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President-elect Donald Trump’s return to power on January 20 is one of the most anticipated of any modern presidency and is likely to be one of the most consequential. America’s friends and adversaries are watching closely and thinking hard about their relationships with the United States.  

Trump’s election-winning ‘America first’ vision foresees a strong America in the world that is respected and seeking peace through strength. America’s allies need to hear the message the American people have sent and calibrate their partnerships in order to work with and alongside the U.S. to stand up for the joint interests that unite us.  

The astute among America’s allies will be observing the comprehensive nature of Trump’s November election win. On the numbers alone – across the popular vote and spanning different demographic groups – this victory demonstrated a campaign that responded to the central concerns and interests of a vast swath of the American people.  

Trump’s great skill as a political campaigner is to tap into sections of an electorate that feel unheard. Having been at the core of three winning UK election campaigns, I know well that this ability to build such a coalition across the country is the holy grail and key to political success.    

His victory can be seen to represent the many Americans who work hard, yet for whom life is a struggle; communities that fear prices at the checkout, witness illegal migration accelerating and see opportunities for their children diminishing. Working people who feel their concerns have been either ignored or, worse, stigmatized by traditional politics.  

Five decades as a politician and latterly as a businessman have taught me always to hear your electorate and listen to your customer. Alliances between foreign nations need to do the same. Foreign relationships must hear these messages and evolve rapidly to deliver for their citizens. The Atlantic alliance cannot simply enjoy its glorious past – it must adapt to new threats and technological challenges. 

I am listening hard to the message that millions of Americans delivered in November. Tuning into a similar set of concerns among large chunks of the British public, such as addressing the rising cost of living and making our streets safe again, won my party a comprehensive victory in July last year.  

As I prepare to start my role as custodian of a decades-old ‘special relationship,’ I reflect on my work with multiple U.S. administrations – Republican and Democrat – across the intensive U.S.-U.K. relationship. I see three areas of major potential for expanded partnership between Britain and today’s America: economic growth, national security and foreign policy realism.  

It is taken for granted that the U.K. and U.S. are the closest defense and intelligence partners in the world. This work is invaluable and keeps millions of Americans and Brits secure each day. But our national security partnerships must be clearer in how they keep our people safe.  

Sensible European governments will be thinking hard about their defense partnership with the U.S. While Europe has made an enormous contribution to defending against an aggressive and reckless Russia on its doorstep – spending over $150 billion in Ukraine – Americans are right to ask if NATO partners can do more to reduce the U.S.’s out-sized burden. 

The U.K. has been at the forefront of driving NATO allies to increase their national defense spending and will continue to advocate for partners to pay their way.  

Growing the economy and increasing living standards is at the top of the U.K. government agenda. The U.S. and U.K. are each other’s largest single investors with over $960 billion in mutual investment. Our businesses create over a million jobs in each other’s country, and we have a strong and balanced trading relationship, worth over $375 billion with the U.S. figures showing a trade surplus with the U.K.  

Having co-founded a global business in the U.S. and employed Americans in London, I have witnessed firsthand the synergies created by these ties. We are innovators and deal-making nations. And as only two western countries on the planet with trillion-dollar tech sectors, we must do more together to invent, develop and industrialize the technologies of tomorrow.  

We are hungry to trade more and innovate more with America – but we must do so in a way that generates good, well-paid jobs for all our citizens and keeps us ahead in the global race.  

Finally, we must operate in the world we find not the world we would ideally like. Since I was last in government, many of our adversaries have become emboldened. Iran has been seriously set back in recent months but is still a thoroughly malign force in the region. We must not ever allow it to become nuclear armed.  

It is taken for granted that the U.K. and U.S. are the closest defense and intelligence partners in the world. This work is invaluable and keeps millions of Americans and Brits secure each day. But our national security partnerships must be clearer in how they keep our people safe.  

The Chinese government I have observed intensively over the past 20 years is more aggressive abroad and controlling at home and in many sectors, now directly challenges Western governments and our values.  

