Trent McDuffie, the NFL's highest-paid corner, aims to make a difference in Rams' Super Bowl push

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams became the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl once their trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie went public.

As a two-time Super Bowl champion himself, McDuffie is embracing the expectations of helping the Rams get back to the top after beingtantalizingly closein each of the previous two seasons against teams that ended up winning it all.

"Like I said, this team is ready to go," McDuffie said. "I don't think I'm coming in here with a team that doesn't understand the value that they have. So those little nuggets that I feel like I can just pour into guys that can get us over the hump, I'm going to do everything I can because that's the end goal. And I know it's the end goal bringing me in is the Lombardi Trophy, so everything we do to bring a ring back to this city is what I'm going to do."

McDuffie was formally introduced by the Rams on Thursday, having joined in ablockbuster trade from Kansas Cityfor the 29th overall pick, fifth-round and sixth-round picks in April's draft and a third-round pick next year. He thensigned a four-year contract extensionthat makes McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history and will keep him with his hometown team through 2030.

Having played in three Super Bowls in four seasons with the Chiefs, the 25-year-old McDuffie has a good understanding of the margins that make the difference between success and failure.

For the Rams, who went 12-5 last season and lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks23-17 in the NFC championship game, it was their inability to cover high-level wide receivers such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the most critical moments that kept them from securing the top seed in the conference or playing for a title.

In adding McDuffie, along with his formerChiefsteammate Jaylen Watson in free agency, the Rams expect to turn those mismatches in their favor.

McDuffie has defended 34 passes, made two interceptions and forced eight fumbles in 56 career regular-season games. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and received second-team recognition in 2024. McDuffie also offers flexibility to play on the outside or in the slot, though safety Quentin Lake has manned the nickelback position with great success under defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

"It don't matter where you put me," McDuffie said. "I'll play safety. I'll put my hand in the dirt. Like, I hope I don't have to. But, really, I'm just out here wanting to play ball, you know. And no matter where you put me, I'm going to work, day in and day out, to make sure that I do my job at a very high level, and that's the guy you're getting."

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McDuffie's ability to use short-area quickness to cover the "small shifty guys," as Watson described it, is what sets him apart. But Watson, whosigned a three-year contract that includes $34 million in guarantees, could be just as important with his 6-foot-2 and nearly 200-pound frame offering the stature to contend with the likes ofnew divisional foe Mike Evans.

"Me and Trent complement each other so well," Watson said. "My strengths are the big receivers. So we should be pretty diverse. We should be able to match up pretty well against a lot of different looks we get."

McDuffie and Watson came into the league together as part of the 2022 draft class, with the Chiefs selecting Watson out of Washington State 222 picks after taking hisAppleCup rival McDuffie.

Watson was hoping to start his professional career in Kansas City but assumed the drafting of McDuffie and fourth-round pick Joshua Williams would prevent that, only to find himself taken in the seventh round.

Four years later, Watson approached free agency with an eye toward helping address the Rams' deficiencies.

"Then they traded for Trent, and I knew he was going to be the highest-paid in the league, I was like, 'Not going to the Rams.' So, yeah, it's a full circle moment," said Watson, who has defended 24 passes and made three interceptions in 53 career regular-season games.

Together, McDuffie and Watson are ready for the expectations their arrival will bring to the Rams.

"Doesn't matter what's on paper," Watson said. "You got to do what you got to do, take care of what's in front of you one game at a time, and hopefully when it's all said and done we can get there."

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

byAlex Forten

in

March 12, 2026

Trent McDuffie, the NFL's highest-paid corner, aims to make a difference in Rams' Super Bowl push

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams became the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl once their trade for All-Pro co...

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Paige Shiver Alleges ‘Years of Manipulation, Harassment and Exploitation’ from Former Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore

Sherrone Moore's former assistant Paige Shiver issued a statement alleging "years of manipulation, harassment and exploitation" from Michigan's former head football coach

NEED TO KNOW

• Moore recently pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors: malicious use of a telecommunications device and trespass

• Moore was fired from the University of Michigan after he allegedly engaged in an extramarital affair with a football team staff member

Sherrone Moore's former assistant, Paige Shiver, alleges that she faced years of "manipulation, harassment, and exploitation" from the now-former University of Michigan head football coach.

