Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles make their second-to-last road trip of the regular season Sunday to face Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens. The NFC East-leading Eagles (9-2) have won seven in a row and play four of their final six games in Philadelphia, traveling only about 125 miles to visit the Ravens (8-4) this weekend and the Washington Commanders in Week 16. Sunday's game features the NFL's two leading rushers. Barkley (1,392 yards) and Henry (1,325) are far ahead of Green Bay's Josh Jacobs (944) in third place. Henry leads the league with 13 rushing touchdowns. Barkley (10) is tied for fourth and Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts (11) tied for second. The matchup also features two of the top candidates for Most Valuable Player honors entering Week 13 in Barkley and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won his second MVP award last season. Their competition includes quarterbacks Josh Allen of Buffalo and Jared Goff of Detroit, with Allen widely considered the favorite. "Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are phenomenal football players that help their team win football games, and Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are phenomenal football players that help their team win football games," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "Excited about the opportunity this week because it's our next one. It will be a really good opponent, really well coached, good players, good atmosphere that will be there. Excited about the opportunity this week. And we're going to have to be on it against a really good team." The showdown at M&T Bank Stadium also pits Baltimore's No. 1 offense (426.7 yards per game) and No. 2 scoring offense (30.3 points per game) against Philadelphia's No. 1 defense (274.6) and No. 6 scoring defense (18.1). The Eagles have held seven consecutive opponents to under 300 total yards, while the Ravens have gained at least 329 yards of offense in all 11 games. Philadelphia is coming off a 37-20 road win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night in which Barkley smashed the franchise record with 255 rushing yards. Baltimore also earned a prime-time win in Los Angeles, defeating the Chargers 30-23 in the "Harbaugh Bowl" on Monday night behind Jackson's three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Jackson said he's looking forward to the Barkley and Henry show. "I've known Saquon from high school. We were in the all-star game together and he jumped over somebody's head," Jackson recalled Wednesday. "So I've pretty much seen him before I even got to the league, college, anything. I've been knowing about Saquon, but Derrick Henry -- King Henry -- I'm with him every day and I'm seeing what he's capable of, so it's going to be a great matchup." Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith practiced Wednesday after sitting out Monday with a hamstring issue. Nose tackle Michael Pierce (calf) was designated to return from injured reserve. Tight end Charlie Kolar (broken arm) is out for several weeks and cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf) did not practice. The Eagles lost veteran defensive end Brandon Graham to a season-ending triceps injury Sunday. Wideout DeVonta Smith (hamstring) missed the win over the Rams and did not practice Wednesday. Neither did cornerbacks Darius Slay (concussion) or Kelee Ringo (calf). Philadelphia is 5-1 away from home this season -- 6-1 if you count their season-opening "home" victory against the Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Baltimore is 4-1 at home. The Ravens hold a 3-2-1 lead in the series with the Eagles. They haven't met since Baltimore's 30-28 win in Week 6 at Philadelphia in 2020. --Field Level Media
No. 21 Arizona State on the rise in Kenny Dillingham's second season as coachDear Eric : I eat at one restaurant a couple times a week and tend to get one of three meals. This one waitress asks me what I want to eat, but then interrupts me to make guesses or tell me my choice. Related Articles Asking Eric: I reach out to my widowed friend, and she does this? Asking Eric: I saw what my teen calls me in his phone contacts Asking Eric: After the latest drama, should I just be done with my sister? Asking Eric: I’m seething about the stranger who insulted our home Asking Eric: My friend’s messaging with celebrities has gotten out of hand I just put my head down and nod yes or no to the guesses. It’s frustrating, but not life-threatening. She enjoys it. I hate it. If I were to object, it would force her to make the choice of being herself — doing something she likes doing — or appeasing me so I can order the way I want to order. I don’t know if this is a big enough problem to have a “high road.” The answer will not change my life. She can easily change, and I can easily suffer. The question is who gets to be themselves? – Speaking Up Dear Speaking Up : I worked in the service industry for more than a decade. I loved it. I loved seeing regulars, meeting new people and carrying a lot of beverages in my hands at one time. The whole bit. I also loved knowing what people wanted, but I would always ask and confirm. That’s part of the job. Your server may think you’re a regular who likes to be known in this way. So, informing her that that’s not the case won’t be keeping her from being herself. It will be helping her to do her job better. You may not have the kind of temperament that easily or comfortably course-corrects in social situations. That’s just fine. But know you