TYLER — Customers of Optimum Cable Television lost local and national channels over the weekend in an ongoing rate dispute. Several cities in Texas have local television stations that are owned by Nexstar Media Group, which owns the most television stations in the U.S. They are among 63 Nexstar stations that are no longer accessible on Optimum. That includes local Nexstar stations serving Waco, Tyler/Longview, Midland/Odessa, Lubbock, Bryan/College Station, and the suburbs of Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Additionally, Optimum has dropped the Newsnation channel. Bryan/College Station is among the Optimum markets that also lost Nexstar’s antenna television channel.
Jack Smith, in final report, says voters saved Trump from being convicted in Jan. 6 case
Special counsel Jack Smith's final report lays out in no uncertain terms federal prosecutors' position that Donald Trump -- who is set to be inaugurated president in less than a week -- would have been convicted on multiple felonies for his alleged efforts to unlawfully overturn the results of the 2020 election, had voters not decided to send him back to the White House in the 2024 election.
That was one of the primary conclusions included in Smith's final report on his election interference investigation, which the Justice Department released early Tuesday morning after a federal judge, late Monday night, cleared the way for the report's release.
The report lays out the probe that resulted in Trump being charged in 2023 with four felony counts of undertaking a "criminal scheme" to overturn the results of the 2020 election in an effort to subvert democracy and remain in power. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The case, as well as Smith's classified documents case against Trump, was dropped following Trump's reelection in November due to a longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president.
"The Department's view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a President is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government's proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Office stands fully behind," the report said. "Indeed, but for Mr. Trump's election and imminent return to the Presidency, the Office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial."
After conducting interviews with 250 witnesses voluntarily, calling 55 people to testify before the grand jury, executing dozens of subpoenas and search warrants, and sifting through a terabyte of publicly accessible data, Smith's team concluded they could convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump committed multiple federal crimes when he attempted to overturn the election, the report said.
"The throughline of all of Mr. Trump's criminal efforts was deceit -- knowingly false claims of election fraud -- and the evidence shows that Mr. Trump used these lies as a weapon to defeat a federal government function foundational to the United States' democratic process," the report said.
For the first time, the report shed light on the internal deliberations of the prosecutors who sought to prove that Trump "engaged in an unprecedented criminal effort" while navigating the uncharted legal territory of charging a former president.
While prosecutors considered charging Trump with violating the Insurrection Act, Smith wrote that he opted against the approach because of the "litigation risk that would be presented by employing this long-dormant statute." According to the report, prosecutors worried that Trump's actions did not amount to an insurrection because he was already in power -- rather than challenging a sitting government -- when the riot took place. Smith also noted that his office did not obtain "direct evidence" of Trump's "intent to cause the full scope of the violence that occurred on January 6."
Smith also noted that the case against Trump presented unique challenges, including Trump's "ability and willingness" to use social media to target witnesses, courts, and prosecutors with "threats and harassment." Like any other case involving a conspiracy, prosecutors also expressed concerns about convincing witnesses to cooperate while the defendant still exerted influence and command over his alleged co-conspirators.
"That dynamic was amplified in this case given Mr. Trump's political and financial status, and the prospect of his future election to the presidency," the report said.
Despite those concerns, Smith's report laid out how prosecutors planned to rebut Trump's expected arguments to secure a conviction, laying out a play-by-play for how a trial would have proceeded had Trump lost the election.
If the former president argued that he acted in good faith when he claimed there was election fraud, prosecutors would present "strong proof" that Trump himself knew his claims of fraud were false. The report noted that Trump repeatedly noted in private how he lost the election, including berating Vice President Mike Pence for being "too honest" to challenge the results, telling his family "you still have to fight like hell" even if he lost the election, and remarking to a staffer, "Can you believe I lost to this f'ing guy?" after seeing Biden on television.
"This was not a case in which Mr. Trump merely misstated a fact or two in a handful of isolated instances. On a repeated basis, he and co-conspirators used specific and knowingly false claims of election fraud," the report said.
If Trump argued he was following the advice of his lawyers, prosecutors planned to present evidence showing that his lawyers were acting as accomplices to the crime, preventing Trump from legally being able to employ the argument.
And if Trump argued that he was just using his First Amendment right when he challenged the election, prosecutors planned to highlight that Trump employed his statements to commit other crimes, including using false statements to defeat a government function, obstruct an official proceeding, and injure the right to vote.
