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By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING and DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are working overtime after a lengthy White House meeting to meet President Donald Trump’s demand for a big budget package that includes some $3 trillion in tax breaks, massive program cuts and a possible extension of the nation’s debt limit.Speaker Mike Johnson had GOP lawmakers working into the night ahead of a self-imposed Friday deadline to produce the package, after having blown past an earlier timeline to draft the contours of a bill that could begin making its long journey through Congress to the president’s desk.Trump’s…
LOS ANGELES — I’m so glad the Lakers traded for Mark Williams.Not even because they filled a need at center, but because it ought to mean we’ll stop being inundated with all these inane takes about the Lakers punting away the season.If trading to pair Luka Doncic with LeBron James – again Luka Doncic and LeBron James – wasn’t a sure sign that the Lakers are going for it, well, hopefully now you know: They’re going for it now.So much of the discourse in the immediate aftermath of the Lakers’ bombshell Anthony Davis-for-Doncic deal was about how, by trading a…
LOS ANGELES — Just 36 hours before acquiring the player who the Lakers hope will be the big man of their present and future, General Manager Rob Pelinka described the type of center the organization was searching for after acknowledging it was the team’s biggest need.“Versatility, mobility, a vertical lob threat, I think that’s a key to the spacing that Luka [Doncic] likes to play,” Pelinka said during Doncic’s introductory press conference on Tuesday morning. “Competitive – those are some of the core things there. Those players are hard to find. But we’ll accomplish the task that’s before us. We’ll…
By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football WriterNEW ORLEANS — Former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the smallest induction class in 20 years following offseason rule changes meant to make it harder to get inducted.Gates, elected in his second year of eligibility, will be joined by defensive end Jared Allen, cornerback Eric Allen and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe.Gates spent his entire 16-year career with the Chargers, becoming one of the best at his position with 116 touchdown catches. Gates played only basketball in college at Kent State, but the undrafted free…
LOS ANGELES — There’s an ironic twist that the Lakers’ first game after the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday night was against the Golden State Warriors.Because it was the Warriors who became synonymous with a “two-timeline” plan – a strategy to extend Golden State’s championship-contending seasons, led by franchise icon Steph Curry, while also surrounding a veteran core with young players (Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski) who could help bridge the gap to a successful post-Curry era.In a way, the Lakers are now operating on a version of their own two-timeline plan after the acquisitions of 25-year-old, five-time All-NBA…
INGLEWOOD — The Clippers’ landscape changed over the past three days, with new faces and empty lockers. But the biggest difference came in the team’s play and attitude.They played as if they cared. At least for the first 18 minutes of Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers before they seemed to lose focus and purpose in a 119-112 loss at the Intuit Dome.Led by forward Pascal Siakam, the Pacers handed the Clippers (28-23) their third consecutive loss.Siakam had a game-high 33 points on13-of-16 shooting, including five 3-pointers and had 11 rebounds. Bennedict Mathurin added 25 points, six rebounds and four…
By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football WriterNEW ORLEANS — Josh Allen wanted to leave New Orleans with different hardware. Still, the Buffalo Bills quarterback is happy to be recognized for his accomplishments.Allen edged two-time winner Lamar Jackson for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award in the closest race since Atlanta QB Matt Ryan beat out New England legend Tom Brady in 2016.“I wish we weren’t hoisting this trophy. I wish we were hoisting the Lombardi – and we’re going to keep working until we do,” Allen said Thursday, referring to winning a Super Bowl.Allen, who led Buffalo to a…
By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterNEW ORLEANS — There were moments not long ago when Kareem Hunt wondered whether he’d ever carry a football in an NFL game again.There were times when Matt Araiza wondered whether he would ever punt one.Yet through a combination of need and want, the Chiefs provided both players with an opportunity to continue – if not fully restart – their professional careers. And now, the returns of Hunt and Araiza has reached a championship ending, with both trying to help Kansas City win an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title on Sunday.“It does feel a little bit…
By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING and DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting privately with congressional Republicans at the White House on Thursday as his allies on Capitol Hill are arguing with themselves over the size, scope and details of his “big, beautiful bill” to cut taxes, regulations and government spending.The House and Senate GOP leaders are looking to Trump for direction on how to proceed, but so far the president has been noncommittal about the details — only pushing Congress for results.The standoff is creating frustration for Republicans as precious time is slipping and they fail to make progress on what…
The last time the Rams picked a defensive player in the first round of the NFL draft, almost 11 years ago, he won Defensive Rookie of the Year, the first in a long list of hardware that he would add to his shelves.That defensive rookie a decade ago was Aaron Donald. On Thursday, the Rams’ next first-round defensive pick, Jared Verse, carried on the tradition, being named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year at NFL Honors in New Orleans.The 19th overall pick out of Florida State in last April’s draft, Verse – the Rams’ first first-round pick, period, since…