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Inside Elon Musk’s Optimus Robot Project
Ringing in the New Year — California Circuit Style
As calendars officially flipped to 2026, the 2025 PRCA Circuit season came to a close with the California Circuit Finals in Red Bluff, Calif., held just before the New Year’s Eve ball dropped.
The PRCA Circuit system, established in 1975, was designed to provide athletes with more opportunities to compete while staying closer to home. Thirteen geographic regions make up the system, with each PRCA member designating one as their home circuit. While athletes may compete at rodeos both inside and outside their circuit, only money earned within their home circuit counts toward circuit standings.
Each circuit hosts its own finals, with the top two athletes in each event advancing to the NFR Open in July. Formerly known as the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo and previously held in Kissimmee, Fla., the event is now titled the NFR Open and takes place in Colorado Springs, Colo., where top circuit athletes compete for national titles.
West Coast cowboys and cowgirls were some of the final competitors of the 2025 circuit season to punch their tickets to the NFR Open, writing their names into California Circuit history. With a total payout of $216,236, the Golden State’s Circuit Finals also ranked among the most lucrative circuits of the year.
Headlining the prestigious finals was two-time NFR qualifier and all-around cowboy Brushton Minton. The Witter Springs, Calif., native struck gold in Red Bluff, earning $12,386 across the tie-down roping and team roping to claim the All-Around Cowboy and Tie-Down Roping California Circuit champion titles.
Minton won two of the three tie-down roping rounds and also placed in team roping alongside fellow Northern California native Chase Helton– marking a prosperous conclusion to 2025. His success inside the Pauline Davis Pavilion continued with two 2025 California Circuit titles, the tie-down roping average championship and two go-round wins, marking another standout circuit finals performance and kickstarting his 2026 NFR campaign.
Coming off a strong 2025 NFR showing, saddle bronc rider Lefty Holman captured both the average and year-end California Circuit Finals titles. The Visalia, Calif., native and five-time NFR qualifier marked 246.5 points on three head, pocketing $7,855 to open his 2026 season with momentum.
Fellow NFR qualifier R.C. Landingham led the bareback riding average race, posting a combined score of 250.5 points on three head. Sweeping the competition by winning all three go-rounds, the million-dollar cowboy looks to carry that momentum into 2026 as he eyes his sixth NFR qualification, after narrowly missing the 2025 Finals.
In the steer wrestling, Casey Harmon earned the average title paycheck of $3,625 while winning two go-rounds with times of 5.3 seconds in Round 1 and 4.7 seconds in Round 2.
Team ropers Blake Hirdes and Jake Edwards claimed the average title by roping three steers in a combined 17.0 seconds. The California and New York natives continued their successful season in Red Bluff, earning one of the circuit system’s top honors.
Barrel racer Ann McGilchrist posted the fastest time of the rodeo in Round 3, stopping the clock at 13.32 seconds. She also secured the aggregate title with a combined time of 40.91 seconds on three runs, earning $3,625.
Fresh off her first National Finals Breakaway Roping appearance, Lassen Community College rodeo coach Suzanne Williams captured the breakaway roping aggregate title, roping three calves in 6.8 seconds.
With the 2025 California Circuit Finals officially in the books, athletes from the Golden State and beyond now turn their focus to the new year, setting the stage for another exciting season of rodeo.
