188 jilibet
2025-01-11   

The Public Education Foundation (PEF) will proudly host its annual Golden Apple Gala on January 4, 2025, at Paris Las Vegas. The highly anticipated evening will launch the Clark County School District (CCSD) Alumni of the Year Awards, highlighting the achievements of CCSD graduates. In the inaugural year, PEF will celebrate the excellence and positive impact of the 2025 CCSD Alumni of the Year with impressive records of positively impacting our community: Bo Bernhard, Ph.D., Vice President of Economic Development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and Alex Bybee, Founder and Principal of Bybee Co. PEF will also recognize Adrian Gonzalez, founder of Country Bars, as the 2025 Emerging CCSD Alumni of the Year. “By celebrating leaders who graduated from our local public schools, we also celebrate the excellence found throughout CCSD that has prepared some of our community’s most successful business leaders, policy-makers, and community advocates,” said Peter Guzman, Chair of the PEF Board of Directors and President and CEO of the Latin Chamber of Commerce. “It is because of these visionaries and changemakers that the next generation of CCSD graduates are inspired to dream big and achieve more. “While it is clear that we have much work to do as a community to improve our public schools, there are also untold numbers of hard-working educators and students and a strong base of CCSD Alumni who are transforming our community,” Guzman said. PEF is honored to recognize the 2025 CCSD Alumni of the Year: Bo Bernhard, Ph.D., Vice President of Economic Development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), graduated from Bonanza High School and has since built an extraordinary career in research, education, and community impact. His projects have been featured in prominent media outlets such as The New York Times, The History Channel, and all three major U.S. networks. His dedication and impact have earned him numerous awards, including the World Affairs Council’s International Educator of the Year Award, the Harry Reid Silver State Research Award, and myriad other prestigious honors. Alex Bybee, Founder and Principal of Bybee Co., has driven positive change in Nevada for over a decade. He is a graduate of Bonanza High School in the Clark County School District and the University of Nevada, Reno, where he received his B.A. in Political Science and served in student government. He often consults on issues such as public education, climate, social services, and mass-violence recovery. Having previously served as Chief Strategy Officer for Communities In Schools Of Nevada, he helped secure $25 million in funding and triple the organization’s budget. Adrian Gonzalez is the founder of Country Bars, a soap company he founded as part of his senior year project at Northwest Career and Technical Academy. Adrian is a 2024 CCSD graduate and will be honored as the first Emerging Alumni of the Year. Major contributors to the gala include the NV Energy Foundation, Siriwan Singhasiri and Kenneth Lin Foundation, Select Health, Caesars Entertainment, Alan and Christy Molasky Family Foundation, Warner Bros. Discovery, Raiders, FanDuel, Intermountain Health, Don & Dee Snyder, The KeyState Companies, Cox Communications, Station Casinos, Bernhard Family, Acceleration Academies, Wynn Resorts, and MGM Resorts International. While media are invited to attend the event on January 4, PEF can offer interviews with Board Chairman Peter Guzman and the inaugural CCSD Alumni of the Year recipients in advance of the Golden Apple Gala. Please email riley.caspersen@thepef.org if you would like to coordinate interviews. To learn more about the Public Education Foundation, please visit thepef.org . About Public Education Foundation The Public Education Foundation (PEF) unites the community to inspire support of our public schools. In partnership with the Clark County School District (CCSD), PEF helps guide effective investments in education to meet the immediate, critical needs of our students, families, and educators. For more information about PEF, please visit www.thepef.org . Follow us on Facebook @ThePublicEducationFoundation, X/Twitter @ThePEFtoday, and Instagram @ThePEFtoday. RelatedNone188 jilibet 。

