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US commits to shutting down its coal plants during COP28

The Biden Administration is forging ahead with its green agenda by committing the United States to not building any new coal plants and phasing out existing plants.

U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced at the annual United Nations climate change summit, known as COP28 and which is being held in Dubai, although no date was given for when the existing plants would have to go.

‘We will be working to accelerate unabated coal phase-out across the world, building stronger economies and more resilient communities,’ Kerry said in a statement. 

‘The first step is to stop making the problem worse: stop building new unabated coal power plants.’

Kerry said America was joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a pact of nearly 60 countries that have promised to accelerate the phasing out of coal-fired power stations, except the very few that have carbon capture and storage.

Kerry said the action forms part of America’s plan to limit global warming to 1.5 Celsius.

As of October, just under 20% of the U.S. electricity is powered by coal, according to the Department of Energy. The amount of coal burned in the United States last year was less than half what it was in 2008.

Last month President Biden said that coal plants ‘all across America’ will be shut down, to be replaced with wind and solar.

A move to close down coal plants in the U.S. is already underway as federal clean energy tax credits and regulations make it harder for operators to compete economically.

A report by the nonpartisan Institute for Energy Economics and Finance Analysis found that 173 coal plants are set to close by 2030 and another 54 by 2040.

For instance, Brandon Shores coal power plant located outside of Baltimore, is expected to be deactivated in June 2025 as part of a settlement between the plant’s operator and the left-wing eco group Sierra Club. The plant has a capacity of 1,295 megawatts, enough to power more than a million homes.

According to the American Geosciences Institute, burning coal produces more carbon emissions compared to burning any other non-renewable fuel. Coal power can have as much as twice the carbon footprint as natural gas.  

For instance, coal produces about 211 pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide per million BTUs of energy produced, compared to natural gas which produces about 117 pounds and gasoline which is about 156 pounds, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The U.S. commitment comes despite China unleashing a massive expansion of coal power generation last year.

China already accounts for about 27% of total global emissions, according to Rhodium Group, an independent research provider. The nation’s emissions output is equivalent to triple the total of the U.S., which is the world’s second-largest emitter.

Furthermore, global delegates heading to COP 28 were last week circulating a letter calling for the U.S. and other Western nations to immediately ban new natural gas infrastructure projects.

Fox’s Thomas Catenacci and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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King Charles: Pay $5 trillion annually to prevent climate catastrophe

How much money do you think it will cost to save the world from a climate catastrophe?

According to King Charles III, it’s about $5 trillion. Every year.

That’s what the British royal told a packed conference of green advocates and state leaders on Friday who flew from all around the world – many on private jets – to meet up at the plush United Nations climate summit in Dubai, known as COP 28.

Warning that the world is ‘hurdling into dangerous, uncharted territory,’ Charles, 75, said he was praying for ‘transformational action’ to come out of the gathering.  

‘How can we bring together our public, private, philanthropic and NGO [non-governmental organization] sectors ever more effectively, so that they all play their part in delivering climate action?’ Charles asked the crowd, which included former Vice President Al Gore and Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres.

Public finance alone won’t cut it, he added. 

‘But with the private sector firmly at the table… we could mobilize the trillions of dollars we need, in the order of four-and-a-half to five trillion a year, to drive the transformation we need.’

To put that figure into perspective, it is about 20% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2022 which was $25.46 trillion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Charles did not give a breakdown of who should pay what, or where exactly the money would go, although he did say that the funds should flow to projects driving sustainable changes and away from practices that ‘make our world more dangerous.’

Part of the funds, at least, would likely be placed in the Green Climate Fund, a United Nations fund tasked with helping developing countries mitigate and combat climate change. 

On Saturday, the U.S. pledged $3 billion to the fund, on top of an additional $2 billion previously delivered by the United States. U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced at the summit that the United States will not build any new coal plants and will phase out existing plants to limit global warming to 1.5 Celsius.

In his speech, Charles also called on different types of organizations to come together to fight climate change and asked for the world to ramp up investment in green, renewable energy.

‘Some important progress has been made, but it worries me greatly that we remain so dreadfully far off track,’ Charles said.

It is unclear if Charles will be donating to the fund. The Royal family is worth $28 billion, according to Forbes.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Santos vows to file ethics complaints against multiple lawmakers hours after expulsion from House

Former New York Republican Rep. George Santos vowed to file a handful of ethics complaints next week against several of his former colleagues just hours after he was expelled from Congress in a vote by the House of Representatives.

In a series of social media posts Friday night, Santos said he would be filing ethics complaints Monday against four different members of the House — Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota R-N.Y., and Rob Menendez, D-N.J. — over alleged campaign finance violations and stock trading habits, among other alleged ethics violations.

Santos, expelled Friday by his House colleagues in a 311-114 vote, has not been convicted of a crime, but he has been indicted on 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, credit card fraud and other charges. 

Santos has been accused of using campaign funds on a number of luxury goods and treatments such as botox. He has pleaded not guilty.

As for the complaint against Malliotakis, Santos said it will prioritize ‘her questionable stock trading since joining the Ways and Means committee this Congress.’

