As we enter the shortest days of the year here’s the history of light bulbsTORONTO — The Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts signed American running back Kevin Brown on Friday. The five-foot-nine, 205-pound Brown rushed for 522 yards on 101 carries in 12 games last season with the Edmonton Elks. He added 22 catches for 138 yards before finishing the ’24 campaign on the CFL club’s practice roster. In 2023, Brown ran for 1,141 yards and four TDs with Edmonton. He also had 28 receptions for 222 yards and a touchdown. Brown, 28, spent three seasons with the Elks, running for 2,149 yards (six-yard average) and five TDs. He added 74 catches for 536 yards and a touchdown in 37 regular-season games. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. The Canadian PressMETAIRIE, La. (AP) — If Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi has any definite ideas about who'll play quarterback for New Orleans against Washington on Sunday, he's not ready to share that information. Rizzi maintained on Wednesday that there's still a chance that Derek Carr could clear the concussion protocol and function well enough with his injured, non-throwing left hand to return against the Commanders. Meanwhile, reserve QBs Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler split first-team snaps during Wednesday's practice, which Carr missed, Rizzi said. “We're not going to name a starter right now,” said Rizzi, who also made a point of noting that Carr would not be placed on the club's injured reserve list and would not need surgery. “We're going to see how that progression plays out, first with Derek and then obviously with Jake and Spencer.” Carr, whose latest injury occurred when he tried to dive for a first down during Sunday's 14-11 victory over the New York Giants , has already missed three starts this season because of a separate, oblique injury. New Orleans lost all three of those games, with Rattler, a rookie, starting and Haener, a second-year pro, serving as the backup. In his three starts, Rattler completed 59 of 99 passes (59.6%) for 571 yards, one TD and two interceptions. Haener has gotten sporadic work this season in relief of both Carr and Rattler, completing 14 of 29 passes (48.3%) for 177 yards and one TD without an interception. Rizzi said he finds the 6-foot-1 Haener and 6-foot Rattler “very similar in a lot of ways," adding that whichever of those two might play “doesn't change a whole bunch" in terms of game-planning. “They're both similar-size guys. Their athletic ability is very similar,” Rizzi said. “They're similar-style quarterbacks. We're not dealing with opposites on the spectrum.” The Saints also signed another QB this week — Ben DiNucci — to help take scout team snaps at practice, now that Rattler and Haener are not as available to do that while competing to possibly start if Carr is indeed unable to play. The Saints (5-8) have won three of four games since Rizzi took over following the firing of coach Dennis Allen. That allowed New Orleans to remain alive in the NFC South Division, currently led by Tampa Bay (7-6). Rizzi said Carr has not had any setbacks this week in terms of progressing through the NFL's concussion protocol. “By the end of the week, if's he's not able to get any reps in any form or fashion, then obviously we'll go with one of the other guys,” Rizzi said. NOTES: RB Alvin Kamara did not practice on Wednesday because of an illness. ... WR Chris Olave, who is out indefinitely because of concussions this season, has returned to meetings at Saints headquarters. He as not, however, made plans to return to practice yet because he still plans to meet first with neurological specialists to try to assess the risks of returning to action during what's left of this season. Rizzi said the possibility of Olave playing again this season remains “on the table” for now. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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NonePolitical speculation about the future of Sen. Laphonza Butler — the short-term replacement appointed to the chamber after the death of Dianne Feinstein — has run rampant in political circles. Would she return to California and run for office? Become the next leader of the Democratic National Committee? Asked last weekend whether she sees herself pursuing such prospects, Butler, 45, was unusually clear for a politician. “I don’t,” she said in an interview after a send-off celebration at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. “We have an incredibly deep talent of great thinkers and strategists who are going to be able to take that work on.” Butler was appointed to the Senate seat 13 months ago by Gov. Gavin Newsom, after garnering national acclaim as an influential labor chief in Los Angeles and president of Emily’s List, a national political organization that focuses on raising money to elect pro-choice Democratic women. The posting would have been a springboard to a strong run to retain the seat in the November election had Butler chosen to pursue that route. But she ruled that option out early, leading to Rep. Adam Schiff winning the seat. He is expected to be sworn in by mid-December. Butler has embarked on a farewell tour of California, and last weekend met with Los Angeles-area supporters. The event featured a warm, revealing conversation on