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  • Forecasters Warn of a ‘Major Winter Storm’ With Ice Threat From Texas to the Carolinas

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    ATLANTA (AP) — With many Americans still recovering from multiple blasts of snow and unrelenting freezing temperatures in the nation’s northern tier, a new storm is set to emerge this weekend that could coat roads with ice and knock down power lines across the South.

    Forecasters on Tuesday expressed fears that an ice storm arriving late this week and into the weekend could weigh down power lines, sending them crashing and causing widespread power outages. Temperatures will be slow to warm in many areas, meaning ice that forms on roads and sidewalks might stick around, forecasters say.

    The exact timing of the approaching storm — and where it is headed — remained uncertain on Tuesday. Forecasters say it can be challenging to predict precisely which areas could see rain and which ones could be punished with ice.


    Cold air clashing with rain to fuel a ‘major winter storm’

    An extremely cold arctic air mass is set to dive south from Canada, setting up a clash with the cold temperatures and rain that will be streaming eastward across the southern U.S.

    “This is extreme, even for this being the peak of winter,” National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Jackson said of the cold temperatures.

    When the cold air meets the rain, the likely result will be “a major winter storm with very impactful weather, with all the moisture coming up from the Gulf and encountering all this particularly cold air that’s spilling in,” Jackson said.


    An atmospheric river could set up across the southern U.S.

    An atmospheric river of moisture could be in place by the weekend, pulling precipitation across Texas and other states along the Gulf Coast and continuing across Georgia and the Carolinas, forecasters said.

    “Global models are painting a concerning picture of what this weekend could look like, with an increasingly strong signal for ice storm potential across North Georgia and portions of central Georgia,” according to the National Weather Service’s Atlanta office.

    If significant accumulations of ice strike metro Atlanta, it could be a problem through the weekend since low temperatures early Monday are expected to be around 22 degrees (minus 5.6 Celsius) in Atlanta. The city’s high temperature on Monday is forecast to be around 35 degrees (1.7 Celsius).


    Highway and air travel could be tangled by the storm

    Travel is a major concern, as southern states have less equipment to remove snow and ice from roads, and extremely cold temperatures expected after the storm could prevent ice from melting for several days. In Michigan, more than 100 vehicles crashed into each other or slid off an interstate southwest of Grand Rapids on Monday.

    The storm is also expected to impact many of the nation’s major hub airports, including those in Dallas; Atlanta; Memphis, Tennessee; and Charlotte, North Carolina.


    Polar air from Canada to keep northern states in a deep freeze

    Unusually cold temperatures are already in place across much of the northern tier of the U.S., but the blast of arctic air expected later this week is “will be the coldest yet,” Jackson said.

    “There’s a large sprawling vortex of low pressure centered over Hudson Bay,” Jackson said of the sea in northern Canada that’s connected to the Arctic Ocean. “And this is dominating the weather over all of North America.”


    Texas could be a harbinger for other parts of the South

    Some of the storm’s earliest impacts could be in Texas on Friday, as the arctic air mass slides south through much of the state, National Weather Service forecaster Sam Shamburger said in a briefing on the storm.

    “At the same time, we’re expecting rain to move into much of the state,” Shamburger said.

    Low temperatures could fall into the 20s or even the teens in parts of Texas by Saturday, with the potential for a wintery mix of weather in the northern part of the state.

    Forecasters cautioned that significant uncertainty remains, particularly over how much ice or snow could fall across north and central Texas.

    “It’s going to be a very difficult forecast,” Shamburger said.

    Panjwani reported from Washington, D.C.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • Blast of Winter Weather Hitting Midwest, East Coast and Could Bring Snow to Florida

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    HOUSTON (AP) — A blast of winter weather was set to bring snowfall and subfreezing wind chills across the Midwest and East Coast on Saturday as well as near freezing temperatures in parts of the South, including in normally warm Florida.

    In northeastern Ohio, a snow squall — sudden bursts of heavy snow and gusty winds — was creating whiteout conditions, according to the National Weather Service. The snow squall conditions were moving into the Cleveland metro area on Saturday and expected to continue east into Pennsylvania and parts of eastern New York.

    “Expect visibilities of less than a quarter of a mile and rapid snow accumulation on roadways. Travel will be difficult and possibly dangerous in the heavy snow,” according to the National Weather Service.

    Below average temperatures were being forecast for the Central and Eastern U.S. this weekend into early next week, according to the National Weather Service.

    “The next few nights are forecast to be very cold for much of the Central and Eastern United States,” the Weather Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service, said Saturday. “Sub-zero wind chills are forecast from the Plains to the Midwest and Northeast, with the coldest wind chills expected in the Upper Midwest on Sunday night.”

    Snowfall was expected by Sunday night to blanket Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with some areas getting up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow.

    The cold weather wasn’t going to be limited to the northern parts of the U.S. as Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida were expected to have near freezing temperatures through at least the weekend.

    In Tallahassee, Florida, residents could see some snowfall on Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service. But if there is snow, it won’t last long.

    “So here in Tallahassee, the likelihood of any snow accumulation is not zero, but it’s very low. I mean, the ground will be just too warm for anything to stick and accumulate,” said Kristian Oliver, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office in Tallahassee.

    If there is snowfall in the Tallahassee area on Sunday, it would be the second time in as many years that Florida has experienced such winter weather.

    In January 2025, up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow fell in parts of the Florida Panhandle. This snowfall was part of a record breaking snowstorm that impacted the deep South in late January 2025, according to the National Weather Service. Areas that don’t normally see snowfall, including Houston, New Orleans and parts of Florida, were hit by last year’s winter storm.

    “On average w Associated Press e have an event like this maybe every few years. But having two, back to back, I’d say is pretty anomalous for the area,” Oliver said.

    Up to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of snow could fall on Sunday in parts of central Georgia, areas located south of Atlanta.

    “Plan on slippery roads during the snow, as well as on Sunday night into Monday morning as remaining water/snow refreezes,” said the National Weather Service’s Atlanta office.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • Tennessee Judge Grants Expanded Media Access to State-Run Executions

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    A judge ruled Friday that Tennessee prison officials must grant expanded access to media members to view state-run executions, after a coalition of news organizations including The Associated Press sued on claims that state execution protocols unconstitutionally limit thorough and accurate reporting.

    Before Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles’ order, reporters witnessing lethal injections were limited to a short time period during which they could view the execution process. The coalition’s lawsuit argued the protocols violate the public and press’s constitutional rights to witness the entirety of executions conducted by the Tennessee Department of Correction, “from the time the condemned enters the execution chamber until after the condemned is declared dead.”

    The lawsuit sought a judgment that the protocols are unconstitutional and an injunction to allow the press to see the full execution process. Myles’ order granted a temporary injunction allowing media members and other witnesses to see most of the execution process, with security procedures in place for those carrying out the procedures.

    The lawsuit, filed in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, names as defendants Kenneth Nelsen, warden of Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville that houses Tennessee’s execution chamber, and Frank Strada, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction.

    The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent after hours Friday to a department spokesperson.

    During previous executions, media members began seeing what happens once the condemned person is already strapped to a gurney and hooked up to IV lines. They don’t know at which precise moment the injections begin and those administering the injections are in a separate room.

    The protocol says that after the syringes of saline and pentobarbital are administered, a team leader signals to the warden and a five-minute waiting period begins. After that period, the blinds are closed, the camera is turned off and then the doctor comes in to determine if the person is dead. If that is the case, the warden announces on the intercom system that the sentence was carried out and witnesses are directed to exit.

    Essentially, the process granted witnesses a 10 to 15 minute window where they could observe the process.

    Prison officials argued that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution does not grant the press a right of special access to information not regularly available to the public. They claimed that the restrictions are necessary because allowing the press to see the full execution would endanger prison security and people involved in the process.

    The judge’s order says members of the execution team shall wear a disposable protective suit covering the members’ regular work uniform, identification badge and hair. Team members also will be offered a mask “to further conceal his or her identity should they so choose to wear one,” the judge wrote.

    During executions involving lethal injection, curtains to the official witness room shall be opened to the execution chamber at 10 a.m., which, according to protocols, is when the inmate is secured with restraints on a gurney and the IV insertion process begins.

    The curtains must remain open until the pronouncement of death, the judge ruled.

    “This Court finds that a meaningful and full observation of executions allows the public to assess whether the state carries out death sentences in a lawful and humane manner and ensures that the execution process remains subject to democratic oversight,” the judge wrote.

    In addition to AP, the media coalition includes Gannett Co., Inc.; Nashville Public Media, Inc.; Nashville Public Radio; Scripps Media, Inc.; Six Rivers Media, LLC; and TEGNA INC.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • The Grammys Split the Country Album Category Into Traditional and Contemporary. It Might Be Great

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Flashback to February. It’s the 2025 Grammys, and Beyoncé has made history. Not only was she finally awarded the top prize of album of the year, but she also became the first Black woman to win best country album, for “Cowboy Carter.” Recent changes by the Recording Academy have made it even more monumental: She might be the last person to ever win the award.

