General News

General

This college football team’s concessions will be free all season in 2025

Coastal Carolina is offering free concessions for all fans at home football games this season.

The school introduced what is known as the CCU Kickoff Meal Deal on Monday, which will allow fans to eat at Chanticleers home games at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C., this season. Fans will be able to visit concession stands an unlimited number of times during games and choose four items from a selection of hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and fountain drinks.

Alcoholic beverages and specialty items — those from outside vendors — will not be part of the free concessions. Fans will also be required to download a mobile app that will be scanned upon each concession stand visit.

“Our fans are the heartbeat of Teal Nation, and we’re always looking for ways to elevate their game day experience,” Coastal Carolina athletics director Chance Miller said. “With the CCU Kickoff Meal Deal, we’re excited to offer free concessions this fall as a way to say thank you for the energy, passion and support they bring to Brooks Stadium every game.”

Coastal Carolina drew an average of 18,622 spectators to six home games last season at Brooks Stadium, which seats 21,000. The Chanticleers, a member of the Sun Belt Conference along with Troy and South Alabama, finished 6-7 in 2024.

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Suspects in Panama City Beach shooting that injured 3 are ‘idiots,’ police say: ‘Just turn yourselves in’

The search continues for the suspects in the weekend shooting at busy Pier Park in Panama City Beach that left three people injured.

Police Chief J.R. Talamantez in a Monday press conference said “the majority” of four persons of interest taken into custody shortly after Saturday’s shooting have been released without charges.

However, Talamantez said he’s confident the investigation with end in the arrests of the shooters.

The chief said the gunfire erupted between two groups of people at 9:19 p.m. and said police officers were just 50 feet away when the shots rang out.

“They’re idiots. They’re so stupid they think they can pull out a gun and start shooting and think there is no consequence for that,” Talamantez said.

“That might be the case where they’re from. That’s not going to happen here. I’m confident we’ll be holding these people accountable.”

Talamantez said the majority of those involved are believed to be juveniles.

“There’s a lot of concern about the identity of these individuals,” he said. “Our suspects are believed to be from out of state and there’s no current threat that they’re still here.”

The shooting happened in the area adjacent to Dave and Busters.

Well over 50 police officers were stationed in the area, as well as the department’s mobile command center.

“Up until that point, the crowds were manageable,‘’ said Talamantez, adding that the majority of people in the area at the time were between the ages of 14 and 19.

“We knew we were going to have a large influx of students at Pier Park.”

Of the shooting, the chief said there was more than one person with a gun, and more than one person shooting.

“It was a very chaotic incident, as you can imagine,” he said. “We responded in matter of seconds.”

“Our officers that night were heroic, ran towards the gunfire, immediately rendered first aid, helped these individuals in their time of need and immediately started looking for suspects,” he said. “They’re good at their job.”

All three victims who were shot, he said, were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and have since been released from the hospital.

Talamantez said investigators the four people initially detained and said the majority of them have been ruled out as suspects. He did not elaborate.

After those interviews, however, “I am confident this case will be resolved with an arrest of the individuals firing these weapons,” he said.

“If the shooters are out there listening to this, just turn yourselves in,” Talamantez said. “It’s going to save us a drive to come and get you because it’s going to happen.”

Talamantez said his department will continue to aggressively police spring break, and that entails.

“It’s an enforcement challenge when we have thousands and thousands of underaged kids here,” he said. “There’s only so much we can do with them.”

“Make no mistake,” he said. “This police department will not let the actions of criminals to essentially make us perform unconstitutional things.”

Since the spring break season started, the chief said his officers have conducted more than 3,500 traffic stops, pulled more than 6,000 case numbers and made more than 600 arrests.

“You’re not going to come to Panama City Beach and walk all over us, but the reality is the challenges we’re facing are the challenges that everybody is facing – trying to police a community – a youth group – that does not listen to authority, that does not care if a police officer is 50 feet from them,‘’ he said.

“Nobody’s going to come here and scare this community as long as this police department is here,” he said.

Talamantez said he can’t promise a similar situation won’t happen again in the next few weeks.

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said. “We are planning and prepared.”