stage with Mayor Karen Bass, a longtime ally. Butler described the Senate as a “foreign land” and recounted the unexpected challenges that marked her tenure, including Hamas’ stealth attack on Israel in October 2023 and the bloody war that has resulted; the Senate’s rejection of House Republicans’ impeachment of the nation’s Democratic homeland security secretary; and being asked to vote four times to stop a government shutdown. “Nevertheless, when I knew 14 months ago that I would accept the appointment, what I knew I was saying yes to was paying all of you back for everything you have given me,” she told the audience, which included local elected officials, labor activists and other Democratic constituencies. Butler spoke of working with Republicans to find areas of collaboration on shared goals, such as the issue of maternal health care with Alabama Sen. Katie Britt and agricultural issues with Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley. Butler and Bass spoke about their shared experience of being among the few Black women to serve in Congress. Butler said some fellow senators seemed surprised as they admired how articulate she was, and recounted hearing “blatant Aunt Jemima” jokes. Bass recalled her House colleagues regularly confusing her with Congresswomen Marsha Fudge of Ohio and Barbara Lee of Oakland, who are also Black. Butler, who served as a co-chair of Vice President Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful White House bid, later spoke to reporters about the role of race and gender in the presidential race. She said that although stereotypes and barriers still exist in electing women of color, it would be “intellectually dishonest” to blame Harris’ loss solely on racism or misogyny. “I don’t discount that it was something that people thought about, a barrier that we’ve yet as a country to break through relative to women at the top office,” Butler said. But “when you have, you know, more than 70 percent of the American people feel like the country is on the wrong track, it ain’t just about race and gender.” She said the Democratic Party needs to figure out why the many policies it’s embraced that are actually helping Americans are somehow not resonating with voters. “The election results tell us that there is a problem with messaging,” Butler said. “There is a problem with connecting to what is being said, and what people are feeling and hope for their government and for their own lives and communities.” Butler is less certain about what’s next for her. “I don’t know. I’m gonna be a mom to a 10-year-old who has picked up this new habit of competitive cheer,” she said, adding that she’s not planning to move back to California from Washington, D.C., anytime soon — certainly not before her daughter finishes the school year. “She just started fourth grade. I’m not going to snatch her out of fourth grade, that’s for sure,” she said. “We’ll figure it out after that. But, you know, the whims of my life shouldn’t interrupt hers.”
After withdrawing his nomination , former Rep. Matt Gaetz will not be President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general. For some, including fellow Republicans, this may not have been such a shock, considering he was a controversial pick from the beginning due to sexual misconduct allegations . Gaetz, who represented Florida's 1st congressional district from January 2017 until his resignation in November 2024, announced his withdrawal on Thursday. "It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition," Gaetz wrote on Thursday in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General." Trump commented on Gaetz's withdrawal on Truth Social , saying his fellow Republican "was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect." Trump's nomination of Gaetz came as the House Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, was concluding its three-year investigation into the former congressman concerning allegations of sexual misconduct with a 17-year-girl, illegal drug use and the acceptance of "improper gifts." Gaetz resigned before the committee announced the results of its investigation, and it is unclear if the group's findings will ever be released. They are scheduled to reconvene on Dec. 5 to discuss the matter further. Here's what to know about Gaetz and why many saw him as a questionable pick for attorney general. Who is Matt Gaetz? Gaetz grew up in Hollywood, Florida, and was introduced to politics by his father Don Gaetz, a businessman and current member of the Florida State Senate. Matt Gaetz would go on to serve in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 until 2016, where he became nationally recognized for defending the state's "stand-your-ground law." The 42-year-old then got elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 and was re-elected in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. In 2021, the Justice Department – which Gaetz would have led if he became attorney general – was investigating Gaetz for child sex trafficking and the statutory rape of a 17-year-old girl who the former congressman allegedly paid to travel across state lines for sexual favors. The DOJ ultimately dropped the probe into Gaetz and did not file any charges against him. Although the DOJ stopped its investigation, the House Ethics Committee continued theirs up