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Global health agency on chopping block as Republicans threaten to cut off funds

A group of House Republicans is pushing to completely block U.S. funding for the World Health Organization (WHO).

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, policy chair for the conservative House Freedom Caucus, introduced the bill on Tuesday and argued the international health body ‘doesn’t serve our interests and doesn’t deserve our money.’

He also attacked WHO member countries’ current effort to draft an international pandemic preparedness treaty, accusing the organization of a bid to consolidate and further its own influence.

‘Taking money from hardworking families struggling with the aftermath of Biden’s inflation crisis to send it to a bunch of leftist ‘public health’ tyrants in Geneva is unacceptable,’ Roy told Fox News Digital.

‘I am confident that President Trump will cut the WHO’s funding off — as he did last time — but this legislation will ensure that no future administration can restart it.’

At least a dozen GOP lawmakers are backing the bill.

A significant number of Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, have been critical of the WHO, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump announced he was halting funding to the WHO during his first term in April 2020, a move that drew blowback from the U.S. medical community, Politico reported at the time.

‘Fighting a global pandemic requires international cooperation and reliance on science and data,’ Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, told the outlet.

However, conservatives in Congress have viewed the organization as a power-hungry group that did not take U.S. interests into account.

The U.S. is currently the biggest contributor to the WHO, according to World Population Review. The organization’s website states that 60% of its funding comes from member states.

Roy’s ‘No Taxpayer Funding for the World Health Organization Act’ would stop all contributions to WHO, both committed and other voluntary funding.

A spokesperson for WHO said the body was focused on maintaining its relationship with the U.S. when reached for comment on Roy’s bill.

‘The WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in December, at a press conference, that the new U.S. administration has not yet taken office and it requires time, like any new government, to do so. As Dr Tedros has said, WHO will do everything to cooperate with the incoming U.S. administration to continue to strengthen global health security,’ the spokesperson said.

‘I would add that the WHO-US partnership, and America’s contribution to global health security more broadly, has protected and saved millions of lives in America and around the world. WHO values greatly its relationship with the US and is committed to maintaining and strengthening it.’

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MSNBC President Rashida Jones steps down after four-year tenure

Rashida Jones, the president of MSNBC, announced Tuesday that she is stepping down after four years of steering the cable news network.

Jones, who made history as the first Black executive to lead a major U.S. television news network, made the announcement to top MSNBC anchors, leaders and network staff on Tuesday morning. (MSNBC and NBC News are both units of NBCUniversal.)

Rebecca Kutler, the network’s senior vice president of content strategy, was named interim MSNBC president. Jones, who recruited Kutler to the network in 2022, plans to stay on in an advisory role until March.

Rebecca Kutler will be interim president of the network.MSNBC

“I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a team. This has been the most rewarding chapter of my professional career and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, which has been made possible only by you,” Jones said in a memo to staff.

The announcement comes nearly two months after Comcast announced a plan to spin off most of its cable TV networks into a separate publicly traded company, currently known as SpinCo. The new company will include MSNBC, CNBC, the USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and the Golf Channel.

Jones took charge of MSNBC in February 2021 after the inauguration of President Joe Biden and the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. She drove MSNBC to ratings triumphs on major political nights.

She retained and signed new long-term deals with the network’s top talent, including Rachel Maddow. She also created a live event series; relaunched a new mobile app and premium subscription series; and made investments in other network digital offerings.

MSNBC has seen a post-election ratings dip. The network still ended last year as the No. 2 network across cable, with 807,000 average viewers daily and 1.3 million viewers in the prime-time hours.

Rashida Jones.MSNBC

The cable television business writ large is at a crossroads as consumers move toward streaming alternatives such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. In this business environment, some cable channels remain profitable with healthy cash flows, but other brands have rapidly declined.

In a memo to staff, Mark Lazarus, the incoming chief executive of SpinCo, praised Jones for her years helming MSNBC.

“Rashida has expertly navigated MSNBC through a years-long, unrelenting and unprecedented news cycle, all while driving the network to record viewership and making investments in nonlinear businesses. MSNBC is well-positioned for the future,” Lazarus said in a memo to staff.

Lazarus told staff members on a network call that MSNBC will retain its name after the spin-off transaction is complete.

Jones previously served as senior vice president of NBC News and MSNBC, overseeing and leading the production of cross-network special events, including election night coverage and presidential debates.

Kutler came to MSNBC from CNN, where she spent two decades, most recently as a senior vice president.

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Elon Musk poised to occupy White House office space: report

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will likely claim office space at the White House as he prepares to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a new report.

Musk may occupy space in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building right next to the West Wing that houses the bulk of office space for White House staffers, the New York Times reports.

Musk and transition officials have talked about what Musk’s access to President-elect Trump will look like after the inauguration, but solidified plans are pending, according to the outlet, which noted that usually special passes are required for those to freely visit the West Wing.

Musk is heading up DOGE with tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as they target ways to eliminate government spending, waste and streamline efficiency and operations. However, the paper reported that it’s uncertain whether Ramaswamy is also expected to occupy White House office space.

DOGE is not part of the federal government but rather is a blue-ribbon committee that is expected to suggest executive orders for the Trump administration and work alongside the Office of Management and Budget to execute reforms.

DOGE’s objective is to cut $2 trillion from the federal government budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce.

However, Musk recently cast doubt on the likelihood of eliminating $2 trillion from the federal budget and said there was a better chance at cutting $1 trillion.

‘I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s like the best-case outcome,’ Musk said during tech trade show CES last week in Las Vegas. ‘But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion].’

The Washington Post reported this month that aides for Musk and Ramaswamy had started interviewing staffers from government agencies for DOGE, including the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service, as well as the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services. 

Approximately 50 people are part of DOGE’s team, which is seeking to expand to roughly 100 staffers by the inauguration. These staffers are working from SpaceX’s offices in Washington, D.C., according to the Washington Post. 

Those close to Musk, who donated millions of dollars to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, said he is still determining whether he will take on the role of leading DOGE as a special government employee and, therefore, be required to file financial disclosure forms, the New York Times reports. 

But certain restrictions could apply if Musk chooses to forgo special government employee status, such as requiring public meetings and sharing DOGE documents with the public, according to the outlet. 

Musk, along with other tech industry titans and venture capitalists, are slated to meet in Washington, D.C., this week for a dinner to discuss global innovation in artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship with incoming Trump administration officials. 

Outside the Box Ventures, a firm founded last year by journalist-turned-investment banker Katherine Tarbox and French Ambassador to the U.S. Laurent Bili, is sponsoring the dinner.

‘This gathering represents more than discussion. We hope it symbolizes a new chapter in public-private collaboration to harness technology’s transformative power for the nation’s future,’ a source close to the planning told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

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JONATHAN TURLEY: The critical explanation missing from Jack Smith’s Trump report

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Editor’s note: The following commentary was first published on the author’s blog: Res ipsa loquitur – The thing itself speaks.

The release of the first part of Jack Smith’s report at midnight on Tuesday night was the special counsel’s version of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision: we had seen it before. 

Putting aside the public filings where Smith fought to get this information out before the election, there was little new in the report. What the report did not contain is an explanation of how Smith destroyed his own cases against Trump. However, one notable element was Smith’s reliance on a dubious concurrence by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the subject of a prior column on my blog about what would be an interpretation that was too clever by half.

Much of the report was vintage Smith in dismissing countervailing precedent and insisting that he could ‘obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.’ He may be right about obtaining a conviction before a Washington, D.C. jury and a highly motivated judge against Trump.  However, he would not have been able to sustain any conviction — and this report makes that abundantly clear.

Smith repeats the same conclusory evidence, such as citing how Donald Trump said ‘fight’ ten times in his January 6, 2021, speech. He minimized the immunity decision by removing some evidence but kept largely the original indictment. However, the treatment of the obstruction claims was the most telling and indicative of Smith, who has repeatedly lost cases due to overextending constitutional and statutory authority.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Fischer v. United States rejecting the use of obstruction of legal proceedings against January 6th defendants will potentially impact hundreds of cases. For some, it may lead to dismissals or, in cases with multiple charges, resentencings. 

One of those cases that will be impacted is the pending prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump who is facing four charges, including two obstruction counts. It was not clear if Special Counsel Jack Smith would yield to the decision or possibly take the dubious path laid out by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in her concurrence.

However, Smith tended to push the law to the breaking point to bag defendants. That was the case when his conviction of former Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell was unanimously reversed as overextending another law.

As I wrote previously after the decision, ‘It is doubtful that [Smith] will go quietly into the night after the Fischer decision.’ In most cases, a prosecutor would go back and secure a superseding indictment in light of the loss of the obstruction claims. Those claims were central to the narrative of the government under the Trump indictment. However, I wrote that it ‘is not Smith’s style’ to yield to precedent and that he would likely ‘take a not-so-subtle hint from Jackson in her concurrence.’

Jackson supported the majority in finding that the obstruction provision, Section 1512(c), was enacted after the Enron case to address the destruction of documents and records.

Section 1512(c)(1) prohibits corruptly obstructing an official proceeding by altering, destroying, mutilating, or concealing a record, document, or other object with the intent to impair the object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding. However, a second provision under subsection (c)(2) allowed for charges that would ‘otherwise’ obstruct, influence, or impede an official proceeding. The Court held that the obstruction cases under Section 1512(c)(2) must be tied to impairing the integrity or availability of evidence.

However, in a single justice concurrence, she added a way that Smith and other prosecutors might still be able to shoehorn January 6th into a Section 1512 offense:

‘That official proceeding [Congress’s certification of the Electoral College vote] plainly used certain records, documents, or objects—including, among others, those relating to the electoral votes themselves. And it might well be that Fischer’s conduct, as alleged here, involved the impairment (or the attempted impairment) of the availability or integrity of things used during the January 6 proceeding ‘in ways other than those specified in (c)(1).’ Ante, at 8. If so, then Fischer’s prosecution under §1512(c)(2) can, and should, proceed. That issue remains available for the lower courts to determine on remand.’

Once again, no other Supreme Court justice joined Jackson in the concurrence.

Right on cue, Smith revealed that he was going to do precisely what I feared in taking a position supported by a single justice. In his report, Smith wrote:

‘Mr. Trump’s and his co-conspirators’ obstruction involved replacing valid elector certificates from the contested states with false ones they had manufactured-the Office anticipated the possibility of such a result in Fischer and confirmed that the evidence would prove Mr. Trump’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt even under a narrow interpretation of Section 1512(c)(2).’

Just saying that a proceeding involves ‘certain records’ is transparently artificial and forced. Even the submission of an alternative slate of electors is not the destruction of electors certified by the secretaries of state.

The federal law allows for challenges in Congress, which Democrats previously utilized without claims of insurrections or attacks on democracy. J6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., voted to challenge the certification of the 2004 results of President George W. Bush’s reelection; committee member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., sought to challenge Trump’s certification in 2016. Both did so under the very law that Trump’s congressional supporters used in 2020. And then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., praised the challenge organized by then-Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., in 2004.

Those challenges under the same loose theory could have been viewed as attempting to negate or destroy certifications from the states. It would have likely, in my view, result in another reversal. However, Smith is always about securing convictions more than sustaining appeals. That is why he filed the second case in D.C., where he was given the best possible judge for the prosecution, a judge viewed by many as predisposed against Trump.

In a sentencing hearing of a Jan. 6 rioter in 2022, Chutkan had said that the rioters ‘were there in fealty, in loyalty, to one man — not to the Constitution.’ She added then, ‘[i]t’s a blind loyalty to one person who, by the way, remains free to this day.’ That ‘one person’ was then brought to her for trial by Smith.

So Smith was going to proceed on the theory of a single justice with the help of a favorable jury and a motivated judge. Little has changed with Smith since his unanimous reversal in the McDonnell case, which seems much of the reason that he was appointed.

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Hegseth interrupted by multiple protesters during Senate confirmation hearing

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, was interrupted by at least three protesters during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. 

‘Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza,’ one female protester wearing fatigues shouted as she was escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows. 

Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning, when he was grilled by lawmakers ahead of a committee vote and final confirmation vote on his nomination as secretary of Defense. 

An elderly man who was handcuffed with zipties was also seen being escorted out of the hearing. Another man, also appearing to wear fatigues, was seen being carried out by Capitol Police. 

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has spent his days in recent weeks on Capitol Hill meeting with senators to rally support as he battled allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit organization. Hegseth has denied the allegations and vowed that he won’t drink ‘a drop of alcohol’ if confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including regarding the war in Israel that has been ongoing since 2023. 

‘Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel’s war in Gaza. I support Israel’s existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well,’ Cotton said. 

‘I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas,’ Hegseth responded. 

‘And the third protester said something about 20 years of genocide. I assume that’s our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think our troops are committing genocide in Iraq and Afghanistan?’ Cotton continued. 

‘Senator, I do not. I think … our troops, as you know, as so many in this committee know, did the best they could with what they had. … And tragically, the outcome we saw in Afghanistan under the Biden administration put a stain on that, but it doesn’t put a stain on what those men and women did in uniform, as you know full well, Senator,’ Hegseth responded. 

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GOP Hegseth holdout presses Defense secretary nominee on her top 3 issues in military

Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, who initially did not publicly back Pete Hegseth’s nomination as secretary of Defense, publicly questioned the nominee on Tuesday morning on her three ‘very important issues’ surrounding the military. 

‘I want to know, again, let’s make it very clear for everyone here today, as Secretary of Defense, will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles?’ Ernst asked former Fox News host Hegseth on Tuesday, saying women serving in the military was one of her top three concerns. 

‘Senator, first of all, thank you for your service. As we discussed extensively as well, and my answer is yes, exactly the way that you caveated it. Yes, women will have access to ground combat roles, combat roles given the standards remain high, and we’ll have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded,’ Hegseth responded. 

Ernst sits on the ​​Senate Armed Services Committee, which held its hearing on Hegseth’s nomination Tuesday morning. She initially withheld public support of the Trump nominee before later signaling she endorsed his nomination.

The Iowa senator said in her opening remarks that she is known for not keeping ‘anything hidden, pull no punches,’ while thanking Hegseth for joining the committee for the hearing. She explained that she had three top issues to ask Hegseth, including an audit of the Department of Defense, women serving in combat roles and ‘making sure that we are combating sexual assault in the military.’

On the point of a DOD audit, Hegseth said he has long called for an audit and supports one, before moving onto his view of women serving in military combat roles and combating sexual assault in the military. 

‘A priority of mine has been combating sexual assault in the military and making sure that all of our service members are treated with dignity and respect. This has been so important. Senator Gillibrand and I have worked on this, and we were able to get changes made to the uniform code of military justice to make sure that we have improvements, and on how we address the tragic and life altering, issues of rape, sexual assault. It will demand time and attention from the Pentagon under your watch, if you are confirmed,’ Ernst said. 

‘So, as secretary of Defense, will you appoint a senior level official dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response?’ she asked. 

Hegseth said that, as they had previously discussed, he would appoint an official to such a role. 

Late last year, Ernst initially withheld committing to voting in favor of Hegseth before backtracking and saying she would support the nominee as the Trump orbit was anticipated to ramp up criticisms against Ernst. 

‘It’s really this simple: If you oppose President Trump’s nominees, you oppose the Trump agenda and there will be a political price to pay for that. We are well aware that there are certain establishment Senators trying to tank the President’s nominees to make him look weak and damage him politically, and we’re just not going to allow that to happen,’ a top Trump ally told Fox News Digital as Ernst hesitated about offering her endorsement.  

Ernst said in comments last month that she supported his nomination. 

‘As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources,’ Ernst said at the time. 

Ernst’s questions followed Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kirsten Gillibrand grilling the candidate about similar issues surrounding women in the military. 

‘You’ve made a number of surprising statements about women in the military,’ Shaheen told Hegseth, before noting that women comprise roughly 18% of U.S. military personnel. 

‘Women in our military, as I have said publicly, have and continue to make amazing contributions across all aspects of our battlefield,’ Hegseth responded. 

‘What I’m confused about, Mr. Hegseth, is why should women in our military— if you were the secretary of defense— believe that they would have a fair shot and an equal opportunity to rise through the ranks? If, on the one hand, you say that women are not competent, they make our military less effective— and on the other hand, you say, ‘Oh, now, now that I’ve been nominated to be the Secretary of Defense, I’ve changed my view on women in the military.’’ 

Hegseth responded that his concern revolves around standards used for women in combat roles and those standards getting watered down. 

‘I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside, shoulder to shoulder, men and women; black, white; all backgrounds with a shared purpose,’ Hegseth said.

​​Trump nominated Hegseth, a former National Guard officer, as secretary of Defense in November following his election win, saying ‘with Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.’ Hegseth was a host on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ before Trump’s nomination.

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Michelle Obama to skip Trump inauguration, 11 days after missing Carter funeral

Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the inauguration of President-elect Trump on Monday, which will mark the second absence in two weeks from a gathering of former presidents and their spouses. Obama was not in attendance at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral last week.

Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to attend the Jan. 20 inauguration event along with former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and their spouses. 

‘Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,’ reads a statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama that was shared with The Associated Press.

It is unclear why former first lady Michelle Obama is skipping Trump’s inauguration.

Former presidents Trump, Bush and Clinton and their spouses all attended Carter’s funeral on Jan. 9 at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., as did former President Barack Obama. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband also attended, along with former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife. 

Former President Bill Clinton will attend next week’s swearing-in ceremony, a person familiar with the former president’s schedule confirmed to the AP. Former first lady Hillary Clinton will also attend, a spokesperson said. The Office of George W. Bush said he and former first lady Laura Bush are attending.

At Carter’s funeral, Trump and Obama appeared to put their political differences aside and were seen chatting and laughing together despite the former Democrat president’s history of political animosity with the returning Republican.

All three former presidents and their wives attended Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, including Hillary Clinton, after she lost the 2016 presidential election to Trump. Carter also attended.

President-elect Trump and former first lady Melania Trump did not attend President Biden’s inauguration in 2021.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Obama Foundation for comment. 

WATCH: Melania Trump talks Amazon documentary, second transition during sit-down interview

The news of Michelle Obama sidestepping the inauguration comes a day after former first lady Melania Trump revealed that she and her husband did not get enough information from the Obama administration about moving into the White House back in January 2017, for the beginning of the first Trump administration. 

‘The difference is, I know where I will be going. I know the rooms where we will be living. I know the processes,’ the former first lady told ‘Fox & Friends’ co-host Ainsley Earhardt on Monday. 

‘The first time was challenging. We didn’t have much of the information, the information was upheld from us from the previous administration. But this time I have everything. I have the plans. I could move in. I already packed. I already selected the furniture that needs to go in. So it’s very different a transition this time, second time around.’

The inauguration events will feature performances by Carrie Underwood, the Village People and Lee Greenwood. Underwood, the 2005 ‘American Idol’ winner, will be singing ‘America the Beautiful’ and will be joined by the Armed Forces Choir and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club.

A Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee spokesperson told Fox News Digital Underwood will perform during the swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance.

The ’70s disco group Village People have been a staple during Trump’s rallies over the past year, with hits like ‘Y.M.C.A’ and ‘Macho Man’ being played. 

The group is slated to perform at one of Trump’s inaugural balls and a rally he’s holding in Washington the day before his inauguration.

Along with Greenwood, opera singer Christopher Macchio is set to make a performance during Trump’s inauguration festivities, The Associated Press reported. 

Fox News’ Janelle Ash, Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Canadian edges American as top midterm prospect for 2025 NHL draft

Canadian defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who’s recovering from a broken collarbone, is NHL Central Scouting’s top North American draft prospect in its midterm rankings.

He edged Boston College center James Hagens in rankings that were released on Tuesday, though Central Scouting said there was ‘no clear consensus’ on the top pick for the 2025 NHL draft.

“The top end of the 2025 NHL draft class has three or four strong candidates to consider for the first pick overall and at this point in the season Schaefer holds the lead,” Dan Marr vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said in a statement. “There was no clear No. 1 consensus with our group and many NHL clubs are in the same position. This is a deep draft class and the overall order is bound to shift by the time the final rankings are released in April.’

Schaefer has 22 points in 17 games with the Erie (Pennsylvania) Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. Hagens has 20 points in 18 games with Boston College.

Both played in the recent world junior hockey championship, which was won by the USA. Hagens had five goals, including two in the quarterfinals against Switzerland, and one in the final against Finland.

‘Hagens plays a pro-style game right now and has been impressive at every level displaying NHL skills and attributes with his hockey IQ being front and center,’ Marr said. ‘His vision, reads and skills are elite, and he executes plays with the composure of an NHL veteran and deserves to be in the conversation as the top pick.’

Canada was knocked out in the quarterfinals for a second consecutive year by Czechia, but it was without Schaefer in that game. He had a goal and assist in the opener against Finland but left the second game against Latvia after crashing into the net. He had surgery for a broken collarbone and is out indefinitely.

“Schaefer is the best available prospect at his position and the results he achieves on the ice with his combination of speed, skill and size gives him the edge for the No. 1 spot,” said Marr.

Victor Eklund, who played at the world juniors and is the brother of the San Jose Sharks’ William Eklund, is the top-ranked international skater.

Two standout goalies at the tournament – Finland silver medalist Petteri Rimpinen (fourth international) and Latvia’s Linards Feldbergs (20th North American) – made Central Scouting’s list. Canadian Joshua Ravensbergen and Russian Pyotr Andreyanov are the top North American and international goaltenders, respectively.

Top North American skaters

Rank, player, nationality

Erie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Canada
Boston College center James Hagens, USA
Saginaw (Michigan) center Michael Misa, Canada
Brampton (Ontario) right wing Porter Martone, Canada
Brandon (Ontario) center Roger McQueen, Canada

Note: Wisconsin defenseman Logan Hensler, an American, is ranked 10th.

Top international skaters

Rank, player, nationality

Djurgarden right wing Victor Eklund, Sweden
Djurgarden center Anton Frondell, Sweden
Dynamo Moscow Jr. center Ivan Ryabkin, Russia
MoDo Jr. center Milton Gastrin, Sweden
Karlovy Vary left wing Vojtech Cihar, Czechia

NHL draft lottery odds

The draft lottery winner can move up a maximum of 10 spots, so only the bottom 11 teams have a chance to win the No. 1 pick. The last-place team has an 18.5% chance of winning outright, plus would retain the first overall pick if a team that finishes 12th to 16th from the bottom wins the lottery.

Odds as of Jan. 13

Chicago Blackhawks – 25.5%
San Jose Sharks – 13.5%
Nashville Predators – 11.5%
Buffalo Sabres – 9.5%
Seattle Kraken – 8.5%
Anaheim Ducks – 7.5%
New York Islanders – 6.5%
Philadelphia Flyers – 6.0%
Pittsburgh Penguins – 5.0%
St. Louis Blues – 3.5%
New York Rangers – 3.0%

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Troy Aikman comments on Cowboys coaching search: ‘Not a real plan’

The Dallas Cowboys announced Monday they were parting ways with head coach Mike McCarthy after five years together. At least one Cowboys legend wasn’t a fan of the move.

That would be former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. The three-time Super Bowl winner turned ‘Monday Night Football’ commentator was asked about Dallas’ decision on ESPN’s pregame show ahead of the Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings wild card game.

Aikman did not mince words in criticizing the Cowboys.

‘I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so this is a bit of a surprise for me today that he’s not going to be,’ Aikman said. ‘What went into those conversations that [Adam] Schefter talked about, I’m not really sure, but it suggests that there’s not a real plan.’

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Aikman went on to question the timing of Dallas’ decision, which came a week after the NFL’s proverbial ‘Black Monday.’ He pointed out that by waiting to part with McCarthy, the Cowboys missed out on an opportunity to interview some top coordinator candidates, most notably Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn of the Detroit Lions.

The NFL only permits teams to speak virtually with coaching candidates still in the playoff race if they opened the postseason with a bye. Otherwise, the coach-seeking squad must wait until either three days after a team’s wild-card game before interviewing prospective candidates.

But in the case of Johnson and Glenn, the Cowboys will have to wait until after the season to interview them – if they so desire – because they missed the initial interview window.

Aikman also opined that the Dallas job may not be as coveted as most believe. That’s partly because of the control owner and general manager Jerry Jones exudes over the franchise.

‘I do think the Cowboys are obviously a high-profile team. Whoever is head coach of that team is certainly going to draw a lot of attention,’ Aikman said. ‘I think most football people that take over as a head coach, they want to do it on their own terms. That’s hard to do.’

Aikman provided one potential coaching candidate he believed would be a good fit for the Cowboys. That was Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who previously spent eight seasons in Dallas a player and a coach.

‘That seems logical to me,’ Aikman said when discussing Moore. ‘A guy who has familiarity with the building. He worked obviously with the Cowboys and with Jerry Jones and they know each other very well. In fact, when Mike McCarthy got the job, it was told to Mike that Kellen Moore would be the offensive coordinator. So, that’s how much the Jones family thinks of him.’

Aikman did not provide an opinion on Deion Sanders’ candidacy in Dallas amid rumors that his former teammate had spoken to Jones about the opening.

Either way, Aikman is interested to see how the process plays out. But when assessing the situation with his former team, the 58-year-old simply isn’t sure how attractive the opening may be.

‘I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years, I wish them well,’ Aikman said. ‘To say that it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure I would necessarily agree with that.’

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‘Doesn’t feel real’: Vikings cope with wild card loss to Rams

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Minnesota Vikings entered Monday’s playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Rams as the first-ever 14-win wild card team in league history, but as the clock struck midnight, the Vikings’ Cinderella season came to an unceremonious end with a 27-9 loss.

“All that matters when you have a good season is what do you do in the playoffs,” quarterback Sam Darnold, 27, told reporters on Monday evening following his first playoff start. “In the NFL, you only get one season with one team with everyone all together. And today wasn’t our day. It’s as simple as that.”

Darnold felt pressure early from the Rams and it never let up during Monday’s wild card game, which moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona as devastating wildfires ravage the Los Angeles area. The Rams sacked Darnold a record nine times for a loss of 82 yards, tied for the most sacks in a playoff game. The Rams’ defense also forced two turnovers — an interception and a fumble returned for a touchdown. 

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the loss wasn’t on any one player — ‘That’s a ‘we’ thing. That’s all of us… Could I have coached better? I promise you I could have” — but Darnold made it clear that he didn’t efficiently lead the team as he’s done all season. 

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“I feel like there were a lot of sacks today that I was responsible for, where I was just holding on to the football and taking sacks,” said Darnold, who finished with 245 yards and one touchdown and one interception. “It’s up to me to be able to feel that (pressure) and either step up, move, run for a first down or just simply throw it away.”

After being relegated to a backup quarterback the past two seasons, Darnold had a renaissance year this season and led the Vikings to a 14-3 record as a starter, Minnesota’s best regular season finish since 1998. The Vikings were expected to take the next step with a deep playoff run, equipped with not only Darnold, but Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones, who each had 1,000+ yard receiving and rushing seasons, respectively.

But Minnesota’s two-game skid, including last week’s blowout loss to the Detroit Lions that could’ve claimed the NFC North title and No. 1 overall seed for the Vikings — abruptly came to an end shortly after it began.

‘It doesn’t feel real,’ said Jones, who finished with 13 carries for 48 yards. ‘I know you have to take it one week at a time, but I was definitely expecting to play next week.’

‘The sky was the limit for us’

The Vikings quickly found themselves in a 10-0 hole less than seven minutes into the game after the Rams’ first two drives resulted in a touchdown and field goal. The Vikings answered back with a field goal of their own to cut their deficit to 10-3. It appeared that Minnesota tied the game after strip-sacking Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, which resulted in a defensive touchdown. But the call was reversed and the points were wiped off the board after referees determined Stafford threw an incomplete pass.

‘I know that quarterback pretty well,’ said O’Connell, who served as the Rams’ offensive coordinator during their Super Bowl run in the 2021-22 season. ‘I know when (Stafford) is trying to throw to somebody and when he’s not, but that’s the explanation I got. We just had to keep playing.’

On the Vikings’ next possession, Darnold’s pass intended for receiver Jordan Addison was picked off by Rams’ Cobie Durant. The possession after that Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon sacked Darnold and forced a fumble that was returned by Jared Verse for a 57-yard touchdown to go up 17-3. By halftime, the Vikings’ deficit was 24-3 and the winds were out of their sails. Darnold connected with tight end T.J. Hockenson for a 26-yard touchdown in the their quarter, but it was too little, too late.

‘We didn’t do enough to win. That’s what happens in this league,’ Vikings safety Josh Metellus said with tears in his eye. ‘We had a special group. This team is one of the best teams I’ve ever been on. The sky was the limit for us. It was all about going 1-0. Today, we were 0-1. That just happened to be the last one.’

Jones added that he’s ‘sad for my brothers and sad for how it went down. We played our butts off this whole year and then today, everybody came out there and everybody left it on the field even though it wasn’t the outcome we wanted,’ Jones said. ‘The team changes year after year. It’s a true brotherhood in this locker room, some guys may not be back and you feel it. This is the closet team I’ve been on. I love these guys.’

What’s next for Sam Darnold?

Darnold is set to enter free agency after playing out his one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings. He looked poised to remain a starter, whether with the Vikings or with another team, but his stumble to the finish line the past two weeks could impact his future. Darnold, however, said that’s a conversation for another day.

“I’m not worried about that. That’s in the past,” Darnold said on Monday. “Right now, I’m thinking about what I could have done better today and just spending time with the team in the locker room.”

Jefferson noted that the question marks surrounding the team’s future quarterback felt like deja-vu.

‘It was the same type of situation last year. I didn’t know who my quarterback was going to be and I really didn’t care,’ said Jefferson, who was held to five receptions for 58 yards on Monday. ‘I’m confident in myself to go out there and still perform the same way I’ve been performing. It’s not my job to say who is going to be the quarterback or who I want to be the quarterback.’

No matter what happens, O’Connell said two bad games shouldn’t discredit Darnold’s Pro Bowl-caliber season: ‘I’m proud of (Darnold), proud of really everybody in that locker room. But Sam (Darnold), the journey him and I went on this year will always have a special place in my heart.’

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