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The Minnesota Vikings are looking to improve their record to 10-2 in week 13 when they host the Arizona Cardinals. They will be doing so without both tight end Josh Oliver and safety Jay Ward, as they will miss the game due to injury. To fortify the roster on Sunday, the Vikings made two elevations by elevating tight end Nick Muse and cornerback Nahshon Wright from the practice squad. Both moves are being made to mainly help with special teams, especially in the case of Wright, who was mainly used in that role during his three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys . Muse will play plenty of special teams, as he usually does, but he will likely see some snaps on offense like he did against the Chicago Bears. The Vikings have made a habit of using the practice squad to fortify their gameday roster so they can keep young players on the active roster without having to play them. It's a smart strategy for the Vikings and they continue to take advantage. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
Older siblings everywhere could appreciate John Harbaugh's refusal to concede an inch against his younger brother Jim. Even when his Baltimore Ravens faced fourth down at their 16-yard line in the second quarter, John wasn't giving up the ball without a fight. The Ravens converted that fourth down and two others on their way to a 30-23 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, giving their coach a third victory in three matchups against his brother. It was the first time they'd faced off since Baltimore beat San Francisco — then coached by Jim Harbaugh — in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2012 season. “We grew up in the same room and have always lived our life side by side, but that’s not what the game is about,” John Harbaugh said. “The game really is about the players, and the players are always going to win the game or lose the game or whatever.” On this night, it was Baltimore's players who shined. Specifically Derrick Henry, who rushed for 140 yards. Lamar Jackson threw a couple of touchdown passes, and the defense was solid, allowing touchdowns on the first and last Los Angeles drives but not much in between. “I’m proud of our guys,” John Harbaugh said. “I’m proud of the way they came out and responded after the first 10 points — we were down 10-0, and our guys stepped up.” After converting fourth-and-1 at their 16 late in the second quarter, the Ravens scored on a 40-yard pass from Jackson to Rashod Bateman, taking the lead for good at 14-10. Baltimore's other two fourth-and-1 conversions came on a 14-play touchdown drive that spanned the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth. “We’re just confident that we’ll end up converting on those fourth downs, and we did a great job blocking,” said Henry, who converted the last two of the fourth downs. "All we had to do was make a play, and we did.” The Ravens got back to their identity a bit, rushing for 212 yards. And it wasn't just Henry and Jackson contributing. Justice Hill broke free for a 51-yard touchdown that made it 30-16 in the fourth. “Nobody wants to stand in front of (Derrick Henry) every single play, every single run,” Hill said. "You can do it one time, two times, three times, but when you have to do it 20 to 25 times, it starts to wear down. I’m glad we stuck with the run game this game, and it played out for us.” There were still too many penalties, with the Ravens flagged nine times for 102 yards. Baltimore played a pretty clean game until the fourth quarter, so several of those flags came after the Ravens had the game reasonably under control, but this is still an area of concern. With star linebacker Roquan Smith out because of a hamstring injury, Malik Harrison led the Ravens with a dozen tackles. “It’s a lot of people that doubted me coming into this game, so I’m happy I was able to ball out and show them that I can be in this league, and I can play at a high level,” Harrison said. There was a time when Isaiah Likely seemed as if he might be supplanting Mark Andrews as Baltimore's top tight end threat, but Likely went without a catch Monday. He did, however, recover the onside kick that effectively ended the game. Although Smith was out, DT Travis Jones (ankle) and C Tyler Linderbaum (back) were able to start. Jackson has now thrown 22 touchdown passes with no interceptions on Monday nights, with a passer rating of 124.3. The Ravens have one more game before their open date, and it's a showdown this weekend against a Philadelphia team that has won seven in a row. Saquon Barkley (1,392) of the Eagles and Henry (1,325) have both surpassed 1,300 yards rushing already. Nobody else in the NFL has more than 1,000. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter , with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal . His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft . Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlbSANTA CRUZ, Calif. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Cruz County Bank (OTCQX: SCZC ), a top-rated community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz County , is pleased to announce that Alison Voorhees has joined as Senior Vice President and Director of Marketing. Ms. Voorhees is responsible for all aspects of marketing and maintains her office at the Bank's 75 River St., Santa Cruz, Ca. location. Ms. Voorhees has a more than 20-year marketing background with extensive experience in branding, rebranding and creative direction, business and creative writing, corporate and executive communications, strategic business and marketing campaigns, media partnerships and community relations. She is a Certified Financial Marketing Professional (CFMP), Certified Digital Marketing Professional and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM ® ) in Digital Marketing. Her attention to creative excellence includes internal and external communications, data storytelling, marketing technology and automation tools and overall brand and integrated marketing strategy with a multi-channel approach. Krista Snelling , Santa Cruz County Bank President and