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Woman paralyzed by fallen tree finds hope with newly FDA-cleared device

Jessie Owen was left paralyzed nearly 12 years ago when a tree fell on a car in which she was a passenger. Via ABC News.

(NEW YORK) -- Nearly 12 years ago, Jessie Owen's life changed forever.

"My family was going over a mountain pass and a tree fell on our car. In that moment, my parents passed away, my siblings were severely injured, and I became quadriplegic," Owen said. "I lost my independence. I lost my job. I lost my apartment. I lost my autonomy and the life that I dreamed for myself."

Like Owen, more than 300,000 people live with spinal cord injuries in the United States, with an estimated 18,000 new cases each year, data shows.

Motor vehicle accidents account for the majority of spinal cord injuries and are closely followed by falls, acts of violence and sports activities, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center.

For years, options for recovery have been limited, but a newly FDA-cleared external spinal stimulator, ARC-EX Therapy, which received clearance on Dec. 19, may offer hope for people like Owen.

"ARC-EX is simply electrodes attached to skin on the back of the neck," explained Chet Moritz, M.D., a professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington. "It allows us to pass current through the skin to activate the sensory nerves as they enter the spinal cord. Now, those sensory nerves make direct connections to the motor nerves which help people to move."

Owen, who participated in the Up-LIFT study, a clinical trial focusing on the health benefits of ARC-EX Therapy, saw a life-changing impact.

"I was wildly surprised and pleased to see that it was making meaningful change in my life. I can now paint with my hands. I can open a jar of peanut butter. I can tie my shoes. It [used to] take me 30 minutes to get dressed. Now it takes 12. [I used to require] 20 caregiving hours a week and I was able to move down to about eight."

The Up-LIFT study produced promising results.

Of the 60 patients with cervical spinal cord injuries studied, 72% saw improvements in hand strength and function. Participants also reported fewer muscle spasms, better sleep, less pain, and improved independence during daily activities.

"The success of [this] study of people with spinal cord injuries is phenomenal," noted Moritz. "There are essentially no current therapies for chronic spinal cord injury, and so having the majority of patients respond in both strength and function measures [is] just an outstanding result."

With FDA approval, ARC-EX Therapy is expected to become more accessible.

"Patients can work with their local rehabilitation clinics to see a therapist and work with them in the clinic at first to tune the device," Moritz said. Results may appear quickly -- some participants noticed changes within just a few sessions, he added.

While the device is currently cleared for improving hand strength, function and sensation, Moritz noted other benefits: "Some people will have modest improvements in their bladder function, heart rate, or blood pressure control."

Leah Croll, M.D., vascular neurologist at Maimonides Health and assistant professor of neurology at SUNY Downstate, shared the excitement over the device.

"The idea that ARC-EX Therapy may accelerate or augment neurologic recovery is really exciting. Any improvement in neurologic function is meaningful and has far-reaching impact in the daily lives of these patients and their families," she said.

The road to recovery after a spinal cord injury is grueling, Croll said.

"After emergency and ICU care is completed, the mainstay of treatment is working closely with physical therapists, occupational therapists and other rehabilitation professionals to support neurologic recovery," said Croll. "Patients may also need medications and certain procedures, depending on their unique symptoms."

For Owen and others, ARC-EX Therapy represents a renewed sense of hope and an exciting change in the way these patients can be treated.

"[With ARC-EX Therapy], I continued to gain function back, and I found I was able to pour more into other people," Owen said. "The first indicator of success that I noticed was my own happiness. It works, and it gives us hope and passion."

Natalie S. Rosen, M.D., is a physician in the Hematology & Oncology Department at New York-Presbyterian Columbia and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

In brief: ‘You’ fifth, final season to hit Netflix in 2025 and more

Hello there, You. Season 5 of the series starring Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg will arrive on Netflix in 2025, the streamer confirmed on Thursday. It was renewed for its fifth and final season back in March 2023. Along with Badgley, season 5 will star Charlotte Ritchie, Madeline Brewer, Anna Camp and Griffin Matthews, with Baby Reindeer breakout star Nava Mau guesting as Detective Marquez ...

It seems there are even more lies to tell. The Hulu series Tell Me Lies has been renewed for a third season. The renewal of the popular show, which stars Grace Van Patten and Jackson White, comes a little over two months after the season 2 finale was released. Much like the first season, the sophomore one ended on a cliff-hanger twist. The show's creator, Meaghan Oppenheimer, has also just signed an overall deal with 20th Television, which is part of Disney Television Studios ...

