super ace 888

super ace 888 A chorus of support is growing behind actress Blake Lively after she filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment and a smear campaign against "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni. Actress Amber Heard on Monday became the latest celebrity to speak out on behalf of the "Gossip Girl" alum over what she says was a coordinated social media effort to tarnish her name. Over the weekend, Lively filed a complaint claiming that Baldoni and a lead producer had behaved unacceptably during the filming of box office hit "It Ends With Us." The allegations included that Baldoni -- who also directed the film -- had spoken inappropriately about his sex life, and had sought to alter the film to include sex scenes that were not in the script and had not been agreed to. They also detailed how lead producer Jamey Heath had watched Lively while she was topless, despite having been asked to turn away. But the complaint goes into great detail -- including with texts and emails -- on a PR campaign to wreck her reputation and to divert attention from any public comments she might make about the men's alleged misbehavior. This was "a carefully crafted, coordinated, and resourced retaliatory scheme to silence her, and others from speaking out about the hostile environment that Mr Baldoni and Mr Heath created," the complaint says. It includes allegations that the two men hired a crisis PR team that amplified or planted negative stories about Lively on social media platforms. "You know we can bury anyone," Melissa Nathan, a member of the team, is alleged to have said, according to messages contained in the complaint. Heard's ex-husband Johnny Depp hired the same PR team during the high-profile defamation trial between the couple in 2022, in which a jury unanimously found that Heard defamed Depp over allegations he abused her. "Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying 'A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,'" Heard said in a statement carried by NBC News. "I saw this firsthand and up close. It's as horrifying as it is destructive." Heard's support came on the heels of a joint statement by America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel, who starred with Lively in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." "As Blake's friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation," they wrote on Instagram. "Throughout the filming of 'It Ends with Us', we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice." A lawyer for Wayfarer, the studio behind the film, said in a statement released to the New York Times that neither the studio, its executives, nor its PR team did anything to retaliate against Lively. "These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media," lawyer Bryan Freedman wrote. The complaint was lodged with the California Civil Rights Department, and is a precursor to a lawsuit. Major Hollywood talent agency WME -- which represents Lively -- has reportedly dropped Baldoni as a client. hg/ahaNoneCalzada TD to Alexander sends Incarnate Word to FCS quarterfinal with win over Villanova

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reportedly said that President-elect Donald Trump’s victory puts Americans in “a very, very dangerous world,” stressing that he plans to spend his final two years in the Senate pushing back against the growing Trump-fueled isolationism within the GOP. The 82-year-old Kentucky Republican, who last month stepped down from his role as the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, has a complicated record with the incoming president . While McConnell has worked to significantly move the country to the right — much of it under the first Trump administration — he is no fan of Trump and his isolationist worldview that’s spreading throughout the Republican Party . “We’re in a very, very dangerous world right now, reminiscent of before World War II,” McConnell told the Financial Times on Wednesday . “Even the slogan is the same, ‘America First.’ That was what they said in the ’30s.” He made similar comments before the election, telling Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in April that the world is “more dangerous” than before World War II due to the increase in and evolution of terrorism. The interventionist senator highlighted how Trump and the current GOP are regressing to pre-World War II isolationism — a foreign policy position that opposes American military intervention in other countries’ political affairs, including war. Trump and his allies have called for the U.S. to stop sending money to Ukraine , a country that’s been battling Russia now for more than two years. The former and incoming president has also argued that enemies within the U.S. are more dangerous than Russia and China, a claim McConnell said he vehemently disagrees with. “The cost of deterrence is considerably less than the cost of war,” the senator said to the Times. “To most American voters, I think the simple answer is, ‘Let’s stay out of it.’ That was the argument made in the ’30s and that just won’t work. Thanks to [former President Ronald] Reagan, we know what does work — not just saying peace through strength, but demonstrating it.” In one of many examples of putting the GOP first, McConnell told Welker in April that even though he does not personally like Trump, he would support him as the Republican presidential nominee. The senator told the Times that he voted for him in November but characterized the decision as supporting “the ticket” rather than the candidate. “The election’s over and we’re moving on,” he told the publication when asked if he regrets not doing more to stop Trump from taking office again. “He has an enormous audience, and he just won a national election, so there’s no question he’s the most influential Republican out there.” Trump is no fan of McConnell either, recently calling him a “disgrace” for endorsing him. McConnell, who has had multiple health scares in recent years, was replaced as the GOP’s Senate leader by South Dakota’s John Thune and said that he will not seek reelection after finishing the two remaining years in his current term. Related From Our PartnerTURIN, Italy -- are facing elimination and Pep Guardiola now looks as vulnerable and troubled as any other manager who has suffered a seventh defeat in 10 games. Both statements would have seemed unthinkable just a month ago, but after Tuesday's loss against , the old certainties no longer apply. Second-half goals from and put Juventus on course for a playoff spot and left , a point clear of 25th place , currently below the cut-off point that will see teams drop out of the competition altogether. City face PSG in Paris in their next game and if they lose that, elimination from the Champions League will loom large. But while that prospect would be a humiliation for a club of City's stature and ambition -- they were Champions League winners in 2023 -- the biggest problem might just turn out to be Guardiola and whether we are witnessing the beginning of the end of his incredible eight-year reign in charge. Is Guardiola's position as City manager under threat after his team's unprecedented slump? It is highly unlikely that the club's hierarchy, who were in Turin led by chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, would be so knee-jerk as to think about dismissing the most successful manager in City's history, a man who has delivered 18 trophies since 2016, but the faith and support of his bosses is not the issue. With Guardiola cutting an unusually restrained figure on the touchline during this game in Turin -- when he wasn't slumped in his seat he stood with his hands in his pockets, barely delivering instructions to his players -- the real question is how long he will be able to sustain himself in a role when nothing is working. Guardiola has never been just another manager, one of those guys who has good days and bad days and ultimately runs out of solutions when the problems begin to mount. Yes, he has had bad results in charge of , and City, but Guardiola has never been through the kind of crisis that all other managers endure. Until now. The gilded career that has been a tale of almost unbroken success since he won the Treble with Barcelona in his first season in 2008-09 has placed the 53-year-old above the trials and tribulations of his contemporaries, but now that he is having to deal with them himself. Guardiola is failing for the first time in his career. In Turin, he watched his team struggle to overcome a Juventus side that had gone into this game with just one win from their last six games and he did virtually nothing about it. He watched (33) and (34) run out of steam in midfield and left them toiling until waiting until the 87th minute to make his first change by introducing in favour of . , City's goal machine, once again failed to contribute anything in a game when he doesn't score -- he managed just 18 touches all night. But again, Guardiola was unable to make the crucial tweak in his selection or system to make the difference. When asked after the game whether he was now questioning himself, Guardiola conceded he was, but with an air of defiance rather than hinting at a lack of self-confidence. "Of course I question myself and I have my thoughts," Guardiola said. "I'm stable in good moments and bad moments. I try to find a way to do it." When pushed on whether he was now experiencing the toughest challenge of his career, Guardiola insisted it was not. "My biggest challenge is to get results to continue to work in the first seasons [at Barcelona]," Guardiola said. "It's life, it happens. Sometimes you have a bad period, but I'm going to insist until we're there." When Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension last month, he said that he had begun to view this season as his last at City.None

Hyderabad’s Mounted Police: a timeless tradition, a modern necessity

West Ham’s Michail Antonio involved in road traffic accidentThe last six years have landed Canadian Kurtis Rourke firmly in the U.S. college football limelight. The 24-year-old Oakville, Ont., native will lead the upstart Indiana Hoosiers (11-1) into South Bend, Ind., to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1) on Dec. 20 to open American university football's expanded playoff bracket. Rourke transferred to Indiana last December to boost his NFL draft stock after five years at Ohio University, where he began as a backup to his older brother, Nathan, then captured the 2022 MAC offensive player of the year award despite suffering a season-ending knee injury before heading to Indiana after the 2023 season. A win over Notre Dame would extend Indiana's stellar campaign while a loss would mark the end of Rourke's collegiate career. "Having six years is something not many people can say," Rourke told Canadian reporters Wednesday. "(It has been) very much a roller-coaster but I'm just grateful. "I've had four surgeries in college and only missed a handful of games. That's the biggest thing I come back to, that I've been so lucky to still play and have an opportunity to play (maybe) four more games and hopefully at a professional level." The six-foot-five, 223-pound Rourke will be eligible for the '25 NFL draft. Rourke has played a big role in Indiana — traditionally known as a basketball school — emerging as a Big Ten contender in head coach Curt Cignetti's first season. Rourke completed 202-of-287 passes (70.4 per cent) for 2,827 yards with 27 TDs and just four interceptions in 11 games and last week was named a finalist for the