The nostalgia created by the U.S. men’s hockey team for a more innocent time is transforming the nation, reminding us that we are one nation under God, and infusing the country with optimism.
This half day workshop covers the legal foundations and recent developments affecting psychedelic churches and sacramental practices. It focuses on religious freedom protections under RFRA, recent DEA exemptions, and ongoing enforcement risks under the Controlled Substances Act.
Participants will examine practical risks faced by churches and leaders, including criminal enforcement, ethical harms, professional licensing exposure, and threats to tax status, payment processing, and online platforms. The session reflects the growing visibility and spiritual importance of psychedelic sacramental practice.
The workshop maps real world legal pathways and common traps. Topics include the RFRA strict scrutiny framework, lessons from recent federal and state cases, DEA exemption decisions, and the need for clear ethical standards and accountability systems.
This workshop is for church leaders, facilitators, participants, licensed professionals, and attorneys. Participants will leave with a clear, practical understanding of how psychedelic churches can structure practices and prepare for legal challenges.
Thursday’s screening marked the launch of “Faith on the Frontline” as the first documentary of NCC’s MOSAIC Storytelling Initiative. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice
In a week stocked with division in the wake of President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address, the campus of Morehouse College offered a different message Thursday evening: In trying times, faith endures.
Morehouse College, in partnership with the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and the MOSAIC Storytelling Initiative, hosted the world premiere screening of “Faith on the Frontline,” a short film chronicling the NCC’s 75 years of shared ecumenical witness for justice, peace, and moral leadership.
The screening, held in the Bank of America Auditorium inside the Shirley E. Massey Leadership Building, drew a crowd consisting of Men of Morehouse, the spiritually inclined, and religious leaders, all gathered at the invitation of Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, President and General Secretary of the NCC and the first Black woman to hold the organization’s top position, and Dr. Jann Adam, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for International and Experiential Education at the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership, who hosted the evening.
Dr. Sushama Austin-Connor, Program Director of the MOSAIC Storytelling Initiative, welcomed attendees on behalf of the MOSAIC team.
“This documentary chronicles the enduring influence of Black leadership in shaping national movements for justice,” Austin-Connor said before the film began.
The documentary chronicles the influence of Black faith leadership in shaping national movements for justice and features former Atlanta Mayor and United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, who served as NCC president from 2000 to 2001, reflecting on the church’s central role in accelerating the civil rights movement. The film opens on a simple but urgent premise, that God has always called his people to unite, and the stories that follow make the case that the NCC spent 75 years answering that call.
“The churches were coming together to pass legislation,” Young said in the film. “We had the closest to a global ministry.”
Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice
Young, who began his career with the church in 1955 as a pastor in rural Alabama, later joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1960 and became its executive director in 1964. He worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., playing a role that was critical in the negotiations and strategies that advanced the civil rights movement. Young went on to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1977 to 1979, as a Georgia congressman, and as the second Black mayor of Atlanta.
During the post-screening panel discussion, Young recalled the pivotal role the National Council of Churches played in connecting him to Dr. King. After King was stabbed by Izola Ware Curr and relocated to Atlanta to recover, NCC staff reached out to Young, then working as Associate Director of the Department of Youth Work in New York, to help King establish himself in the city. Young credited his years at the NCC with preparing him for that work.
“This is my story too,” Young remarked in reflection during the subsequent panel discussion following the screening.
“We felt it appropriate to close Black History Month with this remarkable collection of stories that can be found in no other repository,” McKenzie said.
McKenzie, who previously served as the 117th bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the first woman elected to that post, now leads NCC’s executive operations, overseeing 37 denominations, more than 100,000 congregations, and 30.5 million people.
Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice
Thursday’s screening marked the launch of “Faith on the Frontline” as the first documentary of NCC’s MOSAIC Storytelling Initiative, a five-year project funded by the Lilly Endowment aimed at building a national repository of up to 500 stories of faith, justice, and unity across the United States.
“Our stories matter,” McKenzie said, “not just for bragging rights, but to inspire action from one generation to the next.”
Roberto Azcorra Consuegra, initially misidentified by the Cuban government as one of the men detained following a shooting off the island’s coast with the country’s coast guard, was among a group of Cuban exiles that attended a vigil held at Versailles Cuban Cuisine Restaurant on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
A small crowd gathered outside Cuban restaurant Versailles Thursday night to pray for the men killed and injured during a shootout with the Cuban Coast Guard off the island’s coast.
As patrons dined inside, a man wearing a Cuban flag paced along Southwest Eighth Street with an “assassins and terrorists” sign featuring photos of Raul Castro and Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel. Agustin Acosta said he was there to pay “tribute” to the men killed and captured.
“It was a crime, a massacre,” he told the Miami Herald in Spanish.
A group of Cuban exiles including Agustin Acosta attended a vigil held at Versailles Cuban Cuisine Restaurant after four people were killed when gunfire erupted at sea between a Florida boat and the Cuban Coast Guard, on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com
The confrontation happened Wednesday one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel in Cayo Falcones, off the northern coast of the Villa Clara province in central Cuba, according to Cuban government officials.
Havana says a group of 10 Cuban nationals came aboard a boat registered in Florida armed and planning a “terrorist infiltration.” The Trump administration is investigating the allegations, but has said little beyond acknowledging that two of the men shot in the confrontation were U.S. citizens.
Roberto Azcorra Consuegra, who was initially on the Cuban government’s list of the people detained but was actually in Miami, came to show his support for the men in Cuba’s custody. Consuegra said he knew most of the men on the boat from gathering at places like Versailles.
He said he hopes the U.S. government has a “strong reaction.”
“This is the moment to give el punto final, ya,” he said.
A group of Cuban exiles including Agustin Acosta (left) and Santiago Ferran, attended a vigil held at Versailles Cuban Cuisine Restaurant after four people were killed when gunfire erupted at sea between a Florida boat and the Cuban Coast Guard, on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com
The modest Thursday night crowd brought signs and Cuban and U.S. flags. They chanted libertad, for a moment. They talked about decades of repression on the island. They had questions, and expectations of a full investigation by the U.S. government.
“I have a lot of pain,” said Santiago Ferrer, who has lived in the United States for 25 years.
Ferrer, who still has family in Cuba, said he’s only ever been able to kiss his grandchildren through the phone.
He described Wednesday’s confrontation as history repeating itself with the Cuban regime. He said the government chooses to “assassinate los muchachos Cubanos.”
“Once again Cuba cries,” he said, his eyes watering.
A group of Cuban exiles including Ramón Saúl Sánchez, leader of the Democracia organization, attended a vigil held at Versailles Cuban Cuisine Restaurant after four people were killed when gunfire erupted at sea between a Florida boat and the Cuban Coast Guard, on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com
Cuban exile Ramón Saúl Sánchez, president of Movimiento Democracia, was at Versailles “to mourn those killed and to pray for the end of violence in Cuba.”
