The Dallas housing market currently favors buyers.
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Buyers are entering a calmer housing market, but with little incentive for homeowners with sub 3% mortgage rates to sell and 50 of the 100 largest markets expected to see inventory declines, they will continue to have a limited number of homes from which to choose. Shoppers with some flexibility in terms of when and where they purchase may have a better chance of finding a home, according to the Knock Buyer-Seller Market Index released today.
According to the index, which analyzes key housing market metrics to measure the degree to which the nation’s 100 largest markets favor home buyers or sellers, the housing market has shifted dramatically over the past 12 months when none of the markets tracked favored buyers. In December 2022, 13 markets favored buyers, 43 were neutral, not favoring buyers or sellers and 44 favored sellers.
Despite a slight increase in home prices (+0.7%) from December 2021, homes sold at a lower price than the asking price in all but six of the 100 largest markets – Buffalo, New York; Hartford, Connecticut.; New Haven, Connecticut.; Rochester, New York; Springfield, Massachusetts and Syracuse, New York.
Median days on the market increased to 29, a full two weeks longer than a year ago. At year-end, there were a total of 354,000 homes for sale, an increase of 32.1% year over year, primarily as a result of falling sales, not the addition of new listings.
“We expect 2023 to bring more balance to the housing market, which is certainly good news for buyers following three years of intense competition,” said Knock co-founder and CEO Sean Black. At the same time, with inventory down nearly 42%from the start of the pandemic and no real incentive for sellers to move, finding a home you both like and can afford will remain a challenge. Those buyers with flexibility on where and when to move have an opportunity to find more homes for sale in some of the nation’s largest and most desirable housing markets beginning in the fall.”
The 10 markets where buyers will see more choices
If one thing is true about 2023, it’s that buyers will experience different scenarios based on their location. While inventory is expected to increase 17% across the nation, the number of homes available for sale is expected to decline in half of the largest 100 markets.
To find where it might be easier to buy, Knock looked at the markets where inventory is forecast to increase the most and when buyers will have the most options. The top 10 markets likely to see the biggest gains in for-sale homes in 2023 in rank order are: Salt Lake City; Dallas, Denver; Charlotte, North Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; Las Vegas; Charleston, South Carolina; Colorado Springs, Colorado; St. Louis and New Orleans.
Inventory in these markets is forecast to increase throughout 2023, peaking in September, October and November. This means there will be more choices for buyers with flexibility to wait until the fall.
Inventory in the top 10 markets reached all-time lows during the pandemic. However, they did not see the same massive declines as the rest of the nation. In the three top markets – Salt Lake City, Dallas and Denver – inventory declined by approximately 20.3%, 34.3% and 19.9%, respectively, between December 2019 and December 2022.
Although low housing inventory has led to record high home prices over the past several years, the forecasted inventory growth won’t necessarily translate into home price declines. Only three of the markets – Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and New Orleans – are forecast to see price declines over the next 12 months. Six are projected to see prices rise with the median home price in St. Louis forecast to increase nearly 10% year-over-year.
Currently, only three of these markets – Colorado Springs, Colorado; Dallas and Las Vegas – favor buyers. By the second half of 2023, all but St. Louis, which will be in neutral territory, will favor buyers.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A deadly storm system lashed a large swath of the southern U.S. with bands of sleet and snow for a third day on Wednesday, grounding an additional 2,300 flights, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, forcing school closures and making already treacherous driving conditions worse.
Watches and warnings about wintry conditions were issued for an area stretching West Texas’ border with Mexico through Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, and into western Tennessee and northern Mississippi. Several rounds of mixed precipitation, including freezing rain and sleet, were in store for many areas throughout the day, meaning some places could get hit multiple times, forecasters said.
“It actually looks like it’s going to be getting worse again across Texas, it is already a pretty big area of freezing rain across western and southwestern Texas,” said Bob Oravec, a lead National Weather Service forecaster based in Camp Springs, Maryland.
Oravec said the icy weather is expected to move northeastward across parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas into western Tennessee and northern Mississippi before it starts to dissipate.
“By later in the day on Thursday it should be pretty much done, and all the … precipitation will be well downstream across parts of the South and where it will be mostly heavy rain,” Oravec said.
By late Wednesday morning, 2,300 U.S. flights had been canceled, including three-quarters of the flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and more than two-thirds at Dallas Love Field, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.com. Dallas-Forth Worth International is American Airlines’ biggest hub, and Love Field is a major base for Southwest Airlines.
Many flights were also canceled at other airports, including in San Antonio, the Texas capital of Austin, and Nashville, Tennessee, compounding frustrations caused by the nearly 2,000 cancellations on Tuesday and roughly 1,100 on Monday.
Because of the storm, the Detroit Pistons were unable to fly home following their game Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, and the NBA postponed the Pistons’ Wednesday night home game against the Washington Wizards.
Many schools throughout Arkansas have announced they would be closed on Thursday. School systems in Dallas; Austin, Texas; and Memphis, Tennessee, also canceled classes for Thursday.
In Texas, more than 350,000 customers were without power Wednesday afternoon as trees — heavy with ice — buckled onto power lines, according to PowerOutage, a website that tracks utility reports.
More than half of those outages were in Austin, where the city’s utility warned residents who had been without electricity for 10 hours or longer that lights and heat may not come back on until Thursday. Overnight low temperatures were expected to fall to 33 degrees in Austin, with more chances for freezing rain, according to the National Weather Service. Austin Energy asked customers to prepare emergency plans and relocate before dusk if needed.
Pablo Vegas, who heads the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, vowed that the state’s electrical grid and natural gas supply would be reliable and that there wouldn’t be a repeat of the February 2021 blackouts, when the grid was on the brink of total failure.
As the ice and sleet enveloped Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis-Shelby County Schools announced it would cancel classes Wednesday due to freezing rain and hazardous road conditions. The school system serves about 100,000 students. The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis also closed due to the weather.
Also in Memphis, the icy weather delayed the funeral service for Tyre Nichols, who died following a brutal beating by police during a traffic stop. But more icy weather was moving in from the southwest just ahead of the funeral, which was pushed back a few hours to Wednesday afternoon.
“The third and FINAL round of freezing rain and/or sleet will start this afternoon,” the National Weather Service’s Memphis office posted on social media Wednesday morning. The leading edge of a wintry mix of precipitation was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Memphis late Wednesday morning, radar showed.
The Dallas school district, which serves about 145,000 students, also canceled classes Wednesday.
Emergency responders rushed to hundreds of auto collisions across Texas on Tuesday and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott urged people not to drive. At least six people have died on slick Texas roads since Monday, including a triple fatality crash Tuesday near Brownfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Lubbock.
Two Texas law officers, including a state trooper who was struck by a vehicle while investigating a crash on Interstate 45 southeast of Dallas, were seriously injured, authorities said.
In Arkansas, Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Tuesday because of icy conditions. Her declaration cited the “likelihood of numerous downed power lines” and said road conditions have created a backlog of deliveries by commercial drivers.
___
Martin reported from Atlanta. Associated Press journalists David Koenig in Dallas; Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas; and Donna Warder in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
DALLAS (AP) — The U.S. Transportation Department said Wednesday it is investigating whether Southwest Airlines deceived customers by knowingly scheduling more flights in late December than it realistically could handle.
The department said that scheduling too many flights would be considered an unfair and deceptive practice under federal law.
“DOT is in the initial phase of a rigorous and comprehensive investigation into Southwest Airlines’ holiday debacle that stranded millions,” the department said in a statement.
The Transportation Department added that it will hold Southwest accountable if the airline fails to follow federal rules about refunds and reimbursing customers for expenses when flights are canceled. The agency said it will “leverage the full extent of its investigative and enforcement power” to protect consumers.
Southwest said its holiday schedule “was thoughtfully designed” with “a solid plan to operate it, and with ample staffing.”
“Our systems and processes became stressed while working to recover from multiple days of flight cancellations across 50 airports in the wake of an unprecedented storm,” Southwest said in a statement. The airline pledged to cooperate with any government inquiries and is “focused on learning from this event” and reducing the risk of a repeat.
Southwest canceled about 16,700 flights over the last 10 days of December. The meltdown began with a winter storm, but Southwest continued to struggle long after most other airlines had recovered, in part because its crew-scheduling system became overloaded. Union officials said they had warned the airline for years about the system, especially after similar but less severe flight disruptions in October 2021.
Dallas-based Southwest eventually resorting to cutting its schedule by about two-thirds to reset crews and planes, which it did successfully.
The airline hired consulting firm Oliver Wyman to study what went wrong. CEO Robert Jordan has said the company might speed up spending on some technology upgrades as a result of the crisis, but that he wants to complete the review first.
Southwest said this month that the cancellations will cost it up to $825 million in lost revenue and higher expenses including premium pay for employees and reimbursing customers for hotels and alternate flights. As a result, the company is expected to post a fourth-quarter loss when it reports results on Thursday.
