ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — What's stoking the Denver Broncos' surprising surge is the growing connection between rookie quarterback Bo Nix and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Whenever the Broncos (7-5) need a clutch catch, a key flag or a timely touchdown, Sutton is usually the one delivering it like he did Sunday when he caught eight passes on 10 targets for 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns that sparked the Broncos' come-from-behind 29-19 win at Las Vegas. “Courtland played tremendous,” coach Sean Payton said. Again. “He’s just reliable,” Nix said. “He's just always there when you need him.” Sutton's size (6-foot-4 and 216 pounds) and experience (he's in his seventh NFL season) make him an ideal target and safety valve for the rookie QB whose confidence is growing by the week. “He’s smart. He’s savvy. He makes plays when the ball’s in the air,” Nix said. “You can trust him. When it’s up in the air, it’s his or nobody’s. It’s not going to be a pick.” Nix's first touchdown toss to Sutton was an 18-yarder that allowed the QB to break Marlin Briscoe's 1968 Denver rookie record of 14 TD passes, and the two connected again with 5:30 left to make it a two-score game. The Broncos trailed 13-9 at halftime and Nix said they knew they had to get the ball into Sutton's hands more in the second half after he had caught the only pass thrown his way in the first half (for 17 yards). “Didn’t target him (much) in the first half,” Nix said. “We come out and say, ‘Look, Courtland, this is your half.’ We take over the game. He goes for two touchdowns. That just kind of speaks for what he means to our team.” Sutton has been on a tear after since he wasn't targeted a single time in Denver's 33-10 win at New Orleans on Oct. 17. (Payton mentioned as recently as last week what an anomaly that game was because there was a heavy diet of plays for Sutton that just didn't pan out for various reasons.) In his six games before that goose egg, Sutton had 21 catches on 49 targets for 277 yards and a touchdown. In the five games since, he's caught 36 of the 48 balls thrown his way for 467 yards and three TDs. Plus, he threw a touchdown pass to Nix on a “Philly Special” at Baltimore in Week 9. “I think we're just scratching the surface,” Sutton said. Thanks in part to the chemistry between Nix and Sutton, the Broncos are in position for the seventh and final playoff spot entering December. What’s working The passing game, thanks to the Nix-Sutton connection. What needs help The running game. Javonte Williams had just 2 yards on eight carries and Audric Estime ran three times for 15 yards against the Raiders' run-heavy fronts and a steady diet of blitzes. Jaleel McLaughlin saved the day with seven carries for 44 yards. Stock up OLB Nik Bonitto. His 10 sacks make him the first Denver defender with double-digit sacks since 2018, when Von Miller did it. Stock down Once again, the Broncos' special teams, with the exception of K Wil Lutz, who hasn't missed a field goal attempt or extra point since his protection unit cratered at Kansas City three weeks ago and allowed the Chiefs to block what would have been the game-winning kick as time expired. On Sunday, the Raiders had a successful fake punt and a 59-yard kickoff return. Injuries Payton isn't saying much about the injuries to DE Zach Allen (heel) and CB Riley Moss (knee) except that to him they're not serious setbacks for either player. Key number 2 — The Broncos are two games above .500 for the first time since starting the 2021 season with three wins. Next steps The Broncos host Cleveland (3-8) on Monday night ahead of their bye week. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Arnie Stapleton, The Associated PressGAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — DJ Lagway threw two touchdown passes, Montrell Johnson ran for 127 yards and a score, and Florida upset No. 9 Mississippi 24-17 on Saturday to knock the Rebels out of College Football Playoff contention. The Gators (6-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference), who topped LSU last week, beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2008 and became bowl eligible. The late-season spurt provided another vote of confidence for coach Billy Napier, who is expected back for a fourth season. Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3), which entered the day as a 10-point favorite, lost for the first time in four games and surely will drop out of the 12-team playoff picture. The Rebels ranked ninth in the latest CFP and needed only to avoid stumbling down the stretch against Florida and lowly Mississippi State to clinch a spot in the playoff field. But coach Lane Kiffin’s team failed to score in three trips inside the red zone and dropped countless passes in perfect weather. No. 2 OHIO ST. 38, No. 5 INDIANA 15 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a score and No. 2 Ohio State beat previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana. All Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 2) has to do now is beat Michigan at home next Saturday and it will earn a return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 in a