There's even more Sonic headed our way. Paramount is going forward with a fourth Sonic the Hedgehog movie, Variety reports. The news comes just as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 goes into previews at movie theaters, ahead of its weekend release. Jeff Fowler has directed all three Sonic live-action films, with Ben Schwartz lending his voice to the titular hedgehog and Jim Carrey starring as the evil Dr. Robotnik ...

Taking advantage of an obscure rule, Chargers’ Dicker makes NFL’s first fair-catch kick in 48 years

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Of all the rules in football, Jim Harbaugh considers the obscure fair-catch kick to be his favorite.

The Los Angeles Chargers coach had the opportunity to try one Thursday night for only the second time in his career.

This time, his kicker got three points from one of the most unusual plays in the sport.

Cameron Dicker made the first successful fair-catch kick in the NFL since 1976, connecting from 57 yards right before halftime against the Denver Broncos.

“I’ve been trying to get one of those every game. Cam Dicker stepped up and made it. It was huge and got the momentum back,” Harbaugh said.

Those points began the Chargers’ comeback as they rallied for a 34-27 victory, finishing the game on a 24-6 run.

For football obsessives like Harbaugh who relish oddities and unprecedented feats, Dicker’s kick was delightful.

The seldom-used rule allows a team that has just made a fair catch to try a free kick for three points. The kick is attempted from the line of scrimmage, and the defenders all must stand 10 yards away.

The play hardly ever happens because teams almost never find themselves in circumstances to make such a kick feasible. Only five NFL teams had previously tried the kick in the 21st century, and nobody had successfully executed it since Ray Wersching did it for the San Diego Chargers 48 years ago.

“It’s cool. I didn’t know that was the case,” Dicker said about accomplishing the rare milestone. “It was fun to go out there. It was fun to be in that scenario. With the penalty, I thought it would happen.”

The Chargers seized the opportunity created when Denver’s Tremon Smith committed fair-catch interference on what would have been the final play of the first half when Los Angeles’ Derius Davis attempted to field a punt at the Chargers 38.

Smith said he was “well aware” of the fair-catch kick rule when the Chargers subsequently lined up for it.

“I’ve been playing a long time,” Smith added. “It’s just a dumb penalty. … The returner did a good job of selling it. He knows he’s running into me, even though he wasn’t going to catch the ball. But like I said, dumb penalty.”

The flag moved the ball to the Denver 47 for an untimed down, and Harbaugh took a timeout before electing to try the fair-catch kick.

With J.K. Scott holding the ball, Dicker comfortably booted it through the uprights.

Dicker said special teams coach Ryan Ficken goes over the play often during the season, and that they practice it sometimes on Fridays. Harbaugh also credited Ficken, who brought it up again during the meetings leading up to this game.

“Looking over at (Denver’s) sideline, it was funny. They were confused what was going on. We talk about it every week, so it was normal for us,” Dicker said.

Plenty of the Broncos said they actually knew what was happening, and they were disappointed to be on the wrong side of history.

“It’s something we talk about in our special teams group, and it’s one of those situations you go through in training camp,” Denver receiver Marvin Mims said. “So we all knew what was going to happen, and they executed to perfection.”

Dicker’s 57-yarder also was the longest fair-catch kick in NFL history, besting Paul Hornung’s 52-yarder for Green Bay in 1964.

The most recent fair-catch kick in the NFL was attempted in 2019, when Carolina’s Joey Slye missed from 60 yards in a game played in London.

Harbaugh also attempted it with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, but Phil Dawson missed from 71 yards right before halftime.

“I wanted it so bad that I tried it,” Harbaugh said when looking back. “I was really happy, too, because Coach Ficken went over it this week. We took a timeout and got things dialed in. It was going to be on their side of the 50. It was our chance.”

The play is extremely rare because most fair catches occur well outside of normal field goal range. The Broncos’ punt would have stranded the Chargers beyond Dicker’s considerable range, but Smith’s penalty created a rare opportunity — and Dicker didn’t miss.

“I was definitely confused,” Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa said. “I was ready to get in the locker room, but I’m happy we had a shot. I was just joking that you can play for 20 years and still have no idea what’s going on on the field. So it was a good moment. It was an important swing in momentum.”

Wersching, who kicked for the Chargers and 49ers during 15 NFL seasons, made a 45-yard fair-catch kick at the halftime gun for San Diego against Buffalo on Nov. 21, 1976.

“It doesn’t happen much,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “We practice it all the time. In that situation, the penalty put them in field goal position, so it’s disappointing.”

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AP sports writer Joe Reedy contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Columbus football overwhelms Malakoff to win 3A Division I state title

Columbus football set the tone by scoring three first quarter touchdowns and rolled to a 48-14 win against Malakoff to capture the Class 3A Division I state championship on Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

It’s the first state championship for the Cardinals, who conclude the season with a 15-1 record.

