury. ... Also, No. 1 CB Jaycee Horn has been playing with a groin injury, and that could be problematic against CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys are 7-2 against the Panthers since losing a wild-card game at Carolina 29-10 during the 2003 season, the first of Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells’ four years leading Dallas. The Cowboys are 4-2 on the road this season, including victories over playoff contenders Pittsburgh and Washington. ... QB Cooper Rush is 2-3 filling in for Dak Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. Assuming Rush starts, this will be his longest stint as Prescott’s replacement. He went 4-1 in 2022 after Prescott broke the thumb on his throwing hand in the opener. ... Dowdle’s 7.3-yard average per carry on 18 attempts against the Bengals was the highest for a Dallas back since Ezekiel Elliott averaged 7.9 per carry at Philadelphia in 2018. ... WR CeeDee Lamb has just one 100-yard receiving game this season after finishing with eight in his breakout 2023 All-Pro season. But Lamb has five other games with at least 89 yards. He has reached 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first five seasons, the fifth receiver to do that. ... S Malik Hooker’s interception of Joe Burrow was his second of the season. He has seven interceptions in his four Dallas seasons. He also had seven in four years with Indianapolis, where he spent four injury-filled years as a 2017 first-round draft pick. ... The Panthers have endured six straight seasons with at least 10 losses. ... Carolina’s past five games have come down to the last possession. ... Panthers 1,000-yard RB Chuba Hubbard needs one rushing touchdown to pass Stephen Davis for fifth in team history. He is also 9 rushing yards away from reaching 3,000 for his career. ... Rookie WR Xavier Legette had three drops last week vs. the Eagles, including one for a potential go-ahead score in the final minute. ... OLB Jadeveon Clowney is tied for 11th in sacks among active NFL players. ... The Panthers have 15 sacks in the past four games. Carolina’s improved pass rush has coincided with OLB D.J. Wonnum getting on the field after missing the first nine games of the season on injured reserve. Chuba Hubbard is expected to see the overwhelming majority of carries for the Panthers, who are now thin at the position. Miles Sanders and Jonathon Brooks are on injured reserve and Raheem Blackshear is working through a chest injury. That leaves Mike Boone as the Hubbard's backup. NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here's a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. All times are in EST. All odds are by BetMGM Sportsbook. What to watch Thursday • NFL: There is a triple-header lined up for pro football fans. Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February. Lions favored by 10. New York at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win, it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race. Cowboys favored by 3 1/2. Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games. They'll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. Packers favored by 3. • College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane is favored by 14. What to watch Friday • NFL: A rare Friday showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 3 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders. • College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country. Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 5:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona. Rady Children's Invitational, 6 p.m., Fox: It's the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi. • College Football: There is a full slate of college games to dig into. Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. Boise State favored by 19 1/2. Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, noon, ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. Colorado favored by 16 1/2. Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia favored by 19 1/2. • NBA. After taking Thanksgiving off, pro basketball returns. Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN: The Thunder look like one of the best teams in the NBA's Western Conference. They'll host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers. What to watch Saturday • College Football. There are more matchups with playoff implications. Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon, Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes. Ohio State favored by 21. No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon, ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama. Tennessee favored by 11. No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon, ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. Clemson favored by 2 1/2. No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. Texas favored by 5 1/2. Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season. Oregon favored by 19 1/2. • NBA: A star-studded clash is part of the league's lineup. Golden State at Phoenix, 9 p.m., NBA TV: Steph Curry and the Warriors are set to face the Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. What to watch Sunday • NFL: It's Sunday, that says it all. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS: Joe Burrow is having a great season for the Bengals, who are struggling in other areas. They need a win to stay in the playoff race, hosting a Steelers team that's 8-3 and won five of their past six. Bengals favored by 3. Arizona at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox: The Cardinals are tied for the top of the NFC West while the Vikings are 9-2 and have been one of the biggest surprises of the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Vikings favored by 3 1/2. Philadelphia at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Two of the league's most electric players will be on the field when Saquon Barkley and the Eagles travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Ravens favored by 3. San Francisco at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. NBC/Peacock: The 49ers try to get back to .500 against the Bills, who have won six straight. Bills favored by 7. • NBA. The best teams in the Eastern Conference meet in a statement game. Boston at Cleveland, 6 p.m., NBA TV: The defending champion Celtics travel to face the Cavs, who won their first 15 games to start the season. • Premier League: English soccer fans have a marquee matchup. Manchester City at Liverpool, 11 a.m., USA Network/Telemundo. The two top teams meet with Manchester City trying to shake off recent struggles. • Auto Racing: The F1 season nears its conclusion. F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 11 a.m., ESPN2 – It's the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen already has clinched his fourth consecutive season championship.
