COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State football season started with coach Urban Meyer sitting on his couch with a three-game suspension.

The Buckeyes then lost star defensive lineman Nick Bosa to a season-ending injury in September. More adversity arrived with a 49-20 loss to unheralded Purdue. All season it seemed as if Ohio State was hanging on as much as it was winning.

But all of the pain was erased Saturday when the No. 10 Buckeyes downed No. 4 Michigan 62-39 in one of the most dominant scoring performances this rivalry has seen. Not since Teddy Roosevelt was president, in 1902, has one team scored that many points in this rivalry game.

“We just played as hard as we possibly could and kept going and kept going and kept going,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said.

Now, the question is which Buckeyes team will show up when they play Northwestern for the Big Ten championship game. If they beat the Wildcats, especially in impressive fashion, there’s a good chance they could end up in the College Football Playoff.

We can guess coaches from national championship contenders wouldn’t like to see that because the Buckeyes might have the nation’s most dangerous offense.

Quarterback Dwayne Haskins threw five more touchdown passes against the nation’s No. 1 defensive team, giving him 41 TD tosses this season, breaking Drew Brees’ Big Ten record of 39. Haskins has thrown for 4,003 yards, which is also a new Big Ten season mark. He’s playing like a future NFL star. The running game has also grown stronger as the season progressed.

“I don’t know about 62, but I knew we were going to come out and put on a show,” Haskins said.

In Ohio’s State’s biggest game, the offensive line didn’t allow Haskins to be sacked once.

“I think we are the second (best) offense in America,” Meyer said. “And I know we struggle all of the time, but the second offense just put up a bunch of yards against the No. 1 defense in America.”

The Buckeyes generated 567 yards total offense against a team that was giving up an average of 234.

Michigan had won 10 games by preventing opponents from mounting a passing attack, but Haskins connected on several passes of 20 or more yards. He routinely located receivers with no defender within five yards of them. This is now an offense that has a multitude of weapons. Freshman Chris Olave had five receptions coming into this game, and he had two touchdown catches against Michigan.

“Didn’t have the opportunity to play much this year, so when he got in he made it matter,” Haskins said. “He is really a smooth, silky receiver, makes a lot of plays, plays fast.”

And he’s down the depth chart on Ohio State’s offense.

Meyer ordered an overhaul of the team’s defense and running game during a bye week at the end of October and what happened on the field Saturday was a results of the changes made. While the Buckeyes gave up plenty of points, they made several big defensive plays throughout the contest.

“We play down or up to our competition, and we played above and beyond today,” said Buckeyes defensive end Dre’Mont Jones.

He said the win against Michigan was a statement. “You can’t mess with us,” he said.

Based on what happened Saturday, Ohio State’s national title hopes have grown stronger, although it is not a given it will make the field.

In hindsight, the adversity the Buckeyes went through seems to have added another layer of motivation. The Buckeyes seem to be peaking at the right time. They played Saturday as if they could have beaten any opponent.

“We had a chip on our shoulder, and we wanted to show who we really are,” said Ohio State linebacker Malik Harrison.

What the Buckeyes showed is they can score 50 points against any team. The Buckeyes had never scored more than 50 against the Wolverines. The last time they scored 50 against Michigan was in 1968.

This was an emotional win for Urban Meyer, who is now 7-0 against Michigan in his career as an Ohio State coach. Out of respect for the rivalry, Meyer was careful not to say much about how much the game meant to him. But he had to pause to compose himself when a reporter asked him what it meant to greet his wife, Shelley, after the game.

Besides the suspension he received for how he handled fired assistant coach Zach Smith, Meyer has been dealing with severe headaches, caused by a cyst on his brain. He was driven to his knees by the pain against Indiana and he has looked to be in discomfort during other games. By any definition, this has been a trying season.

“There’s no one that means more to me than (Shelley),” Meyer said. “And there’s nothing more to important than my three kids and my grandson. And another one of the way. And to see the smiles on their face, that’s priceless and that’s something I will never forget.” 

 

WASHINGTON – The number of background checks run by the FBI for firearm purchases this Black Friday saw a 10 percent drop after last year’s shopping day set a new single-day record. 

