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Patriots-Giants preview: How Bill Belichick and Mac Jones can end their losing streak

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

It used be the Patriots played their best football down the stretch, gaining steam toward an annual playoff run.“Real football,” they said, started after Thanksgiving.Well, here we are.The Patriots (2-8) likely cannot salvage their season, but they can begin to string solid performances together Sunday. The Giants (3-8) are plagued with more problems than even Bill Belichick’s bunch, including a third-string rookie quarterback, poor weapons and a defense that can’t stop anyone. That doesn’t mean the Pats should waltz into a win, even if they are 3.5-point favorites.But if they intend to start playing their best football, Sunday is the ideal place to start. Here’s what to watch for:When the Patriots runAs well as the Patriots ran the ball two weeks ago against the Colts, racking up a season-high 167 yards in Germany, there’s a chance they build on that performance Sunday.The Giants’ run defense ranks among the league’s worst by mo...

NFL notes: Why Patriots players see 3 future head coaches on staff besides Jerod Mayo

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

Whether Bill Belichick leaves after this season or sometime in the years to come, linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is widely viewed as the favorite to succeed him as the Patriots’ head coach.Mayo has already interviewed for three head-coaching jobs in the last three years and turned down an interview last offseason with Carolina. In January, owner Robert Kraft released an unprecedented statement announcing the Patriots had engaged in contract negotiations to retain him. Mayo later reached terms on a new deal that opened new doors for him inside the building, including an inside look at Belichick’s search for a new offensive coordinator.The 37-year-old has long been heralded as a natural leader and players coach. It is not certain Mayo will be named the Patriots’ next head coach, though he is determined to become a headman somewhere someday. Players and colleagues see Mayo as a strong head-coaching candidate — and he’s not the only one on staff.Two members o...

Top diplomats from Japan and China meet in South Korea ahead of 3-way regional talks

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Top diplomats from Japan and China met for bilateral talks Saturday as they try to resolve disputes including China’s ban on Japanese seafood that has badly hit Japanese exporters.Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, met in South Korea’s southern port city of Busan. They will join their host, Park Jin, for three-way talks on Sunday.Kamikawa, who took office in September and met with Wang in person for the first time, said their meeting was “extremely meaningful.” She said they had agreed to start security and economic meetings, but gave no details.The Japanese and Chinese leaders met 10 days ago in San Francisco, on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and achieved a vague agreement on easing a dispute over China’s ban on Japanese seafood that has been in place since the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant began discharging treated radioactive wastewater into the sea on Aug. ...

Suspect in young woman’s killing is extradited as Italians plan to rally over violence against women

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

ROME (AP) — An Italian man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend in a case that has shaken the country was extradited from Germany on Saturday, as thousands of people prepared to take to the streets to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.Filippo Turetta, 21, landed at the Venice airport around mid-morning. He will be immediately transferred to a prison in the northern city of Verona to face questions in the investigation into the death of Giulia Cecchettin, Italian media reported.Cecchettin, 22, disappeared after meeting Turetta for a burger at a shopping mall near Venice, just days before she was to receive her degree in biomedical engineering. The case gripped Italy. Her body was found on Nov. 18 — covered by black plastic bags in a ditch near a lake in the foothills of the Alps. Turetta was arrested the following day in Germany.Cecchettin’s killing has sparked an unprecedented outpouring of grief and anger in the country, where many women say pat...

Pakistani shopping mall blaze kills at least 10 people and injures 22 others

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A fire tore through a shopping mall in the southwestern Pakistani city of Karachi, killing at least 10 people and injuring 22 others, police and local officials said Saturday.The multi-story RJ Mall is in a commercial high-rise that also houses call centers and software firms. The fire department dispatched eight fire trucks to the scene after being alerted at 6:30 a.m, local time. Chief fire officer, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, said the fourth floor of the building was the most affected.Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the fire had been extinguished and a cooling process was underway.He said that five of the 22 injured were in critical condition. “We are trying our best to do whatever it takes to save their lives and to provide them with whatever treatment that is required for saving their lives,” Siddiqui, who was at the scene, told reporters. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.Karachi is the capita...

