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Sean 'Diddy' Combs' third bid to be released on bail won't be decided until next weekSMU is accustomed to road-like environment it’ll face in ACC championship game vs. ClemsonNEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing that continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that anything short of immediate dismissal would undermine the transition of power, as well as the “overwhelming national mandate" granted to Trump by voters last month. They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’" Trump’s legal team wrote. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, they claimed, had engaged in the type of political theater "that President Biden condemned.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. In their filing Monday, Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies any wrongdoing. The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and have since been selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, would also allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” Merchan hasn’t yet set a timetable for a decision. He could decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. An outright dismissal of the New York case would further lift a legal cloud that at one point carried the prospect of derailing Trump’s political future. Last week, special counsel Jack Smith told courts that he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump — one charging him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate, the other with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost — citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. Prosecutors had cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump has said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office.

Fort Lauderdale landmark Hot Dog Heaven reopens with new owner, fresh dressingNorth Texas landed nine players on the opening day of the early signing period in college football Wednesday. The Mean Green hung on to highly regarded North Crowley quarterback Chris Jimerson Jr. and added Oklahoma defensive lineman Braydon Knox late. Knox is a three-star prospect who was previously committed to Tulsa, one of UNT’s rivals in the American Athletic Conference. The Mean Green also lost a few players who had been committed to continue their careers at UNT. Five players backed out in all, including highly regarded wide receiver/defensive back Jacobe Hayes, who signed with TCU. UNT coach Eric Morris was pleased with the group he and his staff landed, particularly after he hired a new defensive coordinator in the hours before national signing day. Skyler Cassity spent last season guiding the defense at Sam Houston and took over for Matt Caponi, who was fired with two games left in the regular season. “It’s a really good starting point for us,” Morris said. “We’re far from done and will continue to add pieces. Getting bigger, longer frames and body types was important, along with adding speed at wideout.” The following is a look at UNT’s class superlatives. There wasn’t a bigger question in the weeks leading up to national signing day was if UNT would hold on to Jimerson. The one quarterback prospect in the Mean Green’s class ranks among the most productive players in the state. Jimerson has threw for 2,955 yards and 44 touchdowns through the end of the regular season and has guided North Crowley to the Class 6A Division I final. The Panthers will take on traditional power Allen on Saturday. “Jimerson is as electric as any high school football player in any state,” Morris said. “A lot of people didn’t want to take a chance on him because he’s 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds. We had him in a 7-on-7 camp. To watch him spin the football was incredible.” Jimerson was committed to TCU as a wide receiver before backing out because he wanted to play quarterback on the college level. UNT has a long history with smaller quarterbacks who have excelled dating back to program legend Mason Fine. Chandler Morris, who is 6-foot, is the latest in that line and has thrown for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns this season. The TCU transfer is a junior and nearing the end of his college career. UNT needed another quarterback to add to the pipeline and got its man in Jimerson. There aren’t many sure bets in college football. The fact UNT will throw the ball quite a bit next season, and in every subsequent year in which Morris is the Mean Green’s coach, is one of them. UNT has had 21 players who have caught passes this season. The total was 20 heading into UNT’s regular season finale at Temple. Only two teams competing at the Football Bowl Subdivision level had more players who had caught a pass that that point. Morris said UNT wanted to add speed on the outside and believes it reached that goal by signing Tyler Brown. The former Aubrey standout won the Class 4A state championship in the 200-meter dash. UNT is losing Damon Ward Jr., Nick Rempert and Blair Conwright to graduation. There will be plenty of opportunities to Brown to contribute early. Defensive tackles are tough to find for teams that compete at the lower levels of college football. UNT appears to have found a gem in Antwon Brown. Brown plays for one of the top programs in the state at Duncanville. He also has great bloodlines. His older brother, Roderick Brown, has excelled for the Mean Green for years and is a senior this year Roderick Brown is undersized for a defensive tackle at 5-foot-11 and 290 pounds and has still excelled. He has 4.5 sacks on the season while playing in the middle of a three-man front. Antwon Brown has a bigger frame at 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds. If the second of the Brown brothers is anything like the first, UNT will have an impact player on its hands. UNT looked like it had a steal on its hands when Mansfield standout Jacobe Hayes committed back in July. Hayes had offers from a host of high-profile teams, including TCU. The Mean Green sold Hayes on the idea that it would let him play both wide receiver and defensive back. The Mean Green hung on until the hours before national signing day when Hayes flipped to TCU. UNT had five players decommit late. It wasn’t a surprise considering Morris fired defensive coordinator Matt Caponi and replaced him with former Sam Houston coordinator Skyler Cassity. Players want to know who they are going to play for and have relationships with those coaches. Losing Hayes was a blow regardless. The bottom line when it comes to UNT’s class is that it’s still too early to early to make a judgement in terms of the group. The Mean Green landed some good young players. What UNT does from here is what will tell the tale when it comes to this year’s class. The Mean Green are currently sitting eighth among AAC teams in the 247Sports class rankings. UNT is set to lose a host of key players to graduation, including six starters in its front seven. Morris said UNT would be active in the transfer market and has offered a host of players who could fill key voids. The Mean Green are off to a good start. How UNT’s class looks will depend largely on what it accomplishes between now and the late signing period in February.