Trump’s straight talking has earned him a resounding victory in his own country. His straight-talking and deal-making instincts overseas should be viewed by allies as a significant opportunity to bring entrepreneurial thinking and urgency to resolving foreign policy that needs real-world solutions.  

The Trump administration will rightly put the needs of Americans first. But in its closest allies, it will find old partners open to new ways of dealing with the current world – to protect, enrich and build opportunities for Americans and our own citizens alike.    

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– Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Mike Whatley says his job going forward in the 2025 elections and 2026 midterms is straight forward.

‘It’s really critical for us to make sure that the Trump voters become Republican voters,’ Whatley said in an exclusive national digital interview with Fox News on the sidelines of the RNCs’ winter meeting, which is being held in the nation’s capital.

Republicans enjoyed major victories November’s elections, with President-elect Trump defeating Vice President Kamala Harris to win back the White House, the GOP flipping control of the Senate from the Democrats, and holding on to their razor-thin majority in the House.

Whatley, who was interviewed on Thursday on the eve of the formal vote by the RNC for the chair to continue in his position steering the national party committee, said the GOP needs ‘to cement those gains’ made in the 2024 elections.

‘We’re going to go right back to the building blocks that we had during this election cycle, which is to get out the vote and protect the ballot,’ Whatley emphasized. 

The RNC chair pointed to ‘the lessons that we learned’ in the 2024 cycle ‘about going after low propensity voters, about making sure that we’re reaching out to every voter and bringing in new communities,’ which he said helped Republicans make ‘historic gains among African American voters, among Asian American voters, among Hispanic voters, young voters and women voters.’

Speaking a couple of days before the president-elect’s inauguration, Whatley emphasized that once Trump’s in the White House, ‘we’re going to go right back to the RNC. We’re going to roll up our sleeves and get to work. We’ve got a couple of governor’s races…that we’re going to be working on in ‘25.’

But Whatley said ‘everything is focused on ‘26,’ when the party will be defending its majorities in the House and Senate, ‘because that is going to determine, from an agenda perspective, whether we have two years to work with or four. And America needs us to have a four-year agenda.’

‘What we’re going to be doing is making sure that we are registering voters,’ Whatley said. ‘We’re going to be…communicating with the folks that we need to turn out.’

Pointing to the 2024 presidential election, he said ‘it’s the same fundamentals.’

But he noted that ‘it’s not just seven battleground states’ and that the 2026 contests are ‘definitely going to be a very intense midterm election cycle.’

While Democrats would disagree, Whatley described today’s GOP as ‘a common sense party…this is a party that’s going to fight for every American family and for every American community.’

Referring to former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump has nominated to serve in his second administration’s cabinet, Whatley touted ‘the fact that we have two former Democratic presidential candidates who are going to be serving in the president’s cabinet. That shows you that this is a commonsense agenda, a commonsense team, that we’re going to be moving forward with.’

Last March, as Trump clinched the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, he named Whatley to succeed Ronna McDaniel as RNC chair. Whatley, a longtime Trump ally and a major supporter of Trump’s election integrity efforts, had served as RNC general counsel and chair of the North Carolina Republican Party. 

In December, Trump asked Whatley to continue during the 2026 cycle as RNC chair.

‘I think we will be able to talk when we need to talk,’ Whatley said when asked if his lines of communication with Trump will be limited now that the president-elect is returning to the White House. ‘We’re going to support the president and his agenda. That does not change. What changes is his ability from the White House to actually implement the agenda that he’s been campaigning on.’

Trump is term-limited and won’t be able to seek election again in 2028. Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance will likely be considered the front-runner for the 2028 GOP nomination.

Whatley reiterated what he told Fox News Digital in December, that the RNC will stay neutral in the next race for the GOP nomination and that the party’s ‘got an amazing bench.’

‘You think about the talent on the Republican side of the aisle right now, our governors, our senators, our members of Congress, people that are going to be serving in this administration. I love the fact that the Republican Party is going to be set up to have a fantastic candidate going into ’28,’ he highlighted.

