Now in its second year with an expanded bracket, 12 teams will make the College Football Playoff to close out the 2025-26 season. Five of those slots will go to conference champions. The rest — at-large bids to be handed out by the 13-person committee. The AP looks at those that should be making plans for the playoffs. They include Georgia, Texas, defending champion Ohio State and, yes, Alabama after barely missing the field last season.… Continue Reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is preparing to open a second immigration detention facility at a state prison in north Florida, as a federal judge decides the fate of the state’s holding center for immigrants at an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” DeSantis announced Thursday that the new facility is to be built at the Baker Correctional Institution, a state prison about 43 miles (69 kilometers) west of Jacksonville, and is expected to house 1,300 immigration detention beds, though that capacity could be expanded to 2,000, state officials said.… Continue Reading
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting around their record levels after a rally spurred by hopes for lower U.S. interest rates wrapped around the world. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% Wednesday, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 325 points, while the Nasdaq composite was flat after setting a record the day before. Treasury yields eased, as expectations reached a virtual consensus that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rates for the first time this year at its next meeting in September. Stocks leaped by more than 1% in several Asian markets, while European indexes rose more modestly.… Continue Reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced country music start George Strait and “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone among the first batch of Kennedy Center Honors nominees in his new role as chairman. The remaining three recipients are singer Gloria Gaynor, the rock band KISS and actor-singer Michael Crawford, The Republican president also announced on Wednesday that he’ll host the awards program. The glamorous event is usually taped in December and broadcast later in the month by CBS. Trump avoided the Kennedy Center Honors during his first term due to protests from artists but is embracing his new role as the center’s chairman.… Continue Reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is now rolling out a service where its Prime members can order their blueberries and milk at the same time as their batteries and other basic items. The online juggernaut said Wednesday that customers in more than 1,000 cities and towns now have access to fresh groceries with its free Same-Day Delivery on orders over $25 for Prime members, with plans to reach over 2,300 locations by year-end. The company said that if an order doesn’t meet the minimum, members can still choose Same-Day Delivery for a $2.99 fee. For customers without a Prime membership, the service is available with a $12.99 fee, regardless of order size.… Continue Reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market rallied to records after data suggested inflation across the country was a touch better last month than economists expected. The S&P 500 rose 1.1% Tuesday and topped its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 483 points, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.4% to set its own record. Stocks got a lift from hopes that the better-than-expected inflation report will give the Federal Reserve leeway to cut interest rates at its next meeting in September. Lower rates can give the economy and investment prices a boost.… Continue Reading
ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says the man who fired more than 180 shots with a long gun at the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wanted to send a message against COVID-19 vaccines. GBI Director Chris Hosey said 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White also recently verbalized thoughts of suicide, which led to law enforcement being contacted several weeks before the shooting. He said White broke into his father’s safe to get the long gun, and fatally shot DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose during the attack. The GBI said more than 500 shell casings were recovered from the scene.… Continue Reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation was unchanged in July as rising prices for some imported goods were balanced by falling gas and grocery prices, leaving overall prices modestly higher than a year ago. The figures suggest that slowing rent increases and cheaper gas are offsetting some impacts of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Many businesses are also absorbing much of the cost of the duties. Tuesday’s figures likely include some impact from the 10% universal tariff Trump imposed in April, as well as higher duties on countries such as China and Canada.… Continue Reading
YouTube is ready to start testing a new age-verification system in the U.S. using artificial intelligence to distinguish between adults and minors based on their viewing habits. The tests, scheduled to being Wednesday, initially affect a small portion of YouTube’s U.S. audience. If successful, the system could become more widespread. It works when viewers are logged into their accounts, regardless of the birth date entered. If flagged as under 18, users face restrictions like privacy warnings and limited video recommendations. Concerns about privacy and free speech have been raised by digital rights groups. The political pressure for better age verification has increased since a recent Supreme Court decision.… Continue Reading
Texas is No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 for the first time. The Longhorns narrowly edged out Penn State in the closest preseason vote since 1998. Texas received 25 first-place votes, while Penn State received 23. The Nittany Lions have their highest preseason ranking since they were No. 1 to open 1997. The Southeastern Conference leads with 10 teams in the Top 25. The Big Ten has two of the top three teams for the third straight year. The Big 12 has four ranked teams and the ACC has three.… Continue Reading