"The Office was cognizant of Mr. Trump's free speech rights during the investigation and would not have brought a prosecution if the evidence indicated he had engaged in mere political exaggeration or rough-and-tumble politics," the report said. "The conduct of Mr. Trump and co-conspirators, however, went well beyond speaking their minds or contesting the election results through our legal system."
In the report, Smith also detailed multiple interviews with various so-called "fake electors" who he said sought to cast votes for Trump -- and admitted they would not have done so "had they known the true extent of co-conspirators' plans."
Smith told how investigators obtained Signal messages where "Co-Conspirator 4" -- previously identified by ABC News as former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark -- sent a message to Rep. Scott Perry saying he had received a highly classified briefing on foreign interference in the 2020 election that "yielded nothing" to support allegations of a stolen election.
"Bottom line is there is nothing helpful to P," Clark's message said, according to the report.
The report cites the handwritten notes of former Vice President Mike Pence that the special counsel obtained, about which Smith wrote, "In repeated conversations, day after day, Mr. Trump pressed Mr. Pence to use his ministerial position as President of the Senate to change the election outcome, often by citing false claims of election fraud as justification; he even falsely told Mr. Pence that the 'Justice Department [was] finding major infractions.'"
Regarding the House select committee's investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the report said that probe only "comprised a small part of the Office's investigative record, and any facts on which the Office relied to make a prosecution decision were developed or verified through independent interviews and other investigative steps."
Volume One of Smith's final report was released to the public early Tuesday after U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, following a weeklong court battle, ruled Monday that the Justice Department could release it.
Trump's former co-defendants in his classified documents case, longtime aide Walt Nauta and staffer Carlos De Oliveira, had sought to block the release of both the classified documents volume and the Jan. 6 volume, but Cannon -- who last year dismissed the classified documents case -- allowed the public release of the Jan. 6 volume after determining that its contents have no bearing on the evidence or charges related Nauta and De Oliveira in their ongoing case.
After conferring with Smith, Garland determined that he would not publicly release Volume Two pertaining to the classified documents investigation because Nauta and De Oliveira's cases were technically still on appeal.
In the classified documents case, Trump pleaded not guilty in 2023 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. The former president, along with Nauta and De Oliveira, pleaded not guilty in a superseding indictment to allegedly attempting to delete surveillance footage at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
Smith resigned as special prosecutor on Friday after wrapping up the cases and submitting his report to Garland.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Lisa Kudrow on ‘Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion’ sequel: ‘Close as we’ve ever been’
Lisa Kudrow has an update on the upcoming Romy & Michele's High School Reunion sequel.
While guesting on a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Kudrow talked about how the project is coming along.
"We’re as close as we’ve ever been,” Kudrow said. “There’s a script that’s really good, [by] Robin Schiff.”
Barrymore, a big fan of the original film, told Kudrow, “Oh my God, I just got chills. I really did."
“So it’ll happen, I mean, we’ll see,” Kudrow said in response.
Kudrow played Michele Weinberger in the 1997 comedy film, starring opposite Mia Sorvino's Romy White. Elsewhere in the interview, Barrymore said the movie is "so much more than a film" to her.
“It’s a world and I tend to live in it on a daily basis and I certainly quote it every day of my life," Barrymore said.
Kudrow went on to explain that the film originally came from an "equity waiver play in LA" written by Schiff, who wrote the original film.
“So they had to do a backers audition for the play to see if they could even mount the play,” Kudrow said. “And they went to all the [acting] teachers, 'Who do you recommend to audition?' So, you know, I went.”
She said that was her first-ever audition.
"For 'Airhead No. 2,' Michele," Kudrow said. "We were these minor characters. We were onstage a total of seven minutes, in and out, for the whole play.”
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Green ties career high with 42 points as Rockets rally for 120-118 victory over Grizzlies
HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green tied his career high with 42 points, capped by a layup that gave Houston the lead late, and the Rockets rallied for a 120-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
The Grizzlies were down by four before Jaylen Wells made a 3-pointer followed by a steal and layup from Brandon Clarke that put them up 115-114 with just under a minute left.
