LONGVIEW – According to a report from our news partner, KETK, an 18-year-old remains behind bars after leading police on a Tuesday pursuit and then crashing a stolen vehicle into a building, the Longview Police Department said.
Officers were called around 12:17 a.m. to a deadly conduct in the 1300 block of Lawndale Street. While responding to that call on the northwest Longview street, police saw a vehicle that had been reported stolen an hour earlier and initiated pursuit. “A short pursuit followed and then ended when the suspect vehicle crashed into a vacant building after striking a home as well,” said Longview PD. “There were no injuries at any of the involved locations.”
The driver, identified as 18-year-old Xavier Tennison of Longview, was booked into the Gregg County Jail. He was charged with evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and unlawful carrying of a weapon. He is being held on a total $87,000 bond.
Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199.
(LONDON )-- As Jahanzeb Wesa fled toward the Pakistani border in the middle of the night, he wondered if his career defending human rights would help protect him now that he was a refugee himself.
A 28-year-old Afghan journalist and women's rights advocate, Wesa said he was attacked by a Taliban fighter while covering a women's rights protest just after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. If he didn't make it across the border, he said, he knew he would likely be killed.
"We worked for 20 years for a better future for Afghanistan," he recalled thinking. "Why did we lose everything?"
But arriving in a new country brought no sense of safety.
Following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, some Afghan journalists said they have been in limbo waiting for humanitarian visas while living in exile in Pakistan, where they fled across the shared border when Kabul fell.
The Taliban's violent suppression of criticism, along with draconian crackdowns on women's rights, meant journalists who stayed in Afghanistan were at constant risk of being detained, tortured, disappeared or killed.
In Pakistan, unable to legally work and threatened with deportation through government ultimatums and face-to-face interactions, some Afghan journalists applied for visas from countries that promised to help Afghan refugees.
Almost three years later, many said they still have not received a decision.
In the meantime, their prospects in Pakistan are dire, several told ABC News.
Life in Pakistan
Several Afghan journalists living in Pakistan told ABC News that their fear of deportation is omnipresent.
Khatera, a journalist from northern Afghanistan who asked ABC News not to publish her last name for her safety, fled to Pakistan in April 2022 after the Taliban raided her newsroom, destroying radios and TVs.
"After that," she said, "everything was a nightmare."
Like many Afghan journalists in Pakistan, Khatera arrived on a tourist visa she had to renew every six months through a private travel agent. Visa renewals were sometimes denied without reason, and officials often asked for bribes, she said.
The Pakistani government did not reply to a request for comment.
Housing, health care and transportation in Pakistan can be prohibitively expensive for Afghans, whose tourist visas don't allow them to work. Many rely on depleting savings, support from family members, or under-the-table jobs, according to those who spoke to ABC News. Given the economic strain, the biannual visa fee and the corresponding bribes present significant burdens, they said.
But not having proper documentation can bring serious consequences. "Anywhere you're going, the police are asking about your valid documents," said Khatera. They sometimes conduct nighttime home check-ins and try to deport those who can't provide valid papers, she said.
Those disruptions to daily life don't appear to be unique to journalists. A 2023 Human Rights Watch report declared a "humanitarian crisis" of Pakistani authorities committing widespread abuses, including mass detentions and property seizures, against Afghans in Pakistan. Over a month and a half, the report said, Pakistani authorities deported 20,000 Afghans and coerced over 350,000 more to leave on their own.
Afghan journalists regularly receive death threats from the regime at home over social media, Wesa said. "If I'm deported to Afghanistan," he said, "the Taliban is waiting for me."
"No journalist has been condemned to torture, disappearance, or death by the government of Afghanistan," said a spokesperson for the Taliban-run Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that "all citizens of the country are equal in the eyes of the law regardless of their position and profession."
Some journalists said they also face a widespread mental health crisis. Rahman, an Afghan journalist who asked ABC News to use his middle name due to what he described as ongoing threats from the Taliban, struggles with worsening depression and anxiety. He said he fears for himself and his family, still in Kabul.
"It's daily mental torture," he said.
An endless wait
The conditions in Pakistan have spurred many Afghan journalists to apply for humanitarian visas from the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and other European countries. Yet, some have not heard back for about three years.
Wesa applied for an Australian humanitarian visa on Jan. 4, 2022, six months after he arrived in Pakistan. He supplemented his application with support letters from Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International and other nongovernmental organizations stating his life was at risk, he told ABC News.
More than two years after filing his initial application, he has received a confirmation of receipt but no further updates, he said.
A departmental spokesperson from the Australian Department of Home Affairs said they "expect it will take at least 6 years from the date of receipt for processing to commence on [the applications] lodged in 2022, 2023, or 2024."
"We will wait – there is no other way," Wesa said in response. "I hope they help us as soon as possible."
"Day by day, I'm faced with depression and health issues," he said. "My only hope is that Australia will save my life."
