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Chiefs WR returns after undergoing concussion check

In what very nearly amounts to a must-win game for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, the team’s offense was dealt an early setback.

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy hit his head on the ground while attempting to haul in a first-quarter pass from Patrick Mahomes, and he took another shot to the area shortly after when Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson’s thigh collided into him.

Worthy grabbed his helmet after the hit and then remained down for a short while before being helped off.

Here’s the latest on the Chiefs receiver’s injury status:

Xavier Worthy injury update

Worthy went to the medical tent to be evaluated for a head injury before later being taken to the locker room.

He was later placed in the concussion protocol, but he returned to the game late in the second quarter.

The Chiefs were already without receiver Hollywood Brown, who was out due to personal reasons.

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MIKE DAVIS: Clinton-appointed judge once again sabotages DOJ’s Comey case

After more than eight years of Democrat lawfare against President Trump, his aides and his allies, the Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi is bringing much-needed accountability — which is what American voters demanded in our last presidential election. But Democrat activist judges are doing what they do best: weaponization and sabotage.

In South Carolina, Clinton-appointed Judge Cameron Currie — handpicked by a Biden-appointed judge — wrongly disqualified Eastern District of Virginia U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, the bold and fearless prosecutor who had secured an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey for lying and obstruction of a Senate investigation into his politicization, weaponization, and corruption of the intel agencies and law enforcement to go after political enemies and protect political allies. The government is appealing that decision to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Now, another Clinton-appointed judge in the District of Columbia, Colleen Kollarr-Kotelly, has interfered even more egregiously with the government’s case. This ruling threatens the separation of powers essential to the Republic, and either the D.C. Circuit or Supreme Court must intervene immediately.

Comey was indicted on two charges: making false statements to Congress and obstruction of Congress. The indictment stemmed from the events surrounding Operation Crossfire Hurricane, more colloquially known as the Russiagate hoax. Comey used his longtime friend, Columbia Law Professor Daniel Richman, as a conduit to leak material unfavorable to President Trump to media outlets. In addition to being a law professor, Richman was a government contractor. He and Comey communicated frequently via email on government and private accounts. Communications on a government email account enjoy no reasonable expectation of privacy — the standard under the Fourth Amendment as a result of Justice Harlan’s concurrence in Katz v. United States (1967) — because the government can monitor its own email servers.

Six years ago, even Obama-appointed Judge James Boasberg, a judicial disgrace about whom we often have written, signed a warrant authorizing the search and seizure of emails on Richman’s computer and iCloud account and his account at Columbia. Richman was able to review all emails and withhold the information he deemed privileged from all but one account. Now, Richman — who was the recipient of many emails from Comey and the sender of many emails to him — has sought to reclaim those emails pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g). This rule allows an individual to ask a court to reclaim his property obtained pursuant to an unlawful search and/or seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Shockingly, Kollar-Kotelly granted the motion and has ordered the FBI to destroy the emails by 4 p.m. on Monday.  Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling ordered the destruction of emails obtained pursuant to a warrant signed by another (Obama) judge six years ago.  She claims that the seized information relates to a new investigation; however, she is basing this assertion on a decision by Eastern District of Virginia U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick issued a suppression-like decision even though suppression was not briefed by the parties — yet another example of blatant and unlawful judicial sabotage by partisans in robes.

Collar-Kotelly has ordered that a copy of the emails be given to Biden-appointed Judge Michael Nachmanoff, who is presiding over the Comey case in Virginia. This salvation of a copy of the emails, however, does not lessen the impact of Kollar-Kotelly’s horrible ruling. The FBI and the prosecution will be unable to review them in their efforts to seek a new indictment if Currie’s dismissal ruling survives on appeal. The statute-of-limitations law allows the government only six months after an indictment’s dismissal, suspended during the appellate process, to seek a new indictment. The inability to view this evidence would substantially increase the time necessary to seek an indictment.  Even if a higher court reverses Currie, the government’s inability to review the emails to use as evidence and prepare for trial would massively hamper its case.

