AmericaToday.com

RUMORS OF RUBIO LEAVING TRUMP ADMIN GREATLY EXAGERTATED Almost immediately following the midterm debacle, rumors of key personnel jumping ship emerged. Top among these was Marco Rubio, Trump's National Security Advisor and Secretary of State. Friday night at Mar-a-Lago Rubio dispelled that notion with a ringing endorsement of The President. Here is a transcript of his remarks "I SEE FIRSTHAND EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT THIS IS A MAN WHO WAKES UP EVERY MORNING WITH ONE THING AS A PRIORITY, YOU, OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS FUTURE. The most important thing a president can do for a country is to keep it safe. And there are people around the world that want to destroy it. They want to destroy our country. They want to destroy our way of life. "HE WAS ELECTED TO DO THE HARD THINGS, the hard things. It would have been very easy to do what multiple presidents before him would have done, which is ignore the Iran thing, leave it for the next guy, put it aside and don't worry about it. That would have been the easiest thing to do, honestly, to just basically say, leave it alone, who cares? That's going to be someone's problem in the future. But this president didn't do that. He confronted it because what Iran wants to do is not just destroy our country, it's destroy our way of life and threaten our children. "WE CANNOT LIVE IN A WORLD IN WHICH THE MOST RADICAL, TERRORISTIC REGIME ON THE PLANET POSSESSES A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION. And we've had president after president ignore it and allow it to linger. But this president wasn't allowed, wasn't elected to ignore it. And he wasn't elected to allow threats to linger. And he did it for you, not for him, not for anybody else. He did it for you and for our country. And for that, WE, OUR CHILDREN AND CHILDREN NOT YET BORN, OWE HIM A SENSE, IN A DEEP SENSE OF GRATITUDE. And I know he'll continue to do it. And that's why I'M SO HONORED TO BE HIS SECRETARY OF STATE. And that's why I know he's so honored that all of you are here today.

ERNIES NBA QUICK PICKS NOVEMBER 7 ----------------------------- Denver 118, Indiana 107 I like the Nuggets to cover 7.5 in Mexico City with Tyrese Haliburton out, and the total under 229.5. ----------------------------- Brooklyn 106, Atlanta 116 I like the Hawks to cover 7.5 at home against the 2-6 Nets, and the total under 227.5. ----------------------------- New York 108, Cleveland 112 I like the Cavaliers to win outright getting 4.5 against the Knicks without Josh Hart, and the total under 224.5. ----------------------------- Washington 103, Oklahoma City 117 I like the Thunder to cover 11.5 against the Wizards without Anthony Davis, and the total under 222.5. ----------------------------- Orlando 104, Golden State 114 I like the Warriors to cover 5.5 with Orlando missing Paolo Banchero, and the total under 222.5. ----------------------------- Houston 117, Phoenix 107 I like the 7-2 Rockets to cover 7.5 against the 2-5 Suns, and the total over 223.5. ----------------------------- San Antonio 116, Portland 108 I like the Spurs to cover 5.5 against Portland without Ja Morant, and the total under 226.5.

