West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil prices rallied on Wednesday, jumping around 2.75% and clipping into $70 per barrel after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a steeper drawdown in US Crude Oil reserves than energy traders anticipated. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has lowered its forecasts for global Crude Oil demand growth, however barrel traders are still banking on growing energy demand from China to sop up the extra. According to the EIA, US Crude Oil Stocks Change for the week ended December 6 fell by 1.425 million barrels, below the forecast -1.1 million and declining further from the previous week’s decline of over 5 million barrels. With US Crude Oil reserve drying up in the pipe, barrel traders found the buy button on the expectation that US processors will be forced to increase the pace of their market buying. reduced its forecasts for global Crude Oil demand growth in the coming year, dragging the Crude Oil consortium’s lofty expectations closer in-line with the more demure forecasts posted by the EIA. OPEC now anticipates that global oil demand will increase by 1.61 million barrels per day in 2024, a reduction from last month's forecast of 1.82 million barrels. Additionally, for 2025, they have revised their growth estimate down to 1.45 million barrels per day from the previous 1.54 million barrels. Crude Oil price forecast Crude Oil prices have been traveling in a rough downside wedge since dipping below $66 per barrel in September. bids, despite finding a technical floor below $68 per barrel, have been unable to decisively pierce above the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), and intraday price action is poised to continue battling the moving average in the near term. Despite barrel prices seemingly held aloft of further downside pressure from a bidding zone just north of the $66 key handle, topside momentum remains limited, and Crude Oil bulls will continue to find themselves short-changed as swing highs continue to grind lower below the 200-day EMA near $73.80. WTI daily chart WTI Oil FAQs WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media. Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa. The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency. OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.
A signing ceremony of an intergovernmental agreement on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project is held in Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) "It will certainly reshape regional logistics, bringing significant economic benefits." BISHKEK, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The commencement ceremony for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan, on Friday. Representatives from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan highlighted the railway's potential to promote regional connectivity and prosperity. Sanjar Mukanbetov, director of the National Institute of Strategic Initiatives under the President of Kyrgyzstan, told Xinhua that the support of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan's leaders has made the railway project possible. "Residents and nearby settlements will directly benefit from the economic impact of the project," Mukanbetov said. "It will certainly reshape regional logistics, bringing significant economic benefits." According to the current progress of the project, the construction of the Kyrgyz section of the railway project is scheduled to begin in July 2025 and last for six years, the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. said. This aerial photo taken on Nov. 8, 2023 shows the Torugart port of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Igor Shestakov, an expert from Kyrgyzstan, said the railway would help showcase Belt and Road cooperation projects and significantly benefit projects under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Kyrgyz economist Iskender Sharsheev said he believed that the project would attract more investments in energy, transport, and agriculture. "The infrastructure will open opportunities for logistics, product processing, and export-oriented production," he said, adding that the railway will drive change, fostering economic growth and social stability in the region. Abdurasul Abdukhalilov, head of Uzbekistan's Tashkent regional department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the railway will link China with European and Middle Eastern markets, facilitating freight transport. Calling the railway the "road of the new century," Azamat Seitov, head of the Laboratory of Anthropology and Conflictology at Uzbekistan's University of World Economy and Diplomacy, said there is no doubt that it will open up new opportunities for trade, tourism and industry, while strengthening regional economic interconnectivity.
