The Atlanta Falcons (2-2) host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the “Thursday Night Football” NFC South showdown. With a tight division race looming, this game could have big playoff implications going forward. The winner will take first place in the division for now.

The Falcons earned a narrow division win over the New Orleans Saints, while the Bucs earned a dominant win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield is signed to his new contract and boasts the league’s sixth-most passing yards (984) and second-most passing touchdowns (eight) in the first month, with the former No. 1 pick throwing just two interceptions so far this season. 1 selection.

Tampa Bay has a strong pass rush (recording six sacks last week) and solid pass defense, but will still be without safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who is out again with a foot injury

The Falcons also have a strong defense led by veteran cornerbacks AJ Terrell Jr. and linebacker Matthew Judon. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins, playing in his first games after returning from an Achilles tendon injury, didn’t have as much success as Mayfield this season, finishing 24th in quarterback rating (43.0).

Tampa Bay is 31-30 against Atlanta, which has a chance to equalize.

Here’s how to watch

Date: Thursday, Oct. 3 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
Streaming: Prime Video
Opportunities: Buccaneers +2.5, O/U 44.5

forecast

I think the Buccaneers will win this game in another big game for Baker Mayfield and Chris Godwin. Selection: Tampa Bay 31, Atlanta 21

The Texas Longhorns announced Thursday that they have added a non-conference game against Louisiana Tech to their 2028 non-conference schedule. The Longhorns are also scheduled to host UTSA in advance of SEC games this season.

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The game against the Bulldogs is scheduled for September 2, 2028.

Texas and Louisiana Tech have played in a previous contest. Texas won 45-14 in Austin to open the season on August 31, 2019. Sam Ehlinger was 28 of 38 for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He added 34 yards on the ground.

Devin Duvernay And Collin Johnson caught touchdown passes and Brennan Eagles scored on two of his three catches. Keaontay Ingram scored on a one-yard touchdown run and then served as backup quarterback Casey Thompson added a 2-yard touchdown run late to tie the game at the final score.

Pre-game Louisiana Tech graduate and Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw came out as a doubter of Ehlinger and the Longhorns.

“I’ve never understood why players want to go and pile up,” Bradshaw said at the time. “Texas, for example. We open this year with Texas, and in one year they signed three (five-star) quarterbacks. Two are gone now and one who plays, you know, he’s not that good.

“And I’m like, ‘Really? (Five stars)?’ You watch them throw the football and you go, man, alive, (it’s) like they go there and they can’t throw the football. I’ll take our boys every day.”

Louisiana Tech was able to gain a total of 413 yards on Texas, most of them through the air. J’mar Smith Passed on 34 of 51 passes for 331 yards Westin Elliott was 1 of 3 for nine yards. Smith had two touchdowns and one interception. Elliott added a selection of his own.

2025

• 08/30 – at Ohio State
• 9/6 – San Jose State
• September 13th – UTEP
• 27.9. –Sam Houston

2026

• 9/5 – Texas State
• September 12 – Ohio State
• September 19th – UTSA

2027

• 9/4 – New Mexico State
• September 11th – Michigan
• September 18th – UTEP

2028

• 9/2-Louisiana Tech
• 16.09. – UTSA

2029

• 1.9. – ULM
• 09/15 – UTEP

2030

2031

2032

• September 11th – at Arizona State

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2033

“Of course, there are still many communities that are in this most critical phase, particularly North Carolina, where they are trying to save people. That’s obviously where I think we should focus our nation’s time and attention,” he said. “Once we get that done, we will absolutely do everything we can to help this community and communities across Appalachia rebuild.”

Flanked by Youngkin and a handful of local officials, Vance answered questions from the media and praised FEMA for providing “a lot of resources” but also criticized the Biden-Harris administration, saying it “could do a lot better.” Make people feel like they matter.”

“This community has been ignored for so long and they feel like their government is ignoring them again. We have to change that,” Vance said.

After meeting Youngkin outside the dilapidated First Baptist Church of Damascus on one of the city’s main streets, Vance and his wife Usha greeted a group of elected officials and volunteers who are helping the community deal with storm damage after parts of the city closed The foothills of the Appalachian Mountains were hit by severe flooding.

