Chargers QB Justin Herbert does not practice because of left ankle injuryJim Rossman | Tribune News Service Cord cutting used to refer to abandoning pay TV and putting up an antenna to watch free over-the-air TV. Then cord cutting expanded to include streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and individual streaming sources. Now we also include streaming bundles, like YouTube TV or Hulu Live or DirecTV Stream. These bundled services mimic cable and satellite service, in that they have hundreds of channels. The ease or complexity of the cord cutting experience depends on how you have things set up. Let’s take a look at some gift options for your favorite cord cutter. DirecTV Gemini Air As far as I know DirecTV is the only streaming bundle service that offers its own hardware. The Gemini Air is a small dongle that plugs into an HDMI port on your TV. It is paired with a remote control to allow for easy navigation. If you were an AT&T U-Verse TV customer, the Gemini Air/DirecTV Stream experience will be very familiar. The Gemini Air is a rarity in that it has number buttons. DirecTV Stream has the option of turning on channel numbers in the guide. I’ve used DirecTV Stream with my Roku TV and with the Gemini Air and the Air makes navigating the huge list of channels much easier. The Gemini Air runs the Google operating system, so you can see and use all your other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Max and more. You can also load apps and games from the Google Play store. The Gemini Air connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and it can stream 4K content to your TV. The remote control has a microphone so you can use your voice to search or interact with Hey Google’s voice assistant. DirecTV Stream customers can get a free Gemini Air from AT&T with their service. Additional units are available for $120. Google TV Streamer (4K) There are lots of smart TV brands. Some run on the Roku operating system, some run Google TV and some use their own brand of smart TV apps. If you’d like to add Google TV to any set, you can get Google’s new TV Streamer (4K) for just $99 from store.google.com. The small device connects to your TV’s HDMI port. It also can connect to your home’s internet via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection. The Google TV interface is not tied to any specific streaming service. You can use any streaming service or app that’s available on the Google Play store. It features a simple remote with voice control and the Google TV Streamer is also a hub and controller for Matter and Thread home devices that work with Google’s home ecosystem. TabloTV If you use an over-the-air antenna for watching your free local channels, I’m betting you’d like the option to record those channels. TiVo used to be the best/easiest way to record OTA TV, but they’ve discontinued their OTA recorders. A great alternative is from TabloTV, which is a small box that you connect to your TV antenna. The TabloTV does not directly connect to your TV. Instead it connects to your home’s Wi-Fi, and the antenna signal is wirelessly sent to any TV or compatible device in your home. Your TV picks up the signal through a free app, which is compatible with smart TV brands like Samsung, LG, Google TV, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or Android TV. This method is extremely handy if you don’t want to be bothered running an antenna wire from your attic or roof all the way to your TV. It’s also great if you want to use an indoor antenna, but your TV is not situated in a room that faces the broadcast towers. You can place the antenna and TabloTV where you get the best reception. The TabloTV comes in two models – with either two or four tuners. This means you can record or watch two or four shows at a time. TabloTV has onboard storage to record up to 50 hours of shows, but you can plug in any USB hard drive and expand to record thousands of hours of programming. You can also bundle a TabloTV with an OTA antenna if you like, or you can use your own antenna. Two things to know, there are no ongoing subscription costs for guide data, and there is no streaming service integration. You will need another way to add in streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. TabloTV models start at $99.95 for the two tuner model at tablotv.com. The four-tuner model is $139.95, but they may be on sale during the holidays. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Matthew Downing threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to lead Elon to a 31-21 season-ending win over North Carolina A&T on Saturday. The game was tied at 7 in the second quarter when the Phoenix turned a fumble recovery into a field goal. That started a string of four-straight scoring possessions. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert is dealing with an ankle injury for the second time this season. The Chargers quarterback did not practice Wednesday as Los Angeles began preparations for its game Sunday against Tampa Bay. Herbert injured his left ankle during the first quarter of last Sunday's 19-17 loss at Kansas City. Herbert said Wednesday that the injury occurred during a 7-yard scramble on third down during the opening drive. Television cameras showed him grimacing and walking slowly to the sideline after the play. “It was difficult to play with," he said. "It was one of those things where we limited some of the runs out of the pocket. I didn't feel great, but it was one of those things to play through.” Herbert's left leg was later bruised after taking a hard hit from linebacker Nick Bolton during the second quarter. Herbert missed only one play and completed 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown. “The contusion, I think that is something that is easily recoverable. I'm doing everything I can with the ankle,” Herbert said. “If I felt like I could have practiced at 100% and make sure everyone was able to get full-speed reps, I would have. I didn't think I was able to do that today, so the trainers and I were on the same page.” Herbert suffered a high sprain to his right ankle during the third quarter of a 26-3 win at Carolina on Sept. 15. That limited his mobility and some of the play calls in losses to Pittsburgh and Kansas City the next two games. However, Herbert is not in a walking boot this time, which was the case with the injury earlier in the season. The fifth-year quarterback also said the pain tolerance with his ankle injury is better to deal with compared to the earlier one. “I’d like to see him get treatment and not be on his feet. He will do everything in his power to play on Sunday,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. The Chargers have lost two of their last three, but are the sixth seed in the AFC with an 8-5 record. After facing NFC South-leading Tampa Bay on Sunday, Los Angeles hosts Denver in a Thursday night matchup on Dec. 19 as both teams are vying for a playoff spot. It's the second time in three seasons Herbert is dealing with an injury after a game at Kansas City. In 2022, he fractured rib cartilage after taking a hard hit from Chiefs defensive lineman Michael Danna during the fourth quarter. Herbert missed two weeks during training camp because of an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot. He also had a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder near the end of the 2022 season and two broken fingers last year, including one on his throwing hand that caused him to miss the final four games. Herbert has joined Tom Brady as the only players who have not thrown an interception in 11 straight games with a minimum of 15 attempts in each game. Brady accomplished the feat with New England in 2010. The last time Herbert was picked off was midway through the first quarter on Sept. 15 by Carolina’s Jaycee Horn. Herbert has also gone 335 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the fifth-longest streak in league history. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflTrump's 2024 Campaign & Elon Musk's Success: Digital Marketing Parallels by FlyX Marketing Founder Albert Valiakhmetov
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As the newly-named host of the 2034 World Cup in men's soccer , Saudi Arabia says it will construct or renovate 15 stadiums, create a futuristic city and expand airports in a massive buildout to accommodate millions of athletes, coaches and spectators. That will emit tons of planet-warming greenhouse gases as concrete and steel are manufactured and transported, diesel-powered excavators and trucks move material and new buildings are powered and cooled. When all the emissions associated with the world's buildings are grouped together, they are the largest contributor to climate change . Constructing so many new venues is “environmentally wasteful in the extreme” because so much carbon will be emitted and scarce resources used, said Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College in Massachusetts who has written several books about the economics of mega sporting events. Zimbalist said the World Cup should be held in countries with a developed soccer culture and industry. Seth Warren Rose, founding director of the research organization Eneref Institute, said the world will be even hotter a decade from now, and can’t afford this added warming. “I’m sorry, but we’re living in a different planet. We have to prepare for that,” Rose said. “By 2034, we’ll be living in a different climate and that’s not a metaphor." Rose said his message to organizers is: Make a genuine effort to reduce emissions or don't host at all. Saudi Arabia’s plans will rely heavily on concrete, which is responsible for about 8% of worldwide emissions that warm the planet, with iron and steel accounting for another 7% . Human rights groups are concerned that giving the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia will endanger migrant workers . In a bid book detailing its plans for development across five cities ahead of the World Cup, Saudi Arabia said three new stadiums are currently under construction and eight more are planned, to accommodate 2034's first-ever 48-team games. Buildings constructed for international sporting events often end up becoming “white elephant” venues that sit idle once games are over. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation did not respond to request for comment. Saudi Arabia has proposed 134 accommodations for teams and referees, new hotels, several fan festival locations, transportation expansions, including high-speed rail and further investment in its futuristic city of Neom . Much of what the nation included in its bid book relates to its Vision 2030 strategic plan, which the government calls a plan to diversify its economy and unlock new business opportunities. The bid does include sustainability initiatives, said Karim Elgendy, a fellow at London’s Chatham House think tank. Among them are running stadiums on clean electricity such as solar, using energy-efficient natural ventilation and shading and mandating green building standards. But Elgendy said the sheer scale of Saudi Arabia's apparent plans for the event, plus the distances between host cities suggest this could become the most carbon-intensive World Cup in history. Elgendy said how they mitigate this undertaking will determine the environmental impact and without measures, the event could have a carbon footprint that is almost twice the record set in 2022. In contrast, organizers of this summer’s Paris Olympics said this week they met their goal of cutting the games’ carbon footprint by half compared to 2012 and 2016. They did this using renewable energy, recycled materials, plant-based food options that are less carbon-intensive than meat and even powering the famous Olympic cauldron with electricity and lights rather than burning gas. To critics who suggest FIFA ought to have chosen a different host country, like the United Kingdom which has dozens of stadiums, Walker Ross, a researcher of sport ecology and sustainability at the University of Edinburgh points out the Saudi bid was the only one in a fast-tracked process. The next World Cup, in 2026, will span 16 cities across North America. Ross said that could have a significant carbon footprint, too, as teams and fans travel across an entire continent. The same could be said for the 2030 World Cup to be played across six countries. If anyone is at fault, it's FIFA, he said, because it's their bid process. Ross said he thinks locations shouldn’t be ruled out because they are hot or there aren’t a lot of stadiums. “People kind of throw their hands up in the air and act like there are certain countries that should and shouldn’t host when it comes to these events,” he said. “But if this sport is truly for the world, then we have to be open to everyone hosting.” Qatar went on a $200 billion construction spree , building seven stadiums, a new metro system, highways, high-rise buildings and a new city ahead of the 2022 event there. Organizers and FIFA projected it would produce some 3.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over the decade spent preparing for the tournament, or about 3% of Qatar’s total emissions in 2019, according to World Bank data. Experts say the Qatar event had the highest carbon emissions to date. Skeptics and outside experts said Qatar’s accounting that it hosted a ‘carbon neutral’ World Cup didn't encompass the event’s full carbon footprint . FIFA accepted Saudi Arabia’s sustainability and climate promises in an evaluation released in November , noting that “whilst the extent of construction would have a material environmental impact, the bid provides a good foundation for delivering mitigation measures to address some of the environment-related challenges.” FIFA directed The Associated Press to the evaluation Thursday when asked for additional comment. Saudi Arabia's emissions have been growing; it emitted 533 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2022 , or 1.6% of global emissions, according to the International Energy Agency, and its fossil fuel production is skyrocketing. Renewable energy remains nearly nonexistent. The country has a goal to source at least half of its power from renewables by 2030 . “It appears that FIFA has learnt very little from the debacle with the World Cup in Qatar," said Khaled Diab, a spokesperson at Carbon Market Watch. Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .The San Francisco 49ers have gotten a lot from their rookie class in 2024, but the season is over for one member of it. Seventh-round pick Tatum Bethune has been placed on injured reserve, the linebacker having suffered a sprained MCL in last Sunday's surprise loss to the Seattle Seahawks. But the end of his campaign has provided an opportunity to veteran Tashaun Gipson. Gipson, who was a starter at safety for the previous two seasons, has been promoted to the active roster to take Bethune's place. San Francisco signed Gipson to its practice squad earlier this month. He had previously been activated for each of the last two games and will provide key insurance behind starters Ji'Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha. But the window for another veteran to return is shrinking. The 49ers again elected not to activate interior offensive lineman Jon Feliciano from injured reserve. Feliciano was downgraded from questionable to out for Sunday's meeting with the Green Bay Packers, and the 49ers have until Monday to activate him to the roster before his 21-day practice window closes. San Francisco elevated cornerback Nick McCloud and linebacker Jalen Graham from the practice squad to their gameday roster for the visit to Lambeau Field. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