Manning Award, given annually to American college football's top quarterback. The only blemish on Indiana's record was a 38-15 loss to Ohio State before 105,751 spectators in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 23. Rourke was eight-of-18 passing for 68 yards in that contest and sacked five times. It's that experience Rourke and the Hoosiers are drawing upon as they prepare to visit Notre Dame Stadium, which has a seating capacity of roughly 77,000 but held 84,000 spectators for a 2018 Garth Brooks concert. "I don't know if it will be as crazy or as hostile an environment as Ohio State ... but I do expect it to be a pretty good environment," Rourke said. "We have some plans in place with the silent count if we need at any point to go to ... but ultimately just learning from the experience of Ohio State to handle it individually as well as an offence." Former CFL player Tino Sunseri is Indiana's quarterback coach/co-offensive co-ordinator. Sunseri spent three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2013-15), winning a Grey Cup as a rookie. Reaching the expanded playoff format in Cignetti's first season is a huge accomplishment for Indiana. But the school reportedly added 31 players via the transfer portal before the 2024 campaign. When asked how he appealed to incoming players, Cignetti said, "It's pretty simple, I win. Google me." Cignetti came to Indiana after posting a 52-9 record over five seasons at James Madison. Rourke said Hoosiers' players draw inspiration from their brash head coach. "Seeing your head coach on a national stage say what he said, 'Google me,' ... that just shows how confident he is in himself and the coaches," Rourke said. "And that just makes us feel like, 'Yeah, we're coming along with you coach.' "As the season went on we were like, 'Yeah, we can do this.'" Rourke suffered a right thumb injury that required surgery in Indiana's 56-7 win over Nebraska on Oct. 19. Fortunately, he missed only one start (31-17 victory over Washington) and returned to throw four TD passes in 47-10 decision over Michigan State on Nov. 2. "My thumb feels 100 per cent now," Rourke said. "It was hard missing that Washington game ... but I knew the team would have my back." It's no surprise Rourke has leaned upon his brother throughout his college tenure. The two are very close and Rourke said he began playing quarterback after watching Nathan do so growing up. Nathan Rourke rejoined the Lions in August after spending time in the NFL with Jacksonville, New England, Atlanta and the New York Giants. "We've been able to talk about ball but (also) life," the junior Rourke said. "Just having someone who's done it, who's been through the college experience, been through the NFL experiences and now the CFL to learn from and also bounce questions off him, it's been quite beneficial to have him in my corner." Rourke has hired an agent — Octagon's Casey Muir — and will work out this off-season in Fort Myers, Fla. As of Wednesday, Rourke said he's not been invited to the NFL combine, which begins Feb. 27 in Indianapolis. "I'd love to get an invite to the combine," he said. "That was one of my goals, honestly, when I got to college, which seems forever ago. "That would be awesome." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024. Dan Ralph, The Canadian PressBOSTON - Massachusetts is getting closer to allowing pot cafes , as regulators this week revealed what licenses could look like for on-site social marijuana consumption. We're also learning more about what other kinds of businesses may pop up for legal cannabis use in public. The state's Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday shared a presentation on how licensing could work for "social consumption establishments." Massachusetts voted in 2016 to legalize recreational marijuana and is one of 11 states where social consumption is allowed, but there is no system in place yet for permitting businesses to sell cannabis to people while also letting them use it there. Types of marijuana social consumption licenses The commission's presentation lays out three different types of on-site social consumption licenses: Supplemental, hospitality and event organizer. Supplemental licenses apply to businesses such as retail dispensaries that can already sell marijuana, but are interested in providing a space like a lounge or tasting room for customers to consume it. The hospitality license would cover "a new or existing non-cannabis commercial business." The commission says that could include a cafe, entertainment/recreational space, comedy club, yoga studio, theater or lodging space. The event organizer permit would allow for "temporary consumption events," like festivals, that could last up to five days. Food required for marijuana consumption sites The commission document also details several policy considerations for the new licenses, including several concerning food. All licensed marijuana establishments will be required to serve food, the presentation says. Licensees must train staff on food service but could also partner with nearby restaurants or delivery services. "Limited research does show food consumption can slow onset of THC," which is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, the commission says. Other safety rules being considered include a 30-minute cutoff before closing time, a transportation strategy for businesses "to assist impaired consumers," and "cool down strategies" for those who react negatively to marijuana. Alcohol and tobacco would not be allowed at the sites either, the commission says. The commission expects to officially release its regulations on Dec. 17. The Boston Globe reports that pot cafes and other social consumption sites could open in about a year. Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.

