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Not for the first time this season, Liverpool delivered under pressure to tighten their grip on the top of the table. Trailing 1-0 after a generally anaemic first-half performance, two fine goals either side of the interval from Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones turned the game around before Mohamed Salah capped the win and allowed Arne Slot’s side to move seven points clear. We dissect the major talking points at Anfield. How did Liverpool step it up? Arne Slot has proved adept at triggering second-half improvements from his Liverpool team this season and here was another one for the Dutchman’s growing collection. Liverpool’s decision making before the break was abject. The hosts had 73 per cent possession in the first half but forced just a single save from rookie keeper Jakub Stolarczyk prior to Gakpo’s equaliser. So many sloppy errors, so often the wrong option was taken. Slot cut an agitated figure on the touchline but the interval gave him the opportunity to make the required tactical tweaks and a change of approach quickly reaped its rewards. Liverpool’s second goal epitomised the greater composure and better movement on display as they carved Leicester open rather than whipping high balls in from wide areas. Jones found Salah, who played in Alexis Mac Allister down the right. His low centre was turned home by Jones, who marked his 100th Premier League appearance in style. Advertisement ‘Patience’ is a word Slot repeatedly uses to his players and they showed a lot more of it in the second half as they waited for openings to emerge rather than trying to force the issue. Gakpo saw one effort ruled out due to Darwin Nunez being offside in the build up before the points were finally secured by Salah’s cool finish — his 19th goal of the season — with eight minutes to go. The introduction of Diogo Jota and Dominik Szoboszlai off the bench also helped Liverpool get the job done. The bench looks so strong. As the Kop chanted about being top of the table and serenaded Slot late on, it was a serene end to a night which had got off to the worst possible start. James Pearce Another timely Gakpo intervention When Gakpo scores, it tends to mean something. Liverpool were toiling to find an equaliser and Anfield was growing frustrated but Gakpo took matters into his own hands and produced a terrific curling effort to put his team level. UK readers watch here: Cody Gakpo, that is BEAUTIFUL! 🤤💫 #PLonPrime #LIVLEI pic.twitter.com/jr29PQVwiR — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024 U.S. readers watch here: Cody Gakpo scores an absolute BELTER from outside the box! 🎯 📺 USA Network | #LIVLEI pic.twitter.com/mLJVfF3DhE — NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2024 It was the moment that changed the momentum of the game and set Liverpool on their way to a comeback victory, and not for the first time where Gakpo is concerned. Of his 26 goals he has scored for Liverpool in his first 18 months in English football, 14 have changed the game state. This was the sixth time he has found an equaliser but he has scored another seven times to put his team ahead. His goal against Leicester was a repeat of last season’s meeting at Anfield in the third round of the Carabao Cup (which they went onto win) when they also found themselves 1-0 down in the first half. His goal inspired them to a 3-1 win that day. Advertisement Manchester City , Brighton , Fulham (all twice), Wolves , Bournemouth , Luton and Aston Villa have all been on the receiving end of significant Gakpo goals, and that’s without even mentioning the strikes that put Liverpool 2-0 up against Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League . His impact when his team needs him is clear. Playing off the left flank under Arne Slot, Gakpo has been able to find more consistency than he did last season under Jurgen Klopp who opted to rotate him across the entire front line. As with fellow Dutch international Ryan Gravenberch , Slot is getting a tune out of his countryman when he needs it. Jordan Campbell GO DEEPER Liverpool DealSheet: Why January transfers are unlikely and who could go on loan? What happened to Liverpool’s crossing? At half-time Liverpool had attempted 33 crosses. Not only was it 19 more than in any of their opening 17 Premier League first-half showings this season, it was more than the total recorded in any of those full matches. They had spurned opportunities early in the game but after Leicester took the lead they became reliant on crosses from deep that allowed Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side to camp in their box and head them away. There was a clear change of strategy after Slot had the interval to fine-tune his team’s approach. They only attempted another 11 before the final whistle. The total of 44 was still 13 ahead of the next highest match total against Fulham (31), but the reduction in the number of crosses helped Liverpool play with more precision and variety. It was a half characterised by undercooked crosses and corners. They took 12 across the full game, delivering nine into the box in total — of which only one successfully found a