Kollar-Kotelly’s decision is more disturbing because it implicates the separation of powers. Usually, Rule 41(g) comes into play where a defendant has had property wrongly seized, and he moves to reclaim it. Here, Comey is not seeking to reclaim anything; Richman, a then-government contractor with whom Comey communicated extensively about government business, is seeking this evidence. Richman has run to a partisan Democrat judge not even involved in the criminal case — and not even in the same district — to procure the destruction of crucial evidence in that case in an obvious effort to assist his friend Comey. Comey cannot challenge the warrant against Richman because he lacks standing to do so. Incredibly, Kollar-Kotelly suggested that Richman could move to quash this evidence in Virginia.  She’s going way out of her way to help Comey. Judges presiding over cases often have excluded evidence against defendants as having been obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment. It is, however, extraordinary for a different judge — especially in a different district — to interfere in and dramatically hamper the prosecution’s case based on a claim by a third party of a wrongful search and seizure, especially when the evidence the government wishes to use consists of communications between that third party and the defendant — a defendant who was a senior government official.

The government obtained the evidence it wishes to use against Comey pursuant to a lawful warrant, even one signed by a highly partisan Obama-appointed judge. Now, a Clinton-appointed judge who is not presiding over the case — and is not even in the same district — is blatantly trying to aid Comey by preventing the government from using that evidence either to re-indict Comey or try him if the original indictment is reinstated. This ruling contravenes the normal way in which Rule 41(g) applies. The Clinton judge’s staggering timeline — destruction by tomorrow afternoon — also illustrates her agenda. She should have stayed a ruling of such magnitude to allow the appellate process to play out.  Instead, she has put the government in an incredibly precarious position: having to obtain a stay from either the D.C. Circuit or the Supreme Court in just a few hours. Kollar-Kotelly’s order had no legal basis, and a higher court must put a stop to it.

Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling is part of a larger pattern. Leftist judges like Obama-appointed D.C. Judge Tanya Chutkan — who presided over President Trump’s January 6-related case, Boasberg, who signed off on the national disgrace that was Operation Arctic Frost, and many other Democrat judges did nothing to stop and did much to escalate the lawfare waged against President Trump, his aides, and his allies. Now, the Justice Department is seeking legal accountability for lawfare perpetrators like Comey. Currie and Kollar-Kotelly have endeavored to prevent — or, at the very least, drastically decrease the chances of — such legal accountability. Courts do not order the FBI to destroy evidence in pending investigations, except when the evidence is harmful to a lawfare perpetrator like Comey. The inconsistency between the treatment afforded lawfare perpetrators and lawfare targets threatens the very legitimacy of the federal judiciary. If higher courts do not reign in these rogue judges, Congress must do so through oversight, withholding of funds from judicial appropriations, and impeachment.  A system where the judiciary enables lawfare and then shields its perpetrators from legal consequences is unsustainable, and higher courts must put a stop to it.

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NCAA volleyball tournament Elite Eight: Schedule, scores, highlights

Two tickets to the NCAA volleyball Final Four have been punched, with No. 1 seeds Pitt and Kentucky advancing on Saturday.

The Panthers and Wildcats await their opponents. The regional semifinals conclude on Sunday, Dec. 14. Pitt will play the winner of Nebraska vs. Texas A&M (3 p.m. ET, ABC). Kentucky will play the winner of Wisconsin vs. Texas (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Nebraska is the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and looking for its first championship since 2017 and first under coach Dani Busboom Kelly. Setter Bergen Reilly, middle blocker Rebekah Allick and middle blocker Andi Jackson have led the Huskers to a 33-0 record.

Texas, the final No. 1 seed, is 13-1 on its home floor and will host the regional final at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin.

The Final Four will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The two semifinal matches will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be broadcast on ESPN. The national championship game is Sunday, Dec. 21 on ABC.

Texas A&M arrivals

When is NCAA women’s volleyball regional final?

Date: Dec. 14
Time: Two matches Sunday. Match-by-match times below.