Green’s layup put the Rockets on top 116-115 before a turnover by Ja Morant gave Houston the ball back. Amen Thompson was fouled and made two free throws with 8.1 seconds left to make it 118-115.
Morant missed two free throws after that and Fred VanVleet added two free throws for Houston with 2.1 seconds left to make it 120-115 and secure the victory.
It was Houston’s fourth straight win overall and second in a row over Memphis after beating the Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night.
Morant swished a 38-footer to put the Grizzlies up by 12 with about eight minutes to go.
The Rockets went on a 16-2 run after that to take a 107-105 lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Green and VanVleet had 3-pointers during that stretch and Thompson added six points to help Houston erase the deficit.
Morant had 29 points for the Grizzlies, and Desmond Bane scored 25.
Takeaways
Grizzlies: They need to do a better job of finishing after leading by 12 in the fourth quarter.
Rockets: Green delivered the kind of dominant performance the Rockets need from him on occasion as they look to remain among the top teams in the Western Conference.
Key moment
Houston’s 16-2 run that erased the double-digit deficit.
Key stat
Houston had 15 offensive rebounds to just eight by Memphis.
Up next
Houston visits Denver on Wednesday night, and the Grizzlies play the first of consecutive games at San Antonio that night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Lakers lose to Spurs 126-102 in their 1st game back after wildfire postponements
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 23 points and eight rebounds, Harrison Barnes scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Lakers 126-102 on Monday night in Los Angeles’ first game back from two postponements due to the wildfires devastating the area.
Anthony Davis had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and LeBron James added 18 points and eight assists for the Lakers in their first home game since catastrophic wildfires killed at least 24 and burned thousands of structures.
The Lakers have lost three straight, but their previous two scheduled games were postponed, and they hadn’t played since last Tuesday in Dallas.
Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle scored 23 points apiece for San Antonio.
The Spurs dominated the fourth quarter, making a 25-9 run in the first nine minutes to take control of a game that was tied entering the period.
The Lakers retired Michael Cooper’s No. 21 in a halftime ceremony honoring the Hall of Fame guard who won five championships in the Showtime era.
Takeaways
Spurs: A gritty performance after three consecutive losses were followed by four straight days off. They were also scheduled to play the Lakers last Saturday.
Lakers: The players didn’t appear to be over-emotional after a trying week in which coach JJ Redick lost his home and a few Lakers came under evacuation warnings or orders. But they also couldn’t keep up with San Antonio in the fourth quarter.
Key moment
San Antonio ended the third quarter on a 15-5 run and made a 12-5 run to begin the fourth, opening a 101-94 lead.
Key stat
James took a season-low 11 shots, the same number as Max Christie and three fewer than Austin Reaves. That’s not a recipe for Lakers success.
Up next
The Spurs host Memphis on Wednesday night. The Lakers host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Chris Martin guaranteed $5.5 million in 1-year deal with Rangers, can earn $500,000 bonuses
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Reliever Chris Martin is guaranteed $5.5 million in his one-year contract with the Texas Rangers and can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses.
Martin gets a $1 million signing bonus as part of the agreement announced Jan. 6 and a $4.5 million salary.
He would earn $150,000 each for 45 and 50 innings, and $200,000 for 55.
Martin went 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA in 45 relief appearances for Boston last season, when he struck out 50 batters in 44 1/3 innings and his three walks were the fewest by qualified major league relievers. The right-hander had a 2.16 ERA in 100 games for the Red Sox the past two years.
The 38-year-old is 16-18 career with a 3.38 ERA and 14 saves in 369 games — all in relief. His career began with Colorado in 2014, and he pitched for the New York Yankees in 2015 before going to Japan in advance of his first stint with the Rangers.
Texas traded Martin in 2019 to Atlanta. He was with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 before signing a $17.5 million, two-year contract with the Red Sox as a free agent.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Justin Verlander eager to prove he can still pitch at highest level after injury-plagued 2024 season
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — For the first time in nearly two decades as a major league pitcher, Justin Verlander didn’t take an offseason break from throwing.
He needed to keep a baseball in his hand so his shoulder would cooperate. He needed the routine, to maintain a rhythm.
“I’ve always been somebody who, I set down the ball, I don’t pick it up again for a few months and then I’ve always been very lucky that I just pick it up and start throwing,” Verlander said Monday. “Well, at 41, that caught up with me. So that was an adjustment that I’ve made that I feel is paying big dividends already.”
