My love of movie scoundrels has been sorely tested this year. When I was young, I daydreamed of exotic heists, slick con artists and lovable crooks I’d seen on screen. For most of my moviegoing life, I’ve been a sucker for larceny done well. Most of us are, probably. Related Articles Movies | ‘Nightbitch’ review: Amy Adams goes feral in a cautionary tale of love and parental imbalance Movies | Weekend things to do: A hidden gem for dinner in Fort Lauderdale, Larry David, new holiday cocktails Movies | Review: Angelina Jolie glides through ‘Maria’ like an iceberg, but a chilly Callas isn’t enough Movies | ‘Sweethearts’ review: Breakup-focused romcom is largely engaging Movies | Making ‘Queer’ required openness. Daniel Craig was ready But now it’s late 2024. Mood is wrong. In the real world, in America, it’s scoundrel time all the time. Maybe Charles Dickens was right. In “American Notes for General Circulation” (1842), the English literary superstar chronicled his travels and detected a widespread, peculiarly American “love of ‘smart’ dealing” across the land. In business and in politics, Dickens observed, slavish admiration of the con men among them “gilds over many a swindle and gross breach of trust.” And here we are. It’ll pass, this scoundrel reprieve of mine. In fact it just did. All it took was thinking about the conspicuous, roguish outlier on my best-of-2024 list: “Challengers.” It’s what this year needed and didn’t know it: a tricky story of lying, duplicitous weasels on and off the court. The best films this year showed me things I hadn’t seen, following familiar character dynamics into fresh territory. Some were more visually distinctive than others; all made eloquent cases for how, and where, their stories unfolded. “All We Imagine as Light,” recently at the Gene Siskel Film Center, works like a poem, or a sustained exhalation of breath, in its simply designed narrative of three Mumbai hospital workers. Fluid, subtly political, filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s achievement is very nearly perfect. So is cowriter-director RaMell Ross’ adaptation of the Colson Whitehead novel “The Nickel Boys,” arriving in Chicago-area theaters on Jan. 3, 2025. “Nickel Boys,” the film, loses the “the” in Whitehead’s title but gains an astonishingly realized visual perspective. If Ross never makes another movie, he’ll have an American masterpiece to his credit. The following top 10 movies of 2024 are in alphabetical order. Both a mosaic of urban ebb and flow, and a delicate revelation of character, director and writer Payal Kapadia’s Mumbai story is hypnotic, patient and in its more traditional story progression, a second feature every bit as good as Kapadia’s first, 2021’s “A Night of Knowing Nothing.” Mikey Madison gives one of the year’s funniest, saddest, truest performances as a Brooklyn exotic dancer who takes a shine to the gangly son of a Russian oligarch, and he to her. Their transactional courtship and dizzying Vegas marriage, followed by violently escalating complications, add up to filmmaker Sean Baker’s triumph, capped by an ending full of exquisite mysteries of the human heart. As played by Adrien Brody, the title character is a visionary architect and Hungarian Jewish emigre arriving in America in 1947 after the Holocaust. (That said, the title refers to more than one character.) His patron, and his nemesis, is the Philadelphia blueblood industrialist played by Guy Pearce. Director/co-writer Brady Corbet’s thrillingly ambitious epic, imperfect but loaded with rewarding risks, was shot mostly in widescreen VistaVision. Worth seeing on the biggest screen you can find. Opens in Chicago-area theaters on Jan. 10, 2025. Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor play games with each other, on the tennis court and in beds, while director Luca Guadagnino builds to a match-point climax that can’t possibly work, and doesn’t quite — but I saw the thing twice anyway. In Bucharest, production assistant Angela zigzags around the city interviewing people for her employer’s workplace safety video. If that sounds less than promising, even for a deadpan Romanian slice-of-life tragicomedy, go ahead and make the mistake of skipping this one. llinca Manolache is terrific as Angela. Like “Do Not Expect Too Much,” director Agnieszka Holland’s harrowing slice of recent history was a 2023 release, making it to Chicago in early 2024. Set along the densely forested Poland/Belarus border, this is a model of well-dramatized fiction honoring what refugees have always known: the fully justified, ever-present fear of the unknown. A quiet marvel of a feature debut from writer-director Annie Baker, this is a mother/daughter tale rich in ambiguities and wry humor, set in a lovely, slightly forlorn corner of rural Massachusetts. Julianne Nicholson, never better; Zoe Ziegler as young, hawk-eyed Lacy, equally memorable. I love this year’s nicest surprise. The premise: A teenager’s future 39-year-old self appears to her, magically, via a strong dose of mushrooms. The surprise: Writer-director Megan Park gradually deepens her scenario and sticks a powerfully emotional landing. Wonderful work from Aubrey Plaza, Maisy Stella, Maria Dizzia and everybody, really. From the horrific true story of a Florida reform school and its decades of abuse, neglect and enraging injustice toward its Black residents, novelist Colson Whitehead’s fictionalized novel makes a remarkable jump to the