Playoff game at Ohio State has sold 34% more tickets than Notre Dame game on StubHub
How Washington outsider Jimmy Carter wooed voters tired of Vietnam and WatergateGiants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. Week 16 game between Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers flexed to Thursday night spot The Los Angeles Chargers have played their way into another prime time appearance. Justin Herbert and company have had their Dec. 22 game against the Denver Broncos flexed to Thursday night, Dec. 19. Friday’s announcement makes this the first time a game has been flexed to the Thursday night spot. The league amended its policy last season where Thursday night games in Weeks 13 through 17 could be flexed with at least 28 days notice prior to the game. The matchup of AFC West division rivals bumps the game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals to Sunday afternoon. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game for the 49ers with a shoulder injury SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers with a sore throwing shoulder. Purdy injured his right shoulder in last Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Purdy underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage but the shoulder didn’t improve during the week and Purdy was ruled out for the game. Coach Kyle Shanahan said star defensive end Nick Bosa also will miss the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Left tackle Trent Williams is questionable with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision. Red Bull brings wrong rear wing to Las Vegas in mistake that could stall Verstappen's title chances LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen is suddenly in jeopardy of being denied a fourth consecutive Formula 1 title Saturday night. Red Bull apparently brought the wrong rear wing to Las Vegas and GPS data showed its two cars to be significantly slower on the straights than both McLaren and Mercedes, which led both practice sessions. Red Bull says it doesn’t have a replacement rear wing in Las Vegas to fix the issue and little chance of getting two flown in from England ahead of the race. Lawyer says ex-Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller met with NCAA for hours amid gambling probe PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A lawyer for former Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller says the 22-year-old sat for a long interview with the NCAA amid an investigation into unusual gambling activity. But neither the lawyer nor federal law enforcement officials on Friday would confirm reports that a federal probe is now under way. Lawyer Jason Bologna says Miller cooperated because he hopes to play again. Miller was released last month after transferring to Virginia Tech. Temple President John Fry says the Philadelphia school has not been asked for any information from federal law enforcement officials. Caitlin Clark to join Cincinnati bid for 16th National Women's Soccer League team WNBA star Caitlin Clark has joined Cincinnati’s bid for an expansion National Women’s Soccer League team. Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati is heading the group vying to bring a women’s pro team to the city. The club issued a statement confirming Clark had joined the bid group. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has said the league plans to announce the league’s 16th team by the end of the year. The league's 15th team will begin play in 2026 in Boston. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Aaron Judge won't be bothered if Juan Soto gets bigger contract from Yankees than his $360M deal NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge won’t be bothered if Juan Soto gets a bigger deal from the New York Yankees than the captain’s $360 million, nine-year contract. Speaking a day after he was a unanimous winner of his second MVP, Judge says “It ain’t my money” and adds "that’s never been something on my mind about who gets paid the most.” Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks in his first season with the Yankees, then became a free agent at age 26.
Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in GazaSaquon Barkley tops 2,000 yards rushing as Eagles beat Cowboys 41-7 to clinch NFC East
Lori Borgman | The little house that sat empty and aloneJimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100
President calls for unity in Parliament to usher in era of transformationDynatrace's CTO Bernd Greifeneder sells $1,583 in stock
