News

General Daily Insight for October 27, 2024

Speak with caution. As communicative Mercury struggles to work with awkward Chiron, discomfort can arise from words that were either miscommunicated or misinterpreted. When Mercury has similar struggles with overconfident Jupiter at 4:50 am EDT, we may open our mouths before thinking things through. Prideful thoughts can stumble into serious verbal blunders! The sensitive Moon is then at odds with both perfectionist Venus and serious Saturn — we might feel like we’re failing to be balanced or consistent. Choose words, and battles, wisely.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Be careful what you don’t wish for. You could be spending a lot of time talking about what you want to avoid rather than what you crave to achieve, which risks unintentionally damaging your inner drive forward. Continually bringing up your fears, your insecurities, or your dislikes might seem to draw them to you like a magnet, so it’s a better idea to focus on what you do want to keep around or attain. Try speaking with more positivity than you necessarily feel.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

What you don’t say may impact you more than usual. When people in your life are waiting for you to make a statement, the more that you delay, the more anxiety can creep into their minds. You’d be wise to make an intentional effort to set up a time to meet with them in the near future. Even if you aren’t ready to say everything that’s on your mind just yet, you can show them they’re on your mind and you want to connect.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Certain friends may turn out to be not-so-friendly. Pay attention to your circle — is someone noticeably less happy for you when you succeed or staying quiet during celebrations in a way that doesn’t sit right with you? They may say something today that, one way or another, pushes you over the edge and makes it seem like they’re more satisfied by your failures than your triumphs. You don’t need people like this around you! Don’t hesitate to bring up your concerns.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Watch what you say to authority figures. Your parents or boss may have a conversation with you that doesn’t sit right with your soul, and it might be difficult to bite your tongue when you want to correct them. Speaking up and facing the responding backlash or staying quiet and potentially regretting your silence later are both options. If possible, step back and contemplate the possible consequences. You may not be able to “win” the situation, but you can mitigate the risk of further conflict.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Take what you learn with a grain of salt. You may be in a class that is teaching you information that doesn’t quite resonate with your prior knowledge, or someone may be telling you a story without quite sharing all the details. It can be difficult to make your decisions based on this information, so you’d be wise to reserve full judgment until you can obtain more solid facts to go off of. People might sound immensely convincing, but trust your gut.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Telling tales could get you in trouble. Whether you feel tempted to exaggerate the truth to drive your point home, or you have some gossip that’s so juicy you can hardly contain yourself, it’s important to reel yourself back in and make sure that you’re not speaking out of turn. What you say today could come back to bite you in the near future. You might think it’s inconsequential in the moment, but it’s unlikely to stay that way. Watch your mouth!

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Watch out for what’s being sold to you. There may be someone trying to make you feel secure, but they themselves might not trust what they’re telling you. Maybe they believe that if they’re able to get you on board, everything will work out, but they’re unlikely to be sure. Be aware of who is talking fast and trying to sell you a dream, because it could dissipate as fast as waking up. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

You may be tempted to skip any hard work. Today could contain an opportunity to jump a few steps and end up further along than you’re meant to be at this point. Even if you’re certain that you’re capable of going that far, you might not be as ready for the consequences as you think. Consistency and showing up for each step of the journey is a gift to yourself, even when it feels like a slog. Don’t rob yourself of the process.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Now is not the time to rely on unknowns. If someone’s asking you to take a leap of faith that doesn’t have a safety net below, consider the whole situation. Would going along with them put you more at risk than they are? While they could have the best, most genuine motivations, their ideal results might not have the staying power that you’re both hoping they would. Sometimes you have to be the voice of reason, and this is one of those times.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Wires can get crossed when people in your life communicate with each other. This is less likely to involve you directly, but tragically likely to get you caught in the middle. Maybe someone that you’ve known for a long time is starting arguments with someone that you don’t know as well, like a family member debating with a new friend. Recognizing where you stand with everyone, regardless of your actual opinion, won’t be simple. Do your best to stay out of the hectic back-and-forth.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

You might have a wide audience to what you’re saying. Your current words could be on a grand stage, whether you’re literally speaking in public or making a statement on social media. This means that it’ll be hard to take back whatever you’re saying, so be certain that you’re using your words carefully and paying attention to public perception of them. Stay tuned in and aware, because a lack of focus can and will cause you to lose face if you’re not careful.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Watch out for incorrect information! There may be some knowledge that you impart to someone else in your life today that isn’t quite aligned with the facts, and while you’re unlikely to be aware of this, other people could accuse you of being dishonest. Only you know in your heart whether or not you meant to bend the truth. Regardless, it’s a good idea to fact-check what you want to say before making any sweeping or intense statements. This is for your benefit and theirs!

