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LAS VEGAS — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. "As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It's an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world's premier racing series, and we're committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM's engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level." The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. People are also reading... Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. "We're excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. "Together, we're assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world." Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. "The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team," Michael Andretti posted on social media. "I'm very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!" The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti's dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years, and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA. The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they've already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti's application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1's current grid. "General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. "Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024," F1 said in a statement. "Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. "With Formula 1's continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." Be the first to know
The National Football League is enjoying strong viewership for the 2024 season with some records set on Thanksgiving Day, news that streaming giant Netflix Inc NFLX likely welcomes as the company may be nervous after struggles with its live boxing event. What Happened: While many people will be opening presents and enjoying time with families on Christmas Day, many will also tune into Netflix for two exclusive NFL games , similar to how they celebrated on Thanksgiving. Netflix will stream its first-ever live NFL games on Christmas with two key matchups that could once again highlight the streaming giant's growth in sports. At 1 p.m. ET, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs game will stream on Netflix, followed by the 4:30 p.m. ET matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. NFL viewership has been good for the 2024 season, which could be good and bad for Netflix as the company struggled during its recent live boxing event that featured a headline match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. Netflix reported that over 60 million homes tuned into the boxing event, with a peak of 65 million. That event saw hundreds of thousands of people report issues with the stream and a class action lawsuit filed against the company. The NFL recently reported the three games that aired on Thanksgiving set a new all-time record, with data dating back to 1988. The three games had 141 million viewers, a new record and an average of 34.2 million viewers per game, another record. The early game between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears on CBS, a unit of Paramount Global PARA PARAA , set a record with 37.5 million viewers, the highest average for the early Thanksgiving Day game. The midday game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants on FOX, a unit of Fox Corp FOX FOXA , averaged 38.8 million viewers, making it the fourth most watched Thanksgiving Day game ever and fifth most watched regular season NFL game ever. Read Also: Netflix To Become ‘Default Choice’ For TV, Movies? Analyst Predicts More Live Sports, Price Increases Why It's Important: Thanksgiving Day games have long been highly watched given the event-driven nature of the games on a holiday with people off work and watching games together. This could be similar on Christmas, which means Netflix could be in store for high viewership for its inaugural NFL games. For comparison, Amazon.com Inc AMZN has the exclusive streaming rights to Thursday Night Football games and is averaging 13.3 million viewers for those games this season, up 8% year-over-year. Amazon also streamed an exclusive game on Black Friday for the second straight year. The matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs averaged 13.51 million viewers, up 41% year-over-year. The high viewership, which is above Amazon's average, came with a close battle and the Chiefs surviving a last-minute push from the Raiders. The Chiefs are the most-watched NFL team this season, having some of the more popular games and the highest average across national television games. For Netflix the odds are likely stacked for and against the company to have huge viewership, the big question is if the company can handle the demand and show the games without the same troubles it had during the boxing event. The Chiefs (11-1), Steelers (9-3), Ravens (8-5) and Texans (8-5) are among the best teams in the NFL with each team ranking first or second in their division and all four teams currently in the NFL Playoffs if the season ended today. The Texans game will also feature a halftime performance from Beyoncé , adding in potential non-football fan viewership on the holiday. Add it all up and you have two games with top NFL teams, a holiday where people watch sports together, a halftime performance from a global superstar, a game with the top-watched team in the NFL and the potential of Taylor Swift to be present at the Chiefs game and you have must-see television and sports. NFLX Price Action : Netflix stock closed up 0.75% to $917.87 on Thursday after hitting new all-time highs of $927 during the intraday. Netflix stock is up 96% year-to-date in 2024. Read Next: ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Includes New Games, Contestant With A Crypto Background, Revenge Factor, Political Overtones Photo: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Bucky Irving isn’t choosy. The rookie running back relishes any opportunity he gets to contribute to the success of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have rebounded from a tough stretch to climb back into a tie for first place in the NFC South. Irving leads NFL rookies in rushing with 732 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry while sharing the workload with starter Rachaad White and third-stringer Sean Tucker, who have combined to ease some of the burden on quarterback Baker Mayfield. A fourth-round draft pick out of Oregon, Irving is coming off rushing for a season-best 152 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 26-23 overtime win over the Carolina Panthers. He had another 33 yards receiving, giving him a rookie-leading 1,017 total yards from scrimmage through 12 games. The Bucs (6-6) on Sunday host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-10), who have an outstanding newcomer of their own with Brock Bowers on the verge of breaking the league's record for catches by a rookie tight end. Bowers leads all players, regardless of position, with 84 receptions. He's fourth with 884 yards receiving and second behind Irving among rookies with 895 total yards from scrimmage. “I don’t really like taking all the credit. It’s those guys up front,” Irving said, deferring to Tampa Bay’s improved offensive line. “I think I have to do something special for those guys for Christmas because they’re getting the job done.” The Bucs are eighth in the NFL in rushing at 137.2 yards per game. They’ve gained 100-plus yards on the ground in nine of 12 games after only doing it nine times in 34 games over the past two seasons. Irving, whose ability to make defenders miss and accelerate in the open field, has provided a spark to an offense that sputtered without injured wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin during a four-game losing streak. It doesn’t seem to bother the rookie that he still sits behind White on the depth chart. The starter had a 38-yard run in overtime to set up the winning field goal last week. Coach Todd Bowles continues to stress that the Bucs, tied with Atlanta for the NFC South lead, need both Irving and White to be successful. “In our room, all our success is one,” said Irving, who in the past two weeks became the first rookie since Miles Sanders in 2019 to string together consecutive games with 150-plus yards from scrimmage. “If I’m having success,’’ Irving added, “everybody in the room is having success.” Bracing for a challenge Tampa Bay’s porous secondary figures to be tested by Bowers, the first tight end to