SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it's usually a backhanded compliment. They say he's a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn't try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here's the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that's hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. "I get it — we have a really passionate fan base and they're a huge part of our success," Allar said Sunday at College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day. "For us, we always want to go out there every drive and end with a touchdown, so when we don't do that, there's nobody more frustrated than us." The polarizing Allar is having a solid season by just about any standard, completing more than 68% of his passes for 3,021 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl for Tuesday's game against No. 3 seed Boise State. But in a college football world filled with high-scoring, explosive offenses, Allar's no-frills performances often are the object of ire. The Penn State offense is a run-first bunch, led by the talented combo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. "If we had a nickel for every time there was a Monday morning quarterback saying some BS stuff, we'd all be pretty rich," offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. "I think part of being a quarterback, especially at Penn State but really anywhere, is how you respond to and manage criticism." The 20-year-old Allar has made strides in that department after a trying 2023 season that finished with a 10-3 record. He says that's largely because once fall camp started back in August, he logged off the social media platform X. Allar said negative online experiences wore on him last year, and his phone number was leaked a few times, which added to the stress. He finally realized that controlling outside narratives was impossible, so the best course of action was to eliminate a needless distraction. "I've been more mentally free, as much as that sounds crazy," Allar said. "I think that's been a huge difference for me this year." The biggest criticism of Allar — and really Penn State as a whole during the 11-year James Franklin era — is that he isn't capable of winning the big games. He's 0-2 against rival Ohio State and threw a late interception against Oregon in the Big Ten title game earlier this month, which sealed the Ducks' 45-37 victory. He wasn't great in the CFP's first round, either, completing just 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards as Penn State muscled past SMU 38-10 on a cold, blustery day to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. But the quarterback is confident a better performance — aided by a game that will be played in comfortable temperatures in a domed stadium — is coming. "For me, I just have to execute those (easy) throws early in the game and get our guys into rhythm," Allar said. "Get them involved early as much as I can and that allows us to stay on the field longer, call more plays and open up our offense more. That will help us a ton, building the momentum throughout the game." Allar might be a favorite punching bag for a section of the Penn State fan base, but that's not the case in his own locker room. Star tight end Tyler Warren praised his quarterback's ability to avoid sacks, saying that the 6-foot-5, 238-pounder brings a toughness that resonates with teammates. "He's a football player," Warren said. "He plays quarterback, but when you watch him play and the energy he brings and the way he runs the ball, he's just a football player and that fires up our offense." Now Allar and Penn State have a chance to silence critics who say that the Nittany Lions don't show up in big games. Not that he's worried about what other people think. "I think it's a skill at the end of the day — blocking out the outside noise," Allar said. "Focusing on you and the process and being honest with yourself, both good and bad." Get local news delivered to your inbox!"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It's unclear if it's drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Mike Catalini, The Associated Press Dec 13, 2024 1:46 PM Dec 13, 2024 1:50 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message This photo provided by Trisha Bushey shows the evening sky and points of light near in Lebanon Township, N.J., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Trisha Bushey via AP) CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It's unclear if it's drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what's behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey's new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they're looking into what's happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she's glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn't buy what the governor said, that the drones aren't a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there's the notion that people could misunderstand what they're seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they're looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin's view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That's not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. ___ Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report. Mike Catalini, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Science News Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings Dec 13, 2024 2:42 PM OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' Dec 13, 2024 1:52 PM Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds Dec 13, 2024 1:45 PMz z plant near me 。