CEO, commented, "Alison brings a wealth of bank marketing experience and fresh perspectives to help us continue our mission of serving the community with excellence. We are confident that under her leadership our brand, built over the past two decades, will continue to flourish and evolve in exciting ways that remain true to our roots." Early in her career, Ms. Voorhees established herself as an effective campaign and event coordinator, a strategic business and marketing planner, a dedicated team leader and a committed community partner. Ms. Voorhees most recently ascended to the role of Vice President, Marketing Strategy Manager for Capital City Bank where she also previously served as Assistant Vice President, Advertising Manager and Public Relations Specialist. Prior to a career in banking, she worked in fundraising and special events for Orlando Ballet and Opening Nights Performing Arts as well as in sales and marketing support for Ben Nye Company. Of this new opportunity, Ms. Voorhees said, "Joining a talented team of leaders at such a beloved community banking institution is a dream move for my career. I am honored to be entrusted with taking up the marketing mantle to shape the future of the Santa Cruz County Bank brand and beyond." Ms. Voorhees holds a Master of Arts in Global Communications from the University of Southern California , a Master of Science in Global Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and English from Florida State University . She also obtained a graduate certificate in Publishing and Editing from Florida State University and a certificate in Principles and Practices for Advertising Ethics from the Institute for Advertising Ethics. An avid community volunteer in the arts, elder care, literacy, placemaking, workforce development and youth sports, Ms. Voorhees has relocated to Santa Cruz from Tallahassee, Fla. ABOUT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK AND WEST COAST COMMUNITY BANCORP Founded in 2004, Santa Cruz County Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of West Coast Community Bancorp, a bank holding company. The Bank is a top-rated, locally operated and full-service community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz, Ca. with branches located in Aptos , Capitola , Cupertino , King City , Monterey , Salinas , San Luis Obispo , Santa Cruz , Scotts Valley and Watsonville . Santa Cruz County Bank is distinguished from "big banks" by its relationship-based service, problem-solving focus and direct access to decision makers. The Bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley. As a full-service bank, Santa Cruz County Bank offers competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and individuals; including business loans, lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction lending, asset-based lending, agricultural loans, SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans, credit cards, merchant services, remote deposit capture, mobile and online banking, bill payment and treasury management. True to its community roots, Santa Cruz County Bank has supported regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local nonprofit organizations. Visit sccountybank.com for more information. Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties may include but are not necessarily limited to the successful integration with 1st Capital Bancorp post-merger, achieving the targeted cost savings and synergies within expected time-frames or at all, retaining employees and customers, fluctuations in interest rates (including but not limited to changes in depositor behavior in relation thereto), inflation, government regulations and general economic conditions, and competition within the business areas in which the Bank is conducting its operations, health of the real estate market in California, Bancorp's ability to effectively execute its business plans, and other factors beyond Bancorp and the Bank's control. Such risks and uncertainties could cause results for subsequent interim periods or for the entire year to differ materially from those indicated. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which reflect management's view only as of the date hereof. Bancorp undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. SOURCE Santa Cruz County BankLuigi 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.
CORAL GABLES — RJ Johnson scored 23 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute, Daylen Berry added two clutch free throws and Charleston Southern surprised Miami 83-79 on Saturday. The Buccaneers led for the last four minutes of the first half and deep into the second half before a 3-pointer from Austin Swartz gave Miami a 76-75 lead with 3 minutes left in the game. A three-point play by Lynn Kidd gave the Hurricanes a 79-75 lead with 2:11 remaining. Berry hit a 3-pointer to make it 79-78 and Johnson followed with a 3 that gave the Buccaneers an 81-79 lead. Kidd missed in the paint for Miami but came up with a steal a few seconds later. With 15 seconds left, Swartz missed a 3-pointer and the Buccaneers rebounded. Miami put Berry on the line and he made both free throws for a four-point lead with 11 seconds remaining. Miami’s Jalen Blackmon missed a 3-pointer with 8 seconds left, the Hurricanes’ A.J. Staton-McCray grabbed the rebound and he missed a 3 as time ran out. Taje Kelly had 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Buccaneers (2-7), who snapped a five-game losing streak and defeated a Division I opponent for the first-time this season. Thompson Camara made five 3-pointers and scored 21. Brandon Johnson made six 3-pointers and scored 23 for Miami (3-4). Swartz scored 15 points off the bench and Staton-McCray had 13 points.The huge salary Aussies need to buy a house - so is it any wonder why our birth rate is declining?Durban [South Africa], : Ace seamer Shaheen Afridi etched his name in the history book by becoming Pakistan's first bowler to take 100 wickets in each format of international cricket. In the first innings of the opening T20I against South Africa in Durban here on Tuesday night, Shaheen struck once in the powerplay, then in the middle