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Patriots wishlist: Clarity, and a great draft pick

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

As far as performance goes, the Patriots landed firmly on the naughty list this holiday season.They’re 3-11. They were eliminated from the playoffs over a week ago. They’ve been out-played and out-coached on a regular basis, while enduring some poor injury luck along the way.Speculation about Bill Belichick’s future has swirled for weeks. Aside from a few more wins, what would the Pats wish for this year?Start here:1. A top-2 draft pickThe Patriots are currently tracking to clinch the No. 2 overall pick in next year’s draft, but making that selection is no guarantee.What would help their odds is another Carolina win — the Panthers (2-12) still hold the No. 1 overall pick after beating the Falcons last weekend — and strong showings by the Broncos and Bills in their upcoming games. The Pats will not lie down, but in order to pick themselves back up again and contend, they will need a new quarterback. And the only reliable place to find a franchise q...

Dear Abby: Overstretched mom has no time for friends

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

Dear Abby: I’m a married professional woman with three kids, a demanding job and responsibility for my aging parents. I don’t have a lot of downtime. Really, there isn’t ANY downtime. I’m barely balancing the things on my plate and caring for my family.Other than them, I have few people I’m close with because I don’t have the time or capacity to do more. I know I can be the bad friend who asks for more help than I can give, and I’m working on being better.We have a new neighbor I like very much who has been trying very hard to make friends. She’s invited me out twice and stopped by to chat several times, but I’m always busy. It would be lovely to have a friend in the neighborhood, but I truly can’t make time for anyone else.The next free evening I have is five weeks from now, and then only if I can find a babysitter. Is there a way to say to someone, “I’d love to be friends — in two years when things slow ...

Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed, with most markets shut, after Wall St’s 8th winning week

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Monday after Wall Street capped its eighth straight winning week with a quiet finish following reports showing inflation on the way down and the economy potentially on the way up.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 added 0.2% to 33,225.45 and the Taiex in Taiwan gained 0.1%. Bangkok’s SET was up 0.2%. The Shanghai Composite index lost 0.3% to 2,905.79. Most markets in the region and beyond were closed for the Christmas holiday.On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 0.2% to sit less than 1% below its record set nearly two years ago, at 4,754.63. The Dow slipped less than 0.1% to 37,385.97, and the Nasdaq gained 0.2% to 14,992.97.With its eight straight weekly gains, the S&P 500 is in the midst of its longest winning streak since 2017. Wall Street’s focus was squarely on a suite of economic reports released Friday that led to some swings in Treasury yields.The measure of inflation the Federal Reserve prefers to use slowed by more than economists expe...

King Charles III’s annual Christmas message from Buckingham Palace includes sustainable touches

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III is giving his second Christmas message from Buckingham Palace in front of a live tree decorated with sustainable ornaments.The message to be broadcast at 3 p.m. Monday will the king’s second holiday address since he ascended the throne but the first since his coronation in May. The natural decorations adorning the tree were made from wood, dried oranges, brown glass, pine cones and paper. The tree will later be replanted, the palace says.Charles has promoted environmental causes, such as protecting wildlife and combating climate change long before it became popular, throughout much of his life. He spoke at the beginning of the month at the U.N.’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai. Last year, in his first Christmas message as monarch, Charles evoked memories of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and paid tribute to the “selfless dedication” of Britain’s public service workers. Many of those workers spent much of the past year in a fight with t...

In battleground Arizona, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. draws Biden and Trump voters united by distrust

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Some voted for Donald Trump, others for Joe Biden. A few had never wanted anything to do with politics before they heard Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on a podcast or YouTube video. Lined up outside a Phoenix wedding hall tucked between a freeway, a railroad track and a U-Haul rental center, the hundreds of people who turned out Wednesday to hear Kennedy speak shared little in common ideologically. What united them was a deep-seated distrust — of the media, of corporations and especially of the government — and a belief that Kennedy is the only person in politics willing to tell them the truth. “I like that he talks to us like adults,” said Gilbert Limon, a 48-year-old pharmacist from Phoenix. “He tells you the majority of what you need to know. Whereas I feel like (other politicians) just give you bits and pieces to try to fit their agenda. I’ve had enough of that.”Voters are not enthusiastic about a Biden-Trump rematch, and alternatives like Kennedy or the No Labels ...

