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Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, has diedPARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain retained a six-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 after a labored 3-0 home win over Toulouse on Friday. The defending champion dominated the first half but it took until the 35th minute to open the scoring. Young Portuguese midfielder João Neves spun to meet a cross from the right and struck a superb half volley from just outside the box. Lucas Beraldo got a second with six minutes remaining when he pounced on loose ball and fired home. Vitinha made it 3-0 in stoppage time when he showed fine footwork inside the box to finish off a quick counterattack. The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, which came into the game in a more even second half. Only Vitinha’s last-gasp tackle stopped Zakaria Aboukhlal from equalizing after 69 minutes and then Shavy Babicka blazed over from close range a minute later when he should have hit the target. The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich. PSG lies in 25th place in the 36-team Champions League table with one win in four matches and outside the playoff spots. The win came immediately after second-placed Monaco beaten Brest 3-2 to briefly close the gap at the top to three points. Brest, which faces Barcelona next week in the Champions League, turned in another inconsistent French league performance and not the sparkling form it has shown in Europe. Brest has struggled in Ligue 1, where it remains 12th, but shone with three wins from four in its first ever Champions League campaign. It was behind after just five minutes on Friday when Maghnes Akliouche scored with a superb airborne volley, and 2-0 down after 24 minutes thanks to Aleksandr Golovin. The Russian striker seized on a poor pass just outside the Brest penalty area and his low shot was perfectly placed to sneak in off the post and give him his first goal in nine league appearances. On-loan Brighton striker Abdallah Sima used his 1.88-meter frame to outjump the Monaco defense four minutes into the second half and cut the deficit but Akliouche restored Monaco’s two-goal cushion when he brilliantly finished a quick counterattack in stoppage time. Ludovic Ajorque got a second for Brest in the sixth minute of added time but it was not enough in a second half most notable for the red card shown to Brest coach Éric Roy. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
It is probably the scariest movie trailer you’ll hear this year. No, not “see”, though the visuals are frightening enough – a bloodied body hanging upside-down, towers of skulls, a Ghostface mask – but “hear”. The trailer for 2025’s 28 Years Later , the final movie in Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s zombie trilogy after 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later in 2002 and 2007 respectively, is soundtracked by a recitation of Rudyard Kipling’s poem Boots . No music track could be more unsettling nor discordant, and few could have captured the collective online imagination the way Boots has, with thousands of social media shares and approving comments. Written in 1903, Boots imagines the thoughts of a British Army infantryman forced to march in South Africa during the Second Boer War which had just ended. Deliberately monotonous and repetitive, the poem is precisely metered: reading the first four words of each line at the rate of two words per second gives the exact time to which the soldiers marched. The trailer uses only certain sections of the poem, the horror mounting with every line. Seven – six – eleven – five – nine-an’ twenty mile today Four – eleven – seventeen – thirty-two the day before – Boots – boots – boots – boots – movin’ up and down again! There’s no discharge in the war!AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:46 p.m. EST
PM directs cut in power tariffRico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, has died
Sinn Fein actively pursuing route into government, insists leader McDonaldMillions Demand Major Cuts in Plastics Production Ahead of Treaty TalksFacebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Married couples across the U.S. have had access to no-fault divorce for more than 50 years, an option many call crucial to supporting domestic abuse victims and key to preventing already crowded family courts from drowning in complicated divorce proceedings. But some advocates for women worried as old comments from now Vice President-elect JD Vance circulated during the presidential campaign opposing no-fault divorce. After President-elect Donald Trump and Vance won the election, warnings began popping up on social media urging women who might be considering divorce to "pull the trigger" while they still could. Some attorneys posted saying they saw a spike in calls from women seeking divorce consultations. Donald and Ivana Trump pose in May 1988 outside the Federal Courthouse in New York after she was sworn in as a United States citizen. Trump — who is twice-divorced — hasn't championed overhauling the country's divorce laws, but in 2021 Vance lamented that divorce is too easily accessible, as have conservative podcasters and others. People are also reading... City officials admit Corvallis' flag is 'bad.' Will it change? 