screen thanks to co-writer/director RaMell Ross’s feature debut. Cousins, not as close as they once were, reunite for a Holocaust heritage tour in Poland and their own search for their late grandmother’s childhood home. They’re the rootless Benji (Kieran Culkin) and tightly sprung David (Jesse Eisenberg, who wrote and directed). Small but very sure, this movie’s themes of genocidal trauma and Jewish legacy support the narrative every step of the way. Culkin is marvelous; so is the perpetually undervalued Eisenberg. To the above, I’ll add 10 more runners-up, again in alphabetical order: “Blink Twice,” directed by Zoe Kravitz. “Conclave,” directed by Edward Berger. “Dune: Part Two ,” directed by Denis Villeneuve. “Good One ,” directed by India Donaldson. “Hit Man,” directed by Richard Linklater. “Joker: Folie a Deux,” directed by Todd Phillips. “Nosferatu,” directed by Robert Eggers, opens in Chicago-area theaters on Dec. 25. “The Outrun,” directed by Nora Fingscheidt. “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” directed by Johan Grimonprez. “Tuesday,” directed by Daina O. Pusić. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.The Pelicans are waiving veteran guard Elfrid Payton , per Shams Charania of ESPN , and it feels like the end of a short-but-sweet homecoming story in New Orleans. Payton, a Louisiana native, went from grinding it out in Puerto Rico and the G League to starting for his hometown team this fall. He even turned back the clock in his third game, dropping a 14-point, 21-assist, seven-rebound masterpiece. It was the kind of performance that had fans rooting for the comeback to stick. But as they say, timing is everything. The Pelicans are finally getting healthier, with Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum back in action. That meant a diminished role for Payton—just six minutes of court time in Monday’s loss to Atlanta. And with Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones expected back this week, according to Charania, Payton’s spot was always going to be on thin ice. It’s not just about basketball, though. The Pelicans are flirting with the luxury tax line, and shedding Payton’s non-guaranteed deal helps. By waiving him, they trim their cap charge to $274,809 and bring themselves within $1.4 million of getting out of tax territory entirely. Financially, it’s a no-brainer, especially if they’re eyeing a tax-friendly trade down the line. Still, it stings a bit. Payton’s return felt like one of those rare feel-good NBA moments. But for New Orleans, the focus is clear — stay competitive, stay healthy, and stay under the tax. Payton’s effort won’t be forgotten, but in the business of basketball, sentiment only gets you so far. Let’s see if another team gives him a look. This article first appeared on Hoops Wire and was syndicated with permission.Global stocks mostly rose Tuesday, with US and German indices posting records, as markets weighed Chinese stimulus hopes, political tensions in France and the US interest-rate outlook. Germany's blue-chip DAX stock index jumped above 20,000 points for the first time and Paris rebounded even as France braced for new political turmoil. In New York, both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq narrowly rose to finish at records, while the Dow pulled back. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Martin Lewis shares rare insight into relationship with 'poor wife' and says 'part of my personality'First downs and second guesses: Volleyball season in Nebraska isn’t over. In fact, it’s just beginning. On Monday the Omaha Supernovas announced their draft class, including Creighton All-America Kendra Wait and Nebraska’s Lindsay Krause. They join former Husker Ally Batenhorst, Briana Holman and Kayla Caffey on the roster of the defending Pro Volleyball Federation champions. A couple hours later, the Love Volleyball League announced the signing of its “LOVB 6,” a rookie class that includes Lexi Rodriguez (Omaha) Jess Mruzik (Houston), Sarah Franklin (Madison), Sophie Fischer (Salt Lake), One Ofoegbu (Atlanta), and Madisen Skinner (Austin). Rodriguez joins a LOVB Omaha roster that already is loaded with local star power in Jordan Larson, Justine-Wong-Orantes, Madi Kubik, Lauren Stivrins and Jaali Winters. Is this town big enough for two pro volleyball teams? We’ll find out in a few weeks. The Supernovas open their season on Jan. 10 at the CHI Health Center. Two weeks later, on Jan 24., Omaha LOVB (team name?) opens its inaugural season at Liberty Credit Union First Arena (Ralston), where it will play four matches and two more at Baxter Arena. The level of play in both leagues will be incredible. But are there enough fans to go around? The “Novas” averaged 9,656 fans last year in 12 matches at the CHI Health Center. They led the rest of the teams by a lot. Now add local heroes Wait, Krause and Batenhorst and attendance should improve. But what if fans also want to go see Larson, Rodriguez, Stivrins and Winters, along with familiar opponents like Franklin and Mruzik? How will it all play out? Apparently, LOVB’s pockets run deep. For old San Diego Chargers fans like myself and John Cook, an easy comparison is the National Football League and American Football League wars in the 1960’s. Which resulted in the creation of the Super Bowl and then a merger. This winter should be a blast. But I can already see a couple of questions that might need asking come April. Shouldn’t