49ers Franchise Quarterback Brock Purdy Out vs. PackersUnderwater drones to be deployed for the first time at Mahakumbh for pilgrim safetyWith Rs 200 crore salary, who is India’s highest paid villain?An already terrible week for the San Francisco 49ers just got worse. They will be without their franchise Quarterback Brock Purdy due to a shoulder injury he sustained last week versus the Seahawks. Purdy was limited in both Wednesday and Thursday practice, so this news comes as a real shock to the 49ers fanbase. In a season that’s been defined by injuries, this injury to Brock Purdy may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for the 49ers season in 2024. He was asked to do more than ever for this 49ers offense this season, and now that he isn’t there, this offense may spiral into mediocrity at best and one of the league’s worst offenses at worst. Next Man Up Behind Brock Purdy Brock Purdy’s absence on Sunday means that backup, Brandon Allen , will step into the fold as the starter. Allen has a spotty at-best resume in the NFL so far. He is just 2-7 as a starter, with a touchdown to interception ratio of 10-6. He’s been nothing more than a journeyman so far, and even with an elevated amount of offensive talent surrounding him in guys like Christian McCaffrey , Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle , the 49ers are still going to need an unbelievable effort out of Allen to pull this game away from the Packers. Brock Purdy and this 49ers offense were already underachieving with him at the helm. They were one of the worst red zone offenses in the league and had issues protecting the passer and picking up blitzes. An offense that was already struggling to reach its full potential will now be concerned about just moving the football at all versus the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Packers themselves haven’t been perfect defensively. They struggle mightily with rushing the passer and generating pressure. Even with that, Brandon Allen has an enormously large task ahead of him. The loss of Brock Purdy this week could spell the end of the 49ers hopes for a Super Bowl. This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.
Murray State beats Loyola Chicago 71-68 for 7th place at the Diamond Head ClassicFury vs Usyk free live stream ‘urgent warning’ issued to UK boxing fansCurtis Jones one of five Liverpool stars sharpened by Arne Slot and his new adventurous Total Football philosophy
President-elect Donald Trump has announced key cabinet nominations ahead of his January 20 inauguration. In November, he nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with a mission to implement a “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which includes plans to eliminate chemical additives from the U.S. food supply. Recent social media posts have sparked rumors that Kennedy intends to ban Hershey’s chocolate. “BREAKING: Effective January 20th, Hershey’s Chocolate will be BANNED in the United States. Make America Healthy Again,” reads a post on X, featuring a screenshot purportedly from Kennedy’s account. This post claims the ban is part of Kennedy’s “war on bioengineered food.” Commenters questioned whether these claims are true. Has Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced plans to ban Hershey’s chocolate? No, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not announced plans to ban Hershey's chocolate. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not announced plans for a ban on Hershey’s chocolate. The claim originated from a parody account with the display name “ Robert F. Kennedy Jr - Health Secretary Parody .” The account has since been suspended on X, but it previously spread a similar false claim about Kennedy wanting to ban Diet Coke. Social media posts sharing screenshots from the parody account cropped out the word “parody,” making it appear as if the posts were from Kennedy’s official account. Kennedy’s real X account , with the display name “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” has 5 million followers and doesn’t include the dash mark and ellipsis seen in the screenshots about a Hershey’s ban. Kennedy has not posted anything about a possible Hershey’s chocolate ban on his real account, nor on his Instagram or Facebook pages. VERIFY found no credible news articles supporting claims of a Hershey’s chocolate ban. Additionally, Hershey’s websites and social media accounts do not indicate any plans to halt chocolate sales in the U.S. after Inauguration Day. We reached out to Kennedy and Hershey’s for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.NVIDIA Rockets Ahead! The Future of Gaming Changes Forever
The Detroit Lions picked up a nice 34-17 divisional victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 16, as Dan Campbell's squad bounced back after a Week 15 defeat to the Buffalo Bills and improved their road record to 7-0. Though the Lions got back in the win column on Sunday, the team has yet to secure the NFC North title or the No.1 seed in the conference. That's because the Minnesota Vikings continue to win games, as the Vikings notched a 27-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16. Entering Week 17, the Lions and Vikings boast the same record at 13-2, and there's a chance Detroit and Minnesota's Week 18 matchup will be for the division crown and the No.1 seed in the NFC. The Vikings will host the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday in Week 17, and if Kevin O'Connell's squad wins that game, the Lions won't be able to clinch the division or the No.1 seed and will have to wait until they play Minnesota in Week 18. The Lions don't play until Monday Night in Week 17, as the team will travel to Levi's Stadium to face off against the San Francisco 49ers. Campbell and his group will know the results of the Packers vs. Vikings game before their Monday Night contest versus the 49ers, but Dan Campbell had an emphatic answer about the possibility of the Lions resting starters