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Retirement: 4 ways to maximize your 401(k) contributions before the year endsThere he was in the middle of it all at The Swamp, standing and smiling and soaking it all in. The greatest comeback since Lazarus. It wasn’t long ago that Florida’s deep-pocket boosters pooled together millions to fire Gators coach Billy Napier. Save that cash, folks. Better yet, throw it at the Florida NIL collective. Napier isn’t going anywhere. “We’re just getting started,” Napier said after Florida’s 24-17 upset of No. 9 Mississippi on Saturday that secured bowl eligibility for the Gators. “This is part of the big picture journey.” From embattled to emboldened, in six short weeks. This improbable climb, this you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me rise from the rabbit hole of firing coaches and paying tens of millions in walkaway money, has finally reached the surface. To the big, beautiful light of winning games. If a win over LSU last week was hope, a convincing win over Ole Miss – the biggest win for not just Napier, but in 16 years for the floundering Florida program – is a statement of defiance. So he waked into the post-game press conference, and opened it by saying, "What do they say, are you not entertained?" Marcus Aurelius himself couldn't have said it better. There are numerous winners in this comeback for the ages, all contributing to what one day could be the turning point of Napier’s successful tenure at Florida. But none more than the coach who, prior to his biggest win in three seasons, was 16-19 in 35 career games as the Gators coach. It was falling apart in a cacophony of self-inflicted wounds and poor coaching, and was only a matter of time before Napier was fired and took everyone – the athletic director, a talented group of underclassmen, the hope of a passionate but gutted fan base – down with him. Florida boosters, infamous for their impatience, wanted Napier out and wanted to hire – how about this for irony? – Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss. In an absolutely stunning transformation, that was Kiffin on the sidelines at The Swamp, a dumfounded look on his face as his quarterback threw another interception to officially end the game. And that was Napier on the other side, a measured smile and a gracious soliloquy for television after the game. He better have gone off in that postgame locker room. He better have raised his voice and shouted from all high and declared this game, this moment, is where everything changes. This is where Florida, which hasn’t won the SEC or been nationally relevant since 2008, turns the corner. This is where Florida, which has thumbed through coach after coach (Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain, Dan Mullen) since 2011 while desperately trying to find the next Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer, sells the future to one of the three most talented states for high school recruits. This is where Florida, which has ceded the SEC to Alabama and Georgia and LSU over the last 16 seasons, starts the turn to make it all the way back. It’s hard to ignore what Napier has been building over the last six weeks, and how it’s now clearly coming into focus. The Gators should’ve beaten Tennessee in Knoxville (lost in overtime), and – but for an injury to quarterback DJ Lagway – could’ve beaten Georgia earlier this month. We only focused on the losses, and how much closer they brought Napier to the inevitable reality of unemployment. We ignored a talented core of underclassmen beginning to figure it out, and a rare talent at quarterback with the ability to not only play at a high level — but get others to play to their ceiling, too. The defense, an historical mess over the last two seasons, got better when a group of players showed up at Napier’s office and told him the scheme had to change. It had to be simplified. Napier listened, and the unit has developed into one of the best in the SEC. Ole Miss had three trips inside the red zone Saturday, and didn’t get a point. Ole Miss failed on two critical fourth-down attempts, ending 65- and 69-yard drives with nothing to show for it. The Gators had four sacks and harassed Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart into his worst game of the season. This from a defense that couldn’t stop Miami if the season depended on it, and couldn’t stop Texas A&M’s backup quarterback if Napier’s job was on the line. Like it was. But not anymore. Billy Napier has climbed out of the hole, and into the big beautiful light of winning. Are you not entertained? Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB .
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
During the third quarter of the 89th edition of the Iron Bowl , Auburn called a bubble screen to the left side of the formation. Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne threw it out to the left, but the pass was dropped. That was just the beginning of the action. Alabama safety Malachi Moore, who was being blocked on the play by an Auburn wide receiver, tussled with the receiver into the Tigers' sideline. Multiple Auburn players ran over, and a scuffle occurred. Malachi Moore and DeVonta Smith both called for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties pic.twitter.com/NlZKplvpy8 A plethora of Alabama players ran to the defense of their safety with Devonta Smith, Zabien Brown, and Jihaad Campbell all involved. Smith and Moore were assessed unsportsmanlike penalty calls from the incident. This wasn't the only scuffle of the college football Saturday as Michigan and Ohio State battled each other post game after the Wolverine attempted to plant their flag on the the Buckeyes logo. Rivalries are one of the best aspects of college football with some of the most notorious moments coming on rivalry weekend, but fights are one of the most dangerous aspects of rivalry games. Luckily, nothing serious seemed to breakout and no one emerged with an injury from the Alabama versus Auburn event that took place during the third quarter. Alabama is fighting for its playoff lives in the Iron Bowl as a win would move them to 9-3 and give them a shot to make the 12-team field. Auburn is hoping to just make a bowl game as they entered Saturday's contest at just 5-6. Related: Nick Saban Didn't Hesitate When Making His Iron Bowl PickEdmonton Oilers (12-9-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (13-11, in the Central Division) Denver; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Avalanche -124, Oilers +103; over/under is 6.5 BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers after the Oilers knocked off the Utah Hockey Club 4-3 in overtime. Colorado has a 7-6-0 record in home games and a 13-11 record overall. The Avalanche rank eighth in the league with 79 total goals (averaging 3.3 per game). Edmonton has a 7-3-1 record in road games and a 12-9-2 record overall. The Oilers have a 2-3-1 record in games they serve more penalty minutes than their opponents. Saturday's game is the first meeting between these teams this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Cale Makar has eight goals and 24 assists for the Avalanche. Mikko Rantanen has nine goals and eight assists over the past 10 games. Connor McDavid has 12 goals and 18 assists for the Oilers. Leon Draisaitl has scored eight goals with eight assists over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 7-3-0, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.3 assists, 2.8 penalties and 5.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game. Oilers: 6-3-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.3 assists, 2.5 penalties and 5.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game. INJURIES: Avalanche: None listed. Oilers: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . The Associated Press
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making notable gains in Jajpur following defections from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). This development comes as the BJD commemorated its foundation day, overshadowed by controversies sparked by accusations from party organizational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, who lambasted former leaders who switched allegiance to the BJP. Under the circumstances, BJP representatives have asserted that the BJD might soon face challenges even in recruiting candidates for future elections. “BJD’s position is getting weaker in Jajpur district. I left BJD as the party didn’t pay proper attention towards me,” said BJP leader Jaladhar Sahu. Meanwhile, political analysts have predicted that BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik must address these defections to safeguard the party’s influence in Jajpur. Past trends in Ganjam, another BJD stronghold, exacerbate these anxieties. Insiders suggest that numerous local leaders including sarpanchs and samiti members are defecting to the BJP, raising questions about the causes behind this shift. Must Read: BJD foundation day scuffle: Party on verge of disintegration! “BJD workers have been joining BJP in large numbers in Jajpur for the last one month. Confidence of the people in the district has been bolstered by BJP and the government. If the situation continues like this, BJD will somehow become extinct in the district,” said political analyst Manas Ranjan Jena. BJP has strengthened its position by winning the four assembly constituencies of Jajpur in the 2024 General Elections. Additionally, BJP has also won the Lok Sabha seat. Leaders and workers from constituencies like Binjharpur, Korei, Sukinda, Dharmasala, and Barachana are reportedly distancing themselves from BJD, hinting at widespread dissatisfaction. In key constituencies such as Sukinda and Dharmasala, once considered BJD bastions, the decline raises concerns about administrative issues affecting residents during the BJD’s 24-year administration. As BJP’s prospects appear buoyant, a broader political transformation may be underway. Around 300 core leaders including more than 15 sarpanches and samiti members resigning from BJD in Korei highlight mounting challenges for the Opposition party. Despite these setbacks, BJD’s organising secretary Pranab Prakash Dass rapped the BJP by branding the defectors as mere ‘dealers’. “BJD