SEC teams warned by league about a practice to slow down high-tempo offenses

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer had a final farewell for Mississippi last month as Rebel after Rebel went down on the ground with injuries, some serious, some minor, and created stoppages that slowed things down.

“First of all,” Beamer said after the Gamecocks’ 27-3 loss on Oct. 5. “I certainly hope all those guys are OK.”

Sincere or sarcastic? Who’s to say when Beamer quickly cut himself off and focused postgame comments on other topics. But there’s no doubt he and others around the Southeastern Conference are tired of injury interruptions for players who may or may not be hurt.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey took matters into his own hands with a memo to members last week to knock it off.

“As plainly as it can be stated: Stop any and all activity related to faking injuries to create time-outs,” Sankey wrote in the memo, a copy of which was shared with The Associated Press.
Coaches happy for reminder

Amen, said LSU coach Brian Kelly, who called the warning shot from Sankey “timely.”

Sankey, Kelly said, was standing out among “people in college football in making it clear that this kind of nonsense, which is a word that was used, needs to stop. It’s silly.”

Sankey’s memo said creating injury timeouts on either side of the ball is “not acceptable and is disrespectful to the game of football.”

There would be financial punishments for transgressors, Sankey reiterated. First offense costs a head coach a $50,000 fine. Get caught a second time and the fine increases to $100,000. A third offense brings the coach a one-game suspension.

Any staff member is subject to the same punishments if found to signal or direct a player to feign an injury. A player cited in such an incident could receive a public reprimand.
Nothing new about SEC’s stance

All this was laid out to teams before the season, Beamer said. He recalled reading the rules to his coaches and players.

“Here’s the policy in this league, and I ain’t paying the fine,” Beamer told them.

Ole Miss and coach Lane Kiffin have been front and center in the practice. Fans at Williams-Brice Stadium booed loudly back in October whenever a Mississippi player laid out on the field, believing they were play-acting.

Receiver Tre Harris, then leading the SEC in receptions and yardage, got hurt in the first half and did not return. Defensive lineman JJ Pegues, who had two touchdowns on offense for the Rebels, left in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. The boos were loud during both stoppages.

Both played the following week in a loss at LSU.

Mississippi acknowledged last month the attention it has received for suspected feigned injuries. It said it has “provided relevant medical information” for the SEC to review and will answer questions about recent games.
Faking it in sports

Faking injuries has been part of sports for some time. Think of soccer on the world stage where a player rolls around in supposed pain until running again a minute or two later.

Injury timeouts in college football give that players’ team a chance to regroup while slowing a high-tempo offense. Or it can give an offense getting dominated by a defense a few moments for coaches to come up with a counter.

The real world results mean four-hour games, frustrated fans and very little officials can do to halt it.

Kiffin said this week he was glad for Sankey’s crackdown.

“I know some people say, ‘OK, that sounds weird,’ coming from me. We’re a tempo offense,” Kiffin said. “I’ve been saying this for years, OK, that faking an injury hurts us more than anybody — us and Tennessee — probably more than anybody in America.”
Gaining an edge

Such tactics straddle the line between gamesmanship and cheating, depending who you ask.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning said he purposely put 12 men on the field on defense to draw a penalty — and drain the clock of precious seconds — as Ohio State desperately drove for a go-ahead field goal in the top-ranked Ducks’ 32-31 victory last month. The clock ran out on the Buckeyes next snap.

Florida coach Billy Napier said his team does not feign injuries.

“We don’t believe in doing it,” he said.

Still, there’s video of Gators linebacker George Gumbs Jr. making a tackle against Tennessee, rising quickly and jogging to the line of scrimmage when he appears to look to Florida’s sideline and instantly goes down with an apparent injury. A few minutes later, he’s up and walking off.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack understands the hand-wringing from fans and opposing teams. But a player who’s hurt should stay on the field to get assistance and give his coaches time for the proper substitute.

“Our guys need to understand, if they’re hurt in a game, never come off the field,” Wommack said.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea was grateful for Sankey’s reminder on a tactic he says he won’t ever buy into.

“Never do we cross a line of trying to game the system that way,” he said.

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AP Sports Writers John Zenor in Birmingham, Alabama; Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; Charles Odum in Atlanta; Brett Martell in New Orleans; Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida; and Teresa Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

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No. 6 Tennessee at No. 11 Georgia latest league matchup with huge CFP implications

Things to watch this week in the Southeastern Conference.
Game of the week

No. 6 Tennessee at No. 11 Georgia, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

This one is the latest in what seems like a weekly potential elimination game for the SEC championship game and a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff.

