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Life-sized nutcrackers clad in red, blue and golden yellow diligently standing watch. A cardboard cutout of wide-eyed Hermey the Elf from the 1964 classic, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Blow-up molds of “Despicable Me” minions. Naperville lawns are as festive as ever this holiday season, boasting displays that give the North Pole a run for its candy canes. Don’t want to miss a moment of yuletide? One Naperville household has a list — yes, they’ve checked it twice — of the must-see merriment around town. Thanks to Deborah Nilles, Kevin Knoth and their daughter Megan, Naperville homes dressed up for the holidays are easy to find through a holly jolly-tailored Google map. A tool of local tidings years in the making, the map is now more than 100 addresses strong. Given that the 2024 iteration has only a few days left before it’s relegated to holiday history books, grab your gloves and your hot cocoa because there’s no time like the present for a winter wonderland stroll. “(There are) dozens and dozens of spectacular, beautiful properties,” Deborah Nilles said. “People with these big hearts that share their love for Christmas and the holidays with the community.” Map-registered displays are, aptly, delineated by way of little gingerbread men symbols. Clicking the sugary icons takes visitors to a small blurb about the menu of local decor, including addresses and pictures. For years, Deborah Nilles, Kevin Knoth and their daughter Megan Knoth have decked out their house at 630 Vicksburg Court for the holidays. Their display is known as “The Believe House.” (Deborah Nilles) This year’s holiday map is an ode to both longstanding inclusions and those that are just starting to move into the spotlight, Nilles said. One burgeoning display, for instance, is the Dog House of Naperville, which says happy howlidays with decorations paying homage to man’s best friend. Located at 408 E. 11th Ave., the Dog House made the Nilles’ holiday map for the first time last year. It was small to start, composed of just a few puppy dog pieces, she said. But for 2024, the Dog House upped the ante and returned with twice the number of canine furnishings. “I’m a sucker for a theme,” Nilles said. There’s also the Scott family’s acclaimed “Swiftmas” house at 1228 Atlas Lane, which for the second year in a row decked their Naperville home in a Taylor Swift-inspired lights display. For the second year in a row, longtime Naperville residents Amy and Brian Scott have decorated their house near Atlas Lane and Tupelo Avenue with a Taylor Swift-inspired holiday lights display. (Tess Kenny/Naperville Sun) And there are the oldies but goodies. Those displays, the ones that have lit up Naperville neighborhoods for decades, are Nilles’ favorites, she said. “My heart belongs to the people that have been doing this for 20, 30, 40 years,” she said. Nilles pointed to the Hennessy family, who convert their lawn at 326 S. Sleight St. into a vintage Christmas display every year. Or the Zavoral family at 2320 Remington Drive, who have a longtime practice of handing out free candy canes to light display viewers. The tradition of it all is something that resonates with Nilles and her family. It’s what inspired them to start compiling a holiday Google map for their neighbors in the first place. In fact, the whole endeavor began with the family establishing a decorating tradition of their own. Nilles, who is originally from Chicago’s North Side but moved to Naperville in the late 1980s, caught the Christmas bug about 15 years ago when the holidays got her family through a difficult time, she said. As they faced “personal struggles,” diving head first into decorating for the season became a way to “cheer us up,” she said. They started with a few key pieces. Chief among them was a large red sign that read, “Believe,” a mainstay adornment that still stands today and earned the family’s display the name, “The Believe House.” Over the years, their display, located at 630 Vicksburg Court, has blossomed into a full-lawn spectacle. The Believe House, pictured here, is a Naperville holiday lights display located at 630 Vicksburg Court. Those behind the display — Deborah Nilles, her husband Kevin Knoth and their daughter Megan Knoth — compile a list of houses across Naperville that also go all-out for the holidays. (Deborah Nilles) Meanwhile, along the way, the family’s decoration fervor started to stretch beyond their own porch with the creation of their local holiday lights map. Born about a decade ago, it was inspired by a similar catalog of local displays that the Naperville Sun used to publish annually, Nilles said. Like their own display, the family’s map — both in breadth and notoriety — has grown in time. Today, a Facebook page for the Believe House is up to 29,000 followers. And by the end of this season, Nilles expects their 2024 online directory to hit about four million views. As