ace jili Majority of Americans say they are happy with Trump’s transition despite controversies around cabinet picksWith Trump’s victory, Ellen DeGeneres will never return to America: report

Haitians massacred for practicing voodoo were abducted, hacked to death: UNFRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” What's working Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. What needs help KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. Stock up CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Stock down Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. Injuries The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. Key number 75% — Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. Next steps There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press

Mr Martin was comfortably elected on the first count after topping the poll in the Cork South Central constituency, and was hoisted into the air by his sons Cillian and Micheal Aodh. The exit poll put his party on 19.5%, behind its Civil War rival-turned coalition partner Fine Gael at 21%, and the largest opposition party Sinn Fein at 21.1%. Speaking immediately after his election, a jubilant Mr Martin predicted: “It transpires that we’ll probably exceed that exit poll prediction above the margin of error [of 1.4%] – we could be looking at 21.9% now.” He said the day following the poll had been a “rollercoaster”, reflecting that the party had been “left wondering ‘where were we?'” after the exit poll. Asked about that possibility he would become Taoiseach as the leader of the largest party in the next coalition, he told reporters he was now awaiting the national results – which could take days to finalise. He added: “That remains to be seen, obviously, in terms of the results the length and breadth of the country.” He further warned that the election remains “extraordinarily competitive” and added: “There’s going to be a lot of twists and turns.” Mr Martin thanked the people of Cork South Central for re-electing him, adding that he feels a “huge sense of responsibility”. “I will also be grateful to them for enabling me to have the honour of representing them in Dail Eireann – that is my first task, a representative of Cork South Central and advance the interests of Cork more generally.” He also thanked his family, saying: “I want to thank my wife Mary who really worked night and day when I was around the country, leading the campaign with Micheal Aodh and Aoibhe and Cillian.” Speculation has begun on what parties or independents may join with Fianna Fail – and Fine Gael – in a future coalition. Both those parties have ruled out a coalition with Sinn Fein. Turning to that process of government formation, he said he would like to see that happen faster than in 2020 – when it took several months. That process resulted in Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, two parties forged from opposing sides of Ireland’s Civil War of the 1920s, agreeing to set aside almost a century of animosity and share power. The Greens joined as a junior partner, but early indications showed the party could be facing an electoral wipeout. Mr Martin said: The Greens, to their credit, didn’t buckle over the four and a half years. “Being in government can be difficult for any political party. “It is to the credit of the Greens that they went into government. We had challenges, we had different priorities of three political parties, but this government went full term, and I think Ireland was for the better for that.” Taking the previous formation talks into consideration, Mr Martin predicted the future will involve very difficult negotiations between parties: “It will be challenging. This is not easy.” He said there has to be “real clarity” around a programme for government before forming a coalition. Asked how important it is to form a government before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, Mr Martin said: “I think we have to... to be honest with you, in the best interests of Ireland in the first instance.” Fianna Fail had campaigned on a message of stable financial management in the face of potential economic shocks caused by policy decisions from the next US administration. Asked why he felt Fianna Fail was underestimated in the polls, he said: “Look, I’m not going to go on about polls but I would have had a better evening last night if they had been more accurate.” He added: “I mean the polls give Fianna Fail heart attacks all the time.”Neuphoria Completes Re-domiciliation and Successor Listing on NasdaqSeveral times following New England’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wanted to review the game film before making a final assessment of his team’s performance. He did, and on Monday he said the overarching feeling he was left with was one of pride. Going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the NFL is commendable. Mayo also remains confident this group has even more room for growth over its final two games this season. “To be frank, I don’t believe in good losses,” Mayo said. “I think there’s a lot to learn from the game. Look, we’re headed in the right direction, but it’s all about consistency, and we have to do that on a down-after-down, a game-after-game basis to be successful in this league.” What is also clear is that despite their 3-12 record, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye wants people to know that he and his teammates believe in their coach. No matter what conversations might be going on outside the Patriots locker room regarding shortcomings by the coaching staff, or Mayo’s job status. “We’ve got his back, and he’s coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all frustrated,” Maye said. “We’re just plays away, and it’s basically me turning the ball over. I think it’s just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we’re