Rahman, who reported on women's rights in Afghanistan, is saving up to apply for a family visa from Australia, where his fiancée lives. The process costs over $9,000. He said he believes a humanitarian visa application will not receive a response.
Requests for help from the French embassy and the U.N. have also yielded no results, he said.
"I believe these countries have always been for freedom and for democracy. They can help out," he said. "I just wonder why it takes such a long time."
Khatera applied for a visa from the Swiss embassy. It took a year and a half to receive the file number, she said. She was told she needed close relatives in the country, but otherwise, they would likely not be able to help.
"I'm getting depression," she said. "I'm just trying to fight."
Every Afghan journalist in exile interviewed by ABC News said they continue to receive threats from the Taliban over social media and fear for their lives every day.
The Taliban denied sending the threats, saying "the government and officials of Afghanistan have not threatened any journalists."
Broken promises
Afghan journalists waiting in worsening conditions for responses to their visa applications said they feel that Western countries have broken their promises to help Afghan refugees.
The United States expanded a resettlement program for Afghan refugees in 2021 to include journalists and humanitarian workers who had helped the United States. However, as of 2023, The Associated Press reported that only a small portion of applicants had been resettled.
The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
The Afghan Pro Bono Initiative, a partnership providing free legal representation to Afghan refugees, published a 2023 report entitled "Two Years of Empty Promises." The report found that the U.K. resettlement programs for Afghan refugees were fraught with delays, understaffing, administrative hurdles, narrow eligibility and technical issues.
Earlier this year, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other NGOs called on Western countries to adopt prima facie refugee status for Afghan women and girls, which would grant refugee status without the need for individual assessments, potentially streamlining the application process and decreasing lengthy wait times.
Despite the dragging wait times and the pervasive hopelessness, many of the 170 Afghan journalists in exile in Pakistan continue to speak out against the Taliban.
Wesa's X account includes frequent posts about Afghanistan -- legal updates, protest videos and women singing to resist what they describe as draconian Taliban policies.
"In any country, I will stand for Afghan women," he said. "I will risk my life for them."
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (R-HI) takes the stage during a Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump campaign rally at Lancaster Airport on November 03, 2024 in Lititz, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- President-elect Donald Trump's pick for the director of national intelligence, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, has little experience working with the nation's spy agencies and a long track record of echoing the Russian disinformation they work to expose and to counter -- a combination her critics claim should be disqualifying.
Gabbard, 43, who represented Hawaii as a Democrat from 2013-2021 and ran for the party's presidential nomination in 2020 before becoming a Republican earlier this year, has been accused of harboring sympathies for the Kremlin and parroting propaganda generated by Russia to justify its invasion of Ukraine.
At the outset of the conflict, Gabbard blamed the Biden administration and NATO, claiming they had provoked Russia's aggression by ignoring what she called its "legitimate security concerns" about Ukraine potentially becoming a member of the defensive alliance.
In March 2022, Gabbard posted a video to Twitter, now X, sharing what she said were "undeniable facts" about U.S.-funded biolabs in the war-torn country, claiming that "even in the best of circumstances" they "could easily be compromised."
"Instead of trying to cover this up, the Biden-Harris administration needs to work with Russia, Ukraine, NATO, the U.N. to immediately implement a ceasefire for all military action in the vicinity of these labs until they're secured," she said.
About the same time, a commentator on Kremlin state media referred to her as "Russia's girlfriend" and her comments have been featured on the country's state-run TV programs, along with those of Tucker Carlson, an outspoken critic of U.S. involvement with Ukraine.
Gabbard's claims closely mirror a false, decade-old Russian conspiracy theory that Washington is secretly funding the development of biological weapons in former Soviet countries, which has been repeatedly debunked by the U.S. and international organizations.
Although she later claimed her comments were about public health research labs in the conflict zone, she also expressed concerns that Ukraine was in possession of biological weapons during an interview with former Fox News host Carlson a few days before taking to social media.
Democrats and opponents of the president-elect were quick to condemn Trump's choice of Gabbard -- who appeared regularly with him in the final months of his campaign.
"You really want her to have all the secrets of the United States and our defense intelligence agencies when she has so clearly been in Putin's pocket?" Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, pressed during a recent interview.
"Her judgment is non-existent," Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, now a fierce Trump critic, asserted on Sunday.
"The idea that somehow she would be put in charge of this critical function should be giving our adversaries in Moscow and Beijing a lot of relief," he continued.
Nikki Haley, the president-elect's most significant challenger in the 2024 Republican primaries and his envoy to the United Nation's during his first term in the White House, also slammed Gabbard -- declaring that director of national intelligence was "not a place for a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer."
"DNI has to analyze real threats. Are we comfortable with someone like that at the top of our intelligence agencies?" Haley said on her SiriusXM radio show, "Nikki Haley Live."
Haley also emphasized the stark differences between Gabbard and Trump on foreign policy matters.