Swiss bar fire kills 40 on New Year’s Day
Investigators said Friday that they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited a fatal fire at a Swiss ski resort when they came too close to the ceiling of a bar crowded with New Year’s Eve revelers.Authorities planned to look into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles, which give off a stream of upward-shooting sparks, were permitted for use in the bar.Forty people were killed and another 119 injured in the blaze early Thursday as it ripped through the busy Le Constellation bar at the ski resort of Crans-Montana, authorities said. It was one of the deadliest tragedies in Switzerland’s history. Officials said they would also look at other safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes. The attorney general for the Valais region warned of possible prosecutions if any criminal liability is found.Arthur Brodard, 16, from the Swiss city of Lausanne, was among the missing. His mother, Laetitia, was in Crans-Montana on Friday and frantic to find him. She held out “a glimmer of hope” that he might be one of the six injured people who had yet to be identified.“I’m looking everywhere. The body of my son is somewhere,” she told reporters. “I want to know, where is my child, and be by his side, wherever that may be — be it in the intensive care unit or the morgue.”The injured included 71 people from Switzerland, 14 from France and 11 from Italy, along with citizens of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal and Poland, according to Frédéric Gisler, police commander of the Valais region. The nationalities of 14 people were unclear.An evening of celebration turns tragicAmong the crowd was Axel Clavier, a 16-year-old from Paris, who said he felt as if he was suffocating inside the Swiss Alpine bar where moments before he had been ringing in the new year.The teenager escaped the inferno by forcing a window open with a table. The dead included one of Clavier’s friends, and he told The Associated Press that two or three other friends were still missing hours after the disaster.An impromptu memorial took shape near the bar, where mourners left candles and flowers. Hundreds of others prayed for the victims at the nearby Church of Montana-Station.A French teenager on Friday brought a bouquet of tulips to the regional hospital in Sion for her best friend, a fellow 17-year-old girl who was badly burned and in intensive care. The two attend school together in Lausanne, said the girl, who was in distress and did not give her full name to the AP.But when she arrived at the hospital, her friend had been heavily sedated for a dressing change and could not see visitors. It was the latest in hours of heartbreak for the teen, who had intended to join a dozen schoolmates at the bar but ultimately decided against it.She said she has since learned that two of the 12 are in a Zurich hospital. She did not know if the others survived.On Instagram, an account filled up with photos of people who were unaccounted for, and friends and relatives begged for tips about their whereabouts.Valais regional government head Mathias Reynard told RTS radio Friday that officials have “numerous accounts of heroic actions, one could say, of very strong solidarity in the moment.”He lauded the work of emergency officials on the day after the fire but added “in the first minutes it was citizens — and in large part young people — who saved lives with their courage.”Servers arrived with burning sparklersClavier, the Parisian teenager, said he did not see the fire start, but he saw servers arrive with Champagne bottles topped with the burning sparklers.Two women told French broadcaster BFMTV they were inside when they saw a male bartender lifting a female bartender on his shoulders as she held a lit candle in a bottle. The flames spread, collapsing the wooden ceiling, they told the broadcaster.One of the women described a crowd surge as people frantically tried to escape from the basement nightclub up a flight of stairs and through a narrow door.Another witness speaking to BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside.Gianni Campolo, a Swiss 19-year-old who was in Crans-Montana on vacation, raced to the bar to help first responders after receiving a call from a friend who escaped the inferno. He described people on the ground suffering from terrible burns.“I have seen horror, and I don’t know what else would be worse than this,” Campolo told French television network TF1.Marc-Antoine Chavanon, 14, joined the effort to get people out of the tavern.“People were collapsing. We were doing everything we could to save them,” he said. “There was one of our friends: She was struggling to get out. She was all burnt. You can’t imagine the pain I saw.”The severity of the burns made it difficult to identify bodies, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples. In some cases, wallets and any identification documents inside turned to ash in the flames.Emanuele Galeppini, a promising teenage Italian golfer who competed internationally, was officially listed as missing. His uncle Sebastiano Galeppini told Italian news agency ANSA that their family is awaiting the results of DNA tests, though the Italian Golf Federation on its website announced that he had died.With high-altitude ski runs rising around 3,000 meters (nearly 9,850 feet) in the heart of the Valais region’s snowy peaks and pine forests, Crans-Montana is a major destination for international alpine skiing competitions. It’s also home to the European Masters each August.___Leicester reported from Sion, Switzerland. Dazio reported from Berlin. Associated Press journalists Geir Moulson in Berlin, Graham Dunbar in Geneva and Nicole Winfield and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report.
