Buffalo Bills return to work after Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field



CNN
 — 

The Buffalo Bills were holding meetings and a walk-through Wednesday before their Week 18 game against the New England Patriots – less than two days after Bills player Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during a nationally televised game.

The 24-year-old safety has shown “signs of improvement” and remains in critical condition, the Bills tweeted Wednesday, while players, coaches and fans keep their focus on his recovery in the run up to the final weekend of the NFL’s regular season and the subsequent playoffs.

The emotions surrounding the return to the field were apparent during a teleconference Wednesday when Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, recalled watching video of the play in which Hamlin was injured more than 100 times.

“To the medical professionals, first responders to physicians to trainers, the EMTs (the response) that evening was outstanding. You gave our brother Damar another day to live, another chance to fight,” Vincent told reporters, his voice fading.

He added, “The only thing that mattered to myself, the team here, the folks in the stadium and the coaches was the health and wellness of Damar and getting those coaches back to the locker room so they can look their players in their eyes and see who they are. They were hurting. There was a lot of pain. And talking to the commissioner and communicating with everyone, it was just important. We just couldn’t play.”

Vincent said the NFL hasn’t discussed whether Sunday’s game between the Patriots and the Bills in Buffalo will be postponed.

The league will allow Bills coach Sean McDermott and his team and staff “to guide us if we have to make that decision,” Vincent added.

The league executive said he wants to ensure players on the Bills “have what they need to function” and that “they’re OK.”

As for Monday’s postponed game with the Bengals, Vincent said, “Everything is being considered.” Options include schedule changes, pushing back the playoffs a week or eliminating the bye week before the Super Bowl.

Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said the emergency response was crucial that night.

“It’s certainly not an exaggeration to say that the skilled and the immediate response by all of these talented caregivers prevented a very tragic outcome at that moment,” Sills said.

The Bills will have no media availability Wednesday, the team said. New England also postponed Wednesday’s scheduled media availability, the Patriots said.

“The NFL has approved giving both the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots an extra day due to these unique circumstances,” the Patriots said.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor, speaking to reporters Wednesday before the first team meeting since Hamlin’s injury, recalled what McDermott said to him before the game was postponed: “The first thing he said was, ‘I need to be in the hospital for Damar. And I shouldn’t be coaching this game.’”

“In that moment he really showed who he was – that all his focus was just on Damar and being there for him and being there for his family at the hospital,” Taylor said of McDermott.

Taylor praised the team trainers, physicians and paramedics who tended to Hamlin on the field. “They were composed. It was obviously a complicated situation on the field that everybody was trying to process… I think that’s important to point out, that they were prepared and that they gave Damar the best chance.”

Hamlin was sedated and on a ventilator Tuesday night at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, his uncle Dorrian Glenn told CNN. His collapse on the field halted the Bills Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills tweeted that Hamlin’s “heartbeat was restored on the field.”

The injury, which came after Hamlin’s tackle of a Bengals wide receiver, stunned a packed stadium and viewers across the nation – and brought new scrutiny to the National Football League and how it protects its players.

Most NFL teams are off Tuesday but some canceled limited availability that day following Hamlin’s injury. The rest of the league was expected to return to work Wednesday to prepare for the final games of the regular season, though the social media accounts of many NFL players remain focused on Hamlin.

It’s still unclear what led to the cardiac arrest.

Hamlin is on a ventilator to relieve strain on his lungs, which have been damaged, according to Glenn. The doctors told Glenn his nephew has also been “flipped over on his stomach” to help with the blood on his lungs.

Hamlin collapsed shortly after tackling Tee Higgins with about six minutes left in the first quarter. Monday’s game was postponed, with the Bengals leading 7-3, and will not be resumed this week, and no decision has been made on whether to ever continue it, the NFL said Tuesday.

The game has playoff implications: Both teams have clinched playoff spots but are jockeying for higher seeds in the American Football Conference. Securing the top seed means getting a week off while the six other AFC playoff teams compete.

The days after the injury have been marked by an outpouring of support for Hamlin and his family, with messages of prayers and well wishes from star athletes, fans and national leaders.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a memo to teams Tuesday that the heads of player engagement and team clinicians for all clubs have received information about mental health and support resources for players and staff.


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A Horrifying Incident Shows Off Tesla Safety Standards

TheStreet 

A 250-foot plunge over a cliff on the California coast left the car destroyed, but the occupants alive.

In earlier days, when Elon Musk’s Tesla  (TSLA) – Get Free Report was still struggling to establish itself, a series of accidents and fires received lots of media attention.

Sometimes the incidents even moved the stock price, temporarily.

Musk insisted at the time that Teslas were designed from the start to be the safest vehicles on the road.

And he boasted of vehicle safety tests that he claimed proved the cars are the safest ever tested. Regulators took exception and attempted to get Musk to tone down the rhetoric.

Now, however, a horrifying real-world example has probably done more to enhance Tesla’s safety reputation than any National Highway Traffic Safety Administration test ever could.

