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Patriots' coaches enter bye week confident Drake Maye can be a franchise quarterbackTORM (NASDAQ:TRMD) Shares Down 0.4% – What’s Next?
ZJK Industrial (NASDAQ:ZJK) Shares Gap Up – Should You Buy?The Pittsburgh Steelers took a flyer on quarterback Russell Wilson after the Denver Broncos cut him in the offseason. It was a smart move, as Denver had to pay most of his salary. The Steelers could see what the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback had in the tank and make a decision next offseason. Wilson missed the first quarter of the season with a calf injury, but since he became the starter, the team has done a lot of winning. They are currently on a three-game losing streak, which has led many to question whether the team should re-sign the veteran quarterback. A recent report revealed the team will try and bring him back next season. Pittsburgh Steelers Want Russell Wilson Back On Thursday’s episode of “Get Up” on ESPN, NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed that the Pittsburgh Steelers have been happy with Russell Wilson’s play this year. They have indicated they plan to make a run at re-signing him. “They’d like to go ahead and keep Russell Wilson and re-sign him to keep him in Pittsburgh,” Schefter said. Given the age of Wilson, the Steelers would likely look to lock him down for two to three years on a team-friendly deal. This would give them the flexibility to spend money elsewhere on the roster. In ten games this season, Russell Wilson has thrown for 2,334 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has added another two rushing touchdowns. There are definitely criticisms. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of scoring, only averaging 22.7 points per game. While the defense tends to carry the team, there are times when the offense needs to be more explosive. Wilson hasn’t been able to get things going, especially against the elite teams. Limited Options Schefter made it clear there is more behind the Pittsburgh Steelers wanting to bring Russell Wilson back than just his play. If they do not bring him back, there are not many better options. “Who’s gonna be out there that’s an upgrade over Russell Wilson right now? There are two logical first-round quarterbacks in the draft, they’re not gonna get either one of those. The top free-agent quarterbacks are gonna be Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson. Is there another quarterback in the trade market that’s all of a sudden gonna spring-free? Probably not. So, this is where the Steelers are.” Good quarterbacks aren’t usually readily available. The Steelers could take their chances in the 2025 NFL Draft, but that isn’t a sure thing. (They would know. See the 2022 NFL Draft when the team took quarterback Kenny Pickett). While the recent struggles are concerning, the team is 10-6 and has already clinched a playoff spot. With another full offseason of practice, Wilson could look better in the offense next year. Final Thoughts It would not shock me if the Steelers took a quarterback in the draft this April. Even if they don’t plan on starting him immediately, it would be good to start planning for the future. All indications are that Wilson will be back next year, assuming the two sides can come to a deal. However, if things go south in the playoffs or during contract talks, the Steelers could find themselves in an awkward position going into 2025. This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.
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Patriots' coaches enter bye week confident Drake Maye can be a franchise quarterback
No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A &M head into this weekend on a collision course for one of the most anticipated college football games in years. But they both need to survive upset-minded opponents this weekend to set the stage. ESPN's Peter Burns outlined the stakes in an interview with ABC13 this week. "If Texas and Texas A &M both win this weekend, it would be the most anticipated game since "The Game of the Century" between Alabama and LSU in 2011 in Tuscaloosa. And that one lived up to the hype. Not only are you talking about a birth in the SEC Championship likely on the line, but also the College Football Playoff," Burns said. The game on Nov. 30 in College Station live on ABC13 at 6:30 p.m. is already taking on gargantuan heights as the first meeting between the two rivals since 2011, when both were a part of the Big 12 conference. "If I wrote a script to ABC and turned this in, they would say, 'No, that's too unbelievable.' And yet that's what we could potentially get," Burns said. The Longhorns and Aggies need to win this weekend. No. 3 Texas hosts Kentucky on Saturday live on ABC13 at 2:30 p.m. as 20-point favorites, while the 15th-ranked Aggies face a daunting road trip to Auburn. "This is a perfect situation for Texas to get right, right before the game against A &M. But A &M does not have a game either against Auburn down in Jordan-Hare Stadium. (Auburn) has looked a little bit better. So it is going to be a fantastic penultimate weekend of SEC football," Burns said. Burns also discussed No. 9 Ole Miss on upset alert at Florida, which will be aired on Saturday live on ABC13 at 11 a.m., the College Football Playoff ranking reactions, and Deion Sanders' surging Colorado team with Heisman frontrunner Travis Hunter. Watch the video above for the full interview. For updates on this story, follow Jonathan Bruce on Facebook , X and Instagram .