The airline is also dealing with damage to its reputation for customer service. Analysts believe some customers may avoid Southwest for a short time, although airlines have usually bounced back quickly from other service failures.
The chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., has promised to hold hearings on disruptions like the one at Southwest.
San Francisco’s win over Dallas was their 12th-straight this season, the 49ers booking a third NFC Conference Championship appearance in four years, while also knocking the Cowboys out of the playoffs for a second year in a row; watch Championship Sunday live on Sky Sports NFL
Last Updated: 23/01/23 3:49am
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey celebrates with quarterback Brock Purdy after scoring his crucial go-ahead touchdown
Christian McCaffrey ran in the go-ahead touchdown as the San Francisco 49ers eked out a 19-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys in a hugely absorbing divisional round clash, booking a third NFC Championship appearance in four years.
Story of the game
Robbie Gould also kicked four field goals for the 49ers, while rookie seventh-round QB Brock Purdy completed 19 of 29 passes for 214 yards as the 49ers book their trip to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in next Sunday’s title game.
George Kittle also had five catches for 95 yards – including an incredible one-handed circus grab off his helmet to help set up McCaffrey’s crucial score – as San Francisco won a staggering 12th-straight game this season.
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San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle made an astonishing one-handed catch that bounced off his helmet!
San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle made an astonishing one-handed catch that bounced off his helmet!
Dak Prescott was 23-of-37 passing for 206 yards, one touchdown and two first-half interceptions for the Cowboys, who were knocked out of the playoffs for the second year in a row by the 49ers.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws a second interception of the first half against the San Francisco 49ers.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws a second interception of the first half against the San Francisco 49ers.
Prescott tied for the regular-season lead with 15 interceptions, though his first half picks didn’t prove as costly as they perhaps could have, with the 49ers failing to find the end zone and building only a 9-6 advantage at the break.
Scoring summary
FIRST QUARTER
Cowboys 0-3 49ers
Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal
SECOND QUARTER
Cowboys 6-3 49ers
Dak Prescott four-yard TD pass to Dalton Schultz (failed extra point)
Cowboys 6-6 49ers
Robbie Gould 47-yard field goal
Cowboys 6-9 49ers
Robbie Gould 50-yard field goal
THIRD QUARTER
Cowboys 9-9 49ers
Brett Maher 25-yard field goal
FOURTH QUARTER
Cowboys 9-16 49ers
Christian McCaffrey two-yard rushing TD (extra point)
Cowboys 12-16 49ers
Brett Maher 43-yard field goal
Cowboys 12-19 49ers
Robbie Gould 28-yard field goal
Of greater concern to Dallas was the injury to running back Tony Pollard, who was carted off the field and wouldn’t return after picking up a high ankle strain late in the first half.
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The Dallas Cowboys took the lead after a Dalton Schultz TD grab, but Brett Maher then missed with another extra point attempt.
The Dallas Cowboys took the lead after a Dalton Schultz TD grab, but Brett Maher then missed with another extra point attempt.
Dallas head earlier taken a 6-3 lead on a Prescott four-yard TD toss to tight end Dalton Schultz with nine and a half minutes remaining in the second quarter. On the ensuing extra point attempt, San Francisco’s Samson Ebukam used his left hand to block Brett Maher’s kick, his fifth such miss this postseason.
Maher was, however, successful with two second-half field goals, one to tie the game up in the third quarter after Ray-Ray McCloud fumbled a punt return to set Dallas up with superb field position deep inside the San Francisco half.
The 49ers again regained the lead on the very first play of the fourth quarter, courtesy of McCaffrey’s two-yard TD run to cap a 10-play, 91-yard drive.
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Christian McCaffrey ran in what proved to be the game-winning touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys.
Christian McCaffrey ran in what proved to be the game-winning touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys.
Maher’s second FG from 43 yards moved the Cowboys back to within four of their hosts, but another lengthy 49ers drive, this one capped with Gould’s fourth field goal of the game, restored their one-score advantage with only three minutes left and Dallas failed to threaten to find the end zone in the final exchanges.
Stats leaders
Cowboys
Passing: Dak Prescott, 23/37, 206 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Ezekiel Elliott, 10 carries, 26 yards
Receiving: CeeDee Lamb, 10 catches, 117 yards
Dalton Schultz, five catches, 27 yards, 1 TD
49ers
Passing: Brock Purdy, 19/29, 214 yards
Rushing: Elijah Mitchell, 14 carries, 51 yards
Christian McCaffrey, 10 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: George Kittle, five catches, 95 yards
What’s next?
We have our final four for the Conference Championship games next Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL.
Firstly, the 49ers travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the NFC title game (Kick-off, 8pm), while the Kansas City Chiefs then host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC (Kick-off, 11.30pm), with the winners progressing through to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona on February 12.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
Police are investigating the death of an endangered vulture at the Dallas Zoo as “suspicious,” authorities said.
Staff found the bird dead in its enclosure Saturday – about a week after the same zoo made headlines for a clouded leopard that escaped after fencing around its enclosure was cut in what police called “an intentional act.”
The zoo said that “given the recent incidents,” staff alerted the Dallas Police Department about the vulture’s death.
While the vulture’s cause of death has not been determined, “circumstances of the death are unusual, and the death does not appear to be from natural causes,” the Dallas Zoo said in a statement Saturday.
A necropsy will be conducted on the bird, the Dallas Police Department said in a news release.
“The animal care team is heartbroken over this tremendous loss,” the zoo’s statement read.
In the past week, the Dallas Zoo said it has added additional cameras throughout the property and increased on-site security patrols during the overnight hours.
“We will continue to implement and expand our safety and security measures to whatever level necessary to keep our animals and staff safe,” the zoo added.
The clouded leopard’s disappearance last Friday prompted the zoo to close as workers and police searched for the missing feline. The animal was later found safe near the original habitat on zoo grounds.
But it wasn’t the only apparent tampering at the zoo that day, police said.
Zoo staff found a similar cut at a habitat for a breed of monkey known as Langurs. However, none of the langurs escaped.
Dallas Police at the time said the cutting of both enclosures will be investigated, though it was unknown if the two incidents were related.
Fans shows support for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin
Is there a storybook ending to the tale of the 2022 Buffalo Bills? The disruption phase of every traditional narrative arc continues to linger, and now the Cincinnati Bengals await as the next Big Bad on their quest to Super Bowl riches and resolution.
The NFL has little time for supposed fate, and yet a cocktail of Mother Nature, near-tragedy, A-lister injury, a three-decade-long wait for Lombardi redemption and all the inbetween nuances of football’s any given Sunday-any given snap mantra threaten to merge as the perfect imperfect finale.
As an on-field product Sean McDermott’s side persist to test the boundaries of full throttle every-down aggression, the face of which has been quarterback Josh Allen and an unerring belief in his mutant arm and ability to decapitate a defense no matter the circumstance.
They have become quintessential movie theatre football at both ends of the spectrum, from climactic deep-ball haymaker to one-too-many fearlessness. They teeter on the edge of chaos, more often than not though out-weighing sloppiness with devastating execution. And the NFL loves them for it.
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January 22, 2023, 7:00pm
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There was 1.54 on the clock in the second quarter of their Wild Card win over the Miami Dolphins, the Bills facing a third-and-eight in the wake of a sack generated by the 256th Josh Boyer blitz of the day. Ken Dorsey’s reply was to dial up and disguise a quads concept (four receivers aligned to one side of the field), Khalil Shakir mirroring Gabe Davis’ curved inside release into an out before subtly transitioning to a post-route downfield; Allen had already wound up (granted, he needs little wind up) and dunked on an exposed secondary with the most Allenest of moonballs to meet the path of his receiver, only for the rookie to fumble a would-be 54-yard catch and likely walk-in touchdown.
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Highlights of the the Miami Dolphins’ clash with the Buffalo Bills in the Super Wild Card game
Highlights of the the Miami Dolphins’ clash with the Buffalo Bills in the Super Wild Card game
The Bills had been up 17-6; it would have been game out of sight against a Skylar Thompson-quarterbacked Miami, who instead closed within three points by half-time before taking the lead on a fumble return immediately after the break and forcing back-to-back punts as Allen whiffed an easy third-and-seven completion to a crossing Shakir having missed an open Davis on his endzone-bound out-and-up pattern.
It was frenetic, Orchard Park could not settle, it was ‘what next?’ Bills football.
The Boyer blitz was unrelenting as he elected to throw every available Miami body at blunting the story’s main character. That he resorted to daring Allen to beat him was – while potentially a blueprint to luring 2018 Allen-esque mistakes against Cover 0/1 – testament to the ‘only so much you can do to slow him’ potency he has developed under center.
Buffalo’s superpower is their never-ending bucket of splash plays with which to snatch back momentum should it ever leave them. For every erratic Allen quirk a retaliating masterpiece is to be expected. They found a way again.
Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano were burning up the turf as they flew from tackle to tackle, Leslie Frazier barely flinched on the sideline while stylishly rocking the slanted beanie hat to leave his headset ear exposed, Allen was starting a new club as the only quarterback in the league willing to pick a fight with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, rookie cornerback Kaiir Elam was plotting his heroic game-icing fourth-and-six pass breakup. On the edge, high-charged Bills football.
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Watch the best plays from an incredible 2022 season by Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen
Watch the best plays from an incredible 2022 season by Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen
Staring down a challenge has become part of their identity, They have needed it more than ever this year. And here they still are.
On Sunday, they face the Bengals for the first time since Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during their Week 17 Monday Night Football matchup. Harrowing scenes had seen Bills players and personnel being consoled on the field as they watched, and said their prayers, while medical staff administered CPR to their team-mate and brother, before taking a knee together at mid-field as Hamlin was transported to local hospital in Cincinnati and placed in intensive care overnight.
It prompted a league-wide outreach of support as the nation held its breath for the 24-year-old, who by Thursday had been reported to have opened his eyes and displayed remarkable progress before doctors removed his breathing tube on the Friday as Hamlin was able to talk with Bills players and coaches over FaceTime.
A draining week made for emotional scenes that weekend when the Bills hosted the New England Patriots in their regular season finale, Orchard Park playing stage to a flood of No 3 shirts and hats in tribute to Hamlin as Allen and co. dedicated the performance to the second-year safety, who would encapsulate his staggering improvement by tweeting a picture of him watching on from his hospital bed.
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Nyheim Hines scores an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots
Nyheim Hines scores an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots
The rest was storybook stuff. On the opening play of the game, returner Nyheim Hines would punch the open lane and tear away for a 96-yard touchdown from kickoff to the sound a raucous Bills mafia. He would do it again in the third quarter, this time bouncing through multiple would-be tacklers to race home for a 101-yard score as a fired up city erupted once more. As if it the script could not get any better, Hines’ opener marked the team’s first return touchdown in three years and three months. A reminder: Hamlin wears No 3.
“If you want the truth, it was spiritual,” said Allen. “It really was. Bone-chilling. It was special.”
Fully-fledged magic could yet reach greater heights as John Brown proceeded to celebrate his 42-yard touchdown catch on the next drive by gifting the ball to one of the Bills trainers responsible for saving Hamlin’s life on the field that night.
To focus on football when football had temporarily lost all meaning or importance was a glowing reflection of an already tight-knit family that now had something else to galvanise them. And it hasn’t been their only obstacle.
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A look at some of this season’s best plays from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
A look at some of this season’s best plays from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
In November, seven feet of snowfall in just 24 hours resulted in the Bills having to fly to Detroit for a relocated home matchup against the Cleveland Browns, before returning home and then heading back to Detroit to face the Lions on Thanksgiving four days later.
They battled treacherous conditions again in December when another snowstorm left players having to dig out their cars, the more pressing concern being the loss of at least 39 people in the area. The Bills have since surprised local resident Jay Withey with Super Bowl tickets in reward for his efforts in saving 24 people during the storm by breaking into a school to provide shelter.
Elsewhere away from the field, 2022 saw the Bills position themselves at the forefront of support for the local community following a racist shooting that resulted in the death of 10 black people in a supermarket in May, before rallying around tight end Dawson Knox in the wake of the death of his younger brother Luke in August.
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The Buffalo Bills family show support for Damar Hamlin ahead of their game against the New England Patriots
The Buffalo Bills family show support for Damar Hamlin ahead of their game against the New England Patriots
On the field, many people’s pick for the Super Bowl was dealt a setback in Week Two when star defensive back Micah Hyde suffered a season-ending neck injury, before Hall of Fame-bound edge rusher Von Miller was also ruled out for the year with a knee injury picked up on Thanksgiving.
Four straight Super Bowl defeats from 1990-1993 remain an unyielding point of reference. So too does the Kansas City Chiefs breaking Bills hearts with 13 seconds left in last year’s Divisional Round matchup after Buffalo had spent the best part of a year devising a plan for Patrick Mahomes on the back of their AFC Championship Game defeat.
Allen attempts throws of 20+ yards at a preposterous rate and plays with interception fire like few others, while the Bills defense has itself been among the most susceptible to downfield bombs-away passes all year. They are box office, with some story to tell.
In Joe Burrow they meet a master of narrative demolition. But can anybody thwart these charged up Bills?
The NFL playoffs continue on Sky Sports this weekend, with divisional round double-headers on both Saturday and Sunday night; watch Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills on Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL from 8pm
Embattled Republican Congressman George Santos has been assigned to two House despite growing calls for his resignation amid questions about his finances and background. The University of Texas at Dallas has joined a growing list of post-secondary schools in that state blocking access to TikTok on campus WiFi. And the world’s oldest known person has died at 118. French nun Sister André– passed away peacefully at her retirement home.
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DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Zoo officials said Friday that a missing clouded leopard was found after a daylong search. Evidence was found that the fence of the small cat’s habitat had been “intentionally” cut, police said.
The zoo tweeted that the cat named Nova, who weighs about 20-25 pounds (9-11 kilograms), did not appear injured and was found near her original habitat. The search had closed Texas’ largest zoo to visitors while staff and police combed the 100-acre (40-hectare) grounds.
The zoo announced that Nova had been found just moments after a news conference in which police said a criminal investigation had been opened. Police and zoo officials said they have reviewed surveillance footage but would not say what it showed or whether there were potential suspects.
“It is our belief that this was an intentional act,” Dallas Police Sgt. Warren Mitchell said.
Mitchell said Dallas police at first dispatched SWAT officers to the zoo, not understanding the size of a clouded leopard. Police drones helped search the zoo grounds, including trees. Harrison Edell, executive vice president of animal care and conservation at the Dallas Zoo, said clouded leopards like to climb.
The zoo tweeted earlier in the day that the missing cat was a “serious situation,” but officials said the animal posed no danger.
Another clouded leopard at the zoo, Nova’s sister, did not leave its habitat.
Animals have escaped enclosures from the Dallas Zoo before. Most notably was in 2004, when a 340-pound (154-kilogram) gorilla named Jabari jumped over a wall and went on a 40-minute rampage that injured three people before police shot and killed the animal.
The NFL playoffs and continue on Sky Sports on Sunday with a triple-header of Super Wild Card Weekend action – starting with Dolphins @ Bills, followed by Giants @ Vikings and Ravens @ Bengals; watch live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm, Sunday
Last Updated: 15/01/23 3:07am
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Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Wild Card playoff game.
Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Wild Card playoff game.
Brock Purdy threw for three touchdowns and ran in another as he starred on his first career playoff start, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks to start Super Wild Card Weekend on Saturday.
Story of the Game
The 49ers – the NFC’s No 2 seed and riding a 10-game winning streak into the playoffs – trailed by a point at half-time as a stubborn Seattle outfit led 17-16 at the break. But a stirring second half showing by San Francisco, in which they scored 22 points in the space of 12 minutes at one point, secured their passage through to the divisional round.
The 49ers will now host the Minnesota Vikings next weekend, should they beat the New York Giants in their wild card clash on Sunday. If the Giants win, it will instead be either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Dallas Cowboys who travel to San Francisco.
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A look at San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s best plays from his stunning NFL playoff debut
A look at San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s best plays from his stunning NFL playoff debut
Purdy, who was taken with the very last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, completed 18 of 30 passes for 332 yards, the rookie QB overcoming some early jitters to put in a hugely accomplished display.
Christian McCaffrey rushed 15 times for 119 yards and had a touchdown grab to see San Francisco into an early 10-0 lead, while Deebo Samuel had six receptions for 133 yards and a blistering 74-yard catch and run for a score as the Niners streaked clear of the Seahawks in the second half.
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San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga said his team’s performance was ignited after tempers flared when Johnathan Abram appeared to twist Deebo Samuel’s ankle.
San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga said his team’s performance was ignited after tempers flared when Johnathan Abram appeared to twist Deebo Samuel’s ankle.
Seattle QB Geno Smith was 25-of-35 passing for 253 yards with two touchdowns, both to DK Metcalf – one a 50-yard stunner to see the Seahawks into the lead for the first time. But he also had an interception late in the second half, while he lost a fumble in the third quarter which is the point at which the game turned.
Metcalf had 10 catches for 136 yards and those two TDs, while rookie running back Kenneth Walker also found the end zone, in the second quarter, as he earned 63 yards on 15 carries.