Unlike the DNC, which in the 2024 cycle upended the traditional presidential nominating calendar, the RNC made no major changes to their primary lineup, and kept the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary as their first two contests.

Asked about the 2028 calendar, Whatley reiterated to Fox News that ‘I have not had any conversations with anybody who wants to change the calendar, so we will wait and see what that looks like as we’re going forward. We’re at the RNC meetings this week and having a number of conversations with folks, but that is not a huge push.’

‘I don’t think that changing the calendar really helped the Democrats at all,’ Whatley argued. ‘And I think that us, making sure that we are working our system the way that we always have, is going to be critical.’

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The Houston Texans are headed to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, but are losing more and more players along the way.

Every win comes at a price and the wild-card win over the Chargers might’ve cost them Joe Mixon.

The do-it-all running back for Houston was a late addition to the injury report this week, clouding his status for the weekend matchup in Kansas City. The Texans already have dealt with plenty of issues at the receiver spot this season, only adding more to Mixon’s plate.

While there is cause for concern, it would be fairly surprising if the running back was sidelined considering the importance of the game.

Here’s the latest on Mixon ahead of the Texans’ trip to Kansas City.

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

Joe Mixon injury update

Mixon is officially listed as questionable with an ankle injury for Saturday’s division-round game against the Chiefs.

The Texans’ running back was a late addition to the injury report on Wednesday after being limited. His downgrade to a non-participant on Thursday makes this one to watch going into the weekend.

Houston hasn’t said whether it’s a new injury or simply precaution with their workhorse running back, adding to the mystery for Saturday. Mixon previously missed three games earlier in the season with an ankle injury.

It’s not uncommon for teams to give players some much-needed rest this time of year, but it’s unclear if that is the case for Mixon.

While being added to the report midweek is typically cause for concern, it’s hard to envision Mixon not playing in a playoff game. The real concern, however, would be the possibility of aggravating the issue during the game.

Already thin at receiver, Houston would be looking at a steep hill to climb against the two-time defending champion Chiefs if Mixon can’t play.

Texans RB depth chart

Here’s a look at the Texans’ running back options should Mixon be sidelined on Saturday:

Dameon Pierce
Dare Ogunbowale

Joe Mixon stats

Mixon has been a workhorse for the Texans this season, his first in Houston. The running back has carried the ball 245 times for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground while adding 36 receptions, 309 yards and a touchdown through the air.

Who are the Texans playing in playoffs?

The Texans will travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday afternoon.

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There’s been a stunner at the Australian Open, and it came from an American teenager.

Qualifier and 19-year-old Learner Tien beat No. 5-ranked and three-time Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (8), 1-6, 7-6 (7) for the biggest win of his young career.

After capturing a two-set lead, Tien appeared to be slipping when Medvedev mounted a rally to tie it and take it to the decisive fifth set. However the teen stayed composed and secured match point off a return from Medvedev that went out of bounds, capping off the major victory in a nearly-five hour match as the clock nearly hit 3 a.m. in Melbourne.

‘I’m just really happy to get a win. I know I made it a lot harder than maybe it could have been, but whatever,’ Tien said in his on-court interview after the victory.

With the win, Tien became the second-youngest American man to reach the third round at the Australian Open after Pete Sampras did it in 1990 at 18 years old.

What to know about Learner Tien

A native of Irvine, California, Tien was a successful juniors player before he become a professional.

He won the 2022 and 2023 USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships, which got him wild-card entries into the 2022 and 2023 US Open at the ages of 16 and 17, respectively. He made it to the junior finals of 2023 Australian Open and US Open and played a semester of college tennis at Southern California for the 2022-23 season before opting to turn pro. From May to July, he went on a 28-match winning streak.

Heading into the tournament, Tien was 0-3 in Grand Slam appearances and is currently ranked 121st. He beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the opening round of the tournament before pulling off the upset against Medvedev. Now Tien will face Corentin Moutet in the third round.