The Oregon Ducks take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl Game on in Pasadena, California, to ring in the New Year, and the pre-game festivities begin with a treat for electric vehicle fans. When the 136th annual Rose Bowl Parade rolls down Colorado Boulevard, it will feature the first ever float powered by an electric vehicle. Aside from a win for electrification, the Mars-themed float also includes several other firsts that help cement the parade’s reputation as a tech-forward event decked out in flowers. CleanTechnica got the inside scoop on the new float from its mastermind, Ernest Koeppen, President of the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association. Mr. Koeppen graciously shared his work on the new electric vehicle in an email to CleanTechnica. Here is our Q&A in full. I’ve added links to some of the technologies he mentioned, along with some light edits for clarity. CleanTechnica : Can you provide some details about the electric vehicle — is it an electric pickup truck, for example, or was it specially built for the float? Do the accessories on the float (robotics, drones, etc.) use batteries or is an on-board generator required? Koeppen: The vehicle is a special vehicle assembled and evolved over the life of the [La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association ], which began in 1978. There are parts from a cement truck axle to old fire engine frame to unique one-off build-to-suit needs. The vehicle weighs 20,000 to 30,000 pounds depending on the build of the year. Previous to this year power has been supplied via two V8 engines turning hydraulic pumps for animation and propulsion, plus a third generating all auxiliary power for communications, lighting, climate, sound and effects. This year we have removed two of them (the third will be removed next year as we ran out of time to install its replacement safely). As of now all robotics, helicopter, rover, all Martian character mechanisms, communications, lighting, sound system atmospheric smoke [etc.] are running off six LiFePo battery packs, weighing over 1 ton for a total of over 150 KWh of energy. The iron phosphates were chosen for a number of reasons, safety due to close proximity to the public being one of the main ones [see more background about the connection between electric vehicles and iron phosphate energy storage here ]. The auto industry has been recycling itself for generations, an effort that now includes electric vehicle battery recycling , so it’s no surprise to see the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association focusing like a laser on resource management. CleanTechnica : What kinds of materials were most easily recycled from the previous year? What recommendations do you have for others to recycle/repurpose float materials? Koeppen: The majority of the recycling has been the planned and judicious use of uniform sizes of steel that we can re-purpose. Additionally various foams that are carved can be re-carved down smaller each year; sheet foams are totally re-usable, floral is dried and ground and used as dry base in following year. Using electrical motors and gears vs. many gallons of hydraulic fluid [is another example]. The lighter non-reusable metals (i.e. screens and so forth) are sent to the recycler. That just leaves the painted expanded spray foam sections to store and use as filler for as long as we can before disposition. One way to recycle a great deal of a float is to use the same sub-frame (above the chassis which is always a total re-use-as-is item) and simply decorate over the same fixed pattern. This does indeed work for some, but with that comes a critical reduction in some creativity, lending itself to a certain sense of “been there done that.” We feel modeling to a Parade theme keeps the wonder alive. So to that end building smarter — using materials than can be cut down smaller and re-used, while minimally backfilling with new — works best for us. We even use better quality hardware down to high grade screws and bolts that last for years rather than get disposed of. The new electric vehicle float is also the latest iteration of an ongoing, free youth training program under the umbrella of the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, which Koeppen calls the TechNovation Center [not to be confused with another worthwhile youth organization with a similar name]. CleanTechnica : What kinds of skills training does the TechNovation Center provide? Koeppen: The float site and float build are open classrooms that we offer as a free an open resource; in part to replace the traditional shop and industrial arts classes no longer offered in our public schools. Not as any sort of competition, rather it is a symbiotic resource. Students that come can receive community service hours, but we are also working with the school district to be able to offer credit. Students that come here have the opportunity to experience and learn Welding, Design, CAD, Fabrication, Robotics, Hydraulics and Electrical to name a few disciplines. All under the big umbrella of “maker.” We offer and teach what we call the DREAM curriculum: D esign R esearch E ngineering A rt M aker. And we rarely if ever say no to any idea; indeed our mantra is “Fail to 100%.” This is a community endeavor and there is a piece and idea of