For the first time in league history, the NFL is flexing a "Thursday Night Football" game. 

The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals were scheduled to play the Thursday night game during Week 16, but the NFL is replacing that matchup with the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers.

The change is unprecedented because of how drastically different team preparation is between a Thursday and Sunday game. 

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Teams and players generally don’t like playing on Thursday because of a lack of recovery time and preparation can lead to injuries. 

The Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 Thursday to improve to 3-8 and are closer to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft than playoff contention.

The Bengals, despite Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase playing well, are 4-7 and have an uphill climb to make the playoffs. 

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The Chargers (7-3) and Broncos (6-5) both occupy playoff spots in the AFC and their Week 16 matchup could be pivotal for determining seeding, not to mention better ratings for the NFL. 

The current seeding in the AFC:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)

2. Buffalo Bills (9-2)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)

4. Houston Texans (7-4)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)

6. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)

7. Denver Broncos (6-5)

The Indianapolis Colts (5-6) and Miami Dolphins (4-6) are on the outside looking in. 

The Chargers will be home for the Thursday night matchup against the Broncos Dec.19. Both teams are home the prior week, potentially another reason the NFL made the schedule change. 

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1. Pep Guardiola signs two-year Manchester City contract extension through to 2027  The Athletic
2. Guardiola signs two-year deal to stay at Man City  ESPN
3. Guardiola signs new City contract!  Manchester City FC
4. Signed and sealed: Pep Guardiola pens new two-year Manchester City deal  The Guardian
5. Guardiola stays, Martino leaves. Plus: what’s it like when you don’t make it as a pro? - The Athletic  The New York Times

Logan Paul’s emergence in WWE surprised regular fans with how quickly he picked up some of the nuances of the sport and how agile he was at 6 feet, 2 inches with no professional in-ring experience.

For the most part, Logan’s brother, Jake, has been missing from his corner. Jake Paul has mostly been focused on his boxing career and trying to make a bigger name for himself in that sport. He made a one-off appearance at Crown Jewel in 2022 but has not made much of an impact in the squared circle.

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Jake Paul, fresh off of a unanimous decision victory against Mike Tyson, said he was interested in a WWE role but not as a competitor.

"I would love to," he said on the "IMPAULSIVE" podcast about possibly joining WWE. "But I would want to be like your Paul Heyman. I wouldn't want to wrestle as much — I could do some s--- – but I’d want to be your sidekick businessman or some s---."

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Logan Paul floated the idea of Jake coming to pro wrestling when he finished with his boxing endeavor. He explained that the industry is "time-consuming," and he may not have time to do both.

Logan Paul first appeared in WWE in 2021 and developed into a fan-hated heel. He won the United States Championship over Rey Mysterio at Crown Jewel in 2023 and held the title until SummerSlam in August, when he fell to LA Knight.

He has not appeared in WWE since.

A Connecticut university is roiled in controversy after a report revealed that the school was attempting to find "creative ideas" to offer undocumented students payment for their internships.

"They’re prioritizing citizens over noncitizens, and that’s the problem," Connecticut GOP Chairman Ben Proto told Fox News Digital.

The comments come after a Connecticut Inside Investigator report revealed that Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) officials searched for ways to pay undocumented students "in a way that doesn’t mention ‘employment’ or require a social security number," according to emails obtained by the outlet through a Freedom of Information Act request.

"The President’s Undocumented Student Committee is looking for creative ideas for helping undocumented (or underdocumented) students find paid internships/experiential learning opportunities," CCSU career coach Audra Mika wrote in one email, dated Sept. 13, 2024. "Other universities have set up grants, scholarships, fellowships, and stipends to pay these students in a way that doesn’t mention ‘employment’ or require a social security number."

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"PJ and I want to see what is possible," the email, which was sent to the university’s grants department, continued. "Thank you for any suggestions you might have for helping our undocumented students find paid jobs."

