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☆ After winning his Supreme Court case, a high school football coach has been rehired and is back to praying on the field again
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

High school football coach Joe Kennedy is back to coaching and praying on the field after a years-long fight. Kennedy was put on leave in 2015 over a fight with his school regarding praying on the football field. Joe Kennedy strode alone to midfield, knelt, and prayed for about 10 seconds after his Bremerton High School football team beat visiting Mount Douglas Secondary School 27-12 Friday night. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which works to keep government and religion separate, placed a billboard message near the school that read: "Wishing Bremerton High School a safe, secular & successful school year." In 2015, a dozen members of the Satanic Temple of Seattle went to a varsity football game at Bremerton High School, many dressed in hooded black robes or masks.

Persons: Joe Kennedy, Kennedy, Joe Kennedy strode, everybody's, Neil Gorsuch, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Trump, jeered, what's Organizations: Service, U.S, Supreme, Bremerton High School, Mount Douglas Secondary, . Police, NFL, Florida Gov, Bremerton School, Religion Foundation, School, Seattle, Associated Press Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington, Iowa, Florida, Bremerton —, Bremerton

☆ Gannett to pause AI experiment after botched high school sports articles
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Newspaper chain Gannett has paused the use of an artificial intelligence tool to write high school sports dispatches after the technology made several major flubs in articles in at least one of its papers. Several high school sports reports written by an AI service called LedeAI and published by the Columbus Dispatch earlier this month went viral on social media this week — and not in a good way. Many of the reports feature identical language, describing “high school football action,” noting when one team “took victory away from” another and describing “cruise-control” wins. Gannett has paused its experiment with LedeAI in all of its local markets that had been using the service, according to the company. CNET earlier this year also paused an experiment using AI to write stories after it was forced to issue multiple corrections on AI-generated reports.

Persons: LedeAI, “, Axios, ”, ” LedeAI Organizations: New, New York CNN — Newspaper, Gannett, Columbus Dispatch, Machine, Worthington, CNN, Louisville Courrier, AZ, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dispatch, CNET Locations: New York, Ohio, AZ Central, Florida, ”, “, OpenAI

The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Ryan Christopher Palmeter, left behind racist writings and used racial slurs, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. As a hurting community gathered Sunday to honor the victims, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan called to an end to division. As investigators probe the Jacksonville gunman’s motives and history, Waters cautioned against trying to find reason in the attack. How the shooting unfoldedPeople walk past the Dollar General store Sunday in Jacksonville, Florida. John Raoux/APJacksonville is processing the loss, said Florida State Sen. Tracie Davis, who represents the area of Jacksonville where the shooting happened.

Persons: Angela Michelle Carr, Anolt Joseph “ AJ ” Laguerre, Jerrald Gallion, Ryan Christopher Palmeter, Waters, General Merrick Garland, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, “, Zachary Faison Jr, Faison, ” Faison, ” “, happenstance, Sean Rayford, Carr, Laguerre, Gallion, texted, ” Waters, Baker, ”, Sabrina Rozier, ” Gallion, John Raoux, Tracie Davis, “ I’m, ” Davis, ” Biden, Kamala Harris, ” Harris Organizations: CNN, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K, Justice, Jacksonville Mayor, Jacksonville, Edward Waters University, Jacksonville Sheriff's, Dr, CNN Sunday, Dollar, “, University, Kia, Authorities, Sunday, Residents, Florida State Sen Locations: Jacksonville , Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, Buffalo , New York, Charleston , South Carolina, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Orange Park, Clay County, Duval County, New Town, Clay, Washington, America

CNN —The White gunman who killed three Black people in a racist attack at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday legally purchased two firearms earlier this year, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Ryan Christopher Palmeter, bought a handgun in April and an AR-15-style rifle in June, the sheriff said. Jacksonville Sheriff's OfficeThe gunman used racial slurs, left behind a racist screed and drew swastikas on his firearm, authorities said. The encounter was reported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office by EWU security,” the school said. Jacksonville Sheriff's OfficePhotos of the weapons the gunman had were shown by authorities, including one firearm with swastikas drawn on it.

