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Tyler Skaggs’ wife, mother deliver emotional testimony in civil trial

The mother and widow of former Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs testified in the wrongful death civil trial against the team.
Skaggs’ mother stated the Angels never contacted her about her son’s drug addiction, which she knew about.
The Angels organization maintains it was unaware of Skaggs’ drug problems and is not responsible for his 2019 death.

The mother and widow of former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs delivered emotional testimony Monday, as the wrongful death civil trial against the team and its former communications director entered its sixth week.

Debbie Hetman, Skaggs’ mother and one of the primary plaintiffs in the case, testified Nov. 17 that the team never contacted her about her son’s addiction to drugs. Had the Angels asked, she said, she would have told them he became addicted to Percoset after the 2013 season, around the time the team acquired him as part of a three-team trade.

The Angels have maintained that they were not aware of Skaggs’ drug problems, and are not responsible for his death from an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2019. The 27-year-old left-hander was found dead in a Texas hotel room after taking a fatal mix of alcohol and opioids.

Hetman also testified she asked Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Skaggs’ elbow surgery in 2014, to prescribe a different painkiller for him because of her son’s addiction.

‘As a parent, you want to make sure your child is on the right track,’ Hetman testified. ‘And getting healthy and not falling back into the same pattern of use.’

Also Monday, the pitcher’s widow, Carli Skaggs, testified that she was unaware of her husband’s drug problem, saying the only time she knew he used drugs was on their honeymoon when he took ecstasy and marijuana. She also testified she thought it was out of character for him to seek drugs from former Angels communications director Eric Kay.

Kay was convicted in 2022 of providing the pill that killed Skaggs. Other players testified during his criminal trial that Kay supplied them with pills as well. He is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence as a result of the conviction.

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Netanyahu calls on neighboring nations to join Israel in ‘expelling Hamas’ from region

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on neighboring nations to join in the Jewish state’s fight to expel Hamas out of the region.

‘Israel extends its hand in peace and prosperity to all of our neighbors and calls on them to normalize relations with Israel and join us in expelling Hamas and its supporters from the region,’ Netanyahu’s office wrote on X.

The statement follows the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) endorsement of President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. The council adopted the plan, which would end the war and deploy an international stabilization force, on Monday.

In an address to the council, Waltz described Gaza as ‘a hell on earth’ after two years of conflict, saying the resolution offered the world a chance to replace ‘rubble where schools once stood’ with ‘a path to peace.’ The measure passed 14–0, with two abstentions — including Russia — and was adopted.

‘Voting yes today isn’t just endorsing a plan,’ Waltz said. ‘It’s affirming our shared humanity. A vote against this resolution is a vote to return to war.’

Netanyahu’s office praised the UNSC for adopting the deal and added that Israel believes the ‘plan will lead to peace and prosperity because it insists upon full demilitarization, disarmament and the deradicalization of Gaza.’

Israel also called for the release of the remaining deceased hostages: Ron Gvili, Dror Or and Sudthisak Rinthalak.

In addition to inviting other nations to join in efforts to expel Hamas, Israel also expressed hope that the plan would lead to the expansion of the Abraham Accords, a set of agreements brokered under Trump’s first administration. Countries that have already signed agreements normalizing their relationships with Israel are the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

‘True to President Trump’s vision, this will lead to further integration of Israel and its neighbors as well as expansion of the Abraham Accords. President Trump’s breakthrough leadership will help lead the region to peace and prosperity and a lasting alliance with the United States,’ Netanyahu’s office added.

A senior Trump administration official said in October, as the peace deal was going into effect in Israel and Gaza, that the U.S. was looking at the end of the war as an opportunity to expand the agreements.

‘There’s a lot of positive momentum that will pick up,’ a senior administration official told reporters. ‘Hopefully this will lead to much better sentiment and the opportunity to expand the Abraham Accords — to really just change the tone in the region.’

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

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Khanna, Massie, Greene urge Senate to pass Epstein bill unchanged, warn of ‘reckoning’

House lawmakers gearing up to vote Tuesday on a bill that would force the Justice Department to release all its files relating to Jeffrey Epstein are pressuring the Senate to pass the measure without any amendments.

