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What’s today’s bowl schedule? College Football Playoff kicks off and more

The college bowl season continues Friday with a pair of matinee offerings from the Sunshine State before the weekend’s main event, the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff, kicks off in prime time.

The non-playoff slate features a couple of league champs squaring off, as well as another squad that came up just a game short of a title. The fourth participant is a big-name school whose fans have a much sunnier outlook than they did a couple of months ago.

The playoff features two teams from the Hoosier State in one of the traditional homes of college football. Add in some cold weather, and it will be quite the spectacle.

Here’s a quick look at the matchups that should help get you started for the big weekend.

Cure Bowl – Jacksonville State vs. Ohio

Time/TV/location: noon ET, ESPN, Orlando, Fla.

Why watch: This clash of conference champions is among the more attractive pairings on the non-playoff bowl calendar. Unfortunately, as often happens in the land of mid-majors, both teams will be in experiencing staff transitions. Jacksonville State had to bid farewell to coach Rich Rodriguez as he returned to West Virginia, and the Bobcats lost coach Tim Albin, who is off to Charlotte. Offensive coordinator Rod Smith will lead the Gamecocks in this contest, while offensive coordinator Brian Smith has been promoted to the head position at Ohio. The good news is both teams should have most of their key playmakers available. Bobcats QB Parker Navarro has accounted for 3,112 yards of offense, including 935 yards by land, with plenty of support from RB Anthony Tyus. Jax State will counter with the one-two punch of QB Tyler Huff and RB Tre Stewart, who have combined for 2,947 yards and 37 touchdowns on the ground.

Why it could disappoint: There are more players in the portal on the defensive side for the Gamecocks, so the Bobcats’ potent running game might encounter less resistance. Hopefully, Jax State will also be able to move the ball and keep things competitive.

IT’S COMPLICATED: What is the future of the college football bowl system?

MOVING ON: Ranking the best college quarterbacks in the transfer portal

Gasparilla Bowl – Florida vs. Tulane

Time/TV/location: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Tampa, Fla.

Why watch: A nine-win campaign is cause for celebration at Tulane, but there’s nevertheless an air of disappointment around the Green Wave after the season concluded with a two-game skid, neither of which results were particularly close. They’ll need to get off the deck for this clash with the Gators, whose outlook for the future and the outlook for coach Billy Napier changed considerably over the last month of the season with wins against LSU and Mississippi. Another reason for optimism in Gainesville is QB DJ Lagway, whose breakout freshman year helped spur the turnaround. Tulane will unfortunately be without its freshman sensation QB Darian Mensah, who is bound for Duke. Ty Thompson should still be on hand, and he figures to be handing off to RB Makhi Hughes often.

Why it could disappoint: The silver lining for Tulane is coach Jon Sumrall agreed to a contract extension so there could be more successful seasons ahead. This game, though, might be a mismatch with the Gators maintaining more key pieces and playing closer to home.

No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame

Time/TV/location: Friday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC, South Bend, Ind.

Why watch: We begin the playoff with a doozy, matching teams from the same state with surprisingly little history on the gridiron. In fact, the Fighting Irish and Hoosiers have met just once since 1958, a 49-27 Notre Dame victory in 1991. This one, of course, will be somewhat more meaningful. The Hoosiers’ turnaround under first-year coach Curt Cignetti from a 3-9 campaign in 2023 is well-documented, though it is worth noting they own just one victory in Big Ten play against a team with a winning record. Notre Dame for its part found its stride after a bad loss in Week 2 to Northern Illinois, and its average scoring margin of plus 26.2 is quite close to Indiana’s plus 28.6. Hoosiers QB Kurtis Rourke is a drop-back passer with 27 scoring throws and just four picks on the season, with WR Elijah Sarratt serving as his primary target. The Notre Dame pass defense, featuring DB Xavier Watts, has snared 17 interceptions, so Rourke will need ground help from his RB tandem of Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton. Fighting Irish QB Riley Leonard will take off a lot more, but when he does throw it, WR Beaux Collins is his most frequent recipient. His backfield mate, RB Jeremiyah Love, will also require attention from Hoosiers LBs Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker.

Why it could disappoint: Sorry to bring this up, Indiana fans, but the Hoosiers’ only other road encounter with a playoff caliber team went well for about a quarter-and-a-half before Ohio State took charge. Yes, the Fighting Irish are not constructed the same way, so the matchups might be more favorable to the Hoosiers. But Indiana is the less-proven team on the big stage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Iran expands weaponization capabilities critical for employing nuclear bomb

The Islamic Republic of Iran has continued its pursuit of obtaining a nuclear weapon by not only stockpiling enriched uranium to near-weapons grade purity, it has expanded its covert actions in developing its weaponization capabilities. 

According to information obtained by sources embedded in the Iranian regime and supplied to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an opposition organization based out of D.C. and Paris, there are indications that Tehran has once again renewed efforts to advance its ability to detonate a nuclear weapon.

At the head of Iran’s detonators program is an organization the NCRI has dubbed METFAZ, which is the Farsi acronym for the Center for Research and Expansion of Technologies on Explosions and Impact, and its recent movements at a previously deactivated site, known as Sanjarian, has drawn immense speculation.

