Vikings at Giants (+2½)

Snoop Dogg is coming to Minneapolis to headline the halftime show for the Vikings’ Christmas game against Detroit. The hip hop icon doesn’t have much in common with Minnesota’s NFL team because Snoop makes it to the Super Bowl every year.
Pick: Vikings by 7

FILE – Snoop Dogg performs at the Shaq’s Fun House Super Bowl event on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Photo by Rick Scuteri/Invision/AP, File)

Chiefs at Titans (+3½)

Patrick Mahomes is done for the season after blowing out his knee in the Chiefs’ season-killing loss to the Chargers. While replays showed the K.C. QB’s injury was caused by an awkward sack, the president insisted it was caused by Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Pick: Chiefs by 7

FILE – Rick Burkholder, Chiefs Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance, talks to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, on ground, after Mahomes was injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

Chargers at Cowboys (-1½)

Jim Harbaugh expressed concern for former assistant Sherrone Moore, who was fired and arrested over an alleged illicit affair with a Michigan underling. The Chargers’ coach was not blindsided by the scandal, however, as he had gotten warning signals from Connor Stallions.
Pick: Chargers by 3

FILE – Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, left, and coach Jim Harbaugh watch the team’s play against Indiana during an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Jaguars at Broncos (-3½)

Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence had his career-best game last Sunday with five touchdown passes and one TD run. The quarterback’s day was capped wonderfully when he received a congratulatory phone call from his identical twin Fabio.
Pick: Broncos by 3

Actor Fabio poses for a photo at the National Italian American Foundation’s annual gala in Washington, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

Jets at Saints (-4½)

The quarterback-needy Jets reportedly are targeting Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in this spring’s NFL draft. Landing in the swamps of Jersey would be even more heartbreaking for the Heisman Trophy winner than the Hoosiers’ upcoming playoff loss.
Pick: Saints by 7

FILE – Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Penn State , Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)

Patriots at Ravens (-2½)

New England coach Mike Vrabel complained about the officiating after his Pats blew a 21-point lead to Buffalo. It’s a big departure from team policy because Stefan Diggs is usually in charge of the Patriots’ whining.
Pick: Ravens by 3

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel following an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Steelers at Lions (-6½)

Pittsburgh routed Miami to win its record 23rd straight Monday Night Football home game. The Steelers last lost on MNF back in 1991, when Aaron Rodgers was just a 7-year-old narcissist.
Pick: Lions by 7

Raiders at Texans (-14½)

Las Vegas’ Pete Carroll says he does not feel his head coaching job is in jeopardy despite an eight-game losing streak. The Raiders’ season has been such a debacle that Bill Belichick thinks Carroll is over the hill.
Pick: Texans by 17

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll looks on from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia.. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Bengals at Dolphins (-1½)

Newly benched Tua Tagovailoa was criticized for laughing on the sideline during the loss in Pittsburgh that ended Miami’s playoff hopes. The NFL leader in interceptions cannot help chuckling when recalling how the Dolphins re-signed him for another $212 million.
Pick: Bengals by 3

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

49ers at Colts (+5½)

Philip Rivers’ return from retirement will delay his expected entry into the Pro Football Hall of fame until at least 2031. By then, he’ll have a tough time deciding which one of his two dozen children will give the induction speech.
Pick: Colts by 3

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) smiles while greeting running back Jonathan Taylor (28) and linebacker Austin Ajiake (58) during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

OTHER GAMES

Bills at Browns (+9½)
Pick: Bills by 17

Buccaneers at Panthers (+2½)
Pick: Buccaneers by 3

Falcons at Cardinals (+2½)
Pick: Falcons by 3

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) makes an off balanced pass during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday, Dec 11, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

RECORD

Week 15
7-9 straight up
4-12 vs. spread

Season
137-86-1 straight up (.614)
109-115 vs. spread (.487)

All-time (2003-25)
3956-2187-15 straight up (.644)
3020-2994-145 vs spread (.502)

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Thursdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on X– @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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Just when you thought Democrats might be on track to claw back the U.S. Senate next year, they decided it would be much more exciting to fling themselves head first into a cactus.

I’m talking about the Texas Democratic primary, where Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a progressive firebrand who just jumped into the race, is now the presumptive frontrunner. A favorite among hardcore Democrats looking for a fighter, Crockett is probably not the strongest candidate for winning a statewide race in the Lone Star State.