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Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is back from his fractured left fibula and resuming his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal record.

Ovechkin, 39, had missed 16 games after absorbing a leg-on-leg collision during a Nov. 18 game against the Utah Hockey Club. He returned on Dec. 28 and scored goals in five of his first nine games back.

Ovechkin entered this season needing 42 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Washington captain has 21 goals this season, with 37 games left.

If he doesn’t reach the record this season, he has one more season left on his contract.

Here’s where Ovechkin stands in his chase of Gretzky’s goal record:

How many career goals does Alex Ovechkin have?

Ovechkin has 874 career goals.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin need to pass Wayne Gretzky?

Ovechkin needs 21 goals to break Gretzky’s record.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have this season?

Ovechkin has 21 goals and 12 assists in 29 games. Factoring in the 16 games he missed, that is a 47-goal pace, putting him on pace to break the record this season.

What did Alex Ovechkin do in his last game?

Ovechkin scored the game’s lone goal in overtime to give the Capitals a 1-0 road victory over the Senators. Ottawa goalie Leevi Merilainen became the 179th different goaltender Ovechkin has scored on, breaking a tie Ovechkin was in with Jaromir Jagr for the top mark in NHL history.

When is Alex Ovechkin’s next game?

The Capitals play Saturday, Jan. 18, vs. Pittsburgh. Ovechkin has 42 goals in 77 regular-season games against the Penguins.

Alex Ovechkin goals in 2024-25

Oct. 19: 1 vs. New Jersey
Oct. 23: 1 vs. Philadelphia
Oct. 29: 2 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Oct. 31: 1 vs. Montreal
Nov. 2: 1 vs. Columbus
Nov. 3: 1 vs. Carolina
Nov. 6: 1 vs. Nashville
Nov. 9: 2 vs. St. Louis
Nov. 17: 3 vs. Vegas
Nov. 18: 2 vs. Utah
Dec. 28: 1 vs. Toronto
Dec. 29: 1 vs. Detroit
Jan. 2: 1 vs. Minnesota
Jan. 4: 1 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Jan. 11: 1 vs. Nashville
Jan. 16: 1 vs. Ottawa

Alex Ovechkin career goal breakdown

Even strength: 552, third overall

Power play: 317, a record

Short-handed: 5

Empty net: 61, a record

Game winners: 134, second overall, one behind Jaromir Jagr’s record

Multi-goal games: 177, second overall

Goalies scored against: 179, a record

Hat tricks: 31, sixth overall

20-goal seasons: 20, tied for second

30-goal seasons: 18, a record

40-goal seasons: 13, a record

Alex Ovechkin empty-net goals

Ovechkin has a record 61 empty-net goals, but Gretzky is up there, too, with 56. Ovechkin passed Gretzky in that category last season.

Alex Ovechkin goals per season

Season: Goals, career total

2005-06: 52, 52
2006-07: 46, 98
2007-08: 65*, 163
2008-09: 56*, 219
2009-10: 50, 269
2010-11: 32, 301
2011-12: 38, 339
2012-13: 32*, 371
2013-14: 51*, 422
2014-15: 53*, 475
2015-16: 50*, 525
2016-17: 33, 558
2017-18: 49*, 607
2018-19: 51*, 658
2019-20: 48*, 706
2020-21: 24, 730
2021-22: 50, 780
2022-23: 42, 822
2023-24: 31, 853
2024-25: 21, 874

*-led league in goals that season

NHL’s top goal scorers all-time

The top 21 NHL all-time goal scorers all have 600 or more goals. All of the players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, except Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Jagr, who are still playing.