won’t be causing her suffering by saying something like “I’ve already decided on my meal. Let’s skip the guessing today and I’ll just tell you.” This also clears the path for the two of you to talk about something else, if you want. Ideally, it’s a conversation that you’ll both enjoy. Dear Eric: My husband and I live on a lake and love hosting our grandnieces and grandnephews on school breaks and the entire family on vacations. We have no children. Our nieces’ families are dear to us. Our 11-year-old grandnephew has been gaming now for about a year. When he comes to visit, instead of reading or playing cards or board games with us, like in the past, he wants to disappear with his video games. We feel vacated. How do we navigate this with his parents, who think his being on a video gaming team at school is awesome (I think it is a bad omen)? What is a fair place of compromise and balance? – Game Off Dear Game Off : Let his parents parent their child. The other night I rewatched the movie “Network” from 1977 (stay with me here; it relates). In it, a character in his 60s dismisses a character played by a mid-30s Faye Dunaway by saying, “She’s the television generation. She learned life from Bugs Bunny. The only reality she knows is what comes to her over her TV set.” Every generation has anxieties about the ways that technology is changing social interactions or altering the minds of the generations below. While some of those concerns are valid, those of Faye Dunaway’s generation (now in their 70s and 80s) would argue that they’ve managed to stay quite well-rounded, despite (and often with the aid of) TV. In moderation, video games have been shown to improve a child’s cognitive function and working memory. While your grandnephew’s gaming might not be your choice, it’s important that you not seek to undermine the research and thinking that his parents have done about it. What you’re really yearning for is a sense of togetherness as a family, so try talking to your niece and her spouse about group activities you can plan to meet your grandnephew where he is. And don’t be afraid to pick up a controller and ask him to show you the ropes. Dear Eric : I’m not sure if the letter from “Invisible Dad” about his wife buying trinkets for their adult kids and having more close conversations with them is related to my better half and myself. I think it could be, but I can’t be sure so don’t want to ask him. I never really thought about it all the time but assumed kids knew that gifts were from both of us. If this question does relate to us, and even if it doesn’t, I will be mindful of what I haven’t been mindful of. My heart is melting if he does really care that much about the kids. Thank you for listening. – Daily Reader Dear Reader : Thanks for your thoughtful note and your openness. Please also reconsider talking to your husband about the ways you interact with your kids. It could be really healing and productive. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic’s magnificent seven grand slam finals
Many of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees don't have the gravitas or institutional experience in dealing with giant bureaucracies to serve eff ectively, critics say. That whining you hear is the sound of progress. Trump, who spent his business career in real estate taking a wrecking ball to what doesn't work and then building luxury in its place, staked his campaign message to American voters on the need to do the same with Washington. You're not going to get renewal and reform from Cabinet appointees who figure that the place looks good overall but just maybe needs a little bit of paint. You need human bulldozers. One of the few nominees that the establishment actually accepts proves the rule: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state. Even Democrats have said he's a viable candidate for the job because he knows the ropes. Which is really just another way of saying he's on board with the bipartisan neocon talking points that don't distinguish between Republican and Democrat positions much , underscoring the need for an anti-establishment force that's skeptical of both establishment parties and whatever systemic corruption underpins some head-scratching consensus. A tweet from October 2015 by Trump speaks volumes about why he may have chosen Rubio. "Sheldon Adelson is looking to give big dollars to Rubio because he feels he can mold him into his perfect little puppet," Trump wrote, referring to the late top Republican donor and passionate Israel advocate. Trump clearly doesn't see Rubio as a leash-biter. Perhaps Trump also imagines him being a go-between who can translate Trump's MAGA world view to all the swamp critters at the State Department. Same with Elise Stefanik, the New York congresswoman nominated to be Trump's United Nations ambassador, who already seems to be working on her MAGA fluency after many years of speaking only neocon. Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense immediately triggered personal witch hunts related to everything from his tattoos to his personal life, with criticism suggesting he doesn't have the chops to lead one of the biggest bureaucracies in the country at the Pentagon. How much worse can the guy do, really? The Pentagon wargamed its chances against Russia and China, and it lost. It's also losing the war that it's piloting in Ukraine against Russia. What is the establishment worried that Hegseth would ruin, besides maybe the morale of a few paperclip Purple Hearts in the bureaucratic brigade? The main concern about Trump's director of national intelligence pick, Army reservist and former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, would be that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be running the U.S. intelligence community. This is all because she hasn't swallowed the standard talking points and has been open to considering all sources and types of information and analysis, which is actually the definition of intelligence gathering. Perhaps under Gabbard the U.S. will spend less time setting fires in foreign countries as an excuse to rush in and put them out. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is Trump's choice for secretary of health and human services. Kennedy, whose environmental law career involved suing industrial polluters, would be the first Big Pharma and medical-industry skeptic to hold the position at a time when the U.S. has become synonymous with pharmaceutical profiteering and obesity. Trump's nominee for attorney general, former Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida, withdrew his name from consideration amid accusations of sexual misconduct. Much has been made of Gaetz not even practicing law despite having a law degree. I'm pretty sure he didn't need one to recognize and end witch hunts dressed up as justice. America's problems won't be solved by slight variations of the same sort of people who created them. Trump was elected as a giant middle finger to the system. This Cabinet is just the rest of the hand, winding up for some long-overdue spankings. Marsden writes for Tribune Content Agency: rachelmarsden.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic’s magnificent seven grand slam finals
India’s aviation growth story touched newer highs in 2024 with record growth in traffic, big-ticket orders, mergers and acquisitions, and customer-centric initiatives. While spiritual tourism received a fillip with the opening of Ayodhya airport in January, regional connectivity aimed higher with the launch of Goa-based carrier FLY91 in March. Two airline startups — Air Kerala and Al Hind Air — announced plans to connect Kerala with other parts of the country in 2025. The big story of the year was, of course, the consolidation in the sector. Following two sets of airline mergers at the Tata group — AIX Connect with Air India Express and Vistara with Air India — Air India has cemented its place as the country’s second largest aviation group. It made its growth ambitions clear with investments in a pilot training centre, maintenance repair and overhaul facilities, and an order for 100 new Airbus planes. Air India is locked in a fierce competition with IndiGo, which has pivoted from its no-frills brand to a hybrid carrier. SpiceJet came back from the brink, raising ₹3,000 crore fresh capital in September. The airline is now stabilising its operations and paying off vendor dues. However, it was not a happy resolution for Go First and Jet Airways, both of which entered into liquidation. Domestic airlines flew over 146 million passengers in the first 11 months of the year, registering a 6 per cent year-on-year growth. Daily passenger traffic also crossed the five-lakh mark on four occasions in the past 50 days. Airlines to furnish all details of passengers to Customs Dept from April 1 Air India plans international network expansion; Manila, Jakarta on radar Hub Strategy: Centre evaluates proposal to ease aircraft leasing norms Digiyatra, the biometric-based paperless boarding process, is now available at 24 airports countrywide. A trusted traveller programme was rolled out at Delhi airport in June for quicker immigration checks. December also saw the launch of Udan Yatri cafe at Kolkata airport, offering affordable snacks to travellers. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the cafe is a testament to the government’s vision to make air travel inclusive, affordable and accessible to all. Fliers can look forward to more new connections and improved travel experiences as airlines and airports expand their offerings in 2025. Jewar and Navi Mumbai airports will begin operations in the first half of the year, helping ease the slot constraints and on-time performance challenges faced by airlines. While Jewar airport is adding nine extra parking bays to the originally planned 25, Delhi airport is streamlining its procedures for added efficiency and expansion. These initiatives come even as domestic airlines receive new aircraft and restore their grounded fleet. Foreign airlines, too, are bullish about growth prospects. “We believe 2025 will be a pivotal year for India as it strengthens its position as a major global aviation centre, driven by increased demand and infrastructure investments,” says Shivani Singh Deo, country manager, Virgin Atlantic. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) plans to launch various initiatives to enhance terminal capacity. This includes optimising resource allocation in bays, gates, and other passenger touchpoints at terminal T3. While a predictive operations centre was rolled out in Hyderabad in December, Delhi airport will also have it soon. The system leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies for predictive planning of operations and real-time monitoring, a DIAL spokesperson says. Noida International Airport (NIA) has been engaging with airlines even before it bid for the concession in 2019 to help design infrastructure that works well for carriers and passengers, says its CEO, Christoph Schnellmann. “We have optimised various aspects, such as facilitating swift turnaround times, expeditious flight transfers, and minimising walking distances for passengers. Airlines from across West Asia and Southeast Asia are expressing strong interest in the airport,” he says. Comments