these two pro volleyball leagues have a championship series at the end? Wouldn’t a merger be the best possible thing for the sport of volleyball? See you next month, ladies. I can still sense a Nebraska volleyball hangover with Husker fans. That’s the impact that team had on folks. Those ladies reached in and grabbed them by the heart. It was an incredible ride and they celebrated all the joys. But that pain at the end is going to leave a mark. The four College Football Playoff quarter final match-ups look terrific. Like, get-me-to-a-TV on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 terrific. So, is eight the right number? Don't give up on 12 yet. I still like 12. I’m a brand name sports guy. I like watching the big boys battle for championships. But I also want the non-brands, the little guys, in there. Underdogs bring a lot to the postseason. They bring the "what if" factor. What if the long shot gets on a roll? That's why we watch. You wouldn't just want a playoff with all SEC and Big Ten teams would you? That's not a national championship. The first-round blowouts weren’t good. But it happens, and it happened in the four-team playoff era. But one day there will be upsets, too. Football can't be basketball. But upsets are the magic in the NCAA tournament. When the field was announced, I thought Indiana and SMU belonged. A loss on an opponent's home field can't change that. Alabama’s problem was its loss to Oklahoma. And who would have imagined that OU would drag mighty Bama out of the playoff? I’m real tired of the SEC whining. It just hurts more. Hey, you guys wanted OU and Texas. You got ‘em. There has been arguing and debates over college football's national champion forever. Expansion to 12 was never going to change that. Until the college game goes to 32 teams and puts them into divisions, ala the NFL, with equal scheduling, there's going to be arguing. I would only change one thing with the first weekend: no first-round byes. The campus atmospheres were fabulous. Give me more of ‘em. One of the great things about the transfer portal is when an athlete settles in and makes the community better. Creighton senior Steven Ashworth is doing that. Ashworth is headlining a local charitable initiative called “Light The World.” The unique project features vending machines, or “Giving Machines,” which are located in Westroads Mall near Von Maur. The machines offer items (10 Blankets for $50 for a homeless shelter) that people can swipe a credit card and donate the item of their choice. The machines will be at Westroads until Dec. 31. Ashworth and a group of Creighton athletes from men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball will be at Westroads on Dec. 28 between 5-8 p.m., to visit and sign autographs. Bill Belichick is used to coaching the best of the best. The majority of college football players are not NFL players. They work hard, and they can make mistakes. Belichick will recruit well at North Carolina, but he’s not going to have an NFL roster. There are going to be mistakes. How will he deal with that? I bet this caught Belichick’s attention: Tulane redshirt quarterback Darian Mensah hit the portal and wound up at Duke. According to CBS Sports, Mensah received an NIL deal at Duke reportedly worth $8 million over two years. When did North Carolina and Duke start spending like Ohio State and Alabama for football? The New Year is upon us. I’m taking nominations for top sports stories in 2024. Send them my way this week. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams keep doing just enough to win, and a team that appeared to be rebuilding this season has climbed all the way to the brink of another playoff berth. The Rams improved to 9-6 and took control of the NFC West on Sunday with their fourth straight victory since Thanksgiving. Their 19-9 win over the New York Jets in sub-freezing temperatures was not dominant — they trailed 9-6 entering the fourth quarter, and they were outgained by nearly 100 yards — but Los Angeles still matched its largest margin of victory this season and continued to look like a looming nightmare for any postseason opponent. The Rams have now won eight of 10 since their bye week, when they were 1-4 and the NFL world wondered whether they would trade Super Bowl MVP receiver Cooper Kupp or even quarterback Matthew Stafford to spur their roster reboot. Los Angeles decided not to punt its season, and Sean McVay's team has driven from last to first. “You don’t want to ride the emotional roller coaster that these games can take you on,” McVay said Monday. “You do have the ability to stay steady, to stay the course and try to right the ship. Certainly that’s not complete by any stretch, but our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to affect what we did coming off that bye.” The Rams also have clinched their seventh winning record in eight regular seasons under McVay — an achievement that shouldn’t get lost in the recent successes of a franchise that had 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before it rolled the dice and hired a 30-year-old head coach back in 2017. After winning it all in February 2022 and then having the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history, the Rams have made the most of their time in between true powerhouse status and a major rebuild. They also started slowly last year, entering their bye at 3-6 before a 7-1 finish. The Rams can become the first team