He urged those in the hospitality business to make sure they are renting to adults, and he urged parents to not allow their children to go to Panama City Beach unsupervised.

“You’re making a mistake,” he said. “We’re not babysitters. We’re police officers.”

“The sad part is every year we have to call someone and say their loved one has been hurt in Panama City Beach,” he said. “I want to stop doing that.”

Talamantez said authorities are in the planning stages of increased restrictions. He did not say what those additional restrictions would entail.

“We’re not done with spring break,” he said. “We’re not going to take our foot off the gas.”

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What we’re hearing about Auburn QB Jackson Arnold in spring practice

In an overhauled quarterback room, Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold is now the face of an Auburn offense trying to move forward from a disappointing 2024 season.

The production was up compared to 2023, but turnovers and costly mistakes turned a handful of potential wins into losses. Starting quarterback Payton Thorne ran out of eligibility and Hank Brown, Walker White and Holden Geriner all transferred, meaning the 2025 starter was going to come from outside the program.

Arnold seems to be the answer, coming to Auburn after playing the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Oklahoma. He and the team will officially be a week into spring practice on Tuesday, but a number of Arnold’s new teammates already have positive things to say about him.

“Just his decision making, him knowing where the ball is supposed to be and being able to look at the defense and knowing where to throw the ball,” said sophomore wide receiver Malcolm Simmons when asked what stands out about Arnold. “We need a good quarterback, somebody to be able to run the offense and run the system that frees the runner.”

Arnold’s relationship with Simmons will be an important one, as Simmons was one of the breakout players in Auburn’s offense last season. He caught 40 passes for 451 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, and could take on an even bigger role this season.

Head coach Hugh Freeze said on the first day of practice that he’s “very optimistic” about Arnold early on in his time at Auburn. Like Simmons, Freeze also complimented Arnold’s decision making, something that carries extra importance given last season’s turnover problems.

“There’s a reason he was Gatorade Player of the Year coming out of high school,” Freeze said. “I think he needed a (restart) to regain some confidence. I think he’s doing that at a fast, fast pace.”

When talking about his intangibles, senior offensive lineman Jeremiah Wright praised Arnold’s leadership, describing his personality as goofy.

“Very funny guy,” Wright said. “Just try to brighten up the room and try to get to know each and everybody and really learn their background and why they play football.”

Quarterbacks coach Kent Austin gave a more technical explanation of Arnold as a player, complimenting his smarts, quick release, accuracy, pocket presence and foot speed.

Austin also backed up what Freeze said, alluding to Arnold already looking promising as Auburn’s signal caller.

“He’s got a pretty good command of what we’re doing right now,” Austin said. “He’s a really talented player, and we are very hopeful that he’ll stay on the trajectory he’s on right now and carry us out of the spring and into the summer, and obviously into the fall and play at a high level.”

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

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The Nike Court Vision Alta Platform Shoes are on sale for as low as $37

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Beyonce has four upcoming shows in Atlanta, here’s how to snag tickets before they sell out

Global pop and R&B star Beyonce is currently on her 2025 “Cowboy Carter” tour which includes four upcoming show dates at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 10-11 and July 13-14.

Queen B kicks off the massive tour on April 28 in Los Angeles with show dates set for around the U.S., UK and Europe. In pure Beyonce fashion, the tour announcement came just a day before she dominated the 2025 Grammys and secured three wins in total, including the Best Country Album award for Cowboy Carter.

Since then, Beyonce has added additional dates to the tour adding up to 27 show dates, and four of those dates are in Atlanta.

Where can I find the cheapest tickets to the Atlanta shows?

Those interested in finding tickets to the “Cowboy Carter” shows can find the cheapest tickets on trusted verified ticket resell vendor sites such as Vivid Seats, StubHub, Viagogo and Seat Geek.