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Bishop Amat got the splash hire it wanted, naming one of its all-time greats, Kory Minor, to be its next head football coach on Monday, the school announced through a press release. “Coach Minor shares the vision of Bishop Amat’s administration and athletic department to elevate the program to new heights,” Bishop Amat president Richard Beck wrote. Minor graduated at Bishop Amat in 1995 and was recruited by Lou Holtz to Notre Dame, where he played from 1995-98. He was a seventh-round draft pick in the 1999 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers and played 30 games in four seasons for the Carolina Panthers. While at Bishop Amat Minor was one of the top linebackers in the country, and named to the school’s Hall of Fame. Minor won a CIF-SS Division 1 championship with Amat in 1992 and his 1994 squad was ranked No. 1 in the country before a loss to Mater Dei in the Division 1 championship game. Minor, who played with other Amat greats like Daylon McCutcheon and Ralph Brown II, had 20 1/2 sacks his senior year and was named the USA Today defensive player of the year. Former coach Steve Hagerty resigned last month after 17 years at the school . Hagerty’s team’s won five league championships and he finished with a 118-6-1 record. But back-to-back losing season’s for the first time in Amat history steered Hagerty to walk away, saying, “I no longer believe I’m the guy.” Amat was 2-8 this past season and missed the playoffs. “Steve Hagerty is a phenomenal man,” Minor said. “He mentored many kids who have gone on to do big things. I’ve got big shoes to fill, but we’re going to get to work.” Hagerty’s decision to leave opened the door for Minor, who has long coveted this opportunity and who Bishop Amat targeted immediately. “It’s crazy, my mom has been praying for this for 20 years, she’s so excited,” Minor said. “For me it means a lot. I went to Amat as a young man and the community of Amat, the coaching staff at Amat and the administration all prepared me. I left my senior year as a man and that got me ready for Notre Dame in many aspects.” Minor’s only stint as a high school coach came at St. Margaret’s Episcopal in San Juan Capistrano, where he coached five seasons and led them to four CIF-SS playoff appearances , including the Division 9 championship game in 2021. Minor stepped down following the 2022 season. This past season Minor coached the freshman football team at Charter Oak, where his son Julian Minor was a freshman on the team. Minor said he will leave it up to his son Julian whether he stays and Charter Oak or transfers to Bishop Amat to join him. But Minor admitted, even while at St. Margaret’s where he got his first taste as a high school head football coach, he always hoped this day would come. “For sure, I wanted it to be the right time, and it was the right time and the whole process was seamless,” Minor said. “I’m thankful, honored and have had alumni and friends blowing me up around the country. I’ve got coaches calling me, texting me who want to come play for me and be part of this. I just fee like this was all part of God’s plan.” Bishop Amat is not the powerhouse that Minor remembers in the 1990s. Amat’s last championship came in 1995 and the closest they came since to a Division 1 title was in 2014, when it reached the semifinals. “I’ve been watching, I know what’s been going on here, we’re a proud football family and we talk,” Minor said. “We will get it right, I know we will. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t meant to be. We will have some growing pains but I think we can get back to the 90s when Amat was standing room only.” During the interview process with Bishop Amat’s administration, Minor said they talked about the financial commitment and the commitment from administration that would be necessary to surround himself with a staff and be able to attract players that could lift Amat to its storied past. “We had those conversations (with the administration) and every time is was like ‘Kory we know and Kory we Know.’ That’s why we wanted you,” Minor said. “It’s going to take all of us working together and having the same goals to turn this around.” Minor said the next steps of putting together a staff and vision for his players is what he is relishing. But he also knows the rebuild will not be easy. “Anything that’s worth doing well is challenging, it’s not supposed to be easy,” Minor said. “I’m going to surround our players with coaches that are great men of character, integrity and inspire, that is what produces winning, and that is what it was like when I was here. “That is a culture that’s proven over and over again. I’m a Lou Holtz guy, he was about builders of men. Three words on that statue at Notre Dame that read ... trust, commitment and love. Those three things powered our success, and it’s on us to pass that along to our young players because it’s about them.” In Minor’s conversations with alumni and friends, they all want the same thing. “We’re proud, we know what it takes, and what it could look like when we get there,” Minor said. “When Bishop Amat is rolling, there is no better place to be in the San Gabriel Valley.”