Spire Inc director Paul Koonce buys $73,610 in common stock
Contrary to assertions by some so-called experts who have been prattling all week that Dele Farotimi wrote what he could not logically substantiate in his book Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, this was a pre-meditated confrontation. Having depleted the legal means to get justice, he wrote to re-litigate the case in the court of public opinion. He seems calculatedly driven by the Yoruba proverb that says no one dies at the same spot they uttered blasphemy. In the time between your speaking and being punished, much can happen to change social dynamics. From the potpourri of events in the past week, Farotimi got what he wanted. One cannot say the same for Afe Babalola who, by now, would have realised that giving a traducer what they want is not the most prudent battle move. My reading is that Farotimi knew Babalola’s peculiar weakness and worked it to advantage. I will get to that momentarily. The blowback from this case is another instance that hopefully teaches our elites to rein in their tendency to exploit the warped Nigerian justice system that allows criminal defamation as a legal recourse. Criminal defamation might be legal, but it is unjust. It is a law that exists to regulate the differentials of power and access, one of the many ways rich people further privatise public resources. Since lawmakers are too compromised to expunge the law and law enforcers incapable of the reflexivity that will enlighten them on the stupidity of using state resources to fight an individual over another’s integrity, the best we can do for now is pressure the entitled “big man” not to take that path. In a criminal case, the prosecutor investigates to convict. The Nigerian police, perennially short of resources, spares no expense when sent to prosecute criminal defamation on behalf of another narcissist. Why should the state do that on behalf of an ordinary individual? Babalola, especially, is a man of ample resources, who can afford to fight for his reputation on his own dime. So, on Friday, Babalola’s legal team held a press conference in Ado Ekiti. Among several things, the lead lawyer Owoseni Ajayi said was: “Those pushing Farotimi are not his friends. By the time they led him to the dungeon, he would realise they were deceiving him. Let me advise his family members to apologise to Aare. Aare Babalola is a builder, not interested in destroying Farotimi.” I was intrigued by what he said it takes for them to call off the police hounds. If someone injured your reputation, and that reputation is truly worth the price you placed on it, why would you not be interested in watching them destroyed? Why would Ajayi, so sure of their victory that he boldly asserted that the only possible conclusion to the case is the dungeon, want to settle for the cheap spectacle of Farotimi’s family members with their clasped hands rolling on the floor and begging? What sealed the picture for me was an article by Kenneth Ikonne where he, like Ajayi, also urged Farotimi to go “beg” Babalola. According to Ikonne, he had won a preliminary objection against Babalola’s suit—which a lawyer is supposed to do, right? —but he was so intimidated by his own victory against the legal giant that he had to go beg Babalola. While Ikonne’s adulating article drips with flattery, it also unwittingly reveals a kabiyesi-complex. It is an attitude that revels in watching other humans’ heads perpetually bowed in servile reverence so they can repay your self-denigration with overwhelming niceness. Babalola seems like a man who likes to be liked, an attitude is consistently weakening because you must always play nice. Please note that there is a vast difference between being nice because you are a decent human and niceness as manipulation, a means to seduce others into becoming your subject. People of the latter category will take you to the top of the pinnacle, show you the extent of their power and glory, and nicely offer you a portion if only you would bend obsequious knees before them. If you refuse, they will then kick your calves until you fall on your face. Babalola is so used to a world where junior lawyers who defeat him in court still come to his Ado Ekiti palace to prostrate before him that Farotimi’s boldness to confront him must have been jarring. He resorted to his standard weapons of warfare, but as he must have also found out