Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 85. Major League Baseball , the players’ association and the Braves paid tribute to Carty on social media on Sunday. No further details on Carty’s death were provided. “Carty was one of the first groundbreaking Latino stars in the major leagues, and he established himself as a hero to millions in his native Dominican Republic, his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, and the city of Atlanta, where he was a beloved fan favourite,” the players’ association said in its statement . The Braves said Carty left an indelible mark on the organization. “While his on-field accomplishments will never be forgotten, his unforgettable smile and generous nature will be sorely missed,” the team said in its statement. Carty made his big league debut with the Braves in September 1963. He batted .330 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs in his first full season in 1964, finishing second to Dick Allen in voting for NL Rookie of the Year. The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season, and Carty got the franchise’s first hit in its new home on April 12, 1966, against Pittsburgh. Carty had his best year in 1970, batting .366 with 25 homers and a career-best 101 RBIs. He started the All-Star Game after he was elected as a write-in candidate, joining Willie Mays and Hank Aaron in the NL outfield. Carty batted .299 with 204 homers and 890 RBIs over 15 years in the majors, also playing for Cleveland, Toronto, Oakland, Texas and the Chicago Cubs. He retired after the 1979 season.Xavier Bell scores 29 to lead Wichita State over Friends University 87-72

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As the stock market has moved higher, one victim has been dividend yields . With the average payout for the S&P 500 down to just 1.25%, such stocks have lost a bit of appeal at a time when investors can earn a guaranteed return of around 5% in some certificates of deposit. Nonetheless, you don't need to look far to find stocks with high, sustainable dividends and significant potential for stock price growth. Even with a budget of $3,000, a $1,000 investment in each of these stocks can bring a quick stream of dividend income without undermining the potential for stock price growth. AT&T Admittedly, AT&T 's ( T 0.87% ) recent dividend history may make its stock a strange choice at first glance. In 2022, the company abandoned a 35-year streak of payout hikes, slashing the dividend by 45%. It has remained at the $1.11-per-share level since then, yielding 4.8% at current prices. AT&T also carries a massive total debt of $129 billion, a huge burden considering its $116 billion in stockholders' equity . However, the dividend is holding up well considering this challenge. The debt fell by $8 billion over the previous nine months. Additionally, thanks to its $17 billion to $18 billion in free cash flow forecast for 2024, AT&T can pay for debt reduction while covering the $8 billion annual dividend cost. Moreover, because of a near-exclusive focus on its wireless network and fiber, AT&T has added nearly 1.2 million wireless net customers and over 700,000 fiber net customers in the first nine months of 2024. That growing customer base allows AT&T to solidify its business. Investors are taking notice of such improvements, and the stock price has risen 45% over the last year. With a relatively low P/E ratio of 19, investors may have an added incentive to buy AT&T stock now before the rising stock price further reduces its dividend yield. Innovative Industrial Properties The idea of buying a cannabis-related real estate investment trust ( REIT ) like Innovative Industrial Properties (IIP) ( IIPR 1.28% ) may seem counterintuitive right now. Although IIP serves only medical cannabis growers, the Republican sweep in the 2024 elections could slow a continued legalization process. Also, in recent quarters, a rapid growth rate came to a halt amid problems with some non-paying tenants on its 108 properties. However, IIP proved itself adept at managing such properties by either unloading them or finding new tenants to take their places. The company has also hiked its dividend at least once per year since beginning its dividend in 2017. Consequently, its $7.60-per-share annual payout yields 7.2%. That was less than $8.11 per share in funds from operations (FFO) income over the last 12 months, meaning it can sustain its dividend. Even with the significant pullback after the election, IIP stock is still up 33% for the year. Thanks to that discounted stock price, IIP stock sells at a price-to-FFO ratio of around 13. Between that valuation and the massive dividend yield, IIP offers a huge incentive to wait on a likely recovery from the recent pullback. Realty Income Realty Income ( O 0.10% ) is