wild one back on Oct. 12. The Hoosiers (10-1, 7-1, No. 5 CFP) had their best chance to beat the Buckeyes for the first time since 1988 but were hurt by special teams mistakes and disrupted by an Ohio State defense that sacked quarterback Kurtis Rourke five times. Howard finished 22 for 26 for 201 yards. Emeka Egbuka had seven catches for 80 yards and a TD. No. 8 GEORGIA 59, UMass 21 ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Carson Beck threw four touchdown passes, Nate Frazier ran for 136 yards with three scores and No. 8 Georgia overwhelmed Massachusetts as the Bulldogs tried to protect their College Football Playoff hopes. Georgia (9-2, No. 10 CFP) needed the big offense from Beck and Frazier to rescue a defense that gave up 226 rushing yards. UMass (2-9) played its first game under interim coach Shane Montgomery, the offensive coordinator who retained his play-calling duties after replacing fired coach Don Brown on Monday. Jalen John led the Minutemen with 107 rushing yards and a touchdown. Georgia extended its streak of consecutive home wins to 30, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. No. 10 TENNESSEE 56, UTEP 0 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nico Iamaleava threw for 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 10 Tennessee to a victory over UTEP. The Volunteers (9-2) overcame a sluggish start to roll up the impressive win. Both teams were scoreless in the first quarter, but Tennessee found its rhythm. Grad student receiver Bru McCoy, who hadn’t caught a touchdown pass this season, had two. Peyton Lewis also ran for two scores. Tennessee’s defensive line, which had no sacks in last week’s loss to Georgia, had three against the Miners. UTEP (2-9) struggled with two missed field goals and three turnovers. Tennessee’s offense came alive with 28 points in the second quarter. In the final four drives of the quarter, Iamaleava completed 11 of 12 passes for 146 yards and touchdowns to Squirrel White, Ethan Davis and McCoy. No. 11 MIAMI 42, WAKE FOREST 14 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Cam Ward passed for 280 yards and threw two touchdowns to Jacolby George on another record-breaking day, Mishael Powell ran an interception back 76 yards for a touchdown and No. 11 Miami pulled away late to beat Wake Forest. The Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 8 College Football Playoff) can clinch a berth in the ACC title game with a win at Syracuse next weekend. Ward completed 27 of 38 passes, plus ran for a score. He broke two more single-season Miami records, both of which had been held for 40 years by Bernie Kosar — most passing yards in a season and most completions in a season. Ward now has 3,774 yards on 268 completions this season. Kosar threw for 3,642 yards on 262 completions in 1984. Demond Claiborne had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for Wake Forest (4-7, 2-5). Claiborne also rushed for 62 yards for the Demon Deacons, and starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier was 8 of 14 passing for 86 yards and a touchdown. No. 13 SMU 33, VIRGINIA 7 CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and No. 13 SMU clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game by routing Virginia. Isaiah Smith and Jared Harrison-Hunte each had two sacks to help the Mustangs (10-1, 7-0, No. 13 CFP) extend their winning streak to eight. They would earn an automatic bid into the expanded College Football Playoff by beating 11th-ranked Miami or 17th-ranked Clemson in the ACC title game on Dec. 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina. SMU had to get there first, and Jennings led the way again, bouncing back from an interception and a fumble to complete 25 of 33 passes to six different receivers, including TD tosses to Jordan Hudson and Matthew Hibner. Brashard Smith provided a little balance on offense, running for 63 yards and his 13th touchdown of the season. SMU’s defense overwhelmed UVa’s offensive line, sacking Anthony Colandrea nine times and allowing the Cavaliers (5-6, 3-4) just 173 yards. Special teams contributed, too, with Roderick Daniels Jr. returning a punt 48 yards and Collin Rogers making two field goals. No. 24 ILLINOIS 38, RUTGERS 31 PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run, 40-yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild victory over Rutgers. Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched in a game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07. Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) gave up a safety on the final kickoff return, throwing a ball out of bounds in the end zone as players passed it around hoping for a miracle touchdown. Altmyer was 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant finished with seven receptions for 197 yards.