Lance Terry scored a game-high 22 points, helping lead Georgia Tech to a 92-49 rout of visiting Alabama A&M on Saturday in Atlanta. Javian McCollum added 18 points, while Jaeden Mustaf chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds, as Georgia Tech (6-7) won its second game in three outings. Baye Ndongo had 10 points for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 54.1 percent (33 of 61) from the field and made 10 of 21 (47.6 percent) on 3-pointers. AC Bryant and Bilal Abdur-Rahman each led the Bulldogs (4-9) with 11 points. Alabama A&M managed to shoot just 20.8 percent (15 of 72) from the field en route to its sixth straight loss. After London Riley's 3-pointer cut the Bulldogs' deficit to 16-15, McCollum's triple began a 12-0 scoring run, extending Georgia Tech's lead to 28-15 with 5:30 remaining in the opening half. Bryant's layup stopped the Yellow Jackets' run, but McCollum scored five straight points to push Georgia Tech's advantage to 15 at the 4:13 mark. The lead expanded to 18 points before Quincy McGriff's layup trimmed the Bulldogs' deficit to 16. Terry's back-to-back triples jump-started a 12-3 run to close the first half with Georgia Tech ahead 50-25. McCollum led all scorers with 18 first-half points, while McGriff led Alabama A&M with seven. Ndongo's dunk to open the second half started a 10-1 Georgia Tech run, stamped with Duncan Powell's triple with 17 minutes left to push the Yellow Jackets' lead to 60-26. After Angok Anyang knocked down a pair of free throws for the Bulldogs, Terry's fourth triple was followed by Naithan George's layup, extending Georgia Tech's lead to 68-35 with 11:49 left. Jaylen Colon and Terry then traded triples, before Georgia Tech's 13-6 spurt was stamped with Ndongo's layup at the 3:33 mark, giving the Yellow Jackets an 84-44 edge. Georgia Tech's dominant day was stamped with baskets from a pair of Yellow Jacket walk-ons, as Emmers Nichols and Marcos San Miguel each tallied their first career points in the closing minutes. --Field Level MediaWilliams' 19 lead East Texas A&M over Abilene Christian 68-67More snow is coming to Fairbanks starting Sunday, the National Weather Service weather forecast on Friday. The greater Fairbanks area could see an average of six or seven inches of snow, said Fairbanks meteorologist Andrew Stokes. "The east side will get a little more than the west side," Stokes said. "We will see a decent bit of snow, so breaking out snow shovels is a good idea." Unlike the recent small amount of snow the area received between Wednesday night and Friday morning, the three-day system won't include an adhesive-like freezing mix. "We are expecting this to be 100% snow, more normal snow," Stokes said on Friday. "It will be fairly typical for our area, it won't be super fluffy or super wet." Stokes said the snow is driven by a low-pressure system from the Bering Sea heading toward the Seward Peninsula. Temperature highs from Sunday through Tuesday will be in the mid-teens to low 20s. Lows are expected to be in the teens on Sunday night, below 10 degrees on Monday before dipping back to near-zero on Tuesday night. The last snow system that passed through the Fairbanks area brought a wintry mix of freezing drizzle and about an inch of snow. "The moisture that we were dealing with for this event was just above this temperature, making it difficult for snow to form, leading to widespread freezing drizzle," the National Weather Service stated via social media. "This mostly led to a thicker coat of frost on cars and a crunchy coating on snow.
China’s ‘Ice City’ welcomes influx of foreign visitors amid winter tourism boom
Qatar tribune Agencies The growing popularity of Chinese sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks has shaken up Mexico’s luxury car market, hitting sales of traditionally dominant brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. According to industry experts, Mexicans are increasingly switching from traditionally dominant sedans to Chinese vehicles due to a combination of comfort, technology and price. It is no small feat in a country home to factories of foreign brands such as Audi and BMW, and where until a few years ago imported Chinese cars were stigmatized, as in other parts of the world. According to the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors the high-end segment of the market registered a sales drop of 8.1 percent from January to November. Audi’s sales slumped by 21.9 percent, while BMW, which includes the Mini brand, saw no growth in Latin America’s second-largest economy, home to 129 million people. Mercedes-Benz suffered a 9.8 percent decline, according to the state-run statistics institute INEGI.In contrast, Motornation, which sells the BAIC, JMC and Changan brands in Mexico, saw an 8.8 percent increase in sales in the first 11 months of this year, while those of Jetour rose 131 percent, it said. Chinese firms now control 9.3 percent of the Mexican market, according to the AMDA. They have brought stiff competition to the pickup truck segment, with many of the features of high-end models offered by premium brands, the association’s president Guillermo Rosales told AFP. Traditionally, the premium segment included sedan-type vehicles with luxury engines and top-of-the-range features. However, over the past decade consumer preferences have shifted toward utility vehicles such as pickup trucks, minivans and SUVs. Asian brands also benefited from an exemption from import tariffs on electric vehicles that was in effect in Mexico from 2020 until October 1. As in other Latin American countries, Mexicans are becoming more used to seeing Chinese brands on the streets that were unknown to them until about five years ago. Miguel Reyes, a 71-year-old retiree, said that choosing a Chinese car over others was “simple arithmetic.” “I needed a car that had the necessary technology, such as steering assist, to make driving safer,” Reyes said. As well