Justin Herbert tosses 3 TDs, Chargers clinch a playoff spot with a 40-7 rout of Patriots FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with the San Francisco 49ers. Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. The Patriots have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home. Dallas' Naji Marshall gets 4-game suspension, Phoenix's Jusuf Nurkic is banned 3 games for fight The NBA has suspended Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall for four games and Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic for three games for their roles in an on-court fight during Friday night’s game. Dallas forward P.J. Washington was suspended for one game. All of the suspensions are without pay. Nurkic was called for an offensive foul while being guarded by Daniel Gafford with 9:02 left in the third quarter before the altercation quickly escalated. Nurkic confronted Marshall before taking an open-handed swing at his head and then Marshall responded with a punch. Washington quickly shoved Nurkic to the ground before the teams were separated. The NBA said Marshall “attempted to further engage Nurkic in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms.” Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has posted on his Instagram account that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting a baby in 2025. The photo shows the couple's beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that is covered by a baby emoji. Ohtani announced in February that he had married Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan. The news from the intensely private player stunned Ohtani's teammates and his fans. Eli Manning and Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Hall on Saturday announced the names of the 15 modern-era finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final stage of voting. The selection committee will vote next month to pick the class of between three and five modern-era players that will be announced the week of the Super Bowl. Georgia QB Carson Beck announces plan to enter NFL draft after season-ending elbow injury Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has announced his plans to enter the NFL draft, five days after having season-ending elbow surgery. The fifth-year senior made his NFL plans official on social media. Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7. Beck had surgery on Monday to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. He is expected to begin throwing next spring. Backup Gunner Stockton will make his first start in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame on Wednesday. Victor Wembanyama plays 1-on-1 chess with fans in New York Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though. Wemby was playing chess. Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote. It was 9:36 a.m. And people began showing up almost immediately. Mavs star Luka Doncic is latest pro athlete whose home was burglarized, business manager says DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized. The star guard’s business manager tells multiple media outlets there was a break-in at Doncic’s home Friday night. Lara Beth Seager says nobody was home, and Doncic filed a police report. The Dallas Morning News reports that jewelry valued at about $30,000 was stolen. Doncic is the sixth known pro athlete in the U.S. whose home was burglarized since October. Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati are among them. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to players over the break-ins. Panthers place 1,000-yard rusher Chuba Hubbard on IR for final 2 games with strained calf CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have shut down leading rusher Chuba Hubbard for the final two games of the season because of a strained calf. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday. Hubbard was limited in practice Friday with a knee injury and was listed as questionable to play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After practice, Hubbard complained of pain and had an MRI, which revealed a grade two calf strain, according to the team. Hubbard ran for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He becomes the third Panthers running back to be placed on injured reserve this season, joining Miles Sanders and rookie Jonathan Brooks. Patriots QB Drake Maye returns to game after evaluation for head injury vs. Chargers FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye has returned to the game after being evaluated for a head injury following a blow to the helmet in the first quarter of New England’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. Maye was scrambling near the sideline on third down of the Patriots’ first possession of the game when he was hit by Chargers cornerback Cam Hart. Maye stayed down on the turf for several seconds before eventually getting up and jogging off the field on his own power. He briefly sat on the bench before going to the medical tent and then the locker room. He was replaced by backup Jacoby Brissett in the next series. But Maye returned at the 10:15 mark of the second quarter. Corbin Burnes and Arizona Diamondbacks agree to $210 million, 6-year deal, AP source says PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Burnes and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a $210 million, six-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical. The 30-year-old Burnes was perhaps the top free agent pitcher on the market after going 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA for Baltimore last season. The Orioles acquired the right-hander in a February trade after he spent his first six