S omewhere in the mud and the destruction a ball appeared, left there by the flood. Six days after the worst catastrophe in Spanish history had taken 229 lives and devastated thousands more, on a street still caked in sludge a game began. Someone recorded it , sharing a moment’s happiness amidst the pain, a little light and hope let in: four boys from the small town of Aldaia covered in dirt, playing among piles of furniture from broken homes. Nineteen days later and seven miles away, a fifth local boy scored the goal of this or any season. At 2.12pm on Saturday, seven minutes into Valencia’s first game since the catastrophe – not so much a football match as an expression of community, one giant, collective embrace – the ball dropped to César Tárrega at the south end of Mestalla. It was a simple finish , but if these fans have seen better goals, they hadn’t felt any like this. Suddenly, the silence – and it had been so, so silent – was broken, all those emotions escaping. Tárrega had cried in the quiet before kick off; now he let go, tears returning to his eyes. Then he ran to collect a shirt, holding it high. On the back, a message had been printed: “ Tots junts eixirem .” Together, we will come through this. Born and raised in Aldaia, Tárrega got a call at about 10.30pm on the night of 29 October, telling him that everything was flooding. His home, a town of 32,200 people in the Horta Sud, inland from the regional capital, was one of the worst hit. It hadn’t rained much there but the water from a year’s worth of precipitation in 48 hours rushed down towards them, the Saleta ravine overflowing. The mayor, Guillermo Luján, described it as a “tsunami”. Six people died, mud covered everything, cars were swept into macabre piles. Unwarned and abandoned, 99% of the homes had been affected, Luján said. Among them, the building where Tárrega’s parents, Esther and Manolo, live on the third floor. Just under a week later, a group of young kids were helping clean up, shovels, buckets and brooms in hand. As they worked, a little boy named Iker, aged five or six, found a ball buried and, as one of the boys’ dads put it, “what had to happen, happened”. Three began to play, a fourth asked if he could join in and soon they were squelching through thick mud, slipping with every kick, picking their way past fridges and furniture, possessions piled in the street. They didn’t know they were being recorded and it wasn’t much of a match but it was everything. The images went viral, the television station turning up. The metaphor was unmissable, the symbolism inescapable. Already a focal point of the community and the rescue effort, Mestalla becoming a giant store for aid and support, Valencia invited the kids to their Paterna training ground. Iker, Alejandro, Roberto and Álvaro, accompanied by Alexis and Valentina, met managerRubén Baraja and his players, a dozen of them. Games were set up, the pitch green and the ball white this time. “We played with Cesar Tárrega: he’s from my town,” Roberto said . At that point Valencia were not playing and didn’t know when they would, or if they really wanted to yet. La Liga had played on , but they could not. For 26 days, they did not return. “We have people who’ve lost homes, family members,” Baraja said. It is not only Tárrega – Yarek and Rubén Iranzo had been directly affected as had the team delegate, Voro – but that he, another kid from Aldaia, should score the first when this weekend they finally did reappear, felt fitting. It all did. After almost a month away and three games postponed – against Real Madrid and Espanyol in the league, Parla Escuela in the Copa del Rey – Valencia came back against Real Betis this Saturday. They did so uneasily, unsure how it would be, how it should be, how they would and should feel too, let alone how they would perform, wondering whether it was right. By the end, few doubted that it was. Not because Valencia won 4-2, securing their second win of the season and climbing off the bottom of the table, or at least not only that, but because of something else, something deeper. “What we want is for people to feel that we are with them, that we are there for them,” Baraja had said. “Sometimes a friend needs something: take it to them.” And so they did. Football is an escape, the old line says, a means of forgetting. But that is not always true: sometimes it is the opposite, not about avoiding life but embracing it, marking it. This is what football is for, what it is . Community, identity, belonging. There is probably no greater meeting place in Valencian society than Mestalla, nowhere with the mystique, history or even just the size, a ground where a sign marks the water level from the last time there was a flood, in 1957. If Saturday was almost like a funeral, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t have happened but that it should: a homage not to a person but a people, a rite of passage that was sad and moving but beautiful. A catharsis, one paper called it. A comfort, perhaps, a source of solace, honouring those who had passed and those who had suffered, maybe not easing the suffering exactly but sharing it; 43,975 people were there. In the morning, Betis had visited a school in Alfafar, delivering material. In the stands, their fans, many of them from Valencia too, held a banner of support. Buses had collected around 500 Valencia supporters from the towns worst hit; many of those have, of course, been left without cars. Of the club’s season ticket holders, around 8,500 are from areas devastated by the flood. Nino Bravo’s Mi Tierra (My Land) went round. Rei