The star right-hander finalized a $15 million, one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants last weekend, and he’s determined to show he can still pitch at the highest level after a forgettable, injury-plagued 2024 season.
New president of baseball operations Buster Posey and the Giants believe Verlander can still bring it, counting on him to help them contend again in the talented NL West.
The three-time AL Cy Young Award winner said he’s “miles ahead” of where he was last year at this time and he’s trying not to overdo it now ahead of spring training, which begins next month.
Verlander went 5-6 with a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts for the AL West champion Houston Astros last year. He opened the season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. He also was on the IL from June 18 to Aug. 21 because of neck discomfort.
“Last year was difficult,” he said. “It was worst-case scenario for me. You could never get in a groove, pitched about as bad as I felt like I could. Positives were, I was able to learn a lot. You can’t play this game for very long if you don’t learn from injuries.”
Verlander will receive a full no-trade provision and a hotel suite on road trips.
He would earn $200,000 for winning his second MVP award, $150,000 for finishing second in the voting and $50,000 for third — and would get the same bonuses for Cy Young Award voting.
In addition, Verlander’s deal calls for him making $100,000 for an All-Star selection, $150,000 for World Series MVP and $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP.
Verlander clearly remembers the electric atmosphere in San Francisco during the 2012 World Series, when the Giants swept his Detroit Tigers.
That included Posey on the other side — and now the retired star catcher did the recruiting of the veteran pitcher.
And the Giants aren’t adding him just to be a mentor or example for their young pitchers but rather a top-tier starter to complement Logan Webb and Robbie Ray.
“Justin’s track record speaks for itself,” Posey said. “I was lucky enough to get to compete against him for a number of years and have always admired the way that he takes care of himself. When we started having the conversation a couple of weeks ago it was very evident just how motivated he is, and you don’t get to the level of greatness that he’s accomplished in his career without having just the utmost fortitude and desire to be the best.”
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
Saints GM Mickey Loomis says he isn’t close to stepping down and he envisions a quick turnaround
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is showing no interest in stepping down and no lack of confidence in his ability to find the right coach to hasten the end of New Orleans’ four-year playoff drought.
“You can’t ignore the results. But you also have to look beyond the results sometimes and understand the reasons behind the symptoms,” Loomis said during a media briefing at Saints headquarters on Monday. “Some are in our control. Some aren’t.”
Plagued by significant injuries to prominent starters — including quarterback Derek Carr, versatile tight end Taysom Hill, top receiver Chris Olave, top running back Alvin Kamara, center Erik McCoy and starting cornerback Paulson Adebo — the Saints went 5-12 this season. That was their worst record since going 3-13 in 2005, when the team was displaced from New Orleans for an entire season because of Hurricane Katrina, which flooded most of the city and damaged the Superdome.
“We have to do the best job we can with the things that are in our control. And we have to understand the things that aren’t,” Loomis said. “I know nobody wants to hear this, but this injury thing was a big deal this year — a really big deal prevented us from winning games.”
Loomis largely declined to discuss specific coaching candidates, but one of them is sure to include Mike McCarthy, who won’t return as the Dallas Cowboys’ coach next season — and was the Saints’ offensive coordinator during Loomis’ early years as general manager.
The Saints also have had preliminary video conference interviews with Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi, who went 3-5 following third-year coach Dennis Allen’s firing on Nov. 4, was expected to get an interview, as was Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
While Loomis deflected most questions about coaching candidates, he did speak to the performance of Rizzi, who went 3-1 when Carr played and 0-4 when the QB sat out the season’s final four weeks with a broken left hand.
Kamara missed the final three games and McCoy missed the last two after missing eight games earlier in the season.
Rizzi “did a really good job under some really tough circumstances,” Loomis said.
Those who thought New Orleans would struggle to overcome the departures of former coach Sean Payton and franchise all-time leading passer Drew Brees — who led the Saints to their only Super Bowl title, in the 2009 season — have been proven correct.
Brees retired after the 2020 season and Payton stepped away after 2021 before returning to coaching in 2023 with the Denver Broncos (who made the playoffs this season for the first time since 2015 ).
The Saints are now looking for a new head coach just three years after hiring Payton’s successor. But it sounds like they won’t be in the market for a new general manager any time soon.
