San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and top backup Jordan Mason are being placed on injured reserve. McCaffrey left the snowy field in Buffalo on Sunday night after a 5-yard gain that was preceded by him heading to the sideline in apparent pain at the end of an 18-yard run. McCaffrey was diagnosed with a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee and did not play in the second half. The 49ers also lost Jordan Mason, who emerged in a starting role with McCaffrey out the first two months of the season, to an ankle injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Mason has a high-ankle sprain, which typically requires a recovery window of 4-6 weeks. Those moves push rookie Isaac Guerendo into the RB1 spot. He scored the team's only touchdown at Buffalo. The IR slots in San Francisco are manned by multiple starters, including wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and safety Talanoa Hufanga. Mason had a team-leading 789 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns. Being placed on IR means he's not eligible to play until the regular-season finale at Arizona. McCaffrey had 53 yards on seven carries on Sunday night and caught two passes for 14 yards before exiting. He was playing in just his fourth game of the season after missing the first eight because of Achilles tendinitis. McCaffrey was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season, when he led the league with 2,023 yards from scrimmage: a league-leading 1,459 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns plus 67 catches for 564 yards and seven scores. McCaffrey hasn't scored a touchdown in his four appearances this season. He has rushed for 202 yards on 50 carries and caught 15 passes for 146 yards. "It was frustrating," Shanahan said after the game. "He had a great week of practice and I could feel his urgency and stuff and thought he came out great, looking really good, and it looked like he just got his shoestring there. ... I hurt for him, and tough for our team not having him." The 49ers (5-7) played without defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique) and left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) in the 35-10 loss. San Francisco has lost three in a row heading into next Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears (4-8) in Santa Clara, Calif. San Francisco resides two games behind the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks (7-5) with five games remaining on the schedule. Seattle and San Francisco split their season series. --Field Level MediaBaylor quarterback Dequan Finn has entered the transfer portal, according to multiple media reports on Friday. Finn spent one season with the Bears after transferring from Toledo, where he was the MAC Player of the Year in 2023. He won the starting QB job coming out of fall camp, but then was injured in the Bears’ second game of the year against Utah and saw action in only one game the rest of the way, as Sawyer Robertson emerged as Baylor’s leader. Finn went 23 of 43 passing on the year for 307 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for two more TDs. “Dequan is still trying to work through his injury and get it properly diagnosed and what’s next for him in his career,” Baylor coach Aranda said prior to the Bears’ regular-season finale against Kansas. “That has been however many weeks we’re into it. I feel for him, and I’m hopeful we get some type of closure with that here soon.” Finn is expected to apply for a medical hardship waiver and play one more season in 2025. QB DeQuan Finn🔥Ultimate Highlights | College Football // via AdamDisaster on YouTube Be the first to know
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European stocks bounced around Monday while US equities shook off early weakness to push higher as investors waited to see if a so-called Santa Claus rally sweeps over the market. Global stock markets had a tumultuous time last week, spiraling lower after the US Federal Reserve signaled fewer interest rate cuts than had been expected for 2025. But it ended on a positive note as traders welcomed below-forecast US inflation data that raised hopes about the health of the world's biggest economy. That helped Asian markets move higher on Monday, but the positive trend faltered in Europe and stumbled initially in the United States. "Another up leg in US yields not only put pressure on stock indices but also drove the greenback higher," said IG analyst Axel Rudolph. But after a sluggish start, US stocks rose progressively in a quiet session with analysts pointing to low pre-holiday trading volumes. "Stocks didn't really have any direction in the morning, then we got this tech rally that just sort of drifted higher all day," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. Analysts view elevated Treasury bond yields as a threat to year-end gains in an historically strong period of the calendar. Known as a Santa Claus rally, there are various explanations for the phenomenon including seasonal optimism and end-of-year tax considerations. But there remains some trepidation among investors as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, pledging to cut taxes, slash regulations and impose tariffs on imports, which some economists warn could reignite inflation. "The initial response to the US election was positive as investors focused on the obvious tailwinds to profitability: lower corporate tax rates and less regulation," said Ronald Temple, chief market strategist at Lazard. "However, I expect much more dispersion within the equity market when the reality of a much-less-friendly trade environment sets in." In Europe, the FTSE 100 moved higher as the pound slid following data that showed that the UK economy stagnated in the third quarter, revised down from initial estimates of 0.1 percent