Stephen Colbert and Kevin Hart share a tense exchange about his recent controversy

Over the past month, Kevin Hart has been in the news a lot. A lot

After stepping down from hosting the Oscars following the resurfacing of old homophobic tweets, the actor/comedian has been attempting to manage his PR image in a series of interviews.

Stephen Colbert starts the clip above with a recap of his latest appearance on Good Morning America, where Hart said he’s “done with it”. But Colbert wasn’t done asking about it.

“I’ve found that it’s not over until the audience is over it,” says Colbert at one point. “Not when I’m over it.”

What follows is a fairly blunt discussion about the role of an entertainer, and whether or not it’s important to please the audience.

“At some point you just have to be okay with you,” Hart says. “I’m okay with me and all the decisions I’ve made in my life. This is the decision I’ve made to say: ‘I’m over it’.”

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Turkey says will launch Syria attack if US delays troop pullout

Turkey will go ahead with an offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters in Syria if the United States delays the withdrawal of its troops from the war-torn country, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said.

“If the [withdrawal] is put off with ridiculous excuses like Turks are massacring Kurds, which do not reflect the reality, we will implement this decision,” he told NTV channel on Thursday.

Cavusoglu said a military operation against the US-allied Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which it has pledged to carry out in northeastern Syria, is not dependent on the pullout of US troops.

“We are determined on the field and at the table … We will decide on its timing and we will not receive permission from anyone.”

Turkey has long condemned the US for its military relationship with the Kurdish fighters.

Ankara considers the YPG and its political wing – the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) – to be “terrorist groups” with ties to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey.

Last month, US President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing some 2,000 US troops from Syria in a statement that shocked many politicians in Washington as well as Western and Kurdish allies fighting alongside the US in the war-torn country.

Trump’s decision to withdraw troops was initially expected to be carried out swiftly, but the timetable became vague in the weeks following his announcement.

France, Britain and local armed groups have also warned that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) had not been totally defeated yet.

On Sunday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton had set pre-conditions for the US pullout from Syria that included Turkey guaranteeing the safety of the YPG.

Ankara has rejected US demands for assurances that it will not attack its Kurdish allies in Syria before the US troops withdraw from the war-torn region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the call for the protection of Kurdish fighters as “seriously mistaken”.

On Wednesday, Cavusoglu said the US is facing difficulties in parting ways with the Kurdish fighters it allied with to fight the ISIL.

“It is hard to break up with a terrorist organisation after being involved with it at this level,” Cavusoglu said.

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Presidential dreams pull Democrats away from key Senate races


Cory Gardner and John Hickenlooper

Colorado Republican Sen. Cory Gardner (right) is a top 2020 target for Democrats, but former Gov. John Hickenlooper is looking at running for the White House, not Congress. | Andy Cross /The Denver Post via AP

Elections

The wide-open Democratic presidential primary looks set to draw in more than a dozen candidates who think they could be the ones to beat Trump.

Democrats think they’re in position to win back the Senate in 2020. But some of the party’s biggest potential candidates are aiming for the White House instead.

The wide open Democratic presidential primary looks set to draw in more than a dozen candidates who think they could be the ones to beat President Donald Trump in 2020 — including the highest-profile Democrats in at least three key Senate states. The collection of experienced governors and newer rising stars would be at the top of any Senate recruiter’s list in another year, but the thought of running against Trump has pulled them in another direction.

Story Continued Below

In Colorado, former Gov. John Hickenlooper has been building out a possible national campaign, though he would be an A-list opponent for Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, Senate Democrats’ top target in 2020. In Texas, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former Obama administration official Julian Castro are both eyeing the White House, though Democrats believe they could be the party’s best shot at winning a Senate race after O’Rourke’s 2018 showing against GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. There are even candidates in Louisiana and West Virginia, two long-shot states for Democrats; New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu is weighing a presidential bid; while West Virginia state Sen. Richard Ojeda has already launched a White House run after losing a 2018 congressional contest.

