super granny game Mikaela Shiffrin, Troy Tulowitzki, Larry Brown lead Colorado Hall of Fame class of 2025NEW ORLEANS — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Michelle Cheramie, founder of Zeus' Rescues, at her office in New Orleans on Dec. 9 with a whiteboard index of sheltered cats and dogs and a Scrim look-alike recuperating in the background. Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. Neighbor Tammy Murray had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues van toward reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim came to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter for stealth. Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, left, walks with Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something," she said. "He's doing that, too.” Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim rests in a kennel Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” Scrim sits in the arms of Zoey Ponder on Oct. 24 at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. Scrim at the Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter in Louisiana. A Scrim sticker for sale Dec. 9 at Zeus' Rescues office to raise money for the shelter in New Orleans. A homemade portrait of Scrim hangs Dec. 9 in the Zeus' Rescues shelter in New Orleans. Scrim spends some time outside Oct. 24 with Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, in a fenced-in area at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Fugitive dog gains fame in New Orleans eluding dart guns and nets

Article content SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is pumping more artificial intelligence into the latest iPhones during the holiday shopping season with a free software update that includes a feature that enables users to create customized emojis within a matter of seconds. Recommended Videos The Wednesday release of the iPhone’s upgraded operating system, iOS 18.2, extends Apple’s expansion into AI months after rivals such as Samsung and Google began implanting the revolutionary technology on their devices. The update builds upon another one that came out in late October to usher in the AI era for Apple and the iPhone, as well as for the iPad and Mac. The latest round of AI tricks includes “Genmojis,” Apple’s description for emojis that iPhone users will be able to ask the technology to create and then share. Apple says it is placing some limits its AI’s emoji artistry to prevent the distribution of violent or hateful imagery. Other features include an “Image Playground” for a variety of AI-styled illustrations, writing tools and options for summarizing emails. The technology won’t work on iPhones that Apple made before 2023 because it requires a special processor that isn’t in older models. The AI will work on the iPhone 16 line-up that came out in September and the premium iPhone 15 models released last year. That exclusivity is expected to propel a cycle of iPhone upgrades during the current holiday shopping season into next year, driving up Apple’s profit even higher from the $94 billion that the Cupertino, California, company pocketed in its last fiscal year ending in September. That expectation is the main reason Apple’s stock price has climbed by about 30% so far this year to push the company’s market value closer to the $4 trillion threshold for the first time. Apple is broadening the AI suite’s appeal by including English versions tailored for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. that are included in the latest software update. Although the iPhone’s AI is similar to many of the features that have already been available from other companies, Apple is taking a slightly different approach to the technology in an effort to stand out from the rest of pack. It is emphasizing its ongoing commitment to protecting iPhone users’ privacy by processing most of its AI on the device itself or corralling it in a secured data center. Users seeking more AI wizardry than the device or the special data center can handle will have the option to reach out to the popular ChatGPT technology made by OpenAI, which has forged a partnership with Apple.The Role of Computer Science in the Cable Industry

For 35 years, Phil Carle, a woodworking teacher at Merrimack High School, has introduced students to a virtual forest of possibilities. The high school's state-of-the-art woodshop contains 18 lathes with tools for turning and transforming wood into functional and artistic objects, including candlestand tables, bowls and ax handles. His students, male and female, run the gamut from the curious and creative to the tentative, dedicated or pre-professional. There's no shortage of interest in the subjects he teaches — Discover, Woodworking, Advanced Woodworking and Creative Lathe Turning. Post-pandemic and in a digital culture and marketplace, most of his classes remain full, and no one expects to scoot through with a barely passing grade. "If you sign up for Mr. Carle's class, you're making products that you'll be proud of when you leave," Carle said. "If students see a need for something at their house, we do it." Since 2001, Merrimack High School has had the largest lathe turning facility in New England's public schools. Last month, and for the third time, New Hampshire Woodworking Guild members came to collaborate with woodshop students to fabricate wig stands for cancer patients. Some drove from Kittery, Maine. Students ages 15 to 18 were "elbow to elbow with Guild members that are retired or working professionals, all working on projects together," said Carle. "When you talk to the students, they say, 'Oh, it was so much fun!' What defines the fun? Skill development. Building confidence. Communicating with each other in person. Doing something for others." One of Carle'[s former students designed and built a pedestal table that won a Gold Key Award in a Scholastic Art & Writing Competition — plus a $57,000 scholarship from one of the sponsors, the Maine School of Art and Design. "There's so much problem solving, in woodworking," he said. Many kids relish working with their hands. "They glow. They thrive. It gives them confidence to pursue other interests they may not have thought they could do." Dimitri Smith, a senior who wants to become a forester and a 'fire jumper' who extinguishes forest fires, built a new handle for the 1941 Collins ax he bought at a vintage tool store in northern New Hampshire, using the traditional tools and methods he learned in woodshop. At the New England Woodworking Competition last month, he took third place among high school students for a 'hollow form,' an artistic object created with a lathe. "Technology has always been a center of discovery and change through all cultures. The computer screen is not the only center," said Carle.