“We played really well as a team and against a good program,” Columbus coach Matt Schobel said. “What these kids have been through and how they were there for each other. I’m very proud of them. To see them reach their personal goals and team’s goal is incredible.”

Grayson Rigdon got the scoring going by capping a five-play, 72-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run for the game’s first points.

Jerrion Hall answered for Malakoff with a 4-yard rushing score to tie the game early, but that would be the only points for the Tigers until 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals (15-1) went on to pull away in the first half behind back-to-back touchdowns by Rogdon (2-yard carry) and a 32-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Adam Schobel to Braylon Fisher.

Adam Schobel was named the game’s offensive MVP for his performance and John Schobel was named the games’s defensive MVP after recording 10 tackles and three sacks.

Columbus went on to score 47 unanswered points behind Schobel, who completed 15 of 21 passes for 261 yards and three total touchdowns. Rigdon led Columbus on the ground with 18 carries for 119 yards and four touchdowns.

Elijah Usher led the Cardinals through the air with five catches for 106 yards.

Quaterback Mike Jones led the Tigers with 17 carries for 85 yards and completed eight catches for 33 yards. Jason Tennyson and Hall each added rushing touchdowns for Malakoff.

Thursday marked the first loss for the Tigers, who concluded the 2024 season 15-1.

“It was a tough matchup for our guys,” Malakoff coach Jamie Driskell said. “Our motto was to empty the tank and I think we emptied the tank. We had that first good drive and then they changed some stuff up. They went to a different coverage and got us on our heels. Tough matchup, but I couldn’t be any more prouder of our kids.”

Kilgore will play in first state championship since 2013 on Friday night

KILGORE, Texas (KETK) — The road to becoming a champion is long and winding, and some of the hardest moments of that journey, happen when no one is watching.

The Kilgore Bulldogs have made those sacrifices, and find themselves just one win away from hoisting championship gold.
Kilgore rolls past La Vernia 38-13 to punch its ticket to the 4A-D1 state title game

“The reason we’re in this fight is because of the work that they put in there, their dedication and discipline to prepare the right way week in and week, week out as allowed our team one to be ready to go on Friday night, and also to improve every week,” said head coach Clint Fuller. “That’s the reason that we’re we’re playing for a state championship.”

Four years ago, Lindale punched their ticket to state, and last year it was Chapel Hill.

Kilgore becomes the latest member of the District of Doom to play for a state championship, a fact they not only take pride in but also say played a major role in preparing them for this moment.

“It definitely means a lot, I mean I feel like we probably have the toughest district in 4A D1 just seeing all the teams from our district making it to the Regional Championship or State but it definitely means a lot,” said cornerback Jayden Sanders.

“We go through some of the hardest games in 4A in district play, so, once we get to the playoffs, I feel like it prepares us better for what we’re going to see,” said quarterback Kayson Brooks.

It’s been 20 years since the Dogs have been the best in the state, and this is a Kilgore team, and community, hungry to be number one.

“For us to be able to go and represent our community and the people that love us every day is really special and our kids understand that and they appreciate that,” said Fuller.

The work to get to Arlington is now over, but Kilgore isn’t satisfied, as they hope to return home Friday night, with championship gold.

The Kilgore Bulldogs will take on the undefeated Celina Bobcats for the 4A-D1 state championship.

Kickoff will be at 3, Friday afternoon, from AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Teamsters say ‘momentum continues’ as Christmastime strike against Amazon enters 2nd day

(NEW YORK) -- As the Teamsters' cross-country Christmastime strike against Amazon entered its second day on Friday, the union said that "momentum continues to mount" as workers seek "fair treatment" from the online retailer.

"The Amazon Teamsters movement grows bigger and stronger every day and will not be stopped," the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said in a statement posted on social media late Thursday.

Workers affiliated with the Teamsters began striking at Amazon facilities across the country early Thursday. The union said thousands of workers were walking off their jobs at facilities in New York City, Atlanta, Southern California, San Francisco and Illinois, but did not provide specific numbers.

Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien is expected to join a picket line in California's City of Industry on Friday, the union said.

Amazon said the strike was not expected to impact operations and claimed the strikes were being attended by outside organizers. Kelly Nantel, director of Global Corporate Issues and Media Relations at Amazon, said the company had not seen an impact on deliveries.

"Thankfully, the vast majority of our employees and the drivers who deliver on our behalf came to work today to do what they do every day," Nantel said on Thursday. "They're doing a great job of working for their customers and their communities and as a result of their hard work."

The strike, which the Teamsters referred to as the largest strike in history, arrived during the busiest shopping season of the year, less than a week before Christmas.