    In June, the Academy announced that the Grammys’ country album title was splitting into two categories. A new award was created, traditional country album. The preexisting country album category has been redefined and is now contemporary country album, reflecting the genre’s ongoing sonic evolutions.

    Here’s everything you need to know about the change — and what it could signify in the future.


    From “Cowboy Carter” to now

    Charles L. Hughes, Rhodes College professor and author of “Country Soul,” says Beyoncé’s victory was a welcomed surprise, despite being obviously worthy. That’s because her album inspired a larger conversation about reclamation, standing in opposition to the music industry’s rigid power structures and “indicated how significant this historical question remains of whether or not Black folks have equal access to success in a genre of music that bears such strong Black influences and has from the very beginning,” Hughes said.

    He believes the decision to alter the country album categories was not in direct response to her win — “I think it is a more complicated story,” he says — but the timing might’ve been less than ideal, emboldening fans to view it as reactionary. He hopes the changes will open the category to more diversity of sounds and “whether this leads to a broader opening and opportunity for Black artists, especially Black women in country music,” he posits.

    Francesca T. Royster, a DePaul University professor and author of “Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions,” views Beyoncé’s victory as positively connected to this change. She wonders if artists — particularly artists of color, who never had their music recognized in country music categories, think of artists like “Millie Jackson or Candi Staton, Bobby Womack” — would now see their work recognized. “Having these two categories just allows for more experimentation and maybe less of a double standard,” she says, “in terms of artists who are often held to higher standards to conform to, or be recognizable as, meeting an idea about what country music is.”

    “It makes sense that the Grammy categories for country would become a little bit more expansive,” she says, “because I think the music is more expansive and the audience is also more expansive than it’s ever been.”


    Traditional vs. contemporary

    According to the Recording Academy’s rule book, the traditional country category is defined by “country recordings that adhere to the more traditional sound structures of the country genre, including rhythm and singing style, lyrical content, as well as traditional country instrumentation.”

    Those are: acoustic guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, piano, electric guitar and live drums. This is also where subgenres like outlaw country, Western and Western swing would fit.

    The contemporary country category description is a bit more conceptual. The rule book states that albums eligible in this category “utilize a stylistic intention, song structure, lyrical content, and/or musical presentation to create a sensibility that reflects the broad spectrum of contemporary country style and culture.”

    The hope is that those titles are “relevant to the legacy of country music’s culture, while also engaging in more contemporary music forms.”

    The questions Hughes poses: “Whose tradition are we talking about?” And how is “country music’s culture” defined?

    “It’s almost tautology. ‘Well, it’s traditional country if it sounds like traditional country,’” he says.

    In that reading, contemporary country could simply account for everything else.

    Royster says both categories seem to “speak to an aesthetic as well as political agenda, many agendas.” To her, the traditional category would appeal to artists who believe that “this is a past form that needs to … continue to be recognized and respected.” Similarly, the contemporary category is “linked to the culture of country but is also expansive.”

    “In both cases, there’s a kind of story behind the story.”

    Adding a new genre category is not unique to country music. Consider a sister genre, R&B. In 1999, the Recording Academy also introduced a traditional category to the R&B field to spotlight artists who chose to hybridize the genre as well as those who prefer nostalgic structures.

    It didn’t stay stagnant from there: In 2021, the Academy changed the best urban contemporary album category to best progressive R&B album, to spotlight those records that weave R&B with other genres.

    In the traditional category, it is Charley Crockett’s “Dollar a Day,” Lukas Nelson’s “American Romance,” Willie Nelson’s “Oh What a Beautiful World,” Margo Price’s “Hard Headed Woman,” and Zach Top’s “Ain’t In It For My Health.”

    Royster wonders if with this first year of nominees, “there’s less risk in terms of recognizing the kind of ‘country-ness’ of these artists.” Royster views the lineup as “artists (whose) country creds would still be recognized even if they’re also bringing in other elements. I would hope in the future there might be more room in the category.”

    For Hughes, the nominees further confuse the distinctions. Consider this example: Zach Top’s album borrows heavily from George Strait’s sound, which emerged in the ‘70s as a mesh of honky-tonk traditions and contemporary country. Hip-hop also emerged in the ’70s. They were simultaneous. “But I have a feeling we won’t be seeing a lot of hip-hop-inspired artists in the traditional category,” he says.

    But that doesn’t mean it might not evolve in the future. “If the Grammys fundamentally exist to give people recognition,” he says, “The more, the merrier.”


    What country musicians say

    “Anytime the pipe widens, more water gets through. And this was the pipe widening, baby,” Jelly Roll, who is nominated in the inaugural best contemporary country album category, told The Associated Press. “I love it. I’m happy. I’m a fan of both sides. It encourages me to maybe make a traditional country album one day, you know? So, this is cool.”

    Three-time Grammy award winner Brad Paisley has a similar stance: There’s a benefit to having more country music recognitions.

    “Awards are really tools to sort of get awareness for something that you made, you know?” he said. “They’re never the goal. It’s always more like, ‘Oh, cool, this might make more people listen to it.’ … If this means they got to make more little gold gramophone statues to give out, and two people get them versus one, great.”

    That said: Paisley’s not sure which category he would fall into, or if the division could color an artist’s creative decisions. “I’d almost have to think it through like, ‘No, no, we’re going for the Grammy on this. I better not do this on this record or something.’ But hopefully that doesn’t ever enter into it,” he says.

    Hopefully, it’s just a panel decided who belongs in which category, “and then two people get to go home happy versus one. And that’s good in my book,” he said.

    The 68th Grammy Awards will be held Feb. 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The show will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. For more coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

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  • Police Officer in Critical Condition After Crash While Supporting Vance’s Motorcade

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    MARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two law enforcement vehicles crashed in Tennessee on Friday night while supporting Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade, sending a police officer to the hospital in critical condition, authorities said.

    The crash in Maryville, about 17 miles (27 kilometers) south of Knoxville, involved a state trooper and a Maryville Police Department motorcycle officer, the city said in a statement.

    Both were taken to the hospital. Officials did not immediately release information about the trooper’s condition.

    Katherine Pierce, the U.S. Secret Service’s resident agent in charge in Knoxville, said the agency was closely monitoring the situation.

    “The safety and movement of our protectees were not impacted by this incident,” she said in a statement.

    The Tennessee Highway Patrol was investigating.

    Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp asked people to pray for the officer, the officer’s family and medical workers.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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  • States Are Pushing for More Scrutiny of Antisemitism in Schools

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    In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas two years ago, high school teacher Josh Hirsch posted comments on social media in support of Israel. It was unrealistic for Hamas to expect a ceasefire, he wrote, as long as they were holding hostages.

    Soon afterward, a former student called for his firing. A note taped outside the door of his Adams County, Colorado, classroom contained his wife’s name and their home address. And a sticker that appeared on his chair read: “Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.”

    The reaction startled Hirsch, the only Jewish teacher in his school building. For the first time in his 14-year career, he considered quitting. He stayed and joined an educators’ advocacy network created by the Anti-Defamation League, a way he saw to make schools more inclusive of diverse viewpoints.

    “I’ve been a teacher and tried to keep my focus on being the best teacher I could,” he said.

    Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war have spilled into schools around the U.S., with advocates reporting a rise in antisemitic harassment since the 2023 surprise attack on Israel. While some argue school leaders have failed to take the threat seriously, others warn criticism of Israel and the military campaign in Gaza are interpreted too often as hate speech.

    The Trump administration has not punished school systems the way it has hit colleges accused of tolerating antisemitism, but schools are still facing pressure to respond more aggressively. Several states have pressed for new vigilance, including legislation that critics say would stifle free speech.


    Both conservative and liberal states apply more scrutiny

    Lawmakers in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee have passed measures to increase school accountability for complaints of antisemitism, and a law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, will provide training to identify and prevent antisemitism in schools. In Arizona, the Democratic governor vetoed a bill on how to deal with reports of antisemitism in schools, calling it an attack on educators.

    Many of the measures, including one signed by Oklahoma’s Republican governor, call for adoption of a definition of antisemitism that casts certain criticism of Israel as hate speech.

    “These bills make it clear that Oklahoma stands with our Jewish communities and will not tolerate hatred disguised as political discourse,” said Kristen Thompson, a Republican state senator in Oklahoma who authored the legislation.

    Dozens of states have adopted the definition promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which is also recognized by the U.S. State Department. It lists 11 examples of antisemitic conduct, such as applying “double standards” to Israel or comparing the country’s policies to Nazism.

    While supporters of this definition of antisemitism say it is necessary to combat evolving forms of Jewish hate, civil liberties groups warn it suppresses pro-Palestinian speech.


    Trump administration approach contrasts with attacks on colleges

    The Trump administration has leveraged antisemitism investigations in its efforts to reshape higher education, suspending billions of dollars in federal funding to Harvard, Columbia and other universities over allegations they tolerated hate speech, especially during protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

    The White House has not gotten as involved at the K-12 level. At congressional hearings, House Republicans have taken some large school systems to task over their handling of antisemitism, but the administration largely has left it to the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights to address complaints.