phase and once towards the end to complete a three-wicket haul and arrive at the rare feat. With a three-wicket haul, Shaheen completed 100 T20I wickets and became the first Pakistan bowler to have 100 wickets in each format. Apart from T20Is, the 24-year-old left-arm seamer boasts 112 scalps in ODIs and 116 in Test cricket. With his record-shattering spell, he also the became third Pakistani bowler to achieve 100 T20I wickets, behind Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan. Shaheen hit the three-digit figure milestone in his 74th T20I game for Pakistan. He became the second-fastest to take 100 T20I wickets for Pakistan after scorching pacer Haris Rauf, who achieved the feat in 71 T20I matches. Overall, Shaheen became the youngest to achieve the feat and joined the ranks of New Zealand's Tim Southee, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, and Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga. Coming to the match, Shaheen cleaned up Rassie van der Dussen for a golden duck with a pinpoint yorker. He came back to send in-form David Miller before he could bring up a well-deserved century. In the last, he trapped Nqabayomzi Peter in front of the stumps to claim his 100th T20I wicket and enter the exclusive club. Shaheen ended the first T20I with figures of 3/22 in his four-over spell. Despite Shaheen's heroics, Pakistan fell to a narrow 11-run defeat. While chasing a challenging total of 184, skipper Mohammad Rizwan found no support from the other end. His 74 drove Pakistan's score but it wasn't enough to take the visitors past the finishing line. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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WASHINGTON -- A tax break for millionaires, and almost everyone else. An end to the COVID-19-era government subsidies that some Americans have used to purchase health insurance. Limits to food stamps, including for women and children, and other safety net programs. Rollbacks to Biden-era green energy programs. Mass deportations. Government job cuts to "drain the swamp." Having won the election and sweeping to power, Republicans are planning an ambitious 100-day agenda with President-elect Donald Trump in the White House and GOP lawmakers in a congressional majority to accomplish their policy goals. Atop the list is the plan to renew some $4 trillion in expiring GOP tax cuts, a signature domestic achievement of Trump's first term and an issue that may define his return to the White House. "What we're focused on right now is being ready, Day 1," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., after meeting recently with GOP colleagues to map out the road ahead. SEE ALSO | Trump, Trudeau meet at Mar-a-Lago amid tariff threats The policies emerging will revive long-running debates about America's priorities, its gaping income inequities and the proper size and scope of its government, especially in the face of mounting federal deficits now approaching $2 trillion a year. The discussions will test whether Trump and his Republican allies can achieve the kinds of real-world outcomes wanted, needed or supported when voters gave the party control of Congress and the White House. "The past is really prologue here," said Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, recalling the 2017 tax debate. Trump's first term became defined by those tax cuts, which were approved by Republicans in Congress and signed into law only after their initial campaign promise to "repeal and replace" Democratic President Barack Obama's health care law sputtered, failing with the famous thumbs-down vote by then-Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The GOP majority in Congress quickly pivoted to tax cuts, assembling and approving the multitrillion-dollar package by year's end. In the time since Trump signed those cuts into law, the big benefits have accrued to higher-income households. The top 1 percent - those making nearly $1 million and above - received about a $60,000 income tax cut, while those with lower incomes got as little as a few hundred dollars, according to the Tax Policy Center and other groups. Some people ended up paying about the same. "The big economic story in the U.S. is soaring income inequality," said Owens. "And that is actually, interestingly, a tax story." In preparation for Trump's return, Republicans in Congress have been meeting privately for months and with the president-elect to go over proposals to extend and enhance those tax breaks, some of which would otherwise expire in 2025. That means keeping in place various tax brackets and a standardized deduction for individual earners, along with the existing rates for so-called pass-through entities such as law firms, doctors' offices or businesses that take their earnings as individual income. Typically, the price tag for the tax cuts would be prohibitive. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that keeping the expiring provisions in place would add some $4 trillion to deficits over a decade. Adding to that, Trump wants to include his own priorities in the tax package, including lowering the corporate rate, now at 21% from the 2017 law, to 15%, and doing away with individual taxes on tips and overtime pay. But Avik Roy, president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, said blaming the tax cuts for the nation's income inequality is "just nonsense" because tax filers up and down the income ladder benefited. He instead points to other factors, including the Federal Reserve's historically low interest rates that enable borrowing, including for the wealthy, on the cheap. "Americans don't care if Elon Musk is rich," Roy said. "What they care about is, what are you doing to make their lives better?" Typically, lawmakers want the cost of a policy change to be offset by budget revenue or reductions elsewhere. But in this case, there's almost no agreed-upon revenue raisers or spending cuts in the annual $6 trillion budget that could cover such a whopping price tag. Instead, some Republicans have argued that the tax breaks will pay for themselves, with the trickle-down revenue from potential economic growth. Trump's tariffs floated