Ortola played Voces de Valencia (Voices of Valencia). When the teams came out, there was no cheer, only applause, the sound of a cello and his guitar. A 50-metre wide Valencian flag, first unfurled at the Santiago Bernabéu and then handed to second-division Levante when they returned last week, playing in “mud stained” kits, covered the pitch. Twenty-two children who play for clubs in the worst-hit areas were there in their teams’ shirts. A big black ribbon was carried on to the pitch. Valencia’s players wore black kits, “united, as always” on the front. On the bench, Baraja wore a black suit and a black tie. In the stands, there were messages of loss – “this is for you, Rubén” – words of thanks to the thousands of volunteers who had come to their aid, and a hush. As the players stood and the Valencian anthem played, performed with traditional local instruments, a black banner came down listing all the places hit. For the entire game, those names appeared on the scoreboard, one after the other, every two seconds. A red and yellow mosaic in the region’s colours covered the rest of the ground. There was a minute’s silence, deep and lingering. Tears came quietly, cameras caught a lady trembling . As the players stood, the Betis captain Marc Bartra gently put an arm around Hugo Duro’s shoulder. Duro admitted that he had struggled to keep it together in the team talk, players held in a tight huddle as captain José Luis Gayà spoke; for a man who had volunteered in Chiva and Picanya, it wasn’t easy now either. “I’m an emotional person and it is like there has been a war here,” he said. All around, people swallowed hard. As for Tárrega, he could not contain the tears, blowing hard to stop himself breaking entirely. When the kid from Aldaia scored, just seven minutes in, he couldn’t contain anything. “César has suffered a lot over these weeks and he deserves to score the goal so that he could dedicate it to every valenciano and all the people in his town,” teammate Diego López said. “This is for all of you,” Tarrega wrote later. Mestalla had been quiet until then, strange and still, like this wasn’t real, wasn’t an actual game. The goal came as a kind of permission, that moment that makes you smile, breaking people but releasing them too. A reminder: you are allowed to enjoy this, to live. In fact, you’re supposed to. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue' . Which didn’t mean it was done, or just another game now. When Betis equalised there was no celebration. Instead, Aitor Ruibal and Bartra went to the touchline, raised a Valencia flag and Mestalla applauded them. When Chimy Ávila got Betis’s second late on, he did not celebrate either. By then, though, Valencia had scored three more anyway: Duro got two of them, López the other. “I hit it with all my soul, thinking of the people,” the winger said. Victory had been secured, felt differently but perhaps more deeply than any other; perhaps needed too. There has never been a game like this. “Maybe they played with the extra emotion of what this means,” Ávila suggested. As the whistle approached, Mestalla stood and sang the Valencian anthem together, like it was the final hymn before it all came to a close and the congregation departed, brought there by the ball. “The emotion we felt ... I had goosebumps,” Baraja said. “We wanted to honour the victims, everyone affected. We want to be there for them, for them to know we’re here. We want to be with society, hold their hands and not let go. We want them to get their lives back; it won’t happen soon and we will never forget. But if those who came, watched on television or just saw the score can smile, if we’ve changed their day a little, helped them in some small way, let them enjoy themselves for a little while then we’ve done something. And that is what we play for.” Comments will open on this piece later on Monday Getafe 2-0 Valladolid, Valencia 4-2 Real Betis, Atlético Madrid 2-1 Alavés, Girona 4-1 Espanyol, Las Palmas 2-3 Mallorca, Celta Vigo 2-2 Barcelona, Osasuna 2-2 Villarreal, Sevilla 1-0 Rayo Vallecano, Leganes 0-3 Real Madrid, Athletic Club 1-0 Real SociedadOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Sophia Smith, the ex-girlfriend of Liam Payne , has announced her engagement to her boyfriend James Bridgwood. The 30-year-old social media influencer shared the heartwarming moment on Instagram, revealing that James proposed over the Christmas period. Sophia and One Direction star Liam dated from 2013 until October 2015 after meeting at St. Peter's Collegiate School in Wolverhampton. Liam, who sadly passed away in October aged 31 , had asked Sophia out more than 20 times before she agreed to date him. In the heartwarming video shared by Sophia, James can be seen proposing in a room filled with rose petals and champagne as they lounged in their pyjamas with their daughter, Angelina Grace, who was born in April 2023. Sophia captioned the sweet post: "Yes a million times over. 25.12.24," alongside a red heart emoji. The star was visibly emotional as she admired her ring while Angelina seemed blissfully unaware, asking her parents to play with her dolls. The post was met with a flood of congratulatory messages from friends and