LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has been elected to a new term as president of the International Fencing Federation while he faces ongoing sanctions. The federation, known as the FIE, said in an emailed statement that Usmanov won 120 votes for a majority at the congress on Saturday in Uzbekistan, where he was born. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week
MANCHESTER UNITED'S flops were booed off following the 2-0 defeat at Wolves. And the result leaves the Red Devils just eight points above the relegation zone. After a drab goalless first half at Molineux, Bruno Fernandes' moment of madness when already on a yellow card changed the game. His careless lunge on Nelson Semedo 90 seconds into the second period, Tony Harrington sent him for a third early bath of the season . And that gave Wolves the boost they needed to go on and snatch all three points. Matheus Cunha scored directly from a corner before Hwang Hee-chan grabbed a second in the 99th minute . There was only just time for the restart as Harrington blew the full-time whistle as Ruben Amorim's men fell to a third defeat in a week - following the Carabao Cup exit at Spurs then the 3-0 humiliation at home to Bournemouth. And the end of the latest result saw patience run out for plenty of the travelling supporters who made the Boxing Day trip to the West Midlands. A chorus of jeers, whistles and boos sounded from the away end as United slumped to 14th in the Premier League table. They tally of 22 points from 18 games features six wins, four draws and eight defeats with a goal difference of -3. FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS That leaves them 17 points off leaders Liverpool but more worryingly just eight ahead of 18th-placed Leicester before kick-off between the two teams at Anfield in the late game on Boxing Day. And the complaints were not limited to inside the stadium. On social media, fans were quick to voice their growing concerns about the state of their team yet again. One said: "Another disappointing and frustrating game to watch. Team is clearly a bang average one and bereft of any ideas and creativity. Amorim has a huge job on his hands." Another wrote: "You owe Erik ten Hag an apology. This is genuinely embarrassing." A third added: "Woeful performance." A fourth replied: "Worst I’ve seen my club in 30 years." And a final user asked: "How long before Amorim is booted?" Things don't get much easier for the Red Devils with Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal in their next three fixtures. By Ken Lawrence WOLVES landed a shock Boxing Day knockout as Manchester United's struggles continued. The 2-0 defeat means Ruben Amorim has won just two of the seven Premier League games he has taken charge of. United find themselves 14th in the table and today were not helped by Bruno Fernandes' red card and Andre Onana letting one in direct from a corner. Here is how SunSport rated the performances... ANDRE ONANA: 4 He needed to make an agile save from Jorgen Strand Larsen in the first half, but badly misjudged the flight of Cunha’s corner for the opening goal - his claim that he was obstructed by Matt Doherty was rejected. LENY YORO: 5 Recalled but booked after only four minutes for a foul on Cunha, so he was walking on eggshells and was tested by Wolves throughout. Subbed just after the hour mark. HARRY MAGUIRE: 6 The England defender did his best to keep United in the game when they were under pressure for long periods - at least he helped to stem the tide until the dying seconds and had a header on target in stoppage time. LISANDRO MARTINEZ: 6 Teamed up well with Maguire to stop Wolves from winning this more easily, he stood his ground and produced some important challenges in the latter stages before Wolves caught him on the break with the last action of the game. NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI: 5 Tenacious and determined, but was one of several players given a torrid time by the best player on the pitch - Cunha. MANUEL UGARTE: 5 Dispossesed too easily at times, struggled against a lively Wolves attack and was eventually taken off as one of Amorim’s subs following Fernandes’ red card. KOBBIE MAINOO: 5 Looked a threat early on, created some good openings, but he was booked after the break as United looked short on ideas. Faded and was subbed. DIOGO DALOT: 6 Brought a tremendous save from Jose Sa in the first half in what was a rare bright spot for United - but he had no major influence on a poor team display. AMAD DIALLO: 5 Lacked awareness of his team-mates sometimes and looked a shadow of the player who turned the Manchester derby around less than two weeks ago. BRUNO FERNANDES: 3 Sent off early in the second half for a second yellow after a challenge on Nelson Semedo, but the captain had cut a frustrated figure before that. RASMUS HOJLUND: 5 Became visibly annoyed at times at a lack of service from his team-mates, he had no joy up front and was subbed with 10 minutes left. SUBS Casemiro (for Mainoo, 63 mins): 6 Christian Eriksen (for Ugate, 63 mins): 6 Antony (for Yoro, 63 mins): 6 Alejandro Garnacho (for Amad, 79 mins): 5 Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 79 mins): 5 Amorim, though, was desperate to try and keep spirits up despite the nightmare triple header off the back of three painful defeats. He said: "Of course, when you lose, when we don't win, it's a step back. It was really hard with the sending off. "The goal was similar against Tottenham. Then, we tried. "Even with one less guy we tried to and I think we were near something but then Wolves scored the second one. "Then, in the end, we tried everything and the transition was 2-0. For us, let's continue."NEW YORK — Same iconic statue, very different race. With two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty leading the field, these certainly aren't your typical Heisman Trophy contenders. Sure, veteran quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel from top-ranked Oregon and Cam Ward of No. 15 Miami are finalists for college football's most prestigious award as well, but the 90th annual ceremony coming up Saturday night at Lincoln Center in New York City offers a fresh flavor this year. To start with, none of the four are from the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, which has produced four of the past five Heisman winners — two each from Alabama and LSU. Jeanty, who played his home games for a Group of Five team on that peculiar blue turf in Idaho more than 2,100 miles from Manhattan, is the first running back even invited to the Heisman party since 2017. After leading the country with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns, he joined quarterback Kellen Moore (2010) as the only Boise State players to be named a finalist. "The running back position has been overlooked for a while now," said Jeanty, who plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft. "There's been a