All-electric automaker Rivian Automotive received a “conditional commitment” for a $6.6 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, the company said. If finalized, the loan would be used to aid in the construction of a $5 billion Rivian plant just outside Atlanta. Politicians from both sides of the aisle were quick to react to the announcement of additional funding going to what they’ve labeled a “failing company.” “Biden is forking over $6.6B to EV-maker Rivian to build a Georgia plant they’ve already halted,” said Vivek Ramaswamy, who will be leading President-Elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, along with Elon Musk, CEO of X and Tesla Motors. “One ‘justification’ is the 7,500 jobs it creates, but that implies a cost of $880k/job which is insane. This smells more like a political shot across the bow at Elon Musk and Tesla.” With its first plant currently operating in Illinois, the California-based vehicle startup company officially closed on the 1,800-acre lot in Georgia in Nov. 2023. Acquired to be the location for a second “next-generation manufacturing facility” producing upwards of 400,000 vehicles a year, the company halted construction plans earlier this year after financial troubles. Over the course of the year, shares in Rivian have dropped about 50%, while the Michigan-based Center for Economic Accountability labeled the project the “Worst Economic Development Deal of the Year” for 2022. Georgia also promised over a billion dollars in incentives for the company, The Center Square previously reported. Rivian said the loan will accelerate the company’s “growth and leadership of electric vehicle design” as well as benefitting the electric vehicle industry throughout the United States. “This loan will help create thousands of new American jobs and further strengthen U.S. leadership in EV manufacturing and technology,” said Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe in a statement. “This loan would enable Rivian to more aggressively scale our U.S. manufacturing footprint.” The funding will come from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program, which has also historically loaned both General Motors and Tesla money. Up Next — Indigenous involvement snarls Brazil’s illegal gold crackdown Jo Jorgensen, the 2020 Libertarian candidate for president, called out the loan. “Electric vehicle startup Rivian Automotive has snagged up to $6.6 billion in funding from the U.S. government to grow its production capability,” she said. “Related news-Rivian is ranked among the worst brands for reliability in 2024. Per usual, our federal government is leading the race to the bottom!” Earlier this month, the company’s quarter three financials signaled even more financial troubles for Rivian. In the third quarter, it had a negative gross profit of $392 million, producing only 13,157 vehicles and “delivering” only 10,018. That means the company had a loss-per-vehicle of nearly $40,000. “They should at least be required to get to positive gross margin with existing models before being given billions for future models,” Musk said of the loan announcement. While Rivian promises the Georgia factory “will add billions of dollars in positive economic impact for Georgia,” Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican, pushed back on that. “I can tell you right now Georgians do not support Rivian and are sick and tired of seeing tax dollars handed over to this failing company, federal and state,” Greene said. It was recently announced that Greene will be leading a congressional subcommittee dedicated to working with DOGE and rooting out “every penny of waste and abuse.” Greene said that the Rivian loan is “the exact type of insanity that we have to stop.”BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 22, 2024-- Quanterix Corporation (NASDAQ: QTRX) today announced that it received a notice (the “Notice”) on November 21, 2024 from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) stating that because the Company has not yet filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the “Form 10-Q"), it is no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the “Rule”), which requires listed companies to timely file all required periodic financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s common stock on Nasdaq. Under Nasdaq rules, the Company has 60 calendar days from receipt of the Notice, or until January 20, 2025, to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Rule. On November 12, 2024, the Company previously announced that it would be delayed in filing the Form 10-Q due to the need to restate the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and its unaudited consolidated financial statements for the quarterly and year-to-date (as applicable) periods ended March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022, September 30, 2022, March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023, September 30, 2023, March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024. The Notice from Nasdaq is standard practice in the event of a delayed periodic financial report filing and was anticipated. The Company is continuing to work expeditiously to complete the filing of the Form 10-Q and remains on track to complete the restatement and all required filings by the end of 2024. This