How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament

Streaming: ESPN+ ∣ Fubo (free trial)

The 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. Games can be streamed on ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

NCAA volleyball regional final: Times, TV

All times Eastern

Saturday, Dec. 13

No. 1 Kentucky 3, No. 3 Creighton 0
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, No. 3 Purdue 1

Sunday, Dec. 14

No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Nebraska, 3 p.m. | ABC
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Texas, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?

Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21
The two semifinal matches in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be broadcast on ESPN. The national championship game is Sunday, Dec. 21 on ABC.

Round of 16 volleyball results

Thursday, Dec. 11

No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 2 Arizona State 1
No. 1 Kentucky 3, Cal Poly 0
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, No. 4 Minnesota 0
No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 2 SMU 1

Friday, Dec. 12

No. 1 Texas 3, No. 4 Indiana 0 
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, No. 2 Stanford 1 
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, No. 2 Louisville 2
No. 1 Nebraska 3, No. 4 Kansas 0

NCAA volleyball second-round results

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky 3, No. 8 UCLA 1 (30-28, 25-16, 28-30, 25-17)
No. 3 Creighton 3, No. 6 Northern Iowa 1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21)
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Utah State 1 (25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15)
Cal Poly 3, No. 4 USC 2 (25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7)

Austin bracket

No. 4 Indiana 3, No. 5 Colorado 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-23)
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, North Carolina 0 (25-14, 25-21, 27-25)
No. 1 Texas 1, No. 8 Penn State 0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-19)
No. 2 Stanford 3, Arizona 1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20)

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 3 Purdue 3, No. 6 Baylor 1 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20)
No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, Michigan 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18)
No. 2 SMU 3, Florida 0 (25-11, 25-21, 26-24)
No. 4 Minnesota 3, No. 5 Iowa State 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-14)

Lincoln bracket

No. 4 Kansas 3, No. 5 Miami 1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 27-25)
No. 2 Louisville 3, Marquette 2 (21-25, 25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12)
No. 1 Nebraska 3, Kansas State 0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-16)
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, No. 6 TCU 1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 29-27)

NCAA volleyball first-round results

Lexington bracket

No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-12)
No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2 (24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10)
Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2 (25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10)
No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0, (25-19, 25-12, 25-13)
No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2 (12-25, 25-23,25-23,17-25, 8-15)
No. 6 Northern Iowa 3, Utah 2 (15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10)
Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2 (25-19, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11)
No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-12)

Austin bracket

No. 1 Texas 3, Florida A&M 0 (25-11, 25- 8, 25-14)
No. 8 Penn State 3, South Florida 1 (25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-19)
No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16)
No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17)
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-19)
North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21)
Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15)
No. 2 Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14)

Pittsburgh bracket

No. 1 Pitt 3, UMBC 0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-13)
Michigan 3, No. 8 Xavier 0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-23)
No. 5 Iowa State 3, St. Thomas-Minnesota 2 (21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8)
No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0 (25-12, 25-7, 25-13)
No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19)
No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2 (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10)
Florida 3, No. 7 Rice 0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-19)
No. 2 SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-13)

Lincoln bracket

No. 1 Nebraska 3, Long Island 0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-17)
Kansas State 3, San Diego 2 (21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12)
No. 5 Miami 3, Tulsa 1 (25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20)
No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-18)
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-13)
No. 6 TCU 3, Stephen F. Austin 0 (25-8, 26-24, 25-20)
Marquette 3, Western Kentucky 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-16)
No. 2 Louisville 3, Loyola (Illinois) 0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-12)

NCAA volleyball tournament champions

Penn State is the reigning NCAA volleyball champion, having defeated Louisville in four sets last year in the national title game. It was the Nittany Lions’ eighth volleyball championship since 1999.

