Usa today december 23 2016 by 24news

$2.00

DECEMBER 23 - 26, 2016

THE NATION’S NEWS

UGLY SWEATERS ARE PRETTY HOT! Retailers turn fashion faux pas into big business. IN MONEY

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR

Trump calls for more nukes

USA TODAY NETWORK SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

He says U.S. must expand until world ‘comes to its senses’ Tom Vanden Brook @tvandenbrook USA TODAY

ABUSIVE TEACHERS LAND NEW JOBS — IN THE CLASSROOM

Kip McFarlin e Was forced to leave on st Ea school district in Texas after making sexually suggestive e comments to girls. H r he ot moved on to an e school district, wher a th he had sex wi 16-year-old student.

RAMON PADILLA, USA TODAY

Despite efforts to ﬁx the system, serial molesters dodge detection by changing schools Steve Reilly l USA TODAY

A year-long USA TODAY Network investigation has found that education officials put children in harm’s way by covering up evidence of abuse, keeping allegations secret and making it easy for abusive teachers to find jobs elsewhere. NEWSLINE

IN NEWS

Berlin Christmas market reopens Mood slightly somber three days after attack

HOME DELIVERY 1-800-872-0001 USATODAYSERVICE.COM

USA SNAPSHOTS©

Not so jolly gifts

40% of employees were neutral or disappointed in corporate holiday gifts they received last year.

SOURCE Dancing Deer Baking Co. survey of 1,000 adults MICHAEL B. SMITH AND JANET LOEHRKE, USA TODAY

STATE-BY-STATE 4A

School officials in East Texas didn’t want Kip McFarlin around their students. For years, he had crossed the line in conversations with teenage girls, using sexually suggestive language and even telling one student he’d date her if he were younger, according to the school’s own investigation. By 2005, administrators at Orangefield Independent School District, about a two-hour drive from Houston, had investigated complaints by six different students. When it came time to deal with the Orangefield High School football coach, administrators didn’t fire McFarlin or report him to police. They didn’t even notify Texas education officials who had the power to take away his teaching license.

WHERE THEY ARE WORKING NOW We identified teachers across the nation who continued to work with youth after losing their credentials. Here’s where we found 100 of them:

Public schools

Higher education

20 Religious groups

Private schools and youth organizations, which do their own background checks, are especially at risk.

11 Youth sports leagues

10 Private schools

WASHINGTON President-elect Donald Trump decried the state of the nation’s nuclear arsenal Thursday, saying in a tweet that it had to be strengthened “greatly” during uncertain times. “The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes,” he tweeted. Trump made his remarks a day after receiving a national security brieﬁng from a group of mostly senior military officers, including Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration. A nuclear arms reduction expert reacted with alarm to Trump’s tweet. Joseph Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund, said similar statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin could trigger a destabilizing nuclear arms race. The United States and Russia have 95% of the world’s nuclear weapons, but smaller nuclear powers, such as China, North Korea, India and Pakistan, may view their statements as a call to bolster their own arsenals, he said. “If the two guys with the biggest arsenals are talking about expanding, they’re sending a message ... that it’s time to start their engines,” Cirincione said. An alternative, he said, would be for Trump and Putin to establish a relationship in which arms reduction is a centerpiece. “He could assure his place in

v STORY CONTINUES ON 2A

Private tutoring

8 Other

Instead, they hid his behavior from state regulators, parents and coaches. All McFarlin had to do was go teach somewhere else. “This incident does not have to end McFarlan’s (sic) career,” school district attorney Karen Johnson wrote in 2005 in a let-

6 Child care facilities

5 Private music teachers

5 Charter schools

4 SOURCE USA TODAY Network research

v STORY CONTINUES ON 6A

HAPPY HOLIDAYS USA TODAY will not print on Monday. For the latest news, check out our free mobile apps or go to usatoday.com.

RAMON PADILLA, USA TODAY

Weather to snarl holiday travel for many Doyle Rice @usatodayweather USA TODAY

A potent storm will put a lump of coal in the stockings of travelers and residents alike in much of the western and central USA this Christmas weekend. The system is forecast to bring everything from a wintry mix and a blizzard to drenching rain and severe thunderstorms to a large swath of the USA from Friday

through Sunday. Only the eastern part of the country will remain relatively tranquil. The storm will first move into the West Coast on Friday, bringing heavy rain and the potential for flash flooding in California. Heavy snowfall is expected in the higher terrain of the Sierra Nevada, the National Weather Service said. Snow will also fall over the Cascades, northern Great Basin and northern Rockies. As the system pushes eastward, conditions should begin to dry out by the weekend along the

AMERICA’S MARKETS 5B MARKETPLACE TODAY 4D

PUZZLES 4D

www.ebook3000.com

West Coast, the weather service predicts. By Christmas Eve, the Rockies will see additional snow, which will spread into the Plains by Saturday evening. On Christmas Day, howling winds of up to 60 mph and heavy snow totaling up to 9 inches will probably lead to a full-ﬂedged blizzard in portions of the Rockies and the Dakotas. Travel may become “impossible” in those areas Christmas Day, lingering into early Monday, and numerous roads, including major interstates, are likely to be

shut down, the Weather Channel said. “This has the potential to become a widespread and signiﬁcant winter storm across the northern Plains,” the National Weather Service in Bismarck, N.D., warned. The Weather Channel has named the storm Winter Storm Europa. Farther east, in the Midwest, milder air will mean rain and wet travel conditions for cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Des Moines and Omaha on Christmas Day.

TONIGHT ON TV 5D WEATHER 8A YOUR SAY 8A

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

NEWS 2A

Conway Medicaid poses test for states tapped trying new health care options as Trump counselor Hospitals, patients face struggles amid Obamacare upheaval Jayne O’Donnell

RNC spokesman Sean Spicer to get press secretary job David Jackson @djusatoday USA TODAY

Donald Trump appointed campaign manager Kellyanne Conway as his White House counselor on Thursday, and tapped long-time Republican Party spokesman Sean Spicer as the next White House press secretary. Conway “has been a trusted adviser and strategist who played a crucial role in my victory,” Trump said in a statement. “She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my agenda and has amazing insights on how to effectively communicate our message.” In addition to giving the spokesman’s job to Spicer — who served as an RNC liaison to the Trump campaign — Trump named campaign aides Hope Hicks as White House director of strategic communications, Jason Miller as communications director, and Dan Scavino as director of social media. GETTY IMAGES “Sean, Hope, Kellyanne Jason and Dan Conway have been key members of my team during the campaign and transition,” Trump said. “I am excited they will be leading the team that will communicate my agenda that will Make America Great Again.” Trump also waded into an Israeli-Palestinian dispute at the United Nations on Thursday, issuing a statement criticizing a proposed United Nations Security Council resolution seeking to halt Israeli settlements on land disputed with the Palestinians. “As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations,” Trump said. “This (proposal) puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis.” Trump and aides had talked to Conway about becoming White House press secretary, but she sought a more advisory position. Some aides had criticized Conway for making public criticism of secretary of State candidate Mitt Romney, and at one time Conway talked about taking a job outside the Trump administration, perhaps with a newly formed proTrump political organization. In thanking the president-elect for an “amazing opportunity” to be presidential counselor, Conway said that “a Trump presidency will bring real change to Washington and to Americans across this great nation. I am humbled and honored to play a role in helping transform the movement he has led into a real agenda of action and results.”

@jayneodonnell USA TODAY

THOMASTON, GA .

Blocked sweat glands turn into searingly painful growths that send Brittany Young back to the emergency room at Upson Regional Medical Center. Young also has the chronic intestinal disease Crohn’s to contend with. Without a job or health insurance, the single mother can’t get the treatment needed to keep her Crohn’s from progressing. She’s visited the ER six times since losing her Medicaid coverage after her baby was born in June. Young says she has no money, so she pays nothing. “I guess someone ran the numbers and ﬁgured out it saves money to do it this way,” says Anthony Marchetti, an Upson emergency physician. If they have, they haven’t quantiﬁed the pain faced by people including Young or the plight of rural hospitals such as Upson that are required to at least stabilize everyone who walks in the door, regardless of their ability to pay. Republican Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s decision not to expand Medicaid coverage to those under 138% of the federal poverty limit — as allowed and funded almost entirely by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — left patients and hospitals in this and 18 other states in precarious situations.

HOSPITALS SHUTTERED

At least 80 hospitals have closed nationally since 2010, according to the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program. In that time, six hospitals have closed in Georgia and about 10 more are teetering, says Jimmy Lewis, CEO of the rural hospital group Hometown Health. Republican control of the White House and Congress next year opens the door to new approaches to health care financing that could turn states into the “laboratories of democracy” the liberal Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis wrote they should be in 1932. Congressional leaders and President-elect Donald Trump vowed to repeal the ACA early next year, which would probably remove funding for Medicaid expansion and the financial assistance others need to buy Obamacare plans. That could leave about 20 million people without health coverage. If the ACA repeal legislation includes the expected built-in delay, Kaiser Family Foundation Executive Vice President Diane Rowland predicts states will propose more waivers from Medicaid expansion’s requirements in advance of the fixed “block grants” likely to be proposed by the new administration. ACA supporters worry that could expose hospitals and patients to erratic funding and dangerous lapses in care. The patchwork quilt effect of Medicaid expansion has already meant people with the same health conditions across state borders may get good care or no care. When it comes to the block grants, “some claim it creates flexibility,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell

JAYNE O’DONNELL, USA TODAY

Republican State Rep. Geoff Duncan, left, meets with Todd Shiflett, CEO of Georgia Highlands Medical Services. said Wednesday. “The downside ... is when it limits the money that can go to the state.” That can leave states with three choices, she said: kicking people off Medicaid, cutting benefits and finding the money in their own budgets. Many Republican ACA opponents say the funding and decisions about what to do with it

“It’s important to just not jam a speciﬁc idea down a community’s throat. You’ve got to have a more communityfocused approach to solving health care problems.” Georgia state Rep. Geoff Duncan

needs to be further distanced from Washington. “It’s important to just not jam a speciﬁc idea down a community’s throat,” says Geoff Duncan, a Republican state representative from an Atlanta suburb. “You’ve got to have a more communityfocused approach to solving health care problems.” Duncan, who may run for governor in 2018, sponsored a potential solution that takes effect Jan. 1. The new law will allow businesses and residents to make donations to eligible rural hospitals and claim a state tax credit equal to 70% of the donation. It’s part of the alternative to big government that Duncan likes to call the four C’s — churches, charities, corporations and citizens. To longtime rural hospital lobbyist Lewis, the law is a godsend. The day after Duncan introduced his bill, Lewis introduced himself to the 41-year-old legislator and said, “I’ve been waiting for an idea like this to show up at the Capitol for the last 30 years,” Duncan recalled. Former HHS official Hilary Haycock isn’t so hopeful. “It’s an incredibly unstable way to fund health care for low-income populations,” says Haycock, president of Harbage Consulting. “The whole challenge of the economic cycle is that during periods of economic recession, there’s the greatest need to support the most vulnerable.”

It may not be the “perfect fix,” but Duncan says his plan “creates a much needed conversation.” The next step, he says, may be to bolster and link the network of community health centers to hospitals, so low-income patients get more regular care and the burden on hospitals is eased. It’s the kind of thinking likely to appeal to states if Medicaid block grants or per-person expenditures become the Trump administration’s approach. Seema Verma, Trump’s nominee to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, designed Indiana’s tough-minded variation on Medicaid expansion, which has what Rowland calls “most stringent requirements for gaining and maintaining coverage.” Haycock says, “We’ll certainly have the opportunity to experiment.” What Americans will probably see more of: uCost sharing. Those eligible for Medicaid through the ACA expansion in Indiana owe 2% of their incomes or $1 in monthly premiums if they earn less than $50 a month. The money goes into a type of “health savings account” like those offered by employers. Some other states also require small premiums and copayments. uWork requirements. No state is allowed to require people to work to get Medicaid benefits under the ACA’s expansion of the program, but Indiana can refer recipients to resources to help them find and train for jobs. uFewer rides. Covered transportation for non-emergencies could be eliminated, as it has been in several states with waivers. uMore care coordination. Obamacare may get a lot of flak from its namesake’s opponents, but its broad mission of lowering health care costs by improving quality over quantity is likely to survive. Sliding-scale community health clinics were supposed to be largely unnecessary once the ACA got everyone signed up for insurance, but that’s not the case while millions are still uninsured.

the history books with the deal of a lifetime,” Cirincione said. In its 2017 budget, the Pentagon has several initiatives designed to modernize its nuclear arsenal. Among them is a $2.1 billion program to develop a radar-evading, long-range bomber. In a report in 2015, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that Obama administration plans to modernize nuclear forces would cost nearly $350 billion over 10 years. Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force chief of staff, has emphasized the importance of the service’s nuclear mission during a trip this week to U.S. air bases. He said the Air Force’s top priority is maintaining a safe, secure and effective nuclear enterprise. The world has seen a dramatic

USA TODAY is committed to accuracy. To reach us, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones at 800-8727073 or e-mail accuracy@usatoday.com. Please indicate whether you’re responding to content online or in the newspaper.

Duncan had never been to a rural hospital when he pulled up, tears in his eyes, to the one here this month. Seeing the full parking lot, the state representative was emotional because of what could hap-

“If the two guys with the biggest arsenals are talking about expanding, they’re sending a message ... that it’s time to start their engines.”

SUBSCRIPTIONS 1-800-USA-0001 Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET 7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va. 22108, 703-854-3400 Published by Gannett, Volume 35, No. 71 (ISSN0734-7456) Regular U.S. subscription rates: $25 per month; $300 per year. For customer service-related inquiries, please contact Barb Smith, VP/Customer Service, PO BOX 650301, DALLAS TX 75265-0301, or fax 1-800-732-3631. Advertising: All advertising published in USA TODAY is subject to the current rate card; copies available from the advertising department. USA TODAY may in its sole discretion edit, classify, reject or cancel at any time any advertising submitted.

Joseph Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund

reduction in the number of nuclear weapons in the past 25 years, Pentagon records show. Since 1991, Pentagon data show, more than 7,600 nuclear warheads have been deactivated, while the United States, Russia and former Soviet republics have destroyed more than 3,600 missiles and launchers, 33 submarines, 155 bombers, more than 1.6 million chemical munitions and more than 4,000 metric tons of chemical weapons.

Corrections & Clarifications

REMOTE SUFFERING

Reduction expert fears renewed arms race v CONTINUED FROM 1A

pen to everyone’s health if a hospital such as Upson were to close. Duncan said he kept hearing about the plight of rural hospitals during legislative meetings and was prompted to act. He says, “I can’t go a single day without getting a call” from someone in another state inquiring about the new way of funding health care. He modeled it on a program to fund private school scholarships with income tax credits. Duncan didn’t know much about the quality of community health centers. Or that people with “real insurance” could use them, he says. Soon they will have 11 “real doctors,” Shifflet laughs. “We could expand the footprint of these in a way that doesn’t compete with the hospitals but helps to reinforce them and open up access,” Duncan said during a recent visit to the center. “Maybe you could incentivize those kinds of partnerships to jump-start it,” Shifflet said. Back in Upson, hospital CEO Tripp Penn won’t comment on Medicaid eligibility in his state but says he’s in favor of “expanded access” to health care. Though Brittany Young has visited the ER an average of once a month since June, Penn has uninsured patients who have visited an average of nearly once a week. “They don’t have the very basic primary care that’s much less expensive and a much more appropriate level of care,” he says. Young, 23, had Medicaid coverage until she was 18, was uninsured until she got pregnant last year, then lost the coverage when the baby was born. She hopes to get a job in retail or fast food, which she says are about her only choices because she didn’t finish high school. Without regular treatment to keep her Crohn’s disease from progressing, ER physician Marchetti says, Young is at risk of complications that include abscesses and obstructions that can require emergency surgery. Uninsured patients with congestive heart failure or emphysema can turn preventable cases into ones involving several nights in the intensive care unit, because they often “wait until they are at death’s door” to come in, Marchetti says. Patients sometimes arrive “unresponsive and gurgling” and need breathing tubes right in the hallway, he says. Upson always manages to at least break even, but its fourth floor has been closed for four years, and the maternity ward needs upgrades to stay competitive. Penn plans to renovate the labor and delivery area with any money raised thanks to Duncan’s law, and the fourth floor will become a geriatric psychiatric ward through a grant from a state program designed to stabilize rural hospitals.

Classified: 1-800-397-0070 National, Regional: 703-854-3400 Reprint permission, copies of articles, glossy reprints: www.GannettReprints.com or call 212-221-9595 USA TODAY is a member of The Associated Press and subscribes to other news services. Published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and widely observed holidays. Periodicals postage paid at McLean, Va., and at additional mailing offices. USA TODAY, its logo and associated graphics are registered trademarks. All rights reserved. ROUSTEM ADAGAMOV, AP

The United States and Russia have 95% of the world’s nuclear weapons, including Russia’s ﬂeet of nuclear submarines.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to USA TODAY,PO BOX 650301, DALLAS TX 75265-0301.

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

NEWS 3A

Syrian military retakes total control of Aleppo Army claims rebels are gone, stability is restored in key city John Bacon @jmbacon USA TODAY

KIM HJELMGAARD, USA TODAY

Memorial candles and signs adorn Breitscheidplatz Christmas market in Berlin on Thursday. An attacker driving a truck killed 12 people Monday.

Days after attack, Berlin reopens Christmas market Germans defy terrorists through holiday tradition

“These attacks always try to divide us, but they always bring people closer together, not farther apart.” Eric Heinrich, aeronautical engineer

Kim Hjelmgaard @khjelmgaard USA TODAY BERLIN Thursday evening, Eric Heinrich and five of his closest friends did what they have done every year for the past 15 years: They met at Breitscheidplatz Christmas market to drink mugs of warm, spiced German wine. “This attack is not going to change my life. I will still go to work, soccer games, clubs, meet my friends,” Heinrich, 34, an aeronautical engineer, said as the festive market reopened three days after a truck rampage that killed 12 people and injured 48. “These attacks always try to divide us, but they always bring people closer together, not farther apart.” Berliners such as Heinrich and his friends braved cold, light rain to show their defiance of Monday night’s attack, even as the hunt went on for Anis Amri, 24, a Tunisian national whose identity papers and fingerprints were found inside the truck. “We weren’t sure whether it was the right thing to do at first, to come down here,” said Karsten Mueller, one of Heinrich’s friends. “We had some discussions about it.” Except for some makeshift memorials laden with candles, flowers and homemade signs, all evidence of the truck and the hav-

oc it unleashed had been cleared away. The paths between the wooden booths and stalls may not have been as busy as would usually be expected a few days before Christmas, but visitors tried to get on with the business of being as merry as possible. “No, no, no — not scared or nervous. Appreciative,” said Ansaldi Bartolo, 68, a retired cook who examined some of the notes left for the victims at the market. Bartolo lives nearby. He had been at the market Saturday and Sunday with his family. They had considered coming Monday as well but decided against it. To emphasize his point that Berliners would not be intimidated by this attack, Bartolo clenched both his ﬁsts and raised them toward the sky. Across the road, about half a dozen large police vans idled, and concrete barriers lined the market’s entire road-facing perimeter. Inside the market, some of the customary bright lights were dimmed, and there was no evidence of the party music that can usually be heard. Instead, a band quietly played Amazing Grace. The slightly somber mood did not diminish the seasonal smells: Obviously, there was sausage. There is at every German Christmas market. There were also deep-fried potato pancakes topped with applesauce, creamcovered waffles with a snowdrift of sugar, gingerbread, fruitcake and chocolate-covered marzipan.

The last “remnants” of rebels and their supporters have been evacuated from eastern Aleppo, and the government has regained full control of the embattled city, the Syrian military said Thursday. The army issued a statement announcing “restoration of security and stability to Aleppo after liberating it from terrorism and terrorists,” the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said. Western Aleppo erupted in celebratory gunfire, and Syrian TV showed soldiers and civilians shouting, “Aleppo, Aleppo!” and “God, Syria and Bashar only,” the Associated Press reported. This week, the United Nations Security Council approved a plan to send U.N. monitors to oversee the evacuations. The operation, aided by the International Red Cross, took place in fits and starts as both sides squabbled over security concerns while sometimes blizzard-like weather further hampered the effort. Aleppo is under full government control for the first time since rebels took command of eastern parts of the city in 2012. Turkey and the West backed a hodgepodge of rebel groups, while Russia and Iran backed the government of Bashar Assad. In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby said the events in Aleppo don’t mean the war is over, adding that the Assad regime bears responsibility for the wasteland the once-vibrant city has become. “It wasn’t the opposition that bombed hospitals and schools and first responders as they rushed to save people,” Kirby said. “It was the regime and its backers.” Recapturing the last holdout enclaves marks Assad’s biggest victory in the 6-year-old civil war, and it was not clear what path remained for rebel forces. About 500,000 people have

OMAR HAJ KADOUR, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

died, and millions have fled. Ahmad al-Khatib, an opposition activist who left Aleppo before the siege, said the city’s fall was a date “we’ll never forget and we will never forgive,” according to the AP. “Let the world bear witness that Bashar Assad has killed and displaced and destroyed Aleppo, and he celebrates in his victory over the blood and offspring of Aleppo … with the agreement of the Arab and Western nations,” he tweeted. Assad called the liberation of Aleppo a victory not just for Syria but for all nations contributing to the fight against terrorism, particularly Iran and Russia. “It is also a relapse for all the countries that are hostile toward the Syrian people and that have used terrorism as a means to realize their interests,” Assad said. More than 35,000 rebels and civilians have fled former rebelheld enclaves in eastern Aleppo since last week, the United Nations said. The evacuation of the last patients from hospitals in the area was finalized Wednesday. The evacuations may have concluded a siege of the city that prompted a severe humanitarian crisis. The tide of the struggle began to turn last year when Russia stepped up air assaults in support of Assad’s troops. All sides have expressed agreement that any final solution must be political, not military. Assad has vowed that any solution that strips him of power is off the table. His battlefield victories have strengthened his hand.

Syrians being evacuated from Aleppo ride in the back of a pickup as it drives near Rashidin, west of the embattled city, Thursday.

“Let the world bear witness that Bashar Assad has killed and displaced and destroyed Aleppo.” Ahmad al-Khatib, opposition activist

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! FROM

IN BRIEF We started UNTUCKit because we had trouble finding shirts that looked good untucked. It’s a deceptively difficult look to get right. Shirts just aren’t designed that way. So we decided to make a better shirt for the untucked man. A casual shirt fit for comfort, not convention, and designed to fall at the perfect length.

POPE SAYS RESISTANCE TO REFORM INSPIRED BY DEVIL

In his annual Christmas address to the Vatican bureaucracy, Pope Francis on Thursday warned that those engaged in “malicious resistance” to the reform of the Roman Curia are inspired by the devil. It marked the third consecutive year that the pope has slammed the highest levels of the Catholic Church’s administration in his annual holiday greeting at the Vatican. In his address this year, Francis urged the prelates who work with him to undergo “permanent conversion and puriﬁcation” to modernize the church and serve it better. — Josephine McKenna, Religion News Service AUSTRALIAN POLICE: PLOT TO DETONATE BOMBS FOILED

Australian authorities say they have broken up a Christmas Day plot to set off bombs in Melbourne, the country’s second-largest city. Dubbing their investigation “Operation Kastelholm,” Victoria police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organization said ﬁve people are being held in the plot. All of them are listed as having Australian addresses. “It will be alleged four of the men arrested were involved in undertaking preparations for planning a terrorist act in Melbourne,” Victoria police said in a statement, adding that “the threat has been contained and there is no on-going threat.” — Mike James

Enjoy 15% off with code USATODAY2 KREMLIN POOL PHOTO BY ALEXEI NIKOLSKY

ALSO ...

uTemperatures at the North Pole soared to the melting point of 32 degrees Thursday, according to data from a weather buoy. That might not sound balmy, but it’s some 40 to 50 degrees above average at what’s typically an unimaginably cold, pitch-black point in mid-winter. In fact, the average winter temperature at the North Pole is about 40 degrees below zero, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution said. The warm spell was predicted by weather models earlier this week and marks the second straight December of freakish warmth spreading across the Arctic because of unusual weather patterns. — Doyle Rice uHundreds of people in the Spanish capital Madrid will undoubtedly be celebrating this Christmas after winning big bucks in El Gordo, the annual Christmas lottery with prizes totaling a bumper $2.4 billion. All the 1,650 tickets bearing the top prize number 66513 were sold in Madrid and each of those ticket holders will get $418,000, the Associated Press reported.

BIDDING FAREWELL TO FALLEN COMRADE Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a farewell ceremony Thursday in Moscow for Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey who was fatally shot Monday in Ankara.

untuckit.com Austin • Chicago • Los Angeles • New York City • San Francisco

www.ebook3000.com

4A NEWS

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

STATE-BY-STATE News from across the USA ALABAMA Montgomery: Gov. Robert Bentley says he plans to call a special legislative session to focus on building new prisons. Alabama’s prisons are badly overcrowded.

HIGHLIGHT: ARIZONA

Newborn quintuplets get ﬁrst Santa visit

PENNSYLVANIA Pittsburgh: A man with the same name as a stabbing suspect says he was wrongly arrested, interrogated and held by police for about seven hours. Richard Allen Miller’s lawsuit says the victim told police they had the wrong man.

Kaila White @KailaWhite The Arizona Republic

ALASKA Kenai: Organizers on

the Kenai Peninsula are putting together a conference marking the 150th anniversary of America’s purchase of Alaska from Russia. The conference in about four months could include documentary screenings and boat tours, lead organizer Shana Loshbaugh tells the Peninsula Clarion. ARIZONA Tucson: The Tucson

City Council has reaffirmed the city’s commitment to protecting immigrant residents. The council this week approved a resolution that condemns any mass deportation threat. ARKANSAS Little Rock: Health officials say an outbreak of mumps has hit a community of Marshall Islanders in northwest Arkansas. Of the state’s 2,220 reported cases, Marshallese people accounted for about 60%, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. CALIFORNIA San Francisco: California wildlife authorities have confiscated hundreds of illegal ivory items. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that among the items seized are a solid bone pagoda, a rhinoceros horn, two ivory chess sets and two tusks. COLORADO Durango: The hotel competition is fierce for a new movie about gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. The Durango Herald reports that five hotels in Durango, Silverton and Telluride are being considered for the movie “Freak Power,” which will be filmed next summer. CONNECTICUT Hartford: A

scientist pleaded guilty this week to charges that he stole sensitive documents from a Connecticut military contractor and transported them to China. Prosecutors said Yu Long knew the documents would beneﬁt China’s defense industry. DELAWARE Wilmington: In her

ﬁrst official visit to Delaware, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch praised the effects that federal programs are having in Wilmington. The News Journal reports that Lynch says police officers build more trust among residents by engaging with the community and solving more crimes. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: A Washington barbershop owner was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for his role in an identity theft and tax fraud scheme. Kevin Brown was ordered to pay more than $4.5 million in restitution. FLORIDA Boca Raton: A large metal pentagram erected by an atheist next to a Nativity scene in a Florida park has been severely damaged. Boca Raton police say vandals tied a chain from a vehicle to the 300-pound sculpture and pulled it down, cracking its frame. GEORGIA Atlanta: A former

postal worker is charged with delaying and destroying mail after investigators found about 4,500 pieces of mail in the woods outside Atlanta. HAWAII Wailuku: A Maui business that received a license to sell medical marijuana has revealed plans for its new dispensary, which will include space for a public cannabis education center. IDAHO Boise: An Idaho man is

PHOENIX As Santa left the room, Clara began crying under her pink blanket, her wails audible even through the incubator. Almost instantly, her mother, Margaret, quickly sanitized her hands and slipped them in to comfort her. Clara’s four siblings laid in their incubators next to her in a private room in the nursery intensive care unit, each wrapped in a different-colored blanket under a stocking bearing their name. The ﬁve babies are the Baudinet quintuplets, and for their parents and the hospital, they are a Christmas miracle. Margaret and Michael Baudinet struggled for years to conceive and experienced two miscarriages before the quints came along. After moving across the country from their home in Charlottesville, Va. to work with Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, they welcomed Ava, Clara, Camille, Luke and Isabelle into the world Dec. 4. It was the ﬁrst time in St. Joseph’s 121-year history that staff have delivered quintuplets. To

accused of abducting a man who owed him money, beating him and leaving him outside in freezing temperatures wearing nothing but socks. The Idaho Statesman reports that the suspect faces charges of aggravated battery, robbery and second-degree kidnapping. ILLINOIS Chicago: A bus driver

RHODE ISLAND Providence:

The Grinch who stole the Nutcracker’s mask and the Sugar Plum Fairy’s tutu from a Rhode Island warehouse had a change of heart. Several costumes from “The Nutcracker” were returned Tuesday to police in Pawtucket. MARK HENLE, THE REPUBLIC

Margaret and Michael Baudinet meet Santa at St. Joseph’s Nursery Intensive Care Unit in Phoenix on Wednesday following the birth of their quintuplets Dec. 4. celebrate their remarkable arrival, the hospital organized a special visit from Santa. He looked over the babies, smiling at them and wishing them well. When Margaret, 31, found out she was pregnant with ﬁve after hormone therapy, she said she tamped down on her excitement. “After you suffer two miscarriages — and I think women who have been through that understand — it’s really hard to get excited about a pregnancy, because as soon as I would get response to bitterly cold weather that hit the state just as winter arrived. MARYLAND Hagerstown: The

Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office says drinking and cooking don’t mix. That’s one of the tips on holiday ﬁre safety that the office issued this week.

is suing McDonald’s, arguing that cheeseburger “Extra Value Meals” are more expensive than when the items are purchased separately. James Gertie tells The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald that bundling two cheeseburgers, medium fries and a drink at $5.90 is 41 cents more than buying them individually.

MASSACHUSETTS Brockton: A woman is charged with stealing dozens of holiday packages from outside several homes. Kathy Lyden, 43, was arrested Monday after a resident reported seeing a woman take a package from his front steps and load it into her pickup.

INDIANA Indianapolis: The U.S.

MINNESOTA Minneapolis: Two

Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded nearly $18 million to dozens of Indiana housing and service programs for the homeless.

Twitter users have admitted they started a false rumor that the Minnesota Vikings were opening their new stadium to the homeless during last weekend’s extreme cold. It appears no homeless people fell for the hoax: Officials say nobody sought shelter at the stadium.

IOWA Des Moines: A backlog of

autopsies at the Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office has delayed the return of remains to family members. The Des Moines Register reports a 12% surge in cases coupled with an understaffed office. KANSAS Topeka:

Gov. Sam Brownback says he’s not rethinking his support for a Kansas law that will allow concealed guns on state college campuses starting in July. The law has been criticized by students, faculty and administrators. KENTUCKY Providence: In-

vestigators say a coal miner crushed to death in January hadn’t been wearing a safety device designed to shut down a continuous mining machine if workers got too close. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Nathan Phillips got stuck between the machine and a wall. LOUISIANA New Orleans: The American Civil Liberties Union and three people who beg for money at traffic intersections are suing the city of Slidell, which requires permits for panhandling. MAINE Augusta: Gov. Paul LeP-

age issued a State of Emergency proclamation this week to make certain that Maine residents get their heating oil delivered without delay. The proclamation was in

OREGON Eugene: A federal judge has banned logging on a former piece of Elliot State Forest near Coos Bay. The RegisterGuard reports that Cascadia Wildlands ﬁled a lawsuit to protect the marbled murrelet, a seabird.

MICHIGAN Detroit: Michigan State Police will wear throwback headgear in 2017. The campaignstyle hats worn in the 1920s will honor the department’s 100th anniversary.

MISSISSIPPI Jackson: Mississippi casinos saw revenue fall in November, with gamblers losing 4% less statewide. The state Revenue Department says casinos won $155 million in November, down from $161 million in November 2015. MISSOURI St.

Louis: A 144mile stretch of a former railroad line may be converted into a hiking and biking trail. Gov. Jay Nixon announced plans to develop the former Rock Island rail line.

excited, something like that would happen,” she said. Michael, 34, said he “was stunned, and I don’t think I talked for about four weeks.” A team of 24 people were involved in the delivery process. They were born at 32 weeks and 1 day, far past the national average of 26 to 27 weeks for quintuplets. They weighed between 3 pounds 6 ounces and 3 pounds 14 ounces. All of the children are now off ventilators, progressing well and considered healthy. NEW HAMPSHIRE Portsmouth: Greenland residents are urging Portsmouth’s City Council to support running municipal water to homeowners whose wells are vulnerable to contamination from a Superfund cleanup site. NEW JERSEY Pemberton

Township: A major military solar power project is moving forward. Groundbreaking was held this week at a capped landﬁll on Joint Base McGuire-DixLakehurst, about 18 miles southeast of Trenton. NEW MEXICO Santa Fe: The New Mexico Department of Health says dozens of its employees became sick after its holiday party. The New Mexican reports that about 70 staff members say they had gastrointestinal issues after the luncheon last week in Santa Fe. NEW YORK Albany: New York’s

Department of Environmental Conservation says General Electric’s recently completed Superfund cleanup of the Hudson River was insufficient. NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: The State Board of Education is talking with attorneys about whether a law that shuffles who oversees public schools should be challenged as unconstitutional. The law shifts many of the state board’s administrative powers to the elected statewide superintendent of public instruction. NORTH DAKOTA Williston:

North Dakota employment experts predict demand for oil ﬁeld workers will become more intense in 2017. The Williston Herald reports that the state’s core oil-producing counties have about 1,300 job openings.

NEVADA Reno: The Sigma Nu

fraternity on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno has been suspended for 15 years for violating the school’s alcohol policy following the death of a pledge, The Reno Gazette-Journal reports.

SOUTH DAKOTA Lake Andes: South Dakota Native American activist Faith Spotted Eagle says she’s “totally shocked” that she got a vote for president this week, The Daily Republic reports. Spotted Eagle, 68, received one vote Monday from an Electoral College elector in Washington state. TENNESSEE Johnson City: A former East Tennessee State University student faces more charges after police said he disrupted an on-campus Black Lives Matter rally while wearing a gorilla mask and carrying around a rope and bananas. Tristan Rettke’s lawyer says his client was exercising his freedom of speech. TEXAS Corpus Christi: The

head of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says he’s “absolutely” certain that a chemical leak contaminated Corpus Christi’s public water supply. But 115 tests have failed to show if an asphalt emulsifying agent made it from an industrial mixing tank to the water supply. UTAH Salt Lake City: Almost 23% of all Utah spending in ﬁscal year 2016 came from federal funds. The Deseret News reports that a state audit found that Utah spent nearly $4.4 billion in federal funds. VERMONT Burlington: Police

have identified a woman suspected of writing anti-Semitic fliers found at a Burlington City Council meeting but said the fliers won’t be investigated as a crime. The police chief says the woman is believed to be mentally ill and has no history of threats. VIRGINIA Charlottesville: For the third straight year, the federal government has penalized the University of Virginia Medical Center for high rates of hospitalacquired infections and other medical complications, The Daily Progress reports. WASHINGTON Seattle: A man

who became known as the “Barefoot Bandit” during a teenage crime spree in stolen cars, boats, and planes had his ﬂight-school fundraiser grounded by federal probation officials. The Seattle Times reports that Colton HarrisMoore still owes victims of his crimes about $129,000. WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: Charleston officials have established procedures for dismantling homeless camps. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that the city will provide at least 14 days’ notice and must alert local groups that assist the homeless.

MONTANA Helena: The administrator of Montana’s state parks has left his position after eight years. No reason was given for the departure of Chas Van Genderen. NEBRASKA Lincoln: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln warned thousands of current and former students this week about a computer security breach. Campus officials said the breach potentially exposed student names, ID numbers and grades.

SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia: About 240 Jamaican workers at a South Carolina luxury golf resort will split $2 million under a deal settling a lawsuit alleging they were cheated. The workers claimed that Kiawah Island Golf Resort didn’t properly pay them minimum wages.

WISCONSIN New Auburn:

OHIO Cincinnati: Authorities say a man ran an illegal gambling house out of an Ohio gas station where investigators also found $11,000 worth of counterfeit clothing. Indrjit Singh is charged with operating a gambling house and other offenses. OKLAHOMA McAlester: Chick-

asaw Nation Industries has won a $22 million contract for construction services at a federal munitions plant in Oklahoma, The McAlester News-Capital reports.

Chippewa County ﬁre officials say an explosion destroyed a house under construction just hours after its furnace was installed. The blast damaged homes up to a half-mile away, New Auburn Fire Chief Thomas Bishel tells WQOW-TV. WYOMING Jackson: Wyoming officials say skiers won’t be criminally prosecuted in connection with an avalanche on Teton Pass, The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports. Compiled from staff and wire reports by Joe Taylor, with Jim Cheng and Peter Mathews. Design by Kayla Golliher. Graphics by Karl Gelles.