Pierce's 20 lead Presbyterian past Youngstown State 67-42Social media users are misrepresenting a report released Thursday by the Justice Department inspector general's office, falsely claiming that it's proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The watchdog report examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report's finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That's false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau's informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureau’s payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day's events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney's office in Washington said that it “generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach.” The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office's counterterrorism division told the inspector general's office that he “denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6.” He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D'Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report's findings. “JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!" reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. “New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON!” The mention of Wray's resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray's announcement Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. Wray called such theories “ludicrous” at a congressional hearing last year. Asked for comment on the false claims spreading online, Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector general’s office, pointed The Associated Press to a press release about the report. In addition to its findings about the the FBI's involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a “basic step that was missed,” failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, “that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6.” However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known “domestic terrorism subjects” who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general’s recommendation “regarding potential process improvements for future events.” — Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck .Social media users are misrepresenting a report released Thursday by the Justice Department inspector general's office, falsely claiming that it's proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The watchdog report examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report's finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That's false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau's informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureau’s payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day's events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney's office in Washington said that it “generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach.” The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office's counterterrorism division told the inspector general's office that he “denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6.” He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D'Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report's findings. “JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!" reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. “New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON!” The mention of Wray's resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray's announcement Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. Wray called such theories “ludicrous” at a congressional hearing last year. Asked for comment on the false claims spreading online, Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector general’s office, pointed The Associated Press to a press release about the report. In addition to its findings about the the FBI's involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a “basic step that was missed,” failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, “that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6.” However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known “domestic terrorism subjects” who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general’s recommendation “regarding potential process improvements for future events.” — Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck . By Melissa Goldin, The Associated Press

EMPOLI, Italy (AP) — Scotland international Che Adams scored from almost the halfway line as Torino ended a run of poor form to win at Empoli 1-0 in Serie A on Friday. Adams replaced Antonio Sanabria in the 64th minute and made his mark almost immediately. With 70 gone, he spotted the Empoli goalkeeper off his line and lobbed the ball over his head from inside the center circle. The goal ended his personal eight-game drought in spectacular fashion, and will ease pressure on coach Paolo Vanoli. The Turin club was unbeaten in its first five league games and topped the table for a time. But it has won only one of 10 games since, back in late October. Friday's win lifted Torino into 12th place, two places and three points behind Empoli. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerThis is indeed not the best of times for Nigeria’s economic managers, as international rating agencies, rather than applaud their efforts, have continued to express loss of confidence in the state of the country’s economy. The latest vote of no confidence came from SBM Intelligence Africa Country Instability Risk Index which classified the country as vulnerable to instability in its 2024 report. This position is a downgrade from the stable status, it was classed in 2023, a sign that the economic reform programmes of the present administration, is strangulating rather than building the economy. Since May 29 last year, Nigeria has struggled with high inflation and unstable currency value, with the naira losing over 70 per cent of its value to the dollar. The high energy cost arising from the removal of fuel subsidy, and the fluctuation of the exchange rate, arising from the floatation of the naira, two major economic reform decisions of the Tinubu administration, have escalated the cost of doing business and made the cost of living extremely high and pushing more citizens into poverty. Nigeria dropped six points on the Risk Index this year, scoring 45 compared with 39 in 2023. According to SBM Intelligence, a higher score in the risk index means a higher level of political risk to business. The implication of this is that Nigeria stands the risk of financial market turmoil, delayed consumption and investment decisions by both businesses and the citizens, and prompt lenders to tighten credit supply, all of which can lead the people into deeper poverty. The report highlights Nigeria’s deteriorating economic environment, worsened by factors such as rising food inflation, insecurity, and rising poverty level as the drivers of instability in the country. According to the report, “Nigeria’s economy continues to worsen, with rising food inflation, persistent insecurity across all geopolitical zones, and many people falling into extreme poverty. “It is more polarised now than ever after the 2023 election and the unpopular reforms of the new government, such as the removal of petrol subsidies, which has worsened living conditions and led to the closure of businesses.” Other African nations sharing this risk status include Ethiopia, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Togo, reflecting broader economic and governance concerns across the continent. Analysis of the 2024 SBM Intelligence Africa Country Instability Risk Index, shows that Sub-Saharan Africa recorded an average of 45.4 per cent in 2024, an improvement from 47.7 per cent in the previous year. Out of 48 countries, 31 reported improved performance, while the rest deteriorated. Angola, Burundi, Chad, Togo, and Madagascar were the biggest gainers. A cutback on governance costs drove Angola’s performance, while Madagascar’s GDP growth improved to 4.4 per cent in 2023 from 4.3 per cent in 2022. Botswana, Seychelles, Nigeria, Namibia, and Zimbabwe were the biggest losers. Botswana experienced a GDP decline of nearly two per cent in the first quarter of 2024, and Zimbabwe experienced economic challenges such as debt and currency crises. On a regional count, Central African countries had the most representation, in the top ten, with about 40 per cent of the lot having countries such as Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, and Gabon. Following closely is West Africa at 30 per cent with Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The regions with the lowest representations are East Africa, with 20 per cent represented by Burundi and Madagascar, and Southern Africa, at 10 per cent, with Eswatini as its sole representative. “The worst-performing entities are shared by Eastern and Southern Africa, at 40 per cent each–represented by countries such as Seychelles, Kenya, Mauritius, and Comoros on the East side and Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia on the South,” SBM Intelligence stated. For the second year running, Southern Africa retained its spot as the most stable region, with a score change of -1.3.

