The race for the Lombardi Trophy continues Sunday, Jan. 12, with a Wild Card playoff triple-header. Lucky fans can watch roughly 10 consecutive hours of NFL football.
It all begins with an AFC showdown between the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. Buffalo rested their starters in the final game of the regular season and finished with a 13-4 record. The big question: Will the Bill’s MVP candidate, Josh Allen, be able to pick up where he left off? He threw 28 touchdowns against six interceptions in the regular season and also ran for 12 more scores.
On the other side, rookie quarterback Bo Nix has grown into the job. The Broncos needed a win on the final day of the regular season to get in the playoffs and destroyed Kansas City 38-0.
Needless to say, the team impressed Bills head coach Sean McDermott.
“Every team in the playoffs is dangerous, this is high-level competition and high stakes, right?” McDermott said. “So, it doesn’t matter what your seed is, that’s been played out over and over, year after year, right? So, it’s who plays the best on the field.”
Sunday’s middle game is in Philadelphia, where the NFC East champion Eagles welcome the 11-6 Green Bay Packers. The teams faced off four months ago in the first game of the season in Brazil, of all places. The Eagles won that game 34-29.
Both starting quarterbacks were injured toward the end of the regular season, but the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts and the Packers’ Jordan Love will play on Sunday.
Finally, Sunday’s nightcap is another rematch from the first week of the season. The Washington Commanders, who won 12 games for the first time in 34 years, will be in Tampa to take on the NFC South champion Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay won that first meeting at home 37-20, ruining Jayden Daniels’ debut as an NFL quarterback. However, he said he’s ready for the rematch.
“It’s exciting, but you still gotta deal with those emotions,” Daniels said. “At the end of the day, you still gotta go out there and play ball. A lot of people are going to put an emphasis on it because, at this point, it’s really win or go home.”
NFL’s Wild Card Weekend set after final Sunday of regular season
The NFL’s Wild Card Weekend matchups are set. They follow a handful of important games on Sunday, Jan. 5 –– the last Sunday of the regular season.
The playoffs start with a pair of AFC games. The first features the Los Angeles Chargers, who clinched three straight games down the stretch, visiting the winners of the AFC South division, the Houston Texans. The two teams haven’t met since the 2022 season. The game airs Saturday, Jan. 11, at 4:30 p.m. EST on CBS.
The Saturday night matchup will kick off at 8 p.m. EST on Amazon Prime and features an AFC North battle between the division-winning Baltimore Ravens, with a 12-5 record, and the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, who finished 10-7. The teams split their two meetings during the regular season.
The NFL celebrates Wild Card Sunday with a triple-header beginning at 1 p.m. EST in Buffalo between the AFC East champion Bills, with a 13-4 record, and the Denver Broncos, who started the season 1-4. The Broncos made it into the playoffs after a blowout win over Kansas City on Sunday, taking advantage of the Chiefs, who were resting their starters.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was asked about the season coming down to the final game.
“It’s fun to clinch a playoff spot on the last day of the year against a divisional team,” Nix said. “It’s a great story, but now it’s playoff time and our goal wasn’t just to make the playoffs –– even though it hadn’t been done for a while –– it’s for a lot more than that.”
The middle game on Sunday is at 4:30 p.m. EST on Fox and will be played in Philadelphia, where the NFC East champion Eagles will welcome the 11-6 Green Bay Packers. The teams faced off four months ago during the first game of the season in Brazil, of all places. The Eagles won that meeting, 34-29.
The final game on Wild Card Sunday is on NBC at 8 p.m. EST. The Washington Commanders, who finished with 12 wins for the first time in 34 years, will be in Tampa to take on the NFC South champion Buccaneers.
The Bucs needed a comeback win Sunday over the New Orleans Saints to make it into the postseason. “It’s win or go on vacation, and nobody here wanted to go on vacation,” said Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. “This is a tough group, and we knew it was going to be a scrappy ballgame.”
Finally, Wild Card Weekend wraps up at 8 p.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 13, with a showdown in Los Angeles on ABC. The Minnesota Vikings were the first team to finish with 14 wins during a season without winning a division title. They’ll face off against a Rams squad that won a tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks to take the NFC West and make it into the playoffs.
The playoffs’ No. 1 seeds, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions, are favorites to meet in the Super Bowl. They’ll both have a week of rest to prepare for the Wild Card survivors.
