Reports: Jays reach 4-year, $60M deal with INF Kazuma Okamoto

The Toronto Blue Jays reached an agreement with Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto, multiple outlets reported Saturday.

The deal is for $60 million over four years, includes a $5 million signing bonus and has no opt-outs, according to the reports.

The 45-day negotiating window for the 29-year-old infielder was set to expire on Sunday. If unsigned, he would return to the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Okamoto, who plays third base and first base, is a six-time All-Star in Japan with 248 home runs in 1,074 career games. The 248 homers were the most by any player in NPB since 2015.

The right-handed hitter posted six consecutive 30-homer campaigns from 2018-23 and hit .327 with a career-best 1.014 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 15 home runs and 49 RBIs across 69 games last season. He was also part of Japan's World Baseball Classic championship team in 2023 and hit a home run in the final against the United States.

--Field Level Media

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Reports: Jays reach 4-year, $60M deal with INF Kazuma Okamoto

The Toronto Blue Jays reached an agreement with Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto, multiple outlets reported Saturday. ...

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NFL fines Rams' Jared Verse $11K for flashing peace sign during blocked FG return for TD against Falcons

Jared Verse was scared of both being called for a penalty and what his coach's reaction would be after flashing the peace sign at the Atlanta Falcons' bench during his 76-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown Monday night.

The Los Angeles Rams linebacker wasn't flagged on the play, nor was he chewed out by Sean McVay after the touchdown during their27-24 losstothe Falcons.

Verse, the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, was fined by the league, however, with the NFL announcing Saturday it isdocking him $11,593for "unsportsmanlike conduct [taunting]."

BLOCKED! JARED VERSE TAKES IT ALL THE WAY BACK FOR SIX!LARvsATL on ESPN/ABCStream on@NFLPlusand ESPN Apppic.twitter.com/4NQmlP4wy7

— NFL (@NFL)December 30, 2025

"I was scared as [expletive],"Verse said earlier this week about potentially taking a penalty. "I was like, 'Sean's going to kill me.' I was like, 'It's bad.' I got to the end zone and was like, 'They're not going to review it? Alright, bet.'"

The NFL has fined players for using the peace sign before, with the gesture falling under unsportsmanlike conduct.

Tyreek Hill hasbeen finedmultiple timesfor using the gesture. One occurrence happened during thelegendary "13 seconds" gameagainst the Buffalo Bills in January 2022 while the receiver was with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was $10,300 lighter in the wallet after a 64-yard touchdown run.

The following season,Odell Beckham Jr. was fined $10,927during a touchdown run while he was with the Baltimore Ravens.

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NFL fines Rams' Jared Verse $11K for flashing peace sign during blocked FG return for TD against Falcons

Jared Verse was scared of both being called for a penalty and what his coach's reaction would be after flashing the p...

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Miami coach Mario Cristobal dismisses hype around his team as he prepares for Fiesta Bowl

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Mario Cristobal doesn't want to hear any of the incessant "The U Is Back" stuff.

Yes, the Miami Hurricanes are in the College Football Playoff semifinals after being given almost no chance of making the 12-team field after a pair of losses around the midseason point and hearing plenty of pundits saying they don't belong. Yes, they've tied a school record with 12 wins. Yes, they're two wins from what would be their first national championship since the 2001 season — and one victory away a title-game appearance that would just happen to come on their home field.

Save it, at least around Cristobal. None of those words matter to him right now. Saturday was just another day in Coral Gables, which is consistent with what he's been preaching since he returned to his alma mater four seasons ago. Miami (12-2, No. 10 CFP) takes on Mississippi (13-1, No. 6 CFP) in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night in Glendale, Arizona.

"There aren't really distractions. You create your own distractions," Cristobal said Saturday. "And I think the mentality — the DNA of our guys as it gets stronger and better, as our older guys realize that it's their time, it's their legacy and that they have to take control of the locker room and how we think and how we go about things — I think all that has improved in a dramatic fashion.

