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Jones, 41, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Thursday. As his execution date approaches, calls are continuing to mount, urging Stitt to accept the recommendation of the state’s Pardon and Parole Board to commute Jones’ death sentence. Demonstrators have rallied in support of Jones in recent days and thousands joined an online prayer vigil held last week. And on Sunday, Jones’ mother issued a heartfelt plea to the Republican governor to spare her son’s life....

He’s coming off two big seasons, is in the midst of a career resurgence and flashes a bright smile most everywhere he goes. But nothing lights up the 41-year-old star quite like his engagement and pending marriage to longtime girlfriend Amy Reimann. MORE: Photos: Earnhardt and Amy through the years | Junior names his Daytona car Earnhardt proposed to Reimann in June, and has been beaming ever since. Now he’s excited about making wedding plans, even as the 2016 season approaches....

For the past few months, the two gas giants have been approaching each other, and on the night of December 21—the date of the winter solstice—this process will culminate in what’s known as a “great conjunction.” On this night, the two planets will be so close to each other that they appear like a bright double planet—with the phenomenon being popularly referred to as a “Christmas Star.” Great conjunctions are rare, occurring once every two decades or so....

That is not all, though. The gas giant will also be at opposition—a situation in which the sun, Earth and Jupiter line up perfectly. This coincidence will improve Jupiter’s visibility still further. Opposition is not particularly rare, happening once every 13 months or so, since Earth and Jupiter each orbit the sun at different speeds and distances. The current opposition will be a stand-out occasion, though, because it is occurring at almost the exact same time that Jupiter will be making its closest approach to Earth since 1963....

LendingTree, and online mortgage broker and financial services company, recently surveyed 1,260 small businesses nationwide and asked if any had applied for and received the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program loan. Roughly 60 percent of the businesses surveyed had applied for the program, known as a PPP loan, with only five percent of those businesses being approved, according to the LendingTree report. “Small businesses continue to struggle as they wait for additional funding of the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program,” said Hunter Stunzi, senior vice president of Business Loans at LendingTree, in a StreetInsider....

Winning Texas would probably guarantee the Democrats a presidential win in 2020. But how Texas and the top faces of its Democratic Party fared for this week’s Democratic National Convention, the Lone Star State looks like a long-forgotten state. First, there was the convention’s location. Houston was one of three finalists to hold the convention, along with Miami and Milwaukee. The Democrat Party last year chose Milwaukee to host the 2020 convention, which begins on Monday....

The veteran forward has signed a seven-year contract extension with the Red Wings, the team announced Wednesday. MORE: Best goalies in NHL history | NHL’s best wingers Financial details were not disclosed, but the extension is expected to be worth at least $4 million per season, according to TSN. Abdelkader, 28, is in the last year of his contract and could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1....

But in apologizing, Trudeau admitted that a 2001 image of him dressed in an Aladdin costume at an end of the year “Arabian nights” gala was not the only instance in which he applied dark makeup on his face to appear as another race. “The fact of the matter is that I’ve always—and you’ll know this—been more enthusiastic about costumes than is sometimes appropriate,” Trudeau said. “When I was in high school, I dressed up at a talent show and sang Dale—with makeup on....

Vlahovic put Juventus ahead on the road after just 33 seconds, scoring the quickest debut goal by a starter in the history of the Champions League. The 22-year-old demonstrated why Juventus were so eager to sign him, with Vlahovic replacing Cristiano Ronaldo as the face of the club’s forward line following the latter’s return to Manchester United last summer. Juventus still have much to work on as a unit, with the game ending 1-1 after Dani Parejo got a goal back for Villarreal in the second half....

All fans should cherish Messi & Iniesta The Belgian is entering the final six months of his contract and is therefore allowed to begin negotiations with clubs in view of a move at the end of the season. And, while a number of Premier League teams remain interested in signing Witsel, the 27-year-old is thought to only have eyes for Juventus and the Turin club have already started the process to secure his signature....

