Baker Mayfield has equaled his personal best for touchdown passes in a season , and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are riding a three-game winning streak to top the NFC South. The quarterback is gunning for a fourth straight division title with the Bucs (7-6) and believes they need to up their game to not only secure a playoff spot but also to make a significant run in the NFL postseason. "We will take wins. I don’t really care how it looks," Mayfield remarked following a messy 28-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, which pushed the Bucs above. 500 as they aim to recover from a slump where they dropped five of six matchups. Saints facing Derek Carr decision as Spencer Rattler sees starting QB chance emerge Saquon Barkley faces tough MVP reality as Eagles RB inches closer to record "But offensively, we will have to be a lot more consistent for us to be able to make this push that we want to do, and we know that," Mayfield added. "There is a lot of ball left, and we have to continue to get better." Against the Raiders, Mayfield threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns but also had three turnovers in the first half, allowing Las Vegas to remain in contention until the final quarter. For the third consecutive year, the Bucs find themselves needing a late-season surge to escape a midseason downturn and clinch a postseason berth. Mayfield has now thrown 28 TDs, matching his total from last year when he revived his career with Tampa Bay. The Bucs, boasting a 7-1 record in December/January games since last season, remain the only NFC team to have clinched playoff spots consecutively over the past four years. "We’ve got four weeks to play. We’re happy to be playing meaningful football in December. We understand what that means," coach Todd Bowles said. "We have to go out every week and try to squeeze out these games, but it feels good." Although the Bucs are leading the NFC South, their lead is slim. The Atlanta Falcons, who have lost four consecutive games, are at 6-7, while the New Orleans Saints are at 5-8. The Carolina Panthers are the other team in the division at 3-10. It'll be difficult for the Bucs to land a wildcard spot if they fail to win the NFC South, with the Minnesota Vikings (11-2), Green Bay Packers (9-4), and Washington Commanders (8-5) all doing well. Only four teams in the NFL have already secured a playoff spot: the Kansas City Chiefs (12-1), Buffalo Bills (10-3), Detroit Lions (12-1), and Philadelphia Eagles (11-2). Tampa Bay's next clash is against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday before a trip to Dallas to face the Cowboys on December 22. Then comes two crucial games against the Panthers (December 29) and the Saints (January 5). Want to watch more live sports? Peacock has your favorite sports, shows, and more all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 so you can stream live sports like NFL, Premier League, and Big Ten Football.
Criticism of Israel or the war in Gaza doesn't amount to anti-Semitism, the foreign minister says, as Australia grapples with an increase in the vile sentiment. Login or signup to continue reading Many in Australia's Jewish community are feeling scared and unsafe and anti-Semitism must be rejected at every turn, Penny Wong says. "We know that cruel acts of anti-Semitism evoke some of the darkest episodes in the history of the Jewish people," she said in a major foreign policy speech at the University of South Australia on Monday night. "We condemn and reject anti-Semitism wherever it occurs - acts of hate have no place in Australia." But people needed to respectfully disagree on points of difference and avoid "misrepresenting views and exaggerating differences" to stop the conflict in the Middle East spurring friction in Australia, she said. "It's not anti-Semitic to expect that Israel should comply with the international law that applies to all countries," Senator Wong said. "Nor is it anti-Semitic to call for children and other civilians to be protected or to call for a two-state solution that enables Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security." Her comments followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticising the Australian government for holding an "extreme anti-Israel position" that he linked to a firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue. Mr Netanyahu and Jewish groups in Australia were critical of the federal government voting in support of a pro-Palestinian motion at the United Nations. The motion was supported by almost 160 members while only a handful, including the United States and Israel, voted against it. Australia's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal said it wasn't necessarily anti-Semitic for people to call for a two-state solution or the recognition of Palestinian statehood. The internationally accepted definition of anti-Semitism "makes it clear that criticism of Israel in a form that you would normally criticise another country, like its policies, is fine", she said. "But criticism of Israel, which damns it as a country that should be abolished, that should no longer exist, that all the Jews should disappear - that is anti-Semitic." It was the same definition Senator Wong referenced in her speech as both called for anti-Semitism to transcend politics and for the community to come together after the synagogue attack. People needed to avoid "exploiting the trend towards echo chambers where people only hear bad things about others and don't see for themselves what's good about others", Senator Wong said. In all the discussions of the Middle East, the Jewish community felt like the hostages taken by Hamas - scores of which remain captive in Gaza - have been forgotten. "There are these credibly important souls that have been suffering for an enormous length of time and they need to be at the forefront of our collective thinking to bring them home," Ms Segal said. Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!Anti-fraud efforts meet real-world test during ACA enrollment period
In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." Something in the kitchen was contaminated In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." But how did the drugs get into the kitchen? A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." New information sent to WADA ... eventually This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not."