Chargers down Broncos with rare NFL kick rule last seen 50 years ago
One of the rarest NFL kick rules has returned, with the “fair-catch free kick” rule not successfully used in an NFL game in nearly 50 years until the night of Thursday, Dec. 19. Jim Harbaugh and the LA Chargers broke out the play after a series of events in the waning seconds of the first half of their win over the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos were leading 21-10 on the final play of the first half when they had to punt. The Chargers punt returner motioned for a fair catch. However, Broncos defender Tremon Smith interfered, moving the ball up 15 yards.
By rule, the half cannot end on a defensive penalty. The Chargers received one untimed down to run a play.
Harbaugh called time out and met with his special teams coach, Ryan Ficken. They chose a rarely used option to try a free kick following a fair catch, which the opposing team can’t block.
After the win, Harbaugh called it his favorite NFL rule. “Coach Ficken had gone over it this week — doesn’t go over it every week — but they had gone over it. I was trying to work out the math in my head, where’s that flag, it’s gonna be on their side of the 50 so this is, this is our chance, this is our moment,” he joked.
It’s a rare choice because teams are usually nowhere close to field goal range when awarded an extra play, but the penalty added 15 yards. From there, Cameron Dicker had enough leg to boot a 57-yarder to make it 21-13.
The last fair catch kick attempt was by the Carolina Panther’s Joey Slye in 2019 against Tampa Bay. He missed the 60-yard attempt. Each Friday, Dicker said the specialists watch Slye’s kick.
“Yeah, we talked about it the last couple of seasons, so we make sure it’s ready to roll. The offense usually isn’t in there, so they were confused saying ‘what’s going on here’ so that was funny to hear about. So, hey, we just taught a bunch of people what’s going on,” he said.
The 57-yarder was the longest free kick in NFL history. It’s the first since San Diego Charger Ray Wersching did it in 1976.
The players admitted afterward that the play gave them a spark as they entered the locker room. In the second half, the Chargers outscored the Broncos by 15 points and won 34-27.
Texas may bus migrants to ICE facilities, rather than sanctuary cities: Report
Texas officials are considering a plan to bus migrants directly to ICE holding centers so they can be quickly processed for deportation, according to a report in the New York Post. The proposal would be a continuation of Operation Lone Star and has not been approved by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“We spent a lot of taxpayer money to have the level of deterrent that we have on the border and we can’t just walk away,” a Texas government source told the Post.
Since Operation Lone Star began in 2021, Texas has spent $11 billion deploying National Guard and Department of Public Safety officers to the border in addition to building new sections of border wall.
It’s unclear exactly which facilities Texas officials plan to send migrants to. However, there are 20 ICE detention and processing centers throughout Texas.
President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming border czar Thomas Homan said Abbott has not discussed the plan with him.
“We’re going to help them finish this job and secure Texas and we’re going to work in partnership,” Homan told the Post. “And [Abbott] doesn’t have to worry about this administration suing him … to secure the Texas border.”
Since April 2022, Texas has bused approximately 119,000 migrants to sanctuary cities around the country. Some of those cities included New York, Chicago, Denver and Washington, D.C.
A report in the Texas Tribune said that as of February 2024, the state had spent $148 million on the one way rides.
The official cited in the Post report said the state would be reimbursed by the federal government under the new plan.
The Texas Land Commissioner announced she’ll provide the Trump administration with more than 1,400 acres along the Rio Grande river to help carry out its planned mass deportation operation.
Homan said they’ll prioritize public safety and national security threats, fugitives, those on the terrorist watchlist and individuals who have been convicted of a crime.
Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range US missiles
With North Korea entering the war, the Biden administration is now allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles inside Russia. And President-elect Donald Trump returned to New York for a UFC showdown this weekend while also making more presidential picks. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Nov. 18, 2024.
Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range US missiles
It’s been nearly three years since Russia invaded Ukraine, and while the U.S. has supported Ukraine since the start, President Joe Biden is now easing limitations on how U.S.-supplied weapons can be used.
The policy shift comes as President Biden’s time in office winds down and President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to limit U.S. support for Ukraine. Trump has also promised to quickly put an end to the war with Russia but has yet to say how.
Biden’s decision comes as Russia unleashed a barrage of its own missiles in Ukraine Sunday, Nov. 17. Ukrainian authorities said 10 people, including two children, were killed and dozens injured in a Russian strike on a residential building in Sumy, near the Russian border.
Earlier in the day, Russia launched its largest attack against Ukraine since August, once again targeting power plants and energy infrastructure across the country. Ukrainian authorities said at least five people were killed in those strikes.
On the social site Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said about 120 missiles and 90 drones were fired into the country, with Ukrainian air defenses downing more than 140 targets.