ERNIE'S BIG FIVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 ----------------------------- BYU & UTAH, NOON ET, ABC RICE-ECCLES STADIUM, SALT LAKE No. 9 BYU (7-1) visits unbeaten No. 3 Utah (8-0) Saturday in Salt Lake City, where quarterbacks Bear Bachmeier and Devon Dampier meet in a ranked rivalry game with the Utes favored by 4.5 points and both teams carrying only one loss between them. Dampier has 18 touchdown passes to Bachmeier's 12, and Utah gets my vote at home with the total staying under 49.5. ERNIE'S PICKS: BYU 20, Utah 27 ----------------------------- TEXAS & MISSOURI, NOON ET ESPN, MEMORIAL STADIUM, COLUMBIA No. 7 Texas and No. 18 Missouri bring matching 6-2 records into Saturday's game in Columbia, where Tigers quarterback Austin Simmons has thrown 16 touchdown passes with only two interceptions and the Longhorns are favored by 2.5 points on the road. Jamal Roberts has 1,005 rushing yards for Missouri, and I like the Tigers to win outright as a 2.5-point underdog at home. ERNIE'S PICKS: Texas 20, Missouri 24 ----------------------------- ALABAMA & LSU, 3:30 PM ET ABC, TIGER STADIUM, BATON ROUGE No. 5 Alabama (6-2) visits No. 14 LSU (6-2) Saturday in Baton Rouge, where the Tigers are favored by six points despite the lower ranking and quarterback Sam Leavitt brings 2,173 passing yards and 17 touchdown passes into the SEC matchup. LSU gets my pick to cover at home, but Leavitt's eight interceptions are the caution flag in a game I expect to stay under 52.5. ERNIE'S PICKS: Alabama 20, LSU 27 ----------------------------- MIAMI & NOTRE DAME, 7:30 PM ET NBC, NOTRE DAME STADIUM Unbeaten No. 1 Miami (8-0) visits No. 11 Notre Dame (7-1) Saturday with the Irish favored by seven points, matching Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah and his 25 touchdown passes against CJ Carr, who has 18 touchdown passes and only one interception. Malachi Toney's 1,027 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns make Miami dangerous, but I am sticking with Notre Dame to cover at home and the total under 54.5. ERNIE'S PICKS: Miami 21, Notre Dame 31 ----------------------------- GEORGIA & OLE MISS, 7:30 PM ET ABC, VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY, OXFORD No. 2 Georgia (7-1) visits No. 10 Ole Miss (6-2) Saturday in Oxford with the Bulldogs favored by 3.5 points, putting quarterback Gunner Stockton and his 16 touchdown passes against a Rebels offense led by Trinidad Chambliss and his 2,189 passing yards. Chambliss has thrown eight interceptions to Stockton's four, and I like Georgia to cover in a game that stays under 56.5. ERNIE'S PICKS: Georgia 28, Ole Miss 21

SPURS 124, KINGS 109 WEMBANYAMA'S 30 POINTS, 14 REBOUNDS LEAD SPURS PAST KINGS Victor Wembanyama scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in 26 minutes Friday night in Sacramento, where the San Antonio Spurs beat the Kings 124-109 after scoring 75 points in the first half. Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper each added 19 points for San Antonio. The Spurs led 75-56 at halftime and 99-80 after three quarters. Vassell made five of six three-pointers, and Castle had seven assists. Darius Acuff Jr. led Sacramento with 22 points and eight assists, and Domantas Sabonis had 17 points and 12 rebounds. San Antonio is 7-2. Sacramento is 1-8 and 0-4 at home.

LAKERS 124, TRAIL BLAZERS 118 DONCIC SCORES 53 TO LIFT LAKERS PAST TRAIL BLAZERS 124-118 Luka Doncic scored 53 points and Austin Reaves added 25 Friday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 after turning a seven-point halftime deficit into an 87-75 lead with a 34-15 third quarter. Doncic shot 17 of 33 and made five three-pointers. Walker Kessler had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles. Deni Avdija finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists for Portland, Damian Lillard scored 22 and Donovan Clingan had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Los Angeles is 8-2. Portland is 6-2.

EL-SAYED LAYS AN EGG. SAYS MICHIGAN IS CAPITAL OF ARAB AMERICA How do you know when you have layed an egg? It's when you have the audience in the palm of your hand at an important occasion and you glibbly say something that kills the moment and a shutter ripples though the crowd. Like this one.

DUCKS 5, FLAMES 3 GAUTHIER'S LATE GOAL LIFTS DUCKS PAST FLAMES 5-3 Cutter Gauthier scored his 12th goal with 1:34 left in the third period Friday night in Calgary to break a 3-3 tie, and the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Flames 5-3. Leo Carlsson had a goal and an assist, and Ville Husso stopped all 10 shots he faced. Calgary led 3-1 after the first period. Tristan Luneau scored in the second and Carlsson tied it 55 seconds into the third before Gauthier put Anaheim ahead. Nikita Nesterenko scored with 14 seconds left. Mikael Granlund and Beckett Sennecke each had two assists for the Ducks. Anaheim is 9-7-1. Calgary is 7-9-1.

TIMBERWOLVES 115, PELICANS 109 TIMBERWOLVES RALLY IN FOURTH TO BEAT PELICANS 115-109 Ayo Dosunmu scored 26 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves outscored New Orleans 38-30 in the fourth quarter Friday night in New Orleans to overcome a 79-77 deficit and beat the Pelicans 115-109. Jaden McDaniels added 23 points and LaMelo Ball had 22 points and eight assists. Jonathan Kuminga scored 17 for Minnesota, Rudy Gobert had 11 rebounds and Trey Lyles grabbed 13. Jeremiah Fears led New Orleans with 24 points, Karlo Matkovic scored 18 in 18 minutes and Saddiq Bey added 17. Zion Williamson had 13 points and eight rebounds. Minnesota is 7-3. New Orleans is 4-5.

