‘Skinny Joey’ Merlino gets $5M bail in Mafia case
By TERRY SPENCER The flamboyant alleged head of the Philadelphia Mafia is expected to be released from custody Friday after a federal judge granted him $5 million bail as he…
Football
Police: Ex-Saint Will Smith gunned down in case of road rage
By JANET MCCONNAUGHEY Former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith was shot and killed in a case of road rage by a man who had rear-ended his car, police said…
Ex-NFL running back Lawrence Phillips found dead in prison
By DON THOMPSON Lawrence Phillips, a star running back at Nebraska and first-round NFL draft pick whose pro career quickly unraveled amid disciplinary problems, was found dead in his California…
Missouri students, football players pressure school leaders
By The Associated Press Student protests at the University of Missouri over how racially charged incidents have been handled by school leaders have ramped up over the semester and reached…
2nd University of South Florida player accused of firing gun
A second University of South Florida football player is now accused of firing a gun on campus. University police arrested junior cornerback Lamar Robbins on Thursday. He remained in the…
South Carolina still on edge from floods; 2 die in truck
By ADAM BEAM and MEG KINNARD It could take until the weekend for the threat of flooding to ease in storm-tattered South Carolina, where a senator warned of a potential…
Texas police chief fires officer who killed college student
By EMILY SCHMALL An unarmed college football player tried to smash through a locked glass door in a North Texas car dealership showroom to escape an officer in training but…
Chinese TV host to be punished for insulting Mao in private
Chinese authorities ordered a state broadcaster to punish a popular TV celebrity for insulting Communist Party founder Mao Zedong at a private dinner, state media reported. Bi Fujian was a…