    In one of the cases under investigation, a complaint described students at the Berkeley Unified School District in California asking Jewish classmates what “their number is,” referring to numbers tattooed on Jews during the Holocaust. It also said teachers made antisemitic comments and led walkouts that praised Hamas.

    The district did not respond to a request for comment.

    In another California case, the family of a 14-year-old girl filed a federal lawsuit last year alleging she had to leave University Preparatory Academy, a charter school in San Jose, in 2023 because of antisemitic bullying. After the Hamas attack, she said students called her names, including “terrorist.” The California Department of Education and the school said they could not comment on pending litigation.

    Nationwide, the ADL recorded 860 antisemitic incidents in non-Jewish schools last year, ranging from name-calling and swastikas etched on lockers to antisemitic materials being taught in classrooms. The number was down from over 1,100 recorded in 2023, but well above numbers in prior years, according to the ADL.

    A Massachusetts state commission formed last year to combat antisemitism found it was a “pervasive and escalating problem” in schools.

    At one meeting, a commission co-chair, Democratic state Rep. Simon Cataldo, said the Massachusetts Teachers Association was sharing antisemitic resources with teachers, including a kindergarten workbook that describes Zionists as “bullies” and an image of a Star of David made of dollar bills. The union said those were singled out among hundreds of images in art and posters about Palestinians, and links to those materials were removed.

    The union said it has engaged in efforts to confront increases in both antisemitism and Islamophobia and accused the commission of “offensive political theater.”

    “Those who manipulate antisemitism to achieve political objectives — such as undermining labor unions and public educators — are following the lead of the Trump administration,” the union said in a statement.

    Margaret Litvin, an associate professor of Arabic and comparative literature at Boston University, said the commission was “deliberately conflating criticism of Israel with prejudice against Jews and bias against Jews.” That approach will be used to justify “heavy-handed” interference by the state in school district affairs, said Litvin, co-founder of the Boston-area Concerned Jewish Faculty and Staff group.


    Controversy reaches the biggest teachers union

    The tension reached the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, which this summer weighed a proposal to drop ADL classroom materials that educators use to teach about the Holocaust and bias. Backers said the ADL had an outsize influence on school curricula and policy, with an underlying pro-Israel viewpoint.

    Delegates at the union’s representative assembly narrowly voted to approve the proposal, but they were overruled by the NEA board of directors. Union President Becky Pringle said the proposal “would not further NEA’s commitment to academic freedom, our membership, or our goals.”

    In the aftermath, the ADL invited K-12 educators to join a new network called BEACON: Building Educator Allies for Change, Openness, and Networks, which it said is intended to help educators learn from each other how to address and combat antisemitism and other forms of hate.

    Hirsch, the teacher in Colorado, was among hundreds who expressed interest.

    Some of the blowback he faced stemmed from his online commentary about local activist organizations. After donating money to Black Lives Matter groups and supporting them with a sign in his yard, he expressed feelings of betrayal to see the groups expressing support for Palestinians and not Israel.

    He said he was surprised by the reaction to the posts in his predominantly Hispanic school community. A former debate coach, he aims through his work with the ADL network to help students share their opinions in constructive ways.

    “If we’re giving them the opportunity to hate and we’re giving them the opportunity to make enemies of someone, it really is counterproductive to what we’re trying to do as a society,” he said.

    The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • After Mistaken Deportation, Abrego Garcia Fights Smuggling Charges. Here’s What to Know

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    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation helped galvanize opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, has hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday in the human smuggling case against him in Tennessee.

    U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw will hear evidence on motions from the defense asking him to dismiss the charges and throw out some of the evidence.

    Here’s what to know about the latest developments in the case:


    Who is Kilmar Abrego Garcia?

    Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen with an American wife and child who has lived in Maryland for years. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager to join his brother, who had become a U.S. citizen. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to his home country, where he faces danger from a gang that targeted his family.

    Facing mounting public pressure and a court order, Trump’s Republican administration brought him back to the U.S. in June, but only after issuing an arrest warrant on human smuggling charges in Tennessee. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and asked Crenshaw to dismiss them.

    Abrego Garcia is charged with human smuggling and conspiracy to commit human smuggling, with prosecutors claiming he accepted money to transport within the United States people who were in the country illegally.

    The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding. Body camera footage from a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer shows a calm exchange with Abrego Garcia. There were nine passengers in the car, and the officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling. However, Abrego Garcia was eventually allowed to continue driving with only a warning.

    A Department of Homeland Security agent testified at an earlier hearing that he did not begin investigating the traffic stop until after the U.S. Supreme Court said in April that the Trump administration must work to bring back Abrego Garcia.


    What is the motion to dismiss about?

    In a recent ruling, Crenshaw found “some evidence that the prosecution against him may be vindictive” and said many statements by Trump administration officials “raise cause for concern.” Crenshaw specifically cited a statement by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, on a Fox News Channel program, that seemed to suggest the Justice Department charged Abrego Garcia because he won his wrongful-deportation case.

    The two sides have been sparring over whether senior Justice Department officials, including Blanche, can be required to testify in the case.

    Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire has argued in court filings that it doesn’t matter what members of the Trump administration have said about Abrego Garcia.

    “The relevant prosecutorial decision-maker, the Acting U.S. Attorney, has explained on the record that this prosecution was not brought for vindictive or discriminatory reasons,” McGuire writes in a court filing. He adds that any public statements by senior Trump administration officials about Abrego Garcia reflect public safety concerns that are “plainly consistent with a legitimate motivation to prosecute him.”


    What is the main motion to suppress evidence about?

    Another motion from Abrego Garcia asks the judge to suppress evidence in the case. It claims the 2022 traffic stop that ultimately led to the smuggling charges was illegal, so evidence from that stop should not be used at trial.

    In support, court filings say the state trooper who pulled him over stated that the speed limit was 65 mph (105 kph) when it was actually 70 mph (113 kph). The trooper accused him of driving at 75 mph (120 kph), but there is no record that the trooper used a radar gun or pacing to gauge the speed. Abrego Garcia said he was driving at 70 mph, correctly noting the speed limit.

    Attorneys for the government argue that the trooper made an honest mistake. The speed limit decreases to 65 mph about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) farther down the interstate. The attorneys also note that Abrego Garcia was driving in the left lane “consistent with an individual traveling in excess of the posted speed limit.” And the trooper, they said, had “no reason or motivation to manufacture a traffic violation against him.”

    Abrego Garcia currently can’t be deported to El Salvador thanks to the 2019 settlement that found he had a “well founded fear” of danger there. However, the Trump administration has said he cannot stay in the U.S. Over the past couple of months government officials have said they would deport him to Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana and, most recently, Liberia.

    The administration’s deportation agreements with so-called third countries have been contested in court by advocacy groups, which have noted that some immigrants are being sent to countries with long histories of human rights violations. But in June, a divided Supreme Court allowed the swift removal of immigrants to countries other than their homelands and with minimal notice.

    Abrego Garcia sued the Trump administration in a Maryland court over his earlier deportation, and the judge in that case has temporarily barred his removal. If the judge decides to lift that order, government attorneys have said they are ready to deport him right away.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Officials Investigate Blast at Tennessee Explosives Plant That Left 18 Missing and Feared Dead

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    McEWEN, Tenn. (AP) — Officials were investigating a blast that leveled an explosives plant in rural Tennessee, as families of the 18 people missing and feared dead waited anxiously Saturday for answers.

    The explosion Friday morning at Accurate Energetic Systems, which supplies and researches explosives for the military, scattered debris over at least a half-mile (800-meter) area and was felt by residents more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) away, said Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis.

    Aerial footage showed the company’s hilltop location smoldering and smoky Friday, with just a mass of twisted metal, burned-out shells of cars and an array of debris left behind.

    Davis, who described it as one of the worst scenes he’s ever seen, said multiple people were killed. But he declined to say how many, referring to the 18 missing as “souls” because officials were still speaking to family.

    “What we need right now is we need our communities to come together and understand that we’ve lost a lot of people,” he said.

    The company’s website says it processes explosives and ammunition at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville. It’s not immediately known how many people work at the plant or how many were there when the explosion happened.

    Davis said investigators are trying to determine what happened and couldn’t say what caused the explosion.

    Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwen, said in a post on social media on Friday that their “thoughts and prayers” are with the families and community impacted.

    “We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions,” the post said.

    The company has been awarded numerous military contracts, largely by the U.S. Army and Navy, to supply different types of munitions and explosives, according to public records. The products range from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges, including C4.

    When the explosion occurred, residents in Lobelville, a 20-minute drive from the scene, said they felt their homes shake, and some people captured the loud boom of the explosion on their home cameras.

    The blast rattled Gentry Stover from his sleep.

    “I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” he told The Associated Press. “I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”

    Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee posted on the social platform X that he is monitoring the situation and asked “Tennesseans to join us in prayer for the families impacted by this tragic incident.”

    A small group gathered for a vigil Friday night at a nearby park, clutching candles as they prayed for the missing and their families and sang “Amazing Grace.”

    The U.S. has a long history of deadly accidents at workplaces, including the Monongah coal mine explosion that killed 362 men and boys in West Virginia in 1907. Several high-profile industrial accidents in the 1960s helped lead President Richard Nixon to sign a law creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration the next year.