PHOTOS: Denver Broncos fall short to New England Patriots 26-23 in NFL Week 16

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

The Denver Broncos hosted the New England Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Dec. 24, 2023. Despite a fourth-quarter rally by the Broncos, Denver lost 26-23 after New England scored a field goal with two seconds left.Related ArticlesDenver Broncos | Kiszla: Have yourself a dreary, little Christmas. Broncos’ playoff dreams turn into lump of coal. Denver Broncos | Broncos four downs: Playoff hopes on life support after Bailey Zappe and Patriots hand Denver one last embarrassing home loss Denver Broncos | Heroes and Zeros from Denver’s 26-23 loss to the New England Patriots Denver Broncos | Broncos playoff hopes go bust on Christmas Eve after comeback falls short against Patriots Denver Broncos | Broncos start Christmas Eve night against Patriots by hitting on several season-long themes, including an ominous offensive trend

State troopers, Boulder County deputies fatally shoot driver on U.S. 36

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

A Colorado State Patrol trooper and deputies from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office fatally shot a driver on U.S. 36 on Sunday.Around 11:40 a.m. Sunday, a trooper from the Colorado State Patrol responded to Boulder-bound U.S. 36 near McCaslin Boulevard to help a motorist, according to a news release from the state patrol.When the trooper approached the vehicle, he noticed bullet holes in the window, backed away and radioed for additional officers, the news release stated. Deputies from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene as backup.During the law enforcement officers’ attempts to deescalate the situation, the individual in the car picked up a gun and pointed it at the officers, according to the news release.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Gunfire erupts at Colorado Springs mall on Christmas Eve. One man is dead and 3 people are hurt. Crime and Public Safety | Home for the holidays: Marshall fire families begin ...

Woman who was shot in the head during pursuit sues Mississippi’s Capitol Police

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A woman who was shot in the head while she was a passenger in a car fleeing from police has filed a federal lawsuit against a state-run department in Mississippi’s capital city. Sherita Harris was shot in the head during an August 2022 pursuit that began after a traffic stop in Jackson, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. Southern District of Mississippi. Two officers from the Capitol Police, who patrol an area home to many government buildings, stopped a car driven by Harris’ friend for running a red light. The lawsuit, which alleges excessive force, says an officer began firing into the car after the traffic stop. A spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Capitol Police, did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment. Police have not confirmed whether Harris was shot by an officer, NBCNews.com reported.The officers have said the car Harris was in fled after they exited their patro...

Trash becomes Christmas treasure in Frederick Co.

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

A Frederick County, Maryland, woman took trash and turned it into Christmas treasure — a small village on display right out of her double garage in Brunswick.“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said the children who walked by the display, which was full of mini homes, a clothing store, a tiny farm and the story of Christmas.“You made this all yourself? How?” they asked the creator, Victoria Ahinful.The Ghana native said she loves Christmas and arts and crafts but does not “like waste.” After noticing trash being thrown out at several places around town, she decided to give that waste a new life, turning old materials and scrap items into a mini Christmas village.“You don’t even value [the scraps], and it turns out so amazing what you can do with it,” she said.Ahinful is an elementary school educator in Germantown and has experience helping kids make arts and crafts items. She came up with the idea of turning scraps into d...

Today in History: December 25, George Washington crosses the Delaware

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:56:21 GMT

Today in HistoryToday is Monday, Dec. 25, the 359th day of 2023. There are six days left in the year. This is Christmas Day.Today’s Highlight in History:On Dec. 25, 1776, Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey, during the American Revolutionary War.On this date:In A.D. 336, the first known commemoration of Christmas on Dec. 25 took place in Rome.In 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England.In 1818, “Silent Night (Stille Nacht)” was publicly performed for the first time during the Christmas Midnight Mass at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria.In 1926, Hirohito became emperor of Japan, succeeding his father, Emperor Yoshihito.In 1946, comedian and actor W.C. Fields died in Pasadena, California, at age 66.In 1977, comedian and filmmaker Sir Charles Chaplin died in Switzerland at age 88.In 1989, ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu (chow-SHES’-koo) and his wife...