until Gaetz's resignation this year. Why were Republicans skeptical about Gaetz's nomination? Despite the GOP controlling the U.S. Senate 53-47 next year, Gaetz's withdrawal signals there may not have been enough Republicans willing to support Trump's controversial nominee. Republican senators, including Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), questioned Gaetz's selection before his confirmation hearing. Murkowski called Trump's choice not "a serious nomination," while Collins said she was "shocked" to learn about Gaetz's selection and indicated that "there will be a lot of questions raised at his hearing." While speaking with CNN on Monday, Texas Sen. John Cornyn said, "Whether we get the ethics report or not, the facts are going to come out one way or the other, and I would think it would be in everybody’s best interest, including the president’s, not to be surprised by some information that might come out during the confirmation hearing and the background check." "So we're going to do our job and under the Constitution and in the process, I believe, provide the president some assurance that he knows exactly what the facts are about each of his nominees." What is next for Matt Gaetz? It is unclear whether Gaetz, who was reelected this year, will reclaim his seat in the House come January, which is when his next term was set to begin. The release of the House Ethics Committee's report on Gaetz remains uncertain, and the former congressman's political future could hang in the balance depending on the group's findings. Gaetz could also face further legal issues, as a Florida lawyer who represented two women in the House Ethics Committee investigation into the former congressman accused the politician of paying them for sex . One of the women said she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old, according to reports from the Washington Post and ABC News , both of which spoke with attorney Joel Leppard, who represented the two women. On Monday, Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesperson for Trump's transition, called the allegations against Gaetz a "baseless" attempt to derail the president-elect's upcoming administration. "The Biden Justice Department investigated Gaetz for years and cleared him of wrongdoing," Pfeiffer wrote in a statement obtained by USA TODAY. "Matt Gaetz will be the next Attorney General. He’s the right man for the job and will end the weaponization of our justice system." Contributing: Aysha Bagchi & Riley Beggin/ USA TODAYBIOLOGY students from various tertiary institutions in Cebu City now have ideas on how to craft stories and content for their research projects that are suitable for various platforms such as print, online news sites and social media channels. The Department of Science and Technology-Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII) extended its advocacy program, "Science Journo Ako," to 40 biology students from six colleges and universities in Cebu City. 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Norazibah Md Rabu BINTULU (Dec 14): Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) has identified 26 clinics in rural areas in Sarawak for medical equipment assistance with funds worth RM1.3 million, said Petronas Sarawak general manager Norazibah Md Rabu. Norazibah said this healthcare initiative reflected Petronas’ ongoing efforts and commitment towards improving clinic facilities in the rural areas. According to her, such an initiative had already benefitted six health clinics in Daro, Sebangan, Tanjung Manis, Machan, Nanga Tau, and Sebauh, Bintulu. “Sebauh Health Clinic has received medical supplies such as a blood pressure monitor, glucometer, portable pulse oximeter, adjustable neck collar, spine board, transcutaneous jaundice detector, fetal doppler, stethoscope, otoscope holder, and others, valued at RM53,000 in total,” she said. Norazibah made these remarks in her speech prior to the presentation of the medical aids – a joint initiative by the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Sarawak (Sabati) and Petronas, to a health clinic in Sebauh on Thursday. “As a company that is committed to community, education, and human capital development; Petronas is honoured to be given the opportunity to play a role in improving the living standards of the community. “The Petronas – Sabati collaboration has proven that the spirit of unity, commitment, and concern for the community can produce extraordinary impacts,” she said. Such collaboration with strategic partners, she said, aligned with Petronas’ Positive Social Impact programme that supported equal access to basic healthcare needs and improved the life of the rural communities. Norazibah, who represented the Malaysia LNG Group managing director cum chief executive officer Mohamed Syazwan Abdullah @ Laga Jenggi, was pleased to announce the Group’s additional allocation of RM50,000 as a sign of support towards the cause. “It is hoped that this contribution can be well-utilised to benefit the local community,” she said.Curt Cignetti's Bold Prediction Resurfaces Before Indiana-Ohio State MatchupNoneCowboys win wild one vs. Commanders to halt five-game slide
Saints QB situation remains cloudy as matchup with Washington nearsDemocrats under fire for ‘excusing’ murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.