"We hammer it every single day and so far, we feel like we're getting a pretty good result. But you get on it, and you stay on it. I think if you come off it for a second, you're going to leave a window open and you're going to let a rat in there."

Ah, the rat.

He means rat poison, a term his old boss — former Alabama coach Nick Saban — used at times in the final years of his coaching career. Rat poison, in Saban-speak, is what is detrimental to teams that start believing their hype and losing focus on the controllables like working as hard as possible every day.

And every coach left in the race for this CFP title knows exactly what Cristobal means — since they all worked for Saban. Cristobal worked under Saban at Alabama from 2013 through 2016. Ole Miss coach Pete Golding was with Saban for five seasons, from 2018 through 2022. Oregon coach Dan Lanning was a graduate assistant on Saban's staff in 2015. And Indiana coach Curt Cignetti did his time under Saban from 2007 through 2011.

All four of those coaches left Alabama with at least one national title from their time with the Crimson Tide. They have a chance to win their own now.

"I think most people who went through and were fortunate enough to be around coach Saban understand, number one, (the) lifeblood of the program is recruiting," Golding said Saturday. "And then you've got to have sound schemes on both sides. You want to keep stability within those schemes for the development of players. And there's a toughness component, a competitive character component to hold these guys accountable and hold them to a high standard. And I think that's pretty consistent with whoever is playing right now."

It's certainly a tie that binds Cristobal and Golding going into this CFP semifinal.

There are a few of those linking the Hurricanes and the Rebels: the Saban ties, expectations, the juggling act that comes with handling the transfer portal being open and prepping for a CFP semifinal simultaneously, even the aftereffects of getting into the tournament field after being among the teams that just missed the 12-team cut last year.

And Ole Miss is still dealing with the fallout from losing coach Lane Kiffin to LSU and the will-they-or-won't-they questions about assistant coaches who — at some point — will be following him to Baton Rouge. Some came back for Ole Miss' win over Georgia in the CFP quarterfinal; whether they'll all be at the Fiesta Bowl is still a bit of a mystery.

Again, Cristobal sees it all as a distraction, and he insists that distractions — even the Ole Miss staff situation — must be ignored.

"It has zero impact on our preparation, and I think it'd be safe to say that it doesn't impact their preparation as well," Cristobal said. "They're a great football team with great coaches that are in place, and they're preparing just as hard for this as they have for any game."

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphere. AP college football:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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Miami coach Mario Cristobal dismisses hype around his team as he prepares for Fiesta Bowl

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Mario Cristobal doesn't want to hear any of the incessant "The U Is Back" stuff. ...

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Appeals panel says California's ban on open carry in more populated counties is unconstitutional

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A federal appeals panel has ruled that a California law prohibiting open carry of firearms in heavily populated counties is unconstitutional.

The ruling was issued Friday by two judges on a three-judge panel for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The judges found that the state's policy of limiting open carry to counties with a population of less than 200,000 is inconsistent with the Second Amendment.

"California's legal regime is a complete ban on open carry in urban areas — the areas of the state where 95% of the people live," they said in the decision.

The dissenting judge disagreed and said California could limit open carry in more populated areas because it allows for concealed carry throughout the state.

The ruling comes in a long-running debate over gun laws in the United States and in California, which has passed a series of restrictions.

It came after Mark Baird, a Siskiyou County resident, filed a lawsuit asking the courts to restore the historical practice of open carry being allowed.

Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle & Pistol Association, said he expected state officials will seek a review of the ruling by the full appeals court.

"It's a very significant opinion," Michel said, adding that a key question in the case is how a2022 Supreme Court decision expanding gun rightsshould be applied.

The press office for Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement on social media that the state's law was carefully crafted to comply with the Second Amendment.

"California just got military troops with weapons of war off of the streets of our cities, but now Republican activists on the Ninth Circuit want to replace them with gunslingers and return to the days of the Wild West," the statement said.