a REIT specializing in single-tenant commercial properties. It rents such buildings on a net lease arrangement, meaning the tenant pays for the taxes, insurance, and maintenance of the properties. This means the company can retain more of the revenue from the properties as profit. Moreover, nearly 99% of the company's approximately 15,500 properties have tenants. Hence, it continues to develop and acquire more property to raise its revenue over time. Admittedly, the higher interest rates over the last few years have weighed on the stock and its profitability. Nonetheless, the lower price has also increased the dividend yield. Its $3.16-per-share annual payout yields about 5.6%, far surpassing the S&P 500 average. Also, higher rates have not stopped the company from raising its payout, and its dividend has increased at least once per year since its inception in 1994. Finally, while higher rates have had Realty Income stock trading more than 30% below its 2020 high, the falling rates should increase the company's profitability. At a price-to-FFO ratio of about 14, that could set up investors to benefit from a sizable dividend and, later, a long-awaited stock recovery.Xavier Bell scores 29 to lead Wichita State over Friends University 87-72

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-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email Elon Musk joked that he was mulling a purchase of liberal-leaning cable news network MSNBC in a post to X on Friday. The world's richest man and Tesla CEO is a member of Donald Trump's administration. Musk chimed in about the potential sale of the Trump-averse network after being alerted to it on X, a social media company he also owns , by Donald Trump Jr. Trump Jr. pitched a purchase to Musk as the "funniest idea ever" on X. “How much does it cost?” Musk replied. MSNBC parent company Comcast announced on Wednesday that it's looking to spin the network off into a new entity along with several other cable channels like USA, Oxygen and CNBC. The shareholder-owned spin-off grouping of NBCUniversal's cable networks — called SpinCo for the time being — will theoretically be able to focus on rapid growth in a way that the Comcast conglomerate can not. Comcast chairman Brian Roberts said the move "set these businesses up for future growth,” but Musk and others can't help but notice that the smaller portfolio of cable-only networks is also easier to sell. Related Not knowing how to cover Donald Trump is still the news' biggest problem MSNBC is currently in the midst of a ratings and identity crisis. Ratings are down 38% post-election compared to pre-election 2024 averages. Star anchor Rachel Maddow reportedly took a pay cut in a new deal with the seemingly struggling network. "Morning Joe" hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski didn't help public perception of the network any when they decided to meet with President-elect Donald Trump. Were Musk to go through with his purchase of MSNBC, it wouldn't be the only spite-induced media purchase of 2024. Satirical newspaper The Onion recently purchased Alex Jones' conspiracist media company Infowars at a bankruptcy auction. That sale came after Jones was hit with a staggering defamation judgment ordering that he pay $1.4 billion to the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook mass shooting. The Onion has said it plans to relaunch Infowars as a parody of itself. Should Musk want to do something similar, he's certainly not hurting for funds. The SpaceX owner's net worth ballooned to nearly $350 billion this week following Trump’s reelection, a sign that his tens of millions in campaign contributions may have paid off. Read more about Elon Musk Merkel calls Musk's role in Trump's second term a "huge concern" How this dark-horse hard seltzer helped reelect Donald Trump Musk and Ramaswamy are banking on the Supreme Court letting Trump unilaterally slash spending MORE FROM Griffin Eckstein MORE FROM Alex Galbraith Advertisement:

After winning a national championship at Michigan last year, Jim Harbaugh landed a head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers and has gone on to put together a solid season. But two teams were reportedly in the mix to hire him before the Chargers did. NFL insider Michael Lombardi confirmed a report that Harbaugh was interested in the Chicago Bears and also noted that he eyed the Las Vegas Raiders coaching job. "There were two teams that Jim Harbaugh would have loved to work for last year," he said on the Pat McAfee Show. "The Bears, who he played for and was the [first-round draft] pick for, and then the Las Vegas Raiders, who he worked for in his first coaching job. Neither team decided to go after him. Why, I don't know." This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — In a season that began with many questions and lowered expectations , it was apt watching Bills quarterback Josh Allen join coach Sean McDermott lay on the cold, wet sideline to make snow angels in celebrating Buffalo’s earliest clinching of a division title in team history. That Allen took part was no surprise. The newly engaged 28-year-old has maintained the happy-go-lucky approach he brought with him to Buffalo as a raw-talented athlete in 2018, while gradually blossoming into one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. For McDermott, it was a pleasant surprise to see the usually reserved eight-year coach finally let his hair down — figuratively, because the few jokes he does make are usually about being bald. With his latest do-it-all three-TD outing — one rushing, one receiving and, the coup de grace, being credited with receiving his own pass for a score off a lateral from Amari Cooper — in a 35-10 win over San Francisco on Sunday night , Allen continued making his strongest NFL MVP case. What’s also becoming apparent is how much McDermott deserves consideration for coach of the year honors. Without the two, the Bills (10-2) wouldn’t be in this position in becoming just the eighth NFL team — and first since Indianapolis in 2009 — to clinch a division title with at least five games remaining in their schedule. It’s reflective of how the two have grown together in what, on the outside, could be perceived as an odd couple relationship between an offensive-minded, swashbuckling quarterback and a defensive-minded coach, too often knocked for being too conservative. Perhaps, it’s Allen’s boyish nature that has brought out the risk-taker in McDermott, who has carried over the aggressive approach he takes to defense by placing trust in his quarterback. It’s become apparent in everything the Bills have accomplished so far in having at least 10 wins through 12 games for just the fifth time in team history, and first since 1991, when Buffalo was led by eventual Hall of Famers in coach Marv Levy and quarterback Jim Kelly. Buffalo has won seven straight since consecutive losses to Baltimore and Houston. And the Bills have scored 30 or more points in six straight outings, matching the team record set in 2004. Allen is doing more with less on an offense that was supposed to be hampered following the offseason departures of receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis and center Mitch Morse. The Bills are more balanced in leaning on their running attack, while Allen has also curtailed his turnover-prone ways. He's lost two fumbles and thrown just five interceptions after being picked off a career-worst 18 times last season. Meantime, McDermott has taken a different approach to fourth down situations. The Bills have converted 13 of 15 fourth down attempts after going 9 of 16 last season and 7 of 13 in 2022. The most fourth down attempts during McDermott’s tenure came in 2021, when Buffalo converted just 11 of 22. This is but an example of the bond the quarterback and coach have built in a shared objective of overcoming past playoff failures. Clinching a division title is but one step, with the Bills now focused on catching the Kansas City Chiefs (11-1), whom they’ve beaten already , for the AFC’s top seed. In calling it the team’s next goal, McDermott went off script from his usual game-at-a-time message by noting the importance of celebrating a division-clinching win, if only for one day. “Being 50 years old and 20-plus years in this league, I’ve learned to try and enjoy the moments,” McDermott said. “And this is a moment, right?” It certainly was. Turnover differential. Buffalo’s defense forced three fumbles, including one at its goal line, while the offense didn’t commit a giveaway. The Bills upped their league-leading turnover differential entering Monday to plus-17. Run defense. Though the conditions were snowy and slick, the Bills allowed 119 yards rushing in the first half before the 49ers were forced to start passing the ball once the score became lopsided. Buffalo particularly struggled in stopping Christian McCaffrey, who had 53 yards on seven carries before leaving the game with a potential season-ending knee injury . LB Matt Milano was in on five tackles while playing 37 of 48 defensive snaps in his first outing in nearly 14 months after being sidelined by a broken right leg and torn left biceps. CB Kaiir Elam, the 2022 first-round pick was a healthy inactive for a second straight outing, and still having difficulty finding a regular role. None reported. 9-0 — The Bills' home record going back to last season, marking their second-longest run in team history. Hit the road for two outings, starting with a trip to face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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