versus San Francisco if Minnesota defeats Green Bay on Sunday. "I'll make this easy for everybody that way all the critics can jump out and start attacking, but that way you don't have to debate them anymore," Campbell said. "We're bringing everything we got to this game and we are playing, I don't care what it looks like and where it's at and who's this, who's that. We're going out to play and win this game, out on the West Coast. So there you go." If the Vikings beat the Packers in Week 17 — before Detroit’s MNF game vs. the 49ers — the Lions can’t clinch the division or the No. 1 seed until they play Minnesota in Week 18. Don’t expect Dan Campbell to rest his starters. “We’re bringing everything we’ve got to this game.” pic.twitter.com/VgJo9otoDz Though some will urge the Lions to rest their starters if they can't clinch the division and the No.1 seed versus the 49ers in Week 17 due to a potential Vikings win over the Packers, Dan Campbell has made up his mind. The former NFL tight end has built a culture centered around grit and perseverance in Detroit, and resting starters, even if the game doesn't mean much, isn't in his DNA. The Lions and Vikings are the top two contenders to land the NFC's No.1 seed, but the Philadelphia Eagles are also still mathematically in the race despite losing to the Washington Commanders in Week 16. Below is a tweet from Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports that shows Philadelphia's path to the No.1 seed in the NFC. The #Eagles are still in race for the No. 1 seed even with #Vikings and #Lions winning. Here's how: -- Eagles win out -- Lions lose to 49ers, Vikings lose to Packers -- Vikings beat Lions Eagles get No. 1 seed via common opponents tiebreaker over Vikings. MORE DETROIT LIONS NEWS Lions rookie Christian Mahogany looks like a gem after impressive debut NFL power rankings Week 17: Where Lions sit after convincing win over Bears Alex Anzalone injury update: Latest news on Lions LB's possible returnRenowned visionary English physician William Harvey wrote in 1651 about how our blood contains all the secrets of life. “And so I conclude that blood lives and is nourished of itself and in no way depends on any other part of the body as being prior to it or more excellent,” he wrote. “So that from this we may perceive the causes not only of life in general ... but also of longer or shorter life, of sleeping and waking, of skill, of strength and so forth.” Dr. Kevin Watt, team leader of the Heart Regeneration and Disease Laboratory at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne, Australia, understands this concept deeply. He lives it every day, as he and his fellow researchers study and reprogram the potential of the blood to treat disease, specifically heart failure in children. Building on the work of Dr. Shinya Yamanaka of Japan, who discovered that specialized cells could be reprogrammed back to immature stem cells, Watt and his collaborators have taken this work several steps further. They have used small molecules to turn these new stem cells from the blood into heart cells. Small heart organoids are developed in the lab — which can then be injected into the failing hearts of children. Relying on the philanthropic support of the Murdoch Institute, the work is progressing rapidly and has been shown to be effective already in mice, pigs and sheep. Clinical trials in humans will be starting soon, and as Dr. Watt told me in an interview from Australia, “Large sheets of heart tissue will be stitched into the failing heart.” Congenital heart failure as well as side effects of chemotherapy in children will be targets for this miracle therapy. Millions of children around the world suffer daily from these conditions. Watt said that certain chemotherapy (anthracyclines) have a higher risk of heart failure – up to 15% of the time – and this treatment may be useful to protect the heart. Watt said, “Heart failure remains an urgent, unmet clinical challenge across the world. While we have made significant advances over several decades in managing the disease, we lack targeted therapies to treat these devastating conditions.” He added, “More than 500,000 children around the world live with advanced heart failure that requires transplantation. The vision of our research is to develop new therapies that can transform the lives of children with heart failure.” To achieve this, he said, “we use a technology called induced pluripotent stem cells, where we can convert blood or skin cells of patients with heart failure into stem cells that we then turn into heart cells ... or even make engineered heart tissues that can be stitched onto the patient’s heart to help it pump.” The cells that are targeted in the blood are known as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). They are “pushed back in time to an earlier time before they became differentiated into heart or kidney cells,” he said. Then they can be pushed forward to become healthy heart cells or mutations — or other abnormalities can be corrected. While the team at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute is making heart cells from stem cells in the blood for clinical use, it’s also using these stem cells to figure out new drugs to treat heart failure directly. Said Watt, “Using stem cells from patients with heart failure caused by chemo, we are actively developing new drugs and cell-based treatments that we believe will transform the lives of patients with these conditions ... Our research group has pioneered methods to turn these stem cells into miniature heart tissues that can be used to model disease-in-a-dish, to identify new drug targets for the development of new therapies.” These treatments are personalized and highly expensive, but they’re also highly effective. Correcting heart failure in young children is only a few years away from becoming a reality. It’s a Christmas miracle that relies on the kind of philanthropic support that MCRI is famous for arranging. “Philanthropic support plays a critical role in accelerating the development of these new, transformative treatments,” said Watt, “and this support will be essential as we work toward bringing stem cell-based precision therapies for heart failure to every child who needs it.”President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s choice for solicitor general. The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table. He has been holding meetings with foreign leaders and business officials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida while he assembles his administration, including a meeting last week with TikTok CEO Shou Chew. Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He said earlier this year that he still believed there were national security risks with TikTok, but that he opposed banning it. The filings Friday come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The law was was signed by President Joe Biden in April after it passed Congress with broad bipartisan support. TikTok and ByteDance filed a legal challenge afterwards. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” In their brief to the Supreme Court on Friday, attorneys for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued the federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on “alleged ‘risks’ that China could exercise control” over TikTok’s U.S. platform by pressuring its foreign affiliates. The Biden administration has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok’s U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread or suppress information. But the government “concedes that it has no evidence China has ever attempted to do so,” TikTok’s legal filing said, adding that the U.S. fears are predicated on future risks. In its filing Friday, the Biden administration said because TikTok “is integrated with ByteDance and relies on its propriety engine developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries with it risk.
(The Center Square) – House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has opened an investigation into the Federal Emergency Management Agency over reports that it discriminated against supporters of Donald Trump. Comer said whistleblower reports suggest anti-Trump discrimination is rampant and has been going on for years. “[O]n the condition of anonymity, a FEMA official stated that the practice avoiding ‘white or conservative-dominated’ areas is an ‘open secret at the agency that has been going on for years,’” Comer said in a letter to FEMA. The investigation comes after FEMA fired one of its hurricane response supervisors after news went viral that she told her workers to avoid “Trump houses.” However, that employee has publicly said she was only following orders and acting according to the culture at FEMA. Comer and more than two dozen Republican lawmakers sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell demanding documentation, from internal policies to spending figures to incident reports. Lawmakers have pointed toward more anonymous sources backing up the fired employee’s claims. “Additionally, another whistleblower contacted the Committee during the hearing," the letter said. "This individual informed the Committee that a FEMA contractor warned a disabled veteran’s family in Georgia to remove Trump campaign materials from their home because FEMA supervisors viewed Trump supporters as domestic terrorists. At a hearing this week, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., pointed to 35 of his constituents who shared similar stories with him. Lawmakers grilled Criswell over the discrimination reports at the hearing as well as FEMA’s recent focus on Diversity Equity and Inclusion efforts, something FEMA named as its number one goal in its latest strategic report. Lawmakers also raised concerns about the agency spending hundreds of millions of dollars on helping migrants. Defenders of FEMA have said the migrant funds do not take directly from disaster relief, while critics insist it shows missplaced priorities for the emergency relief agency. “In the fiscal year of 2023, FEMA spent nearly a billion dollars, $789 million, to shelter illegals in the United States,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., said at the hearing, as The Center Square previously reported . “This past year it was $641 million, and this money is largely distributed through NGOs...and this was to house illegal aliens," she added. "Not Americans, who by the way all that money, that comes from Americans bank accounts when they write their checks to pay their taxes." At the hearing this week, Criswell also said she will request the Inspector General investigate the question of political discrimination at FEMA. She also said she does not think this fired employee is indicative of a broader problem in the agency but is looking into it. Criswell said FEMA workers went back to the homes that were skipped over by the fired employee and promised to ensure it doesn't happen again. “The Committee is in the process of investigating these claims,” the Oversight letter said. “If they are true, they would corroborate concerns that political discrimination extends beyond [the fired FEMA employee]. Furthermore, they suggest an apparent culture, whether sanctioned or not, within FEMA to politically discriminate against disaster survivors, specifically those who support President-elect Donald Trump.”Top 10 leading startup cities in India 2024 including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Gurugram and moreBy Abby Badach Doyle, NerdWallet It won’t be impossible to buy a house in 2025 — just be prepared to play on hard mode. According to a November 2024 report from ICE Mortgage Technology, the monthly principal and interest payment on an average-priced home is $2,385. While that’s not the highest it’s ever been, it’s still a sharp increase — nearly 80% — from just three years ago. In November 2021, when mortgage rates averaged 3%, the monthly principal