Moore "held enormous power over her professional life as the head football coach of one of the nation's most prominent college football programs," Shiver's legal team, Action Injury Law Group, alleged in a March 6 statement obtained by PEOPLE.

"The power imbalance between a powerful head coach and a subordinate employee created an environment where our client felt pressured, intimidated, and unable to escape conduct that should never occur in any workplace—let alone at a public university," the statement continues.

In December,the university fired Moorefor allegedly engaging in an "inappropriate relationship with a staff member." Moore waslater accusedof driving to the staffer's home, grabbing butter knives and threatening suicide. He was arraigned and charged with third-degree home invasion, stalking and entering without permission.

On March 6,Moore pleadedno contest to two misdemeanors: malicious use of a telecommunications device and trespass. Three more serious charges, including a felony home invasion that came with afive-year prison sentence if convicted, were dismissed as part of his plea agreement. Moore's sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 14, and he faces up to six months in prison.

"All the charges against Mr. Moore were not supported by facts of law. … the dismissal of those charges validates the concerns we raised," Moore's attorney, Ellen Michaels, said after the March 6 hearing, reportsMLive. "Mr. Moore is pleased to put this behind him and move forward."

Shiver's attorneys claimed the plea deal "confirms the seriousness of that criminal misconduct," adding, "But this case is about far more than one terrifying incident."

While the statement does not provide further details about Moore and Shiver's relationship, her attorney, Andrew M. Stroth, toldThe Detroit Newsthat since Moore was fired over the relationship, it shouldn't have happened at all. "He took advantage of a younger, female employee," Stroth told the outlet. "Leadership knew and failed to act to protect her."

The statement alleges that this happened over the course of a "long period of time."

"It raises urgent and troubling questions about how a powerful figure within a major university athletic program was able to engage in years of inappropriate conduct toward a subordinate without meaningful intervention or oversight," the statement reads.

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Shiver believes she was not the only employee who was a victim of "inappropriate, coercive or predatory behavior." The statement also noted that Shiver's decision to publicly reveal her name came with a "tremendous personal cost."

"She believes that silence allows abuse of power to continue. Her hope is that by speaking out, others who may have been intimidated into remaining quiet will find the strength to share their experiences as well."

Her attorneys call for "a thorough and transparent investigation" into the alleged "conduct," as well as "any related institutional failures."

PEOPLE reached out to the University of Michigan Athletics Department and Michaels for comment.

Shiver's attorneys also claim that Moore's no-contest plea "was entered a mere days following press reportsalleging his failure to report sexual assault allegations against former Michigan assistant coach LaTroy Lewis."

On Feb. 26, journalist Justin Spiroreportedthat Lewis allegedly raped a woman in December 2024 when he was a Michigan coaching staff member. The accuser alleged that she informed Moore, whom she knew personally, about the alleged rape and battery shortly after they occurred, according to Spiro andESPN.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The accuser's attorney, Karen Truszkowski, told ESPN that Moore not only failed to report the alleged assault but also "weaponized" the incident against her by sending her sexual messages. An attorney for Moore, Ellen Michaels, denied these allegations in a statement to PEOPLE, stating, "Sherrone Moore did not fail to report misconduct, did not reward wrongdoing and did not harass anyone. These claims are false."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Read the original article onPeople

byAlex Forten

in

March 12, 2026

Paige Shiver Alleges ‘Years of Manipulation, Harassment and Exploitation’ from Former Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore

Sherrone Moore's former assistant Paige Shiver issued a statement alleging "years of manipulation, harassment an...

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Dwight Howard officially announces retirement, 6 months after Hall of Fame induction: 'The game retired me'

After nearly 20 years in the NBA, Dwight Howard is officially calling it quits. In asocial media poston Thursday, the Basketball Hall of Famer announced he was retiring from the game, saying that he had "more left to give" but that it was "time to move on."

Howard has not played in the NBA since 2022, during his third stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his last time on a pro court was with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan in 2023. He wasinducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Famein 2025.

"Woke up today on the 12th of this month and I figured it's time to move on from Superman!" Howard wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram. "But now Im taking off the cape and retiring from all basketball to pour into my family and give back to communities worldwide. I know some of you might think I thought he already 'retired' but I didn't… the game retired me! I still had more left to give ! Yeah I did play professionally for 20 years and Im grateful to be able to say that but I can't lie seeing these other players still going at it at age 40 inspired me to want to keep trying but now I believe my duty will be to pass it down to the next generation."

In the post, Howard also wrote that he has a documentary that will release later this year, which he says will tell "the truth about EVERYTHING," including the story of how he was "taken advantage of by the world." Details of a documentary about Howard have yet to be announced.

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Howard also said he would be touring "cities all over the world" to do random acts of kindness on the 12th of every month, in lieu of a retirement tour.

"Since I didn't get a chance to ever have a farewell tour I decided to create a tour not for fans to appreciate me but for me to appreciate them for supporting me all these years and giving me a reason to smile doing what I love," Howard wrote.

The news of Howard's retirement also comes days after reports the Hall of Famer hasfiled for divorcefrom his wife, Amy Luciani.

Howard started his career with the Orlando Magic after being selected first overall in the 2004 NBA Draft, opting to go pro right out of high school. After eight seasons there, the center spent time with the Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.

In addition to being afirst ballot Hall of Famer, Howard was an eight-time All-Star and won the 2020 NBA Championship during his second stint with the Lakers.

byAlex Forten

in

March 12, 2026

Dwight Howard officially announces retirement, 6 months after Hall of Fame induction: 'The game retired me'

After nearly 20 years in the NBA, Dwight Howard is officially calling it quits. In asocial media poston Thursday, the Bas...

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Nathan Lane savagely shades Matthew McConaughey, Timothée Chalamet's 'stupidity': 'Terribly unfunny people'

Death of a Salesmanrevival starNathan Laneisdefinitelynot buying whatMatthew McConaugheyandTimothée Chalametare selling.

Lane savagely slammed both actors during a Thursday morning appearance onThe View, where moderatorWhoopi Goldbergasked the Hollywood veteran to weigh in onthe ongoing controversythat saw Chalamet — amid a town hall discussion with McConaughey — dismiss the popularity of art forms like opera and ballet.

"Oh, what a schmuck," Lane said, as comedianJoy Beharobserved, "He opened his mouth. Poor guy. Leave him alone!"

Lane replied, further digging in on Chalamet: "It was kind of kaleidoscopic in its stupidity and insensitivity, and yet strangely telling about where we are in this country."

He added, with a nod towardhis own filmography, "First of all, one should remember, people will be going to seeSwan LakeandLa Traviatalong after someone at a dinner party says, 'Who was Timothée Chalamet?' It's the show businesscircle of life."

Lane posed that "the bigger question is, why was there a town hall meeting with Matthew McConaughey and Timothée Chalamet? Who deemed this meeting of the minds necessary?"

He then jabbed Donald Trump upon asking why there isn't "a town hall meeting with Democrats discussing how to get this lunatic out of the White House?"

Speaking on the subject of the Oscar-nominatedMarty Supreme, which follows Chalamet as a hyper-competitive ping-pong player, Lane added: "I've got news for Timmy. If you think nobody cares about opera and ballet, I can't tell you how much we don't care about ping-pong."

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Lane issued a final criticism of both stars when he joked that "some weed was smoked beforehand" at their joint town hall.

"This may just be a tragic case of terribly unfunny people trying to be funny, which always ends in disaster," he finished.

Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to representatives for McConaughey and Chalamet for comment.

Earlier this week,Goldberg and Sunny Hostin also criticized Chalametfor saying that "no one cares" about ballet and opera.

