Ingested Articles

Many college football players with hopes of playing in the NFL have a narrower path to the league this year. Fewer schools outside the Football Bowl Subdivision hosted pro days this year. That means hidden gems from the small colleges didn't get the same exposure they would have otherwise from campus workouts in front of scouts. Only three Football Championship Subdivision schools and one in Division III had pro days scheduled compared with 48 in the FCS and nine in Division II in 2019. That was the last year with a draft leadup unaffected by COVID-19. 

A recent spike in coronavirus cases in some states has led one of the nation's top health experts to suggest that governors could “close things down” like they did during previous surges. But that doesn't appear likely to happen — not even in states led by Democratic governors who favored greater restrictions in the past. Governors in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois all are reluctant to return to broad shutdowns. Colorado's governor plans to turn decisions about public health orders over to local officials later this week. Officials are hoping vaccinations will help counter an increase in cases from new virus variants. 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Ongoing volcanic eruptions have displaced about 20% of people in the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent as a U.N. official on Wednesday warned of a growing humanitarian crisis. Between 16,000 to 20,000 people…

Monday. Ugh. The very word emits a chill. Monday means back to school, or work. Nose to the grindstone. Party’s over. Friday, meanwhile, is the opposite vibe. What’s great about Friday is that, unlike Saturday and certainly Sunday, it signals…

A white former police officer is being charged with second-degree manslaughter in the killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, just three days after the Black man was shot during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb. The swift probe and announcement of a charge against Kim Potter was handled by a prosecutor from outside Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, where Potter shot Wright. The decision to hand over the case was made almost immediately by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. Bringing in outside prosecutors to review shootings by police is a practice that has gained steam across the U.S. in recent years in an effort to eliminate the appearance of bias. 

A new congresswoman has been sworn in. Republican Julia Letlow of Louisiana took the oath of office Wednesday from Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Letlow now holds the seat that her late husband, Luke, was elected to but never filled after dying of COVID-19 complications in late December, days before taking office. Julia Letlow easily won a special election last month to represent the heavily Republican district in northeastern Louisiana district. The university administrator was making her first run for public office. She won the backing of former President Donald Trump and decisively outraised her opponents. 

Minnesota Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons has tested positive for COVID-19. He was placed on the COVID-19 injured list before Twins' doubleheader against the Red Sox. Simmons has said he doesn't plan to get the vaccine, which was made available to the team in a single-shot dosage last week. Twins executive Derek Falvey says Simmons is experiencing “very mild” symptoms and resting at his home. The positive test result was received late Tuesday after the the Twins played the Red Sox. Simmons was replaced by infielder J.T. Riddle, who was on the taxi squad.

REIMS, France (AP) — France's president promised free psychological counseling Wednesday for children and teenagers struck by a wave of mental health difficulties that accompanied the coronavirus pandemic. With a doctor's prescription, those aged 3 to 17 will be entitled…

The Seattle Kraken couldn't finalize any moves at the trade deadline because they're not the NHL's 32nd team until the final expansion payment is made. That doesn't mean general manager Ron Francis couldn't make a handshake deal or two.  Francis was watching closely as the 31 teams made their deals. The expansion draft is in July. It will be the first one since 2017, when George McPhee set the roster for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Major League Baseball wants to see if moving back the pitcher’s mound will increase offense. MLB will experiment with a 12-inch greater distance between the mound and home plate during a portion of the Atlantic League season in an effort to decrease strikeouts and increase offense. The pitching rubber will be moved back to 61 feet, 6 inches starting Aug. 3 during the second half of the independent minor league’s season. In addition, the MLB partner league will have an experimental “double-hook DH” rule in which a team would lose its designated hitter when its starting pitcher leaves.

McDonald’s will mandate worker training to combat harassment, discrimination and violence in its restaurants worldwide starting next year. McDonald's has 2 million workers at 39,000 restaurants worldwide. The change is part of a larger reckoning over sexual harassment at the world’s largest burger chain. At least 50 workers have filed charges against the company over the last five years, alleging physical and verbal harassment and, in some cases, retaliation when they complained. McDonald’s President and CEO Chris Kempczinski says the company needs to set clearer expectations and make sure its workers feel safe and respected. 

LONDON (AP) — A lobbying scandal swirling around former British Prime Minister David Cameron has deepened, with claims that a senior civil servant held down a part-time job with a now-bankrupt financial firm that was awarded lucrative government contracts. It…

The No. 2 House Republican says party leaders would “take action” against Rep. Matt Gaetz if the Justice Department formally moves ahead with legal action against him. The remarks by Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise make him the latest of many congressional Republicans who have opted against springing to the defense of the Florida Republican. Federal agents are investigating Gaetz over allegations that include sex trafficking and sex with a minor, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not discuss details publicly. Gaetz has denied the accusations and has not been charged with any crimes.

Buffalo Sabres interim coach Don Granato is emerging from the shadow of his more famous siblings. The team has emerged from an 18-game winless skid to win four of its last eight. Much of the credit is going to the 53-year-old Granato. He simplified the style of play and keeps an even keel. His brother, Tony, played 13 NHL seasons. His sister, Cammi, is a hockey Hall of Famer and two-time Olympian.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has approved President Joe Biden’s choice of Gary Gensler to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, signaling an emphasis on investor protection for the Wall Street watchdog agency after a deregulatory stretch during the Trump…

Colton Underwood, the former football tight end who found fame on "The Bachelor,” has revealed that he is gay. “I’ve ran from myself for a long time. I’ve hated myself for a long time,” Underwood told “Good Morning America” on…