“You don’t always have to be the first”

As the Denver Broncos prepared to make their third-round pick within the NFL Draft in April, they were thrilled to see Jonah Elliss' name was still on the board.

Denver coach Sean Payton said earlier this season that the team had a second-round grade on pass rusher from the University of Utah. They believed he had the tools to contribute in his first season, a necessity that was heightened by a spring injury to last yr's third-round pick, Drew Sanders.

There was only one problem. The Atlanta Falcons selected two picks ahead of the Broncos. Their general manager is Terry Fontenot, who previously served within the New Orleans Saints front office for nearly all of Payton's 16 seasons because the team's head coach. And on Atlanta's roster was a linebacker named Kaden Elliss, Jonah's brother and a seventh-round pick by Payton, Fontenot and the Saints in 2019.

“I turned to George (Paton, Denver general manager) and said, ‘Terry is going to draft the brother; “I know it,” Payton said this week. “They picked another player and then of course we were excited to make our selection.

The Falcons selected Washington outside linebacker Bralen Trice, who suffered an ACL injury in the preseason, with the 74th pick. Two picks later, the Broncos took Jonah Elliss.

Immediately, Payton's phone buzzed with a text message. It was Kaden.

“I won’t inform you what it said,” Payton said with fun, “but I would say that getting to know Kaden really helped us understand the mindset of football as it relates to the next election.”

Kaden Elliss also didn't reveal many details of the exchange.

“(I was) just like, 'You got a good hit,'” the Falcons linebacker said. “Other things have been said, but it is what it is. I'm just so excited that he's in Denver and out there with Sean (and) a good team. We have family out west, so it’s a good place.”

Two weeks after the draft, the NFL schedule was released and a date was set for an Elliss family reunion. On Sunday, when the Falcons visit the Broncos in a matchup of two teams attempting to take one other step toward the playoffs, Kaden and Jonah will face off for the primary time within the NFL. Both play defense – Kaden because the starting inside linebacker, leading the Falcons with 88 tackles; Jonah as an out of doors linebacker who has secured a job within the pass rush rotation and has two sacks – so there can be no direct conflict between the 2 brothers.

Unless …

“Maybe we can find a way to sneak in a special teams match,” Kaden said.

The brothers are two of 5 Ellis relations to make it to the NFL. Christian Elliss is a linebacker for the New England Patriots and Noah Elliss is a defensive tackle who hung out with the Philadelphia Eagles the last two seasons and is a free agent. Along with Kaden and Jonah, they’re considered the one 4 brothers to have played within the NFL. Jonah said Friday he wouldn't be surprised if Elijah Elliss, a rookie defensive end at Utah, joins the family's NFL fraternity in the approaching years.

“I can’t help but know an Elliss,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said this week. “There are a million of them.”

Her father, Luther Elliss, played ten seasons within the league as a defensive tackle. The first nine got here from the Detroit Lions, who chosen him in the primary round in 1995 after an All-American college profession at Utah. His final season was with the Broncos in 2004, a fitting end to his profession for somebody who grew up in Mancos, Colorado. Elliss later became the Broncos' team chaplain, a job he filled in the course of the team's Super Bowl season in 2015.

This panel at 1pm is definitely very funny because I just saw Elliss 55 attempting to sack Dak after which I saw Elliss 52 attempting to cover for Justice Hill after which I saw how Elliss 53 moved forward to tackle Tony Pollard.

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) November 3, 2024

During Elliss' only season with the Broncos, it was not unusual for the family's large pickup truck to drag as much as the team's facility. Luther and his wife Rebecca have 12 children, seven of whom were adopted. With a family this size, competition was inevitable. Sometimes the hardest races took place on the dinner table.

“We made up games. We would play every game under the sun, every sport,” Kaden said. “Sometimes it was football. Sometimes it was football or random games we made up.”

Luther's profession served as a guide. Most of the Elliss boys didn't play tackle football until eighth grade – Kaden sneaked in in fifth and seventh grade – however the love of the game embedded of their shared upbringing quickly grew.