everyone built into this. The ideas and tech that make up the big picture here is the program. Seeing an advanced float come out of the grand collaboration that is then displayed on the world stage, is just the cherry on top that makes the DREAM come alive. The electric vehicle innards of the new float will be hidden under a mind-bending display of technological activity including a homage to ingenuity in the form of a drone from the firm Aerovironment (a first for the Rose Parade) and robotics-controlled color-changing floral displays (another first). Still, just knowing that it’s there can make a difference. Hopefully other floatmakers will make the switch to electric vehicles, if not to save the planet then to spare other marchers from having to breathe the exhaust from internal combustion engines and generators. CleanTechnica : Can you describe why it’s important for a high profile event like the Rose Parade to showcase sustainability? What kinds of actions have the organizers taken that seem to have the most impact? Koeppen: Sustainability can often take many forms, more frequently it takes shape in small forms (i.e. a battery powered leaf blower). We feel it is tremendously important to be able use a high profile event such as the Tournament of Roses Parade to display how to think big, witnessing creativity, ingenuity and innovation being applied at the grandest scale. In this particular case it is also apropos, given that it is a “floral parade” that exudes “green,” so it makes sense that the parade actually is Green. Social responsibility and being good stewards of our resources is always a positive trait to lead by example, in this case being able to further that and use it as an opportunity to showcase unique skills and applications to achieve it; and much of it is performed by youth learning trade skills. It builds community and a knowledge transfer path for all. And with that, whether you’re rooting for the Ducks (#1 seed) or the Buckeyes (#8) , drop a note in the comment thread and share your thoughts about the first ever electric vehicle float in the Rose Bowl Parade. Follow me via LinkTree , or @tinamcasey on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Image (cropped): For the first time ever in Rose Bowl history, an electric vehicle will power a float in the 136th annual Rose Bowl Parade on January 1, 2025 (courtesy of La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association ]. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email RedditRegion 2 Arts Council announces Artist Fellowship recipients
DRIVING THOUGHTS During the holidays, try camping. Drive out of the city and stay overnight, not in a resort, but at a campsite with basic amenities that will likely be inconvenient and uncomfortable to most people. The rewards are many, some intangible, but will give you a different kind of joy. The first reward is the physical and mental company of family, or good friends. Most camps have limited internet signal, or none at all. And setting up one’s campsite requires full attention without mobile phones and gadgets. The second reward is nature – clean air, magnificent panorama of mountains, forests and rivers, too. Many campsites are located along a river offering the city dweller the rare chance to wade, or swim, or just watch the tide flow. The third is unpredictable weather. You start setting up the tents when the sun is high, take a rest when the afternoon breeze blows, and perhaps have dinner under a million stars – or under the tent, with the sound of rain and wind. The grand reward is real conversation, something that’s missing in the lives of many people nowadays who only have exchange of messages on group chats and social media. I’ve written several stories about car camping because I have experienced how its many rewards have enriched my life, especially boosting my level of fitness. Car camping has become a form of leisure activity after many discovered the simple joy of being with nature and away from the crowds during the pandemic. It is different from the camping scenario of many years ago when camping came with hiking and a tent was one of the essentials one carried in a backpack. Having a car to go camping quickly enhanced its popularity. The requirement of carrying a backpack with a tent limited the followers of car camping to the young and adventurous only. When the weekend comes, you will recognize the car campers on the road with gear like roof top tents and awnings marking their vehicles. You’ll see more of them along the Marilaque Highway, NLEX or SLEX on their way to campsites that have now literally blossomed along a river, a forest, or atop a hill. Last weekend, I was out camping for three days with the Senior Car Campers Plus, a group that marked its second anniversary last September. As a member, I am able to view camping plans for the weekend, as well as updates on good campsites, helpful staff, clean restrooms, and unique views of a sunrise, sunset, or simply of the morning fog veiling the mountainside. We were at our favorite River Ranch Camp in Tanay. We so love River Ranch, we “adopted” its owner, Justin Lim, as our “apo.” From the constant exchange, I am amazed at the energy of the senior campers. Aside from official group camping dates which are usually bimonthly, many members go camping three times a month – rain or shine! Being with this group is not only fun – it is therapeutic or good for one’s health. Mostly couples who are retirees, or seniors still working on businesses or as professionals, these people present what to me is the “good life.” Adventure runs thick in their veins. To them, a river is not the end of the road, it is a body of water to cross with their vehicles. When giving directions to a campsite they’ve visited, they refer to distance as “after three or four or five river crossing” and remark on how low or high the water can be when it rains. It does not sound like a big deal to them, even to those who are driving sedans. Someone in the group always comes ready with a winch and recovery boards to help a vehicle stuck in soft earth and water. Ready-to-eat food or food cooked from home is not all that they bring along. Most of them have functioning campsite kitchens, including car refrigerators. With that, don’t be surprised to see albondigas soup, gambas with plump shrimps, or a regional delicacy on the table – all cooked from a campsite kitchen! And wow, you should see those kitchens! Many of their vehicles have been retrofitted to have neat functioning kitchens, a bedroom, and even a patio to watch the day go by. And because it’s Christmas, fairy lights, Christmas trees and lanterns were there too. When it was time to sleep – which is after a long exchange of good night – they retired to comfortable bedrooms by camping standards. Folding cots, air mattresses, blankets, rechargeable fans with power to last through the night, and night lights make the tent comfortable enough to give them a good night’s rest. In the morning, the aroma of coffee wafts in the air. Invitations to get coffee from this tent or that come. I always respond to such hospitality because I only bring 3-in-one coffee. And heating water means opening my camp cooker. Last weekend was a special camping treat. The senior campers celebrated Christmas, singing and dancing to the music of the seventies. We were celebrating life as all of us have lived through many good days and bad days – and have sent children to school, attended their weddings, and now shower their children with love. And now, we are making time to go camping. Being a senior citizen, or retirement, does not mean staying home. Go camping!
Greg Gumbel, a leading and groundbreaking TV sportscaster for decades, has died. He was 78. The cause of death was cancer, his family said Friday. "He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten," his wife, Marcy, and daughter Michelle said in a statement, per the . Gumbel had been the studio host for CBS since 1998. In 2001, he announced Super Bowl XXXV for the network, becoming the first Black announcer in the US to do play-by-play of a major sports championship. David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described the sportscaster as breaking barriers and setting standards for others. "A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time," said Berson. Gumbel had two stints at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost football in 1994 and returning when it regained the contract in 1998. He hosted CBS coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during the network's four-year run. He said baseball was his favorite sport, per the . But he was best known for his football and basketball work, per the AP. Gumbel hosted CBS' NFL studio show, , from 1990 to 1993—replacing Brent Musburger—and again in 2004. He also called NFL games as the network's lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl XXXV and XXXVIII. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005, leaving after the 2022 season. He said he tried to emulate Pat Summerall, also of CBS. "He didn't overtalk. He was understated," Gumbel said, adding: "He was specific about the things that he said. And he was terrific." Gumbel, the older brother of Bryant Gumbel—former host of NBC's show and HBO's —said he didn't think he had much of an impact on the audience, per the . "I've never felt in my entire life there is an announcer who can bring someone to the TV set to watch a game that that viewer wasn't already going to watch," he told in 2022. "And I believe the only thing a broadcaster can do is chase people away." (More stories.)Racing Optics® Introduces Game-Changing Twilight Tearoff to Enhance Visibility in Low-Light Racing Conditions
Officials have positively identified the remains of a girl whose body was found hidden in brush under a plastic tarp in 1973, Pennsylvania authorities said this week. The remains belong to Ruth Elizabeth Brenneman, 14, Pennsylvania State Police Sgt. Josh Lacey told reporters at a news conference Wednesday. Two game wardens found the decomposed remains of a young girl in a wooded area of Lebanon County on Oct. 10, 1973, approximately 47 miles from Brenneman's home in York County, Lacey said. It couldn't be determined how she died. Officials have spent the last 50 years attempting to identify the girl, Lacey said. In another effort to identify her, officials, with the help of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, exhumed the girl's body from Mount Lebanon Cemetery in May 2016. Finally, the positive identification was made last month after her remains were examined at Lehigh Valley Hospital. Lacey said she was identified