growth. Official data out of Spain on Monday showed that the Spanish economy grew 0.8 percent in the third quarter as domestic consumption and exports increased, comfortably outstripping the European Union average. In company news, shares in crisis-hit German auto giant Volkswagen lost more than three percent on the back of news Friday that it plans to axe 35,000 jobs by 2030 in a drastic cost-cutting plan. Shares in Japanese auto giant Honda rose over three percent after it announced Monday an agreement to launch merger talks with struggling compatriot Nissan that could create the world's third largest automaker. New York - Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 42,906.95 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.7 percent at 5,974.89 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 1.0 percent at 19,764.89 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 8,102.72 (close) Paris - CAC 40: FLAT at 7,272.32 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 19,848.77 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.2 percent at 39,161.34 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.8 percent at 19,883.13 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.5 percent at 3,351.26 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0408 from $1.0430 on Friday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2531 from $1.2570 Dollar/yen: UP at 157.14 yen from 156.31 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.03 pence from 82.97 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $69.24 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $72.63 per barrel burs-jmb/jgcExperts shed light on what new PTI move would mean for economyIt's been feast or famine for Marvin Harrison Jr . all season long. He's averaging 11.5 Fantasy points per game, but the consistency every week has left much to be desired. In 13 weeks, Harrison has scored double-digit Fantasy points just six times. If it wasn't for a Week 2 29-point explosion against the Los Angeles Chargers and his Week 8 23-point outing against the Miami Dolphins , his 11.5 Fantasy points per game would be even lower. Harrison is ranked 30th among all Fantasy wide receivers, and he's starting in 69% of all leagues. While Harrison is only a rookie, there's plenty of reason to be satisfied with his performance so far. Heath Cummings was asked on the Week 13 Fantasy Recap podcast if Harrison was his top rookie wide receiver. While he spoke glowingly of Harrison, he had another WR in mind as his No. 1 rookie. "It's probably still Malik Nabers , but Marvin Harrison Jr. would probably be second for me," Heath said. "Next week's matchup is probably the worst that he has all season long, and it's the week where six teams are on a bye. But then you get the Patriots , you get the Panthers , and I'm not too scared of the Rams . If they finally, for some reason, start throwing him the ball double-digit times per game, he might, in the Fantasy playoffs, justify his ADP. Now, I'm not sure how many people drafted him in Round 2 that are going to make the Fantasy playoffs, but he might be that guy as a borderline No. 1 wide receiver in the last three weeks of the Fantasy season." Nabers commands a much higher target share than Harrison and has averaged 16.2 Fantasy points so far this year. He's clearly the top rookie wide receiver, and when the Giants can improve at the quarterback position, he's going to be that much more productive. Harrison, on the other hand, is already playing alongside a top-tier quarterback. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any emphasis on getting him the football. In fact, Kyler Murray said earlier in the year in reference to Harrison's lack of production: "As a quarterback going through your reads, sometimes the ball goes to him. It's (targeting Harrison) not my job." When you take a wide receiver with the No. 4 overall pick, getting him the ball frequently should be a part of the game plan, but apparently, that isn't the case in Arizona. The reason Harrison hasn't made the big splash everyone believes he should've made as a rookie is that the Cardinals have had their fair share of protection issues. They've elected to use more 12 personnel (one back and two running backs) to help keep Kyler Murray upright. Unfortunately, due to protection issues, the deeper routes Harrison is running rarely have time to develop unless Murray is able to extend the play with his legs. This means the tight ends are going to be targeted on shallow crossing routes much more consistently. As it stands, Harrison is "decoy boy," especially when the run game isn't having much success. When the run game is working, there's always a chance that a deep shot off play-action may happen. Harrison will surely be targeted more in the future, but the way this team is presently constructed stifles his productivity. Given the condensed splits and personnel groupings, this Cardinals offense is very similar to Greg Roman's offense in Baltimore. One thing I do like is that in the red zone, the Cardinals offense is spreading defenses out. While there are still two tight ends in the game, they're lined up at wide receiver, and this will often leave Harrison manned up while Murray uses his legs to buy time. The Cardinals will face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14, and their pass defense is currently ranked No. 15 in the NFL . He's expected to reach 13.7 Fantasy points, but he could have a tough time separating against Riq Woolen. I would expect him to underperform a bit in Seattle, but after that, the Cardinals face the Patriots, Panthers, Rams, and a depleted 49ers team. As Heath said, given the matchups, he could be a factor in the playoffs. For more Fantasy insight, be sure to check out the entire Week 13 Fantasy Recap – or watch (and subscribe) on Youtube .