Persons: Waters, Ryan Christopher Palmeter, ”, Palmeter, Angela Michelle Carr, Anolt Joseph “ AJ ” Laguerre, Jerrald Gallion, Sheriff Waters, Kia, Carr, Laguerre, Gallion, texted, Black, ” Waters, “, They’re, Baker, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, Ron DeSantis, ” DeSantis, Joe Biden, ” Biden Organizations: CNN, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K, Dollar, Justice, Jacksonville Sheriff's, Edward Waters University, Jacksonville, Madden, University police, University, WJXT, Authorities, Kia, Jacksonville Mayor, Florida Gov, NAACP Locations: Jacksonville , Florida, Orange, Jacksonville, Washington, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Clay County, Duval County, Florida, America

CNN —Three people were killed Saturday after a gunman opened fire and targeted Black people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, officials said. “This shooting was racially motivated and he hated Black people,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. But Waters said by the time authorities were alerted about the manifestos, the gunman had already started the attack in the Dollar General. The area near the Dollar General store features several churches and an apartment building across the street. “I’m offering prayers to the families of the victims and am on my way to meet with (Jacksonville Sheriff T.K.

Persons: Black, Waters, ”, Donna Deegan, Sherri Onks, John Raoux, Tracie Davis, “, ” Davis, – Organizations: CNN, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K, Edward Waters University, Jacksonville, Dollar, Florida State Sen Locations: Jacksonville , Florida, Clay County , Florida, Jacksonville, Fla, Florida, Georgia, Waters, United States, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Boston, Choctaw , Oklahoma, Joppatowne , Maryland

☆ A high school football coach fired 8 years ago for praying on the field is coaching again after the Supreme Court ruled in his favor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Supreme Court ruled in Kennedy's favor in June 2022 after he sued the school district. Kennedy is now coaching again at Bremerton High School for the first time in eight years. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Joe Kennedy's favor in June 2022. Kennedy is now back to coaching at Bremerton High School this season as an assistant, according to ABC 13. Bremerton High School did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Sunday.

Persons: Joe Kennedy, Kennedy, Joe Kennedy's, Neil Gorsuch, Sonia Sotomayor, Sotomayor Organizations: Bremerton High School, Service, ABC, Bremerton School District Locations: Kennedy's, Wall, Silicon, Bremerton

☆ ‘Blind Side’ Lawsuit Shows Strains in Depiction of Black Athletes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Santul Nerkar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There’s a scene in the film “The Blind Side” that intends to be an uplifting moment of triumph. Michael Oher, a talented offensive lineman who is Black, is struggling in a high school football practice, and in steps Leigh Anne Tuohy, a white woman who pulls him aside for a pep talk. Oher takes the advice and the practice turns into a montage of his extraordinary physical capabilities. He earns raucous approval from his teammates and the bewildered happiness of his coach, thanks to Tuohy’s familial advice. And his lawsuit filed this week accused the Tuohys of exaggerating the specifics of their relationship and of misleading him into signing away his life story for their benefit.

Persons: Michael Oher, Leigh Anne Tuohy, Sean Jr, Michael, ” Tuohy, Sandra Bullock, Oher, Leigh Anne, Sean Tuohy, — Organizations: Memphis Locations: Memphis

☆ How a college football quarterback with 36,000 Instagram followers scored more than 30 brand deals and made himself the go-to voice for NIL
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Chase Griffin has more than 30 brand deals, and his recent ones are mostly multi-year partnerships. Chase Griffin. 1st College Athlete Brand Ambassador for the largest/most powerful bank in the world. JP MOrgan Chase 1st College Athlete Brand Ambassador. "NIL & Athlete Brands: A NewEra", November 22, 2022.