major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.ALLEN PARK -- Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not face any gun charges after an internal affairs investigation by the Detroit Police Department and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. “Because the case law is silent regarding the specific issue, and the legislative intent of the CPL statute does not support charges under these facts, no charges will issue in this matter, and the warrant is denied,” the prosecutor’s office said in an emailed statement. Williams was the passenger in a car that was pulled over by police after midnight on Oct. 8 during the team’s bye week. His brother was the driver of the vehicle and told police there were two guns inside the car. One of those guns was registered to Williams’ brother and in the back seat. The other was registered to the Lions wide receiver and was under the front passenger seat. At the time, Williams was told he was going to be taken into custody for not having a concealed-carry pistol license, unlike his brother and driver, who had the proper paperwork. Williams was handcuffed and put in the back of a patrol car when he told the officers multiple times he played for the Lions and had the gun for protection because he lives in Detroit. According to the initial WXYZ report, a Detroit police lieutenant decided Williams should be released from custody after others reported to the scene . No police report was filed, and internal affairs was investigating the matter, the response by the involved officers and why Williams wasn’t detained. “We have looked at this case thoroughly and objectively,” Kym Worthy, the county’s prosecutor, said in a statement. “We did not consider that Mr. Williams is a Detroit professional athlete in our decision-making. We have charged Detroit area athletes before and would not have hesitated to do so again if the facts of this case could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. “When it comes to charging decisions, we do not take into consideration who the potential defendant is, how much power and influence they have, or how beloved they may be. We deal with the facts and the law only.” Worthy’s office said the vehicle driver was a CPL holder and that the receiver’s brother had “care, custody and control” of the car. The prosecutor urged the state legislature to investigate these laws further so prosecutors have more “steady and meaningful guidance” on related situations in the future. “Guidance is needed for the future on how many weapons can a valid CPL say that they have control over?” Worthy said. “Despite all of this, if Mr. Williams had the gun on his person, he would have been charged ... “We had a team of experienced lawyers look at this case - as we often do - especially when the law is unclear or unsettled. We all agreed that this decision is the right and just one. And I am personally certain that the right decision has been made with these specific and unique set of facts.” The Lions said Williams told them about the incident and remained honest with them from the get-go. Dan Campbell, the team’s head coach, said Williams was worth sticking with and that he feels this is another learning moment. Williams has been back in action for the last three games after serving a two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. “Look, for me, I judge people over what’s in their heart, and I know what this kid’s made of, and he’s worth hanging with,” Campbell said last month. “So, he’s going to learn from this, he’s going to grow, he’ll be better for all of this.”Abortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. “Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned. As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access. This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them. Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans. But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common. The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans. Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give . Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions. Here's where it stands now: Florida, the nation’s third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1. That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them. There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer. While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor. The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states. But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy , though there’s no fixed time for it – have seen clinics open and expand . Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics. There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers. But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them. How hospitals handle pregnancy complications , especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned. President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho. More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records. Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. “It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year. Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions. Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four. In the 2024 election , they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska, which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota, where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure. AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most cases – a slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress. Associated Press writers Linley Sanders, Amanda Seitz and Laura Ungar contributed to this article.
