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COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people convicted in the slayings of police and military officers, as well as federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner, Bryan Hurst, was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the killer's execution "would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House. But Hurst’s widow, Marissa Gibson, called Biden's move distressing and a "complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system,” in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch . Tim Timmerman, whose daughter, Rachel, was thrown into a Michigan lake in 1997 to keep her from testifying in a rape trial, said Biden's decision to commute the killer's sentence offered families “only pain.” "Where’s the justice in just giving him a prison bed to die comfortably in?” Timmerman said on WOOD-TV. Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a 2017 South Carolina bank robbery, called the commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post. “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” Corey Groves, whose mother, Kim Groves, was murdered in a 1994 plot by a New Orleans police officer after she filed a complaint against him, said the family has been living with the “nightmare” of her killer for three decades. “I have always wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison and have to wake up every morning and think about what he did when he took our mother from us," Groves said in a statement through his attorney. Families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church have long had a broad range of opinions on Roof's punishment. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Risher, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out federal death row. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Risher said in a statement. Risher, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, said during a Zoom news conference that families “are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come.” Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director, said Biden was giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of their political motivations to kill. “When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden has shown "the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” But Ed Dowd Jr., the U.S. attorney in St. Louis at the time of the robbery and now a private attorney, criticized Biden's move. “This case was a message to people who wanted to go out and shoot people for the hell of it, that you’re going to get the death penalty,” Dowd said. Now, "Biden is sending a message that you can do whatever you want and you won’t get the death penalty.” This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rev. Sharon Risher's name. Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri; Stephen Smith in New Orleans, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed.NEW YORK (AP) — The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York in an interview Thursday that investigators have uncovered evidence that Luigi Mangione had prior knowledge UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York City. Mangione also mentioned the company in a note found in his possession when he was detained by police in Pennsylvania. “We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So that’s possibly why he targeted that company,” said Kenny. UnitedHealthcare is in the top 20 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization but is not the fifth largest. It is the largest U.S. health insurer. Mangione remains jailed without bail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday after being spotted at a McDonald's in the city of Altoona, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City. His lawyer there, Thomas Dickey, has said Mangione intends to plead not guilty. Dickey also said he has yet to see evidence decisively linking his client to the crime. Mangione's arrest came five days after the caught-on-camera killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. Police say the shooter waited outside the hotel, where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, early on the morning of Dec. 4. He approached Thompson from behind and shot him before fleeing on a bicycle through Central Park. Mangione is fighting attempts to extradite him back to New York so that he can face a murder charge in Thompson's killing. A hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 30. The 26-year-old, who police say was found with a “ ghost gun ” matching shell casings found at the site of the shooting, is charged in Pennsylvania with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Mangione is an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family. In posts on social media, Mangione wrote about experiencing severe chronic back pain before undergoing a spinal fusion surgery in 2023. Afterward, he posted that the operation had been a success and that his pain had improved and mobility returned. He urged others to consider the same type of surgery. On Wednesday, police said investigators are looking at his writings about his health problems and his criticism of corporate America and the U.S. health care system . Kenny said in the NBC interview that Mangione's family reported him missing to San Francisco authorities in November.Vladimir Putin has vowed to launch more strikes using an experimental intermediate-range ballistic missile as Ukraine decried the testing of the nuclear-capable weapon on its territory as an “international crime”. Speaking at a defence conference on Friday, Putin contested US claims that Russia possessed only a “handful” of the high-speed ballistic missiles, saying that the military had enough to continue to test them in “combat conditions”. “The tests [of the missile system] have passed successfully, and I congratulate you all on that,” Putin said, according to the Interfax news agency. “As has been said already, we’ll be continuing these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and nature of threats being posed to Russia’s security, especially considering that we have enough of such items, such systems ready for use in stock.” At the same conference, the Russian strategic missile forces commander Sergei Karakayev said that the missiles could strike targets throughout Europe . “Depending on the objectives and the range of this weapon, it can strike targets on the entire territory of Europe, which sets it apart from other types of long-range precision-guided weapons,” Karakayev said. Russia launched the experimental missile, which US officials described as a modified design based on Russia’s longer-range RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile, against a rocket factory in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Both Vladimir Putin and US officials have said the missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. US officials have decried Putin’s use of a nuclear-capable warhead but denied that it is a “gamechanger” in the war between Russia and Ukraine , adding that Russia possessed just a handful of the missiles, which its military has named Oreshnik, or Hazel. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia’s use of an experimental ballistic missile in a strike on Ukraine an “international crime” as he appealed on Friday to countries around the world including the global south to condemn Russia’s latest escalation. In an address on social media, Zelenskyy said he had already directed his defence minister to hold consultations with allies to secure new air defence systems that could “protect lives from the new risks” of the intermediate-range missiles. “Using another country not just for terror but also to test new weapons for terror is clearly an international crime,” the Ukrainian president said. Nato and Ukraine will hold emergency talks on Tuesday to discuss the attack. The conflict is “entering a decisive phase”, the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, said on Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions”. Ukraine’s parliament cancelled a session as security was tightened after Thursday’s Russian strike on the military facility in Dnipro. Aside from western partners, Zelenskyy called on China and members of the global south, to condemn the strike, saying that the leaders “call for restraint every time, and in response they invariably receive some new escalation from Moscow”. China and Brazil have proposed a joint “peace plan” that Ukraine has said only emboldens Russia by providing diplomatic cover for the continued assault on Ukraine.

