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Ex-Jets star rips Aaron Rodgers for going after 'sentimental records,' wasting long drive in loss to Rams

Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem to have too many people in his corner as the New York Jets’ 2024 season, and his first full year under center, nears its end.

Former New York Jets star linebacker Bart Scott took issue with Rodgers’ performance following the team’s 19-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Rodgers had 256 passing yards and one touchdown pass.

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The issue stemmed from Rodgers trying to get touchdown pass No. 500. He is one touchdown pass away from hitting the achievement and joining Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady as the only players with at least 500 touchdown passes.

Rodgers said he wished Davante Adams would have caught the third-quarter pass that may have been a touchdown. It ended a 13-play drive that lasted nearly 10 minutes.

Scott wasn’t happy with the whole situation.

"To have a 10-minute drive and end up with nothing," Scott said on the SNY postgame show. "And it’s because you’re going for records, right? Sentimental records. And you’re deciding who gets your record. And I think that’s – that’s despicable."

JETS' AARON RODGERS REVEALS HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND AFTER MENTIONING EXES IN DOCUSERIES

Former Jets offensive lineman Willie Colon agreed with Scott’s assessment.

It was 9-9 when the Jets turned it over on downs. Their next drives ended in a fumble, turnover on downs and a missed field goal.

Rodgers put his teammates on notice after the game.

"I think we’re kinda past the ‘keeping it positive’ thing," Rodgers said, via SNY. "I think it’s just about perspective. Perspective informs your truth and your truth makes your reality. 

"So, the reality of the situation is what it is, but your perspective is what you can change every single day. So, what you’re focusing on is the most important thing now. It’s not to change the reality of the situation – being 4-11, out of the playoffs, going into an unknown offseason."

Rodgers then spoke about what the next two weeks will mean for the future of the organization.

"You gotta figure out what it means to be a professional," he said. "That's an important part of building culture. The last two weeks we can really see who's on board moving forward and who is ready to get out. It’s just part of the game. I’ve been on a couple of teams who were out of it, and it’s interesting to watch the practice habits, the preparation habits. 

"Hopefully, we’ll do the right thing, and it means a lot because everybody’s watching, and it’s a who-you-know business. There will be interesting conversations in the next couple of weeks, but just focus on the relationships we have with each other and try to finish this thing out like a pro."

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We were short on money, and I didn't think I could get my son the train set he wanted for Christmas. Another mom came to my rescue.

Cute little Asian girl playing with wooden toy train in the living room at home
Courtney Ellis (not pictured) got a Christmas train set for her son.

d3sign/Getty Images

  • Courtney Ellis is a 42-year-old mom of three in Mission Viejo, California.
  • She found a used train set online and agreed to buy a quarter of the set.
  • When she went to collect the set, the seller gave her the entire set for no extra cost.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Courtney Ellis, author of Looking Up. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Ten years ago, my husband and I moved with our 2-year-old son from Wisconsin to California to work at a church. My husband was finishing a Ph.D., and our only source of income was a pastoral position at the church, which we split between the two of us.

We were eating through our savings just to make ends meet, living in a tiny condo, and hoping that in time, we'd both be able to take on more hours at the church.

Our first Christmas in California, I wanted to make our son's Christmas special despite the stress of money and budgeting. Retrospectively, I can now see he would have been just as happy with a cardboard box, but at the time, as his mom, I wanted to be able to give him the world.

I couldn't afford the train set

I'd recently found a train table at a garage sale for $5. Whoever had it previously had colored all over it with crayons, hence the price.

Knowing I needed trains to accompany the table, I looked online and found a beautiful Thomas the Tank Engine set just a mile away. It had all the character trains and accessories. When I saw the price, I knew I couldn't afford the full set, so I asked the seller if I could just buy a quarter of it. I knew she might say no — that she might want to sell it as a package — but I asked, and she agreed.

She asked what part of the set I wanted, and I requested enough tracks to make a circle and a few trains.

I was completely thrilled that we would be able to give him a gift I knew he would love on Christmas morning.

When my son fell asleep, I left him with my husband, and I drove my 20-year-old car a mile to get the train set, expecting I might arrive at a huge house. But I arrived at a small condo, much like my own. I assumed she was probably selling this train track to pay for her own kids' Christmas presents.

When she opened the door, she held out a clear Ziploc bag of train tracks and trains. I thanked her and explained that we had just moved to the area. I was so thankful she was willing to sell me just a portion of the track — it was exactly what I had been looking for.

She gave me the entire train set

In that moment, we connected as frazzled, busy moms.

I got out the money to pay her, and she told me to wait, leaving me waiting at the front door with my money and train set in hand. I thought maybe she had forgotten one of the pieces.

She came back with three more bags of train sets. I was afraid there was a misunderstanding but I didn't want to say that I couldn't afford the rest of the set.

