It is remarkable that, in a list already so outsized, there can be a hot-button topic. It is hard enough to fill that quota with meaningful candidates without leaving out any, as Caf have done in excluding Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez. The Leicester forward is the incumbent holder of the award, and while there can be no one crusading for him retain the prize, such a drop-off is certainly unprecedented. Having ridden on the back of Leicester’s dizzying Premier League feat in 2016, it is apt, and perhaps a little cruel, that their reversion to the mean has seen him drop out of the reckoning....

The department said Monday residents in the Red Hill neighborhood, consisting of an elementary school and 135 homes, can use their tap water. However, eighteen other neighborhoods are still under an advisory that their water is not considered safe to drink, the Associated Press reported. Roughly 4,000 military families have been displaced from their homes and living in hotels since early December, the AP added. Ultimately, nearly 6,000 people were treated for symptoms like nausea, vomiting, headaches and rashes attributed to drinking tap water in the weeks after the leak....

From the moment the so-called California Civil Rights Initiative was drafted, the smart money went with the ballot question that would prohibit the state from favoring members of one sex or racial group over another. And even though, on the eve of balloting, the polls said the smart money was right, they also said that Californians were far more divided than previously thought. During the period leading up to the vote–particularly during the past few weeks–Californians pondered the post-affirmative-action world and many concluded they were in no rush to bring it about....

When Kitty Smith was 80-years-old she used her life savings to buy a house where she could spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Although the place needed work, the backyard included a beautiful pool that she dreamed of sharing with the family. “They were here, swimming and playing. I can’t tell you how great that was. This has just been my dream my whole life,” Smith told 13News about her time spent in the backyard with family over the summer....

Biden’s transition team issued a statement just days after he was named president-elect in November which reiterated he “opposes the death penalty now and in the future.” But Biden never stated if there would be immediate action to halt federal executions once he took office, even as his predecessor carried out a record number during his final weeks in office. Former President Donald Trump’s administration resumed capital punishment on the federal level in 2020 for the first time in 17 years and ultimately oversaw more executions than any president in more than 120 years....

What the NCAA stated: agents who wished to be certified by the organization for involvement with those college athletes exploring their NBA draft prospects but not forfeiting eligibility would need to meet a series of requirements, including a college degree. The existence of this memo initially was reported last Tuesday by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. James decided the degree requirement was aimed at his agent, Rich Paul, and James’ reach turned this into a major topic....

Tigray is contending with the worst hunger crisis the world has seen in a decade. The United States said that up to 900,000 people from the region endure famine conditions. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the bridge’s destruction, but the loss disrupted a leading supply line between Amhara-occupied western Tigray and the rest of the region. Aid groups have been investigating whether other key bridges have been destroyed, while the Ethiopian government has restricted aircraft from flying in the Tigray airspace below 29,000 feet, a U....

The new finding was largely an accident. Human infants often test positive after ingesting vaginal secretions during delivery. Researchers suspected that the newborns lacked the stomach acid to kill the virus. But when they placed SIV (the simian AIDS virus) in the mouths of adult monkeys, the animals were easily infected. And the dose required to infect them orally – though far higher than what you’d find in saliva – was 6,000 times lower than the dose required for rectal infection....

While acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is another type of immune system malfunction, in this case, a person’s immune system is weakened or ineffective. What Is AIDS? Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that causes a person’s body to attack the cells they need to fight off infection, making them more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. While there is currently no cure for HIV, there are a variety of treatments that can significantly extend and improve the quality of life for people living with the virus....

Asthma symptoms include wheezing, coughing, excess mucus, and chest tightness. These symptoms, as well as asthma attacks (when symptoms worsen), can be triggered by allergens (normally harmless substances that trigger an allergic reaction) and other irritants. It’s no wonder that air purifiers can be so enticing. These devices purportedly remove indoor pollutants like dust, allergens, bacteria, and mold from the air and replace them with clean air. Understandably, many people with asthma wonder if putting an air purifier in their home can help ease their symptoms....

Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, are experiencing dangerous air quality levels, but the areas closest to fires, such as Salem, Eugene, the Rogue Valley, and Roseburg in Oregon, and Woodland in Washington, are the worst impacted by the smoke. Portland, Oregon Air Quality The air quality in and around Portland ranges from very unhealthy to hazardous, and though the air quality is forecast to improve today, it will remain at unhealthy levels....

“I have always said I have a verbal lifetime contract with JTG Daugherty Racing, but I want to announce today that I have officially signed a contract for a five year deal,” Allmendinger said in a press conference Saturday at Kansas Speedway before the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. MORE: Kansas weather update | Starting lineup | Odds | Drivers to watch The extension comes on the heels of the team’s new sponsor agreement with The Kroger Company for multiple years starting with 17 races this season and 24 in 2016....

After football legend Fran Tarkenton ripped McCarron for criticizing Saban and the program, McCarron responded, going on Tuscaloosa Tide 99.1 FM, claiming that his comments were taken out of context. MORE: Heisman watch | Best of Week 6 | Worst of Week 6 It’s interesting that he blames the media for taking his comments out of context when he readily admits that he mis-worded what he meant. Maybe it was taken out of context because McCarron didn’t say what he meant....

The explosion killed five soldiers and left five civilians injured, Ali Abdi Wardhere, Mogadishu’s deputy mayor, told reporters. He also said that his own convoy had been driving nearby but was unharmed and that investigation into the incident is underway. Abdikadir Abdirahman, director of Aamin Ambulance service, told Reuters, “A car bomb targeted a convoy, including bullet proof cars, using Avisione Street. We do not (know) who owns the convoy....

Several College Football Playoff contenders have intrigue heading into spring practices, including three teams from the 2017 Playoff field. March is a long way from the regular season, and there’s only so much you can glean from spring games across the FBS, but it’s still going to generate excitement. MORE: 18 early predictions for 2018 Just remember, September will be here before you know it. In the meantime, here are 10 spring games we’ll be locked in on....

The schedule? Alabama added a home-and-home series with Texas in 2022-23 and a home-and-home with Notre Dame in 2028-29, both of which loom larger than neutral site games against Louisville (2018), Duke (2019), USC (2020) and Miami (2021). MORE: 5 future predictions for Bama-ND All that has continued while talk of last year’s national championship has persisted into the summer months. UCF claimed its own 2017 national championship, and Nebraska coach Scott Frost took a swipe at Alabama’s clamed national titles this week....

Ten NFL teams have been using these sensor mouthguards for a few years, but Jennifer Langton, the NFL’s senior vice president of health and safety innovation, said that the league also wanted to collaborate with research schools with strong football programs. Experts believe that collecting data on blows to the head via a mouthguard offers a newer perspective compared to equipment like helmet sensors, which have been in use for many years....

“This is a special opportunity for me to come back to the University of Alabama,” Pruitt said in a statement. “Growing up in the state and having played and coached here, I have a great appreciation for Alabama football. Coach Saban’s success speaks for itself and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the chance he gave me to join his staff back in 2007. We are excited to get back to Tuscaloosa and be a part of one of the outstanding programs in college athletics....