Ukraine reports more Russian drone attacks - Yahoo Canada Finance

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia deployed multiple drones overnight to attack parts of Ukraine and dozens were shot down, Ukrainian officials said Monday, in a series of relentless attacks through the weekend that killed three civilians on New Year's Eve.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that 40 drones “headed for Kyiv” overnight, according to air defense forces, and all of them were destroyed.

Klitschko said 22 drones were destroyed over Kyiv, three in the outlying Kyiv region and 15 over neighboring provinces.

Energy infrastructure facilities were damaged as the result of the attack and an explosion occurred in one city district, the mayor said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that was caused by drones or other munitions. A wounded 19-year-old man was hospitalized, Klitschko added, and emergency power outages were underway in the capital.

In the outlying Kyiv region a “critical infrastructure object” and residential buildings were hit, Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba said.

Seven drones were shot down over the southern Mykolaiv region, according to Gov. Vitali Kim, and three more were shot down in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a missile was also destroyed, according to Reznichenko. He said that energy infrastructure in the region was being targeted.

Ukraine's Air Force Command reported Monday that 39 Iranian-made exploding Shahed drones were shot down overnight, as well as two Russian-made Orlan drones and a X-59 missile across Ukraine.

A blistering New Year’s Eve assault killed at least four civilians across the country, Ukrainian authorities reported, and wounded dozens. The fourth victim, a 46-year-old resident of Kyiv, died in a hospital on Monday morning, Klitschko said.

Multiple blasts rocked the capital and other areas of Ukraine on Saturday and through the night. The strikes came 36 hours after widespread missile attacks Russia launched Thursday to damage energy infrastructure facilities, and the unusually quick follow-up alarmed Ukrainian officials.

Russia has carried out airstrikes on Ukrainian power and water supplies almost weekly since October, increasing the suffering of Ukrainians, while its ground forces struggle to hold ground and advance.

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an energy facility in the Bryansk region that borders with Ukraine, Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz reported on Monday morning. A village was left without power as a result, he said.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The Associated Press

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Mexican border prison attack leaves 14 people dead, more than a dozen injured - Fox News

Gunmen in armored vehicles attacked a state prison just across the border from El Paso early Sunday, killing 10 guards and four inmates, prosecutors said. 

Various armed vehicles arrived at the state prison in Ciudad Juarez at about 7 a.m. and opened fire at guards, the Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office said in a statement. 

Mexican soldiers stand guard outside a state prison in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Sunday Jan 1, 2023. Mexican soldiers and state police regained control of a state prison in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas, after violence broke out early Sunday, according to state officials.  (AP Photo/Christian Chavez)

Amid the chaos, an additional 13 people were wounded and at least 24 inmates escaped. 

Mexican soldiers and state police regained control of the prison later Sunday. The state prosecutor's office said its personnel were investigating.

MEXICAN AUTHORITIES FIND 4 HUMAN SKULLS IN PACKAGE BOUND FOR US

The state prison was the scene of a riot in August that spread to the streets of Juarez, resulting in nearly a dozen people dead. 

In that case, two inmates were killed inside the prison and then alleged gang members started shooting up the town, including killing four employees of a radio station who were doing a promotion at a restaurant.

Mexican National Guard stand guard outside a state prison in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Sunday Jan 1, 2023. Mexican soldiers and state police regained control of a state prison in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas after violence broke out early Sunday, according to state officials.  (AP Photo/Christian Chavez)

Violence is frequent in Mexican prisons, including in some where authorities only maintain nominal control. Clashes regularly erupt among inmates in rival gangs, which in places like Juarez serve as proxies for drug cartels.

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Shortly before Sunday's attack on the prison, municipal police were attacked and captured four men after a pursuit, according to the state prosecutor's office statement. Later, police killed two alleged gunmen traveling in an SUV.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more. 

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Think the pandemic's over? Guess again: Year-end figures show COVID-19 tied to more deaths in 2022 - CBC.ca

While academics debate whether COVID-19 has transitioned to the endemic phase, it's safe to say most Manitobans have moved on from the pandemic.

Barriers to travel are gone. Workers are back in offices. Mask-wearing is optional in most public places. 

