LOS ANGELES — The partnership between the NFL and Jay-Z and his entertainment company, Roc Nation, won't change despite a woman accusing the rapper and business mogul of raping her when she was 13 years old, league commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was added as a defendant Sunday to a civil lawsuit filed against fellow hip-hop star Sean "Diddy" Combs in U.S. District Court in New York. The complaint, originally filed in October, now alleges that the two men raped the 13-year-old at a party after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. Combs and Jay-Z have denied the accusations, with the latter issuing a lengthy statement Sunday vowing to fight the "idiotic" charges. Goodell addressed the issue with reporters following the conclusion of the NFL owners meetings in Irving, Texas. "We're aware of the civil allegations and Jay-Z's really strong response to that," Goodell said. "And we know obviously the litigation's happening now. And from our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparations for the next Super Bowl." In 2019, Roc Nation signed a deal with the NFL to consult on live music entertainment and social justice issues. The partnership has resulted in several well-received Super Bowl halftime shows — including performances by the Weeknd, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez as co-headliners, Rihanna and a West Coast hip-hip lineup that featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and more — and was renewed in October. Kendrick Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper who had three Billboard No. 1 hits in 2024, will be the halftime performer at Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Music superstar Beyoncé, who is Jay-Z's wife, will perform during halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game on Christmas Day on Netflix. "I think they're getting incredibly comfortable with not just the Super Bowl but other events they've advised us on, helped us with," Goodell said of Roc Nation. "They've been helpful in the social justice area to us on many occasions. They've been great partners that have provided a lot of great value for us." Combs has been charged by federal prosecutors with crimes including sex trafficking and racketeering. No co-conspirators have been named, but the prosecutors have stated their investigation is ongoing. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Nigeria Must Invest In Domestic Institutions To Withstand Health Crisis – WHO
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West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski alert and conscious after being taken off on a stretcher SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is “alert” and conscious after being taken off the field on a stretcher during the team's 1-0 win at Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday, manager Julen Lopetegui said. Canadian Press Dec 26, 2024 1:40 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message West Ham United goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski hits his head as he clears the ball during the Premier League match at St Mary's Stadium, in Southampton, England, Thursday Dec. 26, 2024. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP) SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is “alert” and conscious after being taken off the field on a stretcher during the team's 1-0 win at Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday, manager Julen Lopetegui said. The game was delayed for around eight minutes as Fabianski received treatment on the field at St Mary's Stadium. The 39-year-old Polish goalkeeper was hurt in a collision from a corner and was replaced by Alphonse Areola in the 36th minute. Southampton 'keeper Aaron Ramsdale had run the length of the field to check on Fabianski amid worrying scenes. Fabianski was then greeted by applause as he was taken off with an oxygen mask on, but did not need to go to the hospital. “He had one big knock around the head, around the neck and he was not very sure about his actions. Fortunately the news is he is talking, he is alert, he is conscious,” Lopetegui said. “I talk with him. The doctors say that he feels better and well. I am positive with him. He showed he more or less recovered his sense. I am not afraid. We feared but now he is better and it is a positive feeling because we were very worried.” West Ham, which also saw defender Max Kilman go off in the first half, scored through Jarrod Bowen in the 59th. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Soccer Haaland penalty failure and Fernandes red card pile on woes for City and United in Premier League Dec 26, 2024 2:04 PM Bruno Fernandes sent off again for Man United in 2-0 loss at Wolves Dec 26, 2024 11:41 AM Soccer fan in Scotland ejected from stadium and arrested for allegedly racially abusing player Dec 26, 2024 10:44 AMATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes, with some calling the move misguided and unwise after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges with a grant of clemency that covers more than a decade of any federal crimes his son might have committed. The 82-year-old president said in a statement that his son’s prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a federal weapons purchase form were politically motivated. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.When an air cast was placed on Aidan O’Connell ‘s leg prior to being carted off the field, the possibility existed he would be dealing with a major injury. A report from Sunday night indicated the Raiders feared the second-year quarterback suffered a season-ending knee injury , but the worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided. Further testing revealed O’Connell is dealing with a bone bruise, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports . Considering the potential for more drastic outcomes, that is certainly a welcomed development for team and player. O’Connell will attempt to play in Week 15, so his status over the coming days will be key. O’Connell already had a stint on injured reserve earlier this year, with his activation coming in time for him to replace Gardner Minshew in the lineup. The latter is out for the year due to a broken collarbone, an injury which opened the door for O’Connell to once again compete for a potential starting spot in 2025. Things have generally not gone well in that regard, with O’Connell’s play on Black Friday being an exception. If he can manage to suit up, though, the Purdue product could continue auditioning for a role next season. Two more years remain on O’Connell’s rookie contract, so he should still be in consideration for at least a depth spot on Vegas’ QB depth chart moving forward. Minshew is also on the books for 2025, however, and the Raiders are on track to be in position to select a quarterback in the upcoming draft. A strong end to the season would not give the team a chance at a postseason berth, but it would help O’Connell’s stock in the organization. The Raiders’ other healthy option under center is Desmond Ridder , who took over Sunday after O’Connell’s injury. The former Falcon would be in position to start against his former team if he were to get the nod for Week 15, but that will depend on O’Connell’s ability to recovery in short order. This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.
