Football Bowl Subdivision teams are averaging 3.82 punts per game through Week 4 of the season. That figure on track to be the lowest since the NCAA began keeping the statistic in 1937. Punt attempts have decreased eight straight seasons, and the 2024 average of 4.06 was one full punt per game less than in 2015. The sport’s growing reliance on analytics has encouraged coaches to be aggressive on fourth down. Also, field goals from long distances are on the rise.… Continue Reading
NEW YORK (AP) — YouTube will offer creators a way to rejoin the streaming platform if they were banned for violating COVID-19 and election misinformation policies that are no longer in effect. YouTube parent Alphabet said in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that the decision reflects the company’s commitment to free speech. The move is the latest in a cascade of content moderation rollbacks from tech companies, who cracked down on false information during the pandemic and after the 2020 election but have since faced pressure from President Donald Trump and other conservatives who argue they unlawfully stifled right-wing voices. It comes as tech CEOs, including Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, have sought a closer relationship with the Republican president.… Continue Reading
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man representing himself in federal court against charges of trying to assassinate Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course has told jurors he didn’t intend to kill anyone that day. Jurors have begun deliberating the charges against Ryan Routh, who says he could’ve shot Trump or a Secret Service agent if he had intended harm. On Tuesday, prosecutors argued Routh spent weeks plotting to kill the Republican before aiming a rifle at him. Prosecutors say the evidence shows Routh “wanted Donald Trump dead.” Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.… Continue Reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s 11-man competition committee has approved use of the Automated Ball/Strike System in the major leagues in 2026. Human umpires will still call balls and strikes, but teams can challenge two calls per game. Challenges must be made by a pitcher, catcher or batter. A team retains its challenge if successful. Reviews will be shown as digital graphics on outfield videoboards. Adding robot umps could reduce ejections, as most are related to balls and strikes. The Automated Ball/Strike System has been tested in the minor leagues since 2019. The challenge system allows for ABS without eliminating pitch framing, a skill for catchers. This is MLB’s first major rule change since 2024.… Continue Reading
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Missouri woman has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for scheming to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland home and property before a judge halted the brazen foreclosure sale. U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. sentenced Lisa Jeanine Findley in Memphis federal court Tuesday to four years and nine months in prison. Findley pleaded guilty in February to a charge of mail fraud related to the scheme. Findley, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan before her death in January 2023.… Continue Reading
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican legislators have introduced criminal justice measures to toughen bail rules and evaluate offenders for mental health issues. This follows the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte commuter train last month. The Senate approved the bill late Monday. It now heads to the House for debate. The bill aims to prohibit cashless bail for certain crimes and reduce magistrates’ discretion in pretrial release decisions. A late amendment could also open the door to new execution methods beyond lethal injection. One Democrat criticized the amendment as immoral.… Continue Reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is using the platform of the presidency to promote unproven ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism without giving new evidence. Speaking Monday from the White House, the president said women should not take acetaminophen, also known by the brand name Tylenol, “during the entire pregnancy.” He also raised unfounded concerns about vaccines. The Trump administration has been under immense pressure from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s diverse Make America Healthy Again movement to provide answers on the causes of the marked increase in autism cases in the U.S. in recent years.… Continue Reading
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is moving to a nine-game league schedule for football while having teams play at least 10 games against power-conference opponents, though there will be variables due to the league’s odd number of football-playing member schools. Going from an eight- to a nine-game model would align the ACC with its power-conference peers in the Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences. The ACC would join the SEC in playing 10 games against Power Four opponents. The SEC announced its plans for a nine-game schedule last month.… Continue Reading
NEW YORK (AP) — ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show after suspending it due to his comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The network announced Monday that the show would return on Tuesday. Kimmel faced backlash for his remarks, leading major affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair to pull his show. President Trump, a frequent target of Kimmel’s jokes, celebrated the suspension. Kimmel expressed concern about potential government crackdowns on comedians. His suspension comes amid a shifting late-night landscape and ongoing debates about media control and free speech.… Continue Reading
Kara Lawson helped the U.S. women’s basketball team win an Olympic gold medal as a player 17 years ago. Now she’ll have a chance to lead it to another as the coach in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Lawson was announced as the head coach for the women’s team for the next four years by USA Basketball on Monday. Naming Lawson as the coach was the first official move made by Sue Bird, who started as the U.S. national team director earlier this year. In the past, a committee would decide on the coach and roster. Lawson also coaches Duke’s women’s basketball team.… Continue Reading