"She opposed ending the Iran nuclear deal. She opposed sanctions on Iran. She opposed designating the Iran military as terrorists who say death to America every single day," Haley said. "She said that Donald Trump turned the U.S. into Saudi Arabia's prostitute. This is going to be the future head of our national intelligence."
But in their criticisms of Gabbard, some Democrats have made their own unfounded claims.
Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz sparked backlash after she claimed Gabbard was a "Russian asset" that would "essentially would be a direct line to our enemies" in a television appearance on Friday.
In 2019, Hillary Clinton suggested, without offering any evidence, that the Russians were "grooming" Gabbard to run as a third-party candidate for president in order to spoil Democrat's chances of winning the White House. Gabbard refuted the allegations and sued Clinton for defamation, but later dropped her compliant.
In an interview with Fox News following her being named, Gabbard said that some of her former Democratic colleagues had reached out to her in what she hoped "could be and should be an effort for us to work together."
"I'm actually pretty heartened," Gabbard said.
In a statement announcing he had tapped her to lead the intelligence community, Trump lauded what described as "broad support in both Parties" for Gabbard.
"I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength," Trump posted on his social media platform. "Tulsi will make us all proud!"
If Gabbard ultimately becomes the director of national intelligence, she will oversee 18 U.S. intelligence agencies and play a critical role in determining what material is including in the president's daily intelligence briefings.
She is expected to face a confirmation battle in the Senate, but some hawkish Republicans in the chamber have expressed tepid support for her nomination.
"While we have differences on foreign policy, I think she's extremely bright and capable," South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said in an X post on Wednesday.
Gabbard has taken other controversial stances on foreign policy matters. In 2017, she journeyed to Syria to meet with its authoritarian leader Bashar al-Assad, whose government has carried out numerous deadly attacks on Syrian civilians through the course of the country's civil war, according to the U.N.
The then-congresswoman said after meeting with al-Assad that he was not an enemy of the U.S. and opposed American intervention in the conflict.
In 2015, Gabbard also defended Russian airstrikes in Syria conducted at the request of the Assad regime, echoing Moscow's claim that the operation was focused on terrorist targets when in reality it focused on Syrian opposition strongholds.
Gabbard has taken a much softer approach to China than the president-elect, calling on Trump to end his trade war against Beijing in 2019 and expressing her opposition to the remilitarization of Japan, a response to the strategic challenge posed by China.
MOUNT PLEASANT — According to our news partner KETK, the Mount Pleasant City Council voted to cut longevity pay in half on Tuesday night, a bonus many city employees receive during the holiday season. According to the city’s website, each full-time employee should have received ten dollars for every month employed. For example, if an employee has worked for 12 months, they would receive a 120-dollar bonus at the end of the year however council members voted Tuesday night to cut it in half from 10 dollars to five.
“Full-time employees receive $120 per year longevity pay [that is] paid at the end of the year,” the City of Mount Pleasant’s website said. “Longevity pay begins after completion of one year of service to the City.”
The Mount Pleasant Law Enforcement Association and the Professional Firefighters of Mount Pleasant Local 5069 posted statements expressing their disappointment with the city council’s decision. Continue reading Mount Pleasant cuts Christmas bonuses in half
Ukraine State Emergency Service/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images
(LONDON and KYIV) -- Russia on Thursday launched what officials in Kyiv said was an intercontinental ballistic missile toward southeastern Ukraine, but a U.S. official told ABC News that Russia launched "an experimental medium-range ballistic missile against Ukraine" near Dnipro.
The official said the United States briefed Ukraine and other close allies and partners in recent days on Russia's possible use of this weapon in order to help them prepare. According to the official, Russia likely only possesses "a handful" of these experimental missiles.
Two U.S. officials previously told ABC News it was not an ICBM but instead an intermediate-range ballistic missile, or IRBM.
The launch raises the prospect of nuclear weapons; IRBMs or ICBMs can both be equipped with nuclear warheads. A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News that the ballistic missile Russia fired at Dnipro contained MIRVs, or multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles, meaning it had multiple warheads that hit the target. MIRV technology is used in ICBMs to use multiple nuclear warheads atop the missile so they can strike multiple targets. The missile used Thursday did not carry nuclear warheads.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in remarks Thursday following the missile launch, said Russia has the right to use its weapons against the military facilities of countries employing their weapons against Russia.
"We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military objects of those countries that allow to use their own weapons against our objects. In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in a mirror manner," Putin said.
Putin said Russia used "one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems" in an attack on Ukraine, adding that it was a "ballistic missile with a non-nuclear hypersonic equipment" and that the "test was successful."
Russia warned the U.S. 30 minutes before the launch of its new "Oreshnik" missile against targets in Dnipro, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news outlet TASS.
The Kremlin announced earlier this week that Putin had updated the country's nuclear doctrine, a move that lowered the bar for Russia to respond with nuclear weapons. Russian ICBMs are capable of carrying nuclear warheads, although it appeared the missile fired on Thursday was not equipped with one.
