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Browns’ Deshaun Watson throws 3 touchdowns to wipe out Commanders on the road

January 1, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Fans booed Carson Wentz and chanted for Taylor Heinicke to no avail while it was becoming abundantly clear Ron Rivera’s quarterback change backfired on the Washington Commanders.

It snowballed so badly, it turned into another loss for a team once in control of its playoff chances.

Wentz threw three interceptions after getting the starting job back, defensive miscues added up and the Commanders’ postseason odds took a major hit with an embarrassing 24-10 defeat Sunday to the Cleveland Browns, who had nothing to play for.

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Washington (7-8-1) is winless in five games and would be eliminated if Green Bay beats Minnesota.

“I have high expectations for myself and this team, and we underperformed — I did, myself, as well,” said Wentz, who was 16 of 28 for 143 yards. “That’s not what I had in mind and what we had in mind as a team. Not the performance I envisioned. A lot of stuff I want back. Yeah, that was a tough one.”

COMMANDERS’ CARSON WENTZ FACES BOOS AS HE THROWS TWO INTERCEPTIONS IN FIRST HALF

The offense gained just 261 yards — 96 on Washington’s only touchdown drive — not exactly the spark Rivera was hoping for when he went back to Wentz. Fans making up the sparse crowd booed and chanted early on for Heinicke multiple times after Wentz missed open receivers or lobbed the ball into the hands of a Cleveland defender.

“I tried to be aggressive, tried to force a couple throws early, obviously, and kind of put us in a hole,” said Wentz, who similarly melted down with Indianapolis at this point last season when the Colts needed to win to get into the playoffs. “Then the rest of the way just didn’t make enough plays personally, as a team — the whole nine yards. I’m definitely kicking myself over some.”

Fans chanting, “Heinicke! Heinicke!” did not get their wish: Wentz remained in the game and struggled to move the ball beyond handing it to rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr., who rushed for 87 yards on 24 carries. Rivera said he contemplating going to Heinicke but decided against it once his team fell behind by 14 and he knew some downfield throws would be necessary.

“Yeah, I thought we might (see Heinicke) just because he was available and the other quarterback was struggling a little bit, but they stuck with him,” said Browns safety Grant Delpit, who had two of the interceptions. “We had a good game plan for him, and it worked out.”

The Commanders’ fourth-ranked defense allowed a handful of big plays, including a 46-yard pass from Deshaun Watson to Amari Cooper that became a touchdown when top cornerback Kendall Fuller missed an open-field tackle.

LEBRON JAMES STUNS FANS WITH SUPPORTIVE DESHAUN WATSON TWEET AFTER SEX ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST BROWNS QB

“We missed a couple of tackles,” Rivera said. “We missed a couple of them completely. You can’t miss tackles on good players.”

Watson also connected with Cooper on a 33-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter that sent fans to the exits.

The Browns (7-9) were already out of the race in the AFC but made good on tight end David Njoku’s expectation they’d “give the Commanders hell.” Cooper had three catches for 105 yards, Nick Chubb ran 14 times for 104 yards and Watson finished 9 of 18 for 169 yards and the TD passes to Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones.

“That was definitely the potential of what the future can hold,” Watson said.

A Colorado backcountry skier freed himself after an avalanche and tried to save his son. After a two hour search, his son was found dead.

January 1, 2023 Published by [email protected] (Kelsey Neubauer)

Business Insider

A rescue team dog, like this one, found the skier over two hours after the avalanche occurred.

AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

A father and son went skiing in Breckenridge, CO Saturday and got caught in an avalanche.
The father was able to free himself and called 911, but his son was found dead two hours later.
Deadly avalanches are becoming more common as a result of climate change.

A father was unable to help rescue his son after the two were swept up in an avalanche while skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado.

The two had been backcountry skiing at some 11,600 feet, when, at 1 p.m., packed snow cascaded down the side of the mountain, partially burying the father and fully burying the son, according to a Colorado Avalanche Information Center report released Sunday.

The father was able to free himself and searched for his son to no avail. He moved to find cell service and called 911, but his son was found dead by a rescue dog at 3 p.m. after authorities arrived, the report stated.

The site of the avalanche.

Colorado Avalanche Information Center

The two skiers’ names were not publically released, but the Denver Post identified them as father and son.

The son was one of two to die this season in an avalanche, according to the information center.

