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“Wanted Death Penalty”: Mamata Banerjee On RG Kar Case Verdict

“Wanted Death Penalty”: Mamata Banerjee On RG Kar Case Verdict



Kolkata:

Sanjay Roy, convicted of raping and murdering an on-duty doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has been sentenced to life in jail. During the pronouncement of the sentence at a local court in Kolkata this afternoon, Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, said he has “not committed” the crime and is “being framed”.

The CBI, which was probing the case, said it comes under the “rarest of rare” category and the maximum punishment, which is the death penalty, should be awarded to Roy to “maintain people’s faith in society”.

Anirban Das, the Additional district and sessions judge of the Sealdah court, however, said the case did not fall under the rarest of rare category and sentenced him to life in jail. The court also fined him Rs 50,000 and directed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government to pay compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the victim’s family.

The semi-naked body of the 31-year-old doctor was found on the third floor of the seminar hall of the state-run hospital on August 9 last year. Roy was arrested the next day.

He was found guilty under Sections 64 (rape), 66 (punishment for causing death), and 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) last Saturday.

Here Are Updates On RG Kar Rape-Murder Convict Sanjay Roy’s Sentencing:



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Commanders Vs. Lions (Playoff Game Two) – Studs and Duds

Commanders Vs. Lions (Playoff Game Two) – Studs and Duds


What a win Saturday night on the road in a hostile environment against the NFC’s number one seed!

Washington came to play, and although not everything was perfect (the defense allowed a whopping 201 rushing yards and three touchdowns), Joe Whitt’s unit had five turnovers and the offense put 39 points on the board to come away with a convincing 45-31 win to advance to the NFC Championship game at Philly against the Eagles next Sunday.

The magical season continues…

Below are my Studs and Duds of the game, followed by some Notes.

Studs:

Jayden Daniels – Daniels was absolutely incredible, passing for 299 yards and two touchdowns while adding 51 yards on the ground. Most importantly, he took care of the football all game. In a hostile environment, he remained cool, calm and collected and never let the moment get too big for him. He is a special talent who is having a special season!

Terry McLaurin – As he’s done all year, Terry stepped up big and made some HUGE plays for the offense. He had a beautiful catch and run on a quick screen where he took it to the house from 58 yards out.

Brian Robinson – Robinson has had a really rough past five weeks, however he stepped his game up against Detroit, rushing for 77 yards on 15 carries and scored twice. He displayed good vision and burst on the evening and looked like the Brian Robinson of old.

Dyami Brown – Brown led all Washington receivers with six receptions for 98 yards. He’s really stepped up over the last four weeks, including both playoff games, and is beginning to look like a legit NFL receiver.

Mike Sainristil – Sainristil is becoming a frequent member of the Studs list – and for good reason. The rookie had another excellent game defensively recording five tackles and two HUGE interceptions, one of which happened in the endzone against Jameson Williams right before halftime.

Jeremy Chinn – Chinn led the Commanders in total tackles with 12 and recorded a game-ending interception off Goff. He’s been very good down the stretch and may have played his way to a new contract in D.C.

Quan Martin – Martin has quietly put together a very nice season. He had a big interception that he returned for a touchdown. That play set the tone for Washington’s defense.

Dorance Armstrong – Armstrong made an impact for the Washington defense all evening, recording three tackles, two of which were sacks (one a strip sack which Frankie Luvu recovered) and two pressures.

Brandon Coleman – The rookie has had a pretty rough season at left tackle, but he looked the part and played the part against the Lions, showing well in both pass protection and run blocking. It was one of his best games of the season.

Duds:

There will be no DUDS names in this playoff edition of Studs and Duds.

Notes:

  • Frankie Luvu was making splash plays all game, including a fumble recovery and a big hit on Goff during Martin’s interception return.
  • Zach Ertz continues to show his value for the rookie Daniels in this offense. He had five receptions for 28 yards and a score.
  • Austin Ekeler played a big part in the game as both a runner and receiver. He averaged 7,8 YPC on six attempts and caught four passes for 41 yards.
  • Dante Fowler recorded a nice TFL, a QB hit and two pressures in the game.
  • Again, Daron Payne recorded no meaningful stats.
  • Unlike his counterpart, Jon Allen was getting pressure on Goff and caused some hurried throws.
  • I was surprised to see Trent Scott play well when he came in for the injured Sam Cosmi at right guard.
  • Marshon Lattimore had a pretty nice game against Detroit’s receivers and looked like he’s not reeling anymore from the hamstring issue.
  • Bobby Wagner is the leader of this defense but make no mistake about it – he’s a liability in coverage.
  • Tress Way punted just once in the game and landed the 48 yarder inside the 20.
  • Prayers for a speedy recovery to Sam Cosmi who suffered a torn ACL.



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U.K. teenager pleads guilty to murdering three young girls at Taylor Swift themed dance party

U.K. teenager pleads guilty to murdering three young girls at Taylor Swift themed dance party


A British teenager on Monday unexpectedly pleaded guilty to charges of murdering three young girls in a knife attack in northern England in July, a crime that horrified the nation and was followed by days of nationwide rioting.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, changed his pleas from not guilty to guilty on what was due to be the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to the murder of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, who were at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event being held for children in the summer vacation in the town of Southport last July.

Rudakubana also pleaded guilty to 10 charges of attempted murder relating to the attack, as well as to producing the deadly poison ricin and the possession of an Al Qaeda training manual.

Judge Julian Goose said he would sentence Rudakubana on Thursday and that a life jail term was inevitable. Goose noted that the victims’ families were not present to see Rudakubana plead guilty as the prosecution opening was not expected until Tuesday.

Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of the incident, initially refused to speak when asked to confirm his name, as he had at all previous hearings which meant that not guilty pleas had been entered on his behalf in December.

But, after consulting with his lawyer, he confirmed he wished to change those pleas.

British-born Rudakubana was arrested shortly after the attack in the quiet seaside town north of the city of Liverpool.

Despite the discovery of the Al Qaeda manual, police have said the incident was not being treated as terrorism-related.

In the wake of the murders, large disturbances broke out in Southport after false reports spread on social media that the suspected killer was a radical Islamist migrant.

Those disturbances spread across Britain with attacks on mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer blaming the riots on far-right thuggery. More than 1,500 people were arrested.



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Hamas gave the three hostages ‘gift bags’ upon their release. This is what was inside

Hamas gave the three hostages ‘gift bags’ upon their release. This is what was inside




CNN
 — 

When Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, released its propaganda video of three Israeli hostages being released Sunday night, there was a striking detail.

As Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari got into a Red Cross SUV in Gaza City, a Hamas militant handed each of them a paper bag with the Qassam Brigades’ logo on it – a “gift bag,” of sorts.

The masked militant then held up a certificate that, in Hebrew and Arabic, read “release decision.”

Each of the three women was carrying the bag in footage released later Sunday by the Israel Defense Forces – albeit this time with the Qassam’ Brigades logo blurred.

The three women formerly held hostage by Hamas are transferred from the Red Cross to the Israeli military in Gaza on January 19. This image was blurred at source.

A representative of Gonen’s family told CNN on Monday that the bag she received held the certificate, a necklace and photos – and said that Israel’s Internal Security Agency (the Shin Bet) had confiscated the materials.

They would not go into detail about the photo, but Israeli media reports that the photos depicted the women’s time in captivity.