Scoring summary
FIRST QUARTER
Seahawks 0-3 49ers
Robbie Gould 34-yard field goal
Seahawks 0-10 49ers
Brock Purdy three-yard TD pass to Christian McCaffrey (extra point)
SECOND QUARTER
Seahawks 7-10 49ers
Kenneth Walker seven-yard TD run (extra point)
Seahawks 7-13 49ers
Robbie Gould 33-yard field goal
Seahawks 14-13 49ers
Geno Smith 50-yard TD pass to DK Metcalf (extra point)
Seahawks 14-16 49ers
Robbie Gould 46-yard field goal
Seahawks 17-16 49ers
Jason Myers 56-yard field goal
THIRD QUARTER
Seahawks 17-23 49ers
Brock Purdy one-yard TD run (extra point)
FOURTH QUARTER
Seahawks 17-31 49ers
Brock Purdy seven-yard TD pass to Elijah Mitchell (two-point conversion)
Seahawks 17-38 49ers
Brock Purdy 74-yard TD pass to Deebo Samuel (extra point)
Seahawks 17-41 49ers
Robbie Gould 31-yard field goal
Seahawks 23-41 49ers
Geno Smith three-yard TD pass to DK Metcalf (failed two-point conversion)
Trailing 17-16 to start the second half, the 49ers immediately drove 75 yards down the field in 13 plays, with Purdy scoring on a one-yard plunge. And they wouldn’t look back from there.
With the Seahawks driving deep into 49ers territory, Smith was sacked by Charles Omenihu for a seven-yard loss, with the ball squirting loose and being recovered by Nick Bosa at the 30-yard line.
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The San Francisco 49ers’ defense finally proves too much for the Seattle Seahawks as their pressure forces Geno Smith to fumble which is recovered by Nick Bosa.
The San Francisco 49ers’ defense finally proves too much for the Seattle Seahawks as their pressure forces Geno Smith to fumble which is recovered by Nick Bosa.
San Francisco then stretched ahead by two scores off the back of the turnover as Purdy escaped the rush and threw a seven-yard TD to running back Elijah Mitchell, with a two-point conversion to George Kittle following.
Just over three minutes later, Samuel turned on the turbo jets to take his TD 74 yards all the way to the house and effectively end the game.
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San Francisco 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel turns on the turbo jets on this sensational 74-yard catch and run for a touchdown!
San Francisco 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel turns on the turbo jets on this sensational 74-yard catch and run for a touchdown!
Robbie Gould, who kicked four field goals in the contest, fired one through the uprights from 31 yards after Smith was picked off immediately after Samuel’s score.
Seattle and Metcalf would at least find the end zone once more for a consolation TD with just under two minutes remaining but then the Niners ran out the rest of the clock to book their spot in the divisional round and knock out their great NFC West divisional rivals.
Stats leaders
Seahawks
Passing: Geno Smith, 25/35, 253 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Receiving: Deebo Samuel, six catches, 133 yards, 1 TD
What they said… ‘Purdy looked like Frank Tarkenton’
49ers quarterback, Brock Purdy: “We came out and had some momentum and Seattle did a good job tracking back.
“It’s playoff football; everyone is going to play their best from here on out. When our offense and defense are doing their thing, we’re hard to beat.
“We’ve got a goal of winning the whole thing. We’re in a tournament, so anything can happen. I’ve got such a great team, O-line, receivers, defense, across the whole board. It’s not a one-man show, I’m very blessed.”
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy praises his team-mates after his team’s dominant win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy praises his team-mates after his team’s dominant win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the playoffs.
Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll: “We chased him all over the place and he [Purdy] looked like [former Minnesota Vikings QB] Fran Tarkenton out there.
“Down 10-0 on the road with the fans going nuts, we did a great job to bounce right back. We were in it right to the end of the third quarter.”
What’s next?
The NFL playoffs continue on Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL, with a Super Wild Card Weekend triple-header.
The Buffalo Bills first host the Miami Dolphins (kick-off, 6pm), before the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants do battle at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (kick-off, 9.30pm). The evening wraps up with the Baltimore Ravens’ visit to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football (kick-off, 1.15am).
The wild card round then concludes on Monday night as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host ‘America’s Team’, the Dallas Cowboys, live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am early on Tuesday morning.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
A clouded leopard was found near her enclosure after she went missing from the Dallas Zoo. She did not appear to have suffered any injuries, the zoo said. Prior to the leopard being found, Dallas police confirmed to CBS News that they have launched a criminal investigation into the matter.
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The best stats from Week 18 in the NFL; Tom Brady sets new completions record but returns first losing season of his career; Nyheim Hines becomes just the 11th player in NFL history to have two kick-off return TDs in same game; Rams return worst record by a defending Super Bowl champion
Last Updated: 10/01/23 6:19pm
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A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play against the Las Vegas Raiders, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play against the Las Vegas Raiders, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
Sky Sports statistician – and big Buffalo Bills fan – Benedict Bermange picks out the best stats the NFL has to offer from Week 18, including Patrick Mahomes setting a new record for the most total yards in a season and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin avoiding a losing season for a record 16th-straight year…
The Kansas City Chiefs claimed the No 1 seed in the AFC with their win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes ending the season with the most total offensive yards in NFL history – comprising of 5,250 passing yards, 358 rushing yards and six receiving yards. Also, 28 of Mahomes’ 41 touchdown passes were to either running backs or tight ends this season, equalling the NFL record set by Y.A. Tittle of the Giants in 1963.
Most total offensive yards in NFL history
Player
Team
Year
Yards
Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs
2022
5,614
Drew Brees
Saints
2011
5,562
Peyton Manning
Broncos
2013
5,446
Tom Brady
Buccaneers
2021
5,397
Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs
2018
5,369
The Jacksonville Jaguars won the AFC South division title with victory over the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night – the first time the team has secured five successive wins since Weeks 8-12 of the 2005 season. The 2022 Jaguars join the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals and 2020 Washington Football Team as the only teams to reach the playoffs having started the season 2-6. The Jaguars also managed to score 10 points in the fourth quarter against the Titans, despite having -1 total yards.
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Highlights of the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 of the NFL season.
Highlights of the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 of the NFL season.
Tom Brady set new NFL records both in pass attempts (733) and completions (490) for the 2022 season, but suffered his first career defeat in 12 games against the Atlanta Falcons. Despite winning the NFC South, Brady also suffered his first losing season as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ending 8-9. But Brady will take solace in the fact that his career record is 7-0 against their opponents on Super Wild Card Weekend of the playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys.
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Nyheim Hines returned the opening kick-off to score for the Buffalo Bills in front of an emotional home crowd showing support for Damar Hamlin.
Nyheim Hines returned the opening kick-off to score for the Buffalo Bills in front of an emotional home crowd showing support for Damar Hamlin.
The Buffalo Bills clinched the No 2 seed in the AFC with victory over the New England Patriots, with Nyheim Hines becoming just the 11th player in NFL history to have two kick-off return touchdowns in the same game. The last player to achieve the feat was Leon Washington for the Seattle Seahawks against the Chargers in 2010.
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Nyheim Hines scored an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots.
Nyheim Hines scored an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots.
The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears to end the season with a record of 13-4 despite conceding more points than they scored this season. Their -3 point differential is the worst in NFL history by a team with a winning percentage of at least .750 in a season.
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Highlights of the Minnesota Vikings’ clash with the Chicago Bears in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the Minnesota Vikings’ clash with the Chicago Bears in Week 18 of the NFL.
The Bears will have the No 1 overall pick in 2023 NFL Draft – the first time the franchise will have the first pick since 1947. On that occasion, they selected running back Bob Fenimore, who ended his NFL career with just one touchdown.
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Highlights of the Cleveland Browns’ clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the Cleveland Browns’ clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 of the NFL.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have missed out on a playoff spot, due to the Miami Dolphins’ late win over the New York Jets, but head coach Mike Tomlin has now finished each of his first 16 seasons in charge with a winning percentage of .500 or better, the longest such start to a career by any head coach in NFL history.
Most consecutive seasons for a head coach without a losing record
Head coach
Team
Seasons
Streak
Mike Tomlin
Steelers
2007-2022
16
Marty Schottenheimer
Browns and Chiefs
1984-1997
14
Don Shula
Colts and Dolphins
1963-1975
13
Curly Lambeau
Packers
1921-1932
12
George Allen
Rams and Washington
1966-1977
12
The Steelers have now had 19 successive ‘non-losing’ seasons, the joint-second longest streak in NFL history. The only longer streak is the 21-year stretch of the Cowboys from 1965 to 1985.
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Highlights of the New York Giants’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the New York Giants’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 of the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the No 1 seed in the NFC with victory over the New York Giants – their 14th win of the season. On both previous occasions when they have won at least 13 games in a regular season. They reached the Super Bowl – in 2004 and 2017. The Eagles led the NFL with 70 sacks this season, the first team since the 1989 Vikings to have that many in a single season.
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Jason Myers’ field goal to end regulation hit the post, but he made up for it in overtime to ultimately clinch a playoff place for the Seattle Seahawks.
Jason Myers’ field goal to end regulation hit the post, but he made up for it in overtime to ultimately clinch a playoff place for the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks snuck into the playoffs with an overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams, coupled with defeat for the Green Bay Packers to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. Quarterback Geno Smith set franchise records for completions, pass attempts, completion percentage and passing yards. Running back Kenneth Walker led all rookies this season with 1,050 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. In addition, Tariq Woolen led all rookies with six interceptions.