Sanchez, who has organized about 24 “flotillas” to honor Cuban victims and protest the government, said the group of men likely faced 90 miles of rough seas on their travel to the island and had to evade the U.S. vessels before ultimately finding themselves face to face with the Cuban coast guard.
Michelle Marchante covers the pulse of healthcare in South Florida and also the City of Coral Gables. Before that, she covered the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, crime, education, entertainment and other topics in South Florida for the Herald as a breaking news reporter. She recently won first place in the health reporting category in the 2025 Sunshine State Awards for her coverage of Steward Health’s bankruptcy. An investigative series about the abrupt closure of a Miami heart transplant program led Michelle and her colleagues to be recognized as finalists in two 2024 Florida Sunshine State Award categories. She also won second place in the 73rd annual Green Eyeshade Awards for her consumer-focused healthcare stories and was part of the team of reporters who won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for the Miami Herald’s breaking news coverage of the Surfside building collapse. Michelle graduated with honors from Florida International University and was a 2025 National Press Foundation Covering Workplace Mental Health fellow and a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow. Support my work with a digital subscription
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The 6th annual Houston Reads Day will be here before we know it, and non-profit Literacy Now is looking for volunteers to join the mission in making a difference this February.
This year, the event is on Feb. 27, 2026, and schools across the area will again participate.
The day is dedicated to reading to and engaging with students to raise awareness about the literacy crisis in Houston, while also promoting the importance of reading.
Join us as we celebrate the joy of reading while encouraging literacy. And we’re not doing this alone! Here’s a special message.
Why is this a literacy crisis? Consider this. According to Literacy Now:
– 41% of young children are not ready for kindergarten – 68% of 3rd graders do not read at grade level
And the above makes a lasting impact.
High school dropouts are not eligible for 90% of current jobs, Literacy Now says.
In addition, students who are not reading on grade level by 3rd grade are four times more likely not to graduate high school.
Among other ripple effects – 85% of youth in the juvenile justice system are functionally illiterate, and 70% of U.S. inmates cannot read above a 4th grade level.
During Houston Reads Day, volunteers are called to read to more than 17,000 Pre-K through 5th grade students across 45 area schools.
Volunteer readers are asked to read to classes for 20 minutes and may read to students multiple times in that duration.
Participating districts include Aldine ISD, Alief ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Houston ISD, Royal ISD, Sheldon ISD, Spring Branch ISD, and various charter schools.
ABC13 will once again partner with Literacy Now, with station volunteers stopping by classrooms to read to students.
And that reading time really adds up.
Just that one day of reading totals to over 13,000 minutes of reading.
But keep in mind, the goal is to encourage students to read all year long.
Literacy Now, formerly known as Making It Better, was founded in 2006 to help children rise above their circumstances through tutoring, mentoring, and other services, according to the non-profit.
It has since empowered more than 28,000 children and their parents.
Anthropic has refused a Pentagon demand that would require the company to remove certain safety guardrails from its AI system and give the military broader, less constrained access. Government officials sought contract changes that, according to reporting and company statements, would allow lawful military uses of the model that Anthropic says could include surveillance and weaponized applications. The Defense Department issued a deadline and presented what it described as a final offer; Pentagon leaders also warned of possible consequences if the company did not comply.
Anthropic’s leadership responded that it could not, in good conscience, accede to the proposed changes. Company executives and public statements framed the refusal as a principled stand to preserve safety limits designed to prevent misuse and mass domestic surveillance. The dispute has escalated quickly because it involves both national security needs and corporate commitments to ethical constraints.
What’s at stake
Contracted work and hundreds of millions of dollars in procurement for the Pentagon.
Precedent for how much control private firms retain over powerful AI systems sold to government buyers.
Operational tradeoffs between rapid military adoption of advanced tools and safeguards against misuse.
Why this matters
The outcome will shape whether the U.S. military can deploy advanced, commercially developed generative AI at scale and under what constraints. A forced rollback of safeguards could accelerate military capabilities but increase risks of surveillance abuses or autonomous targeting. Conversely, a firm stand from private firms could slow military adoption, prompt policy responses in Congress, and push defense planners toward alternative suppliers or in‑house development.
Police first found the dead infant in Pine Island Pond in Manchester, N.H. on the afternoon of March 27, 2025.
The infant, referred to as Baby Jane Doe, was found dead in Pine Island Pond last year. Amanda Gokee/The Boston Globe
A New Hampshire woman has been arrested and charged with murder for causing the death of her baby, who was found in a Manchester pond last year.
Hepay Juma, 26, of Manchester, N.H., is charged with reckless second-degree murder in connection with the death of her child, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Manchester Police Chief Peter Marr said in a press release. The charge levied against Juma stems from “an extreme indifference to the value of human life,” they wrote.
Throughout the investigation, the female infant has been referred to as “Baby Jane ‘Grace’ Doe.” She was found dead in Pine Island Pond in Manchester on the afternoon of March 27, 2025.
By April 2, Manchester police said they had received about 50 leads but were still seeking the public’s help in finding information about the suspicious death. Two weeks later, they doubled the $2,500 information reward to $5,000.
The circumstances of the incident remain under active investigation, according to prosecutors.
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Mel Kiper Jr. has served as an NFL draft analyst for ESPN since 1984. He is a regular contributor on “SportsCenter,” ESPN studio shows and ESPN Radio. He is the co-host of the First Draft podcast, and he writes regularly for ESPN+.
Matt Miller is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. A Missouri native, Matt joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live and ESPN Radio. Prior to joining ESPN, Matt spent 11 years as a senior draft analyst at Bleacher Report.
Jordan Reid is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. Jordan joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter and ESPN Radio. He played quarterback at North Carolina Central University and then went on to coach there from 2014-18.
Field Yates is a fantasy football expert and NFL draft analyst for ESPN. You can find him on Fantasy Football Now on Sunday mornings and regularly on NFL Live throughout the week, as well as the Fantasy Focus and First Draft podcasts. A graduate of Wesleyan University (CT) and native of Weston, Mass., Yates has previous experience interning with the New England Patriots on both their coaching and scouting staffs.
Kalyn Kahler is a senior NFL writer at ESPN. Kalyn reports on a range of NFL topics. She reported about the influence of coaching agents on NFL hiring and found out what current and former Cowboys players really think about the tour groups of fans that roam about The Star every day. Before joining ESPN in July of 2024, Kalyn wrote for The Athletic, Defector, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. She began her career at Sports Illustrated as NFL columnist Peter King’s assistant. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she was a varsity cheerleader. In her free time, Kalyn takes Spanish classes and teaches Irish dance. You can reach out to Kalyn via email.
Multiple Authors
Feb 26, 2026, 06:30 AM ET
The NFL combine is rolling through Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this week — a key event in the lead-up to the 2026 NFL draft. More than 300 prospects will converge on Indy, where they will receive official measurements, undergo medical evaluations, interview with teams and work out in front of NFL scouts, coaches and front office executives.