TikTok's obsession with matcha has created a reported shortage of the tea in Japan
Shoppers have been left unable to buy certain food products including cakes, baps and pastries from selected Costa cafes due to the disruption. There are near two dozen Costa Coffee shops across Oxfordshire. Costa customers have been taken to social media to report the issue. One person, posting on X (formerly Twitter), said: "No cakes, pastries, bread at Costa. What going on @CostaCoffee." The poor @CostaCoffee workers, the lights have been out for weeks in their corner of @Tesco & now there's a supply issue & no fridge stock! Regardless, they smile & serve. pic.twitter.com/PnctSL3ZMj — Shelley Faulkner OT (@shelleyamybeth) December 6, 2024 Another customer commented: "The poor @CostaCoffee workers, the lights have been out for weeks in their corner of @Tesco & now there's a supply issue & no fridge stock! "Regardless, they smile & serve." While a third person posted: "@CostaCoffee what's up with your deliveries? My local hasn't had... Patrick Glover
NoneA COMPLAINT about a “rough” haircut was logged as a “hate” incident by cops. In the barmy case, the upset punter blamed an argument about Ukraine for a bad trim. 3 Police have probed 'hate' complaints including one about a dodgy haircut Credit: Getty Other so-called non-crime hate incidents logged by police include a German woman upset about being likened to a rottweiler. It comes as the cash-strapped Met faces axing 2,000 cops who could catch real criminals, and only opening stations from 9am-5pm. Last night Essex Police dropped a hate probe into journalist Allison Pearson over a year-old post — but only after putting her through 12 days of anguish. Meanwhile, a customer contacted cops to say his barber was “aggressive and rough” because he spoke Russian. READ MORE ON THE POLICE SERVICE BAN Welby may be banned from leading services after failing to report child abuse PELTED BY BRICKS Yob hit by bricks during riot facing jail after admitting violent disorder Similar bizarre cases saw officers called over a neighbour in a hedge dispute who said it was homophobic to brand him “Leonard”. As Britain’s biggest police force faces axing 2,000 cops, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “The police should not waste any valuable time on incidents like this. "There is plenty of real crime they should be preventing and solving. Aggressive haircut is not a police matter Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp “An aggressively-administered haircut is not a police matter. Most read in The Sun VLAD THREAT Putin warns he could strike British targets after new hypersonic missile launch COPS PROBE Scottish football club at centre of police investigation into alleged fraud BOOZE TRAGEDY Brit, 28, becomes fifth to die after 'drinking fake booze' on holiday RUSSELL UP Ex-Rangers star forgets mounting pressure on his job on romantic break with Wag "The police should only spend time investigating or recording actual criminal allegations or incidents where there is a real and imminent risk of criminality subsequently occurring. “The Government needs to urgently update the guidance to ensure this is the case. “This nonsense undermines confidence in policing.” A staggering 13,000 non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) were recorded in the year to June. These are cases where no criminal offence has been committed, but the person reporting an incident feels it was motivated by hostility or prejudice. The Lithuanian haircut “victim” claimed he was targeted because he spoke Russian. A City of London Police log of the incident, seen by The Sun, said: “Barber asked him about the present situation in Ukraine, victim stated that all conversations with the barber were fine, but he stated that the barber was aggressive and rough whilst he was cutting his hair. “The victim believes this was because he spoke Russian and is a hate incident.” 3 Similar bizarre cases saw officers called to a woman offended by being compared to a rottweiler Credit: Shutterstock Chief Constable of Essex Police slammed over Allison Pearson by Julia Hartley-Brewer Ex-Met detective Peter Bleksley said: “This is ridiculous and shows how disconnected police are from what the public want. “No wonder there is a crimewave in this country. The guidelines suggest you should only intervene in cases like this where there is fear of escalation — who ever had a fear of escalation after a bad haircut?!” It was unclear if City of London Police spoke to the hairdresser. A force spokesman said: “The report was made online and later withdrawn.” Essex Police logged 96 NCHIs in a year, including one where the “suspect has told two men to stop kissing”. Wiltshire cops investigated an incident where a person in the street said others were mocking the length of their hair. The rottweiler “racial abuse” complaint was made to Cambridgeshire Police from a woman in a parking dispute with a neighbour. A person in South Yorkshire said they were the victim of homophobic abuse in a row over a privet hedge when a neighbour called him a “Leonard”. 