Worst records by defending Super Bowl champions in NFL history
Team
Year
Record
Win percentage
Rams
2022
5-12
.294
49ers
1982
3-6
.333
Broncos
1999
6-10
.375
Giants
1987
6-9
.400
The Rams clinched the worst record by a defending Super Bowl champion in history, ending their season at 5-12. No other reigning champ had ever lost more than 10 games. The San Francisco 49ers and Giants played in strike-shortened seasons.
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Highlights of the Arizona Cardinals’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the Arizona Cardinals’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 of the NFL.
Brock Purdy led the 49ers to a 10-straight win and became just the fourth rookie quarterback to win each of their first five starts. The others were Mike Kruczek and Ben Roethlisberger – both with the Steelers, in 1976 and 2004 respectively, and Dieter Brock of the 1985 Rams.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
The final NFL Sunday of the regular season sees the Patriots travel to the Bills, needing a win to book a playoff spot; the Eagles can clinch the NFC No 1 seed with a home win over the Giants and the Packers host the Lions as part of a ‘wild card’ battle – live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm
Last Updated: 08/01/23 1:53am
Isiah Pacheco celebrates his rushing touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs as they secured the No 1 seed in the AFC
The Kansas City Chiefs secured the No 1 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs with a 31-13 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night.
Story of the Game
Given the NFL’s decision to cancel the Monday night game between Buffalo Bills (12-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (11-4), after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field, the Chiefs knew coming into Saturday’s contest that a win would clinch the top seed in the conference.
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A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
There was a moment’s applause held for Hamlin ahead of the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, with players from both sides seen in ‘Love For Damar’ t-shirts, showing their support.
The Chiefs then wasted no time in getting out in front in the game, as Patrick Mahomes hooked up with receiver Justin Watson for a 67-yard reception on just the second play from scrimmage before the QB then threw a short touchdown pass to Jerick McKinnon three plays later.
Ronald Jones, Kadarius Toney and Isiah Pacheco each tacked on TD runs for the Chiefs, while Harrison Butker kicked a 44-yard field goal, as the visiting side put up 31 on Las Vegas.
“Getting that bye, it’s like winning a playoff game,” Mahomes said after the game. “Now we just have to focus on watching tomorrow and then this next week to see who we play and come out with out best football.”
The Chiefs defense repeatedly harassed Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham, particularly in the first half, as they sacked him four times – one of which led to a fumble – and picked him off once.
Stidham, making just his second NFL start after the Raiders benched Derek Carr, threw for 219 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 50 yards.
The Raiders (6-11) trailed 14-3 early in the second quarter when they drove 74 yards to the Chiefs two-yard line. However, consecutive incompletions on third and fourth down by Stidham saw them turn the ball over on downs.
Kansas City then drove 98 yards on 12 plays, capping the series with an 11-yard score from Kadarius Toney. Stidham fumbled on the Raiders’ next possession and, two plays later, Butker kicked a 44-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half to see the Chiefs up 24-3.
Las Vegas opened the third quarter with a 13-play drive but had to settle for a Daniel Carlson 38-yard field goal.
Pacheco scored early in the fourth quarter for KC, while the Raiders finally found the end zone for nothing more than a consolation score midway later in the fourth as Stidham found Hunter Renfrow for an 11-yard TD.
Passing: Jarrett Stidham, 22/36, 219 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Josh Jacobs, 17 carries, 45 yards
Receiving: Davante Adams, five catches, 73 yards
Hunter Renfrow, seven catches, 63 yards, 1 TD
What’s next?
Live NFL
January 8, 2023, 5:00pm
Live on
The New England Patriots (8-8) need to win to ensure a playoff place in the AFC as they travel to the Buffalo Bills (12-3) on the final NFL Sunday of the 2022 regular season – live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm.
The game will be the Bills’ first following the cardiac arrest suffered by Damar Hamlin on the field during their game against the Bengals on Monday night. Hamlin tweeted on Saturday for the first time since, saying he was “thankful for everyone who has reached out and prayed”.
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Neil Reynolds, Jason Bell, Phoebe Schecter and Jeff Reinebold reflect on an emotional week following the cardiac arrest suffered by Damar Hamlin on the field in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night.
Neil Reynolds, Jason Bell, Phoebe Schecter and Jeff Reinebold reflect on an emotional week following the cardiac arrest suffered by Damar Hamlin on the field in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night.
Following the action in Buffalo, we head to Philadelphia for the Eagles‘ (13-3) season-ender against the New York Giants (9-6-1) – kick-off, 9.25pm. The home side need to win to wrap up the No 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-advantage through the playoffs. The Giants, meanwhile, are already assured of the No 6 seed in the NFC.
Live NFL
January 8, 2023, 9:15pm
Live on
Live NFL
January 9, 2023, 1:10am
Live on
Rounding off the Sunday evening triple-header, we join our friends at NBC for Football Night in Americaand a massive game at Lambeau Field as the Green Bay Packers (8-8) host the Detroit Lions (8-8) – kick-off, 1.20am, Monday. The Packers clinch a playoff spot with a win, while a Lions victory would see them claim the last remaining wild card place in the NFC, provided the Seattle Seahawks lose their earlier game to the Los Angeles Rams.
As well as the live action over on Sky Sports NFL and Main Event, you can keep up-to-date with the events in all of the other games via NFL RedZone on Sky Sports Mix (from 6pm) as playoff places are won and lost on the final day of the regular season.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
Buffalo Bills statement on Damar Hamlin: “While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.”
Last Updated: 05/01/23 4:03pm
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin has shown “remarkable improvement” in the last 24 hours but remains critical after suffering a cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills said on Thursday.
Hamlin collapsed after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins midway through the first quarter of Monday’s game and underwent CPR for approximately 10 minutes before he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
“Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” the statement said.
“While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.
“We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”
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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Hamlin opened his eyes on Wednesday night and has been able to grip the hands of those with him.
The Bills had stated earlier on Wednesday that Hamlin was showing signs of improvement but remained in critical condition in the ICU.
An incredible league-wide response has seen coaches and players pay tribute to the 24-year-old, whose toy drive GoFundMe page set up in 2020 as part of his Chasing M’s Foundation has seen donations eclipse an initial target of $2,500 by reaching upwards of $7m.
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“The outpouring of support for Damar across the nation has been amazing,” said Hamlin’s representation Agency 1 Sports on Thursday. “Thank you for the calls, messages and emails.
“Damar has made substantial improvement overnight. We are so thankful for all of the first responders, doctors and hospital staff and every one who has played a role in this process.
“Please continue to pray for Damar and we will provide updates as they are available.”
This is a breaking news story that is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh this page for the latest updates.
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Damar Hamlin remains in a critical condition in hospital
NFL player Damar Hamlin remains in a critical condition in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, but his condition is “moving in a positive direction”, according to his marketing representative and friend, Jordan Rooney.
Rooney, speaking to the NFL Network on Wednesday, also clarified that Hamlin was “resuscitated once”, on the field. Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, had told CNN on Tuesday evening that his nephew had been resuscitated a second time at the hospital.
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“Right now things are moving in a positive direction,” Rooney said.
“There’s not clarity at this point about how long it’s going to take and where things are going to go. For the family, it’s just a matter of seeing more positive signs and hopefully building on that.”
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The 24-year-old Bills defensive back had briefly got to his feet after making what appeared to be a routine tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins during Monday’s game but then collapsed to the ground.
The game in Cincinnati was halted as medical staff quickly attended to him and administered CPR for approximately 10 minutes before he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Glenn, speaking earlier on Wednesday to NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe, said: “They’re trying to get his lungs back to full strength.
“He was 100 per cent assisted by ventilators [Tuesday]. He’s improved, up to 50 per cent. That’s an upward trend and we’re thankful for that.”
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In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hamlin’s family said they would provide updates on his wellbeing “as soon as we have them”.
“On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans around the country,” said the family’s statement, which was released via Hamlin’s agent.
“We also want to acknowledge the dedicated first responders and healthcare professionals at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who have provided exceptional care to Damar. We feel so blessed to be part of the Buffalo Bills organization and to have their support.”
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The Bills, who had confirmed Hamlin’s cardiac arrest in a statement late on Monday night, issued a follow-up statement on Tuesday which stated: “We are grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received thus far.”
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Niagara Falls, Old County Hall and Peace Bridge in Buffalo City are lit in blue in support of Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals
Niagara Falls, Old County Hall and Peace Bridge in Buffalo City are lit in blue in support of Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals
Will the postponed match be replayed?
The NFL announced a full postponement to the Bengals-Bills game just after 10pm local time on Monday evening, 90 minutes following kick-off.
After Hamlin exited the field in an ambulance, it looked briefly as if play might resume before Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and Bills counterpart Sean McDermott met with game officials and the decision was made to pause proceedings. The Bengals had been leading 7-3 with five minutes and 58 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The NFL has since informed the Bills and Bengals that the suspended game will not resume this week, while the Week 18 schedule remains unchanged.
