Arizona (7-8) at Los Angeles Rams (9-6) Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST, NFL Network BetMGM NFL odds : Rams by 6 1/2. Against the spread: Cardinals 9-6; Rams 8-7. Series record: Rams lead 50-41-2. Last meeting: Cardinals beat Rams 41-10 in Glendale, Ariz. on Sept. 15. Last week: Cardinals lost to Carolina 36-30, OT; Rams beat New York Jets 19-9. Cardinals offense: overall (11), rush (5), pass (20), scoring (14). Cardinals defense: overall (20), rush (22), pass (13), scoring (T-13). Rams offense: overall (15), rush (20), pass (13), scoring (17). Rams defense: overall (24), rush (25), pass (19), scoring (21). Turnover differential: Cardinals minus-4; Rams plus-5. Cardinals player to watch WR Marvin Harrison Jr. has had a relatively productive rookie season with 51 catches for 726 yards and seven touchdowns. But it’s also true that he hasn’t always looked like the true franchise changing force the Cardinals expected when they took him with the No. 4 overall pick. Arizona might be out of the playoff race, but Harrison’s development continues to be a major focus for the team down the stretch. Rams player to watch RB Kyren Williams is coming off his best game of the season after rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to help Los Angeles grind out a win at the Meadowlands. He hardly factored into the first meeting against Arizona, a game the Rams trailed 14-0 halfway into the first quarter and 24-3 at halftime, getting 12 carries and running for 25 yards and a touchdown behind a battered offensive line. Key matchup Cardinals QB Kyler Murray vs. Rams defensive line. Los Angeles had no answers for Murray in September as he threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns without an interception and added 59 yards rushing. But their defensive front is much more cohesive than it was in the second week of the season, with rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske proving to be menaces in the backfield. If Murray feels that pressure and can’t keep his eyes downfield, the Rams will be in much better shape to limit Arizona’s passing game. Key injuries The Cardinals have been beat up over the past two games. Both of the starting tackles — Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) and Jonah Williams (knee) — are out for the season after they were put on injured reserve this week. Others such as RB James Conner (knee), LB Baron Browning (neck), LB Mack Wilson Sr. (concussion) and DL Darius Robinson (calf) have been limited during practice. ... The Rams are in good shape, a far cry from where they were to start the season. RT Rob Havenstein was the only name on their injury report through Wednesday, when he was limited because of a shoulder injury. Series notes Arizona has not swept the season series since 2014 when the Rams were playing in St. Louis. ... The Rams and Cardinals have split the past four meetings. Arizona had dropped 11 of the previous 12 in the series. ... Los Angeles is 3-2 against Arizona since moving into SoFi Stadium in 2020, kickstarting its run to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season with a 34-11 win in an NFC wild-card game. Stats and stuff The Cardinals have lost four of their past five games and were eliminated from the playoff race after last week’s 36-30 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals have made the playoffs just once over the past nine seasons. That was in 2021 ... Harrison had four catches for 130 yards and two TDs vs. the Rams in Week 2. All of that production came in the span of seven plays in the first quarter. ... The Cardinals are No. 5 in the NFL with 145.8 yards rushing per game. They also rank No. 2 with 5.28 yards per carry. ... Chad Ryland has made 25 field goals since his debut in Week 5, which ranks fourth in the NFL over that span. ... Safety Budda Baker has a career-high 148 tackles this season, which broke his previous high of 147 set in 2019. ... James Conner has 1,500 yards from scrimmage this season, including 1,090 rushing and 410 receiving. ... Trey McBride has caught 91 passes this season, which is a franchise record at tight end for the Cardinals. ... The Rams can clinch a playoff spot with a win and either a Seahawks loss or tie or a series of results elsewhere to secure the strength of victory tiebreaker. ... Rams QB Matthew Stafford threw for 110 yards against the Jets. Los Angeles has won all four games this season where Stafford has finished with fewer than 200 yards through the air. ... WR Puka Nacua had a record-setting rookie season, but Arizona was the one team that kept him in check. Nacua made four catches in each of the two meetings in 2023, finishing with 26 and 27 yards. ... The Rams didn’t have LT Alaric Jackson (suspension), LG Steve Avila (knee) or Nacua (knee) in the Week 2 game against the Cardinals. ... Los Angeles has run for at least 132 yards in four straight games, with Williams accounting for at least 87 yards in each outing that span. Fantasy tip Cooper Kupp likely sank many a fantasy title push with his limited production over the past month, and the Rams WR should remain on benches this week for any owners still in the mix. Kupp has topped 44 yards receiving once in his past five games against Arizona. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Rams can take huge step toward NFC West title by avenging 31-point loss to CardinalsBy MICHELLE L. PRICE and ROB GILLIES NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television National Politics | What will happen to Social Security under Trump’s tax plan? Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park.” Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn’t a trolling-free zone for Trump’s adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden’s spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump’s taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling
The Dallas Cowboys announced Thursday that star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will miss the final two regular season games due to his lingering right shoulder injury suffered in early November. Lamb was tackled hard on his ailing shoulder after a 52-yard catch in the second quarter against the Buccaneers on Sunday and underwent additional scans this week to determine the severity of the injury. Advertisement “He will undergo a process of treatment and rehabilitation for his shoulder, is not currently expected to require surgery and is projected to make a full recovery,” the team said. With Lamb’s absence, Dallas will now be without six Week 1 starters — Lamb, Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, DeMarvion Overshown and Trevon Diggs — for Sunday’s road game against the Philadelphia Eagles. For the fourth consecutive season, Lamb’s 1,194 receiving yards will lead the team by a wide margin. Jalen Tolbert is the next closest Cowboys pass catcher at 482 yards through 15 games. Lamb has produced no matter the QB When Lamb wasn’t at today’s practice and didn’t speak with reporters after, like he usually does on Thursdays, it was a strong sign that he was probably not going to play Sunday. And with Dallas already eliminated from playoff contention, why keep having him play in significant pain? I do wonder if this would be the result if the Cowboys were competing for a playoff spot. Despite being in noticeable pain from the sprained right AC joint, he was still producing at a high level. Over the last two weeks, Lamb became the first player in franchise history to record consecutive games with 100 yards receiving in the first half. It’s very impressive how Lamb went over 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive year despite the injury and not having Prescott for the last seven games. Micah Parsons had high praise for Lamb while talking in the locker room after today’s practice. “He might be the best receiver I’ve seen,” Parsons said. “He’s QB-proof. I’ve seen him get 1,000 (yards) with Andy Dalton. I’ve seen him get 1,000 with Dak Prescott. I’ve seen him get 1,000 with Cooper Rush. “You give grace to all these other wide receivers and say they’re not producing because they don’t have their quarterback. CeeDee has shown time and time again that he can do it with anybody throwing him the ball.” — Jon Machota, Cowboys staff writer Advertisement Young Cowboys receivers have an opportunity to step up With Lamb out, the Cowboys will be able to get a good feel for what they have in the wide receiver room for 2025. Brandin Cooks, who is a 31-year-old veteran, is the only pending unrestricted free agent wide receiver currently on the Cowboys roster. KaVontae Turpin, who is primarily a special teams returner but has been getting more opportunities on offense lately, is a pending restricted free agent. Turpin is an interesting case because a lot of his value is dependent on how he is used within the offense and how much the offensive play-caller is able to get the ball to him in space. That means his value is also related to who is running the offense and calling the plays, which is a mystery right now for 2025 in Dallas. Aside from Turpin, the other young receivers are all under contract for 2025. Tolbert, the team’s No. 3 receiver, was expected to make a big leap this year, but that never happened. Tolbert has had some standout moments, most notably his contested game-winning touchdown in Pittsburgh in Week 5, but hasn’t been able to string that together with any consistency. Still, having another year of Tolbert will be good for the Cowboys to evaluate him and see if they can at least get a quality No. 3 receiver, if not more, out of their 2022 third-round selection. The Cowboys also have a couple of late-round receivers in the mix. Jalen Brooks was the team’s seventh-round pick in 2023 and has had a couple of plays here and there, but nothing that would guarantee him a roster spot in the future. He’s a favorite of Prescott, which certainly helps, but he’s going to have to show more on the field to lock up a role in any real way. He’s been dealing with an injury and missed last week’s game, but he needs to get healthy and show up in these last two games. Advertisement Ryan Flournoy, the Cowboys’ sixth-round pick this year, has more leash. He has tangible elements that the Cowboys like but hasn’t done enough to feel like he has a surefire role in 2025. As long as he develops well, he should be able to make the roster as a special teams contributor and a No. 5 or No. 6 receiver — but he can elevate that evaluation with a strong showing in these final two games. The big question mark comes with Jonathan Mingo, the wide receiver that the Carolina Panthers drafted in the second round two years ago and who the Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick for at this year’s trade deadline. In six games in Dallas, Mingo has been targeted 11 times and has two catches for 10 yards. He played 34 percent of the offensive snaps in the Thanksgiving win over the New York Giants, which is his highest since coming to Dallas. Other than that, he’s never hit the 30 percent mark in offensive snaps and he hasn’t been targeted in the last two games, both Cowboys wins. Mingo’s acquisition was advertised as being a move for the future, as the Cowboys have control of him for the next two years on his rookie deal, but he needs to start showing some positive signs soon. — Saad Yousuf, Cowboys staff writer Required reading (Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