Hostin said that Chalamet's words were "vapid" and "shallow," while Goldberg advised him to "be careful, boy" about his words on other people's art — especially as he contends for Best Actor at the Oscars this Sunday.

In EW'sannual Secret Ballot feature ahead of the Oscars, one anonymous actor told us that he "lost a lot of respect" for Chalamet amid the 30-year-old performer's comments: "F--- that guy," the actor said.

The Viewairs weekdays on ABC.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byAlex Forten

in

March 12, 2026

Nathan Lane savagely shades Matthew McConaughey, Timothée Chalamet's 'stupidity': 'Terribly unfunny people'

Death of a Salesmanrevival starNathan Laneisdefinitelynot buying whatMatthew McConaugheyandTimothée Chalametare selling. ...

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Princess Diana Once Confronted Camilla Parker Bowles Over Prince Charles Affair, Calling It Her "Bravest Moment"

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married on July 29, 1981—with Camilla Parker Bowles in attendance.

The Gist

• At some point in the 1980s, Charles and Camilla began an extramarital affair, which Diana (and the rest of the world) knew about.

• Diana's former bodyguard Ken Wharfe remembered the dramatic moment where Diana confronted Camilla at a party.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall for this moment.

The entire world, it seems, knew aboutPrince Charles's extramarital affair withCamilla Parker Bowles—now Queen Camilla—and so, too, didPrincess Diana, Charles's wife. Camilla was always a presence in her marriage to Charles, even attending their royal wedding on July 29, 1981. It all came to a head during what Diana later called the "bravest moment" in her marriage to Charles, which ended in 1996, almost exactly one year before she died as a result of a Paris car accident on August 31, 1997 at just 36 years old.

The former Princess of Wales's former bodyguard Ken Wharfe recounted the time Diana confronted Camilla about her affair with Charles at a party, marking a turning point in Diana's marriage, according toBrides.

Camilla's sister, Annabel Elliot, was hosting a party, and Diana was invited. Nobody expected Diana to actually show, though—but she did.

"Diana didn't have any particular friendships at that party, but when we arrived there, it as almost like freeze-framing a scene in a movie because there was this surprise that Diana had even arrived," Wharfe told ITV (perThe Mirror).

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After about an hour, Diana motioned to her protection officer. "I went out, and there was Diana, who said, 'You've got to come with me. I can't find my husband or Camilla,'" Wharfe said. "Now, I couldn't say no—clearly, this woman was in some distress, and eventually, we found the prince and Camilla [sitting] on a sofa in the basement of this property, just talking."

Upon seeing this, Diana confronted Camilla—the first time she'd ever done so, Wharfe said. "I didn't know quite what Diana was going to do at that point, but with a great deal of confidence, Diana just went up to both of them and said to Camilla, 'Please don't treat me like an idiot. I know what's going on,'" he remembered.

"And Camilla sort of said something, to which still to this day I have never really understood what she meant by that is, 'Well, you know, you have two wonderful boys,'" Wharfe said. "Well, it was an incredible moment for me, and certainly them as well. That was a defining moment in their life because I think at that point…this was an indicator the end was nigh."

Charles and Diana ultimately separated in 1992, and their divorce was finalized four years later. In a 1995 interview, Diana famously said, "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded"—and eight years after Diana's 1997 death, Charles and Camilla themselves married in 2005.

Read the original article onInStyle

byAlex Forten

in

March 12, 2026

Princess Diana Once Confronted Camilla Parker Bowles Over Prince Charles Affair, Calling It Her "Bravest Moment"

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married on July 29, 1981—with Camilla Parker Bowles in attendance. The Gi...

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Kacey Musgraves clears the air on alleged Miranda Lambert feud

Kacey Musgravesis letting bygones be bygones with her new album.

TheGrammy-winning country singer, who's set to release her seventh studio album"Middle of Nowhere"in May, opened up about her collaboration withMiranda Lambertand how the song helped the singers patch things up after a rumored feud.

Musgraves' duet with Lambert, the cheekily titled "Horses and Divorces," is among the 13 tracks from her latest project, her first album since 2024's"Deeper Well."