family, including Lottie Tomlinson who wrote: "Congratulations," accompanied by crying emojis and pink hearts. Lou Teasdale added: "Aw Soph," with a red heart, reports the Mirror . I'm A Celebrity star Maura Higgins also chimed in with: "Congratulations." One follower exclaimed: "Omggggggggg. Congratulations! ! ! ! ! ! ! " Another couldn't contain their enthusiasm, saying, "Favourites forever can't stop watching this video," while a third shared their joy: "Yayyyyy! So happy for you both! Congratulations." Throughout their time together, Sophia was often spotted by Liam's side and even attended One Direction' s final concert tour with him. After they parted ways nearly a decade ago, Liam opened up to The Sun on Sunday about his heartbreak, confessing: "In order to do right by somebody, sometimes it's better not to do what your heart wants, but to do what's better for them." Reports suggested that the pair had been contemplating marriage before ending their relationship. Liam discussed their future in an interview with Attitude Magazine, stating: "We have talked about marriage, but 22 seems a bit young for us. Sophia needs to go off and do what she wants to do. I don't want her to be one of those stay-at-home girlfriends who doesn't really do much." The announcement of Sophia's happy news comes just three months after the tragic death of Liam, who passed away at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel. An autopsy confirmed that Liam suffered "multiple traumatic injuries" from the fall, leading to "internal and external haemorrhage" and died instantly.
By DAVID A. LIEB Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another. Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges. Here’s a look at some of the most notable state laws taking effect: California, home to Hollywood and some of the largest technology companies, is seeking to rein in the artificial intelligence industry and put some parameters around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent the use of digital replicas of Hollywood actors and performers without permission and allow the estates of dead performers to sue over unauthorized AI use. Parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to set aside some earnings for their young influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for failing to do so. New social media restrictions in several states face court challenges. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump looms large over Beacon Hill with new legislative session set to start National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen National Politics | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone National Politics | Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams A Florida law bans children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for ages 14 and 15. But enforcement is being delayed because of a lawsuit filed by two associations for online companies, with a hearing scheduled for late February. A new Tennessee law also requires parental consent for minors to open accounts on social media. NetChoice, an industry group for online businesses, is challenging the law. Another new state law requires porn websites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old. But the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has filed a challenge. Several new California measures aimed at combating political deepfakes are also being challenged, including one requiring large social media platforms to remove deceptive content related to elections and another allowing any individual to sue for damages over the use of AI to create fabricated images or videos in political ads . In a first nationally, California will start enforcing a law prohibiting school districts from adopting policies that require staff to notify parents if their children change their gender identification . The law was a priority for Democratic lawmakers who wanted to halt such policies passed by several districts. Many states have passed laws limiting or protecting abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to the procedure in 2022. One of the latest is the Democratic-led state of Delaware. A law there will require the state employee health plan and Medicaid plans for lower-income residents to cover abortions with no deductible , copayments or other cost-sharing requirements. A new Minnesota law prohibits guns with “binary triggers” that allow for more rapid fire, causing a weapon to fire one round when the trigger is pulled and another when it is released. In Delaware, a law adds colleges and universities to a list of school zones where guns are prohibited, with exceptions for those working in their official capacity such as law officers and commissioned security guards. Kentucky is becoming the latest state to let people use marijuana for medical purposes . To apply for a state medical cannabis card, people must get written certification from a medical provider of a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea or post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly four-fifths of U.S. states have now legalized medical marijuana. Minimum wage workers in more than 20 states are due to