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ORCHARD PARK — Cole Bishop’s eyes glanced the wrong way for less than a second. That’s all it took for Houston Texans receiver Nico Collins to run by for an easy 67-yard touchdown. Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas gave Bishop an earful before Collins even crossed the goal line. It was Week 5 and Bishop’s first NFL start after being drafted in the second round in April. The day after Bishop was drafted, Bills general manager Brandon Beane made it known how excited the Bills were to have gotten Bishop, while simultaneously pumping the brakes on any ideas he was an immediate replacement for Jordan Poyer or Micah Hyde. Safety is among the most difficult positions to learn in the NFL and it’s even harder in Buffalo’s scheme. Rookie safeties almost never start for coach Sean McDermott, dating back to his days as a defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. The communication and disguising are more important than physical traits once the ball is snapped and a newcomer to the system can feel like they are drowning. Bishop had his struggles subbing for Taylor Rapp while he recovered from a concussion early in the season and he had a few in his second career start against the Detroit Lions in Week 15. But Bishop’s lightbulb appears to have turned on and it’s brightening with every start he gets. “I’m just learning,” Bishop told GNN Sports. “I’ve gotten a lot more reps (since earlier in the season). In practice, in games, every rep is just helping you feel more comfortable out there.” Is simply winning a game no longer enough for #Bills fans? How much goodwill can the #Sabres get back after a 13-game losing streak? And just how much coal did @billhoppe.bsky.social get in his stocking? fireside.fm/episode/sMvb... Bishop’s NFL beginnings were stunted when he injured his shoulder on the third day of training camp and his recovery extended almost the entire preseason. He was already battling veterans Damar Hamlin and Mike Edwards for a starting job and Hamlin seized it through his knowledge of the defense and injuries to prolonged Bishop and Edwards. When Hyde didn’t re-sign in the offseason and Poyer was released, not only did the Bills draft Bishop and re-sign Rapp, but they also added four veterans between free agency and the preseason. When Week 1 arrived, the Bills named Rapp and Hamlin, the two safeties with most experience in the defense as the starters, but even Rapp needed a full season in the system to get comfortable. “It took Po and I a full season to really get comfortable with all the adjustments we needed to make week-to-week,” Hyde said. “... Going on our second season is when we started to know the playbook like the back of our hand and we’ve been through and installed plenty of times. ... I don't know how he was in the beginning, but I know that now he's an intelligent football player and instinctive. So I'm eager to see him finish off this season.” When Bishop arrived in Buffalo, he quickly latched on to Edwards, who was signed on a one-year deal after spending four years with the Buccaneers and last year with the Chiefs. But after being a healthy scratch six times in the first nine weeks, Edwards requested his release and it was granted. When Hyde re-signed to the practice squad Dec. 5, Bishop immediately started seeking his advice. But whether it’s coaches or veterans, Bishop is constantly trying to pick up more information and feedback, which is why Hyde is strategic when he gives input so that Bishop isn’t overloaded. At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Bishop is a longer, heavier safety than they have used under McDermott. Bishop showed his explosiveness at the NFL scouting combine by running a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and recording a 39-inch vertical leap. But what Bishop adds to the defense is a safety who can play near the line of scrimmage and be an enforcer against the run. In three seasons at Utah, Bishop played 73% of his snaps near the line of scrimmage. If the Bills bring a safety into the box or blitz one, it’s typically Hamlin, who is roughly 10 pounds lighter. “He's already, to me, a freak athlete. Just how big he is and how well he can move,” Bills cornerback Taron Johnson said. “But what sets him apart, I think, is his mindset and how he's so coachable, always listening to the coaches and talking to the older guys, trying to see how they see things. And I feel like he's going to be a really good player.” Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said Bishop is improving with each rep. But for most of the season, Bishop wasn’t getting many. At least not during games. While Bishop was learning in practices and watching film, there is no way to simulate how to execute all of the information gleaned at the speed in which games are played in the NFL. For Bishop, that wasn’t an easy transition, especially for a player who was used to learning by doing in college. In Bishop’s first true action over 2 1⁄2 games, it seemed like the Bills were trying to bring him along slowly. He played in the box roughly 53% of the time as Buffalo preferred a two-high safety look. But against the New England Patriots, Bishop played in the box on 50 of 73 snaps. In Bishop’s three starts, the Bills have allowed 89.3 yards rushing on 3.7 yards per carry, compared to 125.5 yards on 4.8 yards per carry in the other 12 games. And it’s also easy to see Bishop becoming a better communicator on the field. On safety Cam Lewis’ interception, Bishop effectively communicated a Banjo coverage with linebacker Dorian Williams, where the outside defender takes the inside receiver, and without that communication, Lewis isn’t able to bait Patriots quarterback Drake Maye into throwing at Williams’ receiver. “When we get the game plan, I try to get all the fundamentals of it, all the details and just try and execute it,” Bishop said. “So whatever they’re asking, I just try to execute to the best of my ability.” S Damar Hamlin (rib), DB Cam Lewis (shoulder), S Taylor Rapp (neck) and WR Curtis Samuel (rib) all wore red non-contact jerseys and were limited in Thursday’s practice. ... OL Tylan Grable did not practice for personal reasons.MFA Financial Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors despite daily gains
Aurora looks at renovating fourth floor of City HallUnion announce offseason roster moves, part with Leon FlachMueller Water Products Announces Update on Board Refreshment PlanNASA continues to advance its campaign to explore more of the Moon than ever before, awarding Firefly Aerospace $179 million to deliver six experiments to the lunar surface. This fourth task order for Firefly will target landing in the Gruithuisen Domes on the near side of the Moon in 2028. As part of the agency’s broader Artemis campaign, Firefly will deliver a group of science experiments and technology demonstrations under NASA’s CLPS initiative, or Commercial Lunar Payload Services, to these lunar domes, an area of ancient lava flows, to better understand planetary processes and evolution. Through CLPS, NASA is furthering our understanding of the Moon’s environment and helping prepare for future human missions to the lunar surface, as part of the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach. “The CLPS initiative carries out U.S. scientific and technical studies on the surface of the Moon by robot explorers. As NASA prepares for future human exploration of the Moon, the CLPS initiative continues to support a growing lunar economy with American companies,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Understanding the formation of the Gruithuisen Domes, as well as the ancient lava flows surrounding the landing site, will help the U.S. answer important questions about the lunar surface.” Firefly’s first lunar delivery is scheduled to launch no earlier than mid-January 2025 and will land near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, on the northeast quadrant of the Moon’s near side. Firefly’s second lunar mission includes two task orders: a lunar orbit drop-off of a satellite combined with a delivery to the lunar surface on the far side and a delivery of a lunar orbital calibration source, scheduled in 2026. This new delivery in 2028 will send payloads to the Gruithuisen Domes and the nearby Sinus Viscositatus. The Gruithuisen Domes have long been suspected to be formed by a magma rich in silica, similar in composition to granite. Granitic rocks form easily on Earth due to plate tectonics and oceans of water. The Moon lacks these key ingredients, so lunar scientists have been left to wonder how these domes formed and evolved over time. For the first time, as part of this task order, NASA also has contracted to provide “mobility,” or roving, for some of the scientific instruments on the lunar surface after landing. This will enable new types of U.S. scientific investigations from CLPS. “Firefly will deliver six instruments to understand the landing site and surrounding vicinity,” said Chris Culbert, manager of the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “These instruments will study geologic processes and lunar regolith, test solar cells, and characterize the neutron radiation environment, supplying invaluable information as NASA works to establish a long-term presence on the Moon.” The instruments, collectively expected to be about 215 pounds (97 kilograms) in mass, include: Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer , which consists of two stationary and three mobile instruments, will study rocks and regoliths on the summit of one of the domes to determine their origin and better understand geologic processes of early planetary bodies. The principal investigator is Dr. Kerri Donaldson Hanna of the University of Central Florida, Orlando. Heimdall is a flexible camera system that will be used to take pictures of the landing site from above the horizon to the ground directly below the lander. The principal investigator is Dr. R. Aileen Yingst of the Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, Arizona. Sample Acquisition, Morphology Filtering, and Probing of Lunar Regolith is a robotic arm that will collect samples of lunar regolith and use a robotic scoop to filter and isolate particles of different sizes. The sampling technology will use a flight spare from the Mars Exploration Rover project. The principal investigator is Sean Dougherty of Maxar Technologies, Westminster, Colorado. Low-frequency Radio Observations from the Near Side Lunar Surface is designed