As Michael Del Zotto told Full Press Hockey back in August, how could you like someone like Igor Shesterkin walk for nothing? The New York Rangers were listening and locked him up to an eight-year contract extension. ?Night Cap Recap ? Igor Shesterkin Extended by New York Rangers #nyr pic.twitter.com/0W2iOhIXQp — Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) December 6, 2024 The Rangers made Shesterkin the highest-paid goalie in the NHL , signing him to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension with an $11.5 million AAV. As Kevin Weekes reported earlier in the season, Shesterkin had rejected an eight-year, $88 million extension with an $11 million AAV. **Breaking News** In tandem with colleague @emilymkaplan , we’re told @NYRangers have agreed to an 8 Yr Contract Extension somewhere between $ 11.5-12 AAV with G Shesterkin. HockeyX #NYR @espn pic.twitter.com/I4YBIWcWPb — Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) December 6, 2024 As Full Press Hockey has documented , Shesterkin is worth every penny for how he plays the game, especially in the playoffs. TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button backed up these statements telling Full Press Hockey earlier this season that he believed he was the best goalie in the NHL. “To me, he is the best goaltender in the National Hockey League, Button said. “He is a franchise goaltender, and I don’t think there is any question about it. New York Rangers: New York Rangers Have A Locker Room Problem New York Rangers: Trade Complete: Rangers Send Jacob Trouba To Anaheim Rangers General Manager Chris Drury wanted to keep Shesterkin in New York long-term. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure he’s here for a long time,” Drury said during his press availability back in September. That anything was to move Jacob Trouba to Anaheim earlier on Friday and use that cap space to pay Shesterkin. While Igor Shesterkin is the highest-paid goalie, he is not the highest-paid New York Ranger. According to PuckPedia.com, that still belongs to Artemi Panarin . Shesterkin held all the leverage in this negotiation. The Rangers play in front of him, and they rely on Shesterkin to win games. Thus, he knows he is the team’s best player. Thus, the Rangers and GM Chris Drury knew they had to pay Shesterkin whatever he wanted . Igor Shesterkin had been eligible to sign an extension since July 1, as he was in the final year of the four-year, $22.67 million contract with an AAV of $5.67 million. While in New York, Shesterkin took the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final twice, winning a Vezina Trophy and being a nominee for the Hart Trophy for League MVP. Shesterkin has a 2.48 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage for his career. This season for the Rangers, he has a record of 8-9-1 with a 3.05 GAA and .908 save percentage. In the playoffs, he has a record of 23-20-4 with a 2.41 GAA and a .928 save percentage. Another goaltender gets an extension as the 2024-25 NHL regular season marches on. Shesterkin is one of the top eight goalies in the NHL, and he was paid like that. With two distractions in Shesterkin and Trouba out of the way, could Drury make another move? Will the Rangers circle back with the Anaheim Ducks on Frank Vatrano ? What about Kaapo Kakko ? Drury will have to worry about that later, as their franchise goalie is signed. This article first appeared on Full Press Hockey and was syndicated with permission.As soon as the current government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assumed power, it promised to improve the law-and-order situation in the province by eliminating the threat of terrorism and promoting economic activities as their first priority. However, in spite of the tall claims, terrorism continued to remain a menacing challenge for the law enforcement agencies, who failed to protect the peace of the land. According to data obtained from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) for 2024, the majority of terrorist attacks were carried out in the southern districts of the province including Dera Ismail Khan, Lucky Marwat, Bannu, Tank, Kohat, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Khyber, Bajaur and Peshawar. A 20.7 per cent increase was observed in cases of terrorism, which rose from 530 incidents in 2023 to a total of 640 incidents this year, with the highest number, around 300, reported from Dera Ismail Khan, the hometown of the Chief Minister. Sources of The Express Tribune from within the CTD K-P revealed that the police had nearly abandoned the practice of patrolling the police stations after sunset in the southern districts, where terrorist activities against both civilians and armed personnel were on the rise. Out of all the incidents, 355 incidents involved firing and target killing by terrorists, 113 involved the use of improvised explosive devices (IED) against security forces, political figures, officials, police, and other government institutions while six others were suicide attacks. The heinous incidents claimed the lives of 275 people including 142 police personnel and 133 civilians while 214 police officers and 246 civilians were injured in the activities of the militants. Commenting on the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the province and tribal areas, Dr Khurram Iqbal, an expert in security affairs and a PhD in Counter-Terrorism and Security from Australia, while talking to The Express Tribune, believed that the tug of war between the federal and provincial governments had destabilized the maintenance of peace in the southern districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. “In 2024, terrorism once again observed a regrettable surge as a direct consequence of the failed governance system in the province. The PTI and federal government neglected security in the province in favour of a larger political agenda, whereby the politicization of terrorism instigated confusion among the law enforcement agencies. This entailed serious strategic consequences whilst affecting the operational capabilities of these forces,” said Dr Iqbal. Dr Iqbal further opined that in order to deal with the problem of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)'s cross-border sanctuaries, both the federal and provincial governments must take a united stand vis a vis Afghanistan for ensuring lasting peace. “This year, a suicide attack targeted Chinese citizens travelling in a bus in the Malakand district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. While the targeting of foreign convoys remains a major form of terrorism, attacks on police with thermal technology in Peshawar, Khyber, DI Khan and southern districts also complicates the maintenance of law-and-order for the police,” claimed Dr Iqbal. On the other hand, Peshawar Police Chief Capital Police Officer (CCPO) Qasim Ali Khan felt that although the security threat was still prevalent, CTD and the police were trying their best. “The network involved in the Peshawar police line blast was busted this year while major target killers and suspects involved in terrorism were also arrested,” assured Khan, who believed that with the use of technology the province could overcome the challenge of terrorism in a better way. Reportedly, the provincial government has given a special grant of Rs3 billion to the police to purchase modern equipment, bullet-proof vehicles and arms to fight terrorism. However, far from decreasing, terrorist activity has only increased in K-P. According to CTD data, 739 terrorists were arrested this year, including 29 who were on the most wanted list. Moreover, the police and other law enforcement agencies conducted 2,981 intelligence-based operations during which 246 terrorists were killed. 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MI5 forced to ‘pare back’ counter-terror focus due to hostile states, boss says

