“Removing the requirement will greatly support the recovery of travel and aviation in the United States and globally without increasing the spread of COVID-19 and its variants,” the letter says. The airline industry has been heavily impacted by the pandemic via restrictions and the cancellation of flights. It’s estimated that global passenger traffic was 49 percent less in 2021 than in 2019, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization. There is also an estimated $324 billion loss in revenue in 2021 compared to 2019....

But on Sunday, it was all worth it as he won his first Sprint Cup race with a thrilling upset victory on the road course at Watkins Glen. Allmendinger won a wild duel with road-racing ace Marcos Ambrose for a victory that should earn him a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. MORE: Allmendinger drug suspension | Stewart sad over fatal crash | Stewart skips Cup race | Crash investigation...

In the statement, released Dec. 16, Zawahiri invites “individuals, agencies and all media” to submit written questions via one of As-Sahaab’s Web forums. He calls upon the “brothers” who supervise the site “to collect the questions and transmit them without alteration, whether it is coming from someone who agrees or disagrees.” This is the first time Al Qaeda has made a formal call to journalists, although it will not be the first time the radical Islamic group has granted interviews to Western media....

The group of 14 (seven Gore supporters, five Bush backers and two undecideds) generally admired Gore’s personal and family life. But they scoffed at his claim to have Tennessee roots. Two members of the group knew he’d been active on the environment; beyond that, none could name a single thing he’d accomplished for the state. While many felt Gore was basically an upstanding public servant, all expressed unhappiness over his association with Clinton–especially the veep’s refusal to make an early break with the president over the Monica Lewinsky scandal....

Florida State and Oregon and check in at second and third, respectively, in the standings released Sunday. FSU announced its title intentions with its 51-14 road rout of Clemson on Saturday night. The Ducks continued to score points at will; they put up 62 on Saturday as they drubbed Washington State. This is the last season the BCS standings will be used to determine the teams that will play in the National Championship Game....

With seven weeks left until the College Football committee will make their choices, 22 FBS teams have one loss or less. We’re down to four unbeatens now. Florida State extended its winning streak to 23 games, like it or not Jameis Winston haters. Mississippi State still has this year’s best resume and Heisman frontrunner in Dak Prescott. Ole Miss boasts the nation’s nastiest defense, one that allows just 10.5 points per game....

The sophomore linebacker tackled the first-year starter in the waning moments of the first quarter, after the latter jumped in the air for a throw-away pass. Turner, who was in Ewers’ face, grabbed him mid-air before driving him into the turf at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. “Honestly, it was no intent to hurt Quinn Ewers, honestly," Turner said. “I feel like he’s a good quarterback, and I hope he has a very speedy recovery....

Bolden was open about his affinity for the Patriots during his time at the 2022 NFL Combine. During his interviews, he explained how his usage in the Alabama offense mirrored exactly what the Patriots have asked slot receivers like to do over the years. NFL DRAFT: Top 100 prospect big board before NFL Combine In doing so, Bolden compared his offensive role to that of Julian Edelman, one of the most prolific postseason receivers in NFL history....

“He said, ‘I’ll be back for LSU,’” linebacker Terrell Lewis said after the game. “I know how Tua is, it’s something he’s been through before, so I don’t doubt the fact that he’s a competitor. He’s going to get right back. He’ll be fine.” MORE: Tagovailoa proves his worth in absence of Tennessee win Alabama coach Nick Saban confirmed Tagovailoa suffered a high-ankle sprain, but said he expects him to have a “full and speedy recovery....

Sounds oddly familiar, right? Because it should. MORE: Drake disses Joe Carter, Michael Jordan in new single | HAYES: No excuses, Ohio State was better than Alabama The Crimson Tide took a cue from Drake’s new track “Charged up” in a freshly released graphic poster. The Canadian rapper dropped the single in response to fellow hip-hop artist Meek Mill, who went on a Twitter rant accusing Drake of having ghostwriters....

You know, just in case. There's just no way Texas A&M officials could have imagined this two years ago when they started flirting with the SEC. No way they could have seen what could be in such a short time. MORE: Season’s upsets | Week 3 picks | Who to root for … or against? From a middling program in the Big 12 struggling to keep up with Big Brother Texas, to the hottest program this side of Roll Tide, its campus teeming with excitement four hours before kickoff....

The video shared to Twitter shows a car appearing to briefly stop near a crosswalk filled with protesters. At least one protester apparently attempts to block the car with a bicycle before the car accelerates through the area, running into multiple protesters in the process. Calls have been made for help in identifying the car’s driver and occupants, although they cannot be clearly seen in the video that appears online....

The returnees have picked just three points from ten games and currently sit at the foot of the table. “The coach was happy with the work of the team and the players despite our defeat to Valencia (2-1) last weekend. But we have to think that we have to win games already,” Wakaso said. “There are always things to improve on to avoid relegation. We have to score goals because other teams in front of us do not have many points....

And it’s got something you wouldn’t expect — a poster of Pujols’ teammate, Mike Trout, on a mirror in one of the bathrooms. MORE: Is Pujols the best player to wear No. 5? | Best photos of Trout, the phenom Kudos to the Orange County Register for spotting this, um, strange sight in a 24-photo slideshow of Pujols’ estate. The rest of the slideshow is an interesting look at the Angels first baseman’s taste in real estate....

People tend to think that warnings pertain to everyone but themselves. It’s hard to think of yourself as needing a warning, or being fallible, or mortal. Maybe that’s just human nature. Sometimes, we need stern reminders and, unfortunately, tragic events often deliver those reminders. Too often, the reminder comes after the death of a well-known person due to overdose. But, it shouldn’t take a news event to remind us. The information is attached to every prescription bottle we pick up at the pharmacy....

Troy Tulowitzki and Josh Donaldson homered in a six-run third inning that chased KC starter Johnny Cueto and put Toronto up by six runs. MORE: Top ALCS photos | Spector’s key moments of Game 3 | Tulo tossed in eighth The Royals made the game close with four runs in the ninth, but they were unable to climb out of the hole Cueto dug. Here are our five takeaways from Game 3:...

Lisa Torraco, the attorney for assistant director for David Halls, spoke for her client during a Thursday appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. “Dave has told me since the very first day I met him that Alec did not pull that trigger,” Torraco told reporter Kaylee Hartung. Torraco said that Halls told her the actor’s finger wasn’t even on the trigger when the shooting occurred. She said, “Baldwin had his finger outside the trigger guard, parallel to the barrel, and that he [Halls] told me since day one he thought it was a misfire....

“Here was Trump, who instructed people to commit acts of violence, and he was pointing the finger at me and saying I was responsible for the death,” Baldwin said in the interview with CNN. The actor added, referring to the supporters of the former president who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, “1000% percent I’m nervous that a bunch of people who were instructed by the former president to go to the Capitol and they killed a law enforcement officer, they killed somebody....

On the back of using the Nigeria international alongside midfielder Jack Wilshere, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Hector Bellerin against Newcastle on Saturday, the gaffer utilised Joe Willock and substitutes Reiss Nelson, Ben Sheaf and Josh Dasilva in their League Cup win over West Ham United three days later. And Wenger believes that it is their belief in young talents that stand them apart from other big teams. “On Saturday [against Newcastle], we played with four players who have been educated here: Iwobi, Wilshere, Maitland-Niles and Bellerin,” Wenger told club website....