Promotion Affirms Company's Commitment to Galvanize New Era of Tech-Driven Real Estate Investment NEW YORK , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Underscoring its commitment to revolutionize investment strategies by leveraging advanced technologies to drive investor value, real estate investment firm AWH Partners announces the promotion of Devashish (Dev) Sharma to director of analytics. Sharma, who has been with the New York -based firm since July 2023 , has played a pivotal role in enhancing returns for investors by strengthening the integration of technology and data analytics in his previous role in asset management. In this new position, he will leverage the firm's data assets to create insights that sharpen acquisition strategies, improve asset performance, and strengthen overall decision-making and corporate governance, ultimately driving superior outcomes for stakeholders. In leading this newly created role, Sharma will focus on enhancing AWH Partners' cross-functional data ecosystem and optimizing technology-enabled processes to deliver actionable investment insights, streamline analysis, automate recurring tasks, and identify market opportunities ahead of industry trends. By developing business intelligence tools and mechanisms, he will ensure the firm's leadership and continuity in hospitality real estate, delivering enhanced transparency and scalability of tech-driven initiatives to foster sustainable growth and maximize investor returns. With dual master's degrees in business administration and hospitality management from Cornell University , Sharma has 13 years' experience across investment banking, real estate financing, hotel acquisition and hotel asset management. Before relocating to the U.S. for his graduate studies, Sharma was the investment manager at SAMHI Hotels, which specializes in hotel investments in India , and an associate investment manager at Piramal Fund Management, one of the first firms to enter real estate fund management in India . His global expertise in real estate financing and operational excellence has directly contributed to the success of the firm's high-value investment portfolios. "Dev brings a truly exceptional background to this new role with his experience in real estate financing and data analytics, as well as earning advanced degrees in business and hospitality from one of this country's premier Ivy League universities. Since joining AWH, he has demonstrated dedication and passion for helping the firm realize the next level of data-driven decision-making," said Chad Cooley , co-founder and managing partner of AWH Partners. "His work has strengthened our ability to deliver consistent value to our investors, helping us stand out in an increasingly competitive market." AWH Partners has made substantial investments in technology to identify and acquire differentiated investment opportunities in a highly competitive marketplace. This position underscores the firm's strategic focus on combining innovation and expertise to generate superior investor outcomes. By empowering its team with leadership opportunities, AWH Partners fosters an environment where talent thrives, furthering its goal of shaping the future of real estate investment. Sharma's leadership will continue to advance the firm's mission to deliver sustainable growth and performance across its portfolio. A native of India , Sharma is a chartered accountant and earned his bachelor's degree in finance from Sri Venkateswara College at the University of Delhi in 2009. Sharma's global perspective and track record of integrating analytics into investment strategies position him as a key player in advancing AWH Partners' investor-centric vision. "My goal is to further integrate analytics into every aspect of our investment process to ensure we are at the forefront of data and technology use in real estate investment worldwide," he said. About AWH Partners: AWH Partners (AWH) is a leading national platform for hotel real estate investment, management and development. Privately held, it was founded in 2010 by alumni of The Blackstone Group and The Related Companies. The firm partners with marquee institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals around the world. Its portfolio includes properties from renowned brands, including the Marriott and Hilton corporations, as well as independently branded assets. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/awh-partners-promotes-dev-sharma-as-director-of-analytics-302330763.html SOURCE AWH PartnersAP Trending SummaryBrief at 5:03 p.m. ESTFacebook and Instagram down — live updates on massive outage - Tom's Guide

PM constitutes 11-member committee to help resolve issues between PMLN, PPP

NonePresident-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s , but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the AP. Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how they plan to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, “limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people “may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s ISAP program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years.