not going to make the playoffs; we’re out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don’t score. ... So, I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.” The Patriots entered the week scoring only 7.5 points per game in the first half this season, which ranked 29th in the NFL. The offense woke up with 14 points in the first half on Sunday, notching multiple offensive touchdowns in the first half for the first time in 2024. Stopping the run has been an issue for New England’s defense for most of the season and it was on display against the Bills. With Buffalo trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, running back James Cook sliced through the interior of the Patriots defense and broke free for a 46-yard TD run. It was a big chunk of Buffalo’s 172 yards on the ground for the game. CB Jonathan Jones. He was tasked with being the primary defender on Buffalo’s top receiver Khalil Shakir for most of the game. The veteran held his own, helping limit the Bills’ leader in catches and receiving yards to only two catches for 22 yards on six targets. Jones also forced a fumble by Shakir in the fourth quarter, though Shakir was able to recover it. Marte Mapu. The linebacker started at safety with Jabrill Peppers sidelined with a hamstring injury. Mapu was strong for most of the game and had a chance to set up the Patriots offense in the second quarter when he snagged his second career interception, picking off Josh Allen’s pass in the end zone. But Mapu decided to run the ball out of the end zone and was tackled on the New England 1-yard line. The poor starting field position eventually led to a punt and the Patriots couldn’t add to their 14-7 lead. The Patriots didn’t announce any injuries during the game. But along with Peppers, cornerback Marcus Jones also sat out with a hip injury. 2-6 — The Patriots’ record in one-score games this season. Four of those have been by three or fewer points. The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Jet2 plc ( LON:JET2 – Get Free Report )’s stock price was up 9.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday following a dividend announcement from the company. The company traded as high as GBX 1,588 ($19.91) and last traded at GBX 1,550 ($19.43). Approximately 1,758,040 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 209% from the average daily volume of 569,103 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,418 ($17.78). The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Friday, February 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of GBX 4.40 ($0.06) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a dividend yield of 0.31%. Jet2’s payout ratio is 882.35%. Analysts Set New Price Targets JET2 has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Jet2 from GBX 2,240 ($28.08) to GBX 2,385 ($29.90) and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price objective on shares of Jet2 from GBX 1,900 ($23.82) to GBX 2,050 ($25.70) and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Jet2 Stock Up 0.9 % The firm has a market cap of £3.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 890.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.34 and a beta of 2.27. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is GBX 1,444.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 1,388.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 103.30, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 1.36. Insider Transactions at Jet2 In other news, insider Angela Luger acquired 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 1,395 ($17.49) per share, for a total transaction of £12,555 ($15,739.00). Also, insider Rachel Kentleton bought 1,801 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 1,403 ($17.59) per share, for a total transaction of £25,268.03 ($31,676.11). 20.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Jet2 Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Jet2 plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the leisure travel business primarily in the United Kingdom. The company operates scheduled holiday flights to leisure destinations in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, and European Leisure Cities. It is also involved in the package holiday and non-ticket retail activities, as well as passenger and charter aircraft operations. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Jet2 Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Jet2 and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .No. 8 Kentucky flying high ahead of Western Kentucky meeting

No. 8 Kentucky flying high ahead of Western Kentucky meeting

Bryce Thompson scored 17 points and achieved a milestone as Oklahoma State defeated Miami 80-74 on Friday afternoon in a Charleston Classic consolation game in Charleston, S.C. Thompson made 6-of-14 shots from the floor, surpassing 1,000 points for his career at Oklahoma State (4-1), which also got 15 points from Marchelus Avery. The Cowboys won in large part thanks to their impressive 3-point shooting (10-for-22, 45.5 percent). Oklahoma State backup guard Arturo Dean, a Miami native, posted eight points and one steal. He led the nation in steals last season while playing for Florida International. Miami (3-2) has lost two straight games in Charleston, failing to take a lead at any point. They will play on Sunday against either Nevada or VCU. The Hurricanes on Friday were led by Nijel Pack, who had a game-high 20 points. Brandon Johnson had a double-double for Miami with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Matthew Cleveland scored 11 points and Lynn Kidd and Paul Djobet added 10 points apiece for Miami. Miami, which fell behind 7-0 in Thursday's loss to Drake, got behind 9-0 on Friday as Abou Ousmane scored six of his eight points. Oklahoma State stretched its lead to 18 before settling for