NoneJustin Herbert tosses 3 TDs, Chargers clinch a playoff spot with a 40-7 rout of Patriots FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with the San Francisco 49ers. Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. The Patriots have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home. Dallas' Naji Marshall gets 4-game suspension, Phoenix's Jusuf Nurkic is banned 3 games for fight The NBA has suspended Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall for four games and Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic for three games for their roles in an on-court fight during Friday night’s game. Dallas forward P.J. Washington was suspended for one game. All of the suspensions are without pay. Nurkic was called for an offensive foul while being guarded by Daniel Gafford with 9:02 left in the third quarter before the altercation quickly escalated. Nurkic confronted Marshall before taking an open-handed swing at his head and then Marshall responded with a punch. Washington quickly shoved Nurkic to the ground before the teams were separated. The NBA said Marshall “attempted to further engage Nurkic in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms.” Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has posted on his Instagram account that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting a baby in 2025. The photo shows the couple's beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that is covered by a baby emoji. Ohtani announced in February that he had married Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan. The news from the intensely private player stunned Ohtani's teammates and his fans. Eli Manning and Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Hall on Saturday announced the names of the 15 modern-era finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final stage of voting. The selection committee will vote next month to pick the class of between three and five modern-era players that will be announced the week of the Super Bowl. Georgia QB Carson Beck announces plan to enter NFL draft after season-ending elbow injury Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has announced his plans to enter the NFL draft, five days after having season-ending elbow surgery. The fifth-year senior made his NFL plans official on social media. Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7. Beck had surgery on Monday to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. He is expected to begin throwing next spring. Backup Gunner Stockton will make his first start in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame on Wednesday. Victor Wembanyama plays 1-on-1 chess with fans in New York Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though. Wemby was playing chess. Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote. It was 9:36 a.m. And people began showing up almost immediately. Mavs star Luka Doncic is latest pro athlete whose home was burglarized, business manager says DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized. The star guard’s business manager tells multiple media outlets there was a break-in at Doncic’s home Friday night. Lara Beth Seager says nobody was home, and Doncic filed a police report. The Dallas Morning News reports that jewelry valued at about $30,000 was stolen. Doncic is the sixth known pro athlete in the U.S. whose home was burglarized since October. Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati are among them. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to players over the break-ins. Panthers place 1,000-yard rusher Chuba Hubbard on IR for final 2 games with strained calf CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have shut down leading rusher Chuba Hubbard for the final two games of the season because of a strained calf. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday. Hubbard was limited in practice Friday with a knee injury and was listed as questionable to play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After practice, Hubbard complained of pain and had an MRI, which revealed a grade two calf strain, according to the team. Hubbard ran for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He becomes the third Panthers running back to be placed on injured reserve this season, joining Miles Sanders and rookie Jonathan Brooks. Patriots QB Drake Maye returns to game after evaluation for head injury vs. Chargers FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye has returned to the game after being evaluated for a head injury following a blow to the helmet in the first quarter of New England’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. Maye was scrambling near the sideline on third down of the Patriots’ first possession of the game when he was hit by Chargers cornerback Cam Hart. Maye stayed down on the turf for several seconds before eventually getting up and jogging off the field on his own power. He briefly sat on the bench before going to the medical tent and then the locker room. He was replaced by backup Jacoby Brissett in the next series. But Maye returned at the 10:15 mark of the second quarter. Corbin Burnes and Arizona Diamondbacks agree to $210 million, 6-year deal, AP source says PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Burnes and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a $210 million, six-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical. The 30-year-old Burnes was perhaps the top free agent pitcher on the market after going 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA for Baltimore last season. The Orioles acquired the right-hander in a February trade after he spent his first six major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.In Japanese society, prostitution is often framed as a necessary evil – a way to maintain social harmony by providing men with an outlet for their pent-up sexual desires. While there are a number of issues with this view – such as the implication that men are inherently unable to control their sexual impulses – it also has a critical flaw: It frames prostitution as something that only men want or need. In Japan, female sexuality is often seen through the narrow lens of heterosexual romance and motherhood. Rezu fuzoku upends this view. Rezu fuzoku , which roughly translates to “lesbian sexual entertainment,” refers to agencies where female sex workers provide sex to female clients. And in Japan, it’s entirely legal. I began investigating female-to-female commercial sex and escort services in 2023. After initially studying the phenomenon of female-to-male crossdressers offering nonsexual, romantic dates to female clients, I decided to