lead the league in catches after Week 13 since Todd Christenson in 1986. The first-round draft pick out of Georgia needs three receptions to break Sam LaPorta’s season record (86 in 2023) for catches by a tight end. He’s 116 yards away from joining Mike Ditka (1,076 in 1961) and Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021) as the only rookie tight ends to finish with 1,000-plus yards receiving. “I thought he was one of the best tight ends coming out in a long time – not just this draft, but in a long time,” Bowles said. “He’s living up to expectations. He can play wideout, he can play tight end, he can do some fullback, he can run jet sweeps,” the Bucs coach added. “They do a lot of things with him and he’s a very talented guy.” Getting ready for Baker The last time the Raiders went against Mayfield was two seasons ago when he came off a plane to play for the Los Angeles Rams. Despite having minimal time with the playbook and just one brief practice, Mayfield rallied the Rams to a 17-16 victory on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was the team’s linebackers coach at the time. “He plays the game kind of like Brett Favre, who I played against in (the) league,” Pierce said. “He’s very fiery. He’ll do whatever it takes to make a play. The play’s never dead with him. You’ve got to keep your eyes on him and then stay in coverage, so that’ll be a challenge.” Return to action Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell didn’t look as though he had missed nearly six weeks because of a broken thumb when he almost led Las Vegas to a victory at Kansas City last week. He completed 23 of 35 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 19-17 loss to the Chiefs. But O’Connell had a hard time looking at the positives given how close the Raiders came to beating the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. “Definitely some good plays, but it just stinks more than anything,” O’Connell said. “It was just a really hard loss. Even sometimes when you have a game right after, it’s easier to move on. But we had a longer week this week and so kind of really got to sit in it and it’s no fun.” ___ AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report. ___ NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Fred Goodall, The Associated Press
Among e-readers, there's a reason why the Kindle is leading the pack. While it wasn't the first out of the gate, Amazon quickly established its Kindle line as a gadget that many people are willing to pay for. From going weeks on a single charge, not scandalizing old ladies in transit with your book covers, and having access to endless content from the Kindle Unlimited library, there's a lot to love about having it within reach. These days, there are several models available in the market that fit various budgets with different sizes and features. Just this year, Amazon launched four new models , including the first one that can let you read comics in color. Once you find the right Kindle for you, the next question is how do you make it fit seamlessly into the rest of your life. Apart from learning some of our easy Kindle tricks , like bookmarking pages and using the dictionary, you can also invest in accessories that help elevate the e-reading experience. If you're not sure where to start, we've rounded up some pretty interesting options that fit different kinds of readers, such as those who are always in flying planes, prefer to be lying down, or even like to read during their morning commute. To learn more about our process, you can skip to the end of the article, but if you're keen to know all the unique accessories you can get for yourself (or someone you love), keep on reading. Sometimes, we come across a book series that consumes our lives in an unprecedented way. When I downloaded my first booktok-recommended romantasy series, my Kindle almost didn't leave my mind (and my hand) until I finished all eight books. Admittedly, there were moments when I almost dropped my Kindle in between train tracks or when I bumped into strangers while walking. To keep my Kindle from hitting the pavement (and risking losing my reading progress forever), one of the best investments I've made is a Kindle hand-strap. On Amazon, one option is the MoKo hand-strap , which sells for only $9.99. Designed for 6"-8" e-readers, it also works with other similarly-sized e-readers and tablets, such as the Kobo Nia/Clara HD, Lenovo Tab M7, and Fire Tablet. Weighing a little more than a quarter at 0.28 oz, it's light enough that it won't be hard to use for long periods. Using a plastic bracket that is lined with anti-slip silicone, all you have to do is stretch it in place on both ends of the Kindle, either straight vertically or diagonally. Depending on if you're left or right-handed, you can choose which side is more convenient for you. When it comes to aesthetics, you can get a simple strap or one of its more than two dozen patterned strap options. On Amazon, the MoKo hand-strap has an average rating of 4.6 stars from over 2,000 satisfied readers. In the past, we've mentioned that a common mistake people make with their Kindle is not protecting it enough and exposing it to extreme conditions. If the reason you invested in an e-reader is to read on the go, another Kindle accessory that might low-key save your life is a screen protector. In general, there are plenty of reasons why people get screen protectors for gadgets, such as protecting their devices from drops, scratches, or smudges. But for people who can't put their ebooks down, even at a sunny beach, it can also be a good way to reduce glare. If you own a Kindle Paperwhite Signature, the NuPro screen protector is one of the top Kindle screen protectors on the market. With a reasonably high 4.7 star rating from more than a thousand Paperwhite owners, it retails for $12.99 on Amazon. Apart from its standard protection features, it also has antimicrobial technology, which is perfect for people who like to eat snacks and get their fingers dirty while reading. Out of the box, the NuPro screen protector comes in a set of two, plus tools for installation like the cleaning cloth and applicator. On the other hand, if you're using other Kindle models, NuPro also offers screen protectors for the 9th generation Kindle Oasis (2017) and 10th generation Kindle (2019). Apart from costing about the same price at $12.99, over 2,000 people have rated them similarly at 4.7 stars on average. In the future, there's a chance that technology will progress to the point that we can turn "pages" on our Kindle with just hand gestures (or even just our eyes). For now, we'll have to settle for accessories like the Sycelu remote page-turner . Priced at $19.99, over 2,000 customers have been satisfied with Sycelu's remote control and have given it an average of 4.4 stars. Available in four colors (glossy black, matte black, pink, and white), Sycelu says that it can last months on a single charge. Plus, it has a mute function that you can use to flip pages without alerting the person next to you. If you own an older 7th and 8th generation Kindle model, Sycelu regretfully shares that it won't work. But if you have the Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis, Kindle Kids, and Kindle Voyage, you're in the clear. Not to mention, it also works with Kobo, another e-reading device that consistently tops many of our Kindle alternative lists. Apart from the e-reader brands, the Sycelu remote control is also designed to be compatible with a host of other devices, like iPads, iPhones, and Android tablets. Personally, I've enjoyed remote control page-turners for two key moments: reading while flying on an airplane or when lying down. There's just something so oddly satisfying when you can be wrapped around a heavy blanket and not have to worry about constantly pulling your hand out of the warmth to flip a page. Speaking of not having to move while reading, the MAGIPEA long arm gooseneck will go perfectly with your remote for an optimal bed rot reading experience. For lazy Kindle readers, you can also attach it to your bed's headboard, which you can use to angle it while lying down. Sold in either black or white, the clamp mount can fit devices from 4.7" to 14", so it can pretty much hold any Kindle model in the market. For smaller models, you'll just have to be mindful about mounting it vertically to avoid falling. In addition, MAGIPEA specifically asks users not to touch the device frequently, but you won't have a problem with this if you plan to use it in tandem with a remote control. Made of a reasonably durable