In addition, the Teamsters said local unions were also picketing "hundreds" of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide.

Overall, nearly 9,000 Amazon workers, across 20 bargaining units, have affiliated with the powerful Teamsters union, according to the union. The striking workers represent less than 1% of the company's 1.5 million employees worldwide, including 800,000 in the United States.

The National Labor Relations Board officially certified the union representing workers, but Amazon has appealed that ruling. The union said Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline for contract negotiations to begin.

"If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed," O'Brien said in a statement Thursday announcing the strike. "We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it."

In a statement to ABC News, an Amazon spokesperson said the Teamsters illegally coerced workers to join the union. The company in a statement described the people walking the picket lines as "almost entirely outsiders—not Amazon employees or partners."

"The truth is that [the Teamsters] were unable to get enough support from our employees and partners and have brought in outsiders to come and harass and intimidate our team, which is inappropriate and dangerous," Amazon said. "We appreciate all our team’s great work to serve their customers and communities, and are continuing to focus on getting customers their holiday orders.”

Amazon's market cap is $2.35 trillion. Shares of the retailer ticked up $2.77 on Thursday, climbing about 1.26%. The stock was down about 2 in premarket trading on Friday.

ABC News' Taylor Dunn and Soo Youn contributed to this report.

1 dead in ‘brutal’ Russian missile attack on Kyiv, US ambassador says

(LONDON) -- A Russian missile strike killed one person and wounded nine others early on Friday morning, Ukrainian officials said, an attack that U.S. Ambassador Bridget A. Brink described as "brutal."

"Early this morning Russia launched a ballistic missile attack against the capital, killing a civilian and resulting in debris and fires around the city," Brink said in a statement on social media.

Brink added that the United States and its partners were "surging security assistance and energy support" to the country "in response to these brutal attacks."

First responders were battling fires in the streets, and several high-rise buildings were damaged. Debris had fallen in at least four districts in the city, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app.

More than 600 buildings, including more than a dozen medical sites, were without heat after the strike damaged a heating main in the city's southwestern Holosiivskyi District, he said. Seventeen schools and 13 kindergartens also were without heat early Friday.

Russia last month launched several aerial assaults that targeted energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine.

"Ukraine needs more air defense systems," Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on Friday. "Russian terror must be stopped."

Nine people were injured, including four who were hospitalized, in the strike on Kyiv, the mayor said, revising the number of injured from the previous seven.

ABC News' Helena Skinner contributed to this report.

Biden to announce $4.28 billion in student loan relief for 55,000 borrowers

(Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

(WASHINGTON) -- President Joe Biden's administration will announce on Friday another $4.28 billion dollars in student loan relief for nearly 55,000 public service workers.

The announcement will bring the total loan forgiveness by the Biden administration to "approximately $180 billion for nearly 5 million Americans," according to a fact sheet from the Department of Education.

The forgiveness will be delivered to individuals enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF), which allows for debt forgiveness for people in jobs like firefighting, nursing and teaching after 10 years of continuous payment.

The Biden administration has made fixes to this program that had failed to deliver student loan relief to many due to poor implementations and errors in the program, officials said.

"The public servants approved for debt cancellation today include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities and who are finally earning the relief they are entitled to under the law," Biden said in a statement.

Of the nearly 5 million borrowers who have had more than $180 billion in debt relieved by the administration, more than 1 million were through the PSLF. The relief for those PSLF borrowers totals about $78 billion, the administration said.

"From Day One of my Administration, I promised to make sure that higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity," Biden said in the statement.

He added, "Because of our actions, millions of people across the country now have the breathing room to start businesses, save for retirement, and pursue life plans they had to put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt."

Starbucks workers union announces pre-Christmas strike in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle

(LOS ANGELES) -- The workers union representing Starbucks baristas across the country announced members in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle will go on strike in the days leading up to Christmas.

Workers United, which has unionized more than 525 U.S. Starbucks locations, said in a press release Thursday that unfair labor practices and stalled negotiations with the company are the catalyst behind the holiday season strike.

The union says five days of escalating strikes will begin Friday and continue until Dec. 24 in "three of the company's priority markets" during what it called the company's busiest days of the year.

During the strike period, the walkouts "are expected to spread each day and ultimately reach hundreds of stores from coast to coast by Christmas Eve" unless the company honors a February commitment made with the union.

In February 2024, Workers United and Starbucks announced they would work on a "foundational framework" to reach a collective bargaining agreement for stores, something the union says has not come to fruition.

In a statement on Thursday following the strike announcement Starbucks said Workers United delegates "prematurely ended" its bargaining session with the coffee giant this week.

