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NHL power rankings: New division leaders are biggest risers

The NHL standings remain jammed, but there have been some key changes since the last USA TODAY Sports power rankings two weeks ago.

The Boston Bruins have moved into the Atlantic Division lead and the Los Angeles Kings now lead the Pacific Division. The New Jersey Devils are still atop the Metropolitan Division but lost a key player. And the Colorado Avalanche remain the class of the league.

Some surprising teams have dropped off while others are showing staying power.

Here are the latest NHL power rankings (changes from two weeks ago are listed in parentheses; stats through Nov. 16):

1. Colorado Avalanche (0)

Martin Necas has 12 points in eight games since agreeing to his eight-year extension. And goalie Scott Wedgewood has earned a one-year extension because of his league-best 11 wins.

2. Dallas Stars (+9)

This is more what we expected of the Stars this season. They have six wins in their last seven games and have 30 goals during that stretch. Jason Robertson has six goals in his last three games. But defenseman Thomas Harley is out week-to-week.

3. New Jersey Devils (+2)

The Devils will be without leading scorer Jack Hughes for eight weeks. He had finger surgery after being hurt at a team dinner. This will be the third consecutive season in which Hughes has missed 20 games with an injury. New Jersey won its first game without him.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (+5)

The Hurricanes caught a break when Seth Jarvis missed only the remainder of the game when a teammate’s stick caught him in the eye. The team’s leading goal scorer returned the next night.

5. Los Angeles Kings (+19)

The Kings have reached an eight-year, $85 million contract extension with Adrian Kempe, their leading scorer, per reports. It’s key to hold on to him because Anze Kopitar is retiring after his season.

6. Boston Bruins (+20)

The Bruins are surging again with eight wins in nine games. They have been very streaky this season, opening 3-0 and then losing six in a row before putting together their current run.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)

The Penguins have slowed a little as they deal with injuries. But they picked up three of a possible four points in the Global Series in Sweden to stay in a playoff spot. They have the league’s best power-play.

8. Winnipeg Jets (-6)

The Jets went 1-4 on their road trip before winning the finale against the last-place Flames.

9. Detroit Red Wings (-1)

The Red Wings cooled off after their strong start, but they remedied that by putting 42 shots on Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick in a 2-1 win on Nov. 16.

10. New York Islanders (+9)

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, 18, became the youngest player in NHL history to score a regular-season overtime goal.

11. Anaheim Ducks (-1)

The Ducks have lost three in a row after their seven-game winning streak. Leo Carlsson’s 11-game point streak is over and Cutter Gauthier has one goal in his last five games.

12. Chicago Blackhawks (+11)

The Blackhawks’ start could be for real. Connor Bedard had a nine-game point streak and the team won the game in which his run ended.

13. New York Rangers (+3)

The Rangers have found their offense. The key, apparently, was Artemi Panarin shaving his head.

14. Montreal Canadiens (-11)

The injuries are piling up. Forward Alex Newhook (fractured ankle) and defenseman Caiden Guhle (adductor muscle) had surgery. Newhook will miss four months, and Guhle is out 8-10 weeks. And now forward Kirby Dach will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken foot.

15. Seattle Kraken (-1)

Goalie Philipp Grubauer could play a bigger role after injuries to Joey Daccord and Matt Murray. He finished up the Kraken’s latest win after Murray was hurt.

16. Ottawa Senators (+9)

Brady Tkachuk (thumb surgery) is traveling with the team. Coach Travis Green says he’s probably a couple weeks away, which fits in with the original timeline of Thanksgiving to mid-December.

17. Vegas Golden Knights (-13)

The Golden Knights went 1-3-2 on a recent homestand to drop into a wild-card spot.

18. Tampa Bay Lightning (-5)

The Lightning have been blown out twice in their last three games. Their power play is in the bottom five in the league and 40-goal scorer Brayden Point has only three this season.

19. Edmonton Oilers (-7)

Connor McDavid has climbed to No. 2 on the scoring list. Injured Zach Hyman has made his season debut, which will help the offense.

20. Florida Panthers (-3)

Brad Marchand’s new contract has ended up as Panthers’ best offseason move. He has points in his last 10 games, with nine goals in that stretch, and has joined the 1,000-point club.

21. Minnesota Wild (+8)

The Wild are shaking off their rough start with a 6-1-1 record in their last eight games. Backup goalie Jesper Wallstedt has made three of the last five starts, with two shutouts.

22. Utah Mammoth (-15)

The Mammoth looked like a playoff team after a seven-game winning streak. But they have gone 2-5-1 since and are below the wild-card line.

23. Philadelphia Flyers (-1)

After a slow start, forward Matvei Michkov put together a three-game goal streak.