The legislation is coming to the House floor Tuesday afternoon via a mechanism called a discharge petition led by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. A discharge petition allows a bill to get a House-wide vote against leaders’ wishes, provided the petition gets support from most lawmakers in the chamber. In this case, the petition last week earned support from most lawmakers in the chamber, including from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

‘This has never been political. This is not about questions of Trump or Biden. This is a question of doing the right thing for survivors. We’re going to get a vote today. I expect an overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives. And I don’t want the DC swamp playing any games,’ Khanna said Tuesday as he appeared at a press conference alongside Massie, Greene and some of Epstein’s survivors.

‘They need to pass this in the Senate, and they should not amend it. President Trump has said he would sign the Epstein Transparency Act. It’s going to get overwhelming support in the House. It should go straight to the Senate, and it should be signed. No amendments, no adding loopholes. Justice is long overdue,’ he added.

Massie reiterated Khanna’s statements. 

‘As Ro said, don’t muck it up in the Senate. Don’t get too cute,’ Massie warned the upper chamber. ‘We’re all paying attention. If you want to add some additional protections for these survivors, go for it. But if you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people, and you are not part of this effort. Do not muck it up in the Senate.’

GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital Monday evening said they would vote for the bill and were optimistic their colleagues would as well — though many of them said they still had concerns about how it was written.

It comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who had been against the bill but pushed parallel transparency efforts in Epstein’s case, said he hoped it would undergo material changes when it reached the Senate to give more protection for innocent people whose names may appear in the files against their wishes.

‘These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight, and they did it by banding together and never giving up,’ Greene said Tuesday. ‘And that’s what we did by fighting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the President of the United States, in order to make this vote happen today.’

‘I was called a traitor by a man that I fought for five, no, actually, six years for. And I gave him my loyalty for free. I won my first election without his endorsement, beating eight men in a primary, and I’ve never owed him anything. But I fought for him for the policies and for America First,’ Greene said, days after President Donald Trump pulled his endorsement of the Georgia Republican. ‘And he called me a traitor for standing with these women and refusing to take my name off the discharge petition.’

‘Let me tell you what a traitor is,’ Greene added. ‘A traitor is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves. A patriot is an American that serves the United States of America and Americans, like the women standing behind me.’

‘And today, you are going to see probably a unanimous vote in the House to release the Epstein files. But the fight, the real fight will happen after that. While I want to see every single name released so that these women don’t have to live in fear and intimidation, which is something I’ve had a small taste of in just the past few days. Just a small taste,’ she added. ‘They’ve been living it for years, but the real test will be will the Department of Justice release the files, or will it all remain tied up in investigations?’

Khanna also called Tuesday the ‘first day of real reckoning for the Epstein class.’

‘We’re here to stand with forgotten and abandoned Americans against an Epstein class that had no regard for the rules or the laws,’ Khanna continued. ‘Because survivors spoke up, because of their courage, the truth is finally going to come out. And when it comes out, this country is really going to have a moral reckoning.’

‘How did we allow this to happen? There should be no buildings named after people in this Epstein class. There should be no scholarships named after them. They shouldn’t be enjoying the perks of being affiliated with corporations or universities, or writing op-eds or being lionized. And many of the survivors will tell you some of these people still are celebrated in our society. That’s disgusting. There needs to be accountability,’ he also said.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

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Mike Johnson reveals how he’ll vote on Epstein files bill led by Trump critic Thomas Massie

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday revealed his decision on the House’s forthcoming vote on forcing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

Johnson told reporters at his weekly press conference that he would vote in favor of the bill, despite concerns about what he saw as lackluster protections for victims and other innocent people whose names may be released against their own wishes.

‘I’m going to vote to move this forward,’ Johnson said.

‘I think it could be close to a unanimous vote, because everybody here, all the Republicans, want to go on record to show their from maximum transparency.’

The vote is expected on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m.

The legislation is a bipartisan product by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Massie has been known to be a frequent critic of both Johnson and President Donald Trump.