Ukraine's military was "95% sure" the strike on Thursday was with an ICBM, a Ukrainian official told ABC News, but added that they were still examining the missile parts on the ground and had not yet reached a final conclusion.
"Today it was a new Russian missile. All the parameters: speed, altitude -- match those of an intercontinental ballistic missile," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media. "All expert evaluations are underway."
The Ukrainian Air Force announced Thursday morning it had tracked the launch of the ICBM, along with six additional missiles, all of which were targeting the Dnipro region. The ICBM appeared to have been launched from the Astrahan region, in Russia's southwest, Ukrainian military officials said.
All of the missiles were launched in about two hours, beginning at about 5 a.m. local time, Ukraine said.
All were targeted at businesses and critical infrastructure, but only the missile that Ukraine identified as an ICBM struck the city, Ukraine said. The six other missiles were shot down. There were no reports of casualties or significant damage, officials said.
The U.S. officials said the assessment of the launch, the type of missile and warhead, and the damage in Dnipro was continuing. The distance from what Ukraine said was the launch point to the strike location in Dnipro is about 600 miles, a distance shorter than what an ICBM would be expected to travel.
Two experts told ABC News the projectile, seen in video circulating online, looks likely to be "a ballistic missile with MIRV-ed capabilities."
The launch of an ICBM, if confirmed as such, would arrive amid concerns that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could further escalate. This week, Ukraine's military for the first time launched U.S.-made ATACMS missiles toward targets within Russia, days after U.S. President Joe Biden allowed for such use of the long-range weapons.
Putin, in his remarks Thursday, blamed the U.S. for escalating the conflict, saying: "I would like to emphasize once again that it was not Russia, but the United States that destroyed the international security system. And by continuing to fight, cling to their hegemony, they are pushing the whole world into a global conflict."
Kyiv on Tuesday launched six of the ATACMS at targets within Russian territory, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Zelenskyy said he would not confirm if Ukraine had used ATACMS to conduct a strike on an ammunition depot in the Bryansk region of Russia, but said Ukraine has ATACMS and "will use all of these" against Russia.
Within hours of Russia announcing it had struck down five of the ATACMS on Tuesday, the Kremlin announced that Putin had updated the country's nuclear doctrine.
Following that warning, Ukraine on Wednesday fired long-range British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia for the first time, a Ukrainian military unit involved in the operation told ABC News. At least 10 of those missiles hit an estate in the village of Marino, the unit said.
They were targeting a command post where North Korean army generals and officers were present, the unit said. More than 10,000 North Korean troops are said to be operating alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region.
Ukraine's 413th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion, which helped provide fire control for the strikes, told ABC News that there was intelligence showing high-ranking North Koreans were present.
Zelenskyy cast the Russian strike on Thursday as a result of Russia and its leader being "terrified."
"Obviously, Putin is terrified when normal life simply exists next to him. When people simply have dignity. When a country simply wants to be and has the right to be independent," Zelenskyy said. "Putin is doing whatever it takes to prevent his neighbor from breaking free of his grasp."
ABC News' Joe Simonetti, Lauren Minore, Yulia Drozd, Natasha Popova, Tanya Stukalova and Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.
DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored for the first time in 10 games and had two assists for his first multipoint game since Oct. 19 as the Dallas Stars beat the San Jose Sharks 5-2 on Wednesday night.
Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and assist, and Jamie Benn and Evgenii Dadonov also scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger made 20 saves, improving to 7-0-0 at home while allowing 10 total goals.
Mikael Granlund had a short-handed goal and his 400th career assist for the Sharks. Jake Walman also scored, and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 26 shots.
After Walman pulled the Sharks within one with 6:35 left in the third period, Hintz and Dadonov had empty-netters in the final 90 seconds to seal the Stars’ win.
Robertson gave Dallas a 1-0 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first period and had the secondary assist when Johnston scored 56 seconds into the second period putting Dallas back ahead 2-1.
Granlund skated slowly to the bench with three minutes left being hit high by Ilya Lyubushkin and didn’t return to the ice. Coach Ryan Warsofky didn’t have an update on Granlund’s condition after the game.
Takeaways
Sharks: Macklin Celebrini, last summer’s overall No. 1 draft pick, had one shot on goal, split 14 faceoffs and drew a penalty.
Stars: The worst home power play in the league went 0 for 4 and allowed a goal. Dallas is 2 for 27 (7.4%), blanked on the last 14 power plays.
Key moment
The Sharks put on heavy pressure trailing by one with three minutes left but couldn’t score.
Key stat
The Stars are 8-2 at home, one loss coming as the designated home team during the Global Series played in Finland.
Up Next
Sharks at St. Louis on Thursday, and Stars visit Tampa Bay on Saturday to open a three-game trip.
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Mickey Mouse and many of Disney’s iconic characters will be part of the NBA’s first animated alt-cast on Christmas Day.