Here’s a look at the past 10 NCAA volleyball champions:

2024: Penn State
2023: Texas
2022: Texas
2021: Wisconsin
2020: Kentucky
2019: Stanford
2018: Stanford
2017: Nebraska
2016: Stanford
2015: Nebraska

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Diamondbacks strike deal with free agent pitcher Merrill Kelly

Free agent pitcher Merrill Kelly is returning to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The veteran right-hander, whom the D’backs sent to Texas at the 2025 trade deadline for two pitching prospects, has reached an agreement with the team on a two-year, $40 million deal, as confirmed by The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Kelly, 37, spent four seasons pitching in Korea before the Diamondbacks signed him in 2019. He compiled a 62-50 record and 3.74 ERA in seven seasons with the team. He went a combined 12-9 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.11 WHIP for Arizona and Texas this year.

MLB FREE AGENT TRACKER: Who’s on the market and who’s already signed?

The agreement between Kelly and the Diamondbacks was first reported by The Athletic.

He becomes the second free-agent pitcher to sign with the Diamondbacks this offseason, joining left-hander Mike Soroka, who received a one-year, $7.5 million deal last week. They’ll join a projected rotation that also includes right-handers Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt and lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.

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NFL Week 15 playoff scenarios: First berths up for grabs

The first playoff clinching scenarios in the 2025 NFL season are relatively straightforward.

The Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams all face win-and-you’re-in opportunities in Week 15 as they try to become the first teams to clinch postseason berths. But the Broncos and Patriots also have avenues to seal spots even if they don’t emerge victorious on Sunday. And a division title is within reach for New England, which can wrap up its first AFC East crown since 2019 – Tom Brady’s final season with the franchise – by beating the Buffalo Bills.

Here are all the playoff clinching scenarios on the table in Week 15:

Denver Broncos Week 15 playoff clinching scenarios

Broncos clinch a playoff berth with:

Broncos win
Broncos tie and Chargers loss
Broncos tie and Jaguars loss
Broncos tie and Texans loss or tie
Broncos tie and Colts loss or tie
Texans loss or tie and Colts loss or tie, as long as both games don’t end in a tie

New England Patriots Week 15 playoff clinching scenarios

Patriots clinch AFC East with:

Patriots win

Patriots clinch playoff berth with:

Patriots win
Patriots tie and Chargers loss
Patriots tie and Texans loss or tie
Patriots tie and Colts loss or tie
Patriots tie and Jaguars loss
Texans loss or tie and Colts loss or tie, as long as both games don’t end in a tie

Los Angeles Rams Week 15 playoff clinching scenarios

Rams clinch playoff berth with:

Rams win

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John Cena lost his final WWE match and it was perfect

WASHINGTON, DC — Even though it was inevitable, you still had hope.

For more than 30 minutes, the crowd inside Capital One Arena was raucous. It was not only hyped for John Cena’s last match, it used every ounce of energy to pull for the WWE legend to end his career with a victory.

There were times it seemed like it might be a reality. You could feel the buzz building toward the perfect send-off. Even when it looked like things could end poorly, everyone watching reminded themselves of the words that Cena preached for decades: “never give up.”

Then the unthinkable happened: Cena gave up.

But it was always going to end this way. It ended exactly how it should have.

There’s plenty of frustration being directed at WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Even during an emotional goodbye, the arena drowned him out with NSFW chants during the send-off and it continued into the post-show. It’s somewhat understandable, given those frustrations stem from how poorly the Cena heel run went and the fact they wanted to see their hero go out on top.

But Cena’s final match was the best form of wrestling; it was art.

The result on Dec. 13 was practically told on the first day of this farewell tour. After the Raw on Netflix premiere, Cena gave an honest preview of how his last year of wrestling would go.

“I just want to set realistic expectations for everyone,” Cena told reporters on Jan. 6. “I will give you everything I got. You got my word, I always have. I’ve always given you everything I have. I just don’t know what that looks like.”

Throughout this farewell tour, Cena has consistently followed that message. He said this was it. After 23 years of saying his time was now, his time was up – and whatever happens, happens.

At the very end, Cena still held up his end of the bargain and gave everything he had. He just didn’t have anything left. 