Despite that, Trump gave House Republicans his blessing to vote for the bill on Sunday night. 

House GOP leaders had vehemently opposed the legislation for months, arguing it was written in a way that did not provide sufficient protections for innocents while also claiming it was unnecessary given the ongoing bipartisan investigation into Epstein’s crimes.

That probe, led by the House Oversight Committee, has produced tens of thousands of pages of documents both from the DOJ and Epstein’s estate.

Johnson made clear he still held concerns about the bill’s language and said he hoped it would be changed when the legislation was sent to the Senate.

‘We stated our opposition as long as possible, but we’re also for maximum transparency. So what am I to do as a leader in a situation like this?’ the speaker said.

‘I’m very confident that when this moves forward in the process, if and when it is processed in the Senate — which there’s no certainty that that will be — that they will take the time methodically to do what we have not been allowed to do in the House, to amend this discharge petition and to make sure these protections are there.’

He warned it could have a ‘chilling effect’ on future investigations as well.

‘Who’s going to want to come forward if they think Congress can take a political exercise and reveal their identities? Who’s going to come talk to prosecutors? It’s very dangerous. It would deter future whistleblowers and informants,’ he said. ‘The release of that could also publicly reveal the identity, by the way, of undercover law enforcement officers who are working in future operations.’

Johnson said he brought his concerns to Massie and Khanna but was told, in essence, ‘Jump in the Potomac.’

Massie and Khanna, for their part, held a press conference alongside one of the bill’s GOP supporters, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Tuesday morning.

‘Don’t muck it up in the Senate. Don’t get too cute. We’re all paying attention,’ Massie warned. ‘If you want to add some additional protections for these survivors, go for it. But if you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people, and you are not part of this effort. Do not muck it up in the Senate.’

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Nicki Minaj praised for spotlighting Christian persecution in Nigeria: ‘Body count is just too high to ignore’

Rap star Nicki Minaj is garnering praise for using her platform to shed light on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Ahead of Minaj’s scheduled appearance at the United Nations with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, Knox Thames, a human rights lawyer, thanked the rapper for the attention that she and other stars, like Bill Maher, have brought to the issue.

‘The challenges in Nigeria have been happening for decades, and they’ve largely been ignored. So I welcome these unsuspecting allies shining a light on this,’ Thames said of the celebrities.

Thames, who served as a State Department special advisor for religious minorities under former President George W. Bush, former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump, said that in Nigeria, ‘the body count is just too high to ignore.’ While he would not say definitively that what is happening in Nigeria is a genocide, he said it is something that must be addressed.

‘This question of, ‘is there a Christian genocide happening?’ It’s a legal question. Genocide is defined by international law, and scholars will debate that. But what’s undeniable is that in the last 20 years, thousands of Christians have been killed, and the body count is just too high to ignore,’ Thames said.

Trump announced in late October that he was designating Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern,’ citing the widespread killings of Christians in the West African nation.

‘Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,’ Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Oct. 31. ‘The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world!’

Following the announcement, Minaj said the president’s statement made her ‘feel a deep sense of gratitude.’

‘Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other,’ Minaj wrote.

On Tuesday, Minaj will address the United Nations on the issue of the persecution of Nigerian Christians.

Waltz, who said he was a fan of the rapper, said on X, ‘I’m grateful she’s leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and I look forward to standing with her as we discuss the steps the President and his administration are taking to end the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters.’

Minaj replied, ‘Ambassador, I am so grateful to be entrusted with an opportunity of this magnitude. I do not take it for granted. It means more than you know. The Barbz and I will never stand down in the face of injustice. We’ve been given our influence by God. There must be a bigger purpose.’

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

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Saudi Arabia is already America’s top arms buyer and now Trump wants to add F-35s

There’s no business quite like the U.S. arms business and no audience roars louder in approval than Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump is expected to close several deals with Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a visit that could see billions more in U.S. weapons flow to one of the world’s most prolific importers of military hardware.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the U.S. will likely move forward with a deal to sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia.

The F-35, the crown jewel in Lockheed Martin’s portfolio, is among the most advanced fighter jets in the world and one of the most sought-after symbols of U.S. military might.

Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich monarchy is one of America’s most crucial strategic partners in the Middle East and one of the U.S. defense industry’s most dependable customers.

For Washington, the partnership means billions in defense revenue and a key ally in the Gulf. For Riyadh, it’s a pipeline to the world’s most advanced military technology and a symbol of its ambition to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s military powers in a volatile region.

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, between 2020 and 2024, Saudi Arabia was the top buyer of American-made arms, accounting for 12% of all U.S. weapons exports, followed by Ukraine (9.3%) and Japan (8.8%). The U.S. was also by far the kingdom’s main supplier, providing 74% of all Saudi arms imports during that period.

That level of spending underscores Saudi Arabia’s regional military ambitions, but globally, it’s the U.S. that dominates by an extraordinary margin.

With $997 billion in defense spending in 2024, the U.S. outspent every other nation several times over, investing more than triple what China, the world’s second-largest spender, devoted to its military.

Beyond defense spending, the U.S. also leads the world in arms exports, responsible for nearly half of all major weapons sold globally between 2020 and 2024. In total, 162 nations purchased major weapons systems, but just five importers, Ukraine, India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, accounted for 35% of global imports, highlighting how concentrated the world’s arms trade remains.

The crown prince serves as the kingdom’s powerful understudy to his 89-year-old father, King Salman. Widely regarded as Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, he manages nearly all daily affairs of state and frequently represents the kingdom in international summits and diplomatic meetings.

Tuesday’s meetings will mark the crown prince’s first visit to the White House in more than seven years. 

The two last met in May, when Trump made his first state visit of his second term to Riyadh. He was welcomed with a fighter jet escort, an honor guard wielding golden swords and a parade of Arabian horses flanking his limousine.

It was a scene that captured the enduring spectacle of U.S.–Saudi ties, a partnership as opulent as it is strategic and one that remains vital to both nations’ ambitions.

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Duke’s Cameron Boozer headlines talent on display at Champions Classic

Cameron Boozer has only suited up for Duke men’s basketball four games, but he’s already gotten the attention of one of the program’s most prominent alums.

‘He is as good a player (as) there is in the country,’ former Duke center and now ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas told USA TODAY Sports in a recent interview. “He’s right there with anybody for national player of the year.’

Boozer’s campaign is off to a strong start. The five-star recruit has stuffed the stats sheet through his first two weeks with the Blue Devils, showing skills that belie his age of 18 years.

Cameron has posted two double-doubles and is averaging 22.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, all while proving that he can influence the box score in ways that go beyond hitting a mid-range jumper or a 3-pointer.

His next opportunity to add to that comes Tuesday, Nov. 18 when he makes his Madison Square Garden debut at 9 p.m. ET in the nightcap of the Champions Classic doubleheader against No. 23 Kansas.

The Miami native hails from Duke royalty as his dad, Carlos Boozer, was a standout forward for the Blue Devils under Mike Krzyzewski from 1999-2002 and part of Duke’s 2001 national championship team. Cam’s twin brother, Cayden, is also a freshman on the Blue Devils this season.

‘He reminds you a little bit of Paolo Banchero with his build and his game, and that’s saying something,’ Bilas said.

Bilas pointed to Boozer’s ‘rare’ combination of size, strength and skillset as reasons why Boozer reminds him of the former ACC freshman of the year and No. 1 overall pick.

‘He’s got a competitive nature to him. He knows how to play and he’s got a maturity that’s beyond his age,’ Bilas said. ‘You can isolate him and he’s going to draw a double team. He’s got the wherewithal to pass out of it and find an open teammate when he draws a double. He can go through people, he can go around you, he can go over you, he can go through you. 

“He’s not guardable but with one guy.’

Given the amount of attention that Boozer requires, Bilas says it will have opposing coaching staffs ‘head scratching’ when putting together their scouting reports in preparation to face Duke this season.

“You’re going to have to make adjustments and make him see a lot of bodies,” Bilas said. 

But with that comes opening up other parts of Duke’s roster and game style, like Isaiah Evans taking over the scoring in the Blue Devils’ season opener against Texas when Boozer held scoreless in the first half. 