Should the Vols (8-1, 5-1 SEC; No. 7 CFP ) win at Georgia, it would be the Bulldogs’ third loss this year, which last happened in 2018 in Kirby Smart’s third season. Maybe a great team with three losses can still into the national championship bracket, but the Bulldogs would be much better off not testing that notion and they are currently not in the CFP bracket as it is.

Georgia (7-2, 5-2; No. 12 CFP) has had its way with Tennessee the past seven years, winning every matchup by 14 points or more. The Vols last won Between The Hedges in 2016, 34-31.

Tennessee has won its past four games, including a 24-17 win over Alabama three weeks ago. Georgia returns home after more than a month away, a stretch that included a 28-10 loss at Ole Miss a week ago. The Bulldogs are 14-3 under Smart after a loss and the last time they lost two straight came in 2016.
The undercard

No. 24 Missouri (7-2, 3-2) at No. 23 South Carolina (6-3, 4-3), Saturday, 4:15 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

The Gamecocks, who’ve won three in a row including the past two over ranked opponents, are the current SEC team no one in the league wants to face. South Carolina’s dominating defense and revived run game have sparked the recent surge with convincing wins against Oklahoma (35-9), then-No. 10 Texas A&M (44-20) and then-No. 24 Vanderbilt (28-7).

A win over Missouri, a top 10 team earlier this season, would be the first time South Carolina had beaten three straight ranked teams after losing their past eight vs. Top 25 opponents.

The Tigers have won three of their past four, including a wild finish where Zion Young returned a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown with 22 seconds left for their 30-23 win over Oklahoma.
Impact player

South Carolina RB Raheim “Rocket” Sanders has fueled the Gamecocks in recent weeks. The Arkansas transfer, who ran for more than 1,443 yards for the Razorbacks two years ago, finally looks fully healthy after a knee injury limited him to six games last year. Sanders has run for 381 yards and had six of his 10 TDs this season in the past four games.
Inside the numbers

South Carolina is seeking a winning SEC season for the first time since 2017. … Georgia has a 28-game home win streak that dates to 2019 and is the longest in the FBS. … Tennessee center Cooper Mays, a fourth-year starter, has gone 23 straight games without allowing a sack. … Florida has rushed for 100 or more yards in eight straight games against this week’s opponent in No. 21 LSU. … Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has led his team to seven wins over Top 25 opponents, including last week’s 42-13 win at LSU. … No. 3 Texas is looking for its 10th straight road win when it plays at Arkansas. That’s the Longhorns longest such run since winning 15 in a row from 2003-06.
Cupcake time?

Four SEC teams will host games against non-conference opponents they are favored to beat handily this week. Those include Auburn against Louisiana-Monroe, Kentucky against Murray State, No. 9 Alabama against Mercer and Texas A&M against New Mexico State. There will be four more such games on Nov. 23, the next-to-last week of the regular season.
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Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Basketball Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich is recovering from what the San Antonio Spurs described as a mild stroke, though there is no timetable for the NBA’s longest-tenured coach to return to the sideline.

Popovich had the stroke on Nov. 2 at the arena where the Spurs play, the team said Wednesday, and has already started a rehabilitation program with belief that he will make a full recovery. The team released no other details, including what aftereffects of the stroke — if any — that he is dealing with.

“It’s a difficult time for everyone,” Spurs general manager Brian Wright said. “Coach Pop has been the leader of this organization for the last three decades. We all have come across or know people that just have a different aura, a difference presence about them. Clearly, he’s one of those people. When we walk into the building each and every day, we feel that leadership, we feel that presence and so not having him there’s clearly a void. And we miss him.”

The 75-year-old Popovich is the NBA’s all-time win leader who has led the Spurs to five championships, plus guided USA Basketball to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He is in his 29th season as coach of the Spurs.

“He’s doing well. He’s doing well. … He’s tough, he’s a fighter and he’s going to work,” Wright said. “We’re all here for him, but he’s doing OK.”

Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has been the acting head coach in Popovich’s absence. The Spurs beat Washington 139-130 on Wednesday night, the the seventh straight game in which Johnson has filled in for Popovich.