Verstappen admits he reconsidered his future at Red Bull in 2024The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fansBy BILL BARROW, Associated Press PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter’s in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Defying expectations Carter’s path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That’s a very narrow way of assessing them,” Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” ‘Country come to town’ Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he’d be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter’s tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” A ‘leader of conscience’ on race and class Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor’s race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama’s segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival’s endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King’s daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn was Carter’s closest advisor Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters’ early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Reevaluating his legacy Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan’s presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan’s Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. Pilgrimages to Plains The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.

The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fans

Generation Beta is coming: Babies born in 2025 will experience a world like no otherMum's worst fears over missing daughter confirmed after chilling call from dentist

From earlier this morning. The MCC Members were eager to get to their favorite seats for the third day of play. A crowd of over 70,000 is expected today as Australia look to take the game beyond India. Play is set to start at 10.30am AEDT. Tea was due on day two of the Boxing Day Test and the contest was at an absorbing pass. Australia spent the first half of the day making hay while the sun shone from a cloudless sky. On a pitch that had quickened up to a nicety overnight, there was plenty to make. Steve Smith wound back the years as he wound up his arms, scattering the ball to all parts. He does not so much hook sixes as cast them over fine leg like a fly fisherman. This was his fifth MCG hundred; he loves the place like he loves his mum and his bat in no particular order. Pat Cummins, playing a mix of conventional and Konstas cricket, had matched him blow for robust blow in a century stand that gave Australia the running in this match. Cummins in such a vein divides sentiment, between appreciation for what he can do and mystification about why hasn’t done it more often. But he doesn’t often get this batting conditions as blissful as this. He reaped. Australian star Steve Smith has admitted he reflected on critics questioning whether his eyes and reflexes were fading by stepping forward and moving closer to the bowler. He believed batting out of his crease takes the game to the bowler but also makes it harder for him to be trapped lbw. “You’ve got to have faith, I was hitting the ball really nicely and people were saying “Is he too old? Are his eyes going?” So I thought I would go out of my crease and make my impact point closer to the bowler, so it all comes a bit quicker,” Smith told Fox Sports this morning. “I think my eyes are still there which is nice. For me, it is about keeping the faith and knowing that I’m hitting the ball well. There is a difference between being out of form and out of runs - I was just out of runs and I’ve played long enough to know that things can turn around quickly.” There could be a hint of rain later today but, otherwise, looks to be a brilliant day for cricket. Ricky Ponting has had this to say on Seven about Virat Kohli turning back to address hecklers after his dismissal at the MCG on day two. Virat Kohli came close to an angry confrontation with the crowd after he was involved in a calamitous run out in which veteran spinner Nathan Lyon later pinned him as the guilty party. Kohli was almost out of sight from the crowd in the players’ race after his dismissal before he returned to glare at hecklers. An ICC official then placed a consolatory arm around his shoulder and shepherded him down the race. It is not clear from the video of the incident that surfaced on social media on Friday night what sparked Kohli’s backturn, and though boos were clearly audible, no racial or personal abuse could be heard. Cricket Australia and the Melbourne Cricket Club had not received a complaint from the Board of Control for Cricket in India at the time of publication. The BCCI have been contacted for comment. G’day everyone. I’m Roy Ward and welcome to our Boxing Day Test live blog. We are at day three of this match and it really feels like both this match and this series are both on the line today as Australia tries to bowl out India and the tourists aim for a mid-innings recovery after falling to 5-164 at stumps yesterday. India trails by 310 runs and have the dangerous Rishbah Pant and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease, both are capable of posting big scores. Scott Boland, Pat Cummins and the rest of the Australian attack will aim to break this partnership up early and then power through the tail. Play begins at 10.30am AEDT. Enjoy the hours to come.Bezos' Blue Origin gets FAA license for its first New Glenn rocket launch