“He’s such a supernova that is going to draw that much attention,” Bilas said.

Boozer also showcased his ability to take over games in both of Duke’s preseason exhibitions against Central Florida and Tennessee. He had 24 points, 23 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal against the Volunteers while finishing with 33 points, 12 rebounds and four assists against the Knights. 

His double-double performance on the road at Tennessee in Thompson-Boling Arena, one of the tougher venues to play in the SEC, stood out to Bilas.

‘I don’t care whether it was an exhibition game or practice or scrimmage or what, Rick Barnes doesn’t give up 24 rebounds to one guy,’ Bilas said.

Boozer kicked off his career with the Blue Devils in the Dick Vitale Invitational against Texas, where after the slow start he finished with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds. 

He has followed that with three consecutive games of at least 15 points and eight rebounds, including a 35-point effort Saturday against Indiana Stated. His performance against the Sycamores is the second-most points in a game by a Duke freshman in program history, only behind Cooper Flagg’s 42 points last season against Notre Dame.

Boozer’s night against Indiana State earned him ACC player and rookie of the week honors. It also made him the first major conference freshman to reach at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with no more than one turnover since Carmelo Anthony accomplished the feat in 2003 while at Syracuse.

Cam Boozer catching eyes of Coach K

It’s that 6-foot-9 frame and ability to be a multi-dimensional player that have caught the eye of his dad’s former college coach.

‘I haven’t seen (all) the players yet that are playing in college basketball, I’ve seen a couple, (but) I would have to say he’s got to be as unique as anyone and we’ll see if he’s better than everyone, but he’s right there.

‘.. He rebounds like crazy. He’s a double-double guy and he can really pass too, so don’t be shocked when you see that first triple-double.’

Champions Classic Notebook: Will Darryn Peterson play against Duke?

When Duke and Kansas’ non-conference schedules were officially finalized, the Champions Classic matchup was advertised as ‘must-watch’ basketball. This was largely due to the fact that Boozer and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, two of the top freshmen in the country this season, would be going head-to-head against each other.

The matchup between the No. 2 and No. 3 prospects in On3.com’s 2025 recruiting class now has some uncertainty around it, as Peterson’s status remains unclear due to a lingering hamstring injury that has kept him out of the last two games against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Princeton.

Asked about Peterson’s status following Kansas’ win over Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 15, Kansas coach Bill Self told reporters in Lawrence that the Jayhawks expect not to have their star freshman ‘at least for the immediate future.’ He hasn’t played since the Jayhawks’ opening-week loss to North Carolina, when he finished with 22 points on 8 of 14 shooting from the field.

‘He is getting the best treatment. … He’s got tightness in his right hamstring,’ Kansas coach Bill Self said. ‘He wants to be out there so bad, but I’m not going to put him out there until he feels well. You can say or think we are trying to win the battle, well, yeah, we are, but the battle is not nearly as important as the long term, so to speak. We’ve got to get him to where he is not hesitant to play.’

The Blue Devils and the Jayhawks are meeting in the Champions Classic for the fifth time, and the first since 2023 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Kansas leads the Champions Classic series against Duke 3-1.

Kentucky and Michigan State kick off the 2025 Champions Classic with a 6:30 p.m. ET tip-off.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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College Football Playoff ranking prediction: Where do Oklahoma, Alabama land?

Oklahoma is expected to climb to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings after defeating Alabama.
Alabama’s loss to the Sooners will likely drop them to No. 9, just ahead of Notre Dame.
Ohio State, Indiana, and Texas A&M are projected to remain the top three undefeated teams.

Three high-profile teams — Oklahoma, Alabama and Notre Dame — will take the spotlight in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.

After beating the Crimson Tide 23-21, look for the Sooners to climb to No. 8. Previously No. 4, Alabama’s fall should stop at No. 9. That will knock Notre Dame back one spot to No. 10 even after the Fighting Irish breezed past Pittsburgh.

While the red-hot Irish have won eight in a row, Alabama has a stronger résumé against a significantly more difficult schedule.

