Tetairoa McMillan, one of the best wide receivers in Arizona history, will skip his final year of eligibility and enter the 2025 NFL Draft, he announced on social media on Thursday. Projected as a top-10 draft pick, the 6-foot-5, 212-pound McMillan finished his illustrious career at Arizona with 3,423 receiving yards, breaking the mark set by Bobby Wade (3,351). In three seasons, the Hawaii native also posted the fourth-most catches (213) and third-most touchdowns (26) in school history. "Wildcat Nation, this journey has been everything I dreamed of and more," McMillan wrote on Instagram. "From the moment I committed to the University of Arizona, to every second spent wearing that Arizona jersey ... it's been an absolute honor. "The University of Arizona has provided me with the platform to grow and chase my dreams. ... Thank you from the bottom of my heart. To the best fans in the country, I appreciate you for all of the love and support you have given me these last 3 years. I will always be a Wildcat." In 2024, McMillan totaled 84 grabs (ninth in Division I) for 1,319 yards (third in Division I) and eight touchdowns for the 4-8 Wildcats. He also ranked third in Division I with 109.9 receiving yards per game. McMillan is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the most outstanding receiver in college football. --Field Level MediaThanksgiving dinner in Kansas doesn’t need to be rehash of November election rifts
Oregon already secured its spot in the Big Ten championship game, but the top-ranked Ducks have plenty to play for in their regular-season finale. Revenge may be on Oregon's mind when the Ducks host longtime rival Washington on Saturday in Eugene, Ore. Oregon (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) would perhaps be closing in on its second straight College Football Playoff appearance had the Huskies (6-5, 4-4) not dealt the Ducks their only two losses last season. Washington edged Oregon 36-33 in Seattle last October, then slipped past the Ducks 34-31 in the Pac-12 title game to secure a playoff spot for the second time in school history. Both teams joined the Big Ten in August. Third-year Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is 33-5 leading the Ducks. But he remains winless against the Huskies (0-3). Oregon plots to sprint out of its late-season bye after using time to heal injuries, but Lanning doesn't believe the break should stall the flow of an undefeated season. "It's always about what we're able to do on the field. Motivation is overrated," Lanning said. "Our guys have to want to go out there and execute at a really high level. Since the beginning of the season we've talked about playing our best football at the end of November. We're there. This is our opportunity to go play our best football against a good team." The Ducks could have star wide receiver Tez Johnson back from a shoulder injury this week. Johnson has missed the past two games. That would be good news for quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who would regain the team's leader in receptions (64), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (eight). Washington, under first-year head coach Jedd Fisch, is 63-48-5 all-time against Oregon but is just 1-12-1 when facing the No. 1-ranked team in the country. The Huskies are led on offense by running back Jonah Coleman, who has racked up 1,008 yards and nine scores on the ground this season. Coleman averages 5.8 yards per carry and has 36 runs of at least 10 yards. In the passing game, wide receiver Denzel Boston is tied for the Big Ten lead with nine in touchdown catches and ranks sixth in the conference with 764 receiving yards. Whom Boston will be catching passes from is not yet known, however. Washington has not revealed whether Will Rogers or Demond Williams Jr. will start at quarterback. Rogers has started every game for the Huskies but was benched in favor of Williams two weeks ago after throwing a pair of interceptions in a 31-19 win over UCLA. Fisch said he has a "good idea" of how he will use his quarterbacks on Saturday, and while he wouldn't go as far as to name a starter, he did say Rogers responded well in practices last week. "On the same token, Demond's energy and Demond's confidence showed up. His ability to jump right in and feel really good about leading the group whenever it was his turn... he did a really nice job there as well," Fisch told Seattle Sports. "I think both guys responded well to the week of practice, and now, really, it's important for us that the guy we believe will start the game gets a significant amount of reps in practice week. But as you know, we're not afraid to play two quarterbacks." --Field Level Media
The democratic process may empower dangerous demagogues but it can also bring about necessary reforms. And so, as Donald Trump returns to Washington, Germany appears to be moving towards loosening the “debt brake” which forbids the country from borrowing more than the equivalent of 0.35 percent of its GDP each year and impedes growth. This limit was imposed through a constitutional amendment in 2009, when the German economy was booming and the only problem that the country and the European Union seemed to face was Greece’s debt crisis. But when things got difficult, first with the pandemic, then with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the measure was suspended for four years. Now that it is back, it is clear what an impediment it is. The Social Democrat chancellor, Olaf Scholz, wanted to loosen the brake, but the leader of the conservative opposition CDU party, Friedrich Merz, would hear none of it. The Liberals, who were part of the Scholz government, chose to be thrown out of it rather than agree to loosening the brake. The country is now headed for early elections on February 23. Suddenly, Merz appears willing to discuss raising the debt limit. What happened? If the polls are correct, Merz will be the next chancellor, possibly in a “grand coalition” with the Social Democrats. He will then face the impasse that troubled Scholz. The “brake” was instituted when Angela Merkel was chancellor, when the economy was growing and creating jobs. The eurozone’s structural problems benefited Germany, as the flight of capital towards the safety of its banks resulted in the government and German companies swimming in cheap cash. At the time, (Russian) energy was cheap and America took care of Europe’s defense. It seemed that the whole world, and more and more people in Germany, were working for Germany. The government at the time, though, did not take advantage of the opportunity to build new infrastructure and to strengthen its military. Now that problems are mounting, Germany needs to break the borrowing limit of 0.35 percent of GDP. As Scholz noted, additional spending on defense should not be at the cost of investments and welfare programs. “I think that targeted, moderate reforms of the debt brake are possible. They’re being broadly debated,” Finance Minister Jorg Kukies said on Friday. He noted the need to “combine the existing fiscal solidity with better incentives for public investments in the future.” Politicians broach the issue warily, as many Germans fear debt and inflation. If the populist parties on the extreme-right and extreme-left (AfD and BSW, respectively) gain more than a third of the seats in the Parliament, the governing coalition after the elections will not have the necessary majority to amend the constitution. If Germany cannot borrow as much as it needs to, it will face an economic impasse, a weakened military, and the need to cut welfare programs, along with all the social problems that this will cause. This would benefit the extremist parties at home and the country’s enemies abroad. A wounded and even more introverted Germany will seriously undermine the political, economic and military credibility of the European Union. German members of parliament and others who participate in the public debate are aware of the need to contribute towards strengthening Europe. That is why dedication to strict economic discipline should not be an end in itself. Fortunately, the question of political survival, which democracy raises regularly through elections, drives politicians to become more flexible. In this case, this benefits their country and the European Union, too.Bruins vs. Islanders free live stream: TV channel, start time, how to watch
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby claimed Thursday that many of the reported drone sightings spotted over New Jersey for the past several weeks are actually lawfully operated manned aircraft. White House officials said Thursday that many purported sightings of drones are actually lawfully operated manned aircraft. John Kirby says there is still no evidence that the drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat. There is also no evidence the drone sightings are the work of a foreign adversary, according to the White House. Many reported ‘drone sightings’ in New Jersey over the past several weeks are actually lawfully operated manned aircraft, White House officials said during a briefing Thursday. White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby made the claim as questions and frustrations continue to mount among residents and lawmakers. "We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus," Kirby told reporters at the daily White House press briefing. "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI are investigating these sightings, and they're working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin." "Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to, and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities, corroborate any of the reported visual sightings," Kirby said. "To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. The United States Coast Guard is providing support to the state of New Jersey, and has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels. And importantly, there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace." Kirby also called on lawmakers to ‘expand existing counterdrone authorities.’ "We certainly take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems, which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports, even though they have uncovered no malicious activity or intent at this particular stage," Kirby said Thursday. "While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap in authorities, and so we urge Congress to pass important legislation that will extend and expand existing counter drone authorities so that we are better prepared to identify and mitigate any potential threats to airports or other critical infrastructure. And so that state and local authorities are provided all the tools that they need to respond to such threats as well." Lawmakers gathered in the Garden State to discuss the recent sightings of large drones in the sky as investigators continue searching for answers. Kirby’s comments come a day after Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) claimed in a Fox News interview that ‘very high sources’ informed him the drones may be originating from an Iranian ‘mothership’ stationed off the East Coast of the United States. The Pentagon later shot down Van Drew’s suggestion that a foreign adversary was behind the drone sightings. "At this time we have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or are the work of an adversary," Deputy Defense Secretary Sabrina Singh said Wednesday. "We’re going to continue to monitor what is happening." Featured Drone or flying car? Expert weighs in after mystery sightings prompt investigation in New Jersey What is that in the sky? Mystery drone sightings in Delaware County, Philadelphia and New Jersey have prompted many questions and an expert says due to the shape and size of the object in the sky, it could even be a flying car! When asked specifically about Van Drew’s statement about an Iranian mothership, Singh said there was ‘not any truth’ to that claim. "There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there is