The 2026 NFL playoffs are set, and teams like the Texans and Jaguars enter in on win streaks of nine and eight games, respectively, and could be highly sought after with NFL picks. Bills vs. Jaguars (-1.5) has the slimmest of the Wild Card Weekend NFL spreads, while Texans vs. Steelers on Monday has Houston favored by 3 points, per the latest Wild Card NFL odds.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters the 2026 NFL playoffs on a 53-37 run on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. Anybody following its NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.
One of the model’s strongest Wild Card Weekend NFL picks is the Steelers (+3, 38.5) covering at Houston on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET. These teams have the same 9-8 spread record, but Pittsburgh is 4-1 ATS over its last five, while Houston has failed to cover in two of its last three. While Houston has an elite defense, it allowed its most points (30) all year in Week 18 to a Colts team with a fourth-string rookie quarterback, which is no comparison to an Aaron Rodgers-led unit getting back a rested DK Metcalf. As for C.J. Stroud, he is 0-2 on the road in his playoffs career, failing to account for a touchdown in either loss. The Steelers are forecasted to cover over 50% of the time, with the Over hitting in well over 50% of simulations. See which other teams to pick here, and bet the Steelers using theDraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets if your bet wins right here:
How to make Wild Card NFL picks
The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every other game on the Wild Card Weekend NFL schedule and just revealed three teams projected to outright win over 60% of the time, potentially giving you a huge payday. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine, and for a limited time, get your first month at SportsLine for just $1 using promo code CHAMPIONSHIP.
Protests against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown erupted across the United States this weekend, including outside the White House, following two recent shootings involving immigration officers.A border officer wounded two people in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday. In a separate event on Wednesday, an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, where thousands marched on Saturday. Minnesota leaders urged demonstrators to remain peaceful after several protesters were arrested on Friday. The Trump administration insists that federal officers acted in self-defense in both shootings. The Department of Homeland Security is not backing down from what it has called its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities. The agency highlighted the arrest of “criminal illegal aliens” in social media posts on Saturday. Meanwhile, the administration faces pushback from Democrats and certain Republicans on Capitol Hill. Critics are calling for a full, objective investigation into the Minneapolis shooting after state officials were left out of the probe.Some Democrats are calling to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, while others want to restrict funding for her department and add further restrictions on federal agents.Cellphone video below from the ICE agent who shot Renee Good shows the moments before and during the shooting. Viewer discretion is advised.
WASHINGTON —
Protests against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown erupted across the United States this weekend, including outside the White House, following two recent shootings involving immigration officers.
A border officer wounded two people in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday. In a separate event on Wednesday, an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, where thousands marched on Saturday.
Minnesota leaders urged demonstrators to remain peaceful after several protesters were arrested on Friday.
The Trump administration insists that federal officers acted in self-defense in both shootings.
The Department of Homeland Security is not backing down from what it has called its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities. The agency highlighted the arrest of “criminal illegal aliens” in social media posts on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the administration faces pushback from Democrats and certain Republicans on Capitol Hill. Critics are calling for a full, objective investigation into the Minneapolis shooting after state officials were left out of the probe.
Some Democrats are calling to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, while others want to restrict funding for her department and add further restrictions on federal agents.
Cellphone video below from the ICE agent who shot Renee Good shows the moments before and during the shooting. Viewer discretion is advised.
A guard at a 2026 Winter Olympic venue construction site in the mountain resort of Cortina died during a frigid overnight shift, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
Italy’s infrastructure minister, Matteo Salvini, called for a full investigation into the circumstances of the 55-year-old worker’s death.
Italian media reported that the death occurred on Jan. 8, while the worker was on duty at a construction site outside of Cortina’s ice arena. Temperatures the night of the death plunged to 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
The death occurred less than a month before the opening of the Feb. 6-22 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Cortina city officials said they were “deeply saddened and troubled by the death.”
Cortina will host curling, sliding and women’s Alpine skiing.
