Jessica Ennis-Hill shares top tips on how to fit in exercise around the workdayGRAND FORKS — The latest defense authorization bill expands mental health care access for North Dakota’s military service members and adds new provisions for countering threats posed by unmanned drones. Those are among the provisions touted by North Dakota’s two U.S. senators in the annual National Defense Authorization Act. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law Monday after it passed by divided votes in the House and Senate. Language in the latest NDAA includes an order to establish a counter-UAS task force combatting drone incursions onto U.S. military bases and several provisions for current service members’ mental health care, including measures singling out pilots of U.S. combat drones. Drone incursions have been reported in recent weeks over U.S. military bases in England and Germany, while residents of several eastern states have reported seeing numerous unidentified lighted drones flying overhead, though U.S. officials say most of the latter incidents have been manned aircraft. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said the NDAA “helps formalize what (the Defense Department) is already doing” to combat unwanted drone use, citing the counter-UAS goals of Project ULTRA and ongoing efforts to integrate drones into U.S. airspace at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site. Project ULTRA — which stands for UAS logistics, traffic, research and autonomy — seeks to boost national security and operational efficiency of unmanned aerial system operations. “The interesting thing about Grand Forks is we’ve built an ecosystem where, I’ve talked about us being the tip of the spear against China; we’re the tip of the spear in developing drone and counter-drone,” Hoeven said. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., has championed a provision that expands the number of mental health providers certified under military health insurance provider TRICARE. Cramer said he pushed for the expanded access in response to a pair of suicides among Grand Forks Air Force Base personnel in the past several years. “The standards to join TRICARE are so stringent now, they don’t take into account that some states like North Dakota only have certain accreditations and certifications that are available to them,” Cramer said. “If you don’t get the right credential — it’s not that it’s a better credential, just the right one — your providers don’t meet the standard for TRICARE.” He’s also pushed for a provision creating a combat status identifier for pilots of remotely piloted aircraft involved in combat operations. Cramer cited as inspiration the 119th Wing of the North Dakota National Guard, which flies MQ-9 Reaper unmanned planes. “Our remote pilots are treated differently when it comes to things like PTSD potential or depression or mental health challenges as the result of, say, a kill shot,” he said. “I wanted to make sure the remote pilots are given the same type of consideration as somebody that’s in the cockpit of an airplane.” This year’s NDAA also authorizes $1.9 million in planning and design funding for maintenance on Grand Forks Air Force Base’s runway — one of Cramer’s pet projects — and reauthorization for the Space Development Agency’s mission, including its recently-established Operations Center North at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Hoeven said his office is working to appropriate another $450 million toward an advanced fire control system built off the SDA’s network of low-Earth orbit satellites. Other North Dakota-specific provisions in this year’s NDAA include authorization for funding to update the UH-72 Lakota helicopters used by the North Dakota National Guard and funding authorization to modernize Minot Air Force Base’s nuclear capabilities. Policy measures, like more provider options for mental health care or the counter-UAS task force, became law with the passage of the NDAA. However, NDAA provisions that require funding — like nuclear modernization or the runway study — will need to pass in a separate defense appropriations bill. “An authorization just says that it’s approved,” Hoeven explained. “In defense appropriations, we allocate the dollars to do it, and if we don’t provide those dollars for the NDAA, for those authorizations or programs, then obviously they don’t advance.” The federal government is currently operating at last year’s funding levels via a continuing resolution set to expire in March. Congress will have to attempt to pass a defense appropriations bill before then or pass another continuing resolution. The NDAA usually passes with significant bipartisan support. This year, however, the bill passed with significant dissent from both House and Senate Democrats after a last-minute amendment by House Speaker Mike Johnson added language barring TRICARE from covering some gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members. Both Hoeven and Cramer expressed support for Johnson’s amendment, which blocks gender-affirming care “that could result in sterilization” — though medical professionals say hormone therapy (like puberty blockers) generally does not cause infertility. Cramer said providing gender-affirming care did not support military readiness and dismissed