After spending a good bit of time trying to get out of Gunther’s Sleeper Hold, and succeeding only to find himself soon back in the same position, Cena realized his situation.

Cena smiled and tapped out. In the immediate moment, it felt like a slap in the face to all those who spent years of believing in never give up and hustle, loyalty and respect. After years of promoting it, Cena’s career ended with him contradicting himself?

Far from the case. Cena didn’t give up. He just understood his time was now. Not in the same way he says it in his entrance music; in a way that understands he gave it his all, there was just nothing left. 

It was time for the end.

Wrestlers are lucky to become a mega star, and even more luck is needed to get a retirement match. More often than not, they end in defeat. 

Cena was always going to lose his final match – it was just a matter of how it was going to be told. 

By letting Gunther tap him out, he showed that WWE still has another big star on the roster. Considering how much he’s been wanting to lift the up-and-coming talent in the tail end of this run, he wanted to prove to everyone the business will be just fine without him. 

That smile at the end proved that. Cena was at peace with how his career unfolded. 

“We spent like 23 years together,” Cena said in January. “This is our last time to get together and make some noise. Whatever comes to that, comes to that.”

It was an amazing run with decades of iconic moments that will be part of WWE history for as long as wrestling lives. Despite all the countless memories people will have of the legendary career, we just all hoped it would end with one more signature moment and on a high note. How could it not when it’s John Cena, the greatest of all time, the never-seen-17? 

It ended up not being a fairytale ending, and that’s perfectly fine.

Cena was ready to say goodbye. It’s just, despite a whole year of knowing, none of us were ready to say it back.

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Rams vs Lions preview: Matthew Stafford takes on his former team

Quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams will look to continue their winning ways on Sunday, entering Week 15 having won seven of their last eight games.

Stafford led the Rams back into the win column last week with a dominant performance in the 45-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The veteran passer completed 22-of-31 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

Stafford and the Rams host his former team, the Detroit Lions (8-5) on Sunday, who he holds a 1-1 record against. The Lions’ offense is led by Jared Goff, who was swapped for Stafford in a trade back in 2021.

Stafford has proven to be an MVP candidate, throwing for 3,354 yards, 35 touchdowns and just four interceptions this season.

Here’s what to know about today’s Rams vs. Lions matchup:

Rams keys to victory

Jared Verse and the Rams’ defense must limit and contain running back Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions’ standout rushed for 43 yards and three touchdowns in Week 14 vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
The Rams must take advantage of their backfield duo of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum out of the backfield against the Lions. If the Rams can establish the run, it can open things up for Stafford in the passing game.

How to watch Rams vs. Lions today?

TV Channel: Fox
Livestream: Fubo (free trial)

Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady will call the game from the booth at SoFi Stadium as the Rams vs. the Lions will be broadcast nationally on Fox.

Watch Rams vs. Lions with Fubo (free trial)

Rams vs. Lions odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Sunday

Spread: Rams by 6 (-110)

Over/under: 55 (O/U: -110)

Moneyline: Rams -250

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China’s missile surge puts every US base in the Pacific at risk — and the window to respond is closing

China has spent decades building a land-based missile force designed to keep the United States out of a fight over Taiwan — and U.S. officials say it now threatens every major airfield, port and military installation across the Western Pacific.

As Washington races to build its own long-range fires, analysts warn that the land domain has become the most overlooked — and potentially decisive — part of the U.S.–China matchup. Interviews with military experts show a contest defined not by tanks or troop movements, but by missile ranges, base access and whether U.S. forces can survive the opening salvos of a war that may begin long before any aircraft take off.

‘The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force … has built an increasing number of short-, medium-, and long-range missiles,’ Seth Jones of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told Fox News Digital. ‘They have the capability to shoot those across the first and increasingly the second island chains.’

For years, Chinese officials assumed they could not match the United States in air superiority. The Rocket Force became the workaround: massed, land-based firepower meant to shut down U.S. bases and keep American aircraft and ships outside the fight.