announcement is made in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(b)(2). About Quanterix From discovery to diagnostics, Quanterix’s ultrasensitive biomarker detection is fueling breakthroughs only made possible through its unparalleled sensitivity and flexibility. The Company’s Simoa ® technology has delivered the gold standard for earlier biomarker detection in blood, serum or plasma, with the ability to quantify proteins that are far lower than the Level of Quantification (LoQ). Its industry-leading precision instruments, digital immunoassay technology and CLIA-certified Accelerator laboratory have supported research that advances disease understanding and management in neurology, oncology, immunology, cardiology and infectious disease. Quanterix has been a trusted partner of the scientific community for nearly two decades, powering research published in more than 3,100 peer-reviewed journals. Find additional information about the Billerica, Massachusetts-based company at https://www.quanterix.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release are based on Quanterix’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Factors that may cause Quanterix’s actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, that the Company may have underestimated the scope and impact of the restatement of certain of its financial statement and the risk that the Company’s restated financial statements may take longer to complete than expected, as well as those described in our periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” sections contained therein. Except as required by law, Quanterix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in expectations, even as new information becomes available. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122959546/en/ CONTACT: Media: media@quanterix.comInvestor Relations: Amy Achorn (978) 488-1854 ir@quanterix.com KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BIOTECHNOLOGY HEALTH TECHNOLOGY HEALTH MEDICAL DEVICES SOURCE: Quanterix Corporation Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/22/2024 05:00 PM/DISC: 11/22/2024 05:02 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122959546/enNone

NoneLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have claimed cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington. The Rams (6-6) announced the move Monday. They waived undrafted rookie defensive back Charles Woods to make room on the roster. Forbes was the 16th overall draft pick in 2023, but the Commanders released him Saturday in yet another latest flop for their first-round selections under former coach Ron Rivera. Forbes started 10 games as a rookie, but the Mississippi State product got benched during the season — and his playing time dwindled to almost nothing under new coach Dan Quinn this season. Forbes was considered undersized to be an elite NFL defensive back before Washington used a first-round pick on him, and his play did little to discourage that perception. But the Rams are taking a flier on Forbes to help their mediocre pass defense. Darious Williams, a member of the Rams' Super Bowl championship team who returned to Los Angeles this season as a free agent, has been their best cover corner, but he struggled in Sunday's victory over New Orleans. Third-year pro Cobie Durant has started all 12 games this season with one interception. Los Angeles already traded Tre'Davious White, its other major offseason signing at cornerback, after the former Pro Bowler failed to perform. The Rams shipped White to Baltimore for a seventh-round pick swap last month. Woods has played in nine games for the Rams, appearing mostly on special teams. Los Angeles hosts Buffalo on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan’s Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans last December to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump’s preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders are still confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They’re betting on a nearly three-in-four chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. The key report this week that could guide the Fed’s next move will arrive on Friday. It’s the monthly jobs report , which will show how many workers U.S. employers hired and fired during November. It could be difficult to parse given how much storms and strikes distorted figures in October. Based on trading in the options market, Friday’s jobs report appears to be the biggest potential market mover until the Fed announces its next decision on interest rates Dec. 18, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. In financial markets abroad, the value of South Korea’s currency fell 1.1% against the U.S. dollar following a frenetic night where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and then later said he’d lift it after lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Stocks of Korean companies that trade in the United States also fell, including a 1.6% drop for SK Telecom. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9% to help lead global markets. Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from Trump’s threats to raise tariffs , including for goods coming from China . Trade relations between the U.S. and China took another step backward after China said it is banning exports to the U.S. of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The counterpunch came swiftly after the U.S. Commerce Department expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. In China, stock indexes rose 1% in Hong Kong and 0.4% in Shanghai amid unconfirmed reports that Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year. Investors are hoping it may bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy. In France, the CAC 40 rose 0.3% amid continued worries about politics in Paris , where the government is battling over the budget. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