1. Wayne Gretzky, 894 goals in 1,487 games

2. Alex Ovechkin, 874 goals in 1,455 games

3. Gordie Howe, 801 goals in 1,767 games

4. Jaromir Jagr, 766 goals in 1,733 games

5. Brett Hull, 741 goals in 1,269 games

6. Marcel Dionne, 731 in 1,348 games

7. Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games

8. Mike Gartner, 708 goals in 1,432 games

9. Mark Messier, 694 goals in 1,756 games

10. Steve Yzerman, 692 goals in 1,514 games

11. Mario Lemieux, 690 goals in 915 games

12. Teemu Selanne, 684 goals in 1,451 games

13. Luc Robitaille, 668 goals in 1,431 games

14. Brendan Shanahan, 656 goals in 1,524 games

15. Dave Andreychuk, 640 goals in 1,639 games

16. Jarome Iginla, 625 goals in 1,554 games

17. Joe Sakic, 625 goals in 1,378 games

18. Bobby Hull, 610 goals in 1,063 games

19. Dino Ciccarelli, 608 goals in 1,232 games

20. Sidney Crosby, 604 goals in 1,318 games

21. Jari Kurri, 601 goals in 1,251 games

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The stars shine bright in Dallas.

More often than not, it’s also how the Dallas Cowboys conduct business — the franchise searches far and wide for the biggest names in the NFL. America’s Team would have it no other way … especially in a coaching search.

After their parting of ways with Mike McCarthy, it comes as no surprise that everyone is trying to keep up with what Jerry Jones’ team will do. There’s the potential big splash (see: Colorado head coach Deion Sanders). There’s the homegrown talent, like Kellen Moore. There’s the outside-the-box pick, like Jason Witten. There’s the more conventional route, like Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier.

The list will almost certainly grow over time as the team looks to steal headlines and, eventually, win games with their next hire. Anything goes deep in the heart of Texas, which makes for an exciting coaching search to follow.

Here’s the latest on the Cowboys’ search for a new head coach.

All things Cowboys: Latest Dallas Cowboys news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Cowboys head coach search rumors, news, updates

This section will be updated as interviews occur and relevant news about potential candidates becomes available.

Kellen Moore a top candidate for Cowboys’ HC

Date: Jan. 16
Report: Ian Rapoport, NFL Network

On Thursday, the Cowboys officially requested to interview Moore, the current Eagles’ offensive coordinator. He formerly held the same title in Dallas before the sides mutually agreed to part ways following the 2022 season. In the four seasons that Moore coached the offense, it finished in the top-10 three times.

Moore, undrafted out of Boise State, played for the Cowboys from 2015 to 2017 before transitioning into the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2018. He was then given the OC responsibilities from 2019 to 2022 and was a holdover from Jason Garrett’s staff to McCarthy’s.

Rapoport said Moore is considered a ‘top candidate’ for the job and that his familiarity with the organization makes this potential partnership one to keep an eye on.

Deion Sanders would ‘almost certainly’ accept Cowboys’ job if offered

Date: Jan. 16
Report:Ed Werder, Dallas’ WFAA-TV

Sanders was initially believed to be a long shot, but the noise is getting too loud to ignore. Jones is reportedly enamored with the idea, according to Werder, meaning the rumors will continue to swirl until the search is over. NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported Thursday that Sanders approached Colorado’s athletic director, Rick George, on Tuesday about additional money for NIL and his staff, but was met with resistance. Sanders, who played for the Cowboys, previously said he had no interest in coaching in the NFL. That seems to have changed in recent weeks.

Robert Saleh to interview this week

Date: Jan. 15
Report:Todd Archer, ESPN

Saleh, the former Jets coach, is set to interview for the Cowboys’ job this week. The former 49ers’ defensive coordinator seems likely to land a job for 2025, whether that is as a coordinator or head coach.

Cowboys request interview with Seahawks’ Leslie Frazier

Date: Jan. 15
Report:Todd Archer, ESPN

Frazier is also slated to interview for the Dallas gig. He comes with plenty of experience, serving previously as the head coach in Minnesota and more recently as the Buffalo defensive coordinator before spending last season in Seattle.