Former Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene is transferring to Michigan with one year of eligibility remaining. Confirming earlier reports, Keene posted an image of himself in a Wolverines uniform on social media on Monday. Keene passed for 2,892 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games for the Bulldogs in 2024. Fresno State opened the season with a 30-10 loss at Michigan on Aug. 31, with Keene throwing for 235 yards with one touchdown and two picks. Including two seasons at UCF (2021-22), Keene has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 8,245 yards with 65 TDs and 28 interceptions in 39 games. Keene's competition for the starting job at Michigan includes incoming freshman Bryce Underwood, the 247Sports Composite's No. 1 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class. --Field Level MediaSupport grows for Blake Lively over smear campaign claimWASHINGTON – A person accused of accosting U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in a Capitol Office building pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to a misdemeanor assault charge. Witnesses told police that James McIntyre, 33, of Chicago, shook Mace's hand in an “exaggerated, aggressive” manner after approaching the South Carolina Republican in the Rayburn House Office Building on Tuesday evening, according to a police affidavit. Recommended Videos Mace, who is identified only by her initials in a court filing, posted a string of social media messages about the incident. She said she was “physically accosted” at the Capitol, and she thanked President-elect Donald Trump for calling her Wednesday morning to check on her condition. “I’m going to be fine just as soon as the pain and soreness subside,” Mace wrote. Mace declined to be treated by a paramedic after her encounter with McIntyre, who was arrested Tuesday by the Capitol Police, the affidavit says. Mace told police that McIntyre said, “Trans youth serve advocacy,” while shaking her hand. Last month, Mace proposed a resolution that would prohibit any lawmakers and House employees from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.” Mace said the bill is aimed specifically at Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride — the first transgender person to be elected to Congress. A magistrate judge ordered McIntyre’s release after an arraignment in Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Efforts to reach an attorney for McIntyre weren't immediately successful.

Timberwolves believe they’ve found their winning formulaMMIS Inc. Celebrates Over Two Decades of Excellence in Custom Spice Blending and Packaging

Hyderabad’s Mounted Police: a timeless tradition, a modern necessity

Canadian Western Bank delays earnings release without saying whyPolls close in Ghana's general election overshadowed by worst economic crisis in a generation

A mysterious fire recently destroyed 12 huts across five homesteads belonging to the same family in Chief Mawarire’s area in Mwenezi District, leaving the occupants in dire need of help. The shocking incident happened at Chimbudzi Village affecting the Chimbudzi family. As a result, some family members are now without shelter and vital supplies including food, clothing and other belongings. They were lost to the enigmatic flames, complicating their situation especially since it is now the rainy season. In an interview with Sunday News, Mr Mike Chimbudzi described the panic, anxiety, and stress that gripped both the affected family and the surrounding villagers, as the source of the fire remains a mystery. “It was not raining for someone to have suspected lightning, and neither was there anyone in the house playing around the fire.” Mr Chimbudzi recounted the fateful day, stating, “It was around 11 am when the fire started at my sister Judith Chimbudzi’s homestead. She was outside with her daughter-in-law who had just arrived from collecting money that had been sent by her husband and buying groceries when the fire started from the kitchen hut.” “The fire was so raging that they never tried to douse it. It was like someone had poured petrol and lit the roof. And just as they watched, shocked and in disbelief, another hut caught fire destroying everything inside,” he said. On that tragic Sunday morning, two of the three huts at the homestead were consumed by flames, leaving only one unaffected. A mere five days later, the fire returned to finish off the last remaining hut, rendering the family homeless with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. “On that Friday they went to the homestead of Judith’s mother to sleep since they had nowhere to put up. When they woke up on Saturday, the hut in which they had slept the previous