AP Sports SummaryBrief at 3:18 p.m. ESTSean Payton knows Garett Bolles’ game well at this point. He just didn’t know his age. That, of course, was no hindrance to Denver signing the left tackle on Thursday. Payton, though, insisted he didn’t realize Bolles was already in his 30s. “The way he’s played, he’s available, he’s in incredible shape. I didn’t realize he’s (32),” Payton said Friday. “(General manager George Paton) and I were talking. I just had never paid attention to that.” Payton, naturally, pays close attention to his offensive line’s production. He’s a believer in a team being built from the inside out. And Denver now has a key piece secured. “He does a great job in taking care of his body and then besides that, the most important thing, is he’s one of the premier pass-blockers in our league,” Payton said. “He stays in front of his man. There’s times where we’ve got to help elsewhere and that’s hard to find. He’s excited about it and we are as well. “It’s much deserved.” The Broncos will be without cornerback Riley Moss for a second straight game because of a right MCL injury he suffered against Las Vegas. The team ruled Moss, a second-year player out of Iowa, out officially on Friday after he hadn’t practiced all week. “We’ve got plenty of depth on the back end and we just have to understand who we’re playing and how we’re playing this game,” Payton said Friday after the team allowed 497 passing yards to Jameis Winston and Cleveland before its bye week. “I think we made a pretty good point of that.” The question will be whether Denver continues with veteran Levi Wallace on the outside opposite Pat Surtain II or goes . One of the interesting sub-plots to Sunday’s critical game is that both teams are coming off their bye week. That means each side can expect more of the unexpected given the extra preparation time. “You’ll see some things, wrinkles, but you’ve got to defend the tape,” Payton said of his approach to planning. “I’ve known (Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley) for a long time, so we’ve got this year’s defense, last year’s defense. How much do you want in the cut-ups? If there’s a play we remember running against Seattle when he was there or Jacksonville. “Now, offensively, you’re defending the offense and the offense with (quarterback Anthony Richardson). That’s different than the offense with Joe Flacco. And so he’s a run threat and that becomes more challenging. There’s a different challenge with it. “You’ve got to defend the tape and what you’ve been seeing and then handle the adjustments.” The Broncos have been rotating three running backs in Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime. McLaughlin had a season-high 14 carries for 84 yards plus one catch against Cleveland. Each of the three backs has led Denver in carries over the past four games. Williams has been in a rut, totaling minus-1 yards on 12 carries the past two games. “All of them need something to get going in a rhythm,” Payton said. “They’re used to playing. So it’s hard to evaluate Javonte or Audric on four touches. So we’ll keep working through that.”Shortly after Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general on Thursday, Fox News host Harris Faulkner suggested he could be appointed to represent Florida in the U.S. Senate if Senator Marco Rubio is confirmed to serve on President-elect Donald Trump 's Cabinet. Last week, Trump nominated then-U.S. Representative Gaetz to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ), a selection evoking scrutiny from Democrats and some Republicans . Gaetz, who represented Florida's 1st Congressional District, resigned from his House seat November 13 following his nomination. At the time, Gaetz said he did not want to serve in the same position during the 119th Congress . Gaetz was the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations that he "engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use" and accusations of involvement in activities leading to the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. He has denied any wrongdoing. Some also questioned Gaetz's ability to lead the DOJ, citing his limited legal experience and the department's previous investigation of his actions. The agency finished its probe last year and no charges were leveled against Gaetz. Like other recent Cabinet nominees, including Rubio, who was chosen by Trump for secretary of state, Gaetz required Senate approval for attorney general confirmation. On Thursday, Gaetz wrote on X, formerly Twitter , that he met with senators Wednesday and was grateful for "their thoughtful feedback," adding that "while the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition." Trump posted on Truth Social that he appreciated "the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz." Earlier this month, Trump nominated another Florida lawmaker, U.S. Representative Michael Waltz—who represents Florida's 6th Congressional District—for national security adviser. On Fox News, Faulkner, co-host of Fox 's Outnumbered, said that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis "has to appoint—if Michael Waltz, congressman, moves on in his nominated post, if Marco Rubio, senator, moves on in his nominated post—he's got some positions to work with there in that state." Faulkner added: "Could it be Matthew Gaetz who then becomes a U.S. senator for an interim in the state of Florida?" Newsweek reached out to DeSantis' press team for comment via email on Thursday. In Florida, along with 44 other states, the governor has the power to appoint someone to a vacant Senate seat as a temporary replacement. Therefore, DeSantis, who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the presidential primaries, could technically appoint Gaetz to fill the seat. Before Gaetz's withdrawal, DeSantis said he has "already received strong interest from several possible candidates," saying that the selection will "likely" be made "by the beginning of January." DeSantis' appointee could serve until a special election is held, likely in 2026, in accordance with state law. Ahead of Gaetz's withdrawal, there were some calls for Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of the president-elect, to fill the potentially vacant Senate seat. Other names floated have included DeSantis' chief of staff, James Uthmeier, and as Florida GOP Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez. Gaetz supported Trump over DeSantis in the 2024 presidential campaign, but since the Florida governor dropped out in late January, Gaetz has posted support for the governor. In January, he wrote on X: "I actually still love DeSantis," and in June, he applauded the governor for helping make Florida "not a swing state." Gaetz served as an informal political adviser to DeSantis during his first gubernatorial election in 2018.
