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Lionel Messi wins MLS MVP award, the latest trophy on a long list of honors for the Inter Miami star FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi is the MVP of Major League Soccer for 2024. The award comes after a season where he missed 15 of Inter Miami’s 34 regular-season matches with injuries or commitments to Argentina’s national team. He still factored into a league-high 36 goals by scoring 20 and assisting on 16 others. His 2.1 goal contributions per 90 minutes played is the best by any player in any season in MLS history. MLS revealed the voting results Friday. Messi edged out Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernández for the award, which is determined by a poll of players, club technical staff and select media members. NFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun Watson CLEVELAND (AP) — The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The league has been reviewing the case for months, trying to determine whether Watson should be punished. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email that "there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.” Watson, who served an 11-game suspension in 2022, was accused of assault by a woman in September. She was seeking more than $1 million in damage before the sides reached a confidential settlement. Watson has played in just 19 games over three seasons for the Browns. NBA returning to China for pair of Suns-Nets preseason games in 2025 The NBA is returning to China next season. The league has struck a deal to play preseason games there more than five years after the league was effectively banned for Commissioner Adam Silver not punishing Daryl Morey for tweeting support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Brooklyn and Phoenix will play games in China’s gambling hub of Macao on Oct. 10, 2025, and again two days later. There are more games planned for China in 2026, a source told The Associated Press. American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — American ski racer Lindsey Vonn darted through the shadows on the speed course at Copper Mountain on a frigid morning. She was on the hill Friday as she tries to make a comeback to skiing nearly six years after her last race. Vonn plans to enter a series of lower-tier FIS downhill and super-G races this weekend at Copper Mountain, Colorado. It could be the first step toward seeing her on the World Cup circuit again. NFL's next coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates: Analysis The next NFL coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates ranging from proven champions to up-and-coming coordinators. Six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick heads the list of recognizable names that includes 2021 AP Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Buccaneers OC Liam Cohen, Bills OC Joe Brady and Eagles OC Kellen Moore are among a lengthy list of young offensive-minded coaches who will garner plenty of interest. Hall of Famer Randy Moss is stepping away from ESPN for an extended time to deal with health issue Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss is stepping away from his ESPN analyst role for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge, the network said in a statement. Moss revealed last week that he’s dealing with a health issue and asked fans to pray for him and his family. The 47-year-old ESPN football analyst made his announcement on Instagram from the set of the network’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying any particular illness. No Bevo? SEC tells Texas there's no room for its 1,700-pound longhorn at title game vs. Georgia ATLANTA (AP) — The Southeastern Conference championship game will not feature another mascot showdown. The league says there's not enough space on the sideline at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for No. 2 Texas to bring along its 1,700-pound longhorn Bevo XV for the game against No. 5 Georgia. The teams have two of college football’s most famous mascots. There should be enough sideline space for Georgia’s pure white English bulldog, Uga XI. Before the 2019 Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Bevo XV toppled his barrier and began to charge at Uga X. Texas handlers were able to pull Bevo back before any harm. The Big Ten and SEC are set to gobble up CFP bids. That could squeeze the ACC and other leagues The Big Ten and Southeastern conferences are set to gobble up the majority of the bids to the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. That could squeeze the Atlantic Coast Conference and other leagues trying to maintain their footing. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told The Associated Press he wants clarity on the process that put two-loss Miami behind three-loss Alabama in the latest rankings. Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said she wouldn't support future changes for guaranteed numbers of bids to power conferences. The Mountain West is set to have its champion in the playoff as a Group of Five winner. F1 champion Max Verstappen to become first-time father with girlfriend Kelly Piquet ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is set to become a father for the first time with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet. There’s racing heritage on both sides of the family. Verstappen secured his fourth F1 title last month and Kelly’s father Nelson Piquet was a three-time champion in the 1980s. Verstappen says on Instagram that "we couldn’t be happier with our little miracle.” Verstappen is aiming to win his 10th F1 race of the year at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Practice gets underway later. Anaheim Ducks acquire Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in trade for Vaakanainen, draft pick ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have acquired New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in a trade for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a future fourth-round pick. The trade ends Trouba’s tenure with the Rangers, who acquired the 30-year-old defenseman in a trade with Winnipeg in 2019. He became New York’s captain before the 2022-23 season. Trouba will immediately become a key contributor on the blue line for the Ducks, who are in last place in the Pacific Division. He will also play alongside Anaheim forwards Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano, his teammates with the Rangers during the club’s run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2022.