After two and a half years, life is pretty much back to normal for the vast majority of people. 

Yet one inconvenient statistic remains: More people died in 2022 either from COVID-19 or in association with the disease in this province than during each of the first two years of the pandemic.

As of Dec. 19, the last date for which any data is available, 2,350 Manitobans who contracted COVID-19 died from the virus or a related condition.

In 2020, 667 Manitobans died of COVID. That figure rose to 725 COVID fatalities in 2021.

And as of Dec. 19, 958 people in this province died from COVID or in connection with COVID, according to Manitoba Public Health.

Unusual situation

That creates the unusual situation where the deadliest year of the pandemic is also the year when most of us decided the pandemic was over.

"I think if you showed those statistics to the average Manitoban that they would be surprised," said Dr. Jillian Horton, a Health Sciences Centre internist and author who frequently comments on the pandemic. "I think most people on a multiple choice test would not correctly guess that more Manitobans have died this year of COVID than in the two prior years

"I think that most people on the street, if they don't have a reason to be following data and headlines very closely, would say, 'Yeah, the pandemic is over, it's not really a big deal any more,' but that certainly is not the reality for patients and it's not the reality inside our hospital."

For experts in public health and epidemiology, the increase in COVID deaths this year was no surprise. Thanks to more contagious SARS-Cov-2 variants such as Omicron and its subvariants, almost everyone got exposed to COVID in 2022, those experts believe.

Is the COVID-19 pandemic almost over?

4 days ago

Duration 1:34

Social behaviour is a big indicator of whether the COVID-19 pandemic is considered to be over, even if there are 30 deaths daily, says Dr. Samir Gupta, a Toronto respirologist.

That means the case-fatality rate for COVID — the proportion of people who died from the virus after contracting it — plummeted drastically this year.

The implication is the COVID we have right now in North America is far less severe than the virus that circulated in the fall of 2020, mainly because of widespread vaccinations.

The notion that the new variants are inherently less severe is still not settled science, says Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, the University of Manitoba medical microbiologust who became the province's best-known expert emerging pathogens during the pandemic.

"You can have viruses that have low casualty rates that still have big impacts if they are spreading broadly enough in the community," Kindrachuk said in an interview.

"We have to appreciate that even if this ends up being a true milder form of the disease, if it's spreading broadly enough in the population it can still have big impacts."

Kindrachuk, whose work is now focused more on monitoring the spread of Mpox, says the emergence of new coronavirus variants is all but inevitable. However, that is only a concern if one or more of those variants proves to be significantly more transmissable, more severe or more capable of evading immunity.

The dire situation unfolding in China, which recently relaxed brutal pandemic restrictions, may not have any bearing on COVID in North America, he says.

That's because China developed a different, less effective COVID-19 vaccine, compared with the very effective mRNA products deployed across most of the Western world. China also vaccinated a smaller proportion of its population.

"China may be very distinct from what we see in the rest of the world because of those other factors, so we need to be cautious," Kindrachuk said.

Greater danger

A greater danger in North America might be the absence of effective communication about keeping COVID at bay.

Canada has not done enough to promote the benefits of ventilating buildings, wearing masks and keeping up with vaccine boosters, Horton says.

"We actually get a really poor grade when it comes to our overall national effort to address the suffering and the death and the burden of illness that comes along with the disease," she said.

"People are really surprised when they hear things like COVID increases your risk of diabetes in the year after infection or the relationship between COVID and potential heart disease."

Mask-wearers in Mill Valley, California, 1918. Masking was widely used during the last global pandemic to mitigate the spread of influenza. (Raymond Coyne/Lucretia Little History Room, Mill Valley Public Library/Public domain)

It's unclear whether widespread changes are coming to building designs to ensure better ventilation as they did in the 1920s after the end of the 1918-2020 influenza epidemic.

Kindrachuk says he is not certain Canada is better prepared for the next pandemic, even after learning hard lessons over the past three years.

"The infrastructure doesn't get created overnight. The knowledge doesn't get created overnight. The dissemination of that knowledge certainly doesn't, either," he said.