for compiling the map, it’s a mutlistep process that ramps up around Thanksgiving each year, she said. It involves Nilles doing a drive-by of previously listed displays as well as putting out a call over social media for new additions. When Nilles’ daughter, now 20 and attending Purdue University, was younger, they used to compose the map together. This year though, with Megan only back from college for a short winter break, Nilles assembled the map with the help of a special guest: her mother-in-law. “That was a treat,” she said. “With my (daughter) and my husband, they’ve seen all this, you know? ... But my mother-in-law was seeing most of (the displays) for the very first time. It was just dynamite. It was almost like seeing it through a child’s eyes. It was fabulous. She loved it. I loved it.” This holiday lights display is located at 357 S. Sleight St. in Naperville. (Deborah Nilles) Other moments that have made this year one for the books are new baubles added to their lawn, Nilles said. Namely, a blow mold of Santa Claus that traveled miles — and state borders — to find a home at the Believe House. That’s right, the display now boasts a Kris Kringle hailing from none other than Florida. The family drove out to the Sunshine state to retrieve the vintage figurine earlier this fall. “We had to go get Santa. We needed to rescue him from Florida,” Nilles quipped. “He was melting.” What hasn’t changed this year is the family’s commitment to imbuing fun with philanthropy. The Believe House is an official Salvation Army Red Kettle location. Since she was little, donating to the Salvation Army around the holidays has been as much a part of her family Christmases as stockings and presents, Nilles said. It was a no-brainer to continue the tradition with the Believe House, she said. Just as it was a no-brainer to draw up a holiday map for her community. “I think it’s worth sharing the love,” she said. “The effort that so many of these homeowners put into creating just these really magical displays around town that help bring a feeling of joy to the community. I know there’s a certain kind of peace that goes with Christmas and for me, going to see Christmas lights really epitomizes that.” tkenny@chicagotribune.com
‘Please, count us out’: Business as usual for underdog Boise State ahead of playoff gameNoneThe US president-elect described the wide-ranging talks with Canada’s prime minister as ‘productive’. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home on Saturday after his meeting with Donald Trump without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Mr Trump called the talks “productive” but signalled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. After the leaders’ hastily arranged dinner on Friday night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Mr Trudeau spoke of “an excellent conversation” but offered no details. Mr Trump said in a Truth Social post later on Saturday that they discussed “many important topics that will require both countries to work together to address”. For issues in need of such co-operation, Mr Trump cited fentanyl and the “drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of illegal immigration”; fair trade deals “that do not jeopardise American Workers”; and the US trade deficit with its ally to the north. Mr Trump asserted that the prime minister had made “a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation” of American families from fentanyl from China reaching the United States through its neighbours. The US, he said, “will no longer sit idly by as our citizens become victims to the scourge of this drug epidemic”. The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the US from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. US customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. On immigration, the US Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024 — and Canadian officials say they are ready to make new investments in border security. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, after speaking with Mr Trump on the telephone, said on Thursday she was confident a tariff war with Washington would be averted. At the dinner that was said to last three hours, Mr Trump said he and Mr Trudeau also discussed energy, trade and the Arctic. An official cited defence, Ukraine, Nato, China, the Middle East, pipelines and the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year as other issues that arose. Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest,” but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the November 5 election. Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states. Nearly 2.7 billion US dollars (£2.1 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of US crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of US electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminium and uranium to the US and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the US.