concerns about the mental health impact of denying that care to minors. “(The amendment) has a much lower priority than caring for people who are stressed out by the fact that they’re a warfighter,” he said. “We need them to be healthy, we need them to be ready for war, and puberty blockers, gender-affirming care, just simply don’t do either of those things.” Hoeven said gender-affirming care was hurting military readiness and recruiting and decried providing gender-affirming care as a “social experiment,” a phrase also used by Cramer. President-elect Donald Trump is widely expected to reinstate a ban on transgender service members in the U.S. Armed Forces, as he did in his first administration. North Dakota’s U.S. senators also dismissed concerns that the Johnson provision could affect bipartisanship or productivity in the next Congress. The Senate ultimately passed the NDAA 85-15, while less than half of the House’s Democrats supported the act. More Democrats attacked Johnson’s last-minute addition while saying they felt compelled to vote for the broader bill. “I’m hopeful Democrats will come around and join us with what we’ve always done with our military, which is support our professional, great men and women in uniform who do such an outstanding job, not a bunch of social policies that shouldn’t be in there,” Hoeven said. He also said he expects the embattled House speaker, who holds one of the smallest House majorities in history, to be reelected next year. Cramer called this year’s NDAA a loss for the political left but said he “wouldn’t read a whole lot” into the dissent, pointing out the bill had continued its decades-long streak of passing into law despite partisan gridlock. The 118th Congress, which ends Jan. 3, has been called one of the least productive Congresses in decades, and is by some counts the least productive in U.S. history.None
Pep Guardiola is in unfamiliar territory. His Manchester City side's current malaise continued on Wednesday as they were beaten by Juventus to leave their progress to the Champions League knockouts far from certain. But the result's place in their recent run of form makes for alarming reading. The latest defeat means they have managed just one win in their last 10 games, losing seven games during that run. It would be foolish to write them out of anything at this stage of the season, but Guardiola knows he needs to find a way to end this poor run of form sooner rather than later. Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said on TNT Sports: "I think we are still going to be surprised given what they have done in recent years. "They have been a formidable team, they won four Premier Leagues on the bounce, they have a history of being very successful. "But we just have not seen a Pep Guardiola side in general ever be this bad. He has to find a way of galvanising this team and reinstalling some form and confidence. "They are under real pressure now." The statistics behind Manchester City's recent run of form highlight that it has gone beyond a blip to become a real cause for concern. After the Juventus loss, Guardiola chose to reflect on the positives: "We played good, really, really good. "We concede few, some transition happened but I am so proud for these players. They give everything and they tried and now we live in this period and hopefully we can change results." But ex-Manchester City defender Nedum Onouha said on Match of the Day: "They found it very hard to break [Juventus] down and Erling Haaland himself was frustrated. "To make it even worse there were times where City were very open. They seemed so stretched." Guardiola's side went into Wednesday's game knowing they would likely need to win all three of their remaining fixtures in the league phase to finish in the top eight and progress automatically for the knockouts. But they are now five points off the top eight with six left to play for, meaning progressing via the play-offs is their most realistic path. They are currently 22nd, with the sides finishing ninth to 24th going on to a two-legged tie in February for a place in the last 16. However, City are just one point above Paris St-Germain in 25th and must go to the French giants on 22 January in what will likely be a crucial fixture. After that they do have a winnable home game against Club Brugge, although a poor result against PSG would leave them under pressure going into that game. "We have two games, we need one point maybe," Guardiola added. "You go to Turin, Paris, our three games away were really tough. You have to accept it. "We will turn around, not forget that period, appreciate more what we have done in the past and what we are going to do in the future." Key to Manchester City's success under Guardiola has been their consistency. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has rarely made wholesale changes to his side between seasons, instead identifying the main areas needed for improvement and strengthening appropriately. But while that has been their biggest strength during their run to multiple titles, it could be seen as the reason behind their recent struggles, with Ferdinand suggesting "tiredness" in players who have had a role in City's success could be playing a part. In the summer they signed winger Savinho from Troyes and brought back midfielder Ilkay Gundogan from Barcelona. Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, speaking before Wednesday's loss to Juventus, said a significant rebuild of the side is needed. "It is worth considering just how momentous a period this will turn out to be in years to come," Nevin said. "Pep Guardiola's dominance is done - well, it is for the time being. Manchester City will not melt away to obscurity any time soon, but the run of clearly being the best of the best in Britain is over. "There is a rebuild of monumental proportions needed - and they know it. "How quickly can this be done? Inside two years is the answer as Chelsea have shown with their recent merciless clear-out and restructuring plan." It is well documented that Manchester City have been hampered by a significant injury list this season. Oscar Bobb, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji are all out but the biggest miss of all has been Rodri. Against Juventus City struggled to deal with transitions of play, and the absence of the Spain international means they have not been able to dominate midfield like they have previously. "Rodri, people are talking about, but there is a bigger picture than that," Ferdinand said in the build-up to the Juventus fixture. "They have lacked the control in the midfield area. They have not been able to react to the transition as well at the moment. They don't seem to have the security within the team. "They have been easy to play through, that isn't about Rodri, that is about the functionality of the team." Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott added on TNT Sports: "It is not down to one individual, but with Rodri I think it is the only position where the replacement isn't as impactful. "There is never going to be one thing that is the reason for great results or negative results. There has to be a combination of everything coming together and it is building blocks slowly." Manchester City's bad spell - just like their good run of form - is not going to go on forever. While they've not experienced a difficult run like this before under Guardiola, they have shown form for bouncing back emphatically after some bad results. In December 2018 they lost three Premier League games and were 10 points off the top but then went on to win 18 of their next 19 games to overturn the deficit and win the title. "Of course I question myself, in the good moments, in the bad moments," added Guardiola. "I was stable in the good moments, I was stable in the bad moments. "I try to find the way, find the win."
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I don’t know about you, but I’m done with Christmas already. The stockings have been stuffed away, the tree is already down, and the holiday music has been turned off. When I’m watching a movie, I don’t want to see a single red Santa suit or green mistletoe. I’m over it. If you’re like me, and need a good movie (or three) to watch this weekend, this list is for you. Max has plenty of non-holiday films for you to stream, and this batch, which includes an underrated sports rom-com and a creepy sci-fi flick, is just the ticket to get you over Christmas and prepare for 2025. (Oh, and if you’re also going to the movie theater this weekend, check out Nosferatu . It’s great!) We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix , the best movies on Hulu , the best movies on Amazon Prime Video , the best movies on Max , and the best movies on Disney+ . Leatherheads (2008) Was the world clamoring for a 1920s football rom-com? The answer, then and now, is a resounding no, but we got Leatherheads nonetheless. The 2008 movie didn’t do so well at the box office, and it’s not really remembered today. It’s not a bad film, though, and it features an appealing cast (George Clooney, Renée Zellweger, and John Krasinski form the love triangle) and immersive period detail to appeal to those looking for an old-fashioned romance. Jimmy “Dodge” Connelly (Clooney) has a big problem. It’s 1925, and he’s trying to make pro football a viable, profitable sport. His team, the Duluth Bulldogs, is struggling, and the idea of guys throwing pigskins at each other doesn’t appeal to enough people. Enter Carter “The Bullet” Rutherford, a WWI hero and star player for Princeton University, whom Dodge is convinced can save his team ... and the league. But a nosy reporter, Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) thinks Carter is full of baloney, and is determined to expose him, and ruin Dodge’s dream of playing pro football. If you liked Clooney’s 2023 movie The Boys in the Boat , you’ll like Leatherheads . It has a similar old-timey feel, with direction so languid, you may just fall asleep. That’s praise, I promise! Krasinski shows the leading man qualities he got to flex in his Amazon John Ryan series, and Zellweger is game (pun intended there) to slip into Jean Arthur’s shoes and play a no-nonsense reporter whose looking to get swept off her feet. Leatherheads is streaming on Max . Splice (2009) AI is all the rage these days, but 15 years ago, it was genetic engineering that dominated the hearts and minds of sci-fi nerds everywhere. Plenty of bad movies were made about the dangers of playing God, but one of the best was Splice , a 2009 sci-fi horror movie that stars two actors