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Michigan football predictions vs. Washington: Who will win the national championship?

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Michigan football predictions vs. Washington: Who will win the national championship?


Free Press sports writers share their predictions for the College Football Playoff national championship game between Michigan football and Washington in Houston on Monday:

Tony Garcia

Washington enters play with the nation’s longest winning streak (21 games) and one of the nation’s most prolific offenses. That said, U-M’s offense is better compared to Washington’s defense than the other side of the ball. It’s been a long trek for a Wolverines program that was left for dead three years ago. Instead, Monday night will be the culmination. will reach the mountain top, behind Jim Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Michael Barrett, Mike Sainristil and a handful of players who stayed. The pick: U-M 34, Washington 26.

ONE MORE GAME: Michigan’s ‘one-track mind’ steamrolls through season, with one last stop to make

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Carlos Monarrez

The Huskies are the underdog’s underdog, getting almost no respect from bettors or the CFP selection committee until the end of the season. Under sixth-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who might go to straight to collecting social security after the game, Washington has been electric while boasting the 10th-ranked total offense in FBS. But Michigan’s top-ranked defense is on a different level than anyone else’s, especially the Huskies’. The pick: U-M 30, Washington 23.

NEXT SEASON? Jim Harbaugh on possible NFL future: ‘I’ll gladly talk about it next week’

Rainer Sabin

The arc of Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan has been fascinating. He arrived as a savior, became a disappointment and has since been restored as one of the top coaches in the sport. On Monday, expect him to deliver the Wolverines their first national title since 1997 by relying on the rugged brand of football that has been the foundation of his success. A strong running game and sturdy offensive line will power Michigan’s offense and pin Penix Jr. to the sideline, where he won’t have the opportunity to inflict enough damage to destroy the Wolverines. That tried and true recipe, built around ball control, has always worked for Harbaugh. And it will serve him well in his most consequential game since returning to his alma mater nine years ago with the fanfare of a conquering hero. The pick: U-M 30, Washington 27.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Hail Yes!” your go-to Michigan Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] 

Jeff Seidel

There are just so many interesting facets to this game, starting with Michigan’s defensive line against Washington’s offensive line, which does such a great job protecting Penix. Part of me thinks this will be a shootout, because Washington has such a strong passing game. But Michigan should be able to run the ball against Washington, control the clock and just grind out this win, sending Harbaugh to the NFL as with the natty. So, I guess that’s two predictions. The game and Harbaugh’s future. The pick: U-M 28, Washington 24.

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READY TO GO: Michigan emphasizes rest as it arrives for College Football Playoff title game

Shawn Windsor

Harbaugh said his team has an unfair advantage because of the adversity and criticism it’s faced. He is right. The scandals have galvanized an already close team and that closeness showed at the end of the Rose Bowl. It will show again in the title game, as the Wolverines make one more play in the end, and do just enough hold down the Huskies’ explosive offense. The pick: U-M 34, Washington 31.



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North Dakota National Guard heading to Washington duty

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North Dakota National Guard heading to Washington duty


BISMARCK — About 60 North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers will be sent to help the District of Columbia National Guard under a joint task force starting in April.

Most soldiers are from the 131st Military Police Battalion, which is headquartered in Bismarck, according to a release.

The support will be given as part of the effort that began on Aug. 11, when several states activated members of their National Guard to support local and federal law enforcement in Washington under the President Donald Trump’s

executive order 14333,

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which declared a crime emergency in the nation’s capital.

The support is a federal mission under the command of the D.C. National Guard, which supports civilian agencies and local law enforcement to reduce crime and minimize property damage.

“Safeguarding the citizens, federal workers and elected leaders in our nation’s capital is a matter of national security, and we appreciate these Soldiers volunteering for this important mission,” said North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong in a release. “We know they will represent our state with the skill and professionalism that military leaders everywhere have come to expect from the North Dakota National Guard.”