The bureau told USA TODAY it ran 182,093 background checks for firearms, the lowest number since 2014. Last year, the FBI fielded 203,086 requests on Black Friday, up from the previous single-day highs of 185,713 in 2016 and 185,345 in 2015. 

The checks, run through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, are not a measure of actual gun sales. The number of firearms sold Friday is likely higher because multiple firearms can be included in one transaction by a single buyer.

The background checks are required at all federally licensed firearm stores. 

Black Friday has consistently been one of the largest days for gun sales and the FBI’s background check systems. Other large days for checks have occurred after high-profile shootings. 

This year’s numbers would make it the fourth highest day for background checks, slightly higher than the number of checks done in the days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012. 

The FBI told USA TODAY its peak hour for background checks this year was between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. where there were about 4.76 transactions per second and more than 17,000 requests poured in.

The massive surge in gun checks last year came directly after a number of mass shootings. In October, 58 people were killed in Las Vegas during the Route 91 concert festival, and in November, 25 died after being shot inside a Sutherland Springs, Texas, church.

This year, the mass shootings continued but the number of gun sales appears to have possibly dipped. The mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in February started a new nationwide movement dedicated to ending mass shootings and calling for changes to gun laws. 

Survivors of the shooting planned the March for Our Lives events, including a massive march in Washington, D.C., dedicated to pushing for stricter gun laws. 

Since the February shooting, mass attacks have happened in a Texas high school, a Pittsburgh synagogue and a California college bar.

Contributing: Kevin Johnson

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As the hype of Black Friday starts to fade, Cyber Monday is right on its heels, ready to step in as the new shopping day full of deals on just about everything. Today we especially have our eye on small kitchen appliances: things like food processors, coffee makers, slow cookers, and of course everyone’s favorite — the Instant Pot.

SEE ALSO: All the best Black Friday 2018 sales, right in one place

Depending on where you look, there are still a lot of great deals to be had. Some stores have already shifted their pricing into their Cyber Monday sales, while at other stores (like Macy’s) the Black Friday pricing lasts through the end of today.

Small kitchen appliances can make a great gift, so if you’re looking to get your shopping done early, here’s your chance to stock up and save.

Here are the small kitchen appliances we’re loving right now:

Shop all small appliances on sale at Amazon here.

Shop all small appliances on sale at Best Buy here.

Shop all small appliances on sale at Macy’s here.

Shop all small appliances on sale at Kohl’s here.

Shop all small appliances on sale at Walmart here.

Shop all small appliances on sale at Jet.com here.

Shop all small appliances on sale at Target here.

 

Black Friday 2018 deals by store

• Amazon: Shop sales on Fire tablets, Echo Spot, and more

• Walmart: Shop sales on Xbox One S, Instant Pot, Nintendo Switch

• Macy’s: Shop sales on Vitamix, Dyson, Instant Pot, Roomba

• Target: Shop sales on iPhone XS, Apple Watch, 23andMe, TVs, and more

• Best Buy: Shop sales on QLED TVs, Microsoft laptops, Nintendo, and more

Black Friday 2018 deals by category

• Gaming deals: Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, Nintendo, Alienware laptops, and more

• Laptop deals: Lenovo Yoga, Alienware, Dell, HP, Asus, and more

• TV deals: OLEDs from Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, and more

• Smart home deals: Amazon Echo, Roomba, Google Home, Apple HomePod

• Instant Pot deals: Where to get the cheapest price

• Clothing deals and promo codes: J.Crew, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor

• Mattress deals: Nectar, Casper, Leesa, Eight Sleep, and more

Better late than never for Ohio State, which waited until the Saturday after Thanksgiving to put together by far most impressive win of its season — and one of the most lopsided and unforgettable wins by either team in the history of the Buckeyes’ rivalry with Michigan.

Ohio State’s 62 points marked the most Michigan had allowed in regulation since 1891, which feels only slightly farther in the past than the last time the Wolverines notched a win in this series. Across the country, fans of Ohio State and schadenfreude uncapped their pens to tally up the latest score: Jim Harbaugh is now 0-4 against the Buckeyes.

