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Mailbag: What the ‘Pac-10’ want in the legal dispute, the Apple factor, night games in new leagues and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

The Hotline mailbag publishes each Friday. Send questions to [email protected] and include ‘mailbag’ in the subject line. Or hit me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline.Please note: Some questions have been edited for clarity and brevity.Is it possible the 10 departing schools are just stalling to ensure they receive their full payments for 2023-24, then quietly leave after realizing they don’t really have a case for future payments? — @Xman689It seems the ‘Pac-10’ realized they left money behind and now want to come back to get it. In mediation, what would they reasonably be asking for and what, if anything, would the two be willing to give? — @pfnnewmediaBoth questions target a central issue in the intra-conference dispute: What do the 10 outgoing schools want? What do they hope to accomplish, either through mediation or the legal proceedings in Washington? What’s the endgame?First, let’s outline the Hotline’s overarching view.We do ...

Former deputy alleges sheriff's office covered up molestation allegation against sergeant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

(BCN) -- A former guard at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin is alleging that internal affairs for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office refused to investigate when he reported a colleague for sexually abusing two minors, according to a new lawsuit against the sheriff's office. Chris McMann joined the sheriff's office as a recruit in 2017. McMann was working in the jail in November 2020, when he found out two of his daughters had allegedly been "molested by their uncle, Sgt. Kevin Estep," the lawsuit alleges. Red Flag Warning issued Saturday and Sunday McMann's attorney, Denise Eaton-May, did not respond to a request for an interview, but the complaint says McMann obtained inappropriate text messages from Estep, including one in which the sergeant told a minor to "let me see your ass."McMann then reported the suspected crime to the Brentwood Police Department, where investigators allegedly documented a "pre-text" call in which Estep made incriminating statements.McMann's lawsuit alleges...

MATCHDAY: Barcelona hosts Madrid in Bellingham’s 1st ‘clasico,’ Arsenal plays Sheffield United

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Saturday:ENGLANDArsenal hosts last-place Sheffield United in what looks like lopsided matchup, but the visitors have played tough against Manchester United, Tottenham and Manchester City — 2-1 losses each time. The unbeaten Gunners are third in the Premier League standings after nine games. Sheffield has just one point and has lost five straight games. Brentford makes a short trek to Stamford Bridge for a west London derby against Chelsea. Newcastle visits Wolverhampton after losing 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday. Bournemouth hosts Burnley with both teams stuck in the relegation zone. Vincent Kompany’s squad has just one win and four points. Bournemouth is winless and has lost four straight league matches.SPAINBarcelona hosts Real Madrid in the first “clasico” match for Jude Bellingham. Madrid leads the defending champions by one point. Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández has not revealed if Robert Lewa...

Live updates | Israeli military says its ground forces are expanding activity in Gaza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

The Israeli military says its ground forces will expand their activities in Gaza Friday night. The announcement came hours after Israeli forces conducted a second ground raid as many days and after Israel’s defense minister said the country expects to launch a long and difficult ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory.The development also came after communication services in the Gaza Strip were cut, following a heavy round of Israeli airstrikes that lit up the night sky over the darkened territory.The Palestinian death toll passed 7,300 as Israel launched waves of airstrikes in response to the bloody Hamas rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which tracks the toll, released a detailed list, including names and ID numbers on Thursday. In the occupied West Bank, more than 110 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids since the war’s start three weeks ago.More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civ...

Misinformation is flowing ahead of Ohio abortion vote. Some is coming from a legislative website.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The inflammatory language targeting a reproductive rights measure on Ohio’s fall ballot is the type of messaging that is common in the closing weeks of a highly contested initiative campaign — warning of “abortion on demand” or “dismemberment of fully conscious children” if voters approve it.Only the messaging isn’t just coming from the anti-abortion groups that oppose the constitutional amendment. It’s being promoted on the official government website of the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate.And because the source is a government website, the messaging is being prioritized in online searches for information about Issue 1, the question going before Ohio voters Nov. 7 to enshrine abortion access in the state Constitution.The “On The Record” blog on the state Senate website is billed as an “online newsroom” presenting “the views the news excludes.” It features attacks against Ohio news outlets, op-ed style columns by Republican state senators and content ge...

