About $600M has been spent to upgrade the Superdome since it last hosted a Super Bowl

Many major professional stadiums from the Superdome’s era are no longer standing. Neither are many built years after it. NEW ORLEANS — NFL coach Sean Payton remains a fan of the nearly 50-year-old Superdome, where he paced the home sideline for 15 seasons. “I challenge any venue to age like this one has,” Payton, now … Read more

Abbott warms to online sports betting but Senate roadblocks persist

Gov. Greg Abbott shows openness to online sports betting, but Texas senators remain unlikely to legalize it. DALLAS — Gov. Greg Abbott this week signaled he is open to authorizing online sports betting, though his support is unlikely to sway state senators blocking its legalization. Abbott has gradually softened his stance on gambling. In a … Read more

DFW coffee chain breaks silence after Luka trade went down in their café

“No one asked any of our staff about that trade. If they had, we’d probably say, ‘let’s get another cup of coffee and think this over,’” a spokesperson said. DALLAS, Texas — Ascension Coffee, a beloved java chain found in six different locations across North Texas, found out what it’s like to be collateral damage … Read more

NCAA changes transgender policy to limit women’s competition to athletes assigned female at birth

The change is effective immediately and applies to all NCAA athletes regardless of previous eligibility reviews under the prior policy. WASHINGTON D.C., DC — The NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes on Thursday, limiting competition in women’s sports to athletes who were assigned female at birth. The move came one day after President … Read more

Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Eric Allen and Sterling Sharpe make the Pro Football Hall of Fame

It’ll be the smallest induction class in 20 years following offseason rule changes meant to make it harder to get inducted. NEW ORLEANS — Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Eric Allen and Sterling Sharpe were voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the smallest induction class in 20 years following offseason rule changes meant … Read more

Ex-interpreter sentenced after defrauding baseball star Shohei Ohtani of $17M

Ippei Mizuhara was ordered to pay $18 million in restitution, with nearly $17 million going to Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the remainder to the IRS. SANTA ANA, Calif. — The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole … Read more

Meet the woman keeping the adorable pups happy at this year’s ‘Puppy Bowl’

From recruiting the adorable contestants to keeping them happy and focused on filming day, Victoria Schade plays a very important role. NEW YORK — If you tune into the “Puppy Bowl” on Sunday, you’ll likely see a key person’s influence — even if you don’t actually see her. Victoria Schade is a dog trainer and novelist … Read more