‘Let’s talk about hypocrisy. Can someone ask Nicole MalioStockTips when did she become a savant in stock trading?’ Santos wondered in a post to X.

‘The signature bank trades she did REEKS of insider trading much like Paul Pelosi’s every trade!’ he added, referring to the husband of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

‘Before joining the committee the congresswoman didn’t have an active trading habit or a high volume stake,’ Santos continued in remarks about Malliotakis. ‘The question is, what set of information is she trading with?’

The complaint against Lawler, according to Santos, deals with the congressman ‘engaging in laundering money’ by funneling campaign funds through a company he owns stake in.

‘The concerning questions are; is Mr Lawler engaging in laundering money from his campaign to his firm then into his own pocket?’ Santos wrote in one post. ‘I will let the Office of Congressional Ethics be the judge of that.’

As for LaLota, Santos questioned whether the Empire State lawmaker was a ‘no-show’ at his local board of elections position during his tenure in law school.

‘Did Rep Lalota no-show to his tax pay funded job while going to school and if so he can potential have stolen public funds form the tax payers of NY,’ Santos wrote in another post. ‘I will let the Office of Congressional Ethics determine the validity of this grave allegation raised in his local media.’

Will Kiley, a LoLota spokesperson, told The Hill that Santos ‘is just mad the congressman has three actual degrees, while he lied about one.’

Santos also called into question Rob Menendez’s relationship with his father, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who has been federally charged for allegedly participating in a bribery scheme. Santos specifically raised concerns over what Menendez may have known about his father’s crimes, asking ‘what did he know and when did he know it.’

‘I think it’s a fair point to make sure we weed out the doubt surrounding Rep Menendez and his business associations with his father,’ Santos added.

In a statement to The Hill, Menendez spokesman Michael Zhadanovsky dismissed Santos’ threat.

‘George Santos is neither Rep. Menendez’s colleague nor a constituent, so we will not expend any energy responding to his Botox-fueled fits of rage,’ said Zhadanovsky.

Aside from those he’s seeking to file ethics complaints against, Santos also signaled he’s looking forward to seeing ‘who will be the Republican that will have the testicular fortitude to pick up my privileged motion to expel Bowman and reintroduce it!’

Fox News did not receive an immediate response from the four lawmakers’ offices about Santos’ comments.

The House’s vote against Santos made him the first House lawmaker to be expelled in more than 20 years. Expelling a member of Congress takes a two-thirds majority vote. The last time a House lawmaker was expelled was more than two decades ago, when late former Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, was voted out of Congress in 2002.

Santos said he expected to be expelled from Congress during a Friday morning interview on ‘FOX & Friends.’

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Stock Market Starts December On A Strong Note: What This Means For the Rest of the Year

The stock market is off to a great start on the first trading day of December. The S&P 500 ($SPX) closed at its 2023 high, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU) hit a new 52-week high, and the Nasdaq Composite ($COMPQ) also closed higher. Small caps led the rally, with the S&P 600 Small Cap Index ($SML) up 2.89%. It’s worth noting that small caps are displaying strengthening market internals. The percentage of S&P 600 stocks above their 200-day moving average is over 50%, and the Advance-Decline Line is in positive territory.

CHART 1: SMALL-CAP STOCKS TAKE OFF. It’s typical for small-cap stocks to rally in December. Keep an eye on how this asset group plays out; it could indicate the market’s performance in 2024.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

November was a terrific month in the stock market, with the broader indexes eking out solid gains.  The S&P 500 was up almost 9% for the month, and the Nasdaq Composite closed out November with a 10.7% gain.

Most of the rally in the stock market may have been because the stock market is betting that the Fed will start to cut interest rates. Comments from Fed Chairman Powell on Friday were similar to what he’s said in the past, which put investors more at ease.

Stock Market Seasonality

This type of market behavior isn’t unusual in the stock market at this time of the year. In a recent episode of The Final Bar, our chief market strategist, David Keller, CMT, spoke with Jeff Hirsch, Editor of the Stock Trader’s Almanac, about the seasonal patterns that are typical at the end of the year and in the first few months of an election year. So far, the market is in sync with what the Almanac anticipates. If this continues to be the case, then it’s likely that 2024 will be a bullish stock market year.

When analyzing the stock market, the only certainty is that nothing works the way you expect. So, as a trader or investor, you should be aware that, if things aren’t falling into place like they should, it’s an early indication that something is likely to go wrong.

Early December tends to be flat, mostly because of tax loss selling. The selling can make some investors nervous, especially after a robust November. But December is an important month, since it kicks off some seasonal patterns such as the January Effect and Santa Claus Rally.

The January Effect

The January Effect, which starts in mid-December, is about small-cap stocks, which didn’t participate in the bull rally that large-cap stocks experienced. But they are showing signs of taking off. The chart below shows the ratio of the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) to the iShares Russell 1000 ETF (IWB). The rise above the 50-day simple moving average indicates that small caps, represented by IWM, are gaining strength. It’s worth watching the small caps as mid-December approaches.