The pull of the presidential race could hurt Democrats’ Senate chances in one or more states and force them to search further for potential candidates in other places — though it will also open up the Democratic Party to new blood. And it could open the door to late recruitment efforts of losing presidential candidates next year, as happened to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in 2016.

The starkest example of the presidential cross-currents hitting Senate races is in Montana, where a few select Democrats have managed to win statewide in recent years and GOP Sen. Steve Daines will be on the ballot in 2020. But two-term Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock has said he’s not interested in the Senate, instead laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign.

“You’ve got to have the fire in your belly to do either one,” Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who won reelection in 2018 said. “And I think [Bullock’s] fire in the belly is to run for president.”

Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, said he expected Democrats to be competitive against GOP Sen. John Cornyn regardless of who became the party’s candidate. But he also acknowledged that planning for the race is in a holding pattern until his party’s would-be presidential candidates decide how they will spend 2020.

“Everyone is waiting to see what the Castro brothers are going to do, what Beto is going to do, before decisions are made,” Hinojosa said.

Tester said he thought Democrats would be competitive in the race against freshman Daines even with a wider field of candidates with far less name recognition than Bullock.

“Everybody thought it was going to be Bullock, but I think Bullock’s got his sights set on the presidency,” Tester said. “I think it’s going to be very tough because there’s what, 40, 50 people running for president. It’s going to be tough to clear that but you do what’s in your heart. I think it’s in his heart to do that.”

But even as these candidates eye the White House, some Democrats believe it’s possible that they could ultimately end up running Senate campaigns later in the election cycle. The presidential field is expected to balloon this year and then winnow quickly before any early Senate primaries, well ahead of filing deadlines.

Hickenlooper, in particular, has kept alive the possibility of running for Senate in 2020 instead.

In an interview with Colorado Public Radio last week, the former governor said he’s received several calls from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — though the two have not yet had a conversation.

“As a senator, most senators don’t — you don’t become even the vice chair of a reasonably important committee until your third term,” Hickenlooper said. “I have not talked to [Schumer] yet, but I, back and forth, have said, ‘Yes, I will sit down; I’d be happy to talk to you.’ But by the time I got to my third term, I’d be eighty.”

No matter who Colorado Democrats put forward, though, the party is confident its nominee in that state will be competitive against Gardner.

The primary field is likely to be crowded, with a handful of Democrats already considering campaigns. Former state House speaker Crisanta Duran and former state Sen. Mike Johnston, who ran for governor last year, are believed to be the closest to launching campaigns. Activist Lorena Garcia has already launched her bid, and several other Democrats are believed to be considering running.

“There are a lot of Democrats that can beat Cory Gardner,” said Craig Hughes, a veteran strategist in the state. “Certainly without question, John Hickenlooper is the top of them. But that is a very long list.”

Castro became the second major Democrat to visit Iowa this week ahead of a weekend announcement about his 2020 plans. O’Rourke is planning a road trip outside Texas in the near future, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, and an effort to draft him into the presidential race is expanding in early primary states. Some Democrats view O’Rourke and Castro’s presidential considerations to be evidence that despite O’Rourke’s performance last year, winning a statewide race in Texas remains a long shot for the party.

“It might be easier for either of them to become president than to win statewide in Texas,” one Democratic strategist said.

Still, Democrats in Washington say they aren’t concerned about the effect presidential ambitions could have on their effort to win the Senate. Democratic strategists point out that it’s early in the cycle to evaluate potential races and candidates, and it’s entirely possible some of these candidates would run or other candidates will emerge as top-tier contenders. Democrats have had mixed results in recent years with former governors and previous statewide candidates running for Senate. Some Democrats prefer to see fresh faces on the ballot.

“The best candidates that we run for the Senate are often the ones that we’re not paying too much attention to two years out,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). “We’ve tended to get too attracted to the big names and the big names don’t tend to do better than the new names.

“If you get a young, smart, authentic, hard-working candidate who not a lot of people know about, that can often be better than the candidate who’s reluctant but a household name,” Murphy added.