NEWS 5A

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

presents:

A WomAn’s ULTIMATE FIGHT

RONDA GLASS ROUSEY CEILINGS VS

“DON’T HATE ME BECAUSE I’M STRONG. STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL.™ ” www.ebook3000.com

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

6A NEWS

Problem teachers can simply land new jobs v CONTINUED FROM 1A

ter to then-superintendent Mike Gentry. In the letter, Johnson recommended the district negotiate “a graceful exit” for the teacher. Less than two years later, McFarlin, then 38, landed a job at a nearby school district, where no one had any idea about his past problems. In 2011, he had sex with one of his students, a 16-year-old girl. McFarlin was convicted of sexual assault and is serving an eight-year prison sentence. Despite decades of repeated sex abuse scandals — from the Roman Catholic Church to the Boy Scouts to scores of news media reports identifying problem teachers — America’s public schools continue to conceal the actions of dangerous educators in ways that allow them to stay in the classroom. A year-long USA TODAY Network investigation found that education officials put children in harm’s way by covering up evidence of abuse, keeping allegations secret and making it easy for abusive teachers to find jobs elsewhere. As a result, schoolchildren across the nation continue to be beaten, raped and harassed by their teachers while government officials at every level stand by and do nothing. In the most comprehensive national review of teacher discipline to date, USA TODAY examined educator misconduct and licensure databases from every state, reviewed thousands of pages of court filings and employment records and surveyed state education officials to determine how teachers who engage in misconduct remain in the education system. Among the findings: uState education agencies across the country have ignored a federal ban on “passing the trash” intended to prevent secrecy deals with teachers suspected of abusing minors. These contracts hide details of sexual behavior and sometimes pay teachers to quit their jobs quietly. uThe secrecy makes it easier for troubled teachers to find new jobs working with children. At least 100 teachers who lost their license because of alleged physical or sexual misconduct still work with children or young adults. uPrivate schools and youth organizations are especially at risk. They are left on their own to perform background checks of new hires and generally have no access to the sole tracking system of teachers who were disciplined by state authorities. uDespite the risks, schools of all kinds regularly fail to do the most basic of background checks. A private high school in Louisiana hired a teacher who was a registered sex offender in Texas. Students using a simple Web search uncovered his past. uSchool administrators are rarely penalized for failing to report resignations of problem teachers to state licensing officials. Although 41 states have laws requiring public school administrators to report the firing or resignation of a teacher to state education officials, violations of those laws rarely have consequences. This isn’t supposed to happen. A series of high-profile abuse cases and media investigations in the 1990s and 2000s put a spotlight on lax regulations by government officials at every level. A few states, including Florida, Missouri and Oregon, instituted tough new laws and regulations to crack down on abusive teachers and publicly report their names. Congress passed a law in December 2015 requiring states to ban school districts from secretly passing problem teachers to other jurisdictions. None of those changes closed the gaping holes plaguing the nation’s teacher screening system. Inconsistencies in state background check rules and the lack of a government-run tracking system for serious teacher misconduct continue to hinder efforts to root out problem educators. “I’m not against what’s been put into law,” said Charol Shakeshaft, a professor of educational leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University who has studied teacher misconduct. “It just isn’t much of a solution.” Although abusive teachers make up only a fraction of 1% of the nation’s teaching corps, USA TODAY found dozens of teachers

ART GENTILE, BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES

Eric Romig, 36, a Pennsylvania girl’s softball coach, was forced out of a private school for misconduct before taking a job with a public school district, where he had sex with a 16-year-old softball player.

Jason Fennes Left a New Jersey public school amid allegations he inappropriately touched elementary school students. He then began working at a nearby private prep school, where he engaged in sexual misconduct. He pleaded guilty to molesting at least four female students and having sex with a 15-year-old athlete he coached.

Eric Romig

A softball coach at a private school in the Philadelphia suburbs lost his position after exchanging thousands of text messages with a student. He later began working at a nearby public school, where he had a sexual relationship with a student.

BOB KARP, USA TODAY NETWORK

In Montville, N.J., Jason Fennes pleaded guilty in September to molesting four female pupils and having sex with a 15-year-old.

“It’s enraging when I read these cases about a teacher who has been well-known for abusing little children for over 20 years.” Charles Hobson, Indiana University Northwest

Jon White Was issued a positive letter of recommendation by one Illinois school district even though he was forced to resign following allegations of sexual misconduct. He later found work at a nearby school district, and ultimately pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual assault of 10 children between the two districts where he worked.

who lost one job after being accused of abusive behavior and had no trouble getting hired somewhere else. They include a New Jersey teacher who molested ﬁve elementary school students, an Oregon substitute teacher who reached under a table to touch a student’s genitals and an Illinois teacher who forced elementary students to eat food off his crotch. In each instance, the teacher had been disciplined for sexual misbehavior in a prior school district. “It’s enraging when I read these cases about a teacher who has been well-known for abusing

little children for over 20 years,” said Charles Hobson, a professor of business management at Indiana University Northwest who studies teacher misconduct. “And nobody — nobody — has picked the phone up and called Child Protective Services or the police. That’s crushing.” USA TODAY found examples in nearly every state, and the secrecy was often cemented in legally binding contracts. In New Jersey, Montville Township Public Schools wanted to get rid of ﬁrst-grade teacher Jason Fennes in 2010 after officials received complaints he had

engaged in misconduct with his female elementary school pupils, including inappropriately touching them and allowing them to sit on his lap. The district did not report the accusations to police. It signed a contract stating that only his positions and dates of employment would be disclosed to prospective future employers and that “no further information will be provided.” Less than two months after resigning, Fennes was hired for a teaching job at Cedar Hill Prep School, a nearby private academy. Prosecutors in two counties brought charges against Fennes after victims from both schools came forward. He entered guilty pleas in both cases in September, admitting to molesting at least four female students and having sex with a 15-year-old athlete he coached. In Illinois, teacher Jon White molested children in one school district before quietly moving to a second where he struck again. Pennsylvania coach Eric Romig was forced out of a private school for misconduct before taking a job with a public school district, where he had sex with a 16-yearold. Both men were convicted. Using disciplinary records from every state, USA TODAY identiﬁed more than 100 educators whose public school teaching credentials were revoked or surrendered for serious misconduct, yet they continued to work with youth in different environments.

From youth sports leagues to church groups to tutoring groups, employees or volunteers are often hired with no background checks at all. The analysis shows how easily those accused of misconduct can dodge oversight — especially if they move into private schools or private coaching jobs. Only nine states require background checks for volunteers in the sports activities. Although most states have laws in place requiring licensed public school teachers to undergo background checks, private schools typically aren’t required to conduct background checks under any state or federal law. Sexual and physical misconduct by educators can be difficult to predict, and school officials — including those in Orangeﬁeld — have said they didn’t report misconduct in some cases because it did not amount to a crime. Johnson, the attorney of Orangeﬁeld schools, advised the district in 2005 in her letter to the superintendent laying out the terms of McFarlin’s “graceful exit” to “agree to a neutral recommendation or positive recommendation for his coaching duties, etc.” “I do not feel that you have to report to SBEC under §21.006 Tex Educ Code,” Johnson advised the district. “He is not guilty of abuse or an unlawful act with a student, just inappropriate and stupid remarks for a professional to make.”

NEWS 7A

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

Relationships that are invested in your success.

WHOLESALE BANKING • BUSINESS BANKING • CORPORATE BANKING • COMMERCIAL CAPITAL • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE • INSURANCE*1 • INTERNATIONAL • INVESTMENT BANKING

You set goals for your business, and we’re here to help you reach them. Your Relationship Manager will take the time to understand your business—from your day-to-day operations to your long-term vision and goals. Then they assemble a team to design and deliver strategies that help you go where you want to go. And as your needs change, our broad array of services scales with you. We’re in it with you for the long-term. We’re committed to your success. To learn more about how we can work together to move your business forward, visit wholesalebanking.wf.com/national

• MIDDLE MARKET BANKING • TREASURY MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS:

NOT FDIC-Insured 1

NO Bank Guarantee

MAY Lose Value

Insurance products and services are offered through non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company including Wells Fargo Insurance Inc. and Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc. 2Wells Fargo Securities is the trade name for the capital markets and investment banking services of Wells Fargo & Company and its subsidiaries, including but not limited to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, a member of NYSE, FINRA, NFA and SIPC, Wells Fargo Prime Services, LLC, a member of FINRA, NFA and SIPC and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as well as Wells Fargo Securities Canada, Ltd., a Canadian investment dealer and member of CIPF, Wells Fargo Securities International Limited (authorized by the U.K. FCA), Wells Fargo Securities Asia Limited (licensed by the HK SFC), and Wells Fargo Securities (Japan) Co., Ltd. (registered with the KLFB). ©2016 Wells Fargo & Co. All rights reserved. Deposit products offered by Wells Fargo & Co. Member FDIC. Deposits held in non-U.S. branches are not FDIC insured.

www.ebook3000.com

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

8A NEWS

YOUR SAY N.C. ‘BATHROOM BILL’

There are more pressing concerns than restrooms FACEBOOK FACEBOOK.COM/ USATODAYOPINION

restroom by someone who is transgender. Why are conservatives so worried about this?

PUBLIC SPLIT ON BATHROOMS

North Carolina legislators failed Wednesday to repeal HB2, also known as the “bathroom bill.” The law makes it mandatory for people to use the bathroom that corresponds to their birth gender.

Ron Martin

Transgender people should be: Allowed to use public bathrooms that correspond to the gender with which they currently identify

LETTERS LETTERS@USATODAY.COM

Please quit calling North Carolina’s bill

51% Required to use public bathrooms that correspond to their birth gender

This is Republican leadership at its ﬁnest. They don’t care if Russia is committing espionage against our country as long as our bathrooms are “pure.”

on gender the “bathroom bill.” A transgender man could use a closed stall in a men’s bathroom. No problem there. A transgender woman has only closed stalls in the women’s bathroom. No problem there. Problems do arise in the changing rooms of health clubs, schools and swimming pools where privacy is often minimal or non-existent. Having no rules for changing rooms exposes everyone to embarrassment if a man or woman purposely goes into the wrong area.

46%

Walt Stasinski

I’m moving to North Carolina. Those guys have common sense. Which most of the country lacks. Monty Hightower

A law that protects my 5-yearold daughter from running into a creepy old man in the bathroom because he “feels like a woman that day” is upheld. Why is that considered news? KT Dause

How on earth would you even

SOURCE Pew Research Center survey of 4,538 adults conducted Aug.16-Sept.12. Margin of error is ±2.4 percentage points. KARL GELLES, USA TODAY

enforce such a silly idea? Do I have to present my penis to enter the men’s bathroom? Is there a camera that does genitalia recognition? Rodney Smith

It seems that children have a greater chance of being molested in church, considering all the scandals that have happened in some, than in a public

Bob Munson Newbury Park, Calif.

TWITTER @USATOPINION We asked followers what they thought of North Carolina’s failed attempt at repealing its bathroom bill.

The fact that anyone thinks it’s OK for a male to use a female bathroom or locker room is absurd.

Go to the bathroom where you’re supposed to. Kind of the way it has worked for the last 200 years.

POLICING THE USA POLICING.USATODAY.COM

What has your experience with law enforcement been? Share stories of police making a difference in communities. Submit videos or photos at policing.usatoday.com. Send your comments on Twitter using #policingtheusa, call 540-739-2928 or email letters@usatoday.com.

@RamblinManNC

It’s a great law.

@patsully35

@davebrandonego

Have a try at leaving people alone.

For more, follow @USATOpinion and #tellusatoday on Twitter.

@morpheuswaking

Have Your Say at letters@usatoday.com, facebook.com/usatodayopinion and @USATOpinion on Twitter. All comments are edited for length and clarity. Content submitted to USA TODAY may appear in print, digital or other forms. For letters, include name, address and phone number. Letters may be mailed to 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA, 22108.

TO COMMENT

WEATHER FRONT & CENTER

WEATHER ONLINE USATODAY.COM

Guided Tours Since 1952 800 CARAVAN YESTERDAY’S EXTREMES HOTTEST: 85° McAllen, Texas

Seattle Olympia

40 43

Duluth

Marquette

Fargo

Billings

31 Reno

Salt Lake City

Las Vegas

Palm Springs

San Diego

65 El Paso

Fairbanks

-8 Anchorage

Hawaii

Juneau

46 Dallas

55 Austin

Honolulu

San Antonio

Knoxville

Charleston

Richmond

49 Raleigh

Birmingham

Atlanta

Jackson

63 Mobile

Baton Rouge New Orleans

Houston

64 69 80

SAT

Warmer 67/49

SAT

SUN

Partly sunny 71/54

SUN

SAT SUN

Some sun 82/72 Partly sunny 84/74 Partly sunny 83/74

FRI SAT SUN

Snow, 1-2” 35/25 Mostly cloudy 33/28 Ice, then rain 36/29

AQI Moderate

AQI Good c Cloudy

Incr. clouds 47/36 A little rain 49/32 Mostly sunny 46/34

f Fog

i Ice

r Rain

10s

20s

30s

BOSTON

TODAY

SAT

Akron, Ohio Albany, N.Y. Albuquerque Allentown, Pa. Amarillo, Texas Anaheim, Calif. Anchorage, Alaska Aspen, Colo. Atlantic City, N.J. Augusta, Ga. Austin, Texas Bakersfield, Calif. Baton Rouge, La. Billings, Mont. Birmingham, Ala. Bismarck, N.D. Boise, Idaho Buffalo, N.Y. Burlington, Vt. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Charleston, S.C. Charleston, W.Va. Cheyenne, Wyo.

39/35pc 40/28pc 51/32pc 46/30s 60/30pc 62/50sh 10/6pc 38/19sn 47/39s 60/45s 71/63r 61/43r 71/59pc 30/16pc 60/51pc 26/9pc 32/28sn 37/33pc 40/31pc 33/23sn 62/49s 51/40pc 46/24pc

40/31r 40/32i 53/28pc 43/28r 64/44s 58/39pc 25/21sn 40/19pc 51/37r 70/47c 74/65c 50/37sh 77/62c 22/10sn 69/53c 21/18sn 34/18sn 40/29c 38/29sf 33/30c 72/51pc 51/43r 47/24s

CHICAGO

Sunny 43/34

FRI

Cooler 52/40

FRI

SAT

Rain 45/32

SAT

Shower 59/46

SAT

SUN

Sunny 41/26

SUN

Partly sunny 63/46

SUN

AQI Moderate

Partly sunny 70/59 Clouds, sun 74/61

FRI SAT SUN

Showers 73/63

AQI Good sn Snow

FRI

Incr. clouds 46/39

FRI

SAT

Rain 47/36

SAT

SUN

Mostly sunny 45/33

AQI Moderate

Cincinnati Cleveland Colorado Springs Columbia, S.C. Columbus, Ohio Corpus Christi, Texas Dayton, Ohio Daytona Beach, Fla. Des Moines, Iowa Duluth, Minn. Durham, N.C. El Paso, Texas Fairbanks, Alaska Flagstaff, Ariz. Fargo, N.D. Fort Myers, Fla. Fort Smith, Ark. Fort Wayne, Ind. Fresno, Calif. Grand Rapids, Mich. Green Bay, Wis. Greensboro, N.C. Greenville, S.C. Harrisburg, Pa.

dr Drizzle

Rain 37/37

ORLANDO

NEW YORK

w Windy

Rain, snow 35/31 Mostly cloudy 35/29

AQI Moderate

AQI Good

NEW ORLEANS

sf Snowflurries

U.S. CITIES

CHARLOTTE

FRI

MPLS-ST. PAUL

MIAMI

40s

50s

60s

70s

80s

90s

100s

110+

Air quality index (AQI)

AQI Moderate

FRI

Below 10

BALTIMORE

FRI

Miami

DOYLE RICE AND KARL GELLES @USATODAYWEATHER

Cooler 55/44

Tampa

Brownsville

SATURDAY

Savannah

San Juan

SOURCE Joint Typhoon W Warning Center, Center AccuWeather

FRI

Charleston

Jacksonville Tallahassee

Puerto Rico

ATLANTA

57 62

Montgomery

55 Columbia

Little Rock

Shreveport

Charlotte

TODAY

Washington Annapolis

Nashville

Lubbock MidlandOdessa

Louisville

Memphis

Tulsa

Phoenix

Alaska

Albuquerque

42 42

Oklahoma City

43 Philadelphia

Cincinnati

Harrisburg

36 Boston

New York

Indianapolis

Jefferson City St. Louis Wichita

Santa Fe

Flagstaff

Ice/mix

Hartford

Pittsburgh

Columbus

35 39

Chicago

Albany

Cleveland

Lansing

Kansas City Springfield

Topeka

Madison

Detroit

35 35

Des Moines

Dodge City

Los Angeles

Snow

Augusta

Montpelier

Buffalo

Grand Rapids

Milwaukee

Omaha

Denver

Aspen

Sioux Falls

St. George

Rain

34 40

Pierre

North Platte

Cheyenne

Fresno

Casper

Elko

Idaho Falls Jackson Hole

Carson City

San Francisco

T-storms

Burlington

Mpls-St. Paul

Rapid City

Burns

51 Sacramento

WHAT WEATHER CAUSED SANTA TO ASK RUDOLPH FOR HELP?

Bismarck

Boise Bend

On this date in 1989, snow fell in Tampa, Sarasota and Jacksonville, Fla.

Eureka

Note: For contiguous 48 states through 4 p.m. ET yesterday Bangor

Miles City

Helena

Salem

CARAVAN.COM

PRECIPITATION FORECAST

COLDEST: -22° West Yellowstone, Mont.

Spokane

Portland

Costa Rica Natural Paradise 8 Day Tour $1195 + tax,fees

TODAY’S HIGH TEMPERATURES

A typhoon is forecast to hit the Philippines on Sunday. Typhoons can form year-round in the western Pacific.

TOP TRAVEL CITIES

For more of the week’s best, check out our gallery online.

CARTOONS OPINION.USATODAY.COM

h Haze

TODAY SAT 43/39c 46/41r 41/36c 41/32r 51/26pc 49/26s 57/44s 66/48c 41/37c 42/35r 77/65c 77/66pc 39/36c 41/35c 76/61s 79/63pc 36/24sn 38/33c 33/24sn 32/26c 52/35s 53/44c 61/39pc 67/43s -8/-20sn 0/-9c 41/30pc 36/16r 36/17pc 27/26sf 84/66s 86/67pc 44/41sh 59/53c 37/34c 39/30c 55/40r 51/34c 35/32c 37/27c 35/27sn 35/28c 51/38s 53/44r 53/41s 62/48c 45/35pc 47/31r

SUN

Mostly sunny 80/63 Partly sunny 83/65 Partly sunny 83/66

AQI Good pc Partly cloudy

Hartford, Conn. Indianapolis Islip, N.Y. Jackson, Miss. Jacksonville, Fla. Jefferson City, Mo. Kansas City Key West, Fla. Knoxville, Tenn. Laredo, Texas Lexington, Ky. Lincoln, Neb. Little Rock, Ark. Long Beach, Calif. Louisville, Ky. Lubbock, Texas Madison, Wis. Manchester, N.H. Memphis, Tenn. Milwaukee Mobile, Ala. Modesto, Calif. Montgomery, Ala. Myrtle Beach, S.C.

DALLAS

DENVER Spotty showers 55/51

FRI

Milder 48/31

FRI

SAT

Warmer 72/62

SAT

Sunny 48/30

SAT

SUN

T-storms 71/55

SUN

Snow, up to 1” 40/16

SUN

AQI Good

PHILADELPHIA

FRI SAT SUN

AQI Moderate s Sunny

PHOENIX

Incr. clouds 45/37 Morning rain 48/33 Mostly sunny 45/33

sh Showers

TODAY SAT 43/27s 40/27r 38/35c 43/36c 44/33s 48/32r 66/58pc 72/58c 70/54s 78/56pc 42/35r 47/40c 40/28i 45/40c 80/74s 82/74s 53/43pc 54/47r 72/63c 75/64pc 48/43pc 50/46r 42/17sn 42/34c 50/48r 59/53r 63/52sh 58/40pc 46/42c 51/46r 62/32c 67/50s 33/29sn 35/30c 42/28s 39/28sn 57/54c 64/58r 36/30sn 35/29c 68/55r 75/58pc 55/38r 53/33pc 63/48pc 76/55c 57/49s 68/51pc

HONOLULU

DETROIT

FRI

AQI Moderate SALT LAKE CITY

FRI

Partly sunny 65/52

FRI

SAT

Rain 59/40

SAT

SUN

Sunny, cool 55/41

AQI Good

Incr. clouds 35/30 Mostly cloudy 37/25 Mostly cloudy 35/34

SUN

A bit of snow 44/37 Rain to snow 41/25 A little snow 27/18

FRI SAT SUN

Partly sunny 81/71 Partly sunny 81/70 A stray shower 81/70

AQI Good SAN DIEGO

FRI SAT SUN

Incr. clouds 64/53 Morning rain 59/46 Sunny, cool 58/46

HOUSTON Shower 75/64

FRI

SAT

Mostly cloudy 76/65

SAT

SUN

Shower 76/67

SUN

AQI Good SAN FRANCISCO

FRI SAT SUN

Downpours 54/43 Partly sunny 52/39 Partly sunny 51/39

LOS ANGELES

LAS VEGAS

FRI

Sunny 55/47 Showers around 49/36 Mostly sunny 47/35

AQI Moderate

FRI

A little rain 61/50

SAT

Shower 57/40

SUN

Mostly sunny 55/43

AQI Good

SEATTLE

WASHINGTON

FRI

A few showers 41/35

FRI

SAT

Shower 40/31

SAT

SUN

Mostly cloudy 38/27

SUN

AQI Moderate

AQI Good

TODAY SAT 50/42s 59/48r 56/50pc 56/54r 46/34s 48/33r 42/33s 46/30r 48/38s 58/41r 56/41r 53/37pc 48/37sh 62/52c 39/18sn 41/34c 62/53c 57/41pc 67/57pc 74/61pc 29/9pc 29/23c 43/35pc 45/33r 39/25s 40/26sn 42/33r 41/32c 45/33s 47/31r 55/38s 55/43c 37/17pc 33/13c 50/28r 36/14sf 49/37s 51/37r 39/32pc 41/29sn 51/35r 50/31pc 68/63c 72/65sh 55/43r 53/35pc 46/26pc 49/25pc

Sarasota, Fla. Savannah, Ga. Scottsdale, Ariz. Shreveport, La. Sioux Falls, S.D. South Bend, Ind. Spokane, Wash. Springfield, Mo. Springfield, Ill. St. Louis St. Petersburg, Fla. Syracuse, N.Y. Tallahassee, Fla. Tampa, Fla. Toledo, Ohio Topeka, Kan. Tucson, Ariz. Tupelo, Miss. Tulsa, Okla. Virginia Beach, Va. Wichita, Kan. Wilmington, Del. Winston-Salem, N.C. Worcester, Mass.

TODAY SAT 80/63s 82/65pc 64/51s 74/51pc 63/50pc 57/40r 64/62r 74/63r 36/19sn 36/30c 35/31sn 35/27c 33/27sn 33/18sn 44/37r 51/46c 39/35r 44/37c 42/37r 48/41c 79/65s 82/66pc 37/30s 39/27sn 69/53pc 79/58pc 80/65s 83/67pc 37/33c 36/25c 43/27sh 46/41c 65/47pc 65/39sh 59/54pc 67/55r 46/37sh 58/53c 48/38s 58/44r 47/25c 51/44c 45/35s 48/32r 52/39s 52/44r 39/31s 40/28r

WORLD CITIES

Incr. clouds 48/41 A little rain 50/35 Mostly sunny 48/38

AQI Moderate

t Thunderstorms

Nags Head, N.C. Nashville, Tenn. Newark, N.J. New Haven, Conn. Norfolk, Va. Oakland, Calif. Oklahoma City Omaha, Neb. Palm Springs, Calif. Pensacola, Fla. Pierre, S.D. Pittsburgh Portland, Maine Portland, Ore. Providence, R.I. Raleigh, N.C. Rapid City, S.D. Reno, Nev. Richmond, Va. Rochester, N.Y. Sacramento, Calif. San Antonio San Jose, Calif. Santa Fe, N.M.

Beijing Buenos Aires Cancun, Mexico Dubai, UAE Frankfurt Hong Kong Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg London Mexico City Montreal Moscow Mumbai, India Paris Rio de Janeiro Rome Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto Tokyo

TODAY SAT 38/20s 38/24pc 83/64pc 86/67s 82/73pc 83/73pc 82/66s 83/67s 41/38pc 48/41c 72/65c 70/67c 49/39sh 46/37c 56/40c 53/40s 88/62t 80/56pc 53/40w 50/48pc 72/46s 74/47s 34/26c 34/25sn 28/25sn 32/26c 90/70h 89/71h 47/42c 50/42c 91/79h 91/78s 58/37s 58/39pc 33/21sf 37/23s 86/77c 87/77c 78/68pc 82/69t 34/30pc 38/26c 62/45w 53/40s

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

NEWS 9A

OPINION TODAY’S TOPIC INFANT HEALTH

Our view When a child is born, tests should be uniform It’s too late for little Mel Russell. Too late for Jonathan Page. Too late for Sierra Creason. All were born with rare, but treatable, genetic disorders that weren’t caught, as they should have been, by routine screening tests for newborns. Mel, a 6-year-old from Wisconsin, suffered a stroke at 18 months after acid built up in his bloodstream because of the disorder. He likely never will be able to live independently or manage his own diet. Jonathan, a 6-year-old from North Carolina, also suffered a stroke and uses a wheelchair. Sierra suffered from congenital hypothyroidism, an easy to treat and fairly common condition missed by the state lab in California. When she died at age 23 in 2014, she was blind and had never learned to walk. She was the size of an 8-year-old. About 1 in 800 babies in the U.S. is born with a condition that can lead to death or brain damage, and all states have laws requiring nearly all newborns to be screened for dozens of genetic disorders. These tests are heralded as lifesavers for about 12,000 babies each year. But an investigation published this month by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel revealed holes in the screening system that cause conditions to be missed in too many kids. Standards for new-

Alcestis “Cooky” Oberg

elevision commercials sometimes try to project a vision of a perfect Christmas dream: The unexpected arrival of a loved one on a snowy morning with hot coffee nearby, magnificently wrapped gifts beneath a beautifully decorated tree with a fireplace roaring in the picture, a splendid feast laid out across a festive table with frosted windows in the background. It’s a moment or a vision reflecting all that is good about Christmas. It is paradise. With snow. Movies try to capture the Christmas dream, too, with stories of reunion, transformation, generosity, all problems resolved happily. The truth is, the Christmas dream we might have isn’t really a story or commercial with a beginning, a middle and an end. A dream is a goal, a vision and an ideal — something ephemeral. For many of us, Christmas dreams are fleeting fragments of things that have happened in our lives — images, thoughts, memories and feelings — encapsulated moments trapped in our souls that are unexpectedly set free by a tune, a fragrance, a flavor, or a photograph, allowing us to experience again the true joy of the season. Maybe this year, we will try to disengage ourselves from our absorption in the chores of Christmas — the hectic traveling, the obsessive cleaning and preparation, the crowded stores, the endless boxes to wrap — and open our minds to our own core dream of this Christmas. What do we seek from the season? What gets us to that momentary paradise that fills our hearts? What lets us experience again the full and profound beauty of Christmas? ROY ROGERS WESTERN TOWN

With kids, the perfect Christmas can revolve around a thing, an object of the most intense desire. To achieve that paradise for kids is easy. One has merely to discover what they really wish for, and then make that wish come true. For me, it was a Roy Rogers Western Town, complete with furniture for all the rooms, and plastic ﬁgures to carry out fantasy adventures with horses and cowboys. I was ecstatic to get it, one Christmas far back in time. I played with it with all my friends, and immersed myself in the fantasies of heroism saving the little town from the “bad guys.” I have it still, perched on a bookshelf in my den. For my grandsons, it was the LEGO Death Star a few years ago

MIKE DE SISTI, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

Mel Russell, now 6, suffered a stroke at 18 months. born testing vary widely from state to state. Reporter Ellen Gabler also found that many state labs fail to take full advantage of software developed by Mayo Clinic that could greatly improve screening. In addition, a federal advisory committee that reports to the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), though well-intentioned, has no teeth. Federal officials should insist on smarter, uniform newborn testing across the 50 states; on the use of the latest technology in assessing tests; and on giving the federal newborn testing advisory committee authority to ensure

Another view Conditions can be difficult to study

newborns get the care they need. More speciﬁcally: uHHS, with the help of the committee that advises the secretary on newborn screening, should develop a uniform protocol for testing across the 50 states. That is hardly the case now. Laboratories screen for differing numbers of disorders, and some use outdated criteria to trigger an “abnormal” screen. uThe HHS advisory committee should be given great latitude to impose uniformity on state labs. The states can, and should be, seen as “laboratories” that can always add more improvements. But they should be required, at minimum, to use the best available science for this critical function. uState laboratories should use the latest technology to ensure that testing regimes are effective and uniform. Mayo Clinic has developed free software that can access results from 30 million babies around the world so labs can evaluate a newborn’s tests against those of babies who have been diagnosed with disorders. Even in an era of bitter political divisions, saving babies from death or lifelong suffering should be an easy issue for bipartisan agreement in the new year. A version of this editorial appeared previously in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

WHAT WE SEEK FROM CHRISTMAS

How do we get to that momentary paradise that ﬁlls our hearts?

CHELSEA PURGAHN, AP

Christmas ornaments hang on a tree in Kalamazoo, Mich. — all 3,800 pieces of it, which a kindly engineer uncle meticulously assembled for them. Oh, the dramas they played out within its intricate plastic rooms. Today, the Death Star resides on a high shelf where pesky little visitors can’t reach it. For adults, the Christmas dream might be more complex, harder to achieve: perfect family harmony, togetherness and happiness. As our Christmases move on through the years, we’re beset by the complications of adult life — imperfect relationships, stressed circumstances, worries without end. One wishes that adult dreams were as simple to achieve as childhood ones, the purity and joy of receiving a perfect toy. For some of us, the Christmas dream may lie in our uncomplicated childhood past, with beloved grandparents, parents, siblings, friends who are now long gone. That would be a sad and unachievable dream indeed, were it not for the fact that life goes on. FABRIC OF OUR NOW

Christmas is reinvented every year. Perhaps more children are born into the family or more friends are acquired along the way. In my life, there’s been a shift of roles: I myself am now the

matriarch in the photograph of the Christmas feast, just where my grandmother used to sit all those Christmases ago. There is a reassurance in this new picture: The Christmas dreams of the past can be recaptured with some shifting in the scenery, roles, participants and details, created out of the fabric of our Now. For others, a Christmas dream may lie elsewhere. For my religious friend who had no close family or children, a Christmas dream involved a trip to Bethlehem. There, her pilgrim soul walked through the stone streets to the ancient Church of the Nativity, where it all began. Her truest Christmas dream — a sacred and reverent experience of the soul — was waiting for her, just there on the grotto altar. Perhaps, this season, we should identify the elements of our Christmas dream and try to capture their essence in the ﬂeeting moments of our present-day holiday existence. We can stop brieﬂy at this breathless time and open ourselves up to that special moment of rapture and joy, lying, waiting, at the heart of this year’s living Christmas dream.

Edward R.B. McCabe The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation reinforces the need for all states to use the best and latest science in their newborn screening programs. In recent decades, state newborn screening programs have evolved rapidly. Today, most states test all newborns for more than 30 conditions that pose a serious threat to infants’ lives or health. Most of those conditions are exceedingly rare, which means they are difficult to study. With only a handful of cases of each condition identified annually, it can take years to develop even a basic understanding of a disorder. Current challenges around diagnosing these rare disorders reflect a maturing system. When testing for a condition, the state must set a “cutoff” level for determining when a child is most likely to have the disorder. If the cutoff is too generous, many healthy children receive extra testing. If the level is too low, a sick child is missed. Researchers and lab experts are continually working to strike the right balance, but often it’s like trying to say exactly where a rainbow turns from one color to the next. As our understanding of each disorder has improved, so

www.ebook3000.com

Dr. Edward R.B. McCabe is chief medical officer for the March of Dimes.

Finding the good in my dad’s ﬁnal days Glenn Harlan Reynolds My fellow Knoxvillian Alex Haley once said, “Find the good and praise it.” That’s probably not a formula for successful punditry these days, but there’s good to be found even when things are awful. And that’s something I’ve recently experienced. The awful part is that my dad, Charles Harlan Reynolds, is dying. At 78, things are just falling apart. He’s got end-stage heart failure and advanced Alzheimer’s. His kidneys are no prize, either. Last week he had a health crisis, and as I write this he’s at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, and he won’t be going home from there. If he recovers enough to get out, he’ll probably be moving to a hospice. He’s physically very weak, and his memory is gone. Even a few months ago, he could tell stories about being bitten by a rattlesnake when he was a kid, or about being at Selma with Martin Luther King, in great (and consistent) detail. Now he barely remembers that they happened. Until a few years ago he was a dynamic, even charismatic, ﬁgure: A preacher, a protester, a professor of great renown. Now, as happens to all of us eventually, those qualities have been left behind, devoured by disease and age. That’s the awful part, and it’s awful enough. But there’s good, too. I’ve had some awful experiences with hospitals, with various sick family members. Yet our experience this time has been anything but awful. This week, as we met with the team of doctors to talk about my dad’s care, my brother noted that every nurse, nursing aide, doctor,

orderly, or medical technologist we’ve dealt with there has been absolutely terriﬁc: kind, competent, considerate and cheerful. In a medical setting, we’re willing to settle for “competent.” But kind, considerate and cheerful go a long way, especially when people are exhausted, worried and sad. I dreaded meeting the palliative care team because, to me, that symbolized giving up. But no sooner did they get involved than my dad’s medications were rejiggered, and for the ﬁrst time he could sleep through the night. Their competence, and obvious humanity, were a real comfort. And that goes double for my family. Some families turn on each other under the strain. My family has done the opposite. My youngest brother, who dad has been living with, has done a heroic job of looking after him. My other siblings rallied around, my daughter — home from graduate school — took turns sitting with him in the hospital, and even my former stepmother (“the world’s best ex-wife,” as my brother dubbed her) went above and beyond in helping out. My dad’s illness has resulted in us spending more time together than usual, which is also something good amid the awfulness. We’ll soon be bringing down the curtain on 2016, a year that has contained its share of awfulness for many. But there was also much good in 2016. As we enter 2017, let us look for the good, and try — as much as we can, in our imperfect human way — to be the good as well. Glenn Harlan Reynolds, a University of Tennessee law professor, is a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors. "USA TODAY hopes to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation." Allen H. Neuharth, Founder, Sept. 15, 1982

GANNETT COMPANY PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Robert Dickey GANNETT CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER

USA TODAY PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Joanne Lipman

John Zidich

EDITOR IN CHIEF

GENERAL MANAGER

Patty Michalski

Susan Motiff

EDITOR, EDITORIAL PAGE

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Bill Sternberg

Kevin Gentzel

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER

Beryl Love

Alcestis “Cooky” Oberg, a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors, lives near Houston.

has the ability to set appropriate cutoffs. Much more work remains to be done, however. The greatest challenges today are not scientiﬁc, but practical. State laboratories need the funding and resources to keep up with best practices and keep their systems and equipment up to date. More research funding is needed to collect the data to reﬁne these cutoffs and to understand the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in determining which children will get sick. For decades, March of Dimes has lobbied in every state to ensure that newborn screening programs have the resources needed to identify and treat infants before they become catastrophically ill. Some states have responded more quickly than others. Many newborn screening programs consist of only a few staff. Adding tests, updating equipment and training personnel can be expensive. When state budgets are tight, newborn screening programs can get shortchanged. It is vital that citizens and policymakers understand the importance of robust support for newborn screening programs.

Daniel Bernard PRESIDENT, SPORTS MEDIA GROUP

David Morgan

10A NEWS

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

you Join us at our Pop-Up Cheer Parties for a free drink. As 2016 wraps up, we hope everyone will ring in the new year with love in their hearts. We’re excited to give away free tall handcrafted espresso beverages from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at one hundred different stores daily through January 2. Join us for 10 Days of Cheer with new surprise locations revealed every day (except 12/25). To find a Pop-Up Cheer Party near you, visit starbucks.com/cheer. No matter where you are, we have something special in store. Swing by your favorite participating Starbucks® café to celebrate the cheer that surrounds us all.

#findche r

SECTION B

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

New Year? Time for new tech, 2B Economy grew healthy 3.5% in Q3, 2B MICROSOFT

MONEYLINE

Nine big taxpayers could get Trump relief

MORTGAGE RATES HIT HIGHEST LEVELS SINCE 2014 Mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported the rate on 30-year ﬁxed-rate loans jumped to an average 4.30%, up from 4.16% last week and the highest since April 2014. The average rate for a 15-year mortgage rose to 3.52% from 3.37%, highest since January 2014. Rates have surged since the Nov. 8 election of Donald Trump.

Matt Krantz TENTATIVE SETTLEMENT IN IKEA FURNITURE FATALITIES Sweden-based home furnishings giant Ikea says a tentative deal has been reached in a case involving three U.S. families whose children died after chests and dressers made by Ikea toppled on them. Philadelphia-based law ﬁrm Feldman, Shepherd, Wohlgelernter, Tanner, Weinstock & Dodig, which represented the families, announced a $50 million settlement with the company. UBER SHIFTS TO ARIZONA Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey welcomed Uber’s self-driving pilot program “with open arms” one day after the California Department of Motor Vehicles moved to revoke the vehicles’ registrations. Uber began testing 16 self-driving vehicles in San Francisco this month. State regulators ordered the cars off the road until the company obtained a permit. Uber claimed it did not need a permit because the cars do not continuously drive themselves. DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVG 20,000 9:30 a.m. 19,950

19,942

19,900 19,850

4:00 p.m.

19,919

-23.08

19,800 19,750

THURSDAY MARKETS INDEX

Nasdaq composite S&P 500 T-note, 10-year yield Oil, light sweet crude Euro (dollars per euro) Yen per dollar

CHG

5,447.42 2,260.96 2.55% $52.95 $1.0433 117.60

y 24.01 y 4.22 x 0.01 x 0.46 x 0.0006 x 0.06

SOURCES USA TODAY RESEARCH, MARKETWATCH.COM

uUSA MARKETS, 5B

USA SNAPSHOTS©

Secret stash

29%

of adults dults ts say s they’re th likely to o leave ttheir signifi significant sig other if he/she he//she hides mone mo money in non-join on-joint nt bank accounts.

SOURCE Alliant Credit Union survey of 1,045 U.S. adults JAE YANG AND PAUL TRAP, USA TODAY

@mattkrantz USA TODAY

GETTY IMAGES

UGLY SWEATERS ARE BIG BIZ Mary Bowerman @MaryBowerman USA TODAY Network

rom the depths of grandma’s closet to the shelves of major retailers, the deliberately “ugly Christmas sweater” is turning into big business. Whether it’s a sweater depicting a knit Darth Vader wearing a neck scarf or a cheery “Chillin’ with my Snowmies” pullover, the more outrageous, the better. Major chains such as Target, Sears and Walmart report they have been offering wider assortments every year. “Since Halloween, customer interest in ugly Christmas sweaters has exploded,” said Walmart spokeswoman Meggan Kring, adding that searches on Walmart’s site peaked in the second week in November. Now, she says many items are sold out, though they’re replacing inventory with other ugly sweater options. Sears says it has sold out of some of its worst — or best, depending on how you look at it — holiday sweaters. Target offered a two-person sweater this year, and one of their top selling items was an ugly sweater dress that looks a little like “Mrs. Claus’ gingerbread dress,” according to spokeswoman Jessica Carlson. “Hanukkah themed sweaters have also been popular over the past couple years. So it’s not just

The more garish the better as these holiday specials are ﬂying off the shelves

“Success comes from how fun the sweaters can be and whose is the most outrageous ... or, I suppose, ‘ugliest.’ ” Mitchell Lee, Sears spokesman

Christmas — it’s across all of the holiday celebrations,” she said. Sears spokesman Mitchell Lee said consumers want the most garish sweater items available for their “Ugly Christmas Sweater” parties or picture days at work. “Success comes from how fun the sweaters can be and whose is the most outrageous ... or, I suppose, “ugliest.’” Lee says. Shortages of the worst is leaving some holiday celebrants scrambling. On Twitter, many shared stories of their fruitless searches for the perfect ugly Christmas sweaters. “I looked all over for an ugly Christmas sweater today, and every place was sold out,” tweeted @RickyyLopezz this week. For decades, ugly Christmas sweaters were considered white elephants foisted on the unsuspecting by grandmothers or others with the best of intentions. They started taking on a life of their own a few years ago when some revelers started deliberately seeking out the overthe-top items from thrift stores or garage sales. At the time, no one would have suspected they would become such hot-ticket apparel at major retailers. Target has carried “ugly or festive holiday sweaters” in its inventory since 2013, according Target’s Carlson. “It has cerv STORY CONTINUES ON 2B

Centene, Best Buy, AES head select group of ﬁrms eager for lower tax rate with change in White House

Investors go to great lengths to cut their tax bills. But now, they’re actually looking for companies with the highest tax rates. Companies with high tax rates are turning into a hidden asset on Wall Street as President-elect Donald Trump vows to cut corporate tax rates. These companies and others like them could find lower taxes, if approved, boost profits practically overnight. There are nine companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500, including healthcare firm Centene, gadget seller Best Buy and utility AES that have paid effective tax rates of 40% or higher on average the past five years as well as an above average tax rate the past 12 months. Finding companies with high tax rates on the idea they can benefit next year was a recurring theme at the 21st annual USA TODAY Investment Roundta- BIG TAX SPENDERS ble held in Standard & Poor’s 500 compaDecember. nies that have paid effective Companies that aren’t pay- tax rates of 40% or higher on ing so much in average the past five years as taxes can do well as an above average tax things with rate the past 12 months. their money Company Last 12 mos. that benefits Centene 53.8% investors. 51.6% “The poten- AES tial energy is Humana 51.1% the idea that Leucadia National 47.7% the current tax Cardinal Health 38.4% rates are high, 36.4% and they’re go- Best Buy 33.0% ing to go to a Century Link lower tax rate, Alexion Pharma 31.7% which means S&P Global 30.2% that will free SOURCE S&P GLOBAL MARKET INTELLIGENCE, up a lot of cash USA TODAY RESEARCH flow that can be used for a different purpose,” says David Kostin, chief U.S. equity strategist at Goldman Sachs. Centene, a health care insurer, shows how some companies actually do pay just about the full statutory rate. The company has paid an effective tax rate of 38% or higher each of the past five years. That’s just about the biggest tax load a U.S. company can pay, Kostin says. The statutory tax rate in the U.S. is 35% and then the state rate of 4% takes the total rate up to 39%, he says. Best Buy, an operator of more than 1,500 consumer electronics retail stores largely in the U.S., paid an effective tax rate the past five years that has been consistently high and hit roughly 37% over the past 12 months.

If you’re a procrastinator, Amazon’s got your back E-retailer makes a bid for those who love to holiday shop at the last minute

Eli Blumenthal @eliblumenthal USA TODAY NEW YORK Last minute shoppers, stay home. That’s the message from Amazon, which is pushing its Prime Now rush delivery service as a way to lure shoppers who normally would head to physical stores in the last days or hours before Christmas, which coincides with the start of Hanukkah this weekend. The service, part of the company’s $99 per year Prime offering,

offers guaranteed delivery on items within two hours. This year, Amazon is extending that window to a time most should be at home counting their sugar plums. Prime Now customers in 30 U.S. cities can procrastinate until 9:45 p.m. local time Saturday for delivery by midnight Christmas Day. Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers such as Best Buy and Staples have with their own same-day delivery options, with the advantage of physical stores throughout the U.S. “It puts a little more stress on traditional brick-and-mortar stores, local and the big-

www.ebook3000.com

box mass retailers,” says MaryAnn Monforte, professor of accounting practice at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. “Because when you’re competing with a service like Amazon, you need to be able to meet or beat their hours.” With no stores of its own, Amazon’s approach is to create hubs in Prime Now cities. These look more like warehouses and are in places you wouldn’t exGETTY IMAGES

pect. The Manhattan hub, for example, is a 40,000-square-foot ﬂoor of an office building on 34th Street in midtown, down the block from Macy’s. The service is one way Amazon is trying to speed up the shopping experience. Last week the company announced it had completed its ﬁrst consumer delivery by drone. Earlier this month, it revealed plans for a radical new grocery store where no lines or checkout process are required. Prime Now has spread to more than 40 cities around the world since its launch in New York two v STORY CONTINUES ON 2B

2B MONEY

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

NEW YEAR, NEW TECH With YouTube, you can watch the entire library of videos on a virtual big screen and experience VR videos. The app was built from the ground up especially for Daydream and the controller.

streaming video service with a ton of original content, such as Transparent and Man In The High Castle. Expect Amazon to push this into overdrive in 2017. And let’s not forget about Alexa, Amazon’s do-it-all virtual assistant that runs the Echo and other gadgets. Amazon has hinted Alexa will play an even bigger role in smart home gadgets coming soon. DO OR DIE FOR SMART HOMES

Speaking of smart home tech, it’s not just Amazon that’s knocking at your door; Apple, Google, and plenty of other companies are making a big push to outﬁt your house with tech. By the end of the year we’ll know whether “smart” appliances and assistants are really all they’re cracked up to be, or if the entire industry needs a massive reboot. HIT THE ROAD

GOOGLE

HOW TO GET MOST OUT OF YOUR HOLIDAY GIFTS Jennifer Jolly | @JenniferJolly | Special for USA TODAY

be long before we have a whole new rush of gadgets battling each other for a chance to end up in your home. Here are some of the biggest tech products and trends on the horizon to give you a taste for what’s in store in 2017:

The biggest gift-giving days of the year packed your pockets with all the latest gadgets and gizmos. Now what? Here are some tips to get the most mileage from your new tech toys.

A BIG YEAR FOR APPLE AFP/GETTY IMAGES

UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!

No matter what digital device you found under the tree, there’s a good chance it’s not fully up to date with the latest software and security features. Grab that shiny new phone, laptop, tablet, or camera and head into the settings menu in search of the latest update. Some gadgets, like phones and computers, automatically alert you when a new update is available, but not always, so it pays to double check. NEVER BUY BATTERIES

This habit is a hard one to break, but it’ll pay off in the long run. Toss those disposable coppertops and go the rechargeable route. Six or seven years ago when they ﬁrst hit the market, rechargeable batteries were way too expensive to consider as an option. That has changed. You can score a 16-pack of these neversay-die batteries for $25.99 on Amazon, and recharging them is as simple as plugging them into cheap charging dock. FORGET YOUR PASSWORD

That new smartphone or tablet

you have on the coffee table probably has more app logins than you expected, so keep privacy and security top of mind and take the time to install a password manager like 1Password or LastPass. These handy little tools keep all your passwords safe and encrypted and auto-ﬁlls them whenever you need, so you don’t have to memorize a dozen different combinations just to keep hackers at bay. Both are free to try, and premium plans are as little as $1 per month, which is a small price to pay for the ultimate safety net.

Using engine optimization can help your site shoot to the top.

GOOGLE IT

Don’t let a malfunctioning gadget or impossible-Bluetoothpairing get you down. If you’re having any issues with a digital device, from an iPhone to an electric grill, Google is your friend. Everyone is quick to call tech support, but what makes Google so great is that if you’re having a problem right now, there’s a good chance someone else already had that problem before and ﬁgured out how to ﬁx it and is ready to help you do the same. Simple Google searches like “program

NINTENDO

The Nintendo Switch video game console, which will launch next March. universal remote” or “iPad won’t connect to Wi-Fi” instantly gives you multiple sources to fast-track your ﬁx, and you won’t have to wait on hold or in line at an Apple store for a solution. AND NOW, TO 2017...

Tech never sleeps, and it won’t

After a lackluster 2016, Apple is going to pull out all the stops to make 2017 one to remember. The iPhone 8 will be the biggest change in years, and there’s lots of insider info that says the new iPhone will have a super sharp OLED, curved glass and even a hidden home button integrated right into the display. On the computer front, Apple updated the MacBook Pro this fall, but a lot of the other Macs are still waiting to get their own time to shine. Expect a big Apple event early in 2017 with all-new updates for the iMac and hopefully a new Mac Mini, MacBook Air and lots of other Apple goodies.

Paul Davidson @Pdavidsonusat USA TODAY

The economy grew faster than previously thought in the third quarter on stronger consumer spending, commercial construction and state and local outlays. The nation’s gross domestic product — the value of all goods and services produced — increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.5%, up from the 3.2% previously estimated, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That’s the largest gain in two years. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast a revision to 3.3% growth. The healthy expansion last quarter followed a sluggish nine months in which the economy grew at about a 1% rate amid feeble business investment — half the roughly 2% pace that has characterized most of the sevenyear-old economic recovery. Consumer spending, which makes up about 70% of economic activity, increased 3% last quarter, a bit more than the previous 2.8% estimate. Solid job and in-

come growth, cheap gasoline and reduced debt have left Americans with more money in their pockets. And business investment rose 1.4%, stronger than the 0.1% previously believed. Commercial construction surged 12% while equipment spending fell 4.5%. Capital spending has been weak for nearly two years because of a listless global economy and strong dollar that have hurt exports, as well as the oil sector downturn. But oil prices have risen in recent months, helping spur a partial rebound, and the greenback leveled off until a recent rally. Partly as a result, exports rose 10% while imports increased just 2.2%, narrowing the nation’s trade gap. Meanwhile, state and local spending dipped 0.2%, less sharply than the last 1.1% estimate. Residential investment also declined a bit less dramatically than believed, 4.1%. This was the third and ﬁnal estimate of economic growth in the third quarter. Many economists expect growth to slow to less than 2% in the current quarter as a result of a pullback in consumer spending and weaker exports before picking up next year, in part because of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tax cuts and plans to boost spending on infrastructure.

NINTENDO SWITCH

Nintendo’s new game system is half home console, half handheld gaming powerhouse, and it’s like nothing anyone has seen before. Nintendo is promising beloved game characters such as Zelda and Mario will grace the system early on, and if you can take it with you on the bus and still play it on your big TV at home, expect the Switch to be a huge hit when it lands in March. SAMSUNG GALAXY S8

Samsung really needs to knock a new smartphone out of the park after the exploding Note 7 drama, which made headlines, and the S8 is already sounding like it’ll be a huge milestone. Lots of rumors are swirling that the phone will have a bezel-free display, so the screen stretches from edge to edge. It sounds awesome, and Samsung is expected to go all out with a huge launch early in the year.

VIRTUAL REALITY GROWS UP

XBOX PROJECT SCORPIO

Microsoft is about to roll out new Windows 10 VR headsets from different manufacturers. The new gadgets are expected to start at around $299, much cheaper than the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. So if you haven’t taken the VR plunge yet, it’s about to be downright irresistible.

Gaming fans, get excited, because Microsoft’s super-powerful new game console is just around the corner, too. The new Xbox is expected to be much more capable than the Xbox One, and with full 4K support and HDR, the games will look sharp. Microsoft has been teasing this one for a while, and while there’s no official release date, you can expect to hear much more about it as 2017 gets underway.

AMAZON’S BIG GAMBLE

To compete with Netﬂix, Amazon is already beeﬁng up its

Prime Now still growing

Economy grew healthy 3.5% in third quarter Job growth, cheap gasoline help pace largest gain in 2 years

Things are also heating up in the smart car market, and it’s moving faster than ever. With smart car add-ons that turn any vehicle into a wise road warrior, it’s clear there’s plenty of interest. JEFFERSON Now it’s up to autoGRAHAM, USA TODAY makers to integrate the tech. Several cities are already passing autonomous driving laws and regulations, and even if your car doesn’t drive itself by the end of 2017, it’s probably going to be a lot smarter than it is today.

v CONTINUED FROM 1B

SAUL LOEB, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Irene Lopez, manager of Frugalista secondhand store, shows off the store’s supply of “ugly” Christmas sweaters in Washington during a recent holiday shopping season.

Ugly is big business v CONTINUED FROM 1B

tainly been a product that people have wanted and increasingly each year come back to Target to buy.” Carlson said Target had seen double-digit growth in its festive and ugly Christmas sweater merchandise compared to last year. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the ugly Christmas sweater is having its “pet rock” moment, Mark Cohen, a Columbia Business School professor, referring to a 1970s fad that has

become a symbol of the ultimate useless gift. “It’s the perfect gift for someone you feel you must buy something for, but who has everything,” he said, adding that the business appears to be getting bigger this year. As for the sweater craze, it’s not just traditional retailers that are cashing in. Fred Hajjar, president of UglyChristmasSweater .com, said his team went from $40,000 in ugly Christmas sweater sales in 2012, to almost $5 million last year.

years ago and added 10 in the U.S. in the last year. Stephanie Landry, vice president of the Prime Now division, says she “doesn’t see growth stopping.” Amazon says it keeps roughly 25,000 items in the New York hub, ranging from fruits and vegetables to canned goods, diapers, Amazon tablets and video game consoles. Some items, such as the Amazon Echo smart speaker and Nintendo’s NES Classic video game system, currently hard to ﬁnd, can be found on Prime Now. Consumers have shown if retailers let them shop at the last minute, they will. “In many years the biggest shopping day is not Black Friday, it’s the day before Christmas,” says Avi Greengart, research director for consumer platforms and devices at Current Analysis. Corrections & Clarifications USA TODAY is committed to accuracy. To reach us, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones at 800-8727073 or e-mail accuracy@usatoday.com. Please indicate whether you’re responding to content online or in the newspaper.

A story and accompanying headline Tuesday about deciphering auto advertising didn’t accurately reﬂect the nature of the advertising described in the story. The story should have advised readers to study auto ads closely to get the best deal.

MONEY 3B

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

www.ebook3000.com

4B MONEY

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

MONEY 5B

AMERICA’S MARKETS INVESTING ASK MATT

ALL THE MARKET ACTION IN REAL TIME. MARKETS.USATODAY.COM

STORY STOCKS

Yes, and ﬁll up that portfolio

Price: $86.80 Day’s high: $88.26 Low: $86.01

4-WEEK TREND

Alibaba Group Holding

Q: Can I give stock as a gift?

The Chinese e-commerce company’s online marketplace Taobao added itself back on the list of “notorious” marketplaces by the trade representatives for sales of counterfeit goods. It removed itself from the list in 2012. Shares reached month’s low.

$100

Matt Krantz mkrantz@usatoday.com USA TODAY

A: The holidays are a time for spending for many. Rather than buying yet another gift card, there are ways to make it more of a time of investing. Most major brokerages will help you give stock as a gift. If you’re giving stock to a child, you’ll most likely need to set it up as a custodial account. After creating the account, you can then purchase an investment using the dollars you want to spend. Buying shares of a company that makes

Change -$2.45

products the child likes — for example, Walt Disney or Hasbro — is one way to go. Remember buying individual stocks will incur a commission. You might also buy an exchange traded fund or mutual fund, which owns these popular stocks long with many others. Many of these can be bought at no commission. That way more of your money goes to the gift, not the brokerage, and you can teach the value of diversiﬁcation. You can buy a few of the items made by companies in the portfolio and put those under the tree. There are other options. Some services will frame and mail a paper certiﬁcate, but the fees are high. You might also consider funding the child’s education account or even setting one up if they haven’t already.

% chg -2.8%

Price: $36.91

Change $0.54 % chg 1.5%

Change $0.56 % chg 5.3%

DOW JONES

DJIA

SPX

-4.22

INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE

CHANGE: -.1% CLOSE: 19,918.88 YTD: +2,493.85 PREV. CLOSE: 19,941.96 YTD % CHG: +14.3% RANGE: 19,882.19-19,933.83

S&P 500

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

$40

Shares of the generic drug maker climbed early after the conclusion of a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act probe for possible bribes paid to foreign governments. It will pay $519 million for the settlement. Day’s high: $12.50

$36.91

$35

Nov. 25

Low: $11.02

Dec. 22

4-WEEK TREND

Weight Watchers International

$12

Shares of the weight loss/maintenance services company surged after Oprah Winfrey dropped 40 pounds and invested another $100 million. Winfrey bought a 10% stake in the company in October 2015.

$11.08

$10

Nov. 25

Dec. 22

19,918.88

STANDARD & POOR'S

RUT

RUSSELL

-24.01

COMPOSITE

-12.53

RUSSELL 2000 INDEX

17,000

June

Dec.

5,447.42

NASDAQ COMPOSITE

STANDARD & POOR’S 500

5,400 CLOSE: 5,447.42 PREV. CLOSE: 5,471.43 RANGE: 5,432.77-5,472.01

2,300

2,260.96

CHANGE: -.9% CLOSE: 1,362.66 YTD: +226.77 PREV. CLOSE: 1,375.19 YTD % CHG: +20.0% RANGE: 1,360.25-1,375.45

S&P 500’S BIGGEST GAINERS/LOSERS Company (ticker symbol)

Micron Technology (MU) Shares rise on optimistic sales outlook.

Price

$ Chg

YTD % Chg % Chg

23.19

+2.61

+12.7 +63.8

4,400

1,900

June Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) Downgrades, investors remain bullish. CF Industries (CF) Expansion finished, spending to fall.

125.85 +6.86

+5.8

-34.0

+4.2

-26.2

+1.21

39.29

+1.29

+3.4

+19.8

Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Shares climb in solid sector.

50.34

+1.35

+2.8

-2.9

372.38

+2.0 +2.0

+6.4

117.87 +2.02

+1.7

-1.6

+1.6

+13.7

3.34

+3.13 +.05

+1.5

-28.5

Company (ticker symbol)

Price

$ Chg

YTD % Chg % Chg

Red Hat (RHT) Falls on weak sales forecast.

68.71

-11.08

-13.9

-17.0

Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) Drops after weak quarterly results.

41.38

-4.18

-9.2

-14.2

Nordstrom (JWN) Holiday retail traffic plunges.

48.24

-2.97

-5.8

-3.2

Dollar Tree Stores (DLTR) Dips along with peers in retail.

79.31

-4.75

-5.7

+2.7

Gap (GPS) Negative note, weak retail traffic.

22.48

-1.27

-5.3

-8.1

Kohl’s (KSS) Declines on sluggish traffic trends.

49.94

-2.61

-5.0

+4.8

Urban Outfitters (URBN) Rating downgraded, sector weak.

28.58

-1.34

-4.5 +25.6

9.26

-.44

-4.5

-2.2

Target (TGT) Weak traffic, weak stock price.

73.74

-3.39

-4.4

+1.6

LKQ (LKQ) Dips amid import tax concern in sector.

30.94

-1.43

-4.4

+4.4

Staples (SPLS) Weak retail traffic data pushes shares down.

Fund, ranked by size Vanguard 500Adml Vanguard TotStIAdm Vanguard InstIdxI Vanguard TotStIdx Vanguard InstPlus Vanguard TotIntl Vanguard TotStIIns American Funds GrthAmA m Fidelity Contra Vanguard WelltnAdm

MARKET PERFORMANCE BY SECTOR

NAV 208.53 56.56 207.62 56.54 207.64 14.61 56.57 42.50 99.69 69.45

Chg. -0.36 -0.15 -0.36 -0.16 -0.36 -0.04 -0.15 -0.13 -0.39 -0.04

4wk 1 +2.8% +2.6% +2.8% +2.6% +2.8% +1.3% +2.6% +1.6% +0.9% +2.7%

YTD 1 +13.0% +13.6% +13.0% +13.5% +13.0% +3.8% +13.6% +9.6% +4.7% +11.5%

PERFORMANCE DAILY YTD

SECTOR

Energy

0.4%

26.7%

Industrials

-0.2%

18.7%

Materials

-0.4%

15.5%

Technology

-0.2%

14.2%

Utilities

0.4%

12.3%

Consumers discret.

-1.1%

5.7%

Consumer staples

-0.2%

2.9%

Telecom

-1.9%

1.4%

-0.3%

-1.2%

0.1%

-4.3%

1 – CAPITAL GAINS AND DIVIDENDS REINVESTED

ETF, ranked by volume VanE Vect Gld Miners CS VelSh 3xInvrsNGs SPDR S&P500 ETF Tr iShs Emerg Mkts SPDR Financial Dir Dly Gold Bull3x iShares Rus 2000 Dirx Jr GoldMin Bull US Nat Gas Fund Barc iPath Vix ST

Ticker GDX DGAZ SPY EEM XLF NUGT IWM JNUG UNG VXX

Close 19.07 3.61 225.38 34.08 23.54 5.98 135.32 4.14 8.88 24.27

Chg. -0.02 +0.14 -0.39 -0.41 -0.06 -0.03 -1.74 +0.01 -0.12 +0.44

% Chg -0.1% +4.0% -0.2% -1.2% -0.3% -0.5% -1.3% +0.2% -1.3% +1.8%

%YTD +39.0% -71.2% +10.6% +5.9% +21.6% unch. +20.2% unch. +2.4% unch.

INTEREST RATES

MORTGAGE RATES

Financials

Type Prime lending Federal funds 3 mo. T-bill 5 yr. T-note 10 yr. T-note

Type 30 yr. fixed 15 yr. fixed 1 yr. ARM 5/1 ARM

Health care

Close 6 mo ago 3.50% 3.50% 0.66% 0.38% 0.46% 0.26% 2.04% 1.20% 2.55% 1.69%

Close 6 mo ago 4.17% 3.73% 3.32% 2.71% 3.05% 2.82% 3.46% 2.90%

SOURCE: BANKRATE.COM

COMMODITIES

SOURCE: BLOOMBERG AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dec. AP

-31.4

+.57

Humana (HUM) 202.93 Climbs as it gains more time to get Aetna deal done. Frontier Communications (FTR) Rises as it continues to negotiate with Sinclair.

+7.32

June

TOP 10 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

Mosaic (MOS) 29.35 Reduces costs to balance lower prices, shares up. Celgene (CELG) Otezla receives final recommendation of use.

Dec.

TOP 10 MUTUAL FUNDS 30.11

ConAgra Brands (CAG) Misses sales but shows confidence in future.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) Teamwork with Geisinger brings results.

LOSERS

4-WEEK TREND

CHANGE: -.2% CLOSE: 2,260.96 YTD: +217.02 PREV. CLOSE: 2,265.18 YTD % CHG: +10.6% RANGE: 2,256.08-2,263.18

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Dec. 22

20,000

COMP

CHANGE: -.4% YTD: +440.01 YTD % CHG: +8.8%

Nov. 25

DOW JONES INDUSTRIALS

MAJOR INDEXES -23.08

$80

Day’s high: $37.39 Low: $36.35

Price: $11.08

$86.80

Commodities Close Prev. Cattle (lb.) 1.14 1.13 Corn (bushel) 3.47 3.47 Gold (troy oz.) 1,128.80 1,131.10 Hogs, lean (lb.) .65 .65 Natural Gas (Btu.) 3.54 3.54 Oil, heating (gal.) 1.66 1.64 Oil, lt. swt. crude (bar.) 52.95 52.49 Silver (troy oz.) 15.82 15.92 Soybeans (bushel) 9.95 10.07 Wheat (bushel) 3.97 4.00

Chg. +0.01 unch. -2.30 unch. unch. +0.02 +0.46 -0.10 -0.12 -0.03

% Chg. +0.6% unch. -0.2% unch. unch. +1.3% +0.9% -0.7% -1.2% -0.6%

CBOE VOLATILITY INDEX Measures expected market volatility based on S&P 500 index options pricing:

% YTD -16.1% -3.2% +6.5% +8.2% +51.4% +50.9% +43.0% +14.8% +14.2% -15.5%

11.43

20 30

FOREIGN CURRENCIES Currency per dollar British pound Canadian dollar Chinese yuan Euro Japanese yen Mexican peso

Close .8141 1.3492 6.9467 .9585 117.60 20.7680

0.16 (1.4%)

Prev. .8098 1.3405 6.9513 .9590 117.54 20.5682

6 mo. ago .6807 1.2829 6.5870 .8844 104.47 18.4926

Yr. ago .6750 1.3940 6.4801 .9130 121.04 17.2041

S&P 500 P/E RATIO The price-to-earnings ratio, based on trailing 12-month “operating” earnings: 15

FOREIGN MARKETS Country Frankfurt Hong Kong Japan (Nikkei) London Mexico City

Close 11,456.10 21,636.20 19,427.67 7,063.68 45,008.08

Prev. 11,468.64 21,809.80 19,444.49 7,041.42 44,983.03

7.5 Change -12.54 -173.60 -16.82 +22.26 +25.05

23.03 22.5

%Chg. YTD % -0.1% +6.6% -0.8% -1.3% -0.1% +2.1% +0.3% +13.2% +0.1% +4.7%

SOURCES: MORNINGSTAR, DOW JONES INDEXES, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

IN-DEPTH MARKETS COVERAGE USATODAY.COM/MONEY

0 SOURCE BLOOMBERG

-0.04 (-0.2%)

‘Super Mario Run’ speeds past App Store records More than 40 million downloads in four days termed ‘incredible’ Brett Molina @brettmolina23 USA TODAY

This might be best speed run yet for Super Mario. Nintendo’s ﬁrst smartphone game set an App Store record for fastest downloads, topping the 40 million mark in just four days,

barely skipping a beat after disappointment over the game’s pricing resulted in poor reviews. It’s the top app in 140 regions and countries and the top grossing app in more than 100 countries. “More than 40 million downloads in just four days is incredible,” Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in a statement. Super Mario Run topped App Store records set last summer by Pokémon Go, a viral hit launching on both iOS and Android devices. Mario is only available on iOS

NINTENDO

Super Mario Run became the top app in 140 regions and countries, and the top grossing app in more than 100 countries.

www.ebook3000.com

devices. The game features a Super Mario experience similar to what’s available on Nintendo’s platforms, only it automatically runs, leaving players to control his jumping by tapping the touchscreen. Shares of Nintendo were hit hard early in the week following a series of mixed reviews, some of which criticized the game’s payment model. The game is free to download, but players get access to sampling of levels in each game mode. Accessing the full game costs $9.99.

6B MONEY

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016 SPECIAL PAID ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

2016

DISTRIBUTION NOTICE:

■ TRYING TO KEEP UP: Rapid shipments of packages containing Vault Bricks loaded with valuable .999 solid U.S. State Silver Bars are flowing around the clock from the private vaults of the Lincoln Treasury to U.S. State residents who call 1-888-414-4671 to beat the 48-hour deadline.

U.S. State Silver Bars go to residents in 49 states U.S. residents who find their state listed below in bold get first dibs at just the $59 minimum set for state residents while all non state residents must pay $134 AL

GA ME

HI MD

ID MA

IL MI

IN MN

IA MS

KS MO

KY MT

LA NE

The phone lines are ringing off the hook. That’s because U.S. State Silver Bars sealed away in State Vault Bricks are being handed over to U.S. residents at just the state minimum set by the Lincoln Treasury for the next 2 days. This is not a misprint. For the next 2 days residents who find their state on the Distribution List above in bold are getting individual State Silver Bars at just the state minimum of $59 set by the Lincoln Treasury. That’s why everyone should be taking full Vault Bricks loaded with five U.S. State Silver Bars before the deadline ends. And here’s the best part. Every state resident who gets at least two Vault Bricks is also getting free shipping and free handling. That’s a real steal because all other state residents must pay over six hundred dollars for each State Vault Brick. Not long ago, nobody knew that the only U.S. State Silver Bars locked away in the private vaults of the Lincoln Treasury would be allocated to the Federated Mint for a limited release to residents in 49 states. Every single one of the 50 U.S. State Silver Bars are date numbered in the order they ratified the Constitution and were admitted into the Union beginning in the late 1700s. “As Executive Advisor to the Lincoln Treasury I get paid to deliver breaking news. So, for anyone who hasn’t heard yet, highly collectable U.S. State Silver Bars are now being handed over at just the state minimum set by the Lincoln Treasury to residents in 49 states who beat the offer deadline, which is why I pushed for this announcement to be widely advertised,” said Mary Ellen Withrow, the emeritus 40th Treasurer of the United States of America. “These bars are solid .999 pure fine silver and will always be a valuable precious metal which is why everyone is snapping up as many as they can before they’re all gone,” Withrow said. There’s one thing Withrow wants to make very clear. State residents only have two days to call the Toll Free Order Hotlines to get the U.S. State Silver Bars. “These valuable U.S. State Silver Bars are impossible to get at banks, credit unions or the

DATE NUMBERED IN WHICH THE STATE RATIFIED THE CONSTITUTION AND WAS ADMITTED INTO UNION

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES FULL TROY OUNCE SOLID .999 FINE SILVER

CERTIFIED SOLID SILVER PRECIOUS METAL

PHOTO ENLARGEMENT SHOWS ENGRAVING DETAIL COURTESY OF:

U.S. Mint. In fact, they’re only being handed over at state minimum set by the Lincoln Treasury to U.S. residents who call the Toll Free Hotline before the deadline ends two days from today’s publication date”, said Timothy J. Shissler, Executive Director of Vault Operations at the private Lincoln Treasury. To make it fair, special Toll Free Overflow Hotlines have been set up to ensure all residents have an equal chance to get them. Rapid shipments to state residents are scheduled to begin with the first calls being accepted at precisely 8:30am today. “We’re bracing for all the calls and doing everything we can to make sure no one gets left out, but the U.S. State Silver Bars are only being handed over at just the state resident minimum set by the Lincoln Treasury for the next two days. For now, residents can get the U.S. State Silver Bars at just the state minimum set by the Lincoln Treasury as long as they call before the order deadline ends,” confirmed Shissler. “With so many state residents trying to get these U.S. State Silver Bars, lines are busy so keep trying. All calls will be answered,” Shissler said. ■ Special Over Flow Hotline 1-888-414-4675 Ext.FMS1765

ALL 49 STATES LISTED ABOVE AVAILABLE. 1 STATE ALREADY SOLD OUT.

RESIDENTS IN 49 STATES: COVER JUST $59 STATE MINIMUM CALL

1-888-414-4671 Ext.FMS1765 beginning at 8:30am

If all lines are busy call this special toll free overflow hotline: 1-888-414-4675 Ext.FMS1765

Residents who find their state on the Distribution List above in bold and beat the deadline are authorized to get individual State Silver Bars at just state minimum of $59 set by the Lincoln Treasury. That’s why everyone should be taking full Vault Bricks loaded with five State Silver Bars before they’re all gone. And here’s the best part. Every state resident who gets at least two Vault Bricks is also getting free shipping and free handling. That’s a real steal because all other state residents must pay over six hundred dollars for each State Vault Brick.

ALL OTHER STATE RESIDENTS: MUST REMIT $134 PER STATE SILVER BAR 1. No State Silver Bars will be issued by the Lincoln Treasury to any resident living outside of the 49 states listed above in bold at state resident minimum set by the Lincoln Treasury.

2. Call the Non-Resident Toll Free Hotline beginning at 11:00am at: 1-888-414-4689 Ext.FMS1765

3. If you are a U.S. resident living outside of the 49 states listed above in bold you are required to pay $134 for each State Silver Bar for a total of six hundred seventy dollars plus shipping and handling for each sealed State Vault Brick loaded with five U.S. State Silver Bars. This same offer may be made at a later date or in a different geographic location. FEDERATED MINT, LLC AND LINCOLN TREASURY, LLC ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, A BANK OR ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY. IF FOR ANY REASON WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM SHIPMENT YOU ARE DISSATISFIED, RETURN THE PRODUCT FOR A REFUND LESS SHIPPING AND RETURN POSTAGE. DUE TO THE FLUCTUATING PRICE IN THE WORLD GOLD AND SILVER MARKETS, ORDERS MAY BE CANCELLED OR PRICES WILL CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE AND STATE MINIMUMS ARE SUBJECT TO AN ADDITIONAL FEE OF NO MORE THAN 2% FOR EVERY $1 INCREASE IN THE NEW YORK SPOT SILVER PRICE PER OUNCE WHEN EXCEEDING $18 PER OUNCE AND SHALL BE APPLIED AT THE TIME THE ORDER IS PROCESSED FOR SHIPMENT. THIS SAME OFFER MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE AT A LATER DATE OR IN A DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. FL & OH RESIDENTS ADD 6% SALES TAX. NO SHIPMENTS TO MN. FEDERATED P7089A OF20064R-1 MINT 7600 SUPREME AVE. NW, NORTH CANTON, OH 44720 ©2016 LINCOLN TREASURY

■ A SNEAK PEAK INSIDE SILVER VAULT BRICKS: Pictured left reveals the valuable .999 pure fine silver bars inside each State Silver Vault Brick. Pictured right are the State Silver Vault Bricks containing the only U.S. State Silver Bars known to exist with the double forged state proclamation. Residents who find their state listed above in bold are authorized to get individual State Silver Bars at just $59 state resident minimum set by the Lincoln Treasury. That’s why everyone should be taking full Vault Bricks loaded with five State Silver Bars before they’re all gone. And here’s the best part. Every U.S. resident who gets at least two Vault Bricks is also getting free shipping and free handling. That’s a real steal because all other state residents must pay over six hundred dollars for each State Vault Brick.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

SECTION C

Finals flashback

A look into the future

Cavaliers, Warriors know Christmas showdown doesn’t mean much in big picture, 5C

What does 2017 have in store for the sports world? USA TODAY Sports offers its predictions, 10C

LEBRON JAMES BY USA TODAY SPORTS

Ovechkin gives novice shot to remember

SPORTSLINE

A.J. Perez @byajperez USA TODAY Sports

BILAS BY BOB DONNAN, USA TODAY SPORTS

FIRST WORD THIS IS ABOUT WHAT’S BEST FOR THE PLAYER, AND I DO THINK HE NEEDS TO GET SOME (PROFESSIONAL) HELP ON THIS.” ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, a former Duke player, on the Blue Devils’ Grayson Allen, who was suspended indefinitely for tripping a player for the third time this year.

ARLINGTON, VA . I could have begged for mercy. “Hard shots or not hard shots?” Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin asked. The project, pitched my way by an editor months earlier, was about to go down: A beer league goalie (me) vs. Ovechkin (the greatest scorer of his generation, whose shots can exceed 100 mph

$10

BILL KOSTROUN, AP

TWEET OF THE DAY @OBJ_3 18k without a single warning, but the world would never kno, they act like it’s no big deal. No respect for the message IMO Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was fined $18,000 by the NFL for wearing cleats in honor of the late Craig Sager. LAST WORD “GOT TO WATCH OUT FOR FAKE NEWS THESE DAYS.” Former football coach Barry Switzer, who said he figured when he told reporters he was going to be the Secretary of Offense for President-elect Donald Trump he assumed they knew he was joking.

Alex Ovechkin is the NHL’s top goal scorer of his generation. See video of USA TODAY Sports reporter and amateur goalie A.J. Perez facing off against him in the virtual reality section of the USA TODAY app. Subscribe at YouTube.com/VRtuallyThere.

and who makes the world’s best goalies look silly on a regular basis). “Go easy for a couple,” I replied since it had been a few days since I had faced a shot, during a pickup game at a nearby rink. “Then, go as hard as you want.”

Ovechkin began playing organized ice hockey at 8, and by 16, he was playing in Russia’s highest professional league. I was a junior at San Jose State when I ﬁrst played hockey. I was hooked, and v STORY CONTINUES ON 2C

BRAD MILLS, USA TODAY SPORTS

Capitals star Alex Ovechkin ﬁres a slap shot at USA TODAY Sports’ A.J. Perez.

THE GIFT OF

MAGIC NUMBER

Hourly rate for fans who helped the Packers shovel snow at Lambeau Field in advance of Saturday’s game against the Vikings. The team asked for up to 650 people to help remove the snow.

SEE THE MISMATCH

NFL

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

We polled some of the league’s top talent evaluators on who should be MVP. The result might surprise you, 4C Week 16 preview, 4C

No bitterness in Boise, where they still root for Chris Petersen, 6C Alabama QB Jalen Hurts is just scratching the surface, 7C Seven bowl games from Friday to Monday. Complete schedule, 9C EZEKIEL ELLIOTT JASON BRIDGE, USATODAY SPORTS

JALEN HURTS KIRBY LEE, USATODAY SPORTS

FOOTBALL

Edited by USA TODAY Sports staff

Our guys are proud to put on the uniform too.

Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.

12-26-16 2:30 p.m. EST www.ebook3000.com

2C SPORTS

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

SUSPENDING ALLEN RIGHT THING TO DO Nancy Armour narmour@usatoday.com USA TODAY Sports

At some point during the night, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski realized enabling Grayson Allen was no longer the right thing to do. Maybe it was the withering reaction to his tone-deaf defense of Allen, whose “mistakes” come too often to be brushed off as that. Maybe, after having more time to reﬂect, Krzyzewski recognized that giving Allen a pass as he’s done all the other times has done his mercurial guard no favors. But the reason for Krzyzewski’s change of heart matters less than the result. By suspending Allen for “an indeﬁnite amount of time,” Krzyzewski put a young, still maturing young man on notice that his basketball skills do not give him a free pass. There are basic expectations of common decency and good behavior, and Allen is not exempt from them. “He took an important step last night by apologizing in person to Steven Santa Ana and coach Matt Matheny,” Krzyzewski said in his statement Thursday announcing the suspension. “As a program, we needed to take further steps regarding his actions that do not meet the standards of Duke basketball.” That’s a far different tone than Krzyzewski’s smug condescension Wednesday night, when he said he’s handled Allen’s repeated

episodes of immaturity correctly and, if anyone disagreed, too bad. “I don’t need to satisfy what other people think that I should do,” Krzyzewski said. “And I’m a teacher and a coach, and I’m responsible for that kid.” Exactly. Which is why everyone but Krzyzewski could see right away that putting Allen in timeout was necessary. This was not the first time Allen has tripped an opposing player. It’s not even the first time this calendar year. When Allen stuck out his leg to stop a driving Santa Ana, it was the third time since February he’s resorted to dirty play. And therein lies the problem. At some point, Allen will no longer be one of the best basketball players in the country. He will be an Ordinary Joe who has to get along with his family, co-workers and neighbors, and losing his temper and lashing out when things aren’t going his way won’t get him very far. There are better, more appropriate ways to handle his anger, and he needs to learn them when he’s young enough to still change his behavior. Allen is, by all accounts, a nice and even-tempered young man off the court. But real life is filled with the kind of challenges he faces on the court, and how he responds will ultimately come to define him. Krzyzewski needed to suspend Allen the player, but he needed to suspend Allen the person even more. FOLLOW COLUMNIST NANCY ARMOUR

@nrarmour for insight and commentary on the latest in sports.

CHUCK BURTON, AP

Elon’s Steven Santa Ana, front, gets tripped by Duke’s Grayson Allen during Wednesday’s game in Greensboro, N.C.

BRAD MILLS, USA TODAY SPORTS

USA TODAY Sports’ A.J. Perez, a self-described beer league goalie, interviews Alex Ovechkin.

Ovechkin overwhelms v CONTINUED FROM 1C

I quickly ran up my credit cards buying equipment as I found a beginner league to play in. The beer leagues in the Bay Area, Southern California and Northern Virginia didn’t prep me for facing this guy. Ovechkin, being nice at first, flung his first couple shots at me. I stayed at the top of the crease like you’re supposed to, trying not to give him much net to shoot at. “So, now harder, or no?” Ovechkin asked. One of my friends in the stands at Kettler Capitals Iceplex yelled, “Yeah, harder!” Great. There were two things I did after Capitals vice president of communications Sergey Kocharov gave us the green light for the project: I acquired a padded shirt to protect my collarbones — I wanted extra support in case I couldn’t react quickly enough. And I crammed, taking two goalie lessons, after having had all of one in my life beforehand. But so far, so good. I was making more stops than I expected. The pucks were hitting my gear, and I felt no pain. Ovechkin, seeing that I was being aggressive as I inched toward him, flipped one over my head. This was where my years as a baseball player came in handy. “Yeah, that’s too high. It won’t go in,” I thought to myself. I was right. It missed, and I dodged Ovechkin humiliating me, at least for one moment. I could tell his shots didn’t have the same vigor as fans are used to seeing during games, but Capitals goalie coach Mitch Korn assured me that’s normal. “He shoots hard, but on a dayto-day basis, I think he’s respectful (in practices),” Korn said. “He understands that his shot can kill you, and if he’s going to kill anybody, it won’t be a teammate.” Ovechkin told us afterward that he was going at “60% intensity,” about how hard he shoots in practice.

Goalies, even beer league goal- didn’t know until afterward that ies like myself, have a crazy he had put a dent in the cage. I streak in them. Who else wants had a souvenir. The one-timers gassed me. Beto stop a 3-inch vulcanized rubber disc being shot at them doz- yond being a USA TODAY Sports reporter, I also run a personal ens of times a game? I’ll be the first to admit I can training business. Ten days bebe surly on the ice, so when Korn fore facing Ovechkin, I completreviewed the footage, I had to ed 53 miles in the World’s chuckle when he noted the Toughest Mudder, a 24-hour obNo. 27 on my jersey. stacle race held outside Las Ve“Ron Hextall?” he asked, refer- gas. I’m in above-average shape. encing the former Philadelphia But I felt like I had just done a Flyers goalie who was one of the few dozen burpees, and we most volatile (and violent) goal- weren’t done. ies in NHL history. Now, it was time for breakIn fact, when we did this event, aways. I was serving a three-game susSadly, I didn’t have much left, pension for fighting at my local and this is where it became clear rink. The No. 27, I explained to that most of my goalie “instrucKorn, was actually a tribute to tion” came from watching Domy favorite baseball player, the minik Hasek, the 2014 Hall of late Los Angeles Dodgers utility Fame inductee whose unconvenplayer Mike Sharperson. tional style of strategic flailing Ovechkin was done firing slap appealed to me. shots, and now it was time for his I stopped one of Ovechkin’s trademark one-timers from the breakaways. I’m convinced it was circle to my because right. This is Ovechkin had Ovechkin’s fa- I knew he got me no idea why I vorite spot was lying from which to good. But I didn’t across the shoot, and he know until crease as he has scored a skated in. It good portion of afterward that still counts. I his 539 goals he had put a dent knew my usuover his 12 al weapon in NHL seasons in the cage (of my beer league from there. on these mask). I had a I took my kinds of position at the souvenir. chances, a top of the desperation crease as Ovechkin was fed poke check where I dart my stick pucks. He might have taken it out, couldn’t be used. Imagine if easy on me during the slap shots, Ovechkin tripped on my stick but he was ripping them now as I and got hurt. I envisioned hunslid to my right each time in dreds of people rocking the red at hopes of stopping him. my house with pitchforks and “A lot of his shots are from torches. one-timers off of a pass,” Korn Overall, he made me look silly said. “That forces a goalie to on the breakaways. move from one spot to the other. As we finished up, I thanked You have to be mobile.” Ovechkin for the opportunity Shockingly, I stopped a few — and asked for an assessment of one with my face. my play. Ovechkin apologized, but this He paused for a moment, as if was my badge of honor. I smelled to be searching for a delicate way rubber immediately after the to deliver bad news. puck ricocheted off my mask, so I “Not that good, obviously,” knew he got me good. But I Ovechkin replied. “But it’s OK.”

IN BRIEF would play Saturday at the Carolina Panthers after missing two games with a toe sprain. Jones’ return was expected after he ran full speed at Wednesday’s practice. Despite missing two games, Jones leads the NFL with 1,253 receiving yards. The Falcons (9-5) can clinch the NFC South by beating the Panthers if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose or tie at the New Orleans Saints.

Notice of Allegations from the NCAA that outlines rules violations. The notice, dated Dec. 13, includes rewording a charge that had been removed from the ﬁrst version ﬁled in May 2015 that was tied to athletes’ access to irregular courses on the Chapel Hill campus. It also restores a reference to football and men’s basketball players using problem courses to help maintain eligibility.

BROWN DONATES $100,000

JASON GETZ, USA TODAY SPORTS

The Falcons’ Julio Jones leads the NFL in receiving yards.

EAGLES’ WIN BOOSTS DALLAS

Malcolm Jenkins had the second two-interception game of his eight-year career, returning one for a touchdown, and the Philadelphia Eagles ended a ﬁve-game slide by beating the New York Giants 24-19 on Thursday in Philadelphia. The loss handed the Dallas Cowboys the NFC East title and home-ﬁeld advantage in the playoffs. It also put the Giants (10-5) in a more difficult spot for ending their four-season playoff drought. They still own the top wild-card position and can get in this weekend if Detroit, Green Bay, Tampa Bay or Atlanta loses. FALCONS’ JONES TO PLAY

Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn said receiver Julio Jones

Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver Antonio Brown is donating $100,000 to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. The hospital’s president and chief development officer, Greg Barrett, said there were “little rumblings” Brown might be planning a donation. The mystery was put to rest when Brown posted a picture of the check on Snapchat.

MICHIGAN’S PERRY CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT

Michigan receiver Grant Perry was arraigned Wednesday on four charges related to a sexual assault that officials said took place in East Lansing in October. The sophomore was arraigned on one felony count of assaulting, battering, resisting or obstructing an of-

LINEHAN SPARKS IDAHO

Matt Linehan threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a TD as Idaho beat Colorado State 61-50 on Thursday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise. Idaho (9-4) matched its highest victory total since 1996; Colorado State ﬁnished 7-6.

PRINCETON SWIMMING, DIVING SEASON CANCELED

Princeton has canceled the rest of the men’s swimming and diving team’s season after administrators discovered that members had posted “vulgar and offensive” material on the team’s electronic mailing list. The school announced athletics director Mollie Marcoux Samaan told the team it wouldn’t compete in meets scheduled in January and February and won’t compete in the Ivy League championship in February. An anonymous complaint alerted officials to several materials, including the schoolsponsored team mailing list and other electronic correspondence. RUSSIA LOSES WINTER EVENTS OVER DOPING SCANDAL

NORTH CAROLINA FACES EXTRA-BENEFITS CHARGE

North Carolina again faces an NCAA charge for providing improper extra beneﬁts tied to its multiyear academic fraud scandal. The school released a third

ﬁcer, two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and an underage drinking charge. He is accused of inappropriately touching a woman who was waiting in line outside a bar. Perry faces up to two years in prison. — Lansing State Journal

RICK OSENTOSKI, USA TODAY SPORTS

Michigan receiver Grant Perry could face up to two years in prison.

Russia has lost speedskating and biathlon events it was due to host this winter following allegations it ran a vast state-sponsored doping scheme. World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren’s report has prompted Western athletes to campaign for boycotts in several winter sports in Russia after 12 medalists from the 2014 Winter Olympics in So-

chi were implicated. It’s not clear where the events will be held. INDIANS LAND FREE AGENT SLUGGER ENCARNACION

The Cleveland Indians bolstered their lineup by agreeing to a three-year, $65 million deal with free agent ﬁrst baseman Edwin Encarnacion, according to a baseball official with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the deal. Encarnacion hit 42 home runs with 127 RBI in 2016 with the Toronto Blue Jays. From staff and wire reports

USA SNAPSHOTS©

Finals rematch

Sunday marks the

8th

time the teams from the previous season’s NBA Finals will face off on Christmas Day. NOTE The reigning champion Cleveland Cavaliers host the Golden State Warriors at 2:30 p.m. ET. SOURCE NBA ELLEN J. HORROW AND JANET LOEHRKE, USA TODAY

SPORTS 3C

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016 NBA

FIVE FAB CHRISTMAS DAY GAMES Kobe, Shaq stand out in fond memories New Jersey Nets at New York Knicks (1984) In what still stands as the greatest individual scoring performance, Hall of Fame forward Bernard King scored 60 points on 19-for-30 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds and tallied four assists, but it wasn’t enough to get the win at Madison Square Garden, as the Knicks fell to the Nets 120114. King became the third player in NBA history to score at least 50 points on Christmas Day, joining Wilt Chamberlain (59 in 1961) and Rick Barry (50 in 1966). Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks (1986) Michael Jordan’s ﬁrst Christmas Day appearance (30 points, ﬁve assists and six steals) was spoiled by Patrick Ewing (28 points and 17 rebounds), who hit a fadeaway put-back at the buzzer to give the Knicks an 86-

BILL KOSTROUN/AP FILE

Bernard King of the Knicks scored 60 points in a Christmas loss to the Nets in 1984.

MATT SAYLES, AP

The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant is fouled by Shaquille O’Neal of the Heat during their Christmas Day showdown in 2004. 85 victory. Little did we know that these two teams would end up forming one of the ﬁercest rivalries in NBA history for years to come.

Orlando Magic at Houston Rockets (1995) For the ﬁrst time in NBA history, the teams from the previous season’s Finals met on Christmas

Day. Superstar big men Shaquille O’Neal (22 points, 18 rebounds and ﬁve assists) and Hakeem Olajuwon (30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists) stole the pregame headlines, but Magic guard Penny Hardaway played the role of hero, knocking down the eventual game-winning jumper with three seconds remaining to give the Magic a 92-90 victory.

Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers (2004) For the ﬁrst time since being dealt to the Heat, O’Neal went toe-to-toe with Kobe Bryant and a Lakers squad with whom he had spent the previous eight seasons and won three consecutive championships. O’Neal tallied 24 points and 11 rebounds but fouled out late in the fourth quarter (on a Bryant drive, nonetheless), while Bryant had 42 points but missed a potential game-winning three at the buzzer, giving the Heat a 104-102 overtime win. Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers (2008) In this best-in-the-East vs. best-in-the-West rematch, the Celtics (27-2) entered the Staples Center on a 19-game winning streak to match up with the 23-5 Lakers six months after beating them in a six-game Finals series. It was sweet revenge in Laker Land, as Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out ﬁve assists to lead L.A. to a 92-83 victory. A.J. Neuharth-Keusch

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Esparza, others encounter bumps outside octagon Rousey’s lucrative career exception Martin Rogers mjrogers@usatoday.com USA TODAY Sports

IRVINE , CALIF.

Ronda Rousey and Carla Esparza have plenty in common. Both broke new ground as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s inaugural divisional champ, Rousey at bantamweight, Esparza at strawweight. Each lost her title, via knockout, in 2015. Both will soon return to the octagon. Yet while Rousey has spent the latter months of this year building a plan to beat Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 on Dec. 30 and what to do with the millions of dollars she’ll receive for her efforts, Esparza has been trying to work out ways to pay the bills. Rousey has undoubtedly done great things for women’s mixed martial arts. UFC President Dana White once famously said he would never have women competing in his organization, and it was the brash, brilliant, mouthy former judo star who persuaded him otherwise. Yet while Rousey is among the highest-paid athletes in mixed martial arts, the reality for many other fighters — men and women — is very different. Over lunch at a health food restaurant here, Esparza, 29, suddenly interrupts her interview with USA TODAY Sports. A beaming and uplifting smile crosses her face. A few flurried phone calls and text messages later, it emerges that she has been tentatively booked to fight in a couple of months. “Finally,” she exclaims excitedly. “Please let this one be for real.” The prospective opponent is a tough one — there are no easy rides in the UFC — and a woman whom Esparza doesn’t particularly like, but action means mon-

ey and a chance to balance the books. She last fought in April, and not fighting means not getting paid. It would be no surprise to many that entry-level MMA fighters get little in the way of meaningful remuneration and sometimes struggle to make ends meet. But Esparza is neither a rookie nor a bum, far from it. To win the strawweight belt initially, she had to survive a grueling four-bout schedule in The Ultimate Fighter tournament, eventually beating current No. 4 contender Rose Namajunas to take the title. After losing to dominant champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk last year, Esparza took time off for shoulder surgery and defeated Juliana Lima at UFC 197. She remains ranked third on the contender list. And, on a rare overcast day in Southern California at the start of December, she wrote a check for a property tax payment, took a look at her finances and realized there was not much left. So she decided to put her Harley-Davidson motorcycle up for sale, the same motorcycle that was her prize for winning The Ultimate Fighter. Coming a day after the launch of an MMA athletes association aimed at pushing the UFC to offer better conditions and fairer pay, her social media post about selling the bike gained attention and sympathy. But for Esparza, a private person who doesn’t do self-pity, such a move was difficult. “It was just the humiliation of having to put that out there,” she says. “Nobody wants to say they are not doing well. It was super embarrassing. “A lot of people were very kind and some offered money, but I’m not eating ramen or starving, so I can’t accept that.” Esparza lives a frugal life, by necessity, and any apparent extravagances are related to her fight preparation. She regularly

KELVIN KUO, USA TODAY SPORTS

“There are days when I am wondering what I am going to do to put food on my table,” ex-champion Carla Esparza says. spends a couple of hundred dollars on vitamins and supplements and always buys organic food. She is fortunate to have a sponsorship with a healthy meal service, but doing it right doesn’t come cheap, and she forks out for training equipment, gym memberships and trips to an Orange County combat sport-specific physical therapist. She got $60,000 for her last fight, had just under 30% taken out for training and management fees, and was promptly hit with a $40,000 tax bill from the previous year, putting her essentially back to square one. Then began the waiting game, for another fight and another paycheck. As fighters across the division were booked to compete, Esparza entered December hoping to hear her name called. In the meantime, she tried to sell the Harley and raise funds, though even that got held up when a prospective buyer in the United Kingdom backed out when he discovered he would have to pay import taxes. The frustration and the money

worries caused Esparza to become deeply despondent. “You are at someone’s mercy,” she says. “They have the power to give you a ﬁght or to put you on the bench for 10 months. It is scary, and I don’t like that feeling. The stress makes you think, ‘Is it even worth it?’ There are days when I am wondering what I am going to do to put food on my table. There have been times when I am sitting here depressed and crying every day because I can’t do what I love to do and also I can’t meet the bills.” Esparza and her manager have pleaded with the UFC to put her in the octagon, to no avail. As of Thursday, no ﬁght had been formally announced, though the signs were getting better. Anyone who enters the business of combat sports should expect a tough road, and Esparza’s situation is far from unique. But it does seem unfair. She doesn’t have a money-sucking crew of hangers-on, doesn’t splurge at designer stores — or any stores — drives a sensible vehicle and works her butt off.

“Some people, you have to stay on top of them, constantly be making sure they are putting the work in,” said Colin Oyama, head of Team Oyama and Esparza’s MMA coach. “Carla’s not like that. She is dedicated, she is hungry, she does what she is supposed to do. She’s a professional. She just needs to fight.” When she publicized her money woes, Esparza caught a smattering of heat online, with critics referencing how she celebrated winning The Ultimate Fighter by purchasing a $1,000 limited edition sundae from the Serendipity dessert chain in New York, which she shared with a friend. Yet that was an isolated indulgence and was more than two years ago. Recent purchases have been far more practical. The only thing she bought of significance since beating Lima was a new, more secure window for her home in Tustin. Rousey, meanwhile, who will seek to regain the bantamweight belt after losing to Holly Holm in November 2015, could have a $1,000 sundae for breakfast every day if she so desired. Esparza has nothing but respect for Rousey and accepts that, even with the UFC having been sold for $4.2 billion, there is not room for everyone to make superstar money. “It is Ronda’s personality that brings her those type of opportunities,” Esparza said. “You need to have a special type of character and personality to be able to pull it off in the way that she does. “But there is not a single fighter in the UFC that doesn’t believe all the fighters should be paid more; that is a given. Some of the fighters are struggling to survive. Everyone thinks we are great and doing well, but … ” She trails off, smiles sadly and soon departs, to rest up ahead of more physical toil. Intense days of preparation lay ahead, peppered by the fear of injury and the fiscal ramifications that would bring, just part of the reality of life outside of the UFC’s moneyed elite.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Girls making their presence felt on gridiron Cam Smith and Josh Barnett @camsmithsports, @ByJoshBarnett USA TODAY Sports

A different type of lineman will be competing in the California Classic all-star game, and it has nothing to do with stats or stars from recruiting services. It has to do with gender. Centennial (Compton) offensive guard and defensive tackle Eriana Pula is the ﬁrst girl to be selected to the game, according to the Los Angeles Times. The classic will be Jan. 15 in Pomona. The 5-10, 250-pound senior is a starter on both lines for her school, and she is also a star in the classroom with a 4.3 grade-

point average. “I did not know when I scouted her that she was a girl,” Plays and Grades scout Kevin Steele, one of the selectors, told KABCTV. “I didn’t see that. I did not know that. She’s a good player.” Pula’s selection follows a run of accomplishments for girls playing high school football this fall. uEmma Baker of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) became the first girl to score a point in a California state football championship game, kicking a field goal and making all five of her extra-point attempts. Rancho Christian beat Amador (Sutter Creek) 38-13 for the Division 6AA championship. She set the national season record for kick-

THE (WILMINGTON, DEL.) NEWS JOURNAL

Felicia Perez played two positions for Brandywine (Del.). ing points by a girl with 99, according to the The (Riverside) Press Enterprise. uKicker Jenna Cuff from Terrell Academy (Dawson, Ga.) became the ﬁrst girl selected to the Georgia Independent Schools Association’s all-state team for

www.ebook3000.com

Class AA. Cuff was a key cog for a team that went 7-5 and reached the Class AA state semiﬁnals. uFelicia Perez, a 4-8 dynamo, played middle linebacker and fullback for Brandywine in Delaware, becoming among the ﬁrst girls in the state to play those positions. “I like to be the dominant person,” Perez said. “Other females follow other females. I’m not a follower. I’m a leader. So I decided I was going to play a predominantly male sport.” The accomplishments come at a time when girls playing tackle football is on the rise. A record 1,964 girls took part in 11-player football during the 2015-16 academic year, according to the annual National Federation of State High School Associations’ partic-

ipation survey. That was up from 1,565 the year before. The increase in girls is what led to an overall bump in the number of athletes participating in the sport by 80 to 1,085,272. Twenty-four states reported increased boys participation. Thirty-two states had girls participating in football in 201516, according to the survey. California had the most with 333, followed by Ohio (245), Texas (178), Arizona (115) and Colorado (109). For Pula, the California Classic will be her ﬁnal football game. She has decided to forgo efforts to play in college. “A lot of people doubted it, but once they saw I could do it, it was like, ‘Put her in,’ ” she told KABC-TV.

4C SPORTS

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

NFL

Cowboys’ Elliott out in front for MVP Panel places Brady, Ryan close behind

TOM’S TOP 10

Tom Pelissero tpelissero@usatoday.com USA TODAY Sports

If the national panel that selects the NFL’s recognized Most Valuable Player award is seeing this season the same way as the league’s top evaluators, the upcoming vote is going to be divided — and could potentially produce a rare rookie winner. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was the MVP pick this week in a USA TODAY Sports poll of high-ranking executives representing 12 NFL teams, who discussed their votes on the condition of anonymity because they’re not allowed to comment publicly about other teams’ players. In the USA TODAY Sports poll, Elliott received ﬁve votes. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady received three, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan two and Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr one. The other vote was split among Brady, Carr and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. That’s not overwhelming support for Elliott. Those making the case against him point out he’s running behind the NFL’s best offensive line, is surrounded by passing-game weapons that can give him favorable matchups and arguably isn’t even the most impressive rookie on his team, with quarterback Dak Prescott playing a more challenging position at a high level. But those who back Elliott make a strong case, too. His 1,551 rushing yards are 327 more than the next closest player. Nobody has more runs of 20-plus yards (13). He’s averaging 5 yards a carry, has scored 14 total touchdowns and is the driving force behind the Cowboys’ turnaround from 4-12 last season to 12-2, in line for the No. 1 seed with two games to play. “He’s changed their team,” one

WEEK 16 GAMES MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-7) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (8-6) TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox Line: Packers by 6 Injury report: Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (knee, groin) hasn’t been practicing the week after his return. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (calf) will play. Key to the game: Rodgers absorbed a season-high five sacks in the first meeting, a 17-14 Vikings victory. Green Bay’s offensive line has improved, but with Rodgers’ mobility greatly diminished, a Vikings pass rush that didn’t muster a sack against the Colts’ leaky O-line must dominate. Green Bay finished Sunday with LG Lane Taylor (hip) and RG T.J. Lang (back) hurting. TENNESSEE TITANS (8-6) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-12) TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Line: Titans by 41⁄2 Injury report: Titans CB Jason McCourty (shoulder, chest) is unlikely to play. Jaguars WR Allen Hurns (hamstring) and CB Aaron Colvin (ankle) are unlikely to play. Key to the game: The Jaguars have lost five times this season when leading in the fourth quarter, tied with the San Diego Chargers for the most such instances. Especially after last week’s theatrics against Kansas City, if the Titans trail late, never count them out. NEW YORK JETS (4-10) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (12-2) TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Line: Patriots by 161⁄2 Injury report: Jets RB Matt Forte (knee, shoulder) is unlikely to play. Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower (knee) is day-to-day. Key to the game: Patriots RB Dion Lewis was monitored closely after being activated from injured reserve five games ago, but he probably will be given the kind of workload he saw vs. Denver (18 carries, 95 yards).

STEW MILNE, USA TODAY SPORTS

1. (1) New England Patriots: How hurt is TE Martellus Bennett? Twelve catches total in last five games. 2. (2) Dallas Cowboys: No worse Pro Bowl snub than LB Sean Lee. He carries that defense. 3. (4) Oakland Raiders: How will Colts cover Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree? Could be ugly. 4. (5) Seattle Seahawks: Have ranked fourth or better in rush yards last four seasons. This year? 20th. 5. (3) Kansas City Chiefs: Sweeping, eliminating rival Broncos on Christmas night would be sweet. 6. (6) Atlanta Falcons: No division leader has given rookies more snaps on offense and defense (3,203). 7. (7) Pittsburgh Steelers: Unlike in Nov. 6 loss to Ravens, there’s no rust on Ben Roethlisberger. 8. (8) New York Giants: Ability to match up on defense would make them a tough out in January. 9. (9) Baltimore Ravens: Now or never. Loss would seal AFC North crown for Steelers. 10. (10) Green Bay Packers: Notable as D improves — safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has been excellent. *Note: Does not factor in the results of Thursday’s game.

Despite missing four games, Tom Brady has put up MVP numbers, including 22 touchdown passes and two interceptions. NFL general manager told USA TODAY Sports. “They’ve had that offensive line for a couple years now. He’s come in there and dominated games. He’s running over people and smashing people. He’s a dominant force.” Said another GM: “People are rare when they have that size and speed, and then he has the intangibles. He knows when to hit the hole hard. He knows when to slow down for a certain block, and then he’s got the burst to accelerate through. He’s going to be one of the top backs ever. Dallas can lose three offensive starting linemen and he would still be successful.” Fifty media members (I’m one of them) will vote by Jan. 4 for awards given out by the Associated Press, which began awarding the MVP in 1961 and has never given it to a rookie. (Cleveland Browns fullback Jim Brown did win what was then called NFL Player of the Year in his rookie year in 1957.) The NFL recognizes the AP’s MVP and other seven awards, which will be revealed at the NFL Honors event Feb. 4, the night before Super Bowl LI in Houston. There’s still time for some things to change, of course. Brady, a two-time MVP, has been playing catchup since his four-game Deﬂategate suspension expired. He has made the most of it, passing for 3,064 yards and 22 TDs with

two interceptions as the Patriots have won nine of 10 games to wrap up a record eighth consecutive AFC East title. “His numbers, touchdown-topick ratio — who does that? If you’re talking about the ‘most valuable player,’ he’s it,” said a GM who voted for Brady. “Ezekiel will get his at some point, but you’ve got three all-pros blocking for you, you’ve got a quarterback that’s (playing well) — that makes it easy living as a back.” One hole many poke in Brady’s case is that the Patriots went 3-1 without him. But Brady keeps winning with less around him on offense than Elliott — a task that got tougher when Patriots all-pro tight end Rob Gronkowski had season-ending back surgery a few weeks ago. Ryan is having by far his best season (32 TD passes, seven INTs, 114.8 passer rating) and has overcome his own challenges. Star receiver Julio Jones missed the past two games and the Falcons still scored 83 points total in two blowout wins to stay atop the NFC South. Carr has spearheaded the Raiders’ run to their ﬁrst playoff berth since 2002. Rodgers, another twotime MVP, has been spectacular in the Packers’ four-game winning streak, which has given them a shot to rally from a 4-6 start for the NFC North title.

This could be the ﬁrst MVP ballot in which nobody gets a majority since Shaun Alexander won with 19 of 50 votes 11 years ago. (Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who held a big edge in last year’s USA TODAY Sports poll of NFL executives, won the MVP with 48 votes.) There’s really no wrong choice. But considering it’s been almost six decades since a rookie was voted the NFL’s top player and a running back has won MVP just once (Adrian Peterson in 2012) since Alexander and LaDainian Tomlinson went-back-to-back in 2005 and ’06, perhaps the most notable aspect of this race is so many keen eyes think Elliott is the right choice. The executives also weighed in on some other major awards. Defensive player of the year: It’s basically a two-man race between Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and Raiders edge player Khalil Mack. Miller might be the NFL’s toughest oneon-one matchup, but Mack’s consistency and all-around play gave him the edge in the USA TODAY Sports poll. The third name that came up most: New York Giants safety Landon Collins. Rookie of the year: Elliott is the logical winner on offense, but four votes in our poll went to Prescott, whose poise has deﬁned his remarkable season. On de-

fense, San Diego Chargers end Joey Bosa gets the nod over the likes of Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones and Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Coach of the year: Oakland’s Jack Del Rio and Kansas City’s Andy Reid are basically co-frontrunners, which sets up an interesting debate: Should more weight be given to the Chiefs sweeping the season series with their AFC West counterparts? Or the Raiders (potentially) winning the division? Others receiving votes in our poll included Mike Mularkey of the Tennessee Titans, New England’s Bill Belichick and Dallas’ Jason Garrett, who has a compelling case ... but a dark-horse candidate, first-year Giants coach Ben McAdoo, beat the Cowboys twice. Executive of the year: This isn’t an official AP award. (The Sporting News and the Pro Football Writers Association, among others, give one out.) But the strong consensus among his peers is it should go to Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie, who has overhauled the roster and fixed a bad salarycap situation over the past five years. His 2014 draft, headed by Mack and Carr, could go down as one of the all-time greats. Others getting votes included Titans GM Jon Robinson and the Cowboys’ brain trust, led by owner Jerry Jones.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (5-9) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-14) TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Line: Chargers by 51⁄2 Injury report: Chargers RB Melvin Gordon (hip, knee) is unlikely to play. Browns WR Terrelle Pryor (right hand) expects to play. Key to the game: Chargers QB Philip Rivers needs 205 yards to reach 4,000 for the season and one touchdown pass to have 30. But he also has 18 interceptions, most in the league. Whether he can deal with bad weather will be important, especially if the running game isn’t working.

(503 yards, four TD passes, 142.0 passer rating) and Jones (12 catches, 300 yards, one TD).

ARIZONA CARDINALS (5-8-1) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (9-4-1) TV: Saturday, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox Line: Seahawks by 71⁄2 Injury report: Cardinals OT D.J. Humphries is in concussion protocol. Seahawks P Jon Ryan is in concussion protocol; DE Michael Bennett (knee) should play. Key to the game: The beginning of Arizona QB Carson Palmer’s demise occurred about this time last year, when his MVPcaliber season ended with a dismal performance vs. Seattle. He showed signs of coming out of his funk Sunday, but this defense will be more of a test.

Network Line: Steelers by 5 Injury report: Ravens CB Jimmy Smith (ankle) is day-to-day. Steelers TE Ladarius Green is in concussion protocol; DE Stephon Tuitt (knee sprain) hopes to play. Key to the game: Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell is one of the NFL’s most patient and productive runners, and the Steelers need to follow his plan. If they can establish the run early, that will open things up in the passing game.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS (7-6-1) AT CHICAGO BEARS (3-11) TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox Line: Redskins by 3 Injury report: Redskins TE Jordan Reed (shoulder) is expected to play; LB Will Compton (knee) hopes to play; CB Quinton Dunbar is in concussion protocol. Bears NT Eddie Goldman (ankle) is unlikely to play. Key to the game: From Reed to DeSean Jackson to Jamison Crowder, Washington brims with explosive players. Despite poor safety play from Adrian Amos and rookie Deon Bush, the Bears had limited big plays before yielding eight 20-plus-yard plays, including CB Cre’Von LeBlanc getting beat on a 60-yarder to Green Bay’s Jordy Nelson on Sunday’s decisive down. ATLANTA FALCONS (9-5) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-8) TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox Line: Falcons by 3 Injury report: Falcons WR Julio Jones (sprained toe) will return after a two-week absence. Panthers TE Greg Olsen (elbow) expects to play. Key to the game: Show up: That might be the message Panthers coach Ron Rivera gives his enigmatic defense this week, considering the Panthers yielded 48 points and 571 yards in the first game between the teams, including Falcons franchise-record performances by QB Matt Ryan

MIAMI DOLPHINS (9-5) AT BUFFALO BILLS (7-7) TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Line: Bills by 4 Injury report: Dolphins CB Byron Maxwell (ankle) is day-to-day. Bills DT Kyle Williams (back) could play. Key to the game: Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi gashed the Bills for 214 yards and a TD on 28 carries in the first meeting, a 28-25 Miami win. But after back-to-back 200yard rushing efforts, the secondyear running back has been bottled up, averaging 51 yards per game in his last four. The Bills have been vulnerable against the run, so this could be his week. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-7) AT OAKLAND RAIDERS (11-3) TV: Saturday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS Line: Raiders by 3 Injury report: Colts WR Donte Moncrief (hamstring) is ready after missing last weekend’s game. Raiders QB Derek Carr (dislocated right pinkie) will play. Key to the game: Colts QB Andrew Luck has solidified his reputation for late game-winning drives, but there’s a new kid on the block who is developing a reputation of his own in that arena — Carr. If this game is close heading into the fourth quarter, don’t be surprised by a photo finish or a dramatic drive. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-13) AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (4-10) TV: Saturday, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox Line: Rams by 4 Injury report: 49ers LT Joe Staley (hamstring) is uncertain. Rams QB Jared Goff (concussion) will start. Key to the game: Unlike last week, Rams interim coach John Fassel has had time to prepare the team, and he knows this much: Whatever Jeff Fisher, who was fired last week, tried in that loss to San Francisco 14 weeks ago was a disaster.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (8-6) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (6-8) TV: Saturday, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox Line: Saints by 3 Injury report: Bucs RT Demar Dotson is in concussion protocol; RT Gosder Cherilus (groin) is day-to-day. Saints CB Delvin Breaux (shoulder) is unlikely to play. Key to the game: The Bucs need to get WR Mike Evans and TE Cameron Brate more involved in the rematch. They were limited to eight catches for 89 yards and zero TDs in Game 1. Evans has a team-high 10 TD receptions; Brate has seven. CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-8-1) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (8-6) TV: Saturday, 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network Line: Pick ’em Injury report: Bengals WR A.J. Green (hamstring) is expected back after missing four games. Texans RB Lamar Miller (ankle) is day-to-day. Key to the game: Texans QB Tom Savage, who took over for struggling Brock Osweiler last weekend, has thrown 55 regularseason passes. He’ll get his first NFL start, and the Texans’ game plan is likely to include safe, confidence-building throws. BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-6) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (9-5) TV: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, NFL

DENVER BRONCOS (8-6) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-4) TV: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC Line: Chiefs by 3 Injury report: Broncos S T.J. Ward, TE A.J. Derby and TE Virgil Green are in concussion protocol. Chiefs LB Justin Houston (knee) is expected to play. Key to the game: Limiting turnovers is where the Chiefs usually shine, but the last two games have gone against the trend. They beat Oakland with minus 3 on turnovers and lost to Tennessee when they were plus 2. Overall, Kansas City is plus 13, one of the best marks in the league. Denver has dropped to plus 2 after being minus 5 the last two games. DETROIT LIONS (9-5) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (12-2) TV: Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Line: Cowboys by 7 Injury report: Lions RB Theo Riddick (wrist) and CB Darius Slay (hamstring) are day-to-day; C Travis Swanson is in concussion protocol. Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence (back) and CB Morris Claiborne (groin) are unlikely to play. Key to the game: The Cowboys’ 32.0 rushing attempts per game lead the league and 154.5 ground yards per game rank second. Detroit relies on QB Matthew Stafford’s arm, and its defense will have to find a way to stop RB Ezekiel Elliott and force Dallas to win with Dak Prescott’s arm. USA TODAY Sports staff

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

SPORTS 5C

NBA

CAVALIERS FACING ROSTER QUESTIONS Long-term injuries to Smith, Andersen will test defending champs

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Jeff Zillgitt jzillgit@usatoday.com USA TODAY Sports

What once looked like a painless stroll through the regular season to the top seed in the Eastern Conference is now more challenging for the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Before this week, the Cavs’ biggest opponents through mid-April were boredom and complacency. But Chris Andersen is out for the season, J.R. Smith will miss eight to 12 weeks recovering from a broken right thumb (shooting hand) suffered Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks and Mo Williams is out for an extended time recovering from knee surgery. For at least the next two months, the Cavs have 12 active players. That might not be a problem short term — the Cavs beat the Bucks on a back-to-back without Kevin Love for both games and without Smith for six quarters. Andersen wasn’t playing much, and Williams has been inactive all season. But long term, the lack of bodies could take its toll, and that’s the concern for the Cavs. Holding off the Toronto Raptors, who are 11⁄2 games behind for the top spot in the East, just got more difficult. The Cavs don’t want a situation where they drop further than a 2 seed. Winning one series on the road is one thing. Winning three series on the road is another. Such is the backdrop for the CavaliersGolden State Warriors matchup on Christmas, one that is much-anticipated, considering it’s the ﬁrst meeting between the two teams since Game 7 of last season’s NBA Finals when the Cavs completed a 3-1 series comeback with a 93-89 victory in Oakland. Fans are interested and TV ratings should be strong, but the result is mean-

SAM SHARPE, USA TODAY SPORTS

From left, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Kevin Love and the Cavaliers will be short-handed for the next two months because of injuries. ingless when it comes to drawing sweeping conclusions about which team will win this season’s championship. Just as Golden State’s Christmas win against Cleveland last season was not a harbinger. There are no absolutes in a December game between two of the league’s best teams. If anything, it will give Cavs general manager David Griffin a chance to see what he has — or more important, what he doesn’t have — as he makes plans before the February trade deadline. The Williams situation is an albatross for the Cavs. The team thought he was going to retire before the season but he didn’t, instead using his player option to stay. He had surgery in October and is taking a needed roster spot. Why not just eat Williams’ salary and add a player? The Cavs are over the luxury tax and are expected to have another luxury tax bill to pay after this season — about $30 million right now — after paying $54 million last summer. Waiving Williams and adding a minimum salary guy would result in a $13 million payment in salaries and luxury tax.

But the Cavs have options. They can make a deal before the trade deadline, and they also have a $9.6 million trade exception to use. Depending on who that player is if they use the trade exception, it would add salary and increase the luxury tax payment. But for the right player, who can help win another championship, the Cavs are willing to make that deal. What do they need? A backup point guard or a perimeter player who can generate offense and a perimeter defender. The Cavs need offensive help when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are not in the game, but they are 15th in defensive efficiency (104.5 points per 100 possessions). The point guard/offensive player is a need now but won’t be as big of a factor come playoff time when rotations shrink and James and Irving play more minutes. A wing defender will be more important in April, May and June. Griffin has done a fantastic job creating a roster around stars James, Irving and Love. He acquired Love, Smith, Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov, Channing

All times Eastern Friday Bulls at Hornets 7 p.m. Lakers at Magic, 7 p.m. Nets at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. Thunder at Celtics, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV Warriors at Pistons, 7:30 p.m. Wizards at Bucks, 8 p.m. Rockets at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. Heat at Pelicans, 8 p.m. Kings at Timberwoles, 8 p.m. Hawks at Nuggets, 9 p.m. Raptors at Jazz, 9 p.m. 76ers at Suns, 9 p.m. Spurs at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. Mavericks at Clippers, 10:30 p.m., NBA TV Saturday No games Sunday Celtics at Knicks, noon, ESPN Warriors at Cavaliers, 2:30 p.m., ABC Bulls at Spurs, 5 p.m., ABC Timberwolves at Thunder, 8 p.m., ESPN Clippers at Lakers, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

Frye and Mike Dunleavy during the last two years, and he has made tremendous use of trade exceptions. Before any deals are made, guards DeAndre Liggins, Jordan McRae and even rookie Kay Felder at times will play valuable minutes, and that will help their development and create more depth. The front office will do its job, and Cavs coach Tyronn Lue and the players will do theirs. “Every single game, every single week, just continue to keep getting better,” Lue said. “For us defensively, we took that challenge the last six or seven games of trying to be more defensive-minded and have a defensive mind-set. “So for me, just continue to get better and continue to get better at what we’re good at and continue to work on the things we need to get better at, and we got a long season ahead of us.”

Warriors know Cavs showdown is moot Sam Amick sramick@usatoday.com USA TODAY Sports

Of all the interesting revelations that have surfaced about these 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, there’s one that stands out above the rest. They’re starting from scratch. Yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers fans who are on an extended victory lap still torture their Twitter timelines with “3-1” references about the Warriors’ NBA Finals collapse. And yes, the pain from that experience still resides deep in the souls of the Warriors players who remain. But beyond all the obvious advantages that came with Kevin Durant’s arrival in July, the reality for the Warriors is that he was their reset button. It might have been the best post-Finals loss bounce-back move in league history. And for the purposes of this Christmas Day showdown with the Cavs that looms so large in the eyes of the fans and media, it means one thing for the Warriors: With their eyes fixed on the bigger prize, this game doesn’t matter in the slightest. Ironically, it was the Cavs who taught them last season that these regular-season showdowns can count as mulligans. A quick refresher course … uChristmas Day 2015: The Warriors down the Cavs 89-83 at Oracle Arena, a playoff-style game in which their defense won the day (the Cavs’ Big Three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love shot a combined 19-for-57 (33.3%). uJune 19, 2016: After the Cavs pull out the 93-89 win in Game 7 of the Finals, James and his teammates treat the Warriors’ arena like it’s their favorite road hotel. The champagne flows, including a jumbosized bottle that James — who is wearing enormous goggles like all the rest of them — carries through the tunnels as Warriors players head for the exits. But should the Warriors and Cavs become the first teams to face off in the Finals for a third consecutive time, it’s their habits — not the history — that’s going to help Golden State get back on top again. To that end, they find themselves in a fantastic spot at the moment. Five months in, there are no signs of a superstar squabble. Durant (25.7 points per

JESSE JOHNSON, USA TODAY SPORTS

The Warriors responded from their Finals loss by signing Kevin Durant. game), back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry (24.7), and two-time All-Star Klay Thompson (21.4) are leading the way on offense, with Draymond Green (10.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists) giving balance while looking like a defensive player of the year front-runner on the other end and veteran sixth man Andre Iguodala heading the second unit. And while it has taken a mature approach from all involved to make it work, no one deserves more credit than Curry. Curry, who had recruited Durant in the Hamptons in July alongside his Warriors teammates, coaches and executives, has long since set the tone on their selfless culture that remains intact. And while his individual numbers are down (he’s on pace for “only” 311 three-pointers after hitting a league-record 402 last season), his willingness to share the spotlight with another former MVP has been impressive. “I think it still is his team,” said Marcus Thompson, a columnist for the Bay Area News Group who has covered Curry’s career and whose book, Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry, comes out in April. “I think he still is the glue that makes all this work. It’s just not in scoring 30 points (per game). There is a part of him that wants to beast, right, to say, ‘I told y’all,’ right? And then there’s a part of him that’s fine saying, ‘You know what, I had mine. This is cool. Remember me as the guy who took the sacrifice.’ Because later on ... when we’re talking about it, that’s what we will remember. We’ll say, ‘Man, he gave his seat up to Durant.’ ” What we won’t remember, however, is what happened on Christmas Day.

W O R L D CO R P O R A T E H E A D Q UA R T E R S O F T H E D A L L A S CO W B O Y S FRISCO, T EXAS

FOLLOW NBA REPORTER SAM AMICK

@sam_amick for breaking news and analysis from the court.

www.ebook3000.com

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

6C SPORTS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Boise State fans still cheering for Petersen Washington coachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy lives on in Idaho From the moment he won the Fiesta Bowl to complete a 13-0 debut season, PeDan Wolken tersen had suitors across the country. He dwolken@usatoday.com rebuffed each of them to stay at Boise. USA TODAY Sports From Southern California to Mississippi State to Stanford, there was constant speculation that he would follow Houston Nutt (Arkansas), Dirk Koetter (Arizona State) and Dan Hawkins (Colorado) to power conference jobs. BOISE A few minutes before noon on a quiBut each time he said no, citing the comet December day, a group of schoolchildren walked through the Allen Noble Hall of fort of his family and the control he had at a Fame, bypassing trophy cases and grainy program tailored to his exact desires. As Boise State became more successful, pictures to see what most of them really Petersen erected walls â&#x20AC;&#x201D; literally and ďŹ gucame to see. The day before, it was someone from ratively â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to put distance between himself Thailand who had come to visit Boise State and the public. The indoor practice facility footballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous blue turf, which was nota- built in 2006 had locks on its doors, ending ble because it was the 37th country repre- the days of longtime ticketholders such as sented since retirees Don Moe and Dave Moe dropping by to bring coffee and shoot Croft persuaded the school in May to allow the breeze with assistants. Many schools contractually have their coach do a weekly them to give tours Monday through Friday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people have it on their bucket radio show from a local restaurant as part of a marketing deal; Petersen did his from a list,â&#x20AC;? Moe said. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absurd, in a sense, that people would private studio on campus. He also ended make a point to visit Idaho or go out of their the weekly tradition of a Monday luncheon way just to see a football ďŹ eld; not Ala- at which groups of Boise State supporters bamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or Notre Dameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, mind you, but the could hear him and ask questions. Instead, Petersen formed a group called ďŹ eld belonging to a program that has never won or even played for a national champi- the Coaches Club; he would appear at a onship and became part of the national handful of events and grant access to some practices for a $5,000 donation a year. conversation only a decade ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He looked at things like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How does that It underscores, however, what a dramatic impact Chris Petersen had during his 13 make us better?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;? Hawkes said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having a years at Boise State, the last eight of which coachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show at a sports bar doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, but he was head coach and led the program to showing up to the Coaches Club six times a 92 wins and four top-10 ďŹ nishes before go- year got him $500,000 he could give to his ing to Washington, ďŹ nally saying yes to a assistants.â&#x20AC;? In reality, though, a number of factors Power Five job after years of saying no. The consequences of that decision have had conspired to ultimately motivate him been profound on both programs. Petersen to leave, particularly after the Kellen Moore took his philosophy, much of his Boise State era ended in 2011. With Moore at quarterback, Boise State staff and a few recruits and transformed the Huskies, getting them into the College went 50-3 over a four-year stretch, includFootball Playoff in his third season. They ing victories against Oregon, a No. 3-ranked will play Alabama on Dec. 31 in the Peach TCU team, Virginia Tech and Georgia. In Bowl as heavy underdogs in a scenario rem- 2010, the Broncos came painfully close to iniscent of the Jan. 1, 2007, Fiesta Bowl, the national championship discussion, where Petersenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team stunned Oklahoma reaching No. 4 in the Bowl Championship and became college footballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perpetual Series rankings before losing to Nevada in overtime when Kyle Brotzman, a very good Cinderella. Boise State, meanwhile, has settled back kicker, missed from 26 and 29 yards in the into the kind of program it was before Pe- closing sequence. On the heels of Mooreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduation, Boitersen: consistently good but without realistic aspirations of achieving much more se State was also going through conference than a Mountain West Conference title affiliation turmoil. It had joined up with the (which, for the record, it failed to do the last Big East as a football-only member thinking it had secured power conference status and two years). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m accustomed to Coach Pete and his funding. But then the Big East fell apart, style, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harder for me to adapt, I guess,â&#x20AC;? morphing into the American Athletic Consaid Torry McAlvain, the president of a conference, and Boise went back to the Mounstruction company and Boise State booster tain West still on the outside looking in as who remains part of Petersenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small circle the new College Football Playoff format was of personal friends. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all being hashed out. Boise Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2012 team was very good â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I can say. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different.â&#x20AC;? But even while the fortunes of the two the vast majority of programs would take programs have gone in opposite directions 11-2 and a No. 14 ďŹ nish in the coaches poll since Petersenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s move, there is no lingering â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but gravity was naturally taking hold afbitterness here three years later. While Boi- ter so many years on top. Things didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get se State football rebetter in 2013; in mains almost the fact, Boise State sole focus of the lo- â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel any went 8-5 while fans cal sports commuquestioned Peternity, there has different about him senâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice of Robbeen at least a today than the day he ert Prince as passing interest in offensive coordinaWashingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rise. left.â&#x20AC;? tor and the quarterAnd when the Longtime Boise state backer Don Moe, back recruiting Huskies play Ala- referring to Chris Petersen decisions as the bama, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt who the majority of Boise State fans team struggled to replace Moore. Hawkes, a life-long Boise resident and will be rooting for. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People would love for Coach Pete to win graduate of the university, understands that a national championship,â&#x20AC;? said Travis the run Petersen guided will probably never Hawkes, a local businessman who fortu- be matched. Like everyone else, he felt the itously opened a Boise State merchandise immediate depression that hovered over store a few months before the 2006 season. the community for a time after he was gone â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good for Boise State that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been so and wishes the magic carpet ride had consuccessful. I think it indicates how good tinued forever. But he also understands how much PeBoise State really was. This shows it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just getting up for one game or a ďŹ&#x201A;uke or tersen gave the program and raised the enbecause of the schedule. This indicates Boi- tire schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proďŹ le, all the while turning se State was the real deal. The talent was down so many lucrative offers to coach the real deal. The system was the real deal, elsewhere rather than jumping at the ďŹ rst and he can replicate that with success at opportunity to leave. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was nothing but an outstanding Washington.â&#x20AC;? While that logic makes perfect sense in a coach, gentleman and citizen,â&#x20AC;? McAlvain vacuum, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rare in the ecosystem of college said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no hard feelings because he sports, where fan behavior is largely tied left. They feel like theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a part of him beinto the facade that their school is a utopia cause he was here so long, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re excitthat no player or coach would aspire to ed for him now. In the coaching industry leave behind. And often itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to blame thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always something better. I knew them. Coaches, especially at schools that eventually, one day, there was no way we arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t traditional powers, typically spend could keep him in Boise, Idaho. He had too years pumping the collective ego of their much talent.â&#x20AC;? And now that talent is bringing Washingfan base and talking publicly about how they can accomplish anything they want in ton to similar highs, with perhaps more to come. Given the connections between the their current job. Though some Boise State fans were ini- two programs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including seven assistants tially upset that Petersen didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t coach the who were former Boise State players or Hawaii Bowl after taking the Washington coaches â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Boise State fans have at least a job and that a handful of Boise State little bit of investment in the Huskiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sucrecruits switched to the Huskies, it has cess. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Washington was a good match for him, largely become a non-issue. In fact, when Washington played at Boise State to open and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel any different about him tothe 2015 season in a game scheduled years day than the day he left,â&#x20AC;? Moe said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The old before Petersenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s departure, fans cheered school fans look at Pete and see a sideline him during pregame introductions. shot of the bench and see Pete Kwiatkowski â&#x20AC;&#x153;I suppose there could be somebody still and Bush Hamdan there and they see Keith mad, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know them and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Bhonapha and some of those guys, you have want to know them,â&#x20AC;? said Milford Terrell, a an instant feeling like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Those are my guys.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; former Idaho State Board of Education Obviously you want to see them do well.â&#x20AC;? member and Boise State booster, who FOLLOW COLLEGE REPORTER claims to have been the ďŹ rst to give PeterDAN WOLKEN sen the Coach Pete moniker the day he was elevated from offensive coordinator to head @DanWolken for breaking college football news and analysis. coach.

KIRBY LEE, USA TODAY SPORTS

Chris Petersenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 92-12 record at Boise State has left him with favored status among school supporters, even three years after leaving for Washington.

SPORTS 7C

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Hurts perfect for Alabama’s offense Freshman QB makes right decisions as Tide seek to repeat as champions Nicole Auerbach @NicoleAuerbach USA TODAY Sports

Though so much attention on Alabama focuses on its dominant defense, its offense is worthy of closer examination, too. It’s also deserving of more credit than it gets for its part of the program’s dominance over the last two years. Coach Nick Saban’s willingness to evolve from a strictly pro-style offense to one that incorporates run pass options (RPOs), zone read and other spread elements is perhaps the most important piece, alongside the hiring of offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who implements those elements into the game plan on a weekly basis. What this means is that an ultra-athletic dual-threat quarterback such as freshman Jalen Hurts is more effective in the current system than he would have been in the Alabama offense, say, four years ago. “They’ve really spread the field with a lot of athletes,” Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith told USA TODAY Sports. “What Jalen Hurts has done — and he’s a tremendous athlete in his own right — is he makes really good decisions in that offense. He knows exactly where he wants to go in the pass game, and when it isn’t there, he’s able to scramble and pick up yards. … They do a really nice job with designed quarterback runs when they spread them out. They have so many different weapons around him; you’re allocating resources to get personnel matchups on the perimeter, and it opens up opportunities for him on the inside. “And he makes really good decisions. He’s just starting to scratch the surface of how good of a player he could be.” Hurts, who’s 6-2 and 209 pounds, enrolled at Alabama early. His impact on the team came quickly; he played Clemson’s Deshaun Watson on the scout team to help prepare the Tide for their national championship matchup last January. From then until fall camp, Hurts focused on learning Alabama’s playbook and worked — hard and heavy — in the weight room. By the time he wrestled away the starting quarterback spot from Blake Barnett to start the season, the situation the freshman was walking into could be described as such: You’ve got a tremendous defense that will rarely, if ever, put you in a tough position where you find yourself in a big hole. You’ve also got great talent on the offensive side of the ball at every single position around you. And you’ve got one of the best play-callers in the game on your sideline in Kiffin, who has taken a first-year starter to the College Football Playoff in each of the past two seasons. Hurts is now the third. For a freshman, you couldn’t ask for a better situation to walk into. For Alabama, you couldn’t have asked for a better freshman to walk into it. Opposing coaches credit, almost immediately, Hurts’ poise — and his ability to quickly shake off mistakes, be it a bad interception or fumble — as one of the keys to his success. “In our game, he did throw an interception, and he fumbled the ball,” Tennessee defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said. “If I’m not

mistaken, I think on each of the drives after those he led his team to a score (one resulted in a touchdown, the other a missed field goal attempt by Adam Griffith). That’s the sign of — they have a good team, obviously, I don’t want to diminish that — but that’s the sign of a competitor and a mature player to be able to handle adversity. “As a freshman, leading your team to a 13-0 record and the Playoff, he’s done quite a job handling all that comes with that.” Any discussion of Hurts’ poise naturally includes Alabama’s season opener against Southern California. Hurts fumbled the first snap of his collegiate career; the Trojans recovered. But none of his teammates could tell anything bad had happened when they looked at his demeanor on the sideline. “It was like he forgot about the fumble a second after it happened,” Saban has said. Said former Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, now Temple’s head coach: “He doesn’t get flustered. He knows he has enough weapons around him that if he just plays within himself, takes care of the ball, makes the right checks, gets the run plays the right looks … then they’re going to have success. When it is time for him to make a play, he can make it. If he makes a negative play, he doesn’t have to worry, because they have such a great defense and have such great special teams. It’s not the end of the world.” The three Southeastern Conference defensive coordinators who helped USA TODAY Sports break down Hurts’ on-field performance this season all underscored the importance of knowing where he is at all times — because he’s so dangerous on the ground. “We wanted to make sure at all times we were stressing that part of it,” Collins said. “We held him to 1 yard rushing, which was vital. Whenever they’re in a point where (opponents) needed to put somebody away, they use him or he just decides to keep the ball and take over the game. We knew at some point that was coming. We tried to have an extra hat on him at all times, whether it be in zone read or spying him on third down if he tried to escape the rush. But we were very aware of him as a runner. Obviously, he’s a good thrower, too, but the plays he makes on the run are the ones that can kill you.” Said Shoop, “He makes plays on his feet when things break down. As a defensive coordinator, that’s the most challenging thing — when you do everything right. You’ve covered the pass-rush lanes, suddenly the guy is able to scramble and improvise and make a play. … That’s something the great college quarterbacks do.” And if scrambling is not an option, Hurts is good at throwing the ball away. All three coordinators noted that he is well-trained in that regard, which makes sense in a Saban system — limit self-inflicted mistakes by making good decisions. Hurts also excels, quite often, on RPOs and the decision-making involved in that and other spread concepts. You’ll notice this particularly on early downs, Shoop said. “I’ve seen him do a great job with run pass options where, in the framework of a single snap, he’s got the ability to keep the

ball, hand the ball off or throw the ball on the perimeter to one of their skill players,” Shoop said. “He’s able to operate that piece of the offense really, really well.” RPOs will get Alabama’s offense into a good rhythm, and the talented wideouts and tight ends can then open up passing opportunities anytime, especially on third down. And it’s not like

Hurts often plays from behind — again, the luxury of a terriﬁc, smothering defense — but if that situation were to present itself in the Playoff, Smith is conﬁdent Hurts could handle it well. It all comes back to his poise, his ability to limit mistakes and the talent that surrounds him. “They have so many weapons,” Smith said. “If you want to load

ﬁnally, ﬁtness comes in all sizes

vívoactive HR ®

BRETT DAVIS, USA TODAY SPORTS

up and take away the quarterback run game, there are going to be an awful lot of one-on-ones on the perimeter. He can make those throws. He’s proven he can make those throws, and he can do the same if they’re playing from behind. He can scramble and make the throws. “I just think there’s an awful lot of talent on that offense.”

Jalen Hurts, above, “makes plays on his feet when things break down,” ex-Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins says.

www.ebook3000.com

vívosmart HR+ ®

vívoﬁt jr. ®

8C SPORTS

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

1994 winner saw Heisman as more curse than coup

Kids helped him get away from that. “He loved Colorado and he loved CU and he loved making kids laugh and trying to ﬁgure out where their hurts are, and where they’re misunderstood,” Hawkins said. “Sometimes I think he was misunderstood, too.”

Brent Schrotenboer @schrotenboer USA TODAY Sports

‘HE DIDN’T HAVE AN EGO’

BOULDER , COLO.

Before he committed suicide this month at age 42, Rashaan Salaam often seemed to struggle with 45 pounds of extra weight on his back. That’s roughly how much it measured on the scale — the Heisman Trophy. The trophy seemed to burden him before he even won it, in the fall of 1994. “I’m scared,” he said then. “I really don’t want to win it because I know how much pressure is put upon me.” After Salaam won it, that view only seemed to get worse. He described it like a curse, an impossible set of expectations that followed him everywhere. The stiff-armed statue bedeviled him in other strange ways, too. In 2011, a family member sold Salaam’s Heisman ring for more than $8,000, according to Salaam’s brother. The trophy itself is also missing, according to an official at the University of Colorado, where Salaam played from 1992 to 1994. Two Heisman Trophies are awarded to the annual winner — one to the player, the other to the player’s school. Colorado keeps one of Salaam’s Heisman trophies on display here, but the whereabouts of Salaam’s personal Heisman are a mystery. His father said he didn’t know where it was, and his brother said he last heard it was in storage, but he wasn’t sure. “The Heisman is currently lost — the family (or Salaam) loaned it to someone for display and it was supposed to be sent back to his mom, but it never showed up,” CU sports information director Dave Plati told USA TODAY Sports. Ultimately, even the time and place of his shocking death seemed to be shadowed by the trophy. He didn’t choose to die at home, where he lived in Superior, Colo. Instead, he picked a quiet park about 12 miles away in Boulder, just a short hike up the Boulder Creek path from the football stadium where he galloped his way to the Heisman as a Colorado running back. He died Monday night, Dec. 5, the same week of the year he otherwise might be preparing to go to the annual Heisman Trophy presentation in New York. This year’s Heisman ceremony was Dec. 10. He didn’t plan to go. “Rashaan had previously indicated to us that he would be unable to attend the Heisman this year,” Heisman Trophy coordinator Tim Henning told USA TODAY Sports. Perhaps no one will ever understand why Salaam felt compelled to kill himself. Family and friends described hints of depression hidden beneath his giving personality and beaming smile. His brother said Salaam had symptoms associated with football head trauma, including memory loss. But there was one memory he would not forget, and it deﬁned his life, for better or worse. He won the Heisman, arguably the most prestigious individual award in American sports. And that was a huge blessing for him, giving him fame and popularity and a marketing campaign that he later used to help underprivileged kids. Yet it also sometimes felt like a hex. And he never quite got over it. He also often failed to grasp just how many people loved him for it.

THE QUIET PLAN

This is where he died — at a neighborhood park at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, a quiet place with towering trees and a playground, next to a creek that ﬂowed by the campus and stadium where he made his name. The clues indicate he planned it all out. He chose a secluded area away from visible traffic. A note was found, his mother, Khalada, told USA TODAY Sports the next day. Its contents have not been disclosed. “It was a very short, private note,” said his brother, Jabali Alaji. “But it explained a lot ... I’ll never reveal exactly what it said.” The cause of death has not been officially released. But multiple people indicated to USA TODAY Sports that Salaam shot himself. His mother, who had possession of Salaam’s trophy after he won it, declined further comment. Salaam gave no apparent advance notice of his ﬁnal act. Two people told USA TODAY Sports

ISAIAH J. DOWNING, IUSA TODAY SPORTS

A mourner greets Rashaan Salaam’s mother, Khalada, during funeral services for the 1994 Heisman Trophy winner in Boulder, Colo., on Dec. 9. Rashaan Salaam committed suicide Dec. 5.

CLUES IN SALAAM DEATH POINT TO HEAVY BURDEN they spoke with Salaam by phone in the hours before his death: Alaji and Tim James, a safety on Colorado’s 1990 national championship team who became friends with Salaam in later years. Alaji and James said Salaam gave no hint of his fatal plans. Alaji described it as a “very positive conversation” and said he and Salaam “made plans for the future.” James said he spoke with Salaam for about 90 minutes, and the topics included CU’s successful football season this year. At the end of the call, James said he urged Salaam to answer the phone when he called him in the future because Salaam had shown a tendency in recent months for being unresponsive to text messages and phone calls. Likewise, former teammates had trouble reaching him, including Blake Anderson, a former CU receiver. John Reid, a partner in Salaam’s charitable endeavors, also wondered where he was. “Some of the volunteers were wanting to know if we were going to plan a winter program this year for the kids,” said Reid, who collaborated with Salaam to send at-risk teens on a ski trip to Aspen in 2015. “We kept calling him. He had sort of gone into seclusion. Blake was actually calling me and asking if I had heard from him. I said, ‘No, have you heard from him?’ ” They didn’t know. Nobody really knew. Outwardly, Salaam could ﬂash his famous smile and give the appearance of happiness. “He was just that type of infectious personality, so happy,” former Colorado receiver Michael Westbrook said. “I guess he was just really good at hiding and concealing anything that was hurting him.” It was easy to conceal if he kept to himself, alone in his condo down the Boulder turnpike in Superior. It appeared to be a comfortable place for a young, single adult, a one-bedroom unit in a clean, gated community with a view of the Flatiron Crossing shopping mall. Less than a week after his death, his family and friends gathered to empty it out. Alaji said he looked but found no bottles of alcohol or pills. He said he spoke with his brother regularly and that Salaam had “all the symptoms” of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is associated with football head trauma. “He had the symptoms the whole time,” Alaji said. “Maybe he was in denial. He was too prideful to go out here and say, ‘I physically need help.’ ” At Salaam’s funeral service in Boulder, his father, Sultan Salaam, described his son as having had a “mental breakdown.” About a week later, at a memorial for Salaam in his hometown of San Diego, he expressed anguish to a crowd of friends and family. “Open the door!” he said. “Love your family. Talk to your family. Real talk. Do not joke. Do not play. Life is serious.” Afterward, Sultan Salaam said the circumstances that led his

USA TODAY SPORTS

Salaam emerged as the winner from a strong ﬁeld of Heisman contenders in 1994 and was a ﬁrst-round NFL pick in 1995. son’s death are unclear and might never be known. “It could be concussions,” he said. “It could be something else.” TRAIL OF DESPAIR

Of the eight top votegetters for the 1994 Heisman Trophy, three are dead. Former Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips finished eighth that year and died in January after hanging himself in prison at age 40. Third-place finisher Steve McNair, a former quarterback for Alcorn State, was killed in 2009 at age 36, victim of a murder-suicide in which his girlfriend fatally shot McNair before killing herself. This eerie trail of despair also extends to the NFL, where Salaam played for the Chicago Bears and took handoffs as a rookie in 1995 from quarterback Erik Kramer, who struggled with depression and shot himself in the head last year but survived. In retrospect, Salaam’s mother seemed prophetic in 1994 when she told a reporter that her son was reluctant about winning the Heisman because, she said, “He seems to think some of the guys who won it in recent years haven’t done that well and that there might be some kind of negative thing attached to it.” It’s called the Heisman curse — a spotty correlation between some trophy winners and their lack of success in subsequent bowl games or the NFL. Salaam experienced no such curse in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, scoring three touchdowns in a 41-24 win. He also rushed for 1,074 yards and was named NFC rookie of the year for the Chicago Bears in 1995. Instead, the Heisman represented unwanted pressure for Salaam, who often seemed more content being a face in the crowd among teammates or hanging out with friends from San Diego or Colorado. He deflected praise to his offensive linemen so often in 1994 that it seemed he wanted them to have the trophy instead. “It was always about the teammates,” former CU safety Chris

Hudson said of Salaam’s outlook. After injuries cut short his NFL career, Salaam still described the Heisman as a burden in his post-playing life, James said. “He just thought it was a curse, the Heisman was a curse, and he didn’t live up to the expectations in his mind,” James said. “It just didn’t pan out for him in his mind. He struggled with that.” It was a matter of perspective. He didn’t find glory and immense wealth in the NFL, but not many do. His first contract was for four years and $3.8 million. After the NFL, he co-founded a company called the Art of War that helped promote mixed martial arts events in China. That didn’t make him wealthy, either, but longtime friend Greg Morrissey said Salaam was financially comfortable. Morrissey described Salaam as “everyone’s best friend” and questions whether Salaam’s outlook would have changed if his NFL career was more successful. The Heisman “can be a plus or it can be a negative,” Morrissey said. “Injuries happen and things come up. To be that young, to go in that league, to have success as a rookie, a 1,000-yard rusher and three years later be out of the league, and a Heisman Trophy winner? That’s a hard deal, man.” In recent years, Salaam moved back from San Diego to Colorado, where the community embraced him. He served as grand marshal of the CU homecoming parade in 2014 and started working with atrisk kids. “When you give that much of yourself away, when you need something one day, there’s not much (of yourself to) hold on to,” said Shannon Clavelle, another former CU teammate. “It’s spread out so much. But he loved doing that. That’s what he was about.” Salaam spent time with kids through a charity called SPIN, which stands for Supporting People in Need. Riley Robert Hawkins, who founded the SPIN organization, said he sensed Salaam had regrets that his football career came to an end after parts of four seasons.

The Heisman Trophy isn’t easy to tote around and doesn’t exactly fit in the storage bins of an airplane. So Salaam had to find another place for it as he made his way back to Colorado from New York, where he won the award decisively in December 1994. He placed it on the seat next to him on the airplane. “It had its own seat in first class with a blue blanket over it,” said Plati of CU. “Made it look like E.T.” It was an unforgettable time in an unforgettable season. Salaam was barely 20 but burst to fame while becoming just the fourth player in major-college football history to gain at least 2,000 yards rushing in a season. He slashed for big gains behind his blockers all season, helping the Buffaloes finish No. 3 nationally with an 11-1 record, with the lone defeat coming against the Nebraska, the eventual national champion. In one game, a 27-26 win at Michigan, he rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns before throwing a key block on the game’s final play, when his quarterback, Kordell Stewart, launched a game-winning Hail Mary touchdown pass to Westbrook as time expired. A week later, Salaam rumbled for 317 yards to help CU beat Texas 34-31 on a hot day in Austin. On his final regular-season college play, he raced downfield for a 67-yard run in a win at home against Iowa State, giving him 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns for the season. His teammates swarmed him in the end zone and lifted him up. About 20 years later, the sparks of those college years still burned. About two years ago, he ran into Shelley Martin, who lived in the same dorm as Salaam at CU during their college days. The relationship blossomed the last two years, said Martin, his girlfriend. “I don’t want our pain to be in vain,” she wrote in an email. “Still in disbelief and hurt. … Hoping he will be coming through the door, pick me up. … Never this pain I have felt.” In early 2015, Salaam helped organize a “Ski for Heisman” event in Aspen that brought about 30 inner-city teens to the slopes with law-enforcement officers. The idea was to improve relations with police and at-risk youth. Reid, who helped raise funds for the event, remembers CU alumni and fans in Aspen asking Salaam for photographs and autographs. They didn’t care about the length of his NFL career or how famous he did or didn’t become after leaving CU. “One night, the kids were back in their rooms, and we were just hanging out,” Reid said. “I remember saying to him, ‘You don’t get it. You don’t have a grasp of how people hold you and what they think of you.’ ” According to Reid, Salaam responded by asking if these people really knew who he was. “Holy crap!” Reid said he told Salaam. “They know who you are, dude!” “He didn’t have an ego,” Reid said. “I just think he was there for the right reasons and he was oblivious to himself being a superstar or someone who people held in high regard.” More people now wish they had told him about how much they loved him. But they didn’t know he didn’t know. And he wasn’t showing he needed it. “It’s about holding on to pain and not letting people know what’s really going on,” said Alaji, his brother. “They’re gladiators. They’re strong people. … Whenever something goes wrong, or they hurt, they would never let the world know until almost like it’s too late.” Salaam’s father said if there was anything that should be said or written about his son it was this: “He was a team player,” he said. “That means together each achieves more. Not by yourself.” As for the Heisman, Salaam’s father said it was only a football award and didn’t define his son’s life. “It is very damaging to hear some of the reports coming out, like he had a long, slow fall from grace,” he said. “The Heisman Trophy is an award given for football. There is no long, slow fall. It’s a football award. You can’t put anybody on a pedestal like that.”

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

SPORTS 9C

FOR THE RECORD NFL

Toronto at Utah, 9 p.m. San Antonio at Portland, 10 p.m. Dallas at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

All times ET AMERICAN CONFERENCE East

Knicks 106, Magic 95 ORLANDO

y-N. England Miami Buffalo N.Y. Jets

South Houston Tennessee Indianapolis Jacksonville

North Pittsburgh Baltimore Cincinnati Cleveland

West x-Oakland Kansas City Denver San Diego

W 12 9 7 4

L 2 5 7 10

T Pct 0 .857 0 .643 0 .500 0 .286

PF 365 315 358 242

PA 233 314 314 358

W 8 8 7 2

L 6 6 7 12

T Pct 0 .571 0 .571 0 .500 0 .143

PF 250 340 362 260

PA 294 323 339 359

W 9 8 5 0

L 5 6 8 14

T Pct 0 .643 0 .571 1 .393 0 .000

PF 341 306 288 220

PA 276 263 293 408

W 11 10 8 5

L 3 4 6 9

T Pct 0 .786 0 .714 0 .571 0 .357

PF 377 319 299 366

PA 336 274 258 366

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East y-Dallas N.Y. Giants Washington Philadelphia

South Atlanta Tampa Bay New Orleans Carolina

North Detroit Green Bay Minnesota Chicago

W 12 10 7 6

L 2 5 6 9

T Pct 0 .857 0 .667 1 .536 0 .400

PF 366 291 345 340

PA 258 274 343 318

W 9 8 6 6

L 5 6 8 8

T Pct 0 .643 0 .571 0 .429 0 .429

PF 469 313 406 337

PA 358 322 392 352

W 9 8 7 3

L 5 6 7 11

T Pct 0 .643 0 .571 0 .500 0 .214

PF 301 363 264 248

PA 285 339 259 320

West

W L T Pct PF PA y-Seattle 9 4 1 .679 298 235 Arizona 5 8 1 .393 340 325 Los Angeles 4 10 0 .286 197 328 San Francisco 1 13 0 .071 264 434 x-clinched playoff spot; y-clinched division

Thursday’s Game Philadelphia 24, N.Y. Giants 19

Saturday’s Games Atlanta at Carolina, 1 p.m. Washington at Chicago, 1 p.m. N.Y. Jets at New England, 1 p.m. San Diego at Cleveland, 1 p.m. Miami at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Tennessee at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Minnesota at Green Bay, 1 p.m. Indianapolis at Oakland, 4:05 p.m. Arizona at Seattle, 4:25 p.m. Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 4:25 p.m. San Francisco at Los Angeles, 4:25 p.m. Cincinnati at Houston, 8:25 p.m.

Fournier 9-17 2-2 21, Ibaka 10-18 0-0 23, Gordon 3-8 0-0 6, Biyombo 3-6 3-4 9, Augustin 1-4 0-0 2, Green 3-8 4-4 10, Rudez 0-0 0-0 0, Vucevic 4-11 2-4 10, Zimmerman 0-1 0-0 0, Payton 4-11 1-2 10, Watson 2-5 0-0 4, Hezonja 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 39-90 12-16 95.

NEW YORK Anthony 5-17 5-5 15, Porzingis 5-11 0-0 12, Noah 2-5 2-2 6, Rose 7-16 4-4 19, Lee 4-7 0-0 10, Kuzminskas 2-3 1-2 6, O’Quinn 6-12 2-2 14, Hernangomez 7-11 0-0 15, Jennings 1-5 1-2 4, Holiday 2-8 0-0 5, Baker 0-1 0-0 0, Vujacic 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 41-96 15-17 106. Orlando 19 28 25 23 — 95 New York 27 30 24 25 — 106 3-Point Goals—Orlando 5-27 (Ibaka 3-7, Payton 1-4, Fournier 1-5, Vucevic 0-1, Green 0-2, Augustin 0-2, Gordon 0-3, Watson 0-3), New York 9-20 (Porzingis 2-2, Lee 2-3, Jennings 1-2, Kuzminskas 1-2, Holiday 1-2, Rose 1-2, Hernangomez 1-3, O’Quinn 0-1, Anthony 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Orlando 41 (Ibaka 10), New York 52 (O’Quinn 16). Assists—Orlando 21 (Vucevic 6), New York 26 (Jennings 12). Total Fouls—Orlando 14, New York 18. A—19,812 (19,812).

Warriors 117, Nets 101 GOLDEN STATE Durant 10-23 5-6 26, Looney 2-5 0-0 4, Pachulia 6-9 3-4 15, Curry 6-19 0-0 15, Thompson 9-24 0-0 23, West 4-5 2-2 10, McAdoo 0-1 0-0 0, McGee 0-0 1-2 1, Varejao 0-0 0-0 0, Livingston 2-4 0-0 4, Iguodala 3-6 0-0 8, McCaw 1-2 0-0 3, Clark 4-6 0-0 8. Totals 47-104 11-14 117.

BROOKLYN Booker 2-5 0-0 4, Lopez 9-16 6-6 28, Lin 412 0-0 10, Bogdanovic 5-10 0-0 12, Kilpatrick 4-11 5-7 14, Scola 1-1 0-0 2, Bennett 0-0 0-0 0, McCullough 0-0 0-0 0, Hamilton 1-3 0-0 2, Dinwiddie 1-3 0-0 2, Foye 0-0 0-0 0, Harris 3-4 0-0 9, LeVert 2-6 1-2 5, Hollis-Jefferson 6-15 0-1 13. Totals 38-86 12-16 101. Golden State 33 16 39 29 — 117 Brooklyn 34 31 19 17 — 101 3-Point Goals—Golden State 12-37 (Thompson 5-10, Curry 3-13, Iguodala 2-5, McCaw 1-1, Durant 1-7, Clark 0-1), Brooklyn 13-35 (Lopez 4-9, Harris 3-3, Bogdanovic 2-5, Lin 2-7, Hollis-Jefferson 1-3, Kilpatrick 1-5, LeVert 0-1, Hamilton 0-2). Fouled Out— None. Rebounds—Golden State 51 (Pachulia 14), Brooklyn 46 (Lin, Lopez 8). Assists— Golden State 29 (Curry, Durant 7), Brooklyn 22 (Lin 11). Total Fouls—Golden State 19, Brooklyn 15. Technicals—Durant.

Celtics 109, Pacers 102 BOSTON

Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 4:30 p.m. Denver at Kansas City, 8:30 p.m.

Crowder 5-9 2-2 15, Johnson 5-7 0-2 11, Horford 3-12 2-2 8, Thomas 9-21 8-9 28, Bradley 6-13 3-3 15, Brown 2-7 0-0 4, Jerebko 2-4 0-0 5, Olynyk 4-8 1-1 11, Smart 2-8 7-8 12, Rozier 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 38-92 23-27 109.