Starbucks added that the company is "focused on enhancing" employee experiences by offering an average wage of $18 per hour and benefits including health care, free college tuition, paid family leave and company stock grants.

"We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements," Starbucks said, adding, "We need the union to return to the table."

Workers United, however, said despite "repeatedly pledging publicly" that it intends to reach contracts by the end of the year, Starbucks has not yet presented workers with a "serious economic proposal."

"Nobody wants to strike. It's a last resort, but Starbucks has broken its promise to thousands of baristas and left us with no choice," Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a five-year Starbucks barista and bargaining delegate, said in the release.

"In a year when Starbucks invested so many millions in top executive talent, it has failed to present the baristas who make its company run with a viable economic proposal. This is just the beginning. We will do whatever it takes to get the company to honor the commitment it made to us in February," Alhadjaboodi added.

"The holiday season should be magical at Starbucks, but for too many of us, there's a darker side to the peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes," Arloa Fluhr, a bargaining delegate who has worked off and on at Starbucks for 18 years said in the release.

"I'm a mom of three, including my daughter who is diabetic. I know what it's like to panic because my hours were slashed and I won't be able to pay my bills and could lose access to healthcare, including my daughter's insulin. That's why we're steadfast in our demands for Starbucks to invest in baristas like me," Fluhr added.

ABC News' Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes expects to play vs. Texans in matchup of AFC West and South champions

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Texans coach Demeco Ryans was asked early in the week, long before anybody knew the severity of Patrick Mahomes’ high-ankle sprain, if he expected the Chiefs quarterback to play against them Saturday.

“The light shines on Patrick a lot,” Ryans replied, “but if you watch the Chiefs play, their defense is an outstanding unit. They do a really good job defensively. They’re going to find a way no matter who is there, they’ll find a way to move the football. So we just have to be on it in all areas of the game, whether Patrick is there or not.”

Sure looks like he’s going to be there.

Mahomes was able to practice this week after hurting his ankle late in last week’s victory over Cleveland, and all signs point to him being on the field for an important matchup between the AFC South champion Texans and AFC West champion Chiefs.

Kansas City (13-1) is clinging to the No. 1 seed in the AFC with games left against the Texans, Steelers and Broncos.

“You go out and win two games,” Mahomes said of playing through the injury to clinch the lone postseason bye, “you’ll have a long break more than likely. If you can get through these games and win these games against two great opponents, it will give you some momentum going into the playoffs, and hopefully give you a break then.”

Much of the attention for both teams tends to land on their offenses. Mahomes and Texans counterpart C.J. Stroud are bona fide stars. The Chiefs have DeAndre Hopkins and the Texans have Nico Collins at wide receivers. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is still arguably the best at his position in the NFL, while the Texans have Joe Mixon leading the way in the backfield.

Yet it is their defenses that have allowed the Chiefs and Texans to clinch playoff spots so early in the season.

Houston (9-5) has the league’s fourth-ranked defense and is No. 6 against the pass, and a group on pace to set the franchise record for sacks in a season also is coming off a four-turnover performance in a win against Miami. Kansas City counters with the No. 5 overall defense, which just piled up five sacks and six turnovers in its victory over the Browns.

“I mean, I think every game (allows you) to learn where you match up against guys, and I thought, on film, they have a lot of great players,” Stroud said. “They play well together. They’ve been playing well together for a long time, and just add new pieces that fit their system well. So, I think they do a great job and excited to match up against them.”
Sack attack

The Texans rank second in the NFL with 45 sacks this season and need just one on Saturday to tie the franchise record, set just last year. Danielle Hunter leads the way and is second in the NFL with 12 sacks while Will Anderson Jr. is seventh with a career-best 10 1/2. They’re the only teammates in the NFL with double-digit sacks this season.

“They continue to wreak havoc on the opposing offenses, playing on their side of the line of scrimmage,” Ryans said.
Stingley’s success

Houston cornerback Derek Stingley had two interceptions against the Dolphins last week to give him four in the last four games, and he was part of a defense that forced four turnovers, improving their differential to plus-13 on the season.

Stingley, who ranks second in the NFL with a career-high 17 passes defended, also had two tackles for loss on Sunday to become the first cornerback in NFL history with two interceptions and two tackles for loss in the same game.