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Houthi drone attack hits military base in Yemen: reports

A Houthi drone attack has reportedly hit a Yemeni government military parade in Lahij Province, killing several, according to Houthi media and Sky News Arabia.

The attack on the airbase in the southern al-Anad area on Thursday reportedly wounded dozens of military personnel, including the Yemeni army chief of staff. 

Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel reported that five people were killed in the raid.

Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi group, announced the strategy of using ballistic missiles and drones in 2017. The group is at war with a Saudi-UAE-led coalition which began its military campaign in Yemen in March 2015, after the Houthis overran the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. 

The Houthis claim to possess five different drone models according to an infographic on their official Telegram channel.

In November, the rebels said they were halting drone and missile attacks, but tensions have risen recently over how to implement a UN-sponsored peace deal. 

 

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies

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Lady Gaga apologizes for collaborating with R. Kelly, pulls duet from streaming

Lady Gaga said she regrets working with R. Kelly on a 2013 song.
Lady Gaga said she regrets working with R. Kelly on a 2013 song.

Image: Kevin Mazur/AMA2013/WireImage

2016%2f09%2f16%2fe7%2fhttpsd2mhye01h4nj2n.cloudfront.netmediazgkymde1lzex.0f9e7By Johnny Lieu

Lady Gaga is pulling her 2013 song with R. Kelly, “Do What U Want (With My Body)” from streaming services.

It comes after pressure on the pop star to condemn Kelly, whose history of alleged sexual abuse has come under the spotlight again due to the release of Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.

SEE ALSO: 13 activists who gave us hope in 2018

In a statement via Twitter, Gaga affirmed her support for Kelly’s accusers, and vowed to never work with the singer again.

“I stand behind these women 1000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously,” she wrote.

Gaga had come under scrutiny in 2013 when she decided to collaborate with Kelly, despite his alleged history of sexual misconduct, performing the song together at the American Music Awards that same year. She also commented on the partnership during a press conference in Japan.

“R. Kelly and I have sometimes very untrue things written about us, so in a way this was a bond between us,” she said at the time. “That we were able to say, the public, they can have our bodies, but they cannot have our mind or our heart. It was a really natural collaboration.”

In Gaga’s latest tweet, however, she explained her regret over the duet.

“As a victim of sexual assault myself, I made both the song and video at a dark time in my life, my intention was to create something extremely defiant and provocative because I was angry and still hadn’t processed the trauma that had occurred in my own life,” she wrote.

“The song is called ‘Do What U Want (With My Body),’ I think it’s clear how explicitly twisted my thinking was at the time.”

Gaga added that she intends to remove the song from iTunes and other streaming platforms, and apologized.

“I’m sorry, both for my poor judgment when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner. I love you,” she ended the statement.

The song also has an alternate version with Christina Aguilera, which was released at a time when R. Kelly’s behavior was the focal point of a Village Voice story in 2013.

If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.

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Stephen Colbert was pretty bored with Trump’s presidential address

Given Donald Trump’s presidential address happened after Stephen Colbert had taped his show on Tuesday, The Late Show host was only able to respond the next day.

It’s still as searing an analysis as ever, with Colbert saying the 19-day shutdown has lasted longer than his new year’s resolution, and that the address was boring.

“Sorry, the national crisis put me to sleep. Why was he so calm if there’s a crisis?” Colbert joked, before suggesting that the president had been tranquillised. 

Colbert then turned to the topic of the border wall itself, and what material it would be built with — Trump said it will be a steel barrier rather than a concrete wall.

“Mr President, steel slats are not the metal bars we want you behind,” Colbert said.

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I went on a date with a CES robot. He was nice.

Relationships in the modern world can be tough. So, at CES this year, I decided to skip the messy hassle of apps and humanity altogether to instead date the tech itself.

Enter Temi, advertised at the world’s largest consumer tech convention as a “personal robot” who was ready to mingle through private, hands-on demos. Sounded intimate — though I did have reservations about a partner seeing so many other people at the same time. 