Yet Ohio State is a conundrum for the College Football Playoff selection committee. The Buckeyes were last among one-loss teams in the Power Five in the most recent rankings, essentially dismissed as a top playoff contender after a loss to Purdue and close calls against Nebraska and Maryland. Saturday’s win alters that equation.

Now the Buckeyes are neck-and-neck with Oklahoma for the fourth spot in the field behind Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame. Sixth in the latest rankings, the Sooners would seemingly be the next Power Five champion to step into the four-team field with a win against Texas in next weekend’s Big 12 championship game. It’s difficult to gauge exactly how the committee will view now Ohio State, but there’s no doubt a win against what was the No. 4 team in the rankings will drastically improve the Buckeyes’ chances of leapfrogging past Oklahoma and to the doorstep of another playoff berth.

But the math isn’t that simple. It’s worth asking how the committee will now consider Michigan, just revealed as a title pretender, and also West Virginia, which now has three losses after Friday’s narrow defeat against Oklahoma. What’s more impressive: Beating Michigan at home by 23 points — behind the sort of performance most had expected from Ohio State all season — or winning 59-56 at West Virginia?

The question is pure college football. And that it’s being asked in late November means that controversy is coming to the playoff chase. Here are the rest of Saturday’s winners and losers:

Winners

Alabama

The Crimson Tide wobbled slightly in the second quarter after an Auburn blocked punt and ensuing touchdown cut the score in the Iron Bowl to 17-14 at halftime. Tua Tagovailoa’s play in the third quarter put the game out of reach, and might have given the sophomore an insurmountable lead in this year’s Heisman Trophy race: Tagovailoa tossed three touchdowns in the third quarter and accounted for a school record-tying six scores altogether in pacing Alabama’s 52-21 win. The Tide’s smallest margin of victory on the year is 24 points heading into next Saturday’s SEC title game matchup with Georgia.

Minnesota

Here’s a good day: beat your rival for the first time since 2003 and secure a sixth win in one fell swoop. Saturday’s 37-15 victory at Wisconsin was a long time coming for the Golden Gophers, who had found countless ways to lose this series during the 15-year losing streak, and a stunning end to the regular season for the Badgers, a team crippled by injuries after being pegged as a playoff contender in the preseason. It’s also a nice moment for Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck, who can now point to bowl eligibility as progress after winning five games in his debut season.

Connecticut

You’d think the Huskies would fall in the losers’ bracket after a 57-7 loss the Temple, the latest embarrassment — and last, mercifully — in one of the most horrific seasons in recent Football Bowl Subdivision history. But there was a sort of silver lining: In allowing 57 points, UConn became just the second team in the past century to allow an average of 50 points per game on defense. 

Georgia

Whether Georgia can actually beat Alabama is open to debate. What’s certain, however, is that the Bulldogs are ready to take on college football’s best team. Saturday’s 45-21 win against Georgia Tech was the Bulldogs’ fifth in a row by at least 17 points after October’s stunning loss to LSU. It also might’ve been the most impressive of the bunch: Georgia went into halftime up 38-7 and allowed a pair of meaningless Tech touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Baylor

Credit Matt Rhule for calling his shot: Baylor’s second-year head coach predicted at the tail end of last season, after a one-win debut, that the Bears would make a bowl game in 2018. Topping Texas Tech 35-24 evened Baylor’s record at 6-6 and ensured a top-half finish in the Big 12 standings, two huge signs of progress as Rhule attempts to lead this program back into national contention.

Losers

Arizona

Consider this the flip side to Minnesota’s good day: Arizona, needing a win to get into a bowl game, coughed up a 19-point lead and lost 41-40 to rival Arizona State, missing a potential game-winning field goal in the waning seconds. That’s absolutely brutal. But it fits into what was a brutal first year for former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, who led one of college football’s biggest underachievers. Meanwhile, ASU coach Herm Edwards has made believers out of those who questioned the Sun Devils’ offseason coaching move.

Florida State

FSU will stay home for bowl play for the first time in decades after a 41-14 loss to Florida that encapsulated a disappointing start to the Willie Taggart era. The Seminoles’ seven loss are the program’s most in a year since 1975 — the year before Bobby Bowden’s arrival. It’ll be a long December and an even longer offseason for FSU, which can only be hopeful that Taggart’s successful track record yields a turnaround in 2019.