a 43-27 advantage at the break. Pack led all first-half scorers with 10 points, but Miami shot just 29.6 percent from the floor, including 3-of-13 on 3-pointers (23.1). Oklahoma State shot 48.4 percent, including 8-for-15 on 3-pointers (53.3 percent) before intermission. The Cowboys also had a 14-8 edge in paint points. In the second half, Miami closed its 20-point deficit to 55-42 with 12:12 left. Miami got a bit closer as two straight short jumpers by Kidd, trimming the deficit to 73-62 with 3:25 to play. The Hurricanes cut it to 77-70 on Pack's 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining, but the Cowboys hit their free throws to close out the win. --Field Level MediaBy Derek B. Johnson December 23, 2024 The State Department’s center for fighting global disinformation received a lump of coal in its Christmas stocking this week as congressional lawmakers excluded new funding and authorization for the office beyond this year. The Global Engagement Center, which tracks foreign disinformation, will lose its authority on Dec. 24. Despite a concerted push by State officials to lobby Congress for an extension, a measure to extend the center’s authority into 2031 was stripped out of the final version of defense authorization legislation that passed through the Senate. “The Global Engagement Center will terminate by operation of law [by the end of the day] on December 23, 2024,” a State Department spokesperson told CyberScoop in an email. “The Department of State has consulted with Congress regarding next steps.” According to figures provided by State, the GEC has a staff of approximately 120 and an annual budget of $61 million. The spokesperson did not address questions about what will happen to the center’s personnel and technology following the closure. The shuttering will leave the State Department without a dedicated office for countering disinformation abroad for the first time since 2016. The closure comes at the end of a year when U.S. officials, foreign political leaders and private companies tracking disinformation have alleged that Russia and China have engaged in concerted propaganda campaigns targeting democratic elections in Taiwan , Moldova , Georgia , Romania and other countries. “This is extremely frustrating,” Mark Montgomery, former executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium and a supporter of extending the center’s authority, told CyberScoop. “On a bipartisan basis, both political parties know that Russia, China and, to a lesser degree, Iran and other non-state actors, conduct information operations against us spreading lies, and the GEC was a good tool for ensuring that the truth, as we see it, came out.” While the center does not focus on disinformation targeting the United States, its work with related organizations faced criticism from congressional Republicans and Elon Musk, who accused the center in 2023 of being “the worst offender in U.S. government censorship [and] media manipulation.” Musk is now an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump and was placed in charge of an advisory board for cutting programs and reducing government spending. Additionally, Republicans on the Hill raised questions about the GEC’s value, suggesting its work might duplicate existing analysis from the private sector and other parts of government. In interviews with CyberScoop and FedScoop last month, GEC leaders pushed back on those views, calling their work “critical” to combatting foreign propaganda campaigns in allied countries and emphasizing that they take active steps to exclude data on U.S. persons from their analysis. “We are really the first analytical unit in the U.S. government that takes this kind of comprehensive approach of looking at threat actors — Iranians, [China], the Russians — and try to understand ... what their influence is broadly on the information space in different geographic regions,” said Carrie Goux, GEC’s acting deputy coordinator. Lindsay Gorman, a former White House official under the Biden administration, told CyberScoop that there is “a lack of recognition in Congress that the wars democracies are fighting with autocrats overseas are no longer only in the physical domain, but in the cyberspace realm of 1s and 0s.” “Whether their goal is to marshal support for invading neighbors or undermine U.S. credibility overseas, the U.S. needs a means to fight back. One way is to expose covert campaigns for what they are — important work the GEC is doing,” said Gorman, now at the nonprofit German Marshall Fund. “GEC has been the eyes and ears on the ground when it comes to information threats overseas, tracking where autocratic strategic objectives lie and how tactics are evolving to guide responses.” Gorman stressed that Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns “aren’t going away” and are increasingly leveraging social media and emerging technologies like generative AI “to sow discord and undermine democracy around the world.” GEC officials also said their limited budget has hindered efforts to acquire advanced technology needed to support their work, including tools to detect AI-manipulated media. State Department documents obtained by FedScoop detail a range of solutions and tools the center hoped to acquire if it was reauthorized, including a system for detecting photoshopped images, a “meme detection” model to help analyze and contextualize imagery, a detector for imagery created through Stable Diffusion, and a tool to detect AI-generated assets in video. Montgomery said that with Republicans set to take control of the State Department and both houses of Congress next month, they are positioned to shape the GEC’s mission and operations to address any concerns about impinging on domestic U.S. issues. “The frustration is, why not give it an extension now that you’re basically responsible?” Montgomery asked.