‘They didn’t think that they could gain air superiority in a straight-up air-to-air fight,’ said Eric Heginbotham, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ‘So you need another way to get missiles out — and that another way is by building a lot of ground launchers.’

The result is the world’s largest inventory of theater-range missiles, backed by hardened underground facilities, mobile launchers and rapid shoot-and-scoot tactics designed to overwhelm U.S. defenses.

Despite China’s numerical edge, American forces still hold advantages Beijing has not yet matched — particularly in targeting and survivability. 

U.S. missiles, from Tomahawks to SM-6s to future hypersonic weapons, are tied into a global surveillance network the People’s Liberation Army cannot yet replicate. American targeting relies on satellites, undersea sensors, stealth drones and joint command tools matured over decades of combat experience.

‘The Chinese have not fought a war since the 1970s,’ Jones said. ‘We see lots of challenges with their ability to conduct joint operations across different services.’ 

The U.S., by contrast, has built multi-domain task forces in the Pacific to integrate cyber, space, electronic warfare and precision fires — a level of coordination analysts say China has yet to demonstrate.

Jones said China’s defense industry also faces major hurdles. 

‘Most of (China’s defense firms) are state-owned enterprises,’ he said. ‘We see massive inefficiency, the quality of the systems … we see a lot of maintenance challenges.’

Still, the United States faces a near-term problem of its own: missile stockpiles.

‘We still right now … would run out (of long-range munitions) after roughly a week or so of conflict over, say, Taiwan,’ Jones said.

Washington is trying to close that gap by rapidly expanding production of ground-launched weapons. New Army systems — Typhon launchers, high mobility artillery rocket system, batteries, precision strike missiles and long-range hypersonic weapons with a range exceeding 2,500 kilometers — are designed to hold Chinese forces at risk from much farther away.

Heginbotham said the shift is finally happening at scale. 

‘We’re buying anti-ship missiles like there’s no tomorrow,’ he said.

If current plans hold, U.S. forces will field roughly 15,000 long-range anti-ship missiles by 2035, up from about 2,500 today.

China’s missile-heavy strategy is built to overwhelm U.S. bases early in a conflict. The United States, meanwhile, relies on layered air defenses: Patriot batteries to protect airfields and logistics hubs, terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) interceptors to engage ballistic missiles at high altitude, and Aegis-equipped destroyers that can intercept missiles far from shore.

Heginbotham warned the U.S. will need to widen that defensive mix. 

‘We really need a lot more and greater variety of missile defenses and preferably cheaper missile defenses,’ he said.

One of Washington’s biggest advantages is its ability to conduct long-range strikes from beneath the ocean. U.S. submarines can fire cruise missiles from virtually anywhere in the Western Pacific, without relying on allied basing and without exposing launchers to Chinese fire — a degree of stealth China does not yet possess.

Command integration is another area where Beijing continues to struggle. American units routinely train in multi-domain operations that knit together air, sea, cyber, space and ground-based fires. 

Jones and Heginbotham both noted that the People’s Liberation Army has far less experience coordinating forces across services and continues to grapple with doctrinal and organizational problems, including the dual commander–political commissar structure inside its missile brigades.

Alliances may be the most consequential difference. Japan, the Philippines, Australia and South Korea provide depth, intelligence sharing, logistics hubs and potential launch points for U.S. forces. 

China has no comparable network of partners, leaving it to operate from a much narrower geographic footprint. In a missile war, accuracy, integration and survivability often matter more than sheer volume — and in those areas the United States still holds meaningful advantages.

At the heart of this competition is geography. Missiles matter less than the places they can be launched from, and China’s ability to project power beyond its coastline remains sharply constrained.

‘They’ve got big power-projection problems right now,’ Jones said. ‘They don’t have a lot of basing as you get outside of the first island chain.’

The United States faces its own version of that challenge. Long-range Army and Marine Corps fires require host-nation permission, turning diplomacy into a form of firepower. 

‘It’s absolutely central,’ Heginbotham said. ‘You do need regional basing.’

