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LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Ryan Poles, the general manager of the Chicago Bears , sat silently on the podium. For nearly 8 1/2 minutes, he didn’t say a word. Poles wasn’t being stoic, he was just being Bigfooted by his boss, president/CEO Kevin Warren, who began Monday’s “We fired Matt Eberflus three days ago” news conference with a lengthy monologue that let everyone know he’s in charge. Advertisement As Bears chairman George McCaskey watched, Warren talked and talked and Poles sat there, looking smaller than his listed height of 6-foot-4. He looked miserable and you would have too. Beyond the awkwardness of it, the reason we were gathered together was because the Bears had failed in historic fashion under Poles’ stewardship. What’s there to smile about? President and CEO Kevin Warren and GM Ryan Poles are speaking with the media https://t.co/QDLNv46kCW — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 2, 2024 In the long, winding history of the Bears, a head coach had never been fired during the season until Friday. Not Jim Dooley or Abe Gibron or Dave Wannstedt or Marc Trestman or Matt Nagy. But Eberflus, who came in together with Poles in 2022, was so bad at obvious late-game coaching situations that he had to be let go the day after Thanksgiving, as Bears players and fans were still full of turkey and bile. It was absolutely necessary to break with precedent there, and it was not only a good move for the organization’s future, but the timing allowed Poles to get a head start on finding the right guy to fill Eberflus’ empty sweatsuit. Because if Poles doesn’t get this right, there will be a news conference explaining his firing in a couple of years and he won’t be around to talk at all. GO DEEPER The Bears finally fired Matt Eberflus. But he lost the locker room long ago In the final episode of “Hard Knocks” — which should be rewatched like the Blair Witch Project — Poles famously said, “It’s time to win.” Of course, at his introductory press conference, he also said “We’re going to take the (NFC) North and never give it back.” You know what, maybe he shouldn’t talk. Thursday’s loss in Detroit pushed the Bears’ division record under Eberflus to 2-13 with three NFC North games left this season. The 2024 team was 4-2 at the bye and is now 4-8 with five to play under interim coach Thomas Brown. If they win twice, I’ll be shocked. Brown, who had just replaced Shane Waldron as the offensive coordinator, is now auditioning for the full-time job as head coach. He spoke Monday and you can see why everyone likes him so much. He’s confident, funny and comfortable in his own skin. But as decent as the offense has looked in recent weeks, it hasn’t resulted in enough points and obviously in zero victories. Brown should get an interview, but at this stage, that’s about it. On one hand, I could see the Bears doing the lazy thing, hiring him and trumpeting it as finding “our Mike Tomlin.” But Warren seems to have higher expectations than promoting from within or hiring the defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts . “This will be the most coveted job in the National Football League this year,” he said. I do like his confidence. But if that were true, most of the reasoning has to do with quarterback Caleb Williams , who has shown great promise through a trying rookie season. Is it true? I think a lot of coaches would be happy with the job and certainly, every coach’s agent will want his clients mentioned with the job, but there will be those who would rather go elsewhere. Especially if they’ve been paying attention. “Bears head coach” has the longevity of a Major League Baseball hitting coach, which is to say you’ll last a few years and then get blamed for everything. Advertisement The perfect coach would have to be enamored with Williams (unlike Nagy and Mitch Trubisky ) and confident that Poles has staying power as the GM. In fact, they’d have to be confident that Poles can do this job. Sure, he can fleece the Carolina Panthers , but what else has he really done? To me, this seems more like another Bears-created mismatch scenario than a sunshine-and-touchdowns job opportunity, but maybe I’ve just covered this team too long to be able to think optimistically. One reason I’m skeptical is Warren, who made it clear he’ll have a major voice on this move. Warren was hired in January and the focus of his job