They then walked through parts of the city affected by the storm, including a neighborhood where a sinkhole swallowed the foundation of a home and an SUV.

WASHINGTON — The IRS is expanding its program that allows people to file their taxes directly with the agency for free.

The Federal Tax Collector’s Direct File program, which allows taxpayers to calculate and submit their tax returns directly to the government without using commercial tax preparation software, will be open to more than 30 million people in 24 states during the 2025 tax filing season.

The program was piloted in 12 states during the 2024 tax season.

Now, IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel says the program will be permanent and the IRS will expand eligibility options for taxpayers.

“We are announcing significant enhancements to Direct File that will bring the service to millions more taxpayers in 2025,” Werfel said in a call with reporters Thursday. He said it is possible that more states could choose to join the program in 2025.

The pilot program in 2024 allowed people in certain states with very basic W-2s to calculate and file their tax returns directly with the IRS. According to the IRS, those who used the program claimed more than $90 million in refunds.

It was originally available to certain taxpayers in California, New York, Arizona, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming and Massachusetts.

States scheduled to be added in 2025 include: Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Additionally, new eligibility standards allow participation by taxpayers with 1099 income and credits including, but not limited to, the Child and Dependent Care Credit, the Retirement Contribution Credit, and the Health Savings Account Deduction.

“Other countries have been offering their citizens the opportunity to do something like this for years,” Deputy Finance Minister Wally Adeyemo said on the call with reporters. Several nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, including Germany and Japan, have similar systems with pre-filled tax forms.

The idea of ​​direct filing is not viewed favorably by the commercial tax preparation software companies that have made billions of dollars by charging people to use their software.

Additionally, a general IRS inspector general report released this week indicates that the IRS did not provide adequate privacy safeguards related to the IRS Free File Alliance. The alliance is a long-standing agreement between the IRS and some commercial tax preparation companies to provide free tax preparation services to low- and moderate-income taxpayers.

The Free File Alliance is separate from the Direct File program.

The IRS has been tasked with studying how it could set up a “direct file” system as part of the money it received from the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Joe Biden in 2022. The IRS had nine months and $15 million to report on how such a program would work.

Rugrats is reportedly returning with a new live-action hybrid film.

The iconic Nickelodeon cartoon, which first ran from 1991 to 2006, returns to the screen in a unique way under the direction of Pitch Perfect filmmaker Jason Moore.

As Deadline reports, the upcoming film will be a mix of live-action and CGI, with the babies themselves being animated.

The script was co-written by Saturday Night Live star Mike Day and head writer Streeter Seidell.

The animated classic follows toddlers Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster and twins Phil and Lil DeVille on their everyday adventures, where ordinary life experiences become grand adventures in their imaginations.

Other characters included the bully Angelica Pickles, who is rarely seen without her doll Cynthia, Tommy’s little brother Dil and their dog Spike, as well as parents Didi and Stu Pickles, Chas Finster, Drew and Charlotte Pickles, and Betty and Howard DeVille.

It is not yet known who else will star in the upcoming film

Karen Rosenfelt is producing alongside Rugrats co-creators Arlene Klasky and Gábor Csupó.

Following the original series, the series also returned for five seasons of the 2003 spin-off All Grown Up! back before making a comeback in 2021 with the Rugrats reboot on Paramount+.

The franchise also has three feature films, starting with 1998’s The Rugrats Movie, which was followed two years later by Rugrats in Paris: The Movie.

In 2003, he returned to the big screen with Rugrats Go Wild, a crossover with The Wild Thornberrys.

In addition to his work on the Pitch Perfect series, Moore recently directed Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel’s Amazon Prime Video romcom Shotgun Wedding.

He has also appeared on Broadway, including Avenue Q, The Cher Show and Shrek The Musical.

MILWAUKEE — Maybe Brewers phenom Jackson Chourio is just too young to know the history he overcame and made on Wednesday night.