President-elect Donald Trump has raised significant concerns about the increasing role of automation in U.S. workplaces, particularly its impact on job security for workers. In a candid post on Truth Social, Trump addressed the issue following a meeting with International Longshoremen's Association leaders, including President Harold Daggett. Trump argued that while automation may offer cost savings, these benefits do not outweigh the detrimental effects on workers, highlighting the vulnerability of longshoremen to technological advancements. (With inputs from agencies.)NeueHealth to Be Taken Private by NEA and Consortium of Investors

NEW YORK , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Council for Autism Service Providers (CASP) honored ABA Centers, the nation's fastest growing autism care provider, by partnering to ring the iconic Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange together. Lorri Unumb , Chief Executive Officer of CASP; Christopher Barnett , Founder & Chairman of ABA Centers; and his daughter, Madison Mulvey , were the official bell ringers during the 1 pm ceremony, marking an early close of the markets in preparation for the upcoming Christmas holiday. ABA Centers was founded as a testament to a father's love for his daughter, sparked from Mr. Barnett's personal experience attempting to acquire a diagnosis and then quality care for his own child, Ms. Mulvey, who spent years dealing with a misdiagnosis and missing out on the proper treatment that she desperately needed. What Mr. Barnett experienced as the parent of a child on the spectrum – the inadequacies, the lack of services available, and the long wait lists within the autism care system – were simply unacceptable. As a longtime healthcare entrepreneur, Mr. Barnett recognized that he already harnessed the infrastructure to effectuate real change within the autism care industry, so he set out to create a mission-driven organization, where every employee throughout the corporate and clinical teams is dedicated to making a lasting impact in the lives of autistic children and their families. "I hope that the sound waves of this bell ringing transcend the trading floor and serve as a rally call for quick, compassionate, and top quality autism care across our country," remarked Mr. Barnett. "Seeing CASP and ABA Centers on the New York Stock Exchange podium should encourage other decision makers and deal makers alike to find ways in which they can positively impact the autism care industry further because there are millions of children currently languishing on wait lists and missing out on the autism care that they deserve during the most crucial times." In 2024, ABA Centers achieved the following monumental milestones, which served to amplify its commitment to providing every kid in the country with world class autism care: "For mission-driven organizations like CASP and ABA Centers, this bell ringing ceremony offers a platform to amplify our message and highlight the importance of autism care, as well as the challenges faced by the autism community, to a robust and influential audience," stated Mrs. Unumb. Mrs. Unumb and Mr. Barnett were joined on the bell ringing podium by the C-suite of ABA Centers: Jason Barker ; Joseph Heilner ; Kristy Johnson ; Quatiba Davis; Michael Holohan ; Michael Holzum ; Michael Holzum, Jr. ; and Ted Bender ; members of The Christopher M. Barnett Family Foundation: Julie Barnett , Kaitlyn Mulvey , Madison Mulvey , and Kennedy Mulvey ; and Dan Unumb of the Autism Legal Resource Center. About ABA Centers ABA Centers provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy services to children with autism spectrum disorder through a play-based approach rooted in positive reinforcement. The company was designed to disrupt the autism care industry by demolishing wait times traditionally experienced by those in search of a diagnosis or treatment. Its strategically designed behavioral care centers offer the greatest opportunity for growth to young clients and their families. In-home and in-school therapy services are also available to deliver the most impactful continuum of care and to best meet each client's specific needs. In 2024, ABA Centers was named the No. 5 fastest growing private company in America on the Inc. 5000. More information can be found at www.abacenters.com . About the Council of Autism Service Providers Founded in 2016, the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) is a non-profit trade association of over 380 autism service provider organizations from all 50 states and multiple countries. It supports members by cultivating, sharing, and advocating for best practices in autism services. From developing clinical practice guidelines for applied behavior analysis to educating legislators about good policy, CASP works every day to ensure individuals with autism receive quality care. Learn more at www.CASProviders.org . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-council-of-autism-service-providers-and-aba-centers-partner-to-ring-closing-bell-at-the-new-york-stock-exchange-302337682.html SOURCE ABA Centers