CHART 2: SMALL CAPS VS. LARGE CAPS. When analyzing the ratio of small caps to large caps, it looks like small caps are starting to show signs of strength.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The Santa Claus Rally

The Santa Claus Rally, which takes place on the last five trading days of December and the first two trading days in January, is also critical. If this short rally fails to show up, you should tread with caution in 2024. That doesn’t mean you should sell your stocks. Instead, you may want to rebalance your portfolio so it’s in line with how the market is playing out. For example, if defensive sectors are outperforming other sectors, you may want to allocate more of your portfolio to defensive stocks like Consumer Staples, instead of offensive ones. And depending on how commodities are performing, you may want to allocate more weight to energy or gold stocks.

The January Barometer

Next year is an election year, so the first half of the year will be important. How the year plays out rests on how January performs. The Stock Trader’s Almanac covers various seasonal patterns you can expect in the early months of an election year. In addition, watch fundamentals, especially interest rates. Whether the Fed cuts rates or not will have an impact on the stock market.

The Bottom Line

So, as we approach the last month of the year, watch the small caps, note how the market performs during the last five trading days and first two of 2024, and observe how January plays out. If everything plays out as expected, we’ll have a bullish 2024.

End-of-Week Wrap-Up

US equity indexes up; volatility down

$SPX up 0.59% at 4594.63, $INDU up 0.82% at 36245.50; $COMPQ up 0.55% at 14305.03$VIX down 2.24% at 12.63Best performing sector for the week: Real EstateWorst performing sector for the week: Communication ServicesTop 5 Large Cap SCTR stocks: Coinbase Global, Inc. (COIN); PDD Holdings, Inc. (PDD); Vertiv Holdings, LLC (VRT); New Oriental Education & Technology Group, Inc. (EDU); Crowdstrike Holdings, Inc. (CRWD)

On the Radar Next Week

October Factory OrdersOctober ISM Services PMIOctober JOLTs Job OpeningsNovember Non-Farm PayrollsNovember Unemployment Rate

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

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Will Kevin Durant join other 30-somethings as NBA MVP?

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant needs 16 points – about two quarters the way he is playing right now – to become one of the NBA’s top-10 scorers of all-time.

Headed into the Phoenix-Denver game Friday, Durant has 27,393 points, just behind Hall of Famer Moses Malone who is No. 10 with 27,409 points.

Durant is off to a terrific start, the kind that puts him in the early NBA MVP conversation. He averages 31.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.1 blocks and shoots 51.8% from the field, 49.3% on 3-pointers and 89.6% from the free throw line – a small fraction from the revered 50-40-90 club of which Durant is already a member.

At 35, he remains one of the league’s most efficient scorers – of all-time.

Durant will continue to move up the all-time scoring list with a chance to finish his career in the top five ahead of Michael Jordan’s 32,292 points.

Whenever Durant decides to retire and no matter where he ends up on the all-time scoring list, a major what-if will accompany his career. What if he had played in more games? Since tearing his Achilles in the 2019 Finals, Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season and has played in just 137 of 308 games in the previous four seasons. Even if Durant had played in just 82 of those 171 games he missed, that’s at least another 2,000 points for him.

That doesn’t take away from his greatness which is on display right now.

Karl Malone is the oldest to win the regular-season MVP award at 35 years and 284 days. Durant won’t be quite that old at the end of this season but he would still be in rare company if he won MVP. Steve Nash at 31 in 2006 is the last player to win MVP in his 30s.

As great as Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry still are at this stage of their careers, it’s still a young person’s game, at least when it comes to MVP.

Can Durant join the list of 30-somethings to win MVP? Let’s take a look at the MVP rankings as December begins:

NBA MVP rankings

10. Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry

2023-24 stats: 29.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.3 apg, 48.1% FG, 43.1% 3P, 93% FT

Curry has missed three foul shots in his past 68 attempts, and he has had at least six assists in his past four games.

9. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo

2023-24 stats: 29.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.4 bpg, 60.1% FG

In his past six games, Antetokounmpo has made 89-of-142 shots from the field (62.7%), including 20-for-23 in a 42-point performance against Washington.

8. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton

2023-24 stats: 27.0 ppg, 11.8 apg, 3.6 rpg, 51.9% FG, 44.7% 3P, 88% FT

In November, Haliburton averaged 28.6 points and 11.7 assists and shot 53.2% from the field and 46.7% on 3s, joining Michael Jordan (March 1989) and LeBron James (February 2017 and February 2018) as the only players to average at least 25 points and 10 assists and shoot at least 50% from the field and 40% on 3s in a month.

7. Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic

2023-24 stats: 31.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 7.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 48.9% FG, 38.8% 3PT, 77.3% FT

With more shooters around him, Doncic is taking advantage of better 3-point opportunities for himself.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards

2023-24 stats: 26.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 46.4% FG, 37.7% 3P, 86.4% FT

Edwards is one of nine players averaging at least 25 points, five assists and five rebounds, and he’s doing it for the team with the best record in the West.

5. Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant

2023-24 stats: 31.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.1 bpg, 51.8% FG, 49.3% 3P, 89.6% FT

Durant has scored at least 30 points in six consecutive games.

4. Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

2023-24 stats: 30.6 ppg, 6.1 apg, 5.9 rpg, 2.3 spg, 54.1% FG, 35% 3P, 94.5% FT

It’s early, but Gilgeous-Alexander averages career-highs in rebounds, assists, steals and field-goal percentage through his 17 games, and the Thunder are winning.

3. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum

2023-24 stats: 27.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.1. spg, 49.4% FG, 36.1% 3P, 80.7% FT

The Celtics have the best record, and Tatum is leading the way with his outstanding all-around game.

2. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic

2023-24 stats: 29.0 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 9.2 apg, 1.2 spg, 57.1% FG, 80% FT

Players have totaled 15 triple-doubles this season – and Jokic has seven of them, including 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a victory over Houston on Wednesday.

1. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid

2023-24 stats: 32 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.9 bpg, 1.0 spg, 49.8% FG, 87.8% FT

Under new Sixers coach Nick Nurse, Embiid is averaging a career-high in assists – more than two per game better than his career-high (4.2) for a full season.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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The 7 biggest games to watch during college football’s final weekend

December is upon us, and that means it’s conference championship weekend in college football’s top division. Arguably this is the most consequential group of title game matchups in the four-team playoff era, with all five of the so-called power leagues still in the mix.

So will the action on the field live up to its billing? We can only hope.

As usual, in this space we present your weekend viewing options in order of potential to entertain, with a heavy emphasis this week on each game’s level of magnitude in determining the all-important final rankings. Your mileage will vary, of course, particularly if you have a rooting interest, but here is our arbitrary top seven.

SEC – No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama

Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS.

Why watch: That these perennial powers made it to Atlanta is not a shock. There is, however, not the usual level of certainty regarding the league’s playoff standing entering the contest. The Bulldogs, of course, are in with a win. A Crimson Tide win would – probably – elevate them into the top four, but it might depend on some other results, and Georgia’s position would become precarious with a loss. Bottom line, both sides will treat it as a must-win, so the intensity level should be dialed up to 11. Georgia’s foremost concern at game time is the way its ground defense was uncharacteristically gashed by Georgia Tech in its most recent outing. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe figures to test those waters himself early on or let RB Jase McClellan do so. Either way, Bulldogs LB Smael Mondon will hope for stronger play in front of him in the trenches. Alabama might have similar concerns, however, after letting the same Auburn offense that had been stymied by New Mexico State a week earlier run for 244 yards. That could be good news for Bulldogs RBs Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton, but QB Carson Beck figures to provide even more air cover. Tide LB Dallas Turner is a hard-hitting TFL machine, but he can’t handle the Bulldogs’ offensive-line on his own.

TIDE OR DOGS?: Our expert picks for the SEC championship game

Why it could disappoint: You’d have to go back a long way – like to the 2018 national championship game against Clemson – to find the last time Alabama looked truly overmatched. Even so, the Tide have sustained a few multi-score losses since then, and last week’s performance indicates another could be in the offing. Yes, as we mentioned the Bulldogs didn’t dominate either, but they’ve looked a lot more capable of doing so in stretches this season.

Pac-12 – No. 3 Washington vs. No. 5 Oregon

Time/TV: Friday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC.

Why watch: It is a bitter irony that the last Pac-12 championship game as we know it is the biggest in its history, as the winner in Las Vegas is all but assured of a spot in the final four-team playoff. If it’s anything like the first meeting, a Washington victory in a 36-33 nail biter on Oct. 14, matters won’t be settled until well into the desert night. Another high-scoring affair seems likely with both quarterbacks set to provide final arguments in the Heisman debate. Oregon’s Bo Nix has had the hotter hand of late, increasing his completion rate to 78.6% and his season passing TD total to 37, concurrently assisting WR Troy Franklin’s bid for the Biletnikoff Award. Nix has only been picked twice, but Huskies CB Mishael Powell can go the distance if he gets his hands on another. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. has needed to take more chances due to a less dominant defense, but he can usually count on WRs Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk to get him out of jams. But it might be up to RB Dillon Johnson to provide more ground support this time, as Penix is sure to be visited frequently by Ducks DL Brandon Dorlus and Jordan Burch.

Why it could disappoint: Washington’s ability to keep things close when everything isn’t clicking will be put to the test here. About the only aspect of the Ducks’ game that has been shaky is the place kicking – just 10-of-16 on field goal attempts – which might explain some of coach Dan Lanning’s apparent fourth-down recklessness in the prior encounter with the Huskies. But if Oregon can finish its first few drives in the end zone, it’s stronger defense could remove the drama.

COACHING CAROUSEL: Who’s been hired and fired this cycle

PLAYOFF PATHS: How the eight teams left can reach the semifinals

ACC – No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 14 Louisville

Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC.

Why watch: The short-handed Seminoles are unquestionably the shakiest of the four remaining undefeated playoff candidates. But while the loss of standout QB Jordan Travis might have severely reduced their national championship prospects, a win in Charlotte would at least give them a chance to prove themselves in the playoff. Louisville is likely bound for the Orange Bowl win or lose thanks to last week’s setback against in-state rival Kentucky, but an ACC title would be a huge accomplishment in Jeff Brohm’s first season helming his alma mater. Now that FSU QB Tate Rodemaker has a game under his belt in which he didn’t commit any egregious errors, he might feel more comfortable airing it out for WRs Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. RB Trey Benson came to the rescue against Florida with some huge runs, but the Seminoles will need the big-play element in their passing game, and Louisville DB Devin Neal will do his best to limit it. The Cardinals will again try to set the tone on the ground behind RBs Jawhar Jordan and Isaac Guerendo. QB Jack Plummer is still a bit too free with the ball, and Seminoles LB Kalen DeLoach will be more than happy to take it away from him.