Twice, Chourio whipped up the American Family Field crowd into a dervish with home runs on the opposing field, one to put the Brewers ahead in the first inning and the other to tie the score early in the eighth inning as Milwaukee got one Overcame a late deficit and defeated the New York Mets 5-3, setting up a decisive Game 3 in the National League Wild Card Series on Thursday.

“Yes, that’s something very special,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy, summing up his young star’s performance. “Yes, something very special.”

Chourios’ eighth-inning shot against Mets right-hander Phil Maton rocketed off his bat at 105 mph and bounced off the facade above the bullpen in right field, sending a nervous home crowd into a frenzy.

“I think the adrenaline is still getting to me,” Chourio said through an interpreter after the game. “I think I still feel the adrenaline there. It was a very special moment for me and I will look back on it and remember it for the rest of my life.”

An even bigger celebration began moments later when Garrett Mitchell, who had entered the game as a pinch runner only to be ejected for stealing, lined a Maton pitch that hit the top of the right field fence for a two- Run-Go– ahead of Homer.

“I knew I hit it well, and as I ran down the base I felt like, ‘Go, go, go, go,'” Mitchell said. “Right when it reached the top of the fence, that’s when I knew.”

The Brewers have suffered postseason disappointments throughout their history. A franchise that began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 before moving to Milwaukee the next season, the Brewers are just one of five existing franchises without a World Series title. They haven’t won a pennant since 1982, although they secured their sixth playoff berth in the last seven seasons this year.

Additionally, with the Brewers trailing 3-2 in the late innings of Game 2, another poor historical statistic became relevant: They hadn’t won a playoff game since the 1982 pennant winners, in which they trailed early in the seventh inning lay. What’s more, the last 39 playoff teams that entered the Round of 16 with the lead in a potentially decisive game walked away with a win.

Two swings changed everything, altering the anxious energy of a congregation convinced it was witnessing the beginning of another heartbreak in October.

Mitchell described what he saw around the bases after his home run: “The first thought is to look around and see how excited the fans are. They are a big part of it too, as is the energy they bring.”

“After we got second place and went home, it was like we were celebrating with the team. They’re all excited about it. It’s an exciting time.”

Chourio, the youngest player in the majors this year at 20, continues to emerge as one of baseball’s brightest breakout stars. His two home runs made him the second-youngest player with a multihomer game in the postseason (19-year-old Andruw Jones of the Braves in the 1996 World Series was younger). He became the first Brewer to hit a home run more than once in a playoff game. And he became the first player to hit a leadoff home run and a tying home run in the eighth inning or later of the same playoff game.

Chourio hit .275 with 21 home runs, 79 RBIs and 22 steals in his first season while playing Gold Glove-level defense in center field. His manager is running out of superlatives.

“Chourio, oof,” Murphy said before pausing, perhaps searching for something new to say about a player he has been asked about so often. He could only shake his head and add: “Two counterfield bombs.”

Although Chourio’s blossoming brilliance dominated the postgame conversation, there was plenty of sympathy for Mitchell, who is part of the Brewers’ impressive young core of position players but suffered several serious injuries early in his big league career.

“You would never know he went through that adversity because he just doesn’t show it to you,” Murphy said. “He’s just ready to play. He has a smile on his face. He’s ready to play every day. The attitude gets him through.”

Mitchell became the first Brewer since Hall of Famer Paul Molitor with a home run in the eighth inning or later of a postseason game. Molitor did it in 1981. And that’s one of the reasons this playoff run is so different for the franchise and those who stopped by Wednesday: These players are adding chapters to a story they’re far too young to have experienced .

“The energy that was in that stadium, the whole eighth inning, you could feel it,” Mitchell said. “It was like they were just waiting for something to break out. They are with us and we will continue to need their support and a full house tomorrow. Hopefully they’ll bring it back.”

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A man charged with a violent crime that began at a fast food restaurant was found dead at the South-Central Regional Jail.

According to authorities with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Percy Woody, 38, was found unresponsive during routine staff checks on Oct. 2.

Officials said staff immediately began providing life-saving assistance.

No further information was released.