During the handover, a Red Cross representative was asked to sign an Arabic-language document. “Acknowledgment of Receipt of Israeli Prisoners,” the document read. “I, the representative of the International Red Cross, acknowledge that I have received from the Izz Eddin al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, a total of three prisoners, who are…” and then the names of the hostages.

A militant presents a
The Red Cross staff member signs a Hamas document as they take custody of three Israeli women formerly held hostage.

After 471 days in forced captivity, the idea that a hostage would receive a gift bag is undoubtedly bizarre.

At its core is an attempt by Hamas to present itself as an undefeated, serious governing body. Fifteen months after staging its audacious, devastating attack on Israel in October 2023, Hamas knew this would be a big moment for the militant group.

The message was clear, to Israelis, to Gazans, and to those watching around the world: We are a legitimate governing body, still in charge, who have serious and legal protocols – even if they pertain to Israeli civilians taken by force from their homes.

It was on display, too, in Gaza City’s Al Saraya Junction. A row of Qassam militants lined the street – a message to the Israeli public, whose government has pledged to destroy the group.

The gathering of a few dozen militants in Gaza City is hardly proof of a serious military threat.

But the images will fuel both the extremist right-wing in Israel, who believe the ceasefire is a capitulation, and those who favor dialogue, who will argue that if 15 months of unrelenting war failed to dislodge Hamas, further bloodshed is folly.

Militants from Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, escort a Red Cross vehicle to collect Israeli hostages in Gaza City on Sunday.

Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, admitted on Sunday that Israel “hadn’t met the objective” of dismantling Hamas’ military and government. “We had an advancement,” he said.

The Israeli military and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families, declined to comment on the video.

Meanwhile, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, warned that Israel was far from meeting its goal.

“We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war,” Blinken said recently.

Abeer Salman and Mostafa Salem contributed to this report.



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Giant Glacial Features Unearthed Under the North Sea Rewrite Ice Age History

Giant Glacial Features Unearthed Under the North Sea Rewrite Ice Age History


Beneath the muddy depths of the North Sea, scientists have uncovered an ancient, frozen world shaped by a massive Ice Age glacier that swept across the region around 1 million years ago. Using advanced soundwave imaging, researchers revealed intricate landforms preserved under nearly a kilometer of sediment. These features shed light on how a colossal ice sheet once moved across the landscape, offering valuable insights into Earth’s glacial history and climate transitions. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, highlight a pivotal period in Earth’s climatic evolution, providing new clues about a mysterious shift in glacial cycles.

Evidence of a Single Colossal Ice Sheet

For years, scientists believed the North Sea was shaped by multiple smaller ice sheets advancing and retreating over time. However, this new study challenges that assumption. High-resolution imaging of the seabed revealed patterns that are consistent with a single, enormous ice sheet, rather than repeated glacial activity. Christine Batchelor, a senior lecturer in physical geography at Newcastle University, explained the significance of this discovery: “We only see conclusive evidence for one big ice advance during that time period.”

The study’s imaging techniques captured both streamlined, elongated landforms, which indicate the direction of ice flow during its advance, and transverse features, which mark where the ice retreated. “When the ice is advancing, it produces streamlined, elongated features that are sculpting the sediment in the direction of ice flow,” Batchelor said. “When the ice is retreating, you get features that show the imprint of that grounded ice margin as it steps back, so those tend to be transverse to the ice flow direction.” These distinctive patterns offer an unprecedented glimpse into the behavior of ancient glaciers, revealing how they shaped the North Sea’s hidden landscape.

A Window Into a Climate Shift

This massive glacier existed during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), a critical period between 1.3 million and 700,000 years ago. During this time, Earth’s glacial cycles underwent a dramatic shift, transitioning from shorter 40,000-year cycles to longer and more intense 100,000-year cycles. Understanding the extent and behavior of the North Sea ice sheet during this period is crucial for decoding the causes of this climatic transformation.

“The main reason that we’re interested in this broad time period around 1 million years ago is because it’s a time when we have a shift in climate going on,” Batchelor explained. “The glacial periods get longer, and they get more intense, so there’s quite a lot of work that is focused on trying to figure out why that shift happened.” The newly uncovered landforms provide vital data for reconstructing the conditions that led to this profound change in Earth’s climate.

The Landforms Indicate That A Single Ice SheetThe Landforms Indicate That A Single Ice Sheet
The landforms indicate that a single ice sheet covered Norway and extended towards the British Isles around 1 million years ago. (Image credit Supplied by Christine Batchelor (Data owner TGS))

How the Ice Shaped the Land

The glacier’s movements carved and molded the North Sea’s seabed, leaving behind striking features that tell the story of its advance and retreat. One particularly fascinating discovery is a series of crevasse-squeeze ridges, which form when an ice sheet settles into soft sediment before retreating. These ridges are created as the ice pushes sediment into cracks at its base, leaving an imprint that is preserved when the ice lifts away.

“Being able to understand and to model exactly where those ice sheets were helps us to understand those feedbacks which are still going on, albeit in a different form, today,” Batchelor said. By studying these formations, researchers can refine models of glacial dynamics and their interaction with climate systems, offering insights into both ancient and modern ice sheets, including those in Greenland and Antarctica.

Implications for Today’s Climate

The discovery of these Ice Age landforms is not just a window into the past—it has significant implications for understanding the future. The way glaciers advanced and retreated in response to climate changes during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition can help scientists predict how modern ice sheets might respond to ongoing global warming. Batchelor emphasized that studying these ancient features allows researchers to better understand feedback mechanisms that are still at play in today’s climate, albeit under different conditions.

As ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica face accelerated melting due to rising temperatures, insights from the North Sea’s buried landscape could be key to predicting sea-level rise and other impacts of climate change.

A Buried Treasure of Earth’s History

The intricate landforms beneath the North Sea have remained hidden for over a million years, preserved under nearly a kilometer of sediment. Their discovery represents a treasure trove of geological and climatic history, offering a rare glimpse into the Earth’s glacial past. These features not only tell the story of a colossal glacier that once shaped the region but also provide a tangible link to a critical period when the planet’s climate underwent a dramatic transformation.

Using cutting-edge soundwave imaging, researchers have brought these long-buried landscapes to light, revealing the dynamic processes that occur when massive ice sheets advance, retreat, and interact with their environments. Each ridge, groove, and crevasse imprint captured in the data serves as a clue to the ice sheet’s behavior and its response to shifting climatic conditions.

Beyond their scientific significance, these discoveries emphasize the importance of preserving and studying such hidden landscapes. They remind us of the incredible forces that have shaped the Earth over millennia and the lessons they hold for understanding the future. As researchers delve deeper into the data, they aim to uncover not only how these landforms were created but also how the insights gained can be applied to modern-day challenges like rising sea levels and the melting of polar ice caps.

Got a reaction? Share your thoughts in the comments

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Trump to issue 10 executive orders on immigration upon taking office

Trump to issue 10 executive orders on immigration upon taking office


President-elect Donald Trump plans to issue 10 executive orders related to immigration on Monday, including declaring a national emergency at the border, an incoming White House official said.

The executive orders will follow Trump’s promises on the campaign trail to issue mass deportations immediately after taking office.

Declaring a national emergency will allow the Department of Defense to deploy the military and the national guard to the border. Officials declined to elaborate on how many troops would be sent or the parameters of their actions, saying that it would be up to the Department of Defense to make those determinations.

The Trump administration also said it would end birthright citizenship, the right of children born in the U.S. to claim citizenship regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

The official said Trump intends to end the practice referred to as “catch and release.” Trump vowed in his first term to end the practice, but migrants were still released after crossing the border because of limits in ICE detention space.