    In 2019, Accurate Energetic Systems faced several small fines from the U.S. Department of Labor for violations of policies meant to protect workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals, radiation and other irritants, according to citations from OSHA.

    In 2014, an explosion occurred at another ammunition facility in the same small community, killing one person and injuring at least three others.

    Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield, in Cockeysville, Maryland; Hannah Schoenbaum, in Salt Lake City; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, Rhode Island; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • What to Know About National Guard Deployments in Memphis and Other Cities

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    National Guard troops started patrolling in Memphis, Tennessee, on Friday, even after judges stalled President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy troops to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in other states.

    The troops, dressed in Guard fatigues and protective vests, with guns in their holsters, patrolled at a Bass Pro Shops store at the Pyramid, a Memphis landmark beside the Mississippi River. The patrols — part of Trump’s federal task force, were being escorted by a Memphis police officer.

    The Associated Press saw at least nine Guard members on Friday, but it was unclear how many troops in total were on the ground in Memphis or were expected to arrive later.

    A federal judge on Thursday blocked the deployment of troops in Chicago for at least two weeks, citing no significant evidence of a “danger of rebellion.”

    Trump has insisted that crime in Chicago, Portland, Oregon, and other Democrat-led cities is rampant and that federal intervention is needed to bring them under control, despite statistics not always backing up his claims.

    A separate court battle in Oregon has delayed a similar troop deployment to Portland.

    Here’s where things stand:


    Violent crime a problem in Memphis

    Trump announced Sept. 15 that he intended to deploy the Guard to Memphis. At the time, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, embraced the plan as part of broader law enforcement operations in the city.

    Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat who did not request the deployment, said he and other officials hope the task force will target violent offenders rather than scare, harass or intimidate residents.

    The city has recorded a high rate of violent crime for years, including assaults, carjackings and homicides. While this year’s statistics show improvement in several categories, including murders, violence remains a problem.

    Federal officials say agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, ICE and the U.S. Marshal’s service have made hundreds of arrests and issued more than 2,800 traffic citations since the task force began operating in Memphis on Sept. 29.


    Illinois deployment blocked

    Since the start of his second term, Trump has sent or discussed sending troops to many cities, including Portland; Baltimore; Memphis, Tennessee; the District of Columbia; New Orleans; and the California cities of Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

    A legal challenge disrupted — for now — the Republican president’s troop deployment plan for Chicago.

    U.S. District Judge April Perry in Chicago ruled Thursday that the Trump administration violated the 10th Amendment, which grants certain powers to states, and the 14th Amendment, which assures due process and equal protection, when he ordered National Guard troops to the city.

    Perry said her order would expire Oct. 23 at 11:59 p.m. and set an Oct. 22 hearing by telephone to determine if the order should be extended for another 14 days.

    State and city leaders celebrated the decision, including Gov. JB Pritzker, who said: “The court confirmed what we all know: There is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois. And no place for the National Guard in the streets of American cities like Chicago.”

    Officials at U.S. Northern Command directed questions to the Department of Defense, which declined to comment because it is barred from commenting on ongoing litigation.


    Troops arrive in Illinois and patrol outside Chicago

    Guard members from Texas and Illinois arrived this week at a U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, southwest of Chicago. All 500 are under the U.S. Northern Command and have been activated for 60 days.


    Judge restricts federal agents’ use of force

    Also Thursday, another federal judge in Illinois temporarily ordered federal agents to wear badges and banned them from using certain riot control weapons against peaceful protesters and journalists outside the Broadview facility, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of Chicago.

    Judge Sara Ellis’ preliminary injunction restricts agents’ use of force, including pepper balls, rubber bullets and physical force such as pulling, shoving or tackling on protesters and journalists who don’t pose a serious threat to law enforcement.

    That order covers all of northern Illinois and also requires federal agents to wear “visible identification” such as badges, the subject of heated debate as viral footage has surfaced of masked, plainclothes officers involved in immigration enforcement in several U.S. cities.

    A lawsuit filed by a coalition of news outlets, media associations and protesters accuses ICE, the Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol of unleashing a campaign of violence and intimidation against peaceful protesters and journalists during weeks of protests outside the Broadview facility.

    Associated Press reporters across the U.S. contributed, including Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Jack Brook in New Orleans; Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; and Josh Boak and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, D.C.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Federal Court to Weigh Trump’s Deployment of National Guard Troops in Chicago Area

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    President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois faces legal scrutiny Thursday at a pivotal court hearing that will occur the day after a small number of Guard troops started protecting federal property in the Chicago area.

    U.S. District Judge April Perry will hear arguments over a request to block the deployment of Illinois and Texas Guard members. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and local officials strongly oppose use of the Guard.

    An “element” of the 200 Texas Guard troops sent to Illinois started working in the Chicago area on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Northern Command, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in order to discuss operational details not been made public. The spokesperson did not say where specifically the troops were sent.

    The troops, along with about 300 from Illinois, arrived this week at a U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, southwest of Chicago. All 500 troops are under the Northern Command and have been activated for 60 days.

    The Guard members are in the city to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement buildings and other federal facilities and law enforcement personnel, according to Northern Command. Trump earlier sent troops to Los Angeles and Washington, and a small number this week started assisting law enforcement in Memphis.

    Those troops are part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a collection of about a dozen federal law enforcement agencies ordered by Trump to fight crime in the city. Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee supports using the Guard.

    The nearly 150-year-old Posse Comitatus Act limits the military’s role in enforcing domestic laws. However, Trump has said he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows a president to dispatch active duty military in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.

    Chicago and Illinois have filed a lawsuit to stop the deployments, calling them unnecessary and illegal. Trump, meanwhile, has portrayed Chicago as a lawless “hellhole” of crime, though statistics show a significant recent drop in crime.

    The Republican president said Wednesday that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Pritzker, both Democrats, should be jailed for failing to protect federal agents during immigration enforcement crackdowns.

    In a court filing in the lawsuit, the city and state say protests at a temporary ICE detention facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview have “never come close to stopping federal immigration enforcement.”

    “The President is using the Broadview protests as a pretext,” they wrote. “The impending federal troop deployment in Illinois is the latest episode in a broader campaign by the President’s administration to target jurisdictions the President dislikes.”

    Also Thursday, a panel of judges in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was scheduled to hear arguments over whether Trump had the authority to take control of 200 Oregon National Guard troops. The president had planned to deploy them in Portland, where there have been mostly small nightly protests outside an ICE building. State and city leaders insist troops are neither wanted nor needed there.

    U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut on Sunday granted Oregon and California a temporary restraining order blocking the deployment of Guard troops to Portland. Trump had mobilized California troops for Portland just hours after Immergut first blocked him from using Oregon’s Guard.

    The administration has yet to appeal that order to the 9th Circuit.

    Immergut, who Trump appointed during his first term, rejected the president’s assertions that troops were needed to protect Portland and immigration facilities, saying “it had been months since there was any sustained level of violent or disruptive protest activity in the city.”

    Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Dolly Parton Responds to Concerns About Her Health: ‘I’m Not Dying’

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Dolly Parton “ain’t dead yet,” the country superstar said on social media Wednesday following public speculation about her health.

    “There are just a lot of rumors flying around. But I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was okay,” the 79-year-old singer said in a new two-minute video posted on Instagram. “I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me. And I ain’t done working.”

    Her post, which appeared on numerous of Parton’s social media accounts and her website, was captioned, “I ain’t dead yet.”

    She was scheduled to perform six shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for “Dolly: Live in Las Vegas” between Dec. 4 and Dec. 13, overlapping with the National Finals Rodeo. Her dates have been moved to next year — Sept. 2026.

    She did not provide specific details at the time, writing, “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”

    In the new video clip shared Wednesday, Parton is seen sitting on a set speaking directly to camera, telling her audience that she’s about to record a few commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

    “Everyone thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here! Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease, those of you who seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate,” she continued. “And I appreciate your prayers because I’m a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything.”

    On Tuesday, a Facebook posted shared by her sister Freida Parton escalated concerns around Parton’s health when she wrote that she had been “up all night praying for my sister, Dolly.” Hours later, Freida Parton followed up with another post.

    “I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly,” she wrote. “She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer.”

    “I want you to know that I’m OK. I’ve got some problems as I’ve mentioned. Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself. So I let a lot of things go that I should’ve been taking care of,” she said. “So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said ‘We need to take care of this. We need to take care of that.’ Nothing major but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there.”

    And in true Parton fashion, she ended with a joke. “But I wanted you to know that I’m not dying. Did you see that AI picture of Reba (McEntire) and me, oh Lordy! I mean, they had Reba at my death bed, and we both look like we need to be buried,” she laughed.

    “If I was really dying, I don’t think Reba would be the one at my death bed. She might come visit me earlier.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Staffing Shortages Cause More US Flight Delays as Government Shutdown Reaches 7th Day

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    Staffing shortages led to more flight delays at airports across the U.S. on Tuesday as the federal government shutdown stretched into a seventh day, while union leaders for air traffic controllers and airport security screeners warned the situation was likely to get worse.