Deadly avalanche accidents in Colorado are bound to become more common in the changing climate, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center Ethan Greene told CBS in November, because there is greater fluctuation in temperature throughout the ski season, so there are more “rain-on-snow” events even during the coldest months of the year, making avalanches more likely.

While avalanches used to be common for a specific and narrow period of time each year, they are now happening throughout the season, according to CBS’ report.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Colorado library closes after ‘troubling’ discovery of meth in the air ducts

January 1, 2023 Published by [email protected] (Morgan McFall-Johnsen)

Business Insider

People look at literature for sale at the Boulder Public Library.

Jeremy Papasso/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images

A Boulder, Colorado library closed after testing revealed meth contamination in the bathrooms.
After a spike in reports of people smoking in the bathrooms, several employees got sick.
The contaminated areas require professional clean-up and the bathrooms may never reopen, the city said.

A public library in Boulder, Colorado closed after testing revealed methamphetamine contamination in bathrooms and seating areas.

The library first closed on December 20, 2022. In a Wednesday update, the City of Boulder said that further testing had identified “nearly all” the contamination was on the surfaces and in the air ducts of public-facing bathrooms. Meth was also found in some high-traffic seating areas, according to the statement.

The city said these areas would require professional clean-up, and the furniture in the seating areas may be replaced with something that can be cleaned regularly.

“It is not yet clear if, and when, public restrooms will be brought back,” the update said.

The library building could reopen on Tuesday at the earliest.

“This is truly a sad situation and represents the impact of a widespread epidemic in our country,” David Farnan, the city’s library director, said in a statement.

Crystal Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth).

REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski/File Photo

The city first ordered testing after a spike in reports of people smoking in the library’s public restrooms, and two incidents where employees reported symptoms consistent with exposure to meth. Medical staff evaluated and cleared those employees, Farnan said.

Symptoms of meth exposure include nausea, vomiting, headaches, confusion, and respiratory irritation.

“Meth contamination is not primarily transmitted through air. The issue is the residue on surfaces that individuals can come into direct contact with, through touch, and then transmit on their skin and clothing to other surfaces,” the update said.

According to the city, risk of serious health effects from one-off exposures is low.

“Nonetheless, the results in the impacted areas are troubling,” the update said.

The city said it was awaiting a full report and results from the contractor it hired for environmental testing. With that information, the city said it would confer with its health department to plan clean-up and reopening, and release the results within a week.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Saints take down Jalen Hurts-less Eagles, makes NFC East race interesting

January 1, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Jalen Hurts held a clipboard, wore a headset and paced the sideline with the same the look of consternation on his face as furious Philly fans in the stands as their stress tightened in another Eagles loss without the franchise quarterback.

Hurts and the Eagles didn’t like what they saw — and now, fully healthy or not, the banged-up, show-stopping QB might have to come to the rescue with everything he helped build on the brink of unraveling with one game left in the season.

“If Jalen’s able to go,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, “he’ll go.”

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That’s bit of a reason to exhale after the Eagles lost their second straight without Hurts, putting their hopes of securing the NFC’s top seed in jeopardy. Marshon Lattimore returned an interception 11 yards for a late touchdown, and the New Orleans Saints beat Philadelphia 20-10 on Sunday.

The Eagles need to beat the New York Giants next week to secure the top seed. A loss by Philly and a win by Dallas would give the Cowboys the NFC East title. Hurts is recuperating from a sprained right shoulder.

“His health is the No. 1 priority,” Sirianni said.

The Giants can rest their starters after clinching a playoff berth with a 38-10 win over Indianapolis. The Eagles can’t rest easy at the thought of a third straight start by backup QB Gardner Minshew.

EAGLES’ JOSH SWEAT PUT ON STRETCHER, CARTED OFF FIELD AFTER TACKLE ATTEMPT VS SAINTS

“We have everything we ever wanted in front of us,” Minshew said.

And yes, that’s true. But their prospects of beating the Giants — or doing anything in the playoffs — are cloudy without Hurts.

“I’m not anybody that’s ever going to hit a panic button,” Sirianni said.

But in Hurts’ case, how about breaking some glass in case of emergency?

The Saints (7-9) won their third straight game as they remain in contention for a playoff spot down to the final weeks under first-year coach Dennis Allen. Taysom Hill had a 1-yard TD run in New Orleans’ surprising first half.

“We found a way to close them out the last three weeks,” Allen said. “That’s been good to see. That’s the kind of team I think we can be.”