in NFL history to make back-to-back postseason appearances after being three games under .500 each year. These Rams don't stand out on either side of the ball, although their talent level appears to be higher on offense than defense. Instead, they've mastered a delicate balance of complementary football — the offense and defense covering each other's weaknesses and setting up their teammates for success. The Rams have scored more than 30 points just once all season, and they managed only 31 points in their last two games combined. Their defense has allowed only one touchdown in the past two games — but right before that, Josh Allen and the Bills racked up 42 points and 445 yards in the most recent of a few defensive stinkers from LA this season. The Rams keep winning anyway, and now they can clinch McVay's fourth NFC West title by beating Seattle in two weeks. “Fortunately, we’re in a position where you don’t necessarily have to rely on other things to happen if you just handle your business,” McVay said. What's working Kyren Williams and the offensive line are driving the Rams' offense. After a slow start caused partly by McVay being forced to abandon the running game when the Rams repeatedly fell behind early, the 2023 Pro Bowler has surged to career highs of 1,243 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns with his 122-yard performance in New York. What needs help Stafford's 110 yards passing were his fewest with the Rams and the second-fewest in his 16-year career from a full game. Sunday's weather was a major factor, but the Rams must throw the ball effectively to somebody other than Puka Nacua. Kupp has just 193 yards receiving in his past five games combined. Stock up Defensive back Jaylen McCollough made a career-high nine tackles in only 31 snaps. The undrafted rookie continues to be a remarkable find, earning playing time alongside veteran safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl and fellow rookie Kam Kinchens. Stock down CB Cobie Durant didn't play for the second straight week despite being cleared to return from his bruised lung. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon got every snap in place of Durant, who started LA's first 13 games. McVay praised Witherspoon's recent play when asked why Durant didn't get on the field in New Jersey. Injuries The Rams' improved health, particularly on both lines, is the key to their surge. McVay reported no new injuries out of the road trip following Tyler Higbee's successful season debut. Key number 12-1 — The Rams’ record in December with Stafford as their starter over his four years in LA. Next steps The Rams need to win at least one of their final two games to wrap up their first NFC West crown since 2021. They host eliminated Arizona on Saturday night, but can't clinch the division unless the Seahawks lose to moribund Chicago. The Rams are currently the NFC's third seed, but that doesn't matter a whole lot because both the third and fourth seeds will have to play one of the NFC North's two powerful wild-card teams in the opening round. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL Greg Beacham, The Associated PressHomemade bullet trains may belt down specialised railway corridors in the not-too-distant-future. According to two people aware of developments, the Centre is mulling an upgradation of its existing semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains to high-speed status for the next round of its bullet train project. These trains could be used in future corridors of the bullet train project or even used on the existing Railway network, the first person quoted above said on condition of anonymity. “Following the success of Vande Bharat, under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, Indian Railways has now taken up designing and manufacturing of high-speed train sets," the second person cited above said, adding that Integrated Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, and BEML are collaborating to design and manufacture these train sets, which will have a design speed of 280 kmph. Currently, Vande Bharat trains have a maximum speed of 180 kmph. Also read | “The manufacturing cost of this is around 28 crore per car (excluding taxes), which is highly competitive compared with other high-speed train sets and almost half the price of Japanese rolling stock that may be used for the MAHSR project," the second person said, also wishing to remain anonymous. MAHSR refers to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail, India’s first bullet train corridor being developed by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL). A joint venture between the government of India and the state governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra, NHSRCL has also identified seven other HSR corridors. DPRs (detailed project reports) for four of these seven HSR corridors—Delhi-Varanasi, Delhi-Ahmedabad, Nagpur-Mumbai, and Mumbai-Hyderabad—were submitted to the Railway Board in 2023-24. One DPR (for Delhi-Amritsar HSR corridor) has been submitted in July 2024. The remaining two DPRs—for Chennai-Mysore and Varanasi-Howrah HSR corridors—are expected to be submitted in the remaining part of fiscal 2024-25. The second person quoted above said that approval for these corridors may be taken based on indigenous bullet trains that may come up from concept stage to development stage in the next few years. Queries sent to the railways