    The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at airports in Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia, and at its air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The agency temporarily slowed takeoffs of planes headed to the first three cities.

    Flight disruptions a day earlier also were tied to insufficient staffing during the shutdown, which began Oct. 1. The FAA reported issues on Monday at the airports in Burbank, California; Newark, New Jersey; and Denver.

    Despite the traffic snags, about 92% of the more than 23,600 flights departing from U.S. airports as of Tuesday afternoon took off on time, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

    But the risk of wider impacts to the U.S. aviation system “is growing by the day” as federal workers whose jobs are deemed critical continue working without pay, travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said. The longer the shutdown drags on, the more likely it is to affect holiday travel plans in November, he said.

    “I’m gravely concerned that if the government remains shut down then, that it could disrupt, and possibly ruin, millions of Americans’ Thanksgiving holidays,” Harteveldt said in a statement.

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that there has already been an uptick in air traffic controllers calling out sick at a few locations. When there aren’t enough controllers, the FAA must reduce the number of takeoffs and landings to maintain safety, which in turn causes flight delays and possible cancellations.

    That’s what happened Monday afternoon, when the control tower at Southern California’s Hollywood Burbank Airport shut down for several hours, leading to average delays of two-and-a-half hours.

    When a pilot preparing for takeoff radioed the tower, according to communications recorded by LiveATC.net, he was told: “The tower is closed due to staffing.”

    Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the shutdown highlighted some issues his union’s members already face on a regular basis due to a national airspace system that is critically understaffed and relies on outdated equipment that tends to fail.

    A couple of controllers missing work can have a big impact at a small airport already operating with limited tower staffing, he said.

    “It’s not like we have other controllers that can suddenly come to that facility and staff them. There’s not enough people there,” Daniels said Tuesday. “There’s no overtime, and you have to be certified in that facility.”

    Air travel complications are likely to expand once a regularly scheduled payday arrives next week and air traffic controllers and TSA officers don’t receive any money, the union leader said. If the impasse between Republican and Democratic lawmakers on reopening the government persists, the workers will come under more pressure as their personal bills come due, Daniels said.

    “It’s completely unfair that an air traffic controller is the one that holds the burden of ‘see how long you can hang in there in order to allow this political process to play out,’” he said.

    Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees chapter that represents TSA workers, said he was hearing concerns from members about how they will be able to pay bills, including child support and mortgage payments, and if they’re at risk for termination if they have to miss work during the shutdown.

    “The employees are struggling. They’re assessing what they need to do and they’re assessing how this is all going to work out,” said Jones, who has worked as a screener since the TSA was established.

    Some TSA officers already have called in sick, but Jones said he did not think the numbers were big enough to cause significant problems and delays at airports.

    Aviation unions and U.S. airlines have called for the shutdown to end as soon as possible.

    The unions are also making appeals to food banks, grocery chains and airports to secure support for workers during the shutdown. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was offering federal workers $15 food vouchers and allowing them to park in the terminal, according to Jones.

    John Tiliacos, the chief operating officer of Florida‘s Tampa International Airport, said the facility started preparing for the shutdown well before it began.

    Nicknamed “Operation Bald Eagle 2” among airport staff, the efforts center around pulling together resources for the roughly 11,000 federal employees who are working at the airport without pay, including security screeners and air traffic controllers.

    Tiliacos said the help would include a food pantry, free bus rides to work and a program with the local utility provider to keep the lights on at the homes of the workers.

    “Whatever we can do to make life a little easier for these federal employees that allows them to continue coming to work and focus on keeping our airport operational, that’s what we’re prepared to do,” he said.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Trump Is Reviving Large Sales of Coal From Public Lands. Will Anyone Want It?

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    BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. officials in the coming days are set to hold the government’s biggest coal sales in more than a decade, offering 600 million tons from publicly owned reserves next to strip mines in Montana and Wyoming.

    The sales are a signature piece of President Donald Trump’s ambitions for companies to dig more coal from federal lands and burn it for electricity. Yet most power plants served by those mines plan to quit burning coal altogether within 10 years, an Associated Press data analysis shows.

    Three other mines poised for expansions or new leases under Trump also face declining demand as power plants use less of their coal and in some cases shut down, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the nonprofit Global Energy Monitor.

    Those market realities raise a fundamental question about the Republican administration’s push to revive a heavily polluting industry that long has been in decline: Who’s going to buy all that coal?

    The question looms over the administration’s enthusiastic embrace of coal, a leading contributor to climate change. It also shows the uncertainty inherent in inserting those policies into markets where energy-producing customers make long-term decisions with massive implications, not just for their own viability but for the future of the planet, in an ever-shifting political landscape.


    Rushing to approve projects

    The upcoming lease sales in Montana and Wyoming are in the Powder River Basin, home to the most productive U.S. coal fields.

    Officials say they will go forward beginning Monday despite the government shutdown. The administration exempted from furlough those workers who process fossil fuel permits and leases.

    Democratic President Joe Biden last year acted to block future coal leases in the region, citing their potential to make climate change worse. Burning the coal from the two leases being sold in coming days would generate more than 1 billion tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide, according to a Department of Energy formula.

    Trump rejected climate change as a “con job” during a Sept. 23 speech to the U.N. General Assembly, an assessment that puts him at odds with scientists. He praised coal as “beautiful” and boasted about the abundance of U.S. supplies while deriding solar and wind power. Administration officials said Wednesday that they were canceling $8 billion in grants for clean energy projects in 16 states won by Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

    In response to an order from Trump on his first day in office in January, coal lease sales that had been shelved or stalled were revived and rushed to approval, with considerations of greenhouse gas emissions dismissed. Administration officials have advanced coal mine expansions and lease sales in Utah, North Dakota, Tennessee and Alabama, in addition to Montana and Wyoming.

    Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Monday that the administration is opening more than 20,000 square miles (52,000 square kilometers) of federal lands to mining. That is an area bigger than New Hampshire and Vermont combined.

    The administration also sharply reduced royalty rates for coal from federal lands, ordered a coal-fired power plant in Michigan to stay open past planned retirement dates and pledged $625 million to recommission or modernize coal plants amid growing electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centers.

    “We’re putting American miners back to work,” Burgum said, flanked by coal miners and Republican politicians. “We’ve got a demand curve coming at us in terms of the demand for electricity that is literally going through the roof.”

    The AP’s finding that power plants served by mines on public lands are burning less coal reflects an industrywide decline that began in 2007.

    Energy experts and economists were not surprised. They expressed doubt that coal would ever reclaim dominance in the power sector. Interior Department officials did not respond to questions about future demand for coal from public lands.

    But it will take time for more electricity from planned natural gas and solar projects to come online. That means Trump’s actions could give a short-term bump to coal, said Umed Paliwal, an expert in electricity markets at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

    “Eventually coal will get pushed out of the market,” Paliwal said. “The economics will just eat the coal generation over time.”

    The coal sales in Montana and Wyoming were requested by Navajo Nation-owned company. The Navajo Transitional Energy Co. (NTEC) has been one of the largest industry players since buying several major mines in the Powder River Basin during a 2019 bankruptcy auction. Those mines supply 34 power plants in 19 states.

    Twenty-one of the plants are scheduled to stop burning coal in the next decade. They include all five plants using coal from NTEC’s Spring Creek mine in Montana.

    In filings with federal officials, the company said the fair market value of 167 million tons of federal coal next to the Spring Creek mine was just over $126,000.

    That is less than one-tenth of a penny per ton, a fraction of what coal brought in its heyday. By comparison, the last large-scale lease sale in the Powder River Basin, also for 167 million tons of coal, drew a bid of $35 million in 2013. Federal officials rejected that as too low.

    NTEC said the low value was supported by prior government reviews predicting fewer buyers for coal. The company said taxpayers would benefit in future years from royalties on any coal mined.

    “The market for coal will decline significantly over the next two decades. There are fewer coal mines expanding their reserves, there are fewer buyers of thermal coal and there are more regulatory constraints,” the company said.

    In central Wyoming on Wednesday, the government will sell 440 million tons of coal next to NTEC’s Antelope Mine. Just over half of the 29 power plants served by the mine are scheduled to stop burning coal by 2035.

    Among them is the Rawhide plant in northern Colorado. It is due to quit coal in 2029 but will keep making electricity with natural gas and 30 megawatts of solar panels.


    Aging plants and optimism

    The largest U.S. coal company has offered a more optimistic take on coal’s future. Because new nuclear and gas plants are years away, Peabody Energy suggested in September that demand for coal in the U.S. could increase 250 million tons annually — up almost 50% from current volumes.

    Peabody’s projection was based on the premise that existing power plants can burn more coal. That amount, known as plant capacity, dropped by about half in recent years.

    “U.S. coal is clearly in comeback mode,” Peabody’s president, James Grech, said in a recent conference call with analysts. “The U.S. has more energy in its coal reserves than any nation has in any one energy source.”

    No large coal power plants have come online in the U.S. since 2013. Most existing plants are 40 years old or older. Money pledged by the administration to refurbish older plants will not go very far given that a single boiler component at a plant can cost $25 million to replace, said Nikhil Kumar with GridLab, an energy consulting group.