Cramer's Lightning Round: Diamondback Energy is a buy
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cam Skattebo and Arizona State are on quite a run in their Big 12 debut after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of the conference. Now the Sun Devils will represent their new 16-team league in the 12-team College Football Playoff after a 45-19 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game Saturday. The tough-running Skattebo had 170 yards rushing, including a 28-yard gain on the first offensive snap. There were long, tackle-evading runs to open the two drives he ended with short touchdowns, and he later turned a short pass into another score. “I've got the best seat in the house,” said Sam Leavitt, the freshman quarterback who hands off to Skattebo. “Get ready for a gain of 5 or whatever, and I just see the dude kind of weaving through some traffic ... and busts loose." The Sun Devils (11-2, No. 15 CFP), with their 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham, take a six-game winning streak into the playoff. Iowa State (10-3, No. 16 CFP), which already had the first 10-win season in the program’s 133-year history, trailed 24-10 before turnovers in its own territory on its first three drives after halftime. Arizona State capitalized with Leavitt throwing touchdowns each time. “It doesn’t get that much more deflating than that,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. “Their ability to take care of the football and our inability to do that in the third quarter was just paralyzing.” Skattebo struck the Heisman Trophy pose multiple times during the game, and he wore a Big 12 championship T-shirt afterward. “Nobody respects the fact that I’m the best running back in the country. And I’m going to stand on that,” he said. “I'm going to keep proving people wrong. And whatever NFL team takes me is going to get a gem.” That can wait until after Arizona State's guaranteed playoff spot as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions. The Sun Devils almost certainly will rank below Mountain West champion Boise State (12-1, No 10). That would give the Broncos a first-round bye and send the Sun Devils on the road for a first-round game, much to the dismay of Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark , who before the title game re-iterated his feelings about that. “Last year, they left a team out because of a quarterback (then-undefeated Florida State). We're 11-1 with our starting quarterback, having beat four ranked teams and we won the Big 12 championship,” Dillingham said. “We made a standard that the quarterback is that valuable ... I definitely think we should host a game.” Xavier Guillory had TD catches of 8 and 21 yards in a 71-second span after the Iowa State turnovers. Skattebo then turned a third-down swing pass into a 33-yard score for a 45-10 lead that he punctuated with one of his Heisman poses. Skattebo's 2,074 yards from scrimmage (1,568 rushing and 506 receiving) are a single-season school record. Before his 3-yard TD, Skattebo had a 47-yard run when he spun away at the line from defenders, then shrugged off others. He had a 2-yard score in the final minute of the first half after a 53-yard run, again after contact at the line before twisting and turning through chasing Cyclones. “He’s an ‘A’ player, and he played an ‘A’ game today,” Campbell said. “In these moments, you need your ‘A’ players to play ‘A’ football, and he certainly did it.” Big plays Even without injured leading receiver Jordan Tyson , the Sun Devils had plenty of big plays. Leavitt's first pass was a 22-yarder to Melquan Stovall, who later had a 63-yard catch to convert a fourth-and-1. Arizona State had six plays of more than 20 yards — all in the first half, when the longest play by Iowa State was 19 yards. The Cyclones' got a late 25-yard TD pass from Rocco Becht to Jaylin Noel, one of their two 1,000-yard receivers. Tyson, who had 624 yards receiving in five November games, injured his left arm in the second half of the regular-season finale against Arizona. Another game, another TD pass Becht has thrown TD passes in 17 consecutive game. His 3-yarder to Carson Hansen on the Cyclones' opening drive gave them their only lead at 7-3. Becht completed 21 of 35 pass for 214 yards and two TDs. The takeaway Arizona State has its first outright conference title since winning the Pac-10 in 1996. After going 3-9 in their final Pac-12 season, the Sun Devils' eight-win improvement is a school record — the previous was five. Arizona State and Indiana (11-1) are the only FBS schools with eight-win improvements over last year. Iowa State got into November undefeated for the first time since 1938. The Cyclones then lost back-to-back games before winning three in a row to get into their second Big 12 title game. They lost to Oklahoma in the 2020 game. Up next Arizona State finds out Sunday who and where it will start the playoff. Iowa State waits for its bowl destination, likely either the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio or the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballRelief, defiance, anger: Families and advocates react to Biden's death row commutations