receive raises in January. The highest minimum wages will be in Washington, California and Connecticut, all of which will top $16 an hour after modest increases. The largest increases are scheduled in Delaware, where the minimum wage will rise by $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, where a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 will add $1.50 to the current minimum of $12 an hour. Twenty other states still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. In Oregon, using drugs on public transit will be considered a misdemeanor crime of interfering with public transportation. While the measure worked its way through the legislature, multiple transportation officials said drug use on buses and trains, and at transit stops and stations, was making passengers and drivers feel less safe. In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the past 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cellphone use is illegal. Starting with the new year, penalties will kick in: a $150 fine for the first violation, progressing to $500 for third and subsequent offenses and up to 15 years imprisonment if a driver using a cellphone cause an injury or death. But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law. Montana is the only state that hasn’t banned texting while driving , according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Tenants in Arizona will no longer have to pay tax on their monthly rent , thanks to the repeal of a law that had allowed cities and towns to impose such taxes. While a victory for renters, the new law is a financial loss for governments. An analysis by Arizona’s nonpartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that $230 million would be lost in municipal tax revenue during the first full fiscal year of implementation. Meanwhile Alabama will offer tax credits to businesses that help employees with child care costs. Kansas is eliminating its 2% sales tax on groceries. It also is cutting individual income taxes by dropping the top tax rate, increasing a credit for child care expenses and exempting all Social Security income from taxes, among other things. Taxpayers are expected to save about $320 million a year going forward. An Oklahoma law expands voting privileges to people who have been convicted of felonies but had their sentences discharged or commuted, including commutations for crimes that have been reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, an Oklahoma City Democrat, carried the bill in the Senate. “I think it’s very important that people who have gone through trials and tribulations in their life, that we have a system that brings them back and allows them to participate as contributing citizens,” Young said. Associated Press writers Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri; Gabriel Sandoval in Phoenix; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed.Retiring Naeher is proud of her achievements and looking forward to USWNT's next generationDonald Trump has yet to move back into the White House and already fissures are opening in his coalition, amid squabbling between Elon Musk and his Silicon Valley "tech bros" and his hardcore Republican backers. At the heart of the internecine sniping is Trump's central election issue -- immigration -- and the H1-B visas that allow companies to bring foreigners with specific qualifications to the United States. The permits are widely used in Silicon Valley, and Musk -- who himself came to the United States from South Africa on an H1-B -- is a fervent advocate. The world's richest man, who bankrolled Trump's election campaign and has become a close advisor, posted on X Thursday that welcoming elite engineering talent from abroad was "essential for America to keep winning." Vivek Ramaswamy, appointed by Trump as Musk's co-chair on a new advisory board on government efficiency, suggested that companies prefer foreign workers because they lack an "American culture," which he said venerates mediocrity. "A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers," he posted, warning that, without a change in attitude, "we'll have our asses handed to us by China." Skepticism over the benefits of immigration is a hallmark of Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement and the billionaires' remarks angered immigration hawks who accused them of ignoring US achievements in technological innovation. Incoming White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted a 2020 speech in which Trump marveled at the American "culture" that had "harnessed electricity, split the atom, and gave the world the telephone and the Internet." The post appeared calculated to remind critics that Trump won November's election on a platform of getting tough on immigration and boosting American manufacturing. But it was Michael Faraday, an English scientist, who discovered that an electric current could be produced by passing a magnet through a copper wire and Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealander, who first split the atom. And Alexander Graham Bell may have died a US citizen but he was a British subject in Canada when he invented the telephone. Trump voiced opposition to H1-B