“My father was obviously able to lead our work,” Kaden said. “So we’re not only working hard, but we’re also working smart and showing ourselves where we need to improve, what we need to do if we want to take this step.”

Sunday's matchup between the Broncos and Falcons is stuffed with familiar connections. Falcons safety Justin Simmons spent his first eight years in Denver after the team drafted him with a third-round pick in 2016. Thirty of his 31 profession interceptions got here in a Broncos uniform. He and his wife, Taryn Simmons, have established deep roots within the Denver community through their work with the Justin Simmons Foundation, and the protection has been named the team's Walter Payton Man of the Year thrice. He said he'll be “a Bronco for life” this week, but his concentrate on Sunday can be helping the Falcons to their seventh win.

“Training against him for years is one thing, but getting hot balls will be fun,” Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. “I jokingly told him, 'Hey, bro, when you see me in the middle, remember that we're friends.'”

Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson grew up in Denver. He was a Broncos fan whose family had season tickets. He later became a standout football player at Chatfield High School in suburban Littleton, Colorado.

“When I saw we were going to Denver, (my) family was definitely excited,” Robinson said. “The atmosphere is hard to beat. There and KC are probably the two best in the NFL. I’m looking forward to getting back home.”

This return can be special, but reunion games and homecomings occur every week within the NFL. A fight between brothers at one among their father's home stadiums with greater than 30 relations? Not a lot.

“I played with one of my brothers in college, but this is obviously different,” said Broncos tight end Adam Trautman, whose locker is next to Jonah's in Denver and who was previously a teammate of Kaden's in New Orleans. “It’s always been competitive between me and my brother, and I’m sure they treat it that way.”

The Elliss brothers aren't taking Sunday's opportunity with no consideration. But at the top of the day, it's one other competition in an infinite series of competitions. Every yr, normally over the Fourth of July weekend, the family gathers for the Elliss Olympics, a multi-day event with a rotating list of competitions, from corn hole to board games. The event features a trophy with the names of the winners, which is kept in Luther and Rebecca's house. Including spouses and shut family friends, the competition can include greater than three dozen participants.

Trash talking is an integral a part of the spectacle. Jonah shared this week that he and his fiancée are dominating the pickleball competition, a proven fact that angered his older brother.

“I think we only scored three or four goals in a game before 11 a.m.,” Jonah said. “We're pretty good. We killed (Kaden). He didn’t like it.”

However, most appear to agree that Kaden sets the pace in the case of tweeting. So it's perhaps no surprise that the Falcons linebacker, who already has a straight NFL win over Christian of their 2022 meeting, delivered the parting words before his duel with Jonah.

“I’m 1-0,” he said of the Elliss matches. “This week we’ll make it 2-0.”

policy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Control of Congress is at stake Tuesday, with increasingly tight races for the House and Senate that can determine which party has the bulk and the facility to advance or defeat a president's agenda block, or whether the White House faces a divide on Capitol Hill.

The most vital election battles are going down alongside the primary presidential election because the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, but additionally in unexpected corners of the country after one of the vital chaotic congressional sessions in modern times.

In the top, only a handful of seats, and even only one, could tip the balance in each chambers.

The economy, border security, reproductive rights and even the long run of US democracy itself were at the middle of the controversy.

In the Senate, where Democrats currently have a narrow majority of 51 to 49, West Virginia is predicted to see an early boost for Republicans. The resignation of independent Senator Joe Manchin opens a possibility that Republican Jim Justice, now the state's governor, is most certainly to win. A surge there would go away the chamber deadlocked at 50-50 as Republicans attempt to seize control.

The top House races are centered in New York and California, where Democrats, in a politically unusual twist, try to win back a number of the 10 or so seats where Republicans have made surprise gains lately with star lawmakers contributing to bring the party to power.

Other House races are scattered across the country, an indication of how narrow the sphere has change into, with only just a few dozen seats under serious challenge, a number of the most contested in Maine, the “blue dot” around Omaha, Nebraska and elsewhere Alaska.