Persons: Chase Griffin, Griffin, JPMorgan Chase, he'll, influencers, Chase Griffin Griffin, Griffin doesn't, He's, that's, I've, Page, JP Morgan Chase, Lucchese Bootmaker, Frances https, JP MOrgan, Chase Griffin Chase Griffin, Chase, Lucchese, Ed, Arthur Ashe Jr Organizations: UCLA, Gatorade Football, University of California, DirecTV, Foods, JPMorgan, LA Regional Food Bank, Bloomberg, LinkedIn, Boost Mobile, LA Food Bank, DMs, Twitter, JPMorgan Chase, Range Media Partners, WGA, SAG, Brands, ucla, Creative, Banking, Chase Bank, Morgan Wealth, Bank, Champs, Urban Outfitters, United States Polo Association, Lucchese, Hollywood, Marketing, UWG, UC Investments Academy, Fund Public Service, Regional Food Bank, Empowerment, Sports, Entertainment, Beach, Sports Rights, Cannes, Creativity, Cannes Lions, College Football Hall of Fame, Association, Conference, 1st, Financial, JP MOrgan Chase, Brand, of College Athletics, Rose Bowl, Community, Royce, True Bruin, Town Hall, Sports Innovation, Chase Center, NV, Regents, Brand Innovators, College, Los Angeles Times, ESPN, Unilever, Shell, Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Leadership Team, Council, Range, WPP, University of California Investments, UC, Santa Monica Hospital, Public Affairs, Leadership, UCLA Law, National Football Foundation, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Texas High, Gatorade Locations: Texas, Los Angeles, Opendorse, Instagram, Hollywood, CA, Cannes, Atlanta, Carlsbad, Los Angeles , CA, Pasadena, Los Angeles CA, San Francisco , CA, Los Angeles ,, Las Vegas, United

☆ A Kansas College Restored a Mercedes. It’s Now Headed to Pebble Beach.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Rob Sass | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A group of more than 60 college students in Kansas is bringing attention to the problem in an incredibly striking way. Over six years, they have restored a 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300S, and it’s been accepted as an entrant at perhaps the most prestigious car show on the planet: the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, held next month in California. team in the Super Bowl, that’s really what this is like,” said Brian Martin, director of the Automotive Restoration Technology Program at McPherson College in Kansas. The idea of competing at Pebble Beach was a moonshot. The college will not say how much it paid for the Mercedes, but based on previous sales its estimated worth is more than $500,000.

Persons: Paul Russell, it’s, that’s, ”, Brian Martin Organizations: Benz 300S, Super, Automotive Restoration Technology, McPherson College in, Mercedes Locations: Massachusetts, Kansas, California, McPherson College in Kansas

The Supreme Court ordered the 3rd Circuit to reconsider the matter. The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has a track record of expanding religious rights, often siding with Christian plaintiffs. Groff's attorneys had asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Hardison precedent and require companies to show a "significant difficulty or expense" before denying an accommodation. The Postal Service in 2013, in a bid to remain profitable, contracted with Amazon.com to deliver packages, including on Sundays. His absences caused tension among other carriers who had to cover his shifts, the Postal Service said.

Persons: Gerald Groff, Hardison, Groff, Andrew Chung, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Postal Service, Circuit, Appeals, Civil, VII, Airlines, Amazon.com, Thomson Locations: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Lancaster, United States, Colorado, Washington

☆ Supreme Court Sides With Postal Carrier Who Refused to Work on Sabbath
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Abbie Vansickle | Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The impact of the ruling could affect countless workplaces and could require many employers to make substantial changes to accommodate religious workers. The latest decision may be less divisive than some of the court’s recent rulings on religion, in part because protecting observance of the Sabbath may not split Americans along the usual lines. Indeed, liberal justices have tried in the past to shield workers from discipline and termination for following their faith, and all three on the court signed onto the decision. The case was brought by Gerald Groff, an evangelical Christian and former missionary who worked as a substitute mail carrier. After the Postal Service made a deal with Amazon in 2013 to deliver packages on Sundays, Mr. Groff said he had to choose between his faith and his livelihood, opting to quit after being disciplined for missing work.

Persons: Trump, Gerald Groff, Groff Organizations: Postal Service, Amazon Locations: Maine, Montana, Philadelphia

☆ Senate Judiciary advances journalism bargaining bill targeting Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced legislation on Thursday that would give news organizations the power to jointly bargain against Meta, Google and other online platforms for a greater share of online advertising revenue. One member of the committee, California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla, voted against the bill Thursday and vowed to block any future floor vote on the legislation until lawmakers make several changes. Padilla said the legislation doesn’t do enough to ensure that actual journalists in local newsrooms will benefit from the bargaining, as opposed to hedge funds and publication owners. “This bill is not about whether or not you like social media,” Kennedy said. “This bill is not about whether or not you like what is happening in American news media today.