As of Monday, March 31, current ticket prices for the upcoming Atlanta shows are as follows:

Thursday, July 10 – Vivid Seats ($41 to $9,504) | StubHub ($38 to $3,488) | Viagogo ($39 to $5,983) | Seat Geek ($47 to $3,130)

Friday, July 11 – Vivid Seats ($100 to $1,132) | StubHub ($102 to $2,995) | Viagogo ($93 to $3,000) | Seat Geek ($111 to $3,130)

Sunday, July 13 – Vivid Seats ($47 to $1,080) | StubHub ($44 to $9,274) | Viagogo ($44 to $7,978) | Seat Geek ($46 to $13,524)

Monday, July 14 – Vivid Seats ($77 to $1,309) | StubHub ($79 to $1,579) | Viagogo ($74 to $1,358) | Seat Geek ($78 to $14,494)

More upcoming “Cowboy Carter” tour dates

April 28 – Los Angeles, California at the SoFi Stadium

May 1 – Los Angeles, California at the SoFi Stadium

May 4 – Los Angeles, California at the SoFi Stadium

May 7 – Los Angeles, California at the SoFi Stadium

May 9 – Los Angeles, California at the SoFi Stadium

May 15 – Chicago, Illinois at Soldier Field

May 17 – Chicago, Illinois at Soldier Field

May 18 – Chicago, Illinois at Soldier Field

May 22 – East Rutherford, New Jersey at the MetLife Stadium

May 24 – East Rutherford, New Jersey at the MetLife Stadium

May 25 – East Rutherford, New Jersey at the MetLife Stadium

May 28 – East Rutherford, New Jersey at the MetLife Stadium

May 29 – East Rutherford, New Jersey at the MetLife Stadium

June 28 – Houston, Texas at the NRG Stadium

June 29 – Houston, Texas at the NRG Stadium

July 4 – Washington, D.C. at the Northwest Stadium

July 7 – Washington, D.C. at the Northwest Stadium

July 25 – Las Vegas, Nevada at the Allegiant Stadium

July 26 – Las Vegas, Nevada at the Allegiant Stadium

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Popular snack food sold in 13 states recalled

A popular snack food maker has recalled bags of tortilla chips that could have an undeclared allergen.

Frito-Lay said the recall covers a limited number of bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips. The chips, sold in 13 oz. size, could contain nacho cheese tortilla chips which would have milk as an ingredient. That could be dangerous for those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk, Frito-Law said in a statement.

“A limited number of 13 oz. bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips are being recalled as they could include nacho cheese tortilla chips, and therefore may contain an undeclared milk allergen,” the snack maker said. “Unless a consumer has a dairy allergy or sensitivity to milk, this product is safe.”

The chips were distributed in 13 states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Consumers would be able to purchase the chips as early as March 7.

No allergic reactions related to the recall have been reported and no other Tostitos products, flavors or sizes are included.

The recall covers bags with UPC 28400 52848 with a “guaranteed fresh” date of May 20. You can go here to see manufacturing codes.

People with allergies or sensitivities to milk should not eat the products and should throw it away. They should also call Frito-Lay at 1-800-352-4477.

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Blackstone’s ProSeries XL Griddle is on sale at its cheapest price yet

Walmart just dropped some of its best prices of the year on must-have products during its Super Savings Week, including a $450 discount on the Blackstone ProSeries XL Propane Griddle.

The Blackstone ProSeries XL Propane Griddle functions exactly like any other Blackstone Griddle, but it stuns with the look of a high-end grill and comes with tons of cooking space.

With this deal, Walmart customers can get the Blackstone ProSeries XL for $547 instead of the typical $1,000 price tag. Shipping is also included along with a free 90-day return period.

Blackstone ProSeries XL Propane Griddle – $547

The Blackstone ProSeries XL is on sale for more that $400 off during Walmart Super Savings Week.

Buy Now

These Walmart Super Savings Week deals will last now through Tuesday, April 1.

RELATED: Walmart is offering a $300 Michael Kors crossbody for just $64 this week

The Blackstone ProSeries XL Griddle is a top-rated item on Walmart’s website with a 4.5 star overall rating.

“After researching Blackstones for a few days, I decided to buy this unit from Walmart. It was the best bang for the buck. Overall I’m super happy with it. Make sure you leave yourself some time for assembly and seasoning. It is time consuming. Also, the cover that Walmart sells for the 28″ pro series does not fit. This is the XL grill. I purchased the 30″ culinary cover and it fit perfectly,” a review from Jan 2025 states.

