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Arkansas looks to get back on track against Florida International

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

Florida International (4-7) at Arkansas (3-7), 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU)Line: Arkansas by 29 1/2, according to  FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Arkansas leads 1-0.WHAT’S AT STAKESam Pittman’s job will be about the only thing on the line for Arkansas. The Razorbacks were eliminated from bowl eligibility last week in a 48-3 loss to Auburn. During a week in which two other disappointing teams fired their coaches — Mississippi State and Texas A&M — Pittman almost certainly needs to beat the Panthers to give himself a shot to make it past Thanksgiving.KEY MATCHUPKJ Jefferson vs. Jacolby Criswell. Both are Arkansas quarterbacks, so it isn’t a matchup of opposing sides. But Jefferson’s disappointing season, largely hampered by high sack totals, resulted in his being pulled for his back-up, Criswell, in the third quarter of the Auburn game. Jefferson, a preseason All-SEC second-team selection and a senior, remains Arkansas’ best quarterback, but Criswell’s results against the Tigers were s...

Stroud, Texans look to extend winning streak to three games when they host Arizona

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

ARIZONA (2-8) at HOUSTON (5-4)Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS.OPENING LINE: Texas by 4 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.AGAINST THE SPREAD: Arizona 5-5; Houston 5-4.SERIES RECORD: Cardinals lead 3-2.LAST MEETING: Cardinals beat Texans 31-5 on Oct. 24, 2021, in Arizona.LAST WEEK: Cardinals beat Falcons 25-23; Texans beat Bengals 30-27.CARDINALS OFFENSE: OVERALL (25), RUSH (9), PASS (31), SCORING (25).CARDINALS DEFENSE: OVERALL (22), RUSH (28), PASS (11), SCORING (28).TEXANS OFFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (25), PASS (2), SCORING (10).TEXANS DEFENSE: OVERALL (21), RUSH (8), PASS (24), SCORING (17).TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Cardinals minus-3; Texans plus-4.CARDINALS PLAYER TO WATCH: TE Trey McBride had the best game of his career in last week’s win, catching eight passes for 131 yards. The second-year player was the first Cardinals tight end to have more than 100 yards receiving since 1989. The 6-foot-4, 246-pounder is quickly emerging as one of the team’s best playmakers and is third on the team ...

Its NCAA appeal denied, No. 18 James Madison turns to surging Appalacian State in home finale

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

James Madison has plenty to play for in its final home game.The No. 18 Dukes (10-0, 6-0 Sun Belt) have a 13-game winning streak and senior day ceremonies before the game — and also no chance at an automatic bowl invitation.Say what?The NCAA’s rejection of the school’s request for a waiver of a rule barring programs stepping up to the Bowl Subdivision from auto-qualifying for a bowl for two years came Wednesday night, and history suggests the disappointment felt by the Dukes, their coaches and a raucous crowd will be evident on the field.Coach Curt Cignetti has said he doesn’t expect a scene like last year when in similar circumstances the Dukes beat Coastal Carolina 47-7, blared “We are the Champions” over the P.A. system and Cignetti said he wished they’d scored 65.Appalachian State (6-4, 4-2) will arrive at Bridgeforth Stadium with designs on ending the Dukes’ perfect season, then needing help from them a week later to possibly emerge as the East Divi...

Has the big federal infrastructure bill changed your commute? Q&A with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

It’s now been two years since President Joe Biden signed a massive federal infrastructure bill into law.But have you noticed changes to your commute?U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined WTOP’s John Aaron to outline what he said are some notable improvements in this area.Read the full conversation below: toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's John Aaron speaks with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); if( typeof gtag === "function" ){ ...