Liverpool player. When even the right foot of Trent Alexander-Arnold does not beat the man at the front post in three successive deliveries, it is bound to be a struggle. Advertisement Slot has shown his ability to change games from the bench but this time he showed tactical acumen to help his players resist the trap of desperately firing hopeful deliveries into the penalty area. Jordan Campbell What next for Liverpool? Sunday, December 29 : West Ham United (away), Premier League , 5:15pm UK, 12:15pm ET Recommended reading (Top photo: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images))Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Hackers are targeting human resources, health, finance and legal data held by employers as a way of exerting maximum pressure and leveraging ever-larger ransom payments out of Australian companies. The average ransom payment made by an Australian company attacked by cybercriminals jumped to $1.35 million in 2024, compared to $1 million a year ago, according to a new report by advisory and restructuring firm McGrathNicol and market research business YouGov. Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Introducing your Newsfeed Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. Latest In Technology Fetching latest articles Most Viewed In Technology

OAKLAND — The city will be thoroughly reshaped by the almost-final Nov. 5 election results, which included a successful recall of Mayor Sheng Thao and victories by three new City Council candidates, with another replacement likely on the way. The political stakes amid all this turnover are high, with a crippling budget crisis and unresolved sale of the Coliseum leaving the city possibly on the path to fiscal insolvency. Who are the eight council members set to lead Oakland next year, alongside a new mayor? Here’s where things stand: The only seat to represent the entire city was fought over by 10 candidates vying to replace retiring Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan. Brown, a staffer for state Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, emerged successful, fending off the name recognition of former police Chief LeRonne Armstrong by a 56% to 43% margin in ranked-choice votes. Of all the candidates for council, Brown received the most financial support from SEIU Local 1021, the city’s largest labor union. She has promised a multi-pronged solution for taking on crime, including an increase in funds for Oakland’s unarmed crisis-response program, MACRO. Brown, who did not respond to an interview request, could possibly look to avoid some more contentious routes to fixing the budget, including negotiating a pay cut for the unions or slashing city services to spare reductions at the Oakland Police Department, which frequently overspends. Unger handily won the race to succeed retiring Councilmember Dan Kalb in representing areas of North Oakland near the Emeryville border and the Rockridge, Piedmont and Grand Lake neighborhoods, plus part of Adams Point above Lake Merritt. His labor backing will come as no surprise given his longtime role leading the Oakland firefighters’ union and his previous political alliance with Thao. But the Brown University and UC Berkeley grad, a former firefighter, bills himself as a “pragmatist” who has seen the city renegotiate its past labor contracts and recognizes that such a move could be part of a solution to the crisis. “We need to fund public safety fully,” Unger said of police, fire and other violence-prevention staff, though he said cops and firefighters may ultimately be lost through attrition. He also noted a possible quarter-cent sales tax may appear on next spring’s special election ballot to replace the mayor. Thao is likely to leave office after the council certifies election results at a Dec. 17 meeting, at which point Bas, who has two years left in her District 2 term, would become interim mayor as president of the council. But she may end up holding that office for only a few weeks. Bas likely will join the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in January, if her lead over Emeryville’s John Bauters remains when results are finalized. At that point, the new City Council would select from its 2025 roster both a new president and someone to serve as interim mayor, given that the current next in line, President Pro-Tempore Kalb, is also leaving office. Bas’ likely departure means Oakland would have another special election next year to permanently fill her District 2 seat, which represents Chinatown, Jack London Square and areas south of Lake Merritt, including the San Antonio neighborhood. The election would take place within 120 days of Bas leaving office, per the city charter, but the council may also have a pathway to appoint a temporary replacement until then. It’s very possible the election, which county officials estimate will cost several million dollars, could replace Thao and Bas in one go. By a 58% to 41% ranked-choice margin, Fife defeated her closest opponent, Warren Logan, withstanding the financial backing he received from a tougher-on-crime, more fiscally conservative political outfit. She credited a boots-on-the-ground campaign approach for