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nice view caption Otremba helps Mavericks past No. 2 Ohio StateMORGANTOWN — Plenty of young football players get advice on the game from their fathers. And for many of them, that advice might come with an eye roll from the kid, subjected to another story of Dad’s high school days. West Virginia University linebacker Josiah Trotter doesn’t roll his eyes. He takes notes. His dad has a Pro Bowl NFL pedigree. Growing up, Josiah Trotter and his brother looked at their dad as simply their dad. Everybody else looked at him as former All-Pro Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. And while Josiah Trotter said his dad tries not to get in the way of his WVU coaches, he still has been able to offer some important lessons on how to play the game. “As you grow older, you realize it’s great to have that,” Trotter said. “It’s great to have that father figure in life, especially one that played in the NFL to give you key points – how to watch film, how to prepare and how to carry yourself as an athlete, a man and a football player.” Jeremiah Trotter spent 12 seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro in 2000 and a second-team All-Pro in 2001. Both his sons, Josiah and Jeremiah Jr., have followed in his footsteps. Jeremiah Jr. played football at Clemson and was a 2024 fifth-round draft pick of the Eagles. Josiah was a four-star linebacker prospect that was considered one of the top 10 overall college prospects in Pennsylvania as a high school senior. Yet in the pee-wee football days, the Trotter sons didn’t see their father as a superstar pro football player, though that connection got clearer as they matured. “When we were younger, we just looked at him as Dad,” Trotter said. “When you get older, you start to realize and everything like that.” The younger Trotter’s introduction into college football was delayed in some ways. A knee injury in spring practice left him sidelined for the 2023 season, taking a redshirt. Yet he quickly made an impact on WVU’s defense when he got healthy. Trotter has started 10 of WVU’s 11 games this season at linebacker. He is second on the team in total tackles (84) and quarterback hurries (four) while adding four tackles for loss, assisting on a sack, intercepting one pass and breaking up two more. The West Virginia defense as a whole has seen its struggles this year in communication and giving up big plays. Trotter said that, while he talks with his dad a lot, much of the conversation focuses on what he can do to be a better player rather than the Mountaineer defense as a whole. “When we talk, we just talk about ball,” he said. “Just giving me key points and stuff to help me, to support my game, things I need to continue to get better at. Everything with (the defense’s struggles), he just leaves to the coaches.” Are there times Trotter admits his dad gets repetitive in his advice? Sure, but he also realizes that when his dad says something multiple times, he’s making a point about how important it is. “The knowledge he has, all you can do is just sit back and listen and use it to grow,” Trotter said. “At the end of the day, I’m not perfect, so I know that what he has to tell me, he’s only going to help me get better. “I’m trying to get where he was,” he added. —

Andhra Pradesh’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Vijayawada has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against IPS officer N. Sanjay, formerly Director General, A.P. State Disaster Response & Fire Services, and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Crime Investigation Department (CID), for his alleged involvement in manipulating the tender process for awarding contract work for development and maintenance of AGNI-NOC (Automated Governance & NOC integration) web portal, mobile application and supply of hardware. Co-accused Along with Mr. Sanjay, the ACB has also named M/s Sauthrika Technologies & Infra Private Limited, Vijayawada, and M/s Kritvyap Technologies Private Limited, Hyderabad, and others as co-accused in the case. The ACB has said “the total value of properties stolen, or involved in the case is estimated at ₹1,75,86,600 approximately.” The case is filed under Section 13(1)(a) r/w 13(2) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act-1988 (as amended in 2018) and under Sections 409, 420,477A r/w 120B of the Indian Penal Code-1860. The FIR says that “Mr. Sanjay manipulated the tender processes for awarding the contract work of AGNI-NOC to M/s Sauthrika Technologies & Infra Private Limited in violation of the procedures in vogue, and dishonestly and fraudulently facilitated payment of ₹59,93,000 to the firm on February 22, 2023, within one week of entering into an agreement on February 15, 2023, although there was not much progress in the development of AGNI-NOC portal.” The ACB further alleges that “Mr. Sanjay purchased 10 laptops from M/s Sauthrika Technologies & Infra Private Limited at an exorbitant price of ₹17,89,784 without calling for tenders through e-procurement, which he was supposed to do, besides not obtaining any competitive quotations.” The ACB also alleges that “Mr. Sanjay, while working as ADGP of CID in 2023, connived with others and manipulated the tender processes for awarding the contract of conducting awareness meetings and workshops for SC/STs on the SC/ST POA Act to M/s Kritvyap Technologies Private Limited, which was non-existent and not found at the given address at Flat No. 601, Lalithanjali Apartment, Dwarakapuri Colony, Hyderabad.” The investigating agency also mentions in its complaint that “Kritvyap Technologies was not at all involved in the conduct of awareness meetings or workshops for SC/STs, which were actually conducted by the officials of Regional CID offices.” Mr. Sanjay has allegedly facilitated payment of ₹1,19,03,600 to Kritvyap Technologies “dishonestly and fraudulently. causing misappropriation of government funds,” the ACB has alleged in the FIR. Published - December 25, 2024 08:31 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Andhra Pradesh / investigation / corruption & bribery / police / state politics