That email was replied to by Kathleen Moore of the CCSU’s Office of Post-Award Grants with a warning that the idea would be "morally wrong" and "illegal" and also noted that grants were awarded via competitive application process and require anyone paid with grant money to be a U.S. citizen.

"If you were told that other universities are using grants ‘to pay these students’ you were misled, or those individuals are doing something illegally and, in my opinion, have no morals," Moore's reply read.

Moore’s email was later forwarded to CCSU Associate Vice President Carmen Veloria by Director of the Career Development Office Paul Rossitto, who wrote, "FYI, we have some people that work at the university that don’t believe we should help all students."

Meanwhile, the initial request garnered responses from officials at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), who noted that there is a scholarship fund for "Dream Scholars," though that scholarship only covers "Dreamers" under the controversial Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and not for all undocumented migrants.

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SCSU officials also noted that they offer the Monarch Scholarship and funds "for undoc [sic] students who work on campus doing an academic internship," while officials from another state school, Eastern Connecticut State University, suggested the institution encourage students to get Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN), but warned doing so "does not provide work authorization or legal status" to the migrant.

CCSU officials ran with that idea, encouraging undocumented students to obtain ITINs and then approach local businesses in order to gauge if they would be interested in "hiring/supporting undocumented students as interns" or work with the school’s Student Affairs Department, "to create fellowships, funding opps, stipends for undoc student workers (on and off campus); and to find and teach ‘allies’ what these measures could mean for CCSU."

To Proto, the story is just the latest example of government officials, employees and lawmakers in the state prioritizing the needs of migrants over the legal citizens of Connecticut.

"Where is the state focusing its energy? Should it be focusing its energy on the citizens of the state of Connecticut, or should it be focusing its energy on those people who are here illegally in violation of our laws," Proto said. "When you have the attorney general running around since election day telling everyone that he’s going to protect illegal immigrants… it seems like his priorities are in the wrong place."

In a statement to Connecticut Inside Investigator, CCSU spokeswoman Jodi Latina said that there had been "no intent to mislead or circumvent any laws."

"This email message was misinterpreted by the receiver. The committee member was exploring avenues to support students within the confines of what is permissible under the law," Latina told the outlet. "The requester was inquiring as to whether there are any avenues we aren’t already exploring that exist legally for undocumented students."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Latina said that the university "has not and will not ever condone any activities that circumvent the law, and this committee was implemented only to coalesce legal means to support these students, as we endeavor to do for our entire Central Family."

Latina also shared a letter sent by university President Zulma Toro, who stressed that the school's efforts were limited to lawful programs.

"Our undocumented students are eligible for various sources of aid from private donors and/or the state of Connecticut. They are not, however, entitled to federal financial assistance, to participate in federal work study grants, become employed, and are prohibited from participating in many programs and experiential learning opportunities that require background checks and social security numbers," read the letter that was sent out to members of the CCSU community. 

"This University has not and will not ever condone any activities that circumvent the law, and this committee was implemented only to coalesce legal means to support these students, as we endeavor to do for our entire Central Family."

EXCLUSIVE: More than three dozen state financial officers will send a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson calling for action to assuage their "grave concerns" about the national debt.

The consortium of treasurers, controllers and auditors will tell Johnson, R-La., they agree with Arizona Republican Andy Biggs’ resolution declaring the national debt a "threat to national security."

"We have grave concerns about the national debt. We concur with [legislation from Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Biggs, R-Ariz.]…"

"It gives us great pause that we are speaking of our nation, which serves as the beacon of freedom and opportunity for the world," they wrote.

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"Control [the] debt to protect the states and American global leadership," read the subject line, as the state officials went on to call for the passage of a long-term congressional plan to restore U.S. solvency.

The national debt – which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors – rose to $35,965,533,024,604.05 as of Nov. 14, according to the Treasury Department. That is up about $15.2 billion from the figure reported the previous day.

The nation’s first Treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, wrote in 1790 that the U.S. debt "was the price of liberty [and] the faith of America has been repeatedly pledged for it."