“Mitch has been great,” Spurs rookie Stephon Castle said Wednesday, before the team announced the details about Popovich’s health. “Even when Pop was here, he’s always had a voice in our huddles and in our locker room. Our philosophies haven’t been changed.”

Victor Wembanyama, who scored a career-high 50 points in the win over the Wizards, said the team first learned about Popovich’s stroke before the team’s announcement.

“Of course I’m a bit worried about Pop,” Wembanyama said. “At the same time, I haven’t talked to him, but I know what mindset he’s on right on. I know he’s working like crazy, probably to come back with us as soon as possible. I trust him. I trust the people taking care of him right now. I hope he’s not going to be away from us for too long.”

A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or if a blood vessel in the brain bursts. That deprives the brain of oxygen which can cause brain damage that can lead to difficulty thinking, talking and walking, or even death. Strokes may lead to difficulty speaking, paralysis or loss of movement in certain muscles, memory loss and more.

It is unknown if Popovich is dealing with any aftereffects of the stroke.

Stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than half a million Americans have a stroke every year.

The Spurs were playing the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Nov. 2, and Popovich’s medical episode occurred there in the hours before that game. Johnson took over for that night’s contest, which the Spurs won, after the team said Popovich was not feeling well.

Johnson and Popovich spoke on Nov. 3, and on Nov. 4 Johnson said Popovich is “in good spirits … he’ll be OK. He is OK.” The Spurs had not released much in the way of details since, prior to Wednesday’s announcement about the stroke.

Wright raved about the way Johnson and the Spurs have bonded and dealt with the absence of the team’s leader.

“It’s exactly what Coach Pop would want us to do,” Wright said. “And so, it’s on all of us to play our part, to play our role, to continue to lean on each other, support one another and be there for one another.”

Popovich is one of only three coaches to win the NBA coach of the year award three times, Don Nelson and Pat Riley being the others. He’s one of five coaches with at least five NBA titles; Phil Jackson (11), Red Auerbach (9), John Kundla (5) and Riley (5) are the others.

Popovich has been part of the Spurs for nearly 35 years. He was an assistant coach from 1988 through 1992, then returned to the club on May 31, 1994, as its executive vice president for basketball operations and general manager. He made the decision to fire coach Bob Hill and appoint himself coach on Dec. 10, 1996.

He’s been the Spurs’ sideline boss ever since.

“We look forward to the day that we can welcome him back,” Wright said.

Popovich’s 29-year run with the Spurs is a span the likes of which has been nearly unmatched in U.S. major pro sports history.

Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years, George Halas coached the Chicago Bears for 40 years and John McGraw managed the New York Giants for 31 years. Those three tenures — all wrapping up well over a half-century ago — are the only ones exceeding Popovich’s run with the Spurs; his 29-year era in San Antonio to this point matches the tenures that Dallas Cowboys’ Tom Landry and the Green Bay Packers’ Curly Lambeau had in those jobs.

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Reynolds reported from Miami.

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A $1 billion proposal is the latest plan to refurbish and save the iconic Houston Astrodome

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astrodome has been in limbo, waiting for its chance at a second life since being shuttered more than 15 years ago.

It was a technological marvel when it opened in 1965. But its heyday has long passed and it hasn’t been home to a sports team since the Astros left in 1999 and it was closed to all events a decade later.

Over the years, ideas for its redevelopment and rebirth have been plentiful, everything from turning it into an indoor water park to flooding its sunken floor in order to reenact naval battle scenes. But none of these plans garnered enough public support or financing.

The latest proposal to refurbish the Astrodome was unveiled on Wednesday by a nonprofit focused on saving the beloved domed stadium. The group, the Astrodome Conservancy, proposes redeveloping the inside of the structure to create new areas for restaurants, retail, office and cultural spaces. But like the others before it, this plan could face a similar fate, with a $1 billion price tag and an initial lack of support from local entities that would need to give their OK for the project to go forward.

Beth Wiedower Jackson, the conservancy’s executive director, said that unlike previous proposals, her organization believes theirs is backed by data and would be economically viable in part because there would be enough private investment to support it.

“This is a big, big, bold vision. And those previous plans, even admitted by Harris County officials, were a first step towards a future Astrodome. And this is the full swing of the bat. And this gives people something to be excited about,” Jackson said.