“I have for a passion for the sport. I have a passion for the Saints, a passion for all of it,” the 68-year-old Loomis said. “I feel like I’ve got all my faculties.
“If I ever felt like my acumen or my ability to think and ability to do the things necessary in this job were waning, I’d be the first guy to say, ‘Hey, wait a minute,’ Loomis said. ”So, no, the term (retirement) is not on my mind. Getting back to the playoffs and winning football — that’s what’s on my mind.”
Loomis said New Orleans’ next coach won’t necessarily have a history with the Saints, but he certainly doesn’t see a past relationship with the club as a liability.
He noted that Payton in Denver and former Saints assistant Dan Campbell in Detroit have presided over two of the “most successful turnarounds in recent times.”
“Both of those staffs are pretty well connected to New Orleans,” Loomis said. “So, I’m not sure what the criticism would be.”
Loomis offered little about the future of the roster, saying he had yet to complete a comprehensive review of each player’s performance.
He added that the new coach would have a say in who remains — including at quarterback.
But when asked about Carr, who went 5-5 as a starter this season, Loomis had only good things to say.
“I have a high level of confidence in Derek,” Loomis said, noting that Carr’s quarterback rating (101.0), interception percentage (1.8) and yards per attempt (7.7) all would rank in or near the NFL’s top 10 for the amount he played.
“When you don’t have your top two receivers and you don’t have that special weapon in Taysom Hill and we don’t have the middle portion of our offensive line and we have a rookie left tackle, that’s some tough circumstances for a quarterback to deal with,” Loomis aid. “So, I think he’s done a lot of really good things.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Rams overwhelm Vikings 27-9 in wild-card playoff game moved to Arizona because of LA wildfires
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Sam Darnold tried to step up in the pocket to find a receiver but there was nowhere to go. The blue and yellow wall that was the Los Angeles Rams’ defense closed too fast.
Akhello Witherspoon got there first, knocking the Minnesota quarterback to the ground as the ball popped loose. Jared Verse scooped it up and the Rams faithful roared their approval in their adopted home of State Farm Stadium as the rookie ran untouched for a 57-yard touchdown.
Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford was right there with them.
“Our defense,” he said, “just went crazy.”
Los Angeles — the football team, but especially the city — has had a tough week as wildfires have decimated large portions of the metropolitan area. The Rams channeled all that sorrow and uncertainty into a dominant defensive performance, sacking Darnold an NFL playoff record-tying nine times to win 27-9 Monday night in an NFC wild-card game that was moved from Southern California to Arizona.
Stafford threw two touchdown passes and the Rams (11-7) looked comfortable from the first snap. LA drove for a touchdown on the opening drive and built a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
“I thought they epitomized and represented the city the right way,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “You talk about sports offering a platform for people to come together and offer a little temporary relief — I thought the way our team competed tonight was what that looked like.”
The game was moved to the Phoenix suburbs, nearly 400 miles east of the Rams’ home in Inglewood, California, in part because public safety resources were needed to address the wildfires. LA’s next game will be on the East Coast against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Verse’s touchdown with 4:35 left in the second quarter gave the Rams a 17-3 lead. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound linebacker somersaulted into the end zone at the end of the game-changing play.
“I was going to dunk on the field goal post, but I was too tired,” Verse said, laughing.
The fumble return sent Rams fans into a frenzy — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said some 45,000 of them made the trek from California for the game, and the 63,400-seat stadium appeared full.
It was the lowlight of a brutal first half for Darnold, who was making his first NFL playoff appearance. He was sacked five times before the break and threw an interception when Cobie Durant picked off a pass intended for Jordan Addison.
Minnesota (14-4) had a chance to earn the NFC’s top seed in the final game of the regular season, but Darnold struggled in a loss at Detroit. His poor finish raises questions about his long-term future with the Vikings after he played this season on a one-year deal.
“You’ve got to play to a certain standard,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “And we didn’t do that.”
The Rams took a 24-3 lead when Stafford hit tight end Davis Allen for a 13-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining in the first half. Stafford finished with 209 yards passing and completed his first 10 passes, including all six on the opening touchdown drive.
“This time of year, it doesn’t really reward you to be timid,” Stafford said. “You’ve got to go out there and make plays. Gotta go win games in the playoffs, not just hope that things fall your way.”