lot of great running backs before me that should have been here in New York, so to kind of carry on the legacy of the running back position I think is great. ... I feel as if I'm representing the whole position." With the votes already in, all four finalists spent Friday conducting interviews and sightseeing in the Big Apple. They were given custom, commemorative watches to mark their achievement. "I'm not a watch guy, but I like it," said Hunter, flashing a smile. The players also took photos beneath the massive billboards in Times Square and later posed with the famous Heisman Trophy, handed out since 1935 to the nation's most outstanding performer. Hunter, the heavy favorite, made sure not to touch it yet. A dominant player on both offense and defense who rarely comes off the field, the wide receiver/cornerback is a throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades. On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season to help the 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) earn their first bowl bid in four years. On defense, he made four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor. Hunter played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Call him college football's answer to baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani. "I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways," Hunter said. "It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you'll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery." Hunter is Colorado's first Heisman finalist in 30 years. The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, followed flashy coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the lower level FCS, to the Rocky Mountains and has already racked up a staggering combination of accolades this week, including The Associated Press player of the year. Hunter also won the Walter Camp Award as national player of the year, along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver. "It just goes to show that I did what I had to do," Hunter said. Next, he'd like to polish off his impressive hardware collection by becoming the second Heisman Trophy recipient in Buffaloes history, after late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994. "I worked so hard for this moment, so securing the Heisman definitely would set my legacy in college football," Hunter said. "Being here now is like a dream come true." Jeanty carried No. 8 Boise State (12-1) to a Mountain West Conference championship that landed the Broncos the third seed in this year's College Football Playoff. They have a first-round bye before facing the SMU-Penn State winner in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal on New Year's Eve. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Jacksonville, Florida, won the Maxwell Award as college football's top player and the Doak Walker Award for best running back. Jeanty has five touchdown runs of at least 70 yards and has rushed for the fourth-most yards in a season in FBS history — topping the total of 115 teams this year. He needs 132 yards to break the FBS record set by Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. In a pass-happy era, however, Jeanty is trying to become the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since Derrick Henry for Alabama nine years ago. In fact, quarterbacks have snagged the prize all but four times this century. Gabriel, an Oklahoma transfer, led Oregon (13-0) to a Big Ten title in its first season in the league and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The steady senior from Hawaii passed for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate ranks second in the nation, and he's attempting to join quarterback Marcus Mariota (2014) as Ducks players to win the Heisman Trophy. "I think all the memories start to roll back in your mind," Gabriel said. Ward threw for 4,123 yards and led the nation with a school-record 36 touchdown passes for the high-scoring Hurricanes (10-2) after transferring from Washington State. The senior from West Columbia, Texas, won the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Year award and is looking to join QBs Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992) as Miami players to go home with the Heisman. "I just think there's a recklessness that you have to play with at the quarterback position," Ward said. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said he can't guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." Here's a look at some of the issues covered: Trump hems on whether trade penalties could raise prices Trump threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. Trump suggests retribution for his opponents while claiming no interest in vengeance He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. At another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Swift action on immigration is coming Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — though such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and were shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." Trump commits to NATO, with conditions, and waffles on Putin and Ukraine Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he "absolutely" would remain in the alliance "if they pay their bills." Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies' commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated "fairly" on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin's invasion. "Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure," Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump called for an immediate cease-fire. Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged. "I haven't spoken to him recently," Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to "impede the negotiation." Trump says Powell is safe at the Fed, but not Wray at the FBI The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy, including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: "Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious" that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump's pick for FBI chief, then "he's going to be taking somebody's place, right? Somebody is the man that you're talking about." Trump is absolute about Social Security, not so much on abortion and health insurance Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. "We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient," he said. He added that "we're not raising ages or any of that stuff." He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would "probably" not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, "Well, I commit. I mean, are — things do — things change. I think they change." Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had "concepts" of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called "lousy health care." He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for "better health care for less money."
