The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York concluded Friday that Brian Flores, Steve Wilks and Ray Horton’s ongoing discrimination case against the NFL will proceed in open court.

Four years ago, Flores sued the NFL, alleging the league was “rife with racism” as it pertains to its hiring practices for coaches. Wilks and Horton joined the lawsuit after Flores’ initial lawsuit.

“The court’s decision recognizes that an arbitration forum in which the defendant’s own chief executive gets to decide the case would strip employees of their rights under the law,” attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and David E. Gottlieb said, via ESPN.

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Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks on during the fourth quarter of a game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 4, 2026. (Matt Blewett/Imagn Images)

“It is long overdue for the NFL to recognize this and finally provide a fair, neutral and transparent forum for these issues to be addressed.”

The NFL fought to move the case into private arbitration, which would have had Commissioner Roger Goodell acting as the judge.

PATRIOTS STAR STEFON DIGGS PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FELONY STRANGULATION CHARGES DAYS AFTER SUPER BOWL

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings looks on prior to a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dec. 29, 2024. (Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)

Flores sued the NFL, the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Denver Broncos and the Houston Texans. Wilks’ claims are against the Arizona Cardinals, and Ray Horton’s are against the Tennessee Titans.

Flores alleged that NFL teams frequently interview Black head coaching candidates to satisfy the Rooney Rule, conducting “sham interviews.” The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview two external minority candidates for leadership roles.

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Defensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings during a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle Nov. 30, 2025. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Wilks said he was treated as a “bridge coach” during his one-year stint as head coach with the Cardinals and that he didn’t have enough opportunities to succeed in a complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.

Horton alleged he was part of a “sham” interview process when he interviewed for the Titans job in 2016.

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A motorist who mowed down an “entirely innocent” teenager as he walked along a pavement has been found guilty of murder.

Abdullah Yaser Abdullah al Yazidi, 16, was fatally struck by an Audi driven down the wrong side of the road by Zulkernain Ahmed in Sheffield last June.

The victim was thrown in the air by the impact, the city’s crown court heard.

Video footage was shown to jurors of the vehicle on Staniforth Road, in the Darnall area of Sheffield, colliding with who the prosecution said was e-bike rider La’rome Divers, knocking him over a hedge, before hitting Abdullah.

Zulkernain Ahmed was also convicted of causing Mr Divers grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and attempting to cause two unidentified riders GBH with intent.

Ahmed, 21; his brother Armaan Ahmed, 27; and Adam Mohammed, 30; had all previously denied murdering Abdullah.

Prosecutors said the defendants, all of Darnall, were out looking for Mr Divers over a dispute about e-bikes.

Zulkernain Ahmed used the car as a “weapon” as he targeted Mr Divers, who was riding with two others – one on a moped and the other on another e-bike, according to prosecutors.

Armaan Ahmed, who was a back seat passenger in the Audi, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and of causing GBH to Mr Divers.

Another back seat passenger, Adam Mohammed, 30, was cleared of both murder and manslaughter and a number of other charges.

All three defendants were cleared of attempting to murder the three riders after three days of deliberation by the jury of nine women and three men.

A third Ahmed brother, Zain, who police have not traced, was the front seat passenger of the Audi.

Mr Divers, who refused to make a statement to police, was seriously injured in the incident, the court heard.

Abdullah, who was seen throwing and catching a water bottle as he walked along the pavement before the collision on 4 June last year, was “in the wrong place at the wrong time”, said prosecutors.

In his evidence, Zulkernain Ahmed said he was looking for Mr Divers because he was worried he was a threat to his family, and spotted him riding on Staniforth Road.

The defendant, who admitted taking a baseball bat with him, told the jury he only wanted to talk to Mr Divers but “at the last second I got scared and panicked” and decided to “give him a nudge”.

He told the jury: “It was not my intention for anything like this to happen to (Abdullah) or to anyone.”

Armaan Ahmed told police he went with his brother for a meeting about a bike, and he was there to “make sure he was safe”.

Adam Mohammed told police “my sole purpose for getting in the vehicle was to smoke a spliff and then to go play snooker”, the court heard.

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The jury had been told Zulkernain Ahmed had admitted the manslaughter of Abdullah and one charge of causing GBH.

Abdullah’s family said in a statement they welcomed the guilty verdict and were “devastated by our loss”.

Detective Chief Inspector Benjamin Wood, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “Abdullah was an entirely innocent boy who tragically lost his life after being struck by a car on Staniforth Road in June last year.