aluminum-magnesium material, it can extend up to 30", but you'll likely need two hands to adjust it. Apart from your bed, other users have reported using it anywhere from coffee tables to outdoor grilling tables. Although it's not exactly super portable in terms of dimensions, it only weighs around 12.3 oz. As of writing, 15,000 people have given the MAGIPEA flexible mount around 4.2 stars. Alternatively, if you don't have anything to clip on, you can still benefit from a gooseneck tablet holder with a built-in stand, like the Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder . While it can only hold up to 10.5" devices, it's more than enough even for Kindle Scribe users and their 10.2" screen. Personally, one of the key reasons I decided to get a Kindle was to be able to read during long flights. In the past, I would bring different books that would take up valuable carry-on space and weight allowance. But when it comes to long-haul flights, it's not always comfortable for your neck to look down at your Kindle. To avoid this, I've learned the magic of a portable tablet holder, like the WixGear airplane tablet holder . Different from the gooseneck table mount, airplane-specific tablet holders are meant to be more portable and foldable. With the WixGear airplane tablet holder, you can attach your Kindle in different ways to match your seat configurations, such as on the tray table, headrest, or chair armrest. Even before the flight, it can be attached to your luggage handle or tables in the airport, as long as there's a 1.5" area to clamp. Meant to fit gadgets 3.5" to 7.67", it won't be able to hold the Kindle Scribe. But it's perfect for people with the 6" Kindle, 6.8" Kindle Paperwhite, and 7" Kindle Oasis. Despite weighing only 6.7 oz, the WixGear tablet holder can also comfortably rotate for multiple viewing angles. So far, more than 350 buyers felt it was worth it for their airplane rides and rated it 4.1 stars. While there are other options on this list that can help hold the Kindle in place on your vanity table, most of them aren't cute (and are likely going to impact your home's visual aesthetic). If you're like me, who is particular with your nightly winding down routine, you'll want a cute way to read on your Kindle while doing your elaborate multi-step skin care. With the SupeDesk tablet pillow stand , you can easily keep reading on your Kindle while layering products and waiting for them to properly absorb. Besides your Kindle, it can fit devices from 4.7" to 13" on its lockable arm, so you can use it for other gadgets like your mobile phone, tablet, or even Nintendo Switch. Apart from being quite functional, the 13" detachable pillow can add a decorative flair to your home. Weighing only 1.5 lbs, the plush surface is also machine washable, so you don't have to worry about doing anything special to clean it. While it also comes with a 5.7" snack bowl, you can definitely use this space to give other things on this list a home, like your Kindle hand strap or remote control. Depending on if you're more of a Glinda or Elphaba, it's available in two colors: pink and green. Selling for $45.99, more than 200 people have rated it a good 4.7 stars, and Amazon shares that most customers are pretty satisfied with it and tend not to return it after purchase. As a hardcore Kindle user, I've experimented with a lot of accessories in the past. When it comes to buying accessories, most people already know that they should get a case to make sure their Kindle is protected. However, I've found that by investing in unique accessories that are more lifestyle-oriented, you're more likely to use your Kindle because it's convenient to access, erasing some of the pain points associated with it. To choose the items on this, we took into consideration the different situations wherein people tend to read with their Kindle e-readers, whether it is in their homes, in transport, or everything in between. In addition, we chose items that have generally positive reviews (or at least four stars on average) from a good sample size of users. It's important to note that knowing what you're like as a reader can help you identify which ones can really move the needle for you and your e-reading experience. That said, making your Kindle feel right for you isn't just a matter of buying more things. For example, we've mentioned other tips to get more out of your Kindle, such as learning to use the dictionary or taking screenshots . In addition, specific models like the Kindle Scribe, also have a ton of hidden features that you can explore, like writing on interactive games and using different handwriting features.
Jim Cramer Says This Stock Is A Bitcoin Play And He Prefers To Own BitcoinNone
A lifelong Chiefs fan had the experience of a lifetime after getting to dance with Travis Kelce during the Tuesday, December 3, episode of Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? “Now he’s danced with Taylor Swift and me,” Allie Dees told the Owensboro Times in an interview published on Wednesday, December 4. “I popped out of the womb a Chiefs fan. Meeting Travis Kelce and dancing on stage with him was surreal.” Dees, a traveling nurse who currently lives in San Diego, took the stage in April earlier this year to compete on the Amazon Prime game show, which Kelce, 35, hosts. The Kentucky native ended up walking away with $15,000 after correctly answering the minimum five questions to take home the prize; however, the subject of geography nearly cost her the winnings. “I had to name a U.S. territory that borders Canada but doesn’t touch the mainland,” she told the outlet after the episode aired. “I panicked and guessed Washington. Looking back, it’s embarrassing because the answer was Alaska.” In addition to appearing on Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? , Dees said she also appeared in a commercial for financial technology company Chime, where she said she won $100,000. “This whole year has been a whirlwind. Between the game show and the commercial, I’ve been able to live out some incredible dreams,” she continued before reflecting on her experience with Kelce and her time on the show. “Up on stage, I just wanted to be authentic and enjoy every second,” she said. “That mindset allowed me to fully embrace the moment and have fun.” It was announced in April that Kelce would serve as host of the new game show, which premiered on Amazon Prime in October and is based on the Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? series. “I grew up loving game shows, and I’m excited to be following in the footsteps of so many TV icons by hosting my very first one with Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? ” Kelce said in a statement earlier this year. “The original show is a great success, so to be bringing a new format with everyone’s favorite celebrities to the screen, will definitely be entertaining.” A source exclusively told Us Weekly that same month why the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was the perfect pick for the show. “He’s funny and has the wits for it,” the insider dished to Us . “He’s the perfect host. It’s a great gig for him.” The show was filmed earlier this year during the Chiefs offseason. The NFL team’s 2024-2025 season kicked off in September, with Kelce’s girlfriend, Swift, 34, making an appearance at Arrowhead Stadium during the Chiefs’ home opener against the Baltimore Ravens. The Tortured Poets Department artist has since appeared at a total of six home games, with the most recent being the Chiefs’ November 29 game against the Las Vegas Raiders , which she attended with her dad, Scott Swift , and Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce . As the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend in the quest for their third consecutive Super Bowl title, the 14-time Grammy winner will be wrapping her years-long Eras Tour with a string of three shows in Vancouver beginning Friday, December 6. She’ll play her final show on Sunday, December 8. You have successfully subscribed. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Once the Eras Tour ends, Taylor is reportedly looking forward to spending more time with Travis, whom she began dating in the summer of 2023. “Taylor and Travis are very committed and serious about their future,” a separate source exclusively told Us in September. “Taylor is ready for the next era of her life. She knows it will be special.” A third insider added, “They’ve built a lot of trust. They both knew what they signed up for and navigated it well. They’re in love and don’t care what others think.”