using genealogy. "As a result of their efforts, this young female will no longer be known as Jane Doe," Lacey said. Identifying the body is a "huge step in this investigation," State Trooper Ian Keck said. "We have to know about the victim and their everyday life, who they associated with and their different activities." Brenneman was last seen "after she left for school and never returned home," Lacey said. Officials are looking into whether she made it to school that day. They are also trying to determine whether Brenneman was considered missing and on what day she went missing, Keck said. "Just because we identified her today that doesn't end our investigation," Keck said. "We're going to do our best and put our best foot forward here to come to a conclusion." Anyone who knew Brenneman or knows anything about her is asked to contact Pennsylvania State Police. Lacey declined to say whether there is a person of interest in the case and couldn't say for sure whether it was a homicide, as that is still "pending" with the coroner's office. He did say there was "some level of suspicion" to Brenneman's death "given the fact she was found underneath a tarp in some brush." Brenneman's family, in a statement read by Lacey, said her identification "has provided us with some closure on questions that have lingered for the past 51 years."Mass wedding ceremony of 250 couples held
NoneAverage Rate on 30-Year Mortgage Hits 6.6%, Its Third Straight Weekly Decline
Kayode Tokede The Chairman, Access Holding Company Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imuokhuede, has commended the digital innovation efforts of the Nigerian Exchange Group following the successful N351billion Rights Issue completed to comply with the regulatory directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria. According to the statement from Access HoldCo, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imuokhuede said “By leveraging the NGX’s E-offering platform – NGX Invest, the Company provided its shareholders with a seamless, efficient, and convenient subscriber experience significantly reducing barriers and democratizing participation in the Rights Issue.” In an article published by the World Federation of Exchanges, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Mr Temi Popoola had emphasised that the platform was at the core of NGX Group’s digital strategy, stating that it was designed to streamline the distribution of securities in the Nigerian capital market. “Its user-friendly interface allows investors to onboard seamlessly and verify their identities through the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), using their Bank Verification Number (BVN). With NGX Invest, the traditionally complex and time-consuming process of investing is reduced to a few clicks, making it easier for investors across Nigeria, including those in underserved areas, to participate in the capital market.” The success of Access HoldCo’s capital raise, making it the first bank to officially comply with the CBN’s Banking Recapitalisation directive, is a key social proof and testament to the robustness of NGX Invest and demonstrates the potential of NGX Group’s platform to support the growth and business goals of its Issuers.
T-cell Malignancies Market Dynamics: Key Insights on Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma, Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma, Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma, and Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma | DelveInsightMic Crenshaw, Progressive MC And Hip-Hop Ambassador Has A New Single, "Ready" Featuring Kiloriti Maasai and Toni HillHealthcare predictions: Taking 2025 to a healthy startThe rail stocks have been chugging lower in recent months, thanks in part to temporary setbacks (think work stoppages, strikes, etc.). With high barriers to entry into the rail business and the steady, predictable dividend (and earnings) growth trajectories, Canada’s top rail stocks seem poised to get back on their feet after suffering a few stumbles of late. Indeed, the Canadian and U.S. economies need rails to transport massive amounts of goods in order to stay well-oiled. While the odd rail strike, derailment, or even environmental factors like forest fires could take a great deal away from a quarter, I’d argue that it’s the long-term game that counts when it comes to the top rails. At the end of the day, trucks cannot step in for the top rails when bulk shipments need to go from one coast to another. Either way, let’s have a closer look at Canada’s top two rail stocks to see which, if either, is a tempting buy on recent weakness for 2025 and beyond. It’s been a forgettable year for both railways, but as Canada’s economy and the TSX Index attempt to heat up in the new year, perhaps value may wish to give the following names a second look while they’re still down and out. CN Rail ( ) stock is ready to end off what’s been a relatively muted year. Indeed, some headwinds hurt the quarterly results a bit. While you can’t fault management for any setbacks, I think some big changes will be needed if the still-robust railway is to reclaim its title of North America’s most efficient railway. Though CN Rail isn’t operating poorly, given the unfortunate circumstances (think numerous disruptions), I do believe there