WILD 4, SHARKS 1 KAPRIZOV HAS A GOAL AND THREE ASSISTS IN WILD WIN OVER SHARKS Kirill Kaprizov scored and set up three more goals Friday night in St. Paul, where the Minnesota Wild beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 to stay unbeaten in regulation at home. Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists, and Jesper Wallstedt made 23 saves. Kaprizov opened the scoring in the first period, his 16th goal. Macklin Celebrini tied it for San Jose midway through the second, but Maxim Shabanov answered two minutes later, and Hughes and Zach Bogosian scored in the third. Yaroslav Askarov stopped 25 of 29 shots for the Sharks. Minnesota is 12-3-3 and 5-0-1 at home. San Jose is 7-10-1.

RAPTORS 121, BUCKS 107 RAPTORS RALLY PAST BUCKS 121-107 BEHIND BARRETT, MARTIN RJ Barrett and Alijah Martin scored 27 points apiece Friday night in Milwaukee, where the Toronto Raptors erased a nine-point halftime deficit and beat the Bucks 121-107 by outscoring them 70-47 in the second half. Martin made nine of 11 shots, including six of seven from three-point range. Milwaukee led 60-51 at the break, but Toronto won the third quarter 38-27 and the fourth 32-20. Jakob Poeltl had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Collin Murray-Boyles scored 19. Tyler Herro had 23 points and 10 assists for the Bucks, and Brayden Burries added 21 points and 11 rebounds. Toronto is 5-4. Milwaukee is 1-8.

Thunder 128, Grizzlies 97 AJAY MITCHELL SCORES 35, THUNDER ROUT GRIZZLIES 128-97 Ajay Mitchell scored 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 Friday night in Memphis, where the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Grizzlies 128-97 after scoring 71 points in the first half. Jared McCain scored 21 with four steals for the Thunder. Oklahoma City led 71-49 at halftime. Ty Jerome scored 21 points for Memphis, and Cameron Boozer had 12 rebounds but shot two of 14, missing all eight of his three-point attempts. Oklahoma City is 7-2. Memphis is 6-3.

Mavericks 112, Jazz 100 WASHINGTON, FLAGG CARRY MAVERICKS PAST JAZZ 112-100 P.J. Washington scored 26 points with six three-pointers and Cooper Flagg had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists Friday night in Dallas, where the Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 112-100 by breaking open a 57-57 halftime tie with a 32-19 third quarter. Morez Johnson Jr. grabbed 17 rebounds. Lauri Markkanen scored 24 points for Utah, all on eight three-pointers in 15 attempts, and Darryn Peterson added 21. Keyonte George had 16 points and nine assists. Dallas is 5-4. Utah is 1-8 and 0-4 on the road.

Cavaliers 119, 76ers 95 MOBLEY, MITCHELL LEAD CAVALIERS PAST 76ERS 119-95 Evan Mobley scored 22 points and Donovan Mitchell added 23 points, seven rebounds and eight assists Friday night in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-95 to hand Philadelphia only its second loss of the season. Cleveland won the first quarter 33-22. The Cavaliers took a 62-54 lead into halftime and pulled away with a 29-20 third quarter. James Harden scored 17 points and Mario Hezonja had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jaylen Brown led Philadelphia with 20 points, VJ Edgecombe added 19 and Tyrese Maxey shot five of 15 for 17. Cleveland is 5-4. Philadelphia is 8-2.

CELTICS 119, HORNETS 80 TATUM SCORES 34 IN 29 MINUTES, CELTICS ROUT HORNETS Jayson Tatum scored 34 points with eight rebounds and nine assists in only 29 minutes Friday night in Charlotte, and the Boston Celtics routed the Hornets 119-80 after building a 40-20 lead in the first quarter. Tatum made all 11 of his free throws, and Derrick White added 18 points. Boston led 70-39 at halftime. The Celtics have won seven of their first nine games. Boston is 7-2. Charlotte is 3-7 and 2-4 at home.

DJT CABINET LAWYER UP? NOT BLANCHE. YET Blanche says with remorse that Dems are already diminishing their midterm victory, going all-in on legal weaponization. He says it will backfire. "We have such great things happening in this country ... and yet they're talking impeachment."