On day seven of " 12 Days of OpenAI ," the company announced Projects in ChatGPT — a way to customize and organize your chats. Well, they aren't all going to be bangers. But this one has been deemed useful by the OpenAI team for creating and organizing various projects by pulling ChatGPT's various capabilities into one place. That includes Canvas support and connection to the web via ChatGPT Search . Today's announcement wasn't a massive technological breakthrough like Sora or GPT-5 ( if that's still happening ). Instead, it focused on user experience tweaks to make ChatGPT more of an everything app, that's your go-to for writing, research, programming, web-search, and soon to come executing multi-step tasks . It may have not been a super exciting update, but it hints at OpenAI's plans to further embed ChatGPT into everyday life. In the demo, CPO Kevin Weil, joined by OpenAI's Drew Schuster and Thomas Dimson showed how Projects could be used to create a Secret Santa project. Schuster uploaded the Secret Santa group and their requests, then asked ChatGPT to randomly assign them to each other. He then asked ChatGPT to draft an email to the group. In another example, Schuster uploaded notes about various home appliances and used ChatGPT to ask when he should change the water filter in his fridge. This is useful if you're super organized and already wrote down important notes about home maintenance. Or you could check your notes. Moving on, Dimson used Projects to create a personal website while leaning on ChatGPT Canvas to modify the website template. ChatGPT recognized the template code and correctly made the modifications. Projects was shipped (live in the livestream) to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Teams users, with Enterprise and Edu users receiving the feature early in the new year.
As Democratic governors prepare to navigate and resist parts of President-elect Donald Trump's next administration, one told ABC News she is most alarmed by Trump's tariff plan. "Tariffs would be devastating to our economy, especially with the amount of trade we do with Canada," Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey told ABC News. Trump has threatened to impose a 25% across the board tariff on Mexico and Canada, in addition to a 10% tariff on goods imported from China. These are the U.S.'s top three trading partners. Economists warn this would raise prices on everyday goods and wreak havoc on the economy. MORE: Illinois, Colorado governors announce state-level coalition to resist Trump policies "I'm a governor who's come in, cut taxes, worked to lower housing costs, grow the economy. If he were to impose tariffs -- it would first of all -- I think it's not smart to do -- and it would be devastating to consumers," Healey said, "Think about all the housing we're trying to build here right now -- what will that do to housing costs?" In an interview with NBC News that aired on Sunday, Trump said he couldn't guarantee that his tariff plan would not raise prices for American consumers. Other Democratic governors, who gathered last weekend for the first time since the election for a winter meeting in Beverly Hills, California, said Trump's tariff proposals were a chief concern among a number of others: threats to entitlements, his immigration proposals, and repeals of climate and reproductive protections. Several high-profile governors told ABC News they're deep into preparations to use legislative, executive or legal actions to combat Trump's moves. At the Beverly Hilton over the weekend, the tight-knit group of Democratic talent -- many of whom will be some of the strongest detractors of Trump's policies and also some of the best-positioned to be at the top of the party's presidential ticket in 2028 -- gathered for private, closed-door meetings with one another, donors and other stakeholders. The group of about 18 governors and governors-elect, hosted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, focused on how to navigate through Trump's leadership, according to several who spoke with ABC News, rather than any significant post-election analysis following the Democrats' losses last month. MORE: Can Trump's proposed tariffs revive the steel industry? The group of governors in Beverly Hills included many of the likely 2028 contenders, including blue state leaders like Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who have been actively on offense against Republican leadership since Nov. 6, and red state ones like Democratic Governors Association Vice Chair and Chair-elect Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Healey, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz were also on the guest list -- many of whom have questions looming about their own political futures. "I would expect that we'll put up quite a fight to take the House back. And I think that we'll have an incredible bench in the primary '28," New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told ABC News about the plans of many of the governors. Different tones in taking on Trump The governors are striking different tones as they prepare for Trump's presidency. The strongest, most combative voices of course have been from leaders like Newsom, who initiated a recently convened a special legislative session in California to increase funding for its Department of Justice and other agencies so they'll be able to quickly file litigation to challenge actions taken by a second Trump administration. Pritzker, too, has made not-so-veiled threats about how he'd approach the administration should it "come for" his people, and recently announced his position as co-chair, along with Jared Polis of Colorado, of a new nonpartisan coalition of governors committed to protecting the "state-level institutions of democracy" ahead of