Andy Dalton, who threw for 204 yards, completed his first 13 passes, including a 58-yard reception by Rashid Shaheed. That play set up one of two field goals by Wil Lutz in the first half that gave the Saints a 13-0 lead.

Minshew had a pass intercepted by Lattimore, who had missed 10 straight games with an abdominal injury, late in the fourth. The backup QB finished 18 of 32 passing for 274 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his second straight start and showed no signs he could ably lead the Eagles on a postseason run should Hurts get hurt again.

Minshew connected with A.J. Brown for a 78-yard touchdown late in the third that made it 13-10 and temporarily woke up the crowd — which had voraciously booed the Eagles most of the game — and an inept offense. But Minshew failed to convert on a fourth-down dive late in the fourth that cost his team as much as his late pick.

EAGLES LOSE PRO BOWLER LANE JOHNSON FOR RESTE OF REGULAR SEASON; TEAM HOPEFUL FOR POSTSEASON RETURN: REPORT

The Eagles were shut out in the first half for the first time this season.

“We just played terrible. That’s that,” wide receiver DeVonta Smith said.

The Eagles hadn’t allowed more than four sacks in a game this season but — playing without injured right tackle Lane Johnson — allowed five in the first half. The Eagles didn’t convert a first down until there were 12 seconds left in the half.

Even the play-calling was questionable. Instead of trying to help their backup QB by leaning a bit more on 1,000-yard rusher Miles Sanders, the Eagles gave him only two carries in the half.

Hurts seemingly solidified his MVP credentials without taking a snap. He most likely won’t win the award now, but the Eagles are significantly worse without the QB who tied a franchise record with 35 total touchdowns.

Eagles fans booed the team off the field and suddenly a team that expected to play two home games in the postseason is just trying to get there with its confidence intact.

Jake Elliott kicked a 56-yard field goal for the Eagles.

“We never panicked or stressed or pressed,” Minshew said. “We just couldn’t make it happen.”

And the chances they can make it happen — that Super Bowl run that was in their grasp just three weeks ago — may be nonexistent without Hurts.

Prolonged fighting in Ukraine is revealing the Russian air force’s fragility, researchers say

January 1, 2023 Published by [email protected] (Michael Peck)

Business Insider

A Russian Su-25 at its base after being struck by a man-portable air-defense missile over Ukraine in March 2022.

Russian Ministry of Defense

Russia’s air force has struggled in combat over Ukraine
It entered the war lacking fully trained pilots and used the ones it has poorly, a British think tank says.
Other decisions by Russian commanders are setting the air force up for future problems.

The Russian air force lacks fully trained pilots and has made poor use of the few good pilots that it has, according to a report by the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank.

“Ukrainian assessments concluded that given limited flight hours and the practice of training being delivered in units, the VKS entered the conflict with fewer than 100 fully trained and current pilots,” the report said, referring to the Russian air force by its initials.

But Moscow is doing something even more dangerous for the long-term health of Russian airpower. It is committing instructor pilots to battle, which means that pilots being trained now and in the future will have fewer experienced mentors.

A Russian pilot at the Army 2022 forum near Moscow in August.

avel Pavlov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

“The mobilization of trainers from their flying schools to frontline formations has also hampered the ability to generate new pilots,” according to the report, which covers events between February and July. “The Ukrainian military has noted a rise in both very young and very old pilots in the VKS, with ageing pilots returned to frontline service.”

It is normal practice in many air forces for experienced pilots to be rotated from frontline duties to training units, where they can pass expertise to rookies. One reason Nazi Germany lost World War II was because a desperate Luftwaffe committed its instructor pilots to combat operations, which led to a progressive decline in pilot quality.

Russia, too, is relentlessly committing its experienced pilots to combat.

“With a military culture that assigns the most dangerous missions to the most experienced crews, attrition in the VKS has fallen disproportionately on this cadre, reducing the overall effectiveness of the force and its ability to train new pilots,” the RUSI report says.

That’s one reason Moscow has sought the return of veteran pilots in negotiations over prisoner exchanges with Ukraine.

The tail of a downed Russian Su-25 attack jet on display in Kyiv in May.

Aleksandr Gusev/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

It is possible for an air force to have well-trained pilots but otherwise be hobbled by obsolete aircraft or lack of spare parts. However, an air force that lacks qualified pilots is likely to have other problems.

Sure enough, the RUSI report pointed to issues with Russian ground crews. Among the most glaring was a failure to remove covers from aircraft sensors prior to combat operations over Ukraine — “an easily avoided mistake which has a severe impact on effectiveness and should be considered negligence. This suggests challenges in discipline and junior leadership among maintenance crews in the VKS,” the report says.

Another sign of poor discipline is the habit of stacking munitions next to aircraft parked at Russian air bases. With Ukraine now using drones to strike airfields hundreds of miles inside Russia, the failure to store ammunition safely could mean the loss of more precious aircraft and pilots.

How badly are all these problems undercutting Russian airpower? RUSI believes they have “corresponded with a significant reduction in the scale and complexity of VKS air operations over Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict.”

An Su-57 fighter jet takes off the 15th MAKS air show in Russia in July 2021.

Mihail Siergiejevicz/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Still more ominous are the implications for future Russian air operations over Ukraine. With a peace treaty or ceasefire appearing unlikely in the near future, the war could drag on for years, which may mean Russia will wage a protracted air campaign.

Long air campaigns – including the Battle of Britain, the Allied bomber offensive over Germany, and the US bombing of North Vietnam – required careful management to avoid wearing out aircraft and aircrews.

Russia needs to maintain a flow of properly trained pilots, as well as competent and disciplined ground crews. If it squanders its pool of veteran pilots for short-term gains, the skies of Ukraine will become even more unfriendly for Russian airpower.

Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds a master’s in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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California crews rescue family from SUV engulfed by raging floodwaters

January 1, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

San Bernardino County, California fire crews rescued a family of three from an SUV that was engulfed by floodwaters during a storm on Sunday.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department said crews responded to a swift water rescue near Forest Service Road 1N33 and South Lytle Creek Road in Lytle Creek at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday after reports of a vehicle stuck in floodwaters with three people inside.

When crews arrived, they found the occupied vehicle in fast moving waters that were several feet deep, which prevented the SUV from driving to a place of safety so the three people inside could get out.

HEAVY RAIN SLAMS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, LEADING TO WIDESPREAD ROAD CLOSURES AND EVACUATION ORDERS

Crew members who were trained in swift water rescues set up for the operation using specialized equipment before entering the waters and saving two adults and a child.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the department said the patients were tended to by paramedics. All three were uninjured, the statement said, and declined transportation to a nearby hospital.

WET WEATHER IN CALIFORNIA FLOODS ROADS, LEADS TO LANDSLIDES AND OUTAGES

The department also said none of the firefighters were injured in the rescue.

“Heavy rainfall can cause normally dry washes and riverbeds to become raging torrents in a very short amount of time and it only takes as little as 12 inches of moving water to move a vehicle,” San Bernardino County Fire Department officials said. “Never cross a road that you can’t see due to it being covered by water, remember, ‘Turn Around, Don’t Drown.’”

Ukraine reports more Russian drone attacks

January 1, 2023 Published by

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

Local residents carry their belongings as they leave their home ruined in the Saturday Russian rocket attack in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia deployed multiple drones overnight to attack parts of Ukraine and dozens were shot down, Ukrainian officials said Monday, in a series of relentless attacks through the weekend that killed three civilians on New Year’s Eve.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that 40 drones “headed for Kyiv” overnight, according to air defense forces, and all of them were destroyed.

Klitschko said 22 drones were destroyed over Kyiv, three in the outlying Kyiv region and 15 over neighboring provinces.

Energy infrastructure facilities were damaged as the result of the attack and an explosion occurred in one city district, the mayor said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that was caused by drones or other munitions. A wounded 19-year-old man was hospitalized, Klitschko added, and emergency power outages were underway in the capital.

In the outlying Kyiv region a “critical infrastructure object” and residential buildings were hit, Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba said.

Seven drones were shot down over the southern Mykolaiv region, according to Gov. Vitali Kim, and three more were shot down in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a missile was also destroyed, according to Reznichenko. He said that energy infrastructure in the region was being targeted.

Hub peek embed (Russia-Ukraine) – Compressed layout (automatic embed)

Ukraine’s Air Force Command reported Monday that 39 Iranian-made exploding Shahed drones were shot down overnight, as well as two Russian-made Orlan drones and a X-59 missile across Ukraine.

A blistering New Year’s Eve assault killed at least four civilians across the country, Ukrainian authorities reported, and wounded dozens. The fourth victim, a 46-year-old resident of Kyiv, died in a hospital on Monday morning, Klitschko said.

Multiple blasts rocked the capital and other areas of Ukraine on Saturday and through the night. The strikes came 36 hours after widespread missile attacks Russia launched Thursday to damage energy infrastructure facilities, and the unusually quick follow-up alarmed Ukrainian officials.

Russia has carried out airstrikes on Ukrainian power and water supplies almost weekly since October, increasing the suffering of Ukrainians, while its ground forces struggle to hold ground and advance.

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an energy facility in the Bryansk region that borders with Ukraine, Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz reported on Monday morning. A village was left without power as a result, he said.

___

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

Now live: Earn 5% back at Target, supermarkets and gyms this quarter (Chase Freedom/Freedom Flex)

January 1, 2023 Published by Madison Blancaflor

The Points Guy

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

2023 is here, and Chase is kicking off the new year with a bang. For the first quarter, Chase Freedom (no longer available to new applicants) and Chase Freedom Flex℠ cardholders can celebrate with the return of bonus category favorites grocery stores and gym memberships as well as a brand-new Target category.

Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders can now activate and earn 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) on the Q1 bonus categories. The bonus-earning Q1 window is now open and runs through March 31, 2023.

After activation, cardmembers can earn 5% back (or 5 points per dollar spent) on up to $1,500 of spending in these categories during the eligible quarter, and 1% (or 1 point per dollar spent) after that.

As we enter this new year, many of us are making resolutions related to improving our physical and financial health. With these Q1 categories, cardholders will be rewarded for their new (or continuing) gym memberships as well as the grocery shopping for cooking more at home.

And for the first time, cardholders will also be rewarded for their Target purchases. No matter what resolutions you’re spending to achieve, you can earn bonus rewards with your Freedom or Freedom Flex card.

Here’s how it all works.

Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex Q1 2023 categories

Now through March 31, Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex cardmembers can earn 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) on spending in the following categories:

Grocery stores.
Fitness club and gym memberships.
Target.

As noted above, you must activate your card to unlock the bonus-earning potential in these categories.

JOHN GRIBBEN/THE POINTS GUY

It’s simple to complete this process online through your Chase account — with your last name, last four digits of your card and ZIP code. Registration is open now.

Analyzing the Q1 bonus categories

Whether you’re looking to make a big gym membership purchase to push you toward your health goals or just want to maximize your daily spending, these categories make it easy for you to earn rewards on your goals in Q1.

Here are the bonus details:

Target: A new quarterly category for Chase Freedom, Target offers the opportunity to save on everything from clothing and home goods to electronics and toys.
Grocery stores (excluding Walmart): Cardmembers can earn cash back on purchases for cooking and dining at home. Additionally, cardmembers can earn 5% cash back on Instacart purchases (grocery store deliveries only) when activated through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Fitness Club and Gym Memberships: For those who’ve set a 2023 fitness goal, earning cash back on fitness club and gym memberships can help cardmembers make healthy choices for themselves and their wallets.

Note that Chase limits the 5% back (or 5 points per dollar) to the first $1,500 spent in combined bonus categories each quarter you activate the bonus. After you reach the maximum, you’ll earn 1% back on these purchases.

Frequently asked questions about Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex bonus categories

How do rotating categories work?

Each quarter, Chase announces a group of bonus categories that will earn 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) throughout the upcoming three-month period. Generally, these categories are announced halfway through the month before the new quarter starts to give cardmembers time to activate new categories beforehand. However, you can activate your categories up until midway through the last month of the quarter.

The categories tend to repeat periodically — for instance, grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations are all common categories that you’ll notice frequently pop up on the cash-back calendar. So depending on the categories and whether you can maximize them, these two cards can offer quite a nice chunk of cash back or bonus points over the course of a year.

How much cash back can I earn each quarter?

Chase limits the 5% back (or 5 points per dollar) to the first $1,500 spent in combined bonus categories each quarter you activate the bonus.

While that may not sound like a lot, that cash back adds up over time. Maximizing the cash-back categories each quarter, you’ll earn $75 in cash back quarterly and up to $300 per year. For a no-annual-fee credit card, that’s a lot of value.