Washington — President-elect Donald Trump said Republicans will try to end the decades-long ritual of changing the clocks twice a year, saying the GOP will push to eliminate daylight saving time. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. Though Trump in the past has supported making daylight saving time permanent — that is, keeping clocks shifted one hour ahead, which happens in the spring — his latest comment called for daylight saving time to be eliminated. Daylight saving time ends in the fall when clocks turn back one hour. CBS News has reached out to his spokesperson for clarification. Congress enacted daylight saving time in 1918 to add additional daylight hours and help conserve energy during World War I. It was implemented again during World War II. In 1973, Congress briefly made daylight saving time permanent, but reversed course just months later after public opinion soured on the experiment. The current practice of starting daylight saving time on the second Sunday in March and ending it on the first Sunday in April was enacted under President George W. Bush. Ending the biannual ritual would require congressional approval. The Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in March 2022 that would have made daylight saving time permanent the next year. But the bill was never taken up in the House. In October, Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who is Trump's pick to lead the State Department, and Sen. Edward Markey, an Oregon Democrat, called on Congress to pass the legislation. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump has tapped to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, also recently commented on the clock changes, with Musk calling it "annoying" and Ramaswamy saying it's "inefficient." Daylight Saving Time Donald Trump Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.

Kansas once required voters to prove citizenship. That didn't work out so wellCan't fix blame on one person, says Telugu film industryDULUTH — The boys hockey team from Mankato West High School arrived at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center early Saturday morning, but they were missing something important for hockey teams — their stick bag. Coach Nate Olsen thought something strange must have happened. Maybe they never made it on the bus or somehow ended up on another team’s bus. The Scarlets had already lost two one-goal games, and they arrived at the Heritage Center for an 8 a.m. game against Anoka to conclude their participation at the annual Holiday Classic tournament. “It’s 7 in the morning, you’re getting the bus unloaded, you have everything there and all of a sudden, when you go to look for the stick bag — there’s no sticks,” Olsen said. The team did their “due diligence,” according to Olsen, but the equipment manager was “adamant” he put the bag on the bus the night before. Officials at the Heritage Center were able to pull up security camera footage to confirm he was correct. “We could see him taking the bag from the locker room and out the door and into the bus,” Olsen said. “Unfortunately, sometime from late yesterday afternoon to early this morning, our stick bag disappeared.” Staying at the downtown Holiday Inn, the Scarlets’ coach bus was parked overnight on West First Street. As they began to suspect theft, they reported the incident to the Duluth Police Department and gave an inventory of what was missing. Duluth police public information officer Mattie Hjelseth confirmed the report and said the investigation remains active. Officers were working to follow any leads, and no further information would be released on Saturday, she said. Officers saw a man walking in the 100 block of East Third Street with a few of the items just before 11 p.m., Hjelseth said in a statement early Sunday morning. The man told officers he found the items behind Chum. He didn’t match the suspect's description but was arrested on an unrelated warrant, Hjelseth said. Police are making arrangements to return the items. Heritage Center Director Jeff Stark put out a call for local help to find the sticks on social media. “We are aware of this theft of property and are assisting the team and law enforcement with trying to locate and recover their stolen sticks,” Stark wrote. “This incident happened while the team bus was parked overnight at their hotel. If you have any information, please contact the Duluth Police Department so we can try and obtain a positive outcome for the Mankato West players and families.” Olsen said he estimated there were 30 to 40 sticks in the bag worth a “rough estimate” of $10,000-$12,000. He said parents are also working with the list to cross-reference what was lost with what is missing, but either way it’s a “big deal,” particularly on the heels of the holiday season. “That’s usually a more expensive month for most families,” Olsen said. “Now try to come up with $6-800 to be ready to practice and play — even if there is a resolution on the back end, that resolution is not going to have cash in people’s pockets by Monday.” The referee scheduled to work the early game Saturday told Olsen he’s been officiating hockey for 37 years and had never seen anything like this, but the veteran coach said they were trying to stay positive. “The dust will settle and we’ll be OK long term,” Olsen said. “It’s just a unique circumstance we’re going to have to fight through and we’ll be better for it, but it’s quite a story — there’s no doubt about it.” This story was updated at 9:44 a.m. Dec. 19, with information about some of the items being recovered. It was originally posted at 8:23 p.m. Dec. 28.

Allar puts critics on mute, keeps winning for Penn State