Santa Cruz County Bank Hires Alison Voorhees as Senior Vice President, Director of MarketingSaquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There's no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley's historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He's not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP's first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren't QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn't. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP's new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. It's not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. "I don't think that's crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left," Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven't reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team's struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Blake Snell, Dodgers agree to five-year, $182M contract: Reports
An on-field interaction between a UW-Madison Police officer and a Nebraska football assistant coach after Saturday's game was a "misunderstanding" that ended in an apology, a police spokesperson said. Lt. Adam Boardman, one of the UWPD officers escorting University of Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell to the locker room amid fans rushing the field after a 44-25 Huskers victory, turned away to grab Nebraska offensive line coach Donovan Raiola by the arm, video posted to social media showed. That followed an apparent exchange of words between Raiola and Fickell and Badgers assistant offensive line coach Casey Rabach, who were walking in opposite directions. The context of the discussion wasn't apparent from the video, but Fickell and Raiola both pointed at the other, and Rabach later pointed at Raiola. People are also reading... Rest assured, Nebraska volleyball fans: The missing fan behind the servers will be back Saturday Matt Rhule, Luke Fickell both downplay postgame encounter between Fickell, Donovan Raiola Arrest made in 55-year-old cold case of Nebraska teen stabbed to death 'Bocephus' is back: Hank Williams Jr. to play Lincoln arena Friday Signing Day: Meet Nebraska volleyball's five-player 2025 class Amie Just: Bring out the tissues — and the brooms — for Nebraska volleyball's emotional win Cover Five: With pressure rising, Matt Rhule delivers Nebraska a bowl bid in Year 2 Wind-aided fire destroys vacant Village Inn in Lincoln Sound waves: What others are saying about Nebraska's win against Wisconsin Nebraska GOP to seek hard-right social policies in 2025 legislative session UNO freezes funds for LGBTQ+, multicultural, other student groups after audit Amie Just: Ahead of milestone birthday, local sports figures give advice on turning 30 Mountain lion spotted on trail camera east of Bennet, Sheriff's Office says As Nebraska's Democratic Party shrinks, some former party officials call for change Matt Rhule reacts to no-call at end of Nebraska-USC game: "I don’t know what else to say" Boardman and Raiola talked for about 15 seconds after Boardman pried Raiola away from a hug with Nebraska running backs coach EJ Barthel. UWPD spokesperson Marc Lovicott said it was a "misunderstanding amid a pretty chaotic scene." He said Boardman made contact with an "unknown individual who had approached" Badgers coaches as they were leaving the field. "Once it was confirmed that the individual was a member of the Nebraska coaching staff, the UWPD officer apologized for the misunderstanding," Lovicott wrote in an email Tuesday. "The interaction concluded cordially with a handshake." Lovicott said UW Police has made contact with counterparts at Nebraska "and they're also considering it a misunderstanding." Raiola played for Wisconsin from 2002 to 2005. "I don't want speculate without knowing, obviously Donny went to Wisconsin, so I don't know if there was some history there with somebody or something," said Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, who said he was shown video of the incident Monday. "When I asked Donny about it, he was like, 'No big deal.' Things happen after games and people are emotional, but he seemed to kinda brush it off." Fickell said he didn't know much about the interaction when he was asked about it at his weekly news conference Monday. "I mean, I don't know if he was talking to Casey, somebody said something, I don't know," Fickell said. "I just said it looked like maybe he said something to me, but I had no idea. And I had no idea that that was even something. So if it was, I didn't spend a whole lot of time thinking about it." — Lincoln Journal Star reporter Luke Mullin contributed to this report.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Chase Robinson had 16 points in Cleveland State's 78-64 victory over Wright State on Sunday night. Robinson shot 6 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 4 from the line for the Vikings (9-6, 3-1 Horizon League). Dylan Arnett added 14 points while shooting 6 of 9 from the field and also had seven rebounds. Tevin Smith had 12 points and shot 4 for 10 (2 for 6 from 3-point range) and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line. Brandon Noel finished with 20 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks for the Raiders (7-8, 1-3). Jack Doumbia added 19 points and three blocks for Wright State. Michael Imariagbe had nine points and seven rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Gains by retailers and health care stocks helped temper the losses. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.