The on-field drills begin Thursday, and draft experts Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates are here to break down what they’re looking for out of the best players in the class. Which prospects are going to make an impression? Who has the most to prove or gain? Which quarterbacks could turn heads, and of course, who will run the fastest 40-yard dash? NFL reporter Kalyn Kahler also shared one new tweak to the combine workouts that could matter.
Defensive linemen, linebackers and special teams are up first Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. Defensive backs and tight ends perform their workouts at 3 p.m. ET Friday, followed by the quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs at 1 p.m. ET Saturday. The offensive linemen finish things with their workouts at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.
Here are some top names to watch and what to expect over the next four days.
Which prospect is going to dominate his combine workout?
Miller:Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon. The buzz surrounding Sadiq’s skills has been growing since the junior tight end first took the field as Terrance Ferguson‘s backup in 2024. Now, the 6-foot-3 245-pounder has his shot to impress scouts and GMs. Evaluators I’ve spoken to are predicting Sadiq will leap north of 41 inches in the vertical jump and could run the 40-yard dash in the low 4.5-second range. The top tight end in the class, Sadiq has varying grades from teams, with some placing him in the top 20 while others see him in the back end of Round 1. A big week of testing could push him to the top of that range.
Reid:Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State. At 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, Styles has the potential to be the talk of the combine after his workout. Speaking to scouts, the expectation is for Styles to run in the mid-to-high 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash and exceed 40 inches in the vertical jump. Don’t be surprised if he touches 11 feet on the broad jump, too. He is already viewed as a potential top-10 pick, but Styles is likely to put on a show not only during the testing portion but also in on-field drills.
Kiper:Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama. Man, Jordan took mine. Styles is going to light up the vertical and 40. But I’ll go with Proctor, who is extremely explosive for his 6-foot-7, 366-pound size. We saw his athleticism on display during the season, as he took a screen pass 11 yards against Georgia and plowed his way to a first down against Missouri. And he has a ton of raw upper-body strength. I think he could post some really good numbers in the combine testing and help make the case that he should stay at left tackle in the NFL — and go in Round 1.
Yates:Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia. Fans of the “First Draft” podcast are familiar with my feelings about Freeling, who is among my top 15 prospects in the entire class. The 6-foot-7, 315-pound tackle is one the best O-line athletes expected to work out in Indianapolis, and he’ll have a chance to showcase the smooth movements, transitions and footwork that helped him become a standout pass protector. My sentiment is that Freeling will keep on climbing draft boards, and I wouldn’t be stunned if he works his way into the top 10.
Which prospect has the most riding on his workout?
Kiper:Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami. There is no arguing Bain’s production (including 9.5 sacks and 71 pressures last season), technique and overall upside. His game is built on sheer power, nonstop hustle and a deep arsenal of pass-rush moves to beat offensive tackles. But his arm length at 6-foot-3, 275 pounds is a question for scouts, and his 40-yard dash time will be key in seeing his true speed. Bain needs a good workout and some solid testing numbers to prove he can be just as dominant in the NFL as he was in college. I have him ranked ninth overall right now, but he could end up going top-five if he puts a stamp on his evaluation in Indianapolis.
Yates:Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama. Few players have generated as strong of opinions from scouts as Proctor, who at his best is a hulking, powerful, overwhelming tackle with flashes of proactive athleticism that wow you. But he endured difficult stretches throughout his Alabama career, leaving some scouts skeptical that he has the foot quickness to hold up against top NFL pass rushers. As Mel said above, Proctor’s workout will be essential in stating the case that he has the goods to hold up in pass protection and secure his spot as a potential top-25 selection.
Miller:Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama. Simpson (QB2 in my rankings) made the right move by deciding to throw at the combine, but a lot is now riding on how he performs there. The junior started only 15 games in college (all last season) and looked noticeably different over the second half of 2025. I want to see what Simpson’s arm looks like in person and what type of velocity and drive power he can generate. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, Simpson’s measurements will also be scrutinized as scouts home in on his hand size and height.
play
0:53
Mel Kiper Jr. makes case for Steelers drafting Ty Simpson
Mel Kiper Jr. joins “Get Up” and breaks down why Ty Simpson would be a good option for the Steelers in the 2026 NFL draft.
Reid:Caleb Banks, DT, Florida. He came into the 2025 season as a potential top-20 pick, but Banks played only three games because of a foot injury. With plenty of question marks entering the predraft process, Banks revived his draft stock a bit during a strong week of practices at the Senior Bowl. But now scouts will want to see him put it all together at the combine; a strong showing in testing and on-field drills could help him resurface as a mid-to-late first-round pick. He’s my No. 29 overall prospect.
What do scouts want to see from this quarterback group?
Reid: The QB class is wide open after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. And with Mendoza opting to wait until his pro day on April 1 to throw, there’s a prime opportunity for another quarterback to claim the spotlight Saturday. Who will make a statement?
Simpson (Alabama) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) are viewed as the potential QB2 and QB3 of this class. After their highly inconsistent seasons, scouts are interested to see how both throw the ball during the throwing session. Simpson is still receiving a mixture of late Round 1 and early Day 2 grades, while Nussmeier’s grades are sporadic. Some scouts see him as a Round 3 prospect, while others feel he’s a Day 3 dart throw.
Cole Payton (North Dakota State) is also gaining steam, and his development is well ahead of the curve despite being a one-year starter. Early Day 3 is still seen as Payton’s target area, but Round 3 isn’t out of the question if he performs well during the predraft process. Saturday will be key.
Which quarterback has the chance to rise the most Saturday?
Kiper:Taylen Green, Arkansas. The eighth QB on my board has a legitimate chance to toss his name in the wide-open QB3 ring with a good performance this week, though that admittedly speaks more to the uncertainty of the quarterback class beyond Mendoza and Simpson. He looks the part at 6-foot-6 and 224 pounds, he has a big arm to push the ball downfield, and he is a terrific runner with 35 career scores on the ground. But Green’s accuracy has been very inconsistent. Consider that his completion rate was below 60% in half of his games last season, and his 11 interceptions tied for 14th in the nation.
Green needs to run as well as expected and throw with precision Saturday. He can’t be missing high and low on passes during the workout, especially with no defenders in coverage. I want to see a jump in his ball location. A good workout could have teams buzzing about a guy with a lot of coveted physical traits.
Pick a four-man relay team of prospects who will light up the 40-yard dash
Miller: This was an easy year to pick a 4×40 team. Let’s start off with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. The 6-foot, 214-pound first-rounder has the runaway speed, as shown by his two 90-plus-yard touchdown runs last season. He will cook in the low 4.4s. We also have to get Mississippi State receiver Brenen Thompson on the team, as he’s my pick to run the fastest 40 in Indy. Watch for him to run in the mid-4.2-second range, though I don’t think he’s catching Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy (record 4.21 in 2024).
For the last two, I polled scouts and heard that Iowa wideout Kaden Wetjen (high 4.3s) and Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne (low 4.4s) are two must-sees when it comes to the best 40 times in this class. If I had to call out a player on defense, I’d keep an eye on Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell. He can fly.