"To justify and preserve their confidence and promote the increasing respectability of the American name… these are great and invaluable ends to be secured by a proper and adequate provision… for the support of public credit."

The U.S. budget was last balanced in the years between 1998 and 2001 during the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Prior to that, former President Lyndon Johnson oversaw a balanced budget in 1968.

"Balancing the budget and reducing spending are among the most difficult, yet essential, actions you could take," the state financial officers wrote to Johnson:

"That is why we have come together to support you in making these critical decisions."

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They warned that the cost of servicing the debt in 2024 exceeded both $1 trillion and thereby the annual cost of Medicare payouts.

"America's financial stability, the dollar will be replaced as the reserve currency, and we will lose our nation's status as the global leader. To prevent this looming day of reckoning, which could easily occur within our and our children’s lifetimes, requires a commitment to begin addressing this situation on day one."

The officials expressed that a new president and a new Congress could mean a reset on fiscal policy and potentially produce a "National Financial Restoration Plan" before July 4, 2026, when the U.S. turns 250 years old.

One avenue they suggested, which has been floated by President-elect Trump as well, is to slash regulations and tap into "vast national resources" and put them on the market.

Alaska’s chief financial officer, Adam Crum, was one of the signatories of the letter, and the man who appointed him – Gov. Mike Dunleavy – previously told Fox News Digital the state remains ready to work with any administration willing to utilize the Last Frontier’s oil and gas resources in that way.

Biden, he said, "is searching for oil anywhere except at home."

Other signatories have recently made news with their own belt-tightening endeavors, including Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity – who recently announced a $737 million had been added to the state’s "Rainy Day Fund." 

Garrity said when she took office in 2021 that it was one of the "worst reserve funds" of any state, and praised both the Republican legislature and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro for their aid.

Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith added that the Hawkeye State too has adopted strong budgeting practices and he would like to see the same approach taken federally.

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"Congress should look to Iowa as an example of the benefits of keeping a balanced budget and limiting spending, and should place a strong emphasis on applying these same principles at the federal level," he said.

"Our hard-won independence depends on it," added Indiana Comptroller Elise Nieshalla.

Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee said her "don’t spend more than you make" mantra needs to be heeded by Washington.

Jake Paul may have won his fight against Mike Tyson on Friday night, but it was ring girl Sydney Thomas who went viral across social media over the course of the weekend.

Thomas was seen at weigh-ins and during the Paul and Tyson bout. The 20-year-old captivated social media over the weekend, and she broke her silence on her newfound fame on Saturday.

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"I woke up to an overwhelming amount of love and support from all of you. I can’t thank you guys enough or begin to express how grateful I am," she wrote in a post on her Instagram Stories. "I love you all – thank you for your kind words."

Separately, she said in a post she was "honored" to be a part of the night.

"Getting the opportunity to step into the ring with @MikeTyson and @JakePaul for such a historic fight is something I never imagined I’d be able to say," she captioned a post. 

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"Words can’t describe this moment or how grateful I am to be part of such an amazing team at @MostValuablePromotions. History was made, and I’m truly honored to have been a part of it."

She was the talk of social media.

Thomas made her ring girl debut about four weeks ago in Puerto Rico.

"I had a blast getting in the ring for my first ever boxing event (and first time in puerto rico)," she wrote in an Instagram post. "I thank God every day for allowing me to be a part of such amazing opportunities and experiences. truly feeling so blessed. see you next time for #round2."

Thomas was among the "MVP Main Event Models" along with Lexi Williams, Raphaela Milagres, Virginia Sanhouse and Delia Sylvain.

More than 60 million viewers tuned in for the Netflix fight.

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With Republicans sweeping to a red trifecta in last week’s elections, stunningly capturing the White House and majorities in the House and Senate, Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is cutting a different tone, compared to his pre-election hype where he posited a Democrat win in the Senate and then potentially getting rid of the filibuster, among other radical proposals. 