Joshua Karty’s 44-yard field goal made it 27-3 on the opening drive of the second half. Kobie Turner finished with two sacks for the Rams.
LA caught a break early in the second quarter when a potentially game-changing fumble was overturned by replay. Stafford was being pulled to the turf by Minnesota linebacker Jonathan Greenard when the quarterback shoveled the ball forward just before he hit the ground.
Minnesota’s Blake Cashman grabbed the ball on the bounce and ran 26 yards to the end zone. Officials called it a fumble on the field, but it was ruled an incomplete pass after a replay review.
“It hurt to get that called back,” Cashman said. “But it was early in the game. We’ve got to continue to grind, play the tough downs and find a way to put us in a position to win.”
The Vikings never threatened again.
Darnold completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, but lost 82 yards on the nine sacks. The Vikings managed 269 total yards and many of those came when the game was already out of hand.
“They were just better than us today,” Darnold said. “I left a couple throws out there that I could be better on, especially early in the game. … Just too many mistakes.”
Los Angeles learned on Thursday that its playoff game would be in Glendale, which is home to the division rival Arizona Cardinals. The Rams traveled to Phoenix on Friday and practiced on Saturday at the Cardinals’ facility.
Injuries
Vikings: OL Brian O’Neill was evaluated for a concussion.
Rams: TE Tyler Higbee (chest) left in the first half and didn’t return. … Witherspoon (thigh) left in the third quarter.
Up next
The Rams visit the Eagles in a matchup of defenses that dominated in the opening round.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Supreme Court declines to hear from oil and gas companies climate change lawsuits
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it won’t hear an appeal from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change.
The order allows the city of Honolulu’s lawsuit against oil and gas companies to proceed. The city’s chief resilience officer, Ben Sullivan, said it’s a significant decision that will protect “taxpayers and communities from the immense costs and consequences of the climate crisis caused by the defendants’ misconduct.”
The industry has faced a series of cases alleging it deceived the public about how fossil fuels contribute to climate change. Governments in states including California, Colorado and New Jersey are seeking billions of dollars in damages from things like wildfires, rising sea levels and severe storms. The lawsuits come during a wave of legal actions in the U.S. and worldwide seeking to leverage action on climate change through the courts.
The oil and gas companies appealed to the Supreme Court after Hawaii’s highest court allowed the lawsuit to proceed. The companies include Sunoco, Shell, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and BP, many of which are headquartered in Texas.
The companies argued emissions are a national issue that should instead be fought over in federal court, where they’ve successfully had suits tossed out.
“The stakes in this case could not be higher,” attorneys wrote in court documents. The lawsuits “present a serious threat to one of the nation’s most vital industries.”
The American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, said declining to hear the Honolulu case now means the companies could face more lawsuits from activists trying to “make themselves the nation’s energy regulators.”
“I hope that the Court will hear the issue someday, for the sake of constitutional accountability and the public interest,” said Adam White, a senior fellow at the institute.
The Democratic Biden administration had weighed in at the justices’ request and urged them to reject the case, saying it’s fair to keep it in state court at this point — though the administration acknowledged that the companies could eventually prevail.
The incoming Republican Trump administration is expected to take a sharply different view of environmental law and energy production.
Honolulu argued it’s made a strong case under state laws against deceptive marketing and it should be allowed to play out there. “Deceptive commercial practices fall squarely within the core interests and historic powers of the states,” attorneings wrote.
Environmental regulations, meanwhile, have not always fared well overall before the conservative-majority court. In 2022, the justices limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. In June, the court halted the agency’s air-pollution-fighting “good neighbor” rule.
Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from consideration of the appeal. He did not specify a reason, but he owns stock in companies affected by the lawsuits, according to his most recent financial disclosure.
Two men arrested in Smith County for conspiracy to murder
TYLER – Two men planning the kidnapping, rape and murder of a Texas woman have been arrested according to our news partner KETK.
In the fall of 2022, the woman said she broke up with Dustin Adlai Yates, and blocked him on her phone and email. However, Yates would allegedly keep trying to contact her by using different phone numbers. By 2023, the woman filed a case of family violence with the Houston Police Department and a detective called Yates in October of that same year to warn him not to contact his ex-girlfriend again. A year later, the woman contacted the Smith County Sheriff’s Office after Yates started emailing her again on Oct. 31, 2024. She said she didn’t read all nine threads of emails he sent but he did mention one of her addresses.
