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USC women move to No. 4 in AP poll as top three unchangedNone
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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott is the quarterback of the near future for the Dallas Cowboys. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones will have to decide soon whether he feels the same about coach Mike McCarthy. Cooper Rush is making a good case to stay as Prescott’s backup. If Rush can help pull an upset in either of the final two games at Philadelphia on Sunday or home against Washington, he’ll have a winning record in three different seasons filling in for Dallas’ injured star QB. It was 1-0 in 2021 when Prescott had a calf strain, 4-1 a year later after Prescott broke a thumb in a season-opening loss and now 4-3 following a season-ending hamstring tear for the three-time Pro Bowler. Rush, who is a free agent after the season, helped keep a playoff season on track in 2022. He couldn’t do that again this season, losing the first two starts to cap a five-game losing streak that was too much for Dallas to overcome in pursuit of a fourth consecutive postseason trip for the defending NFC East champions. The Cowboys (7-8) were eliminated a few hours before kickoff against Tampa Bay on Sunday night. They won anyway, the 26-24 victory costing the Buccaneers control of their playoff fate. RELATED COVERAGE Texans WR Tank Dell out for season after dislocating knee, tearing ACL Former NFL great Michael Vick introduced as Norfolk State’s football coach Netflix is airing 2 NFL games on Christmas Day. Here’s what to know Rush had a career high for passing yards in a half with 226 before the break, and the defense made the big plays late when the offense couldn’t run out the clock. A week earlier, Rush threw a career-best three touchdown passes in a 30-14 victory over Carolina. “I think you’ve just seen a man take full advantage of his opportunities,” McCarthy said. “And what I love about Cooper is, you look at his performance, it’s improved every week because he’s always prepared properly. He’s an ace in the quarterback room, as far as getting ready each and every week even when he wasn’t the starter.” Last year, Dallas traded for Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick by San Francisco in 2021, to play behind Prescott and Rush and give the Cowboys another consideration for the future. There’s been plenty of talk about the Cowboys seeing what they have in a young QB who flamed out quickly with the 49ers. Lance’s contract is up after the season as well. Dallas has been steadfast in believing Rush was the best option to win now, and made winning a priority even as the playoff hopes faded. Now, it appears whatever future Lance has will be elsewhere. Like any QB, Rush would love a chance to start full time. He’s also 31 and knows a good situation when he sees one, even if the Cowboys did at one point give up on him by going with Andy Dalton as the backup in 2020. Rush returned later in that pandemic-altered season, and is about to finish an uninterrupted four-season run behind Prescott. “This is ball,” Rush said. “This is what you do. You get paid to do it. I don’t think people need much more motivation.” What’s working WR CeeDee Lamb simply won’t let an injured right shoulder sideline him this season. He has at least 100 yards receiving in the first half of the past two games and has surpassed 100 catches for the third time in his five seasons. Only two other receivers have done the latter. What needs help The Dallas run game was finally stuffed after a lengthy stretch of helping control games. McCarthy half-expected it against the usually stout rushing defense of the Bucs. The Cowboys had 31 yards rushing, their fewest in a win in almost four decades. Stock up K Brandon Aubrey had two 58-yard field goals and another from 53 against Tampa. He and Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn are in an intriguing duel for an NFL record. Aubrey has 14 field goals of at least 50 yards to 13 for Fairbairn this season. Whichever kicker finishes with more will have the record, unless they end up sharing it. Stock down Rookie LT Tyler Guyton might be better off watching the final two games as long as veteran Chuma Edoga stays healthy. They rotated early, but Guyton ended up getting just seven snaps. Guyton has been battling a variety of injuries this season. Injuries LB Eric Kendricks couldn’t go because of a calf injury, opening the door for Nick Vigil to play a season-high 69 snaps and lead the Cowboys with 10 tackles. It had been six weeks since Vigil played any defensive snaps. Key number 10 — Star edge rusher Micah Parsons needs half a sack to reach double digits in each of his first four seasons. He would be the fifth player to do it. The other four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Next steps Rush is 9-2 as a starter against teams other than Philadelphia. He’s 0-2 against the Eagles, including a 34-6 loss in his first start after Prescott’s injury this season. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflUSC women move to No. 4 in AP poll as top three unchangedPhiladelphia (8-2) at Los Angeles Rams (5-5) Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC/Peacock BetMGM NFL odds: Eagles by 3. Against the spread: Eagles 6-4; Rams 4-6. Series record: Eagles lead 23-20-1. Last meeting: Eagles beat Rams 23-14 in Inglewood, Calif. on Oct. 8, 2023. Last week: Eagles beat Washington 26-18; Rams beat New England 28-22. Eagles offense: overall (5), rush (1), pass (22), scoring (7). Eagles defense: overall (1), rush (7), pass (2), scoring (6). Rams offense: overall (17), rush (26), pass (T-7), scoring (21). Rams defense: overall (23), rush (18), pass (22), scoring (22). Turnover differential: Eagles plus-2; Rams plus-4. Eagles player to watch RB Saquon Barkley. Barkley combined for 198 scrimmage yards and two scores, rushing 26 times for 146 yards (5.6 average) while adding two receptions for 52 yards against Washington. With 1,137 rushing yards through 10 games, Barkley only trails Baltimore’s Derrick Henry for the NFL lead. He had his sixth 100-plus yard rushing game this season, which is the most in the NFL. Rams player to watch S Kam Kinchens. The rookie third-round pick from Miami had eight tackles, one tackle for loss, an interception and a forced fumble against the Patriots as he continues to come on strong. Kinchens has three picks in the past three games. Key matchup Eagles QB Jalen Hurts vs. Rams’ defensive line. Hurts shredded Los Angeles for 303 yards passing and 72 yards rushing last season despite the presence of superstar DT Aaron Donald. After Donald retired, the Rams turned to a committee approach to get after the passer, and it has worked with rookie OLB Jared Verse and DT Braden Fiske fitting in well next to second-year OLB Byron Young and DT Kobie Turner. But they can only unleash their excellent pass rush skills by limiting Philadelphia on early downs. Hurts has been at his dual-threat best over the past five games, accounting for 15 total touchdowns (six passing, nine rushing) against two turnovers. Key injuries Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff had surgery on his left wrist on Thursday, a move that could allow him to return toward the end of the season. ... WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and DT Milton Williams (foot) each missed practice this week. ... Rams RT Rob Havenstein (ankle) looks to be trending toward a return this week. Havenstein sat out the previous two games because of the ailment. Series notes The Eagles have won all three games in Los Angeles since the Rams moved back in 2016. ... Overall, Philadelphia has won seven of the past eight. The only setback came in Week 2 of the 2020 pandemic season. Stats and stuff Barkley has passed 100-plus scrimmage yards in eight of 10 games. That is tied with LeSean McCoy (2011) and Brian Westbrook (2007) for the most by an Eagle through 10 games. His 198 yards were his second most as an Eagle (199 in Week 9). ... The Eagles have allowed two passing touchdowns during their winning streak. Only one opponent has topped 200 passing yards against them in this stretch, with Cincinnati throwing for 222 in Week 8. ... Hurts leads all NFL quarterbacks with 11 touchdown runs and is second only to Henry's 13 scores for the Ravens. ... WR A.J. Brown leads the league in receptions of 30 yards or longer. He is averaging 18.7 yards per catch, the best mark of any player with at least 30 grabs. ... Even before he hurt his wrist, Huff struggled in his first season in Philadelphia with just 2 1/2 sacks and four quarterback hits. His snap count has dipped since he was injured ahead of a game earlier this month against Jacksonville. Huff had 17 1/2 sacks in four seasons with the Jets before he signed a three-year, $51 million free-agent deal with the Eagles. ... Philadelphia has run for at least 150 yards and two touchdowns in five straight games, something it hadn't accomplished since 1949. ... Rams WR Puka Nacua caught his first touchdown of the season in New England. He has at least seven receptions and 98 yards in three of his past four games, with only a second-quarter ejection in Seattle having limited Nacua since he returned from a knee injury. ... WR Cooper Kupp has 614 receptions through his first 98 games, which is fourth most in NFL history through 100 games. Julio Jones (619) is third. ... RB Kyren Williams averaged a season-high 5.7 yards per carry, finishing with 86 yards on 15 attempts versus the Patriots. ... Verse has 11 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks through his first 10 games. Verse is pressuring the quarterback on 20.2% of pass rush snaps, which ranks second in the league overall. ... The Rams were 2 of 8 (25%) on third down against New England, their third straight game converting 25% or worse. ... QB Matthew Stafford has not been sacked in each of Los Angeles’ past three wins. Fantasy tip Don’t be discouraged using Stafford, Kupp and Nacua against Philadelphia's pass defense. All three put up solid fantasy numbers in last season’s meeting, even as the Eagles sat on the ball for nearly 38 minutes. Stafford had 222 yards and two scores, finding Kupp eight times for 118 yards and Nacua seven times for 71 yards and a touchdown, so they'll find ways to produce. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