visas during his successful first run for the White House in 2016, calling them "unfair for our workers" while acknowledging that he used foreign labor in his own businesses. The Republican placed restrictions on the system when he took office, but the curbs were lifted by President Joe Biden. Trump is known for enjoying the gladiatorial spectacle when conflict breaks out in his inner circle. He has been conspicuously silent during the hostilities that Politico characterized as "Musk vs MAGA." Many MAGA figures have been agitating for a complete closure of America's borders while the problem of illegal entries is tackled, and hoping for a steer from Trump that would reassure them that he remains firm in his "America First" stance. For some long-time loyalists, Silicon Valley has already inserted itself too deeply into MAGA politics. "We welcomed the tech bros when they came running our way to avoid the 3rd grade teacher picking their kid's gender -- and the obvious Biden/Harris economic decline," said Matt Gaetz, the scandal-hit congressman forced to withdraw after being nominated by Trump to run the Justice Department. "We did not ask them to engineer an immigration policy." When Musk almost single-handedly blew up a deal painstakingly hammered out between Democrats and Republicans to set the 2025 federal budget, Democrats used "President Musk" to mock Trump, who is famously sensitive about being upstaged. It remains to be seen whether these cracks can be smoothed out or if they are a portent of further strife, but critics point to the chaos in Trump's first term as a potential indicator. "Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech," said far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, a MAGA figure with so much influence that she had a seat on Trump's plane during the campaign. "We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats." Loomer has subsequently complained of censorship after she was stripped of her paying subscribers on X, which is owned by Musk. "Full censorship of my account simply because I called out H1B visas," she posted. "This is anti-American behavior by tech oligarchs. What happened to free speech?" rle/ft/smsReport: NFL warns players of burglary rings targeting pro athletes
Florida Gov. DeSantis’ Canadian drug import plan goes nowhere after FDA approval
A mission to launch 23 Starlink internet satellites is set to be carried out by SpaceX from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida during the early hours of Monday, November 25, 2024. The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled for liftoff at 4:35 a.m. EST within a 3.5-hour launch window according to several reports. Among the satellites, 12 are equipped with direct-to-smartphone technology, marking a notable enhancement to the Starlink network. Live Coverage and Booster Recovery The event will be live-streamed by SpaceX on X, commencing approximately five minutes before the scheduled launch. Should the mission proceed as planned, the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage will successfully return to Earth around eight minutes post-liftoff, landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This mission will mark the 13th flight and landing for the booster, with six of its previous flights also dedicated to Starlink launches, according to SpaceX's mission briefing. Deployment of Satellites The upper stage of the Falcon 9 will continue its journey to deploy the 23 satellites into low Earth orbit. Deployment is expected to occur approximately 65 minutes after launch. These additions will contribute to the rapidly expanding Starlink constellation, which currently comprises over 6,600 active satellites. Significance of the Starlink Network Starlink, developed by SpaceX, is regarded as the largest satellite constellation ever assembled. According to various sources, its growth remains continuous, with nearly 70 percent of SpaceX's 115 Falcon 9 launches in 2024 dedicated to expanding this network. Starlink aims to provide high-speed internet access globally, including in remote regions. As SpaceX continues its ambitious deployment schedule, the mission underscores the company's commitment to advancing global connectivity through satellite technology.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Celta Vigo gave 10-man Barcelona a shock by scoring two late goals and snatching a 2-2 draw at home in the Spanish league on Saturday. Barcelona was minutes away from a win to pad its league lead after Raphinha and Lewandowski had put Barcelona in control. But the game dramatically swung after Barcelona defensive midfielder Marc Casadó was sent off with a second booking in the 81st. Moments later Jules Koundé’s poor control of a ball in his area allowed Alfon González to pick his pocket and give the hosts hope in the 84th minute. Celta poured forward at Balaidos Stadium and Hugo Álvarez rifled in the 86th-minute equalizer with Barcelona unable to mark the extra man. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerNew Book Release: 'Space Trip' by Vincent Chin Delivers a Gripping Sci-Fi Tale of Rescue, Mystery, and Choices
SEC rushing leader Dylan Sampson of Tennessee declares for NFL draft