and interest on an average-priced home was $1,327 per month. So here’s the key to buying in 2025: Look ahead, not back. Regret won’t help you budget for today’s new normal. And with this year’s election also in the rearview mirror, so is some uncertainty among buyers and sellers that historically slows the market during every presidential election cycle. “People have just been kind of sitting waiting to see what’s going to happen,” says Courtney Johnson Rose, president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, an industry group for Black real estate agents. “I’m hopeful that the new year will bring more attention to real estate, more excitement to real estate, and more opportunities for first-time home owners to get in the game.” Preparing to buy a house is a lot like dressing for the weather. It’s easier when the outlook is sunny — but with some planning, you can gear up to face any condition. Here’s what housing market experts are forecasting for the upcoming year. First, home prices: We’ll likely see more modest growth in 2025, a change from skyrocketing prices in recent years. After 16 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases, the median existing-home sales price hit $407,200 in October, according to the National Association of Realtors. In 2025, with more supply trickling in to temper price increases, NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun forecasts a median existing-home sales price of $410,700, up just 2% over this year. Next, housing inventory: Demand still outpaces supply. While we don’t expect a return to a buyer’s market, competition should be less cutthroat. Realtor.com forecasts a balanced market in 2025 with an average 4.1-month supply of homes for sale, up from an average 3.7-month supply so far in 2024. That would make 2025 the friendliest market for buyers since 2016, which had an average 4.4-month supply. Finally, mortgage rates: After topping 8% in October 2023, the 30-year mortgage rate has slowly eased into the 6.5%-7% range this year. Rate cuts from the Federal Reserve have helped nudge that downward. Despite earlier optimism, forecasters’ latest consensus is for rates to effectively plateau above 6% throughout 2025. That said, every year has its wild cards. In 2025, it’s still uncertain how President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-led Congress might shake up regulations and tax policies that affect the U.S. housing market. National forecasts don’t analyze what matters most: Your personal cash flow. To get ready to buy, first meet with a financial advisor or use an online calculator to determine how much house you can afford . You can also get free or low-cost advice from a housing counselor sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Next, look into down payment and closing cost assistance from state housing finance agencies, local governments, nonprofits and mortgage lenders. Your employer or labor union might offer assistance, too. First-time buyers with income below their area median have the most options, but repeat or higher-income borrowers can qualify for some programs as well. “I think that there’s a lot of free money being left out there,” Rose says. Your not-so-secret weapon for buying in 2025 just might be an experienced buyer’s agent. “Anybody can write a contract,” says Sharon Parker, associate broker with Tate & Foss Sotheby’s International Realty in Rye, New Hampshire. “But you need somebody who’s seen the market, the ups and downs, who knows how to get creative because every transaction is different.” Following a settlement with the NAR , buyers can now negotiate their agent’s compensation up front. (Previously, home sellers took on that task.) While new norms are still shaking out, Rose says she hasn’t seen too much drama since the change took effect in August. “So as long as buyers remember that we have to talk about this in the beginning of our relationship, everything typically works out fine,” she says. Finally, it’s time to shop for a mortgage. To get the best interest rate, get a quote with at least three different lenders. You could also delegate the shopping to a mortgage broker, who can compare quotes and even negotiate a lower rate on your behalf. Though brokers charge a fee, their access to more mortgage options and lower rates can often mean net savings overall. With a mortgage preapproval in hand, it’s go time. And you don’t have to wait until spring: If you’re ready to buy now, buyers have less competition and more negotiating power from December through February, so you could snag a deal. “The people who are selling and the people who are buying in the off season are very serious,” Parker says. “They’re not just lookie-loos.” However, lower inventory means fewer choices for buyers. So start your search prepared to compromise — a “good enough” house will still help you build equity. If a down payment or monthly mortgage payment is financially out of reach, there’s no shame in postponing your search to pad your savings. And owning a home isn’t the right lifestyle choice for everyone, with the ongoing commitment of money and time. But once you’re ready to buy — whether for the first time, or to upgrade or downsize — avoid the trap of waiting for a dip in mortgage rates. “Nobody can predict what the market, or the world, is going to do,” Parker says. “There is no better time than right now.” Mortgage rates will always fluctuate, and if they drop significantly, you can refinance. For first-time buyers, homeownership is a major financial glow-up — and the sooner you jump in, the longer you’ll have to build home equity. “Time value of money is really, really critical when it comes to real estate,” Rose says. “So I would always encourage somebody to buy as soon as you can and get the clock ticking.” More From NerdWallet Abby Badach Doyle writes for NerdWallet. Email: abadachdoyle@nerdwallet.com. The article Buying a House in 2025: Your How-To Guide originally appeared on NerdWallet .