Trump's presidency. Other governors encouraged their peers to meet this moment offensively through their agendas. MORE: Byron Donalds: Using military for deportations would be a 'last resort' "Democratic governors should approach this with strength and resolution and an activist agenda. Because this is the place where we can make progress too," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told ABC News. "You can't stop some 85% of the things I would like to do in that state, so I think the order of the day is defend where we can in fighting with an advance every day with our own ambitions and unaffected by him, so that shadow doesn't fall in our state," said Inslee, who is leaving his seat this winter to make way for incoming Gov. Bob Ferguson. But a different group of governors are acting much more lukewarm in their approaches, emphasizing their desire to "work" with the Trump administration and some citing past collaborations with the president-elect's team, like during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beshear said last weekend that Democrats needed to lean into "reason" while Trump is in office and that he's willing to work with the incoming administration. "The middle ground, middle of the road, common ground, common sense, is open. It's open," Beshear told a group of reporters on Saturday. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, the DGA's chair, said this weekend that she wasn't yet anticipating Trump or his agencies' actions, but "We will always look for ways to work together" with the caveat that she'll "draw the line" on things "that they push us to do that we think are wrong, illegal, anything like that." The varying approaches from governors to Trump's agenda could be a coordinated strategy as the group wrestles with how best to support each other within a party attempting to rebuild -- a complicated task as they also eye each other as potential presidential primary competition. "We know how to create space to protect people and protect the priorities," Lujan Grisham told ABC, noting that she and many other governors aren't officially part of Pritzker and Polis' new coalition, for example. "We did it on climate. We still do it on climate. We did it on reproductive premiums, we're gonna have to still do it on reproductive premiums, and we'll do some test cases in states that allow us to frame and direct these coalitions." "We want to be strategic about what it is that we are announcing. And here's why: We've got a president-elect and a team that, before this and every day, said 'We're going to punish anyone in our way, and we're going to particularly punish states,'" she went on. "And the difference in California versus New Mexico -- California is definitely on the radar. I don't minimize what the Trump administration can negatively do to my state, but we're also very effective at watching and understanding what's occurring, and then we can deploy our joint efforts pretty damn fast." Plans to fight Trump's tariff, immigration proposals While governors can mount legal fights against parts of Trump's plan, the president can use executive power to impose sweeping tariffs. But for immigration, on the other hand, governors can resist Trump's proposals in clearer ways. Border state Gov. Lujan Grisham told ABC News she'd block Trump's ability to use detention centers, deploy the National Guard or even request data in her state if he attempted mass deportations. "I take him at his word. He says he's going to do, try to do mass deportations," she said, adding that she wouldn't be a partner in those moves: "There's a lot that he can't do by himself." ."I mean, I've made it very clear over a number of years on this issue is that I will not use our National Guard to perform that kind of service," Kelly told reporters. "I will not send them to the border. We have had Guard members go to the border, but they have been federalized when they've been down there. I don't see that as the role of the National Guard -- they are there to serve Kansas, Kansas issues, so I don't see that changing... The State Police are mine, and it's not their job, either. So we will take the same approach as we have with the Guard," Kelly added. On immigration, most Democratic governors agree that violent criminals need to be deported, noting that it's always been the case that local and state law enforcement work with federal authorities on investigating crimes. But where many governors draw the line is on deporting undocumented immigrants who have been living and working in America for a long time, arguing it's inhumane and damages the economy. MORE: Texas land commissioner offers 1,402 acres to Trump for 'deportation facilities' "We don't know what President Trump's immigration plan is going to look like at the end of the day. He is a master of saying something, creating a great deal of noise, and then the reality may be different. So I'm going to wait to see exactly what it is he ultimately proposes," incoming North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein told reporters about his plans to respond to Trump's immigration moves. "The people of North Carolina have every right to be safe in their communities, and anybody who commits a violent crime must be held accountable, fully, and that's whether they're in this country as American citizens or they're here as undocumented people, and if they're here undocumented, they should be deported," Stein said. They also question how Trump will execute his plan. Trump could direct the National Guard to help with transport and logistics, but one Democratic governor told ABC News these are precious resources, and they need their National Guard for emergencies like storms, fires and severe flooding. Trump's team has discussed in the past how to strip federal resources from Democratic-run cities if they refuse to work with the administration on deporting undocumented immigrants, according to sources familiar with the matter. Blue state governors say they're concerned about the Trump administration weaponizing federal funding and "picking winners and losers." One governor told ABC News their state is focused on locking down every federal dollar the state is entitled to, and securing all of the funding made available through the Biden administration's infrastructure law and CHIPS and Science Act. In California, Newsom has also started to "Trump-proof" his budget, which is one of the aims of his move to convene the legislature last week.