Monday’s Game

INDIANA

Sunday’s Games

Detroit at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

NBA All times ET EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Toronto Boston New York Brooklyn Philadelphia

W 20 17 16 7 7

L 8 12 13 21 21

Pct .714 .586 .552 .250 .250

GB — 3½ 4½ 13 13

L 13 15 15 18 20

Pct .552 .483 .464 .419 .333

GB — 2 2½ 4 6½

L 6 14 16 14 17

Pct .778 .500 .484 .481 .452

GB — 7½ 8 8 9

Southeast Division Charlotte Atlanta Washington Orlando Miami

W 16 14 13 13 10

Central Division Cleveland Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Detroit

W 21 14 15 13 14

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division San Antonio Houston Memphis New Orleans Dallas

W 23 22 19 10 8

L 5 8 12 21 21

Pct GB .821 — .733 2 .613 5½ .323 14½ .276 15½

W 18 17 13 12 9

L 12 12 18 17 19

Pct .600 .586 .419 .414 .321

W 26 21 12 11 8

L 4 8 17 21 21

Pct GB .867 — .724 4½ .414 13½ .344 16 .276 17½

Northwest Division Utah Oklahoma City Portland Denver Minnesota

GB — ½ 5½ 5½ 8

Pacific Division Golden State L.A. Clippers Sacramento L.A. Lakers Phoenix

Thursday’s Games Boston 109, Indiana 102 Golden State 117, Brooklyn 101 New York 106, Orlando 95 Miami 115, L.A. Lakers 107 San Antonio at L.A. Clippers

Friday’s Games Chicago at Charlotte, 7 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Orlando, 7 p.m. Brooklyn at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m. Golden State at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Houston at Memphis, 8 p.m. Miami at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Sacramento at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Washington at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. Atlanta at Denver, 9 p.m. Philadelphia at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

George 5-16 9-10 19, Robinson 1-9 0-0 2, T.Young 6-11 0-2 15, Turner 5-11 0-0 10, Teague 9-15 11-11 31, Miles 7-13 3-4 19, Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Seraphin 0-0 0-0 0, Jefferson 2-4 0-0 4, Brooks 0-3 2-2 2. Totals 35-82 2529 102. Boston 22 29 26 32 — 109 Indiana 31 9 27 35 — 102 3-Point Goals—Boston 10-39 (Crowder 3-5, Olynyk 2-5, Thomas 2-11, Johnson 1-2, Jerebko 1-3, Smart 1-4, Horford 0-3, Bradley 0-3, Rozier 0-3), Indiana 7-23 (T.Young 3-6, Teague 2-4, Miles 2-6, Turner 0-1, Brooks 0-1, Robinson 0-2, George 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Boston 44 (Horford 11), Indiana 52 (T.Young 12). Assists—Boston 19 (Thomas 9), Indiana 20 (Teague 8). Total Fouls—Boston 27, Indiana 21. Technicals—Bradley, Indiana defensive three second, Indiana team, George. A—17,577 (18,165).

Heat 115, Lakers 107 L.A. LAKERS Deng 5-10 0-0 13, Young 7-14 1-1 20, Ingram 2-7 0-2 4, Mozgov 6-11 2-2 14, Russell 7-16 0-0 17, World Peace 0-1 0-0 0, Robinson 3-4 2-2 8, L.Williams 8-17 8-8 27, Clarkson 2-10 0-0 4. Totals 40-90 13-15 107.

MIAMI Winslow 10-16 3-6 23, McRoberts 2-2 0-0 4, Whiteside 9-12 5-6 23, Dragic 6-15 6-7 21, Richardson 4-11 0-0 9, Babbitt 0-1 0-0 0, Reed 1-2 0-0 2, J.Johnson 8-11 0-2 19, T.Johnson 5-14 0-0 14. Totals 45-84 14-21 115. L.A. Lakers 25 35 20 27 — 107 Miami 17 36 29 33 — 115 3-Point Goals—L.A. Lakers 14-38 (Young 511, Deng 3-6, L.Williams 3-7, Russell 3-8, World Peace 0-1, Ingram 0-2, Clarkson 0-3), Miami 11-22 (T.Johnson 4-6, J.Johnson 3-5, Dragic 3-6, Richardson 1-3, Winslow 0-1, Babbitt 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—L.A. Lakers 40 (Robinson 12), Miami 47 (Winslow, Whiteside 13). Assists— L.A. Lakers 18 (Russell 7), Miami 25 (Dragic 7). Total Fouls—L.A. Lakers 14, Miami 15. Technicals—Robinson, Whiteside. A—19,712 (19,600).

NHL All Times ET EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Montreal Ottawa Boston Tampa Bay Florida Toronto Buffalo Detroit

GP 33 34 35 34 34 32 32 33

W 21 20 18 17 15 13 12 14

L OT Pts GF GA 8 4 46 103 74 11 3 43 88 89 14 3 39 83 84 14 3 37 100 94 14 5 35 82 93 12 7 33 93 94 12 8 32 70 86 15 4 32 79 93

Metropolitan Division Columbus

GP W 31 22

L OT Pts GF GA 5 4 48 108 64

Pittsburgh N.Y. Rangers Phildelphia Washington Carolina New Jersey N.Y. Islnders

34 35 36 31 32 33 32

21 23 20 19 14 13 12

8 11 12 8 11 13 14

5 1 4 4 7 7 6

47 47 44 42 35 33 30

117 99 115 82 110 108 83 69 85 88 79 98 85 101

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division Chicago Minnesota St. Louis Nashville Dallas Winnipeg Colorado

GP 35 32 35 33 34 35 32

W 22 20 18 15 13 15 11

L OT Pts GF GA 9 4 48 101 84 8 4 44 95 62 12 5 41 98 103 13 5 35 94 94 14 7 33 86 104 17 3 33 91 104 20 1 23 65 105

Pacific Division San Jose Edmonton Anaheim Los Angeles Calgary Vancouver Arizona

GP 33 35 35 33 35 33 33

W 20 18 17 17 17 14 11

L OT Pts GF GA 12 1 41 84 73 12 5 41 103 94 12 6 40 96 99 13 3 37 85 81 16 2 36 90 102 16 3 31 84 101 17 5 27 74 104

Thursday’s Games Carolina 3, Buffalo 1 Columbus 7, Pittsburgh 1 New Jersey 4, Philadelphia 0 Ottawa 2, Anaheim 1 (OT) Boston 3, Florida 1 Minnesota 4, Montreal 2 Tampa Bay 5, St. Louis 2 Los Angeles 4, Nashville 0 Toronto 6, Colorado 0 Winnipeg at Vancouver

Friday’s Games Minnesota at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Buffalo at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Montreal at Columbus, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Washington, 7 p.m. Detroit at Florida, 7:30 p.m. Boston at Carolina, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Toronto at Arizona, 9 p.m. Vancouver at Calgary, 9 p.m. Edmonton at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

Hurricanes 3, Sabres 1 Carolina 2 0 1 — 3 Buffalo 0 0 1 — 1 First Period—1, Carolina, Skinner 13 (Hanifin, Slavin), 1:44. 2, Carolina, Faulk 6 (Stempniak), 17:51. Penalties—Hanifin, CAR, (hooking), 2:54. Second Period—None. Penalties—Larsson, BUF, (holding), 0:48; Okposo, BUF, (elbowing), 4:40; Grant, BUF, (hooking), 14:13; Mccabe, BUF, (slashing), 17:19; Bogosian, BUF, Major (fighting), 17:19; Staal, CAR, Major (fighting), 17:19. Third Period—3, Buffalo, Larsson 6 (Foligno, Reinhart), 5:32. 4, Carolina, Aho 6 (Pesce, Rask), 19:00. Penalties—Faulk, CAR, (hooking), 13:04. Shots on Goal—Carolina 6-13-15—34. Buffalo 7-5-11—23. Power-play opportunities—Carolina 0 of 4; Buffalo 0 of 2. Goalies—Carolina, Ward 11-8-6 (23 shots-22 saves). Buffalo, Lehner 7-10-5 (3331). A—18,863 (18,690). T—2:19.

Blue Jackets 7, Penguins 1 Pittsburgh 1 0 0 — 1 Columbus 1 2 4 — 7 First Period—1, Pittsburgh, Crosby 23 (Sheary, Cole), 2:39. 2, Columbus, Atkinson 15 (Foligno, Wennberg), 13:01 (pp). Penalties—Cole, PIT, major (high sticking), 10:19. Second Period—3, Columbus, Karlsson 5 (Anderson, Gagner), 10:15. 4, Columbus, Hartnell 6, 12:20. Penalties—Hartnell, CBJ, (elbowing), 2:44; Jenner, CBJ, Major (fighting), 5:45; Oleksy, PIT, Major (fighting), 5:45; Oleksy, PIT, (high sticking), 13:04; Hartnell, CBJ, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:04. Third Period—5, Columbus, Hartnell 7 (Johnson, Gagner), 2:44. 6, Columbus, Saad 12 (Wennberg), 3:01. 7, Columbus, Jenner 6 (Jones, Dubinsky), 3:35. 8, Columbus, Hartnell 8 (Dubinsky, Saad), 6:24. Penalties—Oleksy, PIT, (hooking), 4:21; Sheary, PIT, (hooking), 7:13; Sedlak, CBJ, (slashing), 8:23; Sedlak, CBJ, (roughing), 11:51; Calvert, CBJ, (roughing), 18:57; Hagelin, PIT, (roughing), 18:57. Shots on Goal—Pittsburgh 10-6-10—26. Columbus 6-12-10—28. Power-play opportunities—Pittsburgh 0 of 3; Columbus 1 of 4. Goalies—Pittsburgh, Murray 13-3-1 (23 shots-17 saves), Fleury 8-5-4 (5-4). Columbus, Bobrovsky 20-5-2 (26-25). A—19,115 (18,144). T—2:35.

Devils 4, Flyers 0 Philadelphia 0 0 0 — 0 New Jersey 2 1 1 — 4 First Period—1, New Jersey, Parenteau 8 (Cammalleri, Severson), 7:40 (pp). 2, New Jersey, Wood 4 (Henrique), 13:26. Penalties—Cousins, PHI, (high sticking), 6:18; Raffl, PHI, (hooking), 8:00; New Jersey bench, served by Wood (too many men on the ice), 9:01; Gazdic, NJ, (roughing), 13:48; Manning, PHI, (roughing), 13:48; Cousins, PHI, (roughing), 13:48; Fiddler, NJ, (roughing), 13:48; Helgeson, NJ, Major (fighting), 16:30; Fiddler, NJ, (roughing), 16:30; Gudas, PHI, served by Konecny, (roughing), 16:30; Weise, PHI, Major (fighting), 16:30; Gudas, PHI, (roughing), 16:30; Severson, NJ, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:39; Giroux, PHI, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:39; Cammalleri, NJ, Major (fighting), 20:00; Cousins, PHI, Major (fighting), 20:00; Simmonds, PHI, (roughing), 20:00. Second Period—3, New Jersey, Henrique 8 (Parenteau, Hall), 13:49. Penalties—Simmonds, PHI, (boarding), 8:31; Merrill, NJ, (interference), 19:14. Third Period—4, New Jersey, Palmieri 5 (Moore, Greene), 18:38 (pp). Penalties— Henrique, NJ, Misconduct (misconduct), 17:41; Simmonds, PHI, Misconduct (misconduct), 17:41; Simmonds, PHI, served by Konecny, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 17:41; Gudas, PHI, Misconduct (misconduct), 17:41. Shots on Goal—Philadelphia 6-7-3—16. New Jersey 8-9-5—22. Power-play opportunities—Philadelphia 0

of 2; New Jersey 2 of 6. Goalies—Philadelphia, Stolarz 2-0-0 (14 shots-12 saves), Mason 14-10-4 (8-6). New Jersey, Schneider 10-10-5 (16-16). A—16,514 (17,625). T—2:43.

Wild 4, Canadiens 2 Minnesota 0 2 2 — 4 Montreal 0 2 0 — 2 First Period—None. Penalties—Flynn, MTL, (holding), 4:14; Folin, MIN, (tripping), 13:10. Second Period—1, Montreal, Pacioretty 14 (Weber, Danault), 2:01 (sh). 2, Minnesota, Schroeder 1, 7:09. 3, Montreal, Lehkonen 7 (Flynn, Plekanec), 10:35. 4, Minnesota, Spurgeon 2 (Granlund, Zucker), 15:43. Penalties—Gallagher, MTL, (slashing), 1:26; Pacioretty, MTL, (hooking), 11:35. Third Period—5, Minnesota, Staal 11 (Granlund, Suter), 3:08 (sh). 6, Minnesota, Zucker 7, 19:37. Penalties—Coyle, MIN, (high sticking), 1:29; Spurgeon, MIN, (high sticking), 4:04; Gallagher, MTL, (high sticking), 12:48; Minnesota bench, served by Stewart (too many men on the ice), 15:27. Shots on Goal—Minnesota 13-8-6—27. Montreal 11-15-8—34. Power-play opportunities—Minnesota 0 of 4; Montreal 0 of 4. Goalies—Minnesota, Dubnyk 17-6-3 (34 shots-32 saves). Montreal, Price 18-5-2 (2623). A—21,288 (21,273). T—2:33.

Lightning 5, Blues 2 St. Louis 2 0 0 — 2 Tampa Bay 0 2 3 — 5 First Period—1, St. Louis, Perron 9, 14:11. 2, St. Louis, Megan 1 (Reaves, Edmundson), 14:43. Penalties—Fabbri, STL, (hooking), 4:30. Second Period—3, Tampa Bay, Boyle 8 (Drouin, Hedman), 9:48 (pp). 4, Tampa Bay, Bournival 1 (Brown, Garrison), 17:27. Penalties—Richard, TB, (hooking), 2:39; Filppula, TB, (hooking), 4:32; Fabbri, STL, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 4:32; Reaves, STL, (interference), 9:00. Third Period—5, Tampa Bay, Killorn 11 (Stralman, Hedman), 5:25. 6, Tampa Bay, Drouin 9 (Filppula, Stralman), 18:20. 7, Tampa Bay, Drouin 10 (Filppula, Hedman), 19:29. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—St. Louis 10-4-9—23. Tampa Bay 12-9-11—32. Power-play opportunities—St. Louis 0 of 1; Tampa Bay 1 of 2. Goalies—St. Louis, Allen 16-8-3 (31 shots-27 saves), Hutton 2-4-2 (0-0). Tampa Bay, Vasilevskiy 8-4-1 (23-21). A—19,092 (19,204). T—2:37.

Bruins 3, Panthers 1 Boston 0 2 1 — 3 Florida 0 0 1 — 1 First Period—None. Penalties—Pastrnak, BOS, (hooking), 11:22; Trocheck, FLA, (high sticking), 14:21. Second Period—1, Boston, Vatrano 1 (Krug), 2:09. 2, Boston, Bergeron 5 (Spooner, Krug), 5:13 (pp). Penalties—Griffith, FLA, (hooking), 3:36; Hayes, BOS, (holding), 5:29; Demers, FLA, (holding), 8:43. Third Period—3, Florida, Barkov 9 (Matheson, Jagr), 13:20. 4, Boston, Backes 8 (Marchand), 18:37. Penalties—Chara, BOS, (hooking), 5:37. Shots on Goal—Boston 8-16-9—33. Florida 12-5-13—30. Power-play opportunities—Boston 1 of 3; Florida 0 of 3. Goalies—Boston, Rask 17-6-3 (30 shots-29 saves). Florida, Reimer 4-5-2 (32-30). A—14,462 (17,040). T—2:37.

Senators 2, Ducks 1 (OT) Anaheim 0 1 0 0 — 1 Ottawa 0 1 0 1 — 2 First Period—None. Penalties—Boll, ANA, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 4:50; Borowiecki, OTT, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 4:50; Boll, ANA, Major (fighting), 9:03; Borowiecki, OTT, Major (fighting), 9:03; Phaneuf, OTT, (slashing), 9:52. Second Period—1, Ottawa, Dzingel 8 (Turris), 1:02. 2, Anaheim, Silfverberg 9 (Perry, Vermette), 19:50 (pp). Penalties—Bieksa, ANA, (tripping), 2:47; Stone, OTT, (hooking), 19:07. Third Period—None. Penalties—Ryan, OTT, major (high sticking), 5:09. Overtime—3, Ottawa, Hoffman 10 (Phaneuf), 4:03 (pp). Penalties—Cogliano, ANA, (high sticking), 3:23. Shots on Goal—Anaheim 6-9-9-1—25. Ottawa 5-7-5-1—18. Power-play opportunities—Anaheim 1 of 4; Ottawa 1 of 2. Goalies—Anaheim, Gibson 11-9-5 (18 shots-16 saves). Ottawa, Condon 8-3-2 (25-24). A—17,125 (19,153). T—2:38.

Kings 4, Predators 0 Los Angeles 1 0 3 — 4 Nashville 0 0 0 — 0 First Period—1, Los Angeles, Shore 2, 6:33. Penalties—Irwin, NSH, (interference), 6:51; Pearson, LA, (holding stick), 11:09. Second Period—None. Penalties—Watson, NSH, Major (fighting), 2:48; Andreoff, LA, Major (fighting), 2:48; Josi, NSH, (holding stick), 8:09; Nolan, LA, (roughing), 15:17. Third Period—2, Los Angeles, Dowd 4 (Pearson, Lewis), 4:25. 3, Los Angeles, Carter 17, 4:34. 4, Los Angeles, Setoguchi 4 (Kopitar, Brown), 11:39. Penalties—Shore, LA, (hooking), 4:52. Shots on Goal—Los Angeles 6-14-6—26. Nashville 12-9-7—28. Power-play opportunities—Los Angeles 0 of 2; Nashville 0 of 3. Goalies—Los Angeles, Budaj 15-8-3 (28 shots-28 saves). Nashville, Rinne 13-9-4 (25-21). A—17,156 (17,113). T—2:20.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Men’s Major Scores EAST Brown 82, Maine 77 Canisius 106, St. Bonaventure 101 Dartmouth 75, Bryant 69 Duquesne 70, Colgate 57 Georgetown 78, UNC-Greensboro 56 Hartford 63, Navy 54

Hofstra 84, Siena 64 Lehigh 93, Cabrini 72 Manhattan 81, E. Kentucky 54 Mount St. Mary’s 87, Coppin St. 49 NJIT 92, Dean College 50 Princeton 72, Bucknell 70 Rhode Island 73, William & Mary 62 Saint Joseph’s 92, Lafayette 63 Temple 83, Yale 77 Towson 76, Iona 69 Troy 92, Cornell 84 UMass 78, Rider 67 Wagner 94, College of Staten Island 42

SOUTH Alcorn St. 83, Rust College 68 Belmont 88, Cleveland St. 61 Campbell 81, Stetson 72 Coll. of Charleston 77, W. Carolina 59 East Carolina 76, Presbyterian 56 Florida Gulf Coast 107, Florida National 50 George Mason 75, Prairie View 59 Georgia Southern 106, Fisk 58 Georgia Tech 76, Wofford 72 Kennesaw St. 68, NC A&T 60 La Salle 98, Mercer 96 Louisiana Tech 95, LSU-Shreveport 53 Miami 72, George Washington 64 Mississippi St. 85, Morehead St. 76 NC State 89, McNeese St. 57 Old Dominion 65, Howard 46 Samford 83, Florida A&M 63 San Diego St. 66, Southern Miss. 51 South Florida 81, Delaware 53 Tennessee 72, ETSU 68 VCU 78, Louisiana-Monroe 65 Wright St. 77, Murray St. 62

MIDWEST Ball St. 73, Alabama St. 48 Bowling Green 74, Alabama A&M 61 Chicago St. 74, SE Missouri 65 Cincinnati 93, Marshall 91 Drake 101, MVSU 69 E. Michigan 101, Marygrove 48 Evansville 68, Mount St. Joseph 55 Green Bay 108, St. Mary’s (MN) 59 IPFW 93, Detroit 86 Ill.-Chicago 91, Roosevelt 53 Indiana 97, Austin Peay 62 Miami (Ohio) 66, Tennessee Tech 58 Michigan 68, Furman 62 Northwestern 72, Houston Baptist 63 S. Illinois 78, UT Martin 70 Santa Clara 87, Valparaiso 80 Wichita St. 89, S. Dakota St. 67 Winthrop 66, Saint Louis 55 Wyoming 72, DePaul 58

SOUTHWEST Arkansas 90, Sam Houston St. 56 Oklahoma St. 92, Texas A&M-CC 70 San Diego 69, North Texas 68 Tulsa 74, Stephen F. Austin 51 UC Irvine 62, UTEP 57

FAR WEST Air Force 77, UC Davis 67 Arizona St. 98, Cent. Arkansas 62 Colorado 76, E. Washington 68 Denver 73, UC Riverside 55 Grand Canyon 89, Ark.-Pine Bluff 49 Montana 71, Pepperdine 70 Nevada 67, UC Santa Barbara 66 Portland St. 118, Walla Walla 59

Major Women’s Scores EAST Brown 80, St. Peter’s 71 Cornell 60, Canisius 43 Fordham 92, Niagara 69 Hofstra 75, Saint Joseph’s 64 Howard 71, Fairleigh Dickinson 68 Temple 73, Fairfield 59

SOUTH Belmont 83, Presbyterian 58 Coll. of Charleston 79, Charleston Southern 76 Elon 84, Georgia St. 67 Georgia Southern 74, SC State 58 Georgia Tech 61, Middle Tennessee 60 Louisiana-Lafayette 80, Louisiana Tech 72 Samford 65, Georgia 59 Tulane 61, Auburn 59

MIDWEST Bradley 65, Ill.-Chicago 56 Michigan 82, American U. 33 Minnesota 92, Kent St. 62 N. Iowa 67, Kansas St. 59 Northwestern 82, UT Martin 59 Ohio 80, Illinois 68

SOUTHWEST Lamar 94, Louisiana College 55 Texas State 59, North Texas 58 Texas Tech 79, Texas-Arlington 60

FAR WEST California 80, Arkansas St. 55 Drake 93, E. Washington 78 Gonzaga 72, Colgate 42 San Diego St. 71, Cal St.-Fullerton 61 Washington 82, BYU 70

SPORTS ON TV Times Eastern. Programs live unless noted. Check local listings.

FRIDAY

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Bahamas Bowl, Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion, in Nassau (ESPN, 1 p.m.); Armed Forces Bowl, Louisiana Tech vs. Navy, in Fort Worth (ESPN, 4:30 p.m.); Dollar General Bowl, Ohio vs. Troy, in Mobile, Ala. (ESPN, 8 p.m.) COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL: Auburn at Connecticut (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.); Providence at Boston College (ESPNU, 4 p.m.); Diamond Head Classic, first semifinal, in Honolulu, Tulsa vs. San Diego State (ESPN2, 4:30 p.m.), second semifinal, Utah-San Francisco winner vs. Illinois State-Hawaii winner (ESPN2, 10 p.m.), consolation game, Utah-San Francisco loser vs. Illinois State-Hawaii loser (ESPNU, 12:30 a.m. Saturday); Rutgers at Seton Hall (Fox Sports 1, 6:30 p.m.); Arkansas State at Minnesota (Big Ten Network, 7 p.m.); Harvard at Houston (ESPN, 8 p.m.); Las Vegas Classic, third-place game, DePaul vs. Southern California-Missouri State loser (Fox Sports 1, 8:30 p.m.), championship game, Wyoming vs. Southern California-Missouri State winner (Fox Sports 1, 11 p.m.); Florida A&M at Wisconsin (Big Ten Network, 9 p.m.) NBA: Oklahoma City at Boston (NBA TV, 7:30 p.m.); Dallas at Los Angeles Clippers (NBA TV, 10:30 p.m.) RUGBY: English Premiership, Northampton vs. Sale (NBC Sports Network, 2:30 p.m.)

SATURDAY

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Hawaii Bowl, Hawaii vs. Middle Tennessee, in Honolulu (ESPN, 8 p.m.) NFL: Regional coverage (CBS and Fox, 1 p.m.; CBS, 4 p.m.; Fox, 4:25 p.m.); Cincinnati at Houston (NFL Network, 8:25 p.m.) RUGBY: English Premiership, teams TBA (NBC Sports Network, 2:30 p.m.)

SUNDAY

COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL: Diamond Head Classic, in Honolulu, seventh-place game (ESPNU, 12:30 p.m.), fifth-place game (ESPNU, 2:30 p.m.), third-place game (ESPN2, 6 p.m.), championship game (ESPN2, 8 p.m.) NBA: Boston at New York (ESPN, noon); Golden State at Cleveland (ABC, 2:30 p.m.); Chicago at San Antonio (ABC, 5 p.m.); Minnesota at Oklahoma City (ESPN, 8 p.m.); Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.) NFL: Baltimore at Pittsburgh (NFL Network, 4:30 p.m.); Denver at Kansas City (NBC, 8:20 p.m.)

MONDAY

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: St. Petersburg Bowl, Miami (Ohio) vs. Mississippi State, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (ESPN, 11 a.m.); Quick Lane Bowl, Maryland vs. Boston College, in Detroit (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.); Independence Bowl, North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt, in Shreveport, La. (ESPN2, 5 p.m.) NBA: Indiana at Chicago (NBA TV, 8 p.m.); Denver at Los Angeles Clippers (NBA TV, 10:30 p.m.) NFL: Detroit at Dallas (ESPN, 8:15 p.m.) SOCCER: English Premier League, Crystal Palace at Watford (NBC Sports Network, 7:30 a.m.), Bournemouth at Chelsea (CNBC, 10 a.m.), Sunderland at Manchester United (NBC Sports Network, 10 a.m.), Manchester City at Hull City (NBC Sports Network, 12:10 p.m.)

BOWL SCHEDULE, RESULTS Date Bowl Site Time, TV Result/Matchup Dec. 17 Celebration Bowl Atlanta Grambling (11-1) 10, N.C. Central (9-3) 9 Dec. 17 New Mexico Bowl Albuquerque New Mexico (9-4) 23, Texas-San Antonio (6-7) 20 Dec. 17 Las Vegas Bowl Las Vegas San Diego State (11-3) 34, Houston (9-4) 10 Dec. 17 Camellia Bowl Montgomery, Ala. Appalachian State (10-3) 31, Toledo (9-4) 28 Dec. 17 Cure Bowl Orlando Arkansas State (8-5) 31, Central Florida (6-7) 13 Southern Miss (7-6) 28, Louisiana-Lafayette (6-7) 21 Dec. 17 New Orleans Bowl New Orleans Dec. 19 Miami Beach Bowl Miami Tulsa (10-3) 55, Central Michigan (6-7) 10 Dec. 20 Boca Raton Bowl Boca Raton, Fla. Western Kentucky (11-3) 51, Memphis (8-5) 31 Dec. 21 Poinsettia Bowl San Diego BYU (9-4) 24, Wyoming (8-6) 21 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Boise Idaho (9-4) 61, Colorado State (7-6) 50 Dec. 22 Dec. 23 Bahamas Bowl Nassau 1, ESPN Eastern Michigan (7-5) vs. Old Dominion (9-3) Dec. 23 Armed Forces Bowl Fort Worth 4:30, ESPN Navy (9-4) vs. Louisiana Tech (8-5) Dec. 23 Dollar General Bowl Mobile, Ala. 8, ESPN Troy (9-3) vs. Ohio (8-5) Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl Honolulu 8, ESPN Middle Tennessee (8-4) vs. Hawaii (6-7) 11 a.m., ESPN Mississippi State (5-7) vs. Miami (Ohio) (6-6) Dec. 26 St. Petersburg Bowl St. Petersburg, Fla. Dec. 26 Quick Lane Bowl Detroit 2:30, ESPN Boston College (6-6) vs. Maryland (6-6) Dec. 26 Independence Bowl Shreveport, La. 5, ESPN2 N.C. State (6-6) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6) Dec. 27 Heart of Dallas Bowl Dallas Noon, ESPN North Texas (5-7) vs. Army (7-5) Dec. 27 Military Bowl Annapolis, Md. 3:30, ESPN Wake Forest (6-6) vs. Temple (10-3) Dec. 27 Holiday Bowl San Diego 7, ESPN Minnesota (8-4) vs. Washington State (8-4) Dec. 27 Cactus Bowl Phoenix 10:15, ESPN Baylor (6-6) vs. Boise State (10-2) Dec. 28 Pinstripe Bowl New York 2, ESPN Pittsburgh (8-4) vs. Northwestern (6-6) Dec. 28 Russell Athletic Bowl Orlando 5:30, ESPN Miami (Fla.) (8-4) vs. West Virginia (10-2) Dec. 28 Foster Farms Bowl Santa Clara, Calif. 8:30, Fox Indiana (6-6) vs. Utah (8-4) Dec. 28 Texas Bowl Houston 9, ESPN Kansas State (8-4) vs. Texas A&M (8-4) Dec. 29 Birmingham Bowl Birmingham, Ala. 2, ESPN South Florida (10-2) vs. South Carolina (6-6) Dec. 29 Belk Bowl Charlotte 5:30, ESPN Virginia Tech (9-4) vs. Arkansas (7-5) Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl San Antonio 9, ESPN Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Colorado (10-3) Dec. 30 Liberty Bowl Memphis Noon, ESPN TCU (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5) Dec. 30 Sun Bowl El Paso 2, CBS North Carolina (8-4) vs. Stanford (9-3) Dec. 30 Music City Bowl Nashville 3:30, ESPN Tennessee (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-3) Dec. 30 Arizona Bowl Tucson 5:30, ASN South Alabama (6-6) vs. Air Force (9-3) Dec. 30 Orange Bowl Miami Gardens, Fla. 8, ESPN Florida State (9-3) vs. Michigan (10-2) Dec. 31 Citrus Bowl Orlando 11 a.m., ABC LSU (7-4) vs. Louisville (9-3) 11 a.m., ESPN Dec. 31 TaxSlayer Bowl Jacksonville Kentucky (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech (8-4) Dec. 31 Peach Bowl* Atlanta 3, ESPN Alabama (13-0) vs. Washington (12-1) Dec. 31 Fiesta Bowl* Glendale, Ariz. 7, ESPN Ohio State (11-1) vs. Clemson (12-1) Jan. 2 Outback Bowl Tampa 1, ABC Iowa (8-4) vs. Florida (8-4) Jan. 2 Cotton Bowl Arlington, Texas 1, ESPN Western Michigan (13-0) vs. Wisconsin (10-3) Jan. 2 Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif. 5, ESPN Penn State (11-2) vs. Southern California (9-3) Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl New Orleans 8:30, ESPN Oklahoma (10-2) vs. Auburn (8-4) Jan. 9 CFP championship game Tampa 8:30, ESPN Semifinal winners Times p.m. and Eastern unless noted. Jeff Sagarin’s power ratings show the relative strength of teams. *College Football Playoff semifinal games

www.ebook3000.com

Line NA New Mexico by 71⁄2 Houston by 4 Even UCF by 61⁄2 Southern Miss by 61⁄2 Tulsa by 13 Western Ky. by 7 BYU by 101⁄2 Colorado State by 15 Old Dominion by 51⁄2 La. Tech by 7 Troy by 4 Middle Tenn. by 6 Miss. State by 131⁄2 Maryland by 1 N.C. State by 4 Army by 101⁄2 Temple by 111⁄2 Wash. State by 10 Boise by 7 Pittsburgh by 5 Miami by 21⁄2 Utah by 7 Texas A&M by 21⁄2 USF by 10 Va. Tech by 7 Colorado by 3 Even Stanford by 3 Tennessee by 4 Air Force by 131⁄2 Michigan by 7 LSU by 3 Ga. Tech by 3 Alabama by 15 Ohio State by 3 Florida by 3 Wisconsin by 71⁄2 Southern Cal by 61⁄2 Oklahoma by 3

Sagarin difference NA New Mexico by 7.42 Houston by 9.44 Toledo by 0.37 UCF by 6.63 La.-Lafayette by 1.41 Tulsa by 20.27 Western Ky. by 0.81 BYU by 11.73 Colorado State by 10.33 Old Dominion by 6.68 Navy by 9.2 Troy by 3.26 Middle Tenn. by 0.12 Miss. State by 13.59 Maryland by 1.69 N.C. State by 2.37 Army by 9.59 Temple by 16.15 Wash. State by 6.33 Boise by 11.77 Pittsburgh by 3.38 Miami by 0.24 Utah by 9.25 Kansas State by 0.32 USF by 15.10 Va. Tech by 6.53 Colorado by 5.82 TCU by 1.40 Stanford by 6 Nebraska by 0.61 Air Force by 14.96 Michigan by 12.43 LSU by 2.65 Ga. Tech by 6.55 Alabama by 7.70 Ohio State by 7.61 Iowa by 4.24 Wisconsin by 6.03 Penn State by 1.36 Oklahoma by 5.68

10C SPORTS

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2017

MATTHEW EMMONS, USA TODAY SPORTS

Where will veteran quarterback Tony Romo end up playing next season? Not in Dallas.

RICHARD MACKSON, USA TODAY SPORTS

Bryce Harper, the National League MVP in 2015, will not ﬁnish 2017 as a member of the Nationals.

THAIS LLORCA, EPA

Maria Sharapova will return to tennis after serving a drug ban, but she won’t receive a warm welcome.

SPORTS PREDICTIONS: BIG NAMES ON THE MOVE

What will 2017 bring to the sports world? USA TODAY Sports has an idea and shares its silly, serious and sublime predictions for the coming year. Here are 52 of them, one for each week of 2017: Jon Gruden finally re- denials. 1high-profile After a series of ranturns to coaching for a gig with the 12 corous cabinet conLos Angeles Rams. And yes, firmation hearings, an he’ll become the NFL’s highest-paid coach, too. Teryl Austin and Scott Linehan also land NFL head coaching jobs. Alabama wins the college football national championship, and Nick Saban gets a raise that sends him past $7 million in annual pay and past Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh as the nation’s highest-paid coach. Teenager Chloe Kim takes her place as the best female snowboarder, supplanting Kelly Clark as the winningest rider ever. Notorious #WakeyLeaks perpetrator Tommy Elrod is appointed by President Trump to head the CIA’s counterintelligence division. The San Diego Chargers move to Los Angeles, officially marking the NFL’s return to L.A. The Rams also will continue to play in L.A. Meanwhile, NFL owners get cold feet about putting the Raiders in Las Vegas but don’t shut the door on it. Pressing the pause button on Vegas gives the Raiders more time to consider other options and determine whether the NFL is a smart fit in Sin City. In an NBA trade deadline shocker, DeMarcus Cousins is dealt from the Sacramento Kings to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Kelly Olynyk and two draft picks. Kirk Cousins becomes the league’s highestpaid player. He gambled on himself with the franchise tag in 2016, and it pays off. Another franchise tag will cost nearly $24 million, so that’s pretty much where negotiations begin for a long-term deal from the Washington Redskins (or someone else). In St. Moritz, Switzerland, American skier Mikaela Shiffrin wins her third world championship in slalom. The 21-yearold, who won Olympic gold in 2014, won’t take the World Cup overall title, but she’ll continue to improve in the speed events with an eye toward the Pyeongchang Games in 2018. Johnny Manziel will ... well, all we know for sure is it will involve a Breathalyzer test, an inflatable swan and absurd

2 3

4 5

6 7

exasperated President Trump, citing his unimpeachable Facebook posts, tabs Curt Schilling as Secretary of Education. Tony Romo moves on from Dallas to play for the New York Jets. The Denver Broncos might be a better situation for the veteran quarterback, but GM John Elway can’t make it work with the salary cap. After leading Duke to its sixth national championship, coach Mike Krzyzewski announces his retirement. (Editor’s note: We predicted this last year. It’s bound to come true.) Bored in retirement, slugger David Ortiz becomes a contestant on the spring season of Dancing with the Stars. Bored as a struggling minor leaguer, Tim Tebow retires from baseball in the fall and commits to joining Dancing with the Stars. Jose Mourinho is fired at the end of his first season as head coach of Manchester United after failing to turn around the club’s fortunes. Two years and three days after he is foaled, Mastery captures the 143rd Kentucky Derby for Bob Baffert, the trainer’s fifth victory in the Run for the Roses. His previous Derby winner was some stud named American Pharoah, who ended the 37-year Triple Crown drought in 2015. Russell Westbrook becomes the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double for an entire season. Josef Newgarden rewards the decision of Roger Penske to sign him by earning his first Indianapolis 500 win and record 17th for Team Penske. The Chicago Cubs invite Steve Bartman to Wrigley Field, and he throws a strike for the first pitch — sans headphones. A motivated Maria Sharapova returns from her drug suspension with a vengeance and wins a major. The response from fans and even fellow players is harsh. The San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich win their sixth NBA title, downing the

14 15

16 17

20 21

Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals and taking out the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. Conor McGregor continues to turn the screw on the UFC and get paid. McGregor beats Nate Diaz in a trilogy fight in the summer, then downs returning Georges St.Pierre in an end-of-year blockbuster that breaks the organization’s pay-per-view record. Armed with new equipment and rejuvenated with an improved back, Tiger Woods wins for the first time since 2013. It won’t be a major championship, but it will be a triumphant breakthrough for the best player of his generation. Lance Armstrong goes to trial about whether he should have to pay for his sins on the U.S. Postal Service cycling team. The federal government wins the trial, but the jury makes him pay only about $400,000 instead of the $100 million sought by the government. James Harden wins the NBA MVP Award in one of the closest votes in history. Six players get first-place votes. Stung by criticism that they don’t win enough as individuals, the Americans win golf’s Solheim Cup. Mark down Stacy Lewis as the one securing the winning point. Serena Williams wins major No. 23, at Wimbledon, to break her tie with Steffi Graf for the most majors in the Open era. The Los Angeles Clippers’ core finally cracks. After losing out on home-court advantage in the playoffs, the Clippers fall in the first round again and Chris Paul signs with the New York Knicks in free agency. Blake Griffin re-signs with L.A. Tom Brady turns 40 — no joke, on Aug. 3. Los Angeles is selected to host the 2024 Olympics. The L.A. bid faces stiff competition from Paris, but when the IOC picks a city in September its L.A.’s existing infrastructure, plans to rein in costs and Olympic history that will bring the Games back to the USA. While the Internationals put up a spirited fight in the shad-

28 29

31 32

ows of the Statue of Liberty at Liberty National in New Jersey, the USA, led by captain Steve Stricker, continues its domination of the Presidents Cup. The Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago Cubs in a rematch of the 1918 World Series. Dale Earnhardt Jr. misses NASCAR races because of a recurrence of concussion symptoms like those that forced him to miss 18 of 36 races in 2016. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight in a rematch of their 2015 bout that shattered records for revenue but also bored the masses. The NFL, fresh off of a wake-up call from plunging TV ratings during the election season, realizes it needs to alter the way it packages its product. Look for banner ads to replace some commercial stoppages — we’re looking at you, post-TD and postkickoff pause — and for a more streamlined officiating process that keeps the action moving. Chris Sale not only wins the Cy Young Award, but the MVP, too, in his first season with the Red Sox. Shohei Otani, a dominant pitcher and hitter in Japan, signs with the Washington Nationals after the 2017 season. Dustin Johnson becomes the first player to win back-to-back PGA Tour player of the year honors since Woods completed a hat trick in 2007. On his way to becoming world No. 1 for the first time, Johnson wins his second major championship among four victories. Nick Saban laughs and breaks into a brief smile, according to a published report. Subsequent reports downgrade it to a chuckle. The U.S. men’s national soccer team rebounds under new coach Bruce Arena and qualifies for the 2018 World Cup. It won’t be pretty, as Arena uses a back-to-basics style, but the Americans manage to finish in the third and final automatic CONCACAF qualifying spot. The fourth season of the dynastyproof NASCAR top-series playoff achieves its mandate again, as Jimmie

34 35

36 37

Johnson fails to repeat as champ. No driver has won consecutive titles since the new system was concocted for the 2014 season. The Nationals trade Bryce Harper after the season. Michigan finally breaks through and beats Ohio State. Jim Harbaugh stays with Michigan, setting him up to again surpass Saban as the nation’s highest-paid football coach. A college football team that didn’t qualify for its own conference championship game again is selected to play in the College Football Playoff. Questions are raised about the purpose of such championship games until everybody draws the same conclusion: They’re just exhibition games designed to squeeze more money out of fans, television networks and advertisers. The Buffalo Bills do not make the playoffs for the 17th consecutive year. Bills fans will do stupid and embarrassing things along the way. After a second consecutive losing season, the University of Arizona parts ways with football coach Rich Rodriguez, setting off a bidding war for his services from ESPN and Fox Sports. Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts wins the Heisman Trophy. With only moderate improvement in his passing accuracy, he’s able to do everything Lamar Jackson did in 2016, and Hurts has an even better team around him to help. The New England Patriots don’t win the AFC East for the first time since 2008 and second time since Tom Brady became starting quarterback in 2001. Instead, they are overtaken by the Miami Dolphins and hot-shot coach Adam Gase. The Cleveland Browns win a few football games — at least five of them — once they figure out a solution at quarterback and plug holes on their roster. An NFL wide receiver gains 2,000 yards. Maybe it’s Antonio Brown or Julio Jones, who have been close before. Maybe it’s explosive Odell Beckham Jr. or Mike Evans, who gets more targets than anyone else in the league. Wide2K is coming.

44 45 46

48 49

SECTION D

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

Vacation on ice Stay cool and use the 24-hour days to walk with the penguins in Antarctica 3D

Fences

THOMAS KOKTA, POLAR LATITUDES

LIFELINE

MOVIES

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis build strong ‘Fences’

MAKING WAVES Oprah Winfrey sent Weight Watchers stocks surging Thursday after the 62-year-old appeared in a new ad where she proclaimed she has lost more than 40 pounds since starting the diet program that includes pasta and tacos.

Bryan Alexander @BryAlexand USA TODAY

STEVE GRANITZ, WIREIMAGE

HOW WAS YOUR DAY? GOOD DAY QUEEN ELIZABETH Queen Elizabeth II, 90, and her husband Prince Phillip, 95, will be spending Christmas in their beloved Norfolk estate, Sandringham after all. The couple, who had canceled their trip due to “heavy colds” on Wednesday, traveled via royal helicopter Thursday morning.

SAMIR HUSSEIN, WIREIMAGE

GOOD DAY CHANCE/JEREMIH FANS Just in time for Christmas, Chance the Rapper and Jeremih released ‘Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama.’ Dedicated to their hometown of Chicago, the mixtape features nine tracks including holiday themed ‘Snowed In,’ ‘I’m Your Santa’ and ‘Chi Town Christmas.’

LOS ANGELES Vin Diesel helped prove to Denzel Washington that great Fences need good neighbors. Washington invited the office next door on the Paramount lot — occupied by Diesel and his producer sister Samantha Vincent — in to show them his editing work on August Wilson’s Fences, in a scene featuring Viola Davis’ Rose talking about standing by her husband for 18 years. Washington could hear murmurs of “That’s right” from the two as Davis spoke Wilson’s words. “It was (Davis’) power and her honesty. And his words. It had some kind of effect,” says Washington. “For a man to write that for a woman, about how she feels about a man, it’s very interesting.” Make that utterly compelling, as Washington, 61, unveils his directorial effort and starring turn as former Negro League baseball player Troy Maxson alongside his devoted Rose in the film adaptation of Fences (in theaters Christmas Day). The actors reprise their Tony Award-winning roles from the 2010 Broadway revival of Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Two-time Oscar nominee Davis, 51, star of TV’s How to Get Away With Murder, waited patiently, but expectantly, to speak Wilson’s words again for film. “How often do you get great material? I don’t. I always say I have to make a filet mignon out of a fried chicken dinner,” says Davis, causing Washington to laugh. “Seriously. That’s what you do as an actor. It’s a job. But

Duo reprise Tonywinning roles for the ﬁlm version of August Wilson’s play

DAVID LEE

Denzel Washington plays Troy Maxson and Viola Davis is wife Rose in Fences. ROBERT HANASHIRO, USA TODAY

when it’s a great narrative, a complete journey and character — it’s a no-brainer.” Two-time Oscar winner Washington gets animated talking about Wilson, standing up to demonstrate scenes. The actor, who has signed on to produce nine Wilson plays for HBO (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is in development now), craved a movie part where he didn’t have to “massage the material.” “The best pieces of material I had from ‘go,’ before we had to get in there and make ﬁlet mignon, were A Soldier’s Story (1984), from a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and Fences,” says Washington. “This is rare air. This is Au-

Going from the stage to screen Actors were ready to roll after Broadway production 2D

gust Wilson, this is Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill.” After two weeks of rehearsals, the cast plumbed the emotional depths of the dialogue, making Washington and Davis front-runners in the race for best actor and supporting actress Oscars. Davis’ pivotal “18 years” scene required 23 wrenching takes. “I counted,” Davis says. “And then I thought, ‘OK, now I can relax, I’ll have my Painkiller,’ ” a

Caribbean drink. “It’s literally called a Painkiller?” says Washington. “Yes, and it’s delicious by the way,” says Davis, adding that the intense scenes picked right back up. “It started all over again the next day. It did not end.” It did close with a dramatic scene and what seemed like a supernatural sign of support from Pittsburgh native Wilson, who died in 2005. “We had this wide shot, and the gate behind everyone in the shot just closed. And I just felt, ‘Wow!’ ” says Washington. “People were like, ‘Did you put a string on it?’ No, it was just August wanting to be here. He came in for the last scene.”

‘Hidden Figures’ stars, story reach great heights This space-race drama has powerful civil rights message

INVISION/AP

Compiled by Mary Cadden

USA SNAPSHOTS©

Holiday faux paws

52%

say their dog has torn into a holiday gift prematurely.

NOTE 64% say it chewed on forbidden fruit, such as a decoration or holiday dish. SOURCE SmartBones survey of 1,000 U.S. dog owners TERRY BYRNE AND VERONICA BRAVO, USA TODAY

It takes the combined power of Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe to make math a joy like it never was in high school. There are numMOVIE bers and geometric REVIEW shapes aplenty in BRIAN the engaging and TRUITT feel-good period drama Hidden Figures (eeeg out of four; rated PG; in theaters Friday), but also a wealth of excellent performances and a variety of important stories. There’s a civil rights battle revolving around three 1960s NASA mathematicians having to prove their worth in an era of overwhelming racial and gender inequality, plus a Space Race thriller as America tries to compete with the Soviets by blasting someone into the cosmos ASAP. And for the most part, director Theodore Melﬁ (St. Vincent) and Allison Schroeder have written a screenplay based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book that weaves them together well and creates some needed third-act tension.

HOPPER STONE

Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe, left), Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer). The only downside is that we don’t get enough of the three main actresses together. It’s those moments where their characters are driving home or gabbing at a church function when Hidden Figures really sparkles. Henson stars as Katherine Goble Johnson, a child math prodigy whose genius goes unnoticed at the Langley Science Center until she ends up in the NASA science group tasked with getting John Glenn (Glen Powell) and other astronauts to and from space safely. She’s stuck dealing with unfriendly nerdy white guys such as Jim Parsons’ condescen-

www.ebook3000.com

ding Paul Stafford. However, head honcho Al Harrison (Kevin Costner) sees her potential. Katherine’s friends have their own obstacles to greatness. Young Mary Jackson (Monáe) is respected by the major-league scientist types at NASA, though she is forced to petition the state of Virginia just to be able to take classes at an all-white school as the next step to becoming an engineer. And Dorothy Vaughan (Spencer) is the elder stateswoman of their group who is wholly tired of having a supervisor’s responsibilities but not the salary. Spencer is consistently solid as

usual, and Henson gives Katherine a shy, demure nature yet also a true fire when she’s had enough with the prejudiced establishment. Costner adds to his long list of gruff but goodhearted men’s men, while the film could have used more of Powell, impressive in limited action as the astronaut whose 1962 orbits grabbed the nation’s attention. The film’s big breakout is Monáe, the Grammy-winning musician who impressed in a small role in Moonlight but showcases a wealth of talent as the youngest and most opinionated of the three main women. Mary is both genius and social activist, and her personality reflects a generation’s aggressive movement toward real change in the ’60s. The situations of racism and unequal pay are timely: Katherine and her friends garner police attention when they have car trouble, Dorothy and her children are kicked out of a library for being black, and Dorothy is continually at odds about her financial situation with her boss (Kirsten Dunst). Helping lift the mood and the movie’s momentum are Pharrell Williams’ songs. Adding social issues to its inspirational themes, Hidden Figures equals one satisfying slice of history that’ll entertain adults as well as kids looking to the stars.

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

2D LIFE MOVIES

Moving ‘Fences’ from stage to screen Washington, Davis expand on their Tony-winning roles Bryan Alexander @BryAlexand USA TODAY LOS ANGELES It wasn’t all drama performing August Wilson’s Fences on Broadway for stars Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. The actors managed to earn a few unintended laughs through 114 emotional performances, before winning Tony Awards for their roles in the 2010 revival of Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play (now headed to theaters in the Washington-directed film, out Christmas Day). Every night, Washington, 61, would give a speech on stage as flawed husband Troy about how he had “nothing left to give” his devoted wife Rose, played by Davis, 51. There was always one audience member who vocally sided with Washington. “When he walks off, there was always some woman who said, ‘You can give it to me’ or ‘I’ll give you something.’ Every single night,” says Davis, laughing. “And I had to stay on stage until the lights went down.” The stage performances were long and constant: “Twice on Saturdays and twice on Wednesdays,” Washington notes. But he would gear up for an evening performance while finishing a matinee. As soon as he left the stage, “I would be icing my knee and eating (before) the next performance. I was already getting ready,” says Washington. “When you have great material, you want to get back to it. You give it your all and then you rest.” Davis, too, found it satisfying to leave it all on the stage floor every night. “It’s a joy to be emotionally drained. If you’re not emotionally drained after that performance, you haven’t done your job. You just haven’t,” says Davis.

PARAMOUNT

Russell Hornsby, left, Viola Davis, Denzel Washington and Stephen McKinley Henderson brought Fences to life in Pittsburgh.

“It would have been impossible to direct and act in this, if we had not done the play.” Denzel Washington

The stage production was nightly preparation for the two to reprise their roles in the movie version. Davis dug deep to ﬁnd her Rose. “It was about the third week of the play rehearsals when Rose, I mean Viola, unloaded on me. That’s where I saw that Rose,” says Washington. “It would have been impossible to direct and act

JOAN MARCUS

Washington and Davis each won a Tony Award for their 2010 Broadway performances as Troy and Rose Maxson in August Wilson’s play.

in this, if we had not done the play. We can’t be trying to discover who she is and who he is while I’m shooting it. I already knew what she was going to bring, I knew what Viola had.” Washington insisted that the whole production be shot in the play’s setting, the Hill district of Pittsburgh, where Wilson grew up. The ﬁlm production enlisted three other members of Fences’ Broadway ensemble: Russell Hornsby (as Troy’s son, Lyons), Mykelti Williamson (Troy’s brother, Gabriel) and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Troy’s best friend, Bono). Washington roughed out the set in a Pittsburgh church gymnasium for additional rehearsal be-

fore shooting began with the two new cast members, Saniyya Sidney and Jovan Adepo. While the play takes place in Troy and Rose’s backyard near a humble home exterior, the ﬁlm travels inside. Shooting in a small house in was tricky, but gave Davis more character insight. “How tight the house was, how claustrophobic — you have to have a lot of love living in a house like that with a very big man,” says Davis. “What it feels like is the tightness of your choices. Especially for a 1957 African-American (woman). It’s like feeling trapped by your life, trapped by the possibilities of your life. But at the same time forced to be together.”

TELEVISION

Violence on TV may have ﬁnally gone too far Kelly Lawler @klawls USA TODAY

It was just another season of The Walking Dead. Sort of. After a summer of waiting to ﬁnd out who villain Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) had killed in the Season 6 ﬁnale, fans discovered that two of their favorite characters had met their ends in the fall premiere of AMC’s hit. And the audience saw every inch of their heads being bashed in by Negan and his barbed wire-covered baseball bat. Even for the often-violent series, the image of Glenn (Steven Yeun) with half his skull gone and his eye dangling from its socket was shocking. The episode and several that followed caused an outcry among many fans on social media. Some claimed they’d never watch the show again. Critics lambasted the gore. Dead isn’t the only show on TV in 2016 that pushed the boundaries, but the now-infamous head-bashing episode brought the conversation about violence on television back to the forefront of pop culture. Popular shows such as HBO’s Game of Thrones and Westworld, and FX’s American Horror Story have violence as a part of their DNA. Streaming services, premium and basic-cable networks aren’t bound by FCC regulations for appropriate content. But are viewers still interested in seeing blood and entrails on their screens? The Walking Dead premiere was enough to turn Donna Dickens, writer for Uproxx, off the show for good. “Human interaction took a back seat to shock value and cheap ‘tune in next week’ tricks,” she says of the episode. “I have no problem with violence on television, in general, but it has to make sense within the story,” she says. “ ‘Gore porn’ for the sake of making the audience nauseated is just not what I’m looking for in my escapism.” Violence in entertainment has been a recurring theme, from the cartoon variety that almost gave South Park: Bigger, Longer and

GENE PAGE, AMC

Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) skull bashing turned off some Walking Dead fans for good. Uncut an NC-17 in 1999 to the beheadings and sexual violence on Thrones. Yet for all the uproar certain scenes can cause, we still see more violence on our screens. In the Dec. 11 finale, just seven episodes after the infamous Negan scene, The Walking Dead finished the first half of its season with a close-up of a disembowelment. “When lines are pushed, we feel like we’re suddenly somewhere new, but we’re not really somewhere new,” says Dave Gonzales, critic and host of pop-culture podcast Fighting in the War Room. “This is the same discussion about violence in media that South Park (was) about, and it comes up over and over again. What we might be doing more often in the past year or so is committing realistic violence against characters that we actually like.” On these shows the violence is often “not as explicit as a lot of slasher films have been,” says Robert Thompson, a professor of pop culture at Syracuse University. But when it’s “part of a wellwritten, serialized drama ... that’s what I think makes it so pornographic.” In an increasingly fragmented

HELEN SLOAN, HBO

A rape scene in Season 4 of Game of Thrones caused backlash. TV landscape, violence is, at times, a tool more shows use to lure audiences “Networks and creators are constantly looking at how their audiences react to major displays of violence and seeing where they can go next to shock them,” notes Jill Pantozzi of pop culture news and criticism site, TheNerdyBird .com, citing Thrones, FX’s Sons of Anarchy and even Hannibal, which aired on NBC. “I think the

boundaries are being pushed more and more to both what people will accept and what they now expect from shows.” However graphic this violence is getting, it doesn’t seem to be chasing advertisers away from shows like The Walking Dead. Despite a recent ratings dip, Walking Dead is TV’s most popular shows among young adults, and thus one of the most reliable for advertisers. So the much-

hyped return was one of “the Super Bowl(s) of the entertainment programming world,” says Lisa Herdman, senior VP for RPA, a Los Angeles ad agency. She says advertisers and viewers should have been “100% forewarned what (an) episode was going to be about,” she adds, noting that advertisers wouldn’t sponsor content they weren’t comfortable with. “I don’t think (the violence) goes too far for those who know what they’re going to see.” But shows can cross lines, even for fans inured to violence. “I think there comes a breaking point for some viewers with various aspects of their favorite shows, whether that be deaths on Grey’s Anatomy, sexual violence on Game of Thrones, or gore and violence on The Walking Dead,” says Pantozzi. Even Morgan was wary of Negan’s skull-bashing. “I don’t know if you need to see the closeup gore of it all,” he says. “It’s a lot.” The way sexual violence is portrayed is being questioned even by those within the industry. In a recent Variety story, The Exorcist producer Jeremy Slater calls it “a plague on the industry.” The problem with the current proliferation of violence on TV may not be in quantity, but in the quality. Whether a result of the controversial premiere or not, The Walking Dead has been losing viewers all season, though still outperforming its competition. While trying to top themselves, “they might forget that shock doesn’t always equal quality storytelling, and that’s of the utmost importance to fans, not how much blood they’ll see in a particular episode,” says Pantozzi. “I’m on the side of realistic violence instead of exaggerated violence. Showing that violence has consequence is important, adds Gonzales. “I’m not sure if the overall ‘rise’ in violence is a real rise or just a proliferation of writers and directors being too lazy to know how to use violence,” other than for cheap thrills. “I’m tending to lean towards the latter.” Contributing: Bill Keveney

LIFE 3D

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

TRAVEL

GET HAPPY FEET

DISPATCHES

MATT STROSHANE, DISNEY

Disney World’s new holiday show combines classics, cutting-edge tech.

Disney drones on for holidays Drones are being used for aerial photography and video, but there’s another application for the lightweight, unmanned flying devices that you might not have considered: entertainment. It will probably be a few years before an Amazon drone delivers to your door, but at Disney World the future for drone entertainment is now. On Nov. 16, the resort introduced Starbright Holidays, an aerial light show featuring a fleet of 300 drones. Unlike nighttime shows that incorporate two-dimensional projections, dronebased objects can have a sense of depth. And unlike fireworks, the drones can maintain their luminosity and integrity. The presentation begins with a few bars of When You Wish Upon a Star, followed by the appearance of twinkling lights above you in the night sky. Holiday favorites such as We Wish You a Merry Christmas and O Christmas Tree play as the drones re-form and light, a few at a time, into the unmistakable shape of a Christmas tree. Intel’s Shooting Star drones are made of Styrofoam and plastic and weigh a little more than half a pound. They are outfitted with LED lights that are capable of over 4 billion color combinations. The drone show is being presented twice nightly, at 7 and 8:30, through Jan. 8 over the lagoon between Disney Springs (previously known as Downtown Disney) and Disney’s Saratoga Springs hotel. Admission as well as parking is free at Disney Springs, and the show is complimentary for all guests. Arthur Levine

LEAH MURR

Intrepid visitors who make the trek to Antarctica are rewarded with spectacular scenes and entertaining penguins.

Follow the trail of penguins in Antarctica Sarah Sekula | Special for USA TODAY

It’s 10:30 a.m. on Danco Island, and clearly it’s time for the penguins to make the daily trek to the icy water. As they waddle down the snow-covered mountain, visitors strategically perch on rocks at the end of the penguin highway, a well-worn trail allowing for a single-file parade.

ANTARCTICA

IF YOU GO PENGUIN SEASON:

Penguins return in November and December. There are eggs around Christmas and young chicks in January. DAVID GOLDMAN, AP

Atlanta’s Hartsﬁeld-Jackson, the world’s busiest airport, may top 2015.

Travel hits new heights This year’s holiday travel season is expected to lift U.S. airlines and the world’s busiest airport to new heights. U.S. airlines expect a 3.5% boost in December holiday travelers, capping a year when the number of passengers is projected to surpass 800 million for the first time. “We are on track to eclipse last year’s all-time high,” John Heimlich, chief economist for the trade group Airlines for America, told USA TODAY. “This holiday push will be the final frontier.” Last year was the first time since the Great Recession that airlines carried more passengers than in 2007. Airlines are expecting 45.2 million passengers from Dec. 16 through Jan. 5, according to the group, with an average 73,000 more passengers each day during the holiday period. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest, is also poised to break the record it set in 2015. Buoyed by a surge of more than 4 million fliers during the end-of-year holiday window, Atlanta airport officials say “if projections hold,” it will top the tally of 101.4 million passengers that passed through its terminals last year. Bart Jansen, Ben Mutzabaugh

PRICING:

Cruise season is mid-October to late March. Cruises range from $4,500 per person for 10 days to highend charters starting at $50,000 per person for 12 days. FLIGHTS:

For cruise departures from Ushuaia, Argentina, you need two round-trip ﬂights: your departure city to Buenos Aires (starting at $600 from U.S. cities), and onward to Ushuaia for about $550.

Minutes later, the ﬁrst Gentoo shows up. Its fur-like feathers glisten in the sunlight. Close behind are four dozen of its webfooted cohorts. Clumsy step after clumsy step, they reach the highway’s end, which gives way to pebbles, boulders and glassy water. One by one they take unsteady hops from rock to rock. Necks down. Tails up. Wings back. One plunges in and out of the water in ﬁne torpedo-like fashion. Another stands just beyond the shoreline and raises its beak to the sky, letting out a string of squawks. A handful of neighbors do the same in what becomes an impressive penguin choir of guttural gurgles and sounds reminiscent of squeaky toys. “There’s no land-based predators, so these penguins are really curious of us,” says Martin Garwood, a penguinologist aboard Polar Latitudes, the ship that shuttled us to the remote seventh continent. “They’re not scared of humans; they just go about their day, and you get to be a part of it.” Whether it’s a Chinstrap penguin snatching pebbles from a neighboring nest or an Adélie tobogganing its way down the mountain, these creatures are certainly engaging. What makes these moments even more special is that not many humans get to experience this.

THE LAST FRONTIER Only an estimated 43,855 people will visit the great white continent during the 2016-2017 season, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. Tourism there is still relatively young. In fact, 2016 marks only the 50th anniversary of organized voyages to the region. “As travel in general gets more accessible, people want to go farther,” says Jonathan Goldsmith, a polar-region specialist with Audley Travel, a company that specializes in customized itineraries. “Trips to Antarctica are on the rise because tours are more available at a wider range of price points than ever before.” Of course, penguins aren’t the only draw. Antarctica’s chilly waters are ﬁlled with crabeater seals, orcas and humpback whales. Overhead, it’s easy to spot fast-ﬂying petrels, Antarctic terns and albatrosses with wingspans

THOMAS KOKTA POLAR LATITUDES

An Adélie penguin builds its nest pebble by pebble. of up to 11 feet. A visit to Antarctica will also have you following in the footsteps of adventurers from the Heroic Age of Exploration. Among the list of brave souls was Ernest Shackleton. And 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of his Endurance Expedition (1914 – 1917). When his ship was demolished, he left his crew on Elephant Island and traveled 800 miles in a lifeboat to ﬁnd help. He did not lose a single crew member. “Remoteness, vast open icy landscapes, unblemished nature and 24 hours of sunlight are all notions that capture a traveler’s attention and desire to visit Antarctica,” Goldsmith says.

IN-YOUR-FACE WILDLIFE On an afternoon excursion to Hannah Point, we meet gregarious elephant seals and their pups, or weaners as they are called. “Go get some weaner love,” says Hannah Lawson, our expedition leader. We enthusiastically hop out of the Zodiac. A male elephant seal, who likely weighs at least 5,000 pounds, makes belching noises in the distance. Its distinctive snout ﬂops to and fro as it tosses its head in a sign of dominance. Closer to shore, two young males rise up and begin slamming each other’s chests. Our view, however, zeroes in on a group of seal pups. With oversize almond-shaped eyes

www.ebook3000.com

they stare inquisitively as we sit down. And just a few minutes later, we discover what weaner love is. One pup caterpillars its way toward my sister, lays its head on her boot and makes a sneezing noise. My sister imitates the sneeze, and it takes that as a cue to inch closer. And closer. Until it successfully snuggles right next to her. Its head lifts up just a foot away from her face and attempts to nibble her backpack strap. Weaner No. 2 makes its way onto my outstretched legs. Even though its likely about 30 days old, it already weighs 300 pounds. Later, on board the Hebridean Sky, which has specialized in small-ship excursions to Antarctica since 2010, Lawson reminds us there are rules against approaching the wildlife. However, there is no rule against wildlife approaching visitors. “They are choosing to interact with you,” she says. “And that is pretty special.”

SOAKING UP THE SOLITUDE Time around the animals is noisy and boisterous. But time among the icebergs is the opposite. “Part of me wants to peek around that iceberg,” says Garwood, our Zodiac driver on one foggy, snowy morning. As we approach the cathedrallike formation, Garwood kills the engine and asks us to be silent. Camera clicks halt. Chatter stops. All we hear are ice chunks clinking against each other, the swell as it reaches the iceberg and the occasional petrel chirping. “There aren’t many places left in the world that are free from manmade noises,” says Garwood. That’s what makes the bottom of the world so special. Not only is it absurdly beautiful and peaceful, for many, it’s often the seventh continent to scratch off the list, a reward in itself. And the fact that you have to brave the notorious Drake Passage, 600 miles of rough seas between South America and Antarctica, makes it that much more gratifying.

Gentoo penguins hang out with a Weddell seal on Useful Island, Antarctica.

4D LIFE

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

J.K. Rowling conﬁrms to fans she’s writing two new novels Kelly Lawler @klawls USA TODAY

J.K. Rowling isn’t slowing down. If anything, she’s speeding up. The Harry Potter author had an incredibly busy 2016, between helping craft the story for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a London play that continued Harry’s story 19 years after the ﬁnal book, and promoting Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Potter spin-off ﬁlm for which she wrote the screenplay. And even with four more Beasts movies in the pipeline, Rowling isn’t

trading in her literary hat for a Hollywood one entirely. Answering questions from fans on Twitter, the author conﬁrmed she is working on two novels. A fan ﬁrst asked when there might be a new novel from Rowling, to which she responded, “I’m working on it (literally).” Another expressed shock and excitement over the news, to which the author replied, “I’m always working on a novel. It’s my thing.” Is the novel coming from her bestselling mysterywriter pseudonym Robert Galbraith, or will it be a “Rowling” novel? “One of each, but I’m not sure which will

come out ﬁrst. I’ll let you know as soon as I do!” she tweeted. If you were hoping the nonGalbraith novel might follow Newt Scamander, who was introduced in November’s Fantastic Beasts, you may be disappointed. “No, no, no. There won’t be Newt Scamander novels. Only movies. Calm down, there!” Rowling said to an overly excited fan. She did not, however, give any more details about either book. Rowling did not publish a novel in 2016, but her name did appear on book shelves. Script-book versions of Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts hit USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Book list, as well as collections of essays from her Pottermore website. Cursed Child was No. 1 for six consecutive weeks beginning Aug. 4.

JAMIE MCCARTHY, GETTY IMAGES

J.K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith are both working on books.

To view more Classified listings, visit: www.USATODAYClassifieds.com

NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Annulment

PUBLIC NOTICE

Maria seeking Theodore Sanders For ﬁnalization of divorce.

NOTICE TO CONSUMERS National Consumer Telecom & Utilities Exchange®, Inc. (NCTUE) is a consumer reporting agency that maintains payment and account history reported by telecommunications, pay TV and utility service providers that are members of the NCTUE. NCTUE provides information to companies to provide consumers with pre-approved offers of credit. Many people take advantage of the opportunities to use their buying power that these offers provide. However some consumers prefer not to receive such offers. For those who no longer wish to receive such pre-approved offers that use information from NCTUE, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act provides you the opportunity to opt out. By opting-out, NCTUE will no longer use information about you in connection with preapproved offers; but it does not guaranty that you will not receive pre-approved offers from other sources. If you wish to exclude NCTUE information about you from being used in lists provided to companies that make these preapproved offers: You may call toll free: (888) 327-4376 Or you may write NCTUE at the address provided below. Include your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth in your request. Exchange Service Center – NCTUE/Opt Out PO Box 105398 Atlanta, GA 30348-5398

Advertise in USA TODAY!

480-259-2192 PERSONALS

Make a Connection Talk to Sexy Singles FREE now! Call 800-945-3147 www.livelinks.com 18+ BUSINESS

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES $563,068 in 12 months! We close all sales. Start with $0 www.topsecretvideo.net Call (800) 479-7952

LUCRATIVE BUSINESS MODEL My business partner and I have made a proven $1.2 Million in the last 12 months. Will train serious business minded people. Investment required.

800-486-9954 (24 hrs)

(800) 397-0070 sales@russelljohns.com Place your advertisement in USA TODAY’s Marketplace Classified section today!

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

OWN YOUR OWN

NOTICES

HEALTH/FITNESS

PUBLIC NOTICE

It’s easy to find out if you qualify for a safe, yet powerful pain treatment. You may be covered by Medicare and Insurance --- at little or no cost to you.* If eligible, your pain relief product(s) will be shipped to you for FREE.**

Health Alert Hotline Call: 800-701-8177

Back Pain Joint Pain Arthritis

• DOLLAR STORE • 99¢ PLUS STORE • BIG BOX DOLLAR • MAIL BOX STORE • PARTY STORE • ACCESSORY BOUTIQUE • WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE BE OPEN IN 30 DAYS START NOW!

*Depending on insurance coverage. ** This is related to common carrier not overall service.

HEALTH/FITNESS

REAL ESTATE RANCHES/FARMS

Property with Acreage Hunting, Ranch or Homesite Near Evant, Texas All Utilities By Owner

CALL 512-556-2189

UP TO 100% FINANCING, OAC

FROM $63,900 Anywhere - Worldwide 100%TURNKEY

Sex: Female

Nov 6, 2001

Race:

Missing:

White

Apr 25, 2016

Hair: Brown

From: Houston, TX

DISCOUNT TRAVEL

$$ 1-877-500-7603 $$ WWW.DRSS9.COM

DOB:

Age Now: 15 Eyes: Brown

TRAVEL

NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN

Discount Business Class Travel Most International Destinations Use Your Miles or Our Miles We Buy Air Miles 850-625-7878

1-800-THE-LOST

www.GoldMoneyIntro.com Free Affiliate Registration @

Send your sales through the roof with an ad in Marketplace Today.

SET YOUR

D BRANAPART.

INVESTMENTS Invest in Healthcare Company 1k pays up to 10K return 5k pays up to 50K return Call 917-470-9714

For more information on how to place your ad call: 1-800-397-0070

Advertise with USA Today!

800-397-0070

PUZZLES

Report puzzle problems to us at feedback@usatoday.com or 1-800-872-7073 WORD ROUNDUP

BY Fred Piscop

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

12/23

Find and Circle: ____ oil Five mollusks “Leaving on a Jet Plane” singer (first/last name) Chillier Cost

SUPER!

☑☐☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐ ☐ ☐

Thursday’s answer: SPINACH CHICKEN CAESAR POTATO SIDE COBB TUNA EGG / DROOL STOOD MOOSE ALOOF BLOOD / PEPSI COKE / HIGH LOW / PEDAL

QUICKCROSS

CROSSWORD

C A N O L A H B

S O C L A M V P

C D R H C O E S

A E J N L A G Q

L N Z I N S E U

L V V U N O T I

O E T A J C A D

P R I O O T B P

B L H L V O L R

H N D J K P E I

L E C E D U R C

R O T O M S V E

UP & DOWN WORDS

By John Wilmes

12/23

By David L. Hoyt and Russell L. Hoyt

12/23

1. EAT

Slate of errands -->

Brainstorm

3. 4.

--> and chores (3 words)

Flowery necklaces

6. © Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Dallas b-baller 4 Tripoli’s home 9 Winter wrap 14 Carbon dating calculation 15 How losses may appear 16 Bill who led the Comets 17 Ohio university in May 1970 news 19 Record over, say 20 Go splitsville 21 Epic tale of Troy 23 One on a pedestal 24 Mary-Kate and Ashley of “Full House” 29 Raw, as steak 31 Twain, “the Queen of Country Pop” 32 Cavalry weapon 35 Tyson’s former workplace 36 Newspaper where the first parts of 17-, 24-, 51- and 60-Across can be found 40 Manxman, e.g. 42 Plead one’s case 43 Winter cap feature 46 Recites, as a chant 51 Plus-size fashion chain 54 Magical power 55 Many Prado paintings 56 “Unsafe at Any Speed” author 57 DMV part 60 Chinese restaurant freebie, perhaps 63 Manage to avoid 64 Flood zone structure 65 Small coins (Abbr.) 66 The 11 won by “Hamilton” in 2016 67 “Slammin’ Sammy” of the links 68 Body shop fig.

MISSING GRACE DANOS

SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC PAIN?

www.ConvertToGold.biz Additional online listings are available on classifieds.usatoday.com

MARKETPLACE

Cultivate Garfield’s housemate Thursday’s Answer

DOWN 1 Hit the big time 2 Chairperson’s list 3 Hot dog wagon owner 4 Grocery shopper’s aid 5 Savings acct. accrual 6 Auto grille covering 7 Tibetan legends 8 “Hello” singer 9 Tight-fitting dress 10 Computers, printers, etc. 11 ___ broche (on a skewer) 12 Welker who caught many Brady passes 13 Chemical in Liquid-Plumr 18 Engage in a joust 22 Shoo-___ (sure winners) 24 Taken in tablet form 25 Lotte of “From Russia With Love” 26 “What’s ___ for me?”

12/23

27 Anais of erotica 28 Reason for a facelift 30 Champ before and after Spinks 33 EMT skill 34 Basketball great Baylor 36 Laura of “Enlightened” 37 Story with metaphorical characters 38 Tom Sawyer’s Polly, e.g. 39 Place to surf 40 Shaving cream alternative 41 One step below MLB 44 Cancels, as a mission 45 Act the snoop 47 “___ the Tentmaker” 48 “Forget it” 49 Removes, as a CD 50 Most in need of liniment

Answers: Call 1-900-988-8300, 99 cents a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-320-4280.

52 Fore-and-aft sailboats 53 Pale with fright 56 Can’t do without 57 Wrestling surface 58 Ab ___ (from the beginning) 59 Our base system 61 “___ had it!” 62 1773 Boston Harbor jetsam Thursday’s Answer

S O W S

A M I E

I N N E

QUICKCROSS ON YOUR PHONE

PERSON

Clues: 1. Have supper 2. Certain dish 3. Window material 4. Peter Falk had one 5. Ophthalmologist 6. Cumberbatch film 7. Oddball

Thursday’s Answer YOU KEEP SECRET KEEP SECRET BALLOT BALLOT BOX BOX TURTLE TURTLE SHELL GAME SHELL

PLAY ONLINE PUZZLES.USATODAY.COM

mobilegames.usatoday.com

SUDOKU Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 (no repeats).

7 CROSSWORDS ON YOUR PHONE mobilegames.usatoday.com

Feedbag fill

12/22

3 1 1 3 7

12/22

He loved Lucy

L I D S

12/23

3 8 8 4 9

3 4 7

3 2 3 DIFFICULTY RATING

SUDOKU FUSION ON YOUR PHONE mobilegames.usatoday.com

2 4 4 3 2 1 2 5 6 2 3 5 1 6

2 7

9 4 8

1 9 4

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x2 box contains the numbers 1 through 6 (no repeats).

)))))

DIFFICULTY RATING Thursday’s Answers

6 2 1 7 5 8 4 9 3

4 8 7 9 6 3 1 5 2

9 3 5 4 2 1 7 6 8

5 6 3 1 4 9 2 8 7

7 9 8 5 3 2 6 1 4

2 1 4 8 7 6 9 3 5

8 5 6 2 9 7 3 4 1

1 7 9 3 8 4 5 2 6

3 4 1 6 5 2

1 6 5 2 4 3

2 5 3 4 6 1

5 1 4 3 2 6

6 3 2 5 1 4

4 2 6 1 3 5 12/22

DON’T QUOTE ME® Cartoonist Kin Hubbard thinks about gift giving.

3 4 2 6 1 5 8 7 9

Rearrange the words to complete the quote. CHILD CHRISTMAS GIVING LITTLE MEAN NOTHING’S USEFUL

______________ AS ________ AS ___________ A ___________ ___________ SOMETHING ___________ FOR ______________. 12/23

Thursday’s Answer: “If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” - Moshe Dayan

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

LIFE 5D

TELEVISION

Matt Lucas hops onto the TARDIS as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Doctor Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; regular Brian Truitt @briantruitt USA TODAY

Never fear, Nardole is here. British comedian Matt Lucasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eccentric assistant was introduced in last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Doctor Who Christmas special â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and had his head removed and attached to an evil cyborg. Everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been reassembled, though, and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now in the employ of the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holiday special on BBC America (9 p.m. ET/PT Sunday). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just a little bit calmer and a bit less shouty,â&#x20AC;? Lucas says of the family-friendly Nardole. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often the one asking the question because he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really understand things, and I think kids might be doing the same thing. But then very occasionally, when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re least expecting it, he says something really clever. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different than me in that regard.â&#x20AC;? In the Christmas special, Nardole and the time-traveling Doc-

tor team up with nanny Grant Gordon (Justin Chatwin), aka the masked vigilante The Ghost, and New York City reporter Lucy Fletcher (Charity WakeďŹ eld) to foil the nefarious plans of brainswapping aliens. And Lucas reprises his helpful role in the 10th Who season premiering next year that also features the debut of new companion Bill (Pearl Mackie). The 42-year-old Lucas, whom Americans might know from Little Britain and Bridesmaids, chats with USA TODAY about the upcoming holiday episode and his childhood idols:

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen aliens and monsters but never a superhero in a Doctor Who episode. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that like? This special is not an homage to the present plethora of superhero movies. This is a nod toward those Christopher Reeve Superman movies: slightly slower pace, slightly more innocent and more charming as well.

like that. Working in the TARDIS is great fun, especially as my character ďŹ gures out how to ďŹ&#x201A;y it. Has being a series regular been everything you hoped for? I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t one of these people angling to get a part for Doctor Who. It was a curveball for me because I was writing my own stuff and doing little comedy shows. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting to be in it and discover what a well-loved show it is globally. Do you have a lot of young fans now because of Doctor Who and the Alice in Wonderland movies? Yeah, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really honest and open and not cynical. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re great. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the lifeblood of the show as well (and) the custodians of it â&#x20AC;&#x201D; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be carrying it on as fans to their kids, hopefully. Doctor Who has been running on and off since 1963. Peter Capaldi was a big Doctor Who fan, so every time I meet a kid, I wonder if thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be the Doctor one day.

Q A Q

SIMON RIDGWAY

British comedian Matt Lucas reprises his role as assistant Nardole in the Doctor Who Christmas special airing Sunday.

Q A

Back then, did you have dreams of being the Doctor or Superman? Neither, I wanted to be Howard the Duck. I went to see the ďŹ lm and I know people are not complimentary about it but I really liked it. ... I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be Superman. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too much work.

Q A

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most fun thing about playing Nardole? I shot a scene recently where I had to run down a corridor and say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rescue ship on the way.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I really felt like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Here I am in some big sci-ďŹ drama,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t normally get to do things

TONIGHT ON TV

$%&

/DVW 0DQ 6WDQGLQJ 0LQLDWXUH WDQNV

'U .HQ $OOLVRQĹ&#x2122;V QHZ MRE

6KDUN 7DQN :DOO\ $PRV VKDUHV KLV OLQH RI FRRNLHV

&%6

Robert Bianco @BiancoRobert USA TODAY

CRITICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORNER

/RFDO 3URJUDPV

-LPP\ .LPPHO /LYH -HQQLIHU $QLVWRQ

$ +RPH IRU WKH +ROLGD\V +DZDLL )LYH 7KH WHDP VHDUFKHV IRU D 0LUDQGD /DPEHUW DGRSWLRQ VWRULHV 1 5XVVLDQ VS\

%OXH %ORRGV .H\ H\HZLWQHVV UHIXVHV WR WHVWLI\

/RFDO 3URJUDPV

/DWH 6KRZ 6WHSKHQ &ROEHUW 1

)R[

7DUDMLĹ&#x2122;V :KLWH +RW +ROLGD\V 7DUDML 3 +HQVRQĹ&#x2122;V YDULHW\ VSHFLDO

/RFDO 3URJUDPV

1%&

+RZ WKH *ULQFK 6WROH +RZ 0XUUD\ 6DYHG 'ROO\ 3DUWRQĹ&#x2122;V &KULVWPDV RI 0DQ\ &RORUV &LUFOH RI /RYH 7KH 3DUWRQ IDPLO\ LV FDXJKW /RFDO 3URJUDPV &KULVWPDV &KULVWPDV LQ DQ XQH[SHFWHG ZLQWHU VWRUP GXULQJ &KULVWPDV 'ROO\ 3DUWRQ

:DVK :HHN 1

7KH :HHN 1

*UHDW 3HUIRUPDQFHV 7KH 56& FHOHEUDWHV 6KDNHVSHDUH 1

&KDUOLH 5RVH 1

1(7:25.

3%6 &: ,21 7HOHPXQGR 8QLYLVLRQ

6OHHS\ +ROORZ 7KH WHDP ZRUNV WR SXW D VWRS WR WKH +LGGHQ 2QH

7RQLJKW 6KRZ -LPP\ )DOORQ 1

7HUU\ &UHZV 6DYHV &KULVWPDV 1

&ULPLQDO 0LQGV +RVWDJH VLWXDWLRQ

&ULPLQDO 0LQGV 'LIIXVLQJ VLWXDWLRQ

/RFDO 3URJUDPV &ULPLQDO 0LQGV 6DGLVWLF NLOOHU

6DYLQJ +RSH -XQLRU 5HVLGHQW

7KH /DVW 6WDQG

/D 'RÂ˛D $PELFLÂ´Q \ MXVWLFLD 1

(O &KHPD 1DUFR EXVFDGR 1

$O URMR YLYR 1

7LWXODUHV \ PÂ˘V

$PR GHVSHUWDU FRQWLJR

9LQR HO DPRU 6XHÂ˛R DPHULFDQR

(O FRORU GH OD SDVLÂ´Q

3ULPHU 1

1RWLFLHUR 8QLY 1

/HDK 5HPLQL 6FLHQWRORJ\

/LYH 3' 1

-RQEHQHWĹ&#x2122;V 0RWKHU 9LFWLP RU .LOOHU" 3DWV\ 5DPVH\Ĺ&#x2122;V OLIH LV H[DPLQHG

&$%/(

HOLIDAY CLASSIC FILMS TCM, FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY EVENINGS

This invaluable classic-movie network celebrates the holiday with some great entertainment for the entire family, starting Friday with a marathon run of the Thin Man movies. Christmas Eve brings us Robert Osborneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holiday favorites, while Christmas night offers a slate of terriďŹ c comedies from Preston Sturges and Frank Capra.

JACQUELINE NEIL, DISNEY PARKS

Unwrap Garth Brooks and a little Disney magic on Christmas morning.

THE DISNEY PARKS MAGICAL CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION ABC, SUNDAY 10 A.M. ET/PT

If you want a TV special to keep you occupied Christmas morning, or if you just want something playing in the background while you go through gifts and drink eggnog, ABC offers this two-hour special, ďŹ lmed in part at Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Walt Disney World. You get performances from Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks and Kelly Clarkson â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and your kids get the idea that a trip to Walt Disney World would make a great 2017 Christmas present, which is the whole point.

$ ( $0& $QLPDO 3ODQHW %%& $PHULFD %(7 %UDYR &DUWRRQ &07 &1%& &11 &RPHG\ 'HVWLQDWLRQ $P 'LVFRYHU\ 'LVQH\ 'LV;' ( (VTXLUH )RRG )R[ 1HZV )UHHIRUP ); );; *61 +DOOPDUN +*79 +LVWRU\ +/1 ,' ,)& /LIHWLPH 061%& 079 1DW*HR 1DW*HR :LOG 1LFN 2:1 2[\JHQ 3RS 6FLHQFH 6SLNH 6XQGDQFH 6\I\ 7%6 7&0 7/& 717 7UDYHO 7UX79 79 /DQG 86$ 9+ 9LFHODQG :( :HDWKHU :*1 $PHULFD

+RPH $ORQH /RVW LQ 1HZ <RUN .LG ODQGV LQ 1< DQG WKH SDWK RI UHYHQJH 0DFDXOD\ &XONLQ

7UHHKRXVH 0DVWHUV %UDQFKHG 2XW 1

'RFWRU :KR 6HFUHW GLVFRYHUHG

)RXU &KULVWPDVHV $ FRXSOH IDFHV XQZDQWHG IDPLO\ UHXQLRQV

7UHHKRXVH 0DVWHUV 1

'RFWRU :KR &KULVWPDV (YH

7UHHKRXVH 0DVWHUV

'RFWRU :KR 'RFWRU DQG &ODUD PXVW GHFLSKHU PHVVDJH

0DGHDĹ&#x2122;V )DPLO\ 5HXQLRQ *UDQGPDĹ&#x2122;V IDPLO\ UHXQLRQ LV LQWHUUXSWHG E\ GUDPDV DQG FULVHV

'RFWRU :KR

-XPSLQJ WKH %URRP $ ZHGGLQJ UXQV LQWR PXOWLSOH REVWDFOHV

0DUULHG WR 0HGLFLQH 1

0DUULHG WR 0HGLFLQH +RXVWRQ 1

7KH 5HDO +RXVHZLYHV RI $WODQWD

0DUULHG WR 0HGLFLQH

.LQJ RI WKH +LOO

&OHYHODQG 6KRZ

$PHULFDQ 'DG

)DPLO\ *X\

.LQJ RI WKH +LOO

%REĹ&#x2122;V %XUJHUV

'LUW\ 'DQFLQJ $ VKHOWHUHG WHHQDJHU IDOOV IRU D GDQFH LQVWUXFWRU WR WKH GLVPD\ RI KHU IDWKHU

$PHULFDQ 'DG

)DPLO\ *X\

'LUW\ 'DQFLQJ 7HHQDJHU ILQGV ORYH RQ YDFDWLRQ

$PHULFDQ *UHHG 6FDPV

$QGHUVRQ &RRSHU q 1

7KLV ,V /LIH 'UXJ XVHUV

7KLV ,V /LIH /LIH RI FRURQHUV

7KLV ,V /LIH 5HOLJLRXV JURXS

%URNHQ /L]DUGĹ&#x2122;V 6XSHU 7URRSHUV

:HĹ&#x2122;UH WKH 0LOOHUV $ GUXJ GHDOHU KLUHV D IDNH IDPLO\ DV D FRYHU ZKLOH VKLSSLQJ PDULMXDQD

/L]]LH %RUGHQ +DG DQ $[H

-DFN WKH 5LSSHU 7KH 'HILQLWLYH 6WRU\ 8QLTXH LQYHVWLJDWLRQ LQWR WKH PXUGHUV

*ROG 5XVK &UHZ PHPEHU TXLWV

*ROG 5XVK /HJHQGV 1

7KH 0LOOHUV

/L]]LH %RUGHQ +DG DQ $[H

$ODVNDQ %XVK 3HRSOH

/(*2 )UR]HQ

)UR]HQ 3ULQFHVV WULHV WR EUHDN LF\ VSHOO .ULVWHQ %HOO

/LY DQG 0DGGLH

*LUO 0HHWV :RUOG

6WXFN LQ WKH 0LGGOH

. & 8QGHUFRYHU

.LUE\ %XFNHWV

/DE 5DWV

6SLGHU 0DQ

3HQQ =HUR

3KLQHDV DQG )HUE

/DE 5DWV

0LJKW\ 0HG

/HJDOO\ %ORQGH $ 9DOOH\ JLUO ZDQWV D ODZ GHJUHH 5HHVH :LWKHUVSRRQ

6SRWOHVV -HDQ GHFLGHV WR PDNH D VWDQG

6SRWOHVV -HDQV VHFUHWV

6SRWOHVV 1HOVRQ KDV SODQV IRU -HDQ

6SRWOHVV -HDQ ZDQWV D QRUPDO OLIH

'LQHUV 'ULYH ,QV

'LQHUV 'LYHV 1

'LQHUV 'ULYH ,QV

7KH 2Ĺ&#x2122;5HLOO\ )DFWRU 1

&KULVWPDV

'LQHUV 'ULYH ,QV

7KH .HOO\ )LOH 1

'LQHUV 'ULYH ,QV

+DQQLW\ 1

7KH 6DQWD &ODXVH $IWHU DFFLGHQWDOO\ NLOOLQJ 6DQWD D GLYRUFHG IDWKHU WXUQV LQWR 6W 1LFN

&KULVWPDV ZLWK WKH .UDQNV )DPLO\ SUHSDUHV ODVW PLQXWH FHOHEUDWLRQ

'LQHUV 'ULYH ,QV

7KH 2Ĺ&#x2122;5HLOO\ )DFWRU 7KH &OXE

&KULVWPDV ZLWK WKH .UDQNV )DPLO\ SUHSDUHV ODVW PLQXWH FHOHEUDWLRQ

7KH 6LPSVRQV

)DPLO\ )HXG

6OHLJK %HOOV 5LQJ 0DJLFDO VOHLJK KHOSV URPDQFH (ULQ &DKLOO 'DYLG $OSD\

0\ /RWWHU\ +RPH

&KULVWPDV LQ +RPHVWHDG $ IDPRXV DFWUHVV YLVLWV D VPDOO WRZQ 7D\ORU &ROH

+RXVH +XQWHUV

,QWHUQDWLRQDO

$QFLHQW $OLHQV $QFLHQW DVWURQDXWV

$QFLHQW $OLHQV /LIH RQ 0DUV

7KH +XQW ZLWK -RKQ :DOVK

)RUHQVLF )LOHV

7KH V 7KH 'HDGOLHVW 'HFDGH

7UXWK ,V 6WUDQJHU WKDQ )ORULGD 1

+RXVH +XQWHUV

,QWHUQDWLRQDO

$QFLHQW $OLHQV &ROXPEXV 8 6 IRXQGHUV GLVFXVVHG 8)2V

7KH &KURQLFOHV RI 5LGGLFN &ULPLQDO EDWWOHV JHQRFLGDO LQYDGHUV 9LQ 'LHVHO &ROP )HRUH

)RUHQVLF )LOHV

7KH V 7KH 'HDGOLHVW 'HFDGH

%DWPDQ %HJLQV $ PDQ EHFRPHV D PDVNHG YLJLODQWH

/DVW &KDQFH IRU &KULVWPDV 2Q PLVVLRQ IRU 6DQWD KHOSHU ILQGV ORYH

0HQ RI &KULVWPDV $ 1HZ <RUN SXEOLFLVW KHDGV WR 0RQWDQD

/RFNXS 6HFXULW\ KHDULQJV

/RFNXS 7ZLQV UHXQLWHG

/RFNXS *DQJ ZDUV LQ SULVRQ

7KH )DVW DQG WKH )XULRXV 7RN\R 'ULIW <RXQJ PDQ LQYROYHG LQ GDQJHURXV UDFLQJ

/RFNXS 3ULVRQ VWRULHV

6WRPS WKH <DUG 1HZ VWXGHQW OHDUQV DERXW QHZ GDQFH ZDYH

0DUV 0RUDOH VXIIHUV

0DUV $ VHYHUH WUDJHG\

0DUV 0DNLQJ Ĺ&#x2DC;0DUV Ĺ&#x2122; 1

([SORUHU $ 7H[DV ERG\ IDUP

:LOGOLIH %HORZ =HUR 1

3RODU :RUOG 3RODU UHJLRQV 1

6QRZ %DELHV 5HVLOLHQW EDELHV

:LOGOLIH %HORZ =HUR (PSHURU SHQJXLQV

6SRQJH%RE

)XOO +RXVH

)ULHQGV

6SRQJH%RE

)XOO +RXVH

)ULHQGV

)RU %HWWHU RU :RUVH )RU %HWWHU RU :RUVH )RU %HWWHU RU :RUVH )RU %HWWHU RU :RUVH )RU %HWWHU RU :RUVH )RU %HWWHU RU :RUVH )RU %HWWHU RU :RUVH )RU %HWWHU RU :RUVH 6QDSSHG :LIH FRQYLFWHG

6QDSSHG +XVEDQG LV NLOOHG

,W 7DNHV D .LOOHU 1

+RPLFLGH

6SHHG $ ERPEHU OXUHV D 6:$7 FRS RQWR D FLW\ EXV KH KDV ULJJHG WR H[SORGH .HDQX 5HHYHV

0LVV &RQJHQLDOLW\ $UPHG DQG )DEXORXV

0\WK%XVWHUV

0\WK%XVWHUV 5DGDU EXVWLQJ

0\WK%XVWHUV $SSOLDQFHV LQ ZDWHU

0\WK%XVWHUV %RGLO\ KDUP E\ FDUGV

0\WK%XVWHUV

&RSV

/DZ 2UGHU 0LVVLQJ EDE\

/DZ 2UGHU &UDIW\ FRQPDQ

&RSV

/DZ 2UGHU $ERUWLRQ PXUGHU

/DZ 2UGHU 7HDFKHU PXUGHUHG

/RVW $UN

,QGLDQD -RQHV DQG WKH 7HPSOH RI 'RRP $UFKDHRORJLVW VHHNV OHJHQGDU\ VWRQH +DUULVRQ )RUG

,QFRUSRUDWHG (OL]DEHWK REMHFWV

%LJ %DQJ 7KHRU\

)XOO )URQWDO

%LJ %DQJ 7KHRU\

7KH 7KLQ 0DQ $ VOHXWKLQJ FRXSOH SUREHV D PXUGHU FDVH

%LJ %DQJ 7KHRU\

$IWHU WKH 7KLQ 0DQ 1LFN DQG 1RUD DLG D FRXVLQ :LOOLDP 3RZHOO

6HDUFK 3DUW\ 7KLQ 0DQ

3DUDQRUPDO /RFNGRZQ 1

$ODVND +DXQWLQJ $EXVLYH VSLULW 1

3DUDQRUPDO /RFNGRZQ

7KH /LEUDULDQV *RG RI &KDRV

7KH /LEUDULDQV 8QGHUJURXQG WUDS

7KH /LEUDULDQV $UWLIDFW DWWDFKHV

7KH /LEUDULDQV 9LVLRQ RI GHDWK

([SHGLWLRQ 8QNQRZQ 3LUDWH WUHDVXUH

([SHGLWLRQ 8QNQRZQ )DYRULWH ILQGV

([SHGLWLRQ 8QNQRZQ 5HDO OLIH YDPSLUHV ([SHGLWLRQ 8QNQRZQ +HUR RU YLOODLQ

,PSUDFWLFDO -RNHUV ,PSUDFWLFDO -RNHUV ,PSUDFWLFDO -RNHUV ,PSUDFWLFDO -RNHUV ,PSUDFWLFDO -RNHUV ,PSUDFWLFDO -RNHUV ,PSUDFWLFDO -RNHUV /W 1LJKW 6QDFN 1

$QG\ *ULIILWK

/RYHV 5D\PRQG

.LQJ RI 4XHHQV

0RGHUQ )DPLO\

)ULGD\ )XQQ\ PHQ LQ /RV $QJHOHV ILQG WURXEOH ,FH &XEH &KULV 7XFNHU

)ULGD\ $IWHU 1H[W &UDLJ DQG 'D\ 'D\ OLYLQJ RQ WKHLU RZQ ,FH &XEH

3D\GD\ &DQDGLDQ ZLOGILUH

7UDLQVSRWWLQJ $ PDQ VWUXJJOHV ZLWK D KHURLQ DGGLFWLRQ (ZDQ 0F*UHJRU

3D\GD\ %HWWHU FRPPXQLW\ 1

<RXĹ&#x2122;YH *RW 0DLO $ ZRPDQ EHJLQV DQ RQOLQH URPDQFH ZLWK D PDQ ZKR KLGHV KLV WUXH LGHQWLW\

7RUQDGR $OOH\ )DPLO\ LQ WRUQDGR

([WUHPH :HDWKHU 7KH 6XUYLYRUV

<RXĹ&#x2122;YH *RW 0DLO $Q XQOLNHO\ ,QWHUQHW URPDQFH

([WUHPH :HDWKHU 7KH 6XUYLYRUV

7UR\ :KHQ D SULQFH VWHDOV D PDQĹ&#x2122;V ZLIH D ZDU RI HSLF SURSRUWLRQV EHJLQV %UDG 3LWW (ULF %DQD

([WUHPH :HDWKHU 7KH 6XUYLYRUV +RZ , 0HW 0RWKHU

+RZ , 0HW 0RWKHU

029,( 1(7:25.6

&LQHPD[

6FUHDP $V D SURGXFWLRQ FRPSDQ\ VWDUWV ZRUN RQ 6WDE 6\GQH\Ĺ&#x2122;V QRZ SHDFHIXO OLIH .UDPSXV )DPLO\ PXVW FRPH WRJHWKHU ZKHQ DQFLHQW GHPRQ LV LQWHUUXSWHG E\ \HW DQRWKHU NQLIH ZLHOGLQJ PDVNHG NLOOHU

.UDPSXV LV XQOHDVKHG $OOLVRQ 7ROPDQ 7RQL &ROOHWWH

(QFRUH

+LJK 3ODLQV 'ULIWHU 'ULIWHU SURWHFWV D WRZQ IURP RXWODZV &OLQW (DVWZRRG

);0

0HJDPLQG $ VXSHU YLOODLQ EHFRPHV D KHUR 0HJDPLQG $ VXSHU YLOODLQ ZLWK DQ HQRUPRXV LQWHOOHFW LV IRUFHG );0 3UHVHQWV 1

:LOO )HUUHOO %UDG 3LWW

WR EHFRPH D KHUR :LOO )HUUHOO %UDG 3LWW

+DOOPDUN 0RYLHV

$ 1XWFUDFNHU &KULVWPDV 5RPDQFH EORRPV $ &KULVWPDV WR 5HPHPEHU 79 VWDU JHWV DPQHVLD DIWHU D FDU DFFLGHQW SXWWLQJ KHU LQ 6RXQG RI &KULVWPDV 7HDFKHU IDOOV IRU DV SURGXFWLRQ LV VDYHG

D VWUDQJHUĹ&#x2122;V SDWK 0LUD 6RUYLQR &DPHURQ 0DWKLVRQ

VWXGHQWĹ&#x2122;V IDWKHU /LQG\ %RRWK

+%2

+DUU\ 3RWWHU DQG WKH 2UGHU RI WKH 3KRHQL[ $ W\UDQQLFDO QHZ WHDFKHU VHL]HV FRQWURO RI +RJZDUWV IRUFLQJ ZL]DUGV WR DFW 'DQLHO 5DGFOLIIH 'DLV\ +DJJDUG

/LIHWLPH 0RYLH

,I 7KHUH %H 7KRUQV &DWK\ DQG &KULVWRSKHU EHFRPH KXVEDQG DQG ZLIH DQG FDUH IRU 6HHGV RI <HVWHUGD\ 'ROODQJDQJHU IDPLO\ IDFHV PRUH GDUN VHFUHWV PLVIRUWXQH DQG &DWK\Ĺ&#x2122;V WZR VRQV +HDWKHU *UDKDP -DVRQ /HZLV

D KDXQWHG IXWXUH $QWKRQ\ .RQHFKQ\ -DPHV 0DVORZ

6KRZWLPH

7KH $IIDLU $OLVRQ ZDQWV WR VSHQG WLPH ZLWK 1RDK

7KH +DWHIXO (LJKW $ JURXS LV IRUFHG WR ILQG VKHOWHU IURP D EOL]]DUG DW D VWDJHFRDFK VWRSRYHU RQ D PRXQWDLQ SDVV ZKHUH WKH\ HQFRXQWHU EHWUD\DO DQG GHFHSWLRQ 6DPXHO / -DFNVRQ .XUW 5XVVHOO

6KDPHOHVV $ QHZ VFKHPH

6WDU]

, 5RERW 5RERW PD\ EH JXLOW\ RI PXUGHU :LOO 6PLWK

6SDUWDFXV 9HQJHDQFH &UL[XV LV ORVW FRQWURYHUV\ IRU IDYRU

9HUWLFDO /LPLW &KULV 2Ĺ&#x2122;'RQQHOO

70&

=RRODQGHU $Q XQLQWHOOLJHQW PDOH PRGHO LV EUDLQZDVKHG E\ DQ HYLO IDVKLRQ F]DU WR NLOO %HQ 6WLOOHU 2ZHQ :LOVRQ

ROBERT VIGLASKY, CARNIVAL FILM & TELEVISION LTD

For a winter of discontent, see Benedict Cumberbatch in Richard III.

CALL THE MIDWIFE/ RICHARD III PBS, SUNDAY 7:30 ET/PT (TIMES MAY VARY)

PBSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; not exactly holly-jolly Christmas kicks off with a 90minute Midwife special that ďŹ nds Sister Julienne and her team facing medical and racial battles in South Africa. Then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s off to the last of PBSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; three-week run of Shakespeare plays, Richard III (9 ET/PT), which features a big draw even for those not normally drawn to Shakespeare: Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role.

7KH *KRVW DQG WKH 'DUNQHVV $Q ,ULVKPDQ LQ $IULFD KDV VHYHUDO KDLU UDLVLQJ HQFRXQWHUV ZLWK PDQ HDWLQJ OLRQV

5HVLGHQW (YLO 0LOOD -RYRYLFK

5HLJQ RI )LUH ,Q D ZRUOG UXOHG E\ GUDJRQV WKH DQVZHU WR VXUYLYDO OLHV ZLWKLQ D VWUDQJHU &KULVWLDQ %DOH

$UH :H 7KHUH <HW" %DFKHORU JRHV RQ D URDG WULS ZLWK EUDWV ,FH &XEH

,Q WKH +HDUW RI WKH 6HD 7KH RUGHDO RI WKH VDLORUV DERDUG WKH (VVH[ LV UHFDOOHG &KULV +HPVZRUWK %HQMDPLQ :DONHU

6SDUWDFXV 9HQJHDQFH *ODGLDWRUĹ&#x2122;V UHWXUQ KLQGHUV UHVFXH

6SDUWDFXV 9HQJHDQFH

1DWLRQDO /DPSRRQ 3UHVHQWV &DWWOH &DOO 7KUHH JX\V GHFLGH WR * % ) *D\ WHHQ IRXJKW RYHU E\ SRSXODU PDNH D PRYLH 7KRPDV ,DQ 1LFKRODV -HQQ\ 0ROOHQ

JLUOV 0LFKDHO - :LOOHWW

632576 1(7:25.6

(631 (631 )6 *ROI 0/% 1%$ 1%&6SRUWV 1)/1

&ROOHJH )RRWEDOO 'ROODU *HQHUDO %RZO 2KLR %REFDWV YV 7UR\ 7URMDQV IURP /DGG 3HHEOHV 6WDGLXP LQ 0RELOH $OD /LYH

&ROOHJH %DVNHWEDOO +DUYDUG &ULPVRQ DW +RXVWRQ &RXJDUV /LYH

%DVNHWEDOO /LYH

6SRUWV&HQWHU

&ROOHJH %DVNHWEDOO IURP 6WDQ 6KHULII &HQWHU LQ +RQROXOX /LYH

&ROOHJH %DVNHWEDOO IURP 2UOHDQV $UHQD LQ /DV 9HJDV /LYH

+RRSV ([WUD /LYH

&ROOHJH %DVNHWEDOO /LYH

5\GHU &XS

)DQ )DYRULWHV 5RXQGV RI 'XEDL 'XW\ )UHH ,ULVK 2SHQ )LQDO 5RXQG

7KH 6DQGORW $UW /D)OHXU

7KH 1DWXUDO $ JLIWHG SURIHVVLRQDO EDVHEDOO SOD\HU LV IRUFHG WR RYHUFRPH D KRUULEOH LQMXU\ 5REHUW 5HGIRUG

1%$ %DVNHWEDOO 2NODKRPD &LW\ 7KXQGHU DW %RVWRQ &HOWLFV IURP 7' *DUGHQ /LYH

1%$ *DPH 7LPH

1%$ %DVNHWEDOO 'DOODV 0DYHULFNV YV /RV $QJHOHV &OLSSHUV /LYH

3UHPLHU %R[LQJ &KDPSLRQV

3UHPLHU %R[LQJ &KDPSLRQV IURP 8,& 3DYLOLRQ LQ &KLFDJR

3UHPLHU %R[LQJ &KDPSLRQV

7RS :5Ĺ&#x2122;V 2I 7KH Ĺ&#x2122;V

$ )RRWEDOO /LIH 0LFKDHO 9LFN

1)/ 7RWDO $FFHVV

029,(6

COMPLETE LISTINGS TVLISTINGS.USATODAY.COM

Customized to your location

www.ebook3000.com

$ )RRWEDOO /LIH 6WHYH 6PLWK 6U

(DVWHUQ 7LPH PD\ YDU\ LQ VRPH FLWLHV 1 1HZ HSLVRGH

6D LIFE

USA TODAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

LISTEN UP SONG OF THE WEEK

Nine Inch Nails is ‘Burning Bright’ this season Call it the anti-Christmas release. As a holiday surprise for their fans, Nine Inch Nails is returning with their ﬁrst new music since 2013, just as the year is drawing to a close. Before Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ new EP, Not the Actual Events, arrives Friday, the band shared the ﬁnal track, Burning Bright (Field on Fire). The new song is a whirlwind of noise, noisy feedback colliding with drum crashes and droning guitars, over which Reznor yells unintelligible missives. But one word jumps out, as Reznor repeats in a whisper, “Breathe.”

GREETSIA TENT, WIREIMAGE

Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails haven’t released new music sinice 2013 — until now.

JEFF JOHNSON

Chris Young THE PLAYLIST

Country singer Chris Young is ringing in the holiday season with two big accomplishments: his ﬁrst holiday album, It Must Be Christmas, featuring guest appearances by Brad Paisley, Boyz II Men and Alan Jackson; and a Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for his song Think of You with Cassadee Pope. Young closes out 2016 by sharing a playlist of Christmas favorites with USA TODAY.

Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy Brad Paisley

I have had a blast touring with Brad and also getting to work with him on my own Christmas record. He NAILS this one!

Christmas Eve (Sarajevo) Trans Siberian Orchestra

This is one of my favorite instrumentals, especially during the Christmas season! I love this song.

I Only Want You For Christmas Alan Jackson

This album is one of my all-time favorites, and when it comes to an original Christmas song this one’s amazing.

White Christmas Bing Crosby

A true classic. This song is a must-listen every year.

It Wouldn’t Be Christmas Without You/Brooks & Dunn

Deﬁnitely a song tinged with sorrow, but what an amazing vocal/song!

Little Saint Nick The Beach Boys

One of my favorite Christmas albums as a whole. This entire record is phenomenal, but this tune is a standout!

Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree Brenda Lee

You have to love Brenda Lee. You have to! And this song is so much fun to sing along with!

Blue Christmas Elvis Presley

Being on RCA for 10 years I deﬁnitely have respect for the history of my label, and you can’t talk about RCA without mentioning Elvis!

Honky Tonk Christmas Alan Jackson

This is the title track and also a song that is so much fun! Truly a country/Christmas classic.

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas Gayla Peevey

This is my niece’s favorite Christmas song. Listen at your own risk ... it WILL get stuck in your head.

USA TODAY AIRPLAY CHARTS COMPILED BY MEDIABASE

Increase in Spins

T This week

Debut

L Last week

IN-DEPTH CHARTS LIFE.USATODAY.COM

COUNTRY

TOP 40 T L

ARTIST

SONG

SPINS

T L

ARTIST

SONG

1 1

ARIANA GRANDE f/NICKI MINAJ

Side To Side

18,242

1 3

BRETT ELDREDGE

Wanna Be That Song

29,028

2 4

MAROON 5 f/KENDRICK LAMAR

Don’t Wanna Know

15,599

2 1

OLD DOMINION

Song For Another Time

26,802

3 6

ALESSIA CARA

Scars To Your Beautiful

15,310

3 4

KEITH URBAN

Blue Ain’t Your Color

26,725

4 2

THE CHAINSMOKERS f/HALSEY

Closer

15,124

4 5

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

Dirty Laundry

24,739

5 3

THE WEEKND f/DAFT PUNK Starboy

14,835

5 2

FLORIDAGEORGIALINE/TIMMCGRAW

May We All

23,643

6 7

BRUNO MARS

24K Magic

12,800

6 6

TIM MCGRAW

How I’ll Always Be

23,512

7 5

DJ SNAKE f/JUSTIN BIEBER

Let Me Love You

12,713

7 7

BLAKE SHELTON

A Guy With A Girl

21,841

8 8

HAILEE STEINFELD & GREY f/ZEDD

Starving

12,622

8 9

GRANGER SMITH

If The Boot Fits

17,243

Star Of The Show

16,959

9 13 MGK X CAMILA CABELLO

9 10 THOMAS RHETT

POINTS

Bad Things

8,850

10 12 SIA f/KENDRICK LAMAR

The Greatest

8,762

10 12 DUSTIN LYNCH

Seein’ Red

16,675

11 10 X AMBASSADORS

Unsteady

8,267

11 11 MAREN MORRIS

80s Mercedes

14,897

12 11 TWENTY ONE PILOTS

Heathens

8,112

12 14 CHRIS YOUNG f/VINCE GILL Sober Saturday Night

14,720

13 --- RIHANNA

Love On The Brain

7,204

13 13 ERICCHURCH f/RHIANNONGIDDENS Kill A Word

14,406

14 15 NIALL HORAN

This Town

7,038

14 15 LITTLE BIG TOWN

Better Man

14,063

15 14 JON BELLION

All Time Low

7,007

15 --- BRAD PAISLEY

Today

13,205

URBAN

RHYTHMIC

T L

ARTIST

SONG

SPINS

1 1

RAE SREMMURD f/GUCCI MANE

Black Beatles

T L

ARTIST

SONG

SPINS

5,102

1 1

RAE SREMMURD f/GUCCI MANE

Black Beatles

2 3

6,689

PARTYNEXTDOOR f/DRAKE Come And See Me

3,369

2 5

DRAKE

Fake Love

5,150

3 4

LUKE NASTY

OTW

3,152

3 4

ARIANA GRANDE f/NICKI MINAJ

Side To Side

5,050

4 2

YOUNG M.A

Ooouuu

3,138

4 3

THE WEEKND f/DAFT PUNK Starboy

4,607

5 7

LIL UZI VERT

You Was Right

3,068

5 2

BRUNO MARS

24K Magic

4,490

6 11 DRAKE

Fake Love

3,007

6 7

AMINE

Caroline

4,033

7 9

AMINE

Caroline

2,792

7 9

RIHANNA

Love On The Brain

3,491

8 8

DAE DAE

Spend It

2,724

8 11 MGK X CAMILA CABELLO

Bad Things

3,434

9 5

DJ KHALED f/MINAJ/BROWN...

Do You Mind

2,527

9 6

No Problem

3,277

CHANCETHERAPPER f/LILWAYNE...

10 12 21SAVAGE&METROBOOMIN f/FUTURE X

2,477

10 13 ROB $TONE f/J. DAVI$/SPOOKS

Chill Bill

2,807

11 --- BIG SEAN

2,110

11 14 PARTYNEXTDOOR

Not Nice

2,798

12 13 ROB$TONE f/J.DAVI$/SPOOKS Chill Bill

2,084

12 8

Do You Mind

2,614

13 14 RIHANNA

Sex With Me

1,959

13 --- BIG SEAN

Bounce Back

2,506

14 --- RIHANNA

Love On The Brain

1,710

14 10 DJ SNAKE f/JUSTIN BIEBER

Let Me Love Her

2,467

15 --- MILA J

Kickin’ Back

1,689

15 12 D.R.A.M. f/LIL YACHTY

Broccoli

2,241

Bounce Back

DJ KHALED f/MINJA/BROWN...

HOT ADULT CONTEMPORARY

ADULT CONTEMPORARY

T L

ARTIST

SONG

SPINS

T L

ARTIST

SONG

1 2

MAROON 5 f/KENDRICK LAMAR

Don’t Wanna Know

6,685

1 1

JOSH GROBAN

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

2 1

THE CHAINSMOKERS f/HALSEY

Closer

6,297

2 3

BRETTELDREDGE f/MEGHANTRAINOR

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

852

3 3

BRUNO MARS

24K Magic

5,237

3 2

TRAIN

This Christmas

849

4 4

SHAWN MENDES

Treat You Better

4,821

4 4

PENTATONIX

Hallelujah

808

5 6

FITZ & THE TANTRUMS

HandClap

4,355

5 5

SIA

Cheap Thrills

554

6 5

TWENTY ONE PILOTS

Heathens

4,288

6 7

PINK

Just Like Fire

553

7 9

DJ SNAKE f/JUSTIN BIEBER

Let Me Love You

4,170

7 6

ADELE

Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

541

8 10 ALESSIA CARA

Scars To Your Beautiful

3,994

8 8

SHAWN MENDES

Treat You Better

530

9 --- ADELE

Water Under The Bridge

3,890

9 9

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Can’t Stop The Feeling

490

Cheap Thrills

3,677

One Call Away

425

10 7

SIA

T L

ARTIST

SONG

SPINS

T L

ARTIST

SONG

1 1

MARY J. BLIGE

Thick Of It

2,178

1 1

ZACH WILLIAMS

Chain Breaker

602

2 2

JOE

So I Can Have You Back

1,719

2 2

CHRIS TOMLIN

Jesus

531

3 3

MAXWELL

1990x

1,572

3 3

BIG DADDY WEAVE

The Lion And The Lamb

483

4 4

RO JAMES

Permission

1,480

4 9

MATT MAHER

Glory (Let There Be Peace)

479

5 5

MAXWELL

Lake By The Ocean

1,196

5 4

ONE SONIC SOCIETY

Great Are You Lord

461

6 8

KEVIN ROSS

Long Song Away

1,188

6 5

NATALIE GRANT

King Of The World

453

7 --- MAJOR.

Why I Love You

1,164

7 6

CASTING CROWNS

One Step Away

434

8 6

Missin U

USHER

9 --- ALICIA KEYS f/A$AP ROCKY Blended Family 10 7

BBD

Run

ACTIVE ROCK

T L

ARTIST

SONG

SPINS

T L

ARTIST

SONG

SPINS

1 1

KINGS OF LEON

Waste A Moment

2,787

1 1

HIGHLY SUSPECT

My Name Is Human

2,133

2 2

JUDAH & THE LION

Take It All Back

2,739

2 2

GHOST

Square Hammer

1,927

3 6

BLINK-182

She’s Out Of Her Mind

2,324

3 3

VOLBEAT

Seal The Deal

1,780

4 3

TWENTY ONE PILOTS

Heathens

2,127

4 5

METALLICA

Atlas, Rise!

1,674

5 8

GREEN DAY

Still Breathing

2,065

5 4

AVENGED SEVENFOLD

The Stage

1,629

6 7

CAGE THE ELEPHANT

Trouble

1,969

6 8

GREEN DAY

Still Breathing

1,579

7 9

K.FLAY

Blood In The Cut

1,909

7 10 SHINEDOWN

How Did You Love

1,225

8 4

HEAD AND THE HEART

All We Ever Knew

1,822

8 9

RED SUN RISING

Amnesia

1,183

9 5

GROUPLOVE

Welcome To Your Life

1,779

9 6

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH I Apologize

1,173

Talk Too Much

1,644

10 7

DISTURBED

1,052

10 --- COIN

Open Your Eyes

LATIN

ADULT ROCK SPINS

T L

ARTIST

SONG

SPINS

Waste A Moment

650

1 2

GERARDO ORTIZ

Regresa Hermosa

2,343

MONDO COZMO

Shine

496

2 1

BANDA SINALOENSE MS SERGIO...

Tengo Que Colgar

2,314

STING

I Can’t Stop Thinking About You

457

3 3

JULIONALVAREZ/BANDANORTENO

Afuera Esta Lloviendo

2,274

4 10 JOHN MAYER

Love On The Weekend

448

4 4

LAARROLLADORABANDAELLIMON

Yo Si Te Ame

1,972

5 6

THE REVIVALISTS

Wish I Knew You

445

5 5

BANDA CARNAVAL

A Ver A Que Hora

1,690

6 7

HEAD AND THE HEART

All We Ever Knew

411

6 6

PESADO

Me Estorbas

1,431

7 3

SAINT MOTEL

Move

409

7 9

BANDA LOS RECODITOS

Me Esta Tirando El Rollo

1,395

8 9

THE RECORD COMPANY

Rita Mae Young

399

8 8

SHAKIRA f/MALUMA

Chantaje

1,381

9 8

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

Go Robot

398

9 --- WISIN

Packed Powder

377

T L

ARTIST

SONG

1 1

KINGS OF LEON

2 4 3 2

10 --- BLIND PILOT

10 7

FARRUKO

870

CHRISTIAN

URBAN ADULT CONTEMPORARY

ALTERNATIVE

10 10 CHARLIE PUTH

SPINS

Vacaciones

1,242

Chillax

1,233

SPINS

1,144

8 8

RYAN STEVENSON f/GABEREAL

Eye Of The Storm

390

1,131

9 7

FOR KING & COUNTRY

Priceless

389

1,113

10 --- MATTHEW WEST

Unto Us

381