    That leads back to the question of who will buy the coal.

    “I don’t see where you get all this coal consumed at remaining facilities,” Kumar said.

    Gruver reported from Wellington, Colorado. Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • AP Decision Notes: What to Expect in Tennessee’s Special Congressional Election

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a dozen candidates will compete for their parties’ nominations Tuesday to fill a vacant Tennessee congressional seat in the closely divided U.S. House.

    The winners will face off in a Dec. 2 special election to replace Republican former U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who resigned in July to work in the private sector. The contest in the state’s reliably Republican 7th Congressional District will likely temporarily pad the House GOP’s narrow advantage in the chamber. A vacant seat in a heavily Democratic Houston-area district in Texas will be filled in November.

    Among the 11 candidates seeking the Republican nomination are state Reps. Jody Barrett, Gino Bulso and Lee Reeves, former Tennessee Department of General Services Commissioner Matt Van Epps, who has Green’s endorsement, and Montgomery County Commissioner Jason Knight. The field also includes health care industry businessman Mason Foley; real estate businessman Stewart Parks, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump for his actions at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; and former state Senate policy analyst Tres Wittum, who previously lost GOP primaries against U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn in 2024 and U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in 2022.

    State Reps. Aftyn Behn, Vincent Dixie and Bo Mitchell and businessman Darden Copeland seek the Democratic nomination.

    Van Epps led the Republican field in campaign contributions, with about $359,000 raised through mid-September. Reeves and Parks raised close to $270,000 each and Barrett nearly $242,000. Still, Van Epps was outspent by much of the field thanks to large loans several candidates made to their own campaigns. Bulso loaned nearly $494,000 to his campaign. Foley loaned his campaign $325,000, while Reeves loaned $300,000 to his committee and Parks loaned $67,000 to his.

    Copeland raised the most in the Democratic contest, with about $335,000 in contributions and $100,000 loaned from the candidate. He had the bulk of his haul available to spend as of Sept. 17. By that point, Mitchell had raised about $203,000 for his campaign and had less than half of it remaining available to spend as the campaign entered its final stretch.

    Most of the 7th District has elected only Republicans to Congress for more than a dozen years. The district also includes parts of heavily Democratic Davidson County, which is home to Nashville. The Nashville area once anchored a separate congressional district favorable to Democrats, but state Republicans redrew the lines in 2022 and divided Davidson County among the 7th and two neighboring Republican-friendly districts.

    Trump carried the 7th District in 2024 with about 60% of the vote, compared with about 38% for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. Harris received nearly 68% of the vote in the 7th District’s portion of Davidson County, which comprised about 22% of the total district vote. Trump carried each of the remaining 13 counties with at least 59% of the vote.

    Montgomery County made up about 24% of the district vote in the 2024 presidential race, the largest share of any county in the district.

    Green was elected twice each under the old and new district boundaries. Under the old lines, he received between 67% and 70% of the vote. He won with 60% of the vote under the current lines in 2022 and 2024. He never ran in a competitive primary under the current boundaries.

    The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

    In Tennessee, recounts are held only as part of a legal challenge in the courts. There are no automatic recounts, and losing candidates may not request recounts. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

    Here’s a look at what to expect Tuesday:

    The special primary in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District will be held Tuesday. Polls in the district close at 7 p.m. local time, which is 8 p.m. ET. Although Tennessee is located in two time zones, the 7th District falls entirely within the Central time zone.

    The AP will provide vote results and declare a winner in the special congressional primary.

    Tennessee does not register voters by party, which in other states usually means that any registered voter may choose to vote in any party’s primary. A rarely enforced 1972 law says primary voters must be “affiliated with” or a “bona fide” member of a party to vote in that party’s primary, and a 2023 law requires local elections officials to post signs at polling places saying so. But those terms aren’t clearly defined. The law faced multiple legal challenges, but a federal court dismissed the complaint in 2024.


    What do turnout and advance vote look like?

    There were more than 469,000 registered voters in the 7th Congressional District in the August 2024 state primary. Turnout was about 7% of registered voters in the Republican U.S. House primary and about 5% in the Democratic primary. Both primaries were uncontested.

    Among the 14 counties located either entirely or partly within the 7th District, about 58% of 2024 primary ballots were cast early by in-person or absentee voters.

    As of Wednesday, nearly 15,000 Democratic primary ballots and nearly 16,000 Republican primary ballots had been cast before the special primary.


    How long does vote-counting usually take?

    In the 2024 general election, the AP first reported 7th District results at 8:03 p.m. ET from Perry County, three minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 12:36 a.m. ET with more than 99% of total votes counted.

    As of Tuesday, there will be 56 days until the Dec. 2 special election in the 7th District and 392 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • New Orleans Police Official Says Crime Is Down After Governor Requests National Guard Troops

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    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A top New Orleans police official on Tuesday welcomed the possibility of a National Guard deployment in his city but pushed back on suggestions of rising crime rates and said he was unclear on how the military might be used.

    Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is asking for up to 1,000 National Guard troops to help fight crime in his state, a request that comes weeks after President Donald Trump raised the potential of sending troops to New Orleans.

    In a letter sent Monday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Landry cited “elevated violent crime rates” in Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans and shortages in local law enforcement. But Hans Ganthier, the assistant superintendent of New Orleans’ police department, disputed that the numbers were up.

    “Our crime rate is going down,” Ganthier told reporters.

    New Orleans is on pace to have its lowest number of killings in more than five decades, according to preliminary data from the city’s police department. There have been 84 homicides in 2025 as of Sept. 27, including 14 revelers who were killed on New Year’s Day during a truck attack on Bourbon Street. There were 124 homicides last year and 193 in 2023, according to city figures. Armed robberies, aggravated assaults, carjackings, shootings and property crimes have also declined.

    His recent plans to deploy National Guard troops in Illinois and Oregon follow a crime crackdown by military personnel in the District of Columbia, immigration enforcement in Los Angeles and the deployment of troops to Memphis. The president says the expansion into American cities is necessary, blasting Democrats for crime and lax immigration policies. He has referred to Portland, Oregon, as “war-ravaged” and threatened apocalyptic force in Chicago.

    “We collaborate well with anyone, whether it is the state police, federal government, federal agents, different parishes, and the National Guard shouldn’t be any different,” Ganthier said. “If they can help us, be a multiplier for our forces, I welcome them.”


    Louisianans react to possible troop deployment

    Landry’s request proposes a deployment of troops to “urban centers” around the state under a mission that would “provide logistical and communication support, and secure critical infrastructure.” He said operations would follow established rules for use of force and prioritize community outreach to ensure transparency and trust.

    New Orleans City Council President J.P. Morrell said during a Tuesday meeting that he had been hearing from street performers and others who were concerned that National Guard troops would disrupt the city’s traditions, such as brass band parades through the streets known as “second-lines.”

    “The last thing they want is the National Guard stumbling across a second-line and trying to do crowd control on their own,” Morrell said.

    Louisiana’s Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy said that while National Guard deployments to Louisiana cities is “not a permanent solution,” he does believe it will help deter crime.

    “Increased law enforcement decreases crime, no matter the color of the uniform,” Cassidy told reporters Tuesday.


    Deployment prospect in Chicago adds to tension

    The federal immigration processing center in Broadview, a community of about 8,000 people just west of downtown Chicago, has been at the front lines of the immigration operation. It’s where hundreds of arrested immigrants are being processed for deportation or detention in neighboring states.

    Armed immigration agents have used chemical agents and increasingly aggressive tactics against protesters that local police say are unnecessary, dangerous to residents and raise serious concerns.

    “We are experiencing an immediate public safety crisis,” Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills told reporters Tuesday.

    In Oregon, Democratic Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a motion in federal court Monday seeking to temporarily block the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard.

    The motion is part of a lawsuit Rayfield filed Sunday, after state leaders received a Defense Department memo that said 200 members of the state’s National Guard will be placed under federal control for 60 days to “protect Federal property, at locations where protests against these functions are occurring or are likely to occur.”

    Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Oregon Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek are among local leaders who object to the deployment.

    U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday on X that the Memphis Safe Task Force, a collection of about a dozen federal law enforcement agencies ordered by President Donald Trump to fight crime in Memphis, Tennessee, is underway with 219 officers being deputized. Bondi said nine arrests were made on Monday.

    Murphy reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press reporters Sara Cline and Stephen Smith in New Orleans; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Adrian Sainz in Memphis; and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Sept. 2025

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  • Trump Deploys National Guard to Portland, Oregon, While Federal Agents Patrol Chicago, in Photos

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    Memphis is also preparing for the arrival of additional federal authorities, including immigration and drug enforcement agents, expected to arrive this week.