Qatar tribune Agencies After retaking the White House last month, US president-elect Donald Trump celebrated his victory by attending an Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight bout with his friend and UFC president, Dana White, alongside billionaire ally Elon Musk. Days later, Trump, the well-known fan of mixed martial arts, started to announce his pick of a group of diehard supporters for his “America first” agenda who are expected to come out swinging at China – America’s most consequential geopolitical rival – in his second term. From Howard Lutnick, a Wall Street executive who has been vocal about tariffs, to Peter Navarro, a hawkish economist sanctioned by Beijing, choices made by Trump for his economic team signal that competition and conflicts between the world’s two largest economies are set to intensify, according to analysts. And some say that China, which has maintained a stable team of loyalists to President Xi Jinping and gained experience with Trump in his first term, may respond with more composure – as demonstrated in the ancient Chinese martial art of tai chi – while trying to dissolve attacks from the United States. Vice-Premier He Lifeng, who has been the “Chinese lead in US economic and trade talks” since last year, is expected to play a pivotal role in dealing with what looks to be shaping up as a fresh round of trade contentions.Unlike when Trump first entered politics and had to rely on the opinions of establishment Republicans, his strong return has elevated loyalty to his primary criterion for selecting candidates, aiming to minimise any constraints on presidential power. “As for their stance on China, these individuals are generally tough and hawkish,” said Zhou Mi, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, a think tank affiliated with the Ministry of Commerce. “Compared with the security and other teams, Trump’s economic team shows a bigger tendency to apply stronger pressure on China,” he said. “At the same time, they are less inclined towards engagement with China.” The Chinese team, however, is seen to resemble tai chi practitioners in the way that they tend to use softness and flexibility to overcome hardness. “Regardless of external pressure or cooperative intentions, China has maintained a steady framework and approach,” Zhou said. “At the global level, it adheres to multilateral rules and seeks solutions within multilateral frameworks,” he said. “On a bilateral level, it utilises laws, regulations, and policy measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of businesses while creating a more favourable environment for all parties to grow in China.” Craig Chan, head of global currency strategy at investment bank Nomura, described the cabinet that Trump has announced so far as “extremely hawkish, extremely in the pro-tariff camp”. Tariff hikes that Trump has threatened to impose on China and the rest of the world before and after his victory “will probably get implemented right at the start of his term”, Chan projected. “Last time, it was a year and a half of the trade war, this time, there’s the potential that it could be faster – maybe it’s faster with China.” Trump has named Lutnick, the Cantor Fitzgerald CEO with a bold vision of eliminating income tax and replacing it with tariffs, as his commerce secretary – a role that is crucial to Sino-American economic relations. Heading one of the largest firms of interdealer brokers, the man believes that globalisation undermines US workers. “Tariff the rest of the world and keep them the heck out,” he once said. Trump said Lutnick would “lead our tariff and trade agenda”, with special responsibility for the Office of the US Trade Representative, which is not yet officially part of the Commerce Department. While it is still unclear how exactly Trump will organise the trade posts in his new administration, the nominee for the trade-representative role is also an advocate of trade protectionism.Jamieson Greer, an international trade lawyer, served as chief of staff to former trade representative Robert Lighthizer, the architect of Trump’s tariffs on some US$370 billion worth of Chinese imports during his first term. Lighthizer was well known for his hostility toward Beijing and his protectionist views, as reflected in his book, No Trade Is Free. As his protégé, Greer played an important role in negotiating with Chinese officials on the phase-one trade deal signed in January 2020. Under that deal, China committed to purchasing some US$200 billion worth of American goods over two years, which it failed to do.Chen Fengying, a senior researcher with China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing, said that unlike during Trump’s first term, when the trade representative was parallel to the commerce secretary, it will now to be under the latter, signalling a tendency to play down negotiations. Tariff hikes are not the end game for Trump, but rather the means to pressure countries held accountable for their social issues, she said. Late last month, Trump vowed to charge Mexico and Canada a 25 per cent tariff on products coming into the US, on the first day of his administration, as retaliation for illegal migration from the American neighbours. He also pledged to increase tariffs by 10 per cent above existing levels on Chinese goods until it prevents the flow of illegal drugs into the US.“The status of the trade representative seems to be declining, but the goal to solve issues is becoming even clearer,” Chen said. She warned that China should also watch out for the Treasury secretary nominee, Scott Bessent, who would be given broad authority over tax policy, public debt, international finance and sanctions, if approved by the Senate. A disciple of George Soros, the head of New York-based hedge fund Key Square Capital Management helped Soros “break” the Bank of England in the 1990s. Bessent is also known for betting against the Japanese economy a decade ago. “China needs to pay attention to the yuan and prevent it from being shorted,” Chen said. Describing those people as “capable and ready to get things done”, she added that, “unlike the team in Trump’s first term that fell into chaos, it’s unlikely to see them fail this time”. Trump replaced three chiefs of staff, three secretaries of homeland security and two secretaries of defence due to “disagreements” and other issues during his first administration. Another key role on the president-elect’s economic team was given to Navarro, a fierce China hawk and long-time aide who was in federal prison for four months earlier this year after being held in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena. After serving as director of the White House National Trade Council in the first Trump administration, the economist has been named “senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing”.On the other side of the negotiation table is a team of Chinese technocrats led by Vice-Premier He Lifeng, who also directs the office of the Central Finance and Economic Affairs Commission, a key decision-making body headed by the president. The 69-year-old He has kept in contact with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen via a dialogue mechanism that launched in July 2023. Copy 24/12/2024 10
In the second quarter of a September game at Baylor, Air Force trainer Erick Kozlowski stopped coach Troy Calhoun on the sideline. Linebacker Grant Uyl had gone down with an injury, and Kozlowski had the unfortunate update. It was a “pretty serious” knee injury. “I said, like, done for a quite a while?” Calhoun said. “He said, ‘Probably done for the season.’” Fast forward three weeks, Koz again updated Calhoun on Uyl. The senior might be ready by the second week of November. Calhoun was taken aback. “Come back? Really come back, practice and play?” Calhoun asked the team’s longtime trainer. “He said, ‘We’re dealing with a rare guy here.’” This isn’t about the physical recovery Uyl underwent in two months. Air Force football, under Calhoun, doesn’t discuss injuries. The diagnosis and treatment are unknown to The Gazette. But they are also irrelevant to the story being told here. Instead, this is a look at the mindset of a young man – backed by a family well-versed in athletics and the unfortunate reality of injuries – who assessed his situation rationally and decided it was worth giving all he had to return. The team was spiraling. He already had accomplished his personal goals. His pilot training slot was already secured. But he wanted to finish strong. This is Uyl’s story. But it’s probably emblematic of the 2024 Falcons, a team that has similarly picked itself off the canvas and is in the midst of a memorable finish. *** Grant Uyl sent a text to his parents from the locker room at Baylor. “Well, if this is it,” he wrote. “It’s been a heck of a journey.” Grant, the middle of Marcy and Mark Uyl’s three children, had helped DeWitt High School in Grand Rapids, Mich., to its only football championship as a senior. He was accepted to the Naval Academy, but had fallen in love with Air Force on a Junior Day visit and when that acceptance followed he jumped on it. Then he waited. The Falcons' linebacker room was loaded with upperclassmen like T.D. Blackmon, Alec Mock and Johnathan Youngblood, so the younger players had few opportunities. He entered his senior year having appeared in three games and with no statistics to his credit. That changed in the opener, as Uyl made three tackles, forced and recovered a fumble and notched a quarterback hurry against Merrimack. The next week he made seven stops, including two for loss, against San Jose State. At Baylor, he walked out to the coin toss as a team captain and made three early unassisted stops. But when he left the field, his parents knew something was wrong. Had it been a rolled ankle, Grant would have played through it. Instead, he handed off his helmet and went to the medical tent. After the game, strength and conditioning coach Matt McGettigan and linebackers coach Ken Lamendola – both like father figures or older brothers in Grant’s life, his mother said – walked him out of the locker room and to his awaiting parents. He melted into his mother’s arms. “He was emotional, but he said, you know mom, I have accomplished all of the football goals,” Marcy Uyl said. “I knew he was going to be OK.” Those goals were to win a high school state title. Use football as a means to a free college education. And then become a contributor to that college team. As he faced what, at the time, was believed to be the end, he took comfort in that. His mother, in turn, found comfort in seeing him cope in such a way. “You’re always OK if your kid’s OK,” Marcy Uyl said. *** Marcy and Mark Uyl rerouted their flight to Colorado Springs, rather than returning to Michigan, following Grant’s injury at Baylor. They wanted to meet the doctors and provide support. Turns out, there was a choice to be made. Again, The Gazette isn’t privy to the details, but it sounds like Uyl chose an option that would put off a course of action that would definitively end his season. “As soon as you tell yourself you’re not going to be able to come back, you’re not going to be able to come back,” he said. “So my mindset the whole time is that I’d be able to join the boys back out there on Saturdays.” His parents sought opinions from their vast network of contacts, including sports medical personnel at Michigan State. They were comfortable with the plan that was chosen. And this was from an informed, experienced perspective. Mark and Marcy Uyl were both college athletes. Mark went on to a career as a longtime official – he’s worked College World Series games as an umpire – and is the Michigan High School Athletic Association executive director. Marcy is the varsity girls’ basketball coach at DeWitt High School. They had seen athletes deal with injuries, including those in their household. Grant’s older brother, Jackson, broke his leg playing football as a freshman in high school. Part of the rehab – at his mother’s insistence – was in the pool. Jackson, who grew to 6-foot-4, ended up swimming collegiately for NCAA Division III Hope College. Madi, a three-sport athlete who signed last week to play NCAA Division II basketball at Grand Valley State, had just recovered from an injury when Grant suffered his. This experience, and Grant’s even-keeled outlook on most things, allowed the family to approach the situation level-headed. It helped that all had full confidence in Air Force’s medical and training staff – including Kozlowski, Ernie Sedelmyer and McGettigan – and the institution as a whole that they trusted to keep Grant’s long-term health in mind. “They don’t put a kid in harm’s way,” Marcy Uyl said. “And he said, ‘I’m already going to compete at the next level, I want to be a fighter pilot.’” The decision was made to try to return. “We both had a conversation with him, heart to heart, to make sure he was doing this for him,” Marcy Uyl said. “Not for his dad, not for his mom, not to prove something, but that he believed he could do it and it was the right thing for him and not to please anybody else. “He said, ‘Nope, if I can do it I’m going to do it and I’m going to help this team.’” *** Grant Uyl returned to the field against Army on Nov. 2, making six tackles. He has added three tackles in each of the past two weeks, as Air Force has climbed back from a seven-game losing streak with back-to-back wins. He had 1.5 sacks in a 28-0 shutout of Oregon State last week, adding a stop on fourth down. “All the intangibles,” Calhoun said of what Uyl brings as a player. “Tremendous instincts. Loves to play. Loves contact. Gets it in terms of being part of being something more than just his own shell, his own self. The resiliency. And he made a couple of key plays last week, especially in the open field.” This team, that saw roster inexperience exacerbated by a rash of injuries to Uyl and others, suddenly finds itself as a potential bowl team, should it close with two more wins and certain things play out that calls for 5-7 teams to fill the bowl slate. “It’s awesome to see that we have a lot of guys that will never give up, never quit, no matter how bad circumstances may seem to be,” Uyl said. “It allows you to have a lot of trust in the people who go out on the field next to you on Saturdays.” Uyl’s parents didn’t give up on the season, either. With the exception of the game at New Mexico – a time Grant was able to return home to Michigan – Marcy or Mark, or both, have attended every game. That will obviously continue as the season closes with games at Nevada and San Diego State. “Absolutely, we can’t wait,” Marcy Uyl said. “If he’s going to work this hard and finish this out, we will ride this ride with him, wholeheartedly.” As for Grant, though he remained focused on returning the whole time, he’s too smart to understand that he might have already played his last snap. Getting this new lease – for him, for the team – has helped him savor the final stretch of the season. “It really puts it into perspective that, being a senior, this is it for me and just being able to cherish every day in practice I have, every day in the weight room, and then obviously the games I have left, it has made it a little bit more special,” he said. “Just super thankful. It feels right that we’re starting to play better defense, but we’ve got to string a couple of weeks together and finish this thing out on a high note.”