"We need to make those moves forward and appreciate that in the interim we will continue to see new viruses and new infectious diseases that emerge or re-emerge and we are going to have to try and learn very quickly."

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Ukraine will ‘not forgive’ Russia for missile attacks: Zelenskyy - Al Jazeera English

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his country will not forgive Russia and its aggression after Moscow fired 20 cruise missiles targeting Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, on New Year’s Eve.

Russia on Saturday fired a barrage of missiles across Ukraine killing at least one person in the capital city in the second wave of attacks on the country in three days. On Friday, Russia carried out one of the largest air strikes since its invasion of Ukraine in February.

“Several waves of missile attacks on New Year’s Eve. Missiles against people … No one in the world will forgive you for this. Ukraine will not forgive,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

The explosions were reported throughout the country on New Year’s Eve on Saturday in attacks President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said showed Moscow was in league with the devil.

Zelenskyy, speaking in a video address, noted that Russia had also launched attacks at Easter and Christmas.

“They call themselves Christians … but they are for the devil. They are for him and with him,” he said.

The Ukrainian president in comments addressed to Russian speakers said President Vladimir Putin was destroying Russia’s future.

“No one will forgive you for terror. No one in the world will forgive you for this. Ukraine will not forgive,” he said, reiterating calls for allies to supply more anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least one person had been killed and 20 wounded after a series of explosions in the capital.

The mayor said one of those injured was a Japanese journalist who had been taken to hospital.

A hotel just south of Kyiv’s city centre was hit, and a residential building in another district was damaged, according to the city administration.

Russia has claimed it was targeting infrastructure but Ukrainian officials say the latest assault targeted civilians.

Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kyiv, described a scene where experts gathered evidence of shrapnel, a pool of blood could be seen, and a two-metre crater was left by a direct hit on a neighbourhood in the capital.

“It’s an indication that this campaign by Vladimir Putin, by the Russians, targeting energy infrastructure goes on. [But] there is no indication of the infrastructure of any importance in this neighbourhood. A very grim scene here on New Year’s Eve.”

After the attack, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for Russia to be deprived of its permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

“This time, Russia’s mass missile attack is deliberately targeting residential areas, not even our energy infrastructure,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

“War criminal Putin ‘celebrates’ New Year by killing people,” he said.

This time, Russia’s mass missile attack is deliberately targeting residential areas, not even our energy infrastructure. War criminal Putin “celebrates” New Year by killing people. Russia must be kicked out of its UN Security Council seat which it has always occupied illegally.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) December 31, 2022

Nationwide attacks

Other cities across Ukraine also came under fire. In the southern region of Mykolaiv, local governor Vitaliy Kim said on television that six people had been wounded.

In a separate post on Telegram, Kim said Russia had targeted civilians with the attacks, something Moscow has previously denied.

“According to today’s tendencies, the occupiers are striking, not just critical … in many cities [they are targeting] simply residential areas, hotels, garages, roads.”

In the western city of Khmelnytskyi, two people were wounded in a drone attack, Ukrainian presidential aide Kyrylo Tymoshenko said.

The official also reported an attack in the southern industrial powerhouse city of Zaporizhzhia, which Tymoshenko said had damaged residential buildings.

Ukraine’s defence ministry responded with a defiant message posted on Telegram.

“With each new missile attack on civilian infrastructure, more and more Ukrainians are convinced of the need to fight until the complete collapse of Putin’s regime,” he wrote.

Russia fighting to protect ‘motherland’

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would never give in to the West’s attempts to use Ukraine as a tool to destroy his country.

In a New Year’s video message broadcast on state TV, Putin said Russia was fighting in Ukraine to protect its “motherland” and to secure “true independence” for its people.

Earlier, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said his country’s victory in Ukraine was “inevitable” in a New Year’s message to servicemen, as Moscow’s military campaign grinds through its 11th month.

“In the coming year, I want to wish everyone good health, fortitude, reliable and devoted comrades … Our victory, like the New Year, is inevitable,” Shoigu said in the video address released by the defence ministry.