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The Texas Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court ruling that state Attorney General Ken Paxton testify in a whistleblower lawsuit at the heart of impeachment charges brought against him in 2023. The court on Friday said Paxton’s office any issue in the lawsuit by four former Paxton employees and agreed to any judgment in the case. “In a major win for the State of Texas, the state Supreme Court has sided with Attorney General Paxton against former OAG employees whose effort to prolong costly, politically-motivated litigation against the agency has wasted public resources for years," a statement from Paxton's office said. An attorney for one of the plaintiffs declined immediate comment, and a second attorney did not immediately return a phone call for comment. The they were improperly fired or forced out for bringing to the FBI allegations that Paxton was misusing his office to protect a friend and campaign donor, who in turn, they said, was helping the attorney general to conceal an extramarital affair. The Supreme Court ruling noted that the Texas governor and Legislature have expressed a desire to hear testimony from the witnesses prior to agreeing to appropriate funds to settle the lawsuit. The court said forcing Paxton, First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, Chief of Staff Lesley French Henneke and senior advisor Michelle Smith to testify earlier could improperly be used for legislative purposes in deciding any appropriation. Under the , Paxton agreed to apologize to the former employees for calling them “rogue” employees, settle the case for $3.3 million and ask the state to pay for it, prompting the state House to reject the request and begin its own investigation, leading to the vote to impeach him. Paxton was after a Senate trial. The Supreme Court termed its ruling conditional upon the lower trial court complying with the decision, while saying it is “confident the trial court will comply” with the order. Ken Miller, The Associated Press

Panthers TE Ja’Tavion Sanders carted off field

The rollout of ultra-high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi is well underway at the national airline, Qatar Airways, with the carrier exceeding its own previously planned timeline of 14 jets by the end of the year. Starlink can now be found on 16 aircraft, with more joining over the coming weeks as new Starlink kits arrive from SpaceX in the US. Qatar Airways Group CEO Badr Mohammed al-Meer last week explained the rollout would have been even faster if the carrier could receive more Starlink kits at a faster rate. The integration of Starlink Wi-Fi represents a key component of Qatar Airways' "2.0 Vision", spearheaded by al-Meer, which prioritises innovation and digitisation. In terms of connectivity onboard, and the entertainment options it can provide, the move to champion Starlink puts Qatar Airways ahead of the competition in the region, which is one of the most fiercely competitive markets in the world. The first aircraft to be equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi was a Boeing 777-300ER. The airline is intending to roll out Starlink across all of its modern fleet by the end of next year. Qatar Airways’ Starlink Wi-Fi is free to all passengers, regardless of their class of travel, and will remain free. There are no packages or price plans, no data caps or other limitations. It’s free, ultra-high-speed, reliable Wi-Fi. This is a significant departure from the traditional model, where in-flight Wi-Fi is often a premium service, especially on international long-haul flights. Historically, airlines around the world have charged passengers varying rates depending on the class of service, flight duration, and data usage, with costs sometimes exceeding $30 for just a few hours of patchy, unstable internet access. Traditional in-flight Wi-Fi systems typically rely on two types of technologies: air-to-ground and satellite-based connectivity. Air-to-ground networks operate by connecting to cell towers on the ground, with airplanes switching from tower to tower as they fly. However, this type of system is often limited to certain regions and becomes less effective over oceans and remote areas. Satellite-based systems, which have been more commonly used on long-haul international flights, offer wider coverage