her success. But now she faces a budget crisis exacerbated by the still-pending sale of the Oakland Coliseum. Meanwhile, she is pondering a mayoral run next spring if Congresswoman Barbara Lee isn’t convinced by Fife and other Democrats in Oakland to go for the job. At a meeting last week, she railed against unnamed city officials for misrepresenting the core problems behind the crisis — heavily intimating that the police department should be held to account for its overspending. Ramachandran, who just gave birth to a son, is on maternity leave “for the next few weeks,” she told this news organization on Nov. 18. How long she’s gone may end up being relevant to the council’s ability to hold quorum, with Bas leaving District 2 vacant and another member likely to become the interim mayor. The eight-member council needs five members present to hold meetings and vote, and additional absences could jeopardize that if Ramachandran misses extended time. A social-justice lawyer, Ramachandran has been most notable on the council for opposing Thao’s budget plans and pushing for more conservative spending amid an uncertain Coliseum sale. She has said a mayoral run isn’t under consideration, despite the last three mayors hailing from District 4, which spans a diverse range of Oakland neighborhoods from Allendale in the east to Montclair in the north. Gallo soon will be the longest-tenured councilmember — and in recent years, the one who’s least engaged in policy talks. But his community work and name recognition helped him win 59% of ranked-choice votes in a bid to continue representing District 5, which covers parts of East Oakland between 23rd and 54th avenues, including the Fruitvale neighborhood. He is often hostile toward city officials over Oakland’s budgetary woes and is likely to support hardline measures for fixing the crisis. As the city’s financial situation worsens, Jenkins is adamant that the council’s budgeting of still-pending Coliseum revenues in the summer had its benefits. He was keen to note at a meeting last week how budget saves in the fire department may have helped spare homes during the recent Oakland Hills wildfire. Jenkins’ community relationships are steadily growing his clout as a first-term councilmember in District 6, which spans areas between the Coliseum and Merritt College and across to the Eastmont Hills neighborhood. The fast-talking Houston benefited from a chaotic musical-chairs game that followed Treva Reid’s decision not to seek another term to represent East Oakland near the San Leandro and Alameda borders in District 7. Houston, who won 52% of the ranked-choice votes, is as vocally pro-police as anyone on the council next year and his lack of political experience make him a wild card in the upcoming budget talks. He didn’t respond to an interview request.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — “As a meeting place, Ventana Sur was fantastic, the sales agent presence was good, focused on companies which really do buy, and the organization was impecable, run by highly dedicated and nice people,” said Antonio Saura, at Madrid-based sales agency Latido Films. Most other attendees would buy into that. Transferred for the first time since its launch in 2009 from its traditional Buenos Aires base to the heart of Uruguay’s Montevideo, this week’s Ventana Sur proved an upbeat affair, highlighting a clutch of titles likely to make A-List festival selection, plus some of the Latin America’s movers and shakers in the region and beyond, and the latest trends in an ever evolving regional industry. Following seven takeaways from Ventana Sur, Latin America’s weightiest film-TV market, co-hosted by the Cannes Festival’s Marché du Film, Uruguay’s ACAU agency and Argentina’s INCAA. Ventana Sur Hits: “Vainilla” “Vainilla” had many fans and some very big fans. “It’s the best work in progress I’ve ever seen,” glowed distributor Antoine Zeind at Quebec’’s A-Z Films. Backed by Stacey Penskie’s Redrum, a co-executive producer on “Narcos: Mexico” and producer on Rodrigo Prieto’s “Pedro Paramo.,” the stylish portrait of a family of seven women battling convention and eviction in late ‘80s Mexico, swept most of the board at Primer Corte on Friday, bagging five prizes, including the key Cine+ Award from Canal+, key for distribution in France. Ventana Sur Hits: “The Condor Daughter” David Puttnam said recently at the Seville Festival that the films he was interested in connected with audiences, but also had ideas and social relevance. “The Condor’s Daughter,” the latest from Bolivian multi-hyphenate Alvaro Olmos, a driving force in Andean cinema, looks to have all three in its intimate tale of a Quechua mother and daughter set against the sweep of history of mass emigration from the high Andes to big cities. Raising questions of multi-layered identity in convulsive times, the Copia Final standout looks to have several sales agents circling it. Fede Alvarez and Having Fun The major lesson from Fede Alvarez’s Ventana Sur masterclass wasn’t just what he said but how his said it. Looking back at his childhood, when he ripped it up making super hero movies for a dime, he spent much of the time laughing. Likewise when he showed