Recent U.S. agreements with the Philippines, along with expanded cooperation with Japan and Australia, reflect a push to position American launchers close enough to matter without permanently stationing large ground forces there.

A U.S.–China land conflict would not involve armored columns maneuvering for territory. The decisive question is whether missile units on both sides can fire, relocate and fire again before being targeted.

China has invested heavily in survivability, dispersing its brigades across underground bunkers, tunnels and hardened sites. Many can fire and relocate within minutes. Mobile launchers, decoys and deeply buried storage complexes make them difficult to neutralize.

U.S. launchers in the Pacific would face intense Chinese surveillance and long-range missile attacks. After two decades focused on counterterrorism, the Pentagon is now reinvesting in deception, mobility and hardened infrastructure — capabilities critical to surviving the opening stages of a missile war.

Any U.S. intervention in a Taiwan conflict would also force Washington to confront a politically charged question: whether to strike missile bases on the Chinese mainland. Doing so risks escalation; avoiding it carries operational costs.

‘Yes … you can defend Taiwan without striking bases inside China,’ Heginbotham said. ‘But you are giving away a significant advantage.’

Holding back may help prevent the conflict from widening, but it also allows China to keep firing. 

‘It’s a reality of conflict in the nuclear age that almost any conflict is gonna be limited in some ways,’ Heginbotham said. ‘Then the question becomes where those boundaries are drawn, can you prevent it from spreading? What trade-offs you’re willing to accept?’

A U.S.–China clash on land would not be fought by massed armies. It would be a missile war shaped by geography, alliances and survivability — a contest where political access and command integration matter as much as raw firepower.

For the United States, the challenge is clear: build enough long-range missiles, secure the basing needed to use them and keep launchers alive under fire. For China, the question is whether its vast missile arsenal and continental depth can offset weaknesses in coordination, command structure and real-world combat experience.

The side that can shoot, relocate and sustain fire the longest will control the land domain — and may shape the outcome of a war in the Pacific.

This is the third installment of a series comparing U.S. and Chinese military capabilities. Feel free to check out earlier stories comparing sea and air capabilities.

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USC women’s hoops coach mourns shooting victims at her alma mater

Saturday’s fatal shooting at Brown University hit especially hard for USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

After a 79-51 loss to top-ranked Connecticut, Gottlieb found out that at least two people were killed and several others wounded in the Dec. 13 attack on the campus of her alma mater.

Gottlieb received word of the shooting after the game from a group chat with her former Brown teammates. She addressed the incident before taking questions from the media in her postgame news conference.

‘It doesn’t need to be this way,’ a tearful Gottlieb said. ‘Sending thoughts and prayers to my teammates who have kids there. To the parents who have to worry about their children … we’re the only country that lives this way. The college football cycle has been in the news a million times, and are we going to report about this? Like, it’s the guns. We’re the only country that lives this way.’

The shooting at the Ivy League University happened shortly before 4:05 p.m. on Saturday in an engineering building with unlocked doors as final exams were underway.

Authorities in Providence, Rhode Island, confirmed early Sunday that a person of interest in the shooting has been taken into police custody.

Gottlieb played at Brown from 1995 to 1999, and served as a player and student assistant coach in her senior season.

‘Hopefully, everyone is safe and praying for peace for those that have lost people,’ she said in concluding her initial remarks after the game. ‘And that’s that, it’s more important than basketball. We can all be better.’

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Navy felt ‘disrespect’ from Army last year. Its QB said goodbye this year

The victory secured the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for Navy for the second consecutive year.
Navy quarterback Blake Horvath threw to Eli Heidenreich for the go-ahead touchdown with less than seven minutes remaining.
The Midshipmen have now achieved 10-win seasons in back-to-back years for the first time in program history.

Navy was listening.

After the Midshipmen climbed out of a 16-7 hole in the third quarter to beat Army 17-16 in the 126th meeting in this series, Navy quarterback Blake Horvath looked toward the Black Knights’ sidelines and waved: Goodbye, he said.