NEW YORK , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Council for Autism Service Providers (CASP) honored ABA Centers, the nation's fastest growing autism care provider, by partnering to ring the iconic Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange together. Lorri Unumb , Chief Executive Officer of CASP; Christopher Barnett , Founder & Chairman of ABA Centers; and his daughter, Madison Mulvey , were the official bell ringers during the 1 pm ceremony, marking an early close of the markets in preparation for the upcoming Christmas holiday. ABA Centers was founded as a testament to a father's love for his daughter, sparked from Mr. Barnett's personal experience attempting to acquire a diagnosis and then quality care for his own child, Ms. Mulvey, who spent years dealing with a misdiagnosis and missing out on the proper treatment that she desperately needed. What Mr. Barnett experienced as the parent of a child on the spectrum – the inadequacies, the lack of services available, and the long wait lists within the autism care system – were simply unacceptable. As a longtime healthcare entrepreneur, Mr. Barnett recognized that he already harnessed the infrastructure to effectuate real change within the autism care industry, so he set out to create a mission-driven organization, where every employee throughout the corporate and clinical teams is dedicated to making a lasting impact in the lives of autistic children and their families. "I hope that the sound waves of this bell ringing transcend the trading floor and serve as a rally call for quick, compassionate, and top quality autism care across our country," remarked Mr. Barnett. "Seeing CASP and ABA Centers on the New York Stock Exchange podium should encourage other decision makers and deal makers alike to find ways in which they can positively impact the autism care industry further because there are millions of children currently languishing on wait lists and missing out on the autism care that they deserve during the most crucial times." In 2024, ABA Centers achieved the following monumental milestones, which served to amplify its commitment to providing every kid in the country with world class autism care: "For mission-driven organizations like CASP and ABA Centers, this bell ringing ceremony offers a platform to amplify our message and highlight the importance of autism care, as well as the challenges faced by the autism community, to a robust and influential audience," stated Mrs. Unumb. Mrs. Unumb and Mr. Barnett were joined on the bell ringing podium by the C-suite of ABA Centers: Jason Barker ; Joseph Heilner ; Kristy Johnson ; Quatiba Davis; Michael Holohan ; Michael Holzum ; Michael Holzum, Jr. ; and Ted Bender ; members of The Christopher M. Barnett Family Foundation: Julie Barnett , Kaitlyn Mulvey , Madison Mulvey , and Kennedy Mulvey ; and Dan Unumb of the Autism Legal Resource Center. About ABA Centers ABA Centers provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy services to children with autism spectrum disorder through a play-based approach rooted in positive reinforcement. The company was designed to disrupt the autism care industry by demolishing wait times traditionally experienced by those in search of a diagnosis or treatment. Its strategically designed behavioral care centers offer the greatest opportunity for growth to young clients and their families. In-home and in-school therapy services are also available to deliver the most impactful continuum of care and to best meet each client's specific needs. In 2024, ABA Centers was named the No. 5 fastest growing private company in America on the Inc. 5000. More information can be found at www.abacenters.com . About the Council of Autism Service Providers Founded in 2016, the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) is a non-profit trade association of over 380 autism service provider organizations from all 50 states and multiple countries. It supports members by cultivating, sharing, and advocating for best practices in autism services. From developing clinical practice guidelines for applied behavior analysis to educating legislators about good policy, CASP works every day to ensure individuals with autism receive quality care. Learn more at www.CASProviders.org . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-council-of-autism-service-providers-and-aba-centers-partner-to-ring-closing-bell-at-the-new-york-stock-exchange-302337682.html SOURCE ABA CentersQ&A: Colorectal cancer patients are getting younger. Early screenings can help

Cleantek Industries Inc. Announces Debt RetirementTrump says automation causes more harm to longshoremen than it's worth

Common Council chief of staff nominated to replace April Baskin in Erie County Legislature