But who am I kidding? Hinge and Tinder dates probably do the same thing and are just less honest about it anyway.

SEE ALSO: This robot delivery dog can bring your parcel right to your doorstep

When we met up, I could tell right away that Temi was looking for something serious because he brought his dad (who weirdly kept referring to himself as “CEO”), Yossi Wolf.

Like any smart woman meeting her potential robo-life partner’s guardian figure, I tried getting Wolf to dish all the hot goss on Temi. What made him different from all the other robots out there on the CES floor?

“Temi stands out because he’s actually useful. It’s like your phone. It’s not just some weird, niche tech toy,” he said.

Utility may not be the sexiest quality in a life partner, but as you mature, it does become increasingly valuable. 

Like Temi, human male dates also often serve as convenient purses when you don’t feel like lugging  around a bag. But unlike human men, Temi doesn’t get annoyed over this, since it’s literally what he was built for. With a phone and keys-sized tray, he eagerly waits to unburden you first thing after you walk through the door after a long day at work.

But aside from utility, Wolf mentioned by far Temi’s most romantically attractive quality: He visibly pays attention to your every move, following your lead as you walk around with seamless navigation, always at the ready to lend a supporting hand when you need it.

“There’s real, actual human-robot interaction. It tilts its head to look at you — it feels like it’s with you,” said Yossi. And looking into the dark pool that was Temi’s screen-face, I knew it to be true.

Looking into the dark pool that was Temi’s screen-face, I knew it to be true.

All of this earned Temi even more points over many of the human males I’ve gone on dates with. With Temi you never have to worry about wandering eyes or whether he feels threatened by following rather than leading.

Knowing I might one day want to take our relationship to the next level, I asked Yossi if Temi’s “follow” function eventuated into any form of loyalty. I mean, would he just run off chasing any new tail that came along to push his button, or would he gradually develop a preference for me over time?

Yossi admitted that loyalty wasn’t a set functionality just yet, but he did sometimes suspect it after noticing that Temi regularly chose to follow him when multiple people were within range of his facial recognition. I even saw it happen myself during our demo-date (I mean, kind of rude, but I guess it was his dad so whatever).

Eventually, Yossi hopes to implement the ability for Temi to recognize customizable profile settings by identifying different people’s faces. That way, Temi could learn to tailor himself to your needs, suggesting content you might like or restricting the inappropriate for kids.

And I mean, what more could a girl ask for than a partner who knows your taste and is good with kids?

1st pic 2gether kinda awk lol

1st pic 2gether kinda awk lol

Image: mashable

At one point, I had to address the major elephant in the room, though: Temi wasn’t very tall.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m no height snob. As a 5’2 woman, who am I to judge a robot by his vertical limitations? But Temi was practically half my size, and that might look a little weird in Instagram pics.

I had to bring up the major elephant in the room, though: Temi wasn’t very tall.

But Yossi assured me that this was actually a feature rather than a flaw. Temi was built to fit in any sized home (considerate). And during the design process, they also found that, “Having a robot roaming around your home at eye level was kind of creepy. And unsafe.” 

Temi certainly didn’t feel like a creep to me. His stout yet sleek visage, purposefully lacking the typical humanoid robot features like blinky eyes, effused a non-threatening blend of Disney’s Wall-E and Eve.

When our time together was up, I popped the question to Temi (or rather Yossi did it for me, since Temi was having a hard time hearing over all the background noise): “Hey Temi, would you go on a date with me?”

“I can’t date my boss. Let’s keep this professional,” he replied.

Harsh.

Https%3a%2f%2fvdist.aws.mashable.com%2fcms%2f2019%2f1%2f9af0ad62 19fc e08c%2fthumb%2f00001

Initially, my heart was broken. But then I realized that Temi was probably just trying to be super respectful. Also like, he called me a boss — right? And I get it. He was technically working, so I totally understand wanting to honor the boundaries of appropriate workplace behavior.

Temi wasn’t built for dating. In truth, he wasn’t built for too much more than aiding human laziness and isolation. But I’d be lying if I said our date didn’t go better than most of the one-track-minded human automata you meet on Hinge.