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Appeals panel says California's ban on open carry in more populated counties is unconstitutional

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A federal appeals panel has ruled that a California law prohibiting open carry of firearms in h...

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FAA ground stop halts flights in Palm Springs on second day of film festival

A Federal Aviation Administration ground stop halted all departures fromPalm Springs International Airportin California for much of Saturday afternoon before being lifted in the evening.

The disruption, caused by an air traffic control issue affecting Southern California airspace, came during a busy post–New Year's travel weekend and the second day of thePalm Springs International Film Festival.

As of 4 p.m. PT, Saturday, Jan. 3, flights are slowly resuming, but significant delays are expected as operations normalize. Travelers should continue to check their flight status directly with their airline.

The airline industry tracking websiteFlightAwareshowed as many as 47 flights to or from PSP had been canceled on Saturday, while another 38 had been delayed as of around 3 p.m. The arrivals page on the airport website showed some flights still landing, though often after significant delays.

Airport spokesperson Jake Ingrassia's statement did not elaborate on the nature or cause of the issue. He did say that the problems were not specific to Palm Springs and were affecting other Southern California airports.

PSP continues to work closely with airline partners and the FAA, which is managing the situation," Ingrassia wrote. "Travelers should contact their airline directly forthe latest flight information. PSP will share additional updates as needed."

The Desert Sun also reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration, which manages air traffic control nationwide, for more information on the situation, but did not receive an immediate response.

The delays came on the same day as hundreds of flights originating and arriving to Puerto Rico were canceled after federal authoritiestemporarily restricted U.S. airline operationsat several Caribbean airports, citing security concerns related toescalating military activity in Venezuela.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development, and business in the Coachella Valley. Email him atpaul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun:Flight delays pile up on second day of Palm Springs Film Festival

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FAA ground stop halts flights in Palm Springs on second day of film festival

A Federal Aviation Administration ground stop halted all departures fromPalm Springs International Airportin California f...

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Flights canceled in Caribbean after US strikes Venezuela

Hundreds offlights in Puerto Ricoand in the Caribbean have been canceled on Jan. 3 after the United Statesconducted large-scale strikes in Venezuelaand captured the country's leader,Nicolás Maduro.

The airspace in Puerto Rico has been restricted and flights from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in the island's capital, San Juan, have been canceled, the airportsaid in a statement. Flights will be suspended until 1 a.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 4. At least 150 flights heading out of that airport, which is the Caribbean's busiest hub, have been canceled,according to FlightAware. An additional 140 flights headed to San Juan were canceled.

Other airports in Puerto Rico, including those in Ceiba, Aguadilla, Ponce, Isla Grande, Vieques and Culebra, have canceled flights, according toPuerto Rico Ports Authority Executive Director Norberto Negrón Díaz.

Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González described the closure as a national security measure during a radio interview, as reported by local news outletEl Nuevo Día. She added that local agencies were coordinating with federal partners to manage airport and cargo operations.

Several airlines have said they have canceled flights to other locations in the Caribbean.

Reactions to the United States' bombing of Venezuela and capture of the country's president Nicolás Maduro ranged across the world. Some celebrated the operation while others rebuked Trump's intervention in the South American country. See the reactions in photos, beginning here with Venezuelans living in Chile celebrating in Santiago on January 3, 2026.

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See reactions after US explosions in Venezuela, Maduro capture

Reactions to theUnited States' bombing of Venezuela and capture of the country's president Nicolás Maduroranged across the world. Some celebrated the operation while others rebuked Trump's intervention in the South American country. See the reactions in photos, beginning here with Venezuelans living in Chile celebrating in Santiago on January 3, 2026.