The plan, Vision: Astrodome, proposes the construction of four state-of-the-art buildings inside the stadium that would offer spaces for restaurants, stores and offices. Similar spaces for shopping and eating would also be located around the Astrodome and connected to other facilities around the stadium. The Astrodome is at NRG Park, a 350-acre complex that includes NRG Stadium, located right next to the Astrodome and home to the NFL’s Houston Texans, as well as an arena and exhibition halls.

“The Astrodome is ready now for its next chapter, redevelopment,” said Phoebe Tudor, the conservancy’s chairman. “It is time for all of us in Houston to come together and do something hard, working together to repurpose the Astrodome.”

Nicknamed “the Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Astrodome ushered in a change in how people attended sporting events. It also hosted various cultural events, including concerts by Elvis and Tejano music star Selena as well as the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King in 1973.

Some people have called for its demolition. But a 2017 designation by the Texas Historical Commission as a state antiquities landmark essentially protects it from wholesale destruction. The stadium also maintains a strong foothold in the memories of many people both in and outside of Houston.

Rafi Kohan, whose 2017 book “The Arena” explores the place sports stadiums hold in American culture, said the Astrodome’s construction came at a time of incredible technological innovation in the United States, and it helped transform Houston from what some saw as a “backwoods cow town” into a leader in technology. Houston became the home of the space program with the opening of Johnson Space Center in 1964.

“There was and continues to be a lot of civic pride around the Astrodome, what it represented, the sort of space age feat, you know, in stadium form,” Kohan said.

Douglas Brinkley, a historian and professor at Houston’s Rice University, said the Astrodome has tremendous historical relevance and is worth saving.

“It’s been our fault that we’ve neglected it or not invested in it. But a turnaround is upon us right now. We’re going to get this done,” Brinkley said.

But whether there continues to be enough support in Houston to refurbish and save the Astrodome remains to be seen. It costs between $100,000 and $200,000 a year to maintain the stadium.

The Astrodome is owned by Harris County and managed by the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation.

The office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county’s top elected official, declined to comment on the conservancy’s proposal.

James Dixon, the sports and convention corporation’s chairman, said in a statement that he respects the conservancy’s efforts but “over the last few years, we have seen several concepts that, while thought-provoking, haven’t resulted in viable funding and maintenance solutions.”

Dixon said his organization and the county are working with other stakeholders on a plan for the future of NRG Park and “the solution for the Astrodome must be decided within that context.”

One of those stakeholders, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which holds its annual event at NRG Park and would have a say on what to do with the Astrodome, was not on board with the conservancy’s proposal.

“The proposed plan by the Astrodome Conservancy does not align with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s strategic vision and operational requirements,” Chris Boleman, the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

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Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas says he was detained in airport over being ‘disoriented’

Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was detained by police at an airport near Washington, D.C. earlier this month.

McCaul said he became “disoriented” at Dulles International Airport after he took medication and drank alcohol before his scheduled flight back home to Texas.

“Two weekends ago, I made a mistake—one for which I take full responsibility. I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented in the airport. This was the result of a poor decision I made to mix an Ambien—which I took in order to sleep on the upcoming flight—with some alcohol,” McCaul said in a statement.

“Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the officers who intercepted me that evening. This incident does not reflect who I am and who I strive to be. As a human, I am not perfect. But I am determined to learn from this mistake and, God-willing, make myself a better person.”

McCaul was reelected this month to an 11th term in his district that runs from Austin to the Houston suburbs.

A message left with Dulles International Airport was not immediately returned later Wednesday.

Former Tyler ISD employee sentenced for improper relationship

Former Tyler ISD employee sentenced for improper relationshipTYLER — Our news partner KETK is reporting that a former Tyler ISD employee was sentenced on Tuesday to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to having improper relationships with students.

According to an affidavit, on April 15, three Tyler ISD students were discussing about J’Braylon Dewayne Fears, a paraprofessional at the campus, how he was “always surrounding himself around a bunch of little girls while on duty.”

“They were discussing how inappropriate it looked because of how close the girls were to him and how comfortable he looked while they were so close. The teachers were also discussing how students were skipping classes in [a teacher’s] classroom with Fears inside,” the affidavit said.

While the teachers were talking, a student approached them and told them of Fears, who she claimed was seeing a student at another Tyler ISD campus, was flirting with students at the middle school and asking inappropriate questions. Continue reading Former Tyler ISD employee sentenced for improper relationship

Five sentenced to prison for Upshur County drug operation

Five sentenced to prison for Upshur County drug operationUPSHUR COUNTY – A February undercover investigation led to five East Texans sentenced to prison for methamphetamine distribution. On Tuesday, the last person awaiting sentencing received a combined prison term of 40 years according to our news partner KETK.

