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Air Force general named new executive director of the College Football Playoff on eve of expansion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, the superintendent of the Air Force Academy, was announced Friday as the new executive director of the College Football Playoff.Clark will replace Bill Hancock, who is retiring, and will take over as the playoff prepares for its expansion to a 12-team format in the 2024 season.“Gen. Clark’s experience leading the U.S. Air Force Academy as a three-star general and also being a four-year letter winner with the U.S Air Force football team gives him a strong background to excel in this crucial leadership role,” said Mark Keenum, Mississippi State president and chairman of the CFP Board of Managers.Hancock was the first full-time director of the NCAA Final Four for men’s basketball and the first administrator of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which was replaced by the CFP. He took that job in 2012 and as the CFP’s only employee at the time, he was charged with finalizing a media rights agreement, negotiating agreements with bowl gam...

US and India reaffirm security ties as their top diplomats and defense officials hold talks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — India and the U.S. underlined their commitment to boosting security ties Friday as their top diplomats and defense chiefs met to discuss regional security, China and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with their Indian counterparts in New Delhi as part of an Asian trip aimed at showing unity over Russia’s war in Ukraine and preventing differences on the Israel-Hamas war from deepening.Blinken said the U.S. and India were continuing to “deepen our collaboration on everything from emerging technologies to defense to people-to-people ties” and align diplomacy for “an Indo-Pacific region that’s free, that’s open, that’s prosperous, that’s resilient.”He said the two sides discussed the crisis in the Middle East and “we appreciate the fact that from day one India has strongly condemned the attacks of Oct. 7. And as our joint statement makes clear, India and the United States...

Max Homa shares lead of Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa after Round 2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) — Max Homa maintained a share of the lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge by shooting a 4-under 68 in the second round on Friday, with Matthieu Pavon joining him atop the leaderboard. Homa, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 8, followed up his 66 on Thursday with another bogey-free round at the Gary Player Country Club. He hasn’t played since the Ryder Cup in Italy that finished Oct. 1, and where he collected 3 1/2 points to be the highest scorer for the United States in its loss to the Europeans. His last strokeplay event was the Fortinet Championship in mid-September.Homa said that he is surprised at how well is playing after his break.“It’s been nice, the body’s feeling better as the week’s gone on,” Homa said. “I woke up today and felt like a golfer again, so that was nice.“If you fly 20-odd hours over here, you may as well play some good golf. So it’s nice that I’m doing that.”Pavon shot a 66 — the joint best score of the round — thank...

File-transfer software data breach affected 1.3M individuals, says Maine officials

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The state of Maine has begun notifying people whose personal information was included in a data breach impacting as many as 1.3 million individuals, state officials announced Thursday.The notifications began after the state completed an assessment once they discovered that hackers exploited a vulnerability in a widely used file-transfer software. Other government agencies, major pension funds and private businesses also have been affected by a Russian ransomware gang’s so-called supply chain hack of the software MOVEit.The specific type of data depended on the individual but could include their date of birth, driver’s license number, social security number and health and medical information.The state said it began taking steps to patch the vulnerability, engaged with experts and legal counsel, and carried out evaluations after being alerted on May 31 of the widespread breach.The state created a website devoted to the breach. People are encouraged...

New Speaker Mike Johnson grasps for a funding plan with a government shutdown rapidly approaching

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — With just a week left to avert a government shutdown, new House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing his first big test as he tries to win House Republican support for a short-term funding plan — a task that looks increasingly difficult amid stubborn divisions in the party over federal spending.Federal agencies are making plans for a shutdown that would shutter government services and halt paychecks for millions of federal workers and military troops.It’s a disruption that Johnson — just two weeks into his job running the House — has said he wants to avoid. Yet House lawmakers left Washington for the weekend without a plan in hand after several setbacks. Johnson is still sounding out support among Republicans about what to do and is expected to unveil funding legislation over the weekend, according to Republicans granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.The shrinking calendar gives Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who has vaulted from ...