A Winding Road Along the Coast

California’s picturesque state Highway 1 winds for hundreds of miles from the northern end of the state all the way to San Diego, hugging the coastline.

Automakers routinely film advertisements on some of the spectacular bridges along the route.

And motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts revel in the chance to travel the especially scenic, and windy, central coastline area south of the Monterey Peninsula. Among other sites, the route passes the San Simeon castle estate built by William Randolph Hearst and the Henry Miller Museum.

But it’s not just the central coast that’s noteworthy. Just south of San Francisco, the road traverses a particularly rugged stretch of territory that’s come to be known as Devil’s Slide. It’s a rocky promontory that sticks out into the Pacific Ocean between Half Moon Bay and Pacifica.

The original Highway 1 route was built along the cliff edges, but landslides routinely took out portions of the road, forcing lengthy closures that ran into years in some cases.

Ultimately, the worst part of the route was bypassed by two tunnels constructed a little inland at a cost of more than $400 million.

But even with that, there remain portions of the Devil’s Slide route that are high above the ocean over a roughly two-mile stretch south of the tunnels.

In a recent three-year period, Caltrans said there had been 33 “run-off-the-road” accidents along the stretch of highway that resulted in one death and 24 injuries.

The agency launched an effort to improve safety barriers along the stretch of roadway because of the “risk that vehicles may continue to drive off the highway, causing severe injury or death to motorists and passengers.”

Tesla Plunges Over the Edge

But in a horrifying incident, a Pasadena, Calif., man allegedly drove a Tesla off the road and over the cliff’s edge intentionally, with his family inside, according to police.

The 250-foot plunge saw the car overturn several times before coming to rest in a crumpled mass on some rocks near the ocean’s edge. Rescue workers were doubtful anybody could have survived such a plunge. But with what many are calling a miraculous combination of luck and sturdy construction, all four occupants of the car did survive, albeit with injuries requiring hospitalization.

While the incident has drawn black humor comparisons with Tesla’s stock price, there’s little doubt it also serves as stunning evidence of the cars’ safety standards.

As one twitter user put it, “What a great ad for Tesla.”

Musk himself chose a low-key response, saying in reply to a tweet about the incident, “Good news.”

The driver has been arrested on attempted murder and child endangerment charges, according to published reports.

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Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II: Catholicism's dynamic duo

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I’ll never forget standing on the tarmac at Andrew’s Air Force Base in 2008 with a gaggle of journalists waiting for “Shepherd One” to touch down. Like the rest of my colleagues, my feet were killing me, but the excitement was palpable.

The honor guard was in place, Secret Service agents were in place, and dignitaries were queued up. Moments after the Alitalia airliner came to a halt, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were first in line to greet the beaming German pontiff.

As he moved from the tarmac into an awaiting limo, he blessed the adoring crowds, including the journalists covering his visit.

America had only hosted two popes — Paul VI in 1965 and John Paul II on seven occasions — but this was the first and only visit of Pope Benedict XVI.

Sounding incredibly like his predecessor, Benedict lauded American values and its responsibility to guard freedom and protect the vulnerable.

“Freedom is not only a gift but also a summons to personal responsibility,” he said in his opening remarks, just before celebrating his 81st birthday at the White House.

“The preservation of freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good, and a sense of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one’s deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate.”

John Paul II had said almost the same thing to Americans on multiple occasions.

REV. ROBERT SIRICO: POPE BENEDICT LEFT US A LOT OF THINKING TO DO

It should come as no surprise that Benedict and John Paul were of one mind on most issues. Both men were formed in the crucible of the Second World War. Both were influential fathers of the Second Vatican Council. Karol Wojtyla — the future John Paul II — was a young bishop from Kraków. Josef Ratzinger — the future Benedict XVI — was an adviser to the archbishop of Cologne, Germany.

For both, the Council was the launchpad for their papacies.

Their contributions to Vatican II are legendary — Ratzinger’s to Dei Verbum, a document about the sources of revelation, and Wojtyla to Gaudium et Spes, about the Church in the modern world

Remarkably, they didn’t meet during the Council. Their paths crossed at the 1978 conclave that elected Italian cardinal Albino Luciani — Pope John Paul I.

Ratzinger later recalled his first impression of the Polish cardinal.

“I was particularly impressed by his human warmth and the deep inner rooting in God which appeared so clearly,” he said of that meeting. “And then, of course, I was also impressed by his philosophical education, his acuteness as a thinker, and his ability to communicate his knowledge.”

Shortly after his election in 1978, John Paul II asked Ratzinger to work with him in Rome. But the newly minted German cardinal declined, having only been archbishop of Munich for little more than 18 months.

The pope renewed his offer in 1981. This time Ratzinger accepted. He took on several roles at the Vatican in early 1982, including Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a post he held until being elected John Paul’s successor in 2005.

Their 23-year partnership was one of the greatest in modern Church history.

“The collaboration with the Holy Father was always characterized by friendship and affection,” Benedict told an interviewer in 2013. “It developed above all on two planes: the official and the private.”

The two met regularly for lunch on Tuesdays and again on Friday evenings to discuss work. A deep friendship also developed.

“[The idea] that John Paul II was a saint came to me from time to time, in the years of my collaboration with him, ever more clearly,” Benedict said.

They became Catholicism’s dynamic duo. It was almost like Ratzinger was Robin to John Paul’s Batman. But it was deeper than that. Ratzinger’s input gave John Paul’s writings greater depth and clarity. Ratzinger was John Paul’s sounding board for many of his initiatives — from the launching of World Youth Day to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, first published in 1992.

Like John Paul II, Benedict understood his responsibility to faithfully interpret the Second Vatican Council.

In some sense, Benedict’s reign was an eight-year extension of John Paul’s 26-year papacy. Both leaned heavily on Council documents in their encyclicals, speeches, and papal writings. Both men helped cement Church teachings on the priesthood, sexuality, and papal authority.

Benedict went on to break new ground on liturgy and ecumenism. His 2007 motu proprio loosened restrictions on priests’ ability to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass. Two years later, he created a path for Anglicans to come into full communion with the Catholic Church.

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History may remember Benedict XVI for his abdication in 2013 — the first pope to do so in more than 600 years. But he saw himself as a simple “co-worker in the truth” — the episcopal motto he chose for himself in 1977.

When he’s laid to rest in the crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, Benedict’s remains will fittingly occupy the tomb left vacant when John Paul was moved to the upper basilica in 2011. This will be only the second papal funeral in 44 years — and the first time a sitting pope presides over the funeral of a former pope in centuries.

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Pope Francis may well quote Benedict who fittingly described John Paul II’s entrance into heaven while presiding over his funeral in 2005: “We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father’s house, that he sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father.”

That’s a blessing I would readily accept again — this time from heaven.

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Biden stumps Twitter users over ‘neighborhood phrase’: What the hell did he say?

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President Biden continued his tradition of making confusing comments during his visit to a Kentucky bridge on Wednesday.

Biden spoke near the Brent Spence Bridge to highlight his success in passing infrastructure funding as well as the significance of bipartisanship with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

While touting the virtues of American infrastructure, the president soon veered off into a “phrase” from his “old neighborhood” which left many Twitter users struggling to understand what Biden was saying. 

“Our best days are ahead of us. And I mean this from the bottom of my heart. I’ve been doing this a long time, folks. Our best days are ahead of us. Are not behind us. I’ve long said. I mean, this. I have never, ever, ever been more optimistic about America’s prospects. And am today. Never. Never. I’ve traveled over 140 countries around the world. I was the paraphrase the phrase in my old neighborhood. The rest of the countries the world is not a patch in our jeans. If we do what we want to do, we need to do,” Biden said.

BIDEN HAS AWKWARD EXCHANGE WITH REPORTER ABOUT NOT ATTENDING POPE BENEDICT’S FUNERAL 

“In today’s episode of ‘what the hell did @JoeBiden’ say?” RedState columnist Buzz Patterson joked.

“What?” National Review journalist Claude Thompson asked.

“His old neighborhood really said this!” Townhall columnist Kevin McMahon tweeted.

Sen. Josh Hawley’s, R-Mo., press secretary Abigail Marone commented, “makes perfect sense if your brain is mush.”

“Biden seems well rested and sharp as a tack after his vacation in the Virgin Islands,” Sen. Eric Schmidt, R-Mo., press secretary Will O’Grady wrote.

Washington Examiner columnist Becket Adams tweeted, “was there a lot of lead paint in said neighborhood?”

REPORTER CALLS OUT BIDEN FOR COMPLAINING OF ‘POISON’ POLITICS WHILE SMEARING REPUBLICANS AS ‘SEGREGATIONISTS’ 

The president has had his fitness for the office in question over a series of gaffes, stumbles and other embarrassing instances during public events. In July, Biden even appeared to say that he “has” cancer after claiming that he and many of his friends from his childhood home in Delaware suffered due to oil refinery emissions. Fox News later confirmed from the White House that he was instead referring to his past skin cancer removal.

Biden closed his speech repeatedly praising America and declaring how optimistic he is about America’s future.

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“It’s never been a good bet to bet against America. It’s never been more true than today. I can honestly say here today I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future. We just have to remember who in the hell we are. We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. And I mean it. Think about it,” Biden said.

 

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Coinbase to pay $100M After Crypto Probe Finds Compliance Fault

TheStreet 

An investigation by the New York State Department of Financial Services found actions by Coinbase left it vulnerable to criminal conduct.

A disastrous year for cryptocurrencies culminated in the infamous November 2022 collapse of the now-bankrupt FTX exchange.