‘Our information shows the METFAZ has expanded its activities, intensified activities, and their main focus is basically the detonation of the nuclear bomb,’ Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the NCRI in the U.S., told Fox News Digital. ‘When you make a bomb, you have the fissile material at the center of it, but you need to be able to trigger it, to detonate it, and that’s a sophisticated process.

‘It’s important to see what METFAZ does and follow their activities because that is sort of like a gauge on figuring out where the whole nuclear weapons program is,’ he added. 

Iran has at least a dozen sites across the country dedicated to nuclear development, weaponization, research and heavy water production, but information shared with Fox News Digital suggests that there has been an increase in covert activity in at least two of these locations, including Sanjarian, which was once one of Iran’s top weaponization facilities. 

The Sanjarian site, located roughly 25 miles east of Tehran and once central to Iran’s nuclear program under what is known as the Amad Plan, was believed to have been largely inactive between 2009 and late 2020 after stiff international pushback on Iran’s nuclear program.

Though by October 2020 renewed activity had returned to the area under the alleged guise of a filming team, first captured through satellite imagery and which the Islamic Republic used to justify why vehicles had reportedly been regularly parked outside the formerly top nuclear site. 

In 2022, trees were planted along the entrance road to the compound, effectively blocking satellite imagery from monitoring vehicles stationed there, before a security gate was then believed to have been installed in May 2023, according to information also verified by the Institute for Science and International Security. 

Now, according to details supplied by on-the-ground sources to the NCRI this month, top nuclear experts have been seen regularly visiting the site since April 2024 and are believed to be operating under the front company known as Arvin Kimia Abzaar, which claims to be affiliated with the oil and gas industry, a sector in which Iran has long attempted to conceal its activities. 

Jafarzadeh said one of the executives of the Arvin Kimia Abzaar company is Saeed Borji, who has been a well-known member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since 1980 and has long headed METFAZ.

METFAZ falls under Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, which is widely known to security experts as the organization spearheading Iran’s nuclear development and is suspected of using the Sanjarian site for renewed research on exoloding bridgewire (EWB) detonators. 

Iran has previously attempted to conceal its EBW detonators program, a system first invented in the 1940s to deploy atomic warheads but which has expanded into non-military sectors, under activities relating to the oil industry.

In a 2015 report, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), noted that Iran’s detonator development was an ‘integral part of a program to develop an implosion-type nuclear explosive device.’

It also highlighted how Iran attempted to conceal its program by alleging during a May 20, 2014, meeting that the detonator program dating back to 2000-2003 was related to Tehran’s aerospace industry and was needed to ‘help prevent explosive accidents’ but which the IAEA determined was ‘inconsistent with the timeframe and unrelated to the detonator development program.’

During the same 2014 meeting, Iran claimed that ‘around 2007 its oil and gas industry had identified a requirement for EBW detonators for the development of deep borehole severing devices.’

The IAEA assessed that while the application of EBW detonators, which are fired within ‘sub-microsecond simultaneity,’ are ‘not inconsistent with specialized industry practices,’ the detonators that Iran has developed ‘have characteristics relevant to a nuclear explosive device.’

‘The Iranian regime has really basically, over the years, used deceptive tactics – lies, stalling, playing games, dragging [their feet], wasting time,’ Jafarzadeh said when asked about this report. ‘That’s the way they’re dealing with the IAEA, with the goal of moving their own nuclear weapons program forward without being accountable for anything.’

The IAEA did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on the NCRI’s most recent findings, which were shared with the nuclear watchdog this week, and it remains unclear what advancements or research Iran continues to pursue in the detonator field.

‘While the international community and the IAEA have mainly focused on the amount and the enrichment level of uranium Tehran possesses, which would provide fissile material for the bomb, the central part, namely the weaponization, has continued with little scrutiny,’ Jafarzadeh told Fox News Digital.

The NCRI also found that METFAZ, which operates out of a military site known as Parchin some 30 miles southeast of Tehran, has expanded its Plan 6 complex where it conducts explosive tests and production.

Parchin, which is made up of several military industrial complexes, was targeted in Israel’s October 2024 strikes. According to the Institute for Science and International Security, the strikes destroyed ‘multiple buildings’ within the complex, including a ‘high explosive test chamber’ known as Taleghan 2.

Iran’s layered approach to its nuclear program, which relies on networks operating under the guise of privately owned companies, false operations and immense ambiguity, has made tracking Tehran’s nuclear program difficult for even agencies dedicated to nuclear security, like the IAEA, Jafarzadeh said.

‘The regime has used deceptive tactics to prevent any mechanism for verification, and it has yet to provide an opportunity or the means for the IAEA to have a satisfactory answer to the inquiries it has raised,’ he told Fox News Digital. ‘Our revelation today shows that the regime has no transparency related to its program for building an atomic bomb and is moving towards building the bomb at a rapid pace.’

The NCRI confirms that neither the Sanjarian site nor Parchin’s Plan 6 have ever been inspected by the IAEA.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Ex-NFL star Adrian Peterson subject to warrants for arrest in Texas

Former NFL MVP running back Adrian Peterson is facing legal trouble again in Texas, this time after two warrants were issued for his arrest related to his failure to appear in court for two different child support cases.