as the design and comfort, the “competitive” price was another factor, said Reyes, who paid around 550,000 pesosroughly $27,000. Copy 29/12/2024 10OTTAWA — Peter Anholt tried to keep things light as he emerged from one of the elevators at Canada's hotel. The temperature had been turned way up on the veteran hockey executive and the country's under-20 program after a stunning upset some 12 hours earlier. "You only want to talk to me when things are bad, eh?" Anholt joked to reporters Saturday morning. "Is that how this works?" That is indeed what happens when a powerhouse with a record 20 gold medals expected to roll over an opponent suffers one of its worst all-time defeats at the tournament. Canada was embarrassed on home soil 3-2 by Latvia — a country it had thumped by a combined 41-4 score across four previous meetings — in a shocking shootout Friday. Coming off a disastrous fifth-place finish last year in Sweden and having talked a lot about upping their compete level and preparation, the Canadians looked disjointed for long stretches against the plucky, hard-working Latvians. The power play finally clicked late in the third period, but stands at 1-for-7 through two games, while the top line of Easton Cowan, Calum Ritchie and Bradly Nadeau has yet to translate its pre-tournament chemistry into success in the spotlight. "We're certainly trying to problem solve, but not throw the baby out with the bath water," said Anholt, who heads the world junior setup. "We've got to be really careful." Canada, which picked up a solid 4-0 victory over Finland to open its tournament Thursday, had plenty of offensive zone time and directed 57 shots at Latvian goaltender Linards Feldbergs. Included in that total, however, were far too many one-and-done efforts from the perimeter with little traffic in front. There were, of course, desperate spurts — especially late in regulation and in 3-on-3 overtime — but not nearly enough for a roster peppered with first-round NHL draft picks and top prospects. "We played really, really hard," Anholt said in defending his players. "We controlled the puck lots. We created some chances. Their goalie was really good and they defended really good ... 99 times out of 100 we win that game." Hoping for a big response Sunday against Germany before meeting the United States on New Year's Eve to tie a bow on round-robin action in Group A, Canada will have to push ahead minus one of its best players. Star defenceman Matthew Schaefer was injured Friday and is done for the tournament after he slammed into Latvia's net and skated off favouring his left shoulder area. "Tough blow for the kid," Anholt said. "The way he plays the game, he plays it at such a high speed." Cowan, a Toronto Maple Leafs first-round selection, said Canada remains confident despite Friday's ugly result in the nation's capital. "We're good," said the 19-year-old from Mount Brydges, Ont. "Everyone's lost a hockey game before." But not like that — or to that opponent on that stage. "Bit of a (crappy) feeling," said Nadeau, a Carolina Hurricanes prospect from St-Francois-de-Madawaska, N.B. "We all know what this group is capable of. Losing that game is not our standard. "We'll bounce back." Some corners of social media exploded following the Latvian debacle, with heavy criticism directed at head coach Dave Cameron and the team's overall roster construction. "We're not really worried about it," defenceman and Ottawa native Oliver Book, who like Cowan is back from last year's team, said of the outside noise. "We know we didn't play well." Canada appears poised to mix things up against the Germans. Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio of Kamloops, B.C., is set draw in for Schaefer, while Anholt indicated there's a good chance forward Carson Rehkopf will get his first crack at the 2025 tournament as a returnee. The 19-year-old Seattle Kraken second-round pick from Vaughan, Ont., has scored a combined 78 goals over his last 97 regular-season and playoff games in the Ontario Hockey League. "Great player," Cowan said. "He finds ways." Anholt said taking a big-picture approach is key in challenging moments. "Let's not panic," he said. "The world hasn't fallen in. It's hard, but we'll learn from it." It's something Canada will have to do under intense scrutiny. "People are gonna love you and people are gonna hate you," said Cowan, who has a goal an assist through two games. "Gotta keep doing you." Anholt, who was also at the helm 12 months ago when Canada never got in gear, isn't getting 2024 vibes from this year's group. "Not even in any way, shape or form," he said. "We've just got to take care of business." They get a first shot at redemption Sunday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2024. Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
Lument Finance Trust, Inc. Declares Quarterly Cash Dividends for its Common and Preferred Stock and Announces Special Cash Dividend DistributionWilliams' 19 lead East Texas A&M over Abilene Christian 68-67ATLANTA (AP) — Ahmad Robinson scored 21 points as Mercer beat Georgia State 71-68 on Saturday. Robinson had nine rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals for the Bears (7-6). Tyler Johnson went 7 of 15 from the field (3 for 10 from 3-point range) to add 19 points. Cam Bryant shot 4 for 7, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc to finish with 11 points. The Bears outscored the Panthers 10-4 over the final 4 1/2 minutes. The Panthers (4-9) were led in scoring by Cesare Edwards, who finished with 20 points and two steals. Georgia State also got 14 points from Malachi Brown. Zarigue Nutter also put up 14 points and four assists. The Panthers prolonged their losing streak to six straight. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
"Tides x Nest" NEW TAIPEI CITY x TOKYO International Forum on Social Housing: Expanding Horizons in Social Housing Across BordersA’ville looks back at year