Why Five Below Stock Rocketed 20% Higher This WeekAlabama's case for College Football Playoff berth: Why Crimson Tide deserve spot in 12-team bracket
Attorneys for Donald Trump conducted an internal investigation into allegations that one of his top aides, Boris Epshteyn, has sought to gain financially from his influence with Trump and others in the president-elect’s orbit, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The internal investigation, which was confirmed by half a dozen sources and is not criminal in nature, has probed multiple instances of Epshteyn allegedly requesting payment in exchange for promoting candidates for administration positions or offering to connect individuals with people in the upcoming administration relevant to their industries, sources said. In one instance he requested as much as $100,000 per month in exchange for his services, according to sources familiar with the matter. Epshteyn’s alleged activities prompted those looking into the matter to make an initial recommendation that Epshteyn should be removed from Trump’s proximity and that he should not be employed or paid by Trump entities, according to two sources. As of Monday afternoon, it does not appear the transition team will heed that recommendation. “I am honored to work for President Trump and with his team,” Epshteyn said in a statement to CNN. “These fake claims are false and defamatory and will not distract us from Making America Great Again.” The alleged behavior by one of Trump’s closest advisers hints at some of the turmoil and strife behind the scenes of the transition process as the president-elect and his team staff the incoming administration. Epshteyn, long seen as one of Trump’s most loyal advisers, has played a significant role in the transition, sitting in on key meetings and candidate briefings at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. But his presence has often been a divisive one. A notorious Trump-world infighter, Epshteyn is known for his combative and loud personality, and often boasts about his close relationship with Trump, according to sources in and around the president-elect’s orbit. In recent years, Epshteyn has acted as both an attorney and an adviser to Trump and – much to the chagrin of some more experienced lawyers in Trump’s inner circle– played an influential role in organizing his criminal defense strategy after the former president was indicted four times. While Epshteyn has not been accused of illegal behavior, the decision to launch an internal investigation reflects the Trump team’s cautiousness around activity that could appear unsavory. “As is standard practice, a broad review of the campaign’s consulting agreements has been conducted and completed, including as to Boris, among others,” Trump transition spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement to CNN. “We are now moving ahead together as a team to help President Trump Make America Great Again.” Source: ‘Very much pay-for-play’ Part of that investigation focused on claims that Epshteyn proposed that Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, pay him to promote his name with Trump and others at Mar-a-Lago. Bessent did not make payments to Epshteyn. CNN has reached out to representatives of Bessent for comment. The back-and-forth between Epshteyn and Bessent resulted in a heated confrontation last week in the lobby of Mar-a-Lago, where Epshteyn raised his voice at Bessent, according to two sources briefed on the matter. In at least one other instance, Epshteyn asked for payment in exchange for introductions and influence with the incoming Trump administration, according to two sources. Trump’s legal team was investigating several other similar alleged incidents, according to sources familiar with the situation. The allegations concerning Epshteyn were brought to incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. It is unclear whether the allegations have been presented to Trump directly. At times, Epshteyn has described the services he is trying to sell as a type of consulting, but the legal team investigating the issue has struggled to pinpoint any legitimate consulting work Epshteyn has provided, according to a source familiar with the matter. “The way I see it is it’s very much a pay-for-play,” said one person who spoke to the legal team that investigated Epshteyn. This person described a separate incident in which Epshteyn allegedly tried to request payment for questionable consulting services, offering to connect the person with incoming administration officials relevant to their industry or lobbying firms that will be the most well-connected to the new administration. The investigator assured the person that their interaction with Epshteyn wasn’t an isolated incident. “It was like, ‘Hey, you’re not the only one,’” the person who spoke to investigators said. “He’s gone to everybody for it.” One person close to Epshteyn brushed off the notion that this was pay-for-play. “This is how Washington works,” the person said. Allies of Epshteyn described the internal review as the product of newer associates not understanding the dynamic between Trump and Epshteyn as well as a disdain for the power Epshteyn wields with the President-elect. Epshteyn was a constant presence on Trump’s plane through the end of the 2024 campaign, often insisting on being present for conversations and briefings that had nothing to do with legal matters, a source close to Trump told CNN. “Boris is a Trump original—loyal and effective from the very beginning,” a Trump transition official told CNN. “He works for President Trump, and nobody else, and has helped defeat the most vicious lawfare campaign in history. Boris has seen these petty skirmishes before, but he always perseveres.” Lobbied for Gaetz As the legal team’s investigation got underway, Epshteyn sent cease-and-desist-style messages to associates, claiming he had never demanded payment and threatening legal action, according to two people familiar with the matter. Epshteyn has long been a fixture of the president-elect’s inner circle and has been part of key meetings with Trump at Mar-a-Lago during the transition period. He is often spotted at Mar-a-Lago eating dinner with the president-elect on the patio and has sat in on several transition meetings and candidate briefings, particularly related to Trump’s choices for the Department of Justice. Sources described Epshteyn as responsible for pushing former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s name amid discussions about who Trump should pick as his attorney general. Epshteyn lobbied for Gaetz directly to Trump on a flight just hours before Gaetz was named as the pick. The former Florida congressman later withdrew