Rachel Christian | (TNS) Bankrate.com Just because retirement planning involves some guesswork doesn’t mean it has to be a total mystery. Related Articles Business | Tech review: Earbuds and phones for those on your holiday list Business | The year in money: inflation eased, optimism ticked upward Business | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds Business | How to protect your communications through encryption Business | About 2.6 million Stanley cups recalled after malfunctions caused burns. Is your mug included? Whether you’ve been saving since your first job or you’re getting a late start, you can leverage expert-recommended strategies to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. And if you’re not quite on track, don’t sweat it — the experts we spoke to offered actionable tips to help you close the gap. You might have a general idea of how much money you need to save for retirement . A few quick calculations can give you an estimate, but to truly appreciate where you stand, you’ll need to dive into the numbers. Here’s how to get started. A good rule of thumb to estimate your retirement savings goal is the Rule of 25 . Simply multiply your desired annual retirement income by 25. The result is roughly how much you’ll need to save before hitting retirement. For example, if you plan to spend $50,000 a year, you’ll need about $1.25 million to make it a reality. The Rule of 25 is based on the idea that withdrawing 4% annually from your retirement savings should last you about 30 years. While it’s not an exact science by any means — health care costs and lifestyle changes can skew the numbers, for example — the Rule of 25 can be a good starting point to figure out how much you need to save. Fidelity Investments, a behemoth in the retirement planning space, offers savings guidelines to help you determine if you’re on track . —By age 30: Save 1x your annual salary —By age 40: Save 3x your annual salary —By age 50: Save 6x your annual salary —By age 60: Save 8x your annual salary —By age 67: Save 10x your annual salary For example, if you earn $60,000 annually, you should aim for $600,000 in savings by age 67. But like the Rule of 25, Fidelity’s guidelines offer a 10,000-foot look at retirement goals, and they’re not customized to your situation. Maybe you earned a low salary in your 20s, but you’re working hard in your 30s to make up for it. Use these estimates as a benchmark — but don’t get discouraged if you’re lagging behind. Now it’s time to zoom in a little. To get a clearer snapshot of your progress, use an online retirement calculator. These tools factor in your age, current savings, income and lifestyle goals to estimate whether you’re on track. You’ll get a more refined estimate without crunching the numbers yourself. Bankrate’s retirement calculator even lets you input different rates of return on your investments and accounts for estimated annual salary increases. Having a general savings goal is nice, but to avoid falling short in retirement, you’ll need more than a ballpark figure. Experts recommend creating a retirement budget to get an up-close-and-personal look at how much you’ll really need once you leave the workforce. First, estimate how much you’ll spend per month in retirement. While some costs will increase, like health care, others will likely decrease, like dining out and commuting. “Estimating expenses can be challenging for some people, so as a starting point, I often use your net take-home pay,” says Jeff DeLarme, a certified financial planner and president of DeLarme Wealth Management. For example, if you receive a direct deposit of $2,500 every two weeks from work, use $5,000 as your estimated monthly spending in retirement. “Assuming this was enough to pay the bills while working, we can use $5,000 a month as a starting budget to plan for,” says DeLarme. Next, map out your sources of income in retirement. Social Security is the largest income stream for most retirees, but don’t neglect other inflows, such as: —Workplace retirement accounts, like 401(k)s —Personal retirement accounts, like a traditional or Roth IRA —Pensions —Annuities —Selling your home or business —Rental income —Inheritance “If there’s a gap between your expected expenses and income, you’ll have a good idea of how much you need to save,” says Mike Hunsberger, a certified financial planner and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning. From there, you can adjust your savings and investment strategy accordingly. For something as important (and complex) as retirement planning, it pays to speak with a professional. Financial advisers can analyze your savings, investments and retirement goals to create a personalized plan. Advisers use special planning software that account for more variables than an online calculator, giving you a much more precise, granular look at your financial life in retirement. Many financial advisers can also help you optimize your tax strategy, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars over time. Make sure the adviser you hire is a fiduciary , meaning they’re legally obligated to prioritize your interests over their own. A fiduciary won’t push investments to earn a commission or recommend products that aren’t aligned with your needs. A certified financial planner is one of the most well-recognized designations for fiduciaries. You can use Bankrate’s adviser matching tool to find a certified financial planner in your area in minutes. Maybe you did the math and realized you’re not quite where you need to be. Don’t panic if you’re behind schedule. Here are five strategies experts recommend to help you catch up on your retirement savings . Cutting expenses now frees up more cash to invest in your retirement accounts. Evaluate your budget and identify areas where you can cut costs, like dining out, streaming subscriptions or shopping. Don’t rule out bigger lifestyle changes either, especially if retirement is rapidly approaching. Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most people. Getting creative here can help amplify the amount you can sock away, says Joseph Boughan, a certified financial planner and managing member at Parkmount Financial Partners. It can also reduce your expenses in retirement, so you may not need to save as much as before. “Downsizing can be a great way to cut expenses,” says Boughan. “This can even free up cash if you don’t end up needing all that money for a new home.” Moving somewhere with lower property taxes or income taxes can also help bring your retirement plan back in line. And if you’re a renter, making tough short-term decisions, like taking on a roommate or moving to a lower cost-of-living area, can free up hundreds of dollars a month for your retirement. “Everyone’s plan is unique, so exploring all the options is important,” Boughan says. Joe Conroy, a certified financial planner and owner of Harford Retirement Planners, recommends taking a “retirement test drive” as you near your target date. “Start to live on what income you think you can afford in retirement and stash all the extra income into savings and investments,” says Conroy. “If you can make it through each month, you’re ready for retirement. If you run short, then adjust your plan accordingly.” Working a little longer can be a game-changer for your retirement nest egg. Not only does it give you more time to save, it also gives your investments room to grow. “Working longer or even just part time for a few years early in retirement is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of money you need to save,” says Hunsberger. Postponing retirement can also boost your Social Security benefits . “You can claim as early as 62, but your benefits will be reduced significantly,” says Hunsberger. Meanwhile, each year you delay claiming Social Security benefits beyond your full retirement age , your monthly check will increase by 8%, though this benefit maxes out at age 70. So waiting can really pay off. It may seem obvious, but if you’re behind on retirement savings, you’ll need to boost your contributions as much as possible. Here are a few ways to make saving for retirement easier: —Increase your contribution rate: Allocate a larger portion of your paycheck to a workplace retirement plan. Even bumping up your contributions by 1% or 2% can make a huge difference down the road. —Take advantage of your employer match: Don’t leave free money on the table. Many employers will chip in between 3 and 5% depending on your plan, so make sure you’re contributing enough to take advantage of the benefit. —Use “unexpected” money to catch up: If you get a raise or bonus at work, funnel part of it directly into your 401(k). And if you get a refund at tax time, siphon some of it off to beef up your IRA. If you’ve been investing in low-risk, low-return investments, you may not be keeping up with inflation, let alone growing your nest egg. Reallocating part of your portfolio to stocks or low-cost growth exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is one way to get your money working harder. Higher-risk investments like stocks carry more volatility but also offer higher potential returns. Work with a financial adviser or use a robo-adviser to strike the right balance between growth and your personal risk tolerance. Contribution limits for 401(k) plans and IRAs are higher for people over 50. For 2025, employees aged 50 and up who participate in most 401(k) plans or the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan can save up to $31,000 annually, including a $7,500 catch-up contribution . But thanks to SECURE 2.0 , a sweeping retirement law, a new higher catch-up contribution limit of $11,250 applies for employees ages 60 to 63. So, if you’re in this age group, you can squirrel away a whopping $34,750 a year during the final stretch of your career. Of course, you’ll need a big salary (think six figures) in order to take full advantage of such massive contribution limits. But if you can afford it, these catch-up allowances can put your plan back on track, especially if you struggled to save much early in your career. There’s no GPS to gauge your progress on the road to retirement. If you’ve veered off course or aren’t sure where to start, begin by getting a quick estimate of how much you’ll need before mapping out a retirement budget. And if you’re behind, don’t panic — adjusting your spending, boosting your contributions and speaking with a financial adviser can help you catch up. ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season
