
There were plenty of terrific performances and magical moments during the 2024 high school football season. Quarterbacks threw the ball all over the field for big yardage, running backs generating points through potent ground attacks and receivers made a ton of big catches. On defense, players got to the quarterback and made that huge sack or stopped a running back with a clutch tackle. Click on the links below to see the final season stat leaders in all five New Jersey conferences. Big Central NJIC SFC Shore WJFL The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now and be among the first to get all the boys and girls sports you care about, straight to your inbox each weekday. To add your name, click here . Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Kevin Minnick covers the West Jersey Football League. He can be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com . Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kminnicksports Stories by Kevin Minnick Who lit it up?: Final West Jersey Football League stat leaders for 2024 season Boys Basketball: Can’t-miss games for opening weekend of 2024-25 season Who lit it up? Final football stat leaders for 2024 season Who lit it up? Final football scoring leaders for 2024 seasonNorth Korea and Russia are fortifying their relationship through sports, as ministers from both nations convened in Pyongyang on Sunday. The talks were aimed at bolstering exchanges between their respective sports sectors. Russia's Minister of Sport, Mikhail Degtyarev, alongside his North Korean counterpart, Kim Il Guk, formalized their future cooperation by signing a protocol for sports exchanges slated for 2025. This sporting collaboration unfolds amid heightened diplomatic and military ties, causing international concern over North Korea's involvement in Russia's conflict with Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies.)
NoneS.Africa's Breyten Breytenbach, writer and anti-apartheid activist
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert choked back tears taking responsibility for missing the extra point that would have tied the score in the final minute. Jeremy Reaves choked back tears blaming himself for a missed assignment that led to a kickoff return touchdown. And John Bates choked back tears talking about moving forward from his costly fumble. All of those late mistakes contributed to the Washington Commanders' third consecutive loss , 34-26 to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in a game that was wholly unremarkable until fourth quarter chaos. The teams combined to score 31 points in the final four minutes, the most in an NFL game in more than a decade, and the Commanders (7-5) came out on the wrong end of it in a defeat that further endangers their playoff chances. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top national security advisers to President-elect Donald Trump and outgoing President Joe Biden are working "hand in glove" to pose a united front against U.S. adversaries during the presidential transition, Trump adviser Mike Waltz said on Sunday. Waltz, a Republican congressman tapped by Trump to serve as his national security adviser after taking office Jan. 20, said he is in discussions with his Biden administration counterpart, Jake Sullivan, as the United States confronts an escalating war in Ukraine and ongoing hostilities in the Middle East. "For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity, that they can play one administration off the other, they're wrong," Waltz, a Trump loyalist and former Army Green Beret, told "Fox News Sunday." "We are hand in glove," Waltz added. "We are one team with the United States in this transition." Trump could face a rocky Senate confirmation process for other top national security picks viewed as inexperienced or otherwise flawed, including Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who has been chosen as intelligence chief, and Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host nominated to head the Defense Department. Gabbard has implied that Russian President Vladimir Putin had valid grounds for invading Ukraine and stirred controversy by meeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the midst of his bloody crackdown on dissidents in 2017. Hegseth, a military veteran, has been accused of sexual assault, though no criminal charges were filed, and Hegseth has said the encounter was consensual. Trump's initial choice for U.S. attorney general, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration last week in the face of Senate opposition over allegations of illicit drug use and sex trafficking. Despite lawmaker concerns about Trump nominees, Senator John Barrasso told "Fox News Sunday" in a separate interview that Republicans are aiming to confirm most of Trump's cabinet picks quickly so that they would be in place soon after he takes office on Jan. 20. "It's critical for us in the Senate to make sure that on day one, President Trump has confirmed his national security team," said Barrasso, who will serve as No. 2 Republican when his party takes control of the chamber in January. Waltz said the incoming Trump administration is prepared to work with European NATO allies and others to end what he called an escalating conflict in Ukraine, where Russian forces have begun using a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. "It is just an absolute meat grinder of people and personnel on that front. It is more like World War One trench warfare," Waltz said, emphasizing the need to begin negotiations. "What we need to be discussing is who's at that table, whether it's an agreement, an armistice, how to get both sides to the table, and then what's the framework of a deal," Waltz said. "That's what we'll be working with this administration until January and then beyond." (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone)