Why it could disappoint: There are a couple of possibilities. Either the quickly revamped FSU offense will fail to launch, or the Cardinals will struggle to move the ball away from home as they’ve done on occasion this year. In any event, there might not be a whole lot of flashy plays.

Big Ten – No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 17 Iowa

Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox.

Why watch: It might be easy to assume that the hard part for Michigan is over, having gotten through coach Jim Harbaugh’s suspension and with archrival Ohio State conquered for a third consecutive time. In Indianapolis, the Wolverines would be advised, however, not to overlook the Hawkeyes, who have overcome offensive shortcomings with stellar defense and timely plays en route to another double-digit win campaign. The Iowa defense is spearheaded by LB Jay Higgins, with an almost otherworldly 141 total tackles to his credit. He figures to be meeting Michigan RBs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards in the gaps early and often. Wolverines QB J.J. McCarthy doesn’t make many mistakes, and patience will be the key for him if the game is played at Iowa’s pace. Hawkeyes QB Deacon Hill won’t scare anyone with his passing, but RB Leshon Williams has breakaway potential if he gets free. Michigan LBs Junior Colson and Michael Barrett, however, don’t leave many spaces open.

Why it could disappoint: Let’s be honest – a couple of Michigan touchdowns will likely put this one out of reach for the offense-challenged Hawkeyes. With star DB Cooper DeJean sidelined, Iowa’s chances of generating a game-changing return are severely curtailed.

Big 12 – No. 7 Texas vs. No. 19 Oklahoma State

Time/TV: Saturday, noon ET, ABC.

Why watch: Of the five first-place finishers in the power conferences, the Longhorns are in the most ambiguous position in that a win does not automatically guarantee them a playoff spot. A loss, however, in their showdown in Arlington, Texas, would assuredly eliminate them, so the Cowboys will have their full attention. Oklahoma State’s season can best be described as irregular, with highs like the win against Oklahoma in the last scheduled Bedlam showdown and lows like embarrassing losses to South Alabama and Central Florida. The Cowboys’ place in this game wasn’t secured until last week’s double-overtime escape from Big 12 newcomer Brigham Young. Texas definitely has the flashier offense, with QB Quinn Ewers making extensive use of WRs Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell. The Cowboys’ defense has been pushed around at times, but LB Nickolas Martin is usually in the middle of things. Cowboys QB Alan Bowman isn’t quite as prolific through the air, relying instead on workhorse RB Ollie Gordon II to move the sticks and find the end zone, as he has done 21 times this season. The effort to keep Gordon bottled up will be led by Longhorns LB Jaylan Ford.

Why it could disappoint: The Longhorns’ rapid dismissal of Texas Tech in their last outing suggests they might have figured out how to play with a lead. The Cowboys have already experienced early troubles snowballing on them this season, and that could be the case here.

American – No. 24 SMU at No. 18 Tulane

Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ABC.

Why watch: Despite SMU’s omission from the penultimate set of rankings from the CFP committee, this contest will more than likely determine the New Year’s Six bowl representative from the so-called group-of-five conferences. The Green Wave will be trying to accomplish the feat for a second year in succession, a remarkable achievement for the small school rich in academic tradition but less so on the gridiron. The Mustangs hope to put a last feather in their collective cap before heading off to the ACC next year. The bad news for SMU is QB Preston Stone went down with a leg injury against Navy and will not be available. Kevin Jennings will be making his first career start having attempted just 24 passes, though he has completed 18 of them with three TDs and no picks. Green Wave QB Michael Pratt has been dinged up himself at times this year but has been effective despite not taking off as much. The arrival of freshman RB Makhi Hughes to fill the considerable shoes of Tyjae Spears, now with the Tennessee Titans, has helped keep the Tulane offense humming. Takeaway threats include Tulane DB Lance Robinson and SMU DB Isaiah Nwokobia.

Why it could disappoint: The Green Wave isn’t always lights out, even when playing from ahead. But the depleted SMU offense must demonstrate some ability to move the ball quickly, as a multi-score comeback would be asking a lot.

Conference USA – New Mexico State at No. 22 Liberty

Time/TV: Friday, 7 p.m. ET, CBSSN.