GameStop Corp. GME shares are trading higher Thursday following a social media post by Keith Gill , known as “Roaring Kitty,” a prominent figure in the 2021 GameStop short squeeze. What To Know: On Dec. 25, Gill shared an image of a wrapped gift on X, formerly Twitter. The post sparked speculation among retail traders, driving increased interest in GameStop shares during overnight trading. Shares rose 7.68% in after-hours trading on Robinhood, reaching $33.50 at one point. Cryptocurrencies tied to Gill's online persona also reacted. The meme coin GmeStop (GME) rose 5%, with its market capitalization reaching $31.26 million, while Kitty Inu (KITTY) surged by 17.96%. The movement in GameStop's stock could reflect continued volatility driven by retail trader enthusiasm rather than changes in the company's fundamentals. Should You Buy GME? An investor can make a few decisions when deciding whether a stock is a good buy. In addition to valuation metrics and price action which you can find on Benzinga's quote pages – like GameStop ‘s page for example – there are factors like whether or not a company pays a dividend or buys a large portion of its stock each quarter. These are known as capital allocation programs. GameStop GME does pay a dividend, which yields 10.93% per year as of the closing price on Dec. 26, 2024. Feel free to search Benzinga's dividend calendar for the next company that is due to pay a dividend and determine what kind of yield you can earn for holding a share of the company. For example, if you're looking to earn an annualized return of 17.75%, you'll need to buy a share of PermRock Royalty Trust by the Dec. 31, 2024. Once done, you can expect to receive a nominal payout of $0.05 on Jan. 15, 2025. Buyback programs are obviously different and highly variable. A company can approve a buyback program and purchase shares as it sees fit over the course of time in which the buyback was authorized. Looking through the latest news on GameStop will often yield whether or not the company has approved a buyback program recently. Buyback programs usually serve as a support for share prices, serving as a backstop for demand. GME Price Action: GameStop shares were up 5.43% at $32.82 at the time of writing, according to Benzinga Pro. Read Next: SEALSQ Launches SEALQUANTUM.com Lab To Help Businesses Transition To Quantum-Safe Encryption Image via Shutterstock . © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Penny chose not to testify and defense lawyers rested their case Friday at his trial in the death of an agitated man he choked on a subway train. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Penny chose not to testify and defense lawyers rested their case Friday at his trial in the death of an agitated man he choked on a subway train. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Penny chose not to testify and defense lawyers rested their case Friday at his trial in the death of an agitated man he choked on a subway train. Closing arguments are expected after Thanksgiving in the closely watched manslaughter case about the death of Jordan Neely, 30. The encounter between Penny, a white Marine veteran, and Neely, a homeless Black man with mental health and drug problems, has been drawn into U.S. political divides over race, public safety and cities’ ability to handle mental illness and social ills. Penny, 26, has pleaded not guilty. Many criminal defendants don’t take the stand, and juries are routinely instructed that they cannot hold defendants’ silence — a constitutional right — against them. One of Penny’s lawyers, Daniel Kenniff, noted after court that jurors did hear from Penny, in the form of his recorded statements to police minutes and hours after he put Neely in a chokehold. “Virtually everything he said then is consistent with credible testimony of his fellow passengers,” Kenniff said. Penny told police that he wrapped his arm around Neely’s neck, took him to the floor and “put him out” because he was angrily throwing things and making threatening comments. Penny said on police video that he hadn’t wanted to injure Neely but rather to keep him from hurting anyone else. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. A number of other passengers testified that they were scared of Neely and relieved that Penny grabbed hold of him. A man who later stepped in and held down Neely’s arms, however, told jurors that he urged Penny to let go but that the veteran kept choking Neely for a time. Prosecutors say Penny meant to protect people but recklessly used too much force, overlooking Neely’s humanity and making no effort to spare his life. City medical examiners ruled that the chokehold killed Neely. A pathologist hired by Penny’s defense disputed that finding. Prosecutors, defense lawyers and the judge are set to meet Monday to hash out jury instructions. Advertisement Advertisement