A search warrant was executed at Bob O’ Link Road where 39-year-old Cameron Scott Spears, 51-year-old Jimmy Wayne Skinner, 41-year-old Amanda Lynn Gage, 33-year-old Hailey Renee Shaddix and 45-year-old Benjamin Heath Evans were arrested.

The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office identified Spears as the main target of the investigation and he pled guilty on Tuesday to two charges of delivery of a controlled substance and one charge of possession of a controlled substance. The DA’s office said authorities performed an undercover operation because Spears had been selling and distributing “large quantities” of meth for a “long” period of time and they needed to penetrate the operation. Continue reading Five sentenced to prison for Upshur County drug operation

Louisiana man sentenced to death for killing deputy

Louisiana man sentenced to death for killing deputyLONGVIEW — On Wednesday, a Louisiana man was sentenced to death after being found guilty of murdering an East Texas deputy in 2019. According to our news partner KETK, Gregory Newson was found guilty of shooting and killing William Chris Dickerson, a Panola County deputy during a traffic stop on New Year’s Eve in 2019. Newson was accused of fleeing the scene that led to a high-speed chase ending in a crash.

Prosecutors in the case were seeking the death penalty, asking the jury to look at the evidence when making their decision.

“Your verdict is not going to bring Chris Dickerson back,” Wes May, a state lawyer said. “It’s not going to fill the hole left in the shield that these men and women who testified in this case and who Chris himself represented, but it will be one step toward taking justice.”

Special counsel asks judge to pause his appeal in Trump’s classified documents case

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(NEW YORK) -- Special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday asked a federal appeals court to pause his appeal of the dismissal of President-elect Donald Trump's classified documents case.

The move is part of Smith's winding down of his two cases against Trump -- the classified documents case and the federal election interference case -- due to longstanding Department of Justice policy that prohibits a sitting president from facing criminal prosecution while in office.

"As a result of the election held on November 5, 2024, one of the defendants in this case, Donald J. Trump, is expected to be certified as President-elect on January 6, 2025, and inaugurated on January 20, 2025," the filing said.

Smith asked to hold the appeal in abeyance and push the next filing deadline until Dec. 2 to "to afford the Government time to assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy."

Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 40 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information and took steps to thwart the government's efforts to get the documents back.

District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed the case against Trump and his co-defendants this summer, ruling that Smith's appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional because he was not appointed by the president or confirmed by Congress.

Prosecutors then appealed that decision to the Atlanta-based United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

The judge in Trump's federal election interference case paused all upcoming deadlines in that case last week, following a request from Smith.

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Matt Gaetz, under House ethics investigation, is Trump’s pick for attorney general

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he has chosen Rep. Matt Gaetz as his pick for attorney general, a move that, if he's confirmed by the Senate, would place a firebrand and one of Trump's most loyal allies at the head of the Justice Department.

"Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice," Trump said in his social media post.

Gaetz is an explosive selection by Trump to be the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government, leading the very same executive branch of government that spent years investigating allegations regarding the Florida congressman. Gaetz was informed that the Justice Department would not seek changes just last year. He has long denied any wrongdoing.

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced later Wednesday that Gaetz offered his resignation from Congress effective immediately.

Johnson said the resignation took him by “surprise” but that the Florida congressman did so to “start the clock” on the process for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to call a special election to fill the vacancy.

“So Matt would have done us a great service by making that decision, as he did, on the fly. And so we're grateful for that so we move forward,” Johnson added.

Gaetz's resignation will narrow the slim majority that Republicans will have in the new Congress in January, but he represents a reliably Republican district in the Florida Panhandle.

Gaetz has been a member of Congress since winning in 2017, riding the MAGA wave that brought Trump to Washington eight years ago. Over the years, Gaetz has become one of Trump's most ardent, and according to some allies, effective, defenders in Washington while also growing close to Trump.

Gaetz has been down at Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago almost every day since Election Day, helping make suggestions and input on other administration selections, sources tell ABC News. Gaetz was also seen traveling with Trump in his motorcade during his visit to Washington on Wednesday.

Notably, Gaetz is very close with Trump's newly selected chief of staff, Susie Wiles, who also has deep and storied roots in Florida politics.