Why watch: The unbeaten Flames at least have the committee’s attention with a No. 25 ranking, and they could be in line for a major bowl with a win and a Tulane loss. But first they must contend with the Aggies, who are enjoying unprecedented success at a notoriously hard place to win under second-year coach Jerry Kill. Win or lose, New Mexico State will play in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1959-60. Liberty took the regular season encounter with the Aggies 33-17 way back on Sept. 9 and thus has hosting privileges for this rematch. But despite the Flames’ unblemished record, it could be argued that the Aggies actually enter with momentum on their side thanks to their impressive takedown of Auburn two weeks ago. The New Mexico State offense is directed by veteran QB Diego Pavia, who has accounted for 3,533 yards of total offense – 806 by land – and 28 total touchdowns. His primary weapons are WRs Jonathan Brady and Trent Hudson, along with RB Star Thomas. They’ll all keep LB Tyren Dupree, the leader of the Flames’ defense, busy. Liberty QB Kaidon Salter can run a bit himself with 899 ground yards and 11 scores to go with his 29 TD passes, but Quinton Cooley does most of the heavy lifting with 1,251 rushing yards and a hefty 13 TDs. They’ll have to work around top Aggies’ disruptors DL Sterling Webb and LB Keyshaun Elliott. WR C.J. Daniels is the Flames’ main aerial target with 40 catches averaging over 20 yards per grab.

Why it could disappoint: It shouldn’t, though the Aggies racked up a lot of travel miles earlier this month. The Flames might be of a mind to collect style points should they build an advantage, but it shouldn’t come to that if things are at all close by intermission.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Five NFL players who need to step up for stretch run of season

As the NFL season marches into December and the final six weeks, it’s clear that many teams will need a little extra juice for the playoff push.

No franchise has claimed a spot in the postseason field just yet, with the Philadelphia Eagles being the lone team with an opportunity to clinch in Week 13. With that level of fluidity, teams’ outlooks can shift wildly week to week. For some organizations, a few key players could hold the key to their playoff fortunes.

With that in mind, we asked USA TODAY Sports’ NFL reporters and writers: Which NFL player needs to step up down the stretch of the season?

Their answers:

Kenny Pickett

Quite a buffet to choose from here. Are we asking a superstar to catch fire and improve his team’s position? An ordinary player – Tim Boyle? – to keep his sinking squad afloat? Or someone who needs to push the production closer to his perceived potential? Let’s take that one – and we’re looking at you, Kenny Pickett. Early returns are promising after the 2022 first-rounder threw for a season-best 278 yards in Sunday’s win at Cincinnati, his first game with newly elevated Pittsburgh Steelers play caller Mike Sullivan in his ear and interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner devising the game plan. The offense has held this team back all year – and, after a week, maybe it was in fact deposed OC Matt Canada restricting Pickett and Co. But while a defensive-led version of the Steelers is probably good enough to get Pittsburgh into the postseason – and that formula has worked many times before – if the six-time champions actually want to compete for a seventh, Pickett’s side of the ball will have to continue taking on more of the load. – Nate Davis

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It’s got to be Kenny Pickett. The Steelers had a renaissance performance last week, gaining more than 400 yards for the first time in 59 games. Now, that’s not likely to continue. But it was also the first time Pittsburgh outgained its opponent this season. Pickett must elevate his play and help the Steelers offense out during this final stretch if Pittsburgh has any shot to hang onto its playoff spot this season. They’re in good shape at 7-4 and in the fifth seed. But there’s still plenty of season left for them to fall out of the playoff mix because of their inept offense. – Safid Deen 

Derek Carr

With a $150 million contract that averages $37.5M and guarantees $100M, the New Orleans Saints (5-6) paid for a lot more than they are getting from their veteran quarterback. The difference to secure a division title? Not quite … or at least not yet. Carr – whose pick-six at Atlanta on Sunday went for 92 yards as Jessie Bates III snagged an awful, telegraphed pass – has had back-to-back games without a touchdown pass and is on pace for a career-low 15 scoring strikes. It’s no wonder that Rob Gronkowski was on the ‘Up & Adams’ show this week suggesting that Dennis Allen should consider benching his hand-picked QB and roll with Jameis Winston. Carr has protected the football fairly well and the Saints, with a pass offense ranked 11th in the league, have moved the ball between the 20s. But in the red zone and on third downs – where NFL quarterbacks make their money – Carr has been so mediocre. The Saints are 29th in the NFL for red-zone TD rate (42.5%) and Carr is 25th in third-down passer rating (74.7). Bottom line, with an 88.5 efficiency mark that is 17th in the NFL, Carr is nobody’s elite quarterback. Detroit is next on the schedule, and the first of three consecutive home games won’t be easy. But here’s the good news: The Saints close with three of their final five games against teams from the lowly NFC South, which means a division crown still isn’t out of the question as none of the teams in that division have a winning record. And there are two other matchups against opponents who are currently sub-.500. So, if Carr can get on a hot streak that ignites his unit to finish drives, maybe the Saints can salvage the sense that they’ve developed something to build on. If not, it will be a long offseason in the Crescent City. – Jarrett Bell

Josh Allen

This answer feels like it could be no one other than Josh Allen. And by stepping up, really, what I mean is protecting the ball and being more efficient. It’s clear Allen is one of the most talented players in football. The problem for the Buffalo Bills – and much of this isn’t Allen’s fault, per se, but rather that of the front office for its roster construction – is that the offense is often most dangerous when Allen can improvise and create plays off script. The issue is that when he feels the need to take on too much, he can press, which can lead to turnovers; Allen has at least one interception in Buffalo’s past eight games. His 13 picks are tied with Washington’s Sam Howell for most in the NFL.