JetBlue

JetBlueon Saturday, Jan. 3, saidflights in more than one dozen cities in the Caribbean are impacted due to airspace restrictions. The airline said the cities impacted are:

• Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (BQN)

• Antigua (ANU)

• Aruba (AUA)

• Bonaire (BON)

• Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI)

• Curaçao (CUR)

• Georgetown, Guyana (GEO)

• Grenada (GND)

• Ponce, Puerto Rico (PSE)

• Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (POS)

• San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)

• St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (STX)

• St. Lucia (UVF)

• St. Maarten (SXM)

• St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)

The airlines said customers may rebook their flights for travel through Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, online in themanage tripssection of jetblue.com prior to the departure time of their originally scheduled flight. In addition, customers who had flights cancelled may also opt for a refund.

American Airlines

American Airlinesnoted flights from 19 Caribbean citieshave been impacted due to airspace closure.

The cities who have had flights impacted include:

• Anguilla Wallblake, Anguilla (AXA)

• Antigua, Antigua (ANU)

• Argyle, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD)

• Aruba, Aruba (AUA)

• Beef Island, British Virgin Islands (EIS)

• Bonaire, Bonaire (BON)

• Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI)

• Curaçao, Curaçao (CUR)

• Fort de France, Martinique (FDF)

• Grenada, Grenada (GND)

• Melville Hall, Dominica (DOM)

• Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe (PTP)

• Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (POS)

• San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)

• St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands (STX)

• St. Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKB)

• St. Lucia, Saint Lucia (UVF)

• St. Maarten, Saint Maarten (SXM)

• St. Thomas Island, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)

"We're working around the clock to care for you on your travel journey," the airline said.

Fees to change flights are waived if you bought your ticket by Jan. 2, 2026, scheduled to travel between Jan. 3-4, or can travel between January 2-9, the airline said.

Delta Air Lines

Deltasaid in a statementthe airline began canceling flights in the Caribbean starting on early Saturday morning. The airline said it's closely monitoring the situation, but did not say which flights had been impacted.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlineshave flights impacted in three Caribbean cities:

• Aruba, Aruba (AUA)

• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ)

• San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)

Customers can rebook or travel standby within 14 days without paying a fare difference. Refunds may be available for canceled or significantly delayed flights.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines flightsfrom five Caribbean cities have been impacted:

• San Juan (SJU)

• Ponce (PSE)

• Aguadilla (BQN)

• Saint Martin (SXM)

• Aruba (AUA)

Change and cancellation fees are waived for flights from these cities. Fare differences may still apply, and canceled trips convert to travel credit.

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines saidflights from five Caribbean cities have been impacted. The cities include:

• San Juan (SJU)

• Aruba (AUA)

• St. Croix (STX)

• St. Thomas (STT)

• St. Maarten (SXM)

Rebooking will be allowed through Jan. 11.

This story has been updated to add new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:JetBlue, American Airlines cancel flights in Caribbean

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Flights canceled in Caribbean after US strikes Venezuela

Hundreds offlights in Puerto Ricoand in the Caribbean have been canceled on Jan. 3 after the United Statesconducted large...

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Nikita Kucherov, Darren Raddysh carry the Lightning past the Sharks, 7–3

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored his 20th goal of the season on a second-period power play and added four assists, Darren Raddysh had a hat trick and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the San Jose Sharks 7–3 on Saturday.

Brayden Point, Dominic James and Brandon Hagel also scored for Tampa Bay, and Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jake Guentzel each had two assists. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 shots.

The Lightning raced to a three-goal lead in the first seven minutes. Point opened the scoring at 2:37, Raddysh followed at 4:08, and Hagel scored his 19th goal of the season on a power play at 6:46 to chase goalie Yaroslav Askarov.

Pavol Regenda had a hat trick for the Sharks, and Timothy Liljegren and Jeff Skinner each had two assists. Macklin Celebrini added an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games. Askarov made seven saves. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 12 shots in relief.

Lightning: Host Colorado on Tuesday night.

Sharks: Host Columbus on Tuesday night.

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

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Nikita Kucherov, Darren Raddysh carry the Lightning past the Sharks, 7–3

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored his 20th goal of the season on a second-period power play and added four a...

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