no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States." she said. Van Drew later doubled down on his concern in a letter to President Joe Biden, calling for the president to act swiftly. He also called for flight restrictions over New Jersey, and for the order to be given to ‘neutralize’ and drone aircraft in violation of those restrictions. He also went on to detail some of the circumstantial evidence he referenced in his earlier interview. Featured Plane or drone?: Here's how you can check to see what's flying overhead As officials continue to investigate the origins of mysterious drones spotted in our area, there's an easy (and free) way to help you tell what you've spotted. The letter claims the Coast Guard has observed drones coming into New Jersey from the Atlantic Ocean and that a sea-based Iranian mothership is currently missing from port. Van Drew's letter states that the timeline for when that ship left port would align with when the sightings began. "We know that Iran has both the motive and the capability to execute such an operation. They have in the past brought vessels in proximity of the United States, and Iran has a sophisticated drone production partnership with China," Van Drew wrote. "And of course, it is the policy of the Iranian government to bring about the destruction of the United States of America. While I remain open to alternate explanations, I have not been presented a single credible, cohesive narrative except for that Iran is controlling these drones from offshore." Van Drew went on to propose flight restrictions over New Jersey airspace and an order be given to neutralize any drone aircraft in violation of those restrictions. In a press release sent Thursday, the Republican called for an honest discussion between officials and the People of New Jersey for more transparency on the situation. "While the Pentagon and the Governor may try to dismiss the idea of an Iranian drone ship, we now have additional confirmation that this ship exists and it is no longer in its port," said Congressman Van Drew. "I am not claiming that this ship is stationed right off the coast of New Jersey, but we certainly have to explore the possibility it is somewhere out in the ocean. While we cannot say for certain this is the source of the threat, the coincidence is too great to ignore. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that one of their ships was trailed by several dozen drones while commercial fishermen and local law enforcement have reported observations of drones flying in and out of the Atlantic Ocean, and if that is the case, they have to be landing somewhere." Van Drew also referred to the drones as being the ‘size of minivans.’
Manchester City plunged deeper into trouble in the Champions League by losing 2-0 at Juventus on Wednesday, the latest setback in a scarcely believable run of poor results for the ailing English champions. City dropped to 22nd place in the 36-team standings, with only the top 24 advancing. Progressing to the next round of the new-look format looked a certainty before the season for a team that was European champion in 2023 and has won the last four Premier League titles. But not anymore as City manager Pep Guardiola battles injuries and an apparent loss of belief among his players. City has won just one of its last 10 matches in all competitions, with goals by Dušan Vlahović and Weston McKennie inflicting the latest defeat and igniting Juventus' qualification hopes. City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan described the team's problem as a “mental issue.” Opponents “are able to break our rhythm with the smallest of things,” Gundogan said. "They don’t even need to do much and it has such a big effect on us right now.” Barcelona jumped into second place in the league standings, behind Liverpool, and is guaranteed to advance after a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund. Raphinha and Ferran Torres, with two goals, scored for Barca. Arsenal beat Monaco 3-0 mainly thanks to two goals by Bukayo Saka to move into third place and be the highest of six teams on 13 points. The top eight qualify directly for the last 16 and the teams placed No. 9-24 go into a two-legged playoff. City has two games to save its faltering Champions League campaign and the first is against Paris Saint-Germain, another giant in trouble in 25th place — one spot out of the qualifying positions. Vlahović put Juventus ahead in the 53rd when he powered a header goalward straight at City goalkeeper Ederson, who could only parry the ball over his own line. Two American substitutes sealed the win for Juve, with McKennie volleying home from Timothy Weah's cross. Juventus moved into 14th place. Ferran Torres came off the bench to inspire Barcelona to a fifth win in six games and push Dortmund, last season's runner-up, out of the top eight. Torres came on in the 71st to replace Robert Lewandowski, who had a quiet game against his former club. Just four minutes later, Torres scored a goal on the rebound from Dani Olmo’s shot. Serhou Guirassy’s second goal of the game leveled the score at 2-2 but Torres scored again in the 85th off Lamine Yamal’s pass on the counter. Raphinha gave Barcelona the lead before Guirassy equalized from the penalty spot. Raphinha and Guirassy are tied for second place in the scoring chart on six goals, behind Lewandowski's competition-high seven. Arsenal secured a third straight home win without conceding in the league stage, with Saka scoring in the 34th and 78th minutes and sending in a shot that was turned into the net by substitute Kai Havertz in the 88th. Arsenal is ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Inter Milan, Brest and Lille on goal difference. Lille won 3-2 at home to Sturm Graz on Wednesday. Man City could sure do with Julian Alvarez at the moment. With a brilliant curling finish to open the scoring, the Argentina striker helped Atletico Madrid beat Slovan Bratislava 3-1 and provide a timely reminder of what City is missing after in August. Alvarez has 12 goals for the season, with four coming in