Beginning in 2019, Gaetz faced a yearslong Justice Department investigation into allegations related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice. Gaetz has long denied any wrongdoing, and the Justice Department informed Gaetz in 2023 that it was declining to bring charges against him after its investigation.

The investigation into Gaetz stemmed from a probe into the Florida congressman's one-time friend, former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, who was sentenced in 2022 to 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including sex trafficking a minor and introducing the minor to other "adult men."

Since the Justice Department declined to charge Gaetz following its investigation, the Florida congressman has faced an ongoing probe by the House Ethics Committee regarding the same allegations.

In September, Gaetz released a lengthy statement concerning the ongoing House Ethics probe into his alleged conduct. Gaetz stated that he would no longer voluntarily participate in the probe and included a string of answers seemingly to questions the committee asked the Florida congressman earlier that month.

The House Ethics Committee drops an investigation into a member once they leave Congress, House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest told ABC News.

"You know, once a member is no longer a member of Congress, then ethics has no jurisdiction. So if Matt Gaetz were to be appointed as the Attorney General, the ethics investigation is currently ongoing, would cease at that point," Guest said.

House Republicans were meeting behind closed doors when Trump announced he would be nominating Gaetz to serve as attorney general. There was an audible gasp in the room, several members who were inside told ABC News.

Many House Republicans on Capitol Hill are reacting to Trump's pick of Gaetz.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Rep. Guest expressed support for Trump's selection of Gaetz as attorney general. Republican Rep. Max Miller, a former aide to Donald Trump who was particularly critical of Gaetz following Florida congressman's efforts to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year, said the pick was "silly" and that Gaetz would "never get confirmed by the Senate."

"I believe that the President is probably rewarding him for being such a loyal soldier to the president, but the President is smart enough, and his team is smart enough to know that Mr. Gaetz will never get confirmed by the Senate. Whatsoever," Miller said.

ABC News' Rachel Scott, Lauren Peller and Isabella Murray contributed to this report.

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Nex Benedict’s school district agrees to address Title IX harassment violations

Courtesy Sue Benedict

(OWASSO, Okla.) -- The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced Wednesday that Owasso Public Schools in Oklahoma has "entered into an agreement to remedy violations of Title IX" concerning sexual harassment in its schools following the February death of LGBTQ+ student Nex Benedict.

The OCR states that its investigation of the Owasso Public Schools district, which was announced in March, found "repeated instances over a three-year period in which district staff received notice of possible sexual harassment, yet district staff did not explain the process for filing a Title IX complaint or promptly contact a complainant."

According to the OCR, those instances included reports that multiple students were subject to repeated sex-based slurs, harassment and physical assault; that a male student hit and made unwelcome sexual comments to a female sixth-grade student; an elementary school student was subjected to repeated harassment described as sexual; and a teacher was accused of grooming female students on social media by sending more than 130 messages about their appearance and requesting photographs.

The OCR also found several violations related to LGBTQ+ youth in district schools, including reports that some students were called slurs and subject to other bullying behavior.

The district had only conducted two formal Title IX investigations in the last three school years and produced "limited records" regarding those two matters, the OCR said.

After Benedict, a 16-year-old nonbinary student, died by suicide following a physical altercation in an Owasso High School bathroom, the district still failed to take steps to implement Title IX regulations, according to the OCR.

"As a result, OCR found that the district's pattern of inconsistent responses to reports it received of sexual harassment – infrequently responding under Title IX or not responding at all – rose to the level that the district's response to some families' sexual harassment reports was deliberately indifferent to students' civil rights," read the OCR's statement.

The resolution agreement between the Department of Education and Owasso Public Schools details a long list of remedies the school must implement to address the stated violations. They include requiring schools to inform parents of affected students about the process for filing a Title IX complaint and the supportive measures available to students.

The agreement also requires schools to not only issue anti-harassment and nondiscrimination statements, but also to provide Title IX training to students and staff, conduct sexual harassment climate surveys in the district, implement adequate record-keeping processes for Title IX complaints and revise its Title IX processes to ensure compliance.

"Owasso students and their families did not receive the fair and equitable review process from their school district guaranteed to them under Title IX; at worst, some students experienced discrimination Congress has long guaranteed they shall not endure at school," said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon in a statement.

"The district has signed a robust agreement to assure that students who attend school in the district will be afforded their rights under Title IX, including the right to file a complaint, learn about and receive supportive services individualized to their needs, and benefit from federal nondiscrimination protection when they experience harassment," the statement continued.