Disney and ESPN announced on Wednesday that the Dec. 25 game between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will be on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+ as “Dunk the Halls.”
Even though this is the first time with the NBA, ESPN has done alternate animated broadcasts for NFL and NHL games.
The telecast will be entirely animated, with the players’ movements in sync with what is happening in real time on the field. That’s done through player-tracking data enabled by Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations’ optical tracking system and Beyond Sports.
The animated version of the game will be set on iconic “Main Street, USA” in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort. Shots of “Main Street, USA” and other famous landmarks within the park will be regularly shown, including Cinderella’s Castle.
The traditional broadcast will air on ABC and ESPN.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland and New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram were among 14 players ruled out with injuries for the teams’ game on Wednesday night.
Garland (left groin soreness) had started the first 16 contests for Cleveland, which has the best record in the NBA at 15-1. The Cavaliers’ franchise-record winning streak ended Tuesday in Boston 120-117, with Garland missing 18 of 21 field-goal attempts.
Cleveland also is without rotation players Caris LeVert (left knee inflammation), Isaac Okoro (left ankle strain), Sam Merrill (left ankle soreness), Dean Wade (left ankle sprain) and Max Strus (right ankle sprain).
“It tests our depth, but personally, I like games like this because it also tests your roster,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “With 17 games in 29 days and the league playing faster, I don’t know how these guys do it.”
Ingram (bilateral ankle sprain), who is averaging a team-high 23.2 points, also missed his first game of the season after logging 33 minutes Tuesday night in a 132-91 loss at Dallas.
New Orleans’ top six scorers were unavailable in Cleveland, including three other starters in Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain), CJ McCollum (right adductor strain) and Trey Murphy III (right hamstring).
“We believe Brandon will be fine, but given the circumstances and the minutes he played last night, this was a decision we came to,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “This is an opportunity for guys who usually wouldn’t be on the floor to get some time.”
HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun had a season-high 31 points with 12 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a 130-113 win over the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night.
The Rockets used a big run in the third quarter to push the lead to 21 entering the fourth and cruised to their sixth victory in seven games.
Jabari Smith Jr. added 23 points for the Rockets for his second 20-point game in the last four, and Fred VanVleet had 18 points and six assists.
Quenton Jackson had a career-high 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting for the Pacers, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Pascal Siakam had 19 points at halftime but only scored two more points the rest of the way.
Takeaways
Pacers: If Indiana is going to be successful this season, Tyrese Haliburton must be more effective. The two-time All-Star was 1 of 7 for four points after making just 5 of 18 shots against the Raptors on Monday.
Rockets: Houston has gotten off to a strong start this season thanks to a balanced scoring attack. The Rockets had five players in double figures as they improved to 11-5.
Key moment
A dunk by Myles Turner got the Pacers within three with about eight minutes left in the third quarter before the Rockets used a 12-3 run, with 3s from VanVleet and Sengun, to make it 82-70 less than three minutes later.
Key stat
The Pacers made just 5 of 22 3-pointers, while Houston made 12 of 36 attempts.
Up next
The Rockets host the first of consecutive games against Portland on Friday night, the same night the Pacers visit Milwaukee.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Ty Jerome scored 27 points in the first half and finished with a career-high 29 as the Cleveland Cavaliers never trailed in a 128-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Jerome, starting in place of injured point guard Darius Garland, had 20 points in the second quarter and buried seven 3-pointers before halftime. Cleveland is off to the best start in franchise history at 16-1.
Georges Niang added 20 points and first-round pick Jaylon Tyson had 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in his first pro start for the Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Rookie forward Antonio Reeves, who averaged 2.9 points per game, scored 34 points, and Brandon Boston Jr. had 14 points for the injury-riddled Pelicans.
Takeaways
Pelicans: Elfrid Payton was signed earlier in the day and appeared in his first NBA game since May 15, 2022 with Phoenix. Coach Willie Green started the 30-year-old point guard, who posted 11 points, five rebounds, eight assists and four turnovers.
Cavaliers: Cleveland bounced back from a 120-117 loss in Boston on Tuesday and led by as many as 34 points to remain unbeaten through nine home games. Donovan Mitchell only played 20 minutes and Evan Mobley logged just 18.
Key moment
Jerome drained three long 3-pointers in a 62-second span in the second quarter, turning Cleveland’s single-digit lead into a 67-51 advantage. The combined distance of the 3s was 101 feet.
Key stat
New Orleans’ top-six scorers — averaging a combined 110.5 points — were out with injuries, forcing it to use all three of its two-way players. Forward Brandon Ingram sat out his first game with a bilateral ankle sprain.
Up next
The Pelicans host Golden State on Friday, and the Cavaliers continue their three-game homestand Sunday against Toronto.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jalen Williams scored 30 points, Isaiah Hartenstein had a double-double in his season debut, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Portland Trail Blazers 109-99 on Wednesday night.