in the past week, the battle terrain has changed. Even if he wins the case, what will be the social value of a reputation held up by the courts? If Farotimi begs him as his lawyer and others have enjoined, what is done cannot be undone. Related News [UPDATED] Defamation: Court denies human rights activist Dele Farotimi bail Defamation: Farotimi gets N50m bail, to submit passport Defamation: Farotimi gets N50m bail, to submit passport However, this goes down, I commend Farotimi’s boldness. We all agree that the Nigerian judiciary is rotten, but the logic of producing rational evidence has made it virtually impossible to progress beyond merely abstract observations. Until we begin to mention names and point accusing fingers at specific people, the issues will remain intractable. Statistically, Nigerian judges and magistrates are the highest receivers of bribes in 2023, beating even the Customs/Immigration! This is according to the NBS. Those who facilitated these transactions are not ghosts. We have all been witnesses to the several instances where retiring judges have severely deplored the rot in the judiciary. It is amusing to see some people pretending Farotimi revealed what they did not already know. Our society maintains an overly reverential attitude toward people who have money and power, and are elderly. When a person combines all three, we are virtually cowed before their almighty presence. Otherwise, why can we not ask, if defamation is an offence that supposedly lessens someone’s reputational worth, what exactly would constitute it in the case of persons who have practised law in morally decrepit and with progressively weakened institutions like Nigeria for 60-plus years? Which of the atrocities that presently bedevils the country does not have the hands of the so-called learned class in it? This is not to disparage the legal profession or caricature lawyers, but we cannot talk about what is wrong with Nigeria today without the role lawyers have played in vandalising the temple of justice. From the so-called “legal luminaries” who—through endless frivolous election petitions—rendered democracy incoherent to the ones with the “SAN” appendage to their names who fraternise with politicians, they remade the country in their amoral image. We were all here when a partner in the firm of a high-profile lawyer solicited the client of another, saying their principal’s political influence would “significantly switch things in favour” of the prospective client. While that woman was disowned and eventually debarred, it was a moment of self-revelation as to how the justice system operates. Big names in the legal system do not necessarily correspond with a deep knowledge of the law. It just means they know which judge to buy and which string to pull. We witnessed a lawmaker publicly admitting that his judge’s wife helped his colleagues win their various cases. In a serious country, every case that a woman adjudicated would have been recalled and scrutinised, but this is Nigeria. Nothing ever happens here. This is the utterly compromised ecosystem in which Babalola has practised law and thrived to the point he built a magnificent university. He was also a lawyer and confidant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose administration reputation was thoroughly corrupt. Nobody, not even the staunchest of his defenders, has said of Farotimi’s allegations that “it cannot possibly be true”. What they all say is, “It cannot be proven,” and that is telling enough. Given the contradictions of his profession, Babalola should have been circumspect enough to not jump into a public contest over his reputation. He seems to me like a man who has invested in being nice just so that he would not be remembered as a villain in Nigeria’s story. Now he is no longer the man with the carefully curated legacy who set out to redeem his image but the one who proved his critic right.The decision of FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign from his position two years before his 10-year term ended didn’t exactly get him hosannas on social media. “I’ve decided the right thing for the bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down,” Wray told FBI staffers. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” The resignation opens the door for President-elect Donald Trump ’s preferred nominee, Kash Patel , without having to fire Wray. Trump appointed Wray to the FBI Director position in 2017 after he fired James Comey, but hasn’t been too happy with him since the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 and uncovered troves of classified documents that led to federal criminal charges against Trump. Although Wray probably wants his departure to be seen as a statesman-like decision, it wasn’t seen that way on social media. Instead, he was criticized for engaging in “anticipatory obedience” by f ormer Obama administration ethics czar Norm Eisen, who thought Wray had a duty to the country to “constantly push back” and make Trump fire him. I admire how Chris Wray has hung