The Bills are 6-6 and enter Week 13 as the No. 10 seed in the AFC. They have games against the Chiefs (Week 14), Cowboys (Week 15) and Dolphins (Week 18). Their margin for error is so slim in a crowded AFC that they may actually need to win out in order to claim a wild-card spot. Perhaps it’s a bit unfair to ask Allen, already one of players in the NFL with the most responsibility for offensive production, to be better. But if he can’t play cleaner, Buffalo will have no shot and will miss the postseason for the first time in five seasons. – Lorenzo Reyes

Jordan Love

Replacing a franchise legend was never going to be easy. But Love has made it harder for himself by stumbling in his first full season as a starter. Only the New York Jets’ Zach Wilson has a worse completion percentage among qualified quarterbacks. Green Bay started 2-5 but a 3-1 run in November has them near .500 and in contention for the NFC’s No. 7 seed. An improved Love has been a big reason behind the winning. He had eight touchdowns and two interceptions (both in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers) in November. His toughest test of the season is Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense, but four of the Packers’ final five after that are against NFC teams that are currently under .500. That includes a Week 17 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, who currently hold the final NFC playoff spot. Continued improved play from Love will give the Packers a chance at challenging them for a postseason berth. – Chris Bumbaca

Rashee Rice – and rest of Kansas City Chiefs’ receivers

Last week, Rice became this first Chiefs wide receiver to go over 100 receiving yards since Week 7 of last season. Rice is a rookie so the onus to step up shouldn’t be all on the first-year wideout. Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney and Mecole Hardman all need to become more reliable threats on the outside. Their inability to create separation and drops have become a theme this season. However, Rice has been the one to show promising signs this year. If Kansas City wants to capture the AFC’s No. 1 seed and successfully defend its Super Bowl title, it has to become less dependent on Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Isiah Pacheco on offense. – Tyler Dragon

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Sports

Florida State QB could miss Saturday’s ACC championship game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Internet rumor mill was churning late Thursday evening and Friday morning about the status of Florida State football quarterback Tate Rodemaker for the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship.

FSU coach Mike Norvell also addressed Rodemaker’s status Friday and said his availability would be determined before the Saturday showdown against Louisville at 8 p.m.

Rodemaker sustained an apparent head injury against Florida last Saturday.

‘Coming out of the game last week, Tate obviously took the big hit there in the fourth quarter,’ Norvell said.

‘He went over and was able to go through all of our sideline evaluations and was able to pass that to be able to go back into in the game for the last play that we had there offensively. He came in Sunday, he had a few symptoms of things. We started our process then and worked through it over the course of the week.

‘He has been able to practice throughout the week and in limited spots. That’s going to be something that goes up to game day. We’ll continue on with our evaluation and see where it goes from there.’

The redshirt junior – who is filling in for the injured starter Jordan Travis – was sandwiched on a hit by a pair of Florida defenders last week in the fourth quarter. He left for three plays, was taken to the sideline medical tent and evaluated, and quickly returned and the Seminoles scored on the next play.

Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill was ejected for targeting on the play and Rodemaker was down on the field for a couple of minutes before being helped up and going directly to the injury tent.

No potential injury was ever disclosed, while Rodemaker did return to the game and talked to the media postgame.

‘We are anticipating seeing Tate. We prepared for him,’ Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm said in his Friday press conference.

Freshman Brock Glenn would be FSU starting quarterback if Rodemaker is out

Freshman Brock Glenn would be the starter in case Rodemaker misses the game. AJ Duffy is the other scholarship quarterback on the roster.

‘We’ve allowed for those guys to be able to get work. Tate has got some work individual and some in team,’ Norvell said of the practice time for his quarterbacks.

‘Brock has got the bulk of it especially as we’ve gone through more than live situations that we’ve implemented. But Tate has been there. He’s been in all the meetings. He’s like I said he’s gotten some work out there in practice. And then AJ Duffy has also gotten some reps with different units. So, the game plan doesn’t have to change a whole lot.’

HOW TO WATCH ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Who: No. 4 Florida State (12-0, 8-0 ACC) vs. No. 14 Louisville (10-2, 7-1)

When/where: 8 p.m., Saturday, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte

TV/Radio: ABC/94.9 FM

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Politics

George Santos expelled: What happens to his House seat?

The House of Representatives voted to remove New York Republican Rep. George Santos from his post on Friday due to federal indictment charges. 

Here’s what happens to Santos’s seat now:

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a special election on Friday, just hours after she wrote a post on X claiming she was ‘prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd District,’ leading people to believe she would pick someone herself instead holding an election.

In her later statement, Hochul clarified she was ‘prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd District by scheduling a special election. The people of Long Island and Queens deserve nothing less.’

Hochul had 10 days from the time of Santos’s expulsion to call a special election. 

Joe Burns, a New York Republican Election Attorney and former state board of elections official, told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday that the date of a special election should be within 70 to 80 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation, which places the approximate date to early next year. 

‘The other point of significance is how the candidates get on the ballot, because it’s a special election,’ Burns said. ‘There’s no ability for a primary.’

As such, Burns said nominations for the election are made according to the rules of four recognized parties: Democrat, Republican, Conservative, and the minority party in the state called Working Families. 

The nominations are determined differently for each party; for instance, for the Republican nomination in a multi-county district, county chairs cast weighted votes based on previous votes for that office. Similar nomination processes apply to the other parties, and nominations must be made and filed within 10 days of the official proclamation for a special election.

‘The parties don’t really have a lot of time to dilly-dally on making a choice,’ Burns said. ‘There is an option for an independent candidate to run, but they have to go and circulate petitions…  I can’t think in all my time of being involved between being an attorney in private practice or working with the board of an instance where an independent candidate has gotten on the ballot for Congress for a special election — so, I think that’s highly unlikely.’

How is a House member expelled? 

Ousting a member of Congress takes a two-thirds majority vote. The last time a House lawmaker was expelled was more than two decades ago, when late former Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, was voted out of Congress in 2002.

Prior to his ousting, Traficant had been convicted of 10 felony counts, including racketeering and taking bribes. 

Santos has not been convicted of a crime, but he has been indicted on 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, credit card fraud and other charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Santos has been accused of using campaign funds to purchase luxury goods, treatments such as Botox, and a subscription to porn site OnlyFans. 

The 311 to 114 vote was strongly bipartisan, although slightly more Republicans voted to keep Santos than to oust him.

Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the 2022 election for New York’s 3rd Congressional District.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

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2024 showdown: Christie ups his game in key primary state and turns up the heat on Haley

CONCORD, N.H. – With the start of the Republican presidential nominating calendar just a month and a half away, Chris Christie is picking up the pace. 

As he sharpens his jabs at his 2024 White House rivals and vows he will qualify for next week’s fourth GOP presidential primary debate, the former two-term New Jersey governor making his second White House run is upping his sales pitch to voters.

‘I’ve enjoyed the dating period. Now it’s time for us to get married,’ Christie told the crowd Friday at Politics and Pies, hosted by the GOP committee in Concord, New Hampshire. It was a line he had used at a town hall the previous night.

Asked in an interview with Fox News Digital if he was getting marriage proposals from voters in the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar, Christie said, ‘I got a bunch last night after the town hall meeting.’

‘The biggest difference between now and eight years ago is people that are coming to town halls are committing,’ he said.

As Christie runs a second time for national office, he faces a steep uphill climb against former President Donald Trump, who’s the commanding frontrunner in the race as he makes his third straight White House bid. And he’s once again concentrating his time and resources in New Hampshire.

Christie has shifted his lean campaign into a higher gear, increasing the number of events he’s hosting with Granite State voters. This week’s quick swing included two town halls, including one organized by the New Hampshire State Employees Association. The union said Christie was the first GOP candidate to meet with the membership in three decades. Christie returns to New Hampshire next week for a two-day tour of college campuses.

On Friday, Christie unveiled what his campaign touted was a ‘strong’ and ‘influential’ New Hampshire steering committee, which included former state GOP chair Wayne McDonald, former Rep. Charlie Bass, and two former Republican state Senate presidents.

Christie told Fox News he’s stepping up his game ‘because people here are starting to focus too in a way that was much different than, let’s say, the last four or five months. You can tell by the attendance at the town halls. You can tell by the kind of questions that you get. And you can tell by the way that they’re reacting. They’re getting ready to make their decisions too, and so, you gotta be up here and make sure that you’re making the case.’

The former governor, a one-time Trump ally turned vocal Republican critical of the former president, has been turning up the heat in recent weeks on two other rivals for the nomination.

Christie’s amplifying criticism of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for not vigorously targeting Trump. DeSantis and Haley are battling for a distant second place behind Trump in Iowa, the state whose Jan. 15 caucuses kick off the GOP nominating calendar. In New Hampshire, Christie’s in third place, behind Trump and Haley.

With Christie and Haley both aiming to win the votes of Republicans and independents who seek a Trump alternative, Christie’s been targeting his rival.

‘My point that I’ve been trying to make about Nikki is just pretty simple. You can’t be running against Donald Trump and then say he was the right president for the right time,’ Christie told Fox News. ‘You can’t be trying to cuddle up to Trump at the same time you’re running against him.’

Christie emphasized that Trump’s ‘well ahead. So, let’s stop pretending that he’s not, and let’s go after him because there’s a big case made against him.’

Haley, who’s been sharpening her jabs at Trump on the campaign trail and who’s made the case that she’s more electable than Trump in next year’s general election, has seen her standing in the race rise this autumn.  

Earlier this week, she landed the backing of Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers. The group pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars and mobilize its formidable grassroots operation to help push the Republican Party past Trump and support Haley.

Christie made the stage at the first three Republican presidential primary debates and pushed back at speculation he’ll fail to reach the higher qualifying thresholds for next week’s fourth debate.

In August, ahead of the first debate, Christie said Republican presidential candidates who didn’t qualify for the showdown should drop out of the race. 

Asked on Friday if his blunt suggestion would come back to haunt him, Christie quickly answered, ‘I’ll be on the debate stage next week, so we won’t have to worry about it.’

And he reiterated that he’s 100% confident he’ll qualify.

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