“He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The officer called it a “heartbreaking case which was entirely avoidable”.

The Ahmed brothers will be sentenced on 4 June.

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“The pain of being cut off — it’s a pain you can’t describe unless you feel it.” 

→ Laura Wellington, a woman in Connecticut known on social media as “Doormat Mom,” shared her story of parent-child estrangement with Fox News Digital.

A murder suspect told police they were “desperate” and “just trying to save face” when they accused him of shooting a former colleague dead, a court has heard.

Prosecutors are claiming David Campbell, 77, gunned down former colleague Brian Low, 65, on a remote track near Aberfeldy, Perthshire, on 16 February 2024.

Campbell has pleaded not guilty to eight charges, and has lodged a special defence of alibi in connection with the shotgun murder accusation – claiming he was at home at the time of the alleged shooting.

Both men had worked at Edradynate Estate, where Campbell was head gamekeeper between May 1984 and February 2018 and Mr Low was a groundsman between August 2000 and February 2023.

At the High Court in Glasgow on Friday, jurors were shown Campbell’s police interview after he was arrested in May 2024 over Mr Low’s death.

Campbell told Detective Constable David Budd: “They’re just trying to save face.”

It is thought the comment was made regarding a blunder at the beginning of the inquiry, when Police Scotland initially treated the death as a “medical event” despite Mr Low having died of gunshot wounds to the neck and chest.

The mistake meant the crime scene was not sealed off and forensically examined until days after Mr Low’s body was found.

Campbell repeatedly denied any wrongdoing during the interview, telling DC Budd: “I think you’re desperate.”

When once again asked if he shot Mr Low, the accused replied: “I certainly did not.”

Read more from the trial:
Man accused of shotgun murder ‘loathed victim’
Alleged killer thought murder victim was trying to ‘set him up’
CCTV at suspect’s home ‘went off on morning of alleged shooting’
Wife ‘can’t remember’ if husband had grievances with Mr Low

DC Budd agreed with Advocate Depute Greg Farrell that the interview became “heated” and accepted he himself was “quite confrontational”.

Campbell was said to have stated: “Who is this guy Brian Low? Is he the king’s son?”

DC Budd agreed with Mr Farrell that he took it to mean that the accused was suggesting that a lot of money and resources had been put into Mr Low’s case.

Campbell also told the interviewing officers: “You don’t even know if it was deliberately done or accidentally done.”

The ex-head gamekeeper added: “Some people shoot and get shot every year.”

When told it was a murder inquiry, Mr Campbell replied: “It could have been an accidental killing.”

The trial, before Lord Scott, continues.

EXCLUSIVE—Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy pointed to outmigration from California as evidence of what he described as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s failed leadership of the Golden State in an interview with Fox News Digital on Friday.

“What a failure,” McCarthy said. “You look at how many people left the state, you look how people look at the state, you look at the homelessness, you lool [sic] the major corporations that are generating income here have left. We’re on a downward slope.”

California has led the nation in outbound migration for six years, according to U-Haul. Several corporations, including Chevron, Tesla and Charles Schwab, also moved their California headquarters to other states.

NEWSOM TOUTS CALIFORNIA’S NUMEROUS LEGAL FIGHTS WITH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN FINAL STATE OF THE STATE

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy labeled California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s leadership of the state as a “failure.” (K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

When asked whether he believes a Republican could be elected governor in the deep-blue state, McCarthy said it is not off the table due to California’s unique jungle primary system where the top two candidates compete against each other regardless of political party.  

“If Republicans were smart, and they powered on the idea, we could actually come out of the primary with only two Republicans,” he explained. “It’s not any sure thing, but it’s a unique strategy that can work. It’s not fighting with one another; it’s generating more people to come because it’s an open primary.”

McCarthy went on to assess the 11 candidates vying to replace Newsom, who is term-limited, seven of whom recently participated in a debate in San Francisco on Feb. 3.

The former speaker argued Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is not capable of being the next governor, while naming Democratic candidate and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan as one who could “rise up.”

“You look at the Democrats — so many running and so many who are not qualified,” McCarthy said. “Like, Eric Swalwell is not qualified to be governor. He’s not qualified to actually run for governor.”

SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., (left) and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan (right) are running for California governor to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Marla Aufmuth/Getty Images for California Conference for Women)

McCarthy went on to discuss the GOP’s midterm tactics as Republicans begin to outline a strategy for defying the odds in the elections, which are historically difficult for the party in the White House.

While speaking at Harvard University in November, McCarthy explained how the MAGA pull Trump benefited from in the 2024 election does not transfer to his Republican counterparts.