WASHINGTON — The Biden White House has a self-made credibility problem. And that’s inconvenient timing, considering Joe Biden’s team, fresh off a foreign trip, must shift quickly into legacy mode. When the president awkwardly, and to tepid applause this week in Angola, touted the domestic infrastructure law he helped craft, it seemed clear his legacy was on his mind. But the effectiveness of any coming sales pitch will likely be hamstrung by his pardon of son Hunter Biden , who was convicted on federal gun charges and had pleaded guilty on federal tax evasion charges. The move — which he’d previously said he wouldn’t make — has been slammed by Republican lawmakers and more than a few Democrats and its rationale lambasted by a federal judge. Karine Jean-Pierre, the president’s top spokesperson and chief image defender, told reporters, as she has so many times over the years, that they simply should not trust their lyin’ eyes — and ears. “One of the things that the president always believes is to be truthful to the American people. That is something that he always truly believes,” she said Monday, while en route to Africa aboard Air Force One, of Biden’s about-face Biden returned to Washington early Thursday morning from his multiday Angola visit, and there was no daily press briefing scheduled as travel-weary staffers, including Jean-Pierre, got some needed rest. She could return to the lectern in the White House briefing room as early as Friday. But the pardon drama has created a complication — for both the president and press secretary. After all, Biden on numerous occasions told interviewers and shouting White House press corps members that he would not pardon his troubled son. The former two-term vice president and longtime senator did so for over a year with very non-politician answers — meaning, he was both concise and clear. One example came on June 6 in France , when ABC News anchor David Muir asked Biden if he had ruled out a pardon for his son. “Yes,” Biden replied, without adding a qualifier that might be useful down the road if he reversed himself. The same goes for Jean-Pierre, who had also fielded many questions about a possible pardon. At one September 2023 briefing, this was her reply to the Hunter leniency question: “I’ve answered this question before. It was asked of me not too long ago, a couple weeks ago, and I was very clear, and I said, ‘No.’” Fast- forward to June of this year, and this was Jean-Pierre’s response to a similar query: “No. No. It’s a no. It will always be a no. Biden will not pardon his son Hunter.” Press secretaries are responsible for protecting the sitting president, spinning circumstances in his favor and deflecting blame elsewhere. Jean-Pierre’s answers were, at the time, rather refreshing because they were so clear and unequivocal. Then came Sunday’s sudden pardon. “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election. Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unraveled in the courtroom — with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process,” Biden said in an evening statement. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong.” The Donald Trump-appointed federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s tax case in California strongly disagreed, stating that the president was guilty of too much revisionist history. “But two federal judges expressly rejected Mr. Biden’s arguments that the Government prosecuted Mr. Biden because of his familial relation to the President,” Judge Mark C. Scarsi, wrote in a Tuesday order responding to Hunter Biden’s notice to the court of the pardon. “And the President’s own Attorney General and Department of Justice personnel oversaw the investigation leading to the charges. In the President’s estimation, this legion of federal civil servants, the undersigned included, are unreasonable people,” Scarsi wrote, adding that “nowhere does the Constitution give the President the authority to rewrite history.” A former adviser to Barack Obama’s two successful presidential campaigns, Spencer Critchley, said he believed “Biden made the right decision, but gave the wrong explanation, and that this is likely to be how history will judge it.” “Under normal circumstances, I’d say he should have stuck with his commitment to stand clear of the justice system, however, the point this time is not to overturn past decisions, but to prevent the coming authoritarian abuses of the justice system, promised by Donald Trump and his appointees,” Critchley said in a statement Thursday. “Trump has been closely following the authoritarian playbook and dismantling the institutions of democracy. That includes turning justice into a weapon, which he has specifically promised to wheel against Hunter Biden, among many others. As the old dictator’s motto goes, ‘For my friends, anything. For my enemies, justice.'” Trying to ‘break Hunter’ But Biden’s statement went in a different direction, a parental one. It contained three sentences that the father in chief opted for months against sharing with the country, which might have explained his paternal plight. “There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution,” Biden said. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of Biden’s top allies, said this week that he “took the president at his word” that he would not pardon his son, adding: “So by definition, I’m disappointed and can’t support the decision.” The White House is also yet to clearly explain why Biden made such a dramatic about-face. Nor have his aides spoken to why the country should still believe his declaration in the pardon announcement that “for my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth.” The irony of the current situation is as undeniable as it is surreal. After all, it was the president, Jean-Pierre and the rest of Team Biden who spent four years telling the country about the dangers of Trump’s many false statements and lies. The tarnished credibility raises questions about Biden’s forecast of the American people’s thinking about his reversal: “They’ll be fair-minded.” Whether or not that proves true is up to history. The results of last month’s presidential election suggest an electorate that had some Biden fatigue. Whenever the president or Jean-Pierre next take questions from a jilted press corps, there likely will be pointed questions about whether the White House has been truly “fair-minded” with reporters and, more importantly, the people. Not just about Hunter Biden’s case, but on a myriad of issues. The stunning reversal has clearly allowed Republicans to pounce, another self-inflicted wound to wrap a presidency colored by them. Some GOP lawmakers contended on social media that Biden’s volte-face justified their claims of a dishonest and corrupt administration and family. Several GOP sources said Trump — who faced 91 criminal charges and whom media outlets and independent fact-checkers have cited for thousands of false statements since entering the political arena — has a chance to flip yet another script on Democrats. “President Trump’s bold leadership and direct communication style bring a unique energy to governance. ... This means clear direction and the chance to implement a vision that resonates with millions of Americans,” one former House leadership aide said in an email. “(Trump’s) ability to rally public support will be a key advantage.” ©2024 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A Delaware judge ruled on Monday that Tesla TSLA-Q CEO Elon Musk still is not entitled to receive a $56 billion compensation package despite shareholders of the electric vehicle company voting to reinstate it. The ruling by