It was no different for Jimmy Carter in the early 1970s. It took meeting several presidential candidates and then encouragement from an esteemed elder statesman before the young governor, who had never met a president himself, saw himself as something bigger. He announced his White House bid on December 12 1974, amid fallout from the Vietnam War and the resignation of Richard Nixon. Then he leveraged his unknown, and politically untainted, status to become the 39th president. That whirlwind path has been a model, explicit and otherwise, for would-be contenders ever since. “Jimmy Carter’s example absolutely created a 50-year window of people saying, ‘Why not me?’” said Steve Schale, who worked on President Barack Obama’s campaigns and is a long-time supporter of President Joe Biden. Mr Carter’s journey to high office began in Plains, Georgia where he received end-of-life care decades after serving as president. David Axelrod, who helped to engineer Mr Obama’s four-year ascent from state senator to the Oval Office, said Mr Carter’s model is about more than how his grassroots strategy turned the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary into his springboard. “There was a moral stain on the country, and this was a guy of deep faith,” Mr Axelrod said. “He seemed like a fresh start, and I think he understood that he could offer something different that might be able to meet the moment.” Donna Brazile, who managed Democrat Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, got her start on Mr Carter’s two national campaigns. “In 1976, it was just Jimmy Carter’s time,” she said. Of course, the seeds of his presidential run sprouted even before Mr Nixon won a second term and certainly before his resignation in August 1974. In Mr Carter’s telling, he did not run for governor in 1966, he lost, or in 1970 thinking about Washington. Even when he announced his presidential bid, neither he nor those closest to him were completely confident. “President of what?” his mother, Lillian, replied when he told her his plans. But soon after he became governor in 1971, Mr Carter’s team envisioned him as a national player. They were encouraged in part by the May 31 Time magazine cover depicting Mr Carter alongside the headline “Dixie Whistles a Different Tune”. Inside, a flattering profile framed Mr Carter as a model “New South” governor. In October 1971, Carter ally Dr Peter Bourne, an Atlanta physician who would become US drug tsar, sent his politician friend an unsolicited memo outlining how he could be elected president. On October 17, a wider circle of advisers sat with Mr Carter at the Governor’s Mansion to discuss it. Mr Carter, then 47, wore blue jeans and a T-shirt, according to biographer Jonathan Alter. The team, including Mr Carter’s wife Rosalynn, who died aged 96 in November 2023, began considering the idea seriously. “We never used the word ‘president’,” Mr Carter recalled upon his 90th birthday, “but just referred to national office”. Mr Carter invited high-profile Democrats and Washington players who were running or considering running in 1972, to one-on-one meetings at the mansion. He jumped at the chance to lead the Democratic National Committee’s national campaign that year. The position allowed him to travel the country helping candidates up and down the ballot. Along the way, he was among the Southern governors who angled to be George McGovern’s running mate. Mr Alter said Mr Carter was never seriously considered. Still, Mr Carter got to know, among others, former vice president Hubert Humphrey and senators Henry Jackson of Washington, Eugene McCarthy of Maine and Mr McGovern of South Dakota, the eventual nominee who lost a landslide to Mr Nixon. Mr Carter later explained he had previously defined the nation’s highest office by its occupants immortalised by monuments. “For the first time,” Mr Carter told The New York Times, “I started comparing my own experiences and knowledge of government with the candidates, not against ‘the presidency’ and not against Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. It made it a whole lot easier”. Adviser Hamilton Jordan crafted a detailed campaign plan calling for matching Mr Carter’s outsider, good-government credentials to voters’ general disillusionment, even before Watergate. But the team still spoke and wrote in code, as if the “higher office” were not obvious. It was reported during his campaign that Mr Carter told family members around Christmas 1972 that he would run in 1976. Mr Carter later wrote in a memoir that a visit from former secretary of state Dean Rusk in early 1973 affirmed his leanings. During another private confab in Atlanta, Mr Rusk told Mr Carter plainly: “Governor, I think you should run for president in 1976.” That, Mr Carter wrote, “removed our remaining doubts.” Mr Schale said the process is not always so involved. “These are intensely competitive people already,” he said of governors, senators and others in high office. “If you’re wired in that capacity, it’s hard to step away from it.” “Jimmy Carter showed us that you can go from a no-name to president in the span of 18 or 24 months,” said Jared Leopold, a top aide in Washington governor Jay Inslee’s unsuccessful bid for Democrats’ 2020 nomination. “For people deciding whether to get in, it’s a real inspiration,” Mr Leopold continued, “and that’s a real success of American democracy”.A contestant on ITV's Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? Celebrity Special was accused of cheating during Sunday's (December 29) episode after they called a star of quiz show The Chase for an answer. Host Jeremy Clarkson was back at the helm for a star-studded edition of the popular game show, with celebs vying to win a cool £1 million for their chosen charities. Jools Holland kicked things off, playing for Prince's Trust and Caring Hands, before passing