The former Minnesota Vikings star made more than $100 million in his NFL career from 2007 to 2021 and is considered a future Pro Football Hall of Famer. But warrants were issued this week in Fort Bend County, Texas, outside of Houston, where Peterson also has been facing property seizures to help pay off more than $12 million debt.

“The current legal case is related to a misunderstanding regarding Adrian’s court appearances as it relates to child support, and he is actively working with his legal team to resolve this matter as quickly as possible,” his publicist Denise White said in a statement. “He is committed to clearing up this situation and moving forward positively.”

In an unrelated case, he pleaded no contest in October to misdemeanor assault after being accused in the same county of slapping a woman from behind in May. He was sentenced to pay a $500 fine with no jail time in that case, according to court records.

Adrian Peterson’s NFL benefits come into play

In the separate child support cases, the county issued capias warrants against him this week. Those are different from traditional arrest warrants that require a determination that there was enough evidence to believe he committed a crime. In this case, the capias warrants relate to his failure to appear in court on these matters earlier this month.

All things Vikings: Latest Minnesota Vikings news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

“TO ANY PEACE OFFICER OF THE STATE OF TEXAS—GREETING,” one of the warrants states. “YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED TO ARREST: ADRIAN LEWIS PETERSON, to be found in your county, and ADRIAN LEWIS PETERSON safely keep, so that you have ADRIAN LEWIS PETERSON before the Honorable 328th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas, at the Court House of said County… and there to answer for their failure to appear for CIVIL NON-SUPPORT on December 05, 2024 before the 328TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, as ordered.”

The two child-support cases list women from Minnesota as the custodial parents. In one of the cases, a judge signed a qualified domestic relations order Monday that establishes the right of the child to receive a portion of Peterson’s NFL benefits for child support. The warrants were issued with separate cash bonds of $9,500 and $7,500.

The larger debt case involving Adrian Peterson

In another case in September, a judge in Houston issued an order for him to turn over numerous assets to help pay debt estimated at more than $12 million. That debt stemmed from a $5.2 million loan he took out from a Pennsylvania lending company in 2016 but didn’t pay back. A court-appointed receiver has been trying to seize his assets to pay back that debt and even intercepted an auction of his NFL trophies and clothes earlier this year, according to court records.

Peterson, 39, cast blame in that case on his former financial advisor, who could not be reached by USA TODAY Sports. Peterson said in a statement in September that this was not a personal loan but a business loan that the financial advisor guaranteed would be repaid from a business he co-owned with the financial advisor and another partner.

But the promissory note with the lending company lists only Peterson as the borrower with a 12% interest rate. He promised to pay it back with interest in March 2017, five months later. An exhibit attached to the loan document in October 2016 indicated he was seeking an advance on an $18 million contract that he expected to come from the Vikings. But that money never materialized.

Peterson was coming off a knee injury in 2016, and the Vikings declined to pick up the $18 million option on his contract in early 2017, turning Peterson into a free agent. Peterson’s earnings fell dramatically after that, never exceeding $3.5 million a year. He hasn’t played in the NFL since 2021.

The purpose of the loan he sought in 2016 was to consolidate, reduce the rate and defer payments on existing unsecured debt, according to the exhibit attached to the agreement.

That debt from that loan since has led to an $8.3 million court judgment against him in 2021, plus $15,000 in attorney’s fees with 9% per annum on all amounts, according to a court filing by the receiver. The approximate collection total is $12.5 million, the receiver stated in a February court filing.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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US diplomats in Damascus for first time in more than 10 years following fall of Assad regime

A group of U.S. officials are in Syria’s capital for the first time in more than 10 years seeking information on American citizens who disappeared under the Assad regime, among other things.

The team visiting Damascus consists of US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) Barbara Leaf and NEA Senior Adviser Daniel Rubinstein, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Rubinstein, who previously served as U.S. Special Envoy for Syria and has decades of foreign affairs experience, will lead the diplomatic engagement, the spokesperson confirmed. 

His mission is to engage with the Syrian people and key parties within the country. He also seeks to coordinate with allies to advance principles laid out in a meeting between world leaders in the Jordanian city of Aqaba earlier this month.

The trio will meet with the Syrian people to uncover their vision for their country after the Assad regime fell earlier this month amid an ongoing civil war. They will also ask how the U.S. can help support them in their desired future.

‘They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices,’ the spokesperson said, in part.

The three officials will also meet with representatives of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a U.S.-designated terrorist group, to ‘discuss transition principles’ endorsed by the United States and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan, the State Department said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously noted that world leaders discussed ‘the need for an inclusive, Syrian-led political transition’ during the Aqaba Meetings on Syria in Jordan on Dec. 14.

‘The United States supports a future government in Syria that is chosen by and representatives of all Syrians,’ Blinken said on X.

Another goal of the visit is to determine what has happened to American citizens who disappeared under the Assad regime, including former marine turned freelance journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria in 2012.

Carstens has been leading the charge to locate Tice and recently shared that Rewards for Justice is offering up to $10 million for information on his whereabouts.