Article content Every Christmas, John Tavares thinks of Ottawa. The last days of 2008, to be specific, and the first few of 2009. It soon will be 16 years since Tavares helped lead Canada to a gold medal at the world junior hockey championship, a triumph that was marked by Jordan Eberle’s stunning tying goal against Russia in the semifinals and Canada’s 5-1 romp over Sweden for gold. Tavares, whose work along the boards helped led to the goal by Eberle, was second in tournament scoring with 15 points, one behind Canada teammate Cody Hodgson, and was named most valuable player in the event. That came a year after Tavares helped Canada win world-junior gold in the Czech Republic. “I remember the atmosphere in Ottawa was absolutely tremendous,” Tavares told the Toronto Sun before the Maple Leafs began their three-day Christmas break. “A few games were pretty remarkable in how they unfolded. And that’s what makes the world junior great, is the unpredictability, the type of atmosphere, especially when it’s played in Canada. “Classics — it’s amazing how many classic hockey games have been played in those circumstances with what’s at stake.” Canada’s games in Group A at the 2025 world junior in Ottawa get underway on Thursday against Finland. Next comes Latvia on Friday and Germany on Sunday before Canada meets its arch-rival on New Year’s Eve, the United States, at 8 p.m. Tavares, naturally, will be paying close attention to what Easton Cowan does for Canada. Cowan and Czech forward Miroslav Holinka, a fifth-round pick by Toronto in 2024, are the lone Leafs prospects taking part in Ottawa. Holinka, a centre, has 21 points in 23 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League. Cowan is riding a 56-game point streak with the London Knights and as a returning player on the national team, will be expected to help carry much of the load on offence. It’s his second attempt at world-junior gold, as he was on the Canadian team last year that lost to the Czechs in the quarterfinals in Sweden. “It’s incredible talent, young players who are going through a lot and taking the next step,” Tavares said. “Wishing him nothing but the best. “I know my boys (sons Jace and Axton) will be really excited to watch the tournament and excited for him as they got to know him a little bit during the summer. We’re thrilled and really hope they bring home gold.” The majority of Leafs on the current roster participated in the world junior, and their experiences run a full range. Max Domi played a major role in Canada’s win in Toronto in 2015 and was named the top forward in the tournament in after he had 10 points in 11 games. A year later in Helsinki, Auston Matthews tied for the U.S. scoring lead with Matthew Tkachuk with 11 points each and was named to the tournament all-star team. Oddly, Matthews didn’t have a point in the bronze-medal game, despite the Americans’ 8-3 domination against Sweden. William Nylander suffered an upper-body injury for Sweden that year and played in just one game. Mitch Marner wouldn’t have fond memories of the 2016 event either, as Canada finished sixth after losing to Finland in the quarterfinals. The future Leafs superstar tied with Dylan Strome for the Canada scoring lead with six points each. Morgan Rielly was on the 2013 team that finished fourth in Ufa, Russia, a disappointing end for Canada considering National Hockey League players were locked out and countries had all junior-aged players available. The outcome was a lot more enjoyable for Jake McCabe, who was the captain of the U.S. team that beat Sweden for the gold medal. McCabe was named to the tournament all-star team. Joseph Woll was the backup on the 2017 U.S. team that beat Canada in the gold-medal final in a shootout in Montreal; a year later in Buffalo, Conor Timmins was on the ice for all three of Canada’s goals in a 3-1 win against Sweden in the gold-medal game. For Tavares, the chance to play for Pat Quinn in 2009 in Ottawa was a career highlight. Quinn, who passed away in 2014, coached Canada’s under-18 team to gold the year before he was named coach of the national junior team. “I grew up watching him coach the Leafs and then I got to have him as a coach in that stage and that event, and he was fantastic,” Tavares said. “It was amazing the way he kept us all under control, he was level-headed and he had a great sense of humour as well. I always remember that about him. “At that age, to have someone so accomplished as a player and as a coach, someone you looked up to, I’m very grateful for that experience with him.” If Tavares gets a chance to send a text of encouragement to Cowan, it sounded like he would know what he would say to the 19-year-old about the opportunity to play in Canada in the world junior. “Enjoy each and every second of it,” Tavares said. “It’s a great tradition we have in Canada and how much we love the tournament, the way people take to it. “I can only imagine — well, I know what it’s like — and I’m excited for those guys just because it’s a really special event and to do it on home soil is even better.” tkoshan@postmedia.com X: @koshtorontosun