Rams claim CB Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have claimed cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington. The Rams (6-6) announced the move Monday. They waived undrafted rookie defensive back Charles Woods to make room on the roster. Canadian Press Dec 2, 2024 3:25 PM Dec 2, 2024 3:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (13) leaves the field following pregame warmups before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sept. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit, File) LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have claimed cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington. The Rams (6-6) announced the move Monday. They waived undrafted rookie defensive back Charles Woods to make room on the roster. Forbes was the 16th overall draft pick in 2023, but the Commanders released him Saturday in yet another latest flop for their first-round selections under former coach Ron Rivera. Forbes started 10 games as a rookie, but the Mississippi State product got benched during the season — and his playing time dwindled to almost nothing under new coach Dan Quinn this season. Forbes was considered undersized to be an elite NFL defensive back before Washington used a first-round pick on him, and his play did little to discourage that perception. But the Rams are taking a flier on Forbes to help their mediocre pass defense. Darious Williams, a member of the Rams' Super Bowl championship team who returned to Los Angeles this season as a free agent, has been their best cover corner, but he struggled in Sunday's victory over New Orleans. Third-year pro Cobie Durant has started all 12 games this season with one interception. Los Angeles already traded Tre'Davious White, its other major offseason signing at cornerback, after the former Pro Bowler failed to perform. The Rams shipped White to Baltimore for a seventh-round pick swap last month. Woods has played in nine games for the Rams, appearing mostly on special teams. Los Angeles hosts Buffalo on Sunday. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) NFL Inactive Report Dec 2, 2024 3:52 PM Rams finally ran the ball well in New Orleans, and it kept them in the playoff race Dec 2, 2024 3:37 PM Justin Tucker's erratic season isn't getting any better, and it's hurting Baltimore's outlook Dec 2, 2024 3:32 PM‘Makes headline’- Postecoglopu refuses to ‘dismiss the fact’ that Tottenham fail to get their due creditDelaware judge reaffirms ruling that invalidated massive Tesla pay package for Elon Musk

Startled, large flocks of pheasants burst into flight, exploding with colorful fuss and flutter from thickets of wild grass and fallen leaves. But this was decades ago, when California’s autumnal landscape was a mosaic of fallowed fields, diverse crops and weedy stubble – and the handsome birds were abundant, including in the Bay Area. Now the inconceivable is happening: Pheasants are vanishing. To understand why, the state’s wildlife biologists are taking tiny tissue samples from the tongues of hunted birds in California wildlands, hoping that a map of the species’ genetic diversity will help explain their loss, and suggest a solution. Birds will be sampled at seven different refuges over the weekend. Since November 2023, the scientific team has collected an estimated 330 to 350 samples; when the study wraps up after pheasant hunting season ends on Dec. 22, it hopes to have a total of 400 samples. Increasingly isolated from each other due to fragmented habitats, the birds may be suffering from dangerous inbreeding. Or perhaps wild birds are breeding with weaker farm-raised and released birds, creating less resilient offspring. Prized game animals, “they were so common at one time, and part of a longstanding traditional hunting heritage in California,” said Ian A. Dwight, principal investigator at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife . The research may inform future survival strategies, such as moving wild pheasants from one part of the state to another to increase genetic mixing. The state is also providing incentives to private landowners to improve the birds’ habitat. Their loss is part of a larger emptying out of our skies. Nearly one-third of wild birds in the United States and Canada have vanished since 1970, according to a comprehensive study in the journal Science by a team of scientists from seven research institutions in the United States and Canada. To study the pheasants, the wildlife department is sending staff to hunting “check stations” in the most rural swaths of the state, where game is inspected. A small tissue sample — the size of a pencil eraser — is cut from each bird’s pale red tongue, a muscle that is rich with