MIAMI GARDENS — Mark Fletcher Jr. knelt to the ground in the Hard Rock Stadium end zone and pointed to the sky.

The sophomore Miami running back and American Heritage alumnus took the field with a heavy heart just days after his father, Mark Fletcher Sr., died.

“That’s about as difficult of a thing I’ve seen,” UM coach Mario Cristobal said. “And Mark Jr. is about as good of a human being, competitor, teammate, brother as you could imagine. That was felt by the entire organization. Everybody knows (Mark Fletcher Sr.). He’s got the best seat in the house going forward, looking from above. I know he’s super proud of Mark.”

Fletcher scored the No. 6 Hurricanes’ (8-0, 4-0 ACC) first touchdown as they picked up a 36-14 win over scuffling rival Florida State (1-7, 1-6 ACC) in front of a sell-out crowd on Saturday night. The victory was Miami’s first over FSU since 2020 and Mario Cristobal’s first over the Seminoles as UM’s head coach.

“Two years ago, we stood up here and talked about building it, and it’s good to, a couple of years later into this, to see a picture like that and earn the title of state champions,” Cristobal said.

After Fletcher scored his emotional, game-opening touchdown, Damien Martinez kept the running game moving. Martinez caught a key first-down pass on third-and-20 and capped a 95-yard scoring drive with an 18-yard rushing touchdown.

The Seminoles, who have one of the nation’s worst offenses this year, got on the board after freshman quarterback Luke Kromenhoek broke a 42-yard run on a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak. The Seminoles got to the 1-yard line and needed four plays for running back Caziah Holmes to get past UM’s defensive line and score FSU’s first touchdown.

Miami drove down the field in the final minutes of the first half but came up 2 yards short of the end zone. UM had to settle for a field goal and took a 17-7 lead into halftime. Borregales opened the second half with his second field goal of the game, putting Miami up 20-7.

The Seminoles tried to get back in the game with a fourth-down attempt late in the third quarter, but Miami brought a blitz on the pass play, and Akheem Mesidor took Kromenhoek down to give the ball back to UM’s offense. The ensuing drive ended with Borregales’ third field goal of the game.

FSU’s defense gave UM fits, notching four sacks and holding Miami to 445 yards of offense — the fewest the Hurricanes have accumulated all season and the first time they were held under 500 yards this year. But the Hurricanes did get a spark from a trick play late in the fourth quarter, as Elijah Arroyo got a pitch from Martinez and tossed a touchdown pass to Cam Ward — the first touchdown catch of his college career. Cristobal said the play is called “Texas” because both Arroyo and Ward are native Texans.

“I was smiling in the huddle,” Ward said. “The O-line, they already knew the play as soon as I started smiling.”

Martinez added a second touchdown late in the game, rushing 12 yards to put an exclamation point on Miami’s victory, even though Florida State scored a final touchdown in the final minute of the game.

Five takeaways 1. Offensive slowdown

The Hurricanes opened the game by carving up the Seminoles’ defense. Miami rolled down the field, capping the drive with a 1-yard score by Fletcher.

The rest of the first half would not come as easily. Miami did score on a 95-yard drive, but the offense, which entered the game ranked second in the nation, ended the first half with 17. Ward, who has played so well all season, had just 110 yards with no score in the first half. He ended the game with a season-low 208 yards and no passing touchdowns.

“They weren’t doing anything,” Ward said. “When you can run the ball like we can, it makes my job easier. Got the best two running backs in the country in Damien and (Fletcher).”

Miami’s offense could not find the end zone in the third quarter, coming just short of a pair of first downs that led to a pair of Borregales field goals. They utilized a trick play to score in the fourth quarter and added a rushing touchdown late in the game, but Miami still scored its fewest total points in a game Saturday.