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Why Louis Riddick considers Jeremiyah Love a massive difference-maker
Louis Riddick breaks down why Jeremiyah Love is the biggest offensive difference-maker in the 2026 NFL draft.
Which prospect is going to turn heads with his broad/vertical jumps?
Yates:Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina. He is one of the most explosive players in the draft, which is apparent when watching his tape. A vertical jump north of 40 inches would come as no surprise (expect an impressive broad jump, too), and he’ll blaze the 40 as well. Cisse was a movable chess piece during his college career. A strong week in Indy will strengthen his case to be a first-round selection.
Which prospects’ measurements will scouts really be focused on?
Miller:Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami. The arm length concerns have been loudly rumored when discussing Bain, and we’ll get a firm number on just how long his arms are this week. Does it matter? Some teams will knock a player with sub-32-inch arms along the defensive line — even if that player had 71 pressures and 9.5 sacks like Bain did last season. His weight will also be of interest.
Will he come in at his listed weight of 275 pounds, or will he look to cut or bulk up to force teams into viewing him as either an outside or inside D-lineman? If Bain weighs in at 285 or more, we can assume teams will talk about kicking him inside to tackle. But he could also cut weight to fit more as an edge rusher in the NFL.
Whose medical reports will teams be paying close attention to this week?
Reid: If we’re strictly ranking this class of receivers by talent, a strong argument could be made that Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson is the best of the bunch. But he has struggled to stay healthy. He never completed a full college season, missing three games in 2025. He’s always battling nagging injuries, so there will be teams hesitant in taking Tyson in Round 1.
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy sat out last season after tearing his ACL, so teams will want to know more about his recovery. Talent-wise, there’s no doubting McCoy is one of the 10 best prospects in this class. He has squeaky-clean technique, as he can turn and run with any receiver while also having the hip mobility to break at any point. And at 6 feet, 193 pounds, he also has great size for a versatile corner. But where is he at in his rehab and timeline to return?
What’s the best piece of buzz you’ve heard heading into the combine workouts?
Kiper: Missouri’s Zion Young could be the first defensive end off the board — ahead of Bain, Akheem Mesidor, etc. (but not quite in the same class as top outside linebackers Arvell Reese and David Bailey). The 6-foot-5, 262-pound edge rusher plays with strong hands, plenty of quickness and the ability to seal off the run. He’s No. 22 on my board, but he has a lot of fans around the league and could push higher — especially if he has a good week at the combine.
Miller: Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane could be a top-15 pick and a future All-Pro. The 6-foot-4 330-pounder is a favorite of many evaluators I’ve talked to since the Senior Bowl. “He’s a mauler with ballerina feet,” one NFC South area scout said. Guards aren’t usually seen as smart investments in Round 1 because of positional value, and the rookie wage scale dictating a high salary for first-rounders, but Ioane is seen as one of the safest picks in this class.
Reid: If you’re looking for two names that scouts are high on despite not getting much Round 1 buzz, consider Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas and San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson. Jacas (6-foot-3, 275 pounds) has created plenty of momentum after recording 11 sacks last season and followed that up with a strong performance at the Senior Bowl. Don’t be surprised if Jacas, my No. 46 overall player, sneaks into the back end of the first round.
Johnson (6-foot, 185 pounds) has been repeatedly brought up by scouts in this deep cornerback class. After a dominant 2025 season that resulted in him earning Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year, the big question mark that scouts want answered is Johnson’s straight-line speed. His 40-yard dash time is one to watch very closely. I have him in Round 2 at the moment.
Yates: Michigan edge rusher Jaishawn Barham is picking up steam in the scouting community, which I don’t expect to slow down anytime soon. He began his college career at Maryland and was a stand-up linebacker for much of his college career, but at 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds, he played a hefty dose of edge snaps in 2025 and showed unique explosiveness. He’s a Day 2 prospect now who will only create further intrigue with a big week.
What is one way the combine workouts have changed this year?
Kahler: The combine has added a new bench press drill — an isometric hold to measure a prospect’s force — multiple club sources at the combine told ESPN. Prospects will start with elbows bent at 90 degrees and push the barbell as hard as possible for 3-5 seconds. Prospects will do at least two reps, with 60 seconds of rest.
Last year, only 25% of prospects participated in the bench press, where prospects max out reps at 225 pounds. And over the past four years, only 30% of prospects participated in the bench press. The session has been part of the combine since 1985, but it hasn’t been popular among prospects or NFL clubs in recent years because it’s not viewed as an actual indicator of football strength. The introduction of the isometric hold this year looks to be a move to measure functional strength, instead of the endurance strength of the bench press. And because it is less physically taxing, prospects might be more likely to participate in it. Prospects will still have the opportunity to complete the traditional bench press, as well.
In 2020, president of National Football Scouting Inc. Jeff Foster told Sports Illustrated that he had discussed options to replace the bench press that year with a committee of five general managers.
Give us your best prediction for combine week.
Reid: The buzz coming out of the combine will surround the depth atop the offensive tackle class. I currently have seven players with top-50 grades. Freeling (Georgia), Max Iheanachor (Arizona State) and Blake Miller (Clemson) currently have second-round grades, but I believe all three will firmly be in the Round 1 picture after this weekend. In speaking with multiple scouts and evaluators over the past month, there’s no set order on when they’re expected to come off the board, but tackles will be selected frequently — and early.
Yates: We’re going to come out of this week with a lot of questions on the top players. In recent years, top prospects have bypassed even some of the fundamental tasks of the week (i.e., no drills, no weigh-ins, etc.), and I’m not here to blame them or question them. But in a class with fewer blue-chip prospects than usual, there are players projected to go early who have questions about their size, health, athletic profile or otherwise. Many of those questions will not be answered in Indy.
Kiper: Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II will run something in the ballpark of 4.47 in the 40-yard dash and push himself into the first-round conversation. I love his 6-foot-5 size, sure hands, overall toughness and strength at the catch point. But NFL front offices will be paying close attention to his timed speed. He’s quicker than you’d expect out of his breaks at that size, but showing good straight-line speed will round out his scouting report. He’s the type of player who might rise over the next few weeks as teams get a closer look at his tape. He’s WR6 on my board.
Miller: Ohio State will dominate the combine — and the draft. We’ve already seen linebacker Sonny Styles, safety Caleb Downs, edge rusher Arvell Reese, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and wide receiver Carnell Tate taking top spots at their respective positions in multiple rankings. We should see them all do very well in testing this week, too. Like Jordan mentioned earlier, Styles is a name that pops up frequently with scouts and coaches when talking about potential workout stars. Those five players listed are seen as first-round talents, which is why Round 1 could have a scarlet-and-gray feel to it.
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Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates
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On-chain data shows spot demand for Bitcoin is returning as the Apparent Demand metric has started to grow for the first time since late November.
Bitcoin Apparent Demand Has Seen Its 30-Day Sum Turn Green
In a new post on X, CryptoQuant head of research Julio Moreno has discussed the latest trend in the Apparent Demand of Bitcoin. This on-chain indicator provides an estimate for the spot demand for the cryptocurrency that’s present on the network right now. It does so by comparing two metrics: the mining issuance and change in the 1-year inactive supply.
The mining issuance is the amount of the asset that miners are ‘minting’ on the blockchain every day through their mining activities. It can be considered as a measure of the asset’s total production. In contrast, the 1-year inactive supply, corresponding to coins dormant since more than one year ago, represents the cryptocurrency’s inventory.
When the value of the Apparent Demand is positive, it means the decrease in the inventory exceeds the production. Such a trend suggests demand for BTC is going up. On the other hand, the indicator being negative implies coins are being stashed away in inventory, potentially because of a lack of fresh activity.
Now, here is the chart shared by Moreno that shows the trend in the 30-day sum of the Bitcoin Apparent Demand over the last few months:
The value of the metric seems to have turned positive in recent days | Source: @jjcmoreno on X
As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin Apparent Demand saw its 30-day sum plummet deep into the red zone during December, implying demand for the cryptocurrency was muted. The metric persisted at these lows during the first half of January, but things started to reverse in the month’s second half.
The Apparent Demand remained at slight negative levels for much of February, but recently, a reversal into the positive territory has finally taken place. “Bitcoin spot demand is growing for the first time since late November,” noted the analyst. For now, the metric’s green level is still relatively small, so it only remains to be seen whether it will go up further in the near future.
In related news, the Coinbase Premium Index has also flipped green for Bitcoin recently, as CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju has pointed out in an X post.
The trend in the BTC Coinbase Premium Index over the last couple of weeks | Source: @ki_young_ju on X
The Coinbase Premium Index tracks the percentage difference between the BTC price on Coinbase (USD pair) and that on Binance (USDT pair). In other words, it reflects how Coinbase’s US-centric traffic differs in behavior from Binance’s global userbase.
From the chart, it’s visible that the metric shot up into the positive territory alongside the latest price surge, a potential sign that accumulation from American institutions backed the rally.
BTC Price
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $68,000, up 4% in the last 24 hours.
Looks like the price of the coin saw a fast rebound from its recent drop | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView
Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
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The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it’s misleading for members of the House to say their package of aviation safety reforms would address the recommendations that her agency made in January to prevent another midair collision.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy testifies before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing at Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)(AP/Jose Luis Magana)
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy testifies before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing at Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)(AP/Jose Luis Magana)
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it’s misleading for members of the House to say their package of aviation safety reforms would address the recommendations that her agency made in January to prevent another midair collision like the one last year near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the House bill’s “watered-down” requirements wouldn’t do enough to prevent a future tragedy, and wouldn’t be nearly as effective as a Senate bill that came up just one vote short of passing in the House earlier this week. The full NTSB followed up Thursday afternoon with a formal letter to two key House committees, saying that they can’t support the bill right now
“We can have disagreements over policy all day. But when something is sold as these are the NTSB recommendations and that is not factually accurate, we have a problem with that. Because now you’re using the NTSB and you’re using people who lost loved ones in terrible tragedies,” Homendy said. “You’re using their pain to move your agenda forward.”
The key concern of Homendy and the families of the people who died in the crash on Jan. 29, 2025, is that they believe all aircraft should be required to have key locator systems that the NTSB has been recommending since 2008, which would allow the pilots to know more precisely where the traffic around them is flying. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out systems that broadcast an aircraft’s location are already required around busy airports. It’s the ADS-B In systems that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft that isn’t yet standard.
The House bill would ask the Federal Aviation Administration to draft a rule to require the best locator technology instead of just requiring ADS-B In, and even when it does suggest that technology should be required, the bill exempts business jets and small planes in certain parts of the airspace. Homendy said the bill is also weak in other areas, such as limits on when the military will be able to turn those locator systems off and the steps they must take to ensure those systems are working.
House leaders defend their bill
The leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee declined to respond to Homendy’s criticism Thursday, but Reps. Sam Graves and Rick Larsen have said they believe the ALERT bill they crafted effectively addresses the 50 recommendations that NTSB made at the conclusion of their investigation into the collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
They defended their bill and pledged to work with the families, the Senate and the industry to develop the best solution as soon as possible. The committee will likely markup the bill within the next few weeks.
“From the beginning, we have stressed the importance of getting this right, and we are confident that we will achieve that goal,” Larsen and Graves said. House Speaker Mike Johnson also said he is committed to getting the bill done.
Victims’ families say they can’t support the bill as written
The NTSB released a side-by-side comparison of its recommendations and the House bill to highlight all the ways the bill falls short of fully addressing the needed changes.
Doug Lane, who lost his wife and son in the crash, and many of the other victims’ families said the House bill “is not really a serious attempt to address the NTSB recommendations.” He said the introduction of this bill just a few days before the vote on the ROTOR Act, which the Senate unanimously approved, seemed designed to “scuttle” that bill and send the ADS-B In recommendation into limbo to be considered in a lengthy rulemaking process.
Matt Collins, who lost his younger brother Chris in the disaster, said that the bill must require ADS-B In to be acceptable to the families.
“As far as the ALERT act — the way it’s written now, I can’t endorse the way its written now. It needs to include ADS-B In,” Collins said. “It’s non-negotiable for us as family members, extremely non-negotiable.”
Missed warnings led to the crash
The NTSB cited systemic weaknesses and years of ignored warnings as the main causes of the crash, but Homendy has said that if both the plane and the Black Hawk had been equipped with ADS-B In and the systems had been turned on, the collision would have been prevented. The Army’s policy at the time of the crash mandated that its helicopters fly without that system on to conceal their locations, although the helicopter involved in this crash was on a training flight, not a sensitive mission.
But Homendy said the House seemed to pick and choose what they wanted to include from the NTSB recommendations.
“We were very explicit of what needed to occur,” Homendy said. “When we issue a recommendation, those recommendations are aimed at preventing a tragedy from happening again. And if you’re just going to give us half a loaf, it’s not going to do it. We’re not gonna save lives.”
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This story has been updated to correct the date of the Potomac River midair collision. It was Jan. 29, 2025, not 2005.
During a Thursday night show at London’s Alexandra Palace, Fred again.. teased an unreleased Harry Styles song. Listen to a snippet of the track below.
The song, which fans have speculated is titled “Coming Up Roses,” features a clipped string arrangement and a ballad’s pace. “We sleep half the night with your head on my chest me and you,” Styles sings. “There’s only me and you.”
Styles’ first new album in four years, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally., is due out on March 6—he released a lead single, “Aperture,” last month. He’ll support the album with a tour later this year, which includes a formidable 30 dates at Madison Square Garden. He’s also pulling double duty on Saturday Night Live for the second time next weekend, where he’ll serve as host and musical guest.
Fred again.. is currently in the midst of a world tour supporting his album USB002, which he released one song at a time last fall. The record featured Floating Points, Danny Brown, Caribou, Skepta, and more.
If you’re considering switching careers, exploring the job market and identifying the roles that align with your skills, passions, and lifestyle is essential. It can be overwhelming to narrow down your choices with the many options available. From technology to relation advisor, the best jobs for career changers offer competitive salaries, opportunities for growth, and a strong sense of purpose. Here are seven of the best jobs when considering a career change.
Cybersecurity
In today’s digital age, cybersecurity is critical for organizations worldwide. With increasing cyber threats and data breaches, the demand for cybersecurity professionals has risen significantly.
Cybersecurity professionals work to protect an organization’s sensitive data and networks from cyber attacks and security breaches. They play a pivotal role in detecting and preventing security threats, helping companies safeguard their assets, reputation, and customer trust.
With an ever-growing need for cybersecurity experts, this field provides a lucrative career prospect and an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to society. It is crucial to stay updated on the latest technologies and trends to stay ahead of the curve in this field.
Graphic Designer
Graphic design is an ideal career choice for creative individuals interested in digital media and visual communication. Graphic designers create visuals to communicate a message, often through websites, logos, or other types of advertisements. They develop original concepts, execute designs, and collaborate with other professionals. With the right design skills, you can develop a successful career in this field and make a meaningful contribution to art and design.
Marriage Counselor
Marriage counseling is a unique and in-demand niche that presents many opportunities for those passionate about helping others navigate the challenges of relationships. As a marriage counselor, you’ll have the chance to work closely with couples as they rediscover their love for one another and establish healthy communication patterns.
From premarital counseling to helping couples navigate infidelity and divorce, marriage counseling is a dynamic and rewarding field that will provide ample opportunity for growth and fulfillment. You’ll need the right training and accreditation to provide counseling services in your area to succeed in this field. This job also requires intuition, empathy, and excellent communication skills.
Social Media Manager
With the increasing prominence of social media in our daily lives, the role of a social media manager has become increasingly crucial in business. As a social media manager, you are responsible for creating, developing, and implementing social media strategies for clients or companies to improve their online presence and brand image.
The job requires a sharp eye for trends and innovative marketing ideas, thinking strategically, and strong communication skills. A career as a social media manager could be the perfect fit for those passionate about digital marketing and interested in the ever-evolving world of social media.
Nursing
Nursing offers excellent job security, competitive salaries, and room for growth. Nurses are in high demand globally, and the field is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Nurses get to work with patients directly, providing care, administering medicine, and working as part of a healthcare team. They can work in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities.
There are different entry routes into nursing, including certification programs, accelerated BSN programs, or direct entry masters in nursing. With a degree in any field, you can pursue a direct entry masters in nursing and become an advanced practice nurse. With about 20 months of coursework and clinical experience, you can make a successful career change into nursing.
Family Lawyer
For those with a background in law, becoming a family lawyer can be an excellent career change. Family lawyers specialize in matters related to family law and help individuals navigate difficult situations such as adoption, child custody, and divorce. It’s a highly specialized field that requires a deep understanding of the legal system and human emotions.
However, for those with a passion for helping people and a desire to make a difference in their lives, a career as a family lawyer can be fulfilling and meaningful. By considering a career change to become a family lawyer, you are opening yourself up to new opportunities that allow you to use your experience and expertise meaningfully.
Sex Therapist
As a sex therapist, you will provide guidance, advice, and therapy to help individuals and couples improve their sex lives, overcome sexual issues like sexual dysfunction, and achieve sexual health and satisfaction. It’s a profession that requires empathy, communication skills, and an open-minded approach to sexuality. You will need to pursue specialized training and credentials to practice as a sex therapist to ensure you are equipped to handle delicate and sensitive issues with clients.
With the increased sexual health and wellness awareness, there is a high demand for skilled sex therapists to help people navigate their sexual issues and achieve a fulfilling sexual life. A career in sex therapy is an excellent choice for your next career move if you have a passion for helping others and a good understanding of sexual health and wellness.
Making a career change can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. With the right amount of research and preparation, you will find plenty of rewarding options that match your skill set and interests. Whether you choose to become an art and design professional, marriage counselor, family lawyer, social media manager, or sex therapist, you can make a meaningful impact on people’s lives and create lasting experiences.
A Chicago man charged in the shooting deaths of a father and son who owned a Little Village jewelry store was arrested in St. Louis, according to Chicago police.
Muhammad Thomas, 35, faces nine felony charges including two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed robbery, two counts of aggravated battery, burglary and armed vehicular hijacking, according to police. The charges are from three separate burglaries that span three years. Three warrants were executed with his arrest.
Thomas is accused of killing Berwyn resident Faustino Alamo, 63, and his son, Luis Angel Alamo, 25, after he grabbed some jewelry from their store and they ran after him the afternoon of Nov. 8, 2025. Faustino Alamo fired off one or two shots with his own weapon, according to a police report.
He’s also accused of shooting and “seriously injuring” a 26-year-old man July 28, 2023, in the 1700 block of West Maypole Avenue and a July 16, 2024 armed robbery in the 2300 block of West Cermak Road.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that his unannounced meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office was productive and expressed optimism about his pitch to build 12,000 units of affordable housing at Sunnyside Yards in Queens with the president’s support.
In a photo posted following the meeting, Trump is seen holding two front pages of the Daily News. One is from 1975, when then‑President Gerald Ford famously told New York City to “drop dead” (as the tabloid put it) after City Hall requested an emergency loan to prevent bankruptcy. The other is a mock-up with the headline, “Trump to City: Let’s Build,” with a subheading noting, “Trump delivers 12,000 homes.”
“I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon. I’m looking forward to building more housing in New York City,” Mamdani wrote in the post directly after the visit.
Mamdani’s Press Secretary Joe Calvello said Thursday evening that the mayor presented Trump with the mock-up front pages as he pitched “a project with an estimated 12,000 units.”
“The president was very enthusiastic about the idea that we pitched him,” said Calvello.
He said that during Mamdani’s last in-person meeting with the President, Trump asked him to come back with “some big ideas on how we can build things together here in New York City, and that’s what he did today.”
“The mayor took him up on his offer and went to DC today to pitch him about a possible project in NYC that could deliver one of the biggest federal investments in housing of the past 50 years,” said Calvello.
In a statement issued late Thursday, the mayor’s office confirmed that the city is seeking $21 billion in federal grants to begin construction on the long-stalled, ambitious plan to build above the Sunnyside Yards.
In 2015, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio first suggested building on the site. In 2020, the city and Amtrak, the federal agency that owns the majority of the site, released a long-awaited ‘Sunnyside Yard Master Plan.’
The master plan called for the creation of 100 percent affordable housing with 12,000 homes, 60 acres of new open space, equitable home ownership opportunities, the long-sought Sunnyside Station, and necessary infrastructure and other public amenities.
At the time of the master plan’s release, the city’s Economic Development Corporation said the “generational plan” would likely be rolled out over several decades and involves decking over 115 acres of the 180-acre Sunnyside Yard. At the time, the estimated cost to build the deck would be about $5.4 billion– with the total cost of the platform and infrastructure about $14.4 billion. It then stalled under the Adams administration.