The Trump administration will also reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy, which allowed Trump in his first term to keep migrants of all nationalities from crossing into the United States from Mexico until they had an appointment for asylum. The official did not detail whether that country had agreed to any terms on it.

The official also said they would continue building the border wall and suspend refugee resettlement for at least four months. 

The administration also intends to target drug cartels and what it called migrant gangs, referring specifically to MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. They intend to designate them as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, according to the official, which would make it illegal to anyone to provide aid or collaborate with the groups.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.



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OnePlus Goes Back To Define The Future

OnePlus Goes Back To Define The Future


OnePlus started, and arguably defined, the idea of the flagship-killer smartphone. The idea that you could get very close to the form and function of top-of-the-line smartphones but with a notable discount has become more prevalent as pricing becomes more variable and the gap between mid-range and high-end functionality lessens.

Yet the OnePlus 13R is a quintessential flagship killer from the mother of the genre. Its price ($599 for the 12 GB RAM / 256 GB Storage) is in that curious no-mans-land between the iPhone SE and Pixel 8a smartphones of the world. The specs are going to deliver more than enough power and performance for the average user, and it looks the part with a cutting-edge design

It also has some subtle downgrades and choices to reach that target price.

OnePlus 13R Specs

The OnePlus 13R design is a striking mix of utilitarian flat surfaces. The corners are curved to help grip, but the flat screen with minimal bezels helps the screen stand out and gives the phone a sense of purpose. That might not be enough to let you recognise the 13R from a distance, but one element does… the three-way alert slider that gives you a choice of silent/vibrate/on, which can all be done by touch.

Just a few moments with the OnePlus 13R and it felt like a OnePlus. That intangible moment takes years to create across multiple phones, and it’s easily lost.

The display is the key part of the package and lifts the feel of the handset. It eschews the recent trend for curved screens by going for a completely flat look—and I’m perfectly happy with that choice. It also has a variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, and OnePlus’ Aqua Touch allows for touch operations in the wet, and a glove mode enables the phone to pick up inputs as long as the glove’s material is not too deep.

Like previous R models, the chipset is the prior year’s premium choice. So, the OnePlus 13R comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The demands on a smartphone—perhaps excepting on-device generative AI—have not changed significantly over the last year, so last year’s powerhouse still delivers.

If you want more powerful options, then you should look at the OnePlus 13, which offers the latest technology.

OnePlus Battery Life

Just as the OnePlus 13 delivered a class-leading battery that would comfortably exceed two days of regular use, so does the OnePlus 13R, which offers a similarly impressive number in the £700 range. Battery life is a touch longer than last year’s OnePlus 12R, and you will get a comfortable day of use out of the handset. Two days of general use is too much for the device, so I can see this as a regular ‘charge every night’ device.

The larger battery, coupled with just 80W in the fast charger, means the empty to 100 percent time is longer than most, with 45 minutes being the best I saw. This is if you use the SuperVOOC wired charger, which is an additional purchase—OnePlus does not ship the phone with a charger, just the signature red USB-C cable.

Unfortunately, the 13R does not support wireless charging. Given the svelte construction and the larger battery, there may not be the internal volume to accommodate everything. For a long time, OnePlus put off adding wireless charging, noting that with a fast-charging battery, the need for wireless charging diminished. I guess the internal prioirty of faster wired over wireless is still in effect.

OnePlus 13R Camera

I think that OnePlus has over-extended what it can deliver with the camera. I’d argue that the three-lens arrangement has one lens too many.

The primary lens is the only lens with optical and electronic stabilization to help capture crisp and clear shots. That’s a massive help in low-light environments, so you’ll lean into the default lens for most of your work.

Thankfully, the macro lens found on the OnePlus 12R has been replaced with an x2 telephoto camera. It’s not a tremendous amount of magnification, but it’s more welcome and valuable than a lens for super close-up work.

While the primary and telephoto lenses have 50-megapixel sensors, the wide-angle lens comes in at just 8 megapixels. The lack of physical pixels means there is a lot more post-processing going on here, and once you start to edit your own, the lack of original detail becomes apparent.

Given how close the primary and telephoto lens quality is, I wonder if dropping the third lens and investing the savings into what would be a two-lens system would have been a better choice. Smartphone design is about making choices, which is a rather fundamental choice at the heart of the system.

OnePlus 13R OS And AI

The OnePlus 13R uses OxygenOS 15, which is OnePlus’ flavor of Android 15. With four years of software support and six years of security updates, the 13R offers a solid window of support for the price. OxygenOS remains a clean implementation of Android with little added by OnePlus to Google’s standard package.

It’s also functionally identical to the software running on the OnePlus 13. You get the latest Gemini AI tools from Google, alongside OnePlus’s own AI software; its generative editing tools are most noticeable when working with your photos.

OnePlus 13R Final Thoughts

The OnePlus 13R has some clear weak spots. The camera doesn’t have the optical zoom or the accuracy of other handsets at a similar price, and the lack of wireless charging is disappointing.

Yet the OnePlus 13R is more than those choices. It’s a well-rounded device that is a cut above the mid-range smartphones that get a lot of attention. It’s closer in price to the iPhone 16 and the Galaxy S24 FE, while the specs are closer to their larger brethren. And the endurance you get from the battery is a huge selling point.

The OnePlus 13R isn’t really a mid-range smartphone. When mid-range customers look for something “a little bit more”, they don’t want to step up to an expensive premium device. They need something that’s close in specs, offers more potential than the average smartphone, and has a little bit of class around it.

There should be a name for that. Oh wait, there is.

The OnePlus 13R… the flagship killer.

Disclaimer: OnePlus supplied a OnePlus 13R for review purposes.



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The real reason Vanity Fair turned on Meghan and Harry REVEALED?

The real reason Vanity Fair turned on Meghan and Harry REVEALED?


Vanity Fair’s damning dissection of the Sussexes’ five years in America could have its roots in a row that allegedly began with Meghan’s 2017 cover story in which she officially announced to the world she was ‘in love’ with Harry. 

In a savage takedown published last week, headlined ‘American Hustle, contributing editor Anna Peele spoke to ‘dozens’ of sources connected to the duo who labelled the Sussexes as the ‘most entitled, disingenuous people on the planet’.

But why did the formerly pro-Sussex publication turn against Meghan and Harry? It seems the relationship soured when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex allegedly accused Vanity Fair of publishing a ‘racist headline’ on Meghan’s cover story in October 2017. 

It was unlikely Meghan would have made the front cover of the celebrity bible off the back of her role in Suits, but when the magazine landed a major coup by securing the first interview with Prince Harry‘s then girlfriend, it was naturally a sensation. 

However, according to Valentine Low’s book, Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, Meghan was unhappy that, despite being a positive piece, the focus of the story was her relationship with Harry. 

She also allegedly complained that the cover line was racist, and the couple reportedly tried to have the headline on the digital edition changed. 

Perhaps this cooling of relations between Meghan and the publication laid the seeds for the latest bombshell article, which claimed that some people who worked with Meghan ended up needing therapy and that she allegedly didn’t come up with the idea for her Spotify podcast, Archetypes.

The piece also stated that the Duchess of Sussex could be ‘really, really awful’ when things did not go her way.

Over the past couple of days, many allegations about Harry and Meghan have come to light after Vanity Fair published a damning profile on the couple (pictured in August 2024)

Over the past couple of days, many allegations about Harry and Meghan have come to light after Vanity Fair published a damning profile on the couple (pictured in August 2024)

According to The Times, the couple have dismissed the allegations with sources close to the Sussexes describing them as ‘distressing’.