Tennessee

There should’ve been no preconceived notion that Jeremy Pruitt was going to take over from Butch Jones and immediately vault Tennessee into the top third of the SEC East. The calls just two weeks ago to name Pruitt the league’s coach of the year were equally moronic. Basically, to go 5-7 in his first year doesn’t give a large enough sample size to make some grand statement about the program’s future under Pruitt. Having said that: Tennessee lost to Vanderbilt, again, and will stay home from bowl play.

 

Image: samsung

Now that Black Friday is over and done with for the year, we still have Cyber Monday to look forward to, with amazing deals on 4K smart TVs from the best manufacturers like Sony, LG Electronics, Samsung, VIZIO, and more already here. We’ve gathered the best deals for Cyber Monday from retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target on the 4K TVs you want for the holiday season.

SEE ALSO: Best pre-Cyber Monday deals on Bose headphones, Instant Pot, Echo Plus

Save 20% or more on Sony 4K Ultra HD TV 2018 models and save 25% or more on LG Electronics Ultra HD TVs from this year. In addition, you can save 15% or more on 2018 4K Ultra HD TVs from Samsung, as well as save 15% or more on Samsung QLED TVs. 

We combed through all the Cyber Monday ads and looked out for the best deals, so you don’t have to. Here are the best deals on 4K TVs for Cyber Monday that are already live now:

Best TV deals available now

30 inches and up

40 inches and up

50 inches and up

• LG 55-inch 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart OLED TV — $1,599.99 (list price $2,299.99)

• LG Electronics 55SK9000PUA 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2018 Model) — $896.99 (list price $1,196.99)

• LG Electronics 55SK8000PUA 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV — $696.99 (list price $1,199.99)

• Philips 50-inch Smart UHD Bright Pro TV — $249.99 (list price $429.99)

• Polaroid 50-inch Class 4K Ultra HD (2160P) HDR Smart LED TV (50T7U) — $199.99 (list price $399.99)

• RCA 55-inch Class 4K Ultra HD (2160P) LED TV (RTU5540) — $249.99 (list price $699.99)

• RCA 55-inch 4K Roku Smart HDR LED TV — $319.99 (list price $799.99)

• Samsung 50-inch Smart UHD TV (UN50NU6900) — $329.99 (list price $449.99)

• Samsung – 50-inch Class – LED – NU6900 Series – 2160p – Smart – 4K UHD TV with HDR — $327.99 (list price $449.99)

• Samsung 55NU7100 Flat 55-inch 4K UHD 7 Series Smart TV — $517.99 (list price $699.99)

• Samsung QN55Q7F Flat 55-inch QLED 4K UHD 7 Series Smart TV 2018 — $1,297.99 (list price $1,899.99)

• Samsung QN55Q7C Curved 55-inch QLED 4K UHD 7 Series Smart TV 2018 — $1,397.99 (list price $1,697.99)

• Sceptre X505BV-FSR 50-inch FHD 1080P LED TV — $199.99 (list price $349.99)

• Sharp 55-inch Class 4K Ultra HD (2160P) HDR Smart LED TV (LC-55Q7030U) — $329.99 (list price $499.99)

• Sony XBR55X900F 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV — $1,099.99 (list price $,1299.00)

• Sony XBR55X900F 55 inch 4K UHD Smart LED TV + $250 Dell gift card — $1,099.99 (list price $,1299.00)

• Sony KD55X750F 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV — $698.00 (list price $749.99)

• Sony XBR55A8F 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart BRAVIA OLED TV (2018 Model) — $2,498.00 (list price $2,798.00)

• TCL 55-inch Class 4K Ultra HD (2160P) Roku Smart LED TV — $349.99 (list price $599.99)

• Toshiba 50LF621U19 50-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV HDR – Fire TV Edition — $299.99 (list price $400.00)

• VIZIO M55-E0 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV — $448.00 (list price $698.00)

• Westinghouse WE58UB4108 58-inch 4K 2160p LED TV — $249.99 (list price $399.99)

60 inches and up

70 inches and up

80 inches and up

Best TV deals starting on Cyber Monday

30 inches and up

40 inches and up

50 inches and up

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Black Friday 2018 deals by store