expand the investigation to focus on clients seeking sex and romance. The names of the sex workers and clients I interviewed in my research have been changed in this article to protect their anonymity. Tapping into a niche market Unlike in many countries that historically criminalized homosexual acts, Japan only briefly outlawed them in the 1870s, during an era of rapid Western-inspired legal reforms. After that period, the country did not reintroduce laws criminalizing homosexual acts, allowing same-sex relationships to exist largely without legal interference – even if they remained frowned upon in Japanese society. Furthermore, homosexual prostitution has never been illegal. Japan did enact a strict anti-prostitution law in 1956 that bans the practice, which it exclusively defines as penetrative, paid sex between a man and a woman. As a result, any paid-for activity that falls outside of this definition – such as homosexual sex – is not considered illegal. For my research, I interviewed a man named Obo, the founder of the Lesbian Girls Club, an agency with branches in Osaka and Tokyo providing female sex workers for female clients. Obo started out his career as a web developer but soon became burned out and disillusioned. “I wanted to start my own business, and since I was building websites for several adult entertainment shops, I decided to try something similar. It quickly became clear that while the market was flooded with services for men, there were almost none for women.” So Obo opened Lesbian Girls Club in 2007, an agency arranging meetups between sex workers and female clients in hotels, rather than at a brothel. Since then, it’s become an institution in Japan, with some of his original sex workers still working for Obo. A diverse clientele Initially a niche market, rezu fuzoku gained wider attention when the manga artist Nagata Kabi used Obo’s agency and later chronicled her experience in her work “My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness.” The award-winning manga, which was also released in the U.S. and Europe, introduced the service to many Japanese women who hadn’t previously known about it. Despite the term rezu – lesbian – in the name, Obo’s agency welcomes women of all sexual orientations. “Some of our clients are lesbians,” he told me. “But many are straight, also married. Most are between 26 and 35 years old, though we also have clients in their 60s and 70s.” Many Japanese women still find it difficult to explore their sexuality and express their sexual desires, even with their partners. This often leads to unsatisfactory sexual experiences, which can pave the way for sexless relationships– something which is increasingly commonplace in Japan and a situation that many users of rezu fuzoku services shared with me. As Yuriko, a 35-year-old heterosexual client of rezu fuzoku , explained, “For the very first time I really enjoyed sex! Rezu fuzoku gave me the chance to try new things and to feel good.” Sex is wellness In my interviews, the term iyashi often popped up. It means “healing” and refers to activities or services that provide relief from daily stress and negative feelings. Just as yoga classes or massages are seen as forms of iyashi , sex – especially commercial sex – is also branded this way in Japan. “Men do not understand women and their bodies,” Yuriko said. “But sexuality is a fundamental part of life, and ignoring it only leads to frustration and dissatisfaction. Sex is iyashi .” The use of this word shows how prostitution in Japan is not always viewed as something to be ashamed of but can also be seen as a form of self-care. For instance, the practice of dispatching a sex worker to a hotel where she meets the client is called in Japanese deriheru , or delivery health, stressing the connection with the iyashi realm. Also, a 90-minute session with a professional sex worker for women is often called “wellness course,” which ties sex to physical and psychological well-being. Sex workers themselves also emphasize the connection between their occupation and iyashi practices, often referring to themselves as “therapists” or “cast” and downplaying the sexual aspects of their work, instead highlighting the wellness-related ones. Aware of the positive impact their services have on women, many of them expressed pride in their work during our interviews. “It’s rewarding,” Moe, who has been in the industry for six years, told me. “When a customer tells me she was really struggling but now feels she can try a little harder because we met, I feel glad I chose this job.” Her colleague, Makiko, agreed. “I am proud of this job. It’s very important to me, and I believe it’s quite needed in society.” Despite the widespread stigma against sex workers in Japanese society, the legal status of rezu fuzoku services offers employees greater protection and ensures clear working conditions. And as a marker of how the industry has grown, Tokyo alone is currently home to over 10 rezu fuzoku agencies, according to my research. ‘A refuge for the heart’ Yet, despite the existence of services aimed at women’s sexual well-being, gender inequality remains rampant in Japan. Women still face significant social and economic barriers. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Gender Gap Report, Japan ranks 118th out of 146 countries for gender equality and holds the lowest position among G7 nations. By catering to women’s sexual desires outside of the traditional heterosexual framework, rezu fuzoku challenges conventional narratives about women’s sexuality. In a country that has been experiencing falling marriage and birth rates, listening to women and understanding their needs has become increasingly important. This legal form of sex work clearly fills a need, offering women a safe place to try new things and entrust their sexual pleasure to an expert – who happens to be another woman. One thing that stood out in my research was how popular the service was among women in heterosexual relationships who seemed eager to explore desires that may be difficult to share with a partner. But what female clients seek often goes beyond sex itself. Many women simply want intimacy – being hugged, cuddled and cared for in a way that is missing not only in the lives of single women but also in those of women in relationships. “I use this service for comfort and healing,” said Sachi, a 42-year-old woman who’s married to a man. “It is a kind of refuge for the heart offering emotional richness.” Marta Fanasca is a Marie Curie Global Fellow, Università di Bologna, Italy. The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.
Trump claimed Kim Jong Un missed him. The North Korea leader has a different message