“People think you can just have what President Trump has. No, he’s earned it. He’s earned through a lot of years,” he said. “He’s taken on people before, so they see that strength behind it. You can’t just be anointed. You have to earn where you go.”

REPUBLICAN SENATORS HIT BORDER, TOUTING TOUGHER SECURITY AND TAX CUTS, IN 2026 KICKOFF

Kevin McCarthy, left, and President Donald Trump, right, walk on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The former speaker noted infighting within the GOP, criticizing congressional Republicans for wasting key time in having the majority during the government shutdown.

“They’re turning over the floor to Democrats — that’s a bad sign,” McCarthy said. “They’re fighting among themselves.”

He added the record-length government shutdown was a mistake that gave away “two months” of a two-year majority. Republicans are clinging to a tiny advantage in the House right now, and oddsmakers say Democrats are likely to retake control in November.

McCarthy stressed that Republicans must celebrate their political wins in order to have a better chance in the midterms, citing border security as one example.

“When they secured the border, why didn’t you go to the border? Why didn’t you show people, all these people aren’t coming across anymore, that it’s safe,” he said.

CALIFORNIA BILLIONAIRES FLEE STATE’S WEALTH TAX IN THE MOST-PREDICTABLE RESULT EVER

55th House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at former President Ronald Reagan’s birthday commemoration service at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Feb. 6. 2026. (Nora Moriarty)

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McCarthy said Republicans must show Americans what they’ve accomplished ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Photographs obtained by Sky News appear to show tonnes of rubbish being dumped at what is understood to be the UK’s newest large-scale illegal waste site – despite an ongoing investigation by the Environment Agency.

The huge dump – amounting to tens of thousands of tonnes of rubbish – sits right next to the M25, south east of Epping in Stapleford Tawny.

The Environment Agency says it began an investigation in February 2025, but, despite this, the site remains open – and images show a lorry spilling waste at the dump on Friday 6 February.

The images were captured last week by a local man – who does not want to be named – who stopped because the lorry was stuck in mud.

“A massive lorry, 40-foot long – I thought the guy was in trouble, so I thought I’d try to help,” he said.

“I went round the back, and I saw rubbish spewing out from the back of the cab, so I was a bit concerned.”

The man called 999.

Essex Police confirmed that they had arrested a 55-year-old from Horley in Surrey and a 25-year-old from Mullaghbawn in County Armagh.

The lorry, two mobile phones and a laptop were seized as evidence.

Read more from Sky News:
Two arrested for illegally dumping waste at six sites
What it’s like to live next to a 25,000-tonne illegal dump

Satellite imagery analysed by Sky News shows the land in October 2024, when it was green and full of trees.

On 19 September last year, there is clear activity at the site, with possible dumping taking place in the top-left corner of the site.

Now the seven-acre site is completely covered in waste, buried several metres deep.

There are major environmental concerns.

The rubbish tumbles down into a small tributary that runs into the River Roding, which feeds the River Thames.

Paul Powlesland, from the River Roding Trust, said: “It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see the sheer scale of this illegal waste dump. I’ve seen a few waste dumps in my time, and this is definitely one of the worst.

“The landfill is literally going into the tributaries, and then, within 100m, that goes straight into the River Roding, London’s third biggest river. So whatever is in here, the rainfall, we’ve been having a lot recently, will go through it, pick up those toxins and go into the groundwater.”

‘Accrid, acidic, toxic puddles litter this site’

Dan Whitehead

West of England and Wales correspondent

@danwnews

Standing on top of thousands of tonnes of waste, metres deep, it is staggering that it has amassed in just a few months.

Despite the cold winter weather – the stench is acrid, almost acidic at the back of your throat.

What’s here is equally remarkable.

The majority is processed, shredded building waste – often a sign of the work of a organised crime group.

But there is also a lot of domestic rubbish.

Bank statements, postcards, children’s schoolbooks, even official immigration documentation lies blowing the wind. 

What is most disturbing is the metallic-bluey-black liquid puddles dotted around the site.

This toxic looking substance collates as rain falls – and it seeps directly into a tributary into the River Roding.

Sky News understands the Environment Agency is urgently seeking a restriction order to close the site down – and is continuing to gather further evidence.

Barry Russell from the Environment Agency, said: “I share the public’s anger at waste crime, where those responsible have no care for the environment.

“Thanks to the person who rang 999, and the quick work of Essex Police, my environmental crime team are using the arrests and seizures to continue investigating this suspected illegal waste dump.”