Light rain and wet snow expected, chilly conditions ahead

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- A quick system rolls through tonight into Sunday morning, bringing light rain and some wet snow (to the north). The split for wintry precipitation will be along the I-70 corridor, mostly with wet snow to the north and cold rain to the south. Along I-70, we could see a mix of rain and wet snow. Precipitation stays light in our area, with heavier snow and accumulations expected across northern Missouri. In our northern counties, we could see some light accumulations, mainly on grassy surfaces. In the metro, road temperatures still appear too warm for any snow we may see to stick, but travel to northern MO or west central IL could be a bit slick, especially during the morning hours. Most of the precipitation should be out of here by about 10 a.m., and then we'll be left with a cloudy, cold, and breezy day. Highs on Sunday will struggle to reach the low 40s. Sunday night lows fall into the 20s. We'll start the workweek cold and dry, with highs near 40 and a gradual warm-up ...

St. Louis celebrates excellence at the 4th Annual Give Black Ball

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- In the heart of Downtown St. Louis, notable individuals gathered for the 4th Annual Give Black Ball, an event dedicated to recognizing and honoring impactful organizations that have significantly contributed to the city. The spotlight shone on two outstanding black-owned entities.The honorees, Dr. Marty Casey's Show Me Arts Academy and Morgan Casey's Date Ideas and Things to Do, were celebrated for their exceptional contributions to the St. Louis community.Founder of Give Black Ball, Jordan "Shorty, aka Reggie Son," Johnson, expressed the significance of the event: "This is the fourth year of the Give Black Ball. It gives us an opportunity around the holidays to give back but we also give to a black-owned organization or initiative here in Saint Louis. Everybody knows Shorty shows love, so this is a way people around the city, the community that I admire, are doing good in the city."The festive night included networking, live entertainment, and indulgence in food and dr...

LIST: some of the brightest holiday light shows

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis is a major Midwest draw for holiday lights. Several local light displays draw people from hundreds of miles away. So, what are some of the most spectacular ones in our area?Here's a look at seven that stand out to us, when they're open, and how long you have to enjoy them:U.S. Bank Wild Lights:Saint Louis Zoo, Forest Park, November 24 to December 30.Explore a 40-foot walk-through lighted tree for a photo opportunity and see the Meet Me in St. Louis display, showcasing a 15-foot arch and a 17-foot steamboat silhouette backdrop. Other displays include the Frosted Forest, Butterfly Grove, Toy Town, Holly Jolly Hangout, Arctic Alley, Twinkling Tunnel, Peppermint Pathway, and Gingerbread Lane.2. Anheuser-Busch Brewery Lights:Downtown St. Louis, November 18 to December 30.At this event, there are over a million twinkling lights at the 38th annual Brewery Lights at the Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery.3. Garden Glow:Missouri Botanical Garden, November 18 to January 6...

Watch the skies! Your soup is here.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Exactly a decade ago, Amazon revealed a program that aimed to revolutionize shopping and shipping. Drones launched from a central hub would waft through the skies delivering just about everything anyone could need. They would be fast, innovative, ubiquitous — all the Amazon hallmarks.The buzzy announcement, made by Jeff Bezos on “60 Minutes” as part of a Cyber Monday promotional package, drew global attention. “I know this looks like science fiction. It’s not,” said Bezos, Amazon’s founder and the CEO at the time. The drones would be “ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place,” probably in 2015, the company said.Eight additional years later, drone delivery is a reality — kind of — on the outskirts of College Station, Texas, northwest of Houston. That is a major achievement for a program that has waxed and waned over the years and lost many of its early leaders to newer and more urgent projects.Yet the ...

Discount wireless plans catch up as worthy rivals to the big carriers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:35:01 GMT

Americans have long been conditioned to believe that when they buy a cellphone, the next step is to pick a wireless plan from one of the big carriers: Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile. With their plans ranging from $60 to $200 a month for individuals and families, the price of a phone is soon eclipsed by the recurring service bills.What if I told you that it no longer had to be this way?Your phone bill could shrink to as little as $25 a month if you picked a wireless plan from a lesser-known service provider known as a discount carrier. The cheaper plans, based on my tests, offer sufficiently fast internet speeds and reliable phone service. It takes some courage and technological know-how to make the switch, but the potential savings outweigh the downsides.On the surface, these budget carriers, which include Cricket Wireless, Straight Talk, Boost Mobile, Mint Mobile and Visible, lack a cool factor. They do not operate their own cell networks; instead, they lease wireless services from ...