• Amazon: Shop sales on Fire tablets, Echo Spot, and more

• Walmart: Shop sales on Xbox One S, Instant Pot, Nintendo Switch

• Macy’s: Shop sales on Vitamix, Dyson, Instant Pot, Roomba

• Target: Shop sales on iPhone XS, Apple Watch, 23andMe, TVs, and more

• Best Buy: Shop sales on QLED TVs, Microsoft laptops, Nintendo, and more

Black Friday 2018 deals by category

• Gaming deals: Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, Nintendo, Alienware laptops, and more 

• Laptop deals: Lenovo Yoga, Alienware, Dell, HP, Asus, and more

• TV deals: OLEDs from Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, and more

• Smart home deals: Amazon Echo, Roomba, Google Home, Apple HomePod

• Instant Pot deals: Where to get the cheapest price

• Clothing deals and promo codes: J.Crew, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Lord &Taylor

• Mattress deals: Nectar, Casper, Leesa, Eight Sleep, and more

WASHINGTON – Three countries have halted arms sales to Saudi Arabia while the U.S. has stuck by the kingdom after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Finland and Denmark joined Germany this week in halting all future arms sales and sending of military equipment to the Saudi government. Germany and Denmark cited the killing of Khashoggi while Finland said in a statement much of its decision was related to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. 

The October killing of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul sparked criticism by both Republicans and Democrats and put intense pressure on President Donald Trump to criticize a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. After reports surfaced showing a CIA assessment concluded Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing, Trump said the U.S. would stick by the kingdom. 

The president cited oil prices and an arms deal in his rationale. He publicly questioned the CIA’s assessment, emphasizing Salman’s denials even as the Saudi government’s account of Khashoggi’s fate has repeatedly shifted. 

More: Jamal Khashoggi: Lawmakers promise scrutiny of Trump’s refusal to rebuke Saudis over journalist’s murder

More: CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s killing: reports

More: ‘Stop starving people as instrument of war.’ One Republican’s blunt message to Saudis — and Trump

On Thursday, Trump said the crown prince “regretted the death more than I do” and reiterated his position that there was no conclusive evidence tying the crown prince to Khashoggi’s murder. 

“The CIA doesn’t say they did it. They do point out certain things, and in pointing out those things, you can conclude that maybe he did or maybe he didn’t,” the president said. 

Meanwhile, other countries have taken steps to block future arms sales with the regime over the killing and its war in Yemen, which has killed thousands, including children, and left millions at risk of starvation. 

In a televised interview on Thursday, Denmark’s foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen, called the Saudi regime “destructive in many fields” and said it was halting exports of military equipment because of “the continued worsening of the already terrible situation in Yemen and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”

Samuelsen said he hoped “the Danish decision can create further momentum and get more European Union countries to support tight implementation of the E.U.’s regulatory framework in this area,” according to the Associated Press. 

The AP reports in 2017, Denmark’s overall exports to Saudi Arabia were about 5.08 billion kroner, or $763 million.

Finland’s Foreign Ministry made a similar announcement, also Thursday, saying it wouldn’t allow any future arms export licenses to sell materials to the Saudi government. The country specifically cited the worsening crisis in Yemen. 

“The government discussed arms export matters and decided that in the current situation there are no foundations for new arms export authorizations to Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates,” Finland’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “In its deliberations, the government laid stress on the alarming humanitarian situation in Yemen, in particular.”

The two countries made their announcements after Germany urged other European nations to halt arms exports to Saudi Arabia last month, according to Reuters. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in October that the country would stop all arms deals due to the conflicting statements about Khashoggi’s death. German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told Reuters that the country hoped other European allies would come together and made similar pledges to put more pressure on the Saudi government. 

“Because only if all European countries are in agreement, it will make an impression on the government in Riyadh,” Altmaier said. “It will not have any positive consequences if we halt arms exports but other countries at the same time fill the gap.”

Reuters reported that Germany this year had approved exporting about $462 million worth of arms materials to the Saudi government.

In the U.S., some members of Congress, Republican and Democrat alike, are still pushing for a harsher response to Khashoggi’s death and dismemberment. 