2 bucks illegally killed with crossbow in Corvallis The real reason Corvallis' Pastega Lights moved to Linn County OSU football: Three takeaways from Oregon State's loss at Boise State Commentary: Gulbranson shows he should be starter in thrilling win over Cougars Head-on crash on Highway 228 kills 1, injures 2 Linn County deputy resigns during menacing case More allegations against ex-OSU coach Prosecutor: Driver on laughing gas caused double fatal in Sweet Home Corvallis homes in on layout options for a new government center Corvallis man gets prison for armed robbery case OSU football: Boise State's pass rush is formidable A busy day: A series of crashes in Sweet Home OSU football: Preview and prediction for regular-season finale against Boise State OSU football: Game notes for the Beavers' win over Washington State "We've run this experiment in real time and what we have is a lot of very, very real family dysfunction that's making our kids unhappy," Vance said during a speech at a Christian high school in California, where he criticized people being able to "shift spouses like they change their underwear." Marriage rates held steady but divorce rates of women age 15 and older declined from 2012 to 2022, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released in October. Despite concerns, even those who want to make divorces harder to get say they don't expect big, swift changes. There is not a national coordinated effort underway. States determine their own divorce laws, so national leaders can't directly change policy. "Even in some of the so-called red states, it hasn't gotten anywhere," said Beverly Willett, co-chair of the Coalition for Divorce Reform, whose group unsuccessfully attempted to convince states to repeal their no-fault divorce laws. A couple exchanges wedding bands Oct. 11, 2018, at City Hall in Philadelphia. Mark A. Smith, a political science professor at the University of Washington, said while many Americans became accustomed to no-fault divorce being an option, Vance's previous comments on making it more difficult to separate from a spouse could help jump-start that effort. "Even though he's not directly proposing a policy, it's a topic that hasn't gotten a ton of discussion in the last 15 years," Smith said. "And so to have a national profile politician talk that way is noteworthy." Meanwhile, Republican Party platforms in Texas and Nebraska were amended in 2022 to call for the removal of no-fault divorce. Louisiana's Republican Party considered something similar this year but declined to do so. A handful of proposals were introduced in conservative-led statehouses over the years, but all immediately stalled after they were filed. In January, Oklahoma Republican Sen. Dusty Deevers introduced legislation that would have removed married couples from filing for divorce on the grounds of incompatibility. Deevers backed the bill after writing a piece declaring no-fault divorce was an "abolition of marital obligation." Sen. JD Vance smiles as his wife Usha Vance applauds Nov. 6 at an election-night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. Similarly, in South Carolina, two Republican lawmakers in 2023 filed a bill that would have required both spouses to file for a no-fault divorce application rather than just one. In South Dakota, a Republican lawmaker attempted to remove irreconcilable difference as grounds for divorce since 2020. None of the sponsors of these bills responded to interview requests from The Associated Press. All are members of their state's conservative Freedom Caucus. Nevertheless, some Democratic lawmakers say they remain worried about the future of no-fault divorce. They point to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the constitutional right to abortion in 2022 as an example of a long-accepted option that was revoked through a decades-long effort. "When you choose to be silent, you allow for this to creep in," said Democratic South Dakota Rep. Linda Duba. "These are the bills that gain a foothold because you choose to be silent." Before California became the first state to adopt a no-fault divorce option in 1969, married couples had to prove their spouse violated one of the approved "faults" outlined in their state's divorce law or risk a judge denying their divorce, said Joanna Grossman, a law professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Qualified reasons varied from state to state, but largely included infidelity, incarceration or abandonment. Donald and Marla Trump wave to photographers Dec. 20, 1993, as they enter their wedding reception in New York's Plaza Hotel. The system was a particular burden on domestic violence victims, who are often women who could be stuck in dangerous marriages while they try to prove their partner's abuse in court through expensive and lengthy legal proceedings. "If there was any evidence that the couple both wanted to get divorced that was supposed to be denied because divorce was not something you got because you wanted it, it was something you got because you've been wronged in a way that the state thought was