None

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 6:06 p.m. ESTCLEVELAND, Ohio — Another trip to Pittsburgh resulted in yet another defeat for the Browns as they lost at Acrisure Stadium to the Steelers on Sunday, 27-14 . Jameis Winston’s second-quarter interception on a screen pass attempt led to the Steelers taking the lead, and Pittsburgh never trailed from that point on. Winston finished the game by completing 24 of 41 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and two INTs. Dustin Hopkins also missed two field goals on kicks from 38 and 45 yards. Adding to the special teams woes was a Kadarius Toney muffed punt that the Steelers recovered, erasing any slim hopes of a potential Browns comeback. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes, and Najee Harris added a TD run for Pittsburgh. With the loss, the Browns are officially eliminated from playoff contention as they welcome the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Week 15. Here is how social media reacted to the loss. More Cleveland Browns coverage Browns’ loss to Steelers continues the uncomfortable conversation around one of Cleveland’s favorite players — Jimmy Watkins Grade Jameis Winston’s performance from Week 14 vs. the Steelers Jameis Winston throws 2 more picks, Dustin Hopkins misses 2 more kicks as Browns lose 27-14 to the Steelers “Watching Hopkins Struggle,” former Browns kick returner Josh Cribbs posted with an eyes closed emoji and a Denzel Washington GIF . “Dustin Hopkins yikes,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated posted . “Two things can be true at the same time: I would have rather seen Winston start games this year over Watson but at the same time he can’t be your starting QB of the future #Browns ,” WKYC-TV’s Dave Chudowsky posted . “the season is cooked but man you gotta cut Dustin Hopkins, like, now,” Jordan Zirm of The Sporting News posted . “The #Browns signed Dustin Hopkins to a 3-year deal worth $15.9 million which included a signing bonus of $3.5 million. And I don’t think any of us questioned it this past summer. He has had an awful season. Just terrible,” Nick Camino of WKYC-TV posted . “The Kadarius Toney experiment is officially over,” Mike Lucas of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show posted . “The career of Kadarius Toney needs to be studied,” Rachel Doerrie of BetAlytics and Puck Social posted . “Name any first-round WR with worse hands than Kadarius Toney,” Jay Morrison of BengalsTalk.com posted . “Kadarius Toney doing Kadarius Toney things. Fumbling punts. Personal fouls. Once again, if the Chiefs couldn’t salvage him, nobody can,” Adam Best of ArrowheadAddict.com posted . “Get Kadarius Toney off my screen. Losing player,” Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team posted . “Jameis Winston has been an upgrade from Deshaun Watson, but we can stop talking about him potentially being the Browns’ starter in 2025,” Ben Axelrod of Awful Announcing posted . “Sometimes I wonder if this Jameis Winston Experience is fun for everyone except Browns fans,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein posted . “Double Digit win seasons since 1999: Steelers 15 Browns 3 Hammer vs nail rivalry,” Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh posted . “The Steelers have beat the Browns in 21-straight regular season home games. 21!!!” Hayden Winks of Underdog Fantasy posted . “Bad interceptions, missed field goals, blown coverages, fumbled punt returns. It all adds up to another loss for the Browns,” Al Pawlowski of “Guardians Live” posted .By Michitaka Kaiya 8:00 JST, December 28, 2024 Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is also president of the Liberal Democratic Party, is seeking to overcome the LDP’s predicament as a minority ruling party by managing the Diet in a low-key manner. The government and ruling parties were able to clear the first hurdle, passing the fiscal 2024 supplementary budget bill, with the cooperation of the Democratic Party for the People and the Japan Innovation Party. A senior government official praised the prime minister for listening attentively to the opposition parties’ requests, saying, “This is the fruit of the prime minister’s political stance.” While dialogue with opposition parties is indispensable, the prime minister sees 1950s Prime Minister Tanzan Ishibashi as a model of how democracy should work. Ishibashi, a journalist