Vote counting could extend well beyond Tuesday in some races.

“We are within striking distance of taking back the House,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who will make history as the primary Black speaker if his party wins control, told The Associated Press during a recent campaign trail Southern California.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson is moving closer to Trump, predicting that Republicans will retain and expand their majority. He took over after Kevin McCarthy was fired from the speaker's office.

Capitol Hill could determine the priorities of a brand new White House, making Trump or Harris potential allies or adversaries within the House and Senate, or resulting in a divided Congress that might force a period of compromise or stalemate.

Congress may also play a task in upholding the American tradition of peaceful transfer of presidential power. Four years ago, Trump sent his supporters to “fight like hell” on the Capitol, and plenty of Republicans in Congress voted to dam the election of Joe Biden. Congress will again be asked to certify the outcomes of the 2025 presidential election.

What began as a lackluster race for control of Congress modified sharply when Harris stepped in for Biden at the highest of the ticket and galvanized Democrats with massive fundraising and volunteer efforts that lawmakers said reminded them of Obama's enthusiasm era within the 2008 elections.

In the tight battleground over the 435-member House of Representatives and the 100-member Senate, the parties and out of doors groups have spent billions of dollars.

Democrats have to win a handful of seats within the House of Representatives to wrest party control from Republicans. In the Senate, the vp is the deciding think about a split that will hand control of that chamber to the winner of the White House.

Senate Republicans have rolled out a sweeping map of opportunity, recruiting wealthy newcomers to defend Democratic incumbents in nearly 10 states across the country.

In Ohio, Trump-backed Republican Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland businessman, is attempting to unseat three-term Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Around $400 million was spent on the race.

One of the most-watched Senate races in Montana could also be one in every of the last to be decided. Democrat Jon Tester, a preferred three-term senator and “dirt farmer,” is fighting for his political profession against Trump-backed Tim Sheehy, a wealthy former NAVY Seal who has made disparaging comments about Native Americans, a key voting group within the western state.

And within the “blue wall” battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, Republicans are counting on Trump as they struggle to unseat a trio of incumbent Democratic senators.

Outgoing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has spent his profession focused on winning and maintaining majority power, but other opportunities for Republicans are faltering.

In the Southwest states, fiery Republican Kari Lake of Arizona battled Democrat Ruben Gallego for the seat left vacant by the resignation of Sen. Krysten Sinema. In Nevada, Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen prevailed against newcomer Sam Brown.

Democrats stepped up their challenges to 2 Republican senators – Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida – in states where reproductive rights have been the main focus following the Supreme Court's decision restricting access to abortion. Cruz faces Democrat Colin Allred, the Dallas-area congressman, while Scott has poured $10 million of his own fortune into the race against Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former House member.

Congress has the chance to realize several history-making milestones because it is reshaped by the American electorate and becomes more representative of a various nation.

Not one, but possibly two black women could possibly be headed to the Senate, something that will never be seen within the United States

Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware is the favourite within the Senate race against Republican Eric Hansen.

And in Maryland, Harris ally Angela Alsobrooks is in a closely contested race against the state's popular former governor, Republican Larry Hogan.

Americans have elected two black women, including Harris, as senators because the nation's founding, but never at the identical time.

House candidate Sarah McBride, a Delaware state representative who’s near the Biden family, is poised to change into the primary openly transgender person in Congress.

The fallout from redistricting, through which states are redrawing their congressional district maps, can also be changing the balance of power within the House of Representatives – Republicans are expected to win several seats from Democrats in North Carolina, and Democrats will gain a second black-majority seat in Republican-dominated Alabama voting districts.

Representatives within the House of Representatives face voters every two years, while senators serve longer than six years.

If the 2 chambers actually flipped party control, which is feasible, it might be rare.

Records show it might be the primary time that each chambers of Congress could be split between opposing political parties if Democrats took the House and Republicans took the Senate.