in there—but he should’ve made Trump fire him Anticipatory obedience is not how we will save democracy Instead you must constantly push back 1/2 pic.twitter.com/3Y8FkGXkjN Other people also called out Wray for succumbing to the pressure. FBI director Christopher Wray just bent the knee and resigned. Most likely, Kash Patel will take his place. I talk to @glennkirschner about how Trump will weaponize the DOJ to attack Americans & dismantle democracy. Scary, sobering shit, but there is hope.... pic.twitter.com/OPJPNiORdC A profile in courage, Chris Wray is not. Wray bowed to political pressure; his early resignation is the easy way out. It avoids a very public conversation when Trump inevitably would have fired him for putting the law and the Constitution ahead of his loyalty to Trump. Wray’s resignation has resulted from raw political pressure that is repugnant to our justice system. It vastly heightens the hazards of weaponizing the FBI for political or personal ends—which should be an anathema to all my colleagues, regardless of party, https://t.co/iPJtwi8Wtg This is an unbelievable abdication by Wray and makes it so much easier for Trump to install a corrupt leadership under Kash Patel and weaponize the FBI. Wray is doing a huge disservice to the FBI past, present, and future. Wray is making a mistake. Wray hasn't done anything worthy of getting fired by Trump and should've made him do it Trump on the resignation of FBI Director Christopher Wray: “I just don’t know what happened to him.” Translation: “I appointed him thinking he’d do whatever I told him. To my surprise, he chose to follow the law instead.” pic.twitter.com/uF4iJALV4f Christopher Wray just announced his dutiful 'Obey in Advance' resignation. Nothing but cowards and quislings all the way down. Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) spoke out against Wray’s resignation Wednesday on MSNBC . You can see the segment below. Related From Our PartnerSpire Inc director Paul Koonce buys $73,610 in common stock
Chargers QB Justin Herbert does not practice because of left ankle injuryChanelle Hawken has been named Cox Communications ‘ new market vice president following the retirement of Ingo Hentschel. Hawken, who joined the company in 2015, most recently served as the West region’s vice president of government and public affairs, where she guided strategies and provided leadership on local, state and federal government affairs to community and media teams. Cox, according to its website , manages information technology and cloud services for an estimated 7 million homes and businesses nationwide. “Chanelle brings decades of experience in the public and private sectors to this role, and she’s built strong ties in the community,” said Sam Attisha, Cox senior vice president and regional manager in a news release. “We’re excited to have [her] serve as the new market vice president.” Hawken has a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC San Diego and a law degree from the University of San Diego . She is a member of the California State Bar and completed an executive education program through Harvard Business School in 2022. We have launched our year-end campaign. Our goal: Raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Help us get there. Times of San Diego is devoted to producing timely, comprehensive news about San Diego County. Your donation helps keep our work free-to-read, funds reporters who cover local issues and allows us to write stories that hold public officials accountable. Join the growing list of donors investing in our community's long-term future. Before joining Cox, Hawken was vice president of public policy for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce , overseeing local, state and federal policy efforts. She also worked in government and media relations with the San Diego Regional Airport Authority and served on the staff of Rep. Scott Peters . “Having proudly called San Diego home for more than 20 years, I’m excited to take on this new role and work with elected officials and our partners in the business, education and nonprofit communities to bring connectivity to residential and business customers throughout our region,” she said. Hawken also has been recognized by several business media outlets for her accomplishments including San Diego Metropolitan Magazine and San Diego Business Journal . Get Our Free Daily Email Newsletter Get the latest local and California news from Times of San Diego delivered to your inbox at 8 a.m. daily. Sign up for our free email newsletter and be fully informed of the most important developments.