night started burning just as they were moving back to their homestead,” recounted Mr Chimbudzi. Fearing that the fire might continue to target Judith and her daughter-in-law, other villagers declined to offer them shelter. Overwhelmed with uneasiness, they also chose not to stay in another hut offered by their mother, who is in her late 70s. Instead, they opted to sleep outside, and on Sunday morning, the destruction resumed, as if to confirm their status as innocent victims of unfortunate circumstances. In the disturbing turn of events, four huts at Judith’s mother’s homestead caught fire in rapid succession, destroying everything within them. “No one dared to go in any of the huts to salvage the property,” Mr Chimbudzi noted. “People were afraid that the fire might start when one is inside. And the fire would destroy not just the grass thatch but the poles on which the thatch rests.” The nightmarish incident continued as a fire blazed through Mike’s elder brother’s homestead, destroying three huts before moving on to his younger brother’s homestead, where two more huts were reduced to shells. “The homesteads are not in the same yard for one to suggest that the fire was easily passed from one hut to another; neither are the huts themselves. They are an impossible distance away from that,” he said. The Sunday inferno brought the total destruction to 12 huts, and in a strange twist, the fire returned on Monday morning to the original homestead, only to raze the perimeter hedge made of dry tree branches and thorns. “My sister and her daughter-in-law now stay at a rented house at the shops, while at my mother’s homestead, only one asbestos-roofed house remained,” Mr Chimbudzi explained. “Five homesteads need foodstuffs while my sister and her daughter-in-law were left with the clothes they were putting on. Uniforms for school children were also destroyed, and since we are in the rainy season, reconstruction of the huts is a challenge and there is no grass for thatching.” He made a heartfelt appeal for assistance, stating that they were only offered a bag of maize from the Department of Social Welfare, which he described as insufficient for the disaster-stricken family. Chief Mawarire confirmed the incident and expressed shock at the bizarre events. “We are dumbfounded as a community. We have never seen anything like that. We are doing everything we can as a community and as leadership to assist,” he said. The chief mentioned that they were reaching out to the District Development Co-ordinator’s office, which oversees the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) in the district, to aid the Chimbudzi family. – Sunday NewsBOONE, N.C. (AP) — South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has been hired as head coach at Appalachian State and will receive a five-year contract, athletic director Doug Gillin announced Saturday. The 44-year-old Loggains replaces Shawn Clark, who was fired Monday after the Mountaineers finished 5-6 for their first losing season since 2013. Loggains was South Carolina's offensive coordinator for two seasons and an assistant at Arkansas, his alma mater, for two seasons before that. He spent 16 years in the NFL as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Tennessee, Cleveland, Chicago, Miami and the New York Jets. “He brings experience as a leader and play-caller at the highest levels of professional and college football," Gillin said. "He is a great recruiter and believes strongly in building relationships. He is aligned with our core values of academic integrity, competitive excellence, social responsibility and world-class experience. This is a great day for App State.” Loggains' offense at South Carolina featured LaNorris Sellers, one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks, and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. Sellers and Sanders led the Southeastern Conference's third-ranked rushing offense. Story continues below video Loggains spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as Arkansas' tight ends coach, and he worked with Sam Darnold, Jay Cutler, Mitchell Trubisky, Brian Hoyer and Vince Young during his time in the NFL. The Mountaineers, the preseason favorites in the Sun Belt Conference's East Division, tied for fifth with a 3-5 record in league play. App State was 40-24 under Clark, but the Mountaineers have failed to reach a bowl game two of the past three seasons. 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-football