3 A person in South Yorkshire said they were the victim of homophobic abuse in a row over a private hedge when a neighbour called him a 'Leonard' Credit: Getty In West Yorkshire cops recorded a case where a person with Blue Badge disabled parking claimed Facebook posts referred to her being physically active. In 2021, a man was investigated for “racial hatred” for whistling the Bob the Builder tune at his neighbour. Officers in Bedfordshire recorded it as an NCHI, which can remain on file for six years and, in some cases, be disclosed to a prospective employer. Another barmy case saw a swimming teacher in West Yorkshire probed after a mother said her son had been allowed to bang his head against the side of the pool “due to his ethnicity”. Retired Sussex Det Chief Supt Kevin Moore told The Sun: “It is no good police complaining they have insufficient resources when they are wasting valuable time recording, then potentially investigating, such ridiculous matters. “It is high time His Majesty’s Inspectorate stepped in to stop the recording of non-crime hate incidents. Either a matter is a crime or it is not. If it isn’t then police should not be involved.” Read more on the Scottish Sun DISHING IT OUT I reviewed Scotland's 'most expensive restaurant' - it's a 9 out of 10 SHOCK THEFT Scot Prem top scorer's car FOUND after being stolen from drive Reform MP Lee Anderson added: “Our police have lost control of our streets, and now their bosses have lost control of their minds. “Police should be investigating proper crimes not people who have hurt someone’s feelings. I long for the days when we had respect for our boys in blue.” '2,000 officers axe' Exclusive By Mike Sullivan BRITAIN’S biggest police force is set to lose 2,000 officers as a result of swingeing budget cuts. And 400 civilian staff jobs could go as the Met slashes £450million from annual finances. Some London police stations will reduce opening hours to the public from 9am to 5pm. The 12.8 per cent reduction from this year’s £3.5billion budget is worse than “eye-watering” cuts feared by Met boss Sir Mark Rowley. Figures for the new budget are due to be announced at 11pm tonight by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, alongside some of the tough measures that must be taken. Matt Cane, of the Police Federation, warned: “As we have said time and again, cuts have consequences. These will clearly have a significant impact on the Met’s ability to police London.” And retired Met Chief Supt Simon Ovens warned the cuts could mean the final straw for officers considering other careers. The Met is already projected to be down to 32,750 officers by March from its operating strength of 35,415. The loss of an additional 2,000 cops during the incoming financial year from April would put the force back to 2013 levels. Sir Mark said last week he was “deeply troubled” by talks over the annual settlement. He said the capital’s spending on policing per head of population was already lower than cities such as New York and Sydney. This week Home Secretary Yvette Cooper promised a crackdown on shoplifting, phone theft and anti-social behaviour. She pledged £500million for more cops, though did not specify if the figure included inflation rises. The Met said: “We maintain a productive dialogue with the Mayor and Home Office. No final decisions have been made.”
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It has become assumed that if a team hires Jim Harbaugh, he can turn that team into a winner. That has been true for the now playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers . But what may fly under the radar is his ability to recognize untapped potential at the tight-end position. Tight ends have always factored heavily in Harbaugh’s offense, not just as blockers, but as top targets in the passing game. In his most successful years as a head coach, a tight end has been a go-to weapon, whether that was Vernon Davis with the San Francisco 49ers to Colston Loveland with the Michigan Wolverines. Joining the Chargers meant an overhaul at the position. He cleared the deck of the existing players and brought in four new names to the roster — Hayden Hurst, Will Dissly, Stone Smartt, and Tucker Fisk, among others who didn’t make the cut. What raised eyebrows was, that none of the above were considered among competent pass catchers. None of the above has ever caught more than 600 yards in a season. Chargers Tight Ends Providing Unexpected Spark To Offense This didn’t stop Harbaugh from putting those players into game plans as pass catchers. Despite missing two games, Will Dissly has the second-most receptions for the team. His 45 catches and 439 yards have surpassed his previous-best mark of 34 for 349 in 2022. Bleacher Report credits Dissly’s return to the lineup as one of the reasons the Chargers offense looked better against the New England Patriots. They also highlighted Smartt’s performance in the game writing: “Another tight end, Stone Smartt, has become a preferred target for Herbert. Over the last four games, the 26-year-old veteran caught 13 passes for 164 yards.” Smartt got his first start of the year when Dissly was injured and proved to be a clutch pass catcher for Justin Herbert and Harbaugh. He has caught 16 passes on 19 targets for 208 yards and 11 first downs, mostly over the last four games. While he has yet to catch a touchdown, several of his first downs have come on high-leverage situations — keeping drives alive for the offense. Harbaugh and the Chargers front office had to rebuild the team under tight financial constraints. As they head into the second season, they may seek to allocate more resources toward the position, with Hurst and Smartt hitting free agency. Some have even mock-drafted Loveland to rejoin his Wolverine head coach in LA. This article first appeared on LAFB Network and was syndicated with permission.