24. Columbus Blue Jackets (-9)

Kirill Marchenko has an 11-game point streak. He needs two more games to tie the franchise record.

25. Vancouver Canucks (+2)

The Canucks signed forward David Kampf, whose contract was terminated by the Maple Leafs. He should help Vancouver’s last-ranked penalty kill.

26. Washington Capitals (-8)

Alex Ovechkin has been limited to five goals this season, though one of them was his 900th career goal. The Capitals miss forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, who’s out for months after abdominal surgery.

27. San Jose Sharks (+2)

Macklin Celebrini is among the league’s scoring leaders but the Sharks have totaled one goal during a two-game losing streak.

28. Toronto Maple Leafs (-8)

The Maple Leafs have given up 22 goals during a five-game losing streak. They claimed Troy Stecher off waivers after defenseman Chris Tanev left the ice on a stretcher. Captain Auston Matthews is out with a lower body injury but should be back soon.

29. Buffalo Sabres (-8)

Captain Rasmus Dahlin is back from his personal leave to be with his fiancée as she continues recovery from a heart transplant during the summer. Dahlin, who missed three games, had two assists as the Sabres ended a five-game losing streak.

30. St. Louis Blues (+1)

Jordan Binnington should make Team Canada after winning the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he ranks last in Moneypuck’s goals saved against expected. He drew attention for trying to hide Ovechkin’s milestone 900-goal puck.

31. Nashville Predators (-3)

The Predators ended their five-game losing streak with a victory in Sweden that featured an overtime goal by struggling Steven Stamkos. But they followed that up with a shutout loss to the Penguins in the second game of the Global Series.

32. Calgary Flames (0)

The Flames continue to lead the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes. They rank last in goals per game and power play success.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Women’s pro baseball league settles on site for inaugural 2026 season

The Women’s Professional Baseball League will hold its inaugural season in Springfield, Illinois, the league announced Nov. 17, as its four teams will contest games at 5,200-seat Robin Roberts Stadium in the state capital.

Earlier this month, the league announced that the four teams in the league will represent Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. The rosters will be populated with the league’s first player draft on Nov. 20, which will be broadcast live on the league’s YouTube, Instagram and TikTok channels.

Choosing Springfield as the site for 2026 games — scheduled to begin Aug. 1 — was both logistical and symbolic, according to league organizers. The league desired a centralized locale for its first season. And Springfield, according to the league, was, in 1875, the site of the first game in which women were paid to play baseball. Springfield was home to a franchise in the World War II-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League – the Springfield Sallies, who played during the 1948 season.

The women’s baseball coming to Springfield will, of course, be far more modernized, with players hailing from the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and other countries; many are already familiar with one another through years of international competition.

Now, the league hopes Robin Roberts Stadium — named for the Hall of Fame pitcher — and the inaugural season will set the league on a path toward growth and sustainability.

‘Robin Roberts Stadium not only offers a central, strategic location, but is a first rate venue where WPBL teams will be the only baseball played during our season,’ says league co-founder Keith Stein in a statement. ‘This will provide the kind of exclusivity that we wanted for our players.’

Tryouts for the league drew more than 600 hopefuls to Washington, D.C., where the four-day process eventually culled the group to around 100 in advance of the draft. The WPBL will also launch a developmental league in 2027, to be based in Springfield.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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China’s energy siege of Taiwan could cripple US supply chains, report warns

Instead of waging a bloody battle that could ignite a clash between nuclear-armed states, China may be betting it can conquer Taiwan without firing a shot — by choking off the island’s fuel and electricity until its government capitulates.

China’s campaign wouldn’t start with missiles but with paperwork and patrol boats — ‘routine’ inspections, new customs rules and cyber intrusions designed to quietly strangle Taiwan’s imports while giving Beijing plausible deniability, according to a new report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). 

The report warns that a successful Chinese squeeze on Taiwan’s fuel would ripple far beyond Asia. With the island producing most of the world’s advanced semiconductors, any prolonged power outage could halt global electronics and defense manufacturing — hitting U.S. supply chains and markets almost immediately.

‘Beijing’s goal isn’t to invade today, but to make Taiwan believe resistance is futile tomorrow. Its gray-zone campaign is a strategy of slow-motion strangulation — one that risks a sudden shock as Chinese ships and aircraft surge around the island,’ report author Craig Singleton said.

The findings stem from a tabletop exercise conducted this summer by FDD and Taiwan’s Centre for Innovative Democracy and Sustainability at National Chengchi University. The simulation, called ‘Energy Siege,’ tested how the Chinese Communist Party might escalate from bureaucratic interference to a full-blown energy quarantine.