who had fought against prewar militarism, emphasized the power of speech and is widely respected by members of the ruling and opposition parties alike. Ishiba’s Nov. 29 policy speech quoted from Ishibashi’s policy speech: “As a main principle of our national policy, we will institute the practice of exchanging views in a straightforward manner at all times and work together while also clearly stating our individual stances. We must endeavor to keep pace with global progress while engaging in this ready cooperation.” Since the Ishibashi Cabinet was in office for only 65 days, some in the government were cautious, saying that the quote was bad luck. But Ishiba, a devoted admirer of Ishibashi who owns a complete collection of his writings, insisted and the quotation remained. It is not a bad thing for the government and ruling party to incorporate policies that are in the national interest, even if they are an opposition party’s idea. In some European countries, a form of “consensus democracy” based on a multiparty system has taken root. However, the reality in Japan is that the government and most of the parties avoid painful discussions on the financial resources needed to support their policies, and instead, only pork-barrel policies take precedence. The DPFP has been strongly calling for the “¥1.03 million barrier,” the annual income threshold above which tax is levied, to be raised to ¥1.78 million. Both the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, hoping to get support for the supplementary budget from the DPFP, agreed to raise it. The Japan Innovation Party called for free education up to high school, and the ruling parties decided to set up a consultative body to study the issue. No party has been seen to squarely raise the issue of financial resources. Some within the LDP voiced concern that the party was making too many concessions to opposition parties and that it was giving up cards it could play in negotiations to win opposition support for the fiscal 2025 initial budget proposal. Ishiba has told those around him, “We are not in a political situation where we can establish our unique policies,” and the national vision he is aiming for remains vague. Most policy decisions are also left to the LDP. Even before assuming the prime minister’s post, Ishiba had a reputation as a politician who was good at debating and criticizing, but unable to make decisions. Some in the government have pointed out that the prime minister’s weaknesses are less noticeable because he is a member of a minority ruling party, which limits his freedom of action. However, the ideal form of democracy would be for the prime minister, as the top leader, to clearly present his vision for the nation and for the ruling and opposition parties to engage in vigorous debate based on that vision. Although Tanzan Ishibashi stepped down after a short period as prime minister due to poor health, he continues to be highly regarded as a leader for his clear vision in foreign and domestic politics, including his “Little Japanism.” Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda, who served as prime minister in 2011-12, also holds Ishibashi in high regard. On Dec. 6, Noda made the following complaint about Ishiba at a press conference: “Mr. Ishibashi was a great politician in the sense that he never wavered in his thinking even at major turning points of the times. Prime Minister Ishiba is inconsistent in what he said during the LDP presidential election and what he is saying in the Diet. I wish he would learn more from Tanzan Ishibashi.” At a meeting on Dec. 19, Ishiba expressed his determination, saying, “Although we are a minority ruling party, we will listen to the opinions of various people and establish the Japan we should aim for.” Will Ishiba establish a politics of deliberative democracy that aims to reflect the broad popular will, including that of minority groups? Or will he fall into a politics that only seeks to prolong his administration’s life, marked only by caution in dealing with the ruling and opposition parties? Ishiba’s true value will be severely tested at the ordinary Diet session to be convened in January. The success or failure of this process will directly affect the House of Councillors election to be held in the summer. Political Pulse appears every Saturday. Michitaka Kaiya Kaiya is a staff writer in the Political News Department of The Yomiuri Shimbun.

FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setupCowboys win wild one vs. Commanders to halt five-game slide

Beacon Healthcare Systems Expands Leadership Team with Addition of Ayman Mohamed as Chief Technology OfficerWeek 12 has started with an upset. The Cleveland Browns prevailed over the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 on Thursday Night Football , surviving the elements of the first snow game of the 2024 season. Cleveland took a commanding 18-6 lead early in the fourth quarter with Pittsburgh unable to find offensive rhythm, but it came back to seize a 19-18 lead late on fueled by forcing turnovers in the weather. However, Jameis Winston responded with a late nine-play, 45-yard drive to give Cleveland the advantage again. Russell Wilson had the chance to reply one last time for the win, but the Browns swatted down his last-ditch Hail Mary attempt. The shock result moves Cleveland to 3-8, while Pittsburgh dropped to 8-3 in an AFC that is tight at the top. Let's analyze the game further with winners and losers: WINNER: Nick Chubb, Browns Chubb has been far from his best after returning from gruesome leg injuries sustained last season, but he played a pivotal role for Cleveland. The 28-year-old rushed for 59 yards on 20 carries for two touchdowns, including the eventual game winner. It was his first multi-rushing touchdown game since Halloween of 2022. Though this game may not spur Cleveland up the AFC ladder, it's a positive sign for Chubb to pick up individual momentum. LOSER: Steelers' offensive weapons The Steelers typically deploy a robust defense under Mike Tomlin, but the offensive talent around Wilson has been in question. Mike Williams was acquired at the deadline, but he's still yet to produce for any team this season and did not feature in this game. Wilson completed 21 of 28 passes for 270 yards, one touchdown and a pick, but the offense's inability to consistently move the chains in the first three quarters was evident. Pittsburgh's downfall in this game may have just foreshadowed how its season could end against stronger teams. WINNER: Snow games Cleveland hosted the first snow game of the season. While the temperature and field was just fine during the first half, the snow kicked it up a notch in the second. It predictably resulted in more drops by receivers and fumbles. The two teams combined for five fumbles, with three recovered by the opposition. Cleveland's fourth-quarter miscue could've been costly, but it held on for the victory. LOSER: Third-down disparity Most of the key team stats point to this being a game the Steelers let slip away. Specifically, the third-down disparity ended on a brutal note from Pittsburgh's point of view. Pittsburgh converted on a solid 7-for-16 third downs, and had more total yards, drives and possession time along with fewer penalties. Cleveland, on the other hand, converted on just 1-for-10 third downs. But it flipped the switch when it mattered the most, moving the chain on all four fourth-down attempts. Pittsburgh wasn't limited by the snow given how it managed to retake the lead during the pouring, but the statistics will definitely frustrate Mike Tomlin and Co. WINNER: Jerry Jeudy, Browns After a slow and poor first eight weeks of the season, Jeudy has found improved form with Winston as QB1. He ended the game with six catches on six targets for 85 yards, coming up big whenever the Browns needed him. It also marked four straight games of at least five or more catches for the 25-year-old. While that might not sound like a lot for the former first rounder, he logged three straight games of just one catch each from Weeks 5-7. Last time out against the Saints he recorded six catches on 11 targets for a season-high 142 yards and a score.