Patriots QB Mac Jones seems to want to throw deep more often

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany — It seems that Patriots quarterback Mac Jones praises a question when he likes the subject matter.It happened twice Friday when Jones held court at DFB Campus, where the German national soccer team trains, ahead of Sunday’s game against the Colts at Frankfurt Stadium.The first time was when a reporter asked pointed out that the offensive line was improving before asking if Jones felt more comfortable in the pocket.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick addresses ‘personal’ Patriots player absences from Germany trip New England Patriots | Bill Belichick sees Patriots rookie Kayshon Boutte ‘trending in the right direction’ New England Patriots | Patriots look healthy at lone Germany practice before international game New England Patriots | Patriots mailbag: What is Mac Jones’ future beyond 2023 season? New England Patriots | Patriots offense gets bad news bef...

Bill Belichick keeps it light in Patriots press conference in Germany

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany — A different Bill Belichick showed up for work on Friday, and even reporters who have watched the coach for 20-plus years from 3,000 miles away could see it.“In my 23 years, I’ve been a Patriots fan, I’ve never seen you laugh so much,” a German reporter observed. “I think Germany is good for you. How are you feeling in Germany?Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick addresses ‘personal’ Patriots player absences from Germany trip New England Patriots | Bill Belichick sees Patriots rookie Kayshon Boutte ‘trending in the right direction’ New England Patriots | Patriots look healthy at lone Germany practice before international game New England Patriots | Patriots mailbag: What is Mac Jones’ future beyond 2023 season? New England Patriots | Patriots offense gets bad news before flight to Germany Belichick walked up to the formal press conference area set up...

Thousands sheltering at Gaza City’s hospitals flee as Israel-Hamas war closes in

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

By WAFAA SHURAFA, ISABEL DEBRE and JACK JEFFERY (Associated Press)DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war at Gaza City’s main hospital fled south Friday after several reported strikes in and around the compound overnight. They joined a growing exodus of people escaping intense urban fighting in the north — including near other hospitals — as Gaza officials said the territory’s death toll surpassed 11,000.The search for safety across the besieged Gaza Strip has grown desperate as Israel intensified its assault on the territory’s largest city.The Israel army says Hamas’ military infrastructure is set up amid Gaza City’s hospitals and neighborhoods. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after its deadly Oct. 7 surprise incursion. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.More than 100,000 Palestinians have fled south over the past two days, according to Israel...

Barbie’s Ken left out again as Cabbage Patch Kids and Fisher-Price Corn Popper make Toy Hall of Fame

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Fans have pushed the Fisher-Price Corn Popper into the National Toy Hall of Fame, elevating it from perpetual finalist to 2023 inductee, alongside baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids and NERF foam toys, the hall announced Friday.But Barbie’s kind-of boyfriend, Ken?He was left out, despite having a huge year and a hit song due to his portrayal by Ryan Gosling in the summer blockbuster “Barbie.”The Fisher-Price popper, a push toy that encourages babies to walk, was chosen by fans who were invited to celebrate the Toy Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary by voting for one of five toys that had made it to the finals more than once but were passed over. The rest of the so-called “Forgotten Five” included the pogo stick, My Little Pony, PEZ dispensers and Transformers.Baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids and NERF toys were voted in in the usual way from among a field of 12 finalists, with input from a panel of experts. “These ...

Local election workers have been under siege since 2020. Now they face fentanyl-laced letters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — While workers were counting ballots for primary elections in August, the elections office in King County, Washington, received a suspicious envelope that turned out to contain trace amounts of fentanyl.It happened again this week, and not just in Washington state, where the office was processing ballots from the general election and had to be evacuated. Election offices in at least five states were sent threatening mail, some containing the potentially deadly drug, authorities say.The letters were just the latest worrisome disruption for election workers in Seattle and across the country who have been besieged by threats, harassment and intimidation since the 2020 presidential election.“There’s certainly a toll that occurs emotionally and mentally with our elections administrators, and it’s devastating,” said Julie Wise, the King County elections director. “But we’re not going to be paused or impacted by these individuals who clearly want to break us.”Election offices...