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By Lisa Baertlein and Eric Beech LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to back the anti-automation stance of some 45,000 union dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, whose labor talks are at an impasse over that polarizing issue. The ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group are facing a Jan. 15 deadline to finalize talks, which stalled over automation. That cutoff comes just five days before Trump's inauguration. The ILA says automation kills jobs while employers say it is necessary to keep U.S. ports competitive in a rapidly changing global economy. "The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen," Trump said of automation projects in a post on Truth Social. That message followed a meeting with Harold Daggett, who leads the International Longshoremen's Association union that represents the port workers, Trump said. The union and employers agreed to end a three-day strike on Oct. 3 after the union won a 62% wage hike over six years with significant involvement by the White House and other officials from President Joe Biden's administration. Employers, which include the U.S. operations of Switzerland's Mediterranean Shipping Company, Denmark's Maersk and China's COSCO Shipping, have been booking record profits in part due to access to U.S. markets, Trump said on Thursday. "I'd rather these foreign companies spend it on the great men and women on our docks, than machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced," Trump said. ILA President Daggett thanked Trump for his support in a separate message in which union Vice President Dennis Daggett also said he hoped Trump's message would encourage USMX to remove any language on automated or semi-automated equipment in their proposals moving forward. "It's clear President-elect Trump, USMX, and the ILA all share the goal of protecting and adding good-paying American jobs at our ports," USMX said in a statement. "We need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains," the employers said, adding that dockworkers make more money when seaports handle more goods. (Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Jasper Ward, Bill Berkrot and Michael Perry)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The guy on the Philly sports talk radio station had something to say, and he started to vent about the perceived between star quarterback Jalen Hurts and standout wide receiver A.J. Brown. Why weren’t these two Pro Bowl Eagles on the same page? Why had their personal and professional relationship changed even with Philadelphia enjoying tremendous success? It was football gossip usually ripe for a hot-take host or fed-up fan to stir up on the air — only in this instance, the temperature check came from inside the locker room. Normally respected team leader Brandon Graham, who is sidelined with a triceps injury, noted in a radio appearance that “ ” between Hurts and Brown in the wake of a in last week’s win over Carolina. An apologetic Graham walked back his comments. Hurts and Brown both insisted their relationship was cool in front of media hordes more appropriate for the Super Bowl. As for the rest of the Eagles, they were ready to squash the so-called controversy. “We are moving on,” offensive lineman and Jordan Mailata said. “It is the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. Not the A.J. Brown and Jalen Show. It is the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s it.” Oh yeah, the Steelers! Lost in the brouhaha ignited in a Philly sports bar is the fact that sitting — and winning — on the western side of Pennsylvania are the Steelers (10-3). Unlike most matchups in series history, this one Sunday at the Linc comes with the tantalizing appeal of a potential Super Bowl preview. The Steelers have won seven of eight, and the Eagles (11-2) have won nine straight and could clinch the NFC East with a win and a Washington loss or tie. It's the first time the teams — among the original eight NFL teams — will play each other when they both have a double-digit win total. Both teams are in strong position for a playoff run — the Eagles led by and his pursuit of Eric Dickerson's NFL season rushing record; Russell Wilson and the atop the AFC North in large part thanks to six wins against teams that currently have losing records. “I do like playing really good people, I think there's growth in it,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “You've got to get the job done. But man, I think there's significant growth in pitting your collective talents and skills versus big-time opponents and they're certainly that.” Will the drama out of Philly this week affect the Eagles? They certainly don't think so and neither do the oddsmakers — the Eagles are 5 1/2-point favorites, per BetMGM. “What I’ve noticed about this football team is they’re so locked in and determined to get better each day,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “We don’t really want anyone else talking to us about anything other than the Pittsburgh Steelers.” Good luck with that, Coach. Maybe playing the Steelers on Sunday at home can snap the Eagles out of their offensive malaise. Hurts threw three TD passes to Brown in a 35-13 win in 2022. Barkley watch Barkley in rushing with 1,623 yards, 216 yards ahead of Baltimore’s Derrick Henry. He is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace, and with one more game to play than Dickerson had, he would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. Barkley is on pace for 2,122 yards, which