photos of his first visit to Hollywood, to the Chinese Theater. Luckily his audience spent much of the time laughing along with him. Attempting to explain “how the hell” – a favorite phrase – an Uruguayan got to write and direct “Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe” and “Alien: Romulus,” he delivered one answer in the sense that he had so much fun filmmaking. Without passion, and a sense of fun in the broadest sense of the word, few creators can bring out of the best of themselves. Uruguay Uruguay has lately been gaining visibility through its own cinema and the possibilities of shooting here. Ventana Sur raised the ante, bringing the international market to experience first hand our landscapes and architecture, human capital and intangibles in other sectors,” says producer Agustina Chiarino (“The Heiresses,” “Monos,” “Don’t You Let Me Go.” Uruguay already welcomes multiple big shoots – one reason why The Mediapro Studio bought Cimarrón in 2022 – but there are far worse ways to demonstrate Uruguayan big shoot capacity than organising Latin America’s biggest high-level film market hand in hand with the Marché du Film, the world biggest film market. The fact the event has gone off without any major hitch is a significant achievement for Uruguay. Co-Production: Latin America’s Main Way Forward More than anything else, for sales agents Ventana Sur is an acquisitions market, observes Laurent Daniélou at Paris-based Loco Films. For producers attending the market, Ventana Sur has become a massive co-production forum as Latin America and Spain look to power-up bigger or more talent-driven titles which can cut through the crowd. Brazil, for which co-production has become a Holy Grail, can now dangle once more a minority co-production fund to fire up first partnerships with international partners. Productions are ever more sophisticated. Presented at Ventana Sur, animated feature “Small Town,” boasted two directors – stop motion maestros Walter Tournier and Cesar Cabral – and five producers from Brazil, Uruguay and Spain. Breakout Female Director Debuts Women directors are still a long way from parity in Latin America. The safety trickle of arresting debuts from female creators continues, however. Based in part on her own experience, “Vainilla,” for instance, marks the first feature from Mexican actor-turned-writer-director Maya Hermosillo. At Ventana Sur’s new Latam Series Market, the Netflix Award for Latin American Women Directors, a $5,000 cash prize, went to one of the section’s highlights, “Call Gloria!” (“Llamá Gloria!”), from Argentina’s Malenus Filmus, for a series expansion of her 19-minute short turning on an ebullient suicide helpline responder and a suicidal actress. Two Proyecta awards went to “Grass,” by Argentine writer-turned-director Ivana Galdeano, another to “I Thought I Was Swimming,” the feature debut of Uruguay’s Catalina Torres, a subtler portrait of LGBTQ passion in older age. More Buzz Titles Backed by Enfant & Poulet, a rising value on Mexico’s auteur genre scene, behind Tribeca winner “Huesera” and the anticipated “No Me Sigas,” from “Anything’s Possible” writer Ximena García Lecuona, Damiana Acuña Terminel’s “Lux Noctis” – another standout patently first feature from a female director – swept Blood Window Lab prizes. One of four titles among Animation! prize winners, securing a pitch at La Liga Annecy MIFA showcase, is “Baptism” the feature film debut of Chile’s Covarrubias who scored an Academy Award-nomination for best animated short in 2022 for “Beast.” Among titles screening at Ventana Sur was “La guitarra flamenca de Jerai Cortés,” the visually stunning but also moving feature debut of Antón Álvarez, better known as singer-songwriter C. Tangana. The Deals A score or more of deals Announced by Variety in the Run-Up and Duration of Ventana Sur: *“Emilia Pérez” star Adriana Paz is headlining ‘The Huntress,’ from Sundance winner Suzanne Andrews Correa, Mexico’s Záfiro Cinema and U.S. outfit The Population. *”Blancanieves” star Macarena Garcia will lead an all-star Spanish cast of Ventana Sur Proyecta title “Perseidas,” also including “Patria” lead Elena Irureta, “Flowers” Itziar Aizpuru and ‘The Last Night at Tremore Beach’ headliner Ana Polvorosa. *The cities of São Paulo, Montevideo announced at Ventana Sur a pioneering framework deal across multiple fronts, taking in truing and distribution, and channeled via Spcine and Montevideo Audiovisual. *Disney+ Latin America has hooked Chilean boxing pic “Dancing in the Ring,” committing to a theatrical release. *Chile’s Oscar-nominated “Bestia” director Hugo Covarrubias is prepping debut feature “Baptism,” teaming with co-writer Alejandra Moffat (“Chile ’76”) and Cociña and León producer Lucas Engel (“Los Huesos,” “My Tender Matador,” “Dry Martina”). *Highly active at Veatana Sur, Latido has boarded Walter Tournier and Cesar Cabral’s “Small Town,” a sign of building co-production between Latin America and Spain. *It has also sold top titles “They Will Be Dust,” “A Whale,” “Night Silence,” “Raqqa: Spy vs. Spy” and “Justicia Artificial” in key territories. *In the first of a series of announcements, Paul Hudson’s active Outsider Pictures has snagged