usatoday--2020-12-22--Kevin Durant opens up about leaving Warriors for Nets, doesn't blame Warriors for injury

Nearly 18 months have passed for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant both to fully rehab a ruptured Achilles tendon and face the Golden State Warriors for the first time since leaving as a free agent .
So with the Nets facing the Warriors during NBA ’ s opening night on Tuesday , Durant offered more clarity to two topics that have followed him since his departure .
After winning two NBA titles and two Finals MVP 's in three appearances with the Warriors , did Durant leave an All-Star studded team for Brooklyn so he could prove he could win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t about me trying to go to the Nets to prove I can make my own , '' Durant said Monday on a conference call .
`` Whatever the hell that means . ''
After rupturing his right Achilles against the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals , does Durant fault the Warriors ’ training staff after they treated a previously strained right calf that sidelined him the previous nine games ?
`` Injuries happen in this league , '' Durant said .
`` I had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t blame that on anybody . ''
OFFSEASON GRADES : Who set themselves up for a big season ?
IN SILVER 'S WORDS : Commish explains why NBA is starting new season amid pandemic NBA 'S TOUGHEST JOB : Nash has a lot on his plate with Nets Those two topics have varying layers and nuance that has fascinated both Warriors and NBA fans .
Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 for the Warriors in hopes of winning an NBA title with All-Star talent ( Stephen Curry , Klay Thompson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Though Durant accomplished that goal , he faced criticism for joining a star-studded team that beat the Thunder in the 2016 playoffs .
Though the Warriors often credited Durant for remaining one of the NBA ’ s best players while complementing his All-Star teammates , Durant became more withdrawn during his final season amid speculation about his pending free agency .
Those tensions emerged when Green and Durant had an on-court argument at the end of an early regular-season game about the execution of a final play .
Still , Durant maintained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proving he could win an NBA title elsewhere .
`` Everything I ‘ ve been a part of is my own .
Every team I ’ ve been a part of I left my mark on each team and I stamped what I bring to the table .
I never looked at it as just mine , '' Durant said .
`` I don ’ t look at the Nets as mine .
It ’ s our team .
From the fans to the owners to the players , it ’ s our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff also faced criticism after Durant ruptured his Achilles in the NBA Finals .
Nets coach Steve Nash , who had worked as the Warriors ’ player development consultant , described the organization as `` heartbroken . ''
Following Game 5 , Warriors general manager Bob Myers sat at a podium fighting back tears and saying that he took blame for Durant ’ s injury .
`` They really do put family and people before basketball in that organization .
So Kevin wanting to play and wanting to compete , they wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nash said .
`` But they also know there ’ s a risk .
They were heartbroken when that risk came to life . ''
Yet , they Warriors did not make that decision hastily .
The Warriors ’ front office , training staff , coach Steve Kerr , Durant , his business manager ( Rich Kleiman ) and Durant ’ s outside doctors all signed off on the organization ’ s decision to let him play .
Dr. Rick Celebrini , the Warriors ’ director of sports medicine and performance , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to manage their injuries cautiously .
`` They have an incredible medical staff .
They ’ ve had a rash of injuries that have really unlucky , '' said Nash , who worked with Celebrini and often credited him for playing 19 NBA seasons .
`` People can look to point fingers .
But you can ’ t control for everything in professional sports .
`` So it was an awful scenario where they ’ re at the end of the road and are at the NBA Finals , Kevin comes back from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tears his Achilles injury .
But I think people made the assumption that it was the calf that led to the Achilles [ injury ] .
Maybe in the end , it did .
But with three medical opinions and probably a 100 years or more of medical experience , that is not the history of that injury .
It ’ s not a calf tear that turns into an Achilles rupture .
It just looks like that from the outside .
So a lot of it is bad luck . ''
Nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healed .
Yet , he maintained he will not have any extra emotions facing his former team .
`` Playing against old teammates never really ratcheted me up .
I always felt like I was on that level no matter who is on the floor .
I feel like each game is important to me , '' Durant said .
`` It ’ ll be good to see some of my old teammates and be good to play against them and good to see some of the people I worked with in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than that . ''

Kevin Durant opens up about leaving Warriors for Nets, doesn't blame Warriors for injury
Show Caption Hide Caption NBA bold predictions: Can LeBron James win MVP at age 36? SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Mark Medina and Jeff Zillgitt make some bold predictions for what should be an unprecedented and unpredictable 2020-21 season. SportsPulse, USA TODAY
Nearly 18 months have passed for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant both to fully rehab a ruptured Achilles tendon and face the Golden State Warriors for the first time since leaving as a free agent.
So with the Nets facing the Warriors during NBA’s opening night on Tuesday, Durant offered more clarity to two topics that have followed him since his departure.
After winning two NBA titles and two Finals MVP's in three appearances with the Warriors, did Durant leave an All-Star studded team for Brooklyn so he could prove he could win elsewhere with Kyrie Irving?
"It wasn’t about me trying to go to the Nets to prove I can make my own," Durant said Monday on a conference call. "Whatever the hell that means."
After rupturing his right Achilles against the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, does Durant fault the Warriors’ training staff after they treated a previously strained right calf that sidelined him the previous nine games?
"Injuries happen in this league," Durant said. "I had a tough one. But I wouldn’t blame that on anybody."
OFFSEASON GRADES: Who set themselves up for a big season?
IN SILVER'S WORDS: Commish explains why NBA is starting new season amid pandemic
NBA'S TOUGHEST JOB: Nash has a lot on his plate with Nets
Those two topics have varying layers and nuance that has fascinated both Warriors and NBA fans.
Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 for the Warriors in hopes of winning an NBA title with All-Star talent (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green) and a team-oriented culture. Though Durant accomplished that goal, he faced criticism for joining a star-studded team that beat the Thunder in the 2016 playoffs.
Though the Warriors often credited Durant for remaining one of the NBA’s best players while complementing his All-Star teammates, Durant became more withdrawn during his final season amid speculation about his pending free agency. Those tensions emerged when Green and Durant had an on-court argument at the end of an early regular-season game about the execution of a final play.
Still, Durant maintained his departure had nothing to do with proving he could win an NBA title elsewhere.
"Everything I‘ve been a part of is my own. Every team I’ve been a part of I left my mark on each team and I stamped what I bring to the table. I never looked at it as just mine," Durant said. "I don’t look at the Nets as mine. It’s our team. From the fans to the owners to the players, it’s our team."
The Warriors’ medical staff also faced criticism after Durant ruptured his Achilles in the NBA Finals. Nets coach Steve Nash, who had worked as the Warriors’ player development consultant, described the organization as "heartbroken." Following Game 5, Warriors general manager Bob Myers sat at a podium fighting back tears and saying that he took blame for Durant’s injury.
"They really do put family and people before basketball in that organization. So Kevin wanting to play and wanting to compete, they wanted to support him in doing that," Nash said. "But they also know there’s a risk. They were heartbroken when that risk came to life."
Yet, they Warriors did not make that decision hastily.
The Warriors’ front office, training staff, coach Steve Kerr, Durant, his business manager (Rich Kleiman) and Durant’s outside doctors all signed off on the organization’s decision to let him play. Dr. Rick Celebrini, the Warriors’ director of sports medicine and performance, had often stressed to Durant and other players to manage their injuries cautiously.
Can the NBA succeed without a bubble? SportsPulse: The NBA bubble in Orlando was without a doubt a success during the COVID pandemic. Now that the league is restarting outside a bubble can they conduct a season without a hitch? SportsPulse, USA TODAY
"They have an incredible medical staff. They’ve had a rash of injuries that have really unlucky," said Nash, who worked with Celebrini and often credited him for playing 19 NBA seasons. "People can look to point fingers. But you can’t control for everything in professional sports.
"So it was an awful scenario where they’re at the end of the road and are at the NBA Finals, Kevin comes back from a calf [injury] and disastrously tears his Achilles injury. But I think people made the assumption that it was the calf that led to the Achilles [injury]. Maybe in the end, it did. But with three medical opinions and probably a 100 years or more of medical experience, that is not the history of that injury. It’s not a calf tear that turns into an Achilles rupture. It just looks like that from the outside. So a lot of it is bad luck."
Nearly 1½ years later, Durant has finally healed. Yet, he maintained he will not have any extra emotions facing his former team.
"Playing against old teammates never really ratcheted me up. I always felt like I was on that level no matter who is on the floor. I feel like each game is important to me," Durant said. "It’ll be good to see some of my old teammates and be good to play against them and good to see some of the people I worked with in my time in Golden State. Nothing more than that."
Follow USA TODAY NBA writer Mark Medina on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


usatoday--2020-12-21--17 awesome last-minute gifts that will arrive before Christmas

— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed ’ s editors .
Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission .
With only a few days left until Christmas , it 's officially crunch time for those who still need to buy gifts before the holiday .
If this is you , you 've come to the right place .
The staff at Reviewed tests products all year long , and over the past couple of months , we 've been extremely busy recommending the best gifts you can buy in 2020 .
These top gifts include many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year along with top-rated items and things our editors personally own and love .
While you could default to gift cards and other gifts that do n't require shipping , we 've scoured the web to find out which top gifts that will ship before Christmas .
Below are 17 of the best gifts our staff recommends that you can still order .
Shipping times and product inventory is constantly changing , though , so be sure to check the fine print and order what you want now before it 's too late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for our weekly newsletter .
It ’ s free and you can unsubscribe at any time .
The Revlon hair dryer brush is arguably the most popular product and gift of 2020 .
Some good news : You can still order the gift of the year on Amazon and have it arrive before Christmas .
With 130,000 rave reviews on Amazon ( yes , 130,000 ) , it has achieved cult status in the world of beauty products—and it 's approved by our own experts .
Reviewed 's beauty writer , Jessica @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it absolutely does live up to the hype .
If this sounds like it could be a great gift for the person you 're shopping for , order it now before it 's too late !
On sale !
Get the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer on Amazon for $ 39.89 ( Save $ 20.10 ) The knit beanie from Carhartt has over 58,000 ( !
! )
rave reviews on Amazon , and it 's available to ship before Christmas .
If you 're shopping for someone who could use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoor apparel and workwear brand—this beanie is an excellent gift costing just under $ 17 .
Not every color will arrive before Christmas , so if you 're not into the solid black color , be sure to check the fine print before ordering .
Get the Carhartt Men 's Knit Cuffed Beanie from Amazon for $ 16.99 Pajamas are always a great gift because people rarely ever buy them for themselves .
Nordstrom sells pajamas that people—myself included—swear by .
They are the Moonlight Pajamas , and they have just about 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 're shopping for someone who would love pajamas , you 're in luck .
These will still arrive before Christmas if you order them now .
Get the Nordstrom Lingerie Moonlight Pajamas at Nordstrom for $ 65 After testing them , we found the Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask to be the best contoured sleep mask on the market .
Our tester said it 's `` like having personal blackout curtains for your eyes . ''
If you 're shopping for someone who needs their ( or could use more ! )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gift—and luckily , it will still arrive before Christmas .
Get the Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask at Amazon for $ 13.95 Apple ’ s AirPods Pro are the best true wireless earbuds our experts tested this year , and if you ’ re shopping for a lover of all things Apple , they would adore a pair of these .
Right now , you can get the coveted earbuds on sale for $ 199.99 at Target .
If these wo n't ship in time for you , if they 're in stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order them online and pick them up in-store .
No luck with Target ?
The AirPods Pro earbuds are still available at Best Buy as well to ship and pick up in-store if they 're available near you .
However , they are about $ 23 more at Best Buy than at Target , but that 's still lower than the regular price of $ 249.99 if you insist on grabbing a pair before Christmas .
• Get the Apple AirPods Pro at Target for $ 199.99 • Get the Apple AirPods Pro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person you ’ re shopping for is timeless , this Kate Spade pendant necklace could be the perfect gift—and it will arrive before Christmas if you order it now .
The necklace can be dressed up or down and is personalized with the initial of their first name displayed in the pendant .
This necklace has over 880 great reviews , so people clearly love it .
Not to mention , necklaces with initials on them are very much on-trend right now .
Get the Kate Spade one in a million initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doubling as home decor and personal comfort , throw blankets are truly a great gift for everyone .
This popular and top-rated blanket from Nordstrom will still arrive by Christmas with paid shipping—or if you live near a Nordstrom where it 's in stock , you may be able to pick it up at the store without paying for shipping at all .
It has a 5-star rating from over 1,900 reviews and is a favorite amongst Reviewed readers .
Get the Bliss Plush Throw at Nordstrom for $ 39.50 Barefoot Dreams , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comfortable CozyChic cardigan , sells a CozyChic blanket—and it will still arrive before Christmas if you order it from Nordstrom now .
While it 's pricier than the Bliss Plush Throw ( # 7 on this list ) , it 's a luxury blanket that we tried and love—and that celebrities ( including Chrissy Teigen ) are obsessed with , too .
This blanket keeps going out of stock , but right now , Nordstrom has it available in a variety of colors .
Act fast—both because it might sell out and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Get the Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Throw Blanket at Nordstrom for $ 147 If you pay for shipping before the cut-off date on Tuesday December 22—or you live near a Lululemon and can pick them up at the store—you can still buy an awesome gift from the athleisure retailer online that will arrive before Christmas .
One of those gifts happens to be what we consider Lululemon 's most comfortable leggings : the Aligns .
At a time where one 's work uniform may have transitioned from jeans to yoga pants , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give the gift of these leggings .
They are the most comfortable leggings I 've ever owned .
Even after numerous washes and years of ownership , they are still my favorite to wear for both workouts and lounging .
In fact , I refuse to wear any leggings except Align leggings now .
Pay attention to sizing , as you want to get the right pair for your giftee .
For example , I am 5 '' 2 and can wear the 25 '' leggings as pants .
• Get the Align @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 88 • Get the Align Pant II 25 '' from Lululemon for $ 98 The Nintendo Switch has been one of the hottest gifts of 2020 .
While they are quite hard to find—especially now , right before the holidays—you can still order the Switch Lite from Best Buy to arrive before Christmas .
You can also order for in-store pickup if it 's in stock at a store near you .
Get the Nintendo Switch Lite from Best Buy for $ 199.99 If you 're shopping for someone handy , there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multitool .
Not only do we love it at Reviewed , but the Leatherman Wave also has tons of great reviews , and it comes with a 25-year warranty .
This tool is still available to ship before Christmas Eve , or if possible , you can order it for pickup at a Home Depot near you .
Get the Leatherman Wave at Home Depot for $ 99.97 If they do n't own one already , an Apple Watch would be a fantastic gift for the one who is always on their iPhone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watch Series 6 and it is the best smartwatch we 've ever tried .
While the watch wo n't ship in time from Target ( you can check to see if you can get paid delivery in your area before Christmas ) , you may be able to pick it up in-store if it 's available near you .
On sale !
Get the Apple Watch Series 6 at Target for $ 349.99 ( Save $ 49.01 ) We love robot vacuums at Reviewed and so do our readers .
In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy over and over and over and over is robot vacuums .
The Eufy RoboVac 11s is the best affordable robot vacuum we ’ ve ever tested , and the iRobot Roomba i7+ is the best robot vacuum we 've tested across all price points .
Right now , you can still order both online to arrive before Christmas .
• On sale !
Get the Eufy RoboVac 11s on Amazon for $ 149.99 ( Save $ 80 ) • On sale !
Get the iRobot Roomba i7+ Robot Vacuum at Bed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Save $ 200 ) While Bose ’ s excellent Quiet Comfort headphones have owned the noise-canceling space for years , Sony is the new champ in town , topping our ratings .
Now widely regarded as the best all-around noise-canceling headphones you can get , the Sony 1000XM4s offer superb sound quality , cancel out ambient noise beautifully , and are supremely comfy for long flights , train rides , or just working at your desk .
They 're still available on Amazon to arrive before Christmas if you order now .
Get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon for $ 278 ( On sale !
Save $ 71.99 ) If you 're shopping for someone who loves home décor , you can never go wrong with a trendy candle as a gift .
My favorite candle is Capri Blue ’ s Volcano scent .
Not only do they smell amazing , but they come in chic jars that double as amazing home decor .
These candles are still available for both express and overnight orders ( and in-store pickup depending on availability near you ) if you order before 1pm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most gifts at Anthropologie , but check the fine print before you order because not everything is still available .
Luckily , though , Capri Blue candles are in stock—and also 30 % off !
On sale !
Get the Capri Blue Volcano Jar Candle from Anthropologie for $ 22.40 ( Save $ 9.60 ) If you 're shopping for someone who loves listening to music or podcasts , consider giving the gift of our favorite portable bluetooth speaker , the JBL Flip 5 speaker .
It 's the best portable Bluetooth speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waterproof , so it can be used anywhere , rain or shine .
Right now , not only is it on sale at Best Buy , but you can still get free shipping before Christmas depending on your location if you order ASAP .
On sale !
Get the JBL Flip 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker at Best Buy for $ 89.99 ( Save $ 30 ) If you 're looking to splurge on someone who loves coffee , look no further than the best drip coffee maker we 've tested at Reviewed : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a great cup of coffee , but its mid-century design also looks fantastic on countertops .
The best part ?
You can still order it on Amazon with delivery by Christmas .
On sale !
Get the Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer on Amazon for $ 299 The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered .
Follow Reviewed on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram for the latest deals , reviews , and more .
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time @

13 amazing gifts to order that will still arrive by Christmas
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
With only a few days left until Christmas, it's officially crunch time for those who still need to buy gifts before the holiday. If this is you, you've come to the right place. The staff at Reviewed tests products all year long, and over the past couple of months, we've been extremely busy recommending the best gifts you can buy in 2020. These top gifts include many of the amazing products we tested this year along with top-rated items and things our editors personally own and love.
While you could default to gift cards and other gifts that don't require shipping, we've scoured the web to find out which top gifts that will ship before Christmas. Below are 17 of the best gifts our staff recommends that you can still order. Shipping times and product inventory is constantly changing, though, so be sure to check the fine print and order what you want now before it's too late!
Need help finding products? Sign up for our weekly newsletter. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.
1. Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer
The Revlon hair dryer brush is arguably the most popular product and gift of 2020. Some good news: You can still order the gift of the year on Amazon and have it arrive before Christmas. With 130,000 rave reviews on Amazon (yes, 130,000), it has achieved cult status in the world of beauty products—and it's approved by our own experts. Reviewed's beauty writer, Jessica Kasparian, tested the hairdryer and found that it absolutely does live up to the hype. If this sounds like it could be a great gift for the person you're shopping for, order it now before it's too late!
On sale! Get the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer on Amazon for $39.89 (Save $20.10)
2. Nordstrom Moonlight Pajamas
Pajamas are always a great gift because people rarely ever buy them for themselves. Nordstrom sells pajamas that people—myself included—swear by. They are the Moonlight Pajamas, and they have just about 5 stars from over 1,300 reviews. If you're shopping for someone who would love pajamas, you're in luck. These will still arrive before Christmas if you order them now the paid shipping.
Get the Nordstrom Lingerie Moonlight Pajamas at Nordstrom for $65
3. Apple AirPods Pro
Apple’s AirPods Pro are the best true wireless earbuds our experts tested this year, and if you’re shopping for a lover of all things Apple, they would adore a pair of these. Right now, you can get the coveted earbuds on sale for $199.99 at Target. If these won't ship in time for you, if they're in stock at a Target near you, can order them online and pick them up in-store. No luck with Target? The AirPods Pro earbuds are still available at Best Buy as well to ship and pick up in-store if they're available near you. However, they are about $23 more at Best Buy than at Target, but that's still lower than the regular price of $249.99 if you insist on grabbing a pair before Christmas.
4. Kate Spade Pendant Necklace
If the person you’re shopping for is timeless, this Kate Spade pendant necklace could be the perfect gift—and it will arrive before Christmas if you order it now and pay extra for next day or two-day shipping. You can also order it online and pick it up in-store if it's available near you. The necklace can be dressed up or down and is personalized with the initial of their first name displayed in the pendant. This necklace has over 880 great reviews, so people clearly love it. Not to mention, necklaces with initials on them are very much on-trend right now.
Get the Kate Spade one in a million initial pendant necklace at Nordstrom for $58
5. Nordstrom Bliss Plush Throw
Doubling as home decor and personal comfort, throw blankets are truly a great gift for everyone. This popular and top-rated blanket from Nordstrom will still arrive by Christmas with paid shipping—or if you live near a Nordstrom where it's in stock, you may be able to pick it up at the store without paying for shipping at all. It has a 5-star rating from over 1,900 reviews and is a favorite amongst Reviewed readers.
Get the Bliss Plush Throw at Nordstrom for $39.50
6. Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Throw Blanket
Barefoot Dreams, the brand that makes the cult-favorite, comfortable CozyChic cardigan, sells a CozyChic blanket—and it will still arrive before Christmas if you order it from Nordstrom now and pay extra for fast shipping. While it's pricier than the Bliss Plush Throw (#7 on this list), it's a luxury blanket that we tried and love—and that celebrities (including Chrissy Teigen) are obsessed with, too. This blanket keeps going out of stock, but right now, Nordstrom has it available in a variety of colors. Act fast—both because it might sell out and in order for it to arrive before Christmas.
Get the Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Throw Blanket at Nordstrom for $147
7. Lululemon Align Leggings
If you live near a Lululemon, there's still time to order an awesome gift from the athleisure retailer online that you can pick up in-store in just about two hours. One of those gifts happens to be what we consider Lululemon's most comfortable leggings: the Aligns—and most Lululemon stores have a bunch of these pants in stock. At a time where one's work uniform may have transitioned from jeans to yoga pants, there has never been a better time to give the gift of these leggings. They are the most comfortable leggings I've ever owned. Even after numerous washes and years of ownership, they are still my favorite to wear for both workouts and lounging. In fact, I refuse to wear any leggings except Align leggings now. Pay attention to sizing, as you want to get the right pair for your giftee. For example, I am 5"2 and can wear the 25" leggings as pants.
8. Nintendo Switch Lite
The Nintendo Switch has been one of the hottest gifts of 2020. While they are quite hard to find—especially now, right before the holidays—you can still order the Switch Lite from Best Buy to arrive before Christmas. You can also order for in-store pickup if it's in stock at a store near you.
Get the Nintendo Switch Lite from Best Buy for $199.99
9. Leatherman Wave Multitool
If you're shopping for someone handy, there's still time to get them our top-tested multitool. Not only do we love it at Reviewed, but the Leatherman Wave also has tons of great reviews, and it comes with a 25-year warranty. This tool is still available to ship before Christmas Eve, or if possible, you can order it for pickup at a Home Depot near you.
Get the Leatherman Wave at Home Depot for $99.97
10. Apple Watch Series 6
If they don't own one already, an Apple Watch would be a fantastic gift for the one who is always on their iPhone. We tested the brand new Apple Watch Series 6 and it is the best smartwatch we've ever tried. While the watch won't ship in time from Target (you can check to see if you can get paid delivery in your area before Christmas), you may be able to pick it up in-store if it's available near you.
On sale! Get the Apple Watch Series 6 at Target for $349.99 (Save $49.01)
11. Robot Vacuum
We love robot vacuums at Reviewed and so do our readers. In fact, one of the things our readers continue to buy over and over and over and over is robot vacuums. The iRobot Roomba i7+ is the best robot vacuum we've ever tested, and right now, you can still order it for same-day delivery from Bed Bath & Beyond, depending on where you live, or you can pick it up in-store.
12. Sony Noise Canceling Headphones
While Bose’s excellent Quiet Comfort headphones have owned the noise-canceling space for years, Sony is the new champ in town, topping our ratings. Now widely regarded as the best all-around noise-canceling headphones you can get, the Sony 1000XM4s offer superb sound quality, cancel out ambient noise beautifully, and are supremely comfy for long flights, train rides, or just working at your desk. They're still available at Best Buy to arrive before Christmas if you order now.
On sale! Get the Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Headphones from Best Buy for $278 (Save $71.99)
13. Capri Blue Volcano Candles
If you're shopping for someone who loves home décor, you can never go wrong with a trendy candle as a gift. My favorite candle is Capri Blue’s Volcano scent. Not only do they smell amazing, but they come in chic jars that double as amazing home decor. These candles are still available for overnight shipping to arrive by Christmas, but you must order by Tues, Dec. 22, 11:59 PM PST. This is the case for most in-stock gifts at Anthropologie, but check the fine print before you order because not everything is still available. Luckily, though, Capri Blue candles are in stock—and also 30% off!
On sale! Get the Capri Blue Volcano Jar Candle from Anthropologie for $22.40 (Save $9.60)
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.


usatoday--2020-12-21--57,000-year-old wolf mummy found frozen in Canada, researchers study ancient pup's life

DES MOINES — A 57,000-year-old wolf mummy named Zhùr has researchers writing about the mysteries of her short puppy life .
The wolf pup was found perfectly preserved in permafrost in Yukon , Canada , according to a news release from Des Moines University .
The pup was named Zhùr , meaning ‘ wolf ’ in the Hän language , by the local Tr ’ ondëk Hwëch ’ in people .
The team 's findings were published Monday in the journal Current Biology .
`` She was found in the summer of 2016 , in July , by a gold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for gold by shooting a water cannon at these giant permafrost cliffs .
Instead of gold falling out , this little frozen puppy fell out , '' said Julie Meachen , an associate professor of anatomy at Des Moines University .
Meachen served as the lead author on the paper and co-lead researcher on the wolf mummy project .
Researchers from the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre and University of California Santa Cruz also contributed to studying the 57,000-year-old wolf mummy .
`` She is the most complete and the oldest mummy of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Meachen said .
`` It 's really rare , actually , to have these kind of mummies in North America .
They 're much more common from Siberia . ''
The approximately seven-week-old pup is believed to have died when her den collapsed and she was essentially `` freeze dried , '' Meachen explained .
An analysis of the pup 's genome showed she was descended `` from ancient wolves from Russia , Siberia , and Alaska , who are the ancestors of modern wolves as well , '' the release states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diet included fish .
`` The specimen holds special significance for the local Tr ’ ondëk Hwëch ’ in people , who have agreed to place Zhùr on display at the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre in Whitehorse , '' the news release said .
It 's every paleontologist 's dream to study a mummy as complete as Zhùr .
`` I mean , upon seeing her , I was so floored by how beautifully preserved she is , '' Meachen said .

57,000-year-old wolf mummy found frozen in Canada, researchers study ancient pup's life
Show Caption Hide Caption Pack of wolves visit a family's cabin in Montebello, Quebec Family captured on video a pack of wolves prowling around their cabin in Montebello, Quebec. USA TODAY, Storyful
DES MOINES — A 57,000-year-old wolf mummy named Zhùr has researchers writing about the mysteries of her short puppy life.
The wolf pup was found perfectly preserved in permafrost in Yukon, Canada, according to a news release from Des Moines University. The pup was named Zhùr, meaning ‘wolf’ in the Hän language, by the local Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people. The team's findings were published Monday in the journal Current Biology.
"She was found in the summer of 2016, in July, by a gold miner in the Yukon. They mine for gold by shooting a water cannon at these giant permafrost cliffs. Instead of gold falling out, this little frozen puppy fell out," said Julie Meachen, an associate professor of anatomy at Des Moines University. Meachen served as the lead author on the paper and co-lead researcher on the wolf mummy project.
Researchers from the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre and University of California Santa Cruz also contributed to studying the 57,000-year-old wolf mummy.
"She is the most complete and the oldest mummy of a wolf that has ever been found," Meachen said. "It's really rare, actually, to have these kind of mummies in North America. They're much more common from Siberia."
The approximately seven-week-old pup is believed to have died when her den collapsed and she was essentially "freeze dried," Meachen explained.
An analysis of the pup's genome showed she was descended "from ancient wolves from Russia, Siberia, and Alaska, who are the ancestors of modern wolves as well," the release states. Researchers also learned the pup's diet included fish.
"The specimen holds special significance for the local Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people, who have agreed to place Zhùr on display at the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre in Whitehorse," the news release said.
It's every paleontologist's dream to study a mummy as complete as Zhùr.
"I mean, upon seeing her, I was so floored by how beautifully preserved she is," Meachen said.
Follow Samantha Hernandez on Twitter at @svhernandez.


usatoday--2020-12-21--Make a tube sock snowman this holiday season

Christmas craft: tube sock snowman
Get crafty this holiday season with a tube sock snowman
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-22--West Point accuses more than 70 cadets of cheating, worst academic scandal since 1976

West Point accuses more than 70 cadets of cheating , worst academic scandal since 1976 More than 70 cadets are @ @ @ @ @ final exam .
West Point graduates become senior Army leaders .

West Point accuses more than 70 cadets in cheating scandal
More than 70 cadets are accused of cheating on a final exam. West Point graduates become senior Army leaders.
Staff Video, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-21--Attorney General Barr reaffirms stance, 'no basis' to investigate alleged voter fraud

Outgoing Attorney General William Barr says that he wo n't appoint a special counsel to look into President Trump 's @ @ @ @ @

2020 election: Barr sees 'no basis' to investigate alleged voter fraud
Outgoing Attorney General William Barr says that he won't appoint a special counsel to look into President Trump's claims of election fraud.
Staff Video, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-22--Opinion: Ravaged Pittsburgh Steelers are not built to rebound from this late-season collapse

Here ’ s an essential question that relates to Pittsburgh Steelers : How many panic buttons are too many ?
One panic button would not serve them justice , considering how this season has collapsed .
The Steelers lost 27-17 at Cincinnati on Monday night , and actually caught a break with the final score .
They couldn ’ t defeat a Bengals team ( 3-10-1 ) that is without its star rookie quarterback , its top running back and was a 14-point underdog .
The offense is a mess , punctuated by the struggles of Ben Roethlisberger .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by an assortment of injuries .
And the swag is way off-key .
It wasn ’ t too long ago when the Steelers were 11-0 , envisioning a finish in the Super Bowl LV winner ’ s circle that seemed so possible .
Now , with a third consecutive loss , LV is nothing more than a pipe dream .
The playoffs are still coming for Mike Tomlin ’ s team .
That much they earned with the 11 victories , while the AFC North title remains un-clinched .
This must be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFC playoffs .
Of course , it seems that only one team will be so lucky in January because Pittsburgh has one-and-done written all over it while riding out with yet another late-season collapse .
Sure , we ’ ve seen teams that barely make the playoffs get hot in January and take the momentum to a crown .
We ’ ve seen some legitimate contenders lay eggs with awful games in December , yet get it out of their system and wind up the biggest winners .
We ’ ve seen teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another that was supposed to doom them , make the corrections that gave them a fighting chance .
The Steelers don ’ t look like any of those teams .
2021 PRO BOWL : Chiefs , Packers , Ravens and Seahawks lead league with most selections Not with Roethlisberger , 38 , suddenly playing some of his worst football in years .
Big Ben , who never loses in his home state against the Bengals and Browns , helped seal Monday night 's loss with two of Pittsburgh 's three turnovers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17-0 halftime edge .
Go straight to Las Vegas if you saw Roethlisberger losing the quarterback matchup against Ryan Lindley .
No , Lindley didn ’ t exactly win a shootout .
The fill-in quarterback threw for just 89 yards .
But he didn ’ t throw a pick and he got the W. Roethlisberger ’ s night ( 20-for-38 for 170 yards , with a 62.4 efficiency rating ) came with an interception and a botched exchange on a snap that his team couldn ’ t afford .
It ’ s like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Buffalo and a terrible second-half against Washington in the previous two losses , has slipped to match the level of the unit as a whole .
He hasn ’ t had a consistent running game , his passing game targets lead the league in dropped passes and the blocking has been hazardous .
That ’ s trouble in multiple layers , although for much of the season Roethlisberger — not prone to escape like Patrick Mahomes , Aaron Rodgers or Lamar Jackson — has covered for some of the woes with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet still , as illustrated on Monday night , the Steelers are not built to come from behind .
And right now they aren ’ t even built to convert third downs .
They were 4-of-16 on third downs against the Bengals , which was , well , better than the 1-for-10 meter at Buffalo .
The Steelers defense leads the league in sacks , but it ’ s a different game when you ’ re trailing ... and can ’ t stop the run in part because the linebacker group has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the season-ending torn ACLs of Devin Bush and Bud Dupree .
January ’ s coming and in its current form Pittsburgh can ’ t match up against anybody , let alone the cream of the crop , Kansas City .
Yes , it ’ s 2020 and strange things happen .
But this season is a flush for the Steelers .
Maybe something good , though , will come out of the latest debacle .
Perhaps Tomlin , Roethlisberger , Cam Heyward or somebody will demand that JuJu Smith-Schuster cease and desist with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the logo of the opposing team .
The look-at-me performance might be cute to the kids on Tik-Tok , but it ’ s rather embarrassing for a grown man , a supposed professional for a team that already has enough bad optics .
Smith-Schuster finished on Monday night with all of three catches for 15 yards , with a turnover made for tick-tock — the clock winding down toward a curtain call for the Steelers ' season .
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Opinion: Ravaged Pittsburgh Steelers are not built to rebound from this late-season collapse
Show Caption Hide Caption AFC Week 15 overreactions: Jets shocking win could cost them for next decade SportsPulse: The Jets pulled off the upset of the year with their shocking win over the Rams. But it's Jets' fans that should be upset that they'll likely lose out on Trevor Lawrence because of it. Mackenzie Salmon reacts to the biggest storylines in the AFC. USA TODAY
Corrections/clarifications: A previous version of this story misspelled the last name of the Bengals quarterback.
Here’s an essential question that relates to Pittsburgh Steelers: How many panic buttons are too many?
One panic button would not serve them justice, considering how this season has collapsed.
The Steelers lost 27-17 at Cincinnati on Monday night, and actually caught a break with the final score. They couldn’t defeat a Bengals team (3-10-1) that is without its star rookie quarterback, its top running back and was a 14-point underdog. The offense is a mess, punctuated by the struggles of Ben Roethlisberger. The defense a shell of itself, punctuated by an assortment of injuries. And the swag is way off-key.
It wasn’t too long ago when the Steelers were 11-0, envisioning a finish in the Super Bowl LV winner’s circle that seemed so possible.
Now, with a third consecutive loss, LV is nothing more than a pipe dream.
The playoffs are still coming for Mike Tomlin’s team. That much they earned with the 11 victories, while the AFC North title remains un-clinched.
This must be the team everybody wants to play in the AFC playoffs. Of course, it seems that only one team will be so lucky in January because Pittsburgh has one-and-done written all over it while riding out with yet another late-season collapse.
Sure, we’ve seen teams that barely make the playoffs get hot in January and take the momentum to a crown. We’ve seen some legitimate contenders lay eggs with awful games in December, yet get it out of their system and wind up the biggest winners. We’ve seen teams needing to fix one problem area or another that was supposed to doom them, make the corrections that gave them a fighting chance.
The Steelers don’t look like any of those teams.
2021 PRO BOWL: Chiefs, Packers, Ravens and Seahawks lead league with most selections
OPINION: 7 most noteworthy Pro Bowl snubs
4th & MONDAY: Our NFL newsletter always brings the blitz
Not with Roethlisberger, 38, suddenly playing some of his worst football in years. Big Ben, who never loses in his home state against the Bengals and Browns, helped seal Monday night's loss with two of Pittsburgh's three turnovers in the first half that led to Cincinnati's 17-0 halftime edge.
Go straight to Las Vegas if you saw Roethlisberger losing the quarterback matchup against Ryan Finley. No, Finley didn’t exactly win a shootout. The fill-in quarterback threw for just 89 yards. But he didn’t throw a pick and he got the W. Roethlisberger’s night (20-for-38 for 170 yards, with a 62.4 efficiency rating) came with an interception and a botched exchange on a snap that his team couldn’t afford.
It’s like Roethlisberger, who had an ugly outing in Buffalo and a terrible second-half against Washington in the previous two losses, has slipped to match the level of the unit as a whole. He hasn’t had a consistent running game, his passing game targets lead the league in dropped passes and the blocking has been hazardous. That’s trouble in multiple layers, although for much of the season Roethlisberger — not prone to escape like Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers or Lamar Jackson — has covered for some of the woes with the NFL’s fastest average release time.
Yet still, as illustrated on Monday night, the Steelers are not built to come from behind. And right now they aren’t even built to convert third downs. They were 4-of-16 on third downs against the Bengals, which was, well, better than the 1-for-10 meter at Buffalo.
The Steelers defense leads the league in sacks, but it’s a different game when you’re trailing ... and can’t stop the run in part because the linebacker group has been devastated by injuries, most notably the season-ending torn ACLs of Devin Bush and Bud Dupree.
January’s coming and in its current form Pittsburgh can’t match up against anybody, let alone the cream of the crop, Kansas City.
Yes, it’s 2020 and strange things happen. But this season is a flush for the Steelers.
Maybe something good, though, will come out of the latest debacle. Perhaps Tomlin, Roethlisberger, Cam Heyward or somebody will demand that JuJu Smith-Schuster cease and desist with his silly pregame ritual of dancing on the logo of the opposing team.
The look-at-me performance might be cute to the kids on Tik-Tok, but it’s rather embarrassing for a grown man, a supposed professional for a team that already has enough bad optics. Smith-Schuster finished Monday night with all of three catches for 15 yards, with a turnover made for tick-tock — the clock winding down toward a curtain call for the Steelers' season.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.
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usatoday--2020-12-22--Does COVID deal signal a kinder, gentler McConnell who can work with Biden? Many Democrats are skept

Hours after congressional leaders clinched a deal Sunday on a $ 900 billion coronavirus relief package , President-elect Joe Biden suggested the legislation was `` just the beginning '' of what was needed to help Americans suffering amid the pandemic .
He urged lawmakers to start work in the new year on further steps to ease the economic pain .
`` There will be no time to waste , '' he said .
One person who signaled openness to the conversation was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky .
While he did not commit to a fresh round of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would work with the incoming Biden administration if he believes further economic relief is needed .
`` My view about what comes next is let 's take a look at it .
I 'm happy to evaluate that based upon the needs we confront in February and March , '' McConnell told reporters on a conference call .
`` We 'll be happy to talk about it .
I do n't rule it out or rule it in . ''
Lawmakers ended months of gridlock with the passage Monday of a bipartisan COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic leaders to hammer out the details of a bill that includes $ 600 stimulus checks , enhanced unemployment benefits and help for businesses hit by the fallout of the pandemic .
The measure is already being picked apart by liberal and conservatives critics who did n't get everything they wanted .
But the real question is whether the breakthrough is an anomaly , driven by an economic and health emergency as the Senate 's majority still hangs in the balance , or a sign that McConnell and his GOP allies are ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , who made bipartisanship and consensus a central part of his 2020 election campaign to win the White House .
The fate of Biden 's agenda will depend in part on the outcome of Georgia 's two Jan. 5 Senate run-off contests , which will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the chamber next year .
But no matter how those two races go , the Senate will be narrowly divided when Biden takes office .
How the deal came together : Talks over a pasta dinner and Zoom rescued the COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell and Biden 's longstanding relationship .
In his statement on the $ 900 billion deal , Biden said it could be a `` model for the challenging work ahead for our nation . ''
Biden 's call for bipartisanship in 2021 was also endorsed by McConnell , who recalled their past successful negotiations during former President Barack Obama 's administration .
`` We 're going to have divided government – I hope – after the special in Georgia but even if the Democrats were to be successful , a 50-50 Senate has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell said .
House Budget Chairman John Yarmuth , a Democrat who also hails from the Bluegrass State , has known McConnell for decades .
He said the COVID relief package that Congress tackled in the final weeks of this year came about because Republicans were backed into a corner after ignoring House Democrats ' proposal to help Americans cope with the current crisis for months .
Yarmuth said nothing about the recent rescue package should give Democrats confidence McConnell will cooperate with Biden any more than he did with former President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fool to think that , '' he said .
Despite reaching agreement with Republicans on the relief package , Democratic lawmakers remain wary of McConnell , who will be the most powerful Republican once President Donald Trump leaves office Jan. 20 .
Biden spokesman T.J. Ducklo said Biden 's win in November demonstrated his appeal to Americans across the political spectrum who want Washington to work again .
`` Just in the past few weeks , he 's spoken to a number of Republican senators and members of Congress and met with bipartisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how we 're going to pull the country out of crisis , '' Ducklo said .
McConnell 's allies emphasize that he and Biden have a rare comfort level with each other after a decades-long working relationship in the Senate that continued when Biden served as vice president .
The Senate Republican leader 's allies also said the COVID package showed McConnell 's effectiveness as a Washington dealmaker .
“ Nothing happened until McConnell decided to lean in and that 's not by accident , ” Republican lobbyist Billy Piper , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USA Today in an interview .
`` The thing about Mitch McConnell , he knows the last chapter of the book before most people are through chapter one , and I think people are frustrated by that . ''
The Biden-McConnell history : Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell are friends who have brokered deals in the past Circumstances will dictate when it makes sense for the two parties to meet in the middle on big issues such as infrastructure or future COVID measures , Piper said , but he added that it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans hands .
`` It is fair to say one of McConnell 's guiding principles is making sure the Senate is not only acting in the best interest of the country , but doing so in a way that helps his Republicans get reelected or find other Republicans to get elected , '' Piper said .
`` He 's not shy to admit he believes a center-right Senate is in the best interest of the country . ''
But McConnell brushed aside suggestions when asked by reporters about how much , if at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of his thinking .
He complimented Biden , saying his public backing of the COVID relief deal helped to boost momentum for it .
Congress had been paralyzed over a relief package for months after passing the initial $ 2 trillion CARES Act in March .
Less than two months later , House Democrats passed a heftier $ 3 trillion proposal called the HEROES Act as a starting point for new talks , but McConnell quickly rejected that as too costly .
Over the summer , McConnell held a wait-and-see approach on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying lawmakers should determine how the original relief package affected the crisis .
In campaign stops , he regularly touted the benefits of the legislation on states like Kentucky .
Trump administration officials and House Democrats at one point discussed a $ 1.8 trillion plan .
When that effort fizzled , McConnell touted a smaller compromise that focused on funding for testing , schools and the unemployed .
Republican consultant Josh Holmes , who previously served in McConnell 's office , suggested a horse trade in a Dec. 11 tweet between the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority of liability protections for businesses if Democrats would relinquish their demands for federal help for states and localities .
`` I really do n't understand why ( that ) is n't a universally accepted legislative path to coronavirus relief at this stage , '' he tweeted .
`` Everything else is just noise . ''
Both proposals were left out of the bill passed Monday .
Piper said McConnell ’ s strength as a negotiator is `` a willingness to endure , ” even in the face of withering criticisms .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations take time and negotiations frequently involve lull periods and he ’ s utterly comfortable with that .
He knows at the right time the pressure will get to the point where all sides are willing to come to the table.
” The final COVID relief package includes renewing the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses ; funding for vaccine development and distribution ; renewing robust unemployment benefits ; and $ 600 in direct stimulus payments to individuals .
McConnell did have to give up temporary liability protections for corporations , schools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way in other areas , such as limiting relief funds for state and local governments .
McConnell suggested the impasse over the two issues could give way to compromise at some point .
The GOP leader said he has n't given up on temporary immunity for businesses and other groups from liability during the pandemic .
`` I think the country simply is not going to be able to get back to normal without it , '' McConnell said .
He predicted Biden would push for aid to cities and states in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I 'll bet you state and local is in it , '' he added , `` and to the extent that I 'm involved in the negotiations , and I think I will be , I 'm going to be taking the same view about the necessity of liability reform protection . ''
Rep. Ilhan Omar , D-Minn. , blamed the Senate Republican leader for the inclusion in the latest legislation of a tax break for corporate meal expenses , a provision derided as the `` three martini '' deduction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a soulless , greedy monster like Mitch ( McConnell ) , '' she said .
Democrats have long expressed frustration with McConnell for thwarting President Barack Obama 's legislative agenda , including refusing to hold a hearing or vote on the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court .
`` I do n't think we can count on Mitch McConnell being ready to make a deal on January 21 if he still holds that gavel , '' Rep. Andy Levin , D-Mich. , told USA TODAY .
But Levin was hopeful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his relationships with the Senate to become `` the greatest president at dealing with the Senate since Lyndon Johnson . ''
`` That 's what America needs right now , '' he said .
`` And I am very hopeful that he can be because he loves the institution . ''
Other Democrats outside Washington say it is unwise for Biden to think he can coax McConnell into working with him based on their past relationship , or to think this COVID deal is a sign of more GOP compromise to come .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some movement for relief and that 's a sticky widget , '' Democratic consultant Jason Perkey said .
`` Mitch McConnell does n't do anything that is n't politically calculated and for those purposes .
I do n't think he 's doing anything for the betterment of the country , but everything he is doing is something to benefit him and the people he works for . ''
The pandemic , and how federal officials have responded , remains at the forefront of Georgia 's two run-off contests , according to political observers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incumbents – Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue – of an unwillingness to help Georgians who are unemployed or struggling financially .
University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said the new aid package might help blunt Democratic attacks .
`` I would assume McConnell knows how close these races are – they 're a point or two apart – and one thing Mitch McConnell really likes is being majority leader , '' he said .
`` Passing this legislation definitely might help them . ''
If Republicans win either of the Peach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ razor-thin 51-49 seat majority .
But if Democrats prevail in both contests , Schumer will become majority leader of a 50-50 chamber in which Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casts the tie-breaking vote .
Yarmuth , the House budget leader , said it 's clear McConnell will get along better with Biden personally than he did with Obama , but that does n't change how political gamesmanship will drive McConnell 's strategy if the Senate remains in GOP hands .
Instead of expecting McConnell to change , Democrats are hoping Biden will be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test will be if the president-elect is willing to use the bully pulpit against his former colleague .
`` Obama did n't get out and take Mitch on about a lot of this stuff , and I think Biden will , '' Yarmuth said .
`` He 's going to be very outspoken , I think , about pushing his agenda .
Mitch needs to get put on spot , and Obama never did it . ''
McConnell reminded reporters on Monday that the two negotiated three deals during when Biden , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House point-person for several big negotiations on Capitol Hill during the Obama administration .
Asked if he expects that line of communication for future negotiations will continue through aides or with Biden directly , McConnell said their past relationship will make connecting easier .
`` We 're accustomed to each other , '' McConnell said .
`` On the other hand he 's got a pretty big job .
We 'll see how that works out . ''

Does COVID deal signal a kinder, gentler McConnell who can work with Biden? Many Democrats are skeptical
Show Caption Hide Caption Joe Biden declares 'clear victory,' Sen. Mitch McConnell congratulates him Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated president-elect Joe Biden on winning the presidency. Staff video, USA TODAY
Hours after congressional leaders clinched a deal Sunday on a $900 billion coronavirus relief package, President-elect Joe Biden suggested the legislation was "just the beginning" of what was needed to help Americans suffering amid the pandemic.
He urged lawmakers to start work in the new year on further steps to ease the economic pain. "There will be no time to waste," he said.
One person who signaled openness to the conversation was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. While he did not commit to a fresh round of stimulus in 2021, McConnell said he would work with the incoming Biden administration if he believes further economic relief is needed.
"My view about what comes next is let's take a look at it. I'm happy to evaluate that based upon the needs we confront in February and March," McConnell told reporters on a conference call. "We'll be happy to talk about it. I don't rule it out or rule it in."
Lawmakers ended months of gridlock with the passage Monday of a bipartisan COVID relief package, with McConnell working with Democratic leaders to hammer out the details of a bill that includes $600 stimulus checks, enhanced unemployment benefits and help for businesses hit by the fallout of the pandemic.
The measure is already being picked apart by liberal and conservatives critics who didn't get everything they wanted.
But the real question is whether the breakthrough is an anomaly, driven by an economic and health emergency as the Senate's majority still hangs in the balance, or a sign that McConnell and his GOP allies are ready to cooperate on other big-ticket issues with Biden, who made bipartisanship and consensus a central part of his 2020 election campaign to win the White House.
The fate of Biden's agenda will depend in part on the outcome of Georgia's two Jan. 5 Senate run-off contests, which will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the chamber next year. But no matter how those two races go, the Senate will be narrowly divided when Biden takes office.
How the deal came together: Talks over a pasta dinner and Zoom rescued the COVID relief package
Much has been made about McConnell and Biden's longstanding relationship.
In his statement on the $900 billion deal, Biden said it could be a "model for the challenging work ahead for our nation."
Biden's call for bipartisanship in 2021 was also endorsed by McConnell, who recalled their past successful negotiations during former President Barack Obama's administration.
"We're going to have divided government – I hope – after the special in Georgia but even if the Democrats were to be successful, a 50-50 Senate has bipartisan written all over it," McConnell said.
House Budget Chairman John Yarmuth, a Democrat who also hails from the Bluegrass State, has known McConnell for decades. He said the COVID relief package that Congress tackled in the final weeks of this year came about because Republicans were backed into a corner after ignoring House Democrats' proposal to help Americans cope with the current crisis for months.
Yarmuth said nothing about the recent rescue package should give Democrats confidence McConnell will cooperate with Biden any more than he did with former President Barack Obama.
"I would be a fool to think that," he said.
Despite reaching agreement with Republicans on the relief package, Democratic lawmakers remain wary of McConnell, who will be the most powerful Republican once President Donald Trump leaves office Jan. 20.
Biden spokesman T.J. Ducklo said Biden's win in November demonstrated his appeal to Americans across the political spectrum who want Washington to work again.
"Just in the past few weeks, he's spoken to a number of Republican senators and members of Congress and met with bipartisan groups of mayors and governors to talk about how we're going to pull the country out of crisis," Ducklo said.
McConnell's allies emphasize that he and Biden have a rare comfort level with each other after a decades-long working relationship in the Senate that continued when Biden served as vice president.
The Senate Republican leader's allies also said the COVID package showed McConnell's effectiveness as a Washington dealmaker.
“Nothing happened until McConnell decided to lean in and that's not by accident,” Republican lobbyist Billy Piper, a former McConnell chief of staff, told USA Today in an interview.
"The thing about Mitch McConnell, he knows the last chapter of the book before most people are through chapter one, and I think people are frustrated by that."
The Biden-McConnell history: Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell are friends who have brokered deals in the past
Circumstances will dictate when it makes sense for the two parties to meet in the middle on big issues such as infrastructure or future COVID measures, Piper said, but he added that it's obvious McConnell prioritizes keeping the Senate in Republicans hands.
"It is fair to say one of McConnell's guiding principles is making sure the Senate is not only acting in the best interest of the country, but doing so in a way that helps his Republicans get reelected or find other Republicans to get elected," Piper said. "He's not shy to admit he believes a center-right Senate is in the best interest of the country."
But McConnell brushed aside suggestions when asked by reporters about how much, if at all, the Georgia races were a part of his thinking. He complimented Biden, saying his public backing of the COVID relief deal helped to boost momentum for it.
McConnell’s 'endurance' paid off
Congress had been paralyzed over a relief package for months after passing the initial $2 trillion CARES Act in March.
Less than two months later, House Democrats passed a heftier $3 trillion proposal called the HEROES Act as a starting point for new talks, but McConnell quickly rejected that as too costly.
Over the summer, McConnell held a wait-and-see approach on whether additional fiscal help was needed, saying lawmakers should determine how the original relief package affected the crisis. In campaign stops, he regularly touted the benefits of the legislation on states like Kentucky.
Trump administration officials and House Democrats at one point discussed a $1.8 trillion plan. When that effort fizzled, McConnell touted a smaller compromise that focused on funding for testing, schools and the unemployed.
Republican consultant Josh Holmes, who previously served in McConnell's office, suggested a horse trade in a Dec. 11 tweet between the two sides, with Republicans setting aside their priority of liability protections for businesses if Democrats would relinquish their demands for federal help for states and localities.
"I really don't understand why (that) isn't a universally accepted legislative path to coronavirus relief at this stage," he tweeted. "Everything else is just noise."
Both proposals were left out of the bill passed Monday.
Piper said McConnell’s strength as a negotiator is "a willingness to endure,” even in the face of withering criticisms.
“By that I mean he understands that negotiations take time and negotiations frequently involve lull periods and he’s utterly comfortable with that. He knows at the right time the pressure will get to the point where all sides are willing to come to the table.”
The final COVID relief package includes renewing the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses; funding for vaccine development and distribution; renewing robust unemployment benefits; and $600 in direct stimulus payments to individuals.
McConnell did have to give up temporary liability protections for corporations, schools and other organizations, but he got his way in other areas, such as limiting relief funds for state and local governments.
McConnell suggested the impasse over the two issues could give way to compromise at some point. The GOP leader said he hasn't given up on temporary immunity for businesses and other groups from liability during the pandemic.
"I think the country simply is not going to be able to get back to normal without it," McConnell said.
He predicted Biden would push for aid to cities and states in any future COVID relief proposal he puts forward.
"I'll bet you state and local is in it," he added, "and to the extent that I'm involved in the negotiations, and I think I will be, I'm going to be taking the same view about the necessity of liability reform protection."
Biden's must use bully pulpit
Many progressive Democrats remain irate at McConnell.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., blamed the Senate Republican leader for the inclusion in the latest legislation of a tax break for corporate meal expenses, a provision derided as the "three martini" deduction.
"It’s infuriating to negotiate with a soulless, greedy monster like Mitch (McConnell)," she said.
Democrats have long expressed frustration with McConnell for thwarting President Barack Obama's legislative agenda, including refusing to hold a hearing or vote on the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.
"I don't think we can count on Mitch McConnell being ready to make a deal on January 21 if he still holds that gavel," Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., told USA TODAY.
But Levin was hopeful President-elect Biden would be able to leverage his relationships with the Senate to become "the greatest president at dealing with the Senate since Lyndon Johnson."
"That's what America needs right now," he said. "And I am very hopeful that he can be because he loves the institution."
Other Democrats outside Washington say it is unwise for Biden to think he can coax McConnell into working with him based on their past relationship, or to think this COVID deal is a sign of more GOP compromise to come.
"Republicans are seeing the need for some movement for relief and that's a sticky widget," Democratic consultant Jason Perkey said. "Mitch McConnell doesn't do anything that isn't politically calculated and for those purposes. I don't think he's doing anything for the betterment of the country, but everything he is doing is something to benefit him and the people he works for."
The pandemic, and how federal officials have responded, remains at the forefront of Georgia's two run-off contests, according to political observers.
Democrats have accused the two Republican incumbents – Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue – of an unwillingness to help Georgians who are unemployed or struggling financially.
University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said the new aid package might help blunt Democratic attacks.
"I would assume McConnell knows how close these races are – they're a point or two apart – and one thing Mitch McConnell really likes is being majority leader," he said. "Passing this legislation definitely might help them."
If Republicans win either of the Peach State races, McConnell would keep a razor-thin 51-49 seat majority. But if Democrats prevail in both contests, Schumer will become majority leader of a 50-50 chamber in which Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casts the tie-breaking vote.
Yarmuth, the House budget leader, said it's clear McConnell will get along better with Biden personally than he did with Obama, but that doesn't change how political gamesmanship will drive McConnell's strategy if the Senate remains in GOP hands.
Instead of expecting McConnell to change, Democrats are hoping Biden will be more forceful than Obama was. The first test will be if the president-elect is willing to use the bully pulpit against his former colleague.
"Obama didn't get out and take Mitch on about a lot of this stuff, and I think Biden will," Yarmuth said. "He's going to be very outspoken, I think, about pushing his agenda. Mitch needs to get put on spot, and Obama never did it."
McConnell reminded reporters on Monday that the two negotiated three deals during when Biden, who served as vice president, was the White House point-person for several big negotiations on Capitol Hill during the Obama administration.
Asked if he expects that line of communication for future negotiations will continue through aides or with Biden directly, McConnell said their past relationship will make connecting easier.
"We're accustomed to each other," McConnell said. "On the other hand he's got a pretty big job. We'll see how that works out."


usatoday--2020-12-22--Despite COVID-19 threat, Mexican Americans make annual holiday pilgrimage to Mexico: 'This is the on

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Rafael Carranza and Lauren Villagran, Arizona Republic

Despite COVID-19 threat, Mexican Americans make annual holiday pilgrimage to Mexico: 'This is the only time of year we get together'
PHOENIX – As COVID-19 infections and deaths surged in Arizona ahead of the holidays, Angelica Cueto and her husband loaded their Suburban SUV with gifts and set out east, across New Mexico and then south, over the U.S. border to their final destination: Mexico.
Cueto, a 54-year-old industrial electrician and U.S. permanent resident, has lived in the U.S. for more than three decades, moving from job to job across the Southwest. But the years away have only intensified the pull of her homeland and the family who remain there, she said.
Cueto especially misses her elderly mother, who has a visa to visit the U.S. but is unable to travel because of her age.
For hundreds of thousands of Mexican Americans, the annual pilgrimage to Mexico in December to visit parents and family is a sacred ritual that even a global COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. border restrictions to stem the spread of the virus have been unable to stop.
Many "paisanos" have already traveled or are finalizing plans to make their trip home, altering holiday plans and taking new precautions, despite pleas from U.S. and Mexican officials that they stay home this year. Under current border restrictions, U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents are free to travel through land ports of entry.
Last month, more than 5 million Americans defied similar government recommendations to stay home and traveled through U.S. airports the week of Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in the tradition of sharing a meal with family and friends. Health officials blame that travel increase for the December surge in coronavirus cases.
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For the extensive Mexican diaspora in the U.S., the draw of spending Christmas in Mexico is equally strong.
“This is the only time of year we get together, all my sisters,” Cueto said. “When I think of December, I think of making tamales, all the family together, our husbands spreading the masa on the corn husks, putting in the meat and my mother laughing – I miss that more than anything.”
But Cueto said she knows the holidays this year won’t be the same.
Her family has made some difficult decisions: Everyone who plans to have Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, dinner at her 84-year-old mother’s home must quarantine for a week. There will be no hugging or making tamales. The family instead has settled on a potluck dinner. Rather than gather at one long table, each household group will sit at a separate table.
“My mother needs us,” she said. “Every year you arrive and you find your mamá older and you realize that all her daughters went flying off but there she is. When you were little, your mother was with you, helping you. I know these are hard times but I won’t stop seeing my mother.
“We’ll keep our distance, but at least we’ll be together."
The potential for the virus to spread at these cherished annual gatherings also could have consequences for the communities back home in the U.S., according to Dr. Cecilia Rosales, co-chair for the Arizona-Mexico Commission’s binational Health Services Committee.
She made comparisons to Thanksgiving, when millions of people traveled to spend the holiday with relatives, making it easier for the virus to continue spreading.
“They had to isolate themselves, they could not work for two weeks because they got COVID,” Rosales said. “It’s the same thing. People go from here to there, and they will spread the virus. And when they come back, the same thing will happen. So it is a big concern for everyone on both sides of the border.”
‘A different sort of Christmas’
The annual return of Mexican Americans to Mexico is so ingrained that the Mexican government has a permanent program dedicated entirely to catering to them year-round: It’s called “Programa Paisano.”
Last year, Mexico’s National Migration Institute, which manages the program, reported that they assisted nearly 2 million people of Mexican descent that traveled home to cities and towns across the country during the winter holiday season.
This year, they expect that the number will be far less because of the pandemic, the agency told the USA TODAY Network. But indications on the ground point to a significant number of paisanos continuing with that yearly tradition, despite the recommendations to stay home.
Mexican immigration officials kicked off the Programa Paisano this month at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border, and deployed 460 volunteers to staff booths aimed at paisanos traveling south.
The agency urged travelers to check the local, state and federal COVID-19 guidelines at their destination, before traveling to Mexico. As in the U.S., decisions about business closures, curfews and restrictions on alcohol sales and gatherings in Mexico are a local matter and vary widely.
In years past, paisanos were most concerned about being robbed or kidnapped on their way back to Mexico. With license plates that give them away and their trucks packed to the brim with presents, they have often been a target for highway robbery, including by Mexican officials.
Last week, Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador warned members of local, federal and highway police forces and the National Guard “to act with rectitude, honesty and support our paisanos, respect them.”
“We’re not going to tolerate any abuse,” he said, without mentioning the pandemic.
But Mexico also has been hit with a second wave of COVID-19, straining hospitals to the breaking point in Mexico’s northern border states, which have some of the highest infection rates in the country.
While the president largely has dismissed the severity of Mexico’s coronavirus problems, health and border experts in the U.S. and Mexico are concerned the massive flow of people in the middle of the pandemic could make an already troubling situation even worse, and lead to more infections on both sides of the border.
Health officials in Chihuahua state across the border from Texas, where Cueto was headed, warned against holiday travel and Christmas gatherings. COVID-19 has killed more than 115,000 people in Mexico, and border states have been hit especially hard.
“The best thing for Christmas 2020 is to spend it healthy,” said Dr. Leticia Ruiz, director of preventative medicine for Chihuahua state. “That means reducing mobility and increasing preventative measures and celebrating only with members of the same household.
“It’s been a difficult year. We should stay home as much as possible and avoid traveling. Let’s have a different sort of Christmas, in which the gifts are life and health.”
Binational families and gatherings
U.S. citizens and legal residents essentially can travel unrestricted into Mexico, thanks in large part to exemptions carved into the policies that were announced in March in response to the pandemic.
The U.S. and Mexican governments agreed to restrict travel for “nonessential” reasons through their shared border, limiting crossings except for work, school and commerce.
In practice, the restrictions have mostly targeted Mexican visitors traveling north. U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents are largely exempt, according to Guadalupe Ramirez, the Tucson field director for Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations, who oversees Arizona’s ports of entry.
“When you look at the travel restrictions, they really don’t restrict the movement of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents,” he said. “If they show up at our port of entry, we’re going to obviously let them in because they live in the U.S. regardless of why they traveled to Mexico.”
The restrictions have been extended every month and are set to expire in January, although further extensions are likely as the pandemic continues to rage on both sides of the border.
The Mexican government has continued to ignore calls from border residents and governors who have pleaded with them to implement restrictions on U.S. visitors, similar to the ones U.S. officials have in place on north-bound travelers from Mexico.
In response, several state and municipal governments on the Mexican side of the border have tried to make crossing more onerous by implementing “sanitary filters” in which drivers must stop to answer questions and sometimes have their temperature taken. The efforts have been short-lived.
For example, in Mexicali, across the border from Calexico, California, the municipal government set up southbound checkpoints manned by police officers, who are on the lookout for the use of face masks and that each vehicle has no more than four people.
But the checkpoints are functional only on key travel dates, during which the normally quick crossing times south into Mexico slows to a crawl, creating traffic bottlenecks on the Calexico side.
In border cities such as Juárez, Nogales or Mexicali, hundreds of thousands of residents hold dual nationality and cross the border daily; neither the Mexican nor the U.S. government has prohibited citizens from entering their country.
Operativo Paisano de Invierno 2020 ❄ El INM #Tamaulipas, el Gobierno de la entidad, Coepris, Guardia Nacional, Sedena y Aduanas acompañaron a la Caravana Paisano que ingresó #hoy por #NuevoLaredo en el Operativo #Invierno2020❄Los connacionales 🇲🇽 son atendidos y se toman en cuenta medidas sanitarias para cuidar su salud 😷 Posted by Programa Paisano on Thursday, December 17, 2020
Even though the Mexican government has rolled out the welcome mat for paisanos, other government and health officials are urging families to stay put in the U.S. this year.
“We want to make people aware there is still a problem,” said Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León, Mexican consul in El Paso. “They shouldn’t gather with more than 10 people. They should take the precautions everyone is recommending: the use of the face mask, the use of hand sanitizer, stay six feet apart. Our nationals who are going back should know that it’s not going to be a normal vacation for anyone.”
That’s a sentiment echoed by Dr. Gaudelia Rangel, the director for Mexico’s division of the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission, which has been coordinating and sharing information about the pandemic with their counterparts in the United States.
She is based in Tijuana, Mexico’s largest border city, which shares the busiest border crossing in the world with San Diego.
Rangel urged families to avoid having parties or gatherings with over 10 people, the recommended guidelines in Mexico.
“It can be complicated,” she said. “Because we know that in Mexico there are families, especially when they have visitors from paisanos, that they will likely have gatherings at a home with over 10 people.”
A change of plans: ‘No trip to Mexico’
Some families in the U.S. are heeding warnings about traveling to Mexico.
Each year, Maria Mendez and her family travel from the Southern California desert to the southwestern Mexican state of Michoacan to celebrate Christmas, and this year was going to be no different. They planned to celebrate as they always do, with her parents, seven siblings and all of their children. They would eat tamales and pozole and hold a gift raffle, because, she said, “in Mexico you can’t give gifts to everyone, because there are so many people.”
They already had purchased their plane tickets. And because Mendez’s kids are studying virtually this year, the family planned to leave just before Thanksgiving and spend more than a month at Mendez’s family’s ranch outside the city of Jiquilpan.
They had to change their plans after Mendez contracted COVID-19. She tested positive for the virus on Nov. 17, and again on Dec. 1. She has remained isolated in her home, in the eastern Coachella Valley community of Mecca, for more than a month, as she waits to take a third test.
“I’m really sad,” she said, “because my siblings are there and I won’t get to see them.”
Mendez decorated her home with Santa figurines and lights outside. But inside, there are no gifts, she said, leaving her five children disappointed.
“They’re angry with me because I got sick,” she joked. “They say, ‘no trip to Mexico and no gifts in the house!’”
Beatriz Pinal from Tucson said she also normally visits her family in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi during this time of the year, taking advantage of the winter holiday break to take a bus or drive there and spend several weeks in Mexico.
This year, she’ll remain in Tucson, celebrating just with her daughters, including one who takes medication for blood clots. She said she did not want to risk exposing her by traveling across the border.
Pinal said was especially concerned about the risk of exposure to asymptomatic individuals, who do not show any symptoms of the infection but can pass it on to others.
“More than anything, we have to take care of ourselves because the pandemic is really strong in Mexico right now,” she said. “My family advised me to stay here and to take care of ourselves.”
A sacrifice for ‘the common good’
In Nogales and Juárez, the Mexican customs stations are lined with trucks and SUVs loaded with bags and boxes, gifts and other merchandise that paisanos are taking with them to their destinations in Mexico.
Once the holidays have ended, those travelers will head back to the United States. Because U.S. citizens and legal residents cannot be turned away, U.S. customs officials are preparing for a large swell in northbound traffic that could lead to bottlenecks and lengthy wait times to cross back into the country.
In recent months, when Customs and Border Protection periodically cracked down on non-essential traffic, wait times ballooned for up to eight hours or more at certain U.S.-Mexico border crossings.
In the El Paso border region, field director Hercor Mancha said CBP will monitor passenger traffic in the coming days and adjust staffing as needed. They warned paisanos who traveled to Mexico to be prepared and to give themselves more time to return to the U.S.
For those who haven’t left yet, Mancha – who was born in the border city of Eagle Pass, Texas – urged people to consider whether it was worth exposing their loved ones to the virus.
“Growing up in a border community myself, I understand the importance of family and gathering during the holidays," he said. However, the safety of our loved ones has to come into play.
“I don’t think anyone wants to feel responsible for spreading this illness to a beloved older or medically compromised member of their family. Missing out on the large family gatherings, the food and festivities and all that will be a sacrifice, but it is one for the common good.”
Waiting for a mother’s embrace
Cueto made it home to a town near Chihuahua City, the Chihuahua state capital. Days after arriving she still hadn’t hugged her mother – the moment she longs for – but they had seen each other and spoke at a distance through a window. They showed their love in other ways.
“My mother knows I love chiles rellenos, so she had the señora who takes care of her make me a batch,” Cueto said.
Her mother wanted her to come inside, to embrace her, but Cueto reminded her they needed to wait out the quarantine period.
“Ya mero,” she told her mother. “Soon!”
Contributing: Rebecca Plevin and Omar Ornelas, The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California)
Have any news tips or story ideas about the U.S.-Mexico border? Reach the reporter at rafael.carranza@arizonarepublic.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RafaelCarranza.


usatoday--2020-12-22--Opinion: Colts DT DeForest Buckner, Titans QB Ryan Tannehill among 2021 Pro Bowl snubs

The announcement of Pro Bowl selections annually yields plenty of second-guessing about the players who missed the cut .
While a good number of worthy players made the AFC and NFC rosters on Monday night , there were also plenty of noteworthy exclusions .
Here are some of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs : Garett Bolles , OT , Denver Broncos — Bolles has been one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL this season .
Per Pro Football Focus , Bolles is the top-rated offensive tackle in the AFC and has the third-highest grade among all tackles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bakhtiari and San Francisco 49ers ' Trent Williams , who were both selected as Pro Bowl starters .
DeForest Buckner , DT , Indianapolis Colts — The Colts paid a hefty price to bring Buckner to Indianapolis .
That move has paid huge dividends for the AFC South co-leaders .
Buckner has been a standout on one of the league 's best defenses , and a strong case could be made for Buckner to be the NFL 's defensive player of the year .
PRO BOWL ROSTERS : Chiefs , Packers , Ravens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COWBOYS SHUT OUT : No Dallas players selected to Pro Bowl for first time since 1989 NFL NEWSLETTER : Sign up now to get football news delivered to your inbox J.C. Jackson , CB , New England Patriots — The Patriots might be out of the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and could post the franchise 's first losing season since 2000 , but Jackson , an undrafted third-year player , is having a breakthrough season and could be a vital player for New England as it likely faces a rebuild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFL in interceptions with eight , one behind current leader Xavien Howard of the Miami Dolphins .
Jordan Poyer , FS , Buffalo Bills — Poyer had the most votes at his position among fans , but that only counts for one-third of the equation .
Fans noticed that Poyer is having the best season of his career for a Bills team that won the AFC East for the first time in 25 years .
Maybe being on the wrong end of that `` Hail Murray '' play cost Poyer a spot in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RB , Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jaguars might be steamrolling toward the No .
1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft , but Robinson , an undrafted rookie , has been a revelation .
Robinson is No .
3 in the NFL in rushing yardage ( 1,070 ) behind the Tennessee Titans ' Derrick Henry and Minnesota Vikings ' Dalvin Cook , and just ahead of three other running backs who made the Pro Bowl ( Aaron Jones , Nick Chubb and Josh Jacobs ) .
Ryan Tannehill , QB , Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the league 's best records , but only had two players selected to the Pro Bowl , Henry and wide receiver A.J .
Brown .
A strong case could be made for Tannehill to join them .
He is one of six quarterbacks with 30 or more touchdown passes , and among quarterbacks who have played every game this season only the Green Bay Packers ' Aaron Rodgers has thrown fewer interceptions .
Robert Tonyan , TE , Green Bay Packers — Tonyan is experiencing a breakout season for a Packers team vying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tonyan 's 10 touchdown catches are tied for the most among NFL tight ends with the Kansas City Chiefs ' Travis Kelce , who is the AFC 's Pro Bowl starter .
The New York Giants ' Evan Engram , who did make the Pro Bowl , has one touchdown reception this season .
If you enjoy talking football , we have the perfect spot for you .
Join our Facebook Group , The Ruling Off the Field , to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sign up now !

Opinion: Colts DT DeForest Buckner, Titans QB Ryan Tannehill among 2021 Pro Bowl snubs
The announcement of Pro Bowl selections annually yields plenty of second-guessing about the players who missed the cut.
While a good number of worthy players made the AFC and NFC rosters on Monday night, there were also plenty of noteworthy exclusions.
Here are some of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs:
Garett Bolles, OT, Denver Broncos — Bolles has been one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL this season. Per Pro Football Focus, Bolles is the top-rated offensive tackle in the AFC and has the third-highest grade among all tackles, behind the Green Bay Packers' David Bakhtiari and San Francisco 49ers' Trent Williams, who were both selected as Pro Bowl starters.
DeForest Buckner, DT, Indianapolis Colts — The Colts paid a hefty price to bring Buckner to Indianapolis. That move has paid huge dividends for the AFC South co-leaders. Buckner has been a standout on one of the league's best defenses, and a strong case could be made for Buckner to be the NFL's defensive player of the year.
PRO BOWL ROSTERS: Chiefs, Packers, Ravens and Seahawks lead league with most selections
COWBOYS SHUT OUT: No Dallas players selected to Pro Bowl for first time since 1989
NFL NEWSLETTER: Sign up now to get football news delivered to your inbox
J.C. Jackson, CB, New England Patriots — The Patriots might be out of the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and could post the franchise's first losing season since 2000, but Jackson, an undrafted third-year player, is having a breakthrough season and could be a vital player for New England as it likely faces a rebuild. Jackson currently ranks second in the NFL in interceptions with eight, one behind current leader Xavien Howard of the Miami Dolphins.
Jordan Poyer, FS, Buffalo Bills — Poyer had the most votes at his position among fans, but that only counts for one-third of the equation. Fans noticed that Poyer is having the best season of his career for a Bills team that won the AFC East for the first time in 25 years. Maybe being on the wrong end of that "Hail Murray" play cost Poyer a spot in the Pro Bowl.
James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jaguars might be steamrolling toward the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft, but Robinson, an undrafted rookie, has been a revelation. Robinson is No. 3 in the NFL in rushing yardage (1,070) behind the Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry and Minnesota Vikings' Dalvin Cook, and just ahead of three other running backs who made the Pro Bowl (Aaron Jones, Nick Chubb and Josh Jacobs).
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans — The Titans possess one of the league's best records, but only had two players selected to the Pro Bowl, Henry and wide receiver A.J. Brown. A strong case could be made for Tannehill to join them. He is one of six quarterbacks with 30 or more touchdown passes, and among quarterbacks who have played every game this season only the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers has thrown fewer interceptions.
Robert Tonyan, TE, Green Bay Packers — Tonyan is experiencing a breakout season for a Packers team vying for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Tonyan's 10 touchdown catches are tied for the most among NFL tight ends with the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce, who is the AFC's Pro Bowl starter. The New York Giants' Evan Engram, who did make the Pro Bowl, has one touchdown reception this season.
If you enjoy talking football, we have the perfect spot for you. Join our Facebook Group, The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders. Do the right thing, sign up now!