Saints QB situation remains cloudy as matchup with Washington nearsTwo high school students and their families sued their high school and school district, alleging violations of their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights as well as Title IX protection. A California high school caved to a student uprising after hundreds of students showed up wearing T-shirts that read "Save Girls' Sports" to protest a trans athlete on the cross-country team, defying the school's latest dress code. The school had previously put students in detention for wearing the shirts. But a source told Fox News Digital that the school did not dress-code students when they showed up wearing the shirts on Wednesday. Parents of the school's students provided an update to California Family Council outreach director Sophia Lorey, claiming that administrators had a meeting Wednesday morning where faculty was instructed not to dress-code students, Lorey told Fox News Digital. "Today students once again wore their ‘Save Girls Sports’ shirts," Lorey wrote to Fox News Digital. "According to the email sent out earlier this week from MLK HS Principal Leann Iacuone only the shirts that stated ‘XX=/XY’ should receive a dress code. Yet, as of now no student who is wearing that shirt today has received a dress code. I received information that there was a staff meeting today before school were the staff was told not to dress code." CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Lorey added that students at neighboring schools have begun to wear the T-shirts as Martin Luther King's situation has garnered national attention. These schools include Arlington High School and Riverside Polytechnical High School, which share a school district with Martin Luther King. Ramona High School in Ramona, California, which is 83 miles south of Riverside, has also seen its students wear the shirts. The students have worn the shirts every Wednesday, resulting in discipline by school administrators. But detention and dress code violations never shuttered their spirit. Many students at the school have gone viral on social media by sharing details of the situation with photos and videos of them wearing the shirts. The student uprising came amid an ongoing lawsuit over two girls' cross-country runners who alleged their T-shirts were compared to swastikas by school administrators. Another student athlete on the school's cross-country team, Rylee Morrow, brought more national attention to the situation when she gave an impassioned speech at a school board meeting in November in a clip that went viral due to her conveyed fears of having to share a locker room with a biological male. Lorey commended the students for taking a stand and pushing the school district to withdraw its discipline on Wednesday. "By wearing their ‘Save Girls Sports’ shirts, these young leaders are showing that they won’t back down in the face of pressure or opposition - even from their own administration. It’s not just about athletics—it’s about standing up for the integrity and rights of female athletes everywhere," Lorey wrote. But anti-trans messaging isn't the only social media activity that has erupted from the school. SJSU TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS, POLITICAL IMPACT AND A RAGING CULTURE MOVEMENT On Wednesday, a trans athlete at the school allegedly made a private post on Instagram lashing out against detractors who have questioned and opposed trans inclusion on the school's girls' cross-country team. Multiple sources, including Lorey, have confirmed the message was posted to the athlete's private Instagram story. The athlete also allegedly expressed an intention to compete in girls' pole-vaulting and said that competing against male opponents resulted in disappointing finishes. In a statement previously provided to Fox News Digital, the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) said it has allowed the transgender athlete to compete on the team because it must comply with California state law. "It is important to remember that RUSD is bound to follow California law which requires that students be 'permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records,'" the statement said. "While these rules were not created by RUSD, the district is committed to complying with the law and CIF regulations. California state law prohibits discrimination of students based on gender, gender identity and gender expression and specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in physical education and athletics. The protections we provide to all students are not only aligned with the law but also with our core values, which include equity and well-being." The school said those who are upset by it should direct their anger to state and federal lawmakers. "As these matters play out in our courts and the media, opposition and protests should be directed at those in a position to affect those laws and policies, including officials in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento," the statement said. California has had laws in effect to protect transgender athletes in women's sports since 2014. That year, AB 1266 took effect , giving California students at scholastic and collegiate levels the right to "participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records." Other high school and college students in California have expressed opposition to trans athletes in girls' sports. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Students at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, Calif., wear T-shirts with a slogan that says "Save Girls' Sports" to protest a trans athlete on the cross-country team. (Courtesy of Sophia Lorey) The girls' volleyball team at Stone Ridge Christian High School in Merced was scheduled to face San Francisco Waldorf in the Northern California Division 6 tournament in November, but it forfeited in an announcement just before the match over the presence of a trans athlete. Those girls were commended at a ceremony held by women's athletic rights activist Riley Gaines at their own high school on Dec. 4. Meanwhile, another California transgender high school volleyball player was booed and harassed at an Oct. 12 match between Notre Dame Belmont and Half Moon Bay High School, according to ABC 7. Half Moon Bay rostered the transgender athlete. At the college level, San Jose State's volleyball team was at the center of a national media firestorm this season over the presence of a transgender athlete on the team and a teammate being involved in multiple lawsuits over the issue. The team saw eight of its matches forfeited, including a conference tournament match, amid the controversy, which only brought more national attention to the team as it made it all the way to the Mountain West championship game. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