Persons: Minnesota Democratic Sen, Amy Klobuchar, Louisiana Republican Sen, John Kennedy, Google didn’t, California Democratic Sen, Alex Padilla, Padilla, ” Padilla, Padilla’s, Democratic Sens, Jon Ossoff, Peter Welch, Cory Booker, Kennedy, Klobuchar, —, ” Klobuchar, ” Kennedy, ” Organizations: Washington CNN, Committee, Meta, Google, Minnesota Democratic, Louisiana Republican, California Democratic, Democratic Locations: Louisiana, Australia, California

☆ Five Stand-Up Specials for the Long Holiday Weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Jason Zinoman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Lewis Black, ‘Tragically, I Need You’(YouTube)If a stand-up can tap into or channel the fury of an audience, he can light up a room. Lewis Black’s great gift is that behind that dyspeptic front, you could detect a thoughtful, introspective side, a little damaged perhaps. He shows us more of that vulnerable side here, in part because the isolation of the pandemic put him in a reflective mood. Along with swinging sharp political elbows, in defense of Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, say, Black beats himself up over past relationships and sings the praises of companionship. He talks about his failed career as a playwright, bringing up theater because “I like to feel the interest of the audience leave the room.”

☆ Opinion | The Hollywood Writers’ Strike Isn’t About Money, It’s About Survival
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Zack Stentz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Continuing to succeed consistently over the course of a career can often seem next to impossible. But after three seasons of steady television work and a screenplay credit on the hit movie “Agent Cody Banks,” my luck finally ran out. The W.G.A.’s members make on average around $250,000 a year — and that’s before taxes, union dues and commissions to agents, managers and lawyers. The reality is that the seemingly big paychecks of Hollywood have to last through the lean periods that nearly every writer experiences. The formulas used to calculate the money owed for various forms of reuse are complicated and vary widely across platforms.

☆ What John Blake discovered when he met the White mother he never knew
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +25 min

It’s a story about my mother, and the White relatives who shunned me at birth—and still somehow became family. I now know one of the reasons my family didn’t tell me about my mom’s illness is because they didn’t know how. I vividly recall thinking as I looked at my mom: I didn’t know a White person could suffer like this. I saw White, Black, and brown people hug and call each other “brother” and “sister” after worship service. John Blake is a Senior Writer at CNN and the author of “More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew.”

☆ MIT neuroscientist: The No. 1 skill that sets people with ‘excellent memory’ apart from those who struggle—'it's rare'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Dr. Tara Swart Bieber | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Exercising your memory regularly is the key to brain enhancement, especially if you want to ward off memory issues later on. What separates people with excellent memory skills apart from those who struggle is that they have both a strong working memory (retaining information immediately after learning it) and long-term memory (recalling information more than a day after memorizing it). As a neuroscientist at MIT Sloan, here are two simple brain exercises I do every day to boost my working memory and long-term memory:1. Space repetition: Strengthen your long-term memoryThis method is all about boosting memory at increasingly longer intervals of time. When you go to the store later in the week, see how many items you can recall.

☆ Five still critical after Alabama birthday party shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 17 (Reuters) - Five people remained in critical condition on Monday after a weekend shooting at a teenage birthday celebration in rural Alabama that left four dead, hospital authorities said. The shooting occurred during a "Sweet 16" party, authorities said. All four who were killed were high school seniors. One of the four people killed during the violence was a high school football player who was among those attending his sister's "Sweet 16" birthday party, the Montgomery Advertiser newspaper reported. The shooting follows separate outbreaks of deadly gun violence in Tennessee and Kentucky that prompted local leaders to call for tighter gun control measures.

The plaintiffs accused Ocala of violating the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment "establishment clause," which restricts governmental involvement in religion. Ocala city officials helped organize and conduct the one-hour prayer vigil held in response to a series of shootings in which three children were struck by stray bullets. The city then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A federal district court will now weigh the plaintiffs' establishment clause claims in light of the football coach ruling. The conservative-majority Supreme Court in recent years has chipped away at the wall separating church and state, eroding American legal traditions aimed at barring government officials from promoting any particular faith.