That match was effectively the APS grand final, but Brighton still had two games to play and trailed in the final term a week later against St Kevin's College before coming from behind, as they did against Haileybury. Brighton also survived eventual No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor's first-half heroics to beat Geelong Grammar in the last match to seal a perfect season. Only 19 of the 71 draftees picked up in the national draft came from a public school, but Joslin said there was an unfair perception that private schools always "poached" talented footballers. "It's not often us, or any schools in the APS, swooping on kids," he said. "I would say it's often the parents of boys in state schools, or the like, reaching out to schools in the private system, knowing the offerings they get – not just from a resource standpoint for footy, [because] I think that's secondary. "I think it's more the academic networking opportunities ... so I would like to change the vernacular around us poaching, or swooping, on boys or girls in the state system." Harry Oliver prepares to kick long for Brighton Grammar. Credit: Mark Chew Photography St Patrick's College students Ollie Hannaford (pick No.18) and Jack Ough (36) are both headed to... Marc McGowanFive New Yorkers have been charged with felony possession of stolen property, conspiracy and other related crimes, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. The bust served as a reminder to shoppers as the holiday shopping season kicks off in earnest with Black Friday this week to make sure they are supporting legitimate establishments, she said. “When a deal seems too good to be true, I guarantee you, it’s too good to be true,” Katz said. Nationally, businesses lose roughly $100 billion and the average family pays $500 more a year because of the impact of organized retail theft, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who joined the district attorney and other law enforcement officials in Queens. The Democrat said the arrests also marked the first time anyone has been charged under a new criminal statute of fostering the sale of stolen goods that she recently signed into law to help crack down on retail theft. “This is real simple. We’ve had enough with criminals preying on our citizens,” Hochul said. “We are sick and tired of our citizens feeling they’re vulnerable to random crimes on the streets or these sophisticated organized crime rings. And we are coming after you.” Katz, the district attorney, said the group stole high-end makeup, perfume, beauty products, designer clothing and accessories from stores ranging from Macy’s to Victoria’s Secret, American Eagle, Sephora and Ulta Beauty over a roughly two-year period. The group’s leaders, married couple Cristopher Guzman and Yvelisse Guzman Batista, directed shoplifting crews to steal specific merchandise as they hit multiple stores in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and elsewhere along the East Coast, she said. They also paid truck drivers to divert products bound for retailers from manufacturer warehouses directly to locations under their control. The group, operating out of a home in Queens, then resold the merchandise online as well as at a brick-and-mortar boutique called Yvelisse Fashion in Santiago, a city in the Dominican Republic. Vince Scala, a lawyer for the couple and two of the other defendants, said his clients pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Saturday. They were released pending their next court date in January. “The charges are only a couple of days old, and I have not seen a single piece of evidence, discovery or police reports,” he said. “I look forward to reviewing the case at the appropriate time.” Tuesday’s announcement is part of a broader push from Hochul to counter Republican criticisms that Democrats in New York are soft on public safety issues, an issue that hurt her party in the 2022 midterm elections and has remained a consistent talking point for the GOP. Earlier this year, Hochul signed off on a handful of policies aimed at cracking down on retail theft, including increased criminal penalties for assaulting retail workers, new funding for law enforcement teams dedicated to retail theft and tax credits for businesses to install security cameras. She also approved policies that allow prosecutors to combine the value of stolen goods when filing larceny charges and made it easier to criminally charge third-party sellers of stolen goods. Retail theft has also been a concern elsewhere. Videos of brazen shoplifting crews rampaging through stores have been widely shared on social media, fueling widespread frustration that retail crime is rampant and unpunished. Earlier this month, California voters overwhelmingly passed a tough-on-crime ballot measure that makes shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders again. The measure partly rolled back a progressive law passed by voters a decade ago downgrading several nonviolent crimes to misdemeanors, including theft under $950 in value. Associated Press reporter Anthony Izaguirre in Albany contributed to this story. Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo .

None

LOS ANGELES — UCLA might have lost its chance at playing in a bowl game, but there’s still important outcomes at stake Saturday when the Bruins take on Fresno State. “I think the biggest thing here is you just want to go out and have a competitive spirit,” linebacker Carson Schwesinger said at the Bruins’ Tuesday practice. “You could say there’s not much to play for, and stuff like that, but I think, with this team too, you have a lot of competitive people, so you line it up at any time, we’re going to go out there and play our hardest.” There’s a collective desire to conclude a season laden with low points on a high one. There are also individual objectives on the line. For those with aspirations to play at the next level, it’s another chance to showcase talent and put quality reps on film. For the underclassmen hoping to step into the place of those departing, it’s another chance to prove they belong on the field and would flourish with additional snaps. And for others, like Schwesinger, rewarding accolades are up for grabs. On Monday, the redshirt junior was announced as one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best linebacker. Schwesinger has recorded double-digit tackles in eight of the Bruins’ last nine games, peaking with 17 in a loss at Washington on Nov. 15. He also snagged two interceptions the week before that in UCLA’s victory over Iowa. Schwesinger’s journey to an elite, game-wrecking defensive captain is a testament to his work ethic and his discipline to be able to keep his head down and not say much, as he put it. When he does speak, it’s rarely about himself. “It’s technically a one-person award,” he said about the Butkus Award, “but that’s a whole team award.” One of the individuals who helped him become a finalist for the Butkus Award has a chance at his own hardware. On Tuesday, Bruins defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe was named one of the 65 nominees for the Broyles Award for the nation’s top assistant coach. “Coach Malloe is a great guy,” defensive end Oluwafemi Oladejo said Tuesday. “Yeah, he’s a good football coach, but he’s also a life coach.” On multiple occasions this season, Malloe has been overcome with emotion when expressing how much he wants his unit to improve. He’s now being recognized for those results. Oladejo, who played two seasons at Cal before transferring to UCLA in late 2022, is about to play his last college football game. In his final year of eligibility, he willingly shifted down from linebacker to the defensive line and will have another chance Saturday to showcase his versatility and dominance at his somewhat new position. With Oladejo and potentially Schwesinger, a redshirt junior, soon moving on from UCLA, their younger teammates have one final chance to prove why they should fill those vacated snaps. Defensive lineman Devin Aupiu and linebacker Jalen Woods look like prime candidates to make that jump. Aupiu, a redshirt junior, had his best game of the season against USC on Saturday, highlighted by a strip sack of Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava. Woods had a season-high six tackles. “Last game, he played a lot of snaps and played really good,” Schwesinger said of Woods. “Same thing (this Saturday), just keep that momentum going.” Schwesinger nodded his head when asked if he was aware of the history of success Fresno State holds in its matchup with the Bruins. The Bulldogs have won the past four games between the programs, and while that last one came a year before Schwesinger arrived in Westwood, he knows how important it would be to be part of the group that returns to the win column. “We’re coming out ready to compete,” he said.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays. Officials have missed several obvious facemask penalties this season, including two in a three-week span during Thursday night games. “When we see it, because I see it like yourselves and the fans, I have an opportunity to see it from a different angle and see it from a slow-mo,” NFL executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the league’s winter meetings. “When you think about the position of where the officials are, things are happening so fast. Sometimes the facemask can be the same color as the gloves. There’s a lot happening. Concerning? Yes, because that’s a big miss. That’s a big foul. That’s why we would like to consider putting that for the membership to consider putting that foul category that we can see, putting that (penalty flag) on the field to help. There is a frustration, and we believe that is one category we can potentially get right.” Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was grabbed by his facemask and brought down in the end zone to end Minnesota’s comeback attempt against the Rams on Oct. 24. But there was no call. On Oct. 3, officials missed a facemask on Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving while he ran for 7 yards late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay instead was called for holding on the play, got forced out of field-goal range and Kirk Cousins rallied the Falcons to an overtime victory. “That is one this year, the facemask seems like it was the obvious one” Vincent said. “That keeps showing up.” Vincent also cited hits on a defenseless player, tripping, the fair catch, an illegal batted ball, an illegal double-team block, illegal formations on kickoffs and taunting as other areas that warrant consideration for replay assist. Current rules only allow replay assist to help officials pick up a flag incorrectly thrown on the field, or in assisting proper enforcement of a foul called on the field. The NFL’s Competition Committee will review potential recommendations for owners to vote on for expanding replay assist. Low blocks Vincent was emphatic about the league’s desire to eliminate low blocks that could lead to serious injuries. “The low block below the knee needs to be removed from the game,” Vincent said. “You look at high school, you look at college, too. Every block should be above the knee, but below the neck. All the work that we’ve done for the head and neck area, all the things that we’ve taken out of the game, this is the right time for us to remove the low block out of the game. Be consistent with high school. Be consistent with college. Every block should be above the knee and below the neck.” Onside kicks The league will consider changes to the onside kick after dramatically overhauling the kickoff rule on a one-year basis. “We need to look at that. That’s a dead play,” Vincent said of the onside kick’s low success rate. “That is a ceremonial play. Very low recovery rate. When we look at the kickoff and maybe where the touchback area should be during the offseason, we need to revisit the onside kick.” Options include giving the team an opportunity to run one play to gain a certain number of yards to keep possession. Commanders in RFK Stadium The Washington Commanders’ search for a new stadium site includes options in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and work has escalated on one in particular. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and controlling owner Josh Harris met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week about the RFK Stadium site in Washington, which requires a bill getting through Congress to transfer the land to the District government before anything else can happen. “I think there’s a bipartisan support for this,” Goodell said, adding he’d like to see it get to a vote soon. “We hope that it will be addressed and approved so that it’s at least an alternative for the Commanders if we go forward. I grew up in Washington, and I know would be exciting for a lot of fans.” Expanding schedule The NFL continues to discuss a potential 18-game season, but would need approval from the players’ union. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. “We are doing analysis I would say, but we are not finalizing any plans at this point,” Goodell said. “They’ll share that analysis with the players’ union, which would need to agree to any change.” ___ AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement Advertisement

AWH Partners Promotes Dev Sharma as Director of Analytics