Meghan’s first foray with Vanity Fair began in the summer of 2017 when Meghan wanted a new PR team to help her in the U.S. 

She hired PR adviser Keleigh Thomas Morgan from New-York based agency Sunshine Sachs, whose clients have included Hollywood stars Salma Hayek, Jane Fonda and Natalie Portman.

The New York-based agency had been advising Meghan since her days as an actress on legal drama Suits, before she ditched them in 2022.

Meghan agreed to do an issue with Vanity Fair in autumn, which Kensington Palace signed off on but said that Keleigh could sort out the negotiations.

A close-up glamorous feature of the Suits actress appeared on the cover of the magazine, featuring her luscious locks and clear, freckled skin, accompanied by the headline that proclaimed ‘She’s Just Wild About Harry’.

The story quoted Meghan speaking openly about her romance with the Prince, saying: ‘We’re in love. This [time] is for us. 

‘It’s part of what makes it so special, that it’s just ours. But we’re happy. Personally, I love a great love story.’ 

It seems the relationship soured between the pair when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex allegedly accused Vanity Fair of publishing a 'racist headline' on her cover story in October 2017

It seems the relationship soured between the pair when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex allegedly accused Vanity Fair of publishing a ‘racist headline’ on her cover story in October 2017

The pair accused the magazine cover of racism because of a 1939 blackface song by Micky Rooney and Judy Garland called 'I'm Just Wild About Harry'

 The pair accused the magazine cover of racism because of a 1939 blackface song by Micky Rooney and Judy Garland called ‘I’m Just Wild About Harry’ 

Meghan hired PR adviser Keleigh Thomas Morgan and the pair allegedly had a rocky relationship in 2017

Meghan hired PR adviser Keleigh Thomas Morgan and the pair allegedly had a rocky relationship in 2017

But Duchess of Sussex was reportedly ‘unhappy’ with Keleigh and disliked the cover story, according to royal author Valentine Low.

A source was quoted as saying: ‘She was very unhappy with how that had been handled. And she was looking to throw blame in every possible direction, despite it having been a positive piece.

‘She did not like the photographs. She thought the story was negative. She was upset that it was about Harry, not about her.’

Harry and Meghan also allegedly thought the headline was racially motivated and pointed out the song, ‘I’m Just Wild About Harry’, had been performed by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney as a blackface number in the 1939 film Babes In Arms. 

‘They [Harry and Meghan] tried to get it changed online, because [they thought] it had been racially motivated,’ said the source. ‘[Meghan] was so angry with Keleigh, she wanted to fire her.’

And although things soon cooled off between Meghan and Keleigh, there was a time when her PR adviser was cold with the former Deal or No Deal briefcase model. 

Meghan was also described as acting ‘like a Mean Girls teenager’ in the article, which was released on Friday.

She would reportedly be ‘warm and effusive’ towards employees at the start before turning ‘cold and withholding toward the person she perceived to be responsible’ when something ‘went poorly, often due to Meghan and Harry’s own demands’.

A source who worked in media projects told the publication: ‘She’s constantly playing checkers- I’m not even going to say chess – but she’s just very aware of where everybody is on her board. 

‘And when you are not in, you are to be thrown to the wolves at any given moment,’ which they say meant ‘undermining’ behaviour, adding: ‘It’s talking behind your back. It’s gnawing at your sense of self. Really, like, Mean Girls teenager.

However, producer Jane Marie, who worked with the couple during the development of Archewell audio projects, insisted to Vanity Fair that Meghan is ‘just a lovely, genuine person’. 

Elsewhere, the profile details allegations from former employees of Meghan who reportedly felt mistreated during their time working with her.

These claims, which echo accusations from her time at Kensington Palace, paint a troubling picture of a woman whose behaviour allegedly left staff ‘having therapy’ and led to allegations of ‘bullying’ behind the scenes. These allegations were vehemently denied by representatives of Meghan and Harry at the time. 

Meghan was also described as acting 'like a Mean Girls teenager' in the article, which was released on Friday

Meghan was also described as acting ‘like a Mean Girls teenager’ in the article, which was released on Friday

Despite the allegations made in the profile, staff loyal to Meghan and Harry have previously defended the couple to US Weekly magazine, describing the Sussexes as ‘caring’ bosses who give employees their children’s old baby clothes, fresh flowers and ‘care packages’.

Josh Kettler, Harry’s chief of staff who left after just three months in August last year, insisted he was ‘warmly welcomed’ by the pair and describes them as ‘dedicated and hardworking’.  

Ben Browning, Archewell’s former head of content – who was responsible for their tell-all Netflix documentary but then left before the end of his contract- says his experience at the company and with Meghan and Harry in general ‘was positive and supportive’

Their PR chief, ‘global press secretary’ Ashley Hansen, who is leaving the company to start her own firm, says they treated her with ‘the kind of concern and care a parent would express if it were their own child’ when she took time off for surgery, adding that they also sent flowers and gifts.

These positive comments came off the back of a negative piece published in the Hollywood Reporter, in which Meghan was described as a ‘dictator in high heels’.

Tom Bower, the royal author and investigative journalist, described the recent revelations as ‘devastating’ for Meghan, especially given her recent attempts to reshape her public persona as a warm, loving mother and wife. 

‘Having strongly denied the accusations that she bullied her staff in Kensington Palace, the revival of her image of the Difficult Duchess is a disaster just on the eve of the launch of Netflix‘s ‘With Love, Meghan’. 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are pictured at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands in 2022

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are pictured at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands in 2022 

‘Having invested so much to re-brand herself as a loving, caring Californian mother and wife, the VF disclosures have poisoned the smiling image of the welcoming home-maker.   

Prince Harry, too, faces growing scrutiny, with experts noting his portrayal in the Vanity Fair piece as ‘lost, out of his depth, and naive.’ 

Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator, warned that the couple’s reputation in the US could be severely damaged. 

‘Harry is portrayed as lost, out of his depth and naïve. Neither, according to the article, appear to understand what a successful career in show business actually involves.’

According to Fitzwilliams, the couple’s attempts to project a caring, philanthropic image through efforts like helping victims of California’s wildfires are unlikely to gain traction in light of the ongoing allegations. 

‘The Sussexes are attempting to project a caring image by helping some of those affected by the cataclysmic wildfires currently ravaging California. They won’t get far after publicity is given to this. 

‘Her With Love, Meghan cookery series is, judging from the trailer, saccharine and silly. This was postponed and is now scheduled for a release on 4th March but unenthusiastic online reaction might make the streaming giant think twice and dump it and, when their contract runs out later in the year, preserve very little of it, if any. 

‘The Sussexes have made so many accusations against the royal family. They, especially Meghan, now have a lot to answer. Nobody likes bullies, especially entitled bullies!’

He continued: ‘It speaks volumes that the Sussexes were not available for interview. This is a probing, balanced article that has been researched with interviews from the Sussexes’s admirers and detractors.

‘It also makes the case that they are now way out of their depth in showbiz. Also they are far from being admired by their neighbours in Montecito. They left Britain to escape press scrutiny. 

‘Yet in the US, they want favourable press. The article concludes there is precious little to them, with Harry wanting to reconnect with his family. I fear whilst he is with Meghan, this is unlikely to occur.’ 