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Nicole Kidman wants to work with Martin Scorsese: ‘If he does a film with women’

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Nicole Kidman is down to collaborate with Martin Scorsese, as long as he's down to tell a story about women.

The actress told Vanity Fair in an interview released Wednesday that she would like to work with the iconic director, under one condition.

"I've always said I want to work with Scorsese, if he does a film with women," Kidman said.

While Kidman didn't elaborate any further, Scorsese has been criticized for the depictions of and lack of characters who are women in his films.

The actress also spoke about other directors she's interested in working with.

"I'd love to work with Kathryn Bigelow. I'd love to work with Spike Jonze. I'd love to work with PTA [Paul Thomas Anderson]. I've always wanted to work with Michael Haneke. And there's a whole slew of new up-and-coming directors — there's so many, and I’m always open to the discovery of new people."

Kidman also spoke about being a part of two recent projects — The Perfect Couple and Babygirl — which were directed by women.

"I’m trying to support all of these women at all different ages, at all different stages in their careers, put my weight behind them and go, 'I’m here and I’m at your disposal and I’m ready,'" Kidman said.

 

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FBI offering $25K reward for information in ballot box fires in Oregon, Washington

FBI

(WASHINGTON) -- Federal authorities are offering a $25,000 reward in connection with a series of arson incidents involving ballot boxes in Washington state and Oregon during early voting last month.

The FBI said Wednesday it is seeking the public's assistance in identifying a suspect sought in three incendiary fires.

The agency is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the suspect responsible.

The first incident occurred on Oct. 8 in Vancouver, Washington, when a ballot box was set on fire between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. local time, the FBI said.

Then, on Oct. 28, ballot boxes in Vancouver and Portland were set on fire between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. local time, the FBI said. Hundreds of ballots were damaged in the Vancouver incident after a fire suppression device failed to work properly, officials said.

In all three incidents, an "improvised incendiary device" was placed on the ballot drop boxes, the FBI said.

The Portland incident was captured by a surveillance camera, including a vehicle driven by the suspect believed to be responsible for these crimes, the FBI said.

In a roughly 3-minute video released by the FBI, a vehicle can be seen stopping next to the ballot box, located on a sidewalk. The driver appears to light an item and pass it through the driver's window, then drives away. Almost immediately after the vehicle departs, the ballot box begins smoking, then briefly sparking. Fire suppressants prevented further damage and protected nearly all the ballots, according to elections officials.

The vehicle was described by the FBI as an early 2003 to 2004 Volvo S-60 sedan, dark in color, with dark wheels and a light-colored interior. It does not have a Volvo logo on the front grill, the FBI said.

"At the time of the October 28, 2024, incidents, the vehicle also displayed a fraudulent temporary Washington license plate on the rear and no front license plate. The plate, which is not associated with a Volvo, may no longer be on the vehicle," the FBI said.

The driver of the vehicle was described by the FBI as a white male, approximately 30 to 40 years old, with thinning hair.

"It is believed that he may have some experience with metal work and welding," the FBI said.

The incendiary device used in the initial incident had "Free Gaza" and "Free Palestine" on it, two sources familiar with the ongoing investigation previously told ABC News. The two subsequent devices carried the slogan "Free Gaza," according to the sources.

One of the sources told ABC News it was unclear whether these markings reflect the views of a pro-Palestine activist -- or if it was an individual trying to manipulate existing divisions in the U.S.

ABC News' Pierre Thomas contributed to this report.

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A wayward sea turtle travels thousands of miles back home

GALVESTON (AP) — An endangered sea turtle that was found about a year ago some 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers) from its native waters has been released into the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Houston Zoo.

The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, named Boeier after the boat that rescued it, was found off the coast of the Netherlands after becoming entangled in the net of the commercial fishing boat.

The zoo said the turtle apparently was carried away by currents until it was found and the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Service secured the turtle’s return.

The turtle was taken to the Rotterdam Zoo where it was nursed back to health and eventually was flown to Houston, where it arrived Oct. 29, the zoo said.

After medical tests and an acclimation process, a healthy Boeier was released into the Gulf of Mexico from Stewart Beach in Galveston on Nov. 4.

The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is native to the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean and is the smallest sea turtle at 27-32 inches (68-81 cm) long and weighs 75-100 pounds (34 to 45 kg), according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The turtle was placed on the endangered species list in 1970, according to the department.