The death is currently under investigation by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Criminal Investigation Division and the West Virginia State Police.

According to police, Woody was arrested after attacking two employees and a customer at McDonald’s, where he was also an employee.

Check the WSAZ app often for the latest information.

Copyright 2024 WSAZ. All rights reserved.

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Short summary

A dummy of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has surfaced, giving a good insight into the expected design of the future Samsung phone.

The new device is believed to have a narrower bezel but essentially the same design as before.

With the next generation of Samsung’s flagship Android phone expected to launch in January 2025, it’s no surprise that we’re hearing more and more about it. Today we’re looking at an alleged Galaxy S25 Ultra dummy that reveals plenty of details about the upcoming phone.

Samsung is expected to stick to its three-device strategy with the Galaxy S25, giving us the regular phone, the Galaxy S25 Plus, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra as the new hero device. These new details come from xleaks7 (via GSMArena), which claims to have insider knowledge of Samsung’s plans.

The casting shows us that the leaks of an iPhone-like, square device appear to be correct, albeit with more rounded corners, while reports that it is thinner and lighter also appear to be correct. The dimensions of the phone are stamped on the front of the dummy unit and state that it measures 162.82 x 77.65 x 8.25mm. It has been reported that the phone will weigh 219g.

This makes the Galaxy S25 Ultra slightly smaller than the Galaxy S24 Ultra and also lighter.

On the back of the phone we see the familiar position of the five camera components as well as the position of the wireless charging coil.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specifications according to leaks

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could offer more screen space without becoming larger thanks to shrinking bezels. Previous leaks suggest that it will offer a 6.9-inch display, matching the iPhone 16 Pro Max. But it will also have a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

The S25 Ultra is expected to come with the latest and greatest Snapdragon hardware, which could be described as Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. The whole thing could be powered by a 5,000mAh battery augmented by an AI battery boost feature. Charging could be done at 65W, which would significantly increase Samsung’s charging speed.

There is expected to be a 200-megapixel main camera, but the remaining cameras will be supported by 50-megapixel sensors.

Ultimately, it looks like Samsung is sticking with a tried-and-tested formula when it comes to design – but where the company will go with new AI features remains to be seen.

(Savannah Bananas/Clemson Athletics) The Savannah Bananas Baseball Club has selected Clemson University’s Memorial Stadium, also known as Death Valley, as one of its sites for the 2025 Banana Ball World Tour during their City Draft held Thursday evening in Savannah, Georgia , took place. The game between the Bananas and the Party Animals is scheduled to take place on April 26, 2025. Tickets are sold and managed by the Bananas organization. Broadcast information will be announced at a later date. Fans must be on the lottery list by November 1, 2024 to have the opportunity to purchase tickets. “We are thrilled to welcome the Bananas to the Valley,” said Athletics Director Graham Neff, who co-organized the event on behalf of Clemson. “Bananas’ innovation in sports and entertainment is world class and we are excited to open our doors to fans from around the world as part of the World Tour. The atmosphere in Death Valley is as good as it gets, and we’re eager to help create an unforgettable experience when the Bananas come to town in April 2025.” After a visit on September 22, 2024 at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) there are now more than 45,000 spectators. In addition to being home to Clemson’s National Championship Football program, Memorial Stadium has hosted numerous past world-class events, including the George Strait Country Music Festival, the Rolling Stones, Living Color, Pink Floyd, Elton John, U2, the Eagles and Billy Joel. Further promotional events will be announced in the near future. Ticket Lottery Registration Deadline: November 1, 2024. Ticket Registration Link: TICKET INFORMATION FROM THE BANANAS: Join the Ticket Lottery list before it ends on November 1, 2024. Inclusion on the list does not guarantee the ability to purchase tickets. A random raffle will take place approximately 2 months before the event to purchase tickets that are still available. If you are drawn, you will have the opportunity to purchase tickets. The ticket lottery list will close on November 1, 2024. Once lists are closed, fans will be placed on the ticket waiting list. There is no guarantee that fans will have the opportunity to purchase tickets if they place their name on the ticket waitlist. However, fans will be notified when tickets become available.