“They want to talk all their crap during the game and act like they’re so tough,” said Horvath, a senior. “Last year, the excuse was they played a conference championship game before us. This year, we’ll see what it is.

“I just think it’s the disrespect we sort of felt. Just comments they made. Just dumb. They want to talk all that crap during the game and then at the end of the game, it’s like, ‘Why’d you do this? Why’d you do that?’ You’ve got it coming. So just, you know, saying goodbye.”

Maybe even more motivated than usual for this rivalry, No. 25 Navy scored the game’s final 10 points, including the go-ahead touchdown with 6:37 to play, to score a dramatic victory.

With the win, Navy retains the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy given to the winner of the round-robin series between the Bowl Subdivision service academics for the second year in a row. The program last did so in 2012-13.

The Midshipmen and coach Brian Newberry have won 10 games in back-to-back years for the first time in program history. After nearly playing for the American championship and a potential College Football Playoff berth, Navy will face Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl.

‘It wasn’t the prettiest today,’ Newberry said. ‘A lot of mistakes, turnovers, missed opportunities. But really, really proud of our guys for finding a way. We’ve been in that situation before, and the guys didn’t flinch.’

To get past the Black Knights, Navy had to survive a series of potentially costly mistakes while leaning on a senior class headlined by Horvath, slot back Eli Heidenreich and All-America defensive tackle Landon Robinson, who keyed a defense that gave up just 27 yards in the second half.

‘Defensively, we had to adjust,’ Robinson said. ‘We had to lock in. We came together as a defense and we were able to get it done.’

After scoring on the game’s opening drive, Navy’s offense went quiet for the remainder of the first half and committed a crucial turnover to stake Army a 13-7 lead at intermission.

The Black Knights added another field goal to take a 16-7 lead after defensive back Justin Weaver intercepted Horvath early in the third quarter. Weaver originally made a 32-yard touchdown return. But in one of the game’s deciding moments, an official review showed his knee was on the ground when he made the interception. That was the first game-changing official review that went the Midshipmen’s way.

Navy added a field goal of their own later in the third quarter, capping a 13-play, 72-yard drive that saw Horvath run or pass on all but two snaps.

‘How calm he is, it’s felt by everyone,’ Heidenreich said of Horvath. ‘There are some times in this game when people would be freaking out. And it was never the case with our offense. And it all starts with him.’

The game shifted on a costly Army mistake. After forcing a Navy punt and taking over at their own 24-yard line with 11:54 left in the fourth quarter, the Black Knights gave the ball back to the Midshipmen on an interception by quarterback Cale Hellums, who missed an open receiver streaking downfield and then underthrew his intended target along the right sideline.

The Midshipmen went on a 50-yard drive capped by a Horvath touchdown pass to Heidenreich to go ahead 17-16. The touchdown was Horvath’s 10th through the air, giving him at least 10 touchdowns as a passer and a runner in each of his two seasons as the starter.

Navy’s defense then delivered a key stop on Army’s ensuing possession, drawing a holding penalty that pushed the Black Knights back near their own goal line and then nearly intercepting Hellums’ desperation third-down heave down the middle of the field.

Taking over with 4:50 play at their 38-yard line, the Midshipmen gained one first down but then nearly handed the ball back to Army after Horvath fumbled when fighting to convert a third-down run.

On further review, though, officials ruled Horvath was down by contact, leaving Navy facing fourth-and-short from the Army 40-yard line. Instead of punting, the Midshipmen went for the conversion: Horvath handed the ball to running back Alex Tecza, who bulled forward for the first down.

“The ball bounced our way a couple times,” Newberry said.

With the Black Knights out of timeouts, Navy was able to go into victory formation to seal the victory. Then Horvath waved goodbye, Army solemnly gathered for the school fight song and the Midshipmen, for the second year in a row, sang second.

‘They’ve worked their tails off,’ said Newberry. ‘They done things the right way. This group is going to leave a legacy behind that’s going to make us better moving forward.’

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