There’s even reporting that the Republicans’ Senate campaign arm “actively worked behind the scenes” to lure Crocket into the race, “believing she will be the easiest opponent to beat.”

It’s not hard to see why, considering some of Crockett’s past comments. She said Trump-supporting Latinos have a “slave mentality.” She referred to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, as “Governor Hot Wheels.” And during a clash with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, she described her Republican colleague as having a “bleach-blond, bad-built, butch body,” which you have to admit, takes some creativity.

But why should anyone outside Texas care who their Democrats nominate? Because control of the U.S. Senate could hang in the balance.

Beyond oversight and legislating, the party that controls the Senate may very well determine whether President Donald Trump gets another lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. (That thought’s going to haunt you, isn’t it?) If he — the only president ever to be impeached twice — is impeached a third time, the Senate will also determine whether he is removed from office.

Unlike the House, which Democrats are now expected to retake, flipping the Senate would require winning eight of the nine Senate seats that are considered competitive. To get there, Democrats must defend four of their own seats and flip four of five competitive Republican-held seats, one of which is Texas: a state Trump won by 14 points last year.

This feat is hard, but not impossible. It probably would require a hat trick: a Democratic blue wave, a vulnerable Republican nominee and a Democratic Party that resists its chronic urge to self-immolate.

Historically, that’s asking a lot.

For 30 years, Democrats have sworn that Texas is about to flip. And for 30 years, Texas has responded, “Bless your heart.”

But this time, all the stars are aligning. Recent elections suggest a blue wave is building.

Meanwhile, the leading Republican contender in Texas is state Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton, a scandal-plagued Trumper who has survived an indictment, an impeachment and a messy divorce. This is to say, Paxton would be potentially beatable in a general election. (Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn is currently polling third in the GOP primary because he’s considered too boring and too “establishment.”)

The final ingredient is a Democrat who can win in Texas. This is where things start falling apart.

After a “professional, friendly conversation” with Crockett, former Texas Rep. Colin Allred — a former NFL player and the kind of temperamentally moderate figure who might survive the political climate of Texas — chose to bow out of the Senate race rather than endure a “bruising primary.”

To be clear, Crockett does not have the field to herself. Her remaining rival is state Rep. James Talarico, a wunderkind whose national breakout came via the Joe Rogan podcast — the modern equivalent of a papal blessing for online clout, if not for winning statewide office in Texas.

Unlike Crockett (who has won only safe Democratic seats), Talarico flipped a state House seat in 2018.

Both Crockett and Talarico have the ability to go viral on the internet, generate excitement and raise millions online. And in today’s politics, those traits are prerequisites.

Still, it feels like Democrats might have sidelined their most viable general election nominee.

Yes, Allred lost badly in his 2024 bid for the Senate. But that was a presidential year with Trump on the ballot, and Allred still performed more than five points better than Kamala Harris. The 2026 environment will look more like that of 2018: lower turnout and no Trump at the top.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz barely survived that cycle, only by a couple of points. And this time, Republicans may nominate someone even less popular. The opportunity is sitting right there, waving politely.

If only Democrats would nominate a viable candidate.

Another problem: Thanks to Republican redistricting, five House seats in Texas are becoming redder. One imagines that these House seats will be even harder for Democrats to hold on to if Crockett is on the ticket as the nominee for the U.S. Senate.

Which is why it borders on deranged that the state’s Democratic leaders are on the cusp of gambling the midterms on a candidate who may be electrifying to the progressive base but is stunningly out of step with the center-right voters who decide elections in Texas.

A year from now, don’t be surprised if pundits look back at this race and say that this entirely preventable implosion was the moment Democrats lost their shot at taking back control of both houses of Congress in 2026.

Matt K. Lewis is the author of “Filthy Rich Politicians” and “Too Dumb to Fail.” He wrote this column for the Los Angeles Times.

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People are talking about America’s “K-shaped economy,” so named because charts show different sectors’ fortunes diverging like the two arms of that letter. Recently, for example, data services firm ADP reported 32,000 lost U.S. jobs in November — a sharp reversal from October’s 47,000 gain, but not unexpected. But within that data, smaller firms employing from 1 to 49 workers laid off 120,000 while larger employers added workers.

No, this is not the time to say the economy is “healthy” or “unhealthy.” There are always strong and weak points, but right now, this is especially true.

Times are good for parts of the U.S. economy. Really good, in fact. That’s the upward part of the K.