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NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party headed for a victory Saturday in state elections in politically significant Maharashtra while the opposition won mineral-rich Jharkhand state. Polling in the two states are seen as a test of Modi's popularity after his party returned to power in June national elections but was forced to form a coalition government with help from regional partners. India’s Election Commission said Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies have already won 183 of 288 seats and were leading in another 48 seats in Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest state and home to the country's financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai. The opposition Congress party and its allies have won 50 of 81 seats and were leading in another four seats in eastern Jharkhand state, according to the commission. It said vote counting was nearing completion and final results were expected later on Saturday. Modi's BJP and a Hindu nationalist ally currently rule Maharashtra, where Hindus constitute nearly 80% and Muslims 11.5% of its 126 million people. An opposition alliance, including the Congress party, is in power in eastern Jharkhand state. The BJP has used slogans such as, “If you divide, then you will die,” and “If we are united, then we are safe,” to attract majority Hindu votes. The opposition accused it of trying to polarize voters along Hindu-Muslim religious lines. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi from Congress party, the 52-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, is set to make her debut in Parliament after winning the race against a Communist Party candidate by a huge margin of over 400,000 votes in the Wayanad seat in southern Kerala state. She contested a special election after her brother Rahul, who was elected in two constituencies in June, had to vacate one. Her mother Sonia Gandhi is already in Parliament. The BJP had hoped to attract women with a plan that provides 1,500 rupees ($18) a month to over 20 million women in the 21-65 age group whose annual family income is less than 250,000 rupees ($3,010). The Congress party promised women double that amount and free transportation in government buses. The opposition also hoped to capitalize on the simmering disaffection with high youth unemployment, inflation and low crop prices during the BJP’s rule. In September, Congress was able to secure votes in India’s insurgency-wracked Jammu and Kashmir after a 10-year gap. But Modi’s BJP regained momentum in October and won the Haryana state election even though pollsters had predicted an easy victory for Congress.World News | Israeli Attorney General Orders Probe into Report That Alleged Netanyahu's Wife Harassed Opponents
Following news announced on Monday that U.S. president-elect Donald Trump would impose a 25-per cent tariff on all products coming in to the United States from Canada and Mexico, many are wondering how this could affect B.C. “ Obviously, this will be devastating to workers on both sides of the border, both in the United States and in Canada,” Premier David Eby said on Tuesday. “The impact on families will be profoundly significant.” Eby said Canada is a major customer for the United States but they also depend on goods produced in Canada. “We are one of the top exporters to the United States and certainly they’re our number one customer as well,” he said. “We have more in common with Americans than what separates us. And focusing on that and how we can work together to strengthen and support working families across North America is critically important. We’re going to stand together and we’re going to ensure that we negotiate from a position of strength, that we negotiate hard, and we ensure that any decisions that are made are in the best interests of British Columbians and Canadians.” Eby said there are improvements that can be made in B.C., especially when it comes to the border, including measures such as port police to ensure what comes into the province is not contraband, illicit drugs or precursor chemicals. “But I’ll tell you this,” he said. “We’re going to stand together... as a province. We stand together with employers. We stand together with labour. And we’re going to stand together right across this country and ensure that families are protected here in British Columbia.” Eby said premiers will be meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week to discuss a strategic approach. “We need to be a government that supports all British Columbians in every corner of this province,” he said. “We’re not just a government for the Lower Mainland. We’re not just a government for South Vancouver Island. We are a government for every corner of this province, for Prince George and Kamloops, for the interior, for the north and northeast, northwest (and) the islands.” Bridgitte Anderson, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, said they are concerned this proposed tariff could be devastating for B.C.’s economy. “The U.S. is our most important trading partner and that’s not going to change so we have to find a pathway forward,” she said. “We need to make sure we’re taking this seriously.” Anderson said we should not underestimate what the Trump administration is going to do. “We heard some time ago that it could be 10 per cent tariffs across the board,” she said. “Now it’s sounding like you could put 25 in. It might be bluster and it might be (a) negotiating tactic. Regardless, it is a shot across the bow to Canada, and it should be a wake-up call to Canada.” Anderson said B.C. and Canada need to attract trade and investment and have a robust economic growth strategy. Max Cameron, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, told Global News this is a “declaration of trade war” on Canada. “It’s not clear to me that Trump would actually deliver on this threat,” he said. “I think it’s an opening position. I don’t think he would deliver on it because most U.S. trade is actually within the same corporation across the border. And so this would be very harmful to U.S. business and it would jack up the price of everything, particularly if it includes energy.” Cameron said that Canada would have to take retaliatory measures but it would be a gamble on both sides of the border. But he added that linking trade to border issues is uncommon. “There are just so many ways in which this is just a very bizarre policy threat,” Cameron said. “And it’s exactly what we were trying to avoid. We negotiated and after the first place, the whole point of having a trade agreement, the United States first, the NAFTA and then the more recent U.S., Mexico, Canada Free Trade Agreement, they’re supposed to prevent this sort of thing from happening.” Cameron said the B.C. industries that could be hit the hardest include softwood lumber, energy, electricity, mining, agriculture and fisheries. “So it really would affect everyone,” he added. “And almost for certain, if he were to follow through on this threat, it would drive us into a recession. It would be, there would be, real hardship for Canadians and British Columbians in particular.”
Brazil’s Bolsonaro planned and participated in coup plot, unsealed report saysJurgen Klopp was impressed by one Liverpool star after the victory over Leicester City Curtis Jones has revealed he received a congratulatory text message from Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool’s win over Leicester City. The midfielder made his 100th Premier League appearance in the Reds’ 3-1 victory over the Foxes, and marked it by firing Arne Slot’s men in front. It was Klopp who handed the England international his Premier League debut against AFC Bournemouth back in 2019. And despite the German stepping down as Liverpool manager last summer, he is still keeping a close eye on his former club and players ahead of starting his new role with the Red Bull group next week. Jones paid tribute to his former manager for his role in both his own and Liverpool’s development, crediting him for leaving a strong foundation for Slot to build on at Anfield . And he also admitted that he did not even know he had made his 100th Premier League appearance, until he checked his phone in the dressing room and saw a message from Klopp. "I came in then and normally text family and I saw a text off [Jurgen] Klopp saying 'congratulations on 100 games and here’s to 500,” he revealed to Match of the Day. “I was like what is he on about?' “I just checked then and I am proud. It was him who set up the team we have now. The foundation was there and Arne Slot has carried it on. “It looks good but there are plenty of games to come. You can play a team at the bottom, middle or top and it is a hard game. It is about trying to win every single game and if we do that everybody knows what comes at the end. “We have still got a long, long way to go. There are plenty of games to come. We’ll take each game as it comes and try and win all the games. “It was a hard game. They sat back and defended well. Especially for me it was hard to find space inside. It was more of a patient game and not trying to play into their plan. In the first half we were crossing the ball a load and that is what they want. In the second half we changed it round, kept it more and that’s where the goals came. “We are a goal down it’s almost half-time but we don’t stop, we score. In the second half we start strong and score again. The thing is with us we just want to win each game."
Judge rejects SEC’s bid to sanction Elon Musk over missed testimony in Twitter probe