Rigetti Computing (RGTI) continued to rise spectacularly on Friday, with shares seen increasing by more than 13% to $17.53 during morning trading. Advertisement The gain follows a record close at $15.44 on Thursday, marking the fifth consecutive session of gains for the quantum-computing services company. Advertisement Rigetti’s shares have skyrocketed more than 1,794% this year, a movement that has placed the company for its best annual performance on record. The surge is a significant comeback for a stock that, until mid-December, had remained below $1 for extended periods. Rigetti, which debuted on the Nasdaq in March 2022 after a SPAC merger, initially reached highs of $11.37 but struggled to regain those levels until this year’s rally. Now, as it continues its rally, the stock may hit another all-time high on Friday. Rigetti rises as part of a broader rally in quantum computing stocks Rigetti’s unprecedented rise reflects the broader rally being witnessed by quantum computing stocks, and investor enthusiasm for the sector. The share price of Quantum Computing (QUBT) climbed by 6.4% before losing the gains and slipping into the red, while D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) gained 2.53%. QUBT has gained more than 2,006% YTD. Quantum Corp. (QMCO) and Quantum-Si (QSI) surged by 6.2% and 68.9%, respectively. What’s driving market excitement for Rigetti is its ambitious technological roadmap. The company plans to deploy a 36-qubit system by mid-2025, using its proprietary superconducting qubit technology, which offers gate speeds of 60 to 80 nanoseconds—far outpacing competitors. A larger, 100-plus-qubit system is also planned for later in 2025. Analyst forecasts for the quantum computing market Rigetti’s Q3 revenue remained modest at $2.4 million, but the company’s $92.6 million cash position provides a solid foundation for executing its vision. Analysts see quantum computing as a transformative technology with vast potential, supported by McKinsey’s forecast that the market could reach $45 billion to $131 billion by 2040. With its recent achievements and ambitious plans, Rigetti is emerging as a leader in a rapidly expanding field, signalling a bright future for quantum computing innovation. Former Rigetti executive sells into its strength Rigetti’s strong rally prompted at least one investor to sell into its strength. Former General Counsel of Rigetti, Richard Danis sold 624,262 shares in December, earning $4.7 million, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. His transactions included a sale of 233,423 shares on Monday, Dec. 23, for $2.6 million at an average price of $11.03 per share. Danis had also indicated plans to sell an additional 250,000 shares at $11 per share, a transaction that would net $2.8 million. Danis resigned from his role on Nov. 30, and Rigetti that his post-resignation consulting agreement was terminated by mutual agreement earlier this month. Should you sell too? , financial analyst at Invezz, there are compelling reasons to sell quantum stocks like RGTI, QSI, and others. He says, The first major reason to sell quantum computing stocks like Rigetti Computing, Quantum Corporation, and IONQ is that major themes often don’t work out in the long term. This performance is mostly because the market is usually driven by fear and greed. Nyaga has compared the current sentiment to the initial surge seen in cannabis and electric vehicle stocks which plunged after seeing a hype. Secondly, according to Nyaga, the Wyckoff method shows that stocks will crash due to a concept called mean reversion. “This situation is where stocks and other assets drop and return to their mean levels after a strong surge. This means the reversion concept has recently worked well in the crypto industry.” Additionally, their stocks have become highly overbought as their Relative Strength Index (RSI) and Stochastic Oscillators have soared, he says, adding stocks often retreat when they become highly overbought. Lastly, he says, quantum computing stocks will crash because their valuation metrics have become highly stretched in the past few months.