The singer shared a rare update on her two children, 11-year-old daughter River and 9-year-old son Remington, during a video fan Q&A posted to The Kelly Clarkson Show‘s YouTube page this weekend.
In response to a question about what she does that brings her joy, Clarkson used just one word: “Snuggle.”
Clarkson explained that in the wake of her kids’ dad’s death, she’s often waived the rules about her kids sleeping in their own beds, and that closeness has brought many special moments.
How Are Kelly Clarkson’s Kids Doing After Their Dad’s Death?
Clarkson’s kids often wind up in her bed these days, she says.
“There’s been a lot for our family recently and so I have allowed my kids to sleep with me quite a bit. It’s my two dogs, my two kids and me. It’s a lot,” she says with a laugh.
“It’s been really special though because the conversations you have during that time are pretty cute,” Clarkson continues. “So that’s probably my favorite of day.”
She went on to say that the kids’ ages mean that they’re in “that special fun stage where they can wipe their own behinds, but they’re still small enough to love cuddling and love snuggles.”
How Are Kelly Clarkson + Her Kids Spending Time These Days?
In her response to another fan question in the same video, Clarkson said she and her children rang in New Year’s with a “lovely” celebration.
“I went hiking, my kids and I, on New Year’s Day. Actually walked the beach together and hiked together, and that’s so nice,” the singer said.
Earlier this winter, Clarkson also shared a photo of herself and her kids ice skating at 30 Rock in New York City.
How Did Brandon Blackstock Die?
Brandon Blackstock died in August 2025 after a private battle with cancer. He was 48 years old.
Blackstock and Clarkson were married from 2013 to 2022.
They shared two children, and Blackstock also had two adult children from a previous marriage.
He died in Butte, Mont. surrounded by family. He was in hospice care at the time of his death.
Blackstock battled skin cancer (melanoma) for several years, though fans only found out he was ill a day prior, when Clarkson revealed she’d be scrapping some shows to be with her children during a difficult time.
Is Brandon Blackstock Reba McEntire’s Son?
Brandon Blackstock was Reba McEntire‘s stepson, not her biological son. She says she loved him and claimed him like family during her marriage to Narvel Blackstock, Brandon’s father.
Cancer touches almost every family at some point, and country stars are no exception. Tragically, some of them have died of their illnesses. Read on to learn the stories behind stars who have faced cancer diagnoses.
– Manchester United players fear that Bruno Fernandes has had enough of the problems being endured at Old Trafford and will leave in the summer, according to The Sun. The 31-year-old could look for a fresh start following the World Cup after he admitted that former manager Ruben Amorim had persuaded him to stay last summer following a £100m offer from Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. Fernandes has claimed that he won’t make a decision regarding his future until after the World Cup.
– Juventus remain confident that they will sign Marcos Senesi when the centre-back’s Bournemouth contract expires in the summer, even with Barcelona having contacted his agency, as reported by Tuttosport. Juve are even expected to start a summit between the parties in the coming days to understand the cost and feasibility of a move. Their aim is to complete a deal for the 28-year-old quickly to avoid a rise in competition.
– Set-piece kings Arsenal have hired throw-in expert Thomas Grønnemark as they enter the second half of their Premier League push. The Sunday Times reports that Mikel Arteta has brought in Grønnemark, who previously helped Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool when they won the league title in 2020.
– Galatasaray have opened talks to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva as a free agent in the summer, as reported by Nicolo Schira. If the 31-year-old is to join, City teammate Ilkay Gündogan could play a key role in making it happen, as he is one of Silva’s best friends. Gundogan has actually already spoken positively to the Portugal international about Galatasaray’s project.
– Juventus are looking at United’s Noussair Mazraoui as they aim to sign a right-back, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport, amid growing competition for Genoa‘s Brooke Norton-Cuffy. Juve’s new direction is leading them to the 28-year-old, who wants to leave Old Trafford for a change of scenery before the World Cup. Bayern Munich’s Sacha Boey is also being evaluated.