George Twum-Barimah-Adu Pledges Inclusive Cabinet with Minority and Majority Leaders
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Senate Republicans recommended on Friday that the state write laws banning transgender girls and women from participating in high school and college sports, setting the stage for action in the 2025 legislative session. The vote by a committee that was studying the issue is hardly a surprise. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — a possible Republican contender for governor in 2026 — announced almost identical goals at the panel's first meeting in August . It’s an issue that’s already been addressed in Georgia. Legislators in 2022 empowered the Georgia High School Association to regulate transgender students' participation in sports. The association, which regulates sports and activities for all public schools and some private schools, then banned transgender boys and girls from playing on the school sports teams matching their gender identity. Jones and others argue that doesn't go far enough and that lawmakers themselves need to act. It's a sign Republicans believe there is more political gain in fears about transgender women playing women’s sports or using women’s bathrooms. At least 26 mostly Republican states have passed laws or rules to restrict transgender girls from participating high school sports and, in some cases, transgender women from college sports , according to the Movement Advancement Project, a gay rights group. In Georgia, additional action appears more likely now after House Speaker Jon Burns and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, have voiced support for further legislation. Jeff Graham, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Georgia Equality, said his group is playing defense, concerned about the possibility of other bills that could further restrict gender-affirming care or ban transgender people from using public bathrooms that match their gender identity. “We’re expecting that it’ll be at least what we saw in 2023 and 2024, with the number of bills and more than likely laws,” Graham told reporters Friday. But Burns, from Newington, has said he's not interested in other bills dealing with transgender people besides those dealing with girls' and women's sports. Republican State Sen. Greg Dolezal, of Cumming, who led the Senate study committee, said Friday that he, too, is not interested in a broader bill regulating bathroom usage, although his committee recommended that schools that host sporting events require athletes to use locker rooms based on their assigned sex at birth. Dolezal said senators would seek to write legislation that regulated public schools and colleges, as well as private institutions that compete against public schools and colleges. The committee also recommends that people be able to sue or file grievances if schools break the rules, and that state money be withheld from schools that break the rules. Supporters of more action have focused on the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championships at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, swam for the University of Pennsylvania and won the 500-meter freestyle . The NCAA has since revised its policy on transgender women’s participation, saying it will follow the rules of respective athletics federations. World Aquatics, the swimming governing body, banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in women’s races. That means Thomas wouldn’t be allowed to swim in NCAA events today. “My basic contention that this is a solution in search of a problem remains,” Graham said. He said he fears that many people who oppose laws that seek to restrict transgender people will be afraid to testify and lobby at the Georgia Capitol, citing assault charges against a man accused of shaking U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in a Capitol office building in Washington, D.C. Dolezal repeatedly tried to turn down the emotional temperature of the issue on Friday. “I think that there’s a group of people that wants to be respected and I think that they deserve respect,” Dolezal told reporters. “But I also think that you can be respectful, but also recognize that in the sporting arena, fairness and competition is important.”Police arrested a “strong person of interest” Monday in the brazen Manhattan killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO after a quick-thinking McDonald’s employee in Pennsylvania alerted authorities to a customer who was found with a weapon and writings linking him to the ambush. The 26-year-old man had a gun believed to be the one used in the killing and writings suggesting his anger with corporate America, police officials said. He was taken into custody after police got a tip that he was eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. Police identified the suspect as Luigi Mangione. Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco, and his last known address is in Honolulu, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a news briefing. Here's the latest: Asked if he needed a public defender, he asked if he could “answer that at a future date.” According to court documents, Mangione was sitting at a table in the rear of the McDonald's wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a silver laptop computer and had a backpack on the floor. When he pulled down his mask, Altoona police officers “immediately recognized him as the suspect” in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the documents say. Asked for identification, Mangione provided officers with a fake ID — a New Jersey driver’s license bearing another name and the incorrect date of birth. When an officer asked Mangione if he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake,” the court documents say A police criminal complaint charged him with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing an instrument of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement. Video posted on the social platform X shows a handcuffed Mangione arriving at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. For example, it took about 10 months to extradite a man charged with stabbing two workers at the Museum of Modern Art in 2022. The suspect, Gary Cabana, was also arrested in Pennsylvania, where he was charged with setting his