Black Friday goes digital as American rack up $10bn worth of online purchases

Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby

Amber Heard stepped into the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni fray on Monday after learning that the crisis control PR firm Baldoni had hired was the same one ex-husband Johnny Depp used during their 2022 defamation trial. “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,’ ” she told NBC News. “I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Goold's chat: If Cardinals trade closer Ryan Helsley, when's best time to maximize offer?

Several times following New England’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wanted to review the game film before making a final assessment of his team’s performance. He did, and on Monday he said the overarching feeling he was left with was one of pride. Going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the NFL is commendable. Mayo also remains confident this group has even more room for growth over its final two games this season. “To be frank, I don’t believe in good losses,” Mayo said. “I think there’s a lot to learn from the game. Look, we’re headed in the right direction, but it’s all about consistency, and we have to do that on a down-after-down, a game-after-game basis to be successful in this league.” What is also clear is that despite their 3-12 record, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye wants people to know that he and his teammates believe in their coach. No matter what conversations might be going on outside the Patriots locker room regarding shortcomings by the coaching staff, or Mayo’s job status. “We’ve got his back, and he’s coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all frustrated,” Maye said. “We’re just plays away, and it’s basically me turning the ball over. I think it’s just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we’re not going to make the playoffs; we’re out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don’t score. ... So, I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.” What’s working The Patriots entered the week scoring only 7.5 points per game in the first half this season, which ranked 29th in the NFL. The offense woke up with 14 points in the first half on Sunday, notching multiple offensive touchdowns in the first half for the first time in 2024. What needs help Stopping the run has been an issue for New England’s defense for most of the season and it was on display against the Bills. With Buffalo trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, running back James Cook sliced through the interior of the Patriots defense and broke free for a 46-yard TD run. It was a big chunk of Buffalo’s 172 yards on the ground for the game. Stock up CB Jonathan Jones. He was tasked with being the primary defender on Buffalo’s top receiver Khalil Shakir for most of the game. The veteran held his own, helping limit the Bills’ leader in catches and receiving yards to only two catches for 22 yards on six targets. Jones also forced a fumble by Shakir in the fourth quarter, though Shakir was able to recover it. Stock down Marte Mapu. The linebacker started at safety with Jabrill Peppers sidelined with a hamstring injury. Mapu was strong for most of the game and had a chance to set up the Patriots offense in the second quarter when he snagged his second career interception, picking off Josh Allen’s pass in the end zone. But Mapu decided to run the ball out of the end zone and was tackled on the New England 1-yard line. The poor starting field position eventually led to a punt and the Patriots couldn’t add to their 14-7 lead. Injuries The Patriots didn’t announce any injuries during the game. But along with Peppers, cornerback Marcus Jones also sat out with a hip injury. Key number 2-6 — The Patriots’ record in one-score games this season. Four of those have been by three or fewer points. Next steps The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Kyle Hightower, The Associated PressWhen New York Jets players returned to the team’s facility from their bye week on Monday, they were greeted by speeches from an interim head coach and an interim general manager. Most of the roster was brought to New York by Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas. Both were fired before Thanksgiving, the Jets playoff hopes dead before December. So on Monday, it was Jeff Ulbrich and Phil Savage standing in front of the team, delivering words to convince them that there’s still something to play for, even if it doesn’t really feel like it. Ulbrich talked about finishing off the season “the right way” over the final six games, starting with Sunday at home against the Seattle Seahawks . Savage spoke about the importance of maintaining professionalism regardless of the circumstance the Jets find themselves in. "If you don't like what's going on... you've got to make some sacrifices to make those changes happen." pic.twitter.com/qnZAGWG6ON — New York Jets (@nyjets) November 25, 2024 It would be fair to wonder if that message is falling on deaf ears at this point, especially as owner Woody Johnson has already turned the page to 2025. If that wasn’t obvious when the Jets fired Douglas as general manager last week , it was on Monday afternoon when the Jets announced they were hiring The 33rd Team , a media and consulting firm run by former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, to help them in their search for a new general manager and head coach. Tannenbaum and former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman will lead the way in a “supportive