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Bryce Young experiences victory formation for first time in NFL

For the first time in his NFL career, quarterback Bryce Young got to kneel out a Carolina Panthers’ victory on Sunday.

“It’s a great feeling,” Young said after the Panthers defeated the New Orleans Saints 23-22 in an NFC South rivalry game by scoring a touchdown with 2:18 to play.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft, Young was a winner in two of his 16 starts as a rookie, and in each victory – 15-13 over the Houston Texans on Oct. 29, 2023, and 9-7 over the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 17, 2023 – Eddy Pineiro kicked a field goal on the final snap to provide the winning points for the Panthers.

On Sunday, the Carolina defense stopped New Orleans’ final possession on downs at the Saints 46-yard line with 64 seconds remaining, giving the former Alabama All-American the opportunity to end the game with two kneel-downs.

The Panthers trailed 22-17 when they took possession at their 36-yard line with 3:26 to play. Young hit a third-down pass to wide receiver Xavier Legette for a 26-yard gain, and a 22-yard defensive pass interference penalty on the next snap moved Carolina to the New Orleans 16. Running back Chuba Hubbard covered that distance to the goal line to give Carolina a one-point lead.

“Where else would you rather be?” Young said of his attitude taking the field for what turned out to be the game-winning series. “That’s all you can ask for – have a chance to go take the lead on a drive. That’s what we play for, that’s what we work for.”

The Saints lost even though they outgained the Panthers 427 yards to 246 yards and did not lose a turnover. Back in the lineup after a three-game injury absence, New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr completed 18-of-31 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown. Carr’s 13 third-down passes produced four first downs and a touchdown.

Young completed 16-of-26 passes for 171 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He completed 7-of-8 third-down passes for 71 yards and four first downs.

The interception came when cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles took the football away from Legette after the Carolina wide receiver had caught the pass with 9:14 left to play.

“He came up big in some critical moments,” Carolina coach Dave Canales said of Young, “and gave us an opportunity a couple of times. Again, just proud of the step he took. Taking all the things we’re asking him to do, getting us to the right plays at the right time, so a great step.”

For the second game in a row, Legette caught a touchdown pass from Young. Their 3-yard connection capped a 45-yard drive as the Panthers took a 7-6 lead with 9:59 left in the first half.

Carolina’s middle touchdown drive covered 86 yards to open the second half. It included Young’s longest completion of the season – a 46-yard hookup with tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders – on the second snap of the third quarter. Hubbard’s 1-yard touchdown run put the Panthers ahead 17-13 with 9:59 left in the third quarter.

Young started his second NFL season as he ended his first – as Carolina’s No. 1 quarterback. But after the Panthers lost their first two games, including a season-opening 47-10 setback against the Saints, Carolina coach Dave Canales pulled Young for veteran Andy Dalton. Dalton started five games before sustaining a thumb injury in an automobile accident.

That put Young back in the lineup for a 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos one week ago. In that game, Young complete 24-of-37 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

After Sunday’s victory, Canales said “not yet” when asked if he was ready to name Young the starter for Carolina’s next game.

“We’ll take in all the information,” Canales said. “Watch the film. We got a process. We got to make sure we look at all this stuff.”

The Panthers ended a five-game losing streak on Sunday to raise their record to 2-7.

“More so than anything, I’m happy for the guys in that locker room,” Young said. “They work so hard, and for us to step up to the plate like this was huge for us, so it’s something for us to build off of.”

Carolina plays the New York Giants at 8:30 a.m. CST Nov. 10 at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

The Saints went to 2-7 with their seventh consecutive loss.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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1 killed in Alabaster gas station shooting

An investigation is underway after a deadly shooting at an Alabaster gas station.

Officers responded to the Shell station at 11:45 p.m. Saturday on a report of an altercation in progress at the Shell just off Interstate 65.

One person was killed, according to Shelby County coroner Lina Evans.