is low-hanging fruit to go after to improve upon the rail’s efficiency metrics. Either way, I do see ample value in the name today as the stock continues trending lower. Whether the current management team can effectively unlock such value, however, remains the big question going into 2025. Year to date, the stock is down around 7%. With a padded 2.22% dividend yield that’s scheduled to grow every single year, I’d not be afraid to chase the dividend growth stock on the way down. At $155 per share, I think you’re getting a fantastic deal as the railway looks to move past work stoppages and other disruptions that took away from what could have been an up year for the stock. CP Rail (or CPKC) ( ) has been known as CPKS (Canadian Pacific Kansas City) for a while now. Whatever you still call the firm, it’s a dominant rail player that has what it takes to go full speed ahead over the longer term. Going into 2025, though, I’d temper my expectations on the rail firm despite its resilience amid industry headwinds. Though there are potential growth drivers to be had around the Mexican border, I can’t say I’m enthused to pay a 28.3 times trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple for CP shares when CNR is going for just 18.4 times trailing P/E. Sure, there’s more growth in CP, but I think you’re paying way too high a premium to get such growth. As such, I view CNR stock as the far better option in 2025. There’s also a nicer dividend (2.22% yield vs. CP’s 0.72%) to collect while you wait patiently for the rails to hit the high track again.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Saturday’s wild overtime win over the Denver Broncos was the most important in what has been a mostly disappointing season for the Cincinnati Bengals. Not only did the Bengals (8-8) win their fourth straight for the first time this season and keep their slim playoff hopes alive, but they also finally made enough plays late to win a close game. Seven of their previous eight losses were by one score. And Cincinnati also got a win over one of the league’s better teams. Its seven previous victories came against sub-.500 teams. Joe Burrow, in the midst of the best season of his career, threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime to win it 30-24. The final drive followed two critical stops by the Cincinnati defense. “We’ve known we had a good football team all along,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “And those (close) games are disappointing that we came up short, but they didn’t change our process. They didn’t change what our guys believed in. We didn’t have to change everything we did. We still believed in what we were doing. And now we’ve won four in a row, and we have to make it five in a row.” The playoffs are still a long shot. To get there, the Bengals will have to go into Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers next weekend in the regular-season finale and also count on other bubble teams losing. What’s working The Bengals are playing their best football of the season. Burrow, battered by the Denver pass rush, completed nearly 80% of his passes in piling up 412 yards and three touchdowns. It marked his eighth straight game with at least 250 yards and three touchdown passes, extending his NFL record. ... Receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who had nine catches for 102 yards against the Broncos, could finish the season with the receiving triple crown — most catches, yards and touchdowns. What needs help The offensive line continues to struggle, even with the return of starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Burrow rarely had a clean pocket, was constantly on the run and was sacked seven times and hit 15 times. Stock up The Cincinnati defense, much maligned this season, forced two Denver punts in overtime. The second one led to the Bengals’ game-winning drive. Linebacker Germaine Pratt intercepted Bo Nix to end a Denver drive in the fourth quarter. “For them to rise up and get those two stops and allow the offense a shot to go win it (is) big-time stuff,” Taylor said. Higgins caught 11 passes for 131 yards and was the recipient of all three of Burrow’s touchdown passes. “Everybody can see what kind of player he is,” Burrow said of Higgins, who is playing this season with the franchise tag. “He elevates us to a different level when he’s playing like that.” Stock down Kicker Cade York, who was signed in early December to fill in for the injured Evan McPherson, had a chance to win the game with 2:49 left in overtime, but his 33-yard field-goal attempt bounced off the left upright. Injuries RB Chase Brown sprained his ankle in an awkward slide as the Bengals tried to run out the clock in regulation. ... OT Amarius Mims suffered an injury to his right hand. Key number 499 — total yards by the Bengals against Denver. Next steps The Bengals finish the season at Pittsburgh. The Steelers beat them 44-38 on Dec. 1. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Chris Wray on Wednesday became the latest part of institutionalist Washington to act in the interest of the institution he led even as incoming President-elect Donald Trump makes clear he intends to burn them all to the ground. Like parents modeling good behavior to a toddler, President Joe Biden and members of his administration have been performing the rituals of a democracy going through a normal transfer of power to benefit a man who tried to end that democracy just four years earlier. Vice President Kamala Harris conceded her election loss and congratulated Trump. Biden invited him to the White House in the following days and pledged a smooth transition. Special counsel Jack Smith last month dismissed dozens of felony charges that could have put Trump in prison for decades because of standing Department of Justice policy that doesn’t allow it to prosecute a sitting president. And, Wednesday, Wray — who was appointed by Trump in 2017 and has more than two years to go in his 10-year term ― told his colleagues that he would resign before Trump takes office in January, given Trump’s desire to install loyalist and fellow conspiracy theorist Kash Patel in that job. “This is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important in how we do our work,” Wray said in a video released by the FBI of his remarks. “This is not easy for me. I love this place, I love our mission and I love our people.” Whether the strategy of teaching the value of American institutions by example will work with Trump remains to be seen. Bradley Moss, a lawyer in Washington who specializes in national security work, has his doubts, and said Wray should have forced Trump to fire him, given the man Trump wants to replace him with. “Utterly spineless. By doing this, Director Wray has guaranteed the very thing he was supposed to avoid: the FBI becoming a politicized institution,” Moss said. “If there was any question that going forward the position of director will change every time the party in power changes, something the Watergate statutory reforms were supposed to prevent, that idea is dead.” FBI directors serve 10-year terms as a result of a post-Watergate reform implemented after President Richard Nixon tried to use both the FBI and the CIA to cover up his attempts to cheat in the 1972 election by spying on the Democratic Party. Not long afterWray announced his decision, Trump — a convicted criminal who eluded federal charges by winning back the presidency — continued lying about his prosecutions and the FBI’s role in them. “Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America,” Trump posted on social media. In fact, the search of Trump’s South Florida country club was approved by a federal judge. Agents who executed the warrant found dozens of secret documents that Trump had refused to turn over despite a subpoena demanding that he do so. Further, Wray had nothing to do with either of Trump’s impeachments — the first in 2020 for his attempt to extort Ukraine into smearing Biden; the second for his Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt. Both impeachments were carried out by the House of Representatives. In May 2017, Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey after he refused to pledge Trump his personal loyalty. Trump replaced him with Wray, who at the time was in the private sector after having served in the Justice Department under President George W. Bush. Mark Warner, a Democratic senator from Virginia who will soon go from chair to ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he was sorry to see Wray step down. “I understand that Director Wray is simply trying to do what he has always done – which is act with integrity – and I thank him for the principled leadership he brought to the FBI and for his service to the country,” Warner said in a statement. Patel, who worked in Trump’s first administration in various roles but seemed most interested in undermining evidence that Russia had helped Trump win in 2016, said in an interview last year that he would go after Trump’s critics if Trump returned to the White House. “We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in the government, but in the media,” Patel said . “Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections. We’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out, but yeah, we’re putting you all on notice.” In fact, no one helped Biden “rig” any election. Biden beat Trump by 7 million votes in 2020. Nonetheless, in a book he wrote called “Government Gangsters,” Patel laid out in an appendix the names of 60 people who may need going after. They include former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr, former Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham, former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper as well as Biden, Harris, and Trump’s 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton. Patel made clear that his list “was not exhaustive.” Moss said that if Wray had stayed on and Trump had fired him, the courts likely would have backed Trump. “But it would have come with a political cost. And the legal fight over the ability to fire Wray given the statutory protection instituted post-Watergate would have been bloody,” he said. Mike Davis, a former Senate lawyer who has been working on Trump’s transition team, said Wray was smart to step down. “My best guess: Chris Wray would have been fired, publicly humiliated and legally defeated.” FBI Director Christopher Wray Is Resigning Who Is On Kash Patel's 'Random Enemies List'? Ex-FBI Deputy Director Sounds Alarm On Trump's Kash Patel Pick: 'Profoundly Unqualified'Senegal PM Seeks To Repeal Contested Amnesty Law