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Toyota as the Urban Cruiser compact SUV. The EV, which will be fully revealed at the Brussels Motor Show next month, is intended for the European market, first coming to the UK in the third quarter of 2025. Toyota says the wheelbase is only about 5 inches longer than the European-only Yaris Cross, making it another fun-sized electric EV slated for the continent like the recently revealed or . The Urban Cruiser has clear design inspiration from . It also shares its new EV platform built in conjunction with Suzuki, which announced . Toyota’s other EV, , also shares its EV platform with another automaker, Subaru, which has the . Toyota’s Urban Cruiser has nearly match-for-match specs as the E Vitara, including a relatively small 49 kWh battery with an FWD drivetrain and a 61 kWh battery with an option for AWD. Toyota says power output can get as high as 135kW in the AWD version (with 40kW on the rear axel for “stable and secure performance on loose and slippery surfaces”) and up to 300 Nm of torque. While the official range is not announced, it’ll likely match the E Vitara’s expected 248 miles on a single charge. 1 / 8 1 / 8 Additionally, the Urban Cruiser has downhill assist and trail modes for added control, and the FWD model includes a snow mode. All models come with a heat pump and include the ability to manually start preconditioning the battery to prepare for a DC fast charging session. Toyota has been slower in building and adopting EVs than other legacy manufacturers. The automaker has been focused on its outstanding hybrid technology as well as hydrogen vehicles. But the automaker isn’t done with EVs — it’s planning to have 15 EVs, including six models on a next-gen shared platform by 2026, and it just invested for a paint facility to prepare for for the US. /4 Altcoins to 28x Your Investment in the Next Four Months

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB): Digital Transformation and Strong Growth Make It a Top PickQuarterback Brock Purdy threw without pain Monday and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will wait until midweek to evaluate the progress of edge rusher Nick Bosa and left tackle Trent Williams as the team determines whether they’ll play next weekend in Buffalo. It remains to be seen who will and won’t be available when the 49ers embark on a cross-country trip to face the AFC East-leading Bills, currently 9-2 and the No, 2 seed in the conference. The 49ers are expected to get a practice lift with the activation of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who will begin his 21-day window off injured reserve after offseason Achilles surgery after being injured in the Super Bowl. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who worked with the scout team last week as he works through his grief following the loss of his 23-month-old daughter, may also begin getting work again with the first team. Are things actually looking up for the 49ers? One thing for sure is that the 49ers are looking up at everybody else in the AFC West but are still only a game out of first place with Seattle and Arizona at 6-5 and the 49ers and Rams at 5-6. It’s clear to Shanahan that any pathway to the playoffs would be as a division title rather than as a wild card, where Washington holds the final spot at 7-5. “You look at the whole NFC picture and if you don’t win the division, 10-7 is not guaranteed to get in as a wild card by any means this year,” Shanahan told reporters during his weekly conference call. “That is why the Seattle game was so tough, and that’s why last night was even worse. “We know exactly what the playoff situation is, but really all that matters is this week when you do need to go on a run and put a lot of wins to even think of that, then you’d better be thinking of only one thing – and that’s Buffalo.” Should Purdy be unable to go, Shanahan said Brandon Allen would get a second start at quarterback after he played Sunday in Green Bay. SNAP JUDGEMENTS 72: Safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha and middle linebacker Fred Warner played every defensive snap. 49: When Allen at quarterback and Jaylon Moore at left tackle play every snap (along with Colton McKivitz, Dominick Puni and Jake Brendel) then you know there’s a problem with injuries. And Allen and Moore were the least of their problems. 44: Leonard Floyd played 61 percent — about his usual number — even without Nick Bosa in the lineup. With 3 1/2 sacks in his last two games, he’s a half-sack behind Bosa for the team lead. 33: Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall Jr. played 67 percent of the snaps — the same as Deebo Samuel — and did not have a pass thrown his way. 21: Robert Beal Jr. played a season-high number of snaps in Bosa’s absence at defensive end and did not appear on the stat sheet for having a tackle or an assist. 