Jason Witten was seen as potential heir apparent to Mike McCarthy

Date: Jan. 14
Report:Jane Slater, NFL Network

Witten was reportedly floated as a potential heir apparent in negotiations with McCarthy, who opted to pursue other opportunities, according to Slater. Jones thinks very highly of Witten, but it’s unclear whether he will be a head coaching candidate. The former Cowboys’ tight end doesn’t have any NFL or college coaching experience, but has been the head coach at Liberty Christian in Argyle, Texas, since 2021.

Cowboys coaching candidates

Here is a look at who the Cowboys have interest in or requested to interview thus far:

Deion Sanders, Colorado head coach
Robert Saleh, ex-Jets coach
Leslie Frazier, Seahawks assistant head coach
Kellen Moore, Eagles offensive coordinator

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Major League Baseball lost one of its trademark personalities.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced that longtime team play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker, who gained national fame with his appearances on ‘The Johnny Carson Show’ and his role as broadcaster Harry Doyle in the ‘Major League’ movie franchise, died Thursday at 90 years old.

The Uecker family said in a statement Uecker had been in a private battle with small cell lung cancer since early 2023. The team called it ‘one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history.’

Uecker had been the radio play-by-play voice of the Brewers since 1971, a run of more than 50 years that made him an indelible part of the MLB experience in Milwaukee and throughout the country. Uecker was a player before his broadcasting career, and eventually a comedian, actor and corporate pitchman who became ubiquitous on television and movie screens during the 1980s and 1990s.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker’s influence spans generations and genres. Here’s more on the legendary life of this broadcasting legend, his crossover into the world of acting and movies and the best moments from his career:

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Bob Uecker: ‘Mr. Baseball’ with Johnny Carson

Uecker first crossed over into the mainstream on ‘The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,’ beginning in 1971. Carson gave Uecker the nickname, ‘Mr. Baseball’ during Uecker’s first appearance and it stuck throughout Uecker’s career. Uecker was reportedly invited on the show more than 100 times with his self-deprecating humor and deadpan delivery turning him into one of Carson’s regular guests.

Bob Uecker’s ‘Major League’ star turn and acting career

Uecker’s popularity as an entertainer and broadcaster, helped by Carson’s seal of approval, eventually led to an acting career. Uecker’s biggest role was as Harry Doyle, the quick-witted, sarcastic (and sometimes-inebriated) broadcaster of the Cleveland Indians in the ‘Major League’ film franchise who was even more outlandish than Uecker. Some of Uecker’s most famous quotes from the movie are still recited today, more than 35 years after the original film’s theatrical release in 1989.

In addition to various cameo appearances playing himself since then, Uecker was a regular cast member of the sitcom ‘Mr. Belvedere. Uecker played the father and sportswriter George Owen in the the TV show, which aired from 1985-1990. Uecker also hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1984 and starred in a number of national television advertising campaigns, most notably for Miller Lite.

Bob Uecker, Andre the Giant and WWE’s Wrestlemania

Uecker’s broad base of appeal also took him inside the world of pro wrestling, where he played a role in a couple memorable Wrestlemania moments and earned a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Uecker first served as the ring announcer for the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match at Wrestlemania III at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan in 1987. A year later at Wrestlemania IV, Andre the Giant choked out Uecker for mouthing off to him during a backstage interview and produced an image still replayed now.

Bob Uecker’s broadcasting career

Uecker’s broadcasting career began at WSB-TV in Atlanta in 1969 as part of the Braves’ broadcast booth. He was named to the broadcast booth in Milwaukee by former Brewers owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig in 1971. It was the franchise’s second season after moving from Seattle.

Uecker remained with the team for 54 years until his death Thursday. He is the fourth-longest tenured broadcaster in major-league history, behind only Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin of the Los Angeles Dodgers (67 and 64 years, respectively) and the still-active Denny Matthews of the Kansas City Royals (56 years). Uecker’s best-known Brewers-related catchphrase was ‘Get up! Get up! Get outta here! Gone!’ when a Milwaukee player hit a home run.

In what became Uecker’s final season broadcasting games for the team in 2024, the Brewers won the National League Central before losing to the New York Mets in a wild-card series. First-year Brewers manager Pat Murphy offered a toast to Uecker when the team celebrated its division title in September.