“If you get the other team to turn the ball over three times in the game normally the odds of winning go up,” Stingley said. “So, we got four, trying to get five next game. Just keep it going. Keep playing together as a unit.”
Good King Wentz-eslaus

The Chiefs signed veteran Carson Wentz to a lucrative one-year deal to back up Mahomes, and he would be pushed into duty should the two-time MVP struggle on his balky ankle. Wentz completed his only two passes for 20 yards against the Browns, allowing the Chiefs to run out the clock on their 21-7 victory.
Left tackle trouble

The Chiefs are still uncertain how they will proceed at left tackle after sliding standout guard Joe Thuney into the position and starting Mike Caliendo in his place last week. That came after the Chiefs unsuccessfully tried Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris at the position, and after former Pro Bowl pick D.J. Humphries hurt his hamstring in his season debut.

“I thought (Thuney) battled his tail off and really was throwing it out there,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He did a nice job.”
Hollywood’s time to star

Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown could make his season debut against the Texans. The high-profile free-agent signing hurt his shoulder on the first play of the preseason and needed surgery, but he returned to practice last week and has looked good.

“It’s not like he hurt his leg. He was out there rolling around,” Mahomes said. “More than anything he is getting back in football shape and him feeling confident he can go out there and take hits, which he’s been cleared to do.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

RFK Stadium land provision removed from federal spending bill, a blow to the NFL’s Washington Commanders

WASHINGTON (AP) — RFK Stadium land provision removed from federal spending bill, a blow to the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

Baker Mayfield comes home to Texas to face Cowboys with eye on getting Bucs to playoffs

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Leading an NFL team into his home state of Texas isn’t new for Baker Mayfield.

Helping his team on a big step toward the playoffs while playing so close to his roots would be new for the Tampa Bay quarterback.

A four-game winning streak has the Buccaneers (8-6) atop the NFC South, where they will try to stay by themselves against Dallas on Sunday night.

The Cowboys (6-8) are close to elimination, which would end a three-year playoff run for a club that lost star QB Dak Prescott to a season-ending hamstring injury after eight games.

It will be Mayfield’s second game at AT&T Stadium — the other was a 49-38 victory with Cleveland in front of a pandemic-restricted crowd four years ago.

“There’s a lot of memories that I have,” said Mayfield, who won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma and played high school football in the Austin area. “I played a state championship game in high school there, Big 12 championship there. It’s close enough to Oklahoma that you always see a lot of Sooner jerseys in there. For me, it’s special.”

Mayfield lost twice in Houston, the first time as the rookie No. 1 overall pick when the Browns never were in serious playoff contention.

A year ago, Mayfield’s Bucs dropped to 3-5 with a loss to the Texans before a late-season surge to the division title and a wild-card victory.

The path is similar this time around, and Tampa Bay is coming off a resounding 40-17 victory over the AFC playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers.

“We didn’t listen when we were losing. We’re not listening now that we’re winning, so that’s not going to be a big deal,” coach Todd Bowles said. “We have enough sarcastic coaches and sarcastic players to insult people to keep everybody grounded so that we’re all ready to work, so that’s not a problem at all.”

The postseason has been a pipe dream for the Cowboys for about a month now, but they’ve won three out of four anyway with coach Mike McCarthy on an expiring contract.

This season is likely to end with four starters on injured reserve — Prescott, seven-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin (ankle), 2021 All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) and four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.

“Obviously, it’s important to live, learn and apply to the future. I do enjoy these questions, because I am a philosopher,” McCarthy said, trying to keep a straight face. “We need to beat Tampa. At the end of the day, our job is to create the culture, make sure the team is being trained properly and make sure our guys are getting everything they need to win football games.”
Prime-time Rush

Cooper Rush is set for his seventh start in place of Prescott and is coming off a career-best three touchdown passes in a 30-14 victory at Carolina.

Rush’s first career start — and win — was on a Sunday night in Minnesota three years ago. Of his 13 starts, this is set to be the sixth in prime time.

“I’ve been here a long time,” Rush said. “I’m kinda used to the schedule of these late night games. That helps, being around for awhile. Me and my brother actually joke about, for some reason, I have a ridiculous amount of prime-time starts for how many starts I have. The ratio is kinda funny.”
Finishing kick

The Bucs’ winning streak has come after they lost five of six. Last season, a 5-1 finish to clinch a third consecutive NFC South title followed a stretch of six losses in seven games.

Tampa Bay is 8-1 in December/January regular-season games going back to 2023 and 20-5 in such games since 2020, the first of Tom Brady’s three years in Tampa Bay.
Surging Parsons

Star edge rusher Micah Parsons of the Cowboys has been promising he would make it to 10 sacks for the fourth time in his four seasons despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain. He’s at 8 1/2, looking to become the fifth player to have double-digit sacks in each of his first four years. The other four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“For me it’s just being resilient and proving people wrong,” said Parsons, who had just one sack when he returned from the injury in the season’s ninth game. “I still feel like I’m still trying to prove myself in this league, and I feel like I’ll never lose that chip.”
Growing up fast

Bucs running back Bucky Irving, who leads all NFL rookies with 852 yards rushing while sharing the workload with starter Rachaad White, is not the only 2024 draft pick playing key roles.