“This might be the niciest grill we have ever owned. There were no instructions/guide in the box, so we had to research on youtube and found a step by step video by blackstone. The pieces are high quality, most of it came pre-built and needed little assembly. Once everything was put together and connected, it lit up beautifully. We moved it to our concrete patio and it was also pretty easy to move it around, since it has wheels,” another review from 2024 says.

Those interested in this Walmart Super Savings Week deal can checkout the full listing here.

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Tom Moran: A third term for Trump? Crazy, but revealing.

President Donald Trump told NBC news last weekend that he’s dead serious about serving a third term as president, no matter what that dusty old Constitution says.

He knows he can’t hope to pave the way by amending the Constitution, as one of his bootlickers in the House has proposed. That takes a vote by two-thirds of the Congress, and ratification by at least 38 states. There is nothing on God’s earth that could build that kind of consensus in today’s America, not even apple pie.

But let’s say he finds a way. There is talk that JD Vance could run at the top of the ticket in 2028, with Trump as his vice-president. If that ticket won, the theory goes, Vance could resign, and Trump could resume his place on the throne without being “elected to the office more than twice.”

It’s a whacked-out plan, and would break a bunch of other good rules and norms, but can anyone rule out this Supreme Court offering its blessing? What about a Supreme Court with a few more Trump appointees on board by then?

“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker on Sunday. “There are methods which you could do it, as you know.”

Granted, this is delusional stuff. But so was Trump’s demand that Vice President Mike Pence overrule voters after the 2020 election. So are his plans to take over Greenland and Canada. If you’re looking for crazy, we could make a long list after just two months. He could actually try this.

“The biggest mistake of the last eight years is that we somehow failed to give credibility to Donald Trump’s whims and impulses, but we know it’s true,” David Jolly, a former Republican member of Congress, told MSNBC. “January 6 was a perfect example. If he says he’s not ruling it out, then he’s not ruling it out, and we should consider it a constitutional threat.”

Steven Levitsky is a Harvard professor who co-wrote the book “How Democracies Dieafter studying the many cases in which leaders win legitimate elections, then corrode democracy by using the machinery of government to rig the game in their favor. They limit the power of judges or ignore their rulings, they undermine the free press, they change election rules, harass opponents with bogus criminal investigations, and peddle disinformation.

Sound familiar?

Adolf Hitler is the famous case, winning his appointment as chancellor in 1933 only after the Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag through free elections. But Levitsky considers the threat of old-school fascism overblown. He worries more about America becoming a fake democracy, as happened in places like Turkey, Hungary, and Venezuela.

“The breakdown in democracy in the United States will not give rise to a classic dictatorship in which elections are a sham and the opposition is locked up, exiled or killed,” he writes in Foreign Affairs magazine. “What lies ahead is … a system in which parties compete in elections but the incumbent’s abuse of power tilts the playing field against the opposition. Most autocracies that have emerged since the end of the Cold War fall into this category.”

Trump is following a playbook. And what scares me is that so many independent players are groveling at his feet, rather than standing on principle. Columbia University has agreed to give him some control over their curriculum on Mideast studies. The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times agreed to kill editorial endorsements of Kamala Harris. Two big law firms just degraded themselves by agreeing spend a combined $140 million on legal work for causes that Trump supports.

And notice that Attorney General Pam Bondi signaled that she won’t investigate the blunder we just witnessed when Trump’s senior national security team spilled plans for the attack on Houthi militants in Yemen on a commercial app hours before it was launched, putting the mission and our pilots in danger. Lower-ranked players might be facing prison time under the Espionage Act, which criminalizes not just intentional leaks, but those showing “gross negligence.”

What worries me most is not the prospect of a third term for Trump. My guess is voters will sour on him long before 2028 anyway. But his comments are revealing about his mindset. The man respects no restraints on his power.

The bigger stress test will come if he defies major court rulings. He’s already testing the limits on a few cases, including the decision to proceed with deportation of what he says are Venezuelan gang members despite a judge’s oral order to stop those flights.

Let’s say he take the next step, and explicitly defies a ruling on a major issue, like his refusal to spend money allocated by Congress on agencies like USAID. If the Court orders him to reverse course, will he obey?

“Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power,” Vice President JD Vance posted on social media.