CRANS-MONTANA, VS —
Investigators said Friday that they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited a fatal fire at a Swiss ski resort when they came too close to the ceiling of a bar crowded with New Year’s Eve revelers.
Authorities planned to look into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles, which give off a stream of upward-shooting sparks, were permitted for use in the bar.
Forty people were killed and another 119 injured in the blaze early Thursday as it ripped through the busy Le Constellation bar at the ski resort of Crans-Montana, authorities said. It was one of the deadliest tragedies in Switzerland’s history.
Officials said they would also look at other safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes. The attorney general for the Valais region warned of possible prosecutions if any criminal liability is found.
Arthur Brodard, 16, from the Swiss city of Lausanne, was among the missing. His mother, Laetitia, was in Crans-Montana on Friday and frantic to find him. She held out “a glimmer of hope” that he might be one of the six injured people who had yet to be identified.
“I’m looking everywhere. The body of my son is somewhere,” she told reporters. “I want to know, where is my child, and be by his side, wherever that may be — be it in the intensive care unit or the morgue.”
The injured included 71 people from Switzerland, 14 from France and 11 from Italy, along with citizens of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal and Poland, according to Frédéric Gisler, police commander of the Valais region. The nationalities of 14 people were unclear.
An evening of celebration turns tragic
Among the crowd was Axel Clavier, a 16-year-old from Paris, who said he felt as if he was suffocating inside the Swiss Alpine bar where moments before he had been ringing in the new year.
The teenager escaped the inferno by forcing a window open with a table. The dead included one of Clavier’s friends, and he told The Associated Press that two or three other friends were still missing hours after the disaster.
An impromptu memorial took shape near the bar, where mourners left candles and flowers. Hundreds of others prayed for the victims at the nearby Church of Montana-Station.
A French teenager on Friday brought a bouquet of tulips to the regional hospital in Sion for her best friend, a fellow 17-year-old girl who was badly burned and in intensive care. The two attend school together in Lausanne, said the girl, who was in distress and did not give her full name to the AP.
But when she arrived at the hospital, her friend had been heavily sedated for a dressing change and could not see visitors. It was the latest in hours of heartbreak for the teen, who had intended to join a dozen schoolmates at the bar but ultimately decided against it.
She said she has since learned that two of the 12 are in a Zurich hospital. She did not know if the others survived.
On Instagram, an account filled up with photos of people who were unaccounted for, and friends and relatives begged for tips about their whereabouts.
Valais regional government head Mathias Reynard told RTS radio Friday that officials have “numerous accounts of heroic actions, one could say, of very strong solidarity in the moment.”
He lauded the work of emergency officials on the day after the fire but added “in the first minutes it was citizens — and in large part young people — who saved lives with their courage.”
Servers arrived with burning sparklers
Clavier, the Parisian teenager, said he did not see the fire start, but he saw servers arrive with Champagne bottles topped with the burning sparklers.
Two women told French broadcaster BFMTV they were inside when they saw a male bartender lifting a female bartender on his shoulders as she held a lit candle in a bottle. The flames spread, collapsing the wooden ceiling, they told the broadcaster.
One of the women described a crowd surge as people frantically tried to escape from the basement nightclub up a flight of stairs and through a narrow door.
Another witness speaking to BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside.
Gianni Campolo, a Swiss 19-year-old who was in Crans-Montana on vacation, raced to the bar to help first responders after receiving a call from a friend who escaped the inferno. He described people on the ground suffering from terrible burns.
“I have seen horror, and I don’t know what else would be worse than this,” Campolo told French television network TF1.
Marc-Antoine Chavanon, 14, joined the effort to get people out of the tavern.
“People were collapsing. We were doing everything we could to save them,” he said. “There was one of our friends: She was struggling to get out. She was all burnt. You can’t imagine the pain I saw.”
The severity of the burns made it difficult to identify bodies, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples. In some cases, wallets and any identification documents inside turned to ash in the flames.