Tyson Fury tries to provoke Francis Ngannou at weigh-in before Saudi Arabia fight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Tyson Fury compared himself to Novak Djokovic after going face-to-face with Francis Ngannou at their weigh-in on Friday.The towering Brit dismissed the punching threat posed by Ngannou, a former UFC star who will make his professional boxing debut Saturday at age 37.“It’s like a table tennis champion facing Djokovic in the Wimbledon final — totally different,” the WBC heavyweight champion said.The 35-year-old Fury weighed-in at 277.7 pounds while his Cameroonian opponent was 272.1 pounds after both men stepped on the scale in street clothes.Moments later, Fury pushed his forehead into Ngannou, who responded with a chest-bump to give himself some space.“I have played this game so long. This can’t get to me. It’s part of the game,” Ngannou said of Fury’s antics.Both fighters predicted a quick evening on Sunday.“We’re going to take a couple of minutes at the beginning, but I think this fight will end very quick,” Ngannou said.Fury, the self-described “...

Rule change gives top seed in NCAA women’s tourney most rest for Final Four after Staley’s criticism

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — The overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament will get preferential treatment moving forward, a response to South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s concerns and criticism.The Division I Women’s Basketball Committee voted unanimously Friday to place the tournament’s top seed in a regional pod with game days on Friday and Sunday, ensuring the most rest possible for the No. 1 seed between the regional final and for the Women’s Final Four.Staley approached broadcast partner ESPN and NCAA officials about the issue at the Southeastern Conference’s spring meetings in Destin, Florida, in May. “It’s not that I’m a sore loser,” Staley said. “I think it’s great that almost 10 million viewers watched our sport. But you also have to break things down like you do with film. I broke our tournament down, where we were placed and things that we did over the course of a season. … We were the No. 1 overall seed. If there were going to be some adv...

Families hunt for loved ones out of touch since Hurricane Otis pummeled Acapulco

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Desperate families made missing posters Friday and joined online groups to find loved ones out of touch since Hurricane Otis devastated the Mexican Pacific coast city of Acapulco.Officials said they are moving in supplies and evacuating people from the devastated metropolis of 1 million people.As cell phone service returned to some parts of the city, many residents had help from friends and relatives living in other parts of Mexico and in the United States.Residents joined together by neighborhood using online messaging platforms. On Thursday there were some 1,000 people in 40 chats, which grew in number through the day. Late Thursday, Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado followed their lead, urging people to send messages to government WhatsApp accounts about the missing.Norma Manzano spent a day debating whether to make a digital missing poster, like so many people have done, for her two brothers, whom she had not heard from since shortly after Otis made land...

City of Fort Lauderdale recovers $612,000 after falling victim to $1.2 million fraud scheme

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

After losing $1.2 million, one South Florida city has recovered nearly half of its stolen funds. According to Fort Lauderdale officials, they’ve recovered more than $612,000 after a city employee was tricked in September into sending the money to a scammer that was pretending to work for Moss Construction, which was under contract to build the city’s new police headquarters.Mayor Dean Trantalis commented on the hard lessons he learned.“We have the systems in place that are going to be able to protect the community and not allow this to happen again,” he said. “And this is a message to all my friends in other cities, my mayors and city managers throughout the state. You know, we need to be more watchful.”The mayor also said he expects the full amount should be recovered by the end of the year.

Disney says DeSantis-appointed district is dragging feet in providing documents for lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:54 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Walt Disney World’s governing district made up of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees is dragging its feet in providing requested documents to Disney in a lawsuit over who has design and construction powers over the company’s sprawling theme park resort in central Florida, Disney said in court papers.Disney on Thursday accused the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District of “dodging its obligations” and asked a Florida judge to delay any decision on whether the case should proceed until the company gets documents and conducts depositions needed to argue against a summary judgement requested by the district.A hearing is scheduled for mid-December. Disney is seeking a delay of two and a half months.The district has “failed to produce a single document for nearly two months following Disney’s requests, broke commitments to agreed-upon deadlines, and remains in possession of discovery that Disney needs to develop its summary judgment opposition,” Disney sa...