– After the news that Georgia Stanway will be leaving Bayern Munich when her contract expires this summer, Sky Sports has suggested that Arsenal are interested in the midfielder. Early talks have already taken place between the club and player, with the 27-year-old able to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs this month, but there will be further competition for the England international from other clubs in the Women’s Super League.
OTHER RUMORS
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Laurens: Signing Guehi in January is a no-brainer for Man City
Julien Laurens analyses the future of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
– Crystal Palace could be tempted to accept a big offer for Marc Guehi this January, with Manchester City pushing to reach an agreement for the centre-back. (Football Insider)
– The plan is for Al-Hilal full-back Joao Cancelo to complete his medical on Monday and be presented as a Barcelona player on Tuesday. (Mundo Deportivo)
– Everton are looking at Arsenal’s Ben White as a solution for their right-back issues, although a deal would be difficult to complete. (Football Insider)
– Chelsea and Arsenal have joined Liverpool in the race to sign Stade Rennais centre-back Jeremy Jacquet. (Football Insider)
– Bayern Munich are stepping up their interest in 16-year-old Hertha BSC defensive midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, but there is competition from RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and clubs abroad. (Florian Plettenberg)
– Juventus, Napoli and Roma remain in the background with questions remaining about whether Galatasaray and Nottingham Forest will move for Internazionale midfielder Davide Frattesi. (Tuttosport)
– Liverpool could try to sign Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez in the future and look elsewhere for a centre-back this January. (Football Insider)
– Newcastle United are interested in a triple signing from Atalanta as they look at centre-back Giorgio Scalvini, midfielder Ederson and left-back Honest Ahanor. (TEAMtalk)
– Manchester United want 17-year-old Blackburn Rovers forward Igor Tyjon, but Arsenal are the favourites to sign him. (The Sun)
– Internazionale could move for Atletico Madrid right-back Nahuel Molina if Denzel Dumfries leaves in the summer. (Tuttosport)
– Aston Villa want Tammy Abraham, who is currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma, with their intention being for the 28-year-old to provide support and competition for Ollie Watkins. (The Telegraph)
– Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool are all monitoring Como centre-back Jacobo Ramon, while scouts from Newcastle, Brighton and Crystal Palace have been sent to watch the 21-year-old. (Caught Offside)
– Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Everton are among the clubs interested in Lecce centre-back Tiago Gabriel. (Rudy Galetti)
– Lazio have agreed personal terms with Ferencvaros midfielder Alex Toth and are now working to complete a deal with the Hungarian club. (Nicolo Schira)
– Cagliari have asked for information about Internazionale midfielder Kristjan Asllani, who is currently on loan at Torino with an option to make the deal permanent. (Nicolo Schira)
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Bitterly cold air has been in place across the state today, with the entire region starting off below freezing. Temperatures warmed up throughout the day with drier air in place, but some areas across northern New Mexico did not climb above freezing for daytime highs. More bitterly cold air will move in […]
“The statements made by the US Secretary of Health are completely unfounded, factually incorrect, and must be rejected,” German Health Minister Nina Warken said in a statement late Saturday.
Kennedy said in a video post earlier on Saturday that he had sent the German minister a letter based on reports coming out of Germany that the government was “limiting people’s abilities to act on their own convictions when they face medical decisions.”
The American health secretary said that “I’ve learned that more than a thousand German physicians and thousands of their patients now face prosecution and punishment for issuing exemptions from wearing masks or getting COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.”
Warken rejected Kennedy’s claims, saying that “during the coronavirus pandemic, there was never any obligation on the medical profession to administer COVID-19 vaccinations. Anyone who did not want to offer vaccinations for medical, ethical, or personal reasons was not liable to prosecution, nor did they have to fear sanctions.”
Kennedy did not give provide specific examples or say which reports he was referring to but added that “in my letter, I explained that Germany is targeting physicians who put their patients first and punishing citizens for making their own medical choices.”
He concluded that “the German government is now violating the sacred patient physician relationship, replacing it is a dangerous system that makes physicians enforcers of state policies.”
Kennedy said that in his letter he made clear that “Germany has the opportunity and the responsibility to correct this trajectory, to restore medical autonomy, to end politically motivated prosecutions.”
Warken pointed out that there were no professional bans or fines for not getting vaccinated.
“Criminal prosecution was only pursued in cases of fraud and document forgery, such as the issuance of false vaccination certificates or fake mask certificates,” the minister said.
She also clarified that in general in Germany “patients are also free to decide which therapy they wish to undergo.”
Former German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who was in charge during the pandemic, also replied, addressing Kennedy directly on X saying that he “should take care of health problems in his own country. Short life expectancy, extreme costs, tens of thousands of drug deaths and murder victims.”
“In Germany, doctors are not punished by the government for issuing false medical certificates. In our country, the courts are independent,” Lauterbach wrote.
While a majority of Germans were eager to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus during the pandemic, there were also protests by a small minority of vaccine skeptics in Germany which were sometimes supported by far-right movements.
The 2025 season is officially over for the Green Bay Packers, who blew an 18-point halftime lead in a 31-27 playoff loss to the Chicago Bears on Saturday. There were plenty of reasons why the Packers lost and one of the biggest ones was because Brandon McManus had the first postseason meltdown of his career.
The Packers kicker cost his team seven points with two missed field goals and a missed extra point in the four-point loss and he was definitely down on himself after the game.
“The biggest disappointment of my career,” McManus told reporters after the game. “It was an embarrassment of a performance. It’s disappointing. My role on the team is to make kicks and these guys pour in thousands of plays over the course of the season and I leave seven points on the board today. The most disappointing point of my career ever.”
The fact that McManus struggled was somewhat surprising, if only because he had been one of the most accurate playoff kickers in NFL history going into Saturday’s game.
NFL wild card overreactions: Is Matt LaFleur on hot seat after Packers’ meltdown? Are Rams’ flaws fatal?
Tyler Sullivan
The veteran had kicked in five previous playoff games and hit 11 of 12 field goals (91.7%) while also going four of four on extra points. To put that in perspective, McManus was one of just four kickers in NFL history who hit at least 90% of his playoff field goals (minimum 10 attempts) and 100% of his extra points. His 91.7% accuracy rate in the postseason was also the 10th best number for anyone with at least 10 playoff field goal attempts.
After missing just one kick in his first five playoff games, he melted down in Chicago with three misses against the Bears. The first miss by McManus came on the final play before halftime. He actually hit a 55-yard field goal, but it didn’t count, because Bears coach Ben Johnson called a timeout. McManus then tried the kick again and sent it wide left. Considering the cold weather and the wind, it’s hard to hold this miss against him, but things only got uglier after that.
McManus’ struggles continued in the fourth quarter after the Packers scored a touchdown that gave Green Bay a 27-16 lead with 6:36 left to play. After the score by Matthew Golden, McManus sent the extra point wide left. This ended up being a huge miss, because if he would have made the kick, the Packers would have gone up 28-16 and that would have changed the game from a strategic standpoint.
After Green Bay’s score, the Bears responded with a quick touchdown on an 8-yard scoring pass from Caleb Williams to Olamide Zaccheaus to trim the lead to 27-22. After that score, the Bears went for two (and got it) so they could cut the lead down to a field goal at 27-24. If McManus had made his kick and the score would have been 28-22, the Bears probably would have just kicked the extra point instead of going for two.
Following Chicago’s touchdown, McManus got a chance to redeem himself, but things only got worse for him after he missed a 44-yard field goal that would have given the Packers a 30-24 lead with 2:51 left to play in the fourth quarter.
McManus has struggled from that range all season: He hit just 42.9% of his kicks between 40 and 49 yards this year, which was the lowest percentage in the NFL from that range by far.