Emanuele Galeppini, a promising teenage Italian golfer who competed internationally, was officially listed as missing. His uncle Sebastiano Galeppini told Italian news agency ANSA that their family is awaiting the results of DNA tests, though the Italian Golf Federation on its website announced that he had died.
With high-altitude ski runs rising around 3,000 meters (nearly 9,850 feet) in the heart of the Valais region’s snowy peaks and pine forests, Crans-Montana is a major destination for international alpine skiing competitions. It’s also home to the European Masters each August.
___
Leicester reported from Sion, Switzerland. Dazio reported from Berlin. Associated Press journalists Geir Moulson in Berlin, Graham Dunbar in Geneva and Nicole Winfield and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report.
Pakistan sentences journalists, YouTubers and ex-military officers to life over inciting violence
ISLAMABAD — A court in Pakistan’s capital sentenced seven people, including three journalists, two YouTubers and two retired army officers, to life imprisonment on Friday, after convicting them of inciting violence during riots in 2023 and spreading hatred against state institutions.
An anti-terrorism court judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, announced the verdict in Islamabad after completing trials held in absentia.
None of the accused were present in court. They have been living abroad after leaving the country in recent years to avoid arrest.
Those convicted include former editor Shaheen Sehbai; two other journalists, Sabir Shakir and Moeed Pirzada; YouTubers Wajahat Saeed Khan and Haider Raza Mehdi; and retired army officers Adil Raja and Akbar Hussain.
According to the court order, the charges against the men stemmed from the violent unrest that erupted in May 2023 following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a graft case.
At the time, thousands of Khan’s supporters attacked military installations, torched government property, ransacked the residence of a senior army officer and damaged the state-run Radio Pakistan building.
Khan was also indicted in 2024 on charges of inciting violence against military and government targets. He has denied the allegations. He was ousted from power by his political opponents through a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022.
According to the prosecution, the seven men, who are known for publicly supporting Khan, had incited people to violence during the riots on May 9, 2023, when demonstrators targeted military installations, because Khan repeatedly blamed his removal on the United States and Pakistan’s military.
The U.S. government, the Pakistani military and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan after his ouster, have denied the allegations.
Sabir Shakir, who previously hosted a popular television program on ARY TV before leaving Pakistan, told The Associated Press on Friday that he was aware of his conviction in Pakistan. He said that he wasn’t in the country when police accused him of encouraging mob violence.
“The ruling against me and others is nothing but a political victimization,” Shakir said. He said he traveled to Saudi Arabia before the riots for a pilgrimage to Mecca and later went to Britain, where he sought political asylum after concluding that he could face what he described as “fabricated cases,” if he returned to Pakistan.
Shakir said that the court held the trial against him and the others without hearing arguments from his lawyer, and that he was handed two life sentences following the trial conducted in absentia.
The other convicted men couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Under the court order, the seven men have the right to file appeals within seven days. The court also directed police to arrest them and transfer them to prison should they return to Pakistan.
Human rights defenders and representatives of journalists’ unions say freedom of speech is shrinking in Pakistan, where the media have faced growing curbs in recent years. Sharif’s government says that it supports freedom of speech, but that YouTubers and journalists should also adhere to basic ethics and journalistic principles.
TONY IOMMI Confirms His Long-Awaited New Solo Album Is Coming This Year
In a newly shared four-minute New Year’s Day video message, pioneering heavy metal architect Tony Iommi looked back on a year filled with both celebration and loss, while also confirming what fans have waited decades to hear: his long-awaited third solo album is coming in 2026.
2025 was a bittersweet chapter for the Black Sabbath guitarist. The year saw Iommi reunite with his original bandmates — Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — for a final, star-studded swan song performance in Birmingham this past July. That historic livestreamed event served as a definitive sendoff for the band, but only weeks later, Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne passed away, casting a shadow over what had otherwise been a monumental farewell.
Alongside reflecting on Ozzy‘s death, Iommi touched on several other major projects from the past year, including the sold-out return of Black Sabbath – The Ballet, his unexpected collaboration with Robbie Williams, and various releases tied to his legacy. The biggest revelation, however, came when he addressed his long-in-the-works solo material.
Speaking directly in the video, Iommi stated: “I shall have definitely, definitely my solo album out. And I’m really looking forward to that. I’m enjoying doing it, and it’s been great fun, and I really hope you enjoy it.”
He also briefly mentioned that a new documentary centered on his life and career is currently in development through Gibson, adding yet another milestone project to his already packed slate.
Iommi previously discussed the status of his solo album during a July 2025 appearance on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, explaining how work on the record was temporarily paused due to Sabbath‘s final show: “I was doing my own album until [the Back To The Beginning event] came up, and then, of course, I had to stop and concentrate on [preparing for] the Sabbath performance. But I’m continuing next week on trying to finish off what I started with this album. And then who knows what I’m gonna do then?”
When asked whether the upcoming release would follow the guest-heavy format of his 2000 solo album Iommi, he clarified that the new record has taken a different shape: “At the moment, no. I’ve got one singer on it at the moment, which I originally thought of different singers. But it started off as it’s gonna be an instrumental album… and it’s gone from I’ve got some instrumental stuff, but then I thought, ‘Oh, I wanna try it with a singer.’ And so that’s what I’ve been doing.”
In a separate interview at Steel City Con, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler also revealed that Iommi is working with a “great singer from Sweden” on the record. Please, please be Messiah Marcolin.
“I was actually gonna do some… Tony‘s got this great album that he is doing right at the moment,” said Butler. “He’s just in the process — I think he’s in the process of mixing it right now, so it should be out sometime [in 2026]. He’s got this great singer from Sweden on it.
“And he wanted me to do three bass tracks, but he wanted me to do them in England, and I can’t go to England until June [of 2026]. So if he can hang on that long, I might collaborate with him back in June, if he can wait that long.”
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Ravens-Steelers winner takes AFC North: ‘Going to be a slugfest’
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Jamison Hensley
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Jamison Hensley
ESPN Staff Writer
- Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
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Brooke Pryor
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Brooke Pryor
ESPN Staff Writer
- Brooke Pryor is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. She previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and the University of Oklahoma for The Oklahoman.
Over at John Harbaugh’s house on Sunday, some of the Baltimore Ravens players and members of the coaching staff gathered to cheer on the Cleveland Browns to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It became the most nervous three hours of the season for the Ravens, who sat helplessly knowing they needed the Browns to upset the Steelers to keep their postseason hopes alive. When Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ fourth-and-goal pass sailed incomplete to seal Cleveland’s unlikely 13-6 victory, the Ravens erupted in a celebration that Harbaugh described as “uncorked and raucous.” They jumped around. They hugged each other — a lot.
All of this sets up a historic — and some might say inevitable — showdown in one of the NFL’s most heated rivalries: The Ravens and Steelers will battle for the AFC North crown Sunday night in the final regular-season game of the 2025 season. For Baltimore and Pittsburgh, this game is the culmination of two challenging seasons filled with quarterback drama and questions about the futures of the league’s most tenured coaches.
“I think when you take a step back, especially as a Ravens fan or in the organization, you have to nod your head a little bit and go, ‘Yes, that’s probably the way it should be,'” Harbaugh said.
For three decades, this feud has become must-watch TV because of the brutal hits, the nail-biting margins of victory and the games’ high stakes. This rivalry has defined the cultures of both teams to the point that, in Baltimore, players repeatedly tell newcomers that “you’re not a Raven until you beat the Steelers.”
When Baltimore plays at Pittsburgh on Sunday (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), it will mark the first “winner-take-all” game in the final week of the regular season between the two teams and only the second winner-take-all regular-season finale in the division since the AFC North was formed in 2002.
“The competitor in me is like, ‘Bring it on,'” Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward said after the Week 17 loss to the Browns. “Baltimore’s coming in. Winner takes all. I have a lot of respect for those guys over there, but let’s win it at home.”
It could also mark the end of an era for the losing franchise with both coaches facing a surge of external criticism even as each locker room publicly backs its leaders.
“Those two guys are extremely hardworking guys,” said inside linebacker Patrick Queen, a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2020 before being signed by the Steelers as a free agent in 2024. “They care about each and every single player on their team. Every single day they come in with the best mindset to be able to prepare their team for whatever challenges they face ahead.”
The winner earns the AFC North title, the No. 4 seed in the AFC and a home game in the wild-card round. For the losing team, the season is over and real decisions about the future of the franchise begin.
“This is going to be a slugfest,” said CBS analyst Bill Cowher, who coached the Steelers from 1992 to 2006. “And this is going to be one of those games where it becomes very personal. This is going to go back to the old Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens game. You know what? No hitting during the week because we’re going to leave it all out on that field.”
ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley and Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor take a look at each team’s matchup with a focus on the quarterbacks, keys to each team’s defense and the potential impact of this game’s outcome on both head coaches.
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC/Peacock | BAL -3.5 (43.5 O/U)
1:28
Why Rex Ryan says Ravens shouldn’t care if Lamar misses Week 18 vs. Steelers
Adam Schefter and Rex Ryan discuss Lamar Jackson’s potential absence against the Steelers, and Ryan lays out the Ravens’ path to victory.
Ravens
Does it matter who’s the starting QB for Baltimore?
It absolutely does, although the answer isn’t clear-cut. The Ravens are at their best with a healthy Lamar Jackson, but the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player hasn’t been at full strength for a majority of this season because of hamstring, knee, ankle, toe and back injuries. The good news for Baltimore is that it looks as if Jackson will have his first full week of practice in two months. In the final two weeks of the regular season, Jackson is 8-0 with 18 touchdown passes and one interception.
But Jackson, 28, just hasn’t looked like himself since returning from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for most of October. In his past eight games, he has thrown eight touchdown passes and five interceptions while averaging 21.7 yards rushing per game.
In the past two games that Jackson has sat out, backup Tyler Huntley has led the Ravens to their two biggest wins of the season, defeating a couple of playoff teams in the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. But Harbaugh has made it clear there is no quarterback controversy, saying, “If Lamar’s ready to go, he’s playing. That’s it, for sure.”
What’s the biggest concern with the Ravens’ defense?
Big plays in the passing game. Baltimore has given up an NFL-worst 32 completions on passes of at least 20 yards in the air this season, including a season-high six during the 41-24 Week 17 win at Green Bay.
Harbaugh said the issue was poor technique by the cornerbacks and a lack of communication among the defensive backs. It was a surprising comment considering the Ravens’ secondary is loaded with four first-round picks: cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey and safeties Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks.
In the season’s first meeting with Pittsburgh in Week 14, the Ravens’ pass defense was a problem. Aaron Rodgers threw for a season-high 284 yards and stretched the field for one of the few times this season. Three of Rodgers’ completions went to DK Metcalf for 28, 41 and 52 yards. With Metcalf suspended, the only Steelers player with multiple catches on throws over 20 yards this season is tight end Pat Freiermuth with two.
“I think we need to play smart but not play timid. I think there’s a fine line there,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “Whoever loses the game, it’s their last game of the year. So whenever the outcome, you don’t want to be sitting in the locker room saying you could have done more.”
How does this game impact Harbaugh’s future with the Ravens?
That’s ultimately Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti’s call. It just seems more questions about Harbaugh’s job security are coming from outside the Ravens’ facility than inside. Harbaugh signed a three-year extension last offseason, which keeps him under contract through 2028. The amount of fight that the Ravens showed in Saturday’s must-win game in Green Bay showed the players are still responding to Harbaugh, who is in his 18th NFL season (tied with Denver’s Sean Payton for fourth-most tenured active head coach).
“I love Coach Harbaugh as a coach, and I also love him as a man as far as what he’s been able to preach to me when he’s not even talking about football, but speaking about football. It’s been great,” Humphrey said. “So having a leader that, no matter what’s going on, staying positive I think has been huge of what he’s done this year. And even given the circumstances, we have a chance to win it all. And so I couldn’t be more grateful to have that guy leading us.”
This disappointing season — going from one of the preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl to a fringe playoff team — has led to a growing level of discontent. Harbaugh was booed while walking off the field at a home game this season, and he has had to constantly answer questions about his job security.
Earlier this week, he was asked if Sunday’s game will serve as a “referendum” for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and himself.
“There’s always pressure, but I think it was [tennis hall of famer] Billie Jean King who said that pressure is a privilege,” Harbaugh said. “That’s something that is earned. So, we feel like it’s something very worthwhile to be in games like this. And if those are the things that are being talked about along with that, that’s OK. That’s a privilege, too.”
2:31
Cam Newton: John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin are victims of their own success
Dan Orlovsky and Cam Newton discuss what’s at stake for John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin ahead of the pivotal Week 18 matchup between the Ravens and Steelers.
Steelers
How can the Steelers and Rodgers better absorb Metcalf’s absence?
The Steelers’ offense used Metcalf to set the tone from their very first snap in their 27-22 Week 14 win against the Ravens as Rodgers hit veteran receiver on a go route down the right sideline for a 52-yard completion. That was just the beginning of Metcalf’s seven-catch, 12-target, 148-yard afternoon, marking his best output since the Steelers acquired him in a March blockbuster trade. The rest of the Steelers’ wide receivers — Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Adam Thielen, Scotty Miller — accounted for 48 yards on three catches in five targets.
Though the Steelers are on track to get Calvin Austin III (hamstring) back after he sat out the Browns game, shifting targets to running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell could have a bigger impact on the passing game.
Gainwell, who leads the Steelers in targets this season, spent a lot of the Browns game giving Rodgers extra protection against Myles Garrett. But the Ravens’ pass rush isn’t as formidable. Gainwell had six catches on seven targets for 29 yards in the first meeting with the Ravens, while Warren had three catches on three targets for 49 yards and a touchdown.
And it’s not only Metcalf’s absence the Steelers have to absorb. They’ll also be without tight end Darnell Washington, who fractured his forearm against the Browns and was put on injured reserve after undergoing surgery Tuesday. Washington is an irreplaceable target with his massive 6-foot-7 and more than 300-pound frame, but tight end Pat Freiermuth could be a good candidate to have an expanded role as an in-line blocker.
The Ravens have the league’s fourth-worst passing defense, giving up an average of 245.3 passing yards to opponents. And over the past three weeks, they have been the second-worst passing defense (285.3) after the New York Jets (314.3).
How has Pittsburgh’s defense changed since their Week 14 win?
Since giving up 217 rushing yards to the Ravens — including 94 to Derrick Henry — the Steelers haven’t allowed an opponent to post 100 rushing yards. In the past three weeks, the Steelers have held opponents to a league-best 52 rushing yards per game. Perhaps even more remarkable, they did it without edge rusher T.J. Watt, who could return this week after a three-game absence from a partially punctured lung.
A key part of that equation is the return of rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. When Harmon plays, the Steelers hold opponents to an average of 80 fewer rushing yards per game.
Harmon returned from his second knee injury of the season against Detroit and helped the Steelers’ defense hold Jahmyr Gibbs to two yards on seven carries. Though the Steelers lost to the Browns, the run defense stood tall and held the Browns to 3.1 yards per carry.
“Maybe it’s just Derek Harmon,” Tomlin said with a sly grin when asked about the key to the Steelers’ defensive turnaround.
The reality is that while Harmon has been a boost to the run game, contributions across the board from Queen, Heyward, Malik Harrison, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith have elevated this unit to being a defensive strength after it was a significant weakness early in the season.
“I think we always had confidence,” Queen said of the run defense. “A couple of weeks ago, I [talked about] the difference between confidence and momentum. I think the confidence was always there. I think we just haven’t put a string of good games together doing that, and lately, we have.
“You can kind of see the momentum trying to take over, and everybody’s feeling it. … Confidence is you just knowing that you could do it, but momentum is you doing it, and then building off of it. And I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Not according to his contract or franchise precedent — or to the players in the locker room. “I think a lot of the criticism is kind of unworthy, because a lot of times it’s on the players’ shoulders, the outcomes of games,” Queen said. “Sometimes it could be coaching-related, but for the most part, we go out there and perform and if defense is letting the offense score a whole bunch or the offense turning the ball over and stuff, I don’t think that really relies on coaches as much.” Yet, it feels as if the Steelers and Tomlin enter this AFC North rivalry game at a crossroads, and the outcome will go a long way to determining their path forward. Tomlin, 53, has two years left on his contract: 2026 and a club option for 2027 set to be determined by March 1. The Steelers have also had only three head coaches since 1969. But the external frustration is mounting. Five weeks ago, fans chanted “Fire Tomlin” as the Steelers trailed the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter. And when the stadium DJ queued up Styx’s rendition of “Renegade” in a last-ditch attempt to get the crowd at Acrisure Stadium into the game, the crowd responded with loud boos. That outpouring of fan unhappiness was undoubtedly one of the lowest points of the season — until the Week 17 loss to the Browns. In the month between losses, the Steelers put together a three-game win streak as Tomlin clinched his 19th consecutive non-losing season and his 200th career NFL win. He blew kisses to the crowd in Baltimore and thumped his chest in Detroit. And against the Miami Dolphins, he clinched his 22nd consecutive home Monday night win in dominant fashion as the run defense held vaunted running back De’Von Achane to 60 yards. Even so, embers of fan frustration still smoldered under Tomlin’s seat. And by coming out flat against the hapless Browns and squandering an opportunity to clinch the AFC North a week early, the Steelers breathed life back into fan discontent and reignited the fire.Is Tomlin coaching for his job?
Route 66 Centennial Celebration activities gearing up in Albuquerque
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico communities have spent years thinking about how to get ready, and now, with 2026 here, the Route 66 100-year anniversary celebrations are drawing close. “It’s a really critical piece of American history, and it attracts a lot of international visitors to New Mexico,” Nicole Barker said with the New Mexico […]
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Tommy Lee Jones’ Daughter Found Dead After Reported Overdose
Tommy Lee Jones’ daughter, Victoria Jones, has died. She was 34.
Authorities believe the aspiring actress may have suffered a drug overdose, according to emergency dispatch audio obtained by People.
Victoria was the daughter of the No Country for Old Men star and his ex-wife, Kimberlea Cloughley.
What Happened
Victoria was found unresponsive early Thursday morning (Jan. 1) at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, where she was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Dispatch audio described the incident as a “code 3 for the overdose, color change.” In medical terms, “color change” refers to cyanosis — a lack of oxygen in the blood that can cause the skin, lips, and nails to appear blue or purple.
The San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco Fire Department confirmed they responded to a report of a medical emergency at the Fairmont around 2:52 a.m. on Jan. 1.
NBC Bay Area later reported that the woman found dead at the hotel was believed to be Victoria Jones. Police say no foul play is suspected, though an official cause of death has not yet been determined.
Her Recent Legal Struggles
Court documents show that Victoria had faced a series of legal challenges over the past year.
In April 2025, she was arrested in Napa County, Calif., and charged with three misdemeanors: obstructing a peace officer, being under the influence of a controlled substance without a valid prescription, and possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription. She pleaded not guilty.
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Two months later, in June, she was arrested again in Napa County on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge and also pleaded not guilty.
Her Career + Family
Victoria followed in her father’s footsteps with several on-screen appearances, including roles in Men in Black II (2002), The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), and a brief appearance in One Tree Hill (2003).
She is survived by her father, mother, and her brother, Austin Jones, 43.
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It’s a sorority you never want to be a part of. Learn the stories of country women whose husbands died too soon. Also included are singers who lost a very longterm boyfriend, ex-husband and more.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
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