ministry remained unanswered till press time. In an emailed reply to a Mint query, NHSRCL said it is discussing rolling stock required for the MAHSR project with Japanese companies, and tenders are likely to be finalised soon. It added that currently there was no plan by the organisation to use indigenous rolling stock or global tender for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. It was expected that NHSRCL may negotiate pricing for Japanese bullet trains before issuing tender for rolling stock to ensure that cost of these trains is not prohibitively high. The first person aware of the development said that the price of each train set of Japanese E5 series Shinkansen bullet trains (eight cars) is around 400 crore. Also read | “Every country which wants to have a world class rail transport system should get into manufacturing high-speed trains," said M.K. Gupta, former member engineering, Railway Board. “Indian Railways has shown before its prowess to make best-in-class locos, coaches, wagons and even semi high-speed Vande Bharat trains at much lower cost than globally available technologies." Gupta added that in the case of bullet trains, too, domestic manufacturing either on its own or in partnership with a technology provider will help the Railways develop a system that is best suited for India and comes at an economical price that would allow these high-tech products to expand the domestic railway network and also be exported. While separately developing high-speed trains in the country using technology available globally, Indian Railways plans to scale up its own domestic high-speed train manufacturing by gradually increasing and testing higher speed versions of its Vande Bharat trains. These trains currently have been tested for speeds up to 180 kmph under stage 2 of the program. The Vande Bharat versions 3 and 4 would run at speeds of about 220 kmph and 260 kmph, respectively, and finally move further up to 280-300 kmph. Also read | The graph for Vande Bharat train speeds would be similar to Japan’s own bullet train project, which started in 1959 with a maximum speed of 163kmph. This went up to 210kmph in 1964 and further to 270kmph in 1992. In 1997, Shinkansen speeds rose to 300kmph before reaching the current speed of 320kmph in 2013. Meanwhile, the country’s first bullet train corridor, the MAHSR, is moving at a swift pace. The total length of the project is 508 km (Gujarat: 352 km, Maharashtra: 156 km). There are 12 stations planned: (Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand/Nadiad, Ahmedabad, Sabarmati). Considering the highest level of safety and associated maintenance protocols, the project has been designed with the support of Japan’s railways and customized for Indian requirements and climatic conditions. Also read | The entire land (1389.5 Ha) for the project has been acquired. All civil tenders and depot tenders for Project and Track tender for the Gujarat portion have been awarded. Viaduct construction is in full swing. Till now, 352 km of pier foundation, 340 km of pier construction, 260 km of girder casting, and 225 km of girder launching have been completed. The work of the undersea tunnel (approximately 21 km) has also started. The MAHSR project is expected to begin operations in Gujarat by the end of 2027, and then extend to Maharashtra. The entire section leading up to Mumbai is expected to open by the end of 2028.
The Rams improved to 9-6 and took control of the NFC West on Sunday with their fourth straight victory since Thanksgiving. Their 19-9 win over the New York Jets in sub-freezing temperatures was not dominant — they trailed 9-6 entering the fourth quarter, and they were outgained by nearly 100 yards — but Los Angeles still matched its largest margin of victory this season and continued to look like a looming nightmare for any postseason opponent. The Rams have now won eight of 10 since their bye week, when they were 1-4 and the NFL world wondered whether they would trade Super Bowl MVP receiver Cooper Kupp or even quarterback Matthew Stafford to spur their roster reboot. Los Angeles decided not to punt its season, and Sean McVay's team has driven from last to first. “You don’t want to ride the emotional roller coaster that these games can take you on,” McVay said Monday. “You do have the ability to stay steady, to stay the course and try to right the ship. Certainly that’s not complete by any stretch, but our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to affect what we did coming off that bye.” The Rams also have clinched their seventh winning record in eight regular seasons under McVay — an achievement that shouldn’t get lost in the recent successes of a franchise that had 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before it rolled the dice and hired a 30-year-old head coach back in 2017. After winning it all in February 2022 and then having the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history, the Rams have made the most of their time in between true powerhouse status and a major rebuild. They also started slowly last year, entering their bye at 3-6 before a 7-1 finish. The Rams can become the first team in NFL history to make back-to-back postseason appearances after being three games under .500 each year. These Rams don't stand out on either side of the ball, although their talent level appears to be higher on offense than defense. Instead, they've mastered a delicate balance of