After the miss, the Bears drove down and were able to get the go-ahead score when Williams hit D.J. Moore for a 25-yard touchdown to give Chicago a 31-27 lead. If McManus had made his field goal, the Packers would have been trailing 31-30 and they would have needed just a field goal at the end of the game to potentially win.
McManus signed a three-year, $15.3 million extension with the Packers back in March, but after his three misses, it’s hard to see him returning to Green Bay.
The ugly playoff game ends a brutal year for McManus, who hit just 80% of his field goal attempts, which ranked 28th in the NFL for any kicker who played in at least nine games.
Valencia County Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Orchard Blossom Road Saturday night, Jan. 10. The department said initial reports were of a shop on fire with possible explosions and other structures threatened.The department says crews were able to control the flames before they spread to other buildings. No injuries were reported, but one person was treated for an unassociated medical complaint.
VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. —
Valencia County Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Orchard Blossom Road Saturday night, Jan. 10. The department said initial reports were of a shop on fire with possible explosions and other structures threatened.
The department says crews were able to control the flames before they spread to other buildings. No injuries were reported, but one person was treated for an unassociated medical complaint.
Deaths from a rare and dangerous bacterial infection could rise if fewer teens are vaccinated, doctors warn.
After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all adolescents get vaccinated against meningococcal disease in 2005, cases of the potentially deadly illness plummeted in the United States by 90%.
However, cases have sharply risen since 2021, likely due to a combination of mutating bacteria and declining rates of vaccination overall, especially among teens getting a booster dose for bacterial meningitis, doctors suggest.
Dr. Luis Ostrosky, an infectious disease doctor at UT Health in Houston, is concerned that as cases of bacterial meningitis climb in the United States, the CDC’s recent overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule could lead to more deaths.
Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s guidance, the CDC is no longer recommending a meningitis vaccine for all adolescents. The vaccine and booster protect against the most common types of the infection in the U.S., serogroups A, C, Y, W.
“We see quite a few cases of meningitis per year,” Ostrosky said.
Under the new guidance, the vaccines will be recommended for “high-risk groups,” although parents can still ask doctors to vaccinate their children through a process called “shared clinical decision making.”
Teenagers and college-age adults, who often spend a lot of time in groups or communal living spaces such as dorms, and people with HIV are considered at highest risk for the infection, caused by a group of bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis.
Vaccination is important not because the disease is common — around 3,000 people are diagnosed with bacterial meningitis in the U.S. each year — but because the infection is both extremely dangerous and fast-moving.
Bacterial meningitis can progress quickly, causing the brain to swell and limbs to develop gangrene and sepsis, and can kill within 24 hours.
Symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, vomiting and fever come on suddenly, and may be mistaken for other minor illnesses. It can be treated with antibiotics, but even with rapid diagnosis, about 15% of patients die.
“It’s really a devastating disease that keeps pediatricians up at night,” said Dr. Kevin Messacar, a professor of pediatric infectious disease at University of Colorado Anschutz in Aurora, Colorado. “It’s difficult to recognize, and we often see patients who are too late to bring back.”
Fast-acting and life-threatening
Why some people are susceptible isn’t well understood. The infection develops when usually harmless bacteria travel through the respiratory tract and infiltrate the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, causing severe inflammation. These bacteria, which commonly live in the back of the throat, can spread from person to person through close contact.
It can lead to a life-threatening infection in someone whose immune system is compromised — sometimes by a simple cold or flu virus — or who doesn’t have immunity to those bacteria. Viruses and fungi can also cause meningitis, but bacterial meningitis is the most serious.
Among patients who survive, as many as 20% have lifelong disability or complications, including amputated limbs, hearing impairment and neurological problems.
“You can die from a brain hernia, or from sepsis,” Messacar said. “And if you survive a brain hernia, you will most likely have severe complications.”
In 2024, the CDC issued an alert about a rise in cases of a type of invasive meningococcal disease. More than 500 cases were reported, the highest since 2013. Most of the infections were due to a specific strain of the Y serogroup of bacteria, which is included in the previously recommended vaccine. The cases were more common in adults ages 30 to 60, in Black people and in people with HIV.
“It’s even more important now that we get meningococcal vaccines out to people given that we are seeing a spike in this Y strain,” Messacar said.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved three types of meningitis vaccines. In 2005, the CDC began recommending that 11- and 12-year-olds get vaccinated against the most common meningococcal serotypes, A, C, Y and W. Because of waning immunity, the CDC in 2011 added a booster recommendation for 16-year-olds to protect them through young adulthood. A vaccine for meningitis B and a combined shot are available for children or babies who are considered at high risk.
In a statement Monday, Kennedy said that the CDC’s new childhood vaccine schedule was “aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus.”
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease doctor at the UCSF School of Medicine in San Francisco, said the new approach to meningitis vaccination in the U.S., which is based on Denmark’s, is flawed.
“You can’t just look at another country’s vaccine approach and photocopy it. You really have to look at what is happening in your own country,” Chin-Hong said. Given the safety of meningitis vaccines, “it makes sense to vaccinate.”
Alicia Stillman, who serves on a World Health Organization task force for eliminating meningitis, worries that by moving the vaccine into shared decision making, the CDC is creating hurdles for parents who want to protect their children.
Stillman’s daughter, Emily, died from meningitis B in 2013. Emily had been vaccinated against meningitis A, C, W and Y, but the FDA didn’t approve a vaccine for meningitis B until 2014.
Emily Stillman, seen here with her mother Alicia, was 19 when she died from meningitis B. Courtesy Alicia Stillman
Because many types of bacteria can cause bacterial meningitis, different vaccines are needed. The meningitis B vaccine hasn’t been recommended for all children but is available for people at high risk through the shared decision making process.
“I have watched medical professionals not bring [meningitis B vaccination] up,” said Stillman, who is the co-executive director of the American Society for Meningitis Prevention. “I have watched parents who are maybe a little less educated and not know how to ask about it, or they go to a public clinic instead of a private clinic where they have less time with a provider.”
She believes that could happen more broadly with the changed guidance.
What the research says
A CDC statement said the changes to the recommendation reflect the need for more data on certain vaccines, “including placebo-controlled randomized trials and long-term observational studies to better characterize vaccine benefits, risks, and outcomes.”
While there haven’t been placebo-controlled trials for meningitis vaccines — which would test how well a vaccine works either by deliberately infecting people with bacteria or by seeing how well they fare if they are infected in the real world — there have been many randomized clinical trials and other studies that use decades of data collected from both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in the real world.
Chin-Hong said placebo-controlled trials aren’t realistic or ethical for every drug, especially for life-threatening and rare diseases.
“A well-designed observational study, especially using decades of experience, can be just as informative as a randomized controlled trial,” Chin-Hong said.
A 2020 CDC report analyzed 20 clinical trials on meningococcal disease vaccines, including data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VS). The most common reported side effects were “mild to moderate,” and included swelling, fever and headache.
In 2005, Katie Thompson, now 39, was infected with an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacterial meningitis when she was a college freshman, the same month the FDA approved the first MenACWY vaccine.
“I don’t know how to describe it besides it’s pure hell,” she said.
After five weeks in the hospital and nearly dying, she went home, but not without lifelong complications. Thompson, who lives outside of Charleston, South Carolina, still struggles with migraines and vestibular disorders that cause vertigo and nausea. The infection was hard on her organs and she uses a bladder stimulator that helps regulate both her bladder and nerves in the base of her spine.
“It’s just not a disease that you want to take a risk on,” she said. “It’s not one that you want to gamble with your child’s life.”
Two vaccines that remain universally recommended by the CDC — the Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Hib, vaccine and the pneumococcal vaccine — protect against some causes of bacterial meningitis. However, these vaccines don’t protect against meningitis A, C, W, Y or B.
