Callahan: Patriots’ loss to Chiefs clarifies harsh reality of upcoming rebuild

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

Callahan: Patriots’ loss to Chiefs clarifies harsh reality of upcoming rebuild FOXBORO — Maybe it had been so long we all forgot.Winning is one hell of a drug.For 10 days, that ugly upset at Pittsburgh cast such a spell it induced visions of a happy ending to this Patriots season.For 10 days, small pockets of the fanbase and media fantasized about the potential of a five-game win streak crossing into the New Year; of a locker room banded together, forged in the fires of doubt and defeat; of Bill Belichick, defiant and determined, scheming upsets of the reigning Super Bowl champions, Broncos and Bills before disemboweling the Jets to prove he deserves another year.Then all of those visions shattered Sunday.The Chiefs choked the Patriots out over the second half of a 27-17 win so painfully Belichick seemed to cry uncle when he punted in the face of a three-possession deficit with nine minutes left and later didn’t bother to take his final timeout. The game reeked of boredom. All of Sunday’s sizzle fizzled once Kansas City took control just minu...

Top DeSantis strategist quits PAC

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

Top DeSantis strategist quits PAC Longtime Republican strategist Jeff Roe resigned from the super political action committee supporting Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid, the latest personnel shakeup in the Florida governor’s operation just weeks before 2024 voting begins.Roe’s departure from the Never Back Down super PAC comes amid a slew of changes at the group, where several high-profile leaders have departed in recent weeks.“I can’t believe it ended this way. I’m so proud to have worked alongside these men and women at NBD 24/7 the past nine months to save the country. Good luck the next 28 days,” Roe said in a statement he posted late Saturday to X, formerly known as Twitter.Scott Wagner, one of DeSantis’ closest allies — a friend from Yale and an attorney in Miami — recently took over Never Back Down. He added to the leadership team Phil Cox, who helped to run DeSantis’ successful 2022 gubernatorial bid.Wagner and Cox don’t get along with Roe, according to two donors. Wagner and Roe engaged in an shouting match a...

Week 15 updates: Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns locked in a 7-7 defensive battle at halftime

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

Week 15 updates: Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns locked in a 7-7 defensive battle at halftime The 5-8 Chicago Bears are playing the 8-5 Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium in a Week 15 matchup. Here’s what you need to know.Halftime: Big plays hard to come by in 7-7 tieThe Bears’ only touchdown drive of the first half Sunday against the Browns was a wild four-play, 1-yard possession that took 2 minutes, 23 seconds off the clock.On a rainy afternoon at Cleveland Browns Stadium, big offensive plays were at that kind of premium as the Bears and Browns went into halftime tied 7-7.Bears quarterback Justin Fields hit tight end Cole Kmet for a 5-yard touchdown pass to cap their strange scoring drive. It came after safety Eddie Jackson came up with his first interception of the season off Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and returned it 27 yards to the Cleveland 1.After D’Onta Foreman lost 3 yards on a first-down carry, the Browns committed three straight penalties — two for too many men on the field and pass interference on Martin Emerson while defendin...

Poll: Nikki Haley consolidates non-Trump vote in New Hampshire

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

Poll: Nikki Haley consolidates non-Trump vote in New Hampshire With a little more than a month to go before the first primary of the 2024 election cycle, polling shows Granite State voters are making up their minds about which Republican they’ll support for the party nomination.A CBS poll of registered voters released Sunday shows that former President Donald Trump continues to dominate the conservative field in both Iowa, where the first caucusing is scheduled to occur on January 15, and New Hampshire, where the first party delegates will be won a week later, on the 23rd.Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s campaign was probably very happy to note her support among Granite Staters has swelled to 29%, just 15 points behind her former boss, and that New Hampshire conservatives view her more favorably than the five remaining viable Republican candidates on the primary ballot.“Donald Trump still leads in New Hampshire, but Nikki Haley has consolidated much of the non-Trump vote and has emerged as the top alternative to him there. Among the t...

Patriots rookie Marte Mapu not satisfied after first career interception

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

Patriots rookie Marte Mapu not satisfied after first career interception FOXBORO — It was a bad day overall for the Patriots as they fell 27-17 to the Chiefs, but rookie safety Marte Mapu came away with a milestone moment in his young career.Mapu, a 2023 third-round selection, picked off Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for his first career interception. For the Sacramento State product, however, it wasn’t good enough.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick uses Patriots’ injuries to explain lack of late-game tempo New England Patriots | Patriots have no answers for latest bizarre situation involving J.C. Jackson New England Patriots | Bailey Zappe’s interception proves costly in Patriots’ 27-17 loss to Chiefs New England Patriots | Patriots starting LG Cole Strange ruled out after being carted off with knee injury New England Patriots | Patriots still shorthanded at wide receiver in Demario Douglas’ return “It felt go...

Bill Belichick uses Patriots’ injuries to explain lack of late-game tempo

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

Bill Belichick uses Patriots’ injuries to explain lack of late-game tempo FOXBORO — The Patriots lost three offensive starters during their Week 15 loss to the Chiefs, and Bill Belichick acknowledged that it impacted how his team handled an offensive series late in the game.Left guard Cole Strange was carted off of the field with a knee injury early in the second quarter and was replaced by rookie Atonio Mafi. Left tackle Conor McDermott, who was starting in place of Trent Brown, suffered a head injury in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Vederian Lowe. And tight end Hunter Henry didn’t finish the game with a knee injury, leading to more playing time for Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown. Henry told the Herald after the game that he was feeling fine. He was walking in the locker room without any major limitations.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots have no answers for latest bizarre situation involving J.C. Jackson New England Patriots | Bailey Zappe’s interception proves costly in Patriots’...

North Korea fires another missile into sea in resumption of weapons testing, South Korea says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

North Korea fires another missile into sea in resumption of weapons testing, South Korea says SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired a second ballistic missile into the sea off the coast of South Korea on Monday, the South Korean military said.The military said in a statement only that the launch was made Monday morning without giving further details.The launch came hours after South Korea reported North Korea conducting a short-range ballistic missile test into the sea in a resumption of its weapons testing activities.Observers said the North’s back-to-back launches were likely a protest against the moves by South Korea and the United States to bolster their nuclear deterrence plans in the face of North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats.The Associated Press

Biotech giant Illumina will unwind takeover of cancer-screening company Grail

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

Biotech giant Illumina will unwind takeover of cancer-screening company Grail SAN DIEGO, Calif. (AP) — Biotech giant Illumina says it will undo its $7.1 billion purchase of the cancer-screening company Grail after losing legal battles with antitrust enforcers in the U.S. and Europe.San Diego-based Illumina said in a Sunday statement that it made its decision to divest Grail after a U.S. appeals court ruled Friday that the merger could violate antitrust laws. The European Union in October ordered the deal to be unwound because it closed in 2021 without regulatory approval from the 27-nation bloc. The EU earlier slapped a $475 million fine on Illumina for jumping the gun on the acquisition without its consent.Ilumina said Sunday it had already pledged to divest Grail if it was not successful with either the European Court of Justice or in the Louisiana-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where the U.S. Federal Trade Commission case seeking to block the deal was most recently considered. The company said the divestiture will happen through a third-party sale o...

Man in custody after bar employee, officer battered in Prospect Heights

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

Man in custody after bar employee, officer battered in Prospect Heights PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Ill. -- A 22-year-old man is in custody after an employee at a bar and police officer were battered in Prospect Heights early Sunday morning, police said. Officers were responding to a fight outside HOME Bar around 4:00 a.m. in Prospect Heights. A police officer and employee were attempting to break up an altercation when a man involved got in their car and fled the scene. Chicago police officer injured after car hit while investigating crash on Dan Ryan The employee and officer were transported to a local hospital. The employee suffered serious but nonlife threatening injuries and the officer was sent home after he suffered brusing.About 10 minutes later police said they stopped the same vehicle in Palatine. The driver showed signs of impairment and after a test was administered, officers found he was impaired. The man was taken into custody and police are still investigating the incident.

Family of man shot, killed offer $30K reward for information

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:25 GMT

Family of man shot, killed offer $30K reward for information CHICAGO -- The family of a man shot and killed while driving home from work in October is now offering a reward of up to $30,000 for information leading to an arrest. The Herrera family has passed out these flyers in hopes someone will come forward with the information police need to make an arrest. "He was an honorable hardworking man that was just trying to get home, his sister Marcelina Herrera said.It has been two months since 42-year-old Salvador Herrera was shot and killed on his way home from work. Chicago police said no arrests have been made. "Today I put my brother's cologne just to feel his presence because we all miss him," Herrera said. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines On Sunday, his sisters and loved ones continued their search for answers. They handed out dozens of freshly printed flyers announcing a $30,00 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. They are working with CrimeStoppers who is also offering a separat...