That $4.2 billion represents about five percent of the $95 billion the AGA estimated Americans would bet during this football season. It estimated $2 billion of that would be wagered legally. More than $159 billion was bet on sports in 2015, up $4 billion from 2014, the AGA says. MORE: Super Bowl odds | Super Bowl trends “Just like football, sports betting has never been more popular than it is today,” AGA president Geoff Freeman said in a release....

In a notice release late Monday, the State Department said that to “alleviate travel difficulties and unprecedented appointment backlogs” as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the department and the Department of Homeland Security would work together to aid U.S. citizens’ return to the U.S. “U.S. citizens currently overseas whose passports expired on or after January 1, 2020, may be able to use their expired U.S. passport for direct return travel to the United States until December 31, 2021,” the State Department said....

Hazaras are vulnerable targets at schools, weddings, mosques, sports clubs, and even at birth. Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate declared war on the country’s Shiites in 2014 and 2015 and has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on the Hazaras. The Hazara community is also deeply skeptical of the government for its lack of incentive to protect them. Some hold concerns over government-linked warlords, who antagonize the ethnic group, being involved in the attacks....

Benoit decided to double down — to make sure it was absolutely clear that he did not discriminate against the Women’s World Cup specifically. Just women’s sports. All of them. Beneath Benoit. In tweets now deleted (the PR move that never pays off), Benoit said, “Not women’s soccer … women’s sports in general not worth watching.” MORE: A look back at the 1999 Women’s World Cup final that captivated a country...

The engineering manager was among the crowd cheering on Golden State Warriors, who hosted Cleveland Cavaliers at their new home at the Chase Center in San Francisco. And as home fans welcomed back Klay Thompson after a more than two-year injury absence, they also celebrated the presence of special guest Schneider, whose record-breaking Jeopardy! run continues to captivate fans. Schneider, who has been based in nearby Oakland for several years after relocating from her native Ohio, watched as the Warriors secured a 96-82 victory....

The stand-up comedian’s doppelganger went viral after she posed for a photograph at a supposed Tennessee truck stop dubbed the Celina 52 Truck Stop. According to the New York Post, the truck stop’s name is a pseudonym for the actual gas station. The image featured a blonde woman who bares a striking resemblance to the I Feel Pretty actress. The woman, named Amelia, smiled for the camera as she posed next to the new mini fridge she supposedly won at the gas station....

Representatives Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) have recently acted in ways that reflect unfavorably on the House of Representatives and betray their oaths to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. Congresswoman Waters flew to Minnesota during the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, where she said that if the jury found Chauvin not guilty, “We’ve got to stay on the street, and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational....

Should women start popping aspirin to prevent breast cancer? No, says Dr. Alfred Neugut, senior investigator on the study. More-rigorous trials are needed first–and regular aspirin use can cause gastric bleeding. If you’re already taking the little wonder drug for heart problems, though, it’s nice to know there may be an added benefit.

They do know that people with a certain form of the gene Apolipoprotein E–ApoE4–are much more likely to get Alzheimer’s. They also know that people who suffer from the disease tend to have measurably lower activity in specific areas of the brain. Now a group of researchers has found that middle-aged people with two copies of the ApoE4 gene type but no symptoms of the disease show lower activity in the same areas as people with Alzheimer’s....

Most aides hem and haw when they disagree with the president. But if Dick Morris is to be believed, Clinton has what Morris calls “a morbid appetite for criticism.” He likes it when people stand up to him. That’s one reason Clinton promoted Emanuel, 37, to replace George Stephanopoulos as senior adviser for policy and strategy. The other reason is that Emanuel has no hesitation about telling other people what to do–or else....

Her ordeal had only begun. DiChiara suffered second- and third-degree burns over 30 percent of her body. She was in critical condition, needing massive amounts of fluids and antibiotics and steady doses of morphine. But DiChiara is a fighter. Released from a burn unit in early October, she is learning to live again. “They’re saying nobody made it,” DiChiara told one of her nurses. “But I made it. I’m here....