role to help identify and vet candidates in addition to coordinate interviews.” Advertisement Sure, the Jets are 3-8 and have a less than one percent chance of making the postseason, according to the New York Times playoff simulator . If the Jets somehow won all of their remaining six games, that number would still only jump to 30 percent. When Ulbrich was given the interim head coaching tag upon Saleh’s firing in October , it was with the idea that the rest of the season would serve as his audition for the full-time job. Now, the Jets are actively searching for his replacement — though Ulbrich hasn’t been ruled out as a candidate. Awkward? “In all honesty, it’s not at all,” Ulbrich said. “My focus is finishing the season off the right way, playing a brand of football we’re all proud of, myself included, and that starts with Seattle.” GO DEEPER Why Joe Douglas never stood a chance as Jets GM With Ulbrich as head coach, the Jets defense has taken a nosedive. Since Week 6, Ulbrich’s first game as interim head coach, it ranks 30th in defensive EPA, 26th in rushing defense and 24th in points allowed per game. They’ve also forced the fewest turnovers (two) in the NFL during that span and haven’t recorded an interception since Week 5, Saleh’s last game as head coach. Tackling has been an issue, lowlighted by the Week 10 loss to the Cardinals in which the Jets missed 20 tackles. None of that helps Ulbrich’s case for earning the full-time job, but as with Jets players the next six games will serve as his audition for the rest of the NFL too. Ulbrich is not giving up play-calling, he said, maintaining control of his unit while also trying to lead the entire operation. It’s a formula that hasn’t worked so far. “We created a real clear vision of where we need to improve and found some things,” Ulbrich said, declining to get into specifics. “Obviously you find the things that you’re not doing well, you need to improve upon them. But then we also found some things that I think we can really build upon.” Advertisement The tallest task for Ulbrich over the final six games: buy-in. The players know that the person leading the organization (Johnson) has already given up on their season and is looking ahead to next year. Their head coach was fired. Their general manager was fired. They’re 3-8, the playoffs are unrealistic and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to play for — other than pride. It’s been a crazy season, to say the least. “That’s definitely a word for it,” said linebacker C.J. Mosley , one of the team’s captains. “You could throw a lot of different synonyms in there. (Firings don’t) happen a lot, but it happens. It’s unfortunate that it’s happened to us this year. We can only control what we do on the field. ... You can’t make any excuses when there’s changes in our locker room, changes upstairs, downstairs or around the corner, the only thing we can control is when we step in between the white lines, what we’re doing to win football games. As players, that’s what we have to make sure that our main focus stays at.” Mosley added that the goal going forward is simple: win. “Even though we’re coming out of this bye week with a losing record, it doesn’t have to stay that way,” he said. “We can find a way to win these last few games and try to make something out of these last six weeks that we have because at the end of the day, at the end of season, whether we finish with all wins, all losses or .500, change is going to happen regardless. So we might as well do what we can while we’re here.” There are plenty of players and coaches with something to prove. Ulbrich wants to prove he deserves a shot at being a head coach, whether with the Jets or someone else. Mosley wants to prove he still has something left in the tank, though a neck injury might still keep him out of Sunday’s game. There are many key players set to hit free agency this offseason, and others who will be fighting for roster spots — whether that’s with the Jets or with one of the other 31 teams. Advertisement “We understand that, you know, they’re doing things upstairs, figuring out what’s going to happen next year,” said offensive tackle Morgan Moses , who will be a free agent. “But a lot of people in this locker room are playing for a lot of things, whether it’s free agency, whether it’s more playing time, whether it’s to be on the 53-man roster. If you’re a practice squad guy, there’s so many variables that guys are going to contribute into this thing. And all we have to worry about is playing football. I want to say a lot of that is outside noise and we’re going to control the things we can control in the locker room and that’s just getting ready for Seattle.” GO DEEPER The Jets' QB options in 2025 — with or without Aaron Rodgers Then there’s Aaron Rodgers . The quarterback turns 41 in December and is in the midst of one of the worst stretches of his career. He’s never been the starter of a team that was out of playoff contention this early. He’s been banged up all season and a recent NFL Network report suggested that Rodgers has been refusing to get scans on his injuries so the team couldn’t prevent him from playing. Rodgers has looked like a shell of himself, unwilling to throw the ball downfield or make plays on the run, which used to be his signature. There’s the question of whether the Jets (or Rodgers himself) will ultimately shut it down, especially as it becomes clearer that neither Rodgers nor Johnson are likely to want to continue this marriage into 2025. But Ulbrich said Rodgers looks healthier coming out of the bye week than he has at any point in the last