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With shades of Magic, Jayden Daniels steals spotlight on wild NFL weekend: Sando’s Pick Six

With shades of Magic, Jayden Daniels steals spotlight on wild NFL weekend: Sando’s Pick Six


Let us count the days since the NFL’s final four teams last tasted the championship round.

Kansas City Chiefs: 358

Philadelphia Eagles: 722

Buffalo Bills: 1,457

Washington Commanders: 12,062

It’s been a rough few decades for Washington, but with rookie sensation Jayden Daniels upstaging a star-studded field in the divisional round, the Commanders are back in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since January 1992. That’s a span of seven presidential administrations and so long ago that this twice-renamed franchise’s 65-year-old minority owner, Magic Johnson, was still a month away from his final All-Star Game performance when the 1991 Redskins got this far.

The Pick Six column proves why Daniels’ achievement stands apart from anything any rookie quarterback has accomplished in the Super Bowl era. There’s much more to sort through following a weekend that crushed the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens while setting up an intriguing championship round. The full menu:

• Jayden Daniels steals divisional show
• What Kingsbury can prove vs. Eagles
• Mahomes, the refs and Rodney Dangerfield
• Jackson, Allen and playoff legacies
• Lions’ Campbell might need new gear
• Two-minute drill: From North to Rams

1. Like Magic, Jayden Daniels has separated from other rookie stars.

Basketball Hall of Famer and Commanders minority owner Magic Johnson was there to greet Daniels and his Washington teammates in the locker room Saturday night. That was fitting.

As a rookie point guard in 1980, Johnson had 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in Game 6 of the NBA Finals after replacing the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the lineup at center. It remains one of the legendary performances for a rookie in any sport, a reflection of the rare maturity and poise Johnson possessed entering the pro ranks. The Lakers rode that performance to beat the Philadelphia 76ers and clinch the title.

Daniels has likewise shown uncommon poise while delivering signature moments in his rookie season: outdueling Joe Burrow in Week 3, completing a walk-off Hail Mary against Chicago in Week 8, tossing five touchdown passes to beat Philadelphia in Week 16 and leading the winning drive to eliminate Tampa Bay in the wild-card round. He was one of the best players on the field against Detroit on Saturday.

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GO DEEPER

Jayden Daniels, budding Commanders optimism and the psyche of a healing fan base

Daniels has done it against nearly all outside expectations. Only Carolina, Denver and New England entered the 2024 season with lower Vegas win totals than the 6.5 for the Commanders.

Five executives polled before the season combined to project Washington 14th in the NFC on average. One exec did correctly predict the Commanders would finish sixth in the NFC, in part because he thought Dallas and Philadelphia would struggle. Another exec picked the Commanders as a potential surprise team.

“I would probably go with the Commanders (as a potential surprise team) because of the quarterback, the defensive head coach and the ability to generate pressure,” this exec said, while ranking Washington 13th in his projections. “They have a solid group up front on defense. They got Jeremy Chinn. They have some players defensively who can create negatives and get after the passer. The quarterback has a chance to make people better.”

There were still grave concerns.

“I just think they reek of average across the board, of a team looking to rebuild,” one of the other execs said entering the season. “Lots of respect for DQ (Dan Quinn), but that could be the least talented roster in the NFC, outside the South.”

The Commanders proved otherwise.

Daniels has zero turnovers in two playoff games — games that pivoted on turnovers by his veteran counterparts. Tampa Bay lost 5.6 EPA on Baker Mayfield’s critical fumble during its 23-20 defeat to Washington in the wild-card round. Detroit lost 17.4 EPA on three interceptions and a fumble by Jared Goff, losing to the Commanders 45-31. The EPA lost on those turnovers was enough to bridge the point differentials in those games.

Daniels is the fifth rookie starting quarterback to reach the championship round in the Super Bowl era while starting at least eight combined regular-season and postseason games, per Pro Football Reference. The other four got there with huge assists from their defenses and/or special teams. Not Daniels, whose production has helped overcome statistical deficiencies in those other areas so crucial to winning at the highest levels.

That places Daniels in another class among rookies. Brock Purdy, Mark Sanchez, Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger also reached the championship round as rookies, but as the table below shows, those quarterbacks played for teams that stood among the NFL’s top four in combined EPA on defense and special teams.

Daniels leads championship round rookie QBs

The Commanders ranked 24th this season, forcing Daniels and the offense to overcome. They did.

Not pictured: Shaun King, who started seven total games for the 1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That team reached the NFC title game on the strength of a defense featuring four future Hall of Famers (Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber, John Lynch) and a five-time Pro Bowl choice (Hardy Nickerson).

Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Dak Prescott, Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson and C.J. Stroud produced at high levels as rookies for teams that reached the playoffs, but none reached the championship round.

Daniels’ production through two playoff games resembles the two-game production for Wilson in 2012, with one huge difference: Daniels has taken only one sack, while Wilson took seven. Wilson also had to overcome a Seattle defense that struggled in the playoffs when he was a rookie. His Seahawks team, which featured Quinn as its defensive coordinator in 2013 and ’14, fell short in 2012 before reaching the next two Super Bowls as the defense became elite.

Daniels has a shot at getting to the Super Bowl as a rookie. His Commanders opened as 5.5-point underdogs against the Eagles.

One key could be whether offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury can stay a step ahead of the NFC East-rival Eagles, who should know his offense better than the Lions knew it.

2. Kingsbury is eviscerating his reputation as a play caller whose offense struggles late in the season. What if that wasn’t the real problem?

Kingsbury seemed perplexed in November when a reporter asked about his offenses failing to sustain fast starts during a season.

The question arose during a three-game losing streak as Daniels fought through injured ribs.

As the season progressed and the offense rebounded, I wondered whether the perceptions about Kingsbury had more to do with opponent familiarity than the calendar. What if division opponents have a better read on Kingsbury? His offenses have featured dual-threat quarterbacks with elite running skills. Just as we have sometimes seen Lamar Jackson struggle in the AFC North, could Kingsbury’s offense simply bog down against teams that are wiser to his less conventional ways?

If that were true, Kingsbury’s teams would feel the effects later in the season, when there are more division games on the schedule, but it wouldn’t be a factor every week. And it might not factor at all in the playoffs, unless Kingsbury were to face a division opponent, which he will in the NFC Championship Game.

To test the theory, I created the table below. It shows how Kingsbury’s Arizona (2019-22) and Washington (2024) offenses have fared in division and non-division games when his starting quarterbacks, Kyler Murray (Cardinals) and Daniels (Commanders), were in the lineup.

Kingsbury splits with Murray/Daniels at QB

Opp Type Division Non-Division

OFF PPG

20.7

26.6

OFF TD/G

2.3

3.0

Yards/game

335.5

377.6

Yards/play

5.1

5.7

EPA/play

-0.04

+0.07

EPA/drive

-0.20

+0.40

Explosive play %

11.2%

15.7%

Team OFF EPA/G

-2.4

+4.3

Team D/ST EPA/G

-2.3

-0.3

W-L-T

9-17 (.346)

30-20-1 (.598)

There’s a huge drop in performance in those division games — much bigger than the slight drops for most teams when facing division opponents.

What will it mean against the Eagles? Kingsbury’s offense did improve statistically in its second game against Philadelphia this season, but that was a wild game featuring seven total turnovers, five by Washington. The Commanders trailed on 94 percent of plays but won on Daniels’ fifth touchdown pass of the game, with 10 seconds remaining.