2. Strong defense against a bad offense

FSU’s offense has been putrid this season, and the unit did not get anything going against a Miami defense that has been struggling.

If the Hurricanes had struggled against a bad Seminoles offense, warning bells would be ringing. But UM did its job against a bad offense, holding the Seminoles to 248 total yards — the lowest total by a Power 4 team against UM so far this year. The Hurricanes had three sacks and four tackles for loss.

“These guys came out and played,” linebacker Francisco Mauigoa said. I think the front four set the tone. These guys were getting pressure on the quarterback, they were rushing, and the DBs were their job, locking down. Overall, everybody did their job.”

3. Running game carries Miami offense

While FSU was creating issues in the passing game, the Miami running game picked up the slack.

Martinez led the team with 148 rushing yards — his first 100-yard game with the Hurricanes. Fletcher ended the game with 71 yards, and Ajay Allen had another 9 yards. Martinez and Fletcher combined for three of UM’s four touchdowns on Saturday. UM had 232 total rushing yards.

“Now he is really feeling comfortable in the system and what you see if just a very physical, tough dude,” Cristobal said of Martinez. “He’s hard to bring down. You’re not going to arm tackle him and he takes a lot of pride in making the first guy miss or running him over.”

4. Offensive line struggles

FSU’s pass rush has been solid this season, entering the game with 17 sacks (tied for 33rd nationally). Miami struggled to keep the defenders out of the backfield.

The Seminoles had four sacks in a losing effort and got a lot of pressure on Ward, who had to avoid FSU blitzers for much of the night.

5. Rivalry flips

Florida State won the last three entries in this rivalry series, and Miami coach Mario Cristobal was 0-2 against the Hurricanes’ biggest rival since arriving as UM’s head coach before the 2022 season.

Last year, it looked like the Seminoles were ascending, going undefeated in the regular season and winning the ACC title. That undefeated season included a close win over UM in Tallahassee. But now the Hurricanes are the undefeated team, and FSU is spiraling, likely missing out on a bowl game this year (five-win teams can qualify for a bowl in certain circumstances).

The two programs appear to have swapped spots, with the Hurricanes looking like a team on the rise and the Seminoles have a big hole to climb from.

“Critically important to go out there and beat this program and to be undefeated in the state of Florida,” Cristobal said. “I think it sends a strong message. I think all recruits in state, out of state, can now clearly see the trajectory of this program vs. the trajectory of the other programs.

 

By: SCOTT CHARLES

NEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk scored twice, Sam Bennett got the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Florida Panthers rallied from three goals down to beat the New York Islanders 6-3 on Saturday night.

Sam Reinhart also scored, Mackie Samoskevich got his first NHL goal and Gustav Forsling added an short-handed empty-netter in the closing minutes to seal the Panthers’ win. Dmitry Kulikov and Anton Lundell each had two assists, and Spencer Knight finished with 25 saves as the defending Stanley-Cup Champions won their second straight.

Dennis Cholowski, Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson scored in the first period for New York. Semyon Varlamov finished with 22 saves as the Islanders lost for the second time in three games.

Knight allowed three goals on the first seven shots and then denied the next 22 shot attempts from the Islanders.

Takeaways

Islanders coach Patrick Roy has been unable to get the Islanders to protect leads, a characteristic that has plagued New York since Lane Lambert took over behind the bench after Barry Trotz was fired in May 2022. New York scored three straight goals in first period but allowed Florida to score six unanswered to win it.

Bennett has stepped up in captain Aleksander Barkov’s absence, scoring in four straight games including a go-ahead goal in third period against Islanders.

Key moment

Tkachuk found loose puck behind Varlamov and pulled the Panthers to within one goal. Florida seized momentum and completely erased the Islanders’ three-goal advantage by end of the second period.

Key stat

The Islanders have scored at least three goals in five of their eight games. They have been shut out in other three.

Up Next

The Panthers visit Buffalo on Tuesday while the Islanders wrap up a brief two-game home stand against Anaheim.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal

Briefcase: SLS Home Inspections under new ownership  Kankakee Daily Journal