When a virus or another infectious agent makes the jump from animals to humans, it’s called a zoonotic disease or zoonosis. A zoonotic disease you’ve probably heard about recently is SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Assessing New Viruses COVID-19 has put infectious disease experts around the world on an even higher alert for the potential next pandemic. To aid in making predictions, researchers have created an online tool that can help others evaluate the risk of a new virus jumping (or “spilling over”) from animals into humans....

James Harden was in the midst of destruction as the Warriors drubbed the Rockets in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, eventually winning 115-80. Harden finished the game shooting 3-16 — a combination of numbers that always inspires conspiracy theories. Especially when a god is involved. MORE: 5-star Cal commit challenges Lil B | Steph Curry breaks Reggie Miller’s record Then, the Based God spoke. But what did Lil B say?...

Beginning this spring, Jon, 30, is bringing his elaborately styled clothing into the mainstream. His new denim line, Jeanisis, priced from $180 to $340, will be sold in boutiques like Atrium in New York and On Sunset in Los Angeles. Like his other designs, the jeans are a clear reflection of his Indian heritage (he lived there till he was 16). They are embroidered and hand-painted with symbols of snakes, flowers and eagles–some of which are boldly positioned near the crotch....

But the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearing last Friday and Saturday was one of those remarkable moments in the political life and social consciousness of a generation. Far more was at stake than a seat on the Supreme Court, more than deciphering what, if anything, happened between a man and a woman 10 years ago. The Senate itself, 98 percent male, was on trial: Had it almost let a brute slip his way onto the court?...

Bayern, who have already wrapped up a fifth consecutive league title, trailed 4-2 against second-place Leipzig in the 83rd minute. However, Die Roten produced a scarcely believable comeback started by Robert Lewandowski, with David Alaba equalising and Arjen Robben’s fine effort deep into stoppage time earning the dramatic win. Ridiculous Wenger Out banner slammed by fans And head coach Ancelotti reflected on a stunning turn of events. “It was an absolutely crazy game,” Ancelotti told reporters....

The signs read: “Panhandling prohibited on median or roadway” and directs people to “Contribute to the solution” by donating to charities instead of giving to pedestrians who may solicit money from motorists at red traffic lights. A small illustration of coins falling into a hand is surrounded by a red circle with a slash down the middle The signs reference part of a state law and a city ordinance underneath the text, but a note in the municipal code states that the Alaska Superior Court ruled the ordinance was unconstitutional in 2014....

An interview from New Zealand outlet Newshub featuring political editor Tova O’Brien and Jami-Lee Ross, a controversial political figure, has gone viral. In the interview in question O’Brien does not hesitate to hold Ross accountable for his actions and for sharing misinformation amid the coronavirus pandemic. At one point O’Brien says: “You know exactly what you were doing; you were whipping up fear and hysteria among vulnerable communities.” Ross had lost his position as Member of Parliament for the Botany electorate in New Zealand’s recent election....

In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, a team of scientists wanted to investigate the trade of copper in the region across 4th and 3rd millennia B.C. The exchange and production of copper in this period is a debated issue, with several aspects not well understood, according to the researchers. “There is ample archaeological evidence of the use of metal for ornaments, tools and weapons in this period, but rather limited evidence of mining, extraction and metallurgical production,” Gilberto Artioli, an author of the study from the University of Padua, Italy, told Newsweek....

The results appear to confirm the artists responsible for the work lived during a time of rising sea levels and social disruption, when many were forced to abandon their settlements for locations further inland. These markings, the researchers suggest, could symbolize attempts by early environmental refugees to “make a place their own—a home.” Gwions, ancient artworks created by local aborigines, have mystified archeologists for years. While many remain in a state of remarkable preservation, the reddish ochre pigments lack organic material that can be carbon-dated....