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DENVER (AP) — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's “America’s Got Talent” meets “American Idol,” with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it’s never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at “Dream Team” status given the men’s side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023 . The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. “We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport,” said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. “We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world.” Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores . “Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That’s something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok , the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado’s two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. “If a receiver is running around, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,’” Daniels explained. “They’re like, ‘No, you can’t.’ I’m just like, ‘So I’m supposed to let this guy just run?!’ I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn.” The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. “I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. “I’m not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, ‘I played NFL football for five years. I’m popular. I have a huge name.’ I’m still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise.” Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It’s his way of working on avoiding a “defender” trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. “You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the ‘Redeem Team’ led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, ‘That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. “Everybody thinks, ‘Yeah, the U.S. just wins,’” Daniels said. “But we work hard all the time. We don’t just walk in. We don’t just get off the bus thinking, ‘We’re going to beat people.’” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFLNone
President Biden announced he would commute the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates, including child murderers and rapists. The 'Fox & Friends' co-hosts react to the 'shocking' news. The inmates on federal death row whose lives were spared by President Biden after he commuted their sentences have killed victims across all facets of American society, ranging from a sailor to children as young as 8 years old. Biden announced Monday that he commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole because he is "more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level." "Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss," Biden added. "In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted." Among those who have been spared are Jorge Avila-Torrez, a Marine veteran found guilty of killing Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Amanda Snell inside of her barracks in Arlington, Virginia, in July 2009. ‘SQUAD’ DEMOCRAT APPLAUDS BIDEN FOR SPARING MURDERERS FROM ‘RACIST’ DEATH PENALTY Federal prosecutors said Avila-Torrez confessed to an inmate that he "entered Snell’s room through her unlocked door, jumped on her as she slept in her bed, bound her wrists with the power cord from her laptop computer and strangled her with the rest of the cord." Then years later, Avila-Torrez pleaded guilty to stabbing 8-year-old Laura Hobbs and 9-year-old Krystal Tobias to death on Mother’s Day 2005 in Zion, Illinois, and was told by a judge that he was a "serial killer," according to The Associated Press. Krystal Tobias, 9, left, and her friend Laura Hobbs, 8, who were killed by Jorge Avila-Torrez in Zion, Illinois, in May 2005. Marine veteran Jorge Avila-Torrez, who pleaded guilty to killing Tobias and Hobbs, reportedly was a friend of Tobias' older brother at the time of their deaths. (Zion Police Department/Getty Images) Another inmate spared by Biden is Daryl Lawrence, who was convicted of killing Columbus Police Officer Bryan Hurst in 2005. The Justice Department, which posthumously awarded Hurst the Medal of Valor, said he was working uniformed special duty at a bank when a masked gunman entered and the two exchanged fire. "In spite of receiving a mortal wound, Hurst maneuvered around the counter and fired at the suspect before he collapsed. Authorities apprehended the gunman several days later when he sought medical attention at a hospital in Washington, D.C.," it added. "Officer Hurst's quick action, exceptional courage, and persistence protected the lives of the many people at the bank." BIDEN COMMUTES 1,500 JAIL SENTENCES, GRANTS PARDONS FOR 39 OTHERS: ‘LARGEST SINGLE-DAY GRANT OF CLEMENCY’ Thomas Sanders also will no longer face the federal death penalty despite being found guilty for the "brutal kidnapping and murder" of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts in 2010. In that case, prosecutors said Sanders was dating Roberts’ mother Suellen Roberts, whom he fatally shot in the head near Interstate 40 in Arizona during a trip to a wildlife park near the Grand Canyon over Labor Day weekend. He then forced Lexis into a vehicle and held her captive as he traveled east. Thomas Sanders and Suellen Roberts, 31, the mother of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts, in undated photos provided by the FBI. Sanders was found guilty of killing Roberts in Arizona in 2010 and then kidnapping and murdering Lexis days later. (FBI) "Sanders drove several days across the country before he murdered Lexis Roberts in a wooded area in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana," the Justice Department said . "Evidence at trial established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods where a hunter found her body on October 8, 2010." Other inmates who were once on federal death row include Alejandro Umana, an MS-13 gang member who fatally shot brothers Ruben and Manuel Garcia Salinas at a restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina, in December 2007 "after they ‘disrespected’ his gang signs by calling them ‘fake,’" according to federal prosecutors. Anthony Battle, who killed prison guard D’Antonio Andrew Washington with a ball-peen hammer inside a maximum-security unit at an Atlanta facility in 1994, has been spared as well. Correctional Officer D'Antonio Andrew Washington was killed by inmate Anthony Battle at USP Atlanta in 1994. (Federal Bureau of Prisons/U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General) Amnesty International USA, a supporter of Biden’s decision, said Monday that the "death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment" and Biden’s move is "a big moment for human rights." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "With a stroke of his pen, the President locks in his legacy as a leader who stands for racial justice, humanity, and morality," added Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "This will undoubtedly be one of the seminal achievements of the Biden presidency." Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.Manmohan Singh, India’s reluctant prime minister, dies aged 92
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The interception of the giant terror ants highlights the pivotal role that customs authorities play in safeguarding biodiversity and protecting ecosystems from the impacts of invasive species. By remaining vigilant and proactive in their inspections, customs officers can help prevent the spread of harmful alien species that threaten our environment.
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WASHINGTON — A top White House official said Wednesday at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations were impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could grow. The U.S. believes the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. She added that Biden was briefed on the findings and the White House “made it a priority for the federal government to do everything it can to get to the bottom this.” The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack Tuesday after the U.S. federal authorities issued new guidance. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. The embassy did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday. White House officials believe the hacking was regionally targeted and the focus was on very senior government officials. Federal authorities confirmed in October that hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, along with people associated with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. The number of countries impacted by the hack is currently believed to be in the “low, couple dozen,” according to a senior administration official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said they believed the hacks started at least a year or two ago. The suggestions for telecom companies released Tuesday are largely technical in nature, urging encryption, centralization and consistent monitoring to deter cyber intrusions. If implemented, the security precautions could help disrupt the operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, and make it harder for China or any other nation to mount a similar attack in the future, experts say. Neuberger pointed to efforts made to beef up cybersecurity in the rail, aviation, energy and other sectors following the May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline . “So, to prevent ongoing Salt Typhoon type intrusions by China, we believe we need to apply a similar minimum cybersecurity practice,” Neuberger said. The cyberattack by a gang of criminal hackers on the critical U.S. pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, sent ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation’s aging energy infrastructure. Colonial confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the gang of hackers who broke into its computer systems as it scrambled to get the nation's fuel pipeline back online.