If the grants sought by the mayor are approved, Mamdani’s office said it would pave the way for the construction of those affordable homes, including 6,000 new Mitchell-Lama-style homes which were also outlined in the plan that was shaped by a series of public workshops and meetings held between May 2018 and the end of 2019. The project, city officials said, would create 30,000 union jobs and deliver new parks, schools, and health care clinics on the site.
“New York City is facing a generational affordability challenge,” Mayor Mamdani said. “Working families are being priced out of the neighborhoods they built. To meet this moment, we need a true federal partner prepared to invest boldly and act urgently. I appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with President Trump about building more housing in any single project than our city has seen since 1973.”
According to the city, the Trump administration agreed to “continue discussions in the weeks ahead.”
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Plea to release students in ICE detention
Also during Thursday’s meeting, Mamdani made a direct appeal to President Trump and secured the release of the Columbia University student who was arrested by ICE agents in her dorm building earlier that morning. The federal officers allegedly said they were NYPD officers looking for a missing child in order to gain access to the building of Elaina Aghayeva, a Columbia School of General Studies senior.
Mamdani said he received a phone call from Trump after leaving the meeting, and “he has just informed me that she will be released imminently.” Aghayeva later posted on her Instagram story at around 3:45 p.m. that she had been released.
Press Secretary Calvello said that after raising Aghayeva’s case, the mayor also gave Trump’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, a list of four NYC students in ICE custody, asking them to consider dismissing their cases as well.
The mayor made the unannounced trip to Washington, D.C. on Thursday morning for a meeting with President Trump, the second in-person meeting between the two leaders whose relationship has drawn national attention.
Mamdani’s visit was not listed on his public schedule and was first reported by The New York Times on Thursday morning. A source familiar with the meeting confirmed the mayor’s presence in the nation’s capital to amNewYork, but did not initially disclose the agenda.
It comes nearly three months after the two held an unexpectedly cordial Oval Office discussion in November, when then-Mayor-elect Mamdani traveled to the White House. During that visit, they discussed shared concerns about housing affordability, public safety, and the cost of living.
At the earlier November meeting, Trump praised Mamdani’s leadership potential and suggested a willingness to support initiatives to improve conditions in the city, even as both men acknowledged significant policy disagreements.
U.S. President Donald Trump and then-New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani react as they speak to members of the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 21, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstREUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
The 34-year-old mayor, a democratic socialist who took office in January, has repeatedly drawn sharp criticism from Trump, who during the 2025 mayoral campaign labeled him a “communist” — a false characterization, but the President has continued to use it. During the election, the president repeatedly threatened to cut off federal funding to the city if Mamdani were to win.
In turn, Mamdani previously called Trump’s approach to governance authoritarian and fascist, and his election victory speech vowed to push back against the president’s threats to defund the city and meddle in his administration. Since taking office, however, the mayor has toned down his campaign criticism of the president as he seeks to foster a good relationship with the federal government.
The pair have kept in constant contact since their initial meeting, and when asked about the content of their conversations, Mamdani has kept the content and frequency of those conversations closely under wraps.
Asked about it on Wednesday, after Trump shouted him out during his State of the Union address, Mamdani said: “I’ll keep the conversations that I have with the president private. I will tell you, however, that whenever they do happen, they always focus on how to better our city.”
After months of negotiations, the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery ended after a wild couple of hours. Paramount upped its bid, WBD declared it the “superior” offer, gave Netflix four days to up its bid, and the streaming service said “Nah, we’re good.”
And with that, Warner Bros. Discovery and all of its valuable brands and intellectual properties are soon to be under the control of Paramount Skydance, which already controls a media empire that includes networks, studios, and streamers like CBS, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, MTV, and more. The deal takes two of the biggest media companies in the world and combines them into an even bigger conglomerate.
The merger will still need to be approved, which could take months or even years. So it might not be until 2028 or 2029 or beyond until you see, say, Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt join the Justice League and team up with Robert Pattinson’s Batman or David Corenswet’s Superman.
Okay, obviously, that will never happen. But after the Paramount/Warner Bros. deal is closed, it theoretically could. So, theoretically, could a visit by the Looney Tunes to South Park or Beavis and Butt-Head. That is enormously unlikely. But it is not impossible. What a weird, weird world we live in now.
Fans inevitably want to contemplate what franchises could start to migrate to Paramount in the years ahead, so here are ten of the biggest properties that are now (at least on paper) under the company’s control…
Massive Franchises That Are Now Controlled By Paramount
If Netflix successfully finalizes its deal with Warner Bros., these huge entertainment brands would all fall under the streaming giant’s control.
Late last year, Netflix struck a deal with Warner Bros. to purchase most of the company’s assets for $82 billion. Now, Netflix has chosen to abandon that deal rather than match the higher offer made by Paramount. That paves the way for Paramount to become the new owner of Warner Bros. Discovery, pending stockholder and regulatory approval.
For the better part of two months, Warner Bros. refused to engage with Paramount, which briefly led the latter to file a lawsuit against the rival studio. Earlier this month, Netflix granted Warner Bros. a one-week period to reopen negotiations with Paramount. The Warner Bros. board subsequently decided that Paramount’s higher offer was the better deal, and Netflix declined to keep bidding.
“We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.’ iconic brands, and that our deal would have strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the US,” said Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.”
In the dark, early-morning hours outside a McDonald’s in Orange County, a police officer fired a shotgun loaded with so-called less-lethal munitions at a man swinging a belt, cursing at officers and believed to be under the influence of drugs, authorities said.
One, two, three, then four shots of beanbag rounds were fired from a distance of around 30 feet, but the man did not comply with orders to get on the ground, according to a report released Thursday by the Orange County district attorney’s office.
So, the officer fired a fifth shot. It pierced the man’s chest, and he fell to the ground bleeding profusely. Less than an hour later, he was pronounced dead.
Investigators at the district attorney’s office recently determined that Fullerton Police Cpl. Nicholas Jarvis was justified in his use of force that killed Alejandro Campos Rios, 50, on March 6, 2024.
“Corporal Jarvis’ deployment of the less-lethal bean bag shotgun at that distance was in accordance with his training and reasonable under the circumstances,” the report states.
Less-lethal munitions such as beanbag rounds are designed to spread the force of impact over a larger area, without penetrating the skin, offering officers an alternative to bullets when defending against threats. And as police departments’ use of force across the nation has come under greater scrutiny in recent years, the use of less-lethal munitions has grown considerably.
“I can appreciate that there seems to be more less-lethal methods being used as opposed to just straight out shooting people,” said civil rights attorney Kellen Davis, who has prosecuted many use-of-force cases against police departments. “But I think that force, period, should be a last resort. I would appreciate seeing more deescalation tactics as opposed to use of any sort of force.”
Less-lethal munitions have been attributed to a decrease in fatal officer-involved shootings. However, they remain a controversial tool because of the injuries they can cause — and, in rare cases such as this, death.