Lawmakers have until now done little to push back against Trump’s approach to foreign policy – standing aside as he launched a trade war, picked fights with long-time U.S. allies and embraced dictators from North Korea to Russia.

But the Khashoggi killing has sparked a nascent legislative rebellion that promises to escalate when Democrats take control of the House in January. A clash over Trump’s handling of the journalist’s murder – and his broader embrace of Saudi Arabia – could unfold as early as next week, when Congress is set to reconvene.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has requested a classified briefing from top Trump administration officials – including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis – on Khashoggi’s murder as well as the U.S. support for a Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen.

Contributing: Deirdre Shesgreen and the Associated Press

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We continue to find deals to be thankful for this weekend, and right now our eyes are on the Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones which are now $60 off on Amazon. Nothing like a good post-Black Friday deal to get our feet wet for Cyber Monday.

The Beats Solo3 headphones bring you the top-notch sound quality we’ve all come to know from Beats, combined with the convenience of a wire-free, long-living set of cans that are basically ideal for everyday use.

They boast a seriously impressive battery life of up to 40 hours thanks to the introduction of Apple W1 Technology—which means, yes, you can literally listen to music for almost two straight days on a single charge if you really want to.

Even if you’re one of those people (AKA me) who constantly forgets to fully charge their devices—a quick five minute charge of the Solo3’s will still give you a full three hours of playback thanks to Fast Fuel charging.

Aside from the premium playback with fine-tuned acoustics with maximum clarity and balance you’ll get out of these bad boys, you can also look forward to comfort-cushion ear cups that not only make your listening experience comfortable— but also buffer outside noise for the ultimate audio immersion experience.

These things really do it all. You can also take calls, control your music and activate Siri with multifunction on-ear controls.  

You can grab them in a variety of colors including black, silver and even rose gold—so you’re bound to find one that matches your personal style.

There’s a reason why everyone obsesses over Beats headphones, and it’s the same reason we’re so pumped that you can still get them for just $239.95 instead of their usual $299.95 listing price.

We’re not sure how long the deal will last, so don’t miss out and grab a pair or two (hey, it’s gifting season) while you still can here. 

Black Friday 2018 deals by store

Black Friday 2018 deals by category

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USA Today Network
Associated Press

Published 5:49 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2018 | Updated 5:49 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2018

HOOVER, Ala. – Protesters on Saturday marched through an Alabama shopping mall where police killed a black man they later acknowledged was not the triggerman in a Thanksgiving night shooting that wounded two people.

An officer shot and killed 21-year-old Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford, Jr. of Hueytown while responding to the Thursday mall shooting. Police said Bradford was fleeing the scene with a weapon.

Hoover police initially told reporters Bradford had shot a teen at the mall, but later retracted the statement.

“We knew that was false,” said stepmother Cynthia Bradford when she heard police were blaming him for the shooting. She described her stepson, who went by E.J., as a respectful young man who is the son of a Birmingham police department officer.

More: ‘He died a hero’: Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus killed in Thousand Oaks shooting

Hoover Police Capt. Gregg Rector said investigators now believe that more than two people were involved in the initial fight ahead of the shooting, and that “at least one gunman” is still at large who could be responsible.

Police said while Bradford “may have been involved in some aspect of the altercation, he likely did not fire the rounds that injured the 18-year-old victim.” Rector said police regret that their initial statement about Bradford was not accurate.

More than 200 demonstrators, including several relatives, chanted “E.J” and “no justice, no peace” as they marched past Christmas shoppers at the mall. They held a moment of silence at the spot outside a shoe store where Bradford was killed.

“They should have never have killed him,” Emani Smith, Bradford’s 7-year-old half-sister said, while other family members cried.

Family members described their horror of finding out from social media that Bradford was dead. Video circulated on social media of Bradford lying in a pool of blood on the mall floor.

Carlos Chaverst, an activist in Birmingham who organized the protest, said that when authorities acknowledged that the person killed was not the actual shooter, “that sent us in an uproar.” He said they want justice for the family and he called for police to release body camera and surveillance footage. More protests will be held in the future to hold officials accountable, he added.

“When we found out about this incident, there were questions from the jump. People were upset because a man was shot and killed by police in our own backyard,” he said.