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Jayden Daniels maintains calm approach as Commanders come from behind to stun Eagles

An opposing coach thought the Commanders were getting a better version of Kingsbury than Arizona got, mostly because offensive coordinator is an easier job than head coach/play caller, and also because Daniels is more mature early in his career than Murray was. Another opposing coach thought Kingsbury had grown as a caller, leaning more on the running game. Working under a defensive-minded head coach in Quinn could be a factor there, as Quinn would set the Commanders’ playing style. And then there is Daniels, of course.

“This kid (Daniels) wants to be pushed and challenged,” one of the coaches said. “You can see it. You can hear it from the quotes with the team. You see it with his swagger. Then add that he is a pretty dynamic passer.”

3. You aren’t the only one sick of watching Patrick Mahomes draw critical calls for roughing the passer and unnecessary roughness. It’s all part of the modern-day Tier 1 toolbox, unfortunately.

Forget the conspiracy theories. NFL officials have assessed 47 penalties against the Chiefs in the fourth quarters and overtimes of one-score games over the past two seasons, including playoffs. Those same officials have assessed 48 penalties against the Chiefs’ opponents in those same critical situations. The yardage totals are similarly close: 307 yards against the Chiefs, compared to 340 yards against their opponents.

Yes, Mahomes has a 7-0 record when Clay Martin referees his games, counting the Chiefs’ 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans in the divisional round Saturday. But as the table below shows, Mahomes has undefeated records with lots of referees. He’s a combined 25-0 with Brad Rogers, Tra Blake, Jerome Boger, Adrian Hill, Scott Novak and Alan Eck.

Mahomes’ starting record by referee

Referee W-L Win%

Clay Martin

7-0

1.000

Brad Rogers

5-0

1.000

Tra Blake

4-0

1.000

Jerome Boger

4-0

1.000

Alex Kemp

4-0

1.000

Adrian Hill

4-0

1.000

Scott Novak

2-0

1.000

Alan Eck

2-0

1.000

Shawn Hochuli

10-2

.833

Shawn Smith

9-2

.818

Bill Vinovich

8-2

.800

Tony Corrente

4-1

.800

Land Clark

4-1

.800

Craig Wrolstad

4-1

.800

Carl Cheffers

10-3

.769

John Hussey

9-3

.750

Ronald Torbert

3-1

.750

Walt Anderson

2-1

.667

Clete Blakeman

6-5

.545

Brad Allen

4-4

.500

Totals

104-26

.800

Mahomes might win 80 percent of his starts with you or me wearing stripes and the white hat.

No matter what the evidence says, the optics did not look right Saturday as Mahomes drew two highly questionable 15-yard penalties to help win a game in which Houston outgained Kansas City by more than 100 yards. Especially when Mahomes sometimes tries to trick officials into throwing additional flags.

“The only flops I’ve seen better than him are Rodney Dangerfield in ‘Back to School,'” one opposing coach said.

The first-quarter penalty called against the Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. for roughing the passer (video above) fits into a category that can be tricky for officials. Anderson’s helmet did make contact with Mahomes. The league’s replay-assist mechanism can come into play if there were no contact made at all, but not to assess how forcible the contact might have been. That penalty sustained a field goal drive after Mahomes had thrown incomplete on third-and-8.

The second penalty, for unnecessary roughness, helped the Chiefs cross midfield in the third quarter on their way to a touchdown for a 20-12 lead. On that play (video below), Mahomes invited contact by turning back toward the middle of the field. He slid late. Converging defenders ran into each other.

Mahomes avoided significant contact. Outrage ensued. ESPN’s Troy Aikman and the network’s officiating expert, Russell Yurk, said it was a bad call. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after the game his team knew it would have to overcome everybody, meaning the officials as well.

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GO DEEPER

Texans’ Ryans on controversial flags: ‘It was us vs. everybody’

“I think he’s a great manipulator,” the coach said of Mahomes. “He knows what to do: run to the border of the field, slow down, step on the white line, get hit. There are timing elements. And then, once every so often, he will cut back and get the additional 15 yards.”

It’s a master class in leveraging rules designed to protect quarterbacks. It’s what Aaron Rodgers would do if he had entered the league 15 years later.

“The rules in Rodgers’ prime of running were not the same,” the coach said. “Rodgers was still living in the echo of Drew Bledsoe’s collapsed lung (actually a ruptured artery) if I don’t get out of bounds quick enough. Now, it’s just a farce.”

4. Josh Allen and the Bills are one victory away from the Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson is 17 days away from collecting another MVP trophy (most likely). What does it mean?

Mark Andrews lost a fumble and dropped the tying two-point conversion pass in the fourth quarter to short-circuit a potential classic finish between MVP favorites Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen for a berth in the AFC Championship Game against Kansas City.

If not for the drop, the Ravens’ defense would have had to stop Allen from driving for a go-ahead field goal with 1:33 left and two timeouts, just to force overtime. Getting a stop there was hardly certain.

Neither quarterback was spectacular in the frosty conditions, but both led long fourth-quarter scoring drives before Buffalo escaped with a 27-25 victory. The finish puts Allen, Bills coach Sean McDermott and Buffalo one victory from the Super Bowl and a chance to cement legacies.

What about Jackson?

A two-time MVP already, he’s almost certain to add a third trophy soon, based on recently released All-Pro voting, which favored Jackson over Allen by a wide margin. But his teams are 3-5 in the playoffs, and Jackson, though solid in this postseason, still hasn’t dazzled on the biggest stages.

He threw an interception early against the Bills, lost a fumble and suffered from three dropped passes totaling 23 air yards. He threw what could have been the tying 24-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely with 1:33 remaining, but then watched helplessly as Andrews slid on the slick surface while dropping a soft, catchable conversion toss. This was Jackson’s first game with more than one turnover since he had two in the AFC Championship Game last season. Those four turnovers, though not entirely Jackson’s fault, cost Baltimore 20 EPA in games the Ravens lost by a combined nine points, per TruMedia.

Jackson blamed himself for failing to look off the safety on his interception, and for trying to make something happen when he fumbled, instead of falling on the ball following a bad snap.

The chart below compares EPA per play in the regular season and playoffs for quarterbacks with at least six postseason starts since 2000. I’ve excluded Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and Steve McNair because they made significant postseason starts before 2000, the earliest season for which data is available through TruMedia (of the three, only Warner was better during playoffs since 2000). The ascending line represents a baseline of equal performance in both the regular season and playoffs.

Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Colin Kaepernick reside in the upper left as outliers whose postseason production on a limited number of starts (six each) far exceeded their modest regular-season performances over many more games.

Some quarterbacks with lots of postseason starts — Tom Brady, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, Drew Brees — reside near the line. That suggests performance tends to even out as the postseason samples grow. Peyton Manning never caught up to his regular-season prowess in the playoffs despite making 26 postseason starts since 2000 (he started one playoff game before that and struggled in defeat).

Jackson is trending in the right direction because his playoff production over the past two postseasons has improved (there are two dots for him on the chart, showing the positive shift). He still lags well below his contemporaries, notably Allen, in the playoffs. And because of the way things ended Sunday, he won’t get a chance to change that until next season.

5. The Lions own the NFL’s best regular-season record over the past two seasons and have two playoff victories to show for it. Here are four takeaways.

Coach Dan Campbell became emotional after his top-seeded Lions’ 45-31 defeat to sixth-seeded Washington in the divisional round Saturday. His team dominated during the regular season despite a long list of injuries on defense, only to lose at home by two touchdowns as an eight-point favorite.

My Lions takeaways:

• Campbell must evolve: When evaluating Campbell’s aggressive fourth-down strategy six weeks ago, an executive from another team wondered if the Lions’ coach could shift gears for the playoffs.

“I have a concern about their head coach not clicking into playoff mode, where teams really count the possessions and he wants to keep pushing his fourth-down strategy,” this exec said at the time. “That was costly in their playoff loss (to San Francisco) last season. Can he adjust to the way those games are played, when each one of those possessions is higher leverage?”

Campbell’s unapologetically aggressive approach has permeated the Lions, to great benefit. But in a tight game against upstart Washington, the Lions lost partly because they could not regulate their aggression. This was not a fourth-down thing as much as it was a mindset thing.

“I know how they got there, but at some point, you have to acknowledge you are depleted on defense and ask how you can keep the ball out of the other team’s hands,” a veteran coach said. “They call a reverse pass when they are in a 10-point game with plenty of time, with a lot of talented players on that offense, in a game where they are getting 8 yards a carry on the ground.”

Trailing 38-28 early in the fourth quarter, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson called for talented (but inconsistent) receiver Jameson Williams to throw on first-and-10. Campbell could have overridden the trick play but did not. The resulting interception proved fatal to the Lions’ chances.

“I would have liked for (Williams) to run, but listen, take a risk … it didn’t work out,” Campbell said after the game.

Goff’s sack and lost fumble in the first quarter resulted from the Lions passing on third-and-1 from the Washington 17-yard line. Teams over the past five seasons have run 80 percent of the time with that down-and-distance from that area of the field. Not only did the Lions pass, but also they opted for a five-man protection. Leading 7-3, Detroit trailed 10-7 the next time it possessed the ball.

Goff’s pick six late in the first half resulted from him trying to convert a second-and-14 with a risky throw into a disguised coverage 18 yards downfield instead of picking up roughly half the yardage with a safer pass to a wide-open Sam LaPorta.

These, too, were errors of aggression.

“I’m not sure those quarterback errors are overly aggressive plays,” a coach from an opposing team said. “But the reverse and letting the kid throw it, I mean, come on. A non-quarterback threading that ball in there? These possessions are precious.”

Does Campbell have another gear? He arguably did not in this game, or when he went for it on fourth-and-2 from the San Francisco 28-yard line while leading 24-10 in the third quarter of the NFC title game last season. Instead of taking a three-score lead in that game, the Lions failed to get a first down. The 49ers scored quickly, and the Lions lost control of the game.

The Lions own an NFL-best 27-7 (.794) record over the past two seasons but have just two playoff victories, over the Rams and Bucs last season, to show for it. That’s rough.

• Both coordinators auditioning: There’s no way to know whether having Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn dedicating mental bandwidth to head-coaching interviews/prospects affected Detroit, but it’s hard to fathom how it could help. Two years ago, the Eagles felt as though their Super Bowl preparations suffered for those reasons.

The penalty Detroit incurred for having 12 defenders on the field before a fourth-and-2 play from the Lions’ 5-yard line produced a first down and a 3.2-point EPA swing, tied for the largest EPA swing among 55 penalties for “too many men” enforced across the league this season, per TruMedia. These things happen, especially for teams with lots of injuries, but the timing was horrible for the Lions.

• Goff does not elevate: I’ve called Goff a great good-team quarterback, meaning he’s excellent when the situation around him is very good. He doesn’t overcome as well as top quarterbacks do, through their superior mobility or ability to weather chaotic pockets. Two of his interceptions Saturday resulted from a bad decision (the pick six) or a bad throw (the first interception, failing to lead his receiver to the opposite hash in the end zone).

Goff has 45 touchdown passes with nine interceptions against non-playoff teams over the past two seasons. That 5-1 ratio drops to 1.5-1 (27 TDs, 18 INTs) against playoff teams. The decline for the league at large is smaller, from 2.2-1 to 1.7-1. Goff tossed five picks against Houston in Week 10 and three more Sunday.

• Defensive injuries real: Glenn is getting consideration for head-coaching jobs partly because his defense improved over the years and outperformed expectations through catastrophic injuries this season. Those injuries might have reached a breaking point when it mattered most, against a prolific Washington offense featuring a dynamic dual-threat quarterback.

6. Two-minute drill: The big, bad NFC North imploded in the playoffs. The league has never seen anything quite like it since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Also, how about those Rams?

It was a great season for the NFC North, until it was not.

The four NFC North teams combined to outscore non-division opponents by 8.7 points per game in the regular season. That average margin ranked first among 376 divisions since 1970, per Pro Football Reference. That makes the North’s 0-3 playoff meltdown a demise of historic proportions. The 15-2 Lions, 14-3 Vikings and 11-6 Packers suffered double-digit defeats, getting outscored 94-50. The fourth-place Chicago Bears fared better by not playing.

The five divisions since 1970 ranked Nos. 2-6 in average point margin against non-division opponents combined to go 13-6 in the playoffs. All five of those divisions placed teams in the conference championship game. Two produced Super Bowl winners, including the 2013 NFC West, which featured Seattle and San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game.

The table below shows how epic the meltdown was for the 2024 NFC North.

How most dominant divisions fared in playoffs

Division (Margin) Playoff W-L Playoff Highlight

2024 NFC-N (+8.7)

0-3

2013 NFC-W (+8.3)

5-1

1976 AFC-C (+8.1)

1-1

2008 NFC-E (+7.5)

2-2

2002 NFC-S (+7.3)

4-1

2005 AFC-W (+7.1)

1-1

The Lions were the 11th No. 1 seed since the 2002 divisional realignment (out of 46 total) to rank among the NFL’s top 10 in EPA per play on both offense and defense, while also ranking that high in combined EPA on defense/special teams, per TruMedia. These 11 elite No. 1 seeds produced six Super Bowl appearances, with the 2016 Patriots and 2017 Eagles winning it all.

Most of these teams fell off the following season, presumably through natural regression. The Lions have ascended every season under Campbell, but that becomes tougher after a 15-2 season.

Elite No. 1 seed results & futures, 2002-24

Elite Top Seed Playoffs Next Season

Lost DIV

TBD

Lost AFC CG

Lost DIV

Lost SB

Lost WC

Lost SB

Missed playoffs

Lost DIV

Lost DIV

Won SB

Lost DIV

Won SB

Lost SB

Lost SB

Missed playoffs

Lost SB

Lost DIV

Lost DIV

Lost SB

Lost DIV

Missed playoffs

Detroit became the fourth of these elite No. 1 seeds to go one-and-done in the playoffs. The three others bounced back eventually, but not always right away. All three kept their franchise quarterbacks for multiple additional seasons.

The top-seeded 2008 New York Giants missed the playoffs in each of the next two seasons, then won the Super Bowl as a 9-7 wild-card team. The 2012 Denver Broncos, losers at home to Baltimore in double overtime, reached the Super Bowl in the following season and won it two years after that. The 2019 Ravens remained competitive over the next few seasons without a playoff breakthrough. Of those three, only Denver changed offensive coordinators the next season, as the Lions will following Johnson’s expected departure for a head-coaching job. Mike McCoy’s departure to become the Chargers’ head coach didn’t affect Manning.

• Rams managed to give themselves a chance: The Rams could not stop the Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley from rushing for 205 yards against them Sunday, just as they could not stop him from rushing for 255 against them during a regular-season game between the teams. What the Rams could do, and what they did do, was stop the clock in the nerve-racking final minutes of their eventual 28-22 divisional-round defeat. That represented progress.