Israeli strike in Beirut kills Hezbollah’s top spokesman
An Israeli strike on a neighborhood in Beirut killed Hezbollah’s top spokesman, according to the militant group.
Mohammed Afif was an adviser to the late Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, whom Israel killed in an attack on Beirut in September. Afif had been responsible for Hezbollah’s media relations since 2014.
Lebanon’s health ministry said no evacuation warning was issued before the strike, which happened in the middle of the day, and four people were killed.
🔴ELIMINATED: Chief Propagandist and Spokesperson of Hezbollah, Mohammed Afif
Afif was a senior Hezbollah military operative, in contact with senior officials and directly involved in advancing and executing Hezbollah’s terrorist activities against Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out a “precise, intelligence-based strike” that “eliminated the terrorist Mohammed Afif, the chief propagandist and spokesperson of the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”
Trump attends UFC event in New York City, makes more picks for 2nd term
Over the weekend, President-elect Trump returned to Madison Square Garden to see the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s pay-per-view event. It was the first time Trump was back at the New York City venue since his rally last month and he received roaring applause from the UFC crowd Saturday night, Nov. 16, including chants of “USA!”
Trump was joined by friend and UFC President Dana White, as well as some of the names he’s recently picked to join his administration, including Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump’s oldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were also in attendance.
The president-elect also shook hands with Joe Rogan, one of the commentators for the event. Trump was a guest on Rogan’s podcast in the days leading up to the election.
Trump’s weekend also involved filling more key positions in his administration, including nominating Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy. Wright is the chief executive of Liberty Energy, a Denver, Colorado based fracking company.
He also picked current FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to be the agency’s chairman. Carr recently made headlines after claiming Vice President Kamala Harris’ appearance on Saturday Night Live violated FCC rules.
More nominations from the president-elect are expected to come this week.
Biden becomes first sitting president to visit Amazon rainforest
President Biden made history Sunday, Nov. 17, becoming the first sitting president to visit the Amazon rainforest.
While there, Biden met indigenous leaders and visited a museum at the gateway to the amazon. He also toured the drought-shrunken waters of the Amazon River’s greatest tributary and signed a U.S. proclamation designating Nov. 17 International Conservation Day, highlighting his commitment to the preservation of the region.
He also touched on concerns the incoming Trump administration might change U.S. climate policy.
“It’s no secret that I’m leaving office in January,” Biden said. “I will leave my successor and my country in a strong foundation to build on if they choose to do so.”
Today I issued an official proclamation to support the conservation of nature around the world.
That was the most that Biden publicly referenced President-elect Trump during his South American tour.
The transition was briefly mentioned during Chinese president Xi Jinping’s remarks on Saturday, Nov. 16 during his final meeting with Biden. While he also did not mention Trump by name, Xi appeared to signal his concern over what the new administration could mean for China’s relationship with the U.S. During his campaign, Trump promised to levy 60% tariffs on Chinese imports.
Reports: WBD, NBA settle with 11-year deal; ‘Inside the NBA’ to air on ABC
Warner Brothers Discovery is back in the game when it comes to the NBA. Though the company will no longer be airing games on its TNT network after this season, the Wall Street Journal and other outlets report the two sides have come to an agreement to keep NBA programming in the Warner Bros. family.
The reports said the new deal will settle Warner Brothers Discovery’s breach of contract lawsuit, which it filed against the league after the NBA signed rights deals with Disney’s ESPN, Comcast’s NBC, and Amazon.
This 11-year agreement will see NBA content remain on Warner Bros. Discovery’s digital platforms Bleacher Report and House of Highlights. It also gives Warner Brothers Discovery the right to distribute games overseas in places such as northern Europe and parts of Latin America, excluding Mexico and Brazil.
Reports said Warner Brothers Discovery also struck a deal with Disney to license its popular TNT show “Inside the NBA,” featuring former-players-turned-commentators Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley starting next season. The show will air throughout the season on ABC and ESPN.
The deals are expected to be officially announced this week.
Netflix says 60 million households tuned in live for Tyson vs. Paul
Netflix also said 50 million households watched the co-main event that saw Katie Taylor retain her championship against Amanda Serrano. The streaming giant said that would make it the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in United States history.
Netflix said more information, like total viewers, will be released later this week.
Netflix’s future live sporting events will include NFL games on Christmas Day and WWE weekly programming starting next year.
A new survey revealed the impact the migrant surge in the United States has had on schools. Reuters polled 75 school districts across 23 states. A third of districts said the increase in migrant children had a significant impact leading to budget issues and language barriers.
Additionally, 42 districts said they had to hire more instructors to teach students how to speak English. Another 15 districts said they had difficulties communicating with parents without proper help from interpreters.
When it came to budgets, 17 districts said they requested additional state funds to help immigrant students.
According to immigration court records, more than half a million school-age migrant children have arrived in the U.S. since 2022.
Denver has seen a major increase in migrants enrolled at its schools. During the 2022 to 2023 school year, Denver Public Schools had 1,532 migrant students. In the 2023 to 2024 school year, there were 3,935 migrant students enrolled in classes.
Survey respondents were asked whether they feel they are trained to meet the needs of migrant students. A majority said they were either well trained or partially trained.
The survey results also revealed 11 respondents said the newcomers had enriched the school community and brought new perspectives that could help other students learn.
All children in the U.S., regardless of their immigration status, have a right to free public education. But, the federal government does not cover the educational services entirely.
Colorado city sees surge in Venezuelan gang violence amid migrant crisis
Denver’s policy of welcoming migrants is having unintended consequences in the neighboring city of Aurora, Colorado, according to a new report from the New York Post. It is now struggling with the arrival of a notorious Venezuelan prison gang, leading to a surge in violent crime.
Aurora, a city with a population of 390,000 located directly east of Denver, has become a hub for the Tren de Aragua gang, local law enforcement sources told the Post.
The group took over several apartment complexes and caused significant trouble in the community.
Since December 2022, Denver, often described as an immigration “sanctuary city,” received more than 40,000 migrants from the southern border, making it a leader in migrant arrivals per capita.
The city took extensive measures to provide aid. City leaders cut back on emergency services to manage the costs, which have already exceeded $68 million.
In February 2024, the Aurora City Council passed a resolution declaring it would not offer resources or support to migrants from neighboring cities like Denver.
Despite this, Denver’s migrant policies have still resulted in a spillover into Aurora, bringing with them the dangers associated with Tren de Aragua.
Sources told the Post that one local gang leader, known as “Galleta,” Spanish for “cookie,” set up operations in Aurora, leading to a gang takeover of an apartment complex that became a hotspot for crime.
The Tren de Aragua is linked to a series of violent crimes across the U.S., including the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley earlier this year and the shooting of two NYPD officers in June.
In July, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that Tren de Aragua leaders had given members a “green light” to shoot Denver police officers who interfere with their criminal activities.
In response to the escalating threat, the Aurora Police Department has joined forces with the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to form a task force aimed at combating the gang’s growing influence.
Biden, Harris making first trip together since Biden dropped out of 2024 race
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will make their first trip together since the president dropped out of the 2024 race. And Columbia University’s president becomes the latest Ivy League leader to step down following concerns of antisemitism on college campuses. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024.
Biden, Harris making first trip together since Biden dropped out of 2024 race
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Maryland on Thursday, Aug. 15, for their first joint appearance since Biden dropped out of the 2024 race. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump will be in Bedminster, New Jersey to host another news conference following his rally in the battleground state of North Carolina on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
The Biden and Harris are expected to focus on efforts to lower prescription drug costs Thursday, Aug. 15. On Friday, Aug. 16, Harris will be in North Carolina to lay out her own economic agenda, which is said to include a plan to “tackle inflation” and “lower costs for middle class.”
The economy is taking center stage in the race this week, as Trump also laid out some of his plans for the economy when he was in North Carolina. He told rallygoers he plans to remove taxes on Social Security and claimed his administration would slash energy costs to ease inflation.
With the Democratic National Convention (DNC) starting on Aug. 19 in Chicago, Trump’s campaign said it plans to offer some sort of counter-programming. Harris’ presidential campaign is launching a $90 million advertising effort over the next three weeks. It’ll be her campaigns’ largest-yet investment in messaging to voters with just two and a half months left until Election Day.
Walz agrees to vice presidential debate on Oct. 1
On the vice presidential front, both Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn, and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have also been busy. Each hit the campaign trail in solo appearances in rallies and fundraising events across battleground states.
Vance held a rally in Michigan on Wednesday, Aug. 14, and will speak at a veterans event Thursday, Aug. 15 morning in Pennsylvania. Walz held events in Denver and Boston on Wednesday and will be campaigning in Newport on Thursday.
Vance has not formally accepted. He said in an interview he wants to know the debate rules and moderators first to avoid what he called a “fake news media garbage debate” but added he “strongly suspects” he will be there.
Columbia University’s president resigns in wake of recent protests
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned effective immediately. It comes months after student protests over the Israel-Hamas war turned destructive, leading to multiple arrests and widespread criticism over how the university handled the demonstrations.