Teams representing China, Taiwan, the United States, Japan and other allies wargamed a monthslong campaign in which Beijing throttled Taiwan’s fuel imports through ‘gray-zone’ tactics — administrative slowdowns, cyberattacks and disinformation — all while maintaining plausible deniability. The exercise found that a prolonged squeeze on Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) could cripple its electrical grid within weeks and trigger a global chip shock.

The report warns that cyber operations and propaganda would be central to Beijing’s playbook. Chinese hackers have already doubled successful intrusions into Taiwan’s energy grid over the past year, and the exercise envisioned them embedding malware in LNG terminals and power-plant control systems to disrupt shipments and distribution.

At the same time, Beijing would unleash a barrage of false narratives — rumors of blackouts, fuel hoarding and government incompetence — to erode public trust and fracture morale. ‘For Beijing, disinformation is not a sideshow but its primary weapon,’ the report notes, describing a campaign designed to ‘control the narrative and sap its adversaries’ will.’

Taiwan imports nearly all of its energy — half from natural gas and about 30% from coal — and holds only ‘a few weeks’ worth’ of reserves. ‘Taiwan’s three main LNG terminals and the Taichung coal offloading port are clustered along the island’s west coast, within range of the CCP’s missiles as shipments are funneled through narrow Taiwan Strait lanes,’ the report adds.

That dependency makes Taiwan one of the world’s most energy-insecure economies. A blockade or ‘energy quarantine’ could cut the island’s power generation in half within weeks — forcing leaders to decide whether to keep the lights on for hospitals or for chipmakers like TSMC and UMC, Singleton and co-author Mark Montgomery write.

‘Coercion, not combat, is Beijing’s preferred weapon,’ Singleton said, adding that such a blockade would have ‘ripple effects that would reshape global markets and stability alike.’

The report also calls for the United States to expand its own LNG export capacity — particularly through new projects in Alaska — to ensure it can supply Taiwan directly and make U.S. energy a core element of the island’s resilience.

Taiwan produces around 60% of global semiconductor chips and 90% of the world’s most advanced chips, though TSMC is building a facility in Arizona to help offset that imbalance. ‘The choice to slowly shutter industrial capacity would eventually make Taiwan’s conundrum a global catastrophe when a plurality of the world’s supply of legacy chips and a supermajority of its advanced chips cease flowing,’ the report says.

The authors argue that Taiwan should build up its LNG reserves through greater U.S. supply and for the U.S. Navy to be ready to escort vessels delivering it. ‘Beijing believes pressure plus patience equals political collapse,’ Montgomery said. ‘What unnerves China isn’t Taiwan’s defiance, but its people’s ability to withstand coercion.’

Beijing’s information strategy, the report adds, would aim to quietly turn Taiwan’s population against its own government and allies — amplifying stories questioning President Lai Ching-te’s competence, spreading rumors of military fuel hoarding and blackouts, and circulating claims that the U.S., Japan and Australia would hesitate to intervene.

China’s propaganda campaign could also reach the American public, the authors warn, through efforts to ‘seed questions across U.S. online ecosystems designed to wear down the American public’s commitment to continued convoy operations.’

For now, the contest remains theoretical. But as China builds the tools to choke Taiwan’s energy supply and shape its narrative abroad, the line between peace and pressure is narrowing. The exercise suggests the first shot in the next Taiwan crisis may not be fired at all.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Texas A&M invincible or in trouble? College football Week 12 overreactions

Texas A&M’s comeback win against South Carolina shows both championship resolve and potential flaws.
Notre Dame appears to be a playoff lock, but a head-to-head loss to Miami could complicate their chances.
Several non-quarterbacks, like Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, are making strong cases for the Heisman Trophy.

The capacity of college football to put fans through just about every emotion imaginable, sometimes in the course of just one single contest, is what makes it so beautiful and yet so maddening at the same time. Don’t believe us? Just ask the followers of a certain program from the Lone Star State.

It is with that team’s almost unfathomable result from Week 12 where we will begin our latest installment of overreactions of the week. Indeed, since it was a complete tale of two halves in the true ‘best of times, worst of times’ sense, we’ll approach it from both extremes.

Texas A&M is in deep trouble/invincible.

Depending on one’s perspective, the Aggies’ disaster of a first half followed by a nearly perfect performance after intermission to stage their epic comeback against South Carolina is open to multiple interpretations. At one end of the spectrum, the team’s unblemished record is merely a product of a favorable schedule, and the bevy of mistakes in the first two quarters showed the flaws that will eventually prove to be the team’s undoing. On the other hand, the comeback demonstrated the kind of resolve championship teams must have to overcome adversity, finding ways to win even when not everything is working.

As is often the case with the subjects we take up here at Overreaction HQ, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Even before Week 12, the Aggies had endured their share of close calls, some of which were against opponents with sub-.500 records. It’s true the Aggies have yet to face another team in the upper quadrant of the SEC standings and won’t until the title game, but it might also be that their experience with delivering in clutch situations will serve them well later. In short, we shouldn’t anoint them as national title favorites, but neither should we count them out.

Notre Dame is a playoff lock

It would appear that the Fighting Irish’s dominant win at Pittsburgh was their last true hurdle en route to a 10-2 finish that, given their position in the first two sets of rankings from the CFP committee, should all but guarantee their inclusion in the field. But if they find themselves in a pool of other at-large candidates with identical records, there might be a complication.

If shifts in the standings over the next couple of weeks move Miami closer to Notre Dame’s position, that small matter of the Hurricanes’ head-to-head win against the Irish way back in Week 1 will be harder to dismiss. This presupposes, of course, that the ‘Canes are able to win out, which is certainly not a guarantee given the team’s sometimes inexplicable lapses. So yes, it looks good for the Irish, but they are not quite at the finish line.

A non-quarterback will win the Heisman

Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire made a point this weekend of spotlighting his standout linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, lining him up in the offensive backfield to get him a rushing touchdown. It was in fact the second score of the season for Rodriguez, who earlier recorded a touchdown on a 69-yard fumble recovery. He has also recorded a team-high 100 total tackles, including 9½ behind the line of scrimmage, and has snagged four interceptions. That’s a pretty strong case as the most impactful player for a top-10 team to earn consideration.

There are convincing arguments for other non-QBs as well, like Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love or Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. To be sure, there are plenty of worthy passers this year, like Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin or Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia. Alabama’s Ty Simpson is still in the mix as well, though his rough outing in the Crimson Tide’s loss to Oklahoma damaged his case.

Recent history favors the signal callers, of course. Since 2000, there have only been five recipients of the sport’s most prestigious individual honor whose primary position was something other than quarterback. Voters do consider other positions. They did last year in fact. There isn’t a two-way player this year with Travis Hunter’s credentials, but sometimes enough electors think outside the QB box for someone else to bring home the statue.

The Big 12 race is over

Mathematically speaking, it’s still possible for the league to end in a six-way tie for first place at 7-2. That would be fun for fans of chaos and mayhem, but realistically the championship game will likely be a rematch between Texas Tech and Brigham Young. The full chaos scenario can only come to pass if the Cougars lose at Cincinnati this week – conceivable – and the Red Raiders drop their regular-season finale in two weeks at West Virginia – not out of the question but unlikely.

James Madison will make the College Football Playoff

JMU is ranked at No. 22 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, the highest position among non-power conference programs. We’re sorry to rain on your parade, Dukes’ fans, but the poll is not the same as the CFP committee rankings.

The American has considerably more depth than the Sun Belt, not to mention some actual positive results against the power leagues. Thus its champ is still going to have a stronger case than even a 12-1 winner of the SBC barring – here comes that word again – chaos. There is still time for that, of course, but we wouldn’t advise anyone to make travel plans just yet.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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What Dodgers want to do in free agency

While the Los Angeles Dodgers should be in the market for an outfield bat this winter, they may not end up as the high bidder for top free agent Kyle Tucker.

It would seem to be an obvious fit with baseball’s new Evil Empire having bottomless pockets and Tucker expected to command a $400 million contract, but the Dodgers might prefer to focus on shoring up the bullpen.

Los Angeles became the first team in a quarter-century to repeat as World Series champion with manager Dave Roberts installing rookie Rōki Sasaki as his closer during the playoff run. But general manager Brandon Gomes said last week that the plan is ‘absolutely’ to have Sasaki rejoin the rotation in 2026.

The Dodgers spent big on the bullpen last winter, committing $72 million over four years to Tanner Scott but find themselves in the market again for a late-innings reliever. This year’s market is flush with proven closers including Edwin Diaz and Devin Williams, but are the Dodgers even looking for a dedicated ninth-inning man?

‘I don’t think it’s a need, but it could be a ‘nice to have’ if that’s how it plays out,’ Gomes said at MLB’s GM meetings in Las Vegas.

The Dodgers are expected to pursue free agent right-hander Pete Fairbanks, who racked up 75 seasons over the past three seasons before the Tampa Bay Rays made a surprise decision to decline his 2026 option.

Dodgers rumors surround the bullpen

The lefty Scott struggled in his first year with the Dodgers, posting a 4.74 ERA in 61 regular season games but missed the entire postseason. But Los Angeles is confident the 31-year-old will have a return to form next season after posting a 2.04 ERA in 146 games in 2023 and 2024.

“I think we’ve seen it in the past with guys, there is reliever volatility. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this happen in the past with other great relievers,’ Gomes said. ‘So our full belief is that Tanner is gonna come back and have a great year for us next year, and be right there in the mix to pitch at the back end of games.”

With Scott on the books for three more years, the Dodgers may prefer to stay out of the Diaz sweepstakes, which is expected to end in a four- or five-year deal worth about $100 million.

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32 things we learned in Week 11: Some stars bloodied as others soar

Several key players, including quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Michael Penix Jr., sustained injuries during Week 11 games.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen accounted for six touchdowns, becoming the only player in the Super Bowl era to achieve this feat twice.
The NFL’s final international game of the season was played in Madrid, where the Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders in overtime.

The 32 things we learned from Week 11 of the 2025 NFL season:

0. The jersey number of Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman, who was a healthy scratch Sunday after being late to his second team meeting of the season. “Yeah, it is disappointing, but I still believe in the young man,” said Bills coach Sean McDermott. “I believe he will learn from it.”

1. ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ is one of the great, anthemic tracks by Irish rock legends U2 − a musical remembrance of an infamous episode during ‘The Troubles’ that plagued Northern Ireland for decades in the late 20th century.

2. Pivoting to the NFL of the early 21st century, Sunday was figuratively bloody for a lot of teams and players, several key ones sustaining concerning injuries. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr., Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs and Tennessee Titans WR Calvin Ridley, who broke his right fibula, were among notable players who didn’t finish their games. Ridley is done for the year, while the others will be evaluated moving forward − though the prognosis for Rodgers’ injured left wrist already has his status for Week 12 in some doubt.

3. Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey and Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase both seemed to be suffering from wounded pride in a regrettable incident near the end of Pittsburgh’s 34-12 victory. Ramsey was ejected for throwing hands, though it seems Chase could be preemptively ejected from Cincy’s next game after it appeared he spit toward the perennial Pro Bowl defender.

4. The number of interceptions, matching a career-worst, thrown by Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold in his native Southern California. Miraculously, his team only lost by two points to the Los Angeles Rams, who took outright possession of first place in the NFC West.

4a. The number of sacks, one off the career high for a game he set last month, by Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, who won 23-16 despite the one-man onslaught. Garrett is now on pace for 25½ sacks, which would smash the NFL single-season record of 22½, which is jointly held by T.J. Watt and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan. Garrett is also the first player to accrue at least a dozen sacks in six consecutive seasons.

5. The number of losses Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has now suffered following a bye, dropping his record in such games to … 22-5.

6. The number of touchdowns accounted for Sunday by Bills QB Josh Allen, who threw for three and ran for three. He’s the only player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to manage such a feat … and he’s now done it twice.

6a. No other team in the league had managed six touchdowns in a game in Week 11 prior to Monday night’s game.

6b. The number of points the Los Angeles Chargers scored Sunday while getting blown out 35-6 by the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

6c and 7. Sick of the whole 6-7 meme yet? Yep, so are we. Thanks for nothing, Jordan Mason.

8. Back to Allen, who raised his chances for back-to-back MVP honors with Sunday’s performance. He’s now accounted for 290 touchdowns in terms of passing (213), rushing (75) and receiving (2), the most ever by a player yet to turn 30 years old.

9. The number of lead changes in the Bills’ 44-32 defeat of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and QB Baker Mayfield, who was drafted No. 1 overall in 2018 – six spots ahead of Allen.

10. The number of games played by the Chiefs, who fell to 5-5 after Sunday’s loss to the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos. It’s the worst 10-game start for K.C. since QB Patrick Mahomes was drafted in 2017.

11. The number of consecutive games, dating to last season, won by the Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High – the league’s longest active winning streak at home.

12. The jersey number of Browns rookie QB2 Shedeur Sanders, who made his unanticipated but highly anticipated regular-season debut in relief of injured starter and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel in Sunday’s loss to Baltimore.

13.5. Sanders’ passer rating Sunday in a dismal performance that will only add grist to the mill for detractors after the former University of Colorado star surprisingly plummeted to the fifth round of this year’s draft – that free fall largely attributed to the way Sanders conducted himself off the field. He completed four of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception against the Ravens.

14. Amid Sunday’s rash of injuries, Bryce Young shook off an early ankle issue himself to have the biggest day of his NFL career, throwing for a franchise-record 448 yards and matching a personal best with three TD passes in a 30-27 overtime defeat of the Falcons in Atlanta.

15. Don’t look now, but Young’s Carolina Panthers are suddenly a half-game behind the Bucs in the NFC South standings. The clubs don’t meet for the first time this season until Dec. 21.

+16. The Chicago Bears’ league-best turnover differential after they took the ball away twice in their 19-17 escape from the Vikings in Minnesota.

17. The number of penalties (for 130 yards) committed by the Arizona Cardinals in their 41-22 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

18. Cards QB2 Jacoby Brissett outdid Young by 4 yards, throwing for a career-best 452 in defeat.

19. Unfortunately for Arizona, its three turnovers − including two INTs by Brissett − couldn’t overcome the Niners, who played a much cleaner game (zero giveaways and just one flag) in QB Brock Purdy’s return to action.

20. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey racked up 121 yards and three TDs from scrimmage. San Francisco TE George Kittle scored twice, giving him 50 career TDs.

21. The league’s record seventh (and final) international game of the 2025 season was almost inarguably played in the most spectacular overseas venue the NFL has ever visited − Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid C.F. A field that can be disassembled and nourished underground is among Bernabéu’s many spectacular features.

22. Props to Miami Dolphins CB Jack Jones, whose overtime interception set the Fins up for the game-winning field goal that ousted the Washington Commanders 16-13.

23. Jones also issued a callback to former Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo with his celebration.

24. Speaking of Ronaldo … you’re arguably the best tight end in the league, Trey McBride. But don’t be that soccer-y guy who gets a rule named after him.

25. Commanders LB Bobby Wagner, a future Hall of Famer if there ever was one, made eight tackles in Sunday’s loss. He joined London Fletcher, who used to play for Washington and now does Commanders analysis on radio broadcasts, as the only players with at least 100 tackles in 14 consecutive seasons dating to the 2000 season.

26. Yet Wagner wasn’t the primary tackling machine Sunday in Spain. Miami’s Jordyn Brooks had 20, half of them unassisted, and the most by any player in a single game this season. Brooks’ 125 stops in 2025 pace the league.

27. Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp had three catches for 23 yards but couldn’t notch a win in his first game against the Rams, the team that drafted and for whom he was the MVP of Super Bowl 56.

28. But the ever-classy Kupp did get a video tribute from his first NFL team and a receiving line of well-wishing former teammates.

29. As for the man who effectively replaced Kupp, WR Davante Adams? He had one 1-yard reception for a touchdown Sunday. It also happened to be the 1,000th catch of Adams’ illustrious career.

30. The score allowed Adams to become the third player in league history to catch at least 10 TD passes in a season with three different teams, Brandon Marshall and Hall of Famer Terrell Owens − neither played for Adams’ Packers, Raiders or Rams − being the others.

31. As for the Rams’ new “Midnight Mode” uniforms, which remind one of the Lakers’ unneeded black ones? Let’s turn the lights on ‘em, eh?

32. Now that YouTube TV and Disney have called a truce to their carriage dispute, it might be time to begin assessing alternatives following Comcast’s dreadful performance while (allegedly) broadcasting NFL games on Sunday.

Bonus 33. Surely Rogers Communications didn’t subject Canadians to this aggravation as the Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 to win the 112th Grey Cup on Sunday in Winnipeg.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Majority of Democrats say ‘extremist political rhetoric’ contributed to Charlie Kirk assassination: poll

A majority of Democrats, Independents and Republicans agree that ‘extremist political rhetoric’ contributed to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to a new poll.

The survey from NBC News found that 54% of Democrats agree that extreme rhetoric from ‘some in the media and by political leaders’ was a major factor in Kirk’s killing. An overwhelming majority of Republicans, 73%, expressed the same sentiment, while 53% of Independents agreed.

Across all respondents, 61% of Americans said they believe rhetoric contributed to Kirk’s death.

Meanwhile, 28% said they believed Kirk’s killing was caused more by the lone actions of a disturbed individual than the broader political climate. Another 4% said it was a combination of the two.

The poll marks the first time in 15 years of NBC News polling that majorities of all major American political groups agree that extreme rhetoric was a major factor in causing a violent incident.

Polls going back to the 2011 shooting of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., show a steady rise in Americans blaming political rhetoric for violence, rather than just a lone individual.

In Giffords’ case, 71% of respondents blamed the lone attacker, while 24% blamed rhetoric. By the time of President Donald Trump’s second assassination attempt, however, 37% blamed the attacker and 54% blamed rhetoric.

Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, faces a capital punishment trial in Utah. Members of his family say he became politically extreme and moved further and further to the left in the year leading up to Kirk’s assassination.

Robinson faces a slew of charges, including aggravated murder, which carries the potential the death penalty. He has not yet entered a plea.

Judge Tony Graf granted a defense motion to allow Robinson to wear civilian clothes in court, citing his constitutional presumption of innocence, but denied a motion to allow him to appear without shackles.

Robinson’s next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2026, when he is expected to make his first in-person appearance.

Fox News’ Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

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House Republicans say Dems twisting Epstein probe to smear Trump in new memo

Oversight Committee Republicans are accusing their Democratic counterparts of using the House’s ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein to attack President Donald Trump rather than find closure for the late pedophile’s victims.

Fox News Digital obtained a 10-page internal memo written by GOP committee staff for lawmakers on the panel that argued Democrats intentionally misrepresented information obtained by Republicans to create a narrative that was not there.

‘Unfortunately, during this investigation, Oversight Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), have intentionally mischaracterized witness testimony and selectively released information with targeted redactions in an effort to create another hoax involving President Trump,’ the memo said.

‘When the Majority released the full set of documents, Democrats claimed that this transparency was meant to ‘disorient’ and ‘distract’ from the false narrative they had been attempting to construct about President Trump.’

The committee’s months-long investigation was launched by a bipartisan push for transparency but has since devolved into partisan fighting as both sides blame the other for focusing on the wrong things.

Democrats have accused Republicans of using the probe to cover for Trump, who was known to have been an associate of Epstein’s but never tied to any wrongdoing.

But the committee’s GOP majority, which has released thousands of pages of documents obtained from both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Epstein’s own estate, has contended that it is dedicated to transparency for the victims and has accused Democrats of politicizing the probe.

‘The Democrats have uncovered nothing new, have released no document not provided at the request of Republicans, and have only succeeded in reinforcing what the American people already knew: President Trump knew Jeffrey Epstein decades ago, President Trump ended the relationship with Epstein, and President Trump did not participate or know about the nature of Epstein’s evil,’ the memo said.

‘Committee Democrats have overpromised and underdelivered, and now they paw through every new document production looking for a single term: Trump.’

Documents released by the committee so far appear to neither concretely prove nor disprove that Trump was aware of Epstein’s crimes, but the president himself has consistently denied any improper links.

In their memo, Republicans pointed to former Attorney General Bill Barr’s deposition where he appeared to clear Trump of wrongdoing, at least in his knowledge of the probe.

But they accuse Garcia of intentionally twisting the facts by claiming Barr had ‘limited knowledge’ of the case.

The memo also accused Democrats of having ‘selectively leaked’ three emails earlier this month out of roughly 23,000 documents handed over by the Epstein estate in a bid to portray Trump in a negative light.

The GOP memo accused Democrats of having ‘made their own redactions to deceive the media and American people,’ including the name of late Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, ‘who stated that she never witnessed wrongdoing by President Trump,’ the memo said.

‘Democrats also redacted ‘she was the one that accused prince andrew’ [sic] in another Epstein email. By making this redaction, Democrats took away important context in the email that named Virginia Guiffre [sic], who worked at Mar-a-Lago, made allegations against Prince Andrew, and was recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell in the parking lot,’ the memo said.

‘This changes the meaning in Epstein’s email where he states, ‘of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.’’

The GOP memo also pointed out that Democrats leaked pages of Epstein’s infamous ‘birthday book’ that included Trump but did not publish a message purportedly written by former President Bill Clinton.

It also accused Democrats of failing to help the committee bring in the Clintons for questioning, despite both being issued subpoenas earlier this year. The only figures who have testified so far have been tied to Trump.

‘Democrats are not concerned with transparency or justice,’ the memo said. ‘The evidence the Oversight Committee has gathered does not implicate President Trump in any way. Democrats must stop playing games in this investigation.’

The memo is dated Sunday, two days before the House is expected to vote on a bipartisan bill demanding the DOJ release all of its files related to Epstein.

House GOP leaders had previously been against the effort, arguing the bill as written could lead to the release of information that could harm Epstein’s victims, while also claiming it was unnecessary given the Oversight Committee’s investigation.

But a mechanism known as a discharge petition, led by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is allowing the majority of House lawmakers to override leadership’s wishes and force a vote on the bill.

Trump encouraged Republicans to vote in favor of it in a Truth Social post Sunday night, telling the GOP, ‘We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax.’

Fox News Digital reached out to the committee’s Democratic minority for a response.

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War Department refocuses on AI, hypersonics and directed energy in major strategy overhaul

The War Department is narrowing its research and development strategy to six ‘Critical Technology Areas’ officials say will speed up innovation and strengthen America’s military edge.

Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael said the plan will deliver faster, more focused results to the warfighter by merging overlapping programs and steering funding toward technologies that will shape future conflicts.

‘As the Department of War’s Chief Technology Officer, I am statutorily charged with the mission of advancing technology and innovation for the armed forces,’ Michael wrote in a Nov. 13 memorandum to senior Pentagon and combatant command leadership. ‘The previous list of fourteen CTAs did not provide the focus that the threat environment of today requires.’

The six areas — Applied Artificial Intelligence, Biomanufacturing, Contested Logistics Technologies, Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance, Scaled Directed Energy and Scaled Hypersonics — will be advanced through rapid ‘sprints’ designed to move emerging technologies from prototype to production.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the streamlined approach will keep the United States ahead of its rivals.

‘Our nation’s military has always been the tip of the spear,’ Hegseth said. ‘Under Secretary Emil Michael’s six Critical Technology Areas will ensure that our warriors never enter a fair fight and have the best systems in their hands for maximum lethality.’

The initiative also aligns with President Donald Trump’s Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, which directs the War Department to become an ‘AI-First’ organization.

Officials say the shift will reshape how intelligence is processed, how logistics are managed and how weapons systems are deployed.

‘In alignment with President Trump’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan, the Department of War must become an ‘AI-First’ organization,’ Michael wrote. ‘When adopted rapidly, AI will fundamentally transform the Department from the enterprise-level, to intelligence synthesis and to warfighting.’

Michael’s plan emphasizes resilience and self-sufficiency on the battlefield. Biomanufacturing will create bio-based materials to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, while Contested Logistics Technologies will help U.S. forces sustain operations in contested or denied environments.

The goal, he said, is to ensure troops can fight and resupply even when traditional lines are cut. Each new technology area is meant to reinforce that capability.

‘Future warfare will likely be characterized by contested environments in which the Joint Force is challenged to surge, operate into and within the operational theater, and resupply, reconstitute, and recover forces,’ Michael wrote. ‘This CTA will enable the demonstration, validation, and scaling of novel approaches and technologies.’

Other priorities include quantum computing for secure battlefield communications, scaled directed energy systems such as high-energy lasers and high-power microwave weapons, and the expansion of hypersonic capabilities for both offensive and defensive missions.

Each effort depends on close coordination between the Pentagon, private industry and allied militaries to ensure the technologies reach the field quickly.

‘Executing these sprints will require unprecedented coordination between the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, military departments, combatant commands and other Office of the Secretary of War components,’ Michael said. ‘I am committed to working with you and our partners inside and outside of the Department on these efforts.’

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Tony Hawk is 57 and healthier than he was 10 years ago

His grandchild gave it to him, the skateboarding legend says, coughing his way through a Zoom conversation from his home in San Diego. Ten years ago, he probably would’ve canceled this interview because of it. But he’s different now, at 57 years old. Healthier, in body and soul.

‘Because I take care of myself in other aspects, that’s allowed me to push through this illness,’ he says.

Part of that health quest includes taking a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test called Cancerguard, from the makers of colorectal cancer screening tool Cologuard. Cancerguard is a blood test that scans for cancer signals, including aggressive ones without other detection options. A positive result requires further testing to confirm a diagnosis. It costs $689. It’s one of several MCED testing options on the market, including Galleri, as people search for ways to get ahead of the disease; 70% of cancer deaths come from those without recommended screening tests. Five cancers in the United States have such tests: breast, colorectal, prostate, cervical and lung cancer (only in high-risk patients).

Hawk took the Cancerguard test earlier this month and is still waiting on his results.

‘I’m thankful to live in this age of modern medicine, that I can get the opportunity to take a test like this,’ he says. His father died of lung cancer at age 72. Is he nervous about the outcome? Absolutely. ‘Wouldn’t everyone be?’ But he’s ‘excited to have this early detection,’ too.

‘I’m not Peter Pan’

Hawk has tried to avoid junk food and soda as he’s aged, and opted for more moderation in his diet. He stays as active as possible.

‘I never exercised outside of just skateboarding up until a few years ago,’ he says, which has helped with stamina, flexibility and overall strength. Breaking his leg around then inspired a major reality check.

‘That was literally the hardest lesson, that I’m not Peter Pan, and if I want to continue to do this at a high level, I have to work outside of just skating,’ he says. He’s a father of six between him and wife Catherine Goodman, not to mention a grandfather. ‘I want to stick around.’ Part of his routine includes stretches to deal with deterioration in his back, and he still skateboards almost daily.

What also happens every day? Random people seeing him in public who don’t believe it.

‘People don’t expect this name or this face to be old,’ he says, ‘and that’s usually what trips people up. I’ve literally had people say, ‘you look like an older Tony Hawk.’ That is literally what I am.’

‘Who knows what the future brings’?

A typical day for Hawk starts early. He wakes up by 6 a.m. He scarfs down eggs and chicken chorizo before working out for about an hour and taking care of business needs: interviews, social media, emails. By mid-morning, it’s time to go skate. Later on in the day he revels in quality family time, including taking care of his grandchild.

This time of year, as Thanksgiving approaches, he’s grateful that his family is happy and healthy and relatively close by: ‘I’m thankful for that, because who knows what the future brings?’

The day of our interview, the immediate future means sneaking in a skate once we wrap. Not even a cold would wipe out those plans.

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