the Champions League. Antoine Griezmann scored Atletico’s other two goals at Metropolitano stadium as the Spanish team climbed to 11th place after a 10th straight win in all competitions. When Lukasz Lakomy gave Young Boys the lead against Stuttgart, he ran toward the sideline and held up teammate Meschack Elia’s jersey as others gathered around him. The gesture was a tribute after Elia’s son died unexpectedly this week after a short illness. Elia wasn’t playing as he was on his way to his native Congo, where his son died, to be with his family. Both teams wore black armbands and there was a moment of silence before the game, which was won 5-1 by Stuttgart. Tammy Abraham scored an 87th-minute winner as AC Milan beat Red Star Belgrade 2-1 to move one point off the top eight. Milan lost Alvaro Morata and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to muscle injuries in the first half. Benfica’s five-match winning streak ended with a 0-0 home draw against Bologna, and Feyenoord had a 4-2 win over Sparta Prague. Steve Douglas is at AP soccer:
CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Jestin Porter had 26 points in Middle Tennessee's 95-88 win over South Florida on Friday. Porter shot 9 for 12 (4 for 6 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Blue Raiders (5-1). Essam Mostafa scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds. Kamari Lands shot 6 for 12, including 4 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Netflix signs US broadcast deal with FIFA for the Women's World Cup in 2027 and 2031
NoneNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes got back to climbing on Wednesday after the latest update on inflation appeared to clear the way for more help for the economy from the Federal Reserve . The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to break its first two-day losing streak in nearly a month and finished just short of its all-time high. Big Tech stocks led the way, which drove the Nasdaq composite up 1.8% to top the 20,000 level for the first time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, meanwhile, lagged the market with a dip of 99 points, or 0.2%. Stocks got a boost as expectations built that Wednesday’s inflation data will allow the Fed to deliver another cut to interest rates at its meeting next week. Traders are betting on a nearly 99% probability of that, according to data from CME Group, up from 89% a day before. If they’re correct, it would be a third straight cut by the Fed after it began lowering rates in September from a two-decade high. It’s hoping to support a slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. Lower rates would give a boost to the economy and to prices for investments, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. “The data have given the Fed the ‘all clear’ for next week, and today’s inflation data keep a January cut in active discussion,” according to Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times this year , with the latest coming last week. The biggest boosts for the index on Wednesday came from Nvidia and other Big Tech stocks. Their massive growth has made them Wall Street’s biggest stars for years, though other kinds of stocks have recently been catching up somewhat amid hopes for the broader U.S. economy. Tesla jumped 5.9% to finish above $420 at $424.77. It’s a level that Elon Musk made famous in a 2018 tweet when he said he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share . Stitch Fix soared 44.3% after the company that sends clothes to your door reported a smaller loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also gave financial forecasts for the current quarter that were better than expected, including for revenue. GE Vernova rallied 5% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500. The energy company that spun out of General Electric said it would pay a 25 cent dividend every three months, and it approved a plan to send up to another $6 billion to its shareholders by buying back its own stock. On the losing end of Wall Street, Dave & Buster’s Entertainment tumbled 20.1% after reporting a worse loss for the latest quarter than expected. It also said CEO Chris Morris has resigned, and the board has been working with an executive-search firm for the last few months to find its next permanent leader. Albertsons fell 1.5% after filing a lawsuit against Kroger, saying it didn’t do enough for their proposed $24.6 billion merger agreement to win regulatory clearance. Albertsons said it’s seeking billions of dollars in damages from Kroger, whose stock rose 1%. A day earlier, judges in separate cases in Oregon and Washington nixed the supermarket giants’ merger. The grocers contended a combination could have helped them compete with big retailers like Walmart, Costco and Amazon, but critics said it would hurt competition. After terminating the merger agreement with Kroger, Albertsons said it plans to boost its dividend 25% and increased the size of its program to buy back its own stock. Macy’s slipped 0.8% after cutting some of its financial forecasts for the full year of 2024, including for how much profit it expects to make off each $1 of revenue. All told, the S&P 500 rose 49.28 points to 6,084.19. The Dow dipped 99.27 to 44,148.56, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 347.65 to 20,034.89. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.27% from 4.23% late Tuesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, edged up to 4.15% from 4.14%. In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was an outlier and slipped 0.8% as Chinese leaders convened an annual planning meeting in Beijing that is expected to set economic policies and growth targets for the coming year. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1%, up for a second straight day as it climbs back following last week’s political turmoil where its president briefly declared martial law. AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed.Charles Barkley Destroys LeBron James' GOAT Claim With Simple Argument