the judge, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Court of Chancery, follows her January decision that called the pay package excessive and rescinded it, surprising investors, and cast uncertainty over Musk’s future at the world’s most valuable carmaker. Musk did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment. Tesla has said in court filings that the judge should recognize a subsequent June vote by its shareholders in favour of the pay package for Musk, the company’s driving force who is responsible for many of its advances, and reinstate his compensation. McCormick said Tesla’s board was not entitled to hit “reset” to restore Musk’s pay package. “Were the court to condone the practice of allowing defeated parties to create new facts for the purpose of revising judgments, lawsuits would become interminable,” she said in her 101-page opinion. She also said Tesla made multiple material misstatements in its proxy statement regarding the vote, and could not claim the vote was a “cure-all” to justify restoring Musk’s pay. “Taken together,” the problems with Tesla’s arguments “pack a powerful punch,” she wrote. Tesla shares fell 1.4% in after hours trade, after the ruling. McCormick also ordered Tesla to pay the attorneys who brought the case $345 million, well short of the $6 billion they initially requested. She said the fee could be paid in cash or Tesla stock. “We are pleased with Chancellor McCormick’s ruling, which declined Tesla’s invitation to inject continued uncertainty into Court proceedings,” said a statement from Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, one of the three law firms for the plaintiff. The law firm also said it looked forward to defending the court’s opinion if Musk and Tesla appealed. Musk and Tesla can appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court as soon as McCormick enters a final order, which could come as soon as this week. The appeal could take a year to play out. After the January ruling, Tesla shareholders flooded the court with thousands of letters arguing that rescinding Musk’s pay increased the possibility he would leave Tesla or develop some products like artificial intelligence at ventures other than Tesla. Attorneys for shareholder Richard Tornetta, who sued in 2018 to challenge Musk’s compensation package, had argued that Delaware law does not permit a company to use a ratification vote to essentially overturn the ruling from a trial. McCormick in January found that Musk improperly controlled the 2018 board process to negotiate the pay package. The board had said that Musk deserved the package because he hit all the ambitious targets on market value, revenue and profitability. But the judge criticized Tesla’s board as “beholden” to Musk, saying the compensation plan was proposed by a board whose members had conflicts of interest due to close personal and financial ties to him. After the January ruling, Musk criticized the judge on his social media platform X and encouraged other companies to follow the lead of Tesla and reincorporate in Texas from Delaware, although it is unclear if any companies did so. The judge in her January ruling called the pay package the “biggest compensation plan ever – an unfathomable sum.” It was 33 times larger than the next biggest executive compensation package, which was Musk’s 2012 pay plan. As of Monday, the pay package was worth $101.4 billion, according to Equilar, a compensation consulting firm. Musk’s 2018 pay package gave him stock grants worth around 1% of Tesla’s equity each time the company achieved one of 12 tranches of escalating operational and financial goals. Musk did not receive any guaranteed salary. Tornetta argued that shareholders were not told how easily the goals would be achieved when they voted on the package.What is 'lake-effect snow'? Warm air from large bodies of water is the key ingredient'We Really Don't Get Civic Sense': NRI Slams Indian Family For Being 'Very Loud' Onboard Finland Train, Netizens React
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Democrat Bob Casey concedes Pennsylvania Senate race to Dave McCormickEDITOR'S NOTE: On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. No one wants to see any player take a vicious hit like the one that knocked Trevor Lawrence out of the game. It’s easy to agree on that point. Eliminating violent shots is the hard part. The NFL has instituted several rules to protect quarterbacks but football is a physical sport and players have to react instantly and make split-second decisions going at high speeds so injuries keep occurring. Lawrence was carted off the field in the first half of Jacksonville’s 23-20 loss to Houston on Sunday after Azeez Al-Shaair leveled the defenseless quarterback with a forearm to the facemask. The late hit put Lawrence in the fencing position — both fists clenched — and he stayed on the ground for several minutes, while a brawl ensued. Lawrence didn’t require hospitalization for his concussion but it’s unknown when he’ll return. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out/been praying for me,” Lawrence wrote on X. “I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all.” Al-Shaair was ejected from the game and faces a fine and potential suspension after his latest unsportsmanlike penalty. The Texans' linebacker was flagged and later fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Titans running back Tony Pollard last week. He was fined earlier this year after he punched Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline in Week 2. That occurred during a scuffle that started after his hard shot on quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline that wasn’t flagged. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence slides in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair during the first half of a game on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. Lawrence was injured on the play. Al-Shaair once got away with grabbing Tom Brady by the throat on a pass rush in a game between the 49ers and Buccaneers. Outraged Jaguars players called Al-Shaair’s hit “dirty” and Texans coach DeMeco Ryans made it known he didn’t condone it. “It’s not what we’re coaching,” Ryans said. “Want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team, get a penalty there. Have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down. Unfortunate play. Not representative of who Azeez is. He’s a smart player, really great leader for us. We felt his presence not being there. His loss really affected us on the defensive side. Just not what we’re coaching. Didn’t want to see the melee and all the aftermath. That’s not what we’re about. Not representative of us. I’ll talk to Azeez, address him personally, and we’ll move forward from it.” Fox Sports color analyst Daryl Johnston, a former fullback for the Dallas Cowboys, didn’t hold back his criticism, calling it a “cheap shot.” “It’s everything you’re not supposed to do,” Johnston said. “Everything. You’ll see this in slow motion and Azeez Al-Shaair does everything you’re trying to prevent in this situation. It’s reckless. It’s disrespectful. There’s an honor that you give to your opponent on the football field and you respect him. And there’s opportunities to be physical and give big hits and play this game in that manner. And there’s other times when there’s a respect that you grant to your opponent.” Some former NFL quarterbacks blasted Al-Shaair on social media. “There is no place in the game of football for dirty hits like this one,” Robert Griffin III wrote on X. Chase Daniel called it “one of the dirtiest hits” he’s ever seen on a quarterback. Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram, right, jumps on Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after his late hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, bottom, during the first half of a game on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. Even defensive players struggled to defend Al-Shaair. “That was uncalled for,” Hall of Fame defensive lineman Michael Strahan said on Fox’s studio show while fellow Hall of Famer Howie Long agreed. But the play also sparked debate about the quarterback slide. Lawrence slid feet first, which signals that he’s giving himself up on the play. The NFL rulebook states: “A defender must pull up when a runner begins a feet-first slide.” But defensive players aren’t automatically penalized if they make contact with a sliding quarterback if they already committed and the contact is unavoidable. The rules state it’s a foul when “the defender makes forcible contact into the head or neck area of the runner with the helmet, shoulder, or forearm, or commits some other act that is unnecessary roughness.” Al-Shaair did that so he was penalized and will face other repercussions. Still, given the hard-hitting nature of the sport, it won’t be the last time this happens. When Caleb Williams took the field for the Chicago Bears' first regular season game against the Tennessee Titans, the anticipation for the rookie's debut game—possibly the most ever—was on full display. Despite a tough debut for the quarterback, the Bears secured a 24-17 win, a notable feat for the rookie. The victory made Williams the first #1 overall pick with a Week 1 win in over 20 years. Going forward this season, Williams is expected to eclipse C.J. Stroud's record-breaking 2023 rookie campaign with the Houston Texans. However, Stroud's success is an anomaly. Drafting a successful quarterback, especially one who is effective right away, is difficult. When teams have a high first-round draft pick, and they're coming off an unsuccessful few seasons, it's assumed that they will use their first pick on a quarterback . That player will assume the title of "the face of the franchise" and will get the central attention, win or lose. To see which quarterbacks have faced that challenge and triumphed, ATS.io compiled a ranking of the 10 best rookie quarterbacks since 1960 using data from StatHead . Rookies were defined as players who are in their first season of professional football and have not been on the roster of another professional team. Quarterbacks were ranked according to adjusted net yards per pass attempt, which quantifies efficient passing skill. Ties were broken using passer rating. Only rookie quarterbacks with at least 10 games played and 200 total passing attempts were considered. Since 1967, 130 quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round. Of those drafted, only 61 have won a playoff game as a starter, according to The Athletic, which used data from NFL Research . The biggest reason this success rate is not guaranteed is because there are differences between college and pro offensive systems. In the collegiate game, the ball is snapped at different points on the field, passing windows are wider, and defenders and linemen are not as quick, making the adjustment to the pro level more difficult. NFL scouts and general managers are gambling on what skills can be transferable and how long those adjustments might take, which is why some teams prefer redshirt quarterbacks to ease the transition. However, just because a team may not want to use their first-round pick on a quarterback, doesn't mean they can't find a diamond in the rough later in the draft. Think about Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and Dak Prescott, all of which were not first-round picks, but have gone on to make a name for themselves in the NFL. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.44 - Passer rating: 91.2 - Season stats: 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, 6 interceptions Coming out of college, Gardner Minshew was not a highly sought-after quarterback for NFL teams. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 draft—a draft that was headlined by Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, and Daniel Jones. Nonetheless, Minshew's rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars was filled with many accomplishments. He won Rookie of the Week seven times despite not winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Minshew also had the highest passer rating of any rookie quarterback that started in 2019. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.77 - Passer rating: 93.7 - Season stats: 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns, 14 interceptions Pressure was high for Baker Mayfield as the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. When he joined the Cleveland Browns, there was an expectation that once the team figured out the quarterback position, it could be playoff-ready. After trading for Jarvis Landry, a young wide receiver from the Miami Dolphins, in the offseason, the Browns were on their way. Mayfield's rookie season was filled with many firsts, and the Landry-Mayfield connection filled the stat sheet. Mayfield set the record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in 2019 with 27 surpassing prior marks from Payton Manning and Russell Wilson. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.84 - Passer rating: 98.3 - Season stats: 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns, 10 interceptions Justin Herbert was the third quarterback selected in the 2020 NFL draft behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. As the No. 6 overall pick, expectations were high, but there was also an assumption that it would be a few years before Herbert's development would take shape. Then, Chargers starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor was accidentally punctured in the lung by a team doctor administering a painkiller before the second game of the season, and it wasn't clear what Taylor's status would be moving forward. When Herbert was given the nod to start minutes before the game, fans didn't know what to expect. Herbert shocked viewers when he threw for over 300 yards and only one interception in that game. He continued his strong rookie showing throughout the season and went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 6.93 - Passer rating: 98.1 - Season stats: 2,621 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions Ben Roethlisberger was the third quarterback selected in his draft class behind the likes of Eli Manning and Philip Rivers—though fans wouldn't have been able to tell. From the moment Roethlisberger was called up by the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in his first game—Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens—it was clear he had a special arm, gaining the nickname "Golden Arm." While the next several games were bumpy for Steelers fans, it was clear that Roethlisberger was the future of the franchise. The Steelers had a solid running game and its receiving core, led by Hines Ward, was one of the best in the league . Once Roethlisberger gained his footing a few games in, he was unstoppable. He led Pittsburgh to its best record ever: 15-1. He also started the season on an eight-game winning streak, becoming the first rookie to do so. Additionally, Roethlisberger became the first quarterback to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.01 - Passer rating: 87.7 - Season stats: 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, there were high expectations on Matt Ryan's shoulders heading to the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons were coming off back-to-back losing seasons and off-the-field legal troubles with its starting quarterback Michael Vick overshadowing the team's play. Ryan was expected to pick up the pieces. He did that immediately, leading the Falcons to an 11-5 record in his rookie season and becoming the clear favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year halfway through the season, which he went on to win. The tag team of Ryan and running back Michael Turner was one of the best offensive forces in the sport that season. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.01 - Passer rating: 100 - Season stats: 3,118 yards, 26 touchdowns, 10 interceptions Russell Wilson was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Considering Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck headlined the NFL Draft that year, it was not believed that Wilson would be a starter come Week 1, but that quickly changed. Going into the 2012 NFL Draft, Tarvaris Jackson was the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback, and the team signed NFL veteran quarterback Matt Flynn as an insurance policy on the injury-prone Jackson . It was assumed in the short term that either Jackson or Flynn would lead the franchise. Once training camp arrived, however, the Seahawks' quarterback position was uncertain. Jackson was traded to the Buffalo Bills, and Flynn was underwhelming at camp, forcing Head Coach Pete Carroll to take a gamble on his rookie quarterback, Wilson, in Week 1. Carroll, nor Wilson, ever looked back. Wilson was one of the best passing quarterbacks that season. He led the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and went on to win NFL Rookie of the Year. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.39 - Passer rating: 96 - Season stats: 2,210 yards, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions When Dan Marino was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1983, the NFL looked very different. Running the ball was the name of the game. The quarterback would either run the football himself at the line of scrimmage or hand it off to the running back, and the offensive linemen would claw and push the pile forward as the runner powered his legs. It was not a pretty sight. However, Marino took a different approach, throwing the ball with a unique quick release for that era. He led the Dolphins to a 9-1 record after replacing David Woodley midway through his rookie season, ending with a 12-4 record. He went on to win Rookie of the Year and was the first rookie to start a Pro Bowl. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.47 - Passer rating: 100.8 - Season stats: 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, 5 interceptions When C.J. Stroud was drafted No. 2 by the Houston Texans last year, there were a lot of questions, not about his ability, but about the organization that he would be playing for. The Texans were coming off of a 3-13-1 season in 2022, finishing with the worst record in the league, and a lot of volatility in its front office. The team fired its head coach and a top executive before the draft. Weeks later, the team hired former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans as its next head coach. While Ryans is a defensive-minded coach, Stroud was seen as a key ingredient to the team's success since Ryans hired his coaching staff around the quarterback. Stroud led the NFL in yards and TD-to-interception ratio during his rookie season, which is an efficiency statistic considering he didn't get his first interception until his sixth regular-season game against the New Orleans Saints. While Stroud was a part of the league MVP conversation for most of the season, he didn't ultimately win the title. However, he was named 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and his rookie season is seen as one of the best in NFL history. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.47 - Passer rating: 102.4 - Season stats: 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions Leading into the 2012 draft, it wasn't a matter of whether Washington would pick a quarterback, it was a matter of who. After several seasons of mediocre quarterback play and losing seasons from the likes of Jason Campbell, Donovan McNabb, and Rex Grossman, it was time for a new face to lead the offense. At No. 2, Washington selected Robert Griffin III making him the second quarterback selected in the 2012 NFL draft behind Andrew Luck. Griffin started his rookie year campaign with one of the best performances football fans have ever seen. He completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 320 yards and 2 touchdowns, beating the New Orleans Saints. That game earned him the highest passer rating by a rookie ever, 158.3. He now shares that record with Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota. Griffin III went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012. - Adjusted net yards per pass attempt: 7.86 - Passer rating: 104.9 - Season stats: 3,667 yards, 23 touchdowns, 4 interceptions Dak Prescott is statistically the best rookie quarterback ever, racking up the best passer rating as a rookie. After losing his first game, he led the Cowboys on an 11-game winning streak. That season, he led the team to its fourth-best season ever with a 13-3 record. Prescott was the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and became the first NFL quarterback to be drafted in the fourth round or later to start all 16 regular season games. Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Shanna Kelly. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on ATS.io and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands (AP) — Alejandro scored 25 points as UAB beat Louisiana 98-86 on Monday. Vasquez shot 8 for 19 (2 for 9 from 3-point range) and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line for the Blazers (4-4). Yaxel Lendeborg added 20 points while shooting 9 for 12, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc while he also had six rebounds. Christian Coleman had 16 points and shot 7 of 13 from the field. Mostapha El Moutaouakkil led the way for the Ragin' Cajuns (1-6) with 19 points. Christian Wright added 15 points and six assists for Louisiana. Koron Davis also put up 14 points. Coleman scored 10 points in the first half and UAB went into the break trailing 44-42. Vasquez scored 17 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Gophers football players are preparing to play Wisconsin for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on Friday, but three key pieces peered beyond the blinders to shore up their commitment to Minnesota on Monday. Quarterback Max Brosmer and offensive lineman Quinn Carroll — two sixth-year seniors — said they will play in the Gophers’ to-be-determined bowl game, bucking a growing trend of players skipping postseason games to prepare for shots in the NFL. ADVERTISEMENT Brosmer, a transfer from FCS-level New Hampshire, said he will “definitely” suit up. “It’s another opportunity for us to play as a team,” said Brosmer, who threw for 2,426 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games this season. “It’s a compilation of what you have worked on all season.” Carroll said he respects higher-level prospects who might opt out and protect their draft stock, but he wants to get back to a “standard” of players not skipping the games. “My goal ever since I came here was to be the leader, be the standard all the time, and I don’t want it to become a standard that we don’t play in the bowl game if we have NFL aspirations,” said Carroll, who has played three seasons at Minnesota after three years at Notre Dame. “Obviously it’s different for guys who are maybe touted a little bit higher or think it will be better off for them to start working on the next step, whether that is combine training or what have you. But that is one opportunity that I’m blessed with to play with the guys and I’m going to take full advantage of it.” Left tackle Aireontae Ersery is a prime candidate of a Gophers player who might want to safeguard a higher draft stock and limit injury exposure by sitting out the bowl game. The possible first- or second-round pick has not said what he might do. For example, former U center, John Michael Schmitz opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl in 2022; he was drafted in the second round by the New York Giants. Meanwhile, Gophers fifth-year defensive lineman Jalen Logan-Redding said he will return to Minnesota for 2025, instead of trying his luck in the NFL. “Coming back next year is definitely going to be the best for me and being able to maximize all my opportunities and exhaust eligibility,” Logan-Redding said. Logan-Redding said he talked with fellow D-lineman Deven Eastern, who has one more year remaining, about pairing up in 2025. ADVERTISEMENT “We talk a lot about it,” Logan-Redding said. “... We are excited for it, honestly. Not only continuing to build the D-line, but just continuing to build on the experience that we already have. We’ve seen the amount of destruction that we can create when we are focused. Me, Dev and, of course, (Anthony Smith). He would be pissed if I didn’t shout him out.” Smith, who has two more years of eligibility, has been one of the U’s best players in the last month. He has 23 total pressures and five sacks, including one sack in each of the last three weeks. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Mid-American Conference football goes all in on November weeknights for the TV viewers
The best Thunderbolt dock I’ve ever tested is on sale for 38% offLINCOLN — Nebraska drivers may have to wait many more years for completion of the long-awaited expressway system, a state official reported Wednesday. Nebraska Department of Transportation Director Vicki Kramer said construction of the remaining expressway segments is expected to take until 2042 “at the earliest,” based on projected levels of current funding sources. That compares to last year’s estimate of completing the system by the mid-2030s. She told state lawmakers the completion date was pushed back in an effort to be more realistic about the situation facing the state. She said the previous estimates were based on the time needed to carry out necessary planning, design and construction work and did not take cash flow or funding levels into account. “We feel it necessary to manage expectation of our ability to fund future capital improvement projects with our existing revenue sources,” Kramer said. “I’ve tried to be more transparent.” Kramer She provided the updated timeline at a joint hearing of the Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications and Appropriations Committees. The hearing focused on the 2024 State Highway Needs Assessment, along with a report on results of the Build Nebraska Act and the Transportation Innovation Act, two measures aimed at boosting state road-building efforts. Nebraska launched the expressway system with legislation passed in 1988. The system, which now includes 16 corridors totaling more than 600 miles, was intended to connect every Nebraska community with more than 15,000 people to an Interstate by a four-lane, divided expressway. It was originally projected to be completed in 15 years, but more than a half-century will have passed when the new completion date is reached. The projects yet to be completed are: U.S. 275, Norfolk to West Point; U.S. 77 interchanges at the Lincoln West Beltway; U.S. 77, Wahoo to Fremont; U.S. 81, York to Columbus; and U.S. 75, Nebraska City to Murray. Kramer said a new financing tool lawmakers approved last year could help speed up some of the expressway work. She said the department is looking to issue $100 million worth of bonds to allow completion of the U.S. 275 expressway between Norfolk and West Point by 2029, rather than the current estimate of 2033. The Nebraska Highway Commission is slated to vote Friday on approving the bonds. Approval would mark a major departure from Nebraska’s historical pay-as-you-go approach to road construction, but would allow the state to embark on a major project. Kramer said the department doesn’t want to start a project and be forced to halt work partway through, as occurred during construction of the U.S. 30 expressway. “When we commit to that corridor, we have to be able to build it within a timeline that doesn’t have gaps,” she said. During the hearing, Kramer pointed to inflation and the uncertainties surrounding federal funding as factors limiting the projects the department can undertake. But she said recent construction bids show that inflation has eased a bit this year. The new needs assessment pegged costs to take care of the state’s road-building and maintenance needs over the next two decades at $16.9 billion, up about 1% over last year’s total. Last year, inflation and a thorough review of construction costs led to a nearly $2 billion — or 15% — increase in estimated costs for the 20-year period. The total includes $10.4 billion for asset preservation projects, intended to maintain and extend the life of the Interstate, state highways and state-owned bridges. Kramer noted that the bridge costs include replacement of two large bridges over the Missouri River to Iowa. Another $2.3 billion is needed for modernization and operation projects that upgrade existing roads but do not increase capacity. The remaining $4.2 billion is for capital improvements, such as building the expressway system, expanding Interstate 80 to six lanes from Pleasant Dale and Grand Island, and doing projects that promote economic development by connecting new or expanding businesses. State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus, the transportation committee chair, praised the completion of the U.S. 30 expressway and urged Kramer to let lawmakers know what it would require to get back to the shorter timeline on the remaining expressway projects. She did not immediately respond to that invitation. But when questioned by Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth about legislative priorities, she asked for lawmakers to make a commitment to improving safety. She said more than 240 people die each year on Nebraska roadways and the number has increased since 2016. The department has been incorporating more safety features on roads, such as roundabouts rather than traditional highway intersections and cable median barriers between directions of traffic on the Interstate. She also highlighted hand-held cellphone use, texting while driving and lack of seat-belt use as critical issues. “Driving is the most dangerous thing that your constituents do,” she said. “We’re working with the administration on what a comprehensive safety bill looks like and we would like your consideration of some of the different strategies and things that we think we can do legislatively to improve the safety of our roads.” Nebraska AG Mike Hilgers seeks state tax money to fight federal government Nebraska faces $432 million shortfall heading into next budget cycle Election replaces one-third of Nebraska Legislature, ousts two incumbent lawmakers martha.stoddard@owh.com , 402-670-2402, twitter.com/stoddardOWH We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! 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