Losses by Louisville, Iowa, Pittsburgh, South Florida and Cincinnati should open a spot for the Group of Five. Tulane is the safest bet to crack the rankings thanks to wins against Northwestern, Duke and Memphis.

Here’s how the top 12 of the third playoff rankings of the 2025 season will look:

1. Ohio State (10-0)

Best win: vs. Texas (14-7), Aug. 30.

Loss: None.

Playoff chances: 100%. The Buckeyes could lose to Rutgers and Michigan and still earn an at-large spot. OSU could even beat Rutgers, lose to Michigan, miss the Big Ten championship game and be in contention for an opening-round bye.

2. Indiana (11-0)

Best win: at Oregon (30-20), Oct. 11.

Loss: None.          

Playoff chances: 100%. Taking care of Wisconsin locks Indiana into at least an at-large spot. Beating Purdue on Nov. 28 will send the Hoosiers to the Big Ten title game for the first time ever. That also should wrap up a bye.

3. Texas A&M (10-0)

Best win: at Notre Dame (41-40), Sept. 13.

Loss: None.

Playoff chances: 98%. At this point, the Aggies would have to really stumble down the stretch to miss the playoff entirely. Getting routed by Texas and then backdooring into the SEC title game only to get blown out again, combined with a Notre Dame flop down the stretch, might be just enough to take A&M off the board. But even that’s a stretch.

4. Georgia (9-1)

Best win: vs. Mississippi (43-35), Oct. 18.

Loss: vs. Alabama (24-21), Sept. 27.

Playoff chances: 99%. Only the infinitesimal chance at being upset by one-win Charlotte keeps Georgia from being a playoff lock. A shocking loss on Saturday and a loss to Georgia Tech would knock the Bulldogs out of the field.

5. Texas Tech (10-1)

Best win: vs. Brigham Young (29-7), Nov. 8.

Loss: at Arizona State (26-22), Oct. 18.

Playoff chances: 90%. To reach No. 5 in the rankings strengthens the Red Raiders’ safety net even if they fall short of a Big 12 championship. But losses to West Virginia and in the conference title game would knock Tech out of the playoff.

6. Mississippi (10-1)

Best win: at Oklahoma (34-26), Oct. 25.

Loss: at Georgia (43-35), Oct. 18.

Playoff chances: 99%. Saturday’s unimpressive 34-24 win at home against Florida was still enough to almost ensure an at-large playoff berth regardless of what happens in the Egg Bowl.

7. Oregon (9-1)

Best win: at Iowa (18-16), Nov. 8.

Loss: vs. Indiana (30-20), Oct. 11.

Playoff chances: 60%. The odds are better than not that Oregon is the third Big Ten team in the field. But the Ducks have played two legitimate opponents all season, losing to Indiana and barely beating Iowa. Are they ready for Saturday’s huge matchup at home against Southern California? A loss there would dump Oregon out of the top 10 heading into the finale against Washington.

8. Oklahoma (8-2)

Best win: at Alabama (23-21), Nov. 15.

Losses: vs. Texas (in Dallas) (23-6), Oct. 11; vs. Mississippi (34-26), Oct. 25.

Playoff chances: 55%. Tossed aside after two October losses, the Sooners have rallied into at-large position with wins this month against Tennessee and Alabama. Oklahoma is in with wins at home against Missouri and LSU – and likely with home game in first round – but can’t afford a third defeat.

9. Alabama (9-2)

Best win: at Georgia (24-21), Sept. 27.

Losses: at Florida State (31-17), Aug. 30; vs. Oklahoma (23-21), Nov. 15.

Playoff chances: 75%. Alabama can still lock down a spot in the SEC title game and an at-large berth by beating Auburn. But a loss in the Iron Bowl will knock the Tide out of the mix.

10. Notre Dame (9-2)

Best win: vs. Southern California (34-24), Oct. 18.

Loss: at Miami (27-24), Aug. 31; vs. Texas A&M (41-40), Sept. 13.