The rapid fall of FTX had devastating effects on the entire crypto-asset sector and led to several other bankruptcies.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former FTX CEO, after a series of revelations and legal actions, ended up pleading not guilty to fraud and other charges on Jan. 3.

Three federal agencies (the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency) even issued a joint official statement warning banks of crypto risks, also on Jan. 3.

Cryptocurrencies, in general, had already been tainted by speculation they are often used by criminals for illegal purposes such as money laundering, fraud, and human and narcotics trafficking.

A European Central Bank blog post suggested in November that Bitcoin  (~BTCUSD)   was a currency for nefarious activities.

“Bitcoin’s conceptual design and technological shortcomings make it questionable as a means of payment: real bitcoin transactions are cumbersome, slow and expensive. Bitcoin has never been used to any significant extent for legal real-world transactions,” the blog post said.

Coinbase Settles with New York Regulators

Related to charges of corrupt uses of cryptocurrency, U.S. exchange Coinbase Global  (COIN) – Get Free Report has been under investigation by the New York State Department of Financial Services and settled on Jan. 4 for $100 million.

Half of that amount is a fine, and the other $50 million will be used by Coinbase to improve its compliance practices.

Adrienne A. Harris, Financial Services superintendent, announced the settlement in a press release, saying failures in Coinbase’s compliance program violated New York laws and regulations.

The department says failures made the Coinbase platform vulnerable to serious criminal conduct. This includes fraud, money laundering, suspected child sexual abuse material activity, and potential narcotics trafficking, according to the press release.

“It is critical that all financial institutions safeguard their systems from bad actors, and the Department’s expectations with respect to consumer protection, cybersecurity, and anti-money laundering programs are just as stringent for cryptocurrency companies as they are for traditional financial services institutions,” Harris said. 

“Coinbase failed to build and maintain a functional compliance program that could keep pace with its growth,” she continued. “That failure exposed the Coinbase platform to potential criminal activity requiring the Department to take immediate action including the installation of an Independent Monitor.”

Risks Federal Agencies see for Banks

The Jan. 3 statement issued by the Fed, FDIC and OCC warning banks of risks had noted the difficulties the crypto-sector has experienced. Several key risks associated with crypto-assets are listed in the statement. 

These dangers, it said, were demonstrated by volatility and vulnerabilities during 2022. Following is the list of risks bulleted out in the statement:

Risk of fraud and scams among crypto-asset sector participants.Legal uncertainties related to custody practices, redemptions, and ownership rights, some of which are currently the subject of legal processes and proceedings.Inaccurate or misleading representations and disclosures by crypto-asset companies, including misrepresentations regarding federal deposit insurance, and other practices that may be unfair, deceptive, or abusive, contributing to significant harm to retail and institutional investors, customers, and counterparties.Significant volatility in crypto-asset markets, the effects of which include potential impacts on deposit flows associated with crypto-asset companies.Susceptibility of stablecoins to run risk, creating potential deposit outflows for banking organizations that hold stablecoin reserves.Contagion risk within the crypto-assetsector resulting from interconnections among certain crypto-asset participants, including through opaque lending, investing, funding, service, and operational arrangements. These interconnections may also present concentration risks for banking organizations with exposures to the crypto-asset sector.Risk management and governance practices in the crypto-asset sector exhibiting a lack of maturity and robustness.Heightened risks associated with open, public, and/or decentralized networks, or similarsystems, including, but not limited to, the lack of governance mechanisms establishing oversight of the system; the absence of contracts or standards to clearly establish roles, responsibilities, and liabilities; and vulnerabilities related to cyber-attacks, outages, lost or trapped assets, and illicit finance.

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GOP’s McCarthy pressured to ‘figure out’ speaker race

Top News: US & International Top News Stories Today | AP News 

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., during a sixth round of voting in the House chamber as the House meets for a second day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

House Republicans plowed through the second day of the new Congress, with no clear off-ramp from their political chaos over electing a new speaker. (Jan. 4)

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are a crossroads as leader Kevin McCarthy has failed over and over again to become House speaker, but he remains determined to persuade enough right-flank holdouts to vote for him and end a stalemate with no end in sight.

What started as a political novelty, the first time in 100 years a nominee has not won the gavel on the first vote, has devolved into a bitter Republican Party feud and deepening potential crisis.

McCarthy is under growing pressure from restless Republicans, and Democrats, to find the votes he needs or step aside, so the House can open fully and get on with the business of governing. His right-flank detractors appear intent on waiting him out, as long as it takes.

“No deal yet,” McCarthy said late Wednesday before the House abruptly adjourned. “But a lot of progress.”

The House, which is one-half of Congress, is essentially at a standstill as McCarthy has failed, one vote after another, to win the speaker’s gavel in a grueling spectacle for all the world to see. The ballots have produced almost the same outcome, 20 conservative holdouts still refusing to support him and leaving him far short of the 218 typically needed to win the gavel.

Hub peek embed (apf-politics) – Compressed layout (automatic embed)

In fact, McCarthy saw his support slipping to 201, as one fellow Republican switched to vote simply present.

“I think people need to work a little more,” McCarthy said Wednesday as they prepared to adjourn for the night. “I don’t think a vote tonight would make any difference. But a vote in the future could.”

When the House resumes at noon Thursday it could be a long day. The new Republican majority was not expected to be in session on Friday, which is the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. A prolonged and divisive speaker’s fight would almost certainly underscore the fragility of American democracy after the attempted insurrection two years ago.

“All who serve in the House share a responsibility to bring dignity to this body,” California Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker, said in a tweet.

Pelosi also said the Republicans’ “cavalier attitude in electing a Speaker is frivolous, disrespectful and unworthy of this institution. We must open the House and proceed with the People’s work.”

Some Republicans appear to be growing uneasy with way the House Republicans have taken charge after the midterm election only to see the chamber upended over the speaker’s race in their first days in the new majority.

Colorado Republican Ken Buck said he did not encourage McCarthy to step aside. “I told him he needs to figure out how to make a deal to move forward,” he said.

The California Republican, however, vowed to fight to the finish for the speaker’s job in a battle that had thrown the new majority into tumult for the first days of the new Congress.

The right-flank conservatives, led by the Freedom Caucus and aligned with former President Donald Trump, appeared emboldened by the standoff — even though Trump publicly backed McCarthy,

“This is actually an invigorating day for America,” said Florida Republican Byron Donalds, who was nominated three times by his conservative colleagues as an alternative. “There’s a lot of members in the chamber who want to have serious conversations about how we can bring this all to a close and elect a speaker.”

The disorganized start to the new Congress pointed to difficulties ahead with Republicans now in control of the House, much the way that some past Republican speakers, including John Boehner, had trouble leading a rebellious right flank. The result: government shutdowns, standoffs and Boehner’s early retirement.

A new generation of conservative Republicans, many aligned with Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda, want to upend business as usual in Washington, and were committed to stopping McCarthy’s rise without concessions to their priorities.

But even Trump’s strongest supporters disagreed on this issue. Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert, who nominated Donalds the second time, called on the former president to tell McCarthy, “Sir, you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw.’”

By McCarthy’s own calculation, he needs to flip about a dozen Republicans who have so far withheld their backing as he presses on for the job he has long wanted.

To win support, McCarthy has already agreed to many of the demands of Freedom Caucus members, who have been agitating for rules changes and other concessions that give rank-and-file members more influence.

And a McCarthy-aligned campaign group, the Conservative Leadership Fund, offered another concession, saying it would no longer spend money on elections “in any open-seat primaries in safe Republican districts.” The far-right lawmakers have complained that their preferred candidates for the House were being treated unfairly as the campaign fund put its resources elsewhere.

Pennsylvania Republican Scott Perry, the chairman of the Freedom Caucus, said the latest round of talks was “productive.”

“I am open to whatever will give me the power to defend my constituents against this godforsaken city,” said Texas Republican Chip Roy, another member of the conservative group.

But those opposing McCarthy do not all have the same complaints, and he may never be able to win over some of them.

“I’m ready to vote all night, all week, all month and never for that person,” said Florida Republican Matt Gaetz.

Such staunch opposition carried echoes of McCarthy’s earlier bid for the job, when he dropped out of the speaker’s race in 2015 because he could not win over conservatives.

“We have no exit strategy,” South Carolina Republican Ralph Norman said.

“There’s nothing he can give me or any of our members that’s going to be a magic pill,” Norman said. “We’re here to vet a speaker. Vet the person third in line for the presidency and that’s a good thing.”

Not since 1923 had a speaker’s election gone to multiple ballots. The longest fight for the gavel started in late 1855 and dragged on for two months, with 133 ballots, during debates over slavery in the run-up to the Civil War.

Democrats enthusiastically nominated and renominated their House leader, Hakeem Jeffries, on all six ballots for speaker over the first two days. He repeatedly won the most votes overall, 212.

If McCarthy could win 213 votes, and then persuade the remaining naysayers to simply vote present, he would be able to lower the threshold required under the rules to have the majority.

It’s a strategy former House speakers, including Pelosi and Boehner, had used when they confronted opposition, winning with fewer than 218 votes.

One Republican, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, voted present on Wednesday’s rounds, but it only ended up lowering McCarthy’s total.

___

AP writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

 

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Biden and McConnell show off their bipartisan bonafides in Kentucky



CNN
 — 

A rare scene unfolded Wednesday in Covington, Kentucky: President Joe Biden stood alongside Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, as the two men promoted a major bipartisan legislative accomplishment they achieved together.

The president’s visit to McConnell’s home state to herald the implementation of the massive $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that McConnell and 18 other Senate Republicans voted for, and that Biden signed into law in 2021, marked his first domestic trip of the new year. The trip was aimed at sending an unmistakable message as Biden kicks off the second half of his first term: Even in a newly divided Congress, the Biden White House still sees room for bipartisanship.

Biden thanked McConnell for working across the aisle on the law.

“It wouldn’t have happened without your hand. It just wouldn’t have gotten done and I want to thank you for that,” Biden said to McConnell during his remarks.

He added that while he and McConnell don’t agree on a lot, the Kentucky Republican is someone you can trust.

“He’s a man of his word. When he gives you his word, you can take it to the bank, you can count on it, and he’s willing to find common ground to get things done for the country. So thank you, Mitch. Thank you,” Biden said.

The scene was a stark message of bipartisanship and pragmatism sent by Biden and McConnell as the two old Senate colleagues came together at the same time that House Republicans found themselves falling further into divisive chaos over Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become speaker. As Biden spoke in Covington, McCarthy suffered a fourth defeat in his push to lead the House of Representatives.

joe biden brent spence bridge RESTRICTED 010423

Joshua A. Bickel/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The backdrop for Biden’s visit was the Brent Spence Bridge that connects Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, and is known to be one of the busiest freight routes in the country. Officials say the structure carries far more traffic than it is meant to support.

It’s also a bridge that Biden once promised he would overhaul: “We’re going to fix that damn bridge of yours going into Kentucky,” Biden said during a CNN town hall in Cincinnati in the summer of 2021, as the infrastructure bill appeared to be on the cusp of passage.

On Wednesday, the White House announced more than $2 billion from the infrastructure law would go towards upgrading the Brent Spence bridge and other “economically significant bridges” around the country.

Biden’s trip to the Ohio-Kentucky border on Wednesday will also feature Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and former Republican Sen. Rob Portman, as well as Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio.

White House officials say that the show of bipartisanship is aimed at sending a clear signal that as Republicans take control of the House, Biden remains convinced that there will still be opportunities for bipartisan legislative wins.

The White House made it clear on Wednesday that they had no intention of getting involved in the drama playing out in the House. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling with the president that the Biden administration is “going to let the process play out.”

“It’s not my problem. I think it’s embarrassing the way it’s taking so long,” the president told reporters as he departed the White House Wednesday.

McConnell’s decision to appear with Biden on Wednesday also signals the GOP leader’s willingness to work alongside the president, even as many of his Republican colleagues in the House take a hardline stance against compromising with Democrats.

While White House officials regularly invite all congressional members to attend events Biden holds in their home states, Republicans frequently turn down the opportunity – making McConnell’s decision to join the president this week all the more notable.

Biden himself sought to downplay the importance of the pairing on Monday.

“We’ve been friends a long time. Everybody is talking about how significant it is. It has nothing to do about our relationship,” he said as he returned to the White House from his winter vacation in St. Croix. “It’s a giant bridge, man. It’s a lot of money. It’s important.”

McConnell, during his remarks ahead of the president, noted how the infrastructure law is an example of government working to solve problems for everyday Americans.

“If you look at the political alignment of everyone involved, it’s the government is working together to solve a major problem at a time when the country needs to see examples like this, of coming together and getting an outcome,” McConnell said.

A number of Cabinet officials also plan to travel later this week to promote the infrastructure law. Vice President Kamala Harris will stop in Chicago, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit New London, Connecticut, on Wednesday where they will each “discuss how the president’s economic plan is rebuilding our infrastructure, creating good-paying jobs – jobs that don’t require a four-year degree – and revitalizing communities left behind,” a White House official said.

Over the coming weeks, Biden is expected to reiterate his bipartisan achievements in stops around the country as the Republican majority in the House begins its work, culminating in his yearly State of the Union address. Biden’s aides have begun work on that speech and have made bipartisanship a central theme.

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NFL balances emotions, tight schedule after Hamlin shock

The NFL pushed ahead Tuesday with a difficult balancing act, navigating players’ emotions after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin’s shocking cardiac arrest with a tight playoff schedule and emphasizing Hamlin’s health was its main focus.

The league informed the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals that their game, suspended Monday night, would not be resumed this week while the Week 18 schedule remained unchanged, for now.

No decision regarding the possible resumption of the pivotal Bills-Bengals game has been made. The game was suspended in the first quarter when Hamlin suffered the cardiac arrest after making a tackle.

The 24-year-old Hamlin remained in critical condition a day after the Bills said his heart stopped following the seemingly routine play. Hamlin tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, who led with his shoulder, then briefly got up before collapsing.

Medical staff restored his heartbeat during frantic moments on the field before he was loaded into an ambulance. Players from both teams were crying and praying during an emotional scene in front of a national television audience.

“Damar experienced cardiac arrest and was promptly resuscitated by on-site club physicians and independent medical personnel, all of whom are highly trained in implementing the plans for medical emergencies,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a letter sent to all teams, and obtained by The Associated Press. “Damar was stabilized and transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, a Level One trauma center, where he remains in the ICU.”

Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, told CNN and other outlets that Hamlin had to have his heart re-started twice — once on the field, and again after he arrived at the hospital. He said there were some encouraging signs for his nephew on Tuesday, such as doctors lowering the level of oxygen Hamlin needs from 100% to 50%.

Goodell informed the clubs that Dr. Nyaka NiiLampti had sent each team’s clinician and head of player engagement information about mental health and support resources available to players and staff.

“Additional resources including on-site services can be available for any club that wishes this assistance,” Goodell said.

Goodell told teams they would be promptly advised of any changes to this weekend’s schedule.

Several teams canceled media availabilities, including the New England Patriots. They are scheduled to face the Bills on Sunday.

The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars practiced ahead of their game to determine the AFC South champion on Saturday night.

“Oh, I don’t have no hesitation,” Titans two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said about playing. “But me personally, it’s one of them things when you get shook up.”

Simmons said his 15-year-old cousin, Jason “JJ” Hatcher, died Dec. 18 from a heart issue during a football practice. The teen, who was a sophomore at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, is the son of former 10-year NFL veteran defensive end Jason Hatcher, who spent the last eight seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys.

Simmons received a call informing him of his cousin’s death before the Titans played a late afternoon game in Los Angeles, a 17-14 loss to the Chargers.

“We just can’t take this game for granted because you never know,” Simmons said. “Sometimes we just get sidetracked. … But the real reason why we play this game and sometimes we forget that, … we’re playing for each other. We’re playing for our family. And most of all, just playing for ourselves because it’s all we’ve been knowing all our whole life.”

“And I’m sure that young man, it’s all he knew his whole life,” Simmons said of Hamlin. “You just never know when your last night may be. So there’s just one thing you just can’t take for granted. And I’m praying for him and his family.”

Titans coach Mike Vrabel and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said they hadn’t had any discussions with the league about postponing this week’s games.

Aaron Rodgers, the reigning two-time NFL MVP, said he was “shook up.”

“Your football mortality just comes right face to face. One of your brothers in the fraternity of the NFL is fighting for his life right now,” the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback said on his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube and SiriusXM.

“I’ve been part of a few games where they’ve carted guys off and we’ve had players with neck injuries. It shakes you to the core. That’s injuries where they’re awake and alert, and many of them give thumbs up or what not, and it still shakes you. It’s like 10-, sometimes 15-minute delays on the field and, ‘All right, go back out and play,’ even though your buddy might not ever play again and we’re hoping he can walk. It’s a weird feeling.”

“In this situation, this is unprecedented, definitely in my time. … I’ve never seen something where a player had to be given CPR on the field and supposedly didn’t have a pulse.” Rodgers said. “I thought, ‘There’s no way. They’re going to go back in the locker room and then come out and play. What? That can’t happen.’”

The NFL disputed a television report that both teams were told to resume play after a five-minute warmup. “It never crossed our mind to talk about warming up to resume play,” league executive Troy Vincent said.

The Kansas City Chiefs practiced Tuesday for their Saturday afternoon game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs (13-3) are battling with the Bills (12-3) and Bengals (11-4) for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Thus, the outcome of the Bills-Bengals game has major playoff implications. The Bills entered the game in the top spot while the Bengals had a chance to clinch the AFC North with a victory and also were in the mix for the No. 1 seed along with Kansas City.

The Bengals led 7-3 in the first quarter when the game was stopped. The NFL is scheduled to begin playoffs on Jan. 14. The No. 1 seed in each conference gets a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

It’s uncertain how the league will handle seedings if the Bills-Bengals game isn’t concluded. The NFL could push the start of the playoffs back one week and eliminate the extra week in between the conference championship games and Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl Games are scheduled for Feb. 5.

NFL teams changed their avatars on Twitter to a blue Bills background with Hamlin’s No. 3 and the words: “Pray for Damar.”

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AP Pro Football Writers Teresa Walker and Mark Long and AP Sports Writers John Wawrow, Steve Megargee and Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


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Bank of America’s top 2023 picks include an under-the-radar tech stock

US Top News and Analysis 

Investors looking for somewhere to park their money in the new year may want to consider these top stock picks, according to Bank of America. The bank outlined 11 of its favorite names for 2023 in a note to clients Wednesday. Don’t be surprised if challenges linger in the new year as the Federal Reserve hikes rates, inflation persists and recession concerns mount. Some names, however, may be better positioned to ride out the volatility, according to the Wall Street firm. “Given our house view that 2023 could be a tale of two halves — a recession and a recovery — stocks may fare differently in these two periods, and we note recession and recovery beneficiaries below,” wrote Savita Subramanian, head of U.S. equity and quantitative strategy. As uncertainty lingers, here are some of the names Bank of America recommends: One under-the-radar pick is Analog Devices , a semiconductor stock that sold off about 7% in 2022. Bank of America views shares as a beneficiary of labor automation, trading at a 20% discount to the rest of the sector. The consensus price target on the stock also implies nearly 20% upside from Tuesday’s close. Another 2023 name to buy is health-care stock Humana , which outperformed in 2022 as investors flocked toward safe-haven sectors. Shares rallied more than 10% and analysts expect that to continue as a recession looms. The bank also recommends the stock as a play in the first quarter . Energy posted a record run in 2022 as oil prices gained, finishing in positive territory while other S & P 500 sectors faltered. One of those outperformers was Exxon Mobil . Shares surged 80% and Bank of America expects more upside ahead given its attractive dividend yield of 3.4%, strong cash flows and high beta. Shares of insurer Arch Capital Group rallied more than 41% last year, but Bank of America expects the stock will benefit from falling interest rate volatility in the new year. With a likely recession on the horizon, Walmart should also benefit from consumers trading down to less expensive products, according to Bank of America. Tractor Supply is another stock the investment bank is betting on in 2023. It touted the company’s strong balance sheet, domestic focus and potential for dividend growth, among other factors. — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed reporting

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Between battles, Ukraine’s soldiers have a place to recover

Top News: US & International Top News Stories Today | AP News 

Ukrainian soldiers undergo laser therapy at a rehabilitation center in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. The relentless 10-month war has prompted a local commander to transform an old soviet-era sanatorium into a recovery center for servicemen to treat both mental and physical ailments. (AP Photo/Vasilisa Stepanenko)

A Ukrainian commander has transformed an old Soviet-era sanatorium into a recovery center for servicemen. (Jan. 5) (AP video/Vasilisa Stepanenko)

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — Sitting on comfy armchairs in a low-lit room smelling of lavender and pine trees, the men take deep breaths as they close their eyes and listen to meditation music.

But this is not a spa. Uniformed Ukrainian soldiers are taking a break at this rehabilitation center in the Kharkiv region to restore their bodies and minds before going back to the front line.

The relentless 10-month war has prompted a local commander to transform a Soviet-era sanatorium into a recovery center for servicemen to treat both mental and physical ailments.

“This rehabilitation is helping soldiers, at least for a week, to put themselves together,” said Oleksander Vasylkovskyi, a lieutenant colonel in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Vasylkovskyi remembers how soldiers suffered silently after returning home from fighting Russia in Ukraine’s Donbas in 2014. Suicide rates among veterans increased in the following years, with many untreated cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. He hopes a center like this can raise awareness of the need for mental health care and prevent suicides in the future.

Here, soldiers are offered a variety of treatments: aquatic therapy in a hot pool to heal muscle aches; red light therapy to improve heart and blood circulation, a salt room for better breathing; and for those having nightmares, electrosleep therapy — a Soviet-era low-frequency electrotherapy that is said to relax the nervous system and induce sleep.

Psychologists are also available, not just for the soldiers but also for their families dealing with the traumas of war.

The servicemen also undergo medical checks, explained Vasylkovskyi. “It’s the most important thing because a person develops several illnesses from the stress of fighting.”

Hub peek embed (RussiaUkrainewar) – Compressed layout

In addition to the psychological scars of war, soldiers also come here to treat meningitis, contusions, amputations, lung and nerve inflammations, sleeping disorders, skin diseases, and cardiovascular illnesses, among others.

“If someone has trauma and cannot walk, my department will put them back on their feet,” said Artem a physical therapist working at the center who cannot reveal his last name for security reasons.

More than 2,000 soldiers have been treated here since the center opened in June. It receives support from international partners in Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Poland, the U.S. and Spain. The cost of one day of rehabilitation for one soldier is around 20 euros, according to Vasylkovskyi. But more funding is still needed, he said, “because (the war) is not over.”

Viktor, whose last name cannot be published for security reasons, worked as a miner before joining the army. He took part in the military operation that pushed Russian occupying forces out of the Kharkiv region.

For months, he slept in muddy, cold trenches. “We worked in conditions that were bad for our health. It’s bad, it’s damp, it’s wet,” Viktor explained as he sat in a room where the walls and floors are covered in thick salt to clear his damaged lungs. “We have back pain, leg pain, we carry heavy equipment,” he added.

Four days into the rehabilitation center he was feeling reenergized. ”I’m already determined to go further, continue my work, destroy the enemy, and bring us each day closer to victory,” Viktor said.

But perhaps the most appealing aspect of this rehabilitation center isn’t the therapy but the ability to bring one’s family along for a couple of days.

Maksym, who, like Viktor, cannot reveal his last name for security reasons, hadn’t seen his wife and son in five months. One of the hardest parts of this war, he said, is when “you can’t connect and speak to your loved ones.” He was relieved they could join him for a few days at the rehabilitation center and relax together. Without official vacations, this is the only way that many soldiers can get proper rest.

“I can see that men are returning to the unit after a week, rested and gaining more strength. And the thoughts that they had before go away,” Maksym said. Some of those haunting thoughts are the memories of friends who died on the battlefield.

Asked how many comrades he had lost, Maksym lowered his eyes and answered bluntly: “Too many.”

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

 

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