It's not always easy to be a long-term investor, particularly when contending with the natural cyclicality that the stock market presents if you buy and hold through bull as well as bear markets. Investing consistently during all types of market environments is key. So is maintaining your positions in quality companies unless and until your investment thesis regarding them no longer applies, or you feel that they have exhausted their value proposition for your portfolio. If you're looking for unstoppable growth stocks to buy and hold for at least three to five years, and you have $1,000 to add to your portfolio right now, here are two names you should consider. 1. DexCom Medical device company DexCom ( DXCM -2.19% ) specializes in the diabetes care space. Its continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are used by diabetes patients around the world to track their blood sugar levels and manage potential adverse events. Shares of DexCom have plummeted in recent months, and are now down by about 40% year to date. Though the company is still in solid financial shape, its revenue growth has slowed over the last few quarters. This happened for a few reasons, most of which appear to be short term in nature. For example, an unexpected spike in the number of patients using rebates for its flagship G7 CGM has resulted in rebate eligibility over a schedule that was three times faster than the company experienced with its predecessor device, the G6 CGM. Other factors such as restructuring of its sales teams amid shifts in its product lineup, and lower-than-usual performance in its durable medical equipment (DME) channel have also impacted revenue. Management broadly expects these complications to subside in the coming quarters, and it's actively working to expand its DME partnerships with distributors. Some portion of the stock's decline is also a reflection of investors' expectations that the widening use of GLP-1 drugs in diabetes care may reduce the long-term utility of CGM devices. However, therapeutic options like GLP-1 drugs do not replace the need for a CGM, and these devices continue to provide a range of use cases for the diabetic population as well as pre-diabetic individuals. In the third quarter, DexCom's U.S. revenue declined by 2%, while international revenue rose 12%. Overall revenue was $994 million, up 2% year over year. Management has said that rebate eligibility likely peaked in Q3, so that impact to its top line should not be surprising. Bear in mind, DexCom is still very profitable. Net income for the quarter totaled $134.6 million, which was a healthy 12% increase from the year-ago period. DexCom finished the quarter with $2.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents on hand, and it brought in about $535 million in free cash flow over the trailing 12-month period. DexCom also just launched Stelo, a new biosensor for adults with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes who are not on insulin. It's the first over-the-counter glucose biosensor in the U.S. In sum, this is not the tale of a dying business, and investors who are in it for the long haul could find this a wise time to buy shares on the dip. 2. Revolve Group Revolve Group ( RVLV 0.57% ) , too, has had to contend with difficult investor sentiment. While shares of the e-commerce fashion company are actually up about 100% from the start of 2024 at the time of this writing, the stock is still down by about 170% from the all-time high it reached in November 2021. The recent consumer spending environment has been tough on many online retailers, and this has impacted Revolve's financial growth. However, the company, which targets everything from affordable to premier luxury, has stayed the course, relying on the power of its long-standing marketing partnerships with influencers, artificial intelligence solutions that underpin its platform, and a diverse range of brands to drive business growth. Sales are still growing steadily, and Revolve Group is also profitable. As of the end of the third quarter, its trailing 12-month active customer base had grown by 5% year-over-year to 2.6 million individuals. Net sales in Q3 came to $283 million, a solid 10% bump from one year ago. Broken down by segment, the Revolve segment generated sales of $243.4 million, up 12% from one year ago. The company's in-house premier luxury brand, FWRD, had revenue of $39.7 million -- down by less than 0.5% year over year. More impressive was Revolve Group's net income. Its bottom line was just shy of $11 million for the quarter. That was a 238% increase from the prior-year period, a time when it was also dealing with large one-time costs related to settling a legal matter. Revolve offers more than 100,000 apparel and footwear products through its e-commerce platform, as well as home products, beauty, and accessories. It sells thousands of brands including 25 owned brands along with many coveted third-party brands. In 2023, around 79% of Revolve Group's net sales across all brands were at full price. Last year, the company generated $1.1 billion in net sales from more than 2.5 million active customers, with an average order value of $297. As one of the largest fashion e-commerce brands in the U.S., Revolve Group has plenty of opportunities for growth in a fast-growing addressable market. Its underlying finances are strong, and its business is demonstrating resilience even as consumer spending patterns are shifting. Overall, there appears to be a compelling case for snagging at least a few shares of this top e-commerce stock.Longtime Democrat switches to the GOP because of a glaring reason
