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3-time AFC East defending champion Bills still considered contenders despite lowered expectations

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

BUFFALO BILLS (14-4)EXPECTATIONS: The Bills might not be the Super Bowl favorites as they were touted entering last season, and yet they remain a formidable team with Josh Allen entering his sixth year overseeing one of the NFL’s most productive offenses. What also should work in the three-time defending AFC East champion’s favor is not having to endure the numerous on- and off-field issues, injuries and tragedies that led to the Bills being emotionally drained in closing last season with a thud in a 27-10 loss to Cincinnati. The team dealt with safety Damar Hamlin’s near-death experience on the field in Cincinnati on Jan. 2, the death of tight end Dawson Knox’s younger brother, Luke, two snowstorms disrupting the team’s schedule and losing DE Von Miller and S Micah Hyde to season-ending injuries. The challenge on offense is for second-year coordinator Ken Dorsey to utilize his various new weapons — speedy receivers Deonte Hardy and Trent Sherfield, and rookie tight end Dalton Kinca...

Remains of Vermont World War II soldier to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The remains of a Vermont World War II soldier who died as a prisoner of war in the Philippines in 1942 are being laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Army Pfc. Arthur Barrett, of Swanton, was a member of the 31st Infantry Regiment when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Barrett was among thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members captured and held at prisoner of war camps. More than 2,500 died at Cabanatuan camp during the war, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.Barrett, 27, died on July 19, 1942, and was buried alongside other prisoners in a common grave. The American Graves Registration Service exhumed the remains after the war and were able to identify 12 sets, the agency said. The unidentified remains were then buried at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial as unknowns, it said.The remains were exhumed again in 2018 and sent to an agency lab in Hawaii for...

UEFA doesn’t want Champions League referees to follow ‘absurd’ FIFA World Cup policy on added time

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

MONACO (AP) — UEFA does not want Champions League games to match the World Cup with double-digit minutes of stoppage time that its top soccer official called “absolutely absurd” on Wednesday.Adding so many extra minutes over a full season is bad for players’ health, UEFA Chief of Football Zvonimir Boban said.“Player welfare is really some kind of small tragedy,” Boban, a former AC Milan and Croatia star midfielder, said at a UEFA briefing on refereeing issues on the eve of the Champions League group-stage draw.FIFA pushed referees at the men’s and women’s World Cups in the past nine months to let the game clock routinely run from the regulation 90 minutes to 100-plus in the second half. FIFA wanted all goal celebrations, substitutions, injuries and suspected time-wasting taken into account.The policy has been backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino saying it gave fans better value for money amid concern the ball was in active play for as few as 50 to 55 minutes at many games.Socce...

When does fall start in Denver? Well, it depends

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Fall is almost upon us, or is it? As with many things, the answer depends on who you ask.If you're a huge fan of the season, you might start breaking out those sweaters and scarves as soon as possible. However, not everyone wants summer to end.While there isn't a perfect consensus on the exact day you can start to enjoy the pumpkins and the leaves, FOX31 compiled a list of a few dates that are accepted by many as marking the official "start" of the season.When is the first day of meteorological fall?As the name suggests, meteorological seasons are based on the weather and climate, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up for alerts from the Pinpoint Weather team Essentially, with 12 months in a year, the seasons are broken up into four three-month groups: Winter: December, January, FebruarySpring: March, April, MaySummer: June, July, AugustFall: September, October, NovemberThat means that Aug. 31 marks the offici...

FWC officers assess damage in Steinhatchee after Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

STEINHATCHEE, FLA. (WSVN) – Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unloaded rescue vehicles in the town of Steinhatchee with the goal of rescuing anyone who didn’t leave ahead of Hurricane Idalia. As the storm passed Florida, officials on Wednesday afternoon are assessing the damage near ground zero and are looking for people who need help. “It’s crazy to think about. We were just driving around here yesterday before everything started, and it looks like a completely different place now,” said resident Jessica Snodgrass.Snodgrass and Charlie Morris left in the middle of the night and now need a boat to get back to their home.“The wind was blowing pretty bad, the rains were starting to pick up, and at that point, the water had already risen up to where the boat ramp was,” said Snodgrass, “so we knew it was just a matter of time before it was all coming up.”Idalia flooded much of Steinhatchee. Cleanup will ta...

The Miami Dolphins have a roster built for contention in 2023. They just need to stay healthy

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

MIAMI DOLPHINS (9-8)EXPECTATIONS: The Dolphins have a roster built for contention, and they’re targeting a deep postseason run after losing to Buffalo in last season’s wild-card round. They just need to stay healthy. Miami brought back essentially every key contributor from last year’s offense, which finished sixth in total offense and second in yards per play. Now, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and explosive receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have one year in Mike McDaniel’s system under their belts. The Dolphins showed their confidence in Tagovailoa by picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, and he has been training in the martial art jiu jitsu to better protect himself on the field after being diagnosed with two concussions last year. The Dolphins are also transitioning to a new defense under Vic Fangio. They traded for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but an injury during training camp will sideline him through the start of the regular...

Dolphins’ Chris Grier calls talks with Colts about running back Jonathan Taylor ‘exploratory’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Wednesday that conversations with the Indianapolis Colts about 2021 All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor were “exploratory,” and no official offers were exchanged between the two teams.The Dolphins had been linked to Taylor in recent weeks as the Colts sought trade partners for their 2020 second-round pick. Talks fizzled Tuesday as the deadline for roster cuts passed, and Indianapolis placed Taylor on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, which will sideline him through the first four games of the season.They have until the trade deadline on Oct. 31.“It was just general talks,” Grier said. “A lot of the stuff being reported, like I tell you guys, 95% of it’s wrong. We had some discussions, but it’s no different than any player that’s ever released or available that we know about. … In terms of being close, there was nothing really close.”Grier was asked if third-year rec...

Manhole explosions in Cambridge send flames shooting onto Harvard Square, closing area to traffic

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

Parts of Harvard Square were closed to both vehicle and foot traffic throughout the day after multiple manhole explosions sent flames shooting into the air Wednesday morning.The Cambridge Fire Department said crews were originally called to the area of 27 Brattle Street before 8:45 a.m. for reports of a structure fire, only to soon discover heavy smoke billowing from the ground.By 9 a.m., firefighters were checking for exposure to surrounding buildings, with both Cambridge police officers and Transit Police Department personnel also responding. A short time later on Twitter, the Cambridge Police Department said Harvard Square was shut down to pedestrians and vehicles as crews continued to monitor the situation. Image provided by the Cambridge Police DepartmentIn a citywide alert, the police department referred to the incident as a “manhole explosion” while noting that no injuries had been reported. Authorities later said in a news conference that two explosions were co...

Artificial intelligence comes to classrooms as a tool for students, teachers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

It’s time to head back to school, and this year a high-tech assistant may join your child as teachers and students utilize artificial intelligence in the classroom.Uptown science teacher Bonnie Nieves is getting her classroom ready for a new school year at Nipmuc Regional High School. She’s preparing for artificial intelligence, or AI, which can process large amounts of data fast.“I don’t wanna say it’s magic because as a scientist, we know there is no such thing, but it’s incredible how quickly students can get useful feedback when an AI has been trained to do things that the teacher’s looking for,” Nieves said.While some may be wary of the new technology, she’s ready to embrace it.“Sometimes it’s better to let a machine do things and then other times it’s better to do things yourself,” she said. She said AI shouldn’t be used for easy answers but as a tool to help students.“It’s an idea generator,” Nieves said. “’What are 10 topi...

City, state leaders tour Sumner Tunnel ahead of scheduled reopening

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:21:49 GMT

City and state leaders headed into the Sumner Tunnel Wednesday to tour the tunnel ahead of its expected reopening on Friday after a nearly two-month shutdown for repairs.The Sumner Tunnel closed on July 5 to make way for rehab work on the tunnel’s ceiling, pavement and lighting, bringing a new ventilation system, 500 new lights and new fireproof boards on walls.Weeks after the closure Gov. Maura Healey this week thanked crews working on the project as well as commuters impacted by the tunnel shutdown.“It’s not easy when you tell folks that we’re going to shut down an entire tunnel, a main throughway, a gateway to the city for a two month period,” Healey told reporters. “But I really appreciate people’s patience with our efforts.”The 88-year-old Sumner Tunnel serves as a link between downtown Boston and East Boston. Its extended closure this summer prompted major traffic concerns and a corresponding series of mitigation efforts by city and state officials. With the tunnel now set to ...