“There is no one who epitomizes being a champion like this man does … What an example for us to be with every single day,’ Murphy said in the champagne-soaked locker room.

Uecker also served as a color commentator for national MLB broadcasts produced by ABC and NBC during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and teamed with Bob Costas and Joe Morgan to call the World Series.

Uecker’s broadcasting earned him the prestigious Ford Frick Award in 2003 for his contributions to the game, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of receiving the honor.

Bob Uecker: MLB career stats, accomplishments

Uecker’s playing career often bore the brunt of his jokes.

He signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 after serving in the Army and made his Major League debut with the club in 1962. He hit .200 over his six seasons playing catcher with the Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals, where he won a World Series as Tim McCarver’s back-up behind the plate in 1964.

‘I was once named minor league player of the year,’ Uecker once cracked. ‘Unfortunately, I had been in the majors for two years at the time.’

(This story was updated to add a new video.)

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For many non-baseball fans, Bob Uecker, who died Thursday at age 90, was first and foremost, a hilarious actor.

His humor shone through in many Miller Lite commercials and a starring role in the TV series ‘Mr. Belvedere.’ But when Uecker was able to combine baseball and the big screen, magic happened.

His role as play-by-play broadcaster Harry Doyle in the movie ‘Major League’ combined all of Uecker’s talents into one unforgettable performance.

Perhaps the greatest part of the Harry Doyle story is that most of Uecker’s lines in the movie were ad-libbed, giving him the opportunity to be his authentic, spontaneous self (which also included a few random profanities).

Opening Day in Cleveland

As the announcer for the lowly Cleveland Indians, Harry Doyle instantly shows how bad things are for the home team, drinking on the job to help dull the pain.

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

‘Listen to the roar of this crowd,’ Doyle says as he holds the microphone to capture the sound of a nearly empty stadium. ‘Yessir, they love this club here in Cleveland!’

‘Juuuuuuust a bit outside!’

Doyle’s words meshed perfectly with the movie’s physical comedy – in particular the pitching adventures of Rick ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughn, played by Charlie Sheen.

There may not be a more often-quoted baseball phrase than Doyle’s ‘Juuuuuuust a bit outside!’

‘That looked like the Terminator … only slower’

Harry Doyle chronicled Vaughn’s many ups and (mostly) downs, with this one scene allowing him to rattle off as many ‘tater’ words as possible, while also remarking, ‘That baby is definitely going away for the winter.’

‘Nobody’s listening anyway’

Harry bemoans the fact that in yet another Indians loss, they only got ‘one (expletive) hit.’

‘The Indians win it!’

Somehow, this ragtag team manages to come together and actually become a winner. And Harry leads the celebration.

Losing takes it toll in ‘Major League 2’

Uecker was so popular in the role that he returned five years later to reprise the role in 1994’s ‘Major League 2’ (and again in 1998’s ‘Major League: Back to the Minors’).

In this scene, Harry’s just had enough.

(This story was updated to add a new video.)

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) this week released the final nationwide crime statistics under the Biden administration as the president prepares to leave office. 

Following an uptick in violent crime in 2021 during the pandemic, it began to trend down significantly in 2023, ‘including double-digit drops in homicide rates across many major cities,’ according to the DOJ. 

In 2024, violent crime continued to go down, according to preliminary DOJ data from 85 major cities. 

That included a 17.5% decrease in murder rates. There was also a 7.1% decrease in rape, 3.6% decrease in aggravated assault and 7.8% decline in robbery over the first three quarters of the year. 

Between 2021 and 2022, violent crime decreased by 1.7%, which became a 3% decrease between 2022 and 2023, and through the second quarter of 2023 to 2024 it went down by 10.3%. 

In the same time spans, the murder rate went down by 6.1% starting from 2021 to 2022, by 11.6% in 2023 and finally by 22.7% in 2024.

‘Since launching the Violent Crime Reduction Strategy in 2021, the Department has made historic progress against the most significant drivers of violent crime,’ Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement. 