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Special Counsel Jack Smith on Monday moved to dismiss the case against US President-elect Donald Trump for allegedly conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden. Smith, in a filing with the judge in Washington presiding over the historic case, said it should be dropped in light of a long-standing Justice Department policy not to prosecute a sitting president. The special counsel asked District Judge Tanya Chutkan to dismiss the case "without prejudice" -- leaving open the possibility it could be revived after Trump leaves office four years from now. Smith paused the election interference case earlier this month after Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the November 5 presidential election. "The Government's position on the merits of the defendant's prosecution has not changed," Smith said in the filing with Chutkan. "But the circumstances have." "It has long been the position of the Department of Justice that the United States Constitution forbids the federal indictment and subsequent criminal prosecution of a sitting President," Smith said. "As a result this prosecution must be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated." Trump's communications director Steven Cheung welcomed the move to dismiss the case, calling it a "major victory for the rule of law." "The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country," Cheung said in a statement. Sign up to get our free daily email of the biggest stories! Trump is accused of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding -- the session of Congress called to certify Biden's win, which was violently attacked on January 6, 2021, by a mob of the then-president's supporters. Trump is also accused of seeking to disenfranchise US voters with his false claims that he won the 2020 election. Smith charged Trump with mishandling top secret documents after leaving the White House, but that case was tossed out by a federal judge in Florida, a Trump appointee, on the grounds that Smith was unlawfully appointed. Smith had appealed that dismissal but is now expected to drop the appeal. Trump also faces two state cases -- in New York and Georgia. He was convicted in New York in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election to stop her from revealing an alleged 2006 sexual encounter. Judge Juan Merchan has postponed sentencing while he considers a request from Trump's lawyers that the conviction be thrown out in light of the Supreme Court ruling in July that an ex-president has broad immunity from prosecution. In Georgia, Trump faces racketeering charges over his efforts to subvert the 2020 election results in the southern state, but that case will likely be frozen while he is in office under the policy of not prosecuting a sitting president. cl/bgsDENVER (AP) — Travis Hunter made a pair of proclamations Thursday: He’s for sure entering the NFL draft after this season, but not until he sees Colorado all the way through the College Football Playoff — if the Buffaloes make it there. The first was already a given for the draft-eligible junior who plays both receiver and cornerback. The second is a risk-reward play for a projected high first-round pick who averages around 120 snaps a game. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.
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A study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has explored optimal albedo and tilt angles for bifacial perovskite solar cells. They have discovered that a rear-side albedo of 0.5 combined with a 20-degree tilt angle delivers maximum efficiency. Lambertian reflection and albedo key to boosting performance Bifacial perovskite solar cells (Bi-PSCs) have gained significant attention in the photovoltaic (PV) community for their potential to boost power generation, suitability for integration into building structures, and application in multijunction PV systems. The new study explores the fabrication of efficient bifacial perovskite solar cells and examines their unique properties through various characterization techniques, including Lambertian reflection effects from tilt angle adjustments and bottom albedo illumination, according to lead author Paul Ananta. The scientists identified the transparent back contact, made of indium zinc oxide (IZO), as the core component of their bifacial solar cells. They highlighted its excellent conductivity, high mobility, and optimal transparency. The device features an active area of 0.175 cm2 when illuminated from the front and 0.14 cm2 from the rear. The cell features a transparent fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate, an electron transport layer (ETL) made of tin oxide (SnO2), a perovskite absorber, a hole transport layer (HTL) composed of spiro-OMeTAD and molybdenum oxide (MoOx), and an indium zinc oxide (IZO) layer. The control device achieved a maximum power conversion efficiency of 17.46% under front-side 1 Sun AM1.5G illumination. A significant impact of ground Lambertian reflection was observed with tilt angle variations, increasing efficiency from 17.46% to 18.82% as the tilt angle reached 20 degrees. The researchers also found that increasing the rear-side albedo to 0.5 Sun resulted in a maximum efficiency of 26% and a bifaciality factor of 89.3% at a 20-degree tilt angle. SCAPS-1D simulations confirm experimental results The synergistic effect of 0.5 Sun albedo and a 20-degree tilt angle resulted in bifacial perovskite solar cells with an efficiency of 26.46%. SCAPS-1D simulations were also used to validate the experimental Lambertian reflection effects. The researchers also found that the cells demonstrated intrinsic self-encapsulation and chemical durability. Moreover, the study predicts that cost-effective and highly efficient bifacial perovskite solar cells will become a leading photovoltaic technology for electricity generation in both single-junction and tandem configurations in the near future. Perovskite solar cells, developed by Tsutomu Miyasaka in 2009, marked a breakthrough in photovoltaics and offer a promising alternative to traditional solar technologies. Now, leading research labs worldwide are exploring these next-gen cells, which can absorb a wider spectrum of sunlight. Furthermore, innovations like perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells enhance the technology by merging the strengths of perovskite and crystalline silicon, enabling the capture of a broader spectrum of sunlight and boosting overall efficiency.India supports ceasefire in West Asia, favours two-state solution: EAM Jaishankar
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