Alternatively, since the cash back you earn comes in the form of Ultimate Rewards points, you’re looking at a potential of up to 30,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards earned each year. Suppose you also have a premium product, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. In that case, you can combine the Ultimate Rewards points you earn with your Chase Freedom or Freedom Flex card with those you earn from your more premium Ultimate Rewards-earning card, and they become fully transferable.

In that case, TPG values Chase points at 2 cents apiece, so the 30,000 you can earn in a year would be worth more like $600.

How do I activate my 5% categories each quarter?

You can head over to Chase’s site to activate your 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) for this quarter. You can also register through your Chase mobile app, making one less credit card website you’ll need to visit regularly this year.

Here’s how to register:

Head to the Chase bonus activation page or log in to your Chase account.
Enter your last name, the last four digits of your card number and your billing ZIP code. If you don’t have your card on hand, log in to your Chase account to retrieve these digits.
Click “Activate your 5%” to register.
If you have multiple Chase Freedom cards, make sure to register each one.
Save a screenshot of your activation, just in case there are any issues later — though you should also receive a “You’re Activated!” confirmation email.

Can I have both the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex to double my earning potential?

Yes, you can have both cards. So if you already have the Chase Freedom and want to add the Chase Freedom Flex to your wallet, you’re free to do so. Remember that the original Freedom card is no longer open to new applicants.

But if you’d rather only have one, the Freedom Flex is available as a product change.

And of course, you’ll also want to ensure you’re eligible for a new Chase card.

How do I maximize my Freedom and Freedom Flex cards?

The most important thing is to make sure you activate your card to earn the 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) each quarter in the specific categories, and then actually use your card for purchases in those categories.

You can set up a recurring reminder in your calendar, or you can sign up for the TPG newsletter (we send out a reminder when it’s time to activate every quarter — plus tips and tricks for maximizing your card strategy and scoring some excellent award redemptions).

Better yet, paired with a Chase credit card that earns fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, the Chase Freedom Flex’s 5% cash back effectively becomes 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar, as you can learn all about in our guide detailing the “Chase Trifecta.”

In that case, you’ll be able to transfer the points earned with the Freedom Flex to Ultimate Rewards points and to travel partners like Southwest, Hyatt and United.

What are common bonus categories for the Freedom and Freedom Flex?

Of course, you’ll also want to make sure that you’ll potentially be able to maximize other bonus categories throughout the year. For reference, here are the previous Chase Freedom quarterly categories all the way back to 2012, so you can decide if common categories make sense for your spending patterns:

Bottom line

Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex card members can now earn 5% back (or 5 points per dollar) on Target, grocery store, and gym membership purchases.

In addition to the rotating 5% cash back bonus categories, the Freedom Flex accrues 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back on drugstores, 3% cash back on dining (including eligible delivery services) and 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases.

Official application link: Chase Freedom Flex with a sign-up bonus of $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Stella Shon and Chris Dong.

Chiefs hold off Russell Wilson’s late surge to pick up 13th win

January 1, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Patrick Mahomes threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Jerick McKinnon, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame another sloppy start to hold off the Denver Broncos 27-24 on Sunday.

Isiah Pacheco and Blake Bell also scored for the Chiefs (13-3), who overcame a 17-13 third-quarter deficit to beat the Broncos for the 15th consecutive time while keeping alive their hopes for the AFC’s No. 1 seed and lone postseason bye.

The Chiefs began the day tied with the Bills, who play Cincinnati on Monday night, for the conference’s best record.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

For a while the Broncos (4-12) looked as if they would cap a chaotic week that began with the firing of first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett in a stunning victory. But a late letdown by one of the league’s best defenses, and another interception by embattled quarterback Russell Wilson, resulted in the first loss for interim coach Jerry Rosburg.

Wilson threw for 222 yards and a touchdown while also running for a pair of scores, the second of them — after two costly penalties on the Kansas City defense — pulling Denver within 27-24 with 6:14 left in the game.

The Broncos got the ball back with just under four minutes to go, too, and picked up a quick first down. But the Kansas City defense stiffened near midfield, and Chris Jones sacked Wilson on fourth-and-2 to effectively end the game.

CHIEFS’ TRAVIS KELCE SPECULATES ON WHAT PROMPTED MAC JONES BLOCK ON ELI APPLE: ‘PROBABLY GOT FED UP WITH IT’

The Chiefs’ sluggish start against the downtrodden Broncos wasn’t all that surprising. For all their success this season, they have habitually played down to the opposition, whether it was in their overtime win at Houston or their 34-28 victory over the Broncos just three weeks ago.

Kansas City fumbled a hold on an early PAT. Mahomes threw an interception in the end zone. And Kadarius Toney fumbled a punt return deep in Kansas City territory, setting up Wilson’s touchdown run that gave Denver a 10-6 lead.

But the Chiefs also have proven over the years their ability to strike quickly, and they did that after falling behind for the first time Sunday. Mahomes answered with long passes to Toney and McKinnon, a penalty on third down gave them a fresh set of downs, and McKinnon turned a screen pass into a touchdown reception for the fifth straight game.

That streak is the longest for an NFL running back since Bill Dudley of the Lions in 1947.

The Chiefs struggled to maintain momentum after halftime, though, going three-and-out on their first three possessions. And the Broncos, with their third play-caller of the season in offensive coordinator Justin Outten, capitalized with a 63-yard touchdown drive that gave them a 17-13 lead late in the third quarter.

Then the Chiefs began looking like the Chiefs. And the Broncos like the Broncos.

RUSSELL WILSON’S BRONCOS TEAMMATES SUPPORT QB IN RESPONSE TO RUMOR HE LOST LOCKER ROOM: ‘FALSE STATEMENTS’

Mahomes led the AFC West champs briskly downfield before hitting Bell from 17 yards for his first regular-season touchdown catch. And on the very next play, Wilson threw a wobbler under pressure that L’Jarius Sneed picked off, setting up McKinnon’s second touchdown catch of the day and his eighth in the past five games.

The Broncos scored in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance before Kansas City put the game away.

INJURIES

Broncos: RB Marlon Mack (hamstring) left in the first quarter and LG Dalton Risner (elbow) in the third. CB Damarri Mathis went into the concussion protocol in the second. LB Baron Browning (back) and DL D.J. Jones (knee) were inactive.

Chiefs: LG Joe Thuney (ankle) left late in the third quarter and WR Skyy Moore (hand) in the fourth. Sneed also hurt his hip on his interception return in the fourth.

UP NEXT

The Broncos conclude their season next Sunday against the Chargers.

The Chiefs visit the Raiders on Sunday in their regular-season finale.

Brazil’s Silva sworn in, pledges to rebuild country, hold outgoing Bolsonaro admin accountable

January 1, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

For the third time, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in as president, taking office amid heightened political tensions after a close race with the far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.

In a speech in Congress’ Lower House, Lula promised to bring his country “hope and reconstruction.”

“The great edifice of rights, sovereignty and development that this nation built has been systematically demolished in recent years,” he said. “To re-erect this edifice, we are going to direct all our efforts.”

Though not naming Bolsonaro by name, he promised that members of his predecessor’s administration would be held accountable.

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“We do not carry any spirit of revenge against those who sought to subjugate the nation to their personal and ideological designs, but we are going to ensure the rule of law,” Lula said. “Those who erred will answer for their errors, with broad rights to their defense within the due legal process.”

The leftist defeated Bolsonaro in the Oct. 30 vote by less than 2 percentage points. For months, Bolsonaro had sown doubts about the reliability of Brazil’s electronic vote and his loyal supporters were loath to accept the loss.

Many have gathered outside military barracks since, questioning results and pleading with the armed forces to prevent Lula from taking office. His most die-hard backers resorted to what some authorities and incoming members of Lula’s administration labeled acts of “terrorism” – prompting security concerns about inauguration day events.

Lula has said his priorities are fighting poverty and investing in education and health. He has also said he will bring illegal deforestation of the Amazon to a halt. He sought support from political moderates to form a broad front and defeat Bolsonaro, then tapped some of them to serve in his Cabinet.

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Lula left office with a personal approval rating of 83%, but political analysts doubt he will ever retain the popularity he once enjoyed. The credibility of Lula and his Workers’ Party were also tarnished by a corruption investigation. Party officials were jailed, including Lula — whose convictions were later annulled on procedural grounds. The Supreme Court later ruled that the judge presiding over the case had colluded with prosecutors to secure a conviction.

Lula and his supporters have maintained he was railroaded. Others were willing to look past possible malfeasance as a means to unseat Bolsonaro and bring the nation back together.

But Bolsonaro’s backers refuse to accept someone they view as a criminal returning to the highest office. And with tensions running hot, a series of events has prompted fear that violence could erupt on inauguration day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.