    This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Sept. 2025

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  • Authorities believe sheriff who inspired movie “Walking Tall” killed wife in 1967

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    Authorities in Tennessee announced Friday that they believe a sheriff who inspired the movie “Walking Tall” is responsible for his wife’s death in 1967.During a news conference Friday, officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said there were “inconsistencies” in statements from Sheriff Buford Pusser following the 1967 murder of his wife, Pauline. “It’s been said that the dead can’t cry out for justice. It is the duty of the living to do so. In this case, that duty has been carried out 58 years later,” said District Attorney General Mark Davidson for the 25th Judicial District.Blood splatter patterns on the vehicle also contradicted statements from Buford Pusser, officials said.Buford Pusser reported that his wife volunteered to ride along in the dark early-morning hours of Aug. 12, 1967, on a disturbance call. He claimed that a car pulled alongside his and fired several shots, killing Pauline and injuring him in what he claimed was an ambush intended for him and carried out by unknown assailants.Buford Pusser recovered from his injury. No viable suspects were developed, and no charges were filed.After receiving a tip that an autopsy was never performed on Pauline Pusser, the TBI exhumed her body in February 2024. Davidson said the investigation revealed that Pauline Pusser was more than likely shot outside the vehicle and then placed inside the vehicle. Cranial trauma suffered by Pauline Pusser, depicted in crime scene photographs, does not match interior crime scene photographs from the vehicle.TBI officials also said the autopsy determined that Pauline Pusser had a nasal fracture before her death. Investigators now believe the physical evidence points to a staged crime scene and that Buford Pusser’s gunshot wound was likely self-inflicted.“There is probable cause to believe that Pauline’s death was not an accident, not an act of chance, but, based on the totality of the TBI investigative file, an act of intimate, deliberate violence,” Davidson said.Law enforcement officials said the discoveries would be sufficient to seek a grand jury indictment of Buford Pusser if he were alive today.Buford Pusser died in 1974 after a one-vehicle crash. He served as the sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, from 1964 to 1970 and was known for his crackdown on crime along the Mississippi-Tennessee state line.

    Authorities in Tennessee announced Friday that they believe a sheriff who inspired the movie “Walking Tall” is responsible for his wife’s death in 1967.

    During a news conference Friday, officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said there were “inconsistencies” in statements from Sheriff Buford Pusser following the 1967 murder of his wife, Pauline.

    “It’s been said that the dead can’t cry out for justice. It is the duty of the living to do so. In this case, that duty has been carried out 58 years later,” said District Attorney General Mark Davidson for the 25th Judicial District.

    Blood splatter patterns on the vehicle also contradicted statements from Buford Pusser, officials said.

    Buford Pusser reported that his wife volunteered to ride along in the dark early-morning hours of Aug. 12, 1967, on a disturbance call. He claimed that a car pulled alongside his and fired several shots, killing Pauline and injuring him in what he claimed was an ambush intended for him and carried out by unknown assailants.

    Buford Pusser recovered from his injury. No viable suspects were developed, and no charges were filed.

    After receiving a tip that an autopsy was never performed on Pauline Pusser, the TBI exhumed her body in February 2024.

    Davidson said the investigation revealed that Pauline Pusser was more than likely shot outside the vehicle and then placed inside the vehicle. Cranial trauma suffered by Pauline Pusser, depicted in crime scene photographs, does not match interior crime scene photographs from the vehicle.

    TBI officials also said the autopsy determined that Pauline Pusser had a nasal fracture before her death. Investigators now believe the physical evidence points to a staged crime scene and that Buford Pusser’s gunshot wound was likely self-inflicted.

    “There is probable cause to believe that Pauline’s death was not an accident, not an act of chance, but, based on the totality of the TBI investigative file, an act of intimate, deliberate violence,” Davidson said.

    Law enforcement officials said the discoveries would be sufficient to seek a grand jury indictment of Buford Pusser if he were alive today.

    Buford Pusser died in 1974 after a one-vehicle crash. He served as the sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, from 1964 to 1970 and was known for his crackdown on crime along the Mississippi-Tennessee state line.

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  • Inbox: There’s good reason for both teams to be confident

    Inbox: There’s good reason for both teams to be confident

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    If you can count ’em on more than one hand, that’s a sack party in my book Wes Hodkiewicz

    Bob from Kennesaw, GA

    Wes, Scott from East Helena submits a question/comment that you don’t like. Your proper reaction is to roll your eyes, hit delete, and move on. That’s what you do with most of mine, and I still sleep like a baby every night. Instead, you choose to publish it, apparently just so you can harangue him in front of the II readership. I didn’t agree with him either, but your move has now made you seem like a bit of a jerk. Which is probably not true, so what did you hope to gain from doing this?

    Forgive my northern attitude. I was raised out in the cold.

    Terry from Elroy, WI

    Do you feel tempted to respond to Scott from East Helena, MT, again?

    The train keeps rolling. The pen keeps writing. My point – for all its thorns – is Christian Watson is an integral piece of what the Packers are building on offense. He can go off for a big catch at any time, which Watson again showcased on Sunday. Choose your own adventure? No, choose your own playmaker. The Packers have plenty to pick from.

    Dan from Columbus, OH

    It’s crazy to think about the struggles on offense a year ago until about midseason compared to now, where with a backup quarterback the offense can almost do no wrong. Is that a product of all the non-QBs being familiar with the system?

    Guys are confident in what they’re being asked to do, and it’s showing. Matt LaFleur said something in Nashville that’s stuck with me the past 24 hours: “I’m a firm believer that you don’t rise to the level of the competition; you sink to the level of your preparation.” The Packers have set a standard and they’re playing to it.

    Jeff from Ogden, UT

    Isn’t it odd when the guy passing out the game ball deserves the game ball?

    And he’ll be the last to accept one.

    Connor from Sunrise, FL

    Not as much a question as comment. So far Malik Willis is the perfect backup QB. No major mistakes. Lets the playmakers be playmakers. But also “brings the good vibes.” You can tell from celebrations and the locker-room video that the team likes him and plays hard for him. Hopefully we get Jordan Love back soon but it’s awesome to see team wins.

    I asked Elgton Jenkins about Willis’ makeup after the game and felt his response was telling about the 25-year-old quarterback: “You can tell he’s a winner. You put him in a good position, he’s gonna execute and do the right things. I don’t feel like the moment’s ever too big for him.” Willis is such a cool customer and that’s a premium trait in the NFL. Willis hasn’t just kept the ship afloat – he’s helping it gain speed for when Love gets back behind center.

    Dean from Leavenworth, IN

    Thankfully Jordan Love’s injury wasn’t as serious as it looked and now it appears he will be good to go Sunday. Hats off to Malik Willis and the job he’s done the last two weeks. If Love is healthy and Willis is headed back to the bench, he was a seventh-round pick well spent. Looking ahead in the coming weeks/months do you think there’s a place in the offense for Willis with a healthy Love, either on his own or on the field with Love for a few plays? He has an intriguing skill set.

    Interesting question. As I’ve said in the past, I wouldn’t be in favor of any play that keeps Love on the sideline but perhaps a package or two could be built with both QBs out there that could take advantage of Willis’ athleticism.

    John from Gaylord, MI

    Obviously, I’m hoping for Love’s return this Sunday. That said, is it crazy to feel just as confident with either Willis or Love at QB given what we’ve seen the past few weeks from LaFleur and his staff?

    I think you should feel confident in this football team.

    Jeff from Hewitt, TX

    The WR1 conversation, our former QB1 got too focused on his favorite receiver, and I think it was ultimately a negative for the team’s chances in playoff games. I personally LOVE that we have so many offensive weapons now that we can’t really choose a “WR1”! LaFleur has built this team to be selfless so that any week they may be in the trenches or on the scoreboard. It’s a big reason for our recent success with Willis. II, is this set of coaches a tighter group than you have seen before?

    LaFleur’s coaching staffs have always been close, but as the head coach pointed out last week, most of this group has been working together for more than five years now. Adam Stenavich, Jason Vrable, Luke Butkus and Ben Sirmans were here with LaFleur since his first year in 2019. Experience leads to trust and trust breeds creativity. I think that’s what you’re seeing.

    George from Kennebunkport, ME

    Good morning II! Two solid wins powered by takeaways, sacks, stuffing the run, and an offense leveraging the skills of an underestimated QB. One aspect that was really impressive: the downfield blocking that turned short gains into chunk plays. Gutey and LaFleur are proving they are among the best in the business.

    The Packers have a litany of offensive linemen, tight ends and receivers looking for work at all times, which is encouraging. It’s not always like that in the NFL, especially with skill players.

    Jason from Austin, TX

    These past two weeks have been a really fun ride. LaFleur has called a much different game than he normally does, for obvious reasons; much more run heavy. Do you think the success the team has had with this approach will influence the way he coaches going forward, or do you think he’ll lean on the pass attack more once Love is back? To be clear, I’m not suggesting either is right or wrong as he’s had plenty of success doing both.

    No, I get what you’re saying. LaFleur was asked a version of this question after the game by Pete Dougherty and said you’re always learning from experiences. I’m not sure how the stats bear it out but one thing that sticks out to me is how much pre-snap motion and end-arounds Green Bay is doing and how well it’s working. There’s value in variance whether it’s Love or Willis throwing the ball.

    Chase from Carmichael, CA

    I see you all made it out before the place completely burned down.

    LaFleur didn’t hear no bell fire alarm.

    Dan from Beloit, WI

    How many players have to get a sack before it’s considered a party?

    If you can count ’em on more than one hand, that’s a sack party in my book.

