Bills look to put stamp on AFC East with Patriots sweep

BUFFALO (11-3) at NEW ENGLAND (6-8)

Harden must quarantine until Friday; could play in opener

James Harden will be in quarantine until Friday, meaning the Houston Rockets star and three-time reigning NBA scoring champion could be eligible to play Saturday when his team is to finally open its season in Portland.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus set to become Sunderland majority owner

SUNDERLAND, England (AP) — Sunderland reached an agreement with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, whose family previously owned French team Marseille, to take control of the third-tier English club.

GOP blocks $2,000 checks as Trump leaves COVID aid in chaos

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s sudden demand for $2,000 checks for most Americans was swiftly rejected by House Republicans on Thursday as his haphazard actions throw a massive

The Latest: Over 1M passengers screened for flights in US

NEW YORK — The number of passengers screened for flights in the U.S. topped nearly 1.2 million Wednesday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, but it’s still about 38.5% below the same Wednesday last year, by far the smallest percentage decline since March.

Saints try to clinch NFC South vs. Vikings on Christmas Day

MINNESOTA (6-8) at NEW ORLEANS (10-4)

Browns face Jets, on verge of first playoff berth since 2002

CLEVELAND (10-4) at NEW YORK JETS (1-13)

Bengals look to build on big win against struggling Texans

CINCINNATI (3-10-1) at HOUSTON (4-10)

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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)

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.

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 reduction" in social contacts to prevent new infections over the holidays.

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.

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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 in the North African kingdom.

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.

The Latest: Turkey to receive 3M CoronaVac vaccine doses

ISTANBUL — An infectious disease expert serving on Turkey’s medical board says an experimental vaccine developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac showed an efficacy rate of 91,25 percent based on early results of late-stage trials in the country.

Christmas in Florida: Chilly forecast, falling iguanas

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — With unexpectedly cold weather in the forecast and pandemic-related curfews in some places, Florida is about to have a Christmas unlike any other in recent memory, and it may involve falling iguanas.