but have historically been constrained by the capacity and speed of traditional geostationary satellites, resulting in frustratingly slow speeds. Unlike traditional satellites, Starlink utilises a constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites that are positioned much closer to the Earth's surface. This allows for faster data transfer, lower latency, and a more stable connection. The key advantages of LEO satellites lie in their ability to provide a broader and more consistent coverage compared to the geostationary satellites typically used for inflight Wi-Fi. Because they orbit closer to Earth, they can relay data more quickly, reducing the time it takes for information to travel back and forth. For passengers, this means less buffering, faster page loads, and the ability to engage in bandwidth-heavy activities such as the streaming of live sports, gaming, or even video calls while in the air. Starlink's technology also enables airlines to offer a higher capacity network, which is particularly important for modern travellers who often board flights with multiple connected devices. Whether it's watching Netflix, or gaming, passengers can expect the onboard internet experience to mirror what they would get on the ground, in some cases, even better—an achievement that has, until now, remained elusive. Starlink is installed directly at the airline’s technical facility in Doha, and does not require the aircraft to be out of service for more than a couple of days, speeding up the rollout. Qatar Airways may be the first major international airline to begin rolling out Starlink, but they are not alone in recognising the potential of this SpaceX technology for passengers. In North America, Hawaiian Airlines has made headlines by becoming one of the first US carriers to announce a partnership with Starlink. The airline also offers the service for free to passengers on both its inter-island and transpacific routes. Hawaiian Airlines has stated that Starlink Wi-Fi will allow it to offer a seamless experience for passengers, from streaming video to conducting business while in the air. Another operator is JSX, the semi-private jet service based in the US, which has already started offering Starlink Wi-Fi on select routes. The airline, which operates small jets primarily on shorter routes, was one of the first to showcase Starlink’s capabilities. JSX has highlighted the fact that the low-latency, high-speed internet from Starlink offers a competitive edge, allowing them to appeal to business travelers looking for a more connected, premium experience. From 2025 onwards, Air France will progressively roll out Starlink Wi-Fi connectivity service for a “ground-like” experience. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has been exploring the potential of integrating Starlink Wi-Fi into its fleet. While no formal roll-out plan has been announced yet, the airline has been testing the system to evaluate its feasibility for wider deployment. If successful, Delta would join the growing list of global carriers eager to enhance their onboard experience through SpaceX’s revolutionary satellite technology. Airlines are now recognising that offering a robust internet experience is no longer an optional luxury but a core component of the passenger experience. With its global network of LEO satellites, Starlink is positioned to become the go-to provider for airlines that want to offer this premium service. The author is an aviation analyst. X handle @AlexInAir. 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(The Center Square) – Adoption of institutional neutrality is supported by better than 6 in 10 tenured and nontenured faculty at the University of North Carolina, Wake Forest University and Duke University, a report says. Nationally, 66% of faculty say “colleges and universities should not take positions on political and social issues,” says Silence in the Classroom, the 2024 FIRE Faculty Survey Report. At Duke, the percentage is 71%, at Carolina 65%, and at Wake 64%. Higher education is facing mounting challenges, from the costs to the positions it favors. Silencing students or faculty has drawn sharp criticism from Capitol Hill to every corner of the nation sending people to the ballot box. Carolina, established in 1789, is the nation’s oldest public university. It also earlier this year became embattled in free speech controversy tied to the war between Hamas and Israel. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression , as FIRE is more formally known, is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization billing itself as “defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought.” Surveys on topics related to free expression and academic freedom were made of 6,269 tenured, tenure-track and nontenure faculty at 55 four-year colleges and universities in America. In North Carolina, the sampling was of 145 at Carolina, 80 at Duke, and 55 at Wake Forest. For each campus, respondents said the top “difficult issue to discuss” is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Asked for top three issues, the Middle East saga was 79% at Carolina, 71% at Wake Forest and 68% at Duke. Each campus was split on the second and third choices. At Duke, 57% said affirmative action and 51% transgender rights. At Carolina, 54% said affirmative action and 53% racial inequality. And at Wake, 63% said racial inequality and 55% transgender rights. All were talking points of various candidates, particularly the presidential race, in the election cycle climaxing last month. In response to faculty feeling “they could not express their opinion because of how others would respond,” the choices of “occasionally,” “fairly often” and “very often” drew a combined 69% at Wake Forest, 69% at Duke and 67% at Carolina. Fairly often and very often were 35% at Duke. Statements pledging commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is rarely or never justified of faculty job candidates, said 61% at Duke, 44% at Carolina and 42% at Wake Forest. Nationally, the response was 50%. Academic freedom leaned more toward secure than not at all three institutions on a split of about 60%-40%. As for faculty feeling a need to “hide their political beliefs from other faculty in an attempt to keep their job,” answers of “never” were chosen by 43% at Duke, 42% at Carolina and 36% at Wake Forest. Among the national findings of the FIRE survey: • More faculty (35%) than during the McCarthy era (9%) say they toned down their writing for fear of controversy. • Threats of discipline for teaching, research, academic talks or other off-campus speech was incurred by 14%. • Faculty feeling unable to speak freely for fear of how others would respond was 27%. • Fear of damaged reputations because of misunderstandings with something said or done was 40%. • Fear of losing jobs because of misunderstandings with something said or done was 23%.Nearly half of American teenagers say they are online “constantly” despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health, according to a new report published Thursday by the Pew Research Center. As in past years, YouTube was the single most popular platform teenagers used — 90% said they watched videos on the site, down slightly from 95% in 2022. Nearly three-quarters said they visit YouTube every day. There was a slight downward trend in several popular apps teens used. For instance, 63% of teens said they used TikTok, down from 67% and Snapchat slipped to 55% from 59%. This small decline could be due to pandemic-era restrictions easing up and kids having more time to see friends in person, but it's not enough to be truly meaningful . X saw the biggest decline among teenage users. Only 17% of teenagers said they use X, down from 23% in 2022, the year Elon Musk bought the platform. Reddit held steady at 14%. About 6% of teenagers said they use Threads, Meta's answer to X that launched in 2023. Meta's messaging service WhatsApp was a rare exception in that it saw the number of teenage users increase, to 23% from 17% in 2022. Pew also asked kids how often they use various online platforms. Small but significant numbers said they are on them “almost constantly.” For YouTube, 15% reported constant use, for TikTok, 16% and for Snapchat, 13%. As in previous surveys, girls were more likely to use TikTok almost constantly while boys gravitated to YouTube. There was no meaningful gender difference in the use of Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Roughly a quarter of Black and Hispanic teens said they visit TikTok almost constantly, compared with just 8% of white teenagers. The report was based on a survey of 1,391 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted from Sept. 18 to Oct. 10, 2024.