"Oh, I think we had just agreed on the one part of the set," I told her.

"I know," she responded. "Merry Christmas."

She handed me the bags, took my money, and closed the door behind her, leaving me on the front steps, trying to compose myself after experiencing such unexpected kindness.

I still cry thinking about that moment

I still tear up thinking about that moment. We were so financially strapped and really stressed about our budget, and she treated me with tenderness. It was life-changing, in a small way, and has stayed with me all these years later.

Recently, one of my sons told me a neighbor boy really liked these big trucks we have.

"I think I'm ready to say goodbye to my big trucks," he told me. "Can we take them over to the neighbor's house?"

Maybe at one time, I would have thought I could have gotten money for the trucks, but then I think back to how that woman gave me that extra train track. Since then, we have always tried to give as we have been given to, to pass on the gift of generosity, even in small ways. We decided to give as we have been given.

When I wrote about the train tracks on Threads, so many people commented about their own personal experiences of kindness. When we perform acts of generosity or share about how someone has been generous to us, I think it helps us and others begin to develop eyes to look for all the light around us in the middle of what can feel like darkness.

Read the original article on Business Insider

These are the missile cruisers the US Navy spent $1.84 billion to upgrade just to throw them away

The guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George launches a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile.
The guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George launches a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile.

Kenneth Moll/US Navy/Getty Images

  • The US Navy wasted almost $2 billion on a failed effort to upgrade its cruisers, a watchdog report found.
  • Four Ticonderoga-class vessels in the program were decommissioned before refits were completed.
  • The report said schedule delays, poor planning, and quality oversight led to wasted funds.

The US Navy wasted nearly $2 billion on a failed effort to overhaul its aging cruiser fleet, a government watchdog investigation found.

After Congress rejected the Navy's 2012 proposal to retire its Ticonderoga-class cruisers, it provided funding for a 15-year ship modernization program. Since 2015, the Navy has spent roughly $3.7 billion of those funds trying to modernize seven cruisers.

But poor planning and oversight forced the sea service to decommission four of the seven cruisers mid-service, according to the Government Accountability Office. It said in a new report that "the Navy wasted $1.84 billion modernizing four cruisers that have now been divested prior to deploying."

The deactivated warships were then cannibalized for parts for the remaining cruisers in the modernization program.

Problems figuring out the future fleet
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes launched an anti-submarine rocket.
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes launched an anti-submarine rocket.

CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

The Navy's Ticonderoga-class cruisers were the first warships to be equipped with the Aegis Combat System, an automated weapon control system designed to detect, track, and engage aerial, surface, and subsurface threats.

These warships were equipped with 122 vertical missile launchers capable of launching Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles, among other weapons, forward and aft deck guns, and two close-in weapons systems.

In 2001, the Navy started work on a new cruiser as it prepared to phase out the Ticonderoga fleet. Nine years later, it abandoned the next-generation program and instead procured upgraded versions of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to fill the gap before the arrival of future destroyers.

New destroyers are still being developed after the failure of the Zumwalt program and delays with the DDG(X) program.

Billions of dollars in waste
A US Navy fire control technician conducts maintenance on a Close-in Weapons System on board USS Gettysburg.
A US Navy fire control technician conducts maintenance on a Close-in Weapons System on board USS Gettysburg.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kaitlin Young

Worried about China, some lawmakers resisted the Navy's initial proposal to decommission the ships faster than it could replace them, so the modernization program was implemented instead.

The overhaul aimed to modernize the ships' aging infrastructure by replacing corroded and worn hull components, upgrading mechanical and electrical systems, and integrating more advanced sensor and radar systems. It was also designed to make the warships compatible with more advanced missile defense systems and next-generation missiles.

USS Hué City
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City departs the port of Odessa, Ukraine.
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City departs the port of Odesa, Ukraine.

US Navy photo by Lt. Will Mari/Released

During its over three decades of service, the cruiser USS Hué City provided humanitarian aid off the coast of New York in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks and embarked on seven deployments in support of US operations in Afghanistan and other areas in the Middle East.

Despite allocating $161.15 million to upgrade the cruiser after entering the modernization program in 2018, the Navy decided to decommission the Hué City in 2022, before work even started.

USS Anzio
An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter flies over the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio.
An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter flies over the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Billy Ho/Released

The Anzio was decommissioned along the Hué City in 2022 after 30 years of service. The cruiser participated in operations in the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, and Black Sea. The Anzio's crew also disrupted pirate activity in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea and fired over a dozen Tomahawk missiles in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom while stationed in the Persian Gulf.

The service spent $250.54 million to upgrade the Anzio but later discontinued work on the ship due to cost overruns.

USS Cowpens
uss cowpens ticonderoga
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) fires Standard Missiles (SM) 2 missiles at an airborne drone during a live-fire weapons shoot in the Pacific Ocean in this handout photo taken September 20, 2012.

REUTERS/Paul Kelly/U.S. Navy photo

The Cowpens is known for Tomahawk missile action. In 1993, the Cowpens fired 10 Tomahawks into Iraq after violating no-fly zone sanctions. A decade later, the Cowpens launched the first Tomahawk missile into Iraq at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Navy invested $678.56 million to upgrade the Cowpens, but service officials inadequately managed the ship's maintenance and upgrades. Properly repairing and modernizing the vessel would have cost another $88 million. The Cowpens was decommissioned in August after 33 years of service.

USS Vicksburg
The guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg transits the Persian Gulf at sunset.
The guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg transits the Persian Gulf at sunset.

US Navy Photo/Mass Communication Specialist Petty Officer 3rd Class Santos Huante

The Navy decommissioned USS Vicksburg at the end of June after 32 years in the fleet. It was the first ship to undergo modernization in 2016.

The Navy spent $745.05 million to upgrade the ship, but after the cruiser spent four years in the shipyard, the Navy found that the work was only 85% complete. Contractors dropped the ball on quality control while the Navy let maintenance slip to the point that key systems on the ship were simply not salvageable.

In September 2023, Navy officials found that the Vicksburg was still "years away" from completing its modernization, which would have cost another $120 million to finish.

Overhaul shortfall
USS Chosin docks in front of the bridge in Sydney Harbour.
USS Chosin docks in front of the bridge in Sydney Harbour.

Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

Only three ships are expected to complete the modernization program — USS Gettysburg, USS Chosin, and USS Cape St. George. The cruisers will serve until fiscal year 2030 due to a service-life extension that the Navy announced in November.

The Gettysburg was the first of the three vessels to complete its modernization in February 2023. Less than a year later, a Navy review identified defects in the ship's weapon systems and several structural issues. It wasn't until this past summer that the warship passed a missile launch test using its updated combat systems.

In September, the cruiser deployed to the Middle East with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to help defend against Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

USS Chosin completed its modernization in early 2024 after its nonfunctioning ventilation caused problems with the Aegis' computer equipment, delaying operational testing before it was redelivered to the Navy.

The Chosin was involved in the Navy's first successful attempt to reload a warship at sea. The Transferrable Reload At-sea Mechanism uses an apparatus of cables, rails, and pulleys to transfer missile canisters directly to a cruiser's vertical missile launchers, streamlining the reloading process at sea rather than traveling to the nearest port.

Commissioned in 1993, the Cape St. George is the youngest active Ticonderoga-class vessel. The cruiser is still undergoing modernization and slated to undergo sea trials next year. The Navy plans to deploy the cruiser at least once before decommissioning.

A temporary fix
A Hercules drone control aircraft banks to the left while flying over the guided missile cruiser USS Chosin.
A Hercules drone control aircraft banks to the left while flying over the guided missile cruiser USS Chosin.

USAF/Getty Images

The Navy's failed efforts to modernize its Ticonderogas highlighted the need to address flaws in the service's approach to maintaining a combat-ready fleet.

"The Navy did not effectively plan the cruiser effort," the GAO report said, adding that "this led to a high volume of unplanned work — 9,000 contract changes — resulting in cost growth and schedule delays."

The watchdog report said the Navy "has yet to identify the root causes of unplanned work or develop and codify root cause mitigation strategies to prevent poor planning from similarly affecting future surface ship modernization efforts."

The GAO report released earlier this week spotlighted the flaws in the Navy's modernization efforts for its cruisers. The new report followed the Navy's recently announced $10 billion effort to refurbish its older Arleigh Burke-class destroyers "to keep more ready players on the field" while it works on other shipbuilding projects, like newer Burkes and the Constellation-class frigates.

Read the original article on Business Insider

TSA officer 'shocked' to find multiple prohibited items in a woman's bag at LAX, including fireworks, knives, and replica firearms

Contents of traveler's carry-on bag containing multiple prohibited items discovered by TSA officers at LAX on December 15, 2024.
A female passenger's bag at Los Angeles International Airport contained 82 consumer-grade fireworks, three knives, two replica firearms, and one canister of pepper spray, per TSA.

Transportation Security Administration

  • Multiple prohibited items were found in a woman's bag at Los Angeles International Airport, per the TSA.
  • A TSA officer flagged the bag after spotting the items in an X-ray image.
  • Jason Pantages, LAX TSA Federal Security Director, said the incident was "extremely concerning."

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said one of its officers found fireworks, knives, and other prohibited items in a woman's carry-on bag as she attempted to catch a flight at Los Angeles International Airport earlier this month.

In a recent press release, the TSA said one of its officers flagged the bag after spotting the items in an X-ray image.

"When the bag was opened with the passenger present, the TSA officer was shocked at its contents," the TSA said.

The bag, which belonged to a female passenger set to travel to Philadelphia, contained 82 consumer-grade fireworks, three knives, two replica firearms, and one canister of pepper spray, it added.

The incident occurred at LAX's Terminal 4 at around 10 p.m. local time on December 15.

The TSA said it informed the Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) police department and that officers went to the security checkpoint and interrogated the traveler while a bomb squad confiscated the fireworks.

Jason Pantages, LAX TSA Federal Security Director, described the find as "extremely concerning."

"This traveler should have followed TSA's tried and true advice - unpack your bag before you pack it to ensure you don't bring any prohibited items to the security checkpoint," he said. "We are in the midst of the holiday travel season when security checkpoints will be busy everywhere."

The TSA reminded travelers that fireworks are not allowed on board an aircraft in carry-on or checked luggage and that knives and replica firearms should travel in checked baggage.

It also said that one four-ounce container of pepper spray is permitted in checked luggage as long as it has a safety mechanism to avoid "accidental discharge."

It comes as airports across the US brace for a busy festive season.

More than 3.2 million people are expected to pass through Los Angeles International Airport during the holidays, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The TSA, meanwhile, said it expected to screen nearly 40 million people from December 19 to January 2, up 6.2% from last year. It forecasts the busiest days as December 20, 27, and 30.

TSA and LAWA didn't immediately respond to requests for comments made outside working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Apple wanted the iPhone 18 to be that ‘single slab of glass’ but it looks unlikely

Former Apple design chief Jony Ive had long seen the holy grail of iPhone design to be “a single slab of glass” without any bezels. A new supply-chain report says Apple had hoped that the iPhone 18 would see it achieve that objective, but it now looks unlikely.

The goal, says the report, is to have the entirety of the front of the device be display, with the screen flowing seamlessly into the sides of the phone …

more…

All American Airlines flights in the US are currently grounded

If you're traveling for the holidays today, I hope you're not flying on American Airlines. As of this morning, the airline said on X that all of its flights were currently grounded, with no current time table for when flights will resume. As The Verge notes, a notice posted by the Federal Aviation Administration confirms that there is a "nationwide groundstop" for all AA flights; it also says that this stoppage is at "company request." 

We're currently experiencing a technical issue with all American Airlines flights. Your safety is our utmost priority, once this is rectified, we'll have you safely on your way to your destination.

— americanair (@AmericanAir) December 24, 2024

Naturally, loads of people are freaking out about this on X and Threads, but aside from the FAA notice and American Airlines' post on X, there's no word on what is wrong or when things might change. And while Christmas Eve isn't the busiest travel day of the year, that's cold comfort for everyone stuck at an airport this morning. We're reaching out to American Airlines for more info and will update this story if anything changes. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/all-american-airlines-flights-in-the-us-are-currently-grounded-131522223.html?src=rss

©

© ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE - American Airlines planes wait at gates at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Friday, July 19, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Hyundai will offer its EV customers free NACS adapters starting next year

Hyundai is offering select EV buyers a free CCS to NACS (North American Charging Standard) adapter so that they can charge current models at Tesla's Supercharger stations. That will allow owners to charge CCS-port Hyundai models at Tesla's 20,000 strong Supercharger network, once shipping starts in Q1 2025. 

Hyundai is offering the free adapter to owners of 2024 and earlier Kona Electric, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Ioniq hatchback models, along with 2025 Ioniq 6, Ioniq 5N, Kona Electric Genesis EVs. You'll be able to get the free adapter through the MyHyundai owner site. The adapters will be offered to anyone who purchased a Hyundai EV before January 31, 2025. Sibling brand Kia is also offering free NACS adapters to select customers starting next year, with a full list of supported models set to arrive soon. 

The automaker is joining Ford in offering the perk to its users, and other manufacturers are likely to do the same in the near future. That's because the US government recently announced that NACS is becoming an open industry standard that's likely to be widely used in charger networks across the continent.

Future models won't need the adapter, as Hyundai has joined a host of automakers in changing its charging ports to NACS. That'll begin with the 2025 Ioniq 5, which will have access to Tesla Superchargers as soon as it ships, according to Tesla. Older CCS-based models don't currently have access, but Tesla is likely to enable that once the adapter ships. 

The news is significant because Hyundai recently became second largest seller of EVs in North America next to Tesla. The company currently sells four models: the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 5N crossovers, Ioniq 6 sedan and Kona Electric SUV. Kia, meanwhile, offers the EV6 crossover, EV9 SUV and Niro EV. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/hyundai-will-offer-its-ev-customers-free-nacs-adapters-starting-next-year-130010136.html?src=rss

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© Hyundai

Hyundai will offer its EV customers free NACS adapters starting next year
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