Shoigu said in the outgoing year “we all faced serious trials” and that the New Year comes during a “difficult military-political situation”. Russian troops have suffered a string of setbacks on the ground during the past months, with the Kremlin in September announcing the mobilisation of 300,000 reservists to join the fighting.

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NFL Week 17 odds, how to watch, live streaming: Expert selections, best bets, teasers, survivor picks and more - CBS Sports

USATSI

Happy last week of NFL regular-season betting! Well, it's not technically the last week of the regular season, but it is the last NFL Sunday where we won't have to guess whether teams will be resting their starters or not. Week 17 offers us some juicy matchups, as the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers battle for the NFC South, Aaron Rodgers gets his chance at revenge against the Minnesota Vikings and much more.

As we do every week, we've collected all of the best picks and gambling content from CBSSports.com and SportsLine and put them in one place, so you can get picks against the spread from our CBS Sports experts as well as additional feature content for each game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, best bets from our staff, survivor picks and more. Ready? Let's jump in.

All NFL odds via Caesars Sportsbook.

Which picks can you make with confidence in Week 17? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine, as its incredible model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception.

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons

Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Falcons -3, O/U 40

Featured Game | Atlanta Falcons vs. Arizona Cardinals

This is a weird one, as it won't be Colt McCoy or Trace McSorley under center for the Cardinals on Sunday. Instead, it will be David Blough. Before you make any picks or predictions, you'll want to see what the SportsLine Projection Model is saying.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season on an incredible 158-113 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. Now, it has simulated Falcons vs. Cardinals 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in more than 50% of simulations. To see the pick, head on over to SportsLine. 

*Experts locked in picks before it was announced David Blough was starting at QB for the Cardinals*

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (try for free) 
Open: Buccaneers -7, O/U 41.5

Featured Game | Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers

R.J. White has been SportsLine's No. 1 NFL against-the-spread expert over the last five years, going 445-378-24 against the spread to put him up more than 25 units on those picks at SportsLine. He has also delivered a 56.8% hit rate on his SuperContest picks over the last seven seasons. That run includes two finishes in the money, including finishing 18th out of 2,748 entries back in 2017.

This week, he's backing a team that has not lived up to expectations against one that's been hot: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3 vs. the Carolina Panthers. It's not the only spread he's high on this week, however. To check out R.J.'s Week 17 SuperContest picks, head on over to SportsLine. 

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions

Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (try for free) 
Open: Lions -6.5, O/U 48.5

Featured Game | Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears

Before you make any Week 17 NFL picks or NFL parlays, you need to see what SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein has to say. A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. He entered the 2022 NFL season 427-344 all-time on NFL side picks (plus $3,764 for $100 players), including 394-330 against the spread. Hartstein went 68-50 ATS and 8-3 on money-line plays last season for a profit of $1,552.

Hartstein also is 28-19-1 on his best bets this season, including 22-13-1 the past 12 weeks. Now, Hartstein has locked in three confident Week 17 NFL best bets. If you successfully parlay his picks, you're looking at a payout of almost 6-1.

We can tell you Hartstein loves the Lions to cover against the Bears, but to check out the other ATS picks he's throwing into this Week 17 parlay, head on over to SportsLine. 

Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders

Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (try for free) 
Open: Commanders -2, O/U 42.5

Featured Game | Washington Commanders vs. Cleveland Browns

"It's been brutal sledding for the Browns offense since Deshaun Watson took over. Cleveland has yet to score multiple offensive touchdowns in a game he's started. It also had to play in horrendous conditions last week, faced an elite Ravens defense the week before that, and struggled against an elite Bengals team looking for revenge the week before that. The Commanders defense did not look great against Brock Purdy last week, and the Commanders don't have much of a home-field advantage, so this could finally be the breakout game for Watson."

That's from SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White, who suggests teasing the Browns up to +8 this week. To check out his other Week 17 teaser legs, head on over to SportsLine. 

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here) 
Open: Chiefs -10, O/U 44

Featured Game | Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos

"The Broncos are playing consecutive road games, and they are playing for nothing. Kansas City still has a chance at the top seed in the conference. The Broncos are also a mess right now after firing coach Nathaniel Hackett. I don't think they get the fired-coach boost here. The Chiefs will blow them out as Russell Wilson continues to struggle."