the baton to comedian Nina Wadia and ex-Rugby Union ace Ugo Monye. But it was Nina's choice of phone-a-friend that raised eyebrows she opted to call none other than Paul Sinha, a familiar face from ITV's own quiz battleground, The Chase, reports the Express . Nina, previously seen on Strictly Come Dancing , found herself stumped by a question about the demolition of a prison in 1987 where Rudolf Hess had been the sole inmate. Without hesitation, she reached out to Chaser and comic Paul Sinha for help. Even host Jeremy Clarkson couldn't hide his surprise, exclaiming: "From The Chase? Let me get this straight, you're actually contemplating, shall I ask the audience or should I ask someone from The Chase?" Paul didn't disappoint, confidently identifying option B, Spandau, as the correct answer. Social media buzzed with reactions, with one viewer jesting on X: "You can't ring Paul Sinha, that's cheating." Another chimed in with disapproval: "Phoning a chaser on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire that shouldn't be allowed." Some fans were more forgiving, with one commenting: "No wonder she's laughing with a phone a friend called Paul Sinha." Nina ultimately pocketed £32,000 for her chosen charity JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), after being tripped up by a question about the Shakespearean origin of the contemporary phrase 'there's method in my madness'. The comedian, recognised for her parts in Goodness Gracious Me and EastEnders , was torn between Hamlet and Macbeth. She decided to Ask The Audience, who were equally divided over the two choices. She locked in Macbeth as her final answer, but alas, it was Hamlet, marking the end of her stint on the show. Viewers are keeping their fingers crossed for more celebrity editions of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire from ITV , given the stellar roster of celebs that have previously graced the show, all eager to scoop up a hefty sum for charity. Prior to airing, there were whispers that this special would be "the best season yet". This comes hot on the heels of news that the host of Clarkson's Farm had a recent health scare, undergoing emergency heart surgery following a severe illness while on holiday. In his column for the Sunday Times, Jeremy Clarkson shared his harrowing ordeal, describing how he suddenly found himself unable to rise from the breakfast table, questioning whether his "limbs were working properly". However, it wasn't just the Covid saga that hit Jeremy; he found everyday activities like swimming and walking a challenge. After experiencing a worrying "tightening in his chest" upon his return to the UK, Jeremy was swiftly whisked off to hospital by ambulance. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Celebrity Special is streaming on ITVX.
Creating a stunning New Year’s table setting doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. With a little creativity and these DIY tips, you can transform your table into the centerpiece of your celebration. The New Year is the perfect occasion to gather loved ones around the table and celebrate new beginnings. To make your feast truly unforgettable, a beautifully set table is essential. Here’s how you can create stunning DIY table settings that will impress your guests and set the tone for the festivities. 1. Choose a Theme Begin by deciding on a theme that complements the mood of your New Year’s celebration. Some popular themes include: Golden Glam: Think metallics, glitter, and sparkle. Winter Wonderland: Soft whites, icy blues, and frosted accents. Rustic Elegance: Natural elements like wood, burlap, and greenery. 2. Layer Your Tableware Create visual depth by layering your tableware. Here's how: Base Layer: Start with a stylish tablecloth or runner. For a chic look, use a solid color that contrasts with your tableware. Placemats and Chargers: Add texture with woven placemats or metallic chargers. Dinnerware: Stack plates of different sizes, starting with a dinner plate, followed by a salad plate, and ending with a small bowl. 3. Napkins with a Twist Napkins can be both functional and decorative. Fold them into elegant shapes or wrap them with a ribbon. Add a sprig of rosemary or a festive ornament for a personalized touch. 4. Statement Centerpiece A centerpiece can set the mood for your table. Consider these DIY options: Floral Arrangement: Combine seasonal flowers with pinecones and candles. Candle Display: Use varying heights of candlesticks and tea lights for a warm glow. Fruit Bowl: Arrange fresh fruits like pomegranates and oranges with a sprinkle of glitter. 5. Personalized Place Cards Create simple yet classy place cards for your guests. Use card stock and metallic pens to write their names. Attach the cards to mini pinecones, or place them in small decorative holders. 6. Add Festive Accents Incorporate small details to tie the look together: Fairy Lights: Drape them across the table for a magical ambiance. Confetti: Scatter metallic confetti or sequins for a celebratory vibe. Miniature Clocks: Add tiny clocks set to midnight for a whimsical New Year’s touch. 7. Incorporate Colors Wisely Stick to a cohesive color palette of 2–3 colors to avoid a cluttered look. Metallics like gold and silver pair well with almost any theme. 