complementary football — the offense and defense covering each other's weaknesses and setting up their teammates for success. The Rams have scored more than 30 points just once all season, and they managed only 31 points in their last two games combined. Their defense has allowed only one touchdown in the past two games — but right before that, Josh Allen and the Bills racked up 42 points and 445 yards in the most recent of a few defensive stinkers from LA this season. The Rams keep winning anyway, and now they can clinch McVay's fourth NFC West title by beating Seattle in two weeks. “Fortunately, we’re in a position where you don’t necessarily have to rely on other things to happen if you just handle your business,” McVay said. What's working Kyren Williams and the offensive line are driving the Rams' offense. After a slow start caused partly by McVay being forced to abandon the running game when the Rams repeatedly fell behind early, the 2023 Pro Bowler has surged to career highs of 1,243 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns with his 122-yard performance in New York. What needs help Stafford's 110 yards passing were his fewest with the Rams and the second-fewest in his 16-year career from a full game. Sunday's weather was a major factor, but the Rams must throw the ball effectively to somebody other than Puka Nacua. Kupp has just 193 yards receiving in his past five games combined. Stock up Defensive back Jaylen McCollough made a career-high nine tackles in only 31 snaps. The undrafted rookie continues to be a remarkable find, earning playing time alongside veteran safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl and fellow rookie Kam Kinchens. Stock down CB Cobie Durant didn't play for the second straight week despite being cleared to return from his bruised lung. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon got every snap in place of Durant, who started LA's first 13 games. McVay praised Witherspoon's recent play when asked why Durant didn't get on the field in New Jersey. Injuries The Rams' improved health, particularly on both lines, is the key to their surge. McVay reported no new injuries out of the road trip following Tyler Higbee's successful season debut. Key number 12-1 — The Rams’ record in December with Stafford as their starter over his four years in LA. Next steps The Rams need to win at least one of their final two games to wrap up their first NFC West crown since 2021. They host eliminated Arizona on Saturday night, but can't clinch the division unless the Seahawks lose to moribund Chicago. The Rams are currently the NFC's third seed, but that doesn't matter a whole lot because both the third and fourth seeds will have to play one of the NFC North's two powerful wild-card teams in the opening round.Bitcoin Depot Continues Mission of Bringing Bitcoin to the Masses as Bitcoin Surges Past All-Time High of $100,000
Former President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The 39th president of the United States was a Georgia peanut farmer who sought to restore trust in government when he assumed the presidency in 1977 and then built a reputation for tireless work as a humanitarian. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in Plains, Georgia. At age 52, Carter was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Carter left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following his 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. Here's the latest: As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is remembering Carter as a man steeped “in devotion to public service and peace.” The California Democrat said in a statement Sunday that Carter was committed to “honoring the spark of divinity within every person,” something she said manifested in “teaching Sunday school in his beloved Marantha Baptist Church, brokering the landmark Camp David Accords to pave the way to peace or building homes with Habitat for Humanity.” Pelosi also said Carter led “perhaps the most impactful post-presidency in history.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted in a post on X the special contribution Carter made by brokering the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt and through his work with the Carter Center. “Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad,” Starmer said. To commemorate Carter’s death, officials with the Empire State Building said in a post on social media that the iconic New York City landmark would be lit in red, white and blue on Sunday night, “to honor the life and legacy” of the late former president. In a statement issued Sunday, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama said Carter’s beloved Maranatha Baptist Church “will be a little quieter on Sunday,s” but added that the late former president “will never be far away -- buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels.” Noting the “hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews” to see the former president teach Sunday school, as he did “for most of his adult life,” the Obamas listed Carter’s accomplishments as president. But they made special note of the Sunday school lessons, saying they were catalysts for people making a pilgrimage to the church. “Many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.” The longest-lived American president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” The Carter Center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. In