month. “A healthy Aaron Rodgers is the Aaron Rodgers we all love,” Ulbrich said. On Monday, Ulbrich was in the unfortunate position of being questioned about things largely out of his control: Rodgers’ status for the rest of the season and Johnson’s over-involvement in the team’s day-to-day operations, as detailed by The Athletic last week . GO DEEPER Russini’s what I’m hearing: The day the Jets fell apart and the Broncos rallied, Belichick best fits When questioned, Ulbrich said he was “not informed of that” report about Rodgers declining to take tests, and would only say three words to the question of whether there are internal discussions about shutting him down: “There is not.” Will Rodgers be the starting quarterback against Seattle? “Absolutely,” Ulbrich said. Advertisement As for The Athletic ’s report that safety Tony Adams was benched as a starter in Week 11 at Johnson’s instruction, Ulbrich didn’t exactly say “no.” “Guys, I’m preaching to the players about the singular focus going forward and pouring everything into this Seahawks team and owning this process,” Ulbrich said. “I gotta live that too. I can’t be sitting here talking about things that may or may not have happened. Mr. Johnson and myself have great dialogue, consistent dialogue, we talk all the time and we have very honest conversations and I’d like to keep those conversations between the two of us.” The Jets have a lot of questions about what the future looks like around here. Those won’t be answered until the offseason. In the meantime, they still have six games to play. (Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)DA Davidson Has Pessimistic Outlook of LOW FY2025 Earnings

Trump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to be ambassador to FranceFirst, a warning about graphic content. This piece is about The Herald’s annual and ineffably glitzy Scottish Politician of the Year awards. It will feature more name-dropping than a Buckingham Palace staff night out. It’s early doors in the proceedings at Prestonfield House, Edinburgh’s grandest hotel, and Annie Wells has just supplied me with one of the year’s most memorable anecdotes. Ms Wells has succeeded Baroness Annabel Goldie as everyone’s favourite Tory and we meet beneath clouds of cigarette smoke (as we always do at this time of the year) to exchange furtive canards. She’s my nomination for the night’s top apparel. Her vivid ensemble includes a lace and glitter black and silver scarf; a military style coat and kitten heels. It looks to me like it could be from Gianni Versace’s less celebrated Sauchiehall Rue range. She is telling me of her encounter in a hospitality lounge the other week at the rugby with Prince Albert of Monaco. I’m immediately transfixed by the vision of this diminutive and forthright Glaswegian MSP holding court with the royalty of European royalty. Read more Anas Sarwar named Herald Scottish Politician of The Year Herald Politician of the Year Award winners in pictures “I told the prince that me and my partner, Angela, had named Albert, our cocker spaniel after him,” says Ms Wells. “I hope His Highness was suitably impressed,” say I. “He was absolutely tickled,” she says. “I even called Angela over to verify the fact, while hoping that she wouldn’t blurt out that Albert was really called Albert in honour of a different Albert - Queen Victoria’s man - on account of their distinct facial likenesses.” I suggest to Ms Wells that this could be the beginning of a Scottish trade initiative with the world’s richest principality. “And to hell with the rugby ,” I say, “get him to throw you a couple of tickets for his Formula One Grand Prix.” If I’m being honest here, I’d harboured a degree of anxiety about writing a piece like this. In other circumstances, I’d be turning up at this event to poke fun at Scotland’s politicians and mock the very concept of these people even getting awards. But, being an employee of the newspaper that’s hosting them, well ... a measure of cautionary rectitude is required. On the other hand: you wouldn’t want me merely to supply a puff piece saying what a jolly wizard wheeze it was and how the gents all look dashing and the ladies all look like princesses and Anas and Kate and John were all on top form. I’m still wrestling with this dilemma when Stephen Flynn walks in with Kate Forbes. I’d written a column about Mr Flynn just the other day basically telling him not to give a monkey’s about his bid for Holyrood and the two jobs rammy. Don’t give us any of your nonsense about integrity, I’d instructed him, for some of these bangers, integrity is a sellable commodity to the highest bidder. I’d even suggested he do a deal with Ms Forbes before setting about the task of smiting the SNP’s lumpen Holyrood troughers hip and thigh and scattering them hither as well as thon. Herald Editor Catherine Salmond with Kevin McKenna, both right (Image: GT) But he’s obviously not taken a blind bit of notice of my advice. Minutes earlier he’d put out a statement to the effect that he wouldn’t now be seeking a Holyrood seat and that he’d – get this – “got this one wrong”. Later on, I chivvy him out and scold him for apologising. “What are you doing apologising to this shower,” I tell him. “Emma Roddick [former Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees] who’s done the square root of damn all in four indolent years at Holyrood will be eating out on this for the rest of her life.” This is why they let me out only occasionally at these events. In the midst of all this, Ms Forbes seems the personification of sweet innocence ... but a vulpine grin is beginning to tug at the side