Hartenstein, a free agent pickup who played for the New York Knicks last season, had been out with a broken bone in his left hand. He had 13 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in 29 minutes and provided rim protection and bulk for a team that has struggled with injuries in the frontcourt.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 points for the Thunder. He made just 7 of 19 field goals, but he made all 14 of his free throws to help Oklahoma City snap a two-game losing streak.
Alex Caruso scored 17 points to help Oklahoma City’s bench outscore Portland’s 44-31.
Shaedon Sharpe led Portland with 21 points and Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant each added 14 for the Trail Blazers.
The game was close for three quarters before the Thunder used a 39-30 fourth-quarter surge to pull away,
Takeaways
Thunder: Hartenstein proved his value immediately. The Thunder had been getting dominated on the boards in recent games, so losing the rebounding battle 49-46 resembled a victory.
Trail Blazers: Oklahoma City scored 28 points off Portland’s 24 turnovers.
Key moment
Oklahoma City trailed 20-13 with 5:10 left in the first quarter when Hartenstein entered the game after missing the first 15 contests. His presence was especially important because the Thunder will be without Chet Holmgren, one of the league’s top rim protectors, for at least another six weeks with a pelvic fracture.
Key stat
Oklahoma City outscored the Blazers 56-32 in points in the paint.
Up next
The Trail Blazers visit Houston on Friday and the Thunder visit Sacramento on Monday.
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, prolific tight end Antonio Gates and dominant pass rusher Jared Allen are among the 25 modern-era candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The Hall announced the semifinalists on Wednesday after the selection committee cut down a list of 50 nominees made by a newly created screening committee. The list includes six players in their first year of eligibility and 10 players who were finalists last year.
The full selection committee will reduce the list of candidates to 15 finalists who will be voted on at the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to make the Hall, with between three and five players getting in as modern-era candidates.
There also will be votes for three seniors candidates, one contributor and one coach, with between one and three people from that group getting into the Hall.
Leading the group of candidates in their first year of eligibility were Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs; postseason kicking hero Adam Vinatieri; three-time Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas; and two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda.
Gates and Allen headline the group of returning finalists from last year, along with receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans; defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison; and running back Fred Taylor also advancing.
The returning semifinalists are receivers Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith and Hines Ward; defensive lineman Robert Mathis and Vince Wilfork; linebacker James Harrison; and running back Ricky Watters.
Offensive lineman Richmond Webb, who retired following the 2002 season, made it to the semifinal stage for the first time. Guard Steve Wisniewski is a semifinalist for the second time, having reached the stage in voting for the class of 2014.
Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall following a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was picked first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute.
He led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 QBs to win multiple Super Bowls, with eight of the nine who are eligible for the Hall getting inducted.
Only Jim Plunkett has not been inducted, along with more recent players such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who aren’t yet eligible.
Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a season. He finished his career with 57,023 yards passing and 366 TDs.
His best moments came during those two postseason runs. Manning joined Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry Bradshaw (two) as the only multiple winners of Super Bowl MVP awards.
Gates played only basketball in college before turning into one of the NFL’s top tight ends after being drafted by the Chargers. He became an All-Pro in just his second season in 2004. He was an All-Pro again the next two seasons and went on to have a 16-year career with the team.
Gates finished with 955 catches for 11,841 yards and an NFL record for tight ends with 116 touchdown receptions.
Allen was a four-time All-Pro who finished his career with 136 sacks, including a league-leading 22 in 2011 for Minnesota.
Kuechly and Suggs were among the top defensive players of their era, with Kuechly selected as the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.
Kuechly’s career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by Carolina in 2012 was an All-Pro five times, with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).
Suggs was one of the top pass rushers in the league over his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth best since they became an official stat in 1982.
Suggs had seven double-digit sack seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore, including 14 in 2011 when he was selected as the top defensive player in the league and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.
Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during New England’s dynasty.
He helped launch the run with one of the game’s greatest kicks — a 45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He made the game-winning kick in OT to win that game and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play of a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl against the Rams.
Vinatieri is the NFL’s career leader in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) over a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 20, 2024 / Dr. Bill Releford, renowned podiatric surgeon, founder, President, and CEO of The Wound Pros and community advocate, announced today a partnership with the Los Angeles Rams. This partnership is dedicated to advancing health and wellness across Southern California communities. Through this alliance, Dr. Releford’s brands, The Wound Pros, Bloom Ranch, and 5 Colors a Day to Better Health, will integrate with select Rams community outreach programs, emphasizing accessible health education, nutrition, and physical activity. Some of the programs that the partnership will be involved with include PLAY 60, local school visits, and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry.