After institutions for people with disabilities close, graves are at risk of being forgotten
El Frijolito (11 Alexander St. Ste. B, 831-724-8823, facebook.com/p/El-Frijolito-Restaurant-100063634836888 ) reopened on Nov. 8 after being closed for almost two years. The restaurant, which first opened in 1985, is now much larger due to major renovations. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The menu includes tacos, burritos, enchiladas and chile rellenos. Other selections include shrimp platters like camarones a la diabla and camarones rancheros. Pete’s Fish House (211 Esplanade, petesfishhouse.com ) has expanded its hours, adding Wednesday service plus lunch on weekends. New hours are 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Monday (4-5 p.m. is Pearl Hour, the restaurant’s version of happy hour), plus noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Pete’s Fish House opened in August. The seafood-centered menu, prepared by chef Desmond Schneider, features oysters, seasonal crudo, soft shell crab sandwiches and pasta with clams. Other selections include locally inspired fish dishes and Wagyu steak. Homemade desserts and gelato, and drinks including beer, wine and Bellinis are also available. Erik’s Deli is testing out a new sandwich and a new salad for its menu by offering it at five northern California locations. Two locations are local: Scotts Valley (222 Mt. Hermon Rd. in Kings Village) and Seaside (840 Broadway Ave. Suite B-1). The items are Gaucho Grinder (a Dutch crunch roll with seasoned roast beef, mozzarella, fried onions, chimichurri sauce and more) and Steakhouse Crunch (bed of romaine lettuce topped with slices of seasoned roast beef, crumbled Gorgonzola, chunks of hickory smoked bacon, tomatoes and more tossed with chimichurri sauce, served with a side of red wine vinaigrette dressing). The selections will be available until at least the end of January. The Capitola Village and Wharf Business Improvement Association is hosting a holiday cookie walk from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec 7-8. Registered attendees receive an empty box at Capitola Candy Co. and visit participating Capitola Village stores (one visit per business) to fill the box with cookies. Cost is $20 at eventbrite.com/e/capitola-village-cookie-walk-tickets-1033932920197 . Proceeds benefit Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. Learn more at capitolavillage.com/event/capitola-village-holiday-cookie-walk-2024 . Community Cultural Tours is hosting a holiday mother-daughter tea from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 8 at a private residence on Pleasant Valley Road. Attendees will enjoy a traditional cream tea with scones, cream and farm jams plus an assortment of finger food and more. Cost is $40 for kids 3-6, $80 for one adult, $150 for two adults and $210 for three family members. The price includes food and drinks. Make reservations and get details at eventbrite.com . Chaminade Resort and Spa is hosting Breakfast with Santa from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 7. There is a breakfast buffet and an appearance by Santa. Tickets are $25; those ages 5 and under are complimentary. Chaminade is hosting an $85 buffet on Christmas Day, with service from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $25 for kids 3-12. Selections include a carving station with prime rib and turkey, an omelet bar, a poke bar, traditional holiday accompaniments and dessert. Gluten-free and vegan options will be available. Reservations are required at opentable.com/r/the-view-a-treeside-restaurant-santa-cruz . Hallcrest Vineyards (379 Felton Empire Rd.) is hosting a holiday market from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. This market will feature 80 vendors, live music, wine and an appearance by Santa (noon to 1:30 p.m.). Vendors with food-related gifts and ready-to-eat treats include 831 Candy Company, Big Paw Olive Oil Co., Tiny House Chocolate, LaurelBakes Cookies & Cakes, Foxy’s Toffee and Solstice Foods. Dani O Bakeshop and Foolhardy Coffee will offer breakfast selections. Other vendors selling ready-to-eat savory food are Epoch Eats, Pleasure Point Tacos & Juice and River Dogs. For details including full vendor list, visit the event organizer’s Instagram @white_rabbit_social_club or Facebook @WhiteRabbitSocialClub. J & M Sourdough Bagels will be operating a storefront inside hair salon Jayne & Co’s new location at 5980 Highway 9. A ribbon cutting and soft opening occurs at 8 a.m. Dec. 5, with complimentary mini bagels with schmears and coffee from 8-10 a.m. They will be open until 3 p.m. or earlier if sold out. J & M’s products include regular and mini-size sourdough bagels, homemade cream cheese schmears (like garlic herb and sundried tomato), and sourdough pizza dough. J & M co-owners Josh Taylor and Marisa Abzug launched the business in March 2024. They have been doing popups ever since, and also selling bagels at regular weekly pickup spots. Learn more at jmsourdoughbagels.com and stay in the loop on Instagram @jandmbagels. Homeless Garden Project ( homelessgardenproject.org ) has a downtown boutique (1338 Pacific Ave.) for holiday shopping with gifts that give back. Shop hours are now extended through Dec. 31: you can shop