of her mouth. She’s been up to no good herself. Along with Anas Sarwar and John Swinney, she’s up for the night’s big prize and has been asked to supply the name of a charity that will receive half the proceeds from a collection. She’s nominated Open Doors, an organisation that helps Christians facing persecution across the globe. She knows – and so do I – that this is gentle trolling of those who slaughtered her during last year’s SNP leadership election. In exchange for your indulgence at my pretensions I will tell you this. There’s a fail-safe way of sorting out who among our elected representatives are self-important weapons and who are the ones you’d gladly buy a drink . If they can still approach you with smile and an outstretched hand after you’ve been disobliging of them in print then it usually means they haven’t yet disappeared up their own fundaments. Take Stewart McDonald, the SNP MP who lost his Glasgow seat in July. On several occasions I’ve lampooned his militaristic fetishism. I’ve referred to him and his MSP pal Alyn Smith as “the NATO twins” and described him as the MP for Kiev Central. Yet, he’s never been anything other than a decent chiel and mocks in turn some of my unlovely prose and my blind allegiance to Celtic FC. The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year Awards 2024 is an annual fixture on the calendar (Image: GT) John Swinney’s the same. I’ve taken more than a few liberties with his good name and spotless character. Yet there he was at that cattle market in Edinburgh last week addressing me warmly and listening patiently as I attempted to ask him a multi-layered question about the coos. By the time I’d finished I’d forgotten what the point was of my own half-arsed inquiry ... and so had he. He could have dismantled me, but sought instead to make some sense of it. Of course it’s easy to deride these awards, now in their 26th year. On the surface, it’s an orgy of self-glorification and back-slapping among Scotland’s political and media elites. But there are other dynamics at play here. For a start, the public purse isn’t being raided. Many of the tables are paid for by companies as a means of treating their staff to a good night out. It also provides these firms and several third sector organisations with an opportunity to engage with the people who spend Scotland’s money and award public sector contracts. Within an hour I’ve arranged three future interviews with charitable organisations whose social justice values align with my own. The Herald will duly give me 1500 words and a page to tell our readership about the work they do. One technology firm whose success is vital to the depressed economy of North Lanarkshire have made valuable political connections at this event over the last 10 years. They can get in front of a politician without having to pay thousands each month for a lobbying firm. They learn how the political process works and how to give themselves a decent chance of winning a contract. It helps them keep hundreds of jobs within North Lanarkshire and to pay them all well above the real Living Wage. Read more Independence splits over Holyrood budget are an embarrassment This Scots town is cheapest to buy a house in UK. So what is it like? You can get a full list of all the award-winners elsewhere on the Herald website. Anas Sarwar won the main award, though I’d have given it to Kate Forbes for her grace under the river of abuse she faced from her own party and the Scottish Greens during the SNP leadership contest. But I’m hoping to interview Mr Sarwar some time soon, and you can’t say he’s not done a decent job with Scottish Labour. The Baroness Goldie of Tea and Abernethy got a lifetime achievement award. This went down well with everyone, because well ... everyone’s got their favourite Annabel Goldie anecdote. I saw her once scold a Labour grandee who was unutterably howling with the hooch at a different political event in that Dynamic Earth building. She had caught him trying to abscond from our table with some bottles of the Blue Nun. “Put thet beck right now, or you and I will have words in the morning.” The Lord, drunk as he was, apologised profusely, replaced the bottles meekly and backed away unsteadily.Burt died over the weekend, the Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, said. He was at least 90 years old. “Known for his independent nature, Burt was a confirmed bachelor – an attitude he made clear during his earlier years at a crocodile farm,” Crocosaurus Cove wrote in social media posts. The aquarium added: “He wasn’t just a crocodile, he was a force of nature and a reminder of the power and majesty of these incredible creatures. While his personality could be challenging, it was also what made him so memorable and beloved by those who worked with him and the thousands who visited him over the years.” A saltwater crocodile, Burt was estimated to be more than 16 feet long. He was captured in the 1980s in the Reynolds River and became one of the most well-known crocodiles in the world, according to Crocosaurus Cove. The 1986 film stars Paul Hogan as the rugged crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. In the movie, American Sue Charlton, played by actress Linda Kozlowski, goes to fill her canteen in a watering hole when she is attacked by a crocodile before being saved by Dundee. Burt is briefly shown lunging out of the water. But the creature shown in more detail as Dundee saves the day is apparently something else. The Internet Movie Database says the film made a mistake by depicting an American alligator, which has a blunter snout. The Australian aquarium where Burt had lived since 2008 features a Cage of Death which it says is the nation’s only crocodile dive. It said it planned to honour Burt’s legacy with a commemorative sign “celebrating his extraordinary life and the stories and interactions he shared throughout his time at the park”.Argentina's Racing wins its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1

