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NEW YORK (AP) — There's no place like home for the holidays. And that may not necessarily be a good thing. In the wake of the very contentious and divisive 2024 presidential election, the upcoming celebration of Thanksgiving and the ramp-up of the winter holiday season could be a boon for some — a respite from the events of the larger world in the gathering of family and loved ones. Hours and even days spent with people who have played the largest roles in our lives. Another chapter in a lifetime of memories. That's one scenario. For others, that same period — particularly because of the polarizing presidential campaign — is something to dread. There is the likelihood of disagreements, harsh words, hurt feelings and raised voices looming large. Those who make a study of people and their relationships to each other in an increasingly complex 21st-century say there are choices that those with potentially fraught personal situations can make — things to do and things to avoid — that could help them and their families get through this time with a minimum of open conflict and a chance at getting to the point of the holidays in the first place. DO assess honestly where you are with it all For those who feel strongly about the election's outcome, and know that the people they would be spending the holiday feel just as strongly in the other direction, take the time to honestly assess if you're ready to spend time together in THIS moment, barely a few weeks after Election Day — and a time when feelings are still running high. The answer might be that you're not, and it might be better to take a temporary break, says Justin Jones-Fosu, author of “I Respectfully Disagree: How to Have Difficult Conversations in a Divided World.” “You have to assess your own readiness,” he says, “Each person is going be very different in this.” He emphasizes that it's not about taking a permanent step back. “Right now is that moment that we’re talking about because it’s still so fresh. Christmas may be different.” DON’T miss the bigger picture of what the holiday is all about Keep focused on why why you decided to go in the first place, Jones-Fosu says. Maybe it’s because there’s a relative there you don’t get to see often, or a loved one is getting up in age, or your kids want to see their cousins. Keeping that reason in mind could help you get through the time. DO set boundaries If you decide getting together is the way to go, but you know politics is still a dicey subject, set a goal of making the holiday a politics-free zone and stick with it, says Karl Pillemer, a professor at Cornell University whose work includes research on family estrangement. “Will a political conversation change anyone’s mind?" he says. “If there is no possibility of changing anyone’s mind, then create a demilitarized zone and don’t talk about it.” DON’T take the bait Let’s be honest. Sometimes, despite best efforts and intentions to keep the holiday gathering politics- and drama-free, there’s someone who’s got something to say and is going to say it. In that case, avoid getting drawn into it, says Tracy Hutchinson, a professor in the graduate clinical mental health counseling program at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. “Not to take the hook is one of the most important things, and it is challenging,” she says. After all, you don’t have to go to every argument you’re invited to. DO think about what will happen after the holiday If you risk getting caught up in the moment, consider engaging in what Pillemer calls “forward mapping.” This involves thinking medium and long term rather than just about right now — strategy rather than tactics. Maybe imagine yourself six months from now looking back on the dinner and thinking about the memories you'd want to have. “Think about how you would like to remember this holiday,” he says. “Do you want to remember it with your brother and sister-in-law storming out and going home because you’ve had a two-hour argument?” DON'T feel you have to be there uninterrupted Things getting intense? Defuse the situation. Walk away. And it doesn't have to be in a huff. Sometimes a calm and collected time out is just what you — and the family — might need. Says Hutchinson: “If they do start to do something like that, you could say, `I’ve got to make this phone call. I’ve got to go to the bathroom. I’m going to take a walk around the block.'" Deepti Hajela, The Associated PressGREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Ryan Forrest's 30 points led N.C. A&T over North Carolina Central 85-72 on Saturday. Forrest shot 12 of 18 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 7 from the line for the Aggies (4-10). Landon Glasper scored 25 points while going 7 of 17 from the floor, including 5 for 12 from 3-point range, and 6 for 6 from the line. Jahnathan Lamothe went 3 of 7 from the field (1 for 4 from 3-point range) to finish with nine points, while adding eight rebounds. The Aggies stopped an eight-game skid with the win. Po'Boigh King finished with 21 points for the Eagles (6-10). Keishon Porter added 11 points and seven rebounds for North Carolina Central. Dionte Johnson also recorded 11 points. N.C. A&T took the lead with 1:28 remaining in the first half and never looked back. The score was 46-39 at halftime, with Glasper racking up 18 points. Forrest scored 18 points in the second half to help lead the way as N.C. A&T went on to secure a victory, outscoring North Carolina Central by six points in the second half. NEXT UP Up next for N.C. A&T is a matchup Thursday with Elon at home. North Carolina Central hosts Saint Andrews (NC) on Tuesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’: Will There Be a Season 2? Everything We Know So FarNORTH SOUND, Antigua (AP) — Bangladesh trailed the West Indies by 224 runs with only three second-innings wickets in hand at stumps on the fourth day Monday of the first cricket test. Set 333 to win, Bangladesh faltered and was 109-7 at stumps on a day in which 17 wickets fell, 14 to fast bowlers. Jaker Ali was 15 not out when bad light stopped play for the third day in a row. He shared a 43-run partnership with Mehidy Hasan Miraz (45) heading towards stumps, which briefly fanned Bangladesh hopes of taking the match well into the final day. But Mehidy was out four overs from the end and, with his departure, the tourists’ brave fightback on the fourth day finally was extinguished. Kemar Roach led the way for the West Indies with 3-20 and Jayden Seales took 3-31. Roach dismissed Zakir Hasan (0), Shahadat Hossain (4) and Mominul Haque (11) to leave the Bangladesh innings in tatters at 23-4. Mehidy revived the innings in partnerships of 36 with Litton Das (22) and 43 with Jaker. Seales struck to remove Mehidy and Taijul Islam close to stumps to leave the West Indies poised for victory. Earlier, the West Indies had to stifle a determined comeback from Bangladesh, which surprisingly declared at its overnight total of 269-9, conceding a first-innings lead of 181 runs. RELATED COVERAGE What is the IPL auction and who are the main players? India routs Australia by 295 runs to complete comeback in 1st test Rishabh Pant becomes the most expensive cricketer in IPL history Taskin Ahmed then took his first five-wicket bag in tests as West Indies was bowled out for 152 in just over 46 overs. The right-armer, playing in his 16th test, took a career-best 6-64 as Bangladesh kept the West Indies lead below 350. Taskin showed the value of bowling line and length on a fourth-day pitch at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium as he ran through the West Indies lineup in the second session. The West Indies went to lunch at 61-3, in a strong position to make its overall lead formidable. Taskin dismissed Mikyle Louis (8) and Keacy Carty (3) in the first session, then came into his own by taking four more wickets as the West Indies was bowled out just on tea. “It’s very special to me, my first five-wicket haul in test cricket,” Taskin said. “I’ve had a few opportunities but I didn’t make that five before. “In the first innings I thought I bowled OK but I learned from the first innings what lengths and lines are good here and I tried to bowl consistently.” Taskin’s massive effort was squandered when Bangladesh lost Zakir Hasan (0) to the fifth ball of its second innings and Mahmadul Hasan Joy (6) three overs later. Roach also bowled exacting line and length to remove Shahadat and Mominul, leaving Bangladesh four down in only the 13th over. “The communication was good. Once we started well with the ball and got a couple of wickets at the front, we knew we would be in the game for the rest of the day, so I think we all expressed ourselves well today,” Roach said. He said the West Indies had a game plan. “Just make it as tough for them as possible, control the run rate, and hit the areas and challenge the batsmen, was a simple plan,” Roach said. “And I think we did that exceptionally.” The 17 wickets that fell on Monday were a record for a single day in a test match at Antigua. ___ AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

All the signs Michelle Keegan was pregnant with first child - from hiding bump to cosy nights in

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Saquon Barkley closed in on Eric Dickerson's all-time NFL rushing record, the Indianapolis Colts suffered a devastating defeat to the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills crushed Aaron Rodgers' New York Jets on the penultimate Sunday of the regular season... Dallas Cowboys 7-41 Philadelphia Eagles Barkley rushed for 167 yards to top 2,000 on the season, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett ran and threw for scores before departing with injured ribs, and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title by routing the Dallas Cowboys 41-7. Barkley has 2,005 yards and needs 101 in next week's regular-season finale to top Eric Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The Eagles (13-3) led 24-7 in the third quarter when Pickett was drilled by defensive end Micah Parsons, ending his first start in place of the concussed Jalen Hurts. Tanner McKee, a career third-stringer, entered the game and the Eagles finished the drive with a field goal. McKee later threw two touchdown passes, a 20-yarder to A.J. Brown and a 25-yarder to DeVonta Smith, in front of a roaring crowd delighted to watch the Eagles dominate their fiercest rival to wrap up the division title and at least the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Trending Hurts was injured in last week's loss at Washington and remains in the NFL's concussion protocol - he didn't practice all week - which opened the door for Pickett to start. New York Jets 14-40 Buffalo Bills Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score as the Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the unravelling New York Jets. Also See: NFL schedule Stream the NFL with NOW Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp! Subscribe to Inside the Huddle podcast The Bills put the game away by capitalising on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo's defense forced three takeaways overall and sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, including a two-yard loss for a safety in the second quarter. Allen had a short and efficient outing, finishing 16 of 27 for 182 yards with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper and a 14-yarder to Keon Coleman before giving way to backup Mitchell Trubisky with Buffalo leading 33-0 through three quarters. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Trubisky piled on by completing a 69-yard touchdown pass to practice squad call-up Tyrell Shavers 2:23 into the fourth quarter. Allen's two-touchdown passing outing was the 64th of his career to match Peyton Manning for the third most in a player's first seven NFL seasons. Patrick Mahomes holds the record with 67 two-touchdown outings in that span, followed by Dan Marino's 65. Allen also became the NFL's first player with five consecutive 40-touchdown seasons, while his one-yard score was the 65th rushing touchdown of his career, matching the team record held by Thurman Thomas. Indianapolis Colts 33-45 New York Giants Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The New York Giants snapped a franchise-record 10-game losing streak and ended the Indianapolis Colts' slim playoff hopes as Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and ran for another in a 45-33 victory. New York earned its first home win of the season and it no longer has control of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Lock sandwiched touchdown passes of 31 and 59 yards to Malik Nabers around touchdown passes of 32 yards to Darius Slayton and five yards to Wan'Dale Robinson in leading the Giants (3-13) to their first win since beating Seattle on October 6. Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a 100-yard return on the second-half kickoff on a day the league's worst offense set a season high for points. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Jonathan Taylor scored on runs of three and 26 yards for Indianapolis (7-9), while Joe Flacco, subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Alec Pierce and seven yards to Michael Pittman, the last bringing the Colts within 35-33 with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter. Lock, who finished 17 of 23 for 309 yards, iced the game by leading a nine-play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a five-yard run. Nabers finished with seven catches for a career-high 171 yards. Las Vegas Raiders 25-10 New Orleans Saints Aidan O'Connell passed for two touchdowns, tight end Brock Bowers broke two rookie NFL records, and the Las Vegas Raiders won for just the fourth time this season as they beat the New Orleans Saints 25-10. Bowers' seven catches for 77 yards gave him 108 receptions for 1,144 yards this season, eclipsing Mike Ditka's 1961 rookie tight end mark of 1,067 yards receiving and Puka Nacua's 2023 mark of 105 catches by a rookie at any position. Bowers also surpassed Darren Waller's franchise mark of 107 receptions in a season, which had stood since 2020. Ameer Abdullah rushed for 115 yards for the Raiders (4-12) - the journeyman running back's first 100-yard game in his 10 NFL seasons. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player O'Connell finished with 242 yards passing, including a three-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers and an 18-yarder to Tre Tucker. Daniel Carlson kicked four field goals - his longest from 54 yards - for the Raiders, who didn't look fazed by flight delays on Saturday that got them into their hotel after midnight, less than 12 hours before kickoff. Spencer Rattle, playing in place of the injured Derek Carr completed 20 of 36 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. Carolina Panthers 14-48 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baker Mayfield threw for 359 yards and five touchdowns to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers keep their division and playoff hopes alive with a 48-14 rout of the Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay's fifth win in the past six weeks nudged the first-place Bucs (9-7) a half-game ahead of Atlanta for the best record in the NFC South, with the Falcons set to play on the road later on Sunday night at Washington. Atlanta holds the tiebreaker in the division race and can end Tampa Bay's three-year reign as NFC South champions by beating the Commanders and winning again next week at home against the last-place Panthers (4-12). Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Mayfield threw touchdown passes of two and one yards to Mike Evans, and Tampa Bay produced points on five straight first-half possessions to build a 27-7 lead. Jalen McMillan scored on receptions of 10 and 16 yards, linebacker J.J. Russell returned a blocked punt for a third-quarter touchdown and rookie Bucky Irving had another big game against Carolina with 120 yards rushing on 20 carries and four receptions for 77 yards. Irving went over 1,000 yards for the season (1,033) despite primarily being used as a backup to Rachaad White. The fourth-round draft pick ran for 152 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries against the NFL's 32nd-ranked run defense in Tampa Bay's 26-23 overtime win at Carolina on December 1. Tennessee Titans 13-20 Jacksonville Jaguars Mac Jones threw two touchdown passes, including one to standout rookie Brian Thomas Jr., as the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 20-13 in the rain to sweep the season series for the fourth time in 30 years. Jones completed 15 of 22 passes for 174 yards, with most of them going to Thomas, who had seven receptions for 91 yards. The first-round draft pick's 11-yard touchdown catch with 7:05 remaining gave him his eighth game with at least 60 yards and a score, tying him with Hall of Famer Randy Moss for the most by a rookie in NFL history. Thomas, who has five touchdown catches in his past four games, also became the fifth player in Jaguars history with double-digit touchdown receptions in a single season. He joined Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marcedes Lewis and Reggie Williams. The Titans (3-13) improved their position for the 2025 NFL draft - a potential chance to land a franchise quarterback - and secured last place in the AFC South. Jacksonville looked as if it might make it a blowout, but coach Doug Pederson's team settled for field goals while building a 13-0 lead early. The Titans got back in it with an 85-yard drive to start the second half, which ended with Mason Rudolph's eight-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Nick Vannett.

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