“Choosing to partner with the LA Rams to spread my message was easy for me. I have a mission to educate people far and wide about the importance of proper nutrition and physical activity to starve off any chronic health issues. I know this is not a mission I can do alone. At the heart of our partnership is a shared calling to improve access to healthy living resources, inspiring individuals to lead healthier, more productive lives,” says Dr. Releford. “With the Rams, we can reach deeper into the community, raising awareness of the importance of nutrition, activity, and health education, especially among underserved groups.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Dr. Releford to bring comprehensive wellness resources directly to our community. Together, we’re partnering with a purpose and addressing needs by combining education, nutrition, and physical activity to empower our fans and neighbors to take charge of their well-being. This collaboration allows us to connect with our community in impactful ways, providing valuable resources and inspiration for healthier living,” said Jennifer Prince, Chief Commercial Officer of the Los Angeles Rams.
Dr. Releford’s The Wound Pros, a national leader in advanced wound care management, brings cutting-edge technology to this collaboration. Utilizing state-of-the-art diagnostics, The Wound Pros will be integrated into select Rams community events to promote the importance of proper wound care for athletes and community members alike, ensuring effective recovery and injury prevention. Combining innovation with personal wellness advocacy, The Wound Pros stands at the forefront of modern wound care solutions.
As owner of Bloom Ranch, the largest minority-owned ranch in Los Angeles County, Dr. Releford will extend his passion for fresh, locally sourced food to this partnership. Bloom Ranch, known for its organic produce, will provide fresh fruit and vegetables at select Rams community events, bringing a genuine Farmer’s Market experience. This initiative aims to educate the community on the role of nutrition and sustainable agriculture, ensuring access to quality produce for all.
Dr. Releford’s mission for nutritional education is embodied in his book, 5 Colors A Day to Better Health. Through this book, he advocates for a vibrant, balanced diet rich in natural nutrients. Supported by the Rams’ outreach, this partnership will engage communities with the book’s central theme: incorporating a variety of colorful, nutritious foods daily to boost overall health. Together, Dr. Releford and the Rams are committed to making nutrition education engaging and accessible.
This partnership between the Los Angeles Rams and Dr. Bill Releford encompasses a holistic approach to health, focusing on nutrition, advanced care, and community support. By integrating Dr. Releford’s health-oriented brands with the Rams’ impactful community initiatives, this alliance is poised to make a meaningful difference across Los Angeles, empowering individuals to achieve healthier lifestyles through improved resources and inspiring community.
ABOUT DR. BILL RELEFORD
Dr. Bill Releford – affectionately known as The Doctor and The Farmer – is a podiatric surgeon, founder of The Wound Pros, the most comprehensive wound care and management service in the industry, and the owner of the Bloom Ranch, the largest black-owned ranch in Los Angeles County. Dr. Releford is a leading visionary and innovator in the global healthcare complex and brings a unique approach to medicine that blends the latest advancements in medical practices and technologies with sustainable agricultural insights in order to improve the health, quality of life and well-being of his patients and community.
ABOUT LOS ANGELES RAMS
The Los Angeles Rams – Los Angeles’ original professional sports team and Super Bowl LVI Champions – stand as one of the oldest franchises in the National Football League and since its founding in 1937, have garnered four World Championships and sent 30 of its members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a professional sports team, the organization is committed to be a valuable civic partner and serving the greater Los Angeles area 365 days a year. The Rams play their home games at SoFi Stadium, which is located at Hollywood Park, a 298-acre sports and entertainment destination being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke in Inglewood, CA.
Chris Sale was one of the ace left-handers Tarik Skubal idolized as a teenager. Now the two will be linked forever after winning their first Cy Young Awards on Wednesday.
Skubal was a unanimous pick for the American League honor following a brilliant season with the Detroit Tigers. Sale’s selection in the National League capped an incredible comeback with the Atlanta Braves after the 35-year-old had been derailed by injuries since helping Boston win the 2018 World Series.
“It means a lot. It’s a special night,” Sale said. “I just can’t express how thankful I am for everybody that stuck by me. It would have been easy to jump ship and write me off.”
Skubal and Sale shared the MLB lead with 18 wins this season and dominated their respective leagues.
Sale went 18-3 and topped the NL with 225 strikeouts, while his 2.38 ERA in 29 starts was the best among all major league qualifiers. It was his first season in the National League during a big league career that began in 2010 with the Chicago White Sox.
Skubal, who turned 28 on Wednesday, was 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and a big league-best 228 strikeouts in 31 starts. The left-hander got all 30 first-place votes in AL balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America that was completed before the playoffs.
Sale received 26 firsts, with NL runner-up Zack Wheeler from Philadelphia getting the other four.
“If you look at his career, it’s no surprise that he’s winning this award,” Skubal said about Sale. “To be able to share this award and win it the same year, and win the same triple crown award in the AL and NL, that’s something that’s really special to me, and it’s awesome. I’ll be able to live with that the rest of my life.”
Pittsburgh Pirates righty Paul Skenes finished third, two days after being selected NL Rookie of the Year. Kansas City starter Seth Lugo was the AL runner-up, with Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase (47 saves) coming in third.
It was the first time since 2011 that someone won the pitching triple crown in both leagues. There have been 25 occasions when a pitcher led his league in wins, strikeouts and ERA among qualifiers — and a Cy Young Award followed all 16 times it’s happened since the prize was first presented in 1956.
Sale didn’t have any major injury issues in his Braves debut until he was scratched because of back spasms from their final regular-season game, which they needed to win to make the playoffs. He was then left off the roster for their Wild Card Series loss to San Diego.
Atlanta acquired Sale in a trade last December after he made only 31 starts for the Red Sox from 2021-23. He missed the 2020 season and most of 2021 after Tommy John surgery. He made only two starts in 2022 after he fractured a rib and then broke his left pinkie. He broke his right wrist riding a bicycle in August 2023, ending his final season with Boston.
Sale was named the NL Comeback Player of the Year last week at Major League Baseball’s All-MLB Awards Show.
“Talk about motivation, right? To be able to show my sons hard work, dedication and not giving up. My wife had my back the whole time. I’m sure I was a real peach at times during some of those injuries,” he said. “And just with my parents, my family, I was talking to my dad the other day about this and whether it did or didn’t happen, he was proud of me.”
It was the third time Sale finished among the top three in Cy Young Award voting. He was the AL runner-up in 2017 after his first season with Boston behind Corey Kluber, who was also the Cy Young Award winner in 2014 when Sale finished third with the White Sox.
Sale won the eighth Cy Young Award for the Braves organization. Most of those came in the 1990s, when Greg Maddux won three in a row with Atlanta from 1993-95 — after being the 1992 winner with the Chicago Cubs. Tom Glavine won twice (1991 and 1998), and John Smoltz was the 1996 winner. Warren Spahn was the first in 1957 when the Braves played in Milwaukee.
Detroit now has six Cy Young Awards. Denny McLain won back-to-back in 1968 and 1969, and reliever Willie Hernández was the 1984 winner. Justin Verlander’s Cy Young Award with the Tigers came two years before Max Scherzer won in 2013.
Skubal had Tommy John surgery at Seattle University before the Tigers drafted him in the ninth round in 2018. His made his big league debut in 2020, and this season went at least six innings in 25 of his 31 outings. He was 6-0 in his first nine starts and finished the season the same way — 6-0 in his last nine starts while the Tigers made their surprising push to the playoffs.
He made his postseason debut with 17 consecutive scoreless innings before a five-run fifth that included a grand slam by Cleveland’s Lane Thomas in the deciding Game 5 of their AL Division Series. That 7-3 loss ended the Tigers’ season.
“I was able to kind of get over it relatively quickly just because I was so proud of our team and what we were able to accomplish,” Skubal said. “And if I’m going to be the one to fail, I love that, because, you know, it’s only going to set our team up to have success in the future.”
Based on where they placed in balloting, Clase earned a $150,000 bonus, Sale and Lugo $100,000 each and Wheeler $50,000.
HERNANDO, Miss. (AP) — A man arrested in August after a 15-hour police standoff at a restaurant a few blocks from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago is being returned to Mississippi, where he had escaped from a county jail.
Joshua Zimmerman is being extradited, Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bailey Martin confirmed Wednesday to The Associated Press. She would not say when he is being moved, and it was not immediately clear whether Zimmerman is represented by an attorney.
“Due to this being an open and ongoing investigation, no further comment will be made at this time,” Martin said.
Zimmerman was arrested Aug. 21 at a seafood restaurant a few blocks from the United Center in Chicago, where the Democratic National Convention was taking place. The Marshals Service said there was “no connection or threat to the event or those attending.” Investigators said they believed Zimmerman was working at the restaurant.
Zimmerman was wearing street clothes and was not handcuffed when he fled from the DeSoto County Courthouse in Hernando, Mississippi, on June 14.
At the time of the escape, Zimmerman was set to make a court appearance on Mississippi charges of attempted murder and armed robbery. He was also awaiting extradition to Texas, where he is charged with murder, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
According to court records in Harris County, Texas, Zimmerman is accused of fatally shooting a woman, Keyanna Mercer, at a Houston motel on Sept. 2, 2023. The two were asked to leave the motel after multiple complaints of fighting, and when staff members checked the room to see if they had left, they found Mercer’s body with a gunshot wound to the head, police said.
Court records also show Zimmerman was arrested in Connecticut in 2022 on a felony sexual assault charge. He pleaded not guilty and was freed on a $200,000 bond, but a warrant was later issued for his re-arrest.
Days after Zimmerman’s arrest in Chicago, the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department in north Mississippi said it had set new security procedures. A former deputy jailer was fired from his job and charged with conveying articles useful for the escape of a prisoner.
LONGVIEW – According to a report from our news partner, KETK, an 18-year-old remains behind bars after leading police on a Tuesday pursuit and then crashing a stolen vehicle into a building, the Longview Police Department said.