who aren’t normally associated with the genre: Oscar winners Adrien Brody ( The Pianist ) and Sarah Polley ( Women Talking ). They star as married scientists Clive and Elsa, who are secretly trying to create a female human-animal hybrid so they can extract the creature’s proteins for medical research. Major problems naturally arise when the creature, named Dren, forms a bond with the two, and rapidly mutates as she grows from an infant to adolescence in a matter of days. As Clive and Elsa’s employers grow suspicious, can they hide Dren from them and the world? And can Dren resist her growing urge to leave and explore her surroundings, possibly endangering the human race? Well, what do you think? Splice ‘s plot may seem obvious, but it takes several major detours, including one I’ve never quite seen in a sci-fi before. Both Brody and Polley elevate the material, and director Vincenzo Natali goes for broke in examining the perverse possibilities of playing with nature’s genes. Splice is streaming on Max . Faye (2024) There are divas, and then there’s Faye Dunaway. The Oscar-winning actress, still best known for her work in Bonnie and Clyde , Chinatown , and Network , has a reputation of being temperamental, with past conflicts with director Roman Polanski, actress Bette Davis, and playwright Andrew Lloyd Webber all contributing to her being labeled “difficult.” But as Faye reveals, in archival clips with her peers and her own candid interview that took place recently, she had her reasons. And that’s what makes Faye so fascinating to watch. This isn’t a documentary to whitewash her sins, but rather to explain them, own them, and recontextualize them. The result is a fascinating portrait of a women who wasn’t difficult as much as she was a perfectionist. If that label was acceptable for her male collaborators and peers like Warren Beatty and Stanley Kubrick, well, why not her? Faye is streaming on Max .It might not have been a definitive match-winning moment and it will not be part of any end-of-season Champions League highlights package. After all, it was only a tackle. A tackle from a full-back who was shown a little too much of the ball by the attacker. But this was Conor Bradley, still a rookie at this rarefied level, spectacularly halting none other than Kylian Mbappe in full flight. Yes, you will see similar challenges on a regular basis but none will ignite an occasion and a team quite like this one did after half an hour of relative tedium. And the fact it came from a player who was keeping Trent Alexander-Arnold - assumed to be a Real Madrid player-in-waiting - on the bench made it all the more significant. There were several ramifications of what eventually became a compelling contest but perhaps the most important for Liverpool was the reminder they do have a very decent replacement if Alexander-Arnold does depart for Madrid. Ah, but surely Liverpool would miss the Trent assists? Yep, but Bradley is no slouch on that front either, teeing up the opener for Alex Mac Allister. Bradley would later dispossess Mbappe and start the move that ended with Mohamed Salah winning and missing a penalty. But that did not matter in the end, Cody Gakpo heading in an Andy Robertson cross to make it five wins in five Champions League games for the convincing Premier League leaders. But that Salah was not the only marquee player to miss from the spot told you what a miserable night this was for Real Madrid and Mbappe. As if it was not brutal enough for Mbappe to be given a going-over by 21-year-old Bradley, the Frenchman had a chance to cancel out Mac Allister’s strike after Andy Robertson had brought down Lucas Vazquez. But Mbappe saw Liverpool’s reserve keeper, Caoimhin Kelleher, keep out his penalty. It summed up Mbappe’s night - a night that started with him being pickpocketed by Salah, leading to the sort of incisive counter-attack that has become the trademark of the Arne Slot tenure. This particular break ended with Thibaut Courtois half-saving a Darwin Nunez effort and Raul Asencio, making only his third senior appearance for Real, completing a goal-line clearance. That the highlight of the opening period was that splendid Bradley tackle was also testament to how mundane the match had been to that point. While it did not seem to wake Mbappe up, it certainly energised supporters who had previously been treating the contest for what, realistically, it was ... a free hit for Liverpool. But even allowing for their litany of absentees, this was a Madrid side accustomed to intimidating atmospheres and they saw out the half with relatively few alarms. And they did not panic when Mac Allister gave Liverpool a deserved lead early in the second half, smuggling a shot into the corner of the net after playing a short exchange of passes with Bradley. But after Kelleher had pushed away Mbappe’s spot-kick and Salah’s spot-kick had not even troubled Courtois or the goal, Gakpo rose unchallenged twenty minutes from the end to give Liverpool yet another victory in a remarkable start to the season. And when Bradley had to leave the field with what looked like a hamstring problem in the dying stages, the acclaim was deafening. No wonder. If Alexander-Arnold does leave, Liverpool have a heck of a replacement. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.None