The 18-page report released by the district attorney’s office paints a detailed picture of the circumstances leading up to Campos Rios’ death, but it does not provide a clear answer as to how a tool intended to stun and disable became a fatal instrument.
The incident began at 2:55 a.m. on March 6, 2024, when the Fullerton Police Department received a call from a woman who worked at a McDonald’s at 1341 S. Brookhurst Road, reporting “two homeless men” who appeared to be “actively on drugs” near the entrance of the building. She said she feared for the safety of her coworkers arriving to work.
An officer arrived at 3:06 a.m. and approached Campos Rios, who was singing and yelling and began thrashing his body and a nylon belt with a metal buckle in a “wild manner,” according to the report.
The officer called for backup, and Jarvis soon arrived at the scene, where he also saw Campos Rios acting erratically and assumed he was under the influence of narcotics, according to the report. The officer told Campos Rios to drop the belt and sit on the curb, but he refused.
The officers repeatedly asked Campos Rios to comply with their orders. He ignored them and continued throwing the belt around, cursing at officers, singing, yelling and hitting a pillar with his hands. Aside from the belt, the report does not detail any weapon he possessed.
At 3:13 a.m., Jarvis loaded six 12-gauge drag-stabilized beanbag rounds into a Remington Model 870 Police Magnum shotgun and positioned himself around 30 feet away from Campos Rios, the report states. Officers are trained that that device can be deployed 20 to 100 feet from a target, the report states.
The initial responding officer activated his taser, so that it created a warning noise. Campos Rios then approached him, cursing, and slammed the belt on the ground in his direction. The officer announced that he would fire his taser, and then he fired the taser, which appeared to strike Campos Rios and only agitate him further.
Jarvis then yelled, “Bean bag! Bean bag!” and fired one round at Campos Rios, striking him in the arm. Campos Rios walked away from the first officer and toward the McDonald’s entrance, and Jarvis discharged his weapon four more times, with the final round striking Campos Rios in the chest.
Paramedics began performing lifesaving measures at 3:22 a.m.; Campos Rios was pronounced dead at UC Irvine Medical Center at 3:55 a.m. His cause of death was ruled a penetrating chest injury to the heart and the accumulation of blood between the chest and lungs.
The report states that Jarvis’ use of force was justified because “substantial reliable evidence supports the conclusion that at the time of the shooting, Corporal Jarvis reasonably feared for his life and the lives of others.”
An analysis of nearly 2,000 people wounded by rubber bullets, beanbag rounds and other projectiles used by law enforcement from 1990 to 2017 found that 15% of people were permanently disabled and 3% died. Of the 53 people who died, 26 suffered head and neck trauma, and 15 suffered chest and abdominal trauma.
The study explains that the muzzle velocity of less-lethal munitions is similar to that of lethal ammunition and that severe injuries are typically caused by rounds that strike vital organs from a close range. To prevent severe injury, officers are trained to fire from what have been deemed safe distances.
“Safe shooting distances are not well validated, however, and are highly variable among weapons, countries and manufacturers,” the study states, adding that, in practice, less-lethal munitions may be deployed “from distances much closer than deemed safe.”
In 2021, Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 48 into law, which placed restrictions around the use of less-lethal weapons, including that they cannot be aimed at the head, neck or any other vital organs.
Recent pro-immigration protests in Los Angeles have revived the debate around the use of less-lethals as demonstrators and members of the media have been injured by beanbag rounds and 40 mm projectiles, resulting in dozens of lawsuits.
Davis, the civil rights attorney, said that in his experience prosecuting use-of-force cases it is extremely rare for less-lethal munitions to cause death.
“It sounds to me like there was something defective with the weapon,” he said.
When asked about possible defects, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said their job was to “determine whether any of the officers violated any criminal laws and did not include a review of any issues of civil liability or whether or not department policy was followed.” The Fullerton Police Department did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
The following arrests were made recently by local police departments. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Massachusetts’ privacy law prevents police from releasing information involving domestic and sexual violence arrests with the goal to protect the alleged victims.
LOWELL
• Tasha Perry, 39, 65 Summer St., Apt. 162, Lowell; warrant (failure to appear for assault and battery with dangerous weapon).
• Ibrahim Mbouemboue-Yogno, 35, 218 Wilder St., Apt. 24, Lowell; keeper of disorderly house, disturbing peace, assault and battery on police officer, assault and battery with dangerous weapon (door).
• Kenneth Eng, 21, 27 Hastings St., Lowell; operating motor vehicle after license suspension, making illegal turn from wrong lane.
• Jeremy McWhinnie, 35, 157 Summer St., Apt. L, Lowell; warrants (failure to appear for assault and battery on police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct).
NASHUA, N.H.
• Kevin Mulligan, 29, 7 1/2 Martin St., Nashua; simple assault.
• Hayden Lee Wilburn, 32, 44 Amherst St., Nashua; warrant.
• Ricardo Encarnacion, 31, 290 Ruggles St., Roxbury Crossing; three counts of theft by unauthorized taking ($0-$1,000).
• David Perez, 37, 18 Mulberry St., Nashua; nonappearance in court.
• Brian Anthony Desautels, 54, 23 Cushing Ave., Nashua; simple assault.
• Hector Solano, 54, 25 Amory St., Roxbury; lane control violation, driving motor vehicle after license revoked/suspended, nonappearances in court.
PELHAM, N.H.
• Victoria Coyle, 38, Dracut; suspension of vehicle registration.
• Nicholas Gentile, 39, Chelmsford; suspension of vehicle registration.
• Sara Beaulieu, 46, Tyngsboro; suspension of vehicle registration.
• Jean Richard, 28, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.
• Heloisa Moreira Oliveira, 28, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.
• Michael Ingham, 50, Pelham; driving under influence.
• Brian Arsenault, 39, Tyngsboro; suspension of vehicle registration.
• Robert Carleton, 23, Pelham; simple assault (domestic violence).
• Daniel McGillicuddy, 45, Dracut; two counts of violation of protective order.
• Jessica Conway, 25, Dracut; driving motor vehicle after license revoked/suspended.
• Luis Lopez, 55, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.
• Tamy Smith, 33, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.
• Frantz Letang, 48, Andover; arrest on another agency’s warrant.
• Nathan Harrington, 49, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.
• Carmen Ruiz, 25, Hudson, N.H.; suspension of vehicle registration.
• James Frederick, 51, Hudson, N.H.; operating motor vehicle after certified as habitual offender, driving under influence (subsequent offense), driving motor vehicle after license revoked/suspended for driving under influence.
WILMINGTON
• Mohammed Ali Jones, 43, 25 School St., Apt. 2, Everett; operation of motor vehicle with registration suspended or revoked, uninsured motor vehicle, license not in possession.
• Nolan Patrick Vigeant, 22, 42 Hanover St., Wilmington; operation under influence of alcohol, two counts of leaving scene of property damage, marked lanes violation, speeding.