The league said in a statement on Tuesday: “The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organizations and the NFL Players Association.
“The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date.”
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Mike Florio and Peter King react to the cardiac arrest suffered on the field by Damar Hamlin on Monday night, saying a rescheduling of the game between the Bills and Bengals ‘does not matter’ in light of his critical condition in hospital
Mike Florio and Peter King react to the cardiac arrest suffered on the field by Damar Hamlin on Monday night, saying a rescheduling of the game between the Bills and Bengals ‘does not matter’ in light of his critical condition in hospital
The game has major playoff implications as the NFL enters the final week of the 2022 regular season, with the Bills (12-3) needing a win to reclaim the No 1 seed in the AFC, in the hope of clinching a first-round bye and home advantage through the playoffs. The Bengals (11-4) would have clinched the AFC North division title ahead of the Baltimore Ravens (10-6) with a victory.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that if the game was not to resume, it would be “declared a no contest”, essentially a tie – which would be enough for the Bengals win their division and finish as the No 3 seed in the AFC, while the Kansas City Chiefs would then theoretically clinch the No 1 seed ahead of the Bills with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.
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Will the Week 18 games still go ahead?
The Bills are scheduled to close out the regular season on Sunday against New England Patriots (8-8), who need to win to secure themselves a wild-card berth in the AFC, while the Bengals are due to take on the Ravens (10-6).
The Bills will not practice or be available to media on Wednesday, it has been reported. They will hold a team meeting and have a brief on-field walkthrough; the Patriots will practise as scheduled.
When Hamlin was taken from the field in an ambulance on Monday night, Bills coach McDermott was seen leading his team in prayer, while players from both teams were shown to be visibly distraught, some with tears in their eyes, as the situation unfolded.
The NFL’s statement on Tuesday said that they had “not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule”, before adding that they “will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available”.
Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio has questioned whether the Bills will be sufficiently mentally and physically prepared to play again by Sunday, and whether the NFL might reconsider sticking to the current schedule.
“Will all of the players be mentally ready to go?” Florio said on Wednesday’s show. “They may tell themselves they are – and maybe once they’re out there, they’ll feel fine – but I think that crossing the thick white stripe on the sideline is going to be different now to what it has ever been, for them and their family members.
“You’ve got every family member of every NFL player, fearful that what happened to Damar Hamlin can happen to their father, husband, friend, nephew, cousin – someone they know and someone they care about.
“It’s part of what everyone has to process to get to the point where guys can play.
“This game is too hard, too demanding, and the risks are too great to have someone play who doesn’t want to.
“There’s no manual to this, no playbook, no standard operating procedure. Will all players be ready to go? That’s the concern I have for players not just on the Bills and Bengals but for players on every team.
Florio added: “This is a very delicate moment in the scheduling of the season, it’s the culmination of the regular season, the playoffs are looming.
“I really don’t know what the right answer is. There is no perfect solution to this.”
The playoffs are due to begin on the weekend of January 14/15/16, with the Super Bowl scheduled for Sunday, February 12 in Glendale, Arizona. There is a free weekend in the calendar prior to the Super Bowl which would allow for the playoff schedule to begin a week later, should the NFL decide to postpone any Week 18 games.
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson hinted at the challenge he has faced in trying to prepare his team for a ‘win-and-in’ showdown for the AFC South division title with the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night.
“Obviously on Monday night, watching it, coaching went away,” Pederson told the NFL Network on Wednesday. “I was thinking about Damar and his family – about the players on both sides of that field.
“Then my attention turned to our team. How was I going to handle this and prepare our football team, what was I going to say? It’s human nature.
“I can honestly say I don’t have all of the answers, but I want my players to understand that we’re here for them.”
“We are preparing for a football game. It’s the hardest thing, to transition from life – and things that are out of our control – to a football game, and trying to get the focus of the room back on that.”
NFL world gathers to show support for Hamlin
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Former NFL player Jason McCourty prays for and pays tribute to Damar Hamlin after he was taken to hospital in a ‘critical condition’, having suffered a cardiac arrest in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night
Former NFL player Jason McCourty prays for and pays tribute to Damar Hamlin after he was taken to hospital in a ‘critical condition’, having suffered a cardiac arrest in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night
Hamlin is in his second season in the NFL, after being taken in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bills. He spent five years playing his college football at Pittsburgh, his hometown, appearing in 48 games for the Panthers.
He has started 14 games for the Bills this season in place of injured safety Micah Hyde, who suffered a neck injury in Week Two and has been on injured reserve since. Hamlin is tied for the second-most tackles on the team this year, with 91.
After the incident, people started donating to a GoFundMe page set up by Hamlin’s charitable foundation, Chasing M’s, to raise money to support a toy drive for in his community.
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Hamlin’s initial stated goal was $2,500 but, by Wednesday, the page had reached over $6.3m (£5.2m), with donations coming in from around the world. NFL stars Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, plus the Houston Texans organisation and Patriots owner Robert Kraft were among those to donate large sums.
NBA star LeBron James sent his best wishes to Hamlin when speaking to reporters after the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.
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LeBron James sends thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family after the Buffalo Bills player suffered a cardiac arrest during an NFL game
LeBron James sends thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family after the Buffalo Bills player suffered a cardiac arrest during an NFL game
“It is a terrible thing to see and I wish nothing but the best for that kid and the city of Buffalo, for the franchise of the Bills and the rest of the NFL and also the Bengals that were playing in that game as well,” LeBron said.
“I’m a huge fan of the NFL and a huge fan of football and you never want to see anything like that happen.”
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A number of NFL teams postponed their scheduled press availability on Tuesday out of respect for Hamlin, while Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spent part of his news conference sharing his personal connection with the 24-year-old Pittsburgh native.
“I’ve known that guy probably since he was about 12,” Tomlin said. “Just got a lot of respect and love for him as a human being, his commitment to the pursuit of his goals and dreams of doing what it is he’s doing right now, which is playing in the NFL.
“To watch him make personal decisions and make that a realisation, it’s just an honour to get to know young people like that. I had an opportunity to express that to him whenever I see him.
“We’ve played Buffalo each of the last two seasons, and he and I get to have a moment because it’s just cool to not only appreciate these guys in terms of where they are now, but to know them since they were younger people and to watch their maturation their development.
FILE – Travelers queue up at the check-in counters for Southwest Airlines in Denver International Airport, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, in Denver. Southwest Airlines is trying to fix its relationship with travelers who got stuck by canceled flights over the holidays. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, Southwest told affected travelers that they will get 25,000 frequent-flyer points, which are worth more than $300 in tickets. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Today is Tuesday, Jan. 3, the third day of 2023. There are 362 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 3, 1990, ousted Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces, 10 days after taking refuge in the Vatican’s diplomatic mission.
On this date:
In 1777, Gen. George Washington’s army routed the British in the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey.
In 1861, more than two weeks before Georgia seceded from the Union, the state militia seized Fort Pulaski at the order of Gov. Joseph E. Brown. The Delaware House and Senate voted to oppose secession from the Union.
In 1868, the Meiji Restoration re-established the authority of Japan’s emperor and heralded the fall of the military rulers known as shoguns.
In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state as President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation.
In 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced the United States was formally terminating diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba.
In 1967, Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, died in a Dallas hospital.
In 1977, Apple Computer was incorporated in Cupertino, California, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Mike Markkula (MAHR’-kuh-luh) Jr.
In 2002, a judge in Alabama ruled that former Ku Klux Klansman Bobby Frank Cherry was mentally competent to stand trial on murder charges in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing that killed four black girls. (Cherry was later convicted, and served a life sentence until his death in November 2004.)
In 2007, Gerald R. Ford was laid to rest on the grounds of his presidential museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during a ceremony watched by thousands of onlookers.
In 2008, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won Democratic caucuses in Iowa, while Mike Huckabee won the Republican caucuses.
In 2013, students from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, reconvened at a different building in the town of Monroe about three weeks after the massacre that had claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six educators. The new 113th Congress opened for business, with House Speaker John Boehner (BAY’-nur) re-elected to his post despite a mini-revolt in Republican ranks.
In 2020, the United States killed Iran’s top general in an airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport; the Pentagon said Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds force, had been “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members” in Iraq and elsewhere. Iran warned of retaliation.
Ten years ago: Students from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, reconvened at a different building in the town of Monroe about three weeks after the massacre that had claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six educators. The new 113th Congress opened for business, with House Speaker John Boehner re-elected to his post despite a mini-revolt in Republican ranks. No. 5 Oregon beat No. 7 Kansas State, 35-17, in the Fiesta Bowl.
Five years ago: President Donald Trump signed an executive order disbanding the controversial voter fraud commission he had set up to investigate the 2016 presidential election after alleging without evidence that voting fraud cost him the popular vote; the White House blamed the decision to end the panel on more than a dozen states that refused to cooperate. A brutal winter storm delivered a rare blast of snow and ice to the coastal Southeast, giving parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina their heaviest snowfall in nearly three decades.