ORCHARD PARK — Taylor Rapp had some extra energy as he ripped off his red No. 9 practice jersey after practice Thursday. The non-contact jersey he was wearing the last few weeks was a necessity as he nursed an ailing neck and shoulder injury. Rapp declined to discuss the exact nature of his injury, but it was enough to keep him out of the last two games. When Rapp dressed for practice Friday, he didn’t put the red jersey back on, instead returning to the defensive white uniform. Officially listed as questionable, Rapp’s return would provide a boost to the Buffalo Bills secondary — as should the return of cornerback Rasul Douglas — as the safety has emerged as the conductor on the back end. To decipher Rapp’s value, look no further than the games the Bills have allowed the most passing yards. Rapp was playing injured or out in four of the five games Buffalo allowed more than 250 yards through the air, including the last three games. It’s a flip from where Rapp was a year ago, serving as the team’s third safety on third downs after signing with the team on a prove-it, one-year $1.77 million contract. “From a safety perspective, across the league, this is definitely one of the harder systems and schemes,” Rapp told GNN Sports. “Just being able to get that first year under my belt to learn from guys like Micah (Hyde) and (Jordan Poyer), some of the best to ever do it in this system. Just having that first year under my belt to get comfortable and keep it moving.” Is simply winning a game no longer enough for #Bills fans? How much goodwill can the #Sabres get back after a 13-game losing streak? And just how much coal did @billhoppe.bsky.social get in his stocking? fireside.fm/episode/sMvb... [image or embed] Last week’s 253 passing yards allowed to rookie quarterback Drake Maye and the New England Patriots marked the first time the Bills have allowed 250 yards in three consecutive games since 2020. They have never had four such games in Sean McDermott’s eight seasons as head coach. Now the Bills get the New York Jets and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who despite dropping 10 of their 12 games, has thrown for over 250 yards in three consecutive games, the first time he’s done so since December 2021. Rodgers threw for 294 yards in the teams’ first meeting Oct. 14, Rapp’s first game back after leaving with a concussion sustained against the Baltimore Ravens two weeks earlier . Having Rapp in the lineup gives the Bills a playmaker who has two interceptions, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. Typically the Bills are among the best in the league in limiting opposing playmakers. The brand of defense Buffalo plays is designed to limit long passing plays and the Bills have allowed just eight passes over 30 yards, second in the NFL to the Green Bay Packers. But the Bills have given up three passing plays over 50 yards after allowing one in the previous two seasons combined and two over 60 for just the second time (2021) under McDermott. But the Bills view it as a communication issue rather than a decline in talent. All five Week 1 starters in the secondary have missed at least one game due to injury, with cornerback Christian Benford being the only player not to miss more than one. The Bills played without three starters in back-to-back weeks, while slot cornerback Taron Johnson missed parts of last week’s game while being assessed for a concussion and safety Damar Hamlin (rib) is questionable to miss a third consecutive game after wearing a red non-contact jersey all week. “Just hone in on the details,” Rapp said. “It always starts with the details. ... Honing in on the game plan, knowing what you’re supposed to do and knowing your job.” Dealing with Rodgers’ quick release The 41-year-old Rodgers is tasked with facing the Bills defense with his blindside protected by New York’s third-string left tackle. It may seem like a game for the Buffalo pass rush to feast, but the Jets will surely have a plan. Rodgers already has the fourth-quickest release in the NFL this season, getting the ball out in 2.64 seconds on average. Buffalo held him to 2.71 seconds in the 23-20 Week 6 win, but the Jets have added receiver Davante Adams since then. The Bills have struggled with quarterbacks with quick release this season. Opposing quarterbacks are unloading in 2.68 seconds this season, faster than the league average of 2.8. Nearly half of passing attempts against the Bills have left the quarterback’s hand in 2.5 seconds or faster and they are completing 76.7% on those throws.The Bills are allowing 7 yards per attempt on those throws, up from 6.3 on throws over 2.5 seconds. Buffalo hasn’t been able to get to the quarterback on quick-release throws, with seven of its 34 sacks coming on attempts longer than 2.5 seconds. Often the only hope on those plays is to knock passes down, but the Bills don’t have any batted balls on quick throws this season. “We’re expecting a lot of quick throws, a lot of timing things to get him in rhythm and try to get us to second-guess ourselves,” Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa said. “But if we can keep a one-track mind and keep getting after him, I think we can get to him.” Keeping running back Breece Hall in check should help the Bills put Rodgers in more positions to hold the ball a little longer. But an offense that ranks 31st in the NFL with 88.7 yards rushing per game put up 121 on the Bills in the first matchup. And even if the Bills can make the Jets pass reliant, they must do a better job closing out games defensively. Buffalo has one fourth-quarter sack since Week 10 — it came last week on a bad snap — and they have not had an interception in the final frame since picking off Patrick Mahomes to seal a Week 11 win. Opposing quarterbacks have gone 31 of 38 for 357 yards and four touchdowns the past three games. Not only does the defense know it’s going to be a passing play when playing from behind late in the game, but the offense knows the defense is rushing four and dropping seven in coverage to prevent big plays. “It’s not like we’re hiding what we’re doing,” Epenesa said. “They do certain things to help protect, whether it’s chipping, mixing up protection plans, bringing people in and out from different formations to block. It’s just us trying to get on our stuff and get after it.” What’s at stake The Bills have no chance at the No.1 seed in the AFC after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans on Wednesday. They are now focused on the No. 2 and just need a win over the Jets to clinch it for the third consecutive season. If the Bills don’t beat the Jets, it likely puts them in a position to have to play the Patriots without resting starters in the regular season finale. It would also squander an attempt to go 6-0 in the AFC East for the first time since 2020 and finish with an unbeaten home slate for the first time since 1990. “That’s a precedent that (McDermott) sets early on from everybody that gets here of defending our dirt and making sure that that’s one of the best ways to help yourselves get in the playoffs, is being a good team at your home field,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. NOTES: S Damar Hamlin (rib), DB Cam Lewis (shoulder), S Taylor Rapp (neck/shoulder) and WR Curtis Samuel (rib) are questionable to play Sunday.

Related hot word search:

Previous: 100 jilibet
Next: jilibet 90