‘Given recent events in Syria, the FBI is renewing our call for information that could lead to the safe location, recovery, and return of Austin Bennett Tice, who was detained in Damascus in August 2012,’ the FBI said in a statement.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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How Trump could spare Biden’s renewable energy credits and still cripple his landmark climate bill

The fate of President Joe Biden’s landmark climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, is in the hands of the incoming Republican-controlled White House, Senate and House of Representatives.

At the White House level, President-elect Donald Trump has already nominated three people to posts in his administration who are likely to be key to the future of the IRA, if they are confirmed by the Senate: hedge fund executive Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary, oilfield services company Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy, and at the Interior Department, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Any full repeal of the IRA would have to be passed by both chambers of Congress, where Republican lawmakers so far have been reluctant to completely discredit the law’s benefits. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told CNBC in September that he would use “a scalpel and not a sledgehammer” on the IRA.

There’s a good reason for this approach: As of late October, roughly three quarters of the clean energy investments that have been made with IRA funds benefitted congressional districts that backed Trump in the 2020 presidential election, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the clean energy think tank Rhodium Group.

But what future Trump Cabinet members would do is also “pretty profoundly important” to the future of the massive legislation, said Tanuj Deora, a former director for clean energy at the Biden administration’s Office of the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer. The agencies hold considerable power over the interpretation and implementation of the IRA’s programs and incentives, like tax credits and business loans. 

A priority for Republicans going into 2025 is extending the expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Trump is looking to extend the tax cuts within his first 100 days in office next year.

This extension would cost $4.6 trillion over the 10-year budget window, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.

“In addition, Trump promised another seven to eight trillion in tax breaks during the last few weeks of the [presidential] campaign,” said Keith Martin, co-head of projects at the law and lobbying firm Norton Rose Fulbright.

The money for all this has to come from somewhere, however, and experts say provisions of the IRA are the most likely candidates for potential cost-savings. In an interview with the Financial Times last October, Bessent called the IRA “the Doomsday machine for the deficit,” suggesting that Trump could dismantle it to cut spending.

The IRA contains a range of targeted tax incentives designed to drive clean technology and energy production across the country.

Among them, the renewable energy tax credits, especially those for carbon capture technologies, domestic manufacturing and the green economy job transition are well-liked by Republicans, Martin said, and likely to be safe from any potential repeal efforts. 

But the current phase-out dates for the IRA tax credits are likely to be accelerated, experts predict, and the Trump transition team is already in talks to completely dismantle a $7,500 consumer tax credit for electric vehicles.

Most of the final rules governing implementation of the IRA tax credits have either been finalized or are expected to be by the end of the year.

But there is still considerable fear that the remaining money could be rescinded, frozen or “awarded in ways that are aligned with a shift in priorities” in a new administration, said Julie McNamara, deputy policy director of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“Theoretically, a future Treasury could reverse course on interpretation and implementation, but that would take a long time and would need to be justifiable and defensible if challenged in the courts,” she added.

The more immediate concern, experts say, is the future of the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO), which provides financing for green projects. While Wright has yet to voice an opinion on the LPO, several Republicans have called for scaling it back or doing away with it altogether.

As of November, private companies were seeking more than $300 billion in funding applications from the LPO. Beneficiaries of the loan program have included Tesla, whose CEO Elon Musk is co-heading Trump’s outside advisory council, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

The Inflation Reduction Act expanded the LPO’s lending authority and eligibility requirements for projects.

“I think that a lot of the private sector is very concerned about the loan program,” said Claire Broido-Johnson, co-founder and president of Sunrock Distributed Generation, a financier and developer of commercial-scale solar projects. “Everybody’s trying to slam as many projects as they possibly can into this process before the administration changes.”

With the boom in AI data centers, domestic manufacturing and electrification, the U.S. is facing “a significant challenge in meeting a growing demand for energy,” said Frank Macchiarola, chief policy officer of the American Clean Power Association, which represents renewable energy interests in Washington.

This demand can only be met by an “all-of-the-above” energy policy, Martin says, especially if Trump is planning to reduce energy prices by 50% within his first year, as he promised.

Trump’s potential Cabinet officials in the energy space are consistent with that message, according to both Macchiarola and Deora.

“Burgum has a pretty clear track record in being supportive of all kinds of energy investment and given the very real need for more energy infrastructure of all types, it seems hard to imagine that somebody of his background and his business competence and his governance competence would try to suppress any reasonable technology from being deployed as quickly as possible,” Deora said. 

North Dakota is one of the leading states in wind energy, utilizing the source for more than one-third of the state’s electricity.

As for Wright, although he has denied the existence of a climate crisis, he worked in the solar industry as well as oil and gas, according to Trump’s statement announcing his nomination.

“He’s not necessarily against any technology, he’s just going to be for certain technologies,” Deora said. 

Ultimately, an all-of-the-above approach to energy would effectively defeat the purpose of climate policy, even though it might sound reassuring to sectors that would be negatively impacted by a targeted attack on renewables.

“Climate change isn’t about how many solar panels we put up. Climate change is how much carbon dioxide and methane that we do not admit,” said Deora.

“The concern isn’t about whether we keep business and keep solar developers happy. This is really about, are we going to produce more fossil fuels?”

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Dennis Rodman posts apology to USWNT star daughter Trinity

Dennis Rodman has responded after being called out by his daughter, U.S. women’s national team star Trinity Rodman, for not being enough of a presence in her life.

The five-time NBA champion took to Instagram to offer a reply after the Washington Spirit forward discussed her childhood on the Call Her Daddy podcast. In the interview, the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winner said the Basketball Hall of Famer was ‘not a dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else.’

On Thursday, the elder Rodman — who played alongside Michael Jordan as a key part of the ‘three-peat’ Chicago Bulls teams in the 1990s — offered an apology of sorts, though he also insisted that he has been present to some degree.

‘Sorry I wasn’t the Dad you wanted me to be but either way I still tried and I still Try and Never will Stop,’ read the caption to Rodman’s Instagram post, which featured several photos of him with his children.

Here’s what to know about Dennis Rodman’s statement on his relationship with Trinity Rodman and the rest of his children.

Dennis Rodman: ‘I was told not to show up’ to daughter Trinity’s NWSL games

Dennis Rodman’s social media post continued past apologizing for not being around as much as Trinity would have liked, with the former NBA standout claiming that he has reached out.

‘I will keep Trying even when you’re being told as an adult not to respond to my phone calls,’ continued the former NBA standout. ‘I will try even when it’s difficult and if it takes a long time. I’m always here And tell you all the time rather it’s your voice or voicemail how proud I am. I always had one wish and it was I wish my kids would call me and come see me. Hopefully one day I can get that. I’m here and I’m still trying pick up the phone you have my number, You see me calling, I’m still here Dennis RODMAN- Dad.

‘FYI: I watch you play All the time (actually flew in to watch you play and was told not to show up bc who I was with instead and me just wanting to support you So I watched you from my hotel balcony just to make everybody happy. I love All My Kids #untold #storys’

Dennis’ presence in the stands for Spirit or USWNT matches came up in Trinity’s interview, with the 22-year-old going into detail about a 2021 incident where she discovered while in the middle of an NWSL playoff game for the Spirit that her father had shown up to see her unannounced.

‘When he showed up at my game, I was like, so mad,’ exclaimed Rodman. ‘They were in the suite, field-side… My rookie year, going into a quarterfinal, like, I’m already s— my pants, as it is. I’m stressed, like, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to win.’

‘I think it’s like, halfway through the first half, and I hear it. And his voice to me is like [high-pitched sound], so I hear him go, ‘Let’s go Rodman! Let’s go Trinity!’ And I’m like, Oh my f— gosh. There’s no way this is happening right now. Mind you, I haven’t seen him or talked to him in months. Months! …

‘I start crying on the field. So I’m trying to play the soccer game, and I’m crying. I don’t know if we got a water break, I think there was an injury, [but] we go into the huddle and I go to Ashley Sanchez — which is one of my best friends — go to her in the huddle while our coach is trying to give us direction of what’s working, what’s not working, because we were playing horrible the first half. I’m looking at Ash, I’m crying. No one knows what the f— is going on. I’m looking at Ash, and I’m like, ‘Dude, my dad’s here,’ and she knew immediately.’

Rodman said that Washington’s coaching staff offered her the chance to be substituted at halftime but that she insisted on fighting on. Rodman would end up playing a factor in the game-winning goal, with her shot in extra time leading to a rebound that teammate Ashley Hatch fired home for a 1-0 win. The Spirit would go on to win the NWSL championship, with Rodman scoring in a 2-1 win over OL Reign in the semifinal before getting the assist on Kelley O’Hara’s game-winner in the title game.

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Latest rumors on Japanese free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki

Although we’ve already seen a myriad of big free agent signings like Juan Soto, Willy Adames, Blake Snell, and Max Fried, there are numerous big-name players still available.

Does your favorite team need pitching? Corbin Burnes could be your guy.

Does your team need a slugger? How about Anthony Santander or Pete Alonso.

What about a reliable infielder? Look no further than Alex Bregman.

Okay, but are they any lefty bullpen specialists? Meet Tanner Scott.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

No matter what your team needs, there’s a potential game-changer out there, waiting to be picked up. However, the most exciting free agent still available might be the one that has never played in an MLB game.

Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is the latest superstar arm to journey over to MLB from Nippon Professional Baseball. Given the success of guys like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shota Imanaga, it makes sense that so many teams would be foaming at the mouth hoping to get their paws on the next player down that pipeline. Obviously though, only one team will earn the honor, and given Sasaki’s comments during free agency regarding his willingness to play for a smaller market, there are far more teams in the running than there normally would be for a player of this caliber.

Here are the latest rumors surrounding Roki Sasaki.

Sasaki meeting with Yankees ‘soon’

Per Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, Sasaki has a meeting scheduled with the Yankees ‘soon.’ He did not offer a specific date for said meeting, but given that Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe has expressed interest in starting meetings with teams the week before and after the holidays, we can expect it to happen at some point over the next week.

Dodgers, Padres favorites to land Sasaki?

MLB’s Jonathan Mayo expects either the Dodgers or Padres to land Sasaki, despite the Dodgers having one of the lowest international signing pools.

While all 30 MLB teams could be in the running, as Sasaki cannot earn more than $7.5 million this year, the Dodgers are still a team that often spends big on their players if they translate to wins. They have a history of great pitching, and already have two of Sasaki’s teammates from the Japanese team during the World Baseball Classic.

MLB has reportedly been polling general managers, asking them what they believe will happen, and the Dodgers received 11 of 20 votes.

The Padres received seven votes of their own. Most of the GMs point to Sasaki’s friendship with Yu Darvish and the presence of Hideo Nomo within the organization as a special assistant as factors that could play into Sasaki’s decision.

Mets have met with Sasaki

SNY’s Andy Martino reports that the Mets held a meeting with Sasaki on Thursday, Dec. 19.

Nothing was mentioned in regard to the meeting. We don’t know if it went well or poorly, but given the Mets’ willingness to pay big for star players, the Mets could have had a chance to convince Sasaki that he would earn such a contract if he signed with their team.

Of course, given the Mets just signed Juan Soto to a massive 15-year, $765 million deal, Sasaki’s affordability for at least the 2025 season would be a massive help to a Mets team looking to compete for a World Series again.

The Mets also just need pitching in general. Kodai Senga is coming off an injury-riddled 2024 campaign. Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, and Griffin Canning are all unproven or inconsistent. Sean Manaea is a free agent. Altogether, the Mets just need an ace, and Sasaki would certainly fit the bill.

Could the Mariners be in the running?

A rotation of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Sasaki would be near unstoppable, and the Mariners would still have the money available to go after a big free-agent bat.

Mayo also notes that the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox could make compelling cases for Sasaki. Both teams have histories with Japanese players. The Cubs currently have Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki on their roster. The Red Sox have historically done very well with Japanese pitchers with athletes like Daisuke Matsuzaka, Koji Uehara, and Junichi Tazawa, each experiencing success at Fenway.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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NBA trade rumors: Will Nuggets land Zach LaVine?

The NBA trade deadline is still weeks away, but the rumors are already swirling.

With the league on the other side of the NBA Cup tournament, teams will have a chance to reevaluate and prepare for the second half of the season. It also serves as the final chance for teams to move on from upcoming free agents, an opportunity to get something in return for quality players before losing them for nothing.

The trade deadline is 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 6.

Here’s what is being talked about across the league:

Nuggets interested in Zach LaVine

The Denver Nuggets, who won the title in 2023, are eager to improve their roster and have inquired about Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine’s availability, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about either team’s plans.

The Nuggets seek scoring, and LaVine can provide that. He averages 21.7 points on 50.1% shooting from the field and 42.8% on 3-pointers this season. 

LaVine is in the third season of a five-year, $215.1 million contract and can become a free agent following the 2025-26 season.

No deal is imminent as both teams explore the market.

Pelicans exploring Brandon Ingram trade

The New Orleans Pelicans would like to trade forward Brandon Ingram instead of losing him in free agency for little or nothing in return. However, given the Pelicans’ asking price and Ingram’s $36 million contract in the final season of his deal, there aren’t many takers – or many teams with salary cap space – to acquire a player who may not re-sign.

Wizards look to build draft capital

The Washington Wizards seek draft capital in the trade market and just about anyone not selected in the 2023 or 2024 draft is available, according to league executives who requested anonymity so they could speak about trade talks. 

For the Wizards, those tradeable players include forwards Kyle Kuzma and Corey Kispert, guards Jordan Poole and Malcolm Brogdon and center Jonas Valanciunas.

What’s the latest on Jimmy Butler trade rumors?

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler’s name will come up a lot in trade rumors. He’s in the second year of a three-year, $146 million contract, but can opt out of the final year of his deal and become a free agent this summer. 

Butler is likely seeking max yearly salary in a new deal so if the Heat trade him, they need to trade him to a team that is confident it can re-sign him. Another factor to consider: historically, the Heat have not made major trade deadline deals and prefer to reshape their roster in the offseason.

Could the Lakers make a move?

Guard D’Angelo Russell could be a prime candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers to move before the deadline. Russell started 10 games this season but has since been moved to the bench by coach JJ Redick.

Russell has tried to make the most of his role as a sixth man, telling reporters that he’s “just doing what I’m asked.”

He’s averaged 12.4 points and 4.8 assists in 25 games played this season. He’s averaged 26.6 minutes per game, which is the fewest since the 2017-18 season with the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets could be interested in reuniting with Russell, according to a report from Yahoo in July. The Heat and Toronto Raptors may also be seen as landing spots for the guard.

A trade with the Heat is unlikely to feature Butler and instead, a piece that would help Butler and the Heat compete for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference.

Nets’ Cameron Johnson could be a trade candidate

He has a contract that doesn’t expire until 2027 and could be a nice addition to several NBA rosters, including the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder. It would likely take a “first-round pick and interesting prospects” to acquire Johnson, according to The Athletic.

Jonas Valanciunas on the move?

Jonas Valanciunas signed a three-year deal worth $30 million this past offseason with the Washington Wizards, but there’s a chance he might not finish that deal in Washington.

The Lakers and Indiana Pacers could be in the mix to land the veteran center. Valanciunas has averaged 12 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 24 games played this season.

The Lakers could acquire Valanciunas to add another big body that would help free Anthony Davis from having to play center. 

The Pacers would be interested in adding the center to help improve their size in the frontcourt after losing a pair of players to season-ending injuries. Centers Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman both tore Achilles tendons this season.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Politics

Trump-backed spending bill goes down in flames as shutdown looms

A bill to avert a partial government shutdown that was backed by President-elect Trump failed to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday night.

Congress is inching closer to the possibility of a partial shutdown, with the deadline coming at the end of Friday.

The bill needed two-thirds of the House chamber to pass, but failed to even net a majority. Two Democrats voted with the majority of Republicans to pass the bill, while 38 GOP lawmakers bucked Trump to oppose it.

The margin fell 174 to 235.

It comes after two days of chaos in Congress as lawmakers fought among themselves about a path forward on government spending – a fight joined by Trump and his allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Meanwhile, the national debt has climbed to over $36 trillion, and the national deficit is over $1.8 trillion.

The legislation was hastily negotiated on Thursday after GOP hardliners led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy rebelled against an initial bipartisan deal that would have extended the government funding deadline until March 14 and included a host of unrelated policy riders.

The new deal also includes several key policies unrelated to keeping the government open, but the 116-page bill is much narrower than its 1,547-page predecessor.

Like the initial bill, the new iteration extended the government funding deadline through March 14 while also suspending the debt limit – something Trump had pushed for.

It proposed to suspend the debt limit for two years until January 2027, still keeping it in Trump’s term but delaying that fight until after the 2026 Congressional midterm elections.

The new proposal also included roughly $110 billion in disaster relief aid for Americans affected by storms Milton and Helene, as well as a measure to cover the cost of rebuilding Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was hit by a barge earlier this year.

Excluded from the second-round measure is the first pay raise for congressional lawmakers since 2009 and a measure aimed at revitalizing Washington, D.C.’s RFK stadium.

The text of the new bill was also significantly shorter – going from 1,547 pages to just 116.

‘All Republicans, and even the Democrats, should do what is best for our Country, and vote ‘YES’ for this Bill, TONIGHT!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.

But the bill hit opposition before the legislative text was even released.

Democrats, furious at Johnson for reneging on their original bipartisan deal, chanted ‘Hell no’ in their closed-door conference meeting on Thursday night to debate the bill.

Nearly all House Democrats who left the meeting indicated they were voting against it.

Meanwhile, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus also said they would vote against the bill.

‘Old bill: $110BB in deficit spending (unpaid for), $0 increase in the national credit card. New bill: $110BB in deficit spending (unpaid for), $4 TRILLION+ debt ceiling increase with $0 in structural reforms for cuts. Time to read the bill: 1.5 hours. I will vote no,’ Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on X.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Business

Malls are using new restaurants to draw consumers as shopping centers reinvent themselves

Malls used to be the destination for the buzziest stores. Now they’re home to the hottest restaurants.

The slow death of department stores and rise of online shopping have hurt U.S. shopping malls, particularly over the last decade. The once-essential shopping centers have seen their numbers drop from a peak of 2,500 in the 1980s to roughly 700 these days, according to Coresight Research.

But now many in the retail industry say that rumors of the mall’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Many Gen Z consumers prefer to shop in person and love the mall experience. Creative solutions from developers have turned empty department stores into housing, bringing consumers even closer to stores.

And landlords are devoting more square footage to restaurants and bars, which have become a bigger draw to visit malls.

“It’s been a big shift,” said David Henkes, senior principal at Technomic, a market research firm focused on the restaurant industry. “It used to be that the shopping occasion drove people to the mall and then maybe you grabbed a bite to eat. In a lot of ways, that’s been flipped on its head. Now, the dining options drive people there, and then you’re hoping that they’re going to do a little shopping while they’re there.”

Yelp found that 17 of the 25 most popular mall brands, based on consumer interest, were restaurants, according to a report published in October.

Going back 10 or 20 years ago, restaurants accounted for only about 5% to 10% of general leasing area in malls operated by Brookfield Properties, according to Chris Brandon, the company’s senior vice president of leasing for eating and drinking retail. That would typically include a food court and several full-service restaurants. That’s changed in recent years.

“It’s increased an incredible amount over the last five to 10 years,” Brandon said. “In some of our shopping centers, we’re seeing 20% to 30% of the total [general leasing area] being dedicated to food, and that’s 100% by design.”

Brookfield’s portfolio of 129 malls include Tysons Galleria in McLean, Virginia; Christiana Mall in Newark, Delaware; and First Colony Mall in Sugar Land, Texas. Its mall restaurant tenants include more than 540 full-service eateries and around 2,000 fast-casual establishments.

More than half a century ago, the Paramus Park shopping mall in New Jersey opened a food court on its second floor, becoming the first example of a successful mall food court in the U.S. A decade later, food courts had become of a staple of the American mall, helping the expansion of chains like Sbarro, Mrs. Fields and Auntie Anne’s.

Full-service chains like the Cheesecake Factory, TGI Fridays and California Pizza Kitchen also became mall mainstays.

But those familiar names are no longer the only options for shoppers. These days, malls offer a much wider selection of eateries and refreshments, from regional restaurants to local chefs and emerging bubble tea chains.

“What malls are looking for tend to be more high end, what we might call a ‘contemporary casual’ restaurant,” Henkes said. “It’s not fine dining, per se, but it’s sort of that notch up from just traditional casual.”

Those contemporary casual eateries include upscale options like Korean barbeque, steakhouses or sushi. While price points vary, a meal at these new mall eateries will likely cost upward of $30 per person, if not more.

For James Cook, head of retail research for real estate firm JLL, the expansion in dining options offers an experience that’s familiar — but still elevated.

“The distinction that I make is that I’m not necessarily dressing up nice to go to a mall,” he said. “This is a restaurant where I could pay more money, but not necessarily feel like I have to wear a suit jacket or anything like that.”

The pandemic also made malls a more attractive option to restaurateurs.

During lockdowns, operators saw their traffic disappear. Even when consumers started dining out and commuting again, restaurants in central business districts still struggled to attract diners, given the new hybrid workforce and other changes to consumer behavior. But malls bounced back.

“Even today, foot traffic to suburban malls is back above pre-pandemic levels, where in the cities and the city centers, foot traffic has not returned,” JLL’s Cook said.

That foot traffic also appeals to emerging chains that are looking to expand quickly. Restaurant companies like Sweetgreen and Mendocino Farms have opened new locations in malls as they seek to grow their sales and brand awareness.

“The one thing that our properties can offer is scale, and scale really quickly. If they’re used to doing X in their food truck, now they’re doing X times two or three,” Brandon said.

For example, Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese restaurant chain, has honed in on malls for its U.S. expansion, according to Alison Lin, Yelp’s head of restaurants. Upcoming locations will open in Scottsdale Fashion Square in Arizona and Brea Mall in Southern California, according to the chain’s website. Din Tai Fung ranked second in Yelp’s report on most popular mall brands by consumer interest. (Din Tai Fung declined to comment).

As malls devote more space to food and drinks, food courts have been supplemented by a newer, more upscale alternative: food halls.

Like food courts, food halls offer an array of dining options, usually from stalls, with general seating available once diners have purchased and picked up their food and drinks.

But unlike food courts, the halls typically offer more expensive options, usually touting ties to local chefs and promising more interesting cuisine than that found at a food court. While a food court sells fare from national chains, food halls typically stick to local vendors that have few locations.

“A food court is to give you a burger, fries or a slice of pizza to keep you shopping longer at the mall,” Cook said. “A food hall is part of the experience.”

Oftentimes, food halls feature multiple vendors. But Eataly is one exception.

The Italian chain sells itself as a trip to Italy, without the plane ride. Its large locations feature full-service restaurants; artisanal groceries; quick-service counters that sell gelato, pizza and espresso; along with cooking classes. Eight of Eataly’s 13 U.S. locations are in malls, with more on the way next year.

Eataly’s North American CEO Tommaso Bruso joined the company last year after two decades in the fashion industry, leading mall brands like Benetton and Diesel.

“People go to the mall for shopping, but also they go for a cultural experience,” Bruso said, adding that Eataly has found success with consumers both in and outside of malls.

But food halls haven’t won over everyone. Brandon said that food courts have performed better for Brookfield’s malls. He pointed to Chick-fil-A and Panda Express as two tenants that typically see strong sales in food courts. In 2023, the average annual revenue for a mall location of a Chick-fil-A was $4.5 million; the chain’s best-performing mall restaurant raked in nearly $19 million in annual sales, according to franchise disclosure documents.

Even with more competition than ever for shoppers, The Cheesecake Factory has managed to stay on top. And it’s showing how restaurants can help a broader mall.

The chain, known for its comprehensive menu and towering columns, was ranked No. 1 in Yelp’s mall brand report.

It’s been a rocky year for the company. Like many restaurants, the chain has struggled to attract diners, many of whom have pulled back their restaurant spending. In its latest quarter, the company’s same-store sales grew just 1.6%. Activist investors have also been putting pressure on the company to spin off its smaller brands, like North Italia. (The Cheesecake Factory declined to comment.)

Still, the company is outperforming the broader casual-dining category, based on metrics provided by industry tracker Black Box Intelligence.

Shares of the Cheesecake Factory have risen 43% this year, outstripping the S&P 500′s gains of 27% over the same period.

While fellow mall staples like California Pizza Kitchen and TGI Fridays have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in recent years, the Cheesecake Factory has escaped the same fate.

And it’s maybe even helped its landlords’ finances. Enclosed malls with a Cheesecake Factory location are more likely to be current on their loan payments, according to a Moody’s Analytics report from 2023. Author Matt Reidy, director of commercial real estate economics for Moody’s, said it was more likely the result the company’s strong site selection, rather than cheesecakes saving a mall.

Still, Reidy said having one of the restaurant’s locations helps. And Brookfield’s Brandon agrees.

“My god, are they productive. It’s pretty incredible what they’re able to do, and they’re a valued partner of ours. We have dozens of leases with them, and we truly value them as a tenant,” he said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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