Anthony Weiner, ex-congressman jailed in sexting scandal, files to run for NYC City Council seatLuigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation's top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sharply refuted that perception after Mangione's arrest on Monday when a customer at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania spotted Mangione eating and noticed he resembled the shooting suspect in security-camera photos released by New York police. “In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this, he is no hero,” Shapiro said. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning.” Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. Reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. Nick Mangione had 37 grandchildren, including Luigi, according to the grandfather's obituary. Luigi Mangione’s grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes, including Catholic organizations, colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media by Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Mangione, who was valedictorian of his elite Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press. He 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 social media posts suggest 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 at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. The children of some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent residents, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have attended the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” Mangione took a software programming internship after high school at Maryland-based video game studio Firaxis, where he fixed bugs on the hit strategy game Civilization 6, according to a LinkedIn profile. Firaxis' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said it would not comment on former employees. He more recently worked at the car-buying website TrueCar, but has not worked there since 2023, the head of the Santa Monica, California-based company confirmed to the AP. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. “There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, including surfing, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back,” Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. An image posted to a social media account linked to Mangione showed what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into someone's lower spine. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. An X account linked to Mangione includes recent posts about the negative impact of smartphones on children; healthy eating and exercise habits; psychological theories; and a quote from Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti about the dangers of becoming “well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by AP. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu; Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Michael Kunzelman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
Knicks vs. Hawks Injury Report Today – December 118th Pay Commission: Salary should be revised every 5 years, employee unions are demanding 8th pay commissionTOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into an investigation of mysterious drone sightings that have been reported in New Jersey and nearby states. Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious activity of unmanned aircraft. He posted a copy of the letter on the social media platform X . “This leaves action surrounding the (drones) squarely on the shoulders of the federal government,” Murphy said. “More federal resources are needed to understand what is behind this activity.” Murphy and other officials have repeatedly stressed that there is no evidence that the aircraft pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus. The Pentagon also has said they are not U.S. military drones. The drones have drawn intense public concern and curiosity since residents first reported seeing them last month. Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said from four to 180 aircraft have been reported to authorities since Nov. 18, appearing from dusk till 11 p.m. The flying objects have been spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, but the number of reported sightings has grown greatly since then. Drones were also spotted in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region. The FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and other state and federal agencies involved in the investigation have not corroborated any of the reported sightings with electronic detection, and reviews of available images appear to show many of the reported drones are actually manned aircraft. They also say there have been no confirmed sightings in restricted air space. It’s also possible that a single drone has been seen and reported more than once, officials said. Some federal lawmakers have called on the military to “shoot down” the drones. The drones also appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker who was briefed by the Department of Homeland Security. In one case, a medevac helicopter was unable to pick up a seriously injured car accident victim in Branchburg Township in Somerset County late last month due to drones hovering near the planned landing zone, according to NJ.com. The FAA said Thursday that it does not have a report on this incident. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and FAA regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Witnesses say the drones they think they have seen in New Jersey appear to be larger than those typically used by hobbyists.