Team India will have their task cut out when they come on day three of the fourth Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). After a chaotic final hour on day two at the iconic venue that saw India lose three wickets, a lot relies on Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, especially with the tourists still trailing by 310 runs. Australia, meanwhile, will hope to continue to plot India's slide in this game and have the runs to play with as well. Steve Smith's classy 140 combined with the top three scoring half-centuries put the hosts in the box seat. With cloud cover also expected in Melbourne on day three, the home side's bowling unit should enjoy bowling.Local business owner joins prestigious Spark 10 for women in manufacturingDenis Villeneuve on Why Cell Phones Are “Forbidden” on His Sets
Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has also resigned as vice-president of the animal welfare organisation, with both of them expressing their “sadness” over leaving the roles. It comes after an Animal Rising investigation made claims of cruelty at “RSPCA Assured” slaughterhouses in England and Scotland, with the campaign group sharing footage of alleged mistreatment. RSPCA Assured is a scheme whereby approved farms must comply with the organisation’s “stringent higher welfare standards”, according to its website. Mr Packham shared the news of his resignation on social media, saying: “It is with enormous sadness that I have resigned from my role as president of the RSPCA. “I would like to register my respect and admiration for all the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to protect animals from cruelty.” Ms Lucas said she and Mr Packham failed to get the charity’s leadership to act. She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “With huge sadness I’m resigning as VP of the RSPCA, a role I’ve held with pride for over 15 years. “But their Assured Schemes risk misleading the public & legitimising cruelty. “I tried with @ChrisGPackham to persuade the leadership to act but sadly failed.” In June, the RSPCA commissioned an independent review of 200 farms on its assurance scheme which concluded the scheme was “operating effectively” to assure animal welfare on member farms. Following Animal Rising’s release of footage last week, the charity said it was “appalled” by what was shown, adding that it launched an immediate investigation and suspended three slaughterhouses from the scheme. In the wake of Mr Packham and Ms Lucas’ resignations, an RSPCA spokesperson said it is “simply not true” that the organisation has failed to take urgent action. They said: “We agree with Chris and Caroline on so many issues and have achieved so much together for animals, but we differ on how best to address the incredibly complex and difficult issue of farmed animal welfare. “We have discussed our work to drive up farmed animal welfare standards openly at length with them on many occasions and it is simply not true that we have not taken urgent action. “We took allegations of poor welfare incredibly seriously, launching an independent review of 200 farms which concluded that it was ‘operating effectively’ to improve animal welfare. “We are taking strong steps to improve oversight of welfare, implementing the recommendations in full including significantly increasing unannounced visits, and exploring technology such as body-worn cameras and CCTV, supported by £2 million of investment.” The charity insisted that while 94% of people continue to choose to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy, it is the “right thing to do” to work with farmers to improve the lives of animals. “RSPCA Assured visit all farms on the scheme every year, but last year just 3% of farms were assessed for animal welfare by state bodies,” the spokesperson continued. “No-one else is doing this work. We are the only organisation setting and regularly monitoring animal welfare standards on farms. “We have pioneered change through RSPCA Assured, which has led to improvements throughout the industry including CCTV in slaughterhouses, banning barren battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs, giving salmon more space to swim and developing slower growing chicken breeds who have better quality of life.”Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78