Ending the filibuster rule – which requires 60 votes to pass bills – would have made it easier for Democrats to supercharge their agenda and essentially railroad any Republican opposition. 

Schumer and the Democrats tried to kill the filibuster in 2022 when they had 50 votes – the vice president could have broken the tie – but Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema refused to toe the Democratic party line. They eventually became Independents.

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With Manchin and Sinema leaving the Senate, Schumer was confident of having at least 50 Senate seats after this year’s election with a then-potential Vice President Walz breaking the tie on a filibuster vote. 

"We got it up to 48, but, of course, Sinema and Manchin voted no; that’s why we couldn’t change the rules. Well, they’re both gone," Schumer told reporters on the Tuesday during the week of the Democratic convention, according to NBC News.

"Ruben Gallego is for it, and we have 51. So, even losing Manchin, we still have 50."

The result would have essentially meant one-party rule in the Senate, with Schumer also toying with expanding voting rights nationwide by passing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. 

He also discussed a potential rule change to codify abortion rights in federal law, a party priority after Roe v. Wade was overturned, which would have faced staunch Republican opposition and lacking a path to 60 Senate votes.

Schumer also posited reforming the Supreme Court by slapping 18-year term limits on justices and touted reversing the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, which determined that presidents are immune from prosecution for some "official acts."

He has previously announced his intention to move legislation that would expand the Supreme Court from nine to 13 members.

But this week, he went to the floor of the Senate to tell Republicans to essentially go easy on their legislative colleagues on the other side of the aisle, since Republicans will have a 53-to-47 majority. 

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"To my Republican colleagues, I offer a word of caution in good faith," Schumer said. 

"Take care not to misread the will of the people, and do not abandon the need for bipartisanship. After winning an election, the temptation may be to go to the extreme. We’ve seen that happen over the decades, and it has consistently backfired on the party in power."

"So, instead of going to the extremes, I remind my colleagues that this body is most effective when it’s bipartisan. If we want the next four years in the Senate to be as productive as the last four, the only way that will happen is through bipartisan cooperation."

Schumer’s about face wasn’t lost on Byron York, chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner and a Fox News contributor.

"The short version of that is: Please don’t do to us what we were going to do to you," York writes in the Washington Examiner. 

"Schumer is obviously concerned that Republicans might embrace a scheme to eliminate the filibuster and pass all sorts of consequential legislation with no Democratic input at all. That wouldn’t be bipartisan!"

"Fortunately for Schumer, Republicans have been more principled than Democrats when it comes to the legislative filibuster, and to the filibuster in general. Republicans realize that even though they will have the majority for the next two years, they might be back in the minority at any time after that. So Schumer will not get it good and hard the way he planned to give it to Republicans."

York writes that Schumer’s "brand of hypocrisy is particularly egregious" since he was advocating changing Senate rules on a partisan basis to eliminate the minority party’s ability to demand a higher standard of approval for controversial legislation, as opposed to advocating to get a particular bill across the line. 

"He was. And then, when Schumer’s party loses, he instantly turns around and becomes Mr. Bipartisanship. For that, there should be a word that goes beyond mere hypocrisy."

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., will replace Schumer as Majority Leader and is planning to make ushering in President-elect Trump's immigration agenda the first item on his to-do list when he succeeds. He has not indicated that he intended to vote on the filibuster rule.

He said repairing the economy is also near the top of his list. As crucial elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed by Trump are set to expire in 2025, Thune said Republicans will take action through the budget reconciliation process to renew them.

The trifecta will make Trump's agenda easier to pursue without opposition from a Democratic majority. Republicans held a governing trifecta from 2017 to 2019. The GOP achieved much of their agenda, including sweeping tax reform and confirming justices to achieve a conservative majority in the Supreme Court.

But Thune said he would protect the filibuster rule, even if it stands in the way of the Trump agenda it hopes to advance.

Fox News’s Jamie Joseph, Julia Johnson and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.