from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Income from sales helps provide job training and transitional employment for people who are unhoused, and volunteer and educational opportunities for community members who want to learn about and practice sustainable agriculture and social justice. Many items for sale are handmade by HGP program trainees and some feature herbs and flowers grown on the nonprofit’s organic farm. These include strawberry jam, lavender shortbread cookie mix, herb salts, wreaths, beeswax candles and herbal tea. Some of these are also sold at New Leaf Community Markets. Other gift items at the shop include apparel (like locally made Bee Happy Today clothing), local soap from Deerhaven and local marmalade and jam from California Jam Queen, art and tea towels. Two seasonal cocktails are available at Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge at Dream Inn Santa Cruz (175 W. Cliff Drive, 831-460-5012, jackoneillrestaurant.com ). They both utilize ingredients from local farms. The spiced Rubaiyat Apple Martini features apples harvested from Epicenter Nursery & Fruit. Other ingredients include vodka and apple cider. The Pears are Falling drink has red Bartlett pears from Sea to Sky Farm plus vodka, pear brandy, Frangelico and more. Living Swell Kombucha’s fall flavors include Coastal Harvest (blackberry, apple and sage) and Getting’ Figgy Wit It (grape and fig leaf). This week it will be selling kombucha at the Wednesday downtown Santa Cruz farmers market and the Saturday westside and Sunday Live Oak markets. Learn more at livingswellkombucha.com or on social media (Instagram and Facebook @livingswellkombucha). Tickets are on sale for the Jan. 22 Ecological Farming Conference Bus Tour of three organic farms. The tour, which usually sells out early, has been part of the annual EcoFarm conference for many years. The bus leaves Asilomar Conference Grounds at 8 a.m. and will make stops at Spade & Plow, Three Feathers Farm and biodynamic Blossom’s Farm. Cost is $135, which includes lunch. Visit eco-farm.org for more information and tickets to the tour and other events. If you are interested in the entire Jan. 22-25 conference, register before Dec. 7 to save $100. EcoFarm is the largest sustainable agriculture gathering in the Western U.S. Quick Bites, compiled by Tara Fatemi Walker, is your weekly helping of Santa Cruz County restaurant, food, and drink news. Send items to sentinelfood@gmail.com (Sunday 7 p.m. deadline for that week’s column). Want local food & drink news as it happens? Follow the Sentinel’s food crew on Twitter @santacruzfood.PM looks to ‘brighter future’ at Christmas and ‘wishes for peace in Middle East’
Sinn Fein actively pursuing route into government, insists leader McDonald
MICK WALLACE’S RETURN to Irish politics is set to backfire as the Wexford man has seen his old vote collapse in the county. The first count in the Wexford constituency saw Wallace receive 1,615 first preferences – just three percent of the overall vote. It’s a stark contrast to when Wallace last stood in Wexford in 2016, when he got 7,917 votes with an 11 percent share of the vote. Today’s vote has put him far behind TDs from other parties on the left side of the spectrum – Sinn Féin and Labour – and he’s further behind Fianna Fáil’s James Browne. The former property developer topped the poll when he was first elected to the Dáil in 2011 and was re-elected in 2016 before he left his seat to be elected to the European Parliament in 2019. Wallace lost his seat in Brussels in the European Parliament elections held in June of this year. The 69-year-old has yet to appear at the count centre this weekend. Wallace has seen the support he had under the Independents4Change party banner plummet, with the emergence of Verona Murphy in Wexford politics seemingly eroding some of his old vote. Sinn Féin’s emergence as a challenger for an anti-government vote has also likely played a role in decreasing Wallace’s base. It only found a breakthrough here in 2020 after Wallace had been elected to Europe as an MEP. Some observers also believe the redrawing of the boundary for this election – removing the northern end of the county – harmed his prospects. It has resulted in Wallace also currently sitting eight votes behind Michael Sheehan, a New Ross councillor who defected from Fianna Fáil in recent weeks to stand as an Independent. Wallace has been a member of the Independents4Change political party since his time in the Dáil and his colleague Clare Daly, who also lost her seat in the European Parliament, is too seeking a return to the Dáil in Dublin Central. You can .RADNOR — Having landed his dream job once, Eric Roedl wasn’t sure at first what to make of the chance to do it again. It would’ve taken a lot to get the Deputy Athletic Director at the University of Oregon to leave Eugene, where he’s spent 13 years. The chance to lead not just any athletic department but that of his alma mater was sufficient to bring him back to the Main Line. Roedl was introduced Tuesday as Villanova’s Vice President and Director of Athletics. He replaces Mark Jackson, who was hired in the fall to become the AD at Northwestern. The move brings Roedl home. He played tennis at Villanova, graduating in 1997. His wife Nicole is a 1998 graduate