Center Graham Barton, wide receiver Jalen McMillan (22 receptions, 279 yards, four TDs) and safety Tykee Smith (tied for team lead with two interceptions) are starters, while linebacker Chris Braswell has appeared in every game.

“The way the league is going right now, coming out of college you don’t get the luxury of sitting everybody for a year or two behind somebody else,” Bowles said. “If you’re drafting seven guys, at least four of them better be significant players right now, and the other three better have a skill set for the near future or something down the line.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Packers attempting to continue their surge as they host the Saints on Monday night

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers don’t want to have to wait as long as they did last season to clinch a playoff berth.

The Packers (10-4) have performed well enough that a little help could enable them to earn a postseason invitation on Sunday. If that doesn’t happen, the Packers still can wrap up a playoff spot by beating the injury-riddled New Orleans Saints (5-9) on Monday night at Lambeau Field.

Last season, the Packers sneaked into the playoffs only after beating the Chicago Bears on the final Sunday of the regular season.

“It definitely is a better position than having to try and win every game and fight for that last position not knowing what might happen,” Love said. “I think we did a better job this season winning some games early on and putting ourselves in a better position.”

The Packers have won eight of their past 10 games, with the only two losses in that stretch coming against the Detroit Lions. Green Bay remains behind Detroit and Minnesota in the NFC North.

A loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons coupled with a loss or tie by either the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks would lock up a playoff spot for the Packers before Monday night’s game. The Falcons host the New York Giants, the Rams visit the New York Jets and the Seahawks host the Vikings on Sunday.

New Orleans’ long-shot chances of reaching the playoffs could vanish by the time Monday’s game begins. The Saints’ only path to the postseason is to win all their remaining three games while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Falcons lose their final three games. Tampa Bay plays at Dallas on Sunday night.

The Saints could be playing this game without usual starting quarterback Derek Carr and five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara.

Carr has an injury to his left (non-throwing) hand that prevented him from playing in the Saints’ most recent game — a 20-19 loss to the Washington Commanders — though Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi hasn’t yet ruled him out for Monday. Kamara left the Commanders game with a groin injury that likely will sideline him for this matchup.

If Carr is unable to play, the Saints would turn to Spencer Rattler, who came off the bench and led four straight scoring drives in the loss to the Commanders.

“We have the players that we have,” Rizzi said. “Everybody across the league right now is dealing with injuries, some more than others. I think the best teams in the league are the teams that are able to overcome those, regardless of the position. That’s really how we’ve been approaching it.”
Love’s recovery

After struggling to protect the football during the first half of the season, Love has thrown seven touchdown passes without an interception over his past four games.

Love had thrown 11 interceptions in his first eight starts of the season.
On the edge

Saints defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon could make his 2024 season debut on Monday night.

He has been back at practice for about two weeks since recovering from an offseason Achilles tendon rupture. Rizzi said Kpassagnon was nearly activated for last week’s game against Washington.

Kpassagnon, 30, is in his eighth NFL season. He played in all 17 games in a reserve role in 2023 and had 3½ sacks.
Cooper coming up big

Packers rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper’s performance in a 30-13 victory at Seattle on Sunday earned him NFC defensive player of the week honors for the second time this season. The second-round pick from Texas A&M had a sack, intercepted a pass and had two tackles for loss and two passes defended.

Cooper is the first Packer since Clay Matthews in 2010 to be selected as the NFC defensive player of the week multiple times within the same season.
Ground reinforcements

With Kamara’s status up in the air, the Saints signed former LSU star running back and Louisiana native Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Edwards-Helaire recently was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he has spent his entire NFL career since being drafted in 2020.

Edwards-Helaire, who hasn’t played this season, started the week on the practice squad.

He joins a position group with the Saints that also includes Kendre Miller, former Packer Jamaal Williams and Jordan Mims on the active roster.
Jacobs’ fast starts

The Packers are outscoring opponents 95-34 in the first quarter, thanks in part to Josh Jacobs’ productivity early in games.

Jacobs has run for 688 yards in the first half of games, which represents the most first-half rushing yards by any NFL player. Kamara ranks second with 601 first-half yards rushing.

He has 235 yards rushing in the opening drive of games, the most by any Packer since at least 2000.

Jacobs has rushed for 1,147 yards overall to rank third in the league, behind Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley (1,688) and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry (1,474) entering Week 16.