workers have not gone anywhere and there is no chance for it. Only dealers have changed the party and BJD is getting rid of those dealers in Korei,” said Das, This elicited a response from BJP Minister Pradeep Bal Samant, who highlighted a broader trend of BJD defections across Odisha, posing potential difficulties for the party in fielding candidates in forthcoming elections. “BJD workers and leaders are joining BJP in large numbers in the State. BJD will not find leaders even to contest elections in coming days,” said Samanta. Notably, the defection wave, initiated in Ganjam, continues to spread across the State. All eyes now remain on Naveen Patnaik’s strategies to retain his party’s cadre.Prudential Life Insurance Review 2024Updated December 05, 2024 at 17:29 PM ET LONDON — French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to see out his current term until 2027 and name a new government in the next few days, amid a spiraling political criss that has threatened to engulf his leadership. Speaking Thursday at his official residence in the Elysée Palace in Paris, Macron thanked the outgoing Prime Minister Michel Barnier for his "dedication," after a majority of National Assembly lawmakers voted to remove Barnier Wednesday, forcing him to resign. Macron accused the opposition parties of choosing "chaos," saying they "don't want to build, they want to dismantle." The political instability in France — and simultaneously in Germany, where the governing coalition collapsed a month ago — could have wide-ranging consequences for European security, as well as trans-Atlantic relations, analysts tell NPR, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House. With a war still raging on Europe's doorstep, caretaker governments will now control two of the continent's most powerful economies. President Macron had appointed Barnier to head the government only three months ago, after snap elections this summer left no party with a majority in a deeply divided parliament. On Wednesday, legislators from opposing extreme flanks came together in a vote of no confidence against Barnier, over his proposed 2025 national budget. Now, with the government toppled and no approved budget, Macron knows he must act quickly, according to Mathieu Gallard, a pollster at Ipsos. "Regarding the adoption of the budget, everything is stalled, nothing can move in the parliament before we have a new government," says Gallard. "It's really uncharted territory, since we have never been in this kind of situation." The main challenge stems from the fact that none of the political groups in the French parliament have a clear majority, nor do any of them want to negotiate or compromise with one another, Gallard says, while the electoral system means there is very little incentive for that to change, even if Macron calls a fresh national vote in 10 months, which is as soon as the constitution allows after the last election. "Before the election of Emmanuel Macron, we had two blocks opposing in French politics, the left and the right, and it was quite simple." explains Gallard, who lectures on public opinion at Paris' top political science university, Sciences Po. "Now we have three blocks, a left-wing block, a center-right block and a radical right block, and it makes the situation way more complicated." Meanwhile, in neighboring Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost support from his previous political coalition partners, over economic and budget policies as well. Now he's limping along to a confidence vote later this month and federal elections in February . All this adds up to something that European leaders must soon take seriously, says Tanja Börzel, a political science professor at the Freie Universität, or Free University, in Berlin. While she doesn't believe the European Union "faces an existential threat, yet," she says, "it's a major challenge." And the timing of these twin political crises is particularly unfortunate, given that polarization and societal distrust of government has been rising on both sides of the Atlantic, Börzel says. "These two countries have always, very often, taken the lead in helping Europe to speak one voice. I think that's what is required more than ever with Trump taking over the presidency in the U.S." At the dawn of a second Trump term in the White House, a chief concern for many in the EU — even before this latest instability — has centered on the continent's security. "For the EU today, the No. 1 urgency is the Ukraine war," says Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, acting president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, speaking in a video call during a visit to Washington, D.C. "As we know, [there is] a certain dose of anxiety in terms of how the Trump administration will handle the war in Ukraine with the potential deal that might circumvent Europeans." There has been an ongoing debate in many European countries, known colloquially as the "guns versus butter" battle. It has pitted the need for increased defense spending — prompted not only by the Ukraine conflict, but also Trump's frustrated attitude with member states' NATO obligations — against domestic requirements amid an ongoing cost of living crisis. And it's the budget fights in both France and Germany that have recently helped topple their respective leaders. "At the end of the day, the EU is not united on Ukraine, and it's always European fragmentations that fuels European weaknesses," says de Hoop Scheffer, who previously worked for NATO as well as the French Defense Ministry. "The crisis of French-German leadership — that truly doesn't help," she says. Copyright 2024 NPR