8. Serveware that Shines Use elegant glassware and serving dishes. Mix and match patterns for an eclectic look, or stick to a uniform style for a more polished appearance. 9. DIY Party Favors Place small party favors at each setting. These could be mini champagne bottles, sparklers, or a handwritten note wishing them a Happy New Year. 10. Final Touches Before guests arrive, ensure the table is tidy and everything is in place. Dim the lights slightly to enhance the ambiance created by your candles and fairy lights. Start the year off in style by wowing your guests with a feast that’s as beautiful as it is delicious! Stay informed on all the latest news , real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.It's been eight years since Rex Ryan was last a head coach in the NFL and he hasn't taken a single coaching job since despite his reputation as a top defensive mind. But with a number of NFL teams looking for new head coaches this offseason, the former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills coach wants one job in particular. Appearing on Pardon My Take, the former head coach turned NFL analyst publicly lobbied the Jets to re-hire him as their head coach. "There's way too much talent on this team to play the way we've been playing," Ryan said, referring to the Jets. "Period. And, how hard can you get a guy to play? That's the thing. Like, nobody's seen the team going to play the way... As hard as this team's going to play in the future, trust me, if I'm the guy. Trust me." "And that's going to be it," Ryan said. "That's what's going to seperate me from all these other guys you're going to bring in. You know, your Grudens [Jon Gruden], your whoever or whatever, give me a break. They ain't New York Jets. I'm all about the Jets." "And the great thing is, alright yeah, second chance. You'd get a second chance at it, things that doesn't happen very often. Yeah, well when it does, it's usually special. And so, we'll find out if I get that chance or not." “I think I’m the guy for the Jets” Rex Ryan has some unfinished business with New York @PardonMyTake pic.twitter.com/v1MQbaIvhM Ryan was the last coach to lead the Jets to the playoffs back in the 2010 season. He went 20-12 in his first two seasons at the helm between 2009 and 2010, leading them to the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons. His big personality made him a great fit for New York and his bombastic style had fans loving him even after some of his worst moments. But poor quarterback play from Mark Sanchez between 2011 and 2012, followed by Geno Smith from 2013 to 2014 resulted in four straight years without a winning season and Ryan's firing following the 2014 season. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Ryan became head coach of the Bills mere months after the Jets fired him but he went 15-16 in two years, also failing to reach the playoffs. Should the Jets hire Ryan as their next head coach? Related: New York Sports Radio Host Wants Jets To Hire Rex RyanTSB investigating rough plane landing in Halifax, passenger says flames were visible
Syrian government services come to a 'complete halt' as state workers stay home
Seven of the league's ten most-viewed players will take the court on Christmas Day, with LeBron James and Steph Curry still holding down their roles as the NBA's surefire superstars . As they continue to shoulder the responsibility of being deemed the face of the league face for over the past decade, Ja Morant and Victor Wembanyama have emerged as the likely new faces based on popularity. The NBA is leaning heavily into this star power for its Christmas Day schedule, which begins with Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs traveling to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks . The MSG stage is fitting for the former No. 1 pick and one of the most hyped rookies in decades, whose mix of size, skill, and social media appeal has already earned him a top-three spot in the NBA's most-viewed players list above Curry . The festivities continue for the second game, which pits Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks . Fresh off his FIBA World Cup breakout, Edwards continues to carve his path as one of the league’s next big stars, while Doncic continues to be a global icon and a perennial MVP candidate . Ironically, neither player was featured on the NBA list as official criteria for the "most-viewed" players list remains unknown. Wild Joel Embiid ejected and restrained after screaming in female referee's face Trinity Rodman comparison of LeBron James and legendary dad speaks volumes In the afternoon, the reigning champion Boston Celtics face the Philadelphia 76ers in a classic Atlantic Division rivalry. Jayson Tatum , the ninth player on the list, will look to outshine the 2023 MVP in Joel Embiid , who was also a glaring omission from the list. The real fireworks come in the primetime matchup, where LeBron's Lakers face Curry's Warriors. The night concludes with the Denver Nuggets [5th in Western Conference] hosting the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are in 11th place with an even 14-14 