That's CBS Sports Senior NFL Writer Pete Prisco, who likes the Chiefs to cover the big number on Sunday. To read Prisco's breakdown of every game in Week 17, click here.

Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants

Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here) 
Open: Giants -3, O/U 41.5

Featured Game | New York Giants vs. Indianapolis Colts

"The Colts' season is done, and they have moved onto their third starting quarterback of the season. Nick Foles historically owns the Giants (3-0), but he looked terrible against the Los Angeles Chargers last week, throwing for 143 yards and three interceptions. With Indy starting Foles at quarterback and not having Jonathan Taylor, I'm comfortable taking the Giants to cover the number.

"Daniel Jones looked pretty good against the Vikings last week. He completed over 71 percent of his passes for 334 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and is shifting the narrative on himself as a player. I'm also super intrigued by Isaiah Hodgins, a Giants wideout who could step up down this final stretch. He's caught three touchdowns over the last four games, and caught 8-of-11 targets for 89 yards and one touchdown last week against Minnesota. 

"Basically, the Giants just need to show up at home, and they clinch a playoff spot. The Colts defense isn't bad, but the Giants should win this game by more than six points."

CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani likes the Giants to take care of business this week at home, and cover the spread. To read his Week 17 column, click here.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans

Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Jaguars -5, O/U 44

Featured Game | Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Before making any NFL picks, you need to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say. The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season on an incredible 158-113 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. 

Now, it has simulated Texans vs. Jaguars 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in just over 50% of simulations. To check out the pick, head on over to SportsLine.

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Dolphins -2.5, O/U 43.5

Featured Game | New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins

"I can't say this for sure, but I have to think that no one is more excited to see the month of December come to an end than the Dolphins and Patriots. These two teams are probably thrilled that this game is being played in January because they both had an ugly December. On the Patriots' end, their December ended with them losing two straight games in the most improbable fashion possible: In Week 15, they lost to Las Vegas because a Patriots player decided to lateral the ball to a Raiders player on the final play of the game. In Week 16, the Patriots were five yards away from beating the Bengals, but then Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled the ball away. 

"If the Patriots win either one of those games, they would be on the cusp of a playoff berth right now, but instead, their postseason hopes are done if they lose this week to Miami. The good news for the Patriots is that if there's one team you want to be facing right now, it's definitely the Dolphins, who are playing their worst football of the year. 

"If Tua can't play this week -- and I don't think he will -- that means that Teddy Bridgewater will get the start. Bridgewater has never faced a Bill Belichick defense before and for the most part, things don't usually go so well for quarterbacks who are facing Belichick for the first time.

"The Dolphins haven't won a road game since Week 9 and I don't think that streak is going to end this week."

CBS Sports' John Breech is on the Patriots to win this week. To read his Week 17 column and check out his best bets, click here. 

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles 

Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Eagles -5.5, O/U 43.5

Featured Game | Philadelphia Eagles vs. New Orleans Saints

"The Saints have the worst scoring offense in the NFL since Week 9 (14.9 points per game). They've toughed out two wins in a row against lesser opponents, but now they get one of the best teams in the NFL on the road. The Eagles can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win here, and ultimately, that's what I think happens.

"It's not guaranteed Jalen Hurts will play this week, but to be honest with you, I'm not sure it matters. Gardner Minshew threw for 355 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys last week, and helped put up 34 points. He did also have two interceptions, but they weren't egregious throws. This team has enough talent to put up points with either Hurts or Minshew under center." 

CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani likes the Eagles to rebound at home on Sunday. To read his Week 17 column, click here.

New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks

Time: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (try for free) 
Open: Seahawks -1.5, O/U 44

Featured Game | Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Jets

"Mike White is back as the Jets starter after missing the previous two weeks due to injury and his return couldn't come at a more critical time. New York is still in playoff contention, but a loss in Seattle would send them packing. With White under center, the offense has run infinitely smoother than it did with either Zach Wilson or Joe Flacco. White's offense averaged 21.7 points per game under his starts and posted 420.3 yards of offense per game, which was third-most in the NFL over that stretch. Meanwhile, the Jets defense is allowing just 18.8 points per game this year and is facing a Seahawks offense that crashed back down to earth over the last six weeks. Since Week 10, the Seahawks' points-per-game average ranks 19th in the NFL and they have failed to cover in each of those contests. In a must-win game and their best quarterback back under center, I'll lay less than a field goal with New York."