significant," Grossman said. To date, every state in the U.S. adopted a no-fault divorce option. However, 33 states still have a list of approved "faults" to file as grounds for divorce — ranging from adultery to felony conviction. In 17 states, married people only have the option of choosing no-fault divorce to end their marriages. The Most Divorced Cities in the U.S. The Most Divorced Cities in the U.S. Photo Credit: shisu_ka / Shutterstock Marriage—and divorce—in the U.S. today are starkly different than in earlier eras of the country’s history. A series of economic, legal, and social shifts reshaped marriage in the second half of the 20th century. More women began working outside of the home in the post-World War II era, which provided avenues to financial security and independence outside of marriage. Greater emphasis on postsecondary educational attainment and career development have led young people to wait longer to enter marriage. States began to adopt no-fault divorce laws throughout the 1960s and 1970s that made it easier to end a marriage. Meanwhile, changing social and cultural attitudes have made it more common for couples to cohabitate, combine finances, and raise children prior to getting married—or without getting married at all. These trends have contributed to a decline in the overall number of marriages and to delays in when people get married for the first time. In the U.S., there are currently only 6.5 marriages per 1,000 people each year , compared to 10.9 five decades ago. For those who do choose to get married, the age of first marriage is happening later. As late as the early 1970s, the median age for a first marriage in the U.S. was just 22. By 2018, that figure had increased to 28.8. These shifts have also affected how likely married couples are to stay together. As women entered the workforce in the mid-20th century and feminism and the sexual revolution took hold, rates of divorce rose quickly throughout the 1960s and 1970s. From 1960 to 1980, the divorce rate per 1,000 people in the U.S. more than doubled from 2.2 to 5.2. But the rate began to fall steadily after 1980, and as of 2018, the rate of divorce had dropped to 2.9 per 1,000 people. Divorce rates have declined alongside increasing marriage ages since the 1980s The link between rates of divorce and age at first marriage has been borne out over time, but it also explains geographic differences in rates of divorce. Today, most of the states with the lowest rates of divorce are also those with a higher median age for marriage. States like New Jersey, New York, California, and Massachusetts all stand out for having fewer than 10% of adults divorced and an age at first marriage above 30. One exception to this is Utah, which has the lowest overall median age for first marriage at 25.5 but also the third-lowest share of divorced adults at 9%, likely due in part to the state’s strong religious ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In contrast, Maine and Nevada lead all states in the share of the population currently divorced at 13.9% and 13.8%, respectively. And at the local level, many of the cities with the highest levels of divorce are found in Florida, Appalachia, and the Southwest. Maine and Nevada have the highest proportions of adults currently divorced The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey . To determine the most divorced locations, researchers at ChamberOfCommerce.org calculated the percentage of adults currently divorced. In the event of a tie, the location with the higher percentage of adults currently separated was ranked higher. To improve relevance, only cities with at least 100,000 residents were included. Additionally, cities were grouped into cohorts based on population size: small (100,000–149,999), midsize (150,000–349,999), and large (350,000 or more). Here are the most divorced cities in the U.S. Small and midsize cities with the most divorced adults 15. Aurora, CO Photo Credit: Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 12.7% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.0% Percentage of adults currently married: 46.1% Percentage of adults never married: 34.9% 14. New Orleans, LA Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 12.8% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.7% Percentage of adults currently married: 28.5% Percentage of adults never married: 50.3% 13. Oklahoma City, OK Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 12.9% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.3% Percentage of adults currently married: 45.1% Percentage of adults never married: 34.2% 12. Colorado Springs, CO Photo Credit: photo.ua / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.0% Percentage of adults currently separated: 1.5% Percentage of adults currently married: 49.9% Percentage of adults never married: 31.1% 11. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY Photo Credit: Jonny Trego / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.0% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.0% Percentage of adults currently married: 41.9% Percentage of adults never married: 36.6% 10. Kansas City, MO Photo Credit: Tupungato / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.3% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.2% Percentage of adults currently married: 39.7% Percentage of adults never married: 39.7% 9. Wichita, KS Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.5% Percentage of adults currently separated: 1.9% Percentage of adults currently married: 45.9% Percentage of adults never married: 33.4% 8. Tampa, FL Photo Credit: Kevin J King / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.5% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.4% Percentage of adults currently married: 38.5% Percentage of adults never married: 40.5% 7. Cleveland, OH Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.5% Percentage of adults currently separated: 3.4% Percentage of adults currently married: 24.7% Percentage of adults never married: 52.3% 6. Miami, FL Photo Credit: Galina Savina / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.5% Percentage of adults currently separated: 3.5% Percentage of adults currently married: 36.8% Percentage of adults never married: 39.8% 5. Las Vegas, NV Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.8% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.0% Percentage of adults currently married: 43.8% Percentage of adults never married: 35.3% 4. Jacksonville, FL Photo Credit: CHARLES MORRA / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 14.0% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.2% Percentage of adults currently married: 42.3% Percentage of adults never married: 35.8% 3. Tucson, AZ Photo Credit: LHBLLC / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 14.3% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.3% Percentage of adults currently married: 35.7% Percentage of adults never married: 42.5% 2. Tulsa, OK Photo Credit: Valiik30 / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 14.6% Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.5% Percentage of adults currently married: 42.2% Percentage of adults never married: 34.7% 1. Albuquerque, NM Photo Credit: turtix / Shutterstock Percentage of adults currently divorced: 15.1% Percentage of adults currently separated: 1.4% Percentage of adults currently married: 39.8% Percentage of adults never married: 38.2% Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Bill Belichick didn't wait around for a call that he might not get from an NFL team. With no guarantees that another opportunity might come his way — only the Atlanta Falcons interviewed Belichick last offseason — and unsure whether he could find the right fit in the NFL, the 72-year-old future Hall of Fame coach decided to go back to school. Belichick took his eight Super Bowl rings to North Carolina on a mission to build a college program the way he constructed two dynasties during 24 seasons with the New England Patriots. It starts with doing things his way. The Patriot Way is legendary. Perhaps it'll translate into the Tar Heel way. That's to be determined. But Belichick is back doing what he loves: coaching. And, he's going to run the show with his guys around him. An NFL team giving Belichick full control the way he had in New England seemed unlikely. Success at North Carolina could change that thinking. For now, Belichick's quest to break Don Shula's all-time record for most wins in the NFL is on hold. He's 15 victories short but the buyout clause in his college contract — a $10 million fee if done before June 2025 and $1 million after that date — leaves the window open for a return to the league. If Belichick stays in college or retires without returning to the NFL, his legacy is already cemented. Winning at North Carolina will only enhance his reputation. Losing won't impact his NFL resume. "He's one of the all-time great coaches. What he's done for the NFL and the game, we all know where he'll end up — in the Hall of Fame with a gold jacket," Dallas Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said Wednesday shortly before Belichick agreed on a five-year deal with North Carolina that pays him $10 million in base and supplemental salary annually with up to $3.5 million in bonuses per year. Belichick has his detractors. There's no denying he couldn't win without Tom Brady. He was 29-39 and had no playoff wins without No. 12 in his final four seasons with the Patriots. Critics have labeled him a cheater because of the Spygate and Deflategate scandals. He overlooked Aaron Hernandez's issues. He was tough on players, even alienating Brady in the end and letting him walk him away in free agency in 2020 only to see him lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl in his first season there. But Belichick instilled in players the importance of doing their job and presided over an unprecedented two-decade run of dominance that withstood changing times, free agency, salary-cap restrictions and much more. Brady has always maintained how important Belichick was for his career, giving him credit for helping him become one of the best players in sports. Now, Belichick is onto Chapel Hill in a surprise twist after he spent most of the NFL season reinventing himself as an entertaining and engaging analyst. Belichick is a football genius and his knowledge came across on television. But he also displayed a fun personality, trading quips with the Mannings and cracking jokes with Pat McAffee. "College kind of came to me this year," Belichick said at his introductory news conference. "I didn't necessarily go and seek it out. I had many coaches, probably a couple dozen coaches, talk to me and say, 'Can we come down and talk to you about these things?' Let's call it the salary cap of pro football relative to college football. The headsets, the green dot, the two-minute warning, the tablets on the sideline. Those were all rules changes this year for college football that were either or the same or similar to what we had in the NFL. These coaches said, 'Hey coach can we talk to you about how you did this? How you did that? How did you use this?'