    Larry from Johnson City, TN

    If three defensive players get to the quarterback at the same time, how is the sack split? Or is that just considered a team meeting by sub-committee?

    The in-house stat crew takes its best stab at it during the game, but the NFL reviews everything afterwards. Teams can submit requests to look into stats, as well.

    Matt from Racine, WI

    With all of the talent we had from first- or second-year players last year, who do you think has made the biggest jump this season so far?

    Emanuel Wilson. I felt confident about Wilson making this team even after MarShawn Lloyd was drafted, but I didn’t know what his role would be. Instead, it’s Week 3 and Wilson is touching the ball 14 times on 26 offensive snaps. The Packers’ willingness to have him on the field on third down also speaks to his growth. The guy can play.

    Brian from Chesapeake, VA

    Who had Xavier McKinney and John Anderson sharing a Packers interception record on their bingo card?

    It’s still astonishing to me Anderson had four interceptions in his first three NFL games. We’ll find out Sunday whether McKinney can keep it going.

    Richard from Eau Claire, WI

    When the Vikings sign 17 free agents this last year, I thought they’d take some time to be efficient. With their team average age of 27.57 years as of Week 1, they are the second-oldest team in the NFL. Usually, continuity doesn’t happen so soon. How have they done it?

    By signing the right people. Aaron Jones isn’t just a Pro Bowl-caliber running back. He’s a Pro Bowl-caliber human. He’s a superstar with a team-first mentality. Like Davante Adams, Jones keeps finding ways to get better at his craft as he gets older. I’d also be remiss not to mention Sam Darnold. I admit I wrote off the Vikings signing Darnold in March. I didn’t get it, but now I do. Week after week, Darnold is showing the Vikings can win right now with him as their starting QB.

    Joel from Show Low, AZ

    Insiders, not a question, just a thought about the upcoming Vikings game. I hope the fans give Aaron Jones the reception he deserves. He was a great player both on the field and in the community for Green Bay. His recent remarks about loving his new home should not be held against him. After all, we let him go. He didn’t leave us. Just beat the Vikes!

    The No. 1 thing pro wrestling taught me is the importance of playing to the crowd (a.k.a. your fanbase). I feel confident saying Aaron Jones still loves Green Bay and Packers fans, but he’s now the starting running back for the Minnesota Vikings and embracing that reality to its fullest. And No. 33 is gonna be hungry on Sunday. Expect the best version of Aaron Jones because that’s the type of competitor he is.

    James from Appleton, WI

    If I were the Vikings OC, I would run Aaron Jones out on some crossing routes. As for the Packers, I would try to have a steady diet of runs between the tackles. If the Vikings defenders are quick-hitting and active, better to go through them than try to go around them.

    Conversely, the Packers have a starting running back they feel strongly about in Josh Jacobs and he’s a bell cow in every sense of the word. Sunday is a going to be a fun duel on the ground.

    Steve from Land O’ Lakes, FL

    The penalties have been frustrating this year, but I think the lack of offensive production in the red zone has hurt the team even more. Am I being too paranoid?

    Not at all. As Spoff wrote Monday night, Green Bay took a step back in the penalty department in Tennessee and needs to clean it up. The Packers have been good so far, but they can still be better. It’s starts with the laundry.

    Tom from Machesney Park, CO

    Not a question. I was very happy to read Mike’s recognition of Zeke Bratkowski, probably the best backup QB to ever play the game. In the latter part of his spectacular career Bart Starr frequently needed to sit out and be relieved by Zeke with no drop off in performance and results. Always got the job done. Bart injured? No worries when Zeke was called upon.

    Zeke started nine games at quarterback for the Packers and is a member of their hall of fame. That’s no accident.

    Caleb from Knoxville, TN

    With QBs like Malik Willis, Justin Fields and Sam Darnold thriving on new teams, is situation the most critical element of a young QB flying or floundering?

    I think that’s a big part of it. I mean, are Darnold and Baker Mayfield vastly different QBs now than they were in Carolina? One of my biggest talking points when the Packers acquired Willis was Lance Zierlein’s observation that he has “electrifying dual-threat ability and potential” but “play-callers must lean into his special talent as a runner and include called runs into the game plan.” I feel like Matt LaFleur has done that in Willis’ short time in Green Bay.

    Ray from Phoenix, AZ

    Mike’s answer on it takes a village is going to be spot on this week. You know the Vikings have this game circled on their schedule, especially Aaron Jones. It will be a playoff atmosphere at Lambeau. This is a really important game because it is an NFC North division game. Victories over the 49ers and Houston tell me the Vikings are for real.

    The Vikings are for real, and they should have this game circled…but the Packers have some stuff to them, too. Based on the last two weeks, Green Bay should not be overlooked, either. There’s good reason for both teams to be confident.

    Steve from Algoma, WI

    Now that we’re done overreacting, can I back up to ask you a question I’m sure you can’t answer? End of first quarter, third-and-goal from the 3, Jayden Reed drops a swing pass in the flat that bounces at the defender’s feet, who then takes two steps, grabs Reed, flings him over his shoulder and slams him down on his head/shoulder. How do the refs not throw the flag? Not that it made any difference in the end, but if they’re serious about player safety, isn’t this the kind of garbage you want out of the game?

    I remember Jaire Alexander getting flagged a few years ago for a similar sequence. L’Jarius Sneed knew he got away with one after the play, too. Also, for all these constant references to “replay assistant,” I love how player-safety penalties are not part of the equation.

    Michael from Eau Claire, WI

    For Bill from Monrovia, CA, and his son: I always follow Mike’s live blog, but I supplement it with ESPN’s “game cast” which is on their NFL Scores page for each game. I can easily follow the blog conversation while quickly clicking over to the other tab and the field at the top of that page is right on the mark, though a couple of seconds behind. I do this even when I can watch the game.

    Not to be a self-promotor, but I’d say we have a good thing going for both in-staters and out-of-towners with the game blog. You’re getting Mike’s feedback in real time while I’m relaying pertinent information as it becomes available (e.g. Corey Ballentine and Evan Williams entering in dime, Tucker Kraft returning to game, etc.). Oh, and it’s free.

    Gary from Minneapolis, MN

    I just have to ask this. At Matt LaFleur’s press conferences, is there an unwritten rule that Bill Huber must always ask the first question? I don’t care that he does, I just find it quite humorous that it always seems to work out that way. It makes me think there is a story behind this. Yes? No?

    Mike Vandermause used to ask the first question to Mike McCarthy all the time. It seems like since Mike left the beat, Bill has stepped up as the beat’s leadoff hitter.

    Mike from Winchester, TN

    Hi Wes, where did all the folks go that were yelling: “We need to sign a veteran QB!”?

    Getting ready to chirp in on the next topic du jour. The great thing about the NFL is there’s always something to pontificate on.

    Mike from New Berlin, WI

    Christian Watson’s two catches for 67 is like Pepto Bismol for Wes’s stomach.

    Speaking of which…Happy Tuesday.

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  • Steelers make camp roster moves

    Steelers make camp roster moves

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    Teresa Varley

    Wednesday, July 24

    Moves to open camp: The Steelers placed linebacker Cole Holcomb and defensive lineman Dean Lowry on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List to open training camp. In addition, running back/kick return Cordarrelle Patterson was placed on the Active/NFI List (Non-Football Injury List).

    Holcomb was originally placed on the Reserve/Injured List on Nov. 6, 2023, after he was injured in the Steelers win over the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football.

    He had been a huge force in the middle for the defense, starting all eight games prior to his injury.

    Holcomb talked about his injury during the team’s OTAs, telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he was coming along.

    “It’s been a grind. It’s gonna be a grind,” said Holcomb. “But it’s one of those injuries that all you’ve got to do is just work. I can do that. I have no problem doing that. I’ll do whatever I gotta do to get back.”

    Lowry, who will be entering his ninth season, spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers (2016-2022) and spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings. Lowry was drafted by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the 137th overall pick.

    Lowry has appeared in 120 games, starting 84. He has 266 tackles, 143 of them solo stops, 23 tackles for a loss, 15.5 sacks, 32 quarterback hits, 17 passes defensed, 1 interception, five fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown, and one forced fumble.

    According to Coach Mike Tomlin, Patterson suffered a hamstring injury in non-football related work that landed him on the list.

    Patterson, who is entering his 12th season and was signed this offseason as a free agent, is a four-time Associated Press First Team All-Pro selection (2013, 2016, 2019, 2020) and a two-time AP Second Team All-Pro selection (2015, 2018) as a returner. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl four times (2013, 2016, 2019, 2020).

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  • Copeland signed to one-year contract

    Copeland signed to one-year contract

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    Teresa Varley

    The Steelers signed receiver Jacob Copeland to a one-year contract.

    Copeland spent time on the Steelers practice squad during the 2023 season.

    Copeland originally signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. He was released by the Titans, later signing with the Minnesota Vikings during training camp. Copeland was released prior to the start of the regular season. He also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason

    Copeland played at the University of Maryland in 2022 where he caught 26 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns. He spent four seasons at the University of Florida where he had 86 receptions for 1,366 yards and nine touchdowns.

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