Tyler Sullivan is looking for the Jets to take flight with a playoff spot on the line. To read his Week 17 column, click here.

San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders

Time: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Raiders -4.5, O/U 43

Featured Game | Las Vegas Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers

If you're somehow still alive for Week 17 NFL survivor picks, you don't want to bow out now at the league's penultimate week. But with the best options already off the board, it would certainly be advantageous to have knockout pool help before making Week 17 NFL survivor pool picks. So, before you make your Week 17 NFL knockout picks, you need to see which team the SportsLine Projection Model is backing.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season on an incredible 158-113 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.

The model likes the 49ers to win their ninth-straight this week. If you've already used this team, don't worry. The model has other teams it's high on as well. To check them out, head on over to SportsLine. 

Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers

Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Chargers -8.5, O/U 40.5

Featured Game | Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams

"The Rams are coming off an impressive victory against the Broncos, but this is a big step up in terms of competition. The Chargers have clinched a playoff spot, so their motivation is seeding for now. Even so, they need to show more on offense to prepare for the postseason. I think they do it here."

That's CBS Sports Senior NFL Writer Pete Prisco, who likes the Chargers to cover as favorites this week. To read Prisco's breakdown of every game in Week 17, click here.

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers

Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here) 
Open: Packers -2.5, O/U 44.5

Featured Game | Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings

"I'm gonna take the Packers. I think the Packers are getting it going a little bit and the Vikings defense is still terrible. I mean, Daniel Jones did whatever he wanted to last week with little or no help on the outside, and so I think this is an opportunity for the Packers, at home, to score some points against the Vikings. I think the Vikings will score too, so I probably lean to the Over ... But I think Green Bay will cover this number and continue to push for a playoff (spot)."

That's Pete Prisco's take from the Pick Six Podcast, where he, R.J. White and Will Brinson broke down all the games from a gambling perspective and gave out best bets Thursday -- as they do every week. Give it a listen below and subscribe for great NFL content in your feed daily.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens

Time: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC), stream on fuboTV (try for free) 
Open: Ravens -6.5, O/U 42

Featured Game | Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Before you make any Steelers vs. Ravens picks or Week 17 NFL predictions, you need to see the NFL best bets and analysis from SportsLine expert Mike Tierney. A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. He entered the 2022 NFL season 232-204-10 against-the-spread since the start of the 2018 season. In addition, he is an amazing 37-14-2 on his last 53 picks in games involving the Ravens, returning $2,150.

We can tell you he's leaning Over the total, but to check out his ATS pick for this primetime showdown, head on over to SportsLine.

Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals 

Time: Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN), stream on fuboTV (try for free) 
Open: Bills -1.5, O/U 49

Featured Game | Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills

Analysis to come. 

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Highly immune evasive omicron XBB.1.5 variant is quickly becoming dominant in U.S. as it doubles weekly - CNBC

Gilnature | Istock | Getty Images

The Covid omicron XBB.1.5 variant is rapidly becoming dominant in the U.S. because it is highly immune evasive and appears more effective at binding to cells than related subvariants, scientists say.

XBB.1.5 now represents about 41% of new cases nationwide in the U.S., nearly doubling in prevalence over the past week, according to the data published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The subvariant more than doubled as a share of cases every week through Dec. 24. In the past week, it nearly doubled from 21.7% prevalence.

Scientists and public health officials have been closely monitoring the XBB subvariant family for months because the strains have many mutations that could render the Covid-19 vaccines, including the omicron boosters, less effective and cause even more breakthrough infections.

XBB was first identified in India in August. It quickly become dominant there, as well as in Singapore. It has since evolved into a family of subvariants including XBB.1 and XBB.1.5.

Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University, said XBB.1.5 is different from its family members because it has an additional mutation that makes it bind better to cells.