to observe the Moon’s surface environment in radio frequencies, to determine whether natural and human-generated activity near the surface interferes with science. The project is headed up by Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface will carry a set of the latest solar cells for a technology demonstration of light-to-electricity power conversion for future missions. The experiment will also collect data on the electrical charging environment of the lunar surface using a small array of solar cells. The principal investigator is Jeremiah McNatt from NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface is a neutron spectrometer that will characterize the surface neutron radiation environment, monitor hydrogen, and provide constraints on elemental composition. The principal investigator is Dr. Heidi Haviland of NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Through the CLPS initiative, NASA purchases lunar landing and surface operations services from American companies. The agency uses CLPS to send scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to advance capabilities for science, exploration, or commercial development of the Moon. By supporting a robust cadence of lunar deliveries, NASA will continue to enable a growing lunar economy while leveraging the entrepreneurial innovation of the commercial space industry. Two upcoming CLPS flights scheduled to launch in early 2025 will deliver NASA payloads to the Moon’s near side and south polar region, respectively. Learn more about CLPS and Artemis at: https://www.nasa.gov/clps -end- Alise Fisher Headquarters, Washington 202-358-2546 alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov Natalia Riusech / Nilufar Ramji Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 natalia.s.riusech@nasa.gov / nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov
Lawrence Technological University has partnered with Springboard, an online learning company focused on high-growth technology careers, to offer three new bootcamps focusing on in-demand tech skills for students and professionals in the Detroit area. Enrollment for the online program is now open, with the first courses set to begin Jan. 13, 2025. Through the bootcamps, which are open to the public, students develop foundational skills in software engineering, data analytics or cybersecurity and gain real-world experience, while earning certification from LTU. In addition to technical training, students receive one-on-one mentorship from industry professionals at Fortune 100 companies and emerging tech companies. The self-paced bootcamps are structured to be completed in 6 to 9 months. Related Articles Bootcamps offered include: ● Software Engineering Bootcamp: Covering web development, from front-end and back-end programming to database management and algorithms. Students will build their own software projects and create a portfolio. ● Cybersecurity Bootcamp: Covering key areas such as network security, threat detection, and vulnerability management. Students will complete hands-on projects and develop skills to safeguard critical systems and data from cyberattacks. ● Data Analytics Bootcamp: Teaching students how to analyze, interpret, and visualize data using tools like SQL, Python, Excel, and Tableau. Students can learn more and apply at careerbootcamps.ltu.edu.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy wasn't impressed with Beyoncé 's recent performance. She led the halftime show on Christmas Day (December 25) during the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans football game. Portnoy, 47, shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter ). "Beyoncé has been LOST since Destinys Child," he wrote, pointing out the pop star's former girl group with Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland. The band split up in 2006. He also quoted a previous tweet of his from 2023, where he mentioned believing that Rihanna, 36, was better than Beyoncé, 43. "Not particularly close," Portnoy posted at the time. Beyoncé has been LOST since Destinys Child. https://t.co/TbMZHngl6z "Rihanna sings circles around Beyonce and is a billion times hotter. There I said it," he wrote in another post from 2013. Rihanna sings circles around Beyonce and is a billion times hotter. There I said it. Portnoy even encouraged fans to call the hotline about their Beyoncé show thoughts for an upcoming episode of his The Shred Line show. As expected, Beyoncé fans pushed back online to Portnoy's post. "Lmao don't speak on Beyoncé man. Your assessment is wrong as hell," one user wrote . Another added , "You have had some bad takes. This may be the worst." Beyoncé's halftime show was broadcasted through Netflix , as she performed hits from her 2024 album, Cowboy Carter . The country-themed spectacle featured her riding in on a horse and dancing on the field alongside her daughter, 12-year-old Blue Ivy Carter . There were even a few special guests, including Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Post Malone, Brittney Spencer, and more. She then closed the show with "Texas Hold 'Em," as she elevated into the air on a platform. After taking the stage, Beyoncé then teased a major announcement on social media, with more information set to drop on January 14, 2025. "Look at that horse," she captioned. Look at that horse. pic.twitter.com/2AtteP5lZk For fans who might have missed Beyoncé's performance, Netflix has it available to watch on their streaming service under the title Beyoncé Bowl .