☆ Atheists avoid — for now — Supreme Court review of Florida shooting prayer vigil lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In the Florida case, the Ocala police chief organized and promoted a prayer vigil whose attendees included police chaplains. The judge, in his ruling, applied the so-called "Lemon test," named after a 1971 Supreme Court ruling. In that 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court effectively jettisoned the Lemon test in deciding that the coach had the right to pray with players and others on the field after games. The court's ruling said the Establishment Clause "must be interpreted by 'reference to historical practices and understandings.' A majority of the Supreme Court's justices on Monday declined to take the case on those grounds, without commenting on the decision.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an evangelical Christian mail carrier's employment discrimination claim in a case that could force employers to do more to accommodate the religious practices of their workers. Postal Service could have granted his request that he be spared Sunday shifts based on his religious belief that it is a day of worship and rest. Based on his request for an accommodation, his managers arranged for other postal workers to deliver packages on Sundays until July 2018. Upon resigning, he sued the Postal Service for failing to accommodate his request. In the earlier ruling, the court said that employers are not required to make accommodation if it would impose even a minimal burden.

A high school football coach in Texas was taken off the job this week after multiple student-athletes had to be hospitalized following a strenuous off-season workout, officials said. Rockwall-Heath HS coach John Harrell was put on paid administrative leave on Tuesday following the workout a week ago Friday that led to player hospitalizations, Rockwall Independent School District representative Renae Murphy said in a statement to NBC News on Friday. Harrell is also athletic coordinator at Rockwall-Heath HS, which is about 25 miles northeast of downtown Dallas. He was named head varsity coach in January 2022 and the Hawks went 7-5 in his season at the helm. The Hawks' final game of the season was a 52-7 loss to DeSoto HS in the 6A DII playoffs on Nov. 17.

☆ High school football incidents spark racism talks, programs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Moments before Amador was to play Rosemont — a predominantly Black and Latino school in nearby Sacramento — the game was called off. Amador has just four Black students out of about 750. The incident at Amador was one of several alarming examples of racism against Black people that occurred this fall in high school football around the nation. Amador High School in Sutter Creek, Calif. Google MapsAdministrators in some cases have used these incidents to start conversations about race that have been hard for them to bring up before and roll out programs they hope will have lasting impact. A TikTok video created by players at River Valley High School in Yuba City, California, featured a mock slave auction.

☆ Defeated Georgia GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker was 'absolutely shocked' he didn't win 100% of the vote in Johnson County, where he grew up: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walker was "shocked" he didn't 100% of the vote in his home county last month, per The Daily Beast. The Republican carried Johnson County 74%-26% over Warnock, but was still taken aback by the result. While Walker received 2,484 votes to Warnock's 869 votes in Johnson County in November, Kemp earned 2,504 votes compared to Abrams' 867 votes. On Tuesday, Warnock defeated Walker in the runoff 51.4%-48.6%, earning a full six-year term in the Senate and denying Republicans a much-desired win. And Warnock gained ground in Johnson County in the runoff compared to the November election, winning 967 votes (29%) to Walker's 2,419 votes (71%).

☆ Inside the turbulent, doomed campaign of Herschel Walker
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +14 min

Republican candidate Herschel Walker's campaign was starved for cash as it faced Sen. Raphael Warnock and his deep-pocketed Democratic allies. Beyond highlighting an intense clash in a nationally watched political campaign’s crucible, the blowup underscored the core problem of Walker’s campaign: Walker. The so-called “oppo” book, however, didn’t have information about the abortion story, which rocked Walker’s campaign. And despite the damaging information that could come out in a campaign, Walker decided to run anyway. By Election Day, Walker campaign staffers knew they were likely to lose.

☆ Nick Bollettieri, famed tennis coach, dies aged 91
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Nick Bollettieri, the famed tennis coach who taught the likes of the Williams sisters, Andre Agassi and Maria Sharapova, has died aged 91. Bollettieri’s death was confirmed by the IMG Academy, which Bollettieri is the founder of, in a statement sent to CNN. In 1977, he founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy – now the IMG Academy – after borrowing $1 million from a friend to build a live-in tennis academy for his students. During over 30 years as a coach, Bollettieri became one of the most sought-after teachers in world tennis due to the success players had under him. Bollettieri outside his tennis academy.

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