One year ago, the Rams burned timeouts on offense early in the third and fourth quarters of their wild-card game against Detroit, rendering them helpless to stop the clock when the Lions were protecting a 24-23 lead in the final minutes.

Coach Sean McVay responded by hiring John Streicher to help with in-game decisions, among other things. Streicher, who held a similar job under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, is one of a growing number of specialists in the game-management field. Head coaches still make the decisions. Some empower their advisers. Others do not. There are sometimes louder, more powerful voices on the headsets, and probably no perfect processes.

Whatever the case was for the Rams this season, McVay stopped the clock on defense against the Eagles at the 2:44, 2:39 and 2:35 marks while trailing 28-22. That allowed him to get the ball back to quarterback Matthew Stafford at the Los Angeles 18-yard line in time to run two offensive plays before the two-minute warning. Stafford then took the Rams to the Philly 13 with more than a minute remaining before the drive bogged down in the snow.

It was a rough way to end the season for a Rams team that struggled to handle the ball in difficult conditions. There soon will be questions to answer about the futures of Stafford and receiver Cooper Kupp, among others. But for a team that watched Aaron Donald retire and then started the season 1-4, there were many worse ways it could have ended. Among them: Philly running out the clock to rob Stafford and the offense of that one final chance to win the game.

• Liking Bills’ chances: Buffalo’s offense owns five of the 19 best EPA games against the Chiefs’ defense since 2021, counting playoffs. The Bills’ offense over that span has actually been better against the Chiefs than it has been against the rest of the league.

The Bills handed the Chiefs their only defeat in which Kansas City played its starters this season, 30-21 in Week 11. Their 10.1 EPA on offense in that game is the 18th-best figure by a Chiefs opponent in 79 total games since 2021. It’s why I like Buffalo’s chances of winning in Kansas City, despite knowing better than to pick against Mahomes in such situations. The Bills’ defense also should match up better against the Chiefs than it matched up against the Ravens with Derrick Henry.

As an executive from another team pointed out, the Chiefs are generally less convicted than the Ravens about running the ball, and less physical in their ground game, which could mean Buffalo’s defense survived its toughest test of the playoffs Sunday night.

Mahomes and the Chiefs will have something to say about that, of course.

(Photo: Michael Owens / Getty Images)





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Eating this breakfast food could help you live longer, study suggests

Eating this breakfast food could help you live longer, study suggests


Eating breakfast regularly has been shown to help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, according to UC Davis Health. There is also evidence that eating a healthy breakfast helps with brain function, especially memory and focus, the University of California-operated health provider said.

Now, new research has revealed that oatmeal can promote longevity.

Fox News Digital spoke with two health experts about the claims.

‘I’m A Heart Surgeon, Here’s What You Should Know About Eggs, Your Heart And Your Health’

Included in the test group of a recent study by the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine was a 105-year-old woman. One step in her normal daily routine was eating oatmeal, according to Dr. Mike Sevilla, a family physician at Salem Family Care in Salem, Ohio. (He was not associated with the recent study.)

“I also remember a study from about 10 years ago from the Journal of the American Medical Association in which the participants included oatmeal in their diet,” the doctor said. “And the study revealed a decrease in premature death in those who regularly ate oatmeal.”

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A mature woman eats oatmeal in bed while smiling.A mature woman eats oatmeal in bed while smiling.

Eating oatmeal could lead to a longer life, a new study suggests.

Other studies about the health effects of oatmeal show it can lead to lower cholesterol levels and an improvement in blood sugar levels, which may decrease the chance of heart disease and diabetes, Sevilla also said.

Oatmeal is easy to prepare, inexpensive and customizable to personal tastes; people can add such ingredients as fruit, nuts, seeds, nut butters and spices.

This Popular Soda Is Chef’s Surprising Biscuit Ingredient: ‘Family Favorite’

Here are four health benefits that oatmeal offers.

These health benefits usually decrease the chance of developing heart disease and diabetes, Sevilla said.

A bowl of oatmeal rests next to some cinnamon sticks.A bowl of oatmeal rests next to some cinnamon sticks.

Fruit, nuts and spices including cinnamon can be added to oatmeal to customize personal tastes.

“We believe the mechanisms for this are decreasing the absorption of cholesterol into the body and having better control of insulin in the system, which influences blood sugar levels in the body,” he explained.

The comforting breakfast favorite can help ward off colds and winter health woes.

At-home ‘Medicine Ball’ Tea, Soothing And Warm, Could Help Kick A Cold

“This is because minerals like selenium and copper strengthen white blood cells – a type of cell that fights illness and infection,” according to Health Reporter, a medical information website.

Oatmeal ingredients can also improve immune responses and can “combat pathogens, remove foreign substances, fight unwanted bacteria and prevent long-term diseases,” according to Health Reporter.

Not only is oatmeal a go-to breakfast that’s satisfying and filling, the digestive benefits can also help the gut.

Oatmeal is a fantastic source of soluble fiber, Brittany Kingry, a registered dietitian who is director of dietetics for CoreLife Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, told Fox News Digital.

A man holds a bowl of oatmeal with bananas in one hand and a spoon in the other.A man holds a bowl of oatmeal with bananas in one hand and a spoon in the other.

Oatmeal has digestive benefits to help the human gut.

“Oatmeal contains beta-glucans, which are a form of soluble fiber that dissolves in water and turns into a thick gel-like substance in your gut,” she said.

“This will help slow your digestion, increase good bacteria growth in the gut and assist with reduced blood glucose response as well as insulin response times.”

You can start your day feeling like a nutrition winner.

“Oatmeal is incredibly nutrient dense, full of multiple vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, folate and B vitamins, to name a few,” Kingry said.

Although oatmeal is a beneficial breakfast pick that boasts nutritional advantages, too much of it can have a few drawbacks, said experts.

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“While oatmeal has wonderful benefits and is full of fiber, we have to be cautious of how much and what type of oatmeal we are incorporating into our diets,” Kingry cautioned.

Here’s what to know.

For a better balance of food groups, Kingry recommended adding some protein to your breakfast menu.

“We need to ensure that we are not eating it by itself but pairing it with protein to help with stabilizing blood sugar,” Kingry told Fox News Digital.

A spoonful of oatmeal emerges from a white bowl.A spoonful of oatmeal emerges from a white bowl.

Oatmeal is a high-carbohydrate breakfast on its own, but paired with a protein, it can help stabilize blood sugar.

“You can do this by adding nuts, protein powder (make sure to add extra water or it will become grainy) or nut butter into the oatmeal or simply by adding a lean breakfast meat on the side.”

If a person has diabetes or insulin resistance, oatmeal may not be the best option because of the high carbohydrate amount, Kingry said.

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“They may benefit more from a protein-centered diet first thing in the morning and having ½ cup oatmeal on the side if desired,” she said.

Purchasing oatmeal in the grocery store can be tricky, Kingry said.

Beware those options with “added sugars or sugar alternatives,” she said. “It is always suggested to purchase plain rolled oats to help with limiting the sugar content.”

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Another thing to note, Kingry said, is that while oats are naturally gluten-free, some oats can become contaminated during processing or handling.

Instead, individuals “looking for gluten-free options should pay attention to labeling for brands that are certified gluten-free.”

Kingry recommended sticking to the serving size (1 packet or ½ cup uncooked) that’s outlined on the label of the oatmeal that’s purchased.

“It’s very easy to overconsume,” she cautioned.

Original article source: Eating this breakfast food could help you live longer, study suggests



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