Live updates | Gaza loses communications due to lack of fuel, Israel signals forces may move south

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

A dire fuel shortage in the Gaza Strip has shut down all internet and phone networks, the main Palestinian telecom provider said Thursday, effectively cutting off the besieged territory from the outside world.And in a signal that Israel’s ground invasion is about to expand in the south, Palestinians in parts of southern Gaza said they received evacuation notices Thursday.Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are crowded into the south, including hundreds of thousands who heeded Israel’s calls to evacuate the north to get out of the way of its offensive. Residents say bread is scarce and supermarket shelves are bare. Central electricity and running water have been out for weeks.More than 11,470 Palestinians — two-thirds of them women and minors — have been killed since the war began, according to Palestinian health authorities, which do not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. About 2,700 people are reported missing.Israel vowed to wipe out Hamas after the militant group l...

Fury and Usyk to fight on Feb. 17 in Saudi Arabia to unify all 4 major heavyweight boxing titles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to unify all of the major heavyweight boxing titles will take place in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Feb. 17, promoters announced Thursday.The last fight to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion was in 1999, when Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield to win three major titles — the WBC, WBA and IBF belts. Lewis had to relinquish his WBA title the following year in a dispute over his next title defense.This time, it’s for four belts. Fury (34-0-1) of England is the WBC champion and Usyk (21-0) of Ukraine holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, having previously been the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in 2018 and 2019.Fury and Usyk were expected to meet on Dec. 23 but the fight was delayed after Fury’s disappointing performance in a split-decision victory over MMA star Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia last month.“I am destined to cement my legacy as the No. 1 fighter in this era and to do that, I’ve got to beat this li...

Correction: Hawaii-Wildfires story

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — In a story published Nov. 14, 2023, about fatalities from a Maui wildfire, The Associated Press, relying on information from the Honolulu medical examiner’s office, erroneously reported the date of a victim’s death. The 78-year-old woman died Sept. 4, not Oct. 16. Source

Vote counting starts in Madagascar election marked by low turnout and boycotted by most candidates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — Polling stations closed and the counting of votes began Thursday in Madagascar in a presidential election that was boycotted by the majority of candidates following weeks of unrest and court battles.A low voter turnout marked the election, as many people appeared to heed a call by a collective of 10 candidates to stay away from voting booths. Civil society groups had also called for a postponement of the election.The country’s elections management body, Céni, is expected to announce late Thursday the first nationwide trend, based on the counting of 60% of the votes cast in major cities, before proclaiming the “provisional consolidated results” between Nov. 24 and Nov. 25.It will then be up to the country’s High Constitutional Court to proclaim the official results of the election at the beginning of December. A runoff has been scheduled for Dec. 20 if none of the candidates attain more than 50 percent from Thursday’s vote.But the opposition has alread...

RSV is straining some hospitals, and US officials are releasing more shots for newborns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — RSV infections are rising sharply in some parts of the country, nearly filling hospital emergency departments in Georgia, Texas and some other states.To help counter the surge, federal officials on Thursday announced they were releasing 77,000 doses of a new RSV shot for newborns that have been in short supply.Reports of the seasonal virus are rising nationally, but experts said RSV is not expected to generate the kind of patient traffic seen last fall, when hospital emergency departments were overwhelmed with sick, wheezing kids.Nevertheless, it will get worse and the virus may be intense in some places, said Dr. Meredith McMorrow, an RSV expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.In Virginia, 20 kids are currently hospitalized with RSV at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU Health, with about half of them in the intensive care unit, said spokesperson Shira Pollard. In Georgia, the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta hospital system is in “surge” m...

General Motors becomes 1st of Detroit automakers to seal deal with unionized workers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

FILE - United Auto Workers members hold picket signs near a General Motors assembly plant in Delta Township, Mich., Sept. 29, 2023. About 46,000 United Auto Workers at GM are expected to wrap up voting on a tentative contract agreement in a close race that will decide the fate of the deal that ended a six-week strike. The union is expected to announce GM results Thursday evening. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)(AP/Paul Sancya) FILE - United Auto Workers members hold picket signs near a General Motors assembly plant in Delta Township, Mich., Sept. 29, 2023. About 46,000 United Auto Workers at GM are expected to wrap up voting on a tentative contract agreement in a close race that will decide the fate of the deal that ended a six-week strike. The union is expected to a...