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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Sammy Sosa appears to acknowledge PED use, apologizes; Cubs welcome him back into fold

CHICAGO (AP) — Sammy Sosa appeared to acknowledge using performance enhancing drugs during a career in which he hit more than 600 home runs, and the Chicago Cubs said they were ready to welcome back their former star.

In a statement released Thursday through Aurora Global Consulting, Sosa said he is sorry for mistakes.

“There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games,” he said. “I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.”

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said the team is “ready to move forward together” with Sosa and plans to invite Sosa to the annual fan convention Jan. 17-19 in Chicago.

“We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out,” Ricketts said. “No one played harder or wanted to win more. Nobody’s perfect but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs. It is an understatement to say that Sammy is a fan favorite.”

Sosa, the franchise’s record-holder with 545 home runs, was traded to Baltimore after he showed up late for the 2004 finale at Wrigley Field and left early.

Sosa, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, all tainted by allegations of performance-enhancing drugs use, fell well short of Hall of Fame election in 2022 on their 10th and final appearance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.

Sosa received a high of 18.5% support in his final appearance, less than a quarter of the 75% needed. His next chance for consideration would be if he is placed on the ballot for the contemporary player committee, which meets next December.

Now 56, Sosa was a seven-time All-Star and the 1998 NL MVP for the Cubs. He hit .273 with 609 home runs — currently ninth on the career list — with 1,667 RBIs and 234 stolen bases in 18 major league seasons from 1989 to 2007 with Texas (1989, 2007), the Chicago White Sox (1989-91), the Cubs (1992-04) and Baltimore (2005).

During congressional testimony in 2005, Sosa denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

“We accomplished great things as a team, and I worked extremely hard in the batting cage to become a great hitter,” Sosa said in his statement. “Cubs’ fans are the best in the world, and I hope that fans, the Cubs and I can all come together again and move forward. We can’t change the past, but the future is bright. In my heart, I have always been a Cub, and I can’t wait to see Cubs fans again.” ___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Sooners guard was 2nd option on winning 4-point play that stunned No. 24 Michigan 87-86

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Surprisingly, the red-hot Jeremiah Fears wasn’t the first option on a play design with the game on the line for Oklahoma on Wednesday night.

But the 6-foot-4 freshman made sure he was the best option.

Fears knocked down a off-balance 30-foot jumper and drew a foul to complete an unlikely four-point play with 11.5 seconds left to lift the No. 14 Sooners to an 87-86 victory over 24th-ranked Michigan.

Fears finished with 30 points as the Sooners escaped Charlotte with a win to remain unbeaten, leaving Wolverines fans holding their jaws in disbelief.

“It was a great experience and I’m excited,” Fears said.

Trailing 86-83 with 30 seconds left, the Sooners brought the ball up the floor and were trying to run a play for Brycen Goodine — who had just two points in the game — but he got double-teamed in the corner.

Goodine passed out of the trap to teammate Sam Godwin. That’s when Fears, as part of the play design, came racing around the top of the key, took a shovel pass from Godwin, took one dribble and knocked down a difficult shot for a right-hander as he was fading to his left.

A big-time shot for a big-time player who came into the game averaging 16.7 points.

As he lay on his back on the hardwood after the foul call, Fears pumped both clenched fists near his chest while teammates raced over to help him up and celebrate. Fears, who was 8 of 12 from the field and 11 of 13 from the foul line, then calmly sank the free throw.

“Just to be clear, it was a bullet play and we had Jeremiah coming back around the horn for the second (look),” Sooners coach Porter Moser said. “Brycen did a good job because we run that a lot in practice. They kind of threw two guys at him and then Jeremiah came back around.”

Michigan (8-3) missed a 3-point attempt on its final possession and the Sooners, who trailed by 11 in the second half, escaped with the win despite being down by three and not having the ball with 30 seconds left.

“This team can take a punch and punch back,” Moser said. “That’s the sign of a resilient team. There are so many good teams in college basketball that you better be able to take a punch.”

Fouling a 3-point shooter is one of basketball’s biggest mistakes, and it’s even worse when the player makes the shot.

That is something Michigan coach Dusty May will have to deal with on the flight back to Ann Arbor.

May said he talked to his players in the huddle before the play about “switching 1 through 5” and taking away the 3-pointer in the huddle before the go-ahead shot.

The Wolverines chose not to foul beforehand to avoid the 3-point shot even though the Sooners were hot from behind the arc all night, making 12 of 25 attempts.

“We defended the first action really well,” May said of the play. “And then in basketball, stuff like that happens. I haven’t seen exactly where he shot it from. But he was sprinting toward the sideline and he created the contact and knocked it down. Obviously we are not looking to foul a 3-point shooter, but stuff happens.”

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