In April, more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested, and an on-campus tent encampment was removed by New York City police after Shafik gave them the go-ahead. Students pushed back, leading to weeks of protests and widespread tent encampments before students ultimately ended up occupying the university’s Hamilton Hall.
Shafik — who became the first woman and person of color to lead the university in 2023 — is the third Ivy League president to step down in recent months among concern over antisemitism on college campuses.
Hurricane Ernesto heads toward Bermuda after pounding Puerto Rico
A hurricane watch is in effect in Bermuda as Ernesto heads that way after dropping torrential rain on Puerto Rico. That storm also knocked out power to two-thirds of homes and businesses across the U.S. territory.
Ernesto, which is currently a Category 1 hurricane, is strengthening and could become a Category 3 hurricane by Friday, Aug. 16. Its center was expected to pass near Bermuda on Saturday, Aug. 17.
Cisco cuts 7% of workforce amid focus shift
Cisco Systems, one of the world’s largest makers of computer networking equipment, has announced its second round of job cuts this year. The tech company plans to cut about 7% of its workforce, which is expected to affect nearly 6,000 employees.
This comes after the company already laid off around 4,000 workers in February. Cisco said the jobs cuts come as the company pivots its focus to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Mars to buy Kellanova for $36 billion
The merger that’s shaking up the snack food aisle is now official. Candy giant Mars has acquired the snack food maker Kellanova.
Mars, the company behind M&Ms and Snickers, is buying Kellanova, the maker of Cheez-Its and Pringles, for nearly $36 billion.
The purchase is not expected to close until next year, but analysts have been discussing what’s in it for mars. Bank of America’s Peter Galbo told CNBC the deal gives Mars three things: Additional space in stores beyond the chocolate section, expansion in international markets and innovative new product opportunities.
“Then third and probably the most fun for the consumer, you’re going to get the fun innovation with the salty and sweet what we’ve seen out of Hershey over the past year with things like chocolate covered popcorn.” Galbo said. “Now Mars will have that opportunity with some of the Kellanova brands.”
The Associated Press suggested the deal could lead to possible combinations like Skittles-flavored Pop-Tarts or Snickers-flavored Pringles.
Venezuela’s violent Tren de Aragua gang approves attacks on Denver PD
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reportedly released a memo on Tuesday, July 30, that members of the Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua (TDA) were given the “green light” to open fire on and attack Denver Police Department officers. The agency said it was tipped off to the threat by Albuquerque, New Mexico, law enforcement.
The gang is allegedly linked to hundreds of crimes, including the shootings of two New York Police Department officers who were attempting to arrest one of its members in June. Reports have also tied the gang to the brother of the suspect in the murder of Georgia student Laken Riley. Both men are undocumented immigrants from Venezuela.
U.S. border officials said that members of TDA have been sneaking over the southern border disguised as asylum-seekers.
According to U.S. government officials, the gang is linked to human smuggling and sex trafficking in the United States, as well as involved in murder, kidnapping, gun smuggling and a number of prison riots in Venezuela. Authorities warn that TDA has infiltrated cities like Denver, Chicago, Miami and New York City.
U.S. Border Patrol has been tracking the criminal organization and since last year has captured 70 of its members.
The Denver Police Department said it is taking the warning from federal authorities seriously and is making sure officers are aware of the safety concerns raised.
1-in-30-million orange lobster found at Red Lobster in Colorado
Employees at a Red Lobster restaurant in Pueblo, Colorado, made a rare find after an orange lobster was accidentally delivered to the restaurant. The restaurant’s manager and customers noticed how much the lobster stuck out among the other darker colored crustaceans in the restaurant’s tank and made sure it did not become a customer’s meal.
The restaurant ultimately called Denver’s Downtown Aquarium, and aquarium staff transported the lobster to Denver on Wednesday, July 17. Aquarium officials said that they named the lobster “Crush” in honor of the Denver Broncos’ famous “Orange Crush” defense that dominated in the 1970s and 1980s.
The food vendor who delivered Crush to the Pueblo Red Lobster said that the lobster was captured off of the coast of Canada.
Aquarium officials said that Crush’s color comes from “a genetic mutation, which affects encoded proteins. The lack of one or several proteins can reveal itself in colors, including blue, yellow and orange.”
The genetic mutation is extremely rare, occurring in just one in every 30 million lobsters, according to the Downtown Aquarium.
However, this is not the first time an orange lobster nearly ended up on someone’s seafood platter. In 2018, a Massachusetts grocery store discovered it had an orange lobster in its tank. The store also sent that lobster to a local aquarium.