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DENVER (AP) — So you’re the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It’s “America’s Got Talent” meets “American Idol,” with and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it’s never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it’s not an easy team to make. The are at “Dream Team” status given the men’s side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport’s national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% . The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. “We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport,” said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. “We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world.” Flag football was added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football’s inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it’s simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it’s catching on, too. The women’s team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the . “Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That’s something to aspire to,” said , the NFL’s vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn’t your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There’s a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado’s Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there’s no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. “If a receiver is running around, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,’” Daniels explained. “They’re like, ‘No, you can’t.’ I’m just like, ‘So I’m supposed to let this guy just run?!’ I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn.” The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. “I would actually love” seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who’s also a personal trainer in Miami. “I’m not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, ‘I played NFL football for five years. I’m popular. I have a huge name.’ I’m still better than you and I’m going to prove it — until you prove otherwise.” Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It’s his way of working on avoiding a “defender” trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. “You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the ‘Redeem Team’ led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you’re always thinking, ‘That’s insane.’ Obviously, you couldn’t do it in your sport, because I played football,” said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. “With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on.” It’s a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. “Everybody thinks, ‘Yeah, the U.S. just wins,’” Daniels said. “But we work hard all the time. We don’t just walk in. We don’t just get off the bus thinking, ‘We’re going to beat people.’” ___ AP NFL: andBo Richter ‘continues to excel’ as Vikings special teams come off roller-coaster performance against Bears
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Developers of lab space for biotech startups are moving ahead with a downtown Baltimore project that aims to create more than 100 jobs over the next four years. City officials last week approved a $200,000 convertible loan for operators of 4MLK Connect Labs, which will offer 35,000-square-feet of flex lab space for early stage biotech and life sciences companies in the University of Maryland BioPark’s newest building. The city loan and a $2 million loan from the state Department of Commerce will cover the purchase of specialized lab equipment and be tied to performance and job creation goals. The lab operator and borrower is a joint venture of an affiliate of Wexford Science & Technology, the building’s developer, and a subsidiary of Ventas. Such projects are critical for the state to attract life sciences companies and remain competitive in the sector, said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson. “We have tremendous innovation coming from our universities and our private sector and this new space will help those ideas to grow from the lab to the marketplace,” Anderson said in an announcement of the project. The lab developer expects to attract emerging companies in the life sciences, computational, engineering and energy industries with at least 100 full-time employees by the end of 2028. If the job and other goals are met, all outstanding deferred principal and accrued interest will be forgiven on the city loan, which was approved last week by the city Board of Estimates through the Baltimore Development Corp. Colin Tarbert, BDC president and chief executive officer, said state-of-the-art lab space can help build the city’s life sciences ecosystem and attract national attention. It’s part of a joint city/state effort to spur economic growth, generate tax revenue and build the region as a hub for scientific and technological advancement. The lab will open in 4MLK, a newly constructed eight-story building at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Baltimore Street developed by Wexford Science + Technology. Related Articles Boosters of the project say the building was designed to provide much-needed wet laboratory space for researchers and companies and foster collaboration between the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Maryland Medical Center. The flex lab space will be subleased to a developer-formed joint venture to operate, manage, staff and sub-lease to early stage companies. The 14-acre park, located on the west side of the university’s campus, is expected to include nearly 2 million square feet of lab and office space in a dozen buildings at full build-out.ADNOC signs 15-year, 1mtpa Sales and Purchase Agreement with PETRONAS for Ruwais LNG Project
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The person waiting for calmly approached him outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel, video shows. The shooter raised a gun and fatally shot Thompson at close range. Even as the weapon appeared to jam, the shooter remained composed, standing over Thompson and firing again before walking away, leaving behind , multiple news outlets reported. The killer hasn't yet been identified by authorities and is still at large. Experts told USA TODAY these details provide investigators key clues about who the man is ‒ and how tough it will be to catch him. There's some evidence to support that, said , a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. The more Alcazar sees video footage of the shooting, the more he believes the shooter may have been a professional. "It looks like this guy may have had some experience, and I'm sure investigators are entertaining the possibility," added Alcazar, a former detective with the New York City Police Department. "It definitely crossed my mind." He said the shooter's choice of what appears to be a indicates he had an objective: "If this guy wanted to assassinate someone, that's a very specific weapon that just needs one shot," Alcazar said. "If that's indeed the weapon (the weapon used in the shooting has not yet been recovered) and he specifically selected that, it shows confidence." Others aren't so sure. "I would lean toward not," said , a professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University and director of the university's Intelligence program. "On the one hand, from the behavior I saw in videos of the shooting, it might indicate he was a paid professional. He seems collected, calm, he's not overtly rushing." But, added Carter, whose expertise is in violent crime control, counterterrorism and law enforcement intelligence, a professional would have made sure in advance that the weapon he planned to use was in proper working order and wouldn't jam, something which appeared to have happened. "A paid assassin would use a revolver, which is more reliable and has no cartridges, or he would pick up the cartridges," Carter said. The cartridges that were left behind, Carter observed, might also indicate a motive that leans more toward a personal grudge than a professional hit: Multiple outlets reported, citing police sources, that recovered from the scene. "There is no reason someone who's a paid killer would do that," said Carter, "because that's evidence, and it's unique evidence." The shooter appears calm because, Carter speculated, "This is about revenge: 'I am thinking revenge, and I am basking in that revenge.'" Carter said investigators have their work cut out for them, since surveillance video, cell phone activity, facial recognition technology and other digital and electronic evidence, while helpful, will also be voluminous in a place like Midtown Manhattan and going through it all will be "tremendously labor-intensive." He said that while the shooter does seem to have experience with weapons, "that could be literally hundreds of thousands of people," including military and law enforcement personnel or veterans, hunters or gun hobbyists. The shooter seems to have taken steps to plan the attack and conceal his identity, Alcazar noted, using a fake ID, wearing a face mask and staying at a hostel, not renting a car but instead fleeing the scene first on foot and then on a bike. Carter and Alcazar both believe the shooter, whether a professional assassin or a person out for revenge or with some other motive, will be caught. "He seems to have been very meticulous," both in planning and in his escape, Alcazar said. "So when they're processing the scene and gathering surveillance and evidence, (law enforcement) will have to be just as meticulous."Walmart's DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump's election victory
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China's consumer prices rose less-than-expected in November, climbing 0.2% from a year ago, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released Monday. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a slight pickup in the consumer price index to 0.5% in November from a year ago, versus 0.3% in October. China's producer price index declined for the 26th month. Producer inflation fell by 2.5% year on year in November, less than the estimated 2.8% decline as per the Reuters poll. China's consumer prices rose less-than-expected in November, climbing 0.2% from a year ago, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released Monday. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a slight pickup in consumer prices to 0.5% in November from a year ago, versus 0.3% in October. China's producer price index declined for the 26th month. Producer inflation fell by 2.5% year on year in November, less than the estimated 2.8% decline as per the Reuters poll. The persistent near-zero inflation shows that China is still grappling with sluggish domestic demand and deflation at the wholesale level. This is in spite of Beijing's slate of stimulus efforts since September which has included interest rate cuts, support for the stock and property markets as well as efforts to boost bank lending. "We believe deflation will continue in China, especially based on the previous experience during trade wars," said Becky Liu, head of China macro strategy at Standard Chartered Bank, drawing reference to the ongoing trade war between China and the U.S. "Inflation, especially PPI inflation, typically falls to negative territory during such periods and this time we see no exception," she said. Liu said China's producer price index inflation will likely remain negative throughout 2025. Money Report CNBC Daily Open: Political turmoil continues over the weekend He bought a KFC store in Australia for $100,000 in 1969. Today, his fast food company is worth over $3 billion Goldman Sachs similarly expects near-zero CPI figures to persist in China next year, the investment bank's analysts wrote in a note dated Dec. 6. However, other tenets of China's economy have shown some signs of recovery. The world's second-largest economy reported strong growth in October's retail sales , beating Reuters' expectations. China's manufacturing activity also expanded for two months in a row . Top leaders in the country are set to convene at the annual Central Economic Work Conference starting Wednesday to outline economic goals and stimulus measures for 2025. On Monday, Fitch Ratings revised down its 2025 Chinese GDP growth forecast to 4.3% from 4.5%. The credit rating agency also adjusted its 2026 growth projections to 4.0%, down from 4.3% in September. "For 2025 and 2026, we assume that U.S. trade policy towards China will take a sharp protectionist turn," Fitch Ratings Chief Economist Brian Coulton wrote in the report. While there are "tentative signs of stabilization" in the country's real estate sector, an extended downturn in the property market poses a key risk to the agency's forecast. China is also due to report its trade data for November on Tuesday, and retail sales figures next Monday. Also on CNBC Electric car stock plays for 2025 as GM, Tesla struggle in China With TikTok ban upheld, it's Trump's move, and donors vs. national security Far from a bazooka, China's stimulus measures are just trickling through the economy
A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok’s petition to overturn the law — which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — and rebuffed the company’s challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” said the court’s opinion, which was written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, though its unclear whether the court will take up the case. “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting ans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people,” Hughes said. Unless stopped, he argued the statute “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19th, 2025.” Though the case is squarely in the court system, it’s also possible the two companies might be thrown some sort of a lifeline by President-elect Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term but said during the presidential campaign that he is now against such action. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was the culmination of a yearslong saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect. The European Union on Friday expressed similar concerns as it investigates intelligence that suggests Russia possibly abused the platform to influence the elections in Romania. TikTok, which sued the government over the law in May, has long denied it could be used by Beijing to spy on or manipulate Americans. Its attorneys have accurately pointed out that the U.S. hasn’t provided evidence to show that the company handed over user data to the Chinese government, or manipulated content for Beijing’s benefit in the U.S. They have also argued the law is predicated on future risks, which the Department of Justice has emphasized pointing in part to unspecified action it claims the two companies have taken in the past due to demands from the Chinese government. Friday’s ruling came after the appeals court panel, composed of two Republicans and one Democrat appointed judges, heard oral arguments in September. In the hearing, which lasted more than two hours, the panel appeared to grapple with how TikTok’s foreign ownership affects its rights under the Constitution and how far the government could go to curtail potential influence from abroad on a foreign-owned platform. On Friday, all three denied TikTok’s petition. In the court’s ruling, Ginsburg, a Republican appointee, rejected TikTok’s main legal arguments against the law, including that the statute was an unlawful bill of attainder, or a taking of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. He also said the law did not violate the First Amendment because the government is not looking to “suppress content or require a certain mix of content” on TikTok. “Content on the platform could in principle remain unchanged after divestiture, and people in the United States would remain free to read and share as much PRC propaganda (or any other content) as they desire on TikTok or any other platform of their choosing,” Ginsburg wrote, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. Judge Sri Srinivasan, the chief judge on the court, issued a concurring opinion. TikTok’s lawsuit was consolidated with a second legal challenge brought by several content creators — for which the company is covering legal costs — as well as a third one filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc. Other organizations, including the Knight First Amendment Institute, had also filed amicus briefs supporting TikTok. “This is a deeply misguided ruling that reads important First Amendment precedents too narrowly and gives the government sweeping power to restrict Americans’ access to information, ideas, and media from abroad,” said Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the organization. “We hope that the appeals court’s ruling won’t be the last word.” Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers who had pushed for the legislation celebrated the court’s ruling. “I am optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok to allow its continued use in the United States and I look forward to welcoming the app in America under new ownership,” said Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China. Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who co-authored the law, said “it’s time for ByteDance to accept” the law. To assuage concerns about the company’s owners, TikTok says it has invested more than $2 billion to bolster protections around U.S. user data. The company has also argued the government’s broader concerns could have been resolved in a draft agreement it provided the Biden administration more than two years ago during talks between the two sides. It has blamed the government for walking away from further negotiations on the agreement, which the Justice Department argues is insufficient. Attorneys for the two companies have claimed it’s impossible to divest the platform commercially and technologically. They also say any sale of TikTok without the coveted algorithm — the platform’s secret sauce that Chinese authorities would likely block under any divesture plan — would turn the U.S. version of TikTok into an island disconnected from other global content. Still, some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in purchasing the platform. Both men said earlier this year that they were launching a consortium to purchase TikTok’s U.S. business. This week, a spokesperson for McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative, which aims to protect online privacy, said unnamed participants in their bid have made informal commitments of more than $20 billion in capital. A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a A Boston city councilor was arrested Friday on federal fraud U.S. stocks rose to records Friday after data suggested the The Nov. 29 print edition of The Business Journal included
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has declared that innovative financing models will serve as a catalyst for achieving sustainable development in the African Maritime industry. Mobereola, who stated this while speaking at the 7th Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, assured attendees of Nigeria’s commitment to advancing a future where Africa’s maritime sector thrives sustainably. In his words, “Nigeria is committed to collaborating on technology and innovation to enhance safety, security, decarbonisation, and the marine environment for a sustainable future.” He emphasised that this conference presents at a pivotal opportunity to address shared challenges, particularly those related to sustainable energy, regional security, and economic growth. “We are here to advocate for innovative financing models and international support that will facilitate sustainable growth. As Nigeria pursues infrastructure development and digital transformation within our maritime sector, we call on our regional and international partners to support these efforts through technical and financial backing. Our priorities at the AAMA conference include exploring collaborative avenues to enhance maritime safety and security. By reinforcing our adherence to frameworks like the Djibouti and Yaoundé Codes of Conduct, we aim to solidify Nigeria’s role in combating piracy and maritime crime across West Africa,” he stated. The Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) was established to lay a firm foundation for regular consultations, enabling African maritime administrations to build joint positions on issues of common concern in the maritime sector. When Nigeria hosted the 3rd AAMA conference in 2017, a master plan was developed outlining the measures necessary to advance the maritime agenda as envisioned in the African Maritime Transport Charter. The Association has also created a platform to strengthen cooperation at the regional, continental, and international levels, harmonizing policies and goals essential for the growth of the African maritime sector. Source: Nigerian TribuneBelieve it or not, Cowboys might have hope yet after chaotic win at Washington
Australian PM ready to 'engage' with Musk on social media teen banCORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — Garry Clark scored 15 points as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beat Prairie View A&M 109-74 on Saturday night. Clark also contributed five rebounds for the Islanders (5-3). Dian Wright-Forde shot 5 of 6 from the field and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line to add 14 points. Jordan Roberts shot 4 of 6 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 5 from the line to finish with 14 points. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.None