North American rights to three International Oscar entries: Costa Rica’s “Memories of a Burning Body,” Spain’s “Saturn Return” and Switzerland’s “Queens.” *Newly launched Argentine Frondosa Foundation is teaming with Brazil’s Projeto Paradiso on a female screenwriter mentorship program. *Chile’s Alfredo Castro, Paulina Garcia and Luis Gnecco are joining voice cast of animated feature “Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope,” as EP Sebastian Freund’s Rizco Content Sales nabs international streaming rights. *Aria Covamonas’ buzzy animated feature debut ‘The Great History of Western Philosophy’ has been acquired by Miyu Distribution. *France’s Chakalaka Films has joined Colombian period drama “In All My Journeys I Am Returning,” selected for Ventana Sur’s Primer Corte. *Laurent Daniélou’s Loco Films has nabbed world rights to “Seeds of the Desert,” Colombia’s answer to “Mad Max.” *Latido acquired Eva Libertad’s “Sorda,” adapted from the director’s 2023 Goya-nominated short. *Spain’s Batiak Films, Elora Post House have boarded immigration horror feature ‘Tenants,’ in Ventana Sur’s Proyecta. *Dori Media’s hit drama “In Treatment” is returning to Brazil’s Globoplay for a sixth season. *France’s Srab Films is set to produce Colombian family drama “Name and Surname,” part of Ventana Sur’s Proyecta lineup. *Outsider Pictures has scooped U.S. Rights to Scandi Dramas “Stormskerry Maja,” “The Missile,” plotting a spring theatrical run. *Pacifica Grey has snapped up “Beloved Tropic” starring Berlinale Silver Bear winner Paulina Garcia. *Leading LGBTQ+ distributor TLA Releasing has pounced on U.K. and North American rights to Mexican gay romance drama “Dying Briefly” by Juan Briseño. *Argentine horror flick “The Witch Game,” dubbed in English using AI, has been acquired by Miracle Media for North America, U.K.The Louisville Cardinals host a ranked team for the second time this week when the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils pay a visit on Sunday, and the Cardinals hope for a better outcome in the teams' Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Louisville (5-3) has lost two straight, including an 86-63 thrashing at home by No. 23 Ole Miss in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday. The visiting Rebels shot 56.7 percent and dominated inside with a 48-26 edge on points in the paint. Tuesday's game was the first for coach Pat Kelsey's team without Kasean Pryor, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Oklahoma in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game. The 6-foot-10 senior wing, a transfer from South Florida, was a key player early on for Louisville, averaging 12 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and blocking eight shots in seven games. Pryor is the latest Cardinals player to go down with an injury. Before the season started, the school announced center Aly Khalifa and guard Kobe Rodgers would redshirt due to injuries. Then just two games into the season, Aboubacar Traore broke his arm and Koren Johnson injured his shoulder. Traore is expected back this season, but Johnson announced earlier this week that he would also redshirt this season and undergo surgery. Besides the injuries, the Cardinals are also struggling to hit 3-point shots, a key facet to Kelsey's offense. Louisville entered Saturday 340th nationally in 3-point shooting percentage at 27.3 percent and seventh nationally averaging 31.6 attempts per game. Despite the woes, Kelsey told reporters after the Ole Miss loss that he doesn't plan to change his offense, adding that he believes in his players. "The percentages even themselves out," he said. "This has happened before. I just don't want our guys to lose confidence, because I really, really believe in them. They'll bounce back and be better on Sunday." The Blue Devils (6-2) won their SEC/ACC Challenge game on Wednesday, beating No. 2 Auburn 84-78 in Durham. Duke overcame a 13-2 deficit to get the Quadrant 1 victory on its resume. Coach Jon Scheyer's team shot 50 percent from the field and committed just four turnovers. It was just the 14th time in program history the Blue Devils had four or fewer turnovers in a game. Freshman Cooper Flagg, a preseason All-American and a contender for national player of the year awards, leads the Blue Devils in scoring (16.6 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg), assists (4.1 apg) and blocked shots (1.4 per game). He scored 22, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists in the win against the Tigers, but it was another freshman who stole the show. Isaiah Evans came off the bench to score 18 points and hit 6 of 8 3-point shots. The guard averages 9.4 points per game but has only played in five games and has yet to play more than 17 minutes in a contest. Scheyer told reporters after the win that Evans provided a "special moment" when his team needed a lift. "To have that amazing courage to come into this game and do what he did -- I'm not sure if I've ever been a part of something like that in my years here," Scheyer said. --Field Level MediaWASHINGTON (AP) — The chair of the Democratic National Committee informed party leaders on Monday that the DNC will