With the July 4 election looming, it could possibly feel just like the final result is already a done deal. Labour has had a decisive lead within the polls for over a 12 months, and nothing Rishi Sunak does seems to vary that.

But beneath the surface, there continues to be rather a lot at stake on this six-week election campaign.

First of all, there isn’t a final result possible from this election campaign that may not be described as monumental. If Keir Starmer wins, he could have pulled off essentially the most astonishing electoral turnaround of all time, bringing Labour back to power for the primary time in 14 years. If Rishi Sunak wins, he’ll practically defy gravity.

In Scotland, the SNP's dominance could turn into total annihilation. In Wales, border changes have dramatically altered the electoral map. In Northern Ireland, the DUP is heading into its first real post-Brexit election amid crisis following the arrest of its former leader – while Sinn Féin is regaining popularity.

So Labour’s huge lead within the polls is definitely only a part of the story.

Here at The Conversation, a charity, we’re committed to providing our readers with trustworthy, evidence-based journalism. Over the approaching weeks, we are going to bring you in-depth evaluation of the campaign's developments and fact-check the claims being made.

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We will look closely on the manifestos to discover the guarantees that matter. All parties have big inquiries to answer concerning the way forward for the NHS and the longer term of our planet. All have promised change and renewal after a period of great stress. We imagine that university academics with deep knowledge of their fields are well placed to assist the remainder of us assess the worth of their proposals on all these issues.

If you value high-quality political coverage, support us on this campaign by subscribing to our weekly election newsletter, which provides a summary of crucial information every Friday afternoon.

Each 12 months claims to be essentially the most controversial 12 months in Eurovision history, but it is going to take loads to beat the 68th contest.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024, which took place in Malmö, Sweden, was marked by conflicts, boycotts, protests, harassment and disqualifications. Ironically, it was also the 12 months by which the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union, decided to establish a channel everlasting slogan: United through music.

When announcing the slogan at the top of 2023, Martin Österdahl, managing director of Eurovision, said: said:

By establishing a long-lasting slogan, our message that music unites us all will remain consistent. It is the right slogan to underline our values ​​of inclusivity, equality, universality and celebrating diversity through music.

But the backdrop of Hamas' attacks on southern Israel on October 7 and the continued war in Gaza has forged a protracted shadow over Eurovision 2024.

Demands the exclusion of Israel

Despite the implicit politics of the brand new Eurovision slogan, the competition maintains that it’s a non-political event. Participating broadcasters and artists are required to make sure The competition will not be

[…] be politicized and/or instrumentalized and/or discredited in any way.

But is it possible for a contest between nations to be apolitical?

Just just like the conflict in Gaza divided the international communityEurovision fans, artists and broadcasters were also divided regarding Israel's participation.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, a founding member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, called on “all participating broadcasters, national competitors, finalists, production teams and viewers.” Boycott the event.

Numerous open letters, co-signed from members of creative Industries, were also published prematurely of the competition. Some called for Israel to be excluded and/or the event to be held boycottedwhile others expressed their support for Israel and the competition as “Celebration of unity“.

Many compared the situation to 2022, when Russia was banned from the competition after its invasion of Ukraine. In response, the European Broadcasting Union emphasized “The Eurovision Song Contest is a competition for broadcasters” (not for states), and that included the Russian broadcasters suspended by the organization and the competition for “repeated violations of membership obligations and violation of public media rules.”

So so long as KAN, the Israeli broadcaster, followed the membership and competition rules, it was allowed to take part in the competition.

Some suspect that the printed union's decision itself played a task brought the competition into disreputewhile a anonymous X account is devoted to documenting allegations against KAN regarding compliance with the foundations.

The Netherlands are disqualified

Further controversy arose within the 24 hours before the printed of the grand final. The Dutch actor was disqualified for inappropriate behavior towards a member of the Swedish production team. The European Broadcasting Union said it groomed

a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate behavior […] and are committed to providing all competition employees with a secure working environment.