The incident began Thanksgiving night with a fight and shooting in suburban Birmingham at the Riverchase Galleria, a mall crowded with Black Friday bargain hunters. An 18-year-old was shot twice and a 12-year-old bystander was shot in the back.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is investigating the incident since it is an officer-involved shooting. The Hoover Police Department is conducting its own internal investigation.

The officer who shot Bradford was placed on administrative leave while authorities investigate the shooting. The officer’s name was not released publicly. The officers were not hurt.

Bradford is shown in photos on Facebook in an Army uniform and he described himself as a combat engineer. A spokesman for the Army, however, told The Washington Post that he “never completed advanced individual training,” and so did not serve.

Video posted on social media by shoppers showed a chaotic scene as shoppers fled the mall, which closed for the remainder of Thursday night.

A witness, Lexi Joiner, told Al.com she was shopping with her mother when the gunfire started. Joiner said she heard six or seven shots and was ordered, along with some other shoppers, into a supply closet for cover.

“It was terrifying,” Joiner said.

A woman who described herself as the mother of the injured 12-year-old posted on social media that the girl was on a Black Friday shopping trip with other family members when the shooting happened, and didn’t immediately realize that the pain in her back was from a bullet.

“She was hurting a lot, but very brave and positive as always,” the mother wrote after seeing the girl when she arrived at a hospital.

Hoover police said Friday morning that the girl was in stable condition.

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The quest for whiter teeth feels never-ending. “Nah, I don’t want whiter teeth,” said no one ever. 

You could get one of those laser whitening machines that Instagram bloggers shove in your face or you could keep whitening your teeth in pictures with FaceTune  — or you could just get a toothbrush that actually works.

The smart Oral-B Pro 6000 toothbrush is basically the pinnacle of electric toothbrushes — and it’s over $100 off as part of Walmart’s Cyber Monday weekend sale. That’s $89.94 for confidence and the dentist not yelling at you about your brushing habits, and that’s more than good enough for us.

Oral B’s 6000 series truly does the work for you, making teeth brushing a way less annoying daily duty. Oral B claims that it removes 300% more plaque in hard-to-reach spaces than your standard brush, with five spinning modes for daily brushing, gum care, sensitive teeth, whitening, and pro-clean. Oral-B’s other brush heads can be swapped out if you need to concentrate on something more specific like flossing.

It has an app and connects to your phone via Bluetooth (because of course tooth brushes do that now) with visual coaching and a color-changing pressure sensor to let you know the spots you’ve missed, where to spend more time cleaning, and when you’re brushing too hard to protect your gums. 

Regularly $249.97, you can save $160.03 and snag your new electric toothbrush for just $89.94 using Walmart’s instant $20 rebate. (It’s a great stocking stuffer idea, too.)

Black Friday 2018 deals by store

Black Friday 2018 deals by category

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An experimental vaccine that could hold off Alzheimer’s disease is showing results in animal testing, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Testing in mice has shown that the vaccine safely prevents the buildup of substances in the brain associated with the fatal disease, the team reported this week in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy.

Following previous research in monkeys and rabbits, the researchers now hope that the vaccine will progress to human trials. 

If the vaccine proves safe and effective in humans it could slice the number of dementia diagnoses in half, the study’s senior author told USA TODAY.

Dementia is a term used to broadly describe symptoms of cognitive decline; Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.

Dr. Doris Lambracht-Washington, a professor of neurology and neurotherapeutics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said researches believe the vaccine could extend lives by preventing the disease from developing.

“If the onset of the disease could be delayed by even five years, that would be enormous for the patients and their families,” Lambracht-Washington said in a statement. “The number of dementia cases could drop by half.”

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Lambracht-Washington said that the study marks major progress towards a safe and effective vaccine.

Researchers have previously studied the possibility of a vaccine for Alzheimers, she said, but past approaches have either caused harmful side effects, such as brain inflammation, or used approaches proven to be less effective.

The vaccine works by prompting the body to produce antibodies inhibiting the buildup of amyloid and tau, two proteins that are hallmarks of the degenerative brain disease. 

The vaccine is one of several promising treatments aimed at reducing the buildup of those substances before they become deadly plaques and tangles in the brain.

About 5.7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the University of Texas. The number could double by 2050.

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