MARKET REPORT: Budget battering goes on for Britain's builders amid fears of higher interest ratesPL Predictions: Forest to turn up heat on stubborn Ange
Political turmoil in France sends euro tumbling and borrowing costs soaring as manufacturing crisis deepens By JOHN-PAUL FORD ROJAS Updated: 22:00 GMT, 2 December 2024 e-mail 2 View comments French borrowing costs spiked and the euro fell yesterday as the Paris government teetered on the brink of collapse and bleak figures revealed a further downturn for Europe’s manufacturing sector. The market turbulence came as Right-wing and Left-wing parties said they would back a no-confidence motion against prime minister Michel Barnier in the coming days. Barnier made a dramatic appeal to French MPs urging them not to back the move –which would be the first time a French government has been brought down by a no-confidence vote since 1962. ‘We are at a moment of truth,’ he said. ‘The French will not forgive us for putting the interests of individuals before the future of the country.’ Yields on French ten-year bonds – the return demanded by investors for lending to the government – spiked, briefly overtaking those issued by Greece. The narrowing of the gap between the two countries’ borrowing costs illustrates how, while Greece has fought back from its chaotic debt crisis more than a decade ago, France – Europe’s second biggest economy – has sunk into the mire. Under fire: French Right-wing and Left-wing parties said they would back a no-confidence motion against prime minister Michel Barnier (pictured) in the coming days At the same time, the gap between French bonds and those issued by Germany has increased. That ‘spread’ – a gauge of the premium charged by investors for holding France’s debt – widened to 0.9 percentage points last week, the highest since 2012, and rose close to that level again yesterday. The euro, meanwhile, dipped below $1.05 against the US dollar, closing in on a two-year low. Sterling surged close to €1.21 versus the euro – in a boost for British travellers heading to the continent over Christmas. France has been pushed into political turmoil after snap elections earlier this year that gave no bloc a parliamentary majority. That has left Barnier struggling to pass a budget bill that sets out £50billion worth of tax hikes and spending cuts as he seeks to repair the country’s debt-laden public finances. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Neglect imperils Royal Mail: Government should have learned... Car industry suffers another breakdown: Vauxhall-owner... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account The lack of support saw the prime minister say he would ram the bill through without a vote. That led National Rally leader Marine Le Pen to say she would put forward a no-confidence motion, with the Left-wing parties expected to do the same. It came as closely-watched purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed the downturn in the eurozone’s manufacturing sector deepened last month. The PMI index, compiled by S&P Global and Hamburg Commercial Bank, sank from 46 in October to 45.2 in November – on a measure where the 50-mark separates growth from contraction. UK factory woe British manufacturing has slammed into reverse as the economy stumbles in the wake of the Budget, according to data. The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for the sector posted a nine-month low of 48 in November, down from 49.9 in October. Job losses were the steepest since February ‘linked to concerns over rising cost pressures and weak demand’, the report said. 'It said declines in output and new orders were attributed to UK uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions. ‘Some firms noted that announcements in the Budget had led to budgets being re-appraised,’ the report added. DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Saxo Saxo Get £200 back in trading fees Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Compare the best investing account for you Share or comment on this article: Political turmoil in France sends euro tumbling and borrowing costs soaring as manufacturing crisis deepens e-mail Add comment Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence. More top storiesMadhya Pradesh Political Punch: Devilish Pet, Number One, Hidden Chasm & More