The battalion is expected to be in Washington for about three months.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say

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Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say


Charging documents reveal the U.S. Park Police officer who was shot Monday in Southeast D.C. had arrested one of the suspects the day before and was following that suspect at the time.

The suspects are brothers, 22-year-old Asheile Foster and 21-year-old Darren Foster, of Southeast. They appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

Court documents state the Park Police officer who was shot had arrested Asheile Foster on Sunday on suspicion of dealing drugs. The officer said he followed Foster after he was released from jail on Monday and came to Park Police headquarters to get his personal belongings.

According to prosecutors, Foster told police he knew he was being followed by a white Tesla, and he confronted the officer on Queens Stroll Place SE, jumping out in front of the Tesla before the officer swerved around him.

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Then, dozens of gunshots went off, the officer told police. He said in charging documents he was shot in the shoulder as he kept driving several blocks to the intersection of Benning Road and Southern Avenue SE, where police found him. A helicopter then took him to a hospital. According to charging documents, the officer was treated and released the same night as the shooting.

A U.S. Park Police officer who was shot in Southeast D.C. on Monday is recovering from what authorities say was likely a targeted attack. Multiple law enforcement sources tell News4’s Mark Segraves that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday.

Photos in the charging documents show the brothers firing at the officer’s Tesla, according to prosecutors.

The shooting drew a massive police presence to the Southeast neighborhood near the D.C-Maryland border Monday night.

Shell casings littered the middle of the street. Police said they recovered two weapons: a Glock 9 with an extended magazine and an AR-15.

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Prosecutors said that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday. No one was injured in that shooting.

Darren Foster was located and stopped shortly after the shooting, D.C. police said. Asheile Foster was found on Tuesday.

The brothers were charged with assault on a federal officer, assault with intent to kill and weapons charges. They could face up to 60 years in prison if they’re convicted.



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Washington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minors

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Washington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minors


Washington just became the latest state to regulate artificial intelligence.

Under a pair of bills signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson Tuesday, companies like OpenAI and Anthropic will have to include new disclosures in their popular chatbots for Washington users.

Ferguson asked legislators to craft House Bill 1170 to crack down on AI-generated misinformation. When content is substantially modified using generative AI, that information will now have to be traceable using watermarks or metadata. The new law applies to large AI companies more than 1 million monthly subscribers.

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“ I’m confident I’m not the only Washingtonian who often sees something on my phone and wondering to myself, ‘Is that AI or is it real?’ And I feel like I’m a reasonably discerning person,” Ferguson said during the bill signing. “It is virtually impossible these days.”

RELATED: WA Gov. Bob Ferguson calls for regulations on AI chatbot companions

House Bill 2225 establishes new guard rails for AI chatbots that act like friends or companions. It applies to services like ChatGPT and Claude, but excludes more narrowly tailored chatbots, like the customer service windows that pop up when visiting a corporate website.

Chatbots that fit the bill will have to disclose to users that they are not human at the start of every conversation, and every three hours in an ongoing chat. The tools will also be barred from pretending to be human in conversation with users.

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The rules go further if the user is a minor. Companies that operate chatbots will have to disclose that the tools are not human every hour, rather than every three hours, if the user is under 18. The bill forbids AI companions from having sexually explicit conversations with underage users. It also bans “manipulative engagement techniques.” For example, a chatbot is not allowed to guilt or pressure a minor into staying in a conversation or keeping information from parents.

“AI has incredible potential to transform society,” Ferguson said. “At the same time, of course, there are risks that we must mitigate as a state, especially to young people. So I speak partly as a governor, but also as the father of teenage twins who grapple with this as a lot of parents do every single day.”

Under the law, AI chatbots will not be allowed to encourage or provide information on suicide or self-harm, including eating disorders. The companies behind these tools will be required to come up with a protocol for flagging conversations that reference self-harm and connecting users with mental health services.

The regulations come in the wake of several high-profile instances of teenage suicide following prolonged interactions with AI companions that showed warning signs. Many more AI users of all ages have reported mental health issues and psychosis after heavy use of the technology.

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