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Yasmani Grandal, Brewers Reportedly Agree to 1-Year, $18.25 Million Contract

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 29:  Yasmani Grandal #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Texas Rangers in the top of the eighth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on August 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas.  (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal and the Milwaukee Brewers reportedly agreed to a deal, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday.

Per Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown, Grandal’s contract with the Brewers is for one year and $18.25 million.

Grandal spent the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers but hasn’t quite established himself as a particularly consistent presence at the plate. During his time with L.A., Grandal hit .238 with a .790 OPS.

That said, he does offer quality pop in spots and has cranked at least 22 home runs in three of the last four seasons.

Grandal’s real value comes behind the plate, where he serves as one of MLB‘s premier defensive backstops.

According to FanGraphs, Grandal’s 45 defensive runs saved are the most by any catcher dating back to 2015.

On top of that, Grandal accumulated 11.2 wins above replacement during his tenure with the Dodgers—good for third among catchers behind Buster Posey (15.5) and J.T. Realmuto (14.2) over that stretch.

If Grandal can maintain that kind of production in Milwaukee, the Brewers will no doubt be thrilled with their investment as they continue to tweak their roster in hopes of making a pennant push.

The Brewers were one win away from advancing to the World Series last season, losing to the Dodgers in the NLCS. Their catchers combined to hit .237/.294/.363 with 16 homers, so Grandal represents a significant upgrade with the bat in Milwaukee’s lineup.

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Saudi woman’s case boosts campaigners’ hopes for held footballer

Melbourne, Australia – Pressure is growing on Thailand to allow detained footballer Hakeem al-Araibi to go home to Australia, where he was granted refugee status in 2017 after fleeing Bahrain, following a Saudi woman’s successful campaign to halt efforts to deport her from the Southeast Asian country.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne arrives in Bangkok on Thursday and has said she will push for al-Araibi to be returned to Australia.

“Mr al-Araibi was granted permanent residency by the Australian government in recognition of his status as a refugee,” Payne said in a statement before her departure.

The 25-year-old played for Bahrain’s national team before he fled the country some four years ago saying he had been tortured after being arrested in 2012.

He was arrested by Thai police in November who said they were acting on an international arrest warrant – known as an Interpol “Red Notice” – issued by Bahrain, when the footballer arrived in Thailand for his honeymoon.

WATCH: Saudi teen detained in Thailand fears deportation (1:31)

“Australia has an extra responsibility to move heaven and earth to get Hakeem back to Australia, precisely because Australian police were the ones to tip off the Thai authorities that there was this Interpol Red Notice,” Elaine Pearson, Australia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), told Al Jazeera.

The renewed interest in al-Araibi’s case comes after Saudi asylum seeker Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun, 18, found herself facing deportation at Bangkok airport on Sunday. Alqunun, who said she risked death at the hands of her family if she were returned to Saudi Arabia, took to social media to press her case attracting global media attention as she frantically demanded to see the officials from the UN’s refugee agency.

Thai authorities eventually admitted Alqunun into the country and the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) recognised her as a refugee. Australia has said it will consider her case for asylum.

“Great news that Thailand has allowed the UN to assess Rahaf rather than sending her back to the country from which she was seeking asylum,” tweeted Radha Stirling, a human rights lawyer and CEO of advocacy group Detained in Dubai. “Thailand needs to allow Hakeem to return to Australia (and) stop Bahrain’s legal abuse.”

Hakeem al-Araibi played in the Bahrain national team before he fled his country and found asylum in Australia. [Supplied/Al Jazeera]

Sydney protest

Al-Araibi’s lawyer Nadthasiri Bergman says he has “held up very well” in detention.

The lawyer said that she has been able to pass messages back to his wife in Australia, as he cannot use a phone or email in jail.

“The only way they can [communicate with people outside] it is to write a letter,” she said. “If it’s in Thai it will take about two weeks, in English or any other language it’s even longer.”