after it became clear he didn’t have the votes in the Senate amid the potential disclosure of a House Ethics Committee report detailing an investigation into Gaetz, including over allegations of sexual misconduct and other alleged crimes. Confrontation with Musk Despite a seemingly more orderly and quick process than in 2016, Trump’s transition this time around is still rife with the infighting that is typically on display in Trump’s orbit, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. Sources on the transition team have expressed frustration at how many people have Trump’s ear and how quickly a day’s progress can be undone. Tensions between Epshteyn and some other members of Trump’s inner circle have escalated in recent weeks. Elon Musk, who has been by Trump’s side regularly since the election and has a growing influence on the president-elect, has questioned Epshteyn’s sway over Trump. The two also had a confrontation at Mar-a-Lago, with Musk leveling a number of accusations at Epshteyn, according to two sources familiar with the matter. This year, the Trump campaign paid Epshteyn’s firm, Georgetown Advisory, $53,500 each month for communications and legal consulting, according to campaign finance records through October, the most recent month available. Epshteyn briefly served in the first Trump administration as a special assistant to the president in 2017, but he has not been offered a formal role in the incoming administration. Epshteyn stood alongside Trump during his arraignment in his New York hush money case and traveled with him for his arraignments in Georgia and Washington, DC. Epshteyn himself faces criminal charges in a case in Arizona related to efforts to upend the results of the 2020 presidential election. He has pleaded not guilty.
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Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs leaves game because of concussionB. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new stake in HF Sinclair Co. ( NYSE:DINO – Free Report ) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 24,572 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,095,000. Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Matrix Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of HF Sinclair by 122.4% during the third quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 576 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in HF Sinclair during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in HF Sinclair during the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV boosted its holdings in shares of HF Sinclair by 82.2% in the third quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 820 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 370 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of HF Sinclair by 201.0% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,171 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 782 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.29% of the company’s stock. HF Sinclair Stock Performance Shares of DINO opened at $42.37 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $7.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.15 and a beta of 1.18. The company’s fifty day moving average is $43.64 and its 200-day moving average is $48.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. HF Sinclair Co. has a 12 month low of $38.25 and a 12 month high of $64.16. HF Sinclair Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.72%. HF Sinclair’s payout ratio is 123.46%. Insider Buying and Selling at HF Sinclair In related news, Director Franklin Myers purchased 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 1st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $38.76 per share, for a total transaction of $193,800.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 145,293 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,631,556.68. This trade represents a 3.56 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades DINO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on shares of HF Sinclair from $66.00 to $57.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on HF Sinclair from $58.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 20th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on HF Sinclair from $57.00 to $53.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 4th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of HF Sinclair from $53.00 to $50.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of HF Sinclair from $63.00 to $57.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $54.27. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on DINO HF Sinclair Company Profile ( Free Report ) HF Sinclair Corporation operates as an independent energy company. The company produces and markets gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, renewable diesel, specialty lubricant products, specialty chemicals, specialty and modified asphalt, and others. It owns and operates refineries located in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming; and markets its refined products principally in the Southwest United States and Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, and in other neighboring Plains states. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DINO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for HF Sinclair Co. ( NYSE:DINO – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for HF Sinclair Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HF Sinclair and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .AP Business SummaryBrief at 5:21 p.m. EST
The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Any Texas or Texas A&M player has heard the lore of the rivalry between the two schools, a grudge match that dates to 1894. But for more than a decade — two generations of college football players — that’s all it has been: Ghostly memories of great games and great plays made by heroes of the distant past. That changes this week when one of college football’s great rivalries is reborn. Third-ranked Texas (10-1, 6-1) and No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2) meet Saturday night for the first time since 2011, with a berth in the Southeastern Conference championship game on the line . “Guys that have been in my position and bleed burnt orange, they have not gotten to play this game,” said Texas fourth-year junior safety Michael Taaffe, who grew up in Austin. “Remember them when you step on Kyle Field.” For Aggies fans, who have carried the misery of Texas’ 27-25 win in 2011, getting the Longhorns back in front of a frenzied crowd in College Station is a chance for some serious payback. “I was born and raised an