Mike Tirico will miss NBC's Sunday night game in Chicago because of health issue
CHICAGO (AP) — NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico will miss Sunday night’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears because of a health issue. “Unfortunately, I will have to miss tonight’s game in Chicago due to a health issue,” Tirico said in a statement released by NBC. “I look forward to watching tonight and can’t wait to be back with Cris (Collinsworth), Melissa (Stark) and the rest of our SNF team next Sunday night in Cincinnati.” Noah Eagle will replace Tirico in the booth.
Can't make heads or tails of it: A coin flip decides playoff spots for high school teams in Oklahoma
SEMINOLE, Okla. (AP) — So, you think your team got a bad deal when the College Football Playoff rankings came out? Imagine how Oklahoma’s Gore High School coach Nathan McCurley must have been feeling Saturday morning. His team’s season ended in the parking lot of a catfish restaurant on a coin flip right around midnight. After Friday night’s action in District A-II-3, Gore, Liberty and Central Sallisaw finished in a three-way tie for the league’s last two playoff spots. The tie could not be broken using head-to-head matchups or point differential, so it ended up being a matter of heads or tails. The coins went in the air. McCurley’s came up heads. The other two coaches’ came up tails and Gore was headed home for the season.
Tesla’s Cybertruck heads for an exit after years of hype and division
NEW YORK (AP) — Tesla’s Cybertruck, the hulking, stainless-steel pickup that inspired devotion and derision with its science-fiction looks, will cease production next year. CEO Elon Musk announced the model’s demise Friday with a curt post on X, his social media site, simply noting production of the vehicle “will be winding down” around the middle of 2027 at its facility outside Austin, Texas. Musk said the move was to allow increased production of its Cybercab robotaxi.
Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown pleads guilty to reduced charge, sentenced to probation in 2025 shooting
MIAMI (AP) — Former NFL star Antonio Brown has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm in connection with a 2025 shooting in Miami. Brown entered the plea to the reduced charge in state court in Miami on Friday. The All-Pro wide receiver avoids prison time after initially being charged with attempted murder. Police said Brown grabbed a handgun from a security staffer and fired two shots at a man he had been in a fistfight with earlier. Brown maintained he was defending himself from an attack as others were trying to steal jewelry from him. The 38-year-old spent 12 years in the NFL, most of it with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Scientists discovered an unknown baby right whale off Canada. They say it's a cause for joy
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Scientists who study whales are heartened by an unexpected discovery of a baby right whale off Canada. Researchers in Canada captured images of an unidentified baby North Atlantic right whale, one of the rarest sea mammals in the world, off Anticosti Island in Quebec in September. Scientists with the New England Aquarium in Boston said this week that after analyzing photos and data about right whales, they have determined it was a calf likely born months ago that went unseen during winter surveys for the giant animals. The discovery puts the number of baby right whales discovered from the most recent birthing season at 24.
2 licensed skydivers die in California after their parachutes become entangled
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (AP) — Two skydivers are dead after a midair collision during an event in California. Skydive Elsinore says the accident happened Friday and involved two licensed skydivers. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office identified the skydivers as Georgia Jean of South Dakota and Levi Pimentel of Illinois. The free fall and parachute opening were normal, but the skydivers collided at about 150 feet above the ground while preparing to land. Skydive Elsinore explains that the collision caused their parachutes to become entangled. Both sustained critical injuries upon reaching the ground and were pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Panda fans flock to Zoo Atlanta for the debut of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang
ATLANTA (AP) — Zoo Atlanta has welcomed two new pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, who arrived from China in September. The pandas made their public debut Friday after acclimating to their new habitat. The 6-year-old pandas are part of a 10-year loan agreement, marking the return of pandas to the zoo after a two-year absence. Visitors expressed excitement about the pandas' arrival. The Chinese ambassador to the U.S. highlighted the renewal of ties between China and Zoo Atlanta. Zoo Atlanta is now one of three U.S. zoos housing pandas, reflecting China's global panda diplomacy.
Online magazine Salon, an early staple of internet discourse, announces it will shut down
WASHINGTON (AP) — Salon is shutting down after 31 years. That ends one of the early internet’s most influential websites that featured sharp voices and political and social journalism backed by a liberal sensibility. The statement cited the fact that “the business realities of independent digital journalism have changed profoundly over the years.” It did not immediately indicate what would become of its employees, though some reported they had lost their jobs. Nineteen full-time employees were affected. Salon said there were no immediate plans to take down its online archives, which include three decades of stories from across the world and across topics and genres.
Russell Brand's convictions renew spotlight on media — and a culture — that may have looked away
LONDON (AP) — Russell Brand's convictions this week for rape and sexual assault have renewed scrutiny on the BBC and other media employers that may have looked the other way. Brand, who gained fame while cultivating an outrageous persona, was convicted Thursday on multiple charges involving several women. The BBC has apologized for a culture that allowed his behavior to go unchecked. An internal probe followed a joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4, which aired accusations from women who said they were abused by Brand. Analysts argue that Brand's raunchy image acted as a shield, allowing his excesses to be overlooked by employers and the public, too.
Rockefeller Center Christmas tree headed to New York City
NEW YORK (AP) — This year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been cut down and is heading to New York City to mark the beginning of the holiday season in the city. The 76-foot Norway spruce is expected to arrive Saturday after making the 200-mile trip from West Edmeston, New York. The tree will be wrapped with over 50,000 multicolored LED lights and crowned with a 900-pound Swarovski star before lighting up during a live broadcast ceremony on Dec. 2. The tree will be on display until Jan. 9, after which it will be milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