IF THE New Saints qualify for the UEFA Conference League play-offs, it will be a Christmas miracle according to star stopper Connor Roberts. The Chirk-born keeper, who impressed again in the 2-0 defeat to Panathinaikos on UEFA Conference League matchday five, leaving an all-or-nothing clash with Celje in Slovenia next week. Roberts said that while he was disappointed with the defeat, it was one of the Saints’ best showings in their Euopean campaign and promised TNS will be on the front foot ahead of the festive period. “We’re going to need a Christmas miracle,” he said. We’re playing six days before Christmas and if we go through, it will 100 per cent be a Christmas miracle. “But we’re going there to win, regardless of whether qualification can or can’t be done and we want to get the three points. “We have to go for it next week and I think we will but I also think tonight was much different than previous games. “That was certainly a different performance to both Djurgarden and Shamrock Rovers for that matter. “We were trying to get after them that little bit more and if you look at the stats around the final third, it would have been better than those last two games. “It was a better performance than in Dublin where we scored. “A few things didn’t drop for us tonight and if you look at their goal, it’s a rebound. It’s fine margins in Europe with the penalty decisions or a tackle on Danny Davies. “You might think 2-0 is over but if it stays 1-0 they remain nervous and we can get back into it. “But it was really difficult after they scored the penalty.” Roberts admitted that TNS still having a chance to qualify, albeit slim, does exceed expectations for a club of their size in European competition. But he felt that his teammates competed with European regulars again this season. “There is a huge difference between two and three and to keep Fiorentina to 2-0 and these to 2-0 is huge,” he said. “Whereas 3-0 sounds like a walloping so keeping them to two is massive. “I was disappointed with the goals tonight – I was fuming after the first one which slipped under my arm when he poked it. “I couldn’t tell you where Josh Daniels came from for that one in the second half but the lad could have gone over because I half-kicked him. “If you get after teams from their goal kicks, they’re not going to play through you but at times tonight, in their build-up, I thought they were fantastic. “But we had to be more oppressive at times to nick the ball to get that goal. “I love that I’m from the town and that I did work experience at the club 16 or 17 years ago. “I don’t think people realise my roots with the club outside of the town and I’m just really proud to give my best for them.”(File photo) HYDERABAD: The Centre slammed Allu Arjun's arrest on Friday saying the Congress govt in Telangana was "indulging in publicity stunts " by arresting the national award-winning actor to deflect the blame for the stampede outside Sandhya Theatre on Dec 4 which claimed the life of a woman. However, CM A Revanth Reddy justified the action saying there are no separate laws for film stars and politicians. Backing the actor, Union I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the stampede was a clear case of poor arrangements by the state and local administration. "Congress has no respect for the creative industry and the arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again," he said on X, adding that Telangana govt should assist those affected by the stampede and punish those making the arrangements on Dec 4 "instead of continuously attacking film personalities". Talking to media, the CM stressed that the law was equal for all, recalling that even Bollywood stars like Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan were arrested in various cases. "Who is responsible for the death of the woman in the stampede? The film was made with huge investment by the producers to make money and not for any social cause," Revanth said. Admitting that his govt had given permission for the show on Dec 4, the CM said: "Had the film hero come in a car and watched the movie silently, there would have been no issue. But he came out of his car and waved to the crowds. Police and security could not control the crowds, which led to the unfortunate incident . That's why the film hero was booked." The CM said police followed the due procedure in booking and arresting Allu Arjun, going to his house nine days after the stampede. Revanth said he was monitoring the developments after the stampede. "If the film hero was not booked, people would be asking govt why there is special treatment for Allu Arjun," he said, adding that he knew the actor very well and his father-in-law Chandrasekhar Reddy is a Congress neta who is also his relative. Allu Arjun's uncle, mega star Chiranjeevi, is also a Congress leader, the CM added. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans certainly didn’t look like a playoff team in a rout by the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday. With just one game left until the playoffs begin, the AFC South champions know they’ll have to get much better to be competitive in the postseason. “That’s not who we are. That’s not what we represent,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “What we put out there on the field, that’s not Texans football. For anybody to come back and bounce back from it you’ve got to check yourself and make sure you’re playing with elite execution and elite energy.” The 29-point loss to the Ravens was Houston’s most lopsided defeat this season. The defense gave up a season-high 251 yards rushing, and the offense was shut out, with the team’s only points coming on a second-quarter safety. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw an interception and missed several throws in a performance he called “one of the worst games of my whole career.” He was asked how he and the team can move on from such a tough loss. “That’s the only thing we can do,” he said. “There is nothing in life you can go ... back and redo, so it’s all about how you respond. You hit rock bottom; the only way is up. So we still have a lot of hope. At the end of the day, we clinched our division. We still have an opportunity in the playoffs.” The Texans (9-7) went 0 for 2 in the red zone Wednesday to lower their red-zone efficiency to 50.94% this season, which ranks 26th in the NFL. After their safety Wednesday, they had a chance to cut the lead or potentially tie the score when they had a first down at the 10-yard line. Joe Mixon ran for 7 yards on first down before the drive stalled. He was dropped for a 1-yard loss on second down before an incompletion by Stroud brought up fourth-and-4. Stroud threw a short pass to Mixon, and he was stopped at the 1-yard line to give the Ravens the ball back. Lamar Jackson then led a 99-yard drive capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-2. What’s working Not much was working in this debacle. About the only good thing that happened for the Texans on Wednesday was a 45-yard kickoff return by Dameon Pierce in the second quarter to start the drive that ended with Mixon being stopped on fourth down. Pierce is averaging 38.1 yards per return. What needs help The Texans managed just 58 yards rushing against the Ravens, with Mixon gaining 26 yards on nine carries. Houston hasn’t reached 100 yards rushing in three straight games and four of its past five. The Texans must get their running game going to take some pressure off Stroud, who is working with a thin receiving group with Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs out for the season with knee injuries. Stock up WR John Metchie led the team with five receptions for 48 yards as he took on a bigger role in the offense in the first game without Dell. It’s the second-most yards Metchie has had in a three-year career where he missed his entire rookie season undergoing cancer treatments. Stock down Wednesday was the second time in three games where Mixon was held to fewer than 30 yards rushing. He started the season strong, running for at least 100 yards in six of his first eight games. But he’s struggled since then, reaching 100 yards just once in five games. Injuries G Shaq Mason missed Wednesday’s game after injuring his knee against the Chiefs and it’s unclear if he can return for the next game. ... C/G Juice Scruggs missed a fourth straight game with foot injury. Key number 59.2 — Stroud had a 59.2 passer rating in the loss, which is tied for the third-worst rating of his career. Next steps After playing three games in 11 days, the Texans now have an extended break before wrapping up the regular season next weekend at Tennessee. Stroud will try and use this setback to get better. “There’s not sunny days if there is not days with rain,” he said. “It’s a rainy day but at the end of the day the sun will rise up tomorrow. We have another crack at this thing next week to keep rolling.”