his 1975 book “Why Not The Best,” Carter said of himself: “I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry.” A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. After he left office and returned home to his tiny hometown of Plains in southwest Georgia, Carter regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world. Former Vice President Al Gore praised Jimmy Carter for living “a life full of purpose, commitment and kindness” and for being a “lifelong role model for the entire environmental movement.” Carter, who left the White House in 1981 after a landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan. concentrated on conflict resolution, defending democracy and fighting disease in the developing world. Gore, who lost the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, remains a leading advocate for action to fight climate change. Both won Nobel Peace Prizes. Gore said that “it is a testament to his unyielding determination to help build a more just and peaceful world” that Carter is often “remembered equally for the work he did as President as he is for his leadership over the 42 years after he left office.” During Gore’s time in the White House, President Bill Clinton had an uneasy relationship with Carter. But Gore said he is “grateful” for “many years of friendship and collaboration” with Carter. Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, remember Carter as a man who lived to serve others. “Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end." The statement recalled Carter's many achievements and priorities, including efforts “to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David." After he left office, the Clinton statement said, Carter continued efforts in "supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity — he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” the statement said.
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BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — One of Colombia’s legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cartel has been deported back to the South American country, after serving 25 years of a 30-year prison sentence in the United States. A short while later, Fabio Ochoa was again a free man. Ochoa arrived in Bogota on a deportation flight on Monday afternoon, wearing a modest grey sweatshirt and carrying his personal belongings in a plastic bag. After stepping out of the plane, Ochoa was met by immigration officials in bullet proof vests. There were no police on site to detain him. Immigration officials took his fingerprints and confirmed through a database that Ochoa is not wanted by Colombian authorities. The country's immigration agency said on the social media platform X that Ochoa was “freed so that he could join his family.” “I was framed,” Ochoa claimed as reporters at Bogota’s El Dorado Airport asked if he regretted his actions. The former cartel boss smiled as he hugged his daughter, whom he had not seen in seven years, and said he would go to Medellin to live with his family. “The nightmare is over” said Ochoa, 67. Ochoa and his older brothers amassed a fortune when cocaine started flooding the U.S. in the late 1970s and early 1980s, according to U.S. authorities, to the point that in 1987 they were included in the Forbes Magazine’s list of billionaires. Living in Miami, Ochoa ran a distribution center for the cocaine cartel once headed by Pablo Escobar . Escobar died in a shootout with authorities in Medellin in 1993. Ochoa was first indicted in the U.S. for his alleged role in the 1986 killing of Barry Seal, an American pilot who flew cocaine flights for the Medellin cartel, but became an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Along with his two older brothers, Juan David and Jorge Luis, Ochoa turned himself in to Colombian authorities in the early 1990s under a deal in which they avoided being extradited to the U.S. The three brothers were released from prison in 1996, but Ochoa was arrested again three years later for drug trafficking and was extradited to the U.S. in 2001 in response to an indictment in Miami naming him and more than 40 people as part of a drug smuggling conspiracy. He was the only suspect in that group who opted to go to trial, resulting in his conviction and a 30-year sentence. The other defendants got much lighter prison terms because most of them cooperated with the government. Ochoa’s name has faded from popular memory as Mexican drug traffickers take center stage in the global drug trade. But the former member of the Medellin cartel was recently depicted in the Netflix series Griselda, where he first fights the plucky businesswoman Griselda Blanco for control of Miami's cocaine market, and then makes an alliance with the drug trafficker, played by Sofia Vergara. Ochoa is also depicted in the Netflix series Narcos, as the youngest son of an elite Medellin family that is into ranching and horse breeding and cuts a sharp contrast with Escobar, who came from more humble roots. Richard Gregorie, a retired assistant U.S. attorney who was on the prosecution team that convicted Ochoa, said authorities were never able to seize all of the Ochoa family’s illicit drug proceeds and he expects that the former mafia boss will have a welcome return home. “He won’t be retiring a poor man, that’s for sure,” Gregorie told The Associated Press earlier this month.Georgia QB Carson Beck declares for 2025 NFL Draft