of Villanova. Roedl spent eight years in athletic administration at Temple, then a stint at William & Mary before venturing west to a power conference behemoth in Oregon. While Villanova President Rev. Peter M. Donohue joked at Tuesday’s press conference that he hoped Roedl could bring a slice of the Ducks’ massive budget East with him, Roedl will carry some tangible aspects managing such a big organization to the mission-driven challenge at Villanova. “My big takeaways from Oregon are a commitment to building a championship culture in everything we do, very high standards, full-fledged commitment to holistic student-athlete development, always trying to be out in front when it comes to NCAA deregulation and the things that we can do to provide support for our student-athletes, and just creating a great environment for our student-athletes and our staff,” Roedl said. “People talk about resources and they talk about money, but to me, what really is the difference maker in building successful programs – and I know you know this here at Villanova – it’s about the people and how you operate in the culture.” Both Donohue and Roedl acknowledged several times the changing landscape of college athletics. Athletes are able to earn money for their name, image and likeness, and the House settlement requires colleges to share revenue with athletes. The pressure of those changes will exert much different responses at Roedl’s former employer, a public land-grant institution backed by the deep pockets of Nike’s founder, than at a small, private, Augustinian university. Roedl highlighted those differences in asserting how his approach would meet those challenges. “We have an exciting and compelling vision for the future,” Roedl said in prepared remarks. “Villanova has a deep belief in the role and value of college athletics as a part of this community. Nothing brings people together like sports, and I think Nova Nation is a true testament to that. ... Our priorities will be focused on what’s in the best interest of this university and alignment with our Augustinian values, and certainly what is in the best interest of the health, well-being and success of our student-athletes.” Roedl talked around a question about the basketball program’s recent struggles, beyond a pledge to “continue to innovate and strategically invest” in the men’s and women’s programs. The Wildcats, who won national titles in 2016 and 2018 under Jay Wright, have failed to make the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons under Kyle Neptune. Roedl won’t formally take over until January, but he’ll be monitoring how the basketball season progresses, with on-court performance as one of several factors in determining Neptune’s fate. Roedl is transitioning from a program that enjoys a revenue-generating football program to a Football Championship Subdivision squad that is a much different economic model. But he extolled the virtues of that competitive format for Villanova, which begins the FCS playoffs on Saturday. “I think the FCS football model is terrific,” Roedl said. “I love the fact that you’re competing throughout the year, and you’re competing to get into the playoffs, and you can play your way through. The CFP finally came around to that type of a model. It took a while, but the financial model is different, and football means different things to different schools. “There’s a lot of benefit to having an FCS football program and all the things that it brings to your campus. The team represents this university really well. We bring in tremendous, talented student-athletes from all over the country to come in here and compete for Villanova, and that’s a program that I really look forward to supporting and being a part of.” Roedl played a sport in college that, like many Olympic sports, feels economically endangered at the collegiate level. He calls his student-athlete experience “transformational,” in both his career and his life. He used the term “broad-based excellence” on several occasions to illustrate a goal of elevating all of Villanova’s 24 varsity programs, in terms of on-field success and off-field sustainability. In lamenting that “college athletics has become a little bit more transactional,” Roedl is endeavoring to lead Villanova through a middle path. If recruiting talent becomes a bidding war against bigger and better resourced schools, they don’t necessarily have the capital to compete directly. So the name of the game is to provide something more than just what happens on the field, whether that’s academically or via the community. “To me, one of the things that’s most special about college athletics is all the opportunity that it provides to young people to dream and be a part of a university athletic program, and that’s something that we’re going to be fully committed to here at Villanova,” he said. “We’re going to work our tails off to go out and find the resources. It’s a new time, and there’s going to be more pressure on each of our programs to find ways to be sustainable, to continue to be able to provide those opportunities. There’s a lot of pressure on resources right now post-House settlement and we look forward to engaging in the communities around all of our sports to continue to have them be thriving and successful.”
