Lions' Bevell can't coach vs Bucs due to COVID protocols

Detroit Lions interim coach Darrell Bevell is the NFL’s first head coach to miss a game because of COVID-19 protocols even though he has not tested positive for the coronavirus.

Surging Colts hope to pounce on reeling Steelers

INDIANAPOLIS (10-4) at PITTSBURGH (11-3)

Winter storm leaves Dakotas, Minnesota with bitter cold

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Strong winds and bitter cold pummeled the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Thursday as the region dug out from a winter storm that closed interstate highways and grounded flights.

Retailers brace for flood of returns from online shopping

NEW YORK (AP) — A huge surge in online shopping during the pandemic has been a savior for retailers, but it comes at a price.

AP All-Big 12: Iowa State players and coach win top awards

Iowa State running back Breece Hall and linebacker Mike Rose are The Associated Press Big 12 offensive and defensive players of the year after the Cyclones' best conference season ever also earned Matt Campbell coa…

Devils agree to terms with 1st-round draft pick Mercer

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils have agreed to terms with center Dawson Mercer on a three-year entry-level contract.

Italy enters Christmas lockdown amid signs of resurgence

ROME (AP) — Police in Italy enforced new COVID-19 travel restrictions aimed at limiting Christmas get-togethers involving far-flung family members as public health officials appealed Thursday for a “drastic reducti…

Isolation play: College teams fend off holiday loneliness

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eric Curry texted his mom last week. He needed a headshot of her and his sister.

Pope hopes to visit South Sudan, Lebanon if security permits

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis told the leaders of South Sudan and Lebanon on Thursday that he hopes to visit their countries but demanded they do more to bring peace and stability to their nations.

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Moroccan journalist appears before judge on espionage charge

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A prominent Moroccan journalist and activist appeared before an investigating judge in Casablanca on Thursday to face charges of spying in a case that has raised concerns over press freedoms i…

Police: Couple steals $300 albino python from pet store

PEABODY, Mass. (AP) — Police in Peabody, Massachusetts, are looking for a couple who slithered away with a snake worth $300 from a city pet store.

Ravens seek to sustain late surge against desperate Giants

NEW YORK GIANTS (5-9) at BALTIMORE (9-5)

Reparations after Fla. massacre a model, descendants say

(RNS) — As each new year approaches, Ebony Pickett looks back to the dark history of the massacre that began in the little-known majority-Black enclave in Rosewood, Florida, on Jan. 1, 1923.

White supremacist's statue off of Louisiana high court steps

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Louisiana Supreme Court has moved a statue of Edward Douglass White Jr. from its front steps. White was the ninth chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and was the only Louisiana justice ev…