. "As those conversations started and then the personnel conversations started relative to salary cap and how you spend whatever the allotment of money you have. I'd say that started to make me a lot more aware of it because the first thing I would have to do is learn about it. .... As you learn different things about different programs you start to put it all together. There is some common threads and there's some variables." How will he do as a college coach? Nobody knows yet. Three of Belichick's former players were skeptical before he took the job. "There's a lot of things he can do, and obviously he's tremendous, and even showing his personality. But getting out there on the recruiting trail and dealing with all these college kids, that would be ..." Brady said before trailing off during a conversation on Fox's NFL pregame show last Sunday. Fellow former Patriots Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman also wondered the same. "Can you imagine NIL, and all that nonsense?" Gronkowski said. Edelman added: "Can you imagine Bill on a couch recruiting an 18-year-old?" But Belichick doesn't have to recruit kids on visits. These are new times in college sports. The NIL has dramatically changed the landscape. Plus, Belichick's name is enough. Just like Deion Sanders at Colorado. "I think it could be great for this game, honestly, if he can find a way to make college football more like this in terms of what's being asked of the coaches, the recruiting staff, the personnel, the NIL, and all those different things," Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Cohen said. "If he can make it a little bit less demanding on some of the coaches and create a great atmosphere and have success, I think it's great for our game. It's pretty cool to see, actually." Time for Belichick to do his job. Get local news delivered to your inbox!It is probably the scariest movie trailer you’ll hear this year. No, not “see”, though the visuals are frightening enough – a bloodied body hanging upside-down, towers of skulls, a Ghostface mask – but “hear”. The trailer for 2025’s 28 Years Later , the final movie in Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s zombie trilogy after 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later in 2002 and 2007 respectively, is soundtracked by a recitation of Rudyard Kipling’s poem Boots . No music track could be more unsettling nor discordant, and few could have captured the collective online imagination the way Boots has, with thousands of social media shares and approving comments. Written in 1903, Boots imagines the thoughts of a British Army infantryman forced to march in South Africa during the Second Boer War which had just ended. Deliberately monotonous and repetitive, the poem is precisely metered: reading the first four words of each line at the rate of two words per second gives the exact time to which the soldiers marched. The trailer uses only certain sections of the poem, the horror mounting with every line. Seven – six – eleven – five – nine-an’ twenty mile today Four – eleven – seventeen – thirty-two the day before – Boots – boots – boots – boots – movin’ up and down again! There’s no discharge in the war!Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, has died
Politics chat: Stepping down from the cabinet could potentially benefit Matt GaetzPrime Minister and U.S. president-elect both shared thoughts on social media Saturday about their in Florida on Friday night. Trump offered his perspective about how the meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort went with Trudeau in a post on Truth Social, saying they touched on a number of key issues related to border safety, illegal drug trafficking and, most importantly, trade. The meeting came days after Trump threatened to slap massive 25-per-cent tariffs on Canadian products being imported into the U.S. “I just had a very productive meeting” with Trudeau, Trump wrote on his social media network. “I made it very clear that the United States will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic.” Donald Trump’s post from Truth Social Saturday. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation of U.S. Families,” he continued. “We also spoke about many other important topics like Energy, Trade, and the Arctic. All are vital issues that I will be addressing on my first days back in Office, and before,” Trump said. In his own post on X Saturday afternoon, Trudeau shared a photo and thanked Trump for the dinner, writing “I look forward to the work we can do together, again.” “The Prime Minister and U.S. President Donald Trump shared a productive wide-ranging discussion over dinner last night, centered on collaboration and strengthening our relationship,” said Jenna Ghassabeh, a spokesperson in the Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement to the Star. “As Canada’s closest friend and ally, the United States is our key partner, and we are committed to working together in the interests of Canadians and Americans,” Ghassabeh added. Thanks for dinner last night, President Trump. I look forward to the work we can do together, again. However, there was no indication that Trump has changed his mind about imposing a massive 25-per-cent surcharge on all imports from Canada, which would have a devastating impact on Canada’s energy, auto and manufacturing exports. Trump’s post on Truth Social did not address it. The Star reported Friday that the face-to-face meeting was suggested by Trudeau, according to sources familiar with the communications between the two sides. The meeting included Canada’s Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford and several of Trump’s advisers and their wives, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, nominated for Interior Secretary and Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick, a staunch enthusiast of tariffs. “We had a positive discussion about shared border security priorities, including working together to combat fentanyl trafficking,” LeBlanc posted on X. “It is clear from the Prime Minister’s meeting with President-elect Trump that Canada needs to act quickly to strengthen border security, energy security, and national defence if we want to secure an exemption from future tariffs,” said Goldy Hyder, head of the Business Council of Canada. The friendly conversation at the dinner was one step towards a collaborative relationship with the Trump administration, a senior Canadia government source said on a background-only basis to disclose some details of the private meeting. The conversation also proved that Trudeau could handle Trump, despite criticism from those including Pierre Poilievre, the source added. Poilievre previously and without the “brains or backbone” he presumably has to stand up to Trump. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on X Saturday afternoon that he was glad Trudeau met Trump to learn more about the president-elect’s concerns. “Now we need the federal government to show us how they’ll honour their commitment to all premiers to make our border more secure,” said Ford. He added that Canada’s premiers are ready to meet at any time to review Trudeau’s promised plan to avoid “disastrous tariffs.” The two leaders and their teams discussed trade, border security, fentanyl, defence matters including NATO, Ukraine, and icebreakers (Canada, the U.S. and Finland recently agreed to a trilateral pact to rebuild their icebreaking fleets), the source said. Other topics on the table included China, energy issues and pipelines, including those that feed Canadian oil and gas into the U.S. like Keystone XL, Line 5, as well as the Trans-Mountain project and Canada’s liquid natural gas export capacity. The leaders also discussed next year’s G7 meeting, which Canada will chair in Kananaskis, Alta. It will be held seven years after Trump left the 2018 G7 at Charlevoix, Que. and in his opposition to U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, the Star previously reported. Trump’s comments led many to believe he disliked Trudeau, but the two leaders managed a working relationship after the G7 summit six years ago and have had friendly conversations since Trump’s re-election, according to two Canadian sources, . Friday’s meetup was the first between the president-elect and a foreign leader, and comes just under two months before Trump is to be inaugurated as U.S. president.
BOULDER, Colo. — Travis Hunter is a throwback-type player — an elite receiver one moment, a lockdown cornerback the next — who rarely leaves the field and has a knack for making big plays all over it. The Colorado Buffaloes' two-way standout (see: unicorn) even celebrates at an elite level, unveiling imaginative dance moves following touchdowns and interceptions, some of which include the Heisman Trophy pose. It's one of the many awards he's in line to win. Hunter is the The Associated Press college football player of the year, receiving 26 of 43 votes Thursday from a panel of AP Top 25 voters. Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty finished second with 16 votes and Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo received one vote. "Couldn't do what I do without my team," Hunter said in an email on a trip to Las Vegas for an awards ceremony. "So I view being up for these awards as team awards." A player with his particular set of skills doesn't come around that often. He's a flashback to the days of Charles Woodson at Michigan or Champ Bailey at Georgia. Or even his coach, Deion Sanders, a two-way star in the NFL. The prospect of significant playing time on both sides of the ball is what led Hunter to join Sanders at Jackson State and why he followed Sanders to Boulder. "Coach Prime was the only coach who would consider allowing me to do what I'm doing," said Hunter, who's expected to be a top-five pick next spring in the NFL draft, possibly even the No. 1 overall selection. "He did it and knows what it takes — how much you have to be ready on both sides of the ball." Want to fuel Hunter? Simply tell him he can't. "I'm motivated when people tell me I can't do something," Hunter said. "That I can't dominate on both sides of the ball. I want to be an example for others that anything is possible. Keep pursuing your dreams." Hunter helped the 20th-ranked Buffaloes to a 9-3 record this season and a berth in the Alamo Bowl against No. 17 BYU (10-2) on Dec. 28. He played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the lone Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Hunter has already won a second straight Paul Hornung award as the game's most versatile player. He's up for the Walter Camp (player of the year), Maxwell (most outstanding player), the Biletnikoff (best receiver) and Bednarik (top defensive player) awards. And, of course, the Heisman, where he's the odds-on favorite to win over Jeanty this weekend. Hunter can join the late Rashaan Salaam as the only Colorado players to capture the Heisman. Salaam won it in 1994 after rushing for 2,055 yards. Hunter wasn't a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive back. That drew the wrath of Sanders, who earned the award with Florida State in 1988 and vowed to give his trophy to Hunter. Hunter's high school coach, Lenny Gregory, knew he had a special player the summer of Hunter's freshman year. Gregory, then the coach at Collins Hill in Georgia, had a conditioning test for his players — run six 200-yard dashes with a minute rest in between. Defensive backs had to complete each in under 32 seconds. Hunter never even got winded. He played safety/cornerback and receiver as a freshman and helped Collins Hill to a state title his senior season. "I remember just talking to colleges the spring of his ninth-grade year and telling coaches that this kid's going to be the No. 1 player in the country," recounted Gregory, who's now the coach at Gordon Central High in Calhoun, Georgia. "They'd look at him and laugh at me, 'What are you talking about? This scrawny kid? He's not big enough.' I was like, 'Just watch. Just watch.'" Hunter finished the regular season with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver. On defense, he had four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced one crucial fumble, which secured an OT win over Baylor. Overall, Hunter had 92 receptions and allowed 22. He hauled in 14 receiving TDs and allowed just one. He was responsible for 53 first downs and gave up just six. He was targeted 119 times by Shedeur Sanders & Co. but only 39 times by opposing QBs. Hunter's likely final game in Boulder, a rout of Oklahoma State, was a three-touchdown, one-interception performance. "I'm used to seeing him do all this spectacular stuff," Shedeur Sanders said. "I'm used to all this stuff — you all are just now seeing it on national stage." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
WASHINGTON — Jaylen Brown scored 31 points, and the Boston Celtics overcame an off night for Jayson Tatum to beat the Washington Wizards 108-96 in the NBA Cup on Friday night. The Celtics improved to 2-1 in East Group C of this competition with one game remaining. Washington is 0-2 and has lost 10 in a row overall. The Wizards hung in there in front of a crowd that included recently injured Capitals star Alex Ovechkin. Washington trailed by five in the final minute when Brown made a high arcing jumper to make it 99-92 with 46 seconds remaining. Tatum went 0 for 10 from 3-point range and scored 16 points, although a couple free throws with 11 seconds left enabled him to extend his streak to 55 consecutive games with at least 15 points. Jordan Poole led Washington with 23 points. Neither team shot well from 3-point range, with Boston finishing 11 of 46 and the Wizards going 7 of 28. Takeaways Celtics: Boston was missing Al Horford because of a non-COVID illness, and with Kristaps Porzingis also out, it fell to players like Luke Kornet to provide size. Kornet had six points and six rebounds without missing a shot from the field. Wizards: Washington did outscore Boston 52-30 in the paint, but this was a missed opportunity on a night the Celtics weren't at their best. Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, center, passes the ball off against Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly, left, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Washington. Credit: AP/John McDonnell Key moment Down by six in the fourth, Washington's Kyle Kuzma got himself free but missed a shot from in close. Tatum's jumper at the other end completed a four-point swing that gave the Celtics a 97-89 advantage. Key stat Only Luka Doncic (84 games entering Friday) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (61) have longer active streaks of scoring 15 points than Tatum. Up next The Celtics return home to face Minnesota on Sunday. Washington plays at Indiana that same day.
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