"The virus needs to bind tightly to cells to be more efficient at getting in and that could help the virus be a little bit more efficient at infecting people," Pekosz said.

Yunlong Richard Cao, a scientist and assistant professor at Peking University, published data on Twitter Tuesday that indicated XBB.1.5 not only evades protective antibodies as effectively as the XBB.1 variant, which was highly immune evasive, but also is better at binding to cells through a key receptor.

Scientists at Columbia University, in a study published earlier this month in the journal Cell, warned that the rise of subvariants such as XBB could "further compromise the efficacy of current COVID-19 vaccines and result in a surge of breakthrough infections as well as re-infections."

The XBB subvariants are also resistant to Evusheld, an antibody cocktail that many people with weak immune systems rely on for protection against Covid infection because they don't mount a strong response to the vaccines.

The scientists described the resistance of the XBB subvariants to antibodies from vaccination and infection as "alarming." The XBB subvariants were even more effective at dodging protection from the omicron boosters than the BQ subvariants, which are also highly immune evasive, the scientists found.

CNBC Health & Science

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Dr. David Ho, an author on the Columbia study, agreed with the other scientists that XBB.1.5 probably has a growth advantage because it binds better to cells than its XBB relatives. Ho also said XBB.1.5 is about as immune evasive as XBB and XBB.1, which were two of the subvariants most resistant to protective antibodies from infection and vaccination so far.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is leaving his role as White House chief medical advisor, has previously said that the XBB subvariants reduce the protection the boosters provide against infection "multifold."

"You could expect some protection, but not the optimal protection," Fauci told reporters during a White House briefing in November.

Fauci said he was encouraged by the case of Singapore, which had a major surge of infections from XBB but did not see hospitalizations rise at the same rate. Pekosz said XBB.1.5, in combination with holiday travel, could cause cases to rise in the U.S. But he said the boosters appear to be preventing severe disease.

"It does look like the vaccine, the bivalent booster is providing continued protection against hospitalization with these variants," Pekosz said. "It really emphasizes the need to get a booster particularly into vulnerable populations to provide continued protection from severe disease with these new variants."

Health officials in the U.S. have repeatedly called on the elderly in particular to make sure they are up to date on their vaccines and get treated with the antiviral Paxlovid if they have a breakthrough infection.

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Highly immune evasive omicron XBB.1.5 variant is quickly becoming dominant in U.S. as it doubles weekly - CNBC
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'I had to do it to save everyone': Man breaks into school and shelters more than 20 people from blizzard - CNN

CNN  — 

As a deadly and historic blizzard barreled through Erie County, New York, last weekend, some residents found themselves in a dire scenario – stranded in howling snow with nowhere to go, their cars dwindling in gas supply with police unable to come to the rescue.

Among those trapped last Friday was Jay Withey, a mechanic in the town of Cheektowaga who had ventured out to help a trapped friend, but instead got caught in the snow himself. Over the course of the night, he would be turned away by several people he begged for help, eventually committing a final act of desperation to save himself and more than 20 others from the brutal storm.

His night began at 6 p.m. when he got a call from a friend who had become stuck in the quickly mounting snow.

“He said I’m the only person he knew that would come over so I figured I would go get him,” Withey said.

Buffalo family who became stranded in blizzard conditions spend holidays at firefighters' firehouse

Buffalo Airport/Twitter

A family of six got stranded in a whiteout. Then came the real Christmas miracle

Withey drove toward his friend, weaving between abandoned vehicles that littered the road. Suddenly, he saw a young man named Mike walking in sneakers and wrapped in a light jacket. He told Mike to hop in the truck to escape the cold.

As he drove past snow drifts several feet tall, Withey said, his truck became stuck twice. The first time, he was able to shovel his way out, but the second time felt hopeless.

“I’m trying to dig myself out, but the snow is coming down just as fast as I’m shoveling,” he said. With his clothes soaking wet and only a quarter of a tank of fuel left, Withey started to grow concerned.

‘I’m fearing for my life’

Leaving Mike in the truck, he began knocking on the doors of houses lining the street to see if anyone would give them shelter.