Playoff chances: 85%. While they shouldn’t lose to Syracuse or Stanford, dropping one spot in the rankings will make the Irish feel a little more anxious about securing that at-large bid. Falling to No. 10 would move them a little closer to Miami, and it would be bad news for Notre Dame if that head-to-head tiebreaker came into play.

11. Brigham Young (9-1)

Best win: vs. Utah (24-21), Oct. 18.

Loss: at Texas Tech (29-7), Nov. 8.

Playoff chances: 33%. The Cougars’ best chance is via a conference title. But a chaotic finish in the Big Ten or SEC might give the Big 12 a chance at two playoff teams. In that scenario, BYU would need to beat Cincinnati and Central Florida convincingly and then play dramatically better against Texas Tech in the conference title game to crack the top 10.

12. Utah (9-2)

Best win: vs. Cincinnati (45-14), Nov. 1.

Losses: vs. Texas Tech (34-10), Sept. 20; at Brigham Young (24-21), Oct. 18.

Playoff chances: 10%. Losses to the Red Raiders and BYU will block Utah from the Big 12 title game. Getting an at-large bid is possible but very improbable given the number of teams ahead of the Utes and the fact there are still two teams behind them — the ACC champion and the Group of Five representative — who will be bumped into the bracket with the final rankings.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to undergo MRI on left groin

Antetokounmpo’s early departure, due to what is expected to be a left groin strain, raised concerns about the potential severity of his injury. He was seen grabbing his left groin several times before leaving the game and heading to the Bucks’ locker room with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter. He was ruled out for the rest of the game after halftime. Following the 118-109 loss, he was seen exiting Rocket Arena without assistance or a limp.

‘He grabbed it in the first quarter, and I asked him and he said it was fine,’ Rivers said after the game. ‘Then, I think, he grabbed it again, and he said it was fine. Then, the third time is when it happened, but I think it happened earlier, in my opinion.’

Rivers said that it ‘didn’t look great,’ and that the team will know more after an MRI to assess the injury.

Before his exit, Antetokounmpo had scored 14 points with five rebounds and four assists in just 13 minutes of play.

Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update

Antetokounmpo was seen grabbing his left groin several times before leaving the game and heading to the Bucks’ locker room with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter.

When do the Milwaukee Bucks play next?

On Thursday, Nov. 20, the Milwaukee Bucks will host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Fiserv Forum.

Date: Thursday, Nov. 20
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Steam: NBA League Pass, NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus
Location: Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee, WI)

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Fantasy football 2025: Week 12 trade value chart

With only a few weeks of the fantasy football regular season remaining, there are only two ways to improve your rosters — waiver wire and trades.

Evaluating a fantasy trade can be a daunting task. Most managers value their players more than they’re actually worth. That’s where the Week 12 trade value charts come in. You can also check out our Week 12 fantasy rankings to help with lineup and waiver decisions this week. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our content.

ANALYSIS: 8 players to add on waivers | 8 players to buy/sell

This charts can be used as your very own fantasy football trade analyzer in standard, half-PPR (point per reception) and full PPR leagues. Someone sends you an offer? Simply pull out a calculator (on your phone, you don’t need an actual calculator) and plug in the values for each player. Don’t worry, six-points-per-passing-touchdown and superflex leagues are covered as well.

Important note: If you’re offered an uneven trade (i.e., a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1), include the values for the players you’d be moving to the bench or dropping within your calculation. Example: If someone in your league offers you D’Andre Swift, DK Metcalf, and Sean Tucker (combined value of 78) for Jahmyr Gibbs (68), it might look like you’re getting the better end of it. However, if you’re bumping down, say, Devin Singletary and Jayden Higgins (combined value of 37) in the process, it’s a net negative deal for you.

The rankings are based on how players should be valued in 12-team leagues. Players are sorted in order of their half-PPR values.

Quarterback trade value chart

(Note: ‘6/TD’ is for leagues that award six points for passing touchdowns and ‘SFLEX’ stands for superflex.)

Running back trade value chart

Wide receiver trade value chart

Tight end trade value chart

Week 12 fantasy football rest-of-season rankings

Note: These values are for 12-team, one-QB leagues with half-PPR scoring.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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