Professional poker player Cory Zeidman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to ESPN's David Purdum , after falsely claiming to have insider information on sports. Per that report, "Federal authorities alleged that Zeidman and his partners misled customers to pay the organization for betting advice by claiming to have knowledge of nonpublic injury information, 'dirty' referees and fixed games, according to court documents." The scheme lasted between 2006-20 and advertised itself under fake names such as "Gordon Howard Global" and the "Ray Palmer Group." It sold customers false information under the pretense of gathering inside information from television executives or college physicians. "Zeidman and his partners baited unsuspecting victims with false claims of an edge in sports betting only to feed them lies and pocket millions of dollars," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a news release from the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York . Per the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, Zediman faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, as well as "forfeiture and restitution of approximately $3.6 million."Examining Generative AI: Cutting Through the Chaos / False Stories Spread to Thwart Western Aid for Ukraine, Reduce Nation’s Resolve to Battle Russia
NoneRodgers, who turns 41 next Monday, has been hampered at times during the Jets' 3-8 start by various injuries to his left leg, including a sore knee, sprained ankle and balky hamstring. Ulbrich said Monday the quarterback came back from the team's bye-week break ready to go. “All I can say, and you'd have to ask Aaron if he's fully healthy, but he's better off today than he's been as of late,” Ulbrich said. "So he's definitely feeling healthier than he has probably for the past month. A healthy Aaron Rodgers is the Aaron Rodgers we all love. “So, I'm excited about what that looks like.” NFL Network reported on Sunday that Rodgers, who missed all but four snaps last season with a torn left Achilles tendon, has declined having medical scans on his injured leg so he can continue to play. GM: The New York Jets are turning to one of their former general managers to help them find their next GM and head coach. The franchise announced Monday that The 33rd Team, a football media, analytics and consulting group founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, will assist team owner Woody Johnson in the searches. Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman, former GM of the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings, will be The 33rd Team's primary representatives in helping find replacements for former coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas. SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy took part in some light throwing on Monday after missing his first career game because of an injury and the 49ers are hoping he can return this week. Purdy hurt his throwing shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. Purdy underwent two MRIs last week that showed no structural damage. But Purdy he felt discomfort after making a few throws at practice on Thursday and was shut down for the game at Green Bay on Sunday that San Francisco lost 38-10. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Purdy made it through the session without pain and will rest on Tuesday and hopefully be able to return to practice on Wednesday as the Niners prepare to play at Buffalo this coming week. “We rested it throughout the weekend hoping that would help,” Shanahan said. “He threw lighter today to see if that rest helps and the rest did help him. So we’ll see again, going through the same things we did last week. We’re going to let him rest all the way up to Wednesday. We’ll see how it feels on Wednesday and then we’ll take the exact same course throughout the week. Hopefully it responds better this week than it did last week with the rest.” Brandon Allen went 17 for 29 for 199 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble in his first start since the 2021 season. Allen would play once again if Purdy is unable to go on Sunday at Buffalo. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The NFL removed New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner exempt list on Monday, making him eligible to participate in practice and play in the team’s games. Peppers missed seven games since being placed on the list on Oct. 9 after he was arrested and charged with shoving his girlfriend’s head into a wall and choking her. The league said its review is ongoing and is not affected by the change in Peppers’ roster status. Braintree, Massachusetts, police said they were called to a home for an altercation between two people on Oct. 7, and a woman told them Peppers choked her. Police said they found at the home a clear plastic bag containing a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine. Peppers, 29, pleaded not guilty in Quincy District Court to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class “B” substance believed to be cocaine. At a court appearance last week a trial date was set for Jan. 22. HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone, coach Antonio Pierce said Monday. Minshew was injured with 3:12 left in Sunday's 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. Pierce will have to decide whether Aidan O'Connell or Desmond Ridder will start Friday's game at Kansas City. The Raiders, who have lost seven consecutive games to fall to 2-9, could use a spark. Minshew's grip on the starting job was tenuous even before he was injured. He threw 10 interceptions to just nine touchdown passes this season and Minshew also lost four fumbles. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will practice Monday and “we'll see where he's at from there,” coach Doug Pederson said. Lawrence missed the past two games, losses to Minnesota and Detroit, with a sprained left shoulder. Lawrence had extra time to rest during Jacksonville's bye week. The Jaguars (2-9) host AFC South-leading Houston (7-5) on Sunday and need a victory to avoid being eliminated from playoff contention. Pederson said Lawrence is “feeling better" and they will know more about his playing status following practice Wednesday. Lawrence took a hit to his left shoulder while scrambling at Philadelphia on Nov. 3. Instead of sliding, he chose to go head-first and got hammered by linebacker Zack Baun. Lawrence has practiced some in a limited role since, but was inactive for both games. BRIEFLY LIONS: Detroit wide receiver Jameson Williams won't be charged with a crime after he was found with a gun in a car driven by his brother in October. Prosecutor Kym Worthy says Michigan law is “far from clear” when applied to the 1 a.m. traffic stop in Detroit.The travesty of the ICC warrants
Trump cites Biden pardon in asking NY judge to toss hush-money caseVisiting South Decatur trailed Jac-Cen-Del 21-18 at the half, but the Lady Cougars rallied to outscore the Lady Eagles 29-13 in the second half to secure a 47-34 victory. South improves to 5-3 on the season heading into Thursday’s road game at Class 3A No. 1 Greensburg (7-0). JCD drops to 1-5 overall. The Lady Eagles host South Dearborn (1-6) Saturday. JCD jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the first quarter. Kelsey Borgman hit a pair of 3-pointers to lead the way for the Lady Eagles. Makayla Somers opened the scoring for South and Raegan Benge added a bucket as the Lady Cougars trailed by five heading to the second quarter. South’s offense got rolling in the second quarter with 14 points. Paige McQueen poured in five points for South and Makayla Somers added a pair of buckets in the paint. A Taylor Somers’ 3-pointer and bucket by Dalilah Martin added to the Lady Cougars’s offensive attack. Borgman hit two more 3-pointers in the second quarter and finished with eight of JCD’s 12 points as the Lady Eagles took a 21-18 lead to the half. Coach Hicks’ discussion with the Lady Cougars at the half hit all the right marks as the Lady Cougars held the Lady Eagles to just four points (all from Lanie Narwold) in the third quarter. On the offensive end, Makayla Puckett hit a pair of 3-pointers. Makayla Somers added four points, and Taylor Somers had a bucket as South took a 30-25 lead to the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter saw the Lady Cougars put the game away at the charity stripe. South hit 13 free throws, the final 13 points for the Lady Cougars, in the fourth quarter to seal the 47-34 victory. Makayla Somers led a balanced scoring attack for South with 13 points followed by McQueen nine, Taylor Somers seven, Raegan Benge seven, Puckett six and Martin five. Makayla Somers had a team-high eight rebounds. Raegan Benge grabbed six rebounds and Taylor Somers had five rebounds. McQueen and Martin both dished out three assists. For JCD, Borgman led the way with 14 points followed by Narwold eight, Brooklyn Simon eight, Kellsie Bedel three and Hayden Comer one. North Decatur 53 South Ripley 38 The Lady Chargers made a first-quarter lead hold up against visiting South Ripley as North celebrated Teacher Appreciation Night and a 53-38 victory over the Lady Raiders. North moves to 5-1 on the season and travels to Oldenburg Academy (5-1) Thurday. South Ripley is now 4-5. North got off to a great start, outscoring the Lady Raiders 17-4 in the opening eight minutes. The Lady Chargers rode the lead for the final three quarters. North led 33-17 at the half and 40-24 after three quarters before locking down the 15-point victory. Madi Allen led the Lady Charger in scoring with 25 points. Kelsey Haley was also in double figures with 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. Clare Kinker finished with seven points. Carmen Thackery was next for North with five points. Ally Whitaker had three points and Jo Whitaker added two points. North hit 8-of-13 free throws while the Lady Raiders connected on 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. South Ripley used an 18-13 run in the second half to rally past North in the junior varsity game 33-29. For the Lady Chargers, Brynlee Green and Brooklyn White both scored 12 points. Sarah Moeller scored three points and Libby Crawford added two points. North hit 5-of-6 free throws. South Ripley connected on 9-of-22 from the free throw line. 5/6, South Ripley 9/22 Rushville 52 Triton Central 47 Triton Central poured in 24 points in the fourth quarter in an attempt to rally past visiting Rushville, but the Lady Lions held off the Lady Tigers to win 52-47. Rushville improves to 4-3 on the season heading into Saturday’s game at Indianapolis Chatard (3-3). Triton Central is now 2-5 and travels to Waldron (4-3) Friday. The Lady Lions led 9-6 after the first eight minutes and extended the lead to 24-19 at the half. Rushville outscored Triton Central 15-4 in the third quarter to lead 39-23 heading to the final eight minutes. The Lady Tigers rallied with a 24-13 fourth quarter, but the large third-quarter deficit was too much to overcome. Rushville was led by Gracie Buzzard with 16 points. Trisha Morgan added 10 points. Leonie Boyer and Audrey Angle both had seven points. Mikayla Herbert scored five points and Makenna Ripberger added two points. The junior varsity Lady Lions were defeated by Triton Central 37-28 Tuesday. Charli Marcum led the Lady Lions with nine points and six rebounds. Becca Tabeling finished with five points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Charlotte Caviness added four points and three steals. Melaney Mahan chipped in with three points and three rebounds. Josie Corn tallied three points, two assists and two rebounds. Emily Rouse played solid defense and scored two points. Jasmine Taylor scored one point and grabbed three rebounds.Report: Chargers expect WR Ladd McConkey, LB Khalil Mack to play vs. Ravens