Wild moment group of eshays pick a fight with international students in Sydney READ MORE: Two injured in shocking 'firebomb' attack on one of Australia's busiest synagogues while worshippers were inside By MAX ALDRED FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 23:17 GMT, 6 December 2024 | Updated: 23:50 GMT, 6 December 2024 e-mail 6 View comments Wild footage has captured the moment a group of 'eshay' teenagers squared up to international students outside a major Sydney university. The teens got into a heated exchange with the Chinese nationals outside a student housing complex in Ultimo, in the city's inner-west. Five teenagers are seen in a heated exchange with the students before three collected their bikes and moved away, in a TikTok posted this week. Two of the teens stayed back, prompting one of the international students to pick an item off the ground and lob it at the younger boys. One of the teens threw his fists in front of his face and began bobbing around on the pavement as his friend egged him on from the sidelines. He launched into an expletive-laden spray before charging toward the student, who landed a swift kick to his stomach, quickly bringing the dispute to a close. The group of teenagers were seen yelling over their shoulders as they made off towards Darling Harbour on their bikes. Aussies were left divided over who was to blame for the brazen daylight brawl. The teens squared up to the Chinese nationals outside a student housing complex in Ultimo, in the city's inner-west, in vision shared earlier this week (pictured) Some said the older students should have walked away. 'It's dumb that [the student] didn't walk away. There's already footage of the kids, so report them. Fighting them is just for your ego,' they said. 'Honestly, that kid didn't even want to fight. Could see it in his eyes, just showing off to his friends,' another agreed. 'Try hard kids are everywhere on the east coast now. Parenting fails for sure,' one commenter wrote. Many labelled the group as eshays, known as members of an unofficial youth subculture with roots in Western Sydney and the graffiti scene. 'Eshays' are known for their affinity for Nike TN shoes, activewear and polo shirts. Australians have also noted a rise in teenagers or 'wannabe gangsters' posting footage of suspected brawls and bashings to social media. TikTok Share or comment on this article: Wild moment group of eshays pick a fight with international students in Sydney e-mail Add commentNoneNone

Actress Keerthy Suresh married her long-term boyfriend, Antony Thattil, yesterday (12 December) in a grand ceremony held in Goa. The duo treated their fans to some adorable wedding pictures shared via their social media accounts. Actress Trisha Krishnan has now shared inside glimpses of the wedding, including a traditional meal. check out the pictures here: Trisha took to her Instagram stories to congratulate the newlyweds, sharing a heartwarming picture of the couple. In her post, she wrote, “Congratulations, you two, #fortheloveofnyke,” adding a heart emoji. She also shared a picture of the couple enjoying a moment with their pet dog, along with a sweet snapshot from the wedding feast. Trisha also posted an image of the meal, which featured a rich array of sweets, traditional snacks, and various vegetarian dishes. Amid separation rumours, Samantha Akkineni parties with pals Keerthy Suresh, Kalyani Priyadarshan and Trisha Krishna Meanwhile, Thalapathy Vijay and Malavika Mohanan were spotted attending the ceremony. Thalapathy, who rarely attends such occasions, donned traditional attire as he joined the festivities to celebrate his 'Bairavaa' and 'Sarkar' co-star’s special day. Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu, although unable to attend the event, expressed her warm wishes online. She shared Keerthy’s wedding picture with Antony and wrote, “This picture has my whole heart. Congratulations to the two most beautiful people. May you always be filled with eternal happiness and love.” Keerthy Suresh and Antony Thattil have been in a relationship for more than 15 years. The actress officially introduced her partner to the public just days before their wedding. Antony is a Dubai-based businessman who currently resides in Kochi, Kerala. On the work front, Keerthy is set to make her Bollywood debut in 'Baby John' alongside Varun Dhawan. The film is the Hindi adaptation of Thalapathy Vijay’s 2016 blockbuster 'Theri.'NFL Week 12 grades: Cowboys earn high mark for shocking win over Commanders, Giants get an 'F' after ugly loss

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Patriots QB Drake Maye sends message to teammates after Miami blowout

is one of the many NBA legends who hold a unique admiration for LeBron James. But while others are in awe of James' exceptional game and long list of accolades, "The Answer" is more impressed by what "The King" accomplishes off the court. For A.I., has been the epitome of a role model, not just for young athletes but for individuals across all walks of life. Though Iverson mentioned this in a profanity-laden speech in front of random people, the reactions from the small crowd listening to him tell that he was on point. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.