One year ago: A jury in San Jose, California, convicted Elizabeth Holmes of duping investors into believing that her startup company Theranos had developed a revolutionary medical device that could detect diseases and conditions from a few drops of blood. The East Coast’s main north-south highway, Interstate 95, became impassable in Virginia after a truck jackknifed, triggering a chain reaction as other vehicles lost control during a winter storm; hundreds of drivers were stuck in place in frigid temperatures, some for over 24 hours. Expanding COVID-19 boosters amid an omicron surge, the Food and Drug Administration allowed extra Pfizer shots for children as young as 12.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Dabney Coleman is 91. Journalist-author Betty Rollin is 87. Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull is 84. Singer-songwriter-producer Van Dyke Parks is 80. Musician Stephen Stills is 78. Rock musician John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) is 77. Actor Victoria Principal is 73. Actor-director Mel Gibson is 67. Actor Shannon Sturges is 55. Actor John Ales is 54. Jazz musician James Carter is 54. Contemporary Christian singer Nichole Nordeman is 51. Musician Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk) is 48. Actor Jason Marsden is 48. Actor Danica McKellar is 48. Actor Nicholas Gonzalez is 47. Singer Kimberley Locke (TV: “American Idol”) is 45. Actor Kate Levering is 44. Former NFL quarterback Eli Manning is 42. Actor Nicole Beharie is 38. Pop musician Mark Pontius is 38. R&B singer Lloyd is 37. Pop-rock musician Nash Overstreet (Hot Chelle (shel) Rae) is 36. Actor Alex D. Linz is 34.
Southwest Airlines returned to a relatively normal flight schedule Friday as the carrier sought to make amends with thousands of passengers whose holiday travel plans were upended after a winter storm last weekend.
The Dallas carrier, which had canceled thousands of flights every day this week, reported less than 50 cancellations as of early Friday afternoon, according to tracking service FlightAware. While that was still more than United, American and Delta combined, it marked significant progress following one of the most chaotic weeks in aviation history for a single airline.
Federal regulators have vowed a rigorous review of what happened at Southwest, with all eyes on outdated crew-scheduling technology that left flight crews out of place after the storm hit, essentially shutting down almost all of the carrier’s operations.
On Friday, however, Southwest passengers reported relatively empty flights, some with one person to a row, as the carrier reshuffled routes and sent planes, and crews, to where they needed to be.
John and Rosaria Monte had been watching their Southwest flights closely this week as the airline struggled and their home city of Buffalo, New York, dug out for a deadly blizzard. They had no trouble Friday flying from Buffalo through Chicago to see their daughter and enjoy some warmer weather in Dallas for New Year’s.
“My husband kept checking it (the flight schedule) through the night and early this morning and everything went accordingly,” Rosaria said. “They were super friendly everywhere and not a problem.”
Don’t blame the weather
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a letter to Southwest CEO Robert Jordan late Thursday called the week of disruptions “unacceptable.”
“While weather can disrupt flight schedules, the thousands of cancellations by Southwest in recent days have not been because of the weather,” Buttigieg wrote. “Other airlines that experienced weather-related cancellations and delays due to the winter storm recovered relatively quickly, unlike Southwest.”
Yesterday’s US flight cancellation rates (preliminary numbers per FAA):
Southwest Airlines: 56% All other airlines average: 1%
Operational problems at Southwest also played a major role in the company’s mangled flight scheduled, according to U.S. Captain Michael Santoro, vice president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. He pointed to what he described as the airline’s “outdated” scheduling technology, saying the software was unable to handle the flood of passenger flight cancellations caused by the winter storm.
The system also failed to process the reassignments of Southwest crew as the company tried to reschedule flights, he added.
“You get this snowball effect where it can’t keep track of where pilots are, flight attendants are and airplanes are,” Santoro told CBS News.
“Extremely sorry”
At airports across the country passengers had what could be described as a typical holiday week for travel. It was a stark contrast near Southwest Airline counters, where hundreds of people sat on bags or slept where they could, with the Southwest aircraft sitting on the tarmac yards away, but crewless.
Southwest begun accepting reservations again Friday after getting crews and planes into place, and executives have started on what is undoubtedly a long road to regaining the trust of travelers.
Southwest’s Robert Jordan said in an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America on Friday that after safety, there is no greater focus than reimbursing customers and getting them reunited with their luggage.
“This has impacted so many people, so many customers, over the holidays. It’s impacted our employees. And I’m extremely sorry for that,” Jordan said. “There’s just no way almost to apologize enough because we love our customers, we love our people and we really impacted their plans.”
Southwest on Friday continued to deal with a barrage of grievances from frustrated passengers affected by the cancellations. “Unable to cancel online and overwhelmed phone line, hope I don’t miss out on refund. So disappointed,” one person said on Twitter.
Rebooked out of nowhere after requested cancellation on @SouthwestAir. Rebooked flight from city they never flew me within hrs of notification. Unable to cancel online and overwhelmed phone line, hope I don’t miss out on refund. So disappointed #Southwestmeltdown
Yet others praised Southwest staff, with one thanking the airline’s “heroic employees and flight crews” for their efforts to get him to his destination on schedule.
Executives with the airline said this week that it may be as much as a week to connect all Southwest passengers with their destinations.
Jordan warned that the meltdown this week will “certainly” hit the carrier when it reports fourth quarter financial results at the end of January. Company shares, which tumbled 8% this week, appeared to stabilize Friday.
DALLAS — Southwest Airlines said it expects to return to normal operations Friday after more than a week of widespread flight cancellations that started with a winter storm and spiraled out of control because of a breakdown with staffing technology.
If Thursday turns out to be the last day of the Southwest crisis, it will be marked by about 2,350 canceled flights, nearly 60% of the airline’s schedule.
Southwest declined to say how many people have been affected, but it is likely that far more than 1 million have had a flight canceled.
The airline has scrapped more than 13,000 flights since Dec. 22, according to tracking service FlightAware. Its planes have 143 to 175 seats and were likely nearly fully booked around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Airline executives said that crew-scheduling technology — a major cause of the meltdown — has caught up with the backlog of pilots and flight attendants stranded in wrong locations. Southwest operated 1,600 flights on Thursday, including 104 that carried no passengers but instead served to put planes and crews in position for full operations on Friday.
Southwest leaders believe they will have enough empty seats over the next several days to accommodate any stranded passengers still wishing to fly on the airline — while conceding that many had either given up or found other transportation.
Southwest will refund tickets on canceled flights, and executives repeated a promise to reimburse travelers who were forced to pay for hotel rooms, meals and flights on other airlines. The airline’s chief commercial officer said that process will take several weeks. Executives said the airline also will pay to ship baggage that has piled up at airports around the country.
Southwest lost $75 million during a much smaller disruption in October 2021 that resulted in about 2,000 canceled flights over a four-day stretch.
CEO Robert Jordan said it was too early to say how much the company will lose in revenue and incur in extra costs because of the current crisis. Jordan told reporters that events of the last week will likely cause Southwest to re-examine priorities and spending levels for technology improvements that were already underway, but he offered no specifics.
“This has been an incredible disruption, and we can’t have this again,” he said.
Southwest has struggled to recover after being overwhelmed by a winter storm that swept the country last week. Other airlines bounced back within a couple days, but Southwest ran short of ground workers at airports in Denver and Chicago, and its problems exploded from there.
On Thursday, Southwest accounted for about 95% of all canceled flights in the United States. Executives said they had canceled only 39, or less than 1% of the schedule, for Friday.
Jordan faces a crisis just 11 months after he became CEO, replacing longtime leader Gary Kelly. Southwest had 88 planes and 7,000 employees when Jordan joined 35 years ago. Now it has more than 700 planes and more than 60,000 employees.
Speaking to reporters a month ago at Southwest headquarters in Dallas, a relaxed and jocular Jordan spoke in glowing terms about the airline’s culture and customer service. He outlined five priorities, including modernizing the airline’s technology for scheduling pilots and flight attendants.
Under Southwest’s system, which dates to the 1990s, when crew members are reassigned to a different flight or even change hotels, “somebody needs to call them or basically in the airport chase them down and tell them what their re-route looks like,” Jordan said.
“I do think the scale and the growth of the airline got ahead of the tools that we have,” he said. “No fault of anybody — takes investment — and we’ll get all this done.”
The federal government is investigating what happened at Southwest. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took fresh swipes at the airline on Thursday, tweeting that he would hold Southwest responsible for “unacceptable performance.” He asked followers to tell his department if Southwest fails to reimburse them for travel costs.
Southwest added a page to its website specifically for stranded travelers, and it invited customers to submit receipts for unexpected expenses. The airline said it would consider reimbursing “reasonable” expenses for meals, hotel rooms and alternate transportation incurred between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2. Consumer advocates criticized the use of the word “reasonable” as too vague.
Investors cheered signs that Southwest might finally be getting a handle on the crisis. The company’s shares rose nearly 4%, but were still down nearly 8% for the week.