Juve 4/6 odds to retain Serie A title Champions Juve will pay €40 million (£36m/$47m) for the Italy international, with the fee to be paid in installments over the next three years. Bernardeschi signed a five-year contract after completing a medical on Monday. Fiorentina will receive 10 per cent of the fee, up to a maximum of €5m, should Juve sell Bernardeschi in future. Bernardeschi’s exit had been expected after the 23-year-old rejected a new contract offer from Fiorentina....

Reports of a rift between Dybala and club have developed after Juve vice-president Pavel Nedved this month urged him to “make lots of sacrifices in his private life”. The Argentina international started and scored in the Coppa Italia victory over Genoa midweek but started among the substitutes for the third successive Serie A match as the Bianconeri overcame Roma 1-0 on Saturday. Dybala was not granted a single minute by Allegri, but he reiterated his desire to keep the 24-year-old fresh for the entire season....

The 17-year-old striker became the first player born this millennium to play in Serie A and the Champions League after breaking into Massimiliano Allegri’s first-team squad last season. Verona 23/10 to beat Fiorentina A last-minute winner at Bologna from Kean on the final day concluded another title-winning campaign for Juve and he will now hope to benefit from further senior opportunities at Verona. Fabio Pecchia’s side were promoted from Serie B last term but are without a win so far in the top flight, with a goalless draw at Crotone following their opening 3-1 defeat at home to Napoli....

Wenger ‘didn’t see’ Alexis handball The Juve forward has been linked with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Madrid, but Marotta announced last month that an agreement was set to be confirmed. There has been no announcement since then, but fans should not panic about losing the Argentina international, whose present deal expires in 2020. “Dybala’s entourage is in Argentina right now,” Marotta told Mediaset. “There is no reason to worry....

Last month, McDaniels skied for a massive block on Raptors guard Greivis Vasquez. The ball rocketed out of bounds and struck a fan. In a excellent profile piece published by Sports Illustrated on Tuesday, McDaniels revealed that the woman he accidentally struck with the ball suffered a concussion. Sitting courtside can be dangerous, especially when McDaniels takes flight. Hopefully the woman did not suffer any long-term damage from the strike....

The diverse crowd had congregated for the highly anticipated hip-hop opera “Gaddafi: A Living Myth” which runs through Sept. 16. At worst it may sound like a joke, at best a cheesy Mel Brooks knockoff. But this—dare we call it a “hip-hopera?"—is neither. The story follows the life of Col. Muammar Kaddafi, the leader of Libya since 1969. The soundtrack is built on ragga-jungle rhythms (an electronic form of reggae), and if this sounds nothing like a typical night out at the opera, well that’s the point....

The first four rounds of the tournament were loaded to the WWE Network over eight episodes in one bingeworthy week, and they delivered a lot more than seemed to be promised by the taping results in July. The story of the tournament was Sane, one of the smallest competitors in the tournament, winning four matches as something of an underdog. She came from behind each time with her spectacular flying elbow....

Daniel Cardoso’s unfortunate own goal gave Ea Lla Koto the lead midway through the second half, but Bernard Parker levelled matters with a sublime finish to earn Amakhosi a point. Itumeleng Khune, who again did well on the night despite conceding a goal, could only watch on as Vilakazi’s attempt shot deflected off Cardoso and into the back of the net. In the end, the draw was not too bad for the Glamour Boys, although the gap at the top of the log could widen should Baroka win their match on Sunday afternoon....

If Seattle GM John Schneider holds the line and doesn’t alter from his stated policy of not renegotiating until one year remains on a contract, it won’t bode well for the Seahawks’ chances to retain one of their top defensive players and leaders, at least in a productive, non-distracting way. MORE: NFL GM rankings | Preseason format change overdue | Seahawks cap winners The Chancellor situation is well documented. A former fifth-round pick in 2010, the three-time Pro Bowl safety jumped at the opportunity to sign a lucrative extension in 2013 — $28 million over four years....

Harris on Friday posted to Twitter the note for her goddaughter, Helena, where the vice president conveyed her elation and optimism at seeing Jackson confirmed. The note is the latest in the emotional outpouring that’s followed Jackson’s ascendance to the country’s highest court. “I sit here with a deep sense of pride and joy—for this moment in our history and what I believe will mean for you and all the current young and future leaders of our country,” wrote Harris on the stationery marked by the vice president’s seal....