She added, ‘This report details the Department’s many successes in implementing its violent crime strategy and serves as a testament to the work of law enforcement officers around the country who have done so much to keep our communities safe.’

Shortly after taking office in 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that Monaco would be implementing a Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.

‘Recognizing that every jurisdiction — large, small, rural, urban — faces unique challenges that cannot be addressed by a one-size-fits-all policy — the strategy was data-driven and deployed federal resources, including cutting-edge tools, in the most effective way: to act as a force multiplier for state and local law enforcement on the front lines of the fight against violent crime,’ the report said. 

Of the 85 cities included in the statistics, violent crime went up in 23 and down in 62, and murder rates went up in 19 and down in 64, the report said. 

The report said that while there is ‘no single cause’ for the decline or increase in violent crime, ‘the work of law enforcement across the country — a partnership between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies — has no doubt played a leading role.’

The DOJ said its strategy was to ‘focus on the most significant drivers of violent crime — including gun violence and repeat offenders.’ 

It also prioritized building trust in communities and investing in community-based prevention and intervention programs.

‘Since the start of this administration, this Department has been laser-focused on targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime — with gun violence at the top of that list,’ Monaco said. ‘Our strategy is data-driven and focuses on doing what we do best: acting as a force multiplier with our state and local law enforcement partners — who are on the front lines of the fight against violent crime — and deploying technology and other cutting-edge tools to go after the individuals most responsible for crime in our communities.’

She added, ‘We are seeing returns on our efforts. After a peak during the pandemic, violent crime is on a downward trajectory — including double-digit drops in homicide rates across many major cities.’

This is President Biden’s last week in office. President-elect Trump will assume office on Monday. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Jensen Huang may have burst the quantum computing bubble when he said it would take over 15 years for quantum computers to gain widespread use. And yet four quantum computing stocks made it to the top of the list in the StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR) Report in the Top 10 Mid-Cap Category. You can thank Microsoft (MSFT) for this — the company is talking about becoming ‘quantum-ready’ this year.

A few weeks ago, we covered quantum computing stocks. At the time, the four stocks discussed in the article — Quantum Computing, Inc. (QUBT), Rigetti Computing, Inc. (RGTI), Quantum Corp. (QMCO), and D-Wave Quantum, Inc. (QBTS) — were in the small-cap category. In three weeks, three of these stocks crossed into the mid-cap category. The fourth stock that climbed up the ladder was IonQ, Inc. (IONQ). The four stocks that made it to the top on Thursday are displayed in the image below.

FIGURE 1. TOP 10 MID-CAP SCTR STOCKS. Quantum computing stocks clinch the top four spots.Image source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

In the last article, QUBT, RGTI, and QBTS were trending higher and above their 21-day exponential moving average (EMA). Things have changed since then. IONQ also followed a similar pattern as the other three stocks (see chart layout below).

FIGURE 2. TOP FOUR QUANTUM COMPUTING STOCKS. QUBT, RGTI, IONQ, and QBTS were the top four stocks in the mid-cap SCTR category.Chart source: StockChartsACP. For educational purposes.

All four stocks gapped lower after Huang’s statement, reached a support level of a previous low, and bounced back. QUBT, RGTI, and QBTS are battling at or close to their 21-day EMA, whereas IONQ has broken above it.

Will these stocks gain enough momentum to re-establish their bullish trend? The moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) hasn’t given the signal yet. Once it does, and all four stocks break above their 21-day EMA and revisit their 52-week highs, they could continue their bullish trend.

Get Your Quantum Advantage

It’s worth creating a ChartList of quantum computing stocks even if you’re on the face. At a favorable price point, quantum computing stocks could be worthwhile investments. If you have the luxury of investing for several years, this could be a group of stocks that could add value to your portfolio. There’s also the Defiance Quantum ETF (QTUM) that will give you broad exposure to several quantum computing and other technology stocks. For more details on QTUM, check out this Symbol Summary page.

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