BEIRUT (AP) — Israel's military launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least 12 while Israeli leaders appeared to be closing in on a negotiated ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group. Israeli strikes hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut as well as in the port city of Tyre. Military officials said they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs, and strikes landed across the city, including meters from a Lebanese police base and the city's largest public park. The barrage came as officials indicated they were nearing agreement on a ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet prepared to discuss an offer on the table. Massive explosions lit up Lebanon's skies with flashes of orange, sending towering plumes of smoke into the air as Israeli airstrikes pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs Monday. The blasts damaged buildings and left shattered glass and debris scattered across nearby streets. No casualties were reported after many residents fled the targeted sites. Some of the strikes landed close to central Beirut and near Christian neighborhoods and other targets where Israel had issued evacuation warnings, including in Tyre and Nabatieh province. Israeli airstrikes also hit the northeast Baalbek-Hermel region without warning. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Monday that at least 12 people were killed in the strikes in the Tyre province, adding to the more than 3,700 people in Lebanon who have been killed since Israel launched its invasion two months ago. Many of those killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah have been civilians , and health officials said some of the recovered bodies were so severely damaged that DNA testing would be required to confirm their identities. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Lebanon's Health Ministry says the war has displaced 1.2 million people. The latest round of airstrikes came weeks after Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon in early October, meeting heavy resistance in a narrow strip of land along the border. The military had previously exchanged attacks across the border with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that began firing rockets into Israel the day after the war in Gaza began last year. Lebanese politicians have decried the ongoing airstrikes and said they are impeding U.S.-led ceasefire negotiations. The country's deputy parliament speaker accused Israel of ramping up its bombardment in order to pressure Lebanon to make concessions in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hezbollah. Elias Bousaab, an ally of the militant group, said Monday that the pressure has increased because “we are close to the hour that is decisive regarding reaching a ceasefire.” Israeli officials voiced similar optimism Monday about prospects for a ceasefire. Mike Herzog, the country's ambassador to Washington, earlier in the day told Israeli Army Radio that several points had yet to be finalized. Though any deal would require agreement from the government, Herzog said Israel and Hezbollah were “close to a deal." “It can happen within days,” he said. Israeli officials have said the sides are close to an agreement that would include withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and a pullback of Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli border. But several sticking points remain. Two Israeli officials told The Associated Press that Netanyahu’s security Cabinet had scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, but they said it remained unclear whether the Cabinet would vote to approve the deal. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations. Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, told reporters Monday that he expected a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah to have stages and to be discussed by leaders Monday or Tuesday. Still, he warned, “it’s not going to happen overnight.” After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted that there could be last-minute hitches that either delay or destroy an agreement. "Nothing is done until everything is done," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. The proposal under discussion to end the fighting calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. The withdrawals would be accompanied by an influx of thousands more Lebanese army troops, who have been largely sidelined in the war, to patrol the border area along with an existing U.N. peacekeeping force . Western diplomats and Israeli officials said Israel is demanding the right to strike in Lebanon if it believes Hezbollah is violating the terms. The Lebanese government has said that such an arrangement would authorize violations of the country's sovereignty. A ceasefire could mark a step toward ending the regionwide war that ballooned after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . The lack of a ceasefire has emerged as a political liability for Israeli leaders including Netanyahu, particularly while 60,000 Israelis remain away from their homes in the country's north after more than a year of cross-border violence. Hezbollah rockets have reached as far south into Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers died fighting in the ground offensive in Lebanon. The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some intercepted. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the strongest of Iran’s armed proxies , is expected to significantly calm regional tensions that have led to fears of a direct, all-out war between Israel and Iran. It’s not clear how the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Hezbollah had long insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition. While the proposal is expected to be approved if Netanyahu brings it to a vote in his security Cabinet, one hard-line member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would oppose it. He said on X that a deal with Lebanon would be a “big mistake” and a “missed historic opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.” If the ceasefire talks fail, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, “it will mean more destruction and more and more animosity and more dehumanization and more hatred and more bitterness.” Speaking at a G7 meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, the last summit of its kind before U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office, Safadi said such a failure "will doom the future of the region to more conflict and more killing and more destruction.” Federman reported from Jerusalem and Metz from Rabat, Morocco. Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Nicole Winfield in Fiuggi, Italy, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report. Find more of AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-warOfficer fatally shot in a North Carolina supermarket, suspect in custody, police say