Richard Parsons, Former Time Warner Chairman, Dies at 76
College Football Playoff & Bowl Game TV Schedule 2024PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cam Heyward has been on good teams before. Ones that have captured divisions. Ones that have won playoff games, though admittedly not in a while. The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle, now well into his dotage in his 14th season, can't quite remember having a group like the one that he plays on now. “We have a complete team,” Heyward said. A team that began the season riddled with question marks now finds itself steamrolling toward Christmas with everything on the table. Russell Wilson threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns, Heyward recorded two sacks and the Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 27-14 on Sunday even with leading receiver George Pickens watching from the sideline while missing the first game of his career due to a groin injury. While it took Wilson and the rest of the offense time to get going with the productive if volatile Pickens out of the mix, Wilson found his footing in the second half by connecting on touchdown passes to Pat Freiermuth and Van Jefferson as the Steelers (10-3) moved two games ahead of Baltimore for the AFC North lead with four weeks to go. Two weeks after a messy pratfall in the snow, Pittsburgh avoided being swept by the Browns for the first time since 1988 by taking advantage of the countless opportunities mistake-prone Cleveland (3-10) provided. Jameis Winston threw two interceptions, Dustin Hopkins missed two makeable field goals when the outcome was still in doubt and a series of ill-time flags added up to the Browns reaching double-digit losses for the 18th time since the franchise returned in 1999. “I don’t believe the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns,” Winston said. “I believe the Cleveland Browns beat the Cleveland Browns.” While Winston avoided the pick-6s that have dogged him throughout his career — including last week in Denver — but did little after hitting Jerry Jeudy for a 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter that gave the Browns an early lead. Winston finished 24 of 41 for 211 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Nick Chubb ran for 48 yards in his return to Pittsburgh after a devastating knee injury on the same field 15 months ago forced him to miss more than a year. Yet the Steelers kept Myles Garrett relatively in check after the defensive star racked up three sacks in Cleveland's snowy upset on Nov. 21 , and Pittsburgh's defense provided the spark that brought the offense to life. The surge began when Winston's screen pass intended for Chubb landed in the hands of 6-foot-4, 309-pound Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, who lugged his first career interception 11 yards. Najee Harris bulled over from 1 yard out five plays later to give the Steelers a lead they wouldn't relinquish. “That's what good teams do this time of year,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “Somebody makes a play, the other side of the ball backs it up. That's what we're trying to do.” Cleveland had chances to keep the Steelers within sight, but Hopkins saw a 38-yard field goal at breezy Acrisure Stadium late in the first half sail wide left, then had a 43-yarder drift wide right early in the third quarter. “I need to find a good swing,” said Hopkins, who has an NFL-high nine misses. “The swing has been tough to find this year.” The Steelers scored on the ensuing possession when Wilson executed a perfect run-pass option by faking the ball to Jaylen Warren, rolling right and finding Jefferson wide-open in the end zone from 10 yards out to make it 20-7. Pittsburgh's Elandon Roberts stuffed Jerome Ford for a 5-yard loss on fourth down to end Cleveland's next possession, and Wilson connected with Freiermuth down the seam. The tight end stumbled into the newly painted yellow end zone to send the Browns back to Cleveland with a loss, just like they have during every regular season visit since 2004. It also sets the stage for a daunting finishing stretch for the Steelers, who face Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City over the next three weeks, with two of the games coming on short rest. While Pittsburgh has quieted much of the noise that surrounded the team after a massive offensive overhaul in the offseason — led by the acquisition of Wilson — the Steelers understand the real test is still to come. “Why not test us before the playoffs, get a feel?” Freiermuth said. “They're all playoff teams we're playing, so it'll be great.” Browns: CB Mike Ford Jr. was placed in the concussion protocol in the first quarter. Steelers: DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) left in the first half and did not return. ... DB Donte Jackson (back) exited in the third quarter. Browns: Host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday. Steelers: Travel to cross-state rival Philadelphia next Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLNo. 22 Texas A&M beats Texas Tech 72-67 in 1st meeting of former conference rivals since 2012
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