Aggie, so I’ve been dreaming about playing in this game my whole life,” Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said. RELATED COVERAGE AP Player of the Week: Devin Neal runs for 207 yards and totals 4 TDs in Kansas’ win over Colorado Auburn wins 43-41, four-OT thriller over playoff hopeful No. 15 Texas A&M No. 15 Texas A&M visits struggling Auburn with SEC title and playoff hopes on the line Zuhn played high school football in Colorado, but his parents and grandparents attended A&M. At SEC media days back in August, Zuhn said his family would turn Texas gear upside down in stores. He keeps a picture of a longhorn in his room, hanging upside down, of course. “It should be the most amazing atmosphere that I’ve ever experienced,” Zuhn said. “I can’t wait for that, and I feel bad for Texas having to play in that.” Texas players said they are ready. “That place is going to be rocking,” Texas senior cornerback Jahdae Barron said. “It’s good to go on the road and play in hostile environments.” The Longhorns have overcome big and loud road crowds before. They won at Alabama in 2023. They won at Michigan and Arkansas, another old rival, this year. The Longhorns have won 10 in a row on an opponent’s home field. “When the hate is on us, we love it. We enjoy it,” Taaffe said. But some former Texas players say the current group has faced nothing like what awaits them in College Station. Playing at Texas A&M is more than just noise and a lot of “Horns down” hand signals. The “Aggie War Hymn” fight song calls for Aggies to “Saw varsity’s horns off.” Beating Texas is their passion, said former Longhorns All-American offensive lineman Dan Neil, who won at Texas A&M in in 1995. He calls that win one of the best of his career. “I was done showering and getting ready to leave, and their fans were still standing outside the locker room screaming and throwing things,” he said. “The (Texas) players have no idea what they are walking into. They have no clue. No one on that team has walked into that stadium in burnt orange.” The rivalry broke up when Texas A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. The Aggies have twice finished tied for second but have otherwise found little success there. Texas is in its first year in the SEC and has smashed its way to the top. Texas is the only SEC team with one loss this late in the season, which would make beating Texas that much sweeter for A&M. “The hype is definitely saying it’s a rivalry. History says it’s a rivalry, but for us, it’s the football game we have this week,” Texas senior center Jake Majors said. “It’s important for us to not let the environment, the game, get the best of us. ... I get to go out there and play not only for me and my team, but for the guys who came before me, so that’s a true honor to have.” Even though the game hasn’t been played since 2011, there has always been an element of the rivalry simmering under the surface, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. Elko is in his first year as the Aggies’ coach, but he was the Texas A&M defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher from 2018-2021. “Even though it hasn’t been played, it just doesn’t feel like it’s ever really left the fabric. I really don’t think it’s as removed from the psyche as maybe it feels,” Elko said. “I think our kids are very much aware of what this is all about.” ___ Rieken reported from College Station, Texas. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballAP News Summary at 3:49 p.m. EST
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes continues to build great chemistry with his tight end — just not the one you might think. Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to Noah Gray for the second straight week as the Kansas City Chiefs held off the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday. A week after losing at Buffalo, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (10-1) maintained their position atop the AFC. Mahomes completed a 35-yard touchdown strike to Gray on the game’s opening possession and found him again for an 11-yard TD in the second quarter. Gray has four touchdown catches in the last two weeks — twice as many as nine-time Pro Bowler Travis Kelce has all season — and has become a weapon in the passing game for the Chiefs, who lost top wide receiver Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. Kelce was still a factor Sunday with a team-high six catches for 62 yards, although the four-time All-Pro looked dejected after dropping one easy pass. Kelce has 62 receptions for 507 yards this season, while Gray has 26 catches for 249 yards. But Gray's development is a good sign for the Chiefs — and he's on the same page with Mahomes. On his second TD, Gray said Mahomes “gave me the answer to the test there” before the play. Story continues below video “He told me what coverage it was pre-snap," said Gray, who had four receptions for 66 yards. “That’s just the blessing you have of playing with a quarterback like that. Offensive line did a great job blocking that up and the receivers did a great job running their routes to pop me open. Really just a group effort right there on that touchdown.” Gray said that's nothing new. “Pat’s preparation, his leadership is just something that I’m fortunate enough to play alongside,” Gray said. "I love it. It gets me motivated every time we go out there for a long drive. Having a leader like that, that prepares every single week in-and out, knows defenses, knows the game plans. “I’m just fortunate enough to play alongside a guy like that.” Mahomes completed 27 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three TDs, and he knew what to do on the second TD to Gray. “It's not just me, it's the quarterback coaches and the players, we go through certain checks you get to versus certain coverages,” Mahomes said. “I was able to see by the way they lined up they were getting into their cover-zero look. I alerted the guys to make sure they saw what I saw and I gave the check at the line of scrimmage.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” What's working Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. What needs help KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. Stock up CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Stock down Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. Injuries The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. Key number 75% — Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. Next steps There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflColts defense picks up the pace as offense continues searching for answers to red zone woes
Florida surgeon general’s fluoride guidance risks children’s health, experts sayNone