Police aren’t releasing any additional details, except to say it was a contained incident with no threat to the general public.

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Latest betting odds put Kamala Harris ahead of Trump in key swing states after shocking poll

Presidential election betting markets moved dramatically Saturday night and into Sunday morning as Vice President Kamala Harris continues to close the gap on former President Donald Trump.

Trump was as low as a -123 favorite Sunday at Betfair Exchange in London to win the election over Harris, a +120 underdog. Trump was as high as -210 on Wednesday. The current odds mean bettors must wager $123 to win $100 on Trump to be elected and $100 to win $120 on Harris to be elected.

“This is beginning to shape up like the 50-50 race we anticipated when the matchup was set in July,” BetOnline.ag political oddsmaker Paul Krishnamurty said. “The betting markets were following the large amount of money being wagered on Trump, but now we’re seeing the smarter bettors come in and grab all the value that is left with Harris. I expect to see (the) odds get close to a toss-up by Election Day.”

The odds are already a virtual toss-up at electionbettingodds.com, which averages live odds from FTX.com, Betfair.com, PredictIt.org, Smarkets.com and Polymarket.com.

Trump’s chances have dropped from 61.2% on the site Oct. 28 to 51.5%, which equates to -106, on Sunday. Harris has seen her chances improve from 38.3% Oct. 28 to 48.0% Sunday, or +108.

Krishnamurty, also a political betting analyst for Betfair, said the main reason for the line moves Saturday night was a surprising Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll that showed Harris ahead of Trump in the state by a margin of 47% to 44% among likely voters. Trump has dropped from a heavy -2,000 favorite to -500 to win the electoral college vote in Iowa.

“The driver was that bombshell Iowa poll,” Krishnamurty said. “Iowa is seen as a good guide for the Midwest. There is a historic correlation between the Hawkeye state and Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.”

Favorites flip in swing states

Trump was the favorite to win all seven swing states on Oct. 28: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

But the favorite has flipped to Harris in Michigan, Wisconsin and the key state of Pennsylvania. Harris flipped from the +110 underdog to the -140 favorite Saturday at BetOnline to win Wisconsin. She went from +125 to -120 to win Pennsylvania.

Harris beat Trump, 49% to 47%, in the final Pennsylvania poll by Muhlenberg College.

“Coupled with the early voting data signals from Pennsylvania, I make her the favorite in that state now,” Krishnamurty said. “And whoever wins Pennsylvania is the hot favorite for the presidency.”

Trump is still favored to win Nevada (-155 at BetOnline) but his chances to win the Silver State have also taken a hit.

His chances at electionbettingodds.com were 66.0%, or -194, on Friday to win Nevada. They dropped Sunday to 56.5%, or -130. Harris’ chances to win Nevada have improved from 34.0% (+194) Friday to 43.5% (+130) Sunday.

Trump dropped from a -210 favorite at BetOnline on Wednesday to win the election to -173 on Friday. He dropped to as low as -125 on Saturday night at the offshore sportsbook that isn’t regulated in the U.S.

“Could have a new favorite by tomorrow,” BetOnline brand manager Dave Mason posted on X (@DaveMasonBOL) after reporting wagers on Harris of $100,000 at +120 and $49,949 at +110.

He later posted a max bet on Trump of $125,000 to win $100,000 (-125).

The book bumped Trump to -138 on Sunday morning, with Harris at +118.

Harris is the -450 favorite to win the popular vote and Trump is +325.

Betting on politics isn’t permitted at U.S. sportsbooks.

©2024 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Visit reviewjournal.com.. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Kaitlan Collins in ‘SNL’ live audience to see impersonation of herself, meets cast member

Kaitlan Collins was in the house to see Kaitlan Collins on “Saturday Night Live” just days before the U.S. presidential election.

The CNN anchor and Alabama native posted online that she attended the performance, which featured “SNL” cast member Chloe Fineman reprising her impersonation during the cold open segment. Also appearing in the same sketch was Vice President Kamala Harris, who came face to face with her “SNL” counterpart Maya Rudolph.

Also appearing earlier in the sketch were James Austin Johnson as former President Donald Trump, Bowen Yang as Sen. J.D. Vance, Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff, and Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden.

“Was fun to be in the audience for this one,” Collins posted on X/Twitter.

Fineman posted an Instagram story featuring a photo of her with Collins on the “SNL” stage after the show. “WILD to play @kaitlancollins and [then] finally meet!” Collins reposted the story in her IG stories.

It marked the third time Fineman has portrayed Collins during the 50th season of the iconic late night sketch comedy show.

During the season premiere, with host Jean Smart and musical guest Jelly Roll, Fineman’s version of Collins appeared in a parody of Charlie XCX’s ” Talk Talk Show,” with Bowen Yang as Charlie XCX and Smart as event producer Susanne Bartsch. Yang’s Charlie XCX asked Fineman’s Collins questions outside her comfort zone in politics.

Collins said her phone “started blowing up” while she was in Tuscaloosa for the Alabama-Georgia game on Sept. 28. “The ‘Bama game had just ended, and I was still in the stadium” she said. “My phone was at about five percent and I thought it was about the game.

And on Oct. 12, with host Ariana Grande and musical guest Stevie Nicks, Fineman once again played Collins in a cold open when she tossed to “Family Feud” after the sketch said former President Donald Trump did not agree to a second debate with Harris.

In 2023, CNN announced Collins would take over the network’s 8 p.m. central primetime slot, previously occupied by Chris Cuomo whom the network fired in December 2021. The news came after the Alabama native moderated CNN’s Republican town hall with former President Donald Trump that month in New Hampshire. Collins’ handling of the event divided critics and viewers, while Variety and Puck reported CNN planned give her the primetime slot permanently after publicly supporting her performance at the town hall.

Collins, 32, became CNN’s youngest-ever chief White House correspondent at age 29. “Since joining CNN in 2017, she has become one of the most influential journalists in the nation due to her tough questions, objective reporting and signature style,” a CNN release said. “Kaitlan has broken numerous stories of consequence from both the Biden and Trump administrations, including significant policy decisions and major staff changes, traveling the globe extensively to report on their presidencies. Collins has also reported on the Senate special election in her home state of Alabama.”

Collins replaced Jim Acosta as chief White House correspondent in 2021. When she joined the network in 2017, Collins covered the Trump White House and quickly rose to the top of her field. She covered Biden for a year-and-a-half before she became co-anchor of “CNN This Morning.”

Collins is from Prattville and graduated from the University of Alabama in 2014.

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Legendary rock singer’s concert cut short after fans storm stage

Morrissey had to exit a show sooner than planned on Saturday when fans rushed the stage during an encore in Texas.

The English singer, 65, was near the end of a concert at Fair Park Music Hall in Dallas when he returned to perform “First Of The Gang To Die” from his 2004 album “You Are The Quarry,” according to NME.

Mid-song, a female fan walked on stage to give Morrissey a hug, when he carefully returned, as security guards motioned her to leave the stage. Suddenly, another fan attempted to do the same before security intercepted her.

It caused a chain reaction, as more fans stormed the stage to make contact with the former Smiths front-man, causing him to stop singing as security guards escorted him from the stage as the show ended abruptly. One guard even appeared to injure himself, as he limped off the stage following Morrissey’s exit.

The crowd booed unhappily after a handful of fans ruined it for the rest of the room.

Morrissey will return to Birmingham Wednesday, Nov. 6 when he’ll perform at the Alabama Theatre.

Born in Davyhulme, Lancashire, England, Morrissey gained fame as the lead singer and lyricist for The Smiths until 1987, after which he went solo. He earned a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album for “Your Arsenal” in 1993.

Solo albums include “Viva Hate,” “Kill Uncle,” “Vauxhall and I,” “Maladjusted,” “Years of Refusal” and “I Am Not a Dog on a Chain.”

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Former Alabama All-American reaches 1,000 rushing yards again in NFL

For the sixth time in his NFL career, Derrick Henry is a 1,000-yard rusher, and it took the former Alabama All-American only nine games to get there in the 2024 NFL season.

Henry went over 1,000 rushing yards for the 2024 season on Sunday when he took a second-and-11 handoff at the Denver Broncos 37-yard line and broke a 20-yard run with 11:21 left in the third quarter.

That gave Henry 64 yards on 13 carries for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, which boosted his 2024 totals to 1,010 yards on 158 carries.

Henry is the first NFL player to reach 1,000 rushing yards this season.

Henry also ran for 1,000 yards in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023. In 2020, Henry recorded the eighth 2,000-yard rushing season in NFL history.

In 2021, Henry had 937 rushing yards eight games into the season, then missed the remaining nine regular-season games because of a broken foot.

Henry’s latest performance brings to 47 the number of 1,000-yard rushing seasons for players from Alabama high schools and colleges in the NFL. Sixteen players with Alabama football roots have run for 1,000 yards in an NFL season, and Henry now has the most – one more than Shaun Alexander.

The NFL 1,000-yard rushers with Alabama football roots include (with yearly totals presented as rushing attempts-rushing yards-rushing touchdowns):

William Andrews, Auburn

Atlanta Falcons

1979: 239-1,023-3

1980: 265-1,308-4

1981: 289-1,301-10

1983: 331-1,567-7

—-

Joe Cribbs, Sulligent High School, Auburn

Buffalo Bills

1980: 306-1,185-11

1981: 257-1,097-3

1983: 263-1,131-3

—-

James Brooks, Auburn

Cincinnati Bengals

1986: 205-1,087-5

1989: 221-1,239-7

1990: 195-1,004-5

—-

Bobby Humphrey, Glenn High School, Alabama

Denver Broncos

1989: 294-1,151-7

1990: 288-1,202-7

—-

Antowain Smith, Stanhope Elmore High School

Buffalo Bills

1998: 300-1,124-8

New England Patriots

2001: 287-1,157-12

—-

Stephen Davis, Auburn

Washington Redskins

1999: 290-1,405-17

2000: 332-1,318-11

2001: 356-1,432-5

Carolina Panthers

2003: 318-1,444-8

—-

Shaun Alexander, Alabama

Seattle Seahawks

2001: 309-1,318-14

2002: 295-1,175-16

2003: 326-1,435-14

2004: 353-1,696-16

2005: 370-1,880-27

—-

Rudi Johnson, Auburn

Cincinnati Bengals

2004: 361-1,454-12

2005: 337-1,458-12

2006: 341-1,309-12

—-

Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, Etowah High School, Auburn

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2005: 290-1,178-6

—-

Ronnie Brown, Auburn

Miami Dolphins

2006: 241-1,008-5

—-

Eddie Lacy, Alabama

Green Bay Packers

2013: 284-1,178-11

2014: 246-1,139-9

—-

Mark Ingram, Alabama

New Orleans Saints

2016: 205-1,043-6

2017: 230-1,124-12

Baltimore Ravens

2019: 202-1,018-10

—-

Jordan Howard, Gardendale High School, UAB

Chicago Bears

2016: 252-1,313-6

2017: 276-1,122-7

—-

Derrick Henry, Alabama

Tennessee Titans

2018: 215-1,059-12

2019: 303-1,540-16

2020: 378-2,027-17

2022: 349-1,538-13

2023: 280-1,167-12

2024: 158-1,010-10 (at time of reaching 1,000 yards in the ninth game)

—-

Josh Jacobs, Alabama

Oakland Raiders

2019: 242-1,150-7

2020: 273-1,065-12

2022: 340-1,653-12

—-

Najee Harris, Alabama

Pittsburgh Steelers

2021: 307-1,200-7

2022: 272-1,034-7

2023: 255-1,035-8

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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‘Venom 3′ chomps box office again; new Tom Hanks flick stumbles

“Venom: The Last Dance” enjoyed another weekend at the top of the box office. The Sony release starring Tom Hardy added $26.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It was a relatively quiet weekend for North American movie theaters leading up to the presidential election. Charts were dominated by big studio holdovers, like “Venom 3,” “The Wild Robot” and “Smile 2,” while audiences roundly rejected the Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Robert Zemeckis reunion “Here.” Thirty years after “Forrest Gump,” “Here” opened to only $5 million from 2,647 locations.

“Venom 3″ only fell 49% in its second weekend, which is a notably small drop for a superhero film, though it didn’t exactly open like one either. In two weeks, the movie has made over $90 million domestically; The first two opened to over $80 million. Globally, the picture is brighter given that it has already crossed the $300 million threshold.

Meanwhile, Universal and Illumination’s “The Wild Robot” continues to attract moviegoers even six weeks in (and when it’s available by video on demand), placing second with $7.6 million. That’s up 11% from last weekend. The animated charmer has made over $121 million in North America and $269 million worldwide.

“‘The Wild Robot’ has quietly been this absolute juggernaut for the fall season,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “For that film to see an increase after six weeks is astounding.”

“Smile 2″ landed in third place with $6.8 million, helping to push its worldwide total to $109.7 million.

The time-hopping “Here,” a graphic novel that was adapted by “Forrest Gump” screenwriter Eric Roth, was financed by Miramax and distributed by Sony’s TriStar. With a fixed position camera, it takes audiences through the years in one living room. Critics were not on board: In aggregate it has a lousy 36% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“It was a slow weekend anyway, but it didn’t resonate in a way that many thought it might,” Dergarabedian said. “There are a lot of films out there for the audience that ‘Here’ was chasing.”

Despite playing in almost 1,000 more locations, “Here” came in behind Focus Features’ papal thriller “Conclave,” which earned $5.3 million. Playing in 1,796 theaters, “Conclave” dropped only 20% from its debut last weekend and has made $15.2 million so far. Two Indian films also cracked the top 10 in their debuts, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3″ and “Singham Again.”

Overall box office continues to lag behind 2023 by almost 12%. But holiday moviegoing will likely give the industry an end-of-year boost with titles like “Gladiator II” and “Wicked” on the way.

“In a couple of weeks, it’ll get a lot more competitive,” Dergarabedian said.

Jesse Eisenberg’s film “A Real Pain,” a comedic drama about cousins on a Holocaust tour in Poland, launched in four theaters this weekend in New York and Los Angeles. It made an estimated $240,000, or $60,000 per screen, which is among the top three highest per theater averages of the year. Searchlight Pictures will be expanding the well-reviewed film nationwide in the coming weeks, going wide on Nov. 15 to over 800 theaters.

Box office charts don’t always paint a full picture of the moviegoing landscape, however. This weekend several relatively high-profile films playing in theaters did not report full grosses for various reasons, including the Clint Eastwood film “Juror #2,” Steve McQueen’s WWII film “Blitz” and the Cannes darling “Emilia Pérez.” Netflix, which is handling “Emilia Pérez,” never reports box office. Apple Original Films is following suit with “Blitz,” a likely awards contender, which is in theaters before hitting Apple TV+ on Nov. 22.

“Juror No. 2″ is a Warner Bros. release, and a well-reviewed one at that. The film directed by Eastwood stars Nicholas Hoult as a juror on a murder case who faces a big moral dilemma. Domestic ticket sales were withheld. The studio did say that it earned $5 million from international showings, where it played on 1,348 screens.

Even major studios withhold box office numbers occasionally. Earlier this year, Disney did not report on the Daisy Ridley movie “Young Woman and the Sea.” Results were most notably withheld during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s really up to the distributors,” Dergarabedian said. “Often times the reason that certain movies may not be reported is that there’s a chance that the quality of the movie will be conflated with the box office number.”

Final domestic figures will be released Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, were:

1. “Venom: The Last Dance,” $26.1 million.

2. “The Wild Robot,” $7.6 million.

3. “Smile 2,” $6.8 million.

4. “Conclave,” $5.3 million.

5. “Here,” $5 million.

6. “We Live In Time,” $3.5 million.

7. “Terrifier 3,” $3.4 million.

8. “Singham Again,” $2.1 million.

9. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” $2.1 million.

10. “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3,” $2.1 million.

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Trump jokes about reporters being shot at rally: ‘I don’t mind that so much’

Donald Trump gave a profane and conspiracy-laden speech two days before the presidential election, talking about reporters being shot and suggesting he “shouldn’t have left” the White House after his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

In remarks Sunday that bore no resemblance to his standard speech in the campaign’s closing stretch, the former president repeatedly cast doubt on the integrity of the vote and resurrected old grievances about being prosecuted after trying to overturn his defeat four years ago. Trump intensified his verbal attacks against a “grossly incompetent” national leadership and the American media, steering his Pennsylvania rally at one point on to the topic of violence against members of the press.

The GOP nominee for the White House noted the ballistic glass placed in front of him at events after a gunman’s assassination attempt in July at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and Trump talked about places where he saw openings in that protection.

“I have this piece of glass here,” he said. “But all we have really over here is the fake news. And to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. And I don’t mind that so much.”

It was the second time in recent days that Trump has talked about guns being pointed at people he considers enemies after he suggested former Rep. Liz Cheney, a prominent Republican critic, wouldn’t be willing to support foreign wars if she had “nine barrels shooting at her.”

His remarks also reflect that with less than 48 hours before Election Day, Trump continues to promote falsehoods about elections and argue that he can only lose to Democrat Kamala Harris if he is cheated, even though polls suggest a tight race.

Some of his allies, notably former chief strategist Steve Bannon, have encouraged him to prematurely declare victory on Tuesday even if the race is too early to call. That’s what Trump did four years ago, kicking off a process of fighting the election results that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

His campaign later sought to clarify his meaning in talking about the media.

“President Trump was brilliantly talking about the two assassination attempts on his own life, including one that came within 1/4 of an inch from killing him, something that the Media constantly talks and jokes about,” campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement. “The President’s statement about protective glass placement has nothing to do with the Media being harmed, or anything else.”

Harris, meanwhile, told a Michigan church congregation on Sunday that God offers America a “divine plan strong enough to heal division,”

The two major candidates offered starkly different tones with the campaign almost at an end, as Harris said voters can reject “chaos, fear and hate.”

She was concentrating on Michigan, beginning the day with a few hundred parishioners at Detroit’s Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ. It marked the fourth consecutive Sunday that Harris, who is Baptist, has spoken to a Black congregation, a reflection of how critical Black voters are across multiple battleground states.

“I see faith in action in remarkable ways,” she said in remarks that quoted the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. “I see a nation determined to turn the page on hate and division and chart a new way forward. As I travel, I see Americans from so-called red states and so-called blue states who are ready to bend the arc of history toward justice.”

She never mentioned Trump, though she’s certain to return to her more conventional partisan speech in stops later Sunday. But Harris did tell her friendly audience that “there are those who seek to deepen division, sow hate, spread fear and cause chaos.” The election and “this moment in our nation,” she continued, “has to be about so much more than partisan politics. It must be about the good work we can do together.”

Harris finished her remarks in about 11 minutes — starting and ending during Trump’s roughly 90-minute speech at a chilly outdoor rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump usually veers from subject to subject, a discursive style he has labeled “the weave.” But outside the Lancaster airport, he went on long tangents and hardly mentioned his usual points on the economy, immigration and rote criticisms of Harris.

Trump also referred to John Bolton, his former national security adviser and now a strident critic, as a “dumb son of a b—.” And he repeated familiar and debunked theories about voter fraud, alleging that Democrats could only win by cheating. Public polls indicate a tight and competitive race across the battleground states that will determine the Electoral College outcome.

“It’s a crooked country,” Trump said. “And we’re going to make it straight. We’re going to make it straight.”

Harris pushed back at Trump’s characterizations of U.S. elections, telling reporters after the church service that Trump’s comments are “meant to distract from the fact that we have and support free and fair elections in our country.” Those “good systems” were in place in 2020, Harris said, and “he lost.”

The vice president said she trusts the upcoming vote tally and urged voters, “in particular people who have not yet voted to not fall for this tactic, which I think includes, suggesting to people that if they vote, their vote won’t matter.”

Separately, the vice president tacitly acknowledged the significant population of Arab Americans in Michigan, and that community’s voters who are angry at the Biden administration for its continuation of the U.S. alliance with Israel amid the Netanyahu government’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

“I have been very clear that the level of death of innocent Palestinians is unconscionable,” Harris told reporters Sunday after the church service. “We need to end the war, and we need to get the hostages out. And as president of the United States, I will do everything in my power to achieve that end.”

Trump, for his part, acknowledged that he was sidestepping his usual approach with his conspiratorial speech. He repeatedly mentioned how he disregarded the advice of his aides, telling their side of the story in a mocking voice and insisting that he had to talk about election fraud.

Co-campaign manager Susie Wiles, long credited with bringing order to Trump’s often-chaotic political operation, watched the former president silently from off stage.

Trump at one point suggested that he wouldn’t deliver this version of his speech again: “I hope you’ve enjoyed this,” he said, “because I’m only doing this one time.”

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‘Dawson’s Creek’ star reveals cancer diagnosis: ‘There’s reason for optimism’

James Van Der Beek, the star of “Dawson’s Creek” and “Varsity Blues,” told People he has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

“I have colorectal cancer,” he told People. “I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.”

He added, “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”

Read the full People story.

According to the American Cancer Society’s website, colorectal cancer starts in the colon or the rectum. “These cancers can also be called colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where they start,” the website says. “Colon cancer and rectal cancer are often grouped together because they have many features in common.” Learn more.

Van Der Beek, 47, is best known for playing Dawson Leery on The WB’s popular 1990s/2000s teen drama series “Dawson’s Creek” on which he costarred with Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson.

On the heels of his “Dawson’s Creek” fame and popularity, he landed several film roles including 1998′s “Varsity Blues” in which his played small-town high school football star quarterback Jonathan “Mox” Moxon.

He also appeared as a heightened version of himself on the ABC sitcom “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.” He also starred as FBI Agent Elijah Mundo on “CSI: Cyber” and as Matt Bromley on the FX drama “Pose.”

Other film roles include “The Rules of Attraction,” “Texas Rangers” and “Angus.”

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Quarterback Bo Nix turns into a receiver for the Denver Broncos

In his first eight NFL games, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw eight touchdown passes. In his ninth game, he caught one.

With the Broncos facing fourth-and-goal at the Baltimore Ravens 2-yard line while trailing 10-0 in the second quarter, Denver coach Sean Payton decided to go for it for the third time in the game. The Broncos had failed to convert on their first two fourth-down attempts on Sunday, but Payton had a special call this time.

Nix handed off to running back Javonte Williams, who lateraled the football to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Sutton threw to Nix, who came down with a contested catch at the goal line for a touchdown with 7:15 remaining in the first half. Nix made the reception against safety Marcus Williams.

Sutton has completed all four of his passes during his NFL career, but Sunday’s throw was the first that produced a touchdown.

A former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn standout, Nix joined the Broncos as the 12th selection in the NFL Draft on April 25. He has been Denver’s starting quarterback in every game this season.

While playing for Oregon in 2022, Nix caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from running back Bucky Irving in a 49-10 victory over Colorado on Nov. 5.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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