would put him just 17 yards beyond Dickerson’s 2,105 in 1984. Barkley doesn’t need much of a reminder from his 2020 performance when, while playing for the New York Giants, he ran into a Pittsburgh defense that seemed reminiscent of its famed Steel Curtain. The Steelers held Barkley to 6 yards on 15 carries. Bye, George The Steelers will have to find a way forward against the NFL’s toughest defense without wide receiver George Pickens, who will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Pittsburgh survived last week against Cleveland, with Mike Williams and Scotty Miller — afterthoughts of late — coming off the bench to make an impact. While Tomlin believes “the strength of the pack is the pack,” the reality is the Steelers don’t have anyone who can stretch the field like Pickens, who leads the team in receptions (55) and yards (850) by a wide margin. It’s a challenge, but considering the way Wilson has spread the ball around — eight players caught passes against the Browns — he won’t lack for options. “Everybody in the receiver room has a different skill set, different strengths,” Calvin Austin III said. “The coaching staff knows that and they know how to put us in position to be able to show that.” Playoff preview The cross-state trip to Philadelphia, where the Steelers haven’t won in nearly 60 years, is the start of an 11-day stretch in which Pittsburgh faces three teams likely bound for the playoffs. While Tomlin is leaning into the “nameless, gray faces” mantra he uses for every opponent, his players know facing the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs in such a short period is a litmus test for what’s to come in January. “That’s why I’m in the league, period,” linebacker Patrick Queen said. “When you sign up to play football, you want to play at the highest level. ... I love to play the game the right way. I think these next few games is going to show that and it starts with the Eagles.” ___ AP NFL: Dan Gelston, The Associated PressStocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda’s U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Major stock indexes rose on Wall Street in afternoon trading Monday, after a choppy start to a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average recovered from an early slide to gain 29 points, or 0.1% as of 3:40 p.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 0.8%. Gains in technology and communications stocks helped outweigh losses in consumer goods companies and elsewhere in the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 3.3%. Broadcom climbed 5.5% to also help support the broader market. Walmart fell 2% and PepsiCo slid 1.2%. Japanese automakers Honda Motor and Nissan said they are talking about combining in a deal that might also include Mitsubishi Motors. U.S.-listed shares in Honda jumped 13.4%, while Nissan slipped 0.2%. Eli Lilly rose 3.5% after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first and only prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Department store Nordstrom fell 1.6% after it agreed to be taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. The Conference Board said that consumer confidence slipped in December. Its consumer confidence index fell back to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Wall Street was expecting a reading of 113.8. The unexpectedly weak consumer confidence update follows several generally strong economic reports last week. One report showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The latest report on unemployment benefit applications showed that the job market remains solid. A report on Friday said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than economists expected. Worries about inflation edging higher again had been weighing on Wall Street and the Fed. The central bank just delivered its third cut to interest rates this year, but inflation has been hovering stubbornly above its target of 2%. It has signaled that it could deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than it earlier anticipated because of concerns over inflation. Expectations for more interest rate cuts have helped drive a roughly 25% gain for the S&P 500 in 2024. That drive included 57 all-time highs this year. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market's path ahead and shifting economic policies under an incoming President Donald Trump. "Put simply, much of the strong market performance prior to last week was driven by expectations that a best-case scenario was the base case for 2025," said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.59% from 4.53% late Friday. European markets were mostly lower, while markets in Asia gained ground. Wall Street has several other economic reports to look forward to this week. On Tuesday, the U.S. will release its November report for sales of newly constructed homes. A weekly update on unemployment benefits is expected on Thursday. Markets in the U.S. will close at 1 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday for Christmas Eve and will remain closed on Wednesday for Christmas. Damian J. Troise And Alex Veiga, The Associated Press