9: Running back Jordan Mason has played 14 snaps in three games since McCaffrey’s return and has six carries for 26 yards. 4: Tashaun Gipson was promoted to the 53-man roster but still hasn’t played on defense in three games at safety. He had four special teams snaps against Green Bay. More to come on this breaking story . . .Australia's decision to support a United Nations resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza has been condemned by former prime minister Tony Abbott who has accused the federal government of voting "in favour of racism". A resolution was passed in the UN on Wednesday, calling for an "immediate, unconditional and permanent" ceasefire in Gaza, with 158 of the 193-member assembly voting in favour. Nine countries voted against while 13 abstained from the vote. Mr Abbott said Australia had to be "against all racism" and in voting against Israel, the government was failing to stamp out antisemitism - a "species of racism". "Now, it was great that the Prime Minister was against racism at a synagogue in Sydney yesterday. But then today Australia voted in favour of racism at the UN because voting for an immediate ceasefire is rewarding Hamas and Hamas wants to bring about a new holocaust of the Jewish people," he told Sky News host Peta Credlin on Thursday. "So I just think there's a double standard here. I think it's reprehensible. And really, we don't just need to call out anti-Semitism. We need to stamp it out. The ex-Liberal leader said he feared immigration had caused the rise of antisemitism and "rabid hate preachers" in Australia. "We have a duty to keep our country's character, and depending upon who comes to this country, the character of our country can change," he said. "Now, last time I heard it, the citizenship oath talked about respecting our democratic beliefs and upholding and obeying our laws. And it's hard to think that all of our recent migrants have taken that seriously. "So, yes, by all means, let's maintain a non-discriminatory policy. But let's insist that all our migrants join Team Australia." The Jewish community felt aggrieved by Australia's UN stance, especially after Anthony Albanese claimed he did not know about the vote as he made an appearance at the Sydney Jewish Museum on Wednesday. “Not only was it insensitive for the Prime Minister to not be across the detail of two anti-Israel UN votes his government was about to take, as he addressed the Jewish community, the Prime Minister appears to have knowingly misled when answering a question about this,” Australian Jewish Association CEO Robert Gregory said. “Many in the Jewish community have given up on the expectation of decency and fairness from this government when it comes to Israel and are already looking ahead to the upcoming election for an improvement." The Coalition also slammed the prime minister for claiming he was "not sure" what the UN vote was about, with shadow home affairs minister James Paterson accusing him of "gaslighting the Australian community" and that his "lame attempt to defect and play dumb is a dishonourable thing for a prime minister to do". Australia also voted in favour of another UN resolution which passed the General Assembly with 159 votes. The resolution expressed support for UNRWA - a UN agency for Palestine refugees, and condemned a new Israeli law that would ban the agency's operations in Israel.

DENVER (AP) — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's “America’s Got Talent” meets “American Idol,” with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it’s never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at “Dream Team” status given the men’s side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023 . The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. “We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport,” said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. “We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world.” Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores . “Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That’s something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok , the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado’s two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. “If a receiver is running around, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,’” Daniels explained. “They’re like, ‘No, you can’t.’ I’m just like, ‘So I’m supposed to let this guy just run?!’ I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn.” The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. “I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. “I’m not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, ‘I played NFL football for five years. I’m popular. I have a huge name.’ I’m still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise.” Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It’s his way of working on avoiding a “defender” trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. “You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the ‘Redeem Team’ led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, ‘That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. “Everybody thinks, ‘Yeah, the U.S. just wins,’” Daniels said. “But we work hard all the time. We don’t just walk in. We don’t just get off the bus thinking, ‘We’re going to beat people.’” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL