No. 5 Penn State bottles up Jeanty, beats No. 8 Boise State 31-14 in Fiesta Bowl
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Drew Allar threw three touchdown passes and No. 5 Penn State bottled up Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty for a 31-14 win over No. 8 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Nittany Lions opened their first CFP berth with a blowout win over SMU and appeared headed toward the latest lopsided victory in the new 12-team format by jumping out to a 14-0 lead against the Broncos. Boise State fought back, pulling to 17-14 on Matt Lauter's 53-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter. Penn State shut down the Broncos from there, earning a spot in the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl. Jeanty had 104 yards on 30 carries, leaving him 27 yards short of Barry Sanders' single-season NCAA record.
Thief swipes $13 million in jewels, handbags and cash from a London mansion
LONDON (AP) -- Police in London are searching for a burglar who broke into an occupied mansion and stole more than 10.5 million pounds -- about $13.2 million -- worth of jewelry, designer handbags and cash. The owners of the estate, identified in British media as an Instagram influencer and her developer husband, were not home at the time on Dec. 7. But employees were there and a housekeeper had a near run-in with the armed intruder, according to surveillance footage. Among the stolen items were a 10.73-carat diamond ring, diamond earrings and a clip studded with gold, diamonds and sapphires. Police announced the theft on Monday.
Wimbledon finalist Gabriela Dabrowski reveals she played through 2024 after breast cancer diagnosis
Former U.S. Open doubles champion Gabriela Dabrowski has revealed she played through 2024 while undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She delayed part of that treatment so she could compete at Wimbledon where she reached the women's doubles final. "I know this will come as a shock to many, but I am OK and I will be OK," the 32-year-old Canadian said. Dabrowski said she had found a first lump in the second half of 2023 and was initially told not to worry about it.
Wind, rain and the threat of floods play the spoiler for New Year's festivities in the UK
LONDON (AP) -- Revelers in the U.K. may have to wring themselves out as they ring in the New Year. A storm system bringing high winds, heavy rain, the possibility of snow and the threat of flooding washed out plans Tuesday for several fireworks displays -- in some cases more than 24 hours before the stroke of midnight. Edinburgh's famous Hogmanay street party, garden concert and pyrotechnics show from the city's famous castle were snuffed out before festivities got underway Monday. Heavy rain and strong winds lashed parts of Scotland and the north of England, disrupting some journeys by train and car and playing spoiler to many public celebrations.
Nearly all of Puerto Rico is without power on New Year's Eve
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- A blackout has hit nearly all of Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory prepares to celebrate New Year's. More than 1.3 million clients were without electricity early on Tuesday and officials say it could take up to two days to restore power. The private company that oversees electricity transmission and distribution says it appears the outage was caused by a failure in an underground power line. Puerto Rico continues to struggle with chronic power outages blamed on a crumbling power grid that was razed by Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm in September 2017.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reach divorce settlement after 8 years
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement, ending one of the longest and most contentious divorces in Hollywood history. The two filed a court document Monday saying they'd reached a written agreement. Jolie's attorney says she is exhausted but relieved. Pitt's lawyer didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The two Oscar winners were among Hollywood's most prominent couples for 12 years. She filed for divorce in 2016 after a private flight where she said he was abusive to her and their children. A judge declared the two single in 2019, but they still had to split assets and child custody.
The dill of a lifetime? In a nation that's enduring its own sour patch, the pickle dominated 2024
SHARPSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- When did we know for sure? Was it April, when Nature Made introduced its pickle-flavored gummy vitamins? Was it November, when Petco's "Pickle Mania" promotion offered 26 different pickle-themed toys for dogs and cats? Maybe it was the day last month that a food scholar was heard to utter, "Everyone can kind of see their needs met by pickles." Tangy Pickle Doritos. Grill Mates Dill Pickle Seasoning for your steak. Pickle mayonnaise, pickle hummus, pickle cookies, pickle gummies. Spicy pickle challenges. Pickleback shots at the bar. Pickle juice and Dr. Pepper, heaven help us. Prepared Foods, an industry newsletter, said it outright in September: "The pickle obsession is at an all-time high."
Brock Purdy's elbow was 'on fire' after hit but he says his surgically repaired ligament is fine
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Brock Purdy hurt his surgically repaired throwing elbow late in a loss to the Detroit Lions, the latest blow in an injury-plagued season for the San Francisco 49ers. Purdy said his elbow was initially "on fire" after getting hurt on a sack late in a 40-34 loss and he will need to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. Purdy said initial tests showed no damage to the ulnar collateral ligament he hurt in a 2022 NFC title-game loss at Philadelphia, and he hopes to play the season finale on Sunday.
A jet carrying the Gonzaga men's basketball team ordered to stop to avoid collision at LAX
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation after a private jet carrying the Gonzaga University men's basketball team nearly crossed a runway as another flight was taking off at Los Angeles International Airport. The plane operated by Key Lime Air was ordered by air traffic controllers to stop as a Delta aircraft took off on Friday. No one was injured. Gonzaga was in Los Angeles for its game against UCLA on Saturday. Key Lime Air did not respond to a request for comment Monday. Los Angeles World Airports referred a media inquiry to the FAA, and a Delta spokesperson said there were no problems for its aircraft.