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Homeland Security shares new details of mysterious drone flights over New Jersey A New Jersey lawmaker from part of the state where several mysterious drones have been spotted in recent week says the devices appear to avoid detection by traditional methods. Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia was among state officials who met Wednesday with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security. She says lawmakers were told the drones have dodged detection by helicopters and radio. Fantasia says DHS described the devices as up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights off. The Morris County Republican made the comments in a post on X shortly after she and several other state and local lawmakers met with state police and Homeland Security officials. Juan Soto gets free luxury suite and up to 4 premium tickets for home games in $765M Mets deal DALLAS (AP) — Juan Soto gets free use of a luxury suite and up to four premium tickets behind home plate for regular-season and postseason New York Mets home games as part of his record $765 million, 15-year contract. The Mets agreed to provide personal team security for the All-Star outfielder and his family at the team’s expense for all spring training and regular-season home and road games, according to details of the agreement obtained by The Associated Press. New York agreed to assist Soto’s family for in-season travel arrangements, guaranteed he gets uniform No. 22 and included eight types of award bonuses. Rape allegation against Jay-Z won’t impact NFL's relationship with music mogul, Goodell says IRVING, Texas (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says a rape allegation against rapper Jay-Z won’t impact the NFL's relationship with the music mogul. Jay-Z's company Roc Nation has produced some of the NFL’s entertainment presentations including the Super Bowl halftime show. A woman who previously sued Sean “Diddy” Combs alleging she was raped at an awards show after-party in 2000 amended the lawsuit Sunday to include an allegation that Jay-Z was also at the party and participated in the sexual assault. Jay-Z says the rape allegation made against him is part of an extortion attempt. The NFL teamed up with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2019 for events and social activism. The league and the entertainment company extended their partnership a few months ago. Ohio politician proposes make flag planting a felony after fight in Michigan rivalry game An Ohio politician has seen enough flag planting. Republican state Rep. Josh Williams said Wednesday on social media he's introducing a bill to make flag planting in sports a felony in the state. His proposal comes after the Nov. 30 fight at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry football game when the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes 13-10 and then attempted to plant their flag at midfield. A fight ensued and police had to use pepper spray to disperse the players. Former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield famously planted a flag in the middle of the field at Ohio State after the Sooners beat the Buckeyes in 2017. Gastineau confronts Favre in documentary for his 'dive' on Strahan's record-breaking sack Former New York Jets star Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre last year at a memorabilia show and angrily accused the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback of deliberately going down on a record-breaking sack. The tense exchange is shown in the new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “The New York Sack Exchange." It chronicles the Jets’ fearsome foursome defensive line of the 1980s that included Gastineau. Gastineau set an NFL record with 22 sacks in 1984, but Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan broke the mark when he sacked Favre in 2002 in a game between the Giants and Packers. Many have accused Favre of purposely taking the sack so Strahan could set the single-season record with 22 1/2. What happens next with Alex Jones' Infowars? No certainty yet after sale to The Onion is rejected Lawyers in the Alex Jones bankruptcy case are now in discussions on what could happen next after a federal judge in Texas rejected the auction sale of Jones’ Infowars to The Onion satirical news outlet. The next steps remained unclear Wednesday as the judge ordered the trustee who oversaw the auction to come up with a new plan. Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston rejected the bid late Tuesday, saying there was too much confusion about The Onion’s bid. The bankruptcy case was in the wake of the nearly $1.5 billion that courts have ordered Jones to pay for calling the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut a hoax. Sandy Hook families had backed The Onion’s bid. NFL and Nike extend their partnership with a 10-year deal, will focus on growing the sport globally IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL’s desire to become a global powerhouse is no secret. Nike is committed to helping the league continue expanding its worldwide reach. The league and the apparel giant announced Wednesday a 10-year partnership extension. The NFL and Nike will focus on working together to grow the game’s global reach, increase participation, develop new talent, and expand the football fan base. Nike, the world’s largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel, has