this past week could provide another source of offsetting revenue. Some Republicans argue there's precedent for simply extending the tax cuts without offsetting the costs because they are not new changes but existing federal policy. "If you're just extending current law, we're not raising taxes or lowering taxes," said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the incoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on Fox News. He said the criticism that tax cuts would add to the deficit is "ridiculous." There is a difference between taxes and spending, he said, "and we just have to get that message out to America." At the same time, the new Congress will also be considering spending reductions, particularly to food stamps and health care programs, goals long sought by conservatives as part of the annual appropriations process. One cut is almost certain to fall on the COVID-19-era subsidy that helps defray the cost of health insurance for people who buy their own policies via the Affordable Care Act exchange. The extra health care subsidies were extended through 2025 in Democratic President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which also includes various green energy tax breaks that Republicans want to roll back. The House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, scoffed at the Republican claim that they've won "some big, massive mandate" - when in fact, the House Democrats and Republicans essentially fought to a draw in the November election, with the GOP eking out a narrow majority. "This notion about some mandate to make massive, far-right extreme policy changes, it doesn't exist - it doesn't exist," Jeffries said. Republicans are planning to use a budgetary process, called reconciliation, that allows majority passage in Congress, essentially along party lines, without the threat of a filibuster in the Senate that can stall out a bill's advance unless 60 of the 100 senators agree. It's the same process Democrats have used when they had the power in Washington to approve the Inflation Reduction Act and Obama's health care law over GOP objections. Republicans have been here before with Trump and control of Congress, which is no guarantee they will be able to accomplish their goals, particularly in the face of resistance from Democrats. Still, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been working closely with Trump on the agenda, has promised a "breakneck" pace in the first 100 days "because we have a lot to fix." ___ The story has been corrected to reflect that Lindsay Owens of the Groundwork Collaborative spoke of 'income inequality,' not 'income equality.' The video in the player above is from a previous report.Former Manchester United winger nets vital goal as he becomes a Leeds centurion
BOISE, Idaho — Freshman wide receiver George Dimopoulos threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dane Pardridge on the first play of double overtime and Jordan Hansen ended the game on a fourth-down sack to give Northern Illinois a 28-20 victory over Fresno State on Monday in the Idaho Potato Bowl. Dimopoulos, who played quarterback in high school, also converted the two-point conversion when he passed it to quarterback Josh Holst for his second completion of the season. Holst, a freshman walk-on, was making just his third start at quarterback as NIU was without starter Ethan Hampton, who entered with 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with six interceptions. Holst completed 18 of 30 passes for 182 and two touchdowns for Northern Illinois (8-5). He was also intercepted on the first play of the game. Both teams missed a 35-yard field goal in the final three minutes of regulation, including Dylan Lynch's third miss of the game on the final play to send it to overtime. Fresno State started overtime with a touchdown when Bryson Donelson was left wide open out of the backfield to haul in a 9-yard touchdown pass. NIU needed five plays, and a defensive holding penalty, to score as Holst found Grayson Barnes for a 3-yard touchdown. Donelson finished with 15 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown for Fresno State (6-7). He added three catches for 28 yards and another score. Dual-threat quarterback Joshua Wood was 16 of 23 for 180 yards and a touchdown. Mac Dalena made six catches for 118 yards to help go over 1,000 yards for the season. Fresno State was without 14 players, including starting quarterback Mikey Keene after he transferred to Michigan. Two top-three receivers, Jalen Moss and Raylen Sharpe, also did not play as the Bulldogs were forced to use five new starters. UTSA 44, COASTAL CAROLINA 15: Owen McCown threw for 254 yards and a touchdown and UTSA scored the opening 27 points of the Myrtle Beach Bowl to cruise past short-handed Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. UTSA (7-6) broke away in the second quarter by scoring a touchdown on three straight drives for a 21-0 lead. McCown was 14 of 17 in the first half, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Overmyer. McCown also scored on a 35-yard run after breaking two tackles near the end zone. The other score was a 9-yard touchdown run by Brandon High. Coastal Carolina (6-7) finished the first half with just 140 total yards — 60 coming on the final drive. The Chanticleers punted on five straight drives to begin the game — with the longest possession lasting seven plays for 25 yards. UTSA added short field goals on its opening two drives of the second half, while Coastal Carolina started with two straight three-and-out drives. UTSA ended CCU’s third drive on Jakevian Rodgers’ first career interception to extend the program's single-game streak with an interception and a sack to 23 games. CCU’s first touchdown came on the first play of the fourth quarter when Bryson Graves caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tad Hudson. But UTSA’s Chris Carpenter returned the ensuing kickoff for a 93-yard touchdown to make it 34-7. It was the largest margin of victory in the five-year history of the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Get local news delivered to your inbox!MYEFO to condemn Labor to deficit