Yes, but it’s the judges who get to decide what’s legitimate and what’s not. Vance doesn’t seem to get that. And neither does Trump, who chillingly said, “He who saves his country does not violate any law.”

I expect this crew to make a charge at our democracy. They don’t give a damn.

But the United States is not Turkey, or Hungary, or Venezuela. We have a strong and independent judiciary. We have state governments controlled by the opposition. We have midterm elections, and a free press with strong protections. And as Levitzky notes, Trump’s popularity is limited. “An elected autocrat with 45 percent approval rating is dangerous, but less dangerous than one with 80 percent support,” he writes.

So, its’ game on. This fight is only beginning. And my money is still on democracy.

Moran is a national political columnist for Advance Local and the former editorial page editor/columnist for The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. He can be emailed at [email protected].

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‘All American’ season 7 episode 9: How to watch, where to stream free

An all new episode of the hit sports drama All American premieres on The CW Monday, March 31 at 8/7c.

On this week’s episode titled “Shadowboxin’” Spencer James and Darnell Hayes return to town to organize a spirited night out aimed at resolving the escalating rivalry between Cassius and Jordan—a tension that has started to affect Khalil and KJ.

Meanwhile, Coop struggles with haunting memories from her past but manages to find comfort in Spencer’s guidance. Also in the episode, Khalil gets support from Spencer, Jordan and others while Cassius offers words of wisdom to Spencer on his next chapter.

Where can I watch All American season 7?

Those interested in catching this season of All American can stream the series without traditional cable through Fubo or DirecTV Stream, which are two of the top streaming services on the market currently. Both streaming services are also offering free trials to new subscribers.

What is Fubo?

Fubo considers itself a sports-focused live streaming service but also offers over 100 live TV channels through its base package at just $84.99 a month following its free trial. Through this plan, users can stream popular channels such as ABC, USA, Hallmark Channel, ESPN, BET, CMT, MTV and more.

Currently, Fubo’s base plan, also referred to as the Pro plan, is included in the service’s ongoing promotion offering $30 off the first month with a new subscription. Other Fubo plans included in this promotion are the Elite plan ($30 off first month), the Essentials plan ($25 off first month) and the Latino plan ($5 off first month).

To learn more about available channels for streaming through Fubo and a deeper dive into the packages, click here.

What is DirecTV Stream?

DirecTV Stream offers subscribers with a plethora of live TV channels and helpful features, too. The Entertainment package, also known as DirecTV Stream’s base package, starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular TV channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNBC, BET, CNN and more.

Two other DirecTV Stream packages are the Choice package (original price $114.99) and the Ultimate package (original price $129.99), both of which are part of an ongoing promotion that offers new subscribers $25 off the original price for the first three months of their subscription.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV Stream’s channel packages can check them out here.

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Jacksonville State basketball star set to enter transfer portal, declare for NBA Draft

The star of another strong Jacksonville State team will be testing the markets.

Jaron Pierre Jr. will enter the NCAA transfer portal, he announced on social media.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein was the first to report the news, adding that he will also declare for the 2025 NBA Draft.

He will have one year of eligibility remaining.

According to a source, as many as five NBA scouts were been on hand to watch Pierre play during Jax State’s victory at FIU on March 1.

Pierre claimed Conference USA Player of the Year honors for Jax State in his lone year with the program, averaging 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Along with his points per game ranking fourth among all qualified Division I players, the 6-foot-6, 208-pound guard led all players in total points (777) and tied for third in total field goals (266).

Pierre also ranked second in total minutes (1,352) and fifth in minutes per game (37.3).

He scored a career-high 36 points against Middle Tennessee State on Feb. 6, which broke the Division I record for a Jax State player in a home win.

The Jax State star shot 42.4% from the field and 38.2% from beyond the arc for the Gamecocks, scoring in double figures in all but one of his games played.

Jax State finished the year 23-13 and as the Conference USA regular season and tournament runner-up.

The Gamecocks also accepted an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament for the first time in program history, beating Georgia Tech in the first round before falling to UC Irvine.

Pierre scored 30 points in the first-round win against Georgia Tech, going 11-for-18 from the field.

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