been the NFL’s exclusive provider of uniforms and sideline, practice and base layer apparel for all 32 NFL teams for 12 years. George Kresge Jr., who wowed talk show audiences as the The Amazing Kreskin, dies at age 89 NEW YORK (AP) — George Joseph Kresge Jr., otherwise known to TV watchers as the mesmerizing entertainer and mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, has died at age 89. Kreskin’s friend and former road manager, Ryan Galway, says he died Tuesday at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey. Kreskin launched his television career in the 1960s and remained popular for decades, appearing with everyone from Merv Griffin to Johnny Carson to Jimmy Fallon. Fans would welcome, if not entirely figure out, his favorite mind tricks — whether correctly guessing a playing card chosen at random, or, most famously, divining where his paycheck had been planted among the audience. He also hosted a show in the 1970s, gave live performances and wrote numerous books. Albertsons sues Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed supermarket merger Kroger and Albertsons’ plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history has crumbled. The two companies have accused each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through, and Albertsons pulled out of the $24.6 billion deal on Wednesday. The bitter breakup came the day after a federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington issued injunctions to block the merger, saying that combining the two grocery chains could reduce competition and harm consumers. Albertsons is now suing Kroger, seeking a $600 million termination fee, as well as billions of dollars in legal fees and lost shareholder value. Kroger says the legal claims are “baseless.” Keynote Selena Gomez spotlights prioritizing mental health during Academy Women's Luncheon LOS ANGELES (AP) — While surveying a room packed with Hollywood’s most influential figures, “Emilia Pérez” star Selena Gomez took center stage at the Academy Women’s Luncheon to spotlight a critical issue: Prioritizing mental health and supporting underserved communities often left behind in the conversation. The singer-actor has been public about her mental health struggles, revealing she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Gomez was the keynote speaker Tuesday at the event held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures with attendees including Ariana Grande, Olivia Wilde, Amy Adams, Pamela Anderson, Rita Wilson, Ava DuVernay and Awkwafina.
knows there are tons of questions about his future with the . He might get traded, he might leave as a free agent next summer, he might exercise a $52.4 million option to return to the Heat, or he might get a new contract. "Who knows?" Butler asked. The Heat forward, who has led the team to a pair of NBA Finals trips in his Miami tenure, said Wednesday that he doesn't mind his name being in the rumor mill. The Heat are open to listening to offers for Butler and making a deal if the proposal is right, earlier this week. That wouldn't be surprising, given Butler's contract status and the possibility that he might leave with the Heat getting nothing in return next summer. "I actually like it," said Butler, who is averaging 19 points per game this season. "It's good to be talked about. I don't think there's such a thing as bad publicity -- to a point." The Heat could have offered an extension last summer and chose not to, presumably for a variety of reasons including Butler's age -- he's 35 -- and the fact that he missed 26% of Miami's games over his first five seasons with the team. He still clearly impacts winning: Miami is 8-2 this season when he scores at least 18 points. And the Heat aren't new to trade speculation; has been the centerpiece of rumors in each of the past three summers. Butler said Wednesday that money doesn't really matter to him at this point, adding that he's not fixated on extensions or trades. "My kids matter, my happiness matters, my well-being matters and my family matters," Butler said. "Right now, it's all about competing, staying healthy, playing some great basketball. I think I've done that so far, so we'll see what we got." He stopped short of saying that he wants to absolutely remain in Miami. "I'm pretty sure y'all are going to get a report that's going to say otherwise anyways, so there's no sense in me answering that question," Butler said. It has been social media fodder for a few days, with some even suggesting that Butler's hair dye in recent weeks -- sometimes yellow, sometimes blue, sometimes red -- has matched the teams some of the trade speculation links him to like , and . That said, he has insisted since arriving in Miami that he wants to bring the team another championship. That stance has not changed. "We're going to continue to win and I'm proud of the guys," Butler said. "You see everybody out here working and we know what we're capable of."Finance Minister Unveils Comprehensive Tax, Export Initiatives To Boost Business Confidence