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The Girls’ School Association has warned that Labour’s plan to charge VAT on private school fees in January could lead to fewer women growing up to have careers in male-dominated industries such as sports or physics. Beth Probert, 27, is an award-winning astrophysicist and PhD researcher at the University of Strathclyde’s Applied Space Technology Laboratory in Glasgow. Here she explains why this isn’t the case . I grew up in the countryside near Alice Holt forest in Hampshire in the south of England. That was lucky because it’s one of the darkest regions in the South. When I was a child, I spent a lot of time outside, just lying down, and staring at the stars. I was completely mesmerised by all these little lights in the sky. I’ve always been a bookworm, so I’d go and get lots of encyclopedia books to learn as much about the sky as possible. I remember giving myself minor existential crises about how big the universe was and how small we were, and just trying to wrap my child brain around that idea. We’re a speck of dust in the universe. I’ve always been fascinated. I went to a state school , and I like to think I’m doing pretty well for myself as a result. I went to Weydon School in Farnham, which is a mixed-gender science specialist school, where I had a lot of exposure to science and we had specialist labs that we received funding for. Today, I’m a PhD researcher with a background in software engineering, looking at satellite communications and automating collision avoidance between satellites. Personally, having a state school education enabled me to experience diversity in broader terms than just gender, but also in background and upbringing in socioeconomic terms, which helped me develop a stronger sense of empathy and understanding for people in circumstances different to me. I made friends with people from a much more diverse set of backgrounds. I’ve carried that with me today and the experiences I had at school have shaped me to become someone who is very passionate about diversity and inclusion in STEM. Even though my school was a specialist school for science, I definitely faced some barriers because I was a girl. I remember telling one of my teachers that I loved physics. He said: “You’d make a really great physics teacher. There’s a shortage of women physics teachers. You should think about going into teaching.” I never had any interest in teaching. I wanted to be a scientist. But I was never encouraged to consider it. Read Next I ditched healthy morning routines – and feel better than ever But that didn’t matter. Instead, the biggest inspiration for me was my upbringing. I grew up in a female-only household. My mum is one of the strongest women I know, and she’s known about my love of space and science pretty much since I was born. She has only ever encouraged me, pushed me and challenged me to go that bit further and to chase my ambition. She’s never tried to box me into anything or tell me I should aim for less. Growing up I had never seen women be limited. I think really helped me push ahead. At university, I studied astrophysics at Bath. There were around 120 people on the course, and around 20 were girls. Barely any of them went to a private school. A friend who did go to private school actually went there on a scholarship. Private education doesn’t dominate the field. Regardless of whether you send your child to a girls’ private school or a mixed-state school, I think there is a bigger problem that needs addressing. Teachers have a huge role to play in encouraging girls to pursue their dreams, whatever school they teach at. There’s so much research that shows children as young as eight have already learned gender stereotypes about what girls and boys can and can’t do. We need to start even younger than secondary school, which is probably where I had my first real exposure to learning science. If we want more girls in physics, we need to be showing girls in primary school that they are capable of anything. There was another piece of research done recently by WISE that showed that in STEM job advertisements, boys relate more to verbs. Such as “You will be programming,” or “You will be problem-solving”. On the other hand, girls respond more to adjectives that describe a person: “You are a logical thinker” or “You are creative.” To get more girls into science, rather than sending them to a private school, we need to stop talking about what scientists do in terms of complex equations and instead ask: What is a scientist like? How does a scientist think? I think a lot of girls don’t realise that they have the right personality for the job. Firstly, you have to be creative to find unique solutions. You need to be resilient because science is all about trying and failing. We assume scientists are introverted and like to work alone, but in reality, to be a good scientist you need to be a really strong communicator. You need to be able to work well with others. The programming skills can be learnt later. There is a stereotype that state schools are limiting. However, the majority of students in the UK still go to state schools and succeed. I don’t regret going to my state school, and I haven’t achieved any less for it.