These healthier areas may be counted on one hand, but they’re big ones: health care, education, information, and commercial investment (which should be read as “data center construction,” a key topic to be discussed later). A huge number of people are experiencing Gatsby-like portfolio gains from a bull market.

In fact, 2024 data analyzed by the Swiss bank UBS show that the U.S. has almost 24 million millionaires, with 1,000 joining those ranks every day. Yes, the K-economy’s upper leg has a lot of power supporting it, and that helps explain strong retail sales.

Oh, but there is always something offsetting, isn’t there? Our economy’s lower leg is sinking.

For example, even with record-level tariffs in place to give room for more hiring, there is no growth overall in manufacturing employment or production and very little in construction. We do see job gains in auto batteries, engineered wood products, and parts of the auto industry. Still, Americans who work in industries like these are concerned about keeping jobs, lost purchasing power, and affordability at the supermarket. They are pessimistic about prosperity’s prospects.

Age and experience play a role, too. New college grads are struggling to find jobs as AI and automation change the labor market. There are 42 million young adults wrestling with $1.8 trillion in student debt that under Trump administration rules must be paid or offset by work and service.

All of this and more helps explain the limping lower leg, and it didn’t just begin. ADP (currently the most dependable labor market data source with the Bureau of Labor Statistics still catching up from the government shutdown) has reported falling employment growth numbers since July.

Surprisingly, when the two legs are averaged together, chances are good that the government will report better than 4.0% growth in real GDP for the third quarter. That’s a strong result, but how can it be?

How can a K-shaped economy perform so well when hiring is practically dead in the water, industrial production gains are practically zero and health and educational services are two of America’s hottest sectors? We can hardly achieve lasting growth and prosperity on the backs of taxpayer-subsidized services.

The good news is that we may not have to try. That’s because of the K-economy’s big GDP producer: massive data center growth and investment in power plants to keep the centers running.

Indeed, the impact is so large that it has pushed consumption spending out of first place in explaining GDP growth. A recent study by Harvard economist Jason Furman found that excluding spending on technology-related infrastructure, real GDP growth in 2025’s first half would have been just 0.1% instead of the 2.2% ultimately reported by the Commerce Department. For the third quarter, the Atlanta Fed’s “GDPNow” estimate, which is revised almost daily, is calling for 3.9% real growth.

We have a mixed economy, for sure. Hopefully, our healthiest sector can carry much of the load until a new information revolution pays off in more ways and other sectors can find their footing again. But with such uncertainty, it’s not a good time to say “prosperity is just around the corner” for everyone.

Bruce Yandle is a distinguished senior fellow with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, dean emeritus of the Clemson College of Business and Behavioral Sciences, a former executive director of the Federal Trade Commission, and a former senior economist on the President’s Council on Wage and Price Stability.

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Today is Friday, Dec. 19, the 353rd day of 2025. There are 12 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 19, 2008, citing imminent danger to the national economy, President George W. Bush ordered a $17.4 billion emergency bailout of the U.S. auto industry.

Also on this date:

In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington led his army of more than 12,000 soldiers to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to camp for the winter.

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In 1907, 239 workers died in an explosion at the Darr coal mine near Van Meter, Pennsylvania.

In 1960, fire broke out on the hangar deck of the nearly completed aircraft carrier USS Constellation at the New York Naval Shipyard, killing 50 civilian workers.

In 1972, Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, concluding the Apollo program of crewed lunar landings.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice. (He was subsequently acquitted by the Senate.)

In 2011, North Korea announced the death two days earlier of leader Kim Jong Il; North Koreans marched by the thousands to mourn while state media proclaimed his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, as the nation’s new leader.

In 2016, a truck rammed into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin, killing 12 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State. (The suspected attacker was killed in a police shootout four days later.)

In 2023, a strong earthquake rocked a mountainous region of northwestern China, killing 131 people, reducing homes to rubble and leaving residents outside in below-freezing winter weather.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Tim Reid is 81.
Singer Janie Fricke is 78.
Actor Jennifer Beals is 62.
Basketball Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis is 61.
Olympic skiing gold medalist Alberto Tomba is 59.
Actor Kristy Swanson is 56.
Model Tyson Beckford is 55.
Actor Alyssa Milano is 53.
Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp is 53.
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal (JIH’-lihn-hahl) is 45.
Actor Annie Murphy is 39.
Journalist Ronan Farrow is 38.