With this commitment to politics in mind, Irish artist Bambie Thug presented before the dress rehearsal Complaint lodged
against the Israeli commentators for comments made during their performance, claiming they’d violated the foundations of the competition. Bambie Thug also said that this was the case harassed from Israeli fans.

The 2024 grand final opened with two strong countries: Sweden and Ukraine. Sweden was represented by the Norwegian twins Marcus and Martinus and their song Unforgettablewhile Ukrainians Alonya Alyona and Jerry Heil sang the mighty ones Teresa and Mary.

Along with Luxembourg, which took part within the competition for the primary time since 1994, Ukraine is the one country to boast a 100% record of qualifying for the grand final.

Victory for Switzerland

Israel took fifth place. Eden Golan's song “Hurricane” entered the competition after the lyrics were revised twice to remove political references, including the unique title “October Rain” (a reference to the October 7 attack).

The crowd's heartbroken response could possibly be heard on the printed, and pictures posted by viewers on social media attests to this widespread booing. Despite this response in the sector, Israel got here second in the general public televoting.

Israel was beaten in the favored vote by audience favorite Baby Lasagna from Croatia. Dim tag team rim is a catchy metal song concerning the impact of economic emigration on young Croatians, their connection to family and their lives cultural identity.

Despite leading the betting odds for a lot of the competition season, Croatia was judge's favorite, The code, by Nemo from Switzerland. They are the primary non-binary artists to win the competition, notably with an artistically impressive and fascinating tribute to their non-binary gender identity.

In your Victory speechNemo said:

I hope that this competition can keep its promise and proceed to advocate for peace and dignity for all and sundry on the earth.

With Nemo's victory, presenting duties next 12 months will move to Switzerland, home of the European Broadcasting Union. The country last won the competition in 1988, when it was represented by a little-known French-Canadian artist named Celine Dion. It also hosted (and won) the primary Eurovision competition 1956.

Tensions are high

Many are questioning the long run of the Eurovision Song Contest. Österdahl was almost drowned out by boos from the audience while checking the outcomes. A planned sketch was dedicated to him Excerpt from the last broadcastin addition to the usage of the Dutch song title “Europe” to introduce it.

The audience's response to Österdahl highlights the growing unrest amongst fans and member broadcasters over the union's management of the competition. These include concerns about its partner sponsors (e.g Israeli company Moroccanoil), whether it’s effective Safeguarding freedom of the pressand doubts about its ability to take care of competition as “apolitical.”

There is now loads at stake for the union to work with Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR to persuade the world that they may be united in music in spite of everything.

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A small stake within the San Francisco Giants is up on the market at a price that would raise the team's value to around $4 billion, people conversant in the matter say.

The Major League Baseball team is owned by about 30 partners, including former catcher Buster Posey and investor Arctos Sports Partners. Charles B. Johnson, 91, former chairman of Franklin Templeton Investments, holds the most important stake, a couple of quarter.

The share is lower than 5% and is said to estate planning, said the person, who asked to not be identified discussing private information.

A Giants spokesman didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

A consortium of investors led by Peter Magowan bought the Giants in 1992 for $100 million. The team has since develop into one in every of the league's most profitable teams and has invested within the redevelopment of its waterfront stadium.

The Giants' financial success stands in stark contrast to the struggling Oakland Athletics, who will play in West Sacramento, California, for 3 seasons starting next 12 months before moving to Las Vegas.

Sales of minority stakes in sports teams often occurred unannounced, however the rapid rise in team valuations has brought particular attention to ownership changes.

Unlike other sports, recent majority ownership has been relatively rare for MLB teams, with only a handful of teams changing ownership during the last decade.

Earlier this 12 months, David Rubenstein and a consortium of investors acquired a majority stake within the Baltimore Orioles, valuing the team at $1.73 billion. The New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners have also modified hands since 2016.

Sign up for Bloomberg's Business of Sports newsletter to get the context you would like on the collision of power, money and sports.

–With assistance from Randall Williams.

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