NoneThe last six years have landed Canadian Kurtis Rourke firmly in the U.S. college football limelight. The 24-year-old Oakville, Ont., native will lead the upstart Indiana Hoosiers (11-1) into South Bend, Ind., to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1) on Dec. 20 to open American university football’s expanded playoff bracket. Rourke transferred to Indiana last December to boost his NFL draft stock after five years at Ohio University, where he began as a backup to his older brother, Nathan, then captured the 2022 MAC offensive player of the year award despite suffering a season-ending knee injury before heading to Indiana after the 2023 season. A win over Notre Dame would extend Indiana’s stellar campaign while a loss would mark the end of Rourke’s collegiate career. “Having six years is something not many people can say,” Rourke told Canadian reporters Wednesday. ”(It has been) very much a roller-coaster but I’m just grateful. “I’ve had four surgeries in college and only missed a handful of games. That’s the biggest thing I come back to, that I’ve been so lucky to still play and have an opportunity to play (maybe) four more games and hopefully at a professional level.” The six-foot-five, 223-pound Rourke will be eligible for the ‘25 NFL draft. Rourke has played a big role in Indiana — traditionally known as a basketball school — emerging as a Big Ten contender in head coach Curt Cignetti’s first season. Rourke completed 202-of-287 passes (70.4 per cent) for 2,827 yards with 27 TDs and just four interceptions in 11 games and last week was named a finalist for the Manning Award, given annually to American college football’s top quarterback. The only blemish on Indiana’s record was a 38-15 loss to Ohio State before 105,751 spectators in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 23. Rourke was eight-of-18 passing for 68 yards in that contest and sacked five times. It’s that experience Rourke and the Hoosiers are drawing upon as they prepare to visit Notre Dame Stadium, which has a seating capacity of roughly 77,000 but held 84,000 spectators for a 2018 Garth Brooks concert. “I don’t know if it will be as crazy or as hostile an environment as Ohio State ... but I do expect it to be a pretty good environment,” Rourke said. “We have some plans in place with the silent count if we need at any point to go to ... but ultimately just learning from the experience of Ohio State to handle it individually as well as an offence.” Former CFL player Tino Sunseri is Indiana’s quarterback coach/co-offensive co-ordinator. Sunseri spent three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2013-15), winning a Grey Cup as a rookie. Reaching the expanded playoff format in Cignetti’s first season is a huge accomplishment for Indiana. But the school reportedly added 31 players via the transfer portal before the 2024 campaign. When asked how he appealed to incoming players, Cignetti said, “It’s pretty simple, I win. Google me.” Cignetti came to Indiana after posting a 52-9 record over five seasons at James Madison. Rourke said Hoosiers’ players draw inspiration from their brash head coach. “Seeing your head coach on a national stage say what he said, ‘Google me,’ ... that just shows how confident he is in himself and the coaches,” Rourke said. “And that just makes us feel like, ‘Yeah, we’re coming along with you coach.’ “As the season went on we were like, ‘Yeah, we can do this.’” Rourke suffered a right thumb injury that required surgery in Indiana’s 56-7 win over Nebraska on Oct. 19. Fortunately, he missed only one start (31-17 victory over Washington) and returned to throw four TD passes in 47-10 decision over Michigan State on Nov. 2. “My thumb feels 100 per cent now,” Rourke said. “It was hard missing that Washington game ... but I knew the team would have my back.” It’s no surprise Rourke has leaned upon his brother throughout his college tenure. The two are very close and Rourke said he began playing quarterback after watching Nathan do so growing up. Nathan Rourke rejoined the Lions in August after spending time in the NFL with Jacksonville, New England, Atlanta and the New York Giants. “We’ve been able to talk about ball but (also) life,” the junior Rourke said. “Just having someone who’s done it, who’s been through the college experience, been through the NFL experiences and now the CFL to learn from and also bounce questions off him, it’s been quite beneficial to have him in my corner.” Rourke has hired an agent — Octagon’s Casey Muir — and will work out this off-season in Fort Myers, Fla. As of Wednesday, Rourke said he’s not been invited to the NFL combine, which begins Feb. 27 in Indianapolis. “I’d love to get an invite to the combine,” he said. “That was one of my goals, honestly, when I got to college, which seems forever ago. “That would be awesome.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.Clintons urge voters agitated by today's politics to remain involved in public service