Southwest has been the most profitable U.S. airline so far this year, earning $759 million in net income through September.
Raymond James airline analyst Savanthi Syth said Thursday that she still expects the company to post a small profit in the fourth quarter, but that some consumers are likely to switch from Southwest to other airlines over the next few months when booking travel.
Another airline analyst, Colin Scarola of CFRA, said he too didn’t expect the “Christmas week fiasco” to have a lasting impact because Southwest often has lower fares than its three largest rivals: American, United and Delta.
“History shows customers tend not to permanently ditch an airline even after an awful experience due to the commodity-like nature of the product,” he wrote in a note to clients.
Southwest Airlines said it expects to return to normal operations Friday after slashing about two-thirds of its schedule in recent days, including canceling another 2,350 flights Thursday.
“We are encouraged by the progress we’ve made to realign crew, their schedules and our fleet,” the carrier said in a statement posted on the company’s website. “With another holiday weekend full of important connections for our valued customers and employees, we are eager to return to a state of normalcy.”
Southwest is struggling to recover after being overwhelmed by a winter storm that left hundreds of pilots and flight attendants stranded out of position to operate flights. The airline early Thursday cut 58% of the airline’s daily scheduled trips, according to tracking service Flight Aware, although that represented an improvement from previous days.
An estimated 1 million passengers have been affected by the scotched flights. Overall, Southwest has canceled more than 13,000 flights since its meltdown began on Dec. 22. Its planes have 143 to 175 seats and were likely nearly fully booked around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Southwest officials initially blamed the travel chaos on the harsh winter weather that affected the Southeast and other parts of the U.S. last week. But in an interview with CBS News Streaming, U.S. Captain Michael Santoro, vice president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, also pointed to what he described as the Dallas carrier’s “outdated” scheduling technology, saying the software was unable to handle the flood of passenger flight cancellations caused by the winter storm.
Snowball effect
The system also failed to process the reassignments of Southwest crew as the company tried to reschedule flights, he added.
“You get this snowball effect where it can’t keep track of where pilots are, flight attendants are and airplanes are,” Santoro said.
Southwest has since acknowledged that it has inadequate and outdated technology that can leave flight crews out of position when bad weather strikes.
Other airlines are back to full strength. Delta, American and United together canceled around 30 flights by late morning, according to tracker FlightAware.
“We’ve let our customers and employees down”
About the only good news for Southwest passengers was that 98% of flights that took off Thursday managed to land within 15 minutes of schedule, meeting the government’s definition of an on-time arrival.
The airline has declined requests to make executives available for comment and did not provide an update about operations on its website. Its main public outreach has been to post video statements by CEO Robert Jordan and other top executives.
In a video apology Wednesday, Southwest Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Green highlighted new features on the company’s website where affected travelers can go to rebook flights, request refunds and submit information on missing bags. He also acknowledged that “we’ve let our customers and employees down.” while pledging to take corrective measures.
We’ve let our Customers and Employees down, and we pledge to do everything we can to make it right. If you still need assistance rearranging your travel, getting a refund, or tracking down your luggage, please visit https://t.co/II3YgdPy7J. pic.twitter.com/64Fdt8jJPn
Jordan faces a crisis just 11 months after he became CEO, replacing longtime leader Gary Kelly. Southwest had 88 planes and 7,000 employees when Jordan joined 35 years ago. Now it has more than 700 planes and more than 60,000 employees.
Speaking to reporters a month ago at Southwest headquarters in Dallas, a relaxed and jocular Jordan spoke in glowing terms about the airline’s culture and customer service. He outlined five priorities, including modernizing the airline’s technology for scheduling pilots and flight attendants.
“I do think the scale and the growth of the airline got ahead of the tools that we have,” he said. “No fault of anybody — takes investment — and we’ll get all this done.”
Jordan didn’t give a timeline or dollar figure for that investment, or explain why the airline had not already done the work. But his comments about the airline’s archaic crew-scheduling system seemed to foreshadow one of the major causes of the current meltdown — the inability to get pilots and flight attendants in position when there is a disruption to the operation.
“We have a lot of crews moving all over the country,” he said. “If they get reassigned — they need to go to a different city or different flight than they thought, or they get reassigned to a new hotel — somebody needs to call them or basically in the airport chase them down and tell them what their re-route looks like.
“So at our size and scale, that’s just not OK.”
Lawmakers in Congress have vowed to investigate what happened at Southwest.
Questions over reimbursing passengers
Southwest added a page to its website specifically for stranded travelers, and it invited customers to submit receipts for unexpected expenses. The airline said it would consider reimbursing “reasonable” expenses for meals, hotel rooms and alternate transportation incurred between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2. Consumer advocates criticized the use of the word “reasonable” as too vague.
Thousands of customers have been unable to reach the airline this week, as Southwest’s phone system was overwhelmed. Pilots and flight attendants also reported being put on hold for hours.
Investors appear to think that Southwest might finally be getting a handle on the crisis. The company’s shares rose more than 3% , but they’re still down 8% for the week.
The airline has not given an estimate for how much revenue it has lost and how much extra cost it will incur. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and some members of Congress are demanding that Southwest pay stranded travelers for hotel rooms, meals and replacement flights they booked on other airlines.
One indication of the price tag: Southwest said a disruption in October 2021 cost it $75 million. That meltdown was far smaller, resulting in about 2,000 canceled flights over a four-day stretch. Back then, as this week, Southwest’s solution was to cut its schedule to stabilize the operation.
Southwest has been the most profitable U.S. airline so far this year, earning $759 million in net income through September.
Raymond James airline analyst Savanthi Syth said Thursday that she still expects the company to post a small profit in the fourth quarter, but that some consumers are likely to switch from Southwest to other airlines over the next few months when booking travel.
DALLAS — Travelers who counted on Southwest Airlines to get them home suffered through another wave of canceled flights Wednesday, and pressure grew on the federal government to help customers get reimbursed for unexpected expenses they incurred because of the airline’s meltdown.
Exhausted Southwest travelers tried finding seats on other airlines or renting cars to get to their destination, but many remained stranded. The airline’s CEO said it could be next week before the flight schedule returns to normal.
Adontis Barber, a 34-year-old jazz pianist from Kansas City, Missouri, had camped out in the city’s airport since his Southwest flight was canceled Saturday and wondered if he would ever get to a New Year’s gig in Washington, D.C.
“I give up,” he said. “I’m starting to feel homeless.”
By late morning on the East Coast, about 90% of all canceled flights Wednesday in the U.S. were on Southwest, according to the FlightAware tracking service. Other airlines recovered from ferocious winter storms that hit large swaths of the country over the weekend, but not Southwest.
The Dallas airline was undone by a combination of factors including an antiquated crew-scheduling system and a network design that allows cancellations in one region to cascade throughout the country rapidly. Those weaknesses are not new — they helped cause a similar failure by Southwest in October 2021.
The federal government is now investigating what happened at Southwest, which carries more passengers within the United States than any other airline.
In a video that Southwest posted late Tuesday, CEO Robert Jordan said Southwest would operate a reduced schedule for several days but hoped to be “back on track before next week.”
Jordan blamed the winter storm for snarling the airline’s “highly complex” network. He said Southwest’s tools for recovering from disruptions work “99% of the time, but clearly we need to double down” on upgrading systems to avoid a repeat of this week.
“We have some real work to do in making this right,” said Jordan, a 34-year Southwest veteran who became CEO in February. “For now, I want you to know that we are committed to that.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has criticized airlines for previous disruptions, said that “meltdown” was the only word he could think of to describe this week’s events at Southwest. He noted that while cancellations across the rest of the industry declined to about 4% of scheduled flights, they remained above 60% at Southwest.
From the high rate of cancellations to customers’ inability to reach Southwest on the phone, the airline’s performance has been unacceptable, Buttigieg said. He vowed to hold the airline accountable and push it to reimburse travelers.
“They need to make sure that those stranded passengers get to where they need to go and that they are provided adequate compensation,” including for missed flights, hotels and meals, he said Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
In Congress, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee also promised an investigation. Separately, two other Senate Democrats called on Southwest to provide “significant” compensation for stranded travelers, saying that the airline has the money because it plans to pay $428 million in dividends next month.
Leaders of Southwest’s labor unions have warned for years that the airline’s crew-scheduling system, which dates to the 1990s, was inadequate, and the CEO acknowledged this week that the technology needs to be upgraded.
The other large U.S. airlines use “hub and spoke” networks in which flights radiate out from a few major or hub airports. That helps limit the reach of disruptions caused by bad weather in part of the country.
Southwest, however, has a “point to point” network in which planes crisscross the country during the day. This can increase the utilization and efficiency of each plane, but problems in one place can ripple across the country, leaving crews trapped out of position.
Barber, the musician from Kansas City, already missed a performance Sunday in Dallas but had hoped to make it to Washington in time for a New Year’s performance near the National Mall.
“I’m missing out on money,” he lamented.
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AP Writer Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City contributed to this report.
