On paper, coach Bill Belichick is fielding his most impressive squad since the 2007 Patriots that went 18-0 before they were upset by the Giants in Super Bowl 42. The biggest thing that could keep New England from going on a similar tear is a brutal schedule in the second half of the season that features five of six games away from home and includes quality opponents in Denver, Oakland, Miami and Pittsburgh....
There are, however, interesting developments behind New England in the division’s perpetual effort to close the gap. Per usual, they start with quarterbacks. Based on SN’s picks for the entire 2018 NFL season, here are our predictions for the AFC East. MORE 2018 PICKS: AFC: East | West | North | South NFC: East | West | North | South AFC East: 2018 predictions New England Patriots There’s no reason to believe an offseason that produced an uncharacteristic amount of negative headlines will derail the Patriots’ dynasty train....
The duo have reportedly signed a three year contract each with the thirteen times champions, who are aiming to restructure. Mathare United CEO Jacktone Obure says the two must be cleared by the club first and that the club is not aware of their departure. Mathare United confirm the capture of Opiyo “Yes, their contracts have expired but that does not mean that they will leave the way they want....
It was a battle of AFC vs. NFC as host Steve Harvey hit the players with a tough question on the first board: “If you’re good at reading body language, what part of a woman speaks the loudest?” 49ers tight end Vernon Davis had an interesting response. MORE: Athletes on reality TV shows | Gronkowski to appear on “Family Feud” | Eddie Jackson goes from NFL to Food Network...
As the Supreme Court prepares to review the constitutionality of affirmative-action programs, President Bush has been championing programs such as Texas’s, which passed when he was governor. But at some of the state’s best schools, the policy has been attacked with the same words–“unfair” and “divisive”–that Bush uses to describe affirmative action. “If I had gone anywhere else, I probably would be in the top 10 percent,” Fogiel says. While Texas’s program prohibits using race as a factor, Texas’s many segregated high schools mean the result is much the same....
He had managed to escape Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, just days before the U.S.-led evacuation is set to end on August 31. Mustafa, who asked to only be identified by his first name, told Newsweek of the hellish struggle to enter Kabul’s airport as thousands of Afghans mobbed it in their desperate bid to flee. He also told of his anger at the chaotic nature of the evacuation, the harsh conditions his family endured on their journey and his fears for the relatives and friends left behind....
With just under 7,000 Afghan refugees currently in the United States, and more set to enter, the federal government has continued to expand the number of bases that will house these individuals. Right now, the Fort Pickett and Fort Lee bases in Virginia, Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, Fort Bliss in Texas, Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey are all prepared to take in refugees....
The plan, called the Sponsor Circle Program, will allow groups of at least five individuals to apply to become sponsors and help secure Afghans with housing, basic necessities, and assistance with benefits programs and community orientation, the State Department said. The program marks a major shift in U.S. refugee policy and will serve as an addition to typical resettlement processes overseen by national agencies that work with the federal government and United Nations....
Additionally, an Afghan official said that at least 60 Afghans were killed in Thursday’s attack, while 143 were injured, the Associated Press reported. McKenzie warned during the briefing that there is still a “real” and “imminent” threat from ISIS-K that could include entail rockets, gunfire and suicide attacks. “We believe it is their desire to continue those attacks and we expect those attacks to continue,” he said. McKenzie said that the U....
The refugees, as mentioned in a November 5 report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SLPC) and Freedom for Immigrants, claim that ICE officers and private prison guards at detainment facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi physically forced their fingerprints as signatures upon documents that they didn’t understand. They further allege that guards and officers used threats of prolonged detainment or abuse and housed them alongside federal prisoners. “All of the complainants are seeking asylum in the U....
The following week, though, was made to order and was enough to bring the fans’ heart rates back down. It was a bye week. So far, it’s the most timely bye week for any NFL team this season — because it likely saved the Eagles’ most indispensable offensive player from missing any time. Sproles’ sprained left MCL looked much worse at the time it happened. He practiced all week, albeit on a limited basis, and the 5-1 Eagles are planning to play him Sunday against a tough opponent, at NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals....
Cooper on Saturday joined dozens of voices on Capitol Hill including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who demanded the head of the United States Postal Service respond to recent claims the USPS is meddling in the upcoming election process. The postmaster is now set to appear before the “urgent” House Oversight panel on August 24. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold on Monday also threatened legal action against DeJoy, issuing a statement accusing the postal service and president of potentially colluding to “suppress voters....
NEWSWEEK: What was your initial reaction to the Duke charges? BERKOWITZ: This case was very frustrating. When a high-profile case like this starts, our hope is that the accuser is telling the truth, but the Duke case really set back the work we’ve been doing to educate the public and to change the way juries react to rape victims. I think [the accuser] did a great disservice to victims....
His brother, Mickey, lost a battle with cancer just as training camp opened. The Panthers then saw receivers Kelvin Benjamin and Stephen Hill and defensive end Frank Alexander go down during training camp with season-ending injuries. MORE: Super Bowl rings through the years | Josh Norman isn’t who you think he is But Rivera kept his team together and was named the NFL’s Coach of the Year on Saturday after leading the Panthers to an NFL-best 15-1 record and an NFC championship....
On Sunday, Beijing reported a total of 36 new local cases of the novel coronavirus, in addition to seven other cases reported since Thursday. This brings the city’s total of new cases to 43 after nearly two months without any reported infections. Overall, China reported 57 new infections on Sunday, the highest number since mid-April. The majority of China’s new cases can be traced back to Beijiing’s biggest wholesale food market, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported....
In Eastern and Central Europe, where countries from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea are facing a recalcitrant Russia, corruption softens politicians’ stance towards Moscow, unravels the social fabric and causes voters to opt for political extremes. It opens politicians to involvement with shady organized crime syndicates and to blackmail by Russian intelligence services. Transparency International, an anti-corruption watchdog, identified Albania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine as leading sites for corruption along Russia’s western periphery—each in its own way....
Signaling his thanks, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey—who calls his platform one that stands for “free expression” and “empowering dialogue”—tweeted out a heart emoji when Parler no longer showed up on Apple’s list of popular apps. The rationale given by all these Big Tech behemoths is that Parler doesn’t do enough to moderate the violent threats its users make on its platform. This is rich, coming from companies that host and circulate Facebook and Twitter, where violent threats proliferate on a daily basis....
“This is good news for our state, our businesses and our working families,” Whitmer said at a press conference. “We’re not out of the woods yet, but this is an important step forward on our MI Safe Start plan to re-engage our economy safely and responsibly.” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief deputy director for health at the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, said current data supports the governor’s decision to lift certain restrictions....
“The only reason we have the freedom of action to neutralize this bad actor,” said MSNBC contributor Noah Rothman of Commentary Magazine on January 3 via Twitter, “is because fracking made us functionally energy independent and able to stabilize global oil shocks.” “If you took out Iranian oil installations, I don’t think it would have that big an impact on us in America,” agreed Stuart Varney of Fox Business on a January 3 edition of Fox and Friends....
The 2.2 percent drop means 2.9 million fewer deaths from the disease, with the overall death rate dropping by 29 percent. The ACS noted, however, that death rates for some forms of cancer—such as breast and prostate cancer—are improving at a slower rate than in the past. “Every year that we see a decline in cancer mortality rate, it’s very good news,” said Rebecca Siegel, director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author the report to The New York Times....