was to get the team’s new stadium situation in order, and that hasn’t happened. The Bears own land in Arlington Heights and Warren seems dead-set on keeping the team in the city, despite several hurdles. I guess it’s a lot easier (and more fun) to hire a new coach than figure out where to put a stadium and how to pay for it. But Warren wakes up before the rooster crows, so he’ll have enough time to be heavily involved in both searches that will determine the future of this franchise. “As Ryan said, these next five to six weeks are critical,” Warren said. “And you hate saying that decisions are going to set the trajectory of the franchise over the next 10 to 15 to 20 years, this is one that will.” Whether or not you think Poles has done a good job so far, I think he should have the opportunity to hire his next head coach by himself, just by virtue of his job title. Maybe he’ll screw it up again, but at least it won’t be a shotgun wedding like the last time around. GO DEEPER Who could be the Bears' next head coach? Here are 15 potential candidates In his opening statement, and in his answers to follow-up questions, Warren said he will be much more than a sounding board. Poles will be “the point person” but he’ll be very involved. “Now we will work in tandem,” Warren said. “We will work closely. We will together on a daily basis to make sure that we bring the best person to the Chicago Bears as our permanent head football coach. You have our word on that. It will be an exhaustive search. It will be organized. It will be diligent. We will do it the right way.” Advertisement When Warren was asked who has the “final say” in the hire, he responded: “One of the things, again, we’re focused on, is ‘final say’ is doing what’s right for the best interest of the Chicago Bears,” he said. “So I’m confident. I’ve never been concerned about final say or whatever. Ryan, he’s general manager, he leads our football operation, he’ll serve as the point person. We will be in contact, just like we were over the last 72 hours. We will spend multiple hours a day until we make this hire. So from a final say standpoint, I mean, ultimately, he’s the general manager, but I think in working together it’ll be very clear who’s the right person for the Chicago Bears.” I pointed out to Warren that they might have different opinions on, say, two finalists. Someone has to make the call. Who does it? “We’ll work that out,” he said. “Ryan is the general manager. He’s the head of football operations, so he will have the final say if it ever got to that point, but I’m confident that we will work through it because the good thing about it is so long as we keep the center of our decisions what’s in the best interest of the Chicago Bears, our players, as we go forward, it will become clear as far as who is the person to lead this franchise from a football standpoint, from a coaching standpoint.” Not exactly an inspiring answer for Poles, who was hired two years before Warren came over from the Big Ten Conference. Who wants to have their boss lording over you for a decision that only you will be held accountable for? Poles said they haven’t figured out who else will be involved with the hire, but he did use the term “think tank,” which is the first time anyone has associated those words with Halas Hall in a non-derisive way. Never forget, it was a Bears hiring committee that interviewed Bruce Arians and Trestman and picked Trestman. But that’s all history, right? Advertisement “Let’s put the past in the past,” Warren said. “Let’s start today and go forward and work together because I don’t want to burn any energy on what has happened in the past. We can learn from it. We all know that we can do better and we will do better.” You know, I think we’ve heard that before up in Lake Forest. “We will get this right and we’ll be sitting up here in the future,” Warren said. “We’ll look back on to this day and say this was the (starting point) ... to build the franchise that all of us know that we want to build.” I think we’ve heard that up here too. But as Warren noted, the past can teach you a lot. He’d be wise to listen. Because at Halas Hall, the past keeps repeating itself and the only thing that changes are the names. Required reading (Top photo of Ryan Poles listening as Kevin Warren speaks: Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)Novarad's VisAR Augmented Reality Navigation System Assists in Successful Tumor Resection ...

Analysis: Protecting QBs from violent late hits like the one that leveled Trevor Lawrence isn't easy

NoneVan Nistelrooy’s first game in charge ended with a 3-1 win over West Ham, thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy, Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka. The Dutchman, who was out of work for just two weeks following his four-game spell as Manchester United interim boss, only started on Sunday so was happy to end a hectic three days in style. “It has been very busy getting to know everyone, start working together,” he said. “Everybody was involved with that and helping, it was busy, long days, but worth it. I was focused on the game and what the game needed, the subs, the half-time talk, so focused on the moment, so I am going to get myself a little beer and reflect on the last three days.” He endured a dream start as Vardy scored after just 98 seconds with El Khannouss and Daka adding second-half goals. It was by no means one-way traffic, though, as West Ham – who scored a consolation through Niclas Fullkrug at the death – had 30 shots on goal. But Van Nistelrooy saw enough to think he can deliver on his objective of keeping the Foxes in the Premier League. “I am very happy, if you look at the result – and it is about the result – it was a great night, three points, three good goals and also very effective. Ruud at the wheel 🛞 pic.twitter.com/eVgIwWAcYw — Leicester City (@LCFC) December 3, 2024 “Overall the game of course we have seen and how dominant West Ham were at certain stages and what they created, that is a fact and something we have to look at. “Overall, what I expected of the players going forward was togetherness and hunger, energy and spirit in this team that is fighting for every inch. “Eleven players on the pitch who are fighting as a foundation to play the rest of the Premier League. I saw that completely with every single player that started and came on. “That’s the foundation we have to build on, without that it will be impossible to get where we want to go. I am very happy about that.” West Ham’s hierarchy will have seen what impact a managerial change can have as the jury remains out on Julen Lopetegui, with away fans making their feelings clear by chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning”. Lopetegui expects to keep his job but forthcoming games against his former club Wolves, Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton could determine the Spaniard’s future. “The only thing that I am worried about is to go to training session tomorrow and stand up the players and prepare the next challenge,” he said. “We have one month of December with a lot of matches and I am sure with this attitude we are going to achieve many more points. “I believe in the players. I am confident that tomorrow we are going to be ready to prepare the next match. “Understanding the question, but at the end of the season maybe we talk in another way. There are a lot of matches and points, a lot of things can happen. “I believe in these players and team, I am sure the position is going to be much better. They are only words but we have to work a lot to achieve this.”Zevgolis rules the roost in Bulawayo

No one wants to see any player take a vicious hit like the one that knocked Trevor Lawrence out of the game. It’s easy to agree on that point. Eliminating violent shots is the hard part. The NFL has instituted several rules to protect quarterbacks but football is a physical sport and players have to react instantly and make split-second decisions going at high speeds so injuries keep occurring. Lawrence was carted off the field in the first half of Jacksonville’s 23-20 loss to Houston on Sunday after Azeez Al-Shaair leveled the defenseless quarterback with a forearm to the facemask. The late hit put Lawrence in the fencing position — both fists clenched — and he stayed on the ground for several minutes, while a brawl ensued. Lawrence didn’t require hospitalization for his concussion but it’s unknown when he’ll return. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out/been praying for me,” Lawrence wrote on X. “I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all.” Al-Shaair was ejected from the game and faces a fine and potential suspension after his latest unsportsmanlike penalty. The Texans' linebacker was flagged and later fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Titans running back Tony Pollard last week. He was fined earlier this year after he punched Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline in Week 2. That occurred during a scuffle that started after his hard shot on quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline that wasn’t flagged. Al-Shaair once got away with grabbing Tom Brady by the throat on a pass rush in a game between the 49ers and Buccaneers. Outraged Jaguars players called Al-Shaair’s hit “dirty” and Texans coach DeMeco Ryans made it known he didn’t condone it. “It’s not what we’re coaching,” Ryans said. “Want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team, get a penalty there. Have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down. Unfortunate play. Not representative of who Azeez is. He’s a smart player, really great leader for us. We felt his presence not being there. His loss really affected us on the defensive side. Just not what we’re coaching. Didn’t want to see the melee and all the aftermath. That’s not what we’re about. Not representative of us. I’ll talk to Azeez, address him personally, and we’ll move forward from it.” Fox Sports color analyst Daryl Johnston, a former fullback for the Dallas Cowboys, didn’t hold back his criticism, calling it a “cheap shot.” “It’s everything you’re not supposed to do,” Johnston said. “Everything. You’ll see this in slow motion and Azeez Al-Shaair does everything you’re trying to prevent in this situation. It’s reckless. It’s disrespectful. There’s an honor that you give to your opponent on the football field and you respect him. And there’s opportunities to be physical and give big hits and play this game in that manner. And there’s other times when there’s a respect that you grant to your opponent.” Some former NFL quarterbacks blasted Al-Shaair on social media. “There is no place in the game of football for dirty hits like this one,” Robert Griffin III wrote on X. Chase Daniel called it “one of the dirtiest hits” he’s ever seen on a quarterback. Even defensive players struggled to defend Al-Shaair. “That was uncalled for,” Hall of Fame defensive lineman Michael Strahan said on Fox’s studio show while fellow Hall of Famer Howie Long agreed. But the play also sparked debate about the quarterback slide. Lawrence slid feet first, which signals that he’s giving himself up on the play. The NFL rulebook states: “A defender must pull up when a runner begins a feet-first slide.” But defensive players aren’t automatically penalized if they make contact with a sliding quarterback if they already committed and the contact is unavoidable. The rules state it’s a foul when “the defender makes forcible contact into the head or neck area of the runner with the helmet, shoulder, or forearm, or commits some other act that is unnecessary roughness.” Al-Shaair did that so he was penalized and will face other repercussions. Still, given the hard-hitting nature of the sport, it won’t be the last time this happens.An artists drawing of an 80,000-square-foot building planned to be built adjacent to Maine Grains on Court Street in Skowhegan. The company has secured grants this year to support its purchase of new equipment that the company says will build its production capacity and reuse byproducts. Courtesy of Maine Grains SKOWHEGAN — Maine Grains has secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants this year to support its purchase of a new equipment line that the company says will build its production capacity and reuse byproducts. The grain manufacturer, which operates its grist mill at the former county jail on Court Street, has received funding from three grants this year that total $700,000, the company said in a news release Monday. All three sources of funding are expected to be used toward the purchase of a German-made “specialized cereal extrusion equipment line,” which will be housed in an 80,000-square-foot building planned on the lot adjacent to the former jail. “We are honored to play a role in restoring manufacturing infrastructure to central Maine that allows us to not only support local farmers growing wheat, oats, rye and other crops, but also helps build a resilient local food supply and good jobs,” founder and CEO Amber Lambke said in a statement. Lambke, also an elected member of the Skowhegan select board, continued: “This innovative extrusion equipment will be unique and adds capacity to the East Coast which is currently missing. Maine Grains will explore partnerships with other Maine companies that could benefit from co-manufacturing on the machinery as well.” In the news release, Maine Grains said the new equipment will allow it to produce “healthy, ready-to-eat, grain-based foods with ingredients that are locally sourced.” It will also “upcycle” local milling, cheesemaking, seaweed, blueberry and soy byproducts into “high fiber, high protein, high value packaged goods for sale to schools and institutions,” the company said. When complete, the new production lines and sales are expected to add 15 jobs, Lambke said. Maine Grains currently employs 20, she said. The grants Maine Grains has secured are intended to support the local food system and economic development. In December, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry awarded Maine Grains $250,000 through its Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. That program is aimed to build resilience in the middle of Maine’s food supply chain, which in turn is intended to increase local food consumption. Maine Grains was also awarded $200,000 from the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan as part of $7 million in awards to companies statewide, Gov. Janet Mills announced in November. The funds came from the third and final phase of the Pandemic Recovery for an Innovative Maine Economy (PRIME) Fund, a $39.6 million Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan initiative administered by the Maine Technology Institute, aimed at helping Maine technology companies recover from the pandemic and catalyze long-term economic growth, according to the governor’s office. And in October, Maine Grains got another boost from a $200,000 New England Food Vision Prize from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, awarded to the Skowhegan Economic Development Corp., a quasi-municipal agency. SEDC intends to use the grant to partner with Maine Grains, the University of Maine System and Sodexo’s Maine Course to provide packaged, grain-based foods to schools. The New England Food Vision prizes support projects that build resilience, relationships and capacity within the regional food supply chain and thus lead to more use of local and regional food at schools and higher education institutions. Founded in 2012, Maine Grains says it is trying to expand its production capacity to meet a growing demand for local grain products for both commercial and retail customers. The company mills locally grown, organic and heritage grains. In 2020, Lambke, through the company Land & Furrow LLC, purchased the lot on Court Street where the new building is planned . Plans for the site, formerly the Kennebec Valley Inn that was demolished in 2018, also include a 13,000-sqaure-foot farmers market pavilion. The project is targeted for completion in 2025 or 2026, according to the Maine Grains’ news release. Sheridan Construction Corp. is the contractor. Since its founding, the company says it has milled more than 12 million pounds of grain in its 14,000-sqaure-foot production facility inside the former jail. The facility includes three Austrian stone mills. Along with the grist mill, the former jail building also houses a restaurant, a creamery, a knitting shop and a community radio station. Maine Grains finds ways to thrive, even during pandemic Maine Grains takes innovative leap to expand in downtown Skowhegan Made in Maine: Somerset Grist Mill in Skowhegan is another ‘Great Good Place’ We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . 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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump, making the announcement on his Truth Social account, said, “He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” Kellogg, an 80-year-old retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence , was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The Biden administration has begun urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of those as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more before Biden leaves office in less than two months. The U.S. has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. Trump has criticized the billions the Biden administration has spent in supporting Ukraine and has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group’s policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” is designed to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” Trump's proposed national security adviser , U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida, tweeted Wednesday that “Keith has dedicated his life to defending our great country and is committed to bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution.” Kellogg featured in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence’s national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden ’s victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: “You’re not tough enough to make the call.” Baldor reported from Washington. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

The Malleswaram police probing the engineering seats-blocking scam have issued notices to three engineering colleges seeking details of admissions and on students not taking admission for the allocated seats for the past three years. The notices were sent to BMS College of Engineering, Akash Institute Of Engineering and Technology, and New Horizon College of Engineering, which have been mentioned in the FIR as the alleged beneficiaries of the scam. The probe so far revealed that the colleges in question are suspected to have blocked the seats as management seats. The police last Tuesday had arrested 10 people, including an outsourced employee of the Karnataka Examinations Authority, who were allegedly involved in the racket. The police suspect that the gang was running the racket and involved in similar offence in other professional courses. Published - December 10, 2024 03:40 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Karnataka / higher educationThe Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) said depositors with balances exceeding N5 million will also be paid from their liquidation dividends. The Managing Director and Chief Executive, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr Bello Hassan, made this known on the occasion of NDIC’s special day at the ongoing 45th Kano International Trade Fair. He said, “Over the years, the NDIC has been instrumental in promoting stability by ensuring that when banks fail, depositors are protected, and their funds are reimbursed promptly. Recent lessons from the revocation of Heritage Bank’s operating license on June 3, 2024, and ongoing reimbursement of its depositors reinforce this critical role. “The corporation began the payment of the insured deposits of N5 million per depositor within a record time of four days of the bank’s closure. This was achieved using Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) as a unique identifier to locate depositors alternate accounts in other banks without the need to fill forms or visit the NDIC offices. “Having largely reimbursed depositors their insured deposits, the corporation is committed to ensuring that depositors with balances exceeding N5 million are also paid the balance of their deposits. These uninsured deposits represent a significant portion of the total deposits in Heritage Bank. “In this regard, the corporation is already working assiduously to ensure that depositors with amounts in excess of the maximum insured amount of N5 million are paid through liquidation dividends from the realisation of the defunct bank’s assets and recovery of debts. “Additionally, the NDIC’s responsibilities extend to the creditors of the defunct bank, who will receive payments after all depositors have been fully reimbursed. This orderly process, based on asset realisation and priority of claims, is essential in maintaining public trust in the banking system and promoting financial system stability. ALSO READ: FG commits to generating $100 billion from Nigeria’s creative economy “The corporation today, 4th December 2024, commenced sales of landed properties and chattels of the bank nationwide. This process, which is by competitive public auction, shall follow laid down extant public procurement guidelines aimed at ensuring transparency, fair competition and accountability to enable recovery of commensurate values from the exercise toward payment of liquidation dividend to the uninsured depositors.” He added that the NDIC remains committed to protecting depositors from the adverse effects of bank failures by ensuring reimbursement when failures occur. “As a critical component of the financial safety-net, the NDIC reassures depositors about the safety of their funds, thereby fostering trust in the banking system and preventing the risk of bank runs during periods of uncertainty. This contributes significantly to the overall stability of the financial system. “Moreover, I encourage depositors of any closed bank, especially Heritage Bank, who are yet to receive their payments, to come forward with their BVN, proof of account ownership, verifiable means of identification, and alternative account details. Depositors can submit their claims through our various channels, including our website, email, and social media platforms, as we remain committed to ensuring the safety of depositors’ funds,” he added.

The Auckland War Memorial Museum will showcase: Mana: Protest in Print , celebrating the multilingual newspaper Mana . The exhibition highlights Mana ’s role in amplifying Māori and Pacific voices. Mana , published from 1977 to 1978, was crucial in advocating for social justice and land rights. Tāmaki Paenga Hira (Auckland War Memorial Museum) is presenting Mana: Protest in Print , a new exhibition celebrating Mana , one of the first multilingual newspapers in Aotearoa for and by Māori and Pacific people. The exhibition examines the paper’s enduring legacy in amplifying Māori and Pacific voices during a period of intense social and political change in Aotearoa from 1977-78. Mana: Protest in Print opens on December 14. Launched in June 1977, Mana was a groundbreaking platform for Māori and Pacific perspectives.

Former NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt might find a landing spot with an American League playoff team for 2025. Goldschmidt is drawing interest from the Detroit Tigers , according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The interest still appears to be preliminary at this stage, and no deal seems to be close. The Tigers are showing interest in free agent 1B Paul Goldschmidt, sources say. Goldschmidt, 37, is two years removed from winning the NL MVP. He hit 22 HR with a .716 OPS this year while playing in 154 games with the Cardinals. @MLBNetwork — Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 9, 2024 Goldschmidt remains a vaunted power hitter, though his numbers have started to decline from his peak. He was limited to a .245 batting average and 22 home runs last season with the St. Louis Cardinals , and his .716 OPS was the worst single-season mark of his career. Given his age, that is a somewhat worrying drop, and one the Tigers would have to be wary of. On the other hand, Goldschmidt has been an above-average contributor for his entire career, and the Tigers certainly need right-handed power in their lineup. That is why they have also been linked to one of Goldschmidt’s former teammates . Goldschmidt’s value is likely down after a rough 2024, which might make it easier for the Tigers to land him on a short-term deal. This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Aziaha James had 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Devyn Quigley scored a career-high 20 points and made four 3-pointers and NC State beat Coastal Carolina 89-68 on Thursday. NC State had its lead trimmed to 54-46 midway through the third quarter before James scored five straight points to begin a 13-2 run that ended in a 19-point lead. Quigley took over in the fourth, making three 3-pointers and scoring 15 points. Coastal Carolina missed 11 of 13 shots spanning the third-quarter break as NC State pulled away. Madison Hayes added 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting for NC State (3-2). James has scored 20-plus in three straight games. The Wolfpack shot 50% from the field, including 11 of 29 from 3-point range. Hayes made her third 3-pointer with 1:12 left in the first half to give NC State a 47-32 lead. Coastal Carolina's Savannah Brooks just beat the halftime buzzer with a basket to give her 17 points and pull within 47-36. Brooks scored 14 of Coastal Carolina’s opening 26 points and she finished the game with 25. Alancia Ramsey added 13 points for Coastal Carolina (4-1), which was picked to finish ninth in the Sun Belt Conference. The Wolfpack travel to the Bahamas to play in the Pink Flamingo Championship against Southern on Monday. Coastal Carolina battles Division II Coker on Wednesday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballIt was an insane year for McDonald’s. First, it was a future president. Then-candidate Donald Trump worked a shift at a McDonald’s outside Philadelphia during his presidential campaign. Whatever you think of Trump, it was a genius move. Trump is the funny populist who embraces his billionaire boss status; Kamala is the witless elite who claims to have worked there. If I were a swing voter in Pennsylvania this election, I would’ve been swung by Trump’s fryer skills. (Stream Daily Caller’s documentary ‘Cleaning Up Kamala’ HERE) Then, it was a suspected criminal, and not just any old crook: the 26-year-old who may have allegedly assassinated United Healthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson. A McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, recognized the face of Luigi Mangione, the “strong person of interest” in Thompson’s murder, eating in the restaurant Monday morning, according to The New York Times. That someone apparently upset with corporate America, enough so to allegedly take out one of its leaders, would eat and get caught inside McDonald’s is an irony both amusing and very dark. Feasterville-Trevose, PA – October 20 : Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after handing out food while standing at a drive-thru window during a campaign stop at a McDonald’s in Feasterville-Trevose, PA on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Once again, McDonald’s is back in the news. Back in the digital meme factory. For some, though, McDonald’s is always on the periphery. Physically. It’s a place you rarely go. It’s too dirty, too greasy. If you do eat it on occasion, you don’t step foot out of your car; you pick up your food at the drive-through window. The twice-a-year McDonald’s customer rarely orders inside and never sits inside. The other customers seem, to them, unpredictable, and the locations are never pretty. Franchises are located amid strip malls, on the corners of busy intersections. The tables are coated with a thin layer of impermeable grease, too stubborn even for the most carcinogenic, industrial-grade cleaning products known to man. For some, McDonald’s is always on the periphery because it’s gauche. (RELATED: Trump Takes His ‘Dudes Rock’ Campaign To A New Level With Shift At McDonald’s) But for a whole other swath of America, McDonald’s is a mecca where things happen. The golden arches are a beacon. It’s where salt-of-the-earth retirees meet for coffee in the morning. It’s where older, married couples have lunch (or dinner). Where drifters hang out, take a load off and charge Samsung phones. Where construction workers eat, hard hats on. Criminals pass through as the homeless shoot up in the bathrooms. Hungover college students from the local state school shuffle in, bleary-eyed, zombie-like, with no inkling of the danger and the seediness that might surround them. For a whole swatch of America, McDonald’s is a focal point of their lives, without which they would be lost. There is something so uniquely American, something almost too odd to be true, that the biggest political actor in history, and now one of the most notorious criminal suspects in the country, rose and fell at a McDonald’s. One saw his star rise to the Oval Office; the other saw handcuffs. And there are still places in America, physical ones, not online, where wild stuff is happening every day. Did you enjoy this post? Consider checking out John’s full weekly newsletter, Mr. Right, available here: MrRight.DailyCaller.comBEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. As they have advanced, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands rushed the Syria border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those that remained open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some shops were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reach the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. Assad's status Amid the developments, Syria’s state media denied rumors flooding social media that Assad has left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. Assad's chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. Pedersen said a date for the talks in Geneva on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 2254 would be announced later. The resolution, adopted in 2015, called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. The insurgents' march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were also marching from eastern Syria toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani told CNN in an interview Thursday from Syria that the aim is to overthrow Assad’s government. The Britain-based Observatory said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle is looming. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The Syrian army said in a statement Saturday that it has carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists.” The army said it is setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. Tartus is home to the only Russian naval base outside the former Soviet Union while Latakia is home to a major Russian air base. Diplomacy in Doha In the gas-rich nation of Qatar, the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey met to discuss the situation in Syria. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. On Friday, U.S.-backed fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces captured wide parts of the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq as well as the provincial capital that carries the same name. The capture of areas in Deir el-Zour is a blow to Iran’s influence in the region as the area is the gateway to the corridor linking the Mediterranean to Iran, a supply line for Iran-backed fighters, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah. With the capture of a main border crossing with Iraq by the SDF and after opposition fighters took control of the Naseeb border crossing to Jordan in southern Syria, the Syrian government's only gateway to the outside world is the Masnaa border crossing with Lebanon. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report. Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam, The Associated Press