genetic material. This does not harm the meat or feathers, which are of interest to hunters. The sample is placed in a protective vial and stored at a CDFW facility to be later shipped to the University of Nebraska lab of Robert Wilson, an expert in the genetics of game birds. Analyses will show whether the birds have long stretches of DNA where both copies of a gene are identical, indicating that they share a recent ancestor and are inbred. Gene variation is critical to a species’ healthy reproduction and immunity to disease. The study could also reveal to what degree, if any, birds are the offspring of domestic and wild mixing. Last autumn, the wildlife department collected tongue samples from pheasants at the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area in Suisun City and the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area in Davis. This year, it is collecting samples at Shasta Valley Wildlife Area, Honey Lake Wildlife Area, Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area, North Grasslands Wildlife Area and the Delevan, Sacramento and Tule Lake national wildlife refuges. Pheasants are popular game birds because their meat has a richer and more wild flavor than chicken but is less “gamey” tasting than duck. Naturalists love their iridescent plumage. “They are a delight for the eyes,” said Kirsten Holmquist of Sunnyvale, who in 2023 spotted a male bird posing on the side of a levee at the Sunnyvale Baylands. “The male has such a rich profusion of color. The female has a lovely complex pattern.” Native to China, pheasants were imported in the late 1800s by the then-California Fish Commission. By 1912, the species was well-established in alfalfa fields and pastures of California, including Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Historical records describe a massive flock of 150 birds near Morgan Hill and a smaller flock between Berryessa and Milpitas, according to William Bousman of the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance. Even as orchards replaced grain fields, there remained ample habitat, writes Bousman. The population of the species, which is related to other game birds like wild turkey and California quail, likely peaked from the 1930s to 1950s. Then housing and light industry began to replace agriculture. Data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey shows that the number of pheasants in California has plunged by 94% since 1966, according to wildlife biologist Scott Taylor of Pheasants Forever Inc. Even in the early 1980s, “the birds were quite common in the Palo Alto Baylands, Sunnyvale ponds and other bayfront areas that were less travelled and grassy,” said Bird Alliance director Matthew Dodder. “Since then, they have had a steady decline.” Surviving birds can sometimes be spotted in some of the seasonal wetlands and grasslands of the San Francisco Bay Area, such as Harvey Marsh in Sunnyvale Baylands Park, East Palo Alto’s Ravenswood Preserve, Fremont’s Coyote Hills Regional Park and along eastern Contra Costa County’s Suisun Bay. What happened? In addition to urbanization, widespread stocking of the birds for hunting has slowed or stopped, said Dodder. And the intensity and efficiency of California agriculture has increased. Farmers no longer let land stand idle, so there’s less brush for birds’ shelter and food. Every pocket of land is put to use, eliminating the hedgerows between parcels, according to a 2016 study by a team led by Peter Coates of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Ecological Research Center in Dixon. A diversity of crop types once supported the birds throughout the season. But today’s monoculture farms typically have just one crop per year; in the winter, after harvest, the ground stands bare. Rice is replacing cereal grains like wheat and barley, and pheasants can’t nest in flooded rice fields, according to the study. Increasingly popular nut tree orchards don’t provide a vegetative understory. Finally, our new harvesters are ultra-efficient, so seed isn’t scattered. Modern mowing leaves little stubble. And new state regulations prohibit post-harvest burning, so fields are blanketed with weed-killing herbicide. All of these factors are creating smaller islands of suitable habitat, shrinking and isolating bird populations, Dwight said. Hunting is considered an insignificant factor in reducing numbers, because only males are shot. “Pheasant populations are becoming more and more fragmented,” said Taylor, who is coordinating the National Wild Pheasant Conservation Plan , a blueprint for restoring populations. “This kind of research will help us recognize the genetic implications of that process,” he said, “and, hopefully, the landscape conditions that may lead to population-level problems.” Where to find pheasants: If you’re lucky, pheasants can still be spotted in some of the seasonal wetlands and pastures of the San Francisco Bay Area. Hunting is prohibited or highly regulated in these areas. South Bay: Weedy fields along San Felipe Road in Gilroy or Harvey Marsh in Sunnyvale Baylands Park. Contra Costa County: Bay Point Regional Shoreline , Point Pinole Regional Shoreline and Jersey Island and Bethel Island in Oakley. San Mateo County: near Dumbarton Bridge in Ravenswood Preserve . Alameda County: Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont.