Editor’s note: The Texas A&M baseball team’s run to the College World Series finals, followed by the departure of Jim Schlossnagle and hiring of Michael Earley, is The Eagle’s No. 2 sports story of 2024. This is part of a daily series of the top 10 stories in Bryan-College Station and the Brazos Valley this year. Stories will appear daily with No. 1 running in the Dec. 31 edition. The Texas A&M baseball team’s run to the College World Series finals and the two weeks that followed was a rollercoaster ride of emotions to say the least. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s departure to rival Texas the day after A&M’s loss to Tennessee in the CWS finals almost caused a mass exodus of A&M’s most successful team in school history. But the Aggies' hiring of assistant coach Michael Earley — who originally left Schlossnagle — circled the wagons, kept the roster intact and now has one of the nation’s best teams going into 2025. Hours after the Aggies returned home from Omaha on the heels of a heartbreaking loss to Tennessee in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the championship series, Schlossnagle stunned Aggieland with his departure to Texas. Rumors had swirled of the possibility, but the reality of his decision was a gut-punch and came less than a day after Schlossnagle berated a reporter for asking about his name being linked to the Longhorns’ opening during a postgame press conference. In one of the wildest coaching changes in A&M’s, and possibly college baseball’s history, Schlossnagle explained how leaving Aggieland for Austin was mainly rooted in his friendship with Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte, whom he worked with at TCU from 2009-17. “All I can say is: I have a career, too,” Schlossnagle said in his introductory press conference in Austin. “I have a personal life as well that I have goals I just simply felt like, no negative at A&M, just the positives of the alignment and frankly my relationship with Chris. There wasn’t anybody at Texas A&M that I couldn’t trust, I just know that I can trust Chris. I know that. And as hard as that decision was, I could not walk away from it.” Animosity from Aggies about Schlossnagle’s decision was loud. Fans and even players aired their grievances on social media. A&M utility player Travis Chestnut told The Eagle he was treated poorly by Schlossnagle during his tenure with the Aggies. “I’m blown away by the disrespect of Schlossnagle,” Chestnut said. “Not once in my career was he a respectable man to me. I stuck with him because I wanted to be an Aggie and in the SEC. But quite frankly, I didn’t stick to him. I stuck to [assistant coaches] Mike Earley and Nolan Cain.” That animosity turned into a groundswell of support for A&M to hire Earley, the Aggies' hitting coach. A number of current and former A&M players expressed their support for the Aggies to hire Earley. "Nobody more deserving, no more questions need to be asked," A&M first baseman Ted Burton wrote in a social media post. "One of the brightest, young baseball minds out there and a genuine love for his guys. Any player would run through a wall for this man.” A&M athletic director Trev Alberts conducted a full search, which he said included conversations with nine candidates. But after Alberts’ first interview with Earley, he said the assistant coach became a serious candidate. And while player support and respect was a key component to Alberts’ decision, he said Earley’s vision for the program, plan to build a staff and self-awareness of his “blindspots” and solutions for those caught his attention. “I was very, very pleasantly surprised,” Alberts said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I would say that he knocked it out of the ballpark on the initial Zoom.” A week that began with sadness of losing a championship that turned into bitter disgust of Schlossnagle’s decision to leave ended with elation and excitement of where the program could go under Earley. “We got our guy that we wanted,” A&M pitcher Brad Rudis said at Earley’s introductory press conference. “And he’s going to be here to stay for a long time.” That concluded a memorable spring for the Aggies, who won an NCAA regional at Blue Bell Park and then defeated Oregon 2-0 in a best-of-three regional at home that ended with a 15-9, come-from-behind win. The Aggies opened the CWS at Omaha, Nebraska, with a late-night 3-2 victory over Southeastern Conference rival Florida before Ryan Prager's pitching gem against another SEC foe, Kentucky, sent A&M to the semifinals. The pitching staff came through again in a 6-0 win over Florida that sent A&M to its first championship series in school history. Another SEC opponent, top-ranked Tennessee, stood in the Aggies' path in the best-of-3 final. Buoyed by a five-run third inning, the Aggies won Game 1 9-5 before the Volunteers responded by allowing just seven hits in a 4-1 Game 2 victory. Tennessee took a 6-1 lead in the decisive Game 3 before A&M scored twice in the top of the eighth and two more in the ninth to close the gap to 6-5. But the Volunteers held on for their first national championship and set in motion a wild week off the field.Editor’s note: The Texas A&M baseball team’s run to the College World Series finals, followed by the departure of Jim Schlossnagle and hiring of Michael Earley, is The Eagle’s No. 2 sports story of 2024. This is part of a daily series of the top 10 stories in Bryan-College Station and the Brazos Valley this year. Stories will appear daily with No. 1 running in the Dec. 31 edition. The Texas A&M baseball team’s run to the College World Series finals and the two weeks that followed was a rollercoaster ride of emotions to say the least. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s departure to rival Texas the day after A&M’s loss to Tennessee in the CWS finals almost caused a mass exodus of A&M’s most successful team in school history. But the Aggies' hiring of assistant coach Michael Earley — who originally left Schlossnagle — circled the wagons, kept the roster intact and now has one of the nation’s best teams going into 2025. Hours after the Aggies returned home from Omaha on the heels of a heartbreaking loss to Tennessee in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the championship series, Schlossnagle stunned Aggieland with his departure to Texas. Rumors had swirled of the possibility, but the reality of his decision was a gut-punch and came less than a day after Schlossnagle berated a reporter for asking about his name being linked to the Longhorns’ opening during a postgame press conference. In one of the wildest coaching changes in A&M’s, and possibly college baseball’s history, Schlossnagle explained how leaving Aggieland for Austin was mainly rooted in his friendship with Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte, whom he worked with at TCU from 2009-17. “All I can say is: I have a career, too,” Schlossnagle said in his introductory press conference in Austin. “I have a personal life as well that I have goals I just simply felt like, no negative at A&M, just the positives of the alignment and frankly my relationship with Chris. There wasn’t anybody at Texas A&M that I couldn’t trust, I just know that I can trust Chris. I know that. And as hard as that decision was, I could not walk away from it.” Animosity from Aggies about Schlossnagle’s decision was loud. Fans and even players aired their grievances on social media. A&M utility player Travis Chestnut told The Eagle he was treated poorly by Schlossnagle during his tenure with the Aggies. “I’m blown away by the disrespect of Schlossnagle,” Chestnut said. “Not once in my career was he a respectable man to me. I stuck with him because I wanted to be an Aggie and in the SEC. But quite frankly, I didn’t stick to him. I stuck to [assistant coaches] Mike Earley and Nolan Cain.” That animosity turned into a groundswell of support for A&M to hire Earley, the Aggies' hitting coach. A number of current and former A&M players expressed their support for the Aggies to hire Earley. "Nobody more deserving, no more questions need to be asked," A&M first baseman Ted Burton wrote in a social media post. "One of the brightest, young baseball minds out there and a genuine love for his guys. Any player would run through a wall for this man.” A&M athletic director Trev Alberts conducted a full search, which he said included conversations with nine candidates. But after Alberts’ first interview with Earley, he said the assistant coach became a serious candidate. And while player support and respect was a key component to Alberts’ decision, he said Earley’s vision for the program, plan to build a staff and self-awareness of his “blindspots” and solutions for those caught his attention. “I was very, very pleasantly surprised,” Alberts said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I would say that he knocked it out of the ballpark on the initial Zoom.” A week that began with sadness of losing a championship that turned into bitter disgust of Schlossnagle’s decision to leave ended with elation and excitement of where the program could go under Earley. “We got our guy that we wanted,” A&M pitcher Brad Rudis said at Earley’s introductory press conference. “And he’s going to be here to stay for a long time.” That concluded a memorable spring for the Aggies, who won an NCAA regional at Blue Bell Park and then defeated Oregon 2-0 in a best-of-three regional at home that ended with a 15-9, come-from-behind win. The Aggies opened the CWS at Omaha, Nebraska, with a late-night 3-2 victory over Southeastern Conference rival Florida before Ryan Prager's pitching gem against another SEC foe, Kentucky, sent A&M to the semifinals. The pitching staff came through again in a 6-0 win over Florida that sent A&M to its first championship series in school history. Another SEC opponent, top-ranked Tennessee, stood in the Aggies' path in the best-of-3 final. Buoyed by a five-run third inning, the Aggies won Game 1 9-5 before the Volunteers responded by allowing just seven hits in a 4-1 Game 2 victory. Tennessee took a 6-1 lead in the decisive Game 3 before A&M scored twice in the top of the eighth and two more in the ninth to close the gap to 6-5. But the Volunteers held on for their first national championship and set in motion a wild week off the field.

OpenAI chief 'believes' Musk will not abuse government power

While Clippers Nation and other parts of the NBA world await the return of star Kawhi Leonard, his teammates haven’t been sitting idly while his right knee recovers. They have won games that they had no business winning and are taking care of games that they should win – all without their star player. The Clippers are 18-13 and have a chance to improve upon that during a three-game trip that begins Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Kawhi? “We’re not thinking about Kawhi coming back yet,” center Ivica Zubac said, in a moment of honesty. When Leonard does return – Jan. 4 reportedly is a good bet – he will find a Clippers team that has developed a solid chemistry, come to rely on James Harden for leadership and Norman Powell for points and built a reputation for stingy defense. “We want to win games, we want to win every game no matter who’s out there and we got it done,” Zubac added. “No matter how it looks, we gotta win. We’re going to play hard; we’re going to defend. “Some nights we’re not going to shoot well, or we’re not going to defend, but one thing we can do every night is play defense. That’s what this team is going to do, we’re going to play hard and play tough on the defensive end and that’s going to give us a chance to win.’ With or without Leonard. “We just focus on what we can control and be in the moment,” Harden said. “Whenever that happens, (we’ll) get to that bridge when it comes. But we’re focused on the next game and the games that we’re in.” Don’t mistake the players’ insouciant attitude for not caring about their superstar teammate. They want Leonard back but can’t get caught up in the hoopla and speculation. They have at least three more games to play without Leonard, who stayed behind to get in more reps before the Clippers’ next home game. “It’s been next man up all year,” said Powell, who is averaging 24.4 points and shooting 46.6% from the 3-point range in Leonard’s absence. “When Kawhi comes back, they’ll figure it out. That’s not our job. Our job is to figure out our new roles and make it all work. “We all are pulling in the same direction. We all continue trying to prove everybody wrong and how they view us, and the job is to be ready for a deep playoff run. That’s how we see it.” When Leonard does return, (Jan. 4 has been rumored) there certainly will be changes in the lineup, players will need to sacrifice either minutes, points or both. “Everybody’s going to have to sacrifice and Kawhi comes back,” Powell added. “I mean, he’s a franchise player, but good thing about this team is we have no egos. We all want to win. We all got something to prove and we’re doing it together.” Harden said Leonard is aware how his comeback could upset what has been building all season. But the veteran point guard believes Leonard’s return will be seamless. The Clippers will continue to play aggressive defense and attack the basket. “We’re still going to put it the same way. It’s just now we got another elite weapon on both ends of the floor, so it’s definitely a bonus for us.”Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr.'s 'serial killer mentality' is serving him well amid bumpy patch

Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers celebrated in the locker room Saturday after they wrapped up a playoff spot with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots . But even as they realized one goal by making the postseason, Harbaugh tried to keep things focused on the road ahead by stressing: “There's more to do.” The Chargers (10-6) go into the regular-season finale at Las Vegas knowing they will be at least the AFC's sixth seed and avoid a trip to Buffalo for the wild-card round. Los Angeles currently is in line to face Baltimore in a Harbaugh Bowl rematch, but it has an outside shot at the fifth seed and a trip to Houston if Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh next weekend. While Harbaugh credited his players for the turnaround from five wins last year to double-digit victories this season, Herbert gave most of it to Harbaugh and first-year general manager Joe Hortiz. “They have done such a great job of getting the right guys here. You look in the locker room and everybody plays for each other,” Herbert said. “(Harbaugh's) a competitor, and he wants to win no matter what it is. It definitely shows, and it’s the way everyone fights for him, wants to play for him, and respects him.” Harbaugh is the fifth coach in NFL history to win at least 10 games in his first season with two teams. He is also the eighth to make the playoffs in his first season with two teams. “Very little to do with me. If it goes right, then it’s our players. They’re doing a great job. It’s gone bad a couple times. That’s on me,” he said. “I’ve been drinking the Kool-Aid here from day one, I can’t give enough credit to Derwin James, Justin Herbert, and those two in particular. And Khalil Mack and Rashawn Slater. I mean, stalwarts. Brad Bozeman has come in. He’s been a stalwart. There’s a bunch. There’s probably, like — I counted it up early. There was maybe 15, 15 stalwarts that we had, and it’s grown since then.” Even though the Chargers are 3-5 against teams with winning records at the time they've played them, they are 7-1 against teams that were at or under .500. Four of those wins against opponents with losing records have come by at least 17 points, the first time since 2017 the Bolts have won that many games by as big a margin. Since halftime of their Dec. 19 game against Denver, the Chargers have outscored the Broncos and Patriots 61-13 over six quarters. “That’s the type of football we want to be playing in December, January, and hopefully on. That’s the type of football you want to be playing, especially in these big games like that. It was really good to see,” Herbert said. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman has said throughout the season it's tough to use the full playbook when the Chargers have short drives. They came into Saturday's game ranked 26th with only 23 possessions of at least 10 plays, but they had four against the Patriots, leading to three touchdowns and a field goal. It was the first time since Week 10 last season against Detroit they have had at least four drives of double-digit plays. Kickoff return coverage. The Chargers have allowed nine kick returns of at least 30 yards, eighth most in the league. New England's Alex Erickson had three returns for 90 yards, including 34 and 31 yards. RB J.K. Dobbins was activated off injured reserve and provided a boost to the offense with 76 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. Dobbins, who missed four games due to a knee injury, has set career highs in scrimmage yards (983) and rushing yards (842) in his first season with the Chargers. WR D.J. Chark was targeted four times but didn't have a catch. Chark was signed during the offseason to provide experience and speed to a young receiver group. However, he missed the first half of the season with a hip injury and has played sparingly since his return. He has three receptions on the season. Three starters — RB Gus Edwards (ankle), LB Denzel Perryman (groin) and OG Trey Pipkins (hip) — were inactive. WR Joshua Palmer (heel) and DB Elijah Molden (shin) were injured in the second half. 77 and 1,054 — Receptions and receiving yards by Ladd McConkey, both records for a Chargers rookie. 5 — Consecutive seasons by Herbert with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes, tied with Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson for the most to start a career. 2 — Sacks by Derwin James Jr. against the Patriots, the first time in the safety's seven-year career he has had multiple sacks in a game. The Chargers go for their first season sweep of the Raiders since 2018 in the regular-season finale. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

René Bennett | (TNS) Bankrate.com If you’re an iPhone user, you might not realize that you already have access to Apple Cash. It’s a digital cash card that’s built into Apple devices and can be found in the default Wallet app. (Note: You must link an eligible debit card to use this service.) The main function of Apple Cash is to make it easier for Apple device users to send money to one another, including sending money through the iMessage app. But Apple Cash is more than just a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service — it can be used to shop online, in stores or to make in-app purchases. Apple Cash is a convenient way to transfer money between friends and family. Once it’s set up, a user can simply open the iMessage app and send money to a contact through their chat. It’s also useful for those who use Apple Pay, a separate service that allows Apple device users to make contactless payments with any linked card, including an Apple Cash card. Here are some important things to know about setting up and using Apple Cash. How Apple Cash works Apple Cash is a digital cash card that’s stored in the Wallet app of Apple devices, and it can be used for making P2P payments, as well as purchases through Apple Pay. When you receive money from another Apple Cash user, that money appears in your Apple Cash balance. The balance can then be spent or transferred to a linked bank account or debit card. Sending money to peers with Apple Cash can be done either directly from the digital Apple Cash card (in the Wallet app) or through the iMessage app. You can send or receive anywhere between $1 and $10,000 per message. The money shows up on the recipient’s Apple Cash card instantly, but it may take from one to three days for the balance to be transferred to a bank account. Instant transfers to a bank account are possible, but it comes with a 1.5% fee. There’s also an option to set up Apple Cash Family for children who are under 18 years old. This option limits the amount a child can send to $2,000 per message. Those younger than 18 also cannot add money to their Apple Cash card from a bank account; rather, their balance only grows when they receive money from another Apple Cash user. Difference between Apple Cash and Apple Pay Apple Cash is a digital card within your Wallet that allows you to spend your Apple Cash online, in stores and in apps as well send and receive money. Apple Pay, however, allows you to make purchases using any credit card or debit card you have stored in your Wallet — including Apple Cash. With Apple Pay, you add credit and debit cards to your Wallet and then have the ability to pay right with your phone (or other Apple product). How to use Apple Cash 1. Set up Apple Cash with a compatible device To set up Apple Cash, you’ll need three things: —A compatible Apple device. —Two-factor authentication enabled for your Apple ID (this can be done in Settings). —An eligible debit card to load funds onto the Apple Cash card. In the Settings app, you can turn on Apple Cash in the Wallet and Apple Pay section. Tap on the Apple Cash card icon and follow the instructions on the screen. You’ll be asked to agree to the terms and conditions, after which your device will set up Apple Cash for you. The Apple Cash card, once set up, can be found in your device’s Wallet app. If you want to set up Apple Cash Family, you’ll first need to have Family Sharing turned on, which can be done in Settings. The family organizer can add children to Apple Cash in the Family Sharing section of Settings. 2. Add money to your card You’ll need to have a debit card linked to your digital Wallet to add money to an Apple Cash card. You can add a debit card to Wallet in the same place where you set up Apple Cash — the Wallet and Apple Pay section of Settings. Once a debit card is linked to your Wallet, open Wallet and tap on the Apple Cash card. Then, tap the More button (an icon with three dots). This will open a page where you can see your Apple Cash balance, add money and transfer funds to a bank account. Tap Add Money and enter the amount you’d like to add (the minimum is $10). You’ll be asked to confirm which debit card you want to use to fund the Apple Cash balance, and then the money is added to the Apple Cash card. 3. Send a payment There are two ways to send a payment to someone using Apple Cash: directly from your Wallet or in the iMessage app. Both the sender and recipient need Apple Cash to send or receive money. From your Apple Wallet To send money from Wallet, simply tap the Apple Cash card in Wallet and then tap Send. Type in the contact name or phone number of the recipient. Enter the amount you’d like to send (between $1 and $10,000), then review the payment and confirm it with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. Via iMessages In iMessage, open the conversation with who you’d like to send money to, or start a new one. Tap on the app button, which appears next to the type bar, and then tap on the Apple Cash icon. You’ll be prompted to enter an amount (between $1 and $10,000). Once you’ve reviewed the amount, tap Send and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. The first time money is sent to someone, the recipient will need to accept the payment within seven days for it to go through. After the first instance, payments are automatically accepted. If you’re using Apple Cash to make a purchase either online or in a store, you’ll need to pay using Apple Pay. 4. Request money To request money from your iPhone, open the conversation in the Messages app. Tap the plus icon, followed by Apple Cash. Then, tap Request. Tap the send button to send your payment request. Once the request is sent, the person you sent it to can confirm or change the amount they send to you. You can also request money from your Apple watch. Open your messages app, choose a conversation, tap the plus icon and then choose Apple Cash. Once you enter the amount you are requesting, swipe left on the Send button. Tap Request. 5. Transfer your balance to a bank account As you start to accumulate money on the Apple Cash card, you may want to move it to a debit card or a bank account . This can be done by going to the same place where you added funds to the card, by clicking the icon with three dots next to your digital card. Enter an amount to be transferred, then tap Next. You’ll be asked whether you want to do an instant transfer (for a 1.5% fee) or a transfer in one to three business days for free. After making a selection, the screen will instruct you to set up a bank account if you don’t already have one set up. You’ll confirm the payment, and the transfer is initiated. Instant transfers can only be made to an eligible debit card, not a bank account. Money is sent within 30 minutes when you select instant transfer. Alternatives to Apple Cash —Zelle: If your bank is offers Zelle, it might be a good idea to take advantage of the P2P payment service. Zelle can be accessed directly from your bank’s mobile app, and it allows you to send instant transfers at no extra cost. —Venmo: Anyone can use Venmo, as long as they’ve downloaded the app. Unlike Apple Cash or Zelle, it’s a standalone P2P payment app. Venmo comes with a social element — users can follow each other and add fun emojis to their payments, although they can also keep their account activity private. —PayPal: This P2P payment service is a good option if you want to send money internationally. It also offers a PayPal Debit card, which, like the Apple Cash card, can be used to make purchases online or in stores. —Samsung Pay Cash: Samsung device users can use this option instead of Apple Cash. Similar to Apple Cash, it is a digital wallet that you can access from a Samsung mobile device. However, to take full advantage of Samsung Pay Cash, users will need to undergo an extra registration process to upgrade to a Full Card Account. Bottom line Apple Cash makes it easy for Apple device users to send money to each other. Users can simply tap the Apple Cash icon in their text messages to send money through iMessage. It can also be used as an extra repository for spending money and can be used for purchases anywhere Apple Pay is accepted. With that said, only Apple device users can send and receive money using Apple Cash, so those looking for a more universal payment service may want to consider other P2P payment apps . ©2024 Bankrate.com. 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