Withey said he went to 10 households, offering each $500 to spend the night on their floor. All of them turned him away. “I plead with them, ‘Please, please can I sleep on the floor, I’m in fear for my life,’ and they say, ‘No I’m sorry’,” he said.

Feeling defeated, Withey tried to walk back to his truck, but became lost in the blustery wind and thick snow.

“My vision is getting foggy, my body is cramping up, and I’m fearing for my life,” he said.

Finally, he saw a light glint in the distance, the same blinking light he remembered parking his truck next to.

After marching back to the truck, Withey called the police but was told that due to the dangerous storm conditions, they couldn’t come to rescue him, he said. He also learned that the friend who had called him for help had been rescued by authorities.

With the gas running precariously low, Withey was concerned, but tired, so he tried to take a nap.

At around 11 p.m., he heard a knock at the car window and opened the door to find Mary, an elderly woman who said she had been stuck in her car since 4 p.m. and needed help. He told her to get in the truck, too.

‘I didn’t leave until I made sure everyone was okay’

By the next morning, Withey’s truck had run out of gas, leaving the trio to huddle in Mary’s van, which was also running low on fuel.

Eventually, Mary needed to use the bathroom. It was then that Withey, sensing she felt embarrassed, looked at his phone’s GPS and noticed that a school – EDGE Academy – was nearby, he said.

“I say, ‘I’m going to that school, and I’m going to break into that school, because I know they have heat and a bathroom,’” he said.

Using an extra set of brake pads, Withey smashed through a window of the school so he could open the front door and let Mike and Mary in, with the security alarm blaring.

Jay Withey was stranded in Cheektowaga, a town in Erie County, New York, in the middle of a historic and dangerous blizzard, and -- after looking for shelter in numerous homes and being turned away -- he broke into a nearby school and managed to rescue more than 20 people.

Cheektowaga Police Department

“I walk outside in the immediate area and there are a lot of older people that are stranded in their cars,” Withey said. “One person had a dog, and I get them all into the school. At this point, I have about 10 people in the school.” He estimated their ages ranged between 20s and 70s.

With the group settled in the school, Withey scavenged for cereal and apples in the cafeteria, managed to turn off the alarm, and found mats in the gym for everyone to sleep on.

“Everyone is just so happy to be in the school and to be warm and have food,” he said.

On Christmas morning, Withey and the others were able to use snow blowers from the janitor’s closet to free their cars from the mounds of snow.

‘I had to do it to save everyone’

Withey, who describes himself as a religious man, said he views the whole ordeal as a blessing in disguise. If just one person had taken him up on his plea for shelter that night, he would not have saved all those people, he said.

One man who turned him away saw Withey snow blowing the cars and approached him in tears to apologize, saying he couldn’t sleep that night knowing he had denied Withey shelter.

Withey stayed at the school until 8 p.m. on Christmas. “I didn’t leave until I made sure everyone was okay,” he said, adding that they started a group chat to stay in touch.

Before he left, he made sure to leave a note apologizing for the break-in, which police found when they were eventually able to respond to the alarm Withey set off when he entered the school.

“To whomever it may concern, I’m terribly sorry about breaking the school window and for breaking in the kitchen,” it read. “Got stuck at 8 pm Friday and slept in my truck with two strangers, just trying not to die,” it continued. “There were 7 elderly people also stuck and out of fuel. I had to do it to save everyone and get them shelter and food and a bathroom.” He signed the letter, “Merry Christmas Jay.”

Cheektowaga Police were able to find Withey with the public’s help after sharing his note and surveillance camera images.

Police Chief Brian Gould told CNN that Withey was in a section of town that they were having a hard time getting to. The chief called Withey’s actions heroic and an example of the sense of community among people in the area.

“We were absolutely shocked to see that he had over 20 people in the school (and) two dogs,” he said.

“Not only a heroic action, but just an overall good person.” “He definitely saved some lives that day,” Gould said.

CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe, Taylor Romine, Andy Rose and Paradise Afshar contributed to this report.

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'I had to do it to save everyone': Man breaks into school and shelters more than 20 people from blizzard - CNN
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