choose his successor in February, an election that will speak volumes about how the party wants to present itself during four more years of Donald Trump in the White House. Jaime Harrison, in a letter to members of the party’s powerful Rules & Bylaws Committee, outlined the process of how the party will elect its new chair. Harrison said in the letter that the committee will host four candidate forums — some in person and some virtually — in January, with the final election on Feb. 1 during the party’s winter meeting in National Harbor, Maryland. The race to become the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, while an insular party affair, will come days after Trump is inaugurated for a second term. Democrats' selection of a leader after Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 loss will be a key starting point as the party starts to move forward, including addressing any structural problems and determining how to oppose Trump. Members of the Rules & Bylaws Committee will meet on Dec. 12 to establish the rules for these elections, which beyond the chair position will include top party roles like vice chairs, treasurer, secretary and national finance chair. The committee will also use that meeting to decide the requirements for gaining access to the ballot for those top party roles. In 2021, candidates were required to submit a nominating statement that included signatures from 40 DNC members and that will likely be the same standard for the 2025 campaigns. “The DNC is committed to running a transparent, equitable, and impartial election for the next generation of leadership to guide the party forward,” Harrison said in a statement. “Electing the Chair and DNC officers is one of the most important responsibilities of the DNC Membership, and our staff will run an inclusive and transparent process that gives members the opportunity to get to know the candidates as they prepare to cast their votes.” Two Democrats have announced campaigns for chair: Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and a vice chair of the national party, and Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor and current commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Other top Democrats are either considering a run to succeed Harrison or are being pushed by party insiders, including former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke; Michael Blake, a former vice chair of the party; Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin; Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan and a former Chicago mayor; Sen. Mallory McMorrow, majority whip of the Michigan Senate, and Chuck Rocha, a longtime Democratic strategist. The next chair of the committee will be tasked with rebuilding a party demoralized by a second Trump victory. They will also oversee the party’s 2028 nominating process, a complex and contentious exercise that will make the chair central to the next presidential election. Harrison, of South Carolina, made clear in his letter to the rules committee that the four forums hosted by the party would be live streamed and the party would give grassroots Democrats across the country the ability to engage with the process through those events. He also said he intends to remain neutral during the chair election. This story has been corrected to show that McMorrow is a senator, not a representative.

Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Hackers are targeting human resources, health, finance and legal data held by employers as a way of exerting maximum pressure and leveraging ever-larger ransom payments out of Australian companies. The average ransom payment made by an Australian company attacked by cybercriminals jumped to $1.35 million in 2024, compared to $1 million a year ago, according to a new report by advisory and restructuring firm McGrathNicol and market research business YouGov. Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Introducing your Newsfeed Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. Latest In Technology Fetching latest articles Most Viewed In TechnologyAir Circuit Breaker WEW1-2000 ACB: Withdrawable and Fixed TypePITTSBURGH (AP) — The decorations outside Acrisure Stadium suggested Christmas. The play on the field by the home team hinted at another holiday entirely. Groundhog Day. Like Bill Murray in the iconic movie — set about 90 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh in Punxsutawney — it's not that the Steelers are reliving the same day (or in their case, season) over and over exactly. It's that no matter what plan they come up with in a frantic effort to get to the other side, they seem to end up right back where they started. Competitive sure. But a contender? Ehhhh. Despite a series of aggressive moves — particularly on offense — that was considerably “unSteeler-like" in the offseason, Pittsburgh finds itself in familiar territory following a 29-10 loss to Kansas City on Wednesday: likely heading on the road in the first round of the playoffs, perhaps as a considerable underdog. While there is still time for Pittsburgh (10-6) to turn it around before a first-round playoff game on the second weekend in January, it's running out quickly. So too is the patience of those weary of being stuck on the treadmill of “good but hardly great” for far too long. Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith — who is 0-3 in the postseason since being drafted in 2020 — wondered aloud afterward if there's enough “want to” on the roster. Safety DeShon Elliott bemoaned communication issues that have cropped up, the kind of thing that is tolerable in Week 2, not so much in Week 17. Coach Mike Tomlin described a performance against the Chiefs in which his team was outclassed at seemingly every turn “junior varsity.” That may be being charitable. And while the offense certainly has its issues (see below), the reality is the NFL's highest-paid defense has lost its way during a three-game slide that has dimmed the considerable optimism that surrounded the club after Thanksgiving. Pittsburgh is allowing an average of 402 yards during the skid and while the Chiefs seemed to have plenty of juice at the end of the same three games in 11 days stretch the Steelers endured, their opponents appeared to be gassed. Patrick Mahomes did whatever he wanted as usual and Pittsburgh failed to get a single sack or produce a turnover. There were opportunities. Linebacker Mark Robinson forced a fumble on a punt return only to see someone in red-and-white fall on the loose ball. Linebacker Patrick Queen let a tipped pass in Kansas City territory fall through his arms for an incompletion. Earlier in the season, Pittsburgh was making those plays. Though it should be noted, the competition then wasn't on the scale of what it has faced against Philadelphia, Baltimore and the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. The road has gotten considerably harder, just as the Steelers knew it would when the schedule was released in May. Like Phil Connors in “Groundhog Day,” however, knowing what's coming and being able to navigate it are two different things. It took Connors a while to figure things out — anywhere from a few months to 25 or more years depending on who you ask — Pittsburgh doesn't have eternity to get it right if it wants to avoid a quick first-round playoff exit for the fourth time in five years. It has just over two weeks. And the clock is ticking. Maybe all the way back to 6 a.m. Because it sure looks like it's Groundhog Day. Again. What's working Not much. One of the few bright spots on a difficult day was the 36-year-old Russell Wilson's ability to make plays with his feet. He ran for a season-high 55 yards, his best single-game total since September 2023. What needs help One of the reasons Wilson had to run is because on some plays, he had no choice while playing behind a youth-laden offensive line that looks as if it is wearing down late in the season. The Chiefs sacked Wilson five times — some of which, to be clear, were because of Wilson's indecisiveness — even with perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Chris Jones out while nursing a calf injury. Pittsburgh wants to be a team that imposes itself physically on the opponent. That has simply not happened during the current slide. The opponents have dictated the terms, particularly along the line of scrimmage. Turning that around this deep into a season may be a difficult ask. Stock up Jaylen Warren is becoming the more dynamic option at running back. Warren has 37 touches for 212 yards during the three-game slide, while Najee Harris has 31 touches for 144 yards. Harris could become a free agent in March after the Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option. While Harris — who has topped 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first four seasons — certainly has a future in the NFL, it seems increasingly likely that it will be elsewhere. Stock down Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. His egalitarian approach to play-calling allows everyone to get involved. That's not a bad thing during the dog days in the middle of the season. It keeps players at all levels of the depth chart engaged and adds wrinkles opponents need to account for. Yet in the final weeks, the ball should be finding its way to the established difference-makers more frequently. Calling a run for Cordarrelle Patterson — the league's oldest running back — on third-and-3 near midfield as Smith did late in the first half makes little sense. Injuries Perhaps the most jarring thing about Pittsburgh's swoon is that the Steelers are generally healthy. Sure, they missed cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) against Kansas City, but the rest of the 21 starters on offense and defense were in the lineup. Key number 0. The number of opening-drive touchdowns scored by the Steelers this season. For a group that has trouble “warming up to the game” as Tomlin likes to say, consistently being put in a position to play from behind against quality teams such as the ones Pittsburgh will see in the playoffs is inadvisable. Next steps Rest up, heal up and try to find a way to restore some of its swagger ahead of a meeting with AFC North rival Cincinnati on the first weekend in January. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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