Lionel Messi wins MLS MVP award, the latest trophy on a long list of honors for the Inter Miami star FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi is the MVP of Major League Soccer for 2024. The award comes after a season where he missed 15 of Inter Miami’s 34 regular-season matches with injuries or commitments to Argentina’s national team. He still factored into a league-high 36 goals by scoring 20 and assisting on 16 others. His 2.1 goal contributions per 90 minutes played is the best by any player in any season in MLS history. MLS revealed the voting results Friday. Messi edged out Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernández for the award, which is determined by a poll of players, club technical staff and select media members. NFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun Watson CLEVELAND (AP) — The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The league has been reviewing the case for months, trying to determine whether Watson should be punished. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email that "there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.” Watson, who served an 11-game suspension in 2022, was accused of assault by a woman in September. She was seeking more than $1 million in damage before the sides reached a confidential settlement. Watson has played in just 19 games over three seasons for the Browns. NBA returning to China for pair of Suns-Nets preseason games in 2025 The NBA is returning to China next season. The league has struck a deal to play preseason games there more than five years after the league was effectively banned for Commissioner Adam Silver not punishing Daryl Morey for tweeting support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Brooklyn and Phoenix will play games in China’s gambling hub of Macao on Oct. 10, 2025, and again two days later. There are more games planned for China in 2026, a source told The Associated Press. American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — American ski racer Lindsey Vonn darted through the shadows on the speed course at Copper Mountain on a frigid morning. She was on the hill Friday as she tries to make a comeback to skiing nearly six years after her last race. Vonn plans to enter a series of lower-tier FIS downhill and super-G races this weekend at Copper Mountain, Colorado. It could be the first step toward seeing her on the World Cup circuit again. NFL's next coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates: Analysis The next NFL coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates ranging from proven champions to up-and-coming coordinators. Six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick heads the list of recognizable names that includes 2021 AP Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Buccaneers OC Liam Cohen, Bills OC Joe Brady and Eagles OC Kellen Moore are among a lengthy list of young offensive-minded coaches who will garner plenty of interest. Hall of Famer Randy Moss is stepping away from ESPN for an extended time to deal with health issue Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss is stepping away from his ESPN analyst role for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge, the network said in a statement. Moss revealed last week that he’s dealing with a health issue and asked fans to pray for him and his family. The 47-year-old ESPN football analyst made his announcement on Instagram from the set of the network’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying any particular illness. No Bevo? SEC tells Texas there's no room for its 1,700-pound longhorn at title game vs. Georgia ATLANTA (AP) — The Southeastern Conference championship game will not feature another mascot showdown. The league says there's not enough space on the sideline at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for No. 2 Texas to bring along its 1,700-pound longhorn Bevo XV for the game against No. 5 Georgia. The teams have two of college football’s most famous mascots. There should be enough sideline space for Georgia’s pure white English bulldog, Uga XI. Before the 2019 Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Bevo XV toppled his barrier and began to charge at Uga X. Texas handlers were able to pull Bevo back before any harm. The Big Ten and SEC are set to gobble up CFP bids. That could squeeze the ACC and other leagues The Big Ten and Southeastern conferences are set to gobble up the majority of the bids to the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. That could squeeze the Atlantic Coast Conference and other leagues trying to maintain their footing. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told The Associated Press he wants clarity on the process that put two-loss Miami behind three-loss Alabama in the latest rankings. Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said she wouldn't support future changes for guaranteed numbers of bids to power conferences. The Mountain West is set to have its champion in the playoff as a Group of Five winner. F1 champion Max Verstappen to become first-time father with girlfriend Kelly Piquet ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is set to become a father for the first time with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet. There’s racing heritage on both sides of the family. Verstappen secured his fourth F1 title last month and Kelly’s father Nelson Piquet was a three-time champion in the 1980s. Verstappen says on Instagram that "we couldn’t be happier with our little miracle.” Verstappen is aiming to win his 10th F1 race of the year at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Practice gets underway later. Anaheim Ducks acquire Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in trade for Vaakanainen, draft pick ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have acquired New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in a trade for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a future fourth-round pick. The trade ends Trouba’s tenure with the Rangers, who acquired the 30-year-old defenseman in a trade with Winnipeg in 2019. He became New York’s captain before the 2022-23 season. Trouba will immediately become a key contributor on the blue line for the Ducks, who are in last place in the Pacific Division. He will also play alongside Anaheim forwards Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano, his teammates with the Rangers during the club’s run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2022.Bills Legend Offers Hot Take on MVP RaceJackie 'O' Henderson shows off her incredible figure in a black bikini and mini skirt as she hits Clovelly Beach