Philadelphia hotel room on fire. Cabana was sent back to New York after he pleaded guilty to an arson charge in Pennsylvania. Manhattan prosecutors could seek to expedite the process by indicting Mangione for Thompson’s killing while he’s still in custody of Pennsylvania authorities. They could then obtain what’s known as a supreme court warrant or fugitive warrant to get him back to New York. Freddie Leatherbury hasn’t spoken to Mangione since they graduated in 2016 from Gilman School in Maryland. He said Mangione was a smart, friendly and athletic student who came from a wealthy family, even by the private school’s standards. “Quite honestly, he had everything going for him,” Leatherbury said. Leatherbury said he was stunned when a friend shared the news of their former classmate’s arrest. “He does not seem like the kind of guy to do this based on everything I’d known about him in high school,” Leatherbury said. One of his cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesperson for the delegate’s office confirmed Monday. Luigi Mangione is one of 37 grandchildren of Nick Mangione Sr., according to a 2008 obituary. Mangione Sr. grew up poor in Baltimore’s Little Italy and rose after his World War II naval service to become a millionaire real estate developer and philanthropist, according to a 1995 profile by the Baltimore Sun. He and his wife Mary Cuba Mangione, who died in 2023, directed their philanthropy through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating her death. They donated to a variety of causes, ranging from Catholic organizations to higher education to the arts. A man who answered the door to the office of the Mangione Family Foundation declined to comment Monday evening. Mangione Sr. was known for Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione Sr. prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday afternoon, Baltimore County police officers had blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. A swarm of reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. “Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group said Monday. “We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn.” In an email to parents and alumni, Gilman headmaster Henry P.A. Smyth said it “recently” learned that Mangione, a 2016 graduate, was arrested in the CEO’s killing. “We do not have any information other than what is being reported in the news,” Smyth wrote. “This is deeply distressing news on top of an already awful situation. Our hearts go out to everyone affected.” Mangione, a high school valedictorian from a Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesman told The Associated Press on Monday. He had learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His posts also suggest that he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, the New Jersey shore and other destinations. Police said the suspect arrested Monday had a ghost gun , a type of weapon that can be assembled at home from parts without a serial number, making them difficult to trace. The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what’s known as the lower receiver. Some are sold in do-it-yourself kits and the receivers are typically made from metal or polymer. Altoona police say officers were dispatched to a McDonald’s on Monday morning in response to reports of a male matching the description of the man wanted in connection with the United Healthcare CEO’s killing in New York City. In a news release, police say officers made contact with the man, who was then arrested on unrelated charges. The Altoona Police Department says it’s cooperating with local, state, and federal agencies. “This just happened this morning. We’ll be working, backtracking his steps from New York to Altoona, Pennsylvania,” Kenny said. “And at some point we’ll work out through extradition to bring him back to New York to face charges here, working with the Manhattan district attorney’s office,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. “As of right now, the information we’re getting from Altoona is that the gun appears to be a ghost gun that may have been made on a 3D printer, capable of firing a 9 mm round,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a news briefing. The document suggested the suspect had “ill will toward corporate America,” police added. Mangione, 26, was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco, and his last known address in Honolulu, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a news briefing. Police have arrested a 26-year-old with a weapon “consistent with” the gun used in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , New York City’s police commissioner says. Thompson , 50, died in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked to the company’s annual investor conference at Manhattan hotel. Thompson had traveled from Minnesota for the event. A man being questioned Monday in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had writings that appeared to be critical of the health insurance industry, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The man also had a gun thought to be similar to the one used in the killing, the official said. Police apprehended the man after receiving a tip that he had been spotted at a McDonald’s near Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 233 miles (375 kilometers) west of New York City, said the official, who wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Along with the gun, police found a silencer and fake IDs, according to the official. — Michael R. Sisak That’s also according to the law enforcement official. — Michael R. Sisak That’s according to a law enforcement official. — Michael R. Sisak New York City Mayor Eric Adams is expected to address this development at a previously scheduled afternoon news briefing in Manhattan. While still looking to identify the suspect, the FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. That’s on top of a $10,000 reward offered by the NYPD. That included footage of the attack, as well as images of someone at a Starbucks beforehand. Photos taken in the lobby of a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side showed the person grinning after removing his mask, police said. NYPD dogs and divers returned to New York’s Central Park today while the dragnet for Thompson’s killer stretched into a sixth day. Investigators have been combing the park since the Wednesday shooting and searching at least one of its ponds for three days, looking for evidence that may have been thrown into it. Police say the shooter used a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. Police said they had not yet found the gun itself. Ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics . A man with a gun thought to be similar to the one used in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was taken into police custody Monday for questioning in Pennsylvania, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The man is being held in the area of Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 233 miles (375 kilometers) west of New York City, the official said. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The development came as dogs and divers returned Monday to New York’s Central Park while the dragnet for Thompson’s killer stretched into a sixth day. — Michael R. SisakA lot goes on behind the scenes to keep aircraft safe and airworthy, something that many of us take for granted. One of the major considerations for an airline when it comes to maintaining their aircraft is the engines , which undergo extreme stress conditions every time the aircraft takes to the skies. Despite recent advances in technology, engines will not generally last the entire lifespan of the aircraft. Some commercial aircraft still in service are more than 40 years old, such as Nolinor Aviation's Boeing 737-200 , registered as C-GNLN, which is the oldest aircraft currently in commercial service. This means that throughout the aircraft's lifetime, it is likely to undergo several complete engine repairs or replacements. In this case, bigger is better. How often do aircraft engines need replacing? When it comes to determining when an engine overhaul is needed, many factors come into play, but the most important one is the number of flight cycles. Put simply, a flight cycle is the number of take-offs and landings that the aircraft has completed, irrespective of the length of each flight (go-arounds are also included as a flight cycle). This is because it is during these two phases of flight that the engines are put under the most strain. The lifespans of modern aircraft, as measured in flight cycles, can vary significantly, depending on the size, weight, and age of the aircraft. Typical examples include: Aircraft Flight cycles Airbus A320 50,000 Boeing 737 60,000 Airbus A350 45,000 Boeing 787 44,000 During its lifetime, a typical aircraft engine will undergo two or three complete overhaul cycles, during which engine parts are either replaced or repaired. The first complete overhaul cycle typically takes place after around 12,000 flight cycles, but the gap shortens to between every 5,000 and 10,000 cycles thereafter. Narrobwody, short-haul aircraft tend to complete more flight cycles than their long-range counterparts, so it is to be expected that their engines would need to undergo a complete overhaul cycle more frequently. It is rare to find rear-mounted engines in commercial aircraft these days. Data from ch-aviation tells us how many flight cycles each aircraft has completed to date. Taking a number of examples from airline fleets across the world, we can estimate how many complete overhaul cycles their engines may have gone through: Airline Aircraft Registration Age Flight cycles Estimated overhauls Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300ER N1603 26 years old 15,822 1 Qantas Airbus A330-300 VH-QPB 21 years old 13,448 1 Nolinor Aviation Boeing 737-200 C-GNLN 41 years old 30,473 3 American Airlines Airbus A320 N103US 26 years old 38,349 4 The frequency of engine maintenance work varies very little between engine manufacturers. Among the largest manufacturers supplying engines around the world today are: Rolls-Royce Pratt & Whitney General Electric (GE) Safran. With the help of technological progress, engine manufacturers are constantly developing more advanced aircraft engines that are more efficient and have a longer lifespan: Examining the top five engine families of the 20th century. Operating conditions also impact an engine's lifespan Operating conditions, such as temperature and pressure, can also affect the lifespan of an engine. For example, the hot section of an engine experiences extremely high temperatures on a regular basis. Such extreme conditions gradually degrade the section's components, meaning that they need replacing or repairing more regularly than other parts of the engine. Humid conditions can also cause the oxidation of metals within the aircraft engine. This is particularly the case if the aircraft is parked near to the sea, where humid air contains corrosive salt. For this reason, when aircraft need to be stored longer-term, they are sent to parts of the world with dry conditions, such as Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV) in California. The cost of engine repair work Each complete overhaul cycle can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, both in terms of the specialist materials and labor required to complete the maintenance work, and the loss of revenue while the aircraft is on the ground. This is often still significantly cheaper than a brand-new engine, the cost of which can run into millions of dollars. With this in mind, it is important that airlines are able to identify the most effective time to complete any non-urgent engine work. This may be in the low season, when taking an aircraft out of service will not have a major impact on flying schedules, and therefore reduce any potential losses in revenue. Why are engines replaced so frequently? It goes without saying that safety is and always will be of paramount importance to the aviation industry. With their power providing the thrust necessary for take-off, and reverse thrust that brings an aircraft to a complete stop on landing, aircraft engines are put under significant stress on a regular basis. Engines are also critical to the safe operation of an aircraft, which is why such regular checks and maintenance are necessary. Airlines worldwide are facing scheduling problems amidst a shortage of new aircraft and parts for maintenance.
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Examined: How, When & Why Aircraft Have Their Engines Replaced