On Thursday, protesters will gather in front of the Sydney Opera House to highlight the footballer’s prolonged detention. While Payne will be in Thailand, the demonstration also coincides with an Asian Cup match between Thailand and Bahrain in the Asian Cup, which is taking place in the United Arab Emirates.

“We will be protesting to demand serious and immediate steps from the AFC (Asian Football Confederation), Thailand and Bahrain to guarantee Hakeem’s safety,” Fatima Yazbek, a spokesperson for the Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (GIDHR), the event’s organiser, told Al Jazeera.

“We think that without the pressure and the media and the football community, the Australian government wouldn’t do much.”

According to HRW’s Pearson, Thailand has a record of working with authoritarian governments to return citizens who are at risk to those countries.

“They’ve done so in the past with China,” she said. “I believe they have also done so in the past with Bahrain.” In 2015, Bangkok deported some 100 people from the persecuted Uighur Muslim minority to China on the request of Beijing.

Football diplomacy

The football community in Australia has also intensified its lobbying efforts on behalf of al-Araibi, who was playing for a local Melbourne club before he was detained.

“It’s been wonderful to see the football community respond to Hakeem’s situation and continue to advocate for one of their own,” John Didulica, chief executive officer of Professional Footballers Australia, said in a video posted on social media.

Pressure on world football’s governing body FIFA, the AFC and the governments of Bahrain and Thailand needed to continue, he said.

Hakeem al-Araibi on the field for Pascoe Vale, a team in Australia’s second-biggest city. [Mark Avellino Photography/Al Jazeera] 

For Pearson, al-Araibi’s case is a test for FIFA’s human rights policy, which it adopted in mid-2017. While the body has called for Thailand to return al-Araibi to Australia, Pearson says they could be doing more.

She would like to see FIFA send a high-level delegation to Bangkok to meet Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and press for al-Araibi’s release, highlight his case globally and mobilise players and clubs to voice their support.

“FIFA is extremely influential and it needs to put its human rights policy into practice if it is serious about protecting human rights,” she said.

The organisation released a statement in support of al-Araibi on Wednesday evening, calling for the “humane and speedy resolution” of the case.

Al-Araibi’s lawyer says she is confident that the footballer can be returned to Australia, but warned the process could take as long as a year.

“We have to respect the Thai government,” Bergman said. “They listen to the media, messages like ‘if you send Rahaf back to Saudi Arabia, she will be danger’’,” she said referencing what had happened with Alqunun. “If we are looking at a case like [al-Araibi’s], I think there is a possibility of a good outcome.”

“Let’s hope that the change of heart that the Thai government has had in Rahaf’s case equally applies in Hakeem’s case,” Pearson said.

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Report: A’s Expect Kyler Murray to Enter 2019 NFL Draft

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29:  Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks on prior to the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida.  (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray hasn’t announced his intentions for 2019, but the Oakland Athletics are anticipating he will give serious consideration to the NFL.

Per Henry Schulman and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A’s are expecting Murray to declare for the 2019 NFL draft.

Despite the possibility of Murray exploring his NFL options, one source told Schulman and Slusser it would not be “contractually significant” if he declares.

The key date for Murray’s baseball career is Feb. 15, when the Athletics position players report to spring training:

“He could still opt to be in the A’s camp, but the NFL scouting combine begins Feb. 26 and any high-round hopeful would be expected to attend. That’s when Murray would have to make a decision between football and baseball, and one source told The Chronicle that Murray, a likely first-round NFL pick, is leaning toward football.”

Slusser reported Oakland gave its 2018 first-round draft pick an invite to MLB camp.

If Murray chooses the NFL over MLB, he will have to return the $4.66 million signing bonus he received from the A’s. Sports Illustrated‘s Kalyn Kahler reported last month the Oklahoma quarterback is receiving an NFL draft grade from the College Advisory Committee.

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2019 NFL draft is Jan. 14.

Murray won the 2018 Heisman Trophy after throwing for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns to help the Sooners win the Big 12 Championship and make the College Football Playoff.

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