With so much of our lives spent in bed, we all must get a restful night’s sleep so we’re ready to start the day energized. While our bodies naturally cool down as we wind down, some sleep much colder than others. The right mattress can help cold sleepers stay warm and cozy throughout the night. Most mattresses target your sleep position and not your temperature, which makes shopping around tricky. This guide can help you understand what makes the right mattress for cold sleepers and everything you need to know to sleep well. Our top pick, the DreamCloud Premier Rest 16-inch Mattress , is designed to regulate temperature for a comfortable sleep. Cold sleepers should look to any mattress containing foam or latex, as these two materials trap heat more than other options, particularly breathable innerspring mattresses. While trapping in heat is a turnoff for some sleepers, those who are cold embrace the warmth kept within. Hybrid mattresses are increasingly popular. They feature a combination of foam or latex and innerspring layers to provide a balance of comfort and support. The foam or latex layers are typically the uppermost layers and help regulate temperature. How soft or firm the right mattress is for you is influenced mainly by your sleep position and size. Those who sleep on their stomach should avoid a soft mattress so that they don’t sink into the bed and strain their spine, but they should also avoid an extra-firm mattress that doesn’t support their hips and shoulders. Side sleepers should be cradled by a softer mattress with a bit of resistance for their shoulders and head. Back sleepers find firmer options most comfortable. Heavier individuals should avoid softer mattresses as they can sink in and not receive the proper support. Conversely, slighter persons may enjoy less firm mattresses since they can cradle them. For some people, gel foam is a much-desired feature; however, cold sleepers should avoid foam or hybrid mattresses incorporating gel foam. This is because the gel helps offset the heat trappings of foam by adding cooling technology, making the mattress a good choice for those who sleep warm, not cold. Most mattresses that include foam or latex are adept at lessening motion transfer, meaning that one person’s rustling or movement won’t disturb the other person in bed. What’s more, foam and latex options tend to be quiet. Foam, latex, and hybrid mattresses are pricier, especially those with multiple layers. Cold sleepers can expect to pay between $600 and $1,200 for a queen-size mattress. A. Investing in a mattress protector is wise, especially for a densely made mattress that traps heat. A mattress protector prevents dust, mites, and, in some cases, liquids from penetrating the mattress, which can cause an odor and lead to slow deterioration. Rotate your mattress every few months so it’s used evenly, especially if you have foam layers that may conform to your body. A. Size and thickness don’t necessarily influence a mattress’s heat retention. Mattresses for cold sleepers come in all standard sizes. That choice should be made based on your size, available space and whether you sleep with a partner. Thickness ranges from around 6 to 14 inches. DreamCloud Premier Rest 16-inch Mattress – Luxury Hybrid Memory Foam What you need to know: This high-quality, thick hybrid mattress has foam layers on top for a warm, cozy night’s sleep. What you’ll love: The innerspring base supports all sleep positions while foam layers hold in warmth. There’s no motion transfer or noise when moving. What you should consider: It may be too firm for petite individuals. ZINUS 12 Inch Green Tea Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress What you need to know: This mattress offers both comfort and support at a reasonable price. What you’ll love: It includes layers of low-toxin foam that help maintain the temperature as you sleep. It’s also infused with green tea extract, which helps to fight against unwelcome odors. What you should consider: While it does say it includes cooling gel, it’s still too hot for some people. GhostBed 3D Matrix Mattress What you need to know: This adaptable mattress adjusts to your shape and temperature to create the most comfortable sleeping experience. What you’ll love: It’s a hybrid mattress that cradles the body while still supporting the shoulders and hips and lacks motion transfer. The top layers provide warmth and comfort. What you should consider: It may be too soft for heavier individuals. Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change. Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.Repealing no-fault divorce has so far stalled across the US. Some worry that'll changeMIAMI — Shaq Barrett’s retirement during the summer stunned the Dolphins and their fans. But after a few months on the sideline, the two two-time Pro Bowler wants back in. Barrett, 32, has applied to the NFL for reinstatement from retirement, which is a procedural move. The Dolphins own his rights, and a league source said he would be fine playing for them. Barrett said in an interview a month ago that if he came back and played, he would prefer it be for Tampa Bay, where he played previously and has a home. But he is open to playing for the Dolphins. The team’s position on the issue wasn’t immediately clear. Regarding what happens next, agent Drew Rosenhaus 1 who makes regular appearances on WSVN Fox 7 — told the station: “It all depends on the Dolphins and what they want to do ... waiting for them to decide.” On a Tuesday morning Zoom session with reporters, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said this was the first he has heard of Barrett’s interest in playing again and declined to comment further, beyond adding that Miami was initially drawn to him because he’s a productive player and “a veteran presence, has a Super Bowl ring and there isn’t anything schematically he hasn’t seen. He’s been impactful throughout his time in the league. If he chooses to come back here, or whatever that is, then God bless him.” In March, Barrett signed a one-year, $7 million contract that could be worth as much as $9 million with incentives. The deal included a $5.5 million signing bonus. If the Dolphins brings him back, he would be paid a prorated portion of his base salary. Barrett released a statement on Instagram when he retired four days before the start of training camp in July: “It’s time for me to hang it up,” Barrett said at the time. “It’s been a great ride, and I appreciate everything that came with it over the years. I’m ready to shift my full focus to my wife and kids and helping them realize [their] dreams and catch ‘em. “Anyone who caught their dreams before know the work, time and consistency required to reach them. I’m ready to start building them skills up in my kids, which will take 100% commitment. [I know] to some it’ll be a surprise but I’ve been thinking about this for a while and the decision has never been more clear than it is now.” Undrafted out of Colorado State, Barrett has 59 career sacks, 22 forced fumbles, 400 tackles and 73 tackles for loss in nine seasons — the first five for Denver and the past four for Tampa Bay. The two-time Super Bowl winner was a Pro Bowler in 2019 and 2021 and a second-team All-Pro in 2019. He led the league with 19.5 sacks in 2019, his first with Tampa Bay after leaving Denver to sign a one-year deal with the Buccaneers. Barrett had 52 tackles (including three for loss) and 4.5 sacks, an interception and three forced fumbles in 16 games for Tampa Bay last season, all starts. Pro Football Focus rated Barrett 42nd among 112 edge defenders last season. He played in only eight games in 2022 because of a torn Achilles tendon sustained in Week 8. But he had 10 sacks in 15 games in 2021. After that season, he was ranked 86th by his fellow players on the NFL’s list of top 100 player for 2022. He was released by Tampa Bay on Feb. 24, three years into a four-year, $72 million contract extension. The Dolphins’ situation at outside linebacker is fluid. At the moment, they have four healthy outside linebackers — rookies Chop Robinson and Mo Kamara and veterans Emmanuel Ogbah and Quinton Bell. Robinson has 3.5 sacks and 22 pressures over the past three games. Tyus Bowser, who played 30 defensive snaps against New England on Sunday, is nursing knee and calf injuries and his status is unclear for Thursday’s game at Green Bay (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC); he would have been unable to practice on Monday if the Dolphins had practiced. Starting outside linebacker Bradley Chubb and backup Cameron Goode remain on the physically unable to perform list after sustaining knee injuries late last season. Neither has yet been able to begin practicing, but Mike McDaniel reiterated last week that he expects Chubb to play this season, and that Goode is further along than Chubb. ©2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
As Protest Mounts, GD Leadership Grapples to Manage Fallout
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