NoneJim Larrañaga could handle—and repeatedly thrived—in the old college sports system, where athletes could only get paid under-the-table, even if that meant the Feds might subpoena his text messages. But the 75-year-old University of Miami head men’s basketball coach acknowledged this week that he didn’t have what it takes—at least not at this point in his career—to compete for talent in the unfolding open market. This, despite the fact that Larrañaga’s 2022-23 national semifinalist team, led by Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack, became an early archetype for the new epoch of booster-funded NIL. In a surprise announcement Thursday, Larrañaga said he would be immediately stepping down as the Hurricanes’ coach, just two seasons after leading the program to its first Final Four. His current contract, which was extended in May 2023, ran through the end of next academic year. Miami is currently 4-8 this season after winning its first three games. As a private university, Miami is not forced to disclose its employees’ contracts. However, in the school’s 2023 tax filing, which is public, it showed that Larrañaga earned $2.85 million in annual compensation. “I’m exhausted,” Larrañaga told reporters in a press conference. “I’ve tried every which way to keep this going. And I know I’m going to be asked a lot of questions but I want to answer them before I am even asked.” He explained he was “shocked...beyond belief” when, in the wake of the team’s historic Final Four appearance 20 months ago, eight of his players decided to put their names in the transfer portal. Lamented Larrañaga: “The opportunity to make money some place else created a situation that you have to begin to ask yourself as a coach: What is this all about?” Larrañaga’s chagrin echoes that of several other big-time college basketball coaches—including Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Virginia’s Tony Bennett and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim—who have retired in the four years since the NCAA’s rule changes that now allow college athletes to sell their NIL. Boeheim, incidentally, publicly accused Miami of having “bought” its Final Four team with NIL money. Arguably, Larrañaga should be perfectly well-positioned to explain the forces of capitalism motivating his players to seek more money elsewhere. In 2011, at the age of 61, Larrañaga left his long-time head coaching job at George Mason—which he had led to its only Final Four run five years earlier—to take the reins at UofM. Prior to that, he had spurned other offers, including from Providence, citing his comfort and familiarity with Northern Virginia, where he had coached the Patriots since 1997. The change of scenery quickly proved fruitful. In his second season, the Hurricanes won the ACC regular season title and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA men’s tournament. But Coral Gables would have its dark days as well. In 2017, Larrañaga received a grand jury subpoena as part of the Department of Justice’s college basketball corruption investigation, and he later acknowledged cooperating with the authorities. Larrañaga was never charged or accused of wrongdoing by the government, but in court filings that identified him as “Coach-3,” he was said to have been mentioned in a wiretapped phone call between two of the defendants as soliciting Adidas’ help in facilitating a $150,000 payment to a recruit Miami hoped to sign. Larrañaga denied the allegation that he or his assistants were involved in any bribes to athletes. “It’s been a strain—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” he said at the time, according to the . “But it’s something that’s there. I have to deal with it. And I have the support of my wife and a wonderful family. I have the support of the university and the support of my staff and players. So we just have to keep moving forward.” He persevered, but the team slogged through three losing seasons following his subpoena. Then, in 2021-22, they turned it around, posting a 26-11 record and earning a berth to the Elite Eight. A month later, the Hurricanes landed Pack thanks to a two-year $800,000 NIL deal with LifeWallet, the company founded by UM booster John Ruiz. With Pack leading the way, Miami went 29-8 the following year on its way to the Final Four. Including Pack, now playing a fifth-year graduate student, Miami’s current roster sports eight Division I transfers. Sign up for . For the latest news, follow us on , , and .