Then on Dec. 1, 2024 at 12:30 a.m., Yates allegedly started messaging her with a 903 area code phone number and told her that “her expiration date was soon,” “she had a predictable schedule and daily driving routes.” Continue reading Two men arrested in Smith County for conspiracy to murder
The Brook Hill School unveils new Soules Center for the Arts
BULLARD – The Brook Hill School in Bullard celebrated their Founder’s Day on Sunday by opening their new fine arts center, the Soules Center for the Arts. According to our news partner KETK, the multi-million dollar center was made possible by a gift from the Soules family, known for the John Soules Foods brand. The center includes facilities like classrooms for vocal, instrumental, dramatic and visual arts instruction, an orchestra room, a drama room, a choir room and an auditorium that will also serve as a chapel.
Braxton Brady, Head of The Brook Hill School, said in a release, “It’s very humbling. It’s humbling to know that we have a group, a community of donors, a founder that are willing to sacrifice and give of their resources so that our students can have the best, and I really truly believe, I’ve been in private school education for 30 years, and I’ve never seen a space as good as this one.”
The Brook Hill School is a private PreK-12 Christian school that was founded in 1997. Their Founder’s Day celebration was attended by musician Michael W. Smith and actor Kirk Cameron, who gave the event’s keynote speech
Halle Berry donates ‘entire closet’ to LA wildfire victims
Halle Berry is supporting those affected by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
Berry announced on Instagram on Jan. 9 that she was donating her entire wardrobe to those in need.
The Oscar winner is collaborating with fellow actress Sharon Stone and +COOP, a home goods store in Beverly Hills, to promote donation efforts, collecting gently used clothing for men, women and children displaced by the fires.
+COOP was founded by real estate agent Jenna Cooper and turned its shop into a temporary fire relief donation collection center amid the deadly wildfires.
"I'm packing up my entire closet and heading over to the COOP! If you live in the Southern California area, I urge you to do the same," Berry wrote in the caption. "This is something we can do right now today to help all of the displaced families that are in need of the basics today!"
She added, "Thank you @sharonstone for your leadership. Love you Lady."
The post included a video clip originally shared on Stone's Instagram account, in which Stone is heard promoting the donation effort.
"We're at the COOP at 7282 Beverly Blvd., collecting gently used clothing for kids, men, women, children, people that have been displaced and affected by the fire," she says. "We have beautiful cashmere sweaters, jeans, new socks, shoes, clothes, blankets ... you can come and shop, you can also come and donate."
The LA wildfires have caused significant destruction, resulting in thousands of residents being displaced.
At least 24 people have died and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for. Firefighters continue to battle the flames, which remain only partially contained, and have been fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds.
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Search underway after Tyler jewelry store smash-and-grab
TYLER – A search is underway for three suspects who allegedly stole jewelry from Zales at the Village at Cumberland Park on Monday. Tyler PD Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said the theft happened at 1:25 p.m. when two Black men dressed in black came into the Zales and smashed two cases of jewelry with hammers. While they were inside, a Black woman reportedly stood watch outside. Officer Erbaugh said the two men were in-and-out in less than a minute. Investigators believe the suspects must have left in a vehicle after heading further into the shopping center to the East. Anyone with information on the three suspects can contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.
Elkhart senior recognized for incredible basketball feat
TYLER — Elkhart High School senior Jayden Chapman was recognized on Friday for reaching 1,000 points during his varsity basketball career.
Texas State Rep. Cody Harris recognized Chapman presenting him with a certification of recognition acknowledging his extraordinary achievement and stellar career to this point. Harris spoke highly of Chapman and praised his strong work ethic and dedication:
“I was proud to honor Jayden with a certification of recognition from the Texas House of Representatives for this outstanding achievement,” Harris said. “His dedication and hard work are inspiring. Keep making East Texas proud, Jayden!”
Chapman is a senior at Elkhart High School. He is a two-sport athlete, as he was a wide receiver for the Elkhart High School football team this past fall. During his junior year, Chapman was also a member of the All-District first team for football.
Chapman and the Elkhart team will continue their season as it nears the end of the regular season. Elkhart has a 7-14 record and six games left before its season concludes on Feb. 11