record, with fifth place just two games away. While the Grizzlies won't play on Christmas, Morant’s status as the second-most viewed player on social media guarantees the league's change to go viral will spill into Memphis' Dec 26 primetime matchup against the Toronto Raptors. The electrifying guard is the only player in Memphis history to record a triple-double in 30 minutes or less, and he's done it two times. The NBA noted that Morant's past two 360 layups from the Grizzlies-Nets game generated over 170 million views across NBA socials, which remains a league record. Morant reproduced the same athletic aerial move against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, spreading the clip aggressively across social platforms. LeBron James [Los Angeles Lakers]: 623 million Ja Morant [Memphis Grizzles]: 538 million Victor Wembanyama [San Antonio Spurs]: 402 million Stephen Curry [Golden State Warriors]: 350 million LaMelo Ball [Charlotte Hornets]: 237 million Giannis Antetokounmpo [Milwaulkee Bucks]: 227 million Klay Thompson [Dallas Mavericks]: 189 million Nikola Jokic [Denver Nuggets]: 182 million Jayson Tatum [Boston Celtics]: 175 million Anthony Davis [Los Angeles Lakers]: 169 millionMEXICO CITY (Reuters): Amid a fresh wave of violence, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has sent her security chief and thousands of troops to stem a bloody escalation of drug cartel crime in Sinaloa state, signaling a shift in security strategy in the Latin American nation. On the campaign trail, Sheinbaum had promised to largely continue the security policy of her mentor and predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which prioritized addressing the root social causes of crime rather than attacking the cartels – an approach nicknamed “hugs not bullets” after a catchphrase of the former president. But initial signs from her first months in office suggest a more aggressive approach with the most substantial deployment in at least six years of military and naval troops, as well as special forces and heavy weaponry to Sinaloa since an intra-cartel war broke out in September. High-profile arrests and large drug seizures have followed, including a record bust of over a ton of fentanyl. That more front-footed strategy could align well with President-elect Donald Trump, who has called on Mexico to do more to stop the flow of drugs, and migrants, to the U.S. But it also risks further inflaming violence and homicides, as a more confrontational position has done in the past in a country where cartels are heavily armed with military-grade weapons. Sheinbaum’s office did not reply to a request for comment. “There is a change without a doubt ... we are seeing signs that the strategy of hugs and not bullets is on the way out,” said Vicente Sanchez, a security expert and member of Mexico’s National System of Investigators, a government agency that works to improve the quality of Mexican research. Security experts said they believe the new strategy is partly a response to Trump’s threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on products from Mexico if the country does not curb drug trafficking and the illegal crossing of migrants into the United States. Some have also taken it as an indirect admission that Lopez Obrador’s less confrontational strategy did not work, with many experts saying it helped organized crime groups entrench power in vast swaths of the country. The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, publicly criticized the approach, saying it had “failed” and “Mexico is not safe.” MILITARY TO THE STREETS Some security experts have drawn comparisons between the operations in Sinaloa and the military war waged on the cartels by then-President Felipe Calderon in 2006. That triggered a spiral of violence to which many analysts trace the continued high homicide rates Mexico. The United Nations has repeatedly criticized the use of the armed forces in the fight against crime in Mexico, arguing that it encourages human rights violations. The Mexican government denies that security in the country has been militarized or that human rights abuses are common. Key to Sheinbaum’s crime-fighting strategy is her new security chief Omar Garcia Harfuch, an experienced policeman who worked for the president while she was mayor of Mexico City. Sheinbaum sent Garcia Harfuch to Sinaloa to oversee operations. “We know how difficult it is to pacify the country,” he said last week after an investigator from his ministry was killed in Sinaloa. The confrontation between rival groups in Sinaloa, which intensified on Sept. 9, has so far killed some 650 people, with more reported missing. In an attempt to contain the conflict, the local security chief was replaced by a military officer over the weekend. In the same week, at least three soldiers were killed by land mines laid by organized crime in two separate locations in the western state of Michoacan. For some experts there is a danger if Sheinbaum seeks to replicate her strategy in Sinaloa across the country. “Each one (criminal group) has its own personality, its own mark, and we have to find the part that hurts them,” said Tomas Guevara, an expert on security issues in Sinaloa.