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams keep doing just enough to win, and a team that appeared to be rebuilding this season has climbed all the way to the brink of another playoff berth. The Rams improved to 9-6 and took control of the NFC West on Sunday with their fourth straight victory since Thanksgiving. Their 19-9 win over the New York Jets in sub-freezing temperatures was not dominant — they trailed 9-6 entering the fourth quarter, and they were outgained by nearly 100 yards — but Los Angeles still matched its largest margin of victory this season and continued to look like a looming nightmare for any postseason opponent. The Rams have now won eight of 10 since their bye week, when they were 1-4 and the NFL world wondered whether they would trade Super Bowl MVP receiver Cooper Kupp or even quarterback Matthew Stafford to spur their roster reboot. Los Angeles decided not to punt its season, and Sean McVay's team has driven from last to first. “You don’t want to ride the emotional roller coaster that these games can take you on,” McVay said Monday. “You do have the ability to stay steady, to stay the course and try to right the ship. Certainly that’s not complete by any stretch, but our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to affect what we did coming off that bye.” The Rams also have clinched their seventh winning record in eight regular seasons under McVay — an achievement that shouldn’t get lost in the recent successes of a franchise that had 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before it rolled the dice and hired a 30-year-old head coach back in 2017. After winning it all in February 2022 and then having the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history, the Rams have made the most of their time in between true powerhouse status and a major rebuild. They also started slowly last year, entering their bye at 3-6 before a 7-1 finish. The Rams can become the first team in NFL history to make back-to-back postseason appearances after being three games under .500 each year. These Rams don't stand out on either side of the ball, although their talent level appears to be higher on offense than defense. Instead, they've mastered a delicate balance of complementary football — the offense and defense covering each other's weaknesses and setting up their teammates for success. The Rams have scored more than 30 points just once all season, and they managed only 31 points in their last two games combined. Their defense has allowed only one touchdown in the past two games — but right before that, Josh Allen and the Bills racked up 42 points and 445 yards in the most recent of a few defensive stinkers from LA this season. The Rams keep winning anyway, and now they can clinch McVay's fourth NFC West title by beating Seattle in two weeks. “Fortunately, we’re in a position where you don’t necessarily have to rely on other things to happen if you just handle your business,” McVay said. Kyren Williams and the offensive line are driving the Rams' offense. After a slow start caused partly by McVay being forced to abandon the running game when the Rams repeatedly fell behind early, the 2023 Pro Bowler has surged to career highs of 1,243 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns with his 122-yard performance in New York. Stafford's 110 yards passing were his fewest with the Rams and the second-fewest in his 16-year career from a full game. Sunday's weather was a major factor, but the Rams must throw the ball effectively to somebody other than Puka Nacua. Kupp has just 193 yards receiving in his past five games combined. Defensive back Jaylen McCollough made a career-high nine tackles in only 31 snaps. The undrafted rookie continues to be a remarkable find, earning playing time alongside veteran safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl and fellow rookie Kam Kinchens. CB Cobie Durant didn't play for the second straight week despite being cleared to return from his bruised lung. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon got every snap in place of Durant, who started LA's first 13 games. McVay praised Witherspoon's recent play when asked why Durant didn't get on the field in New Jersey. The Rams' improved health, particularly on both lines, is the key to their surge. McVay reported no new injuries out of the road trip following Tyler Higbee's successful season debut. 12-1 — The Rams’ record in December with Stafford as their starter over his four years in LA. The Rams need to win at least one of their final two games to wrap up their first NFC West crown since 2021. They host eliminated Arizona on Saturday night, but can't clinch the division unless the Seahawks lose to moribund Chicago. The Rams are currently the NFC's third seed, but that doesn't matter a whole lot because both the third and fourth seeds will have to play one of the NFC North's two powerful wild-card teams in the opening round. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL