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NHRA legend John Force retires at the age of 76

Legendary 16-time National Hot Rod Association Funny Car world champion John Force will retire after four decades of racing.

Force, 76, confirmed during a media luncheon at his race shop in Yorba Linda, California, on Thursday that he will retire as a driver. This decision comes after a crash at Virginia Motorsports Park, where he sustained a traumatic brain injury that has kept him away from racing.

The incident occurred on June 23, 2024, during the first round of Funny Car eliminations when the engine exploded as Force approached the finish line at nearly 300 mph, causing him to crash into the concrete wall. Since the accident, Force has spent a significant amount of time in the hospital undergoing rehabilitation.

“I really love NHRA but I am officially done with driving,” Force said in a statement. “I’ve said so many times, ‘Until this race car kills me, they’re gonna have to drag me out of the seat.’ But the truth is, I was dragged out of the seat at Richmond and they thought it killed me then. So, I’m lucky that I’m back walking. They always say never say never, but I have grandchildren with Courtney and Graham, with Ashley and Danny, and now Brittany’s retired because she wants to have children.”

Force began his career in 1970 and has won 16 NHRA Funny Car Championships, accumulating 157 event wins, 269 final round appearances and 1,460 round wins in competition. Force is expected to remain active in overseeing the John Force Racing organization, where his daughter, Brittany Force, is a Top Fuel driver. She is retiring at the end of the season.

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Ex-Spanish soccer boss attacked with eggs by his uncle

Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales, who was convicted of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without consent after the 2023 Women’s World Cup, was attacked by his uncle during a book launch event in Madrid.

Rubiales’ uncle, who is also named Luis Rubiales, threw eggs at him during the event as he was speaking about his new book ‘Matar a Rubiales’ (Killing Rubiales). Video footage appears to show three eggs being thrown, with at least one hitting its mark.

‘He was carrying eggs and throwing them at me, but I didn’t know what he had in his hands and when I saw him, I thought he had a weapon. So I ran quickly towards him,’ Rubiales said. ‘We were lucky that they stopped me. I didn’t know what this man had in his hand, I didn’t know if he had a weapon. I saw a pregnant woman, who is my friend Paco’s wife, with two small children, right where he was standing with something in his hand, and I thought about the children. If I had grabbed him, we would be in a different situation.”

Rubiales was ordered to pay a fine after his sexual assault conviction in February, banned from going within 200 meters of Hermoso, and cannot communicate with her for a year. FIFA, the world’s governing soccer body, also banned Rubiales for three years.

Rubiales and three other federation employees — the former Spain women’s coach Jorge Vilda, ex-RFEF sporting director Albert Luque, and former marketing director Ruben Rivera — were all acquitted of the charge of coercion during the trial.

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How closed-door negotiations and a guarantee ended longest government shutdown on record

Several weeks into the government shutdown, the notion of reopening seemed impossible. 

Both Senate Republicans and Democrats were deeply entrenched in their positions for 41 days and 40 nights, and neither side wanted to appear to be caving to the other. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus wanted a guaranteed deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued that the government needed to reopen first. 

But an explosion of bipartisan talks, pushed by external pressures of federal workers going unpaid, federal food benefits in jeopardy, and air travel grinding to a standstill, invigorated a working group of senators to build an off-ramp out of the historic closure.

The result was a bipartisan deal that included a trio of spending bills meant to jump-start the government funding process, an extension of the original House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to Jan. 30, 2026, to provide time to fund the government the old-fashioned way, and a renewed guarantee that Senate Democrats would get their vote on expiring Obamacare subsidies. 

In the end, the shutdown dragged on for 43 days, with the climactic vote to end it and send the package to the White House unfolding in the House on Wednesday. 

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., who was part of crafting the final spending deal, said discussions on those three bills had begun ‘long before’ the shutdown. 

‘We certainly had some knotty issues, a hemp issue, disagreements on funding levels and all that. But for the most part, we worked those through. And I would tell you from our side and I would assume from the other, the three big players were the Cardinals themselves,’ Cole said, referring to the three House Republican subcommittee chairs who led discussions on the three individual bills.

‘Our Democratic colleagues that voted against the bills had plenty of input in the bills. The real question will be in the next package — can you guys bring any votes? If you’re not going to bring any votes, our negotiation will be a waste of time, and we’ll be required to construct a coalition that’s all Republican.’ 

Nevertheless, most of the eight Senate Democrats that crossed the aisle viewed the guarantee of a vote on Obamacare as the turning point, though it lacked the guaranteed outcome that Schumer and the majority of the caucus sought. 

‘There was no vote that we were going to get on the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits,’ Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said on Sunday, referring to Obamacare. ‘We have a guaranteed vote by a guaranteed date on a bill that we will write, not that the Republicans will write.’

For Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who proved the decisive Democratic vote that sealed the deal on the proposal in the Senate, it was provisions that would rehire and protect workers fired by the Trump administration. 

Kaine recalled that it was just hours before the Senate was set to take a key test vote on the CR that he changed his mind. Up to that point, the White House had not wanted to include language that would have reversed the reductions in force (RIFs) that had been ordered at the start of the shutdown. 

But it was through Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who was a key negotiator in the Senate, that Kaine got the White House on board. 

‘I said, I’m a no if you don’t do that, I’m a no, and you know that it was 4:45 p.m. in the afternoon on Sunday when they told me they would do that,’ he said.

Kaine noted that with 320,000 federal workers in Virginia and 2 million nationally, he recognized it was a big ask. 

‘And I told her, and when I explained it to her, she said, that’s a reasonable ask, but that the White House didn’t want to do it,’ he said. ‘And she was a little bit of a go-between and helping me.’

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DAVID MARCUS: How Chuck Schumer finally reaped the whirlwind

In 2020, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer unleashed a threat against the Supreme Court’s conservative justices in the wake of their decision to overturn Roe vs Wade’s national protection for abortion. ‘You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price,’ he bellowed. ‘You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.’

Although Schumer’s bellicose words may have contributed to an attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s life back then, five years later it is not the men and women in robes suffering a whirlwind, but rather Schumer himself, and it is one of his own making.

This week, Schumer is facing calls to step down from his leadership position from multiple House Democrats including Squad member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and neo-centrist Rep. Ro Khana, D-Calif., after his shambolic performance during the government shutdown.

It is likely only a matter of time before such calls for Schumer’s ouster echo in the upper chamber as well.

In the end, Christ had an easier 40 days in the desert than Schumer had during this shutdown, where he went from swearing not just that Democrats would never back down, but that they were winning the fight politically, to watching Democrats capitulate with nothing in return.

As former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy pointed out, this was the ‘Seinfeld shutdown,’ a shutdown about nothing, and Schumer was decidedly George.

Tellingly, Chuck himself did not sign on to the deal to open the government, start paying out SNAP benefits and unchoke our airports, which only makes him appear weaker, because he can’t control his caucus.

Schumer is now facing the first true crisis of his five decades in politics, and it doesn’t seem like he knows what hit him.

The scuttlebut in Washington, D.C., and the Empire State is that, by hook or by crook, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will take Schumer’s Senate seat in 2028, just like she took Rep. Joe Crowley’s House seat seven years ago.

AOC is not being particularly shy about it, saying this week, ‘We have several Senate primaries this cycle. I know I’m being asked about New York, [but] that is years from now. I have to remind my own constituents because they think that this election is this year.’

This is a long way from, ‘Chuck is doing a great job and I have no plans to run against him.’

In the recent mayor’s race in New York City, in which AOC was democrat socialist Zohran Mamdani’s most important surrogate, Schumer bravely declined, even on Election Day itself, to disclose whether he had cast a ballot for Zany Zohran.

It was actually quite amazing: Schumer is the highest-ranking elected Democrat in the United States of America and he decided not to weigh in on whether his party should embrace communism.

Schumer couldn’t reject Mamdani because he and his ilk are obviously the future of the party, but he couldn’t embrace him because his pro-capitalism and pro-Israel donors won’t have it.

Schumer wasn’t sitting on the fence in the mayor’s race, he was impaled on it.

Right now, whether fairly or not, Schumer is the avatar for the old establishment Democrat Party that shuffled off the stage with former President Joe Biden. He is the political version of the Washington Generals, being dunked on over and over by the more talented socialist Globetrotters.

In fact, this whirlwind that Schumer has reaped is entirely his own fault. At any point, he could have shown courage, acted like an adult and tried to work in good faith with Republicans and the Trump administration. Instead, he decided to curse on TikTok like the radical kids who want his job.

It was Schumer who helped to oust former Democrat senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin for opposing the party’s push to nuke the filibuster in 2021. Where did he think his support was going to come from once he tossed out the moderates?

In the end, Schumer’s career will be a cautionary tale, lacking the courage to rein in the radical elements in his caucus and party. He instead opened the door for them and hastened his own exile from power.

Chuck Schumer has well and truly reaped the whirlwind, and in very short order he will most likely be paying the price.

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Trump to ask DOJ to investigate Epstein ties to Democrats, banks

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he directed the Deoartment of Justice to investigate disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to several high-profile Democrats and certain banks.

‘Now that the Democrats are using the Epstein Hoax, involving Democrats, not Republicans, to try and deflect from their disastrous SHUTDOWN, and all of their other failures, I will be asking AG Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, JPMorgan, Chase, and many other people and institutions, to determine what was going on with them, and him,’ Trump said on Truth Social.

‘This is another Russia, Russia, Russia scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats,’ he added. ‘Records show that these men, and many others, spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his ‘island.’ Stay tuned!!!’

Head of Policy & Advocacy Communications at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Trish Wexler told Fox News Digital that ‘The government had damning information about [Epstein’s] crimes and failed to share it with us and other banks.’

‘We regret any association we had with the man, but did not help him commit his heinous acts,’ she added. ‘We ended our relationship with him years before his arrest on sex trafficking charges.’

In an earlier post on Friday, Trump said that ‘Epstein was a Democrat,’ and therefore is the ‘Democrat’s [sic] problem,’ not the Republicans’ problem. He also accused the Democrats of ‘doing everything in their withering power to push the Epstein Hoax again, despite the DOJ releasing 50,000 pages of documents.’

Trump then said lawmakers should not ‘waste’ time looking into him and instead should focus on the Democrats he later named in the post announcing the probe.

On Wednesday, Oversight Committee Democrats released never-before-seen emails related to the Epstein case. The first email is between Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein writes, ‘I want you to realize that the only dog that hasn’t barked is Trump,’ adding that the now-president ‘spent hours at my house’ with a victim.

In the second email, the disgraced financier told Michael Wolff that Trump ‘knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.’

Oversight Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., called on the DOJ to release all the Epstein files ‘immediately.’

‘The more Donald Trump tries to cover up the Epstein files, the more we uncover,’ Garcia said in a statement. ‘These latest emails and correspondence raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the president.’

The emails were released the same day that Trump signed a bill ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The timing led Trump to accuse Democrats of using Epstein to distract the public from the shutdown fiasco.

Following the Democrats’ email drop, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital that the lawmakers ‘selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.’

In response to the release of the emails, Oversight Committee Republicans said Democrats ‘whine about ‘releasing the files,’ but only cherry-pick when they have them to generate clickbait. You deserve the full truth.’ Included in the tweet was a link with what the Republicans said was an additional 20,000 pages of documents from the Epstein estate.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., a member of the Oversight Committee, slammed Democrats and accused them of ignoring the stories of Epstein’s victims in order to focus on Trump.

‘How pathetic that Democrats are using Epstein’s victims to bury headlines on their vote against reopening the government,’ Mace wrote on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Clinton, Summers and Hoffman for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.

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TNF winners and losers: Drake Maye driving Pats towards playoffs

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye continued his strong season, throwing for 281 yards and a touchdown.
The Jets’ loss moves them closer to securing the top pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The Patriots’ win temporarily places them at the top of the AFC standings.

Perhaps it wasn’t the walkover some had envisioned, but the New England Patriots had a fairly stress-free Thursday evening while dispatching the AFC East-rival New York Jets 27-14.

Uneventful as the night mostly was on the field, it could have ramifications that extend well into the season − and beyond − for both teams, several clubs beyond the bounds of Foxborough and maybe even some players … including, perhaps, some beyond the bounds of Foxborough.

So while the Patriots were the big winners on the ‘Thursday Night Football’ scoreboard, we all know there are more to find in the margins of a given game − and here they are:

WINNERS

Pats’ playoff prospects

The win pushed New England to the very top of the AFC standings − for now. The Patriots haven’t won the AFC East since 2019, nor been a No. 1 seed since the 2017 campaign. A lot of games yet to play before they begin approaching the caliber of the Brady-Belichick teams, but this season under first-year coach Mike Vrabel has provided quite a turnaround … for fans who have been brutally starved for, like, a half-decade.

Drake Maye

New England’s second-year quarterback continued to burnish his MVP credentials with a nearly flawless night, though he didn’t have to be much more than efficient against the Jets − 25-of-34 for 281 yards and a TD, his gaudy completion percentage for the 2025 season up to 71.9%.

Nick Folk

The perfect season continued for the Jets kicker, who nailed both of his extra-point tries Thursday. Folk has now made all 19 of his field-goal attempts in 2025 and all 14 PATs.

TreVeyon Henderson

The Pats rookie tailback’s emergence continued to gain steam in alternate uniforms meant to glorify fog. Henderson had a somewhat modest 93 yards from scrimmage against the Jets but found the end zone three times, giving him five touchdowns in five days. The last Patriots rookie to score three TDs in a game? Former TE Rob Gronkowski, who signed a one-day contract to retire in New England on Wednesday.

Jets of the future

Trust the process, boys. In their second game without CB Sauce Gardner and DT Quinnen Williams, both moved at the trade deadline, the NYJ moved within a half-game of the Tennessee Titans for the No. 1 pick of the 2026 draft. The Jets are scheduled to have five first-round picks and three in Round 2 over the next two drafts.

WINNER? LOSER?

Patriots’ ‘Nor’easter’ uniforms

Meh? New England’s version of Nike’s ‘Rivalries’ uniforms was interesting conceptually, the fashion tying into the regional maritime flavor and weather. But not sure they quite popped once between the lines? Not fire, but not a fail, either.

LOSERS

Jets of the present

It’s kinda remarkable they’ve won two games despite shedding their top two defensive players and with WR Garrett Wilson now on injured reserve with a knee injury. Feels like it’s going to be a long, winding road before the NYJ finally win … Super Bowl 65?

Jets offense

New York started the game with a promising, 14-play, 72-yard drive that concluded with QB Justin Fields running for a 5-yard TD. It produced points and kept Maye and Co. off the field for the game’s first eight minutes. Only problem? The NYJ went three-and-out on their three subsequent possessions before falling into a 14-point hole from which they never recovered.

Al Michaels

With the Jets entering the game as 13-point dogs, per BetMGM, Prime Video’s play-by-play man didn’t seem to have any clever ways to signal a push … as he likes to slyly do for viewers with a little side action on the outcome.

Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts

For now, both teams have fallen behind the Patriots in the race for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Colts are on their bye, so they won’t catch up this weekend. However, Denver can move into the top spot by beating the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, a victory that would move the Broncos to 9-2 and give them the tiebreaker by virtue of a better record in AFC games.

Justin Fields

It was another rough night for the Jets’ current QB1. Aside from the opening march, he mostly disappeared, throwing for 116 yards on the night and adding a late TD pass that had little bearing on the outcome. Coach Aaron Glenn has been reluctant to name Fields the starter prior to the last two games, and it’s worth wondering if veteran Tyrod Taylor will begin the next one for New York. Either way, the organization’s trade deadline fire sale is quite indicative that the Jets’ quarterback of the future might be in Austin, Texas, or Eugene, Oregon, or Tuscaloosa, Alabama, or Bloomington, Indiana, or elsewhere.

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2025 NWSL playoff bracket: Semifinal matchups, analysis, preview

And then there were four.

The 2025 NSWL playoff field has been cut in half following a thrilling quarterfinal round that featured a shocking upset by No. 8 seed Gotham FC, which eliminated the top-seeded Kansas City Current, and storybook win by the No. 3 seed Orlando Pride. Only one game separates each team from the NWSL championship game that will be held on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+) at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

The remaining four teams — the No. 2 Washington Spirit, No. 3 Portland Thorns, No. 3 Pride and No. 8 Gotham — each knows what it takes to win it all because they are the past four NWSL champions.

Here’s everything you need to know about the NWSL semifinals:

2025 NWSL playoff schedule: TV, streaming for semifinals

All times Eastern

Saturday, Nov. 15: No. 2 Washington Spirit vs. No. 3 Portland Thorns FC | Noon ET (CBS)
Sunday, Nov. 16: No. 4 Orlando Pride vs. No. 8 Gotham FC | 3 p.m. ET (ABC)

No. 2 Washington Spirit vs. No. 3 Portland Thorns FC

The regular season series is tied 1-1.

Why Washington Spirit can win

Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury was named the NWSL Player of the Week following her heroics in the Spirit’s quarterfinal win over No. 7 seed Racing Louisville, which went to a penalty shootout. Kingsbury had seven saves and two PK saves to send the Spirit to the semifinals for the second consecutive season. Washington, which hosts the game, has never lost in the playoffs at home (3–0–2). The combination of the Spirit’s defense with Kingsbury and defender of the year finalist Tara McKeown, paired with its high speed offense with forward Gift Monday will be hard to contain.

They’ve been doing it without star froward Trinity Rodman, who has not played since Oct. 15 because of a Grade 1 MCL sprain in her right knee. She was questionable for the quarterfinals and listed as a reserve, but Rodman didn’t play or warmup. Spirit head coach Adrián González, a finalist for Coach of the Year, said Rodman is taking her recovery ‘day-by-day’ and ‘working so hard’ to return to the field. If she’s available for Saturday’s semifinal matchup, the Spirit will get a major boost.

Why Portland Thorns can win

The Thorns are red-hot heading into the semifinals after posting three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 2021, including the Portland’s 1-0 quarterfinal win over the No. 6 seed San Diego Wave FC. The difference was Reilyn Turner’s header in overtime following an assist from Olivia Moultrie to send the Thorns to the semifinals for the 10th time, the most of any club in NWSL history. Moultrie and Turner are a formidable duo and led the Thorns with eight and five goals this season, respectively. Sam Coffey has locked down the midfield and goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold has been impenetrable with Portland’s first playoff clean sheet since 2022.

The Thorns will also be extra motivated heading into the semifinal match against the Spirit. The last time the clubs faced each other on Aug. 3, Spirit forward Trinity Rodman scored a game-winning goal in stoppage time in her first game back from injury.

No. 4 Orlando Pride vs. No. 8 Gotham FC

The regular season series is tied 1-1.

Why the Orlando Pride can win

Everyone wrote off the defending champions following the loss of forward Barbra Banda to a season-ending injury, but the Pride showed they are more than capable following their 2-0 shutout quarterfinal win over the No. 5 seed Seattle Reign. Midfielder Haley McCutcheon scored in the 21st minute and Luana iced the game by converting a penalty kick in stoppage time for her first career NWSL goal. The penalty kick was set by Marta, who sprinted 100 yards to the opposite side of the field before being fouled in the penalty area. Marta, 39, shows no signs of slowing down and is dangerous as ever. “I like when people talk so much s— about Pride and don’t give credit because it makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I want to go and play and prove they’re completely wrong. I think we proved (it) tonight,’ Marta said last week following the win.

Why Gotham FC can win

Gotham FC is not your traditional No. 8 seed and proved it by ousting the No. 1 seed Kansas City Current, who entered the postseason as the clear favorite with the winningest regular season in NWSL history. Kansas City hadn’t dropped a match at home all season, until Gotham FC stunned them in the quarterfinals. Gotham midfielder Jaedyn Shaw, 20, got her team on the board with her first career playoff goal in the 68th minute. After the Current scored a stoppage-time equalizer, forward Katie Stengel sealed the win with a game-winning goal in extra time. (Stengel scored a game-winner in the 2023 quarterfinals to upset Portland en route to Gotham winning a championship as the lowest seed.)

The win sends Gotham to the semifinals for the third consecutive season. Forward Esther González, who finished with the second-most goals in the league (13), is listed as questionable due to a hip injury, but Gotham has no shortage of talent. Shaw has five goals on the season and is coming into her own as a budding star at the right, while veterans Rose Lavelle and Midge Purce have experience for the big moments. If you add Esther Gonzales back into the mix, it adds another lethal weapon. Gonzales (hip) didn’t play in the quarterfinal, but could return on Sunday.

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Five TDs in five days: Rookie’s rise more good news for surging Pats

Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson scored three touchdowns against the New York Jets.
The rookie’s emergence comes as starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson is out with an injury.
Henderson joins Rob Gronkowski as the only Patriots rookies to score three touchdowns in a single game.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – The “MVP” chants at Gillette Stadium from the New England Patriots faithful were definitely aimed at quarterback Drake Maye. 

For a moment, though, Maye thought they may have been – and perhaps should have been – serenading running back TreVeyon Henderson, who scored three touchdowns as the Pats defeated the New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football,” their eighth consecutive victory that propelled them to the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the first game of Week 11. 

In the span of about 104 hours, from Sunday to Thursday, Henderson scored five touchdowns; he ripped off two long scores in a Nov. 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as part of a 28-23 win in which he had 147 rushing yards. 

Compared to his showing at Tampa Bay, Henderson was far less prolific against the Jets and averaged 3.3 yards per carry (19 rushes, 62 yards). His scores on Thursday were less explosive, too. His offensive line pushed him into the end zone for the Patriots’ first touchdown in the second quarter, and he scored another 7-yard touchdown later in the quarter. 

“There were a couple times when I thought I was down, and (the offensive linemen) are coming to push the pile and getting me into the endzone,” Henderson said. 

A week after outrunning everybody, he bowled over mercy-seeking Jets defenders, a sign of his versatility as a ball carrier. He’s settled into a routine of watching the upcoming opponent’s running backs for inspiration, he said. 

“I always try to work on different aspects of my game,” Henderson said. “When (I am) running the ball, when I’m blocking, running out of the backfield, whatever it is.

“It’s a journey. The NFL comes with a lot of highs and lows.” 

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s favorite runs of Henderson’s came with the game’s outcome already decided past the two-minute warning. Three straight plays Maye handed to Henderson, and on the third, the back persevered for 5 yards to gain a first down and end the game. 

“They (knew) we’re going to run, and they’re blitzing and everything else,” Vrabel said. “Looked like we were going to be short, and he’s able to knife through there and keep his pads down and pick up a huge first down. He’s executed, whether that’s a checkdown or a touchdown in the back of the end zone. No home runs tonight, but I thought he grinded out pretty much what was there.”

Henderson has also established himself as an emergency valve for Maye when the quarterback is in need of a checkdown. That was especially clear in the third quarter, as Maye dropped back in the red zone with nowhere to throw. Emerging with nobody around him in the end zone, Henderson easily caught Maye’s first touchdown pass of the night. It was Henderson’s third total, as he joined Rob Gronkowski – honored by the team Thursday, the former tight end signing a one-day contract to officially retire as a Patriot on Nov. 12 even though his playing days have been over for some time – as the only rookies in franchise history with three touchdowns in a regular-season game. Former running back Sony Michel achieved the feat in a 2019 playoff contest.

Maye put his own spin on a classic saying to describe Henderson’s recent scoring bonanza.

“Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke,” Maye said. “I think it was a big time for him, stepping up, and it’s been great for him to get all these reps, to keep getting these reps. He wants to be great. He’s just showing up every day and asking questions.”

The uptick in playing time is a direct result of fellow running back Rhamondre Stevenson dealing with a foot injury that has cost him the past three games. Terrell Jennings saw time against the Atlanta Falcons but hardly played against the Jets. Once Stevenson returns, Maye said, “we can create a good one-two thing going.” 

“Looking forward to have (Stevenson) back,” Maye said, “but TreVeyon stepped up huge.” 

Vrabel preaches that taking advantage of one’s opportunities will lead to more chances for production, center Garrett Bradbury said. 

“It sucks with Rhamondre being out, but TreVeyon’s taking advantage of that opportunity,” Bradbury said. “He’s running hard. Everyone knows he can outrun you. What people are seeing is that he can run through your face, too. Thought he had an awesome night. Lot of good energy.” 

Henderson has made it clear to his offensive linemen that he is their biggest fan, Bradbury said, and he shows that by celebrating his scores with the entire team. 

“He’s an awesome young player,” Bradbury said. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders. I think faith comes first for him. Tells you everything you need to know.” 

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who had nine catches for 105 yards, said Henderson would be the first person to admit none of this would be possible by his lonesome. 

“He ain’t doing it alone,” Diggs said. “I think when it comes down to individual success, it breeds team success.” 

Henderson is less than a year removed from winning a national championship at Ohio State, where he formed a formidable backfield combination with Quinshon Judkins, a fellow second-round pick (they actually were selected two picks apart, Judkins 36th to the Cleveland Browns and Henderson 38th to New England). 

His first touch as a professional came on a kickoff return in the first preseason game against the Washington Commanders. Henderson took it 100 yards to the house.

Three months later, good things are still happening for New England when the ball is in the rookie’s hands.   

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MLB rumors heat up: Here’s the latest on free agents and trades

LAS VEGAS — Major League Baseball’s general managers gathered this week in Las Vegas, spoke to agents roaming the lobby of the Cosmopolitan, found out who’s actually available in trades, and departed to the airport vowing to keep in touch over the next 3 ½ weeks until everyone convenes again at the baseball winter meetings in Orlando.

There were no trades, no major free-agent signings, but GMs walked away armed with at least enough information to begin making calls in the next two weeks before Thanksgiving.

The GMs, much to their dismay, learned that Pittsburgh Pirates Cy Young winner Paul Skenes is not available, under any circumstance.

“Paul Skenes is going to be a Pirate in 2026,’ Pirates GM Ben Cherington said emphatically.

The Detroit Tigers will listen to offers for two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, but unless you’re willing to include your first-born, star players and best prospects, don’t bother calling, they were told.

Skubal, who was in Las Vegas, and agent Scott Boras said they are willing to listen to any contract extension ofers, but the Tigers aren’t ready to stuff a $400 million check in an envelope any time soon.

“I want to be a Tiger for a very long time,’ Skubal said.

MLB rumors and latest news

– The San Diego Padres, who announced Thursday they are up for sale, won’t trade All-Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. now, but go ahead and check back with their new ownership a year from now .

– The Los Angeles Dodgers, with $87 million coming off the books, will keep folks honest in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, but probably won’t be the high bidders – instead wanting to focus on shoring up their bullpen. They could pursue Edwin Diaz or Devin Williams, but rival executives expect them to go after former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, who has 75 saves with a 2.98 ERA the past three seasons.

– While Williams remains an option for the Dodgers, rival teams have been told that if Williams has his druthers, the St. Louis native would love to stay in the Midwest. The Cincinnati Reds have already met with Williams’ representatives.

– The Toronto Blue Jays will be linked to every marquee free agent and could be in play for everyone from shortstop Bo Bichette to right fielder Kyle Tucker to starter Tatsuya Imai to lefties Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez.

They certainly won’t be interested in all of them, but agents won’t be shy in trying to attach interest to their clients, no matter if there’s an ounce of truth, or not.

– The Baltimore Orioles plan to spend money, just like the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta and Yankees.

“We’re going to have an active offseason,” said Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations. “Take that for what it’s worth.”

– Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander’s next destination could be a return to Houston, where he won a Cy Young award, two World Series titles, and has spring training near his home in Jupiter, Fla.

– The best position player on the trade market is Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, who has 10-and-5 rights and can reject any trade by mid-April, but the cost may be prohibitive for suitors.

– Free-agent All Star closer Edwin Diaz could be the first marquee free agent to sign, but unless someone is willing to meet his asking price of least a five-year, $100 million contract, he could linger on the market for past Thanksgiving.

– The Milwaukee Brewers reiterated they have no intention of trading ace Freddy Peralta, said Matt Arnold, Brewers president of baseball operations. They will listen, but considering Peralta is owed only $8 million in the final year of his contract, would have to be blown away.

– Teams have inquired about trying to acquire former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, but owner Bruce Sherman has told several staff members he definitely plans to have him on the roster at the start of the 2026 season.

– The Houston Astros plan to keep their infield intact and aren’t interested in trading corner infielder Isaac Paredes or first baseman Christian Walker.

“We’re not really trying to pull from the infield in the trade market, simply because we feel like all those guys are going to be part of the top of our lineup,” Astros GM Dana Brown said. “I know we have people talk about Walker. But we haven’t talked about Walker in a trade. Walker’s our everyday first baseman.”

– The Mets are expected to land at least one high-end starter.

“I don’t know how many true No. 1 starters are available right now,” said David Stearns, Mets president of baseball operations. “I don’t know how many are actually going to be traded. I don’t know how many are truly available in free agency. But you would always like to find that top of the rotation guy.’

– The St. Louis Cardinals let everyone know they’re open for business under Chaim Bloom, their new president of baseball operations.

They want to trade starter Sonny Gray and third baseman Nolan Arenado, who are owed a total of $73 million, and are open to moving All-Star Brendan Donovan and outfielder Lars Nootbaar.

– The Cincinnati Reds have listened, but don’t have any intention of trading ace Hunter Greene, who has three years and $42 million left on his contract.

“Look, I don’t want to rule out anything,” said Nick Krall, Reds president of baseball operations, “But that’s a hard one to actually say, ‘Hey, we’re going to trade the guy that has a chance to be the ace of your staff and top-of-the-rotation guy going into the postseason.’’’

– The New York Yankees badly want to re-sign Cody Bellinger, and although they can afford both players, don’t expect center fielder Trent Grisham to accept their $22.05 million qualifying offer.

“We’re very interested in bringing him back,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said of Bellinger. “He’s going to have a lot of choices because he can do a lot of different things… We would be better served if we could retain him. If not, we’ll have to look at alternative ways to fill it.’

– The Pirates, who are one of baseball’s most profitable teams, according to baseball officials with access to their finances, are expected to add at least $30 million to their payroll for 2026.

– The Texas Rangers are lowering their payroll from $240 million, but it’s still expected to be at least $200 million for the 2026 season, Rangers GM Chris Young said.

“I just don’t feel sorry for ourselves that our payroll is going to be smaller than it was,” Young said. “I don’t think it’s going to inhibit us. …I’m a competitor. It doesn’t deter me. It means we better be better at our jobs. And that’s what I expect to do. I think the biggest thing that we need to do is play up to our expectations. This past season and the year before, we did not do that.

“If we play up to our expectations, I’m confident that the roster we build will be good enough to compete for a playoff spot.”

The idea of the Rangers reducing payroll could seduce teams to seek two-time Cy Young award winner Jacob deGrom in a trade this winter. He is owed $75 million over the next two years with a $20 million club option in 2028.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Politics

We need a Marshall Plan to tackle America’s housing crisis

Homeownership has long been part of the American dream, but that dream has been deferred.

Households in their 30s have an ownership rate of just 42% — more than 20 points lower than the national average.

The median age of all home buyers is a record-breaking 59, and the age of a first-time buyer is 40 — up from 29 in 1981.

As a solution, the Trump administration is floating a 50-year mortgage.

Though I disagree with that specific idea, I am heartened that they are brainstorming ways to tackle the problem.

We need a Marshall Plan for housing, a collection of broad initiatives to make homes more affordable and put the dream back on track.

The federal government can use its bully pulpit to get changes to red tape and regulations that are holding back building, and encourage policies that would increase housing and decrease costs.

To start, the White House and Fannie Mae should instead promote shorter, 20-year mortgages.

As Ed Pinto of the American Enterprise Institute has argued, a 20-year loan can be paid off ‘when the 30-year-term loan leaves most homeowners saddled with another decade or more of mortgage payments, the cash flow freed up from a paid-off shorter-term loan is available to fund a child’s post-secondary-education needs and later turbocharge one’s own retirement.’

The 20-year loan could be incentivized with a first-time buyer tax credit.

The decline in homeownership is a problem that must be addressed federally and locally.

This would be especially important today when the vast majority of taxpayers no longer itemize their tax returns — which means they cannot avail themselves of the deduction for mortgage interest.

That deduction always favored wealthy buyers of high-end homes anyway — so a targeted tax credit would help those who actually need it far more.

It’s time, as well, for the Trump White House to roll back one of the key initiatives of Elizabeth Warren’s pet project, the Consumer Protection Financial Agency.

The CPFC has pressured banks to limit mortgages to ‘plain vanilla’ mortgages, premised on its rules or what consumers can afford.

Adjustable rate loans and other ‘mortgage products’ can be right for some buyers — who should have a choice of how much risk they want to take in exchange for getting into the home market.

Even a low down payment might be hard to come up with, however, for those who can’t take advantage of generous in-laws.

Those without rich parents might turn to a ‘housing saving account’ — akin to the popular health savings accounts initiated by George W. Bush and which hold some $59 billion and are sheltered from taxation.

The new housing accounts should be tailored only for down payments, however — not long-term maintenance and other homeowner needs.

Buyers also are allowed today to take out $10,000 from their 401(k) penalty-free to go to a downpayment on a home.

Perhaps it’s time to raise that ceiling.

Of course, it goes almost without saying that even the most creative financing and incentives will fall short of addressing our housing needs without the most important problem: Supply.

There are many reasons why there aren’t enough starter homes.

Regulation in many cities makes construction difficult.

More retiring Boomers own second homes.

Banks have increasingly bought real estate as an investment and drive up prices.

Low turnover is another reason Gen X buyers have so much trouble breaking into the market.

During COVID, mortgage rates hit record lows and many refinanced.

These owners have a strong incentive not to trade a 3% mortgage for a new home and a much-higher rate.

Another key reason: more and more of us are living in small households or even alone.

The Census Bureau reports that, between 2019 and 2021, the number of households increased by more than 2 million a year.

That means we not only need more housing but more types of housing — many smaller units especially, rather than the two-acre, one house lots common in so many suburbs.

Here is where the limits of Washington’s hard power is reached.

Much of US housing policy is set at the hyper-local level, by planning boards and zoning boards.

That’s why outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams deserves so much credit for his ‘City of Yes’ rezoning in New York, which will permit safe basement apartments and ‘accessory dwelling units’ in parts of the city.

Accessory units — or ‘granny flats’ — can also be the means for older couples to sell the homes to younger households and downsize.

As part of a federal push, though, the Marshall Plan for Housing could encourage these same changes nationwide: Changing zoning to allow more housing; or taking undeveloped state land and providing tax incentives to build on them.

It’s the 18,000 municipalities across the country that are often standing in the way of what might be called naturally occurring affordable housing — small homes on small lots, like those of the original Levittown, where houses were just 750 square feet of living space.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner should urge localities to permit private, unsubsidized, small homes and apartment buildings, or what AEI’s Pinto terms ‘light-touch density.’

It’s far more likely to gain local approval than the subsidized, low-income housing Democrats have long favored, starting with the public housing the socialist Zohran Mamdani wants to revive.

Private building is also less costly; new housing units in California subsidized through the low income housing tax credit can cost upwards of $800,000 per units, a bonanza for developers but not many tenants.

Building costs for any housing, however, will inevitably go up as a result of another Trump policy: his 10% tariff on plentiful Canadian lumber and timber products and a 25% tariff on kitchen cabinets and furniture.

The de facto taxes are causing what the National Association of Home Builders calls ‘headwinds’ holding back new construction.

As a builder himself, he should rethink these tariffs.

Homeownership is a virtuous conspiracy making the nation better.

Owners are more likely to maintain neighborhoods than renters, more likely to improve schools and services by getting involved in local government — the essence of American federalism.

The decline in homeownership is a problem that must be addressed federally and locally.

But the Trump administration can take the lead, with tax breaks and the encouragement of construction.

The president can bring the dream alive again.

 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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