USC women move to No. 4 in AP poll as top three unchangedI paid into Social Security and Medicare my whole working life thinking they would be there for me when I retired. Now I keep hearing our benefits are about to be cut and the fund will cease to exist in 6-10 years! I'm sure there are solutions out there. Why not take the wage cap off so all wages are subject to Social Security and Medicare tax? I think we spend way more on defense than needed; some of that spending could go toward ensuring seniors have the retirement we worked so hard for and paid into for all those years. Seems Congress is very happy to give tax breaks to the wealthy and big business but can't seem to spare any money for retired American workers, money that is rightfully theirs in the first place. It's not an entitlement. We put our money into this fund so we would have money for our retirement. It is our money and not a handout. No matter what your politics are, if you are receiving Social Security, you need to contact our elected representatives and let them know we are deeply concerned about this issue. Seniors don't want excuses, we want solutions. If the people we voted into office can't fix this problem, they do not deserve our vote. So when it Is time to vote in 2026 for who will represent us, vote with your Social Security benefits in mind. Sue Delaney lives in Perham, Minn.Generally speaking, if you are looking for a basic statistic that groups the good NBA teams and the bad teams together, it’s assist-to-turnover ratio. ADVERTISEMENT You certainly want as many assists as possible — that’s a sign of good offense. And you would like to limit giveaways that decrease your number of looks at the bucket while often feeding your opponent Grade A opportunities. The ratio balances out the equation for teams that may turn the ball over more than others simply because it moves the ball at such a high rate. The bad teams are the ones that turn the ball over often without the added benefit of creating easy shots when they do take care of the ball. That, currently, is the group that includes the Timberwolves. ADVERTISEMENT The Wolves have just 1.52 assists for every turnover, the sixth-worst mark in the NBA entering Saturday’s games. Of the nine NBA teams below 1.6, only the Wolves (8-7) and Clippers (10-7) have winning records, and the Clippers have been dominant defensively. Also in the bottom nine are the two-win Wizards, the three-win 76ers and Jazz and the four-win Pelicans. Since the 2020-21 season, nine teams have finished the season with an assist-to-turnover number below 1.6. Only one of those teams won more than 27 games — the 2022-23 Magic, who went 34-48. While the Wolves are still above .500 going into their game against the defending champion Celtics on Sunday in Boston, that’s with what has been the NBA’s fourth-easiest schedule to date, per ESPN. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has cited the turnover issues in recent weeks when discussing his team’s struggles, though he’s noted the giveaway totals have dipped in recent games, Thursday’s loss to Toronto not withstanding. But Minnesota hasn’t committed fewer than 11 turnovers in a single game this season. Meanwhile, the Wolves have tallied fewer than 25 assists in more than half of their games. ADVERTISEMENT It all speaks to a disjointed offense. Finch has at times attributed that to missed shots that were good looks. But the Wolves are tied with Charlotte for the fifth-fewest potential assists this season, at 43.7 per game. The stats say Minnesota’s shot making is what has saved the Wolves’ offense this season. The Wolves have the NBA’s 10th-best offensive rating, averaging 1.14 points per possession. That’s with having the League’s fourth-best effective field goal percentage (56.3). The three teams above it in that category all average 1.2-plus points per possession. Those same squads also average more than 2.1 assists per turnover. It all fits the eye test for the Timberwolves. They have an offense that’s run on shot making off isolation basketball. So much of it is without the rhythm and movement Finch aspires for his teams to achieve. And, given that this Wolves unit doesn’t seem to be nearly as dominant defensively as it was one short season ago, until Minnesota can look more like a fluid offense, it will continue to look like a .500 team, or if not worse. ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .
US actress Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, hostile work environment and embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation with claims of a targeted social media campaign. The legal complaint states that Baldoni, 40, hired crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, the same publicist who actor Johnny Depp is said to have hired during his high-profile defamation trial against Heard in 2022. In a statement given to NBC News, Aquaman star Heard said: “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying, a lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on. “I saw this first-hand and up close. “It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.” Depp successfully sued ex-wife Heard over a 2018 article she wrote for The Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being an abuser. At the time, Heard said the jury’s verdict “sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated”. Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni and the other named defendants, said Lively’s claims were “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious”, adding that the studio “made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film”. It Ends With Us, based on Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name, is about a woman’s pursuit of a loving and healthy relationship, with Lively playing lead character Lily Bloom and Baldoni as her love interest Ryle Kincaid amid a backdrop of domestic violence. After the legal action was filed, Hoover appeared to voice support for 37-year-old Lively, writing on her Instagram stories: “@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. “Never change. Never wilt.” Hoover posted a link to a New York Times article titled We Can Bury Anyone: Inside A Hollywood Smear Machine. Lively’s former cast members from the 2005 film The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, also released a joint social media statement to defend their long-time friend. “As Blake’s friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,” the statement said. “Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.” They added: “We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment,” the statement continues. “We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.”OTTAWA - Closing the First Nations infrastructure gap could generate $635-billion in economic output over the next seven years, a new report commissioned by the Assembly of First Nations says. The AFN and Indigenous Services Canada estimate there is a $349-billion infrastructure gap plaguing First Nations communities that they’re calling to be closed by 2030. The gap is the result of decades of underfunding and failed fiduciary duties affecting housing, roads, internet connectivity, water treatment plants, ports and schools that the AFN and Indigenous Services Canada say will become more costly to remedy without immediate investments. The report by the Conference Board of Canada released today says every dollar spent to close that gap will contribute $1.82 in economic output to Canada. AFN national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says the report shows that closing the infrastructure gap is not just about righting wrongs, but about bringing forward a transformative economic opportunity for all Canadians. The report says the economic benefits of closing the gap go far beyond its immediate predictions, and that broader economic impacts will be studied later. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.Who from the Crocodile Dundee cast outlived the famed 16ft reptile Burt? Here's where the cast are now - including Paul Hogan the 'recluse'(The Center Square) – The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents has recommended a number of new and revised policies for its institutions, such as a commitment to institutional neutrality, the prohibiting of DEI tactics, and a mandatory education in America’s founding documents. The University System of Georgia (USG) is made up of Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities as well as Georgia Archives and the Georgia Public Library Service. “USG institutions shall remain neutral on social and political issues unless such an issue is directly related to the institution’s core mission,” the board’s proposed revisions read . “Ideological tests, affirmations, and oaths, including diversity statements,” will be banned from admissions processes and decisions, employment processes and decisions, and institution orientation and training for both students and employees. “No applicant for admission shall be asked to or required to affirmatively ascribe to or opine about political beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles, as a condition for admission,” the new policy states. Additionally, USG will hire based on a person’s qualifications and ability. “The basis and determining factor” for employment will be “that the individual possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the role, and is believed to have the ability to successfully perform the essential functions, responsibilities, and duties associated with the position for which the individual is being considered.” Beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year, the school’s civic instruction will require students to study founding American documents among other things. USG students will learn from the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Articles of Confederation, the Federalist Papers, the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, as well as the Georgia Constitution and Bill of Rights. When reached for comment, the Board of Regents told The Center Square that “these proposed updates strengthen USG’s academic communities.” The recommended policies allow a campus environment “where people have the freedom to share their thoughts and learn from one another through objective scholarship and inquiry,” and “reflect an unyielding obligation to protect freedom, provide quality higher education and promote student success,” the board said. The board told The Center Square that it proposed strengthening “the requirements for civics instruction” with the inclusion of “foundational primary sources” because of higher education’s duty to students. Colleges and universities “must prepare [students] to be contributing members of society and to understand the ideals of freedom and democracy that make America so exceptional,” the board said. As for ditching DEI, the board explained that “equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of USG.” “The proposed revisions among other things would make clear that student admissions and employee hiring should be based on a person’s qualifications, not his or her beliefs,” the board said. The Board of Regents also said it wants to “ensure [its] institutions remain neutral on social and political issues while modeling what it looks like to promote viewpoint diversity, create campus cultures where students and faculty engage in civil discourse, and the open exchange of ideas is the norm.” USG’s Board of Regents recently urged the NCAA to ban transgender-identifying men from participating in women’s sports, in line with the NAIA rules, The Center Square previously reported .
Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in BarcelonaEAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings waived cornerback Akayleb Evans on Saturday in another setback for their beleaguered 2022 draft class. Evans started 15 games last season, but he had been relegated to a special teams role this year after the Vikings added veteran cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Amber Heard criticises social media in response to Blake Lively complaint