"We'd lost touch for years and wouldn't consider each other friends," Musgraves, 37, toldNPRin an interview published Wednesday, March 11. "I saw her on Instagram one day, riding one of her horses, and I was like, 'Well, we ain't friends, but I guess we have two things in common, horses and divorces, that's for sure.'"

Lambert was married to fellow country singerBlake Sheltonfrom 2011 to 2015 before her current marriage to partner Brendan McLoughlin, while Musgravessplit from her first husband, Ruston Kelly, in 2020 after three years together.

Musgraves and Lambert first joined musical forces in the early 2010s when the "Follow Your Arrow" singer's song,"Mama's Broken Heart,"landed on Lambert's fourth album, "Four the Record."

"There was all this excitement behind 'Mama's Broken Heart' for me. It was going to be my first single, and I loved the song so much," Musgraves said. "I had been a staff writer for years at that point, writing for other people and had finally felt like I was collecting songs that felt like me that I didn't want to pitch to anyone else."

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Kacey Musgraves' 'Middle of Nowhere':Singer announces new album with Texas roots

Kacey Musgraves says Miranda Lambert collaboration helped air 'old laundry'

"Mama's Broken Heart" was later pitched to Lambert "without my consent or knowledge," Musgraves told NPR. Released as a single in 2013, the song peaked at No. 2 onBillboard's Hot Country Songs chart, the same year Musgraves dropped her debut album, "Same Trailer Different Park."

"It was a tricky situation," said Musgraves, who cowrote the song with Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. "She ended up loving the song, and she really wanted it. And I had other cowriters to consider. I knew I would have to go back to the drawing board."

Despite the song dispute, Musgraves said she "randomly reached out" to Lambert when she got the idea for "Horses and Divorces," recalling her message to the singer: "'I'm not trying to be your friend. You got your life, I have mine. But I think this would be a pretty ... funny song.'"

"It was very full circle in so many ways," Musgraves continued. "We aired out any of the old laundry. We had some laughs and wrote the song in a matter of a few hours."

Kacey Musgraves review:Singer offers clear-eyed candor on 'Deeper Well'

In the end, Musgraves said she's "really glad" Lambert recorded "Mama's Broken Heart," as it led to the creation of her debut single "Merry Go 'Round," which became a top 10 country hit.

"['Horses and Divorces'] could be also a micro representation of what I wish that the world would do sometimes," Musgraves said. "Just ... sit down and poke fun at each other, have a beer and call it a day."

Musgraves' new album "Middle of Nowhere" will be released on May 1.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kacey Musgraves talks Miranda Lambert duet after alleged feud

byAlex Forten

in

March 12, 2026

Kacey Musgraves clears the air on alleged Miranda Lambert feud

Kacey Musgravesis letting bygones be bygones with her new album. TheGrammy-winning country singer, w...

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Brazil's top diplomat raises concerns over Trump aide's planned visit to Bolsonaro

BRASILIA, March 12 (Reuters) - Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira ‌told a Supreme Court ‌Justice that a planned visit from ​a Trump administration official to imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro could be an "interference" in ‌the country's ⁠internal affairs, a document seen by Reuters ⁠showed on Thursday.

Lawyers for Bolsonaro asked the Brazilian Supreme ​Court on ​Tuesday to ​allow Darren ‌Beattie, who was recently tapped by U.S. President Donald Trump for a senior advisory role overseeing Brazil, to visit ‌him in prison ​next week.

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Bolsonaro is ​serving ​a 27-year prison sentence ‌since November for ​plotting a ​coup against his successor, President Luiz Inacio Lula da ​Silva.

(Reporting ‌by Ricardo Brito; Writing ​by Fernando Cardoso, Editing ​by Franklin Paul)

byAlex Forten

in

March 12, 2026

Brazil's top diplomat raises concerns over Trump aide's planned visit to Bolsonaro

BRASILIA, March 12 (Reuters) - Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira ‌told a Supreme Court ‌Justice that a planned v...

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