NFL draft combine, California floods, New York talks Amazon: 5 things to know Friday
NFL draft combine: On-field workouts begin in Indianapolis
More than 300 NFL players are in Indianapolis this week to be evaluated and interviewed by teams in advance of the draft in April. So far, some players have gone through medical tests, interviews and measurements (we finally know how tall QB prospect Kyler Murray is.) From Friday through Monday, NFL coaches and general managers actually get to watch the players do what they do in on-field workouts. Here are 10 players who could raise their draft stock with a good showing at the combine. Plus, check out USA TODAY Sports' latest mock draft, which projects the entire first round.
Residents survey damage as deadly California floods recede
Officials say that two towns affected by the historic floods in northern California will be accessible by car Friday after residents were forced to use kayaks and canoes on watery streets. Located about 80 miles west of Sacramento, the towns of Guerneville and neighboring Monte Rio were the two hardest-hit communities. The raging Russian River, swollen to near its highest level in a quarter-century, killed at least one person and flooded 2,000 homes, turning some towns into "islands." Authorities had been particularly worried about mudslides from areas burned out by the 2017 North Bay wildfires that destroyed almost 150,000 acres in Sonoma and surrounding counties. Another half inch of rain may fall in the North Bay late Friday and early Saturday, the National Weather Service said, but not enough to significantly raise main rivers.
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Osama bin Laden's son emerges as new al-Qaeda leader
One of the sons of the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is emerging as the new leader of the militant group, according to the State Department. The United States is offering a reward for information on Hamza bin Laden, thought to be in his mid-to-late twenties and hiding near the Afghan-Pakistan border, of $1 million. The State Department's Counter-Terrorism Rewards Program posted the reward late Thursday on its website. "He has released audio and video messages on the Internet, calling on his followers to launch attacks against the United States and its Western allies, and he has threatened attacks against the United States in revenge for the May 2011 killing of his father by U.S. military forces," it said. Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. Navy Seals in Pakistan.
Prominent New Yorkers ask Amazon to reconsider
Some New Yorkers are asking Amazon to reconsider its abandonment of the Big Apple. In an open letter ad publishing in the New York Times on Friday, 40 CEOs (including the heads of Goldman Sachs, Hearst, and Citi Group), politicians (including three New York members of Congress) and the president of New York University will ask Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to change his mind about pulling out of the city. Amazon, which had announced the opening of a second headquarters in the Queens, Long Island City area of New York, shifted gears in early February in response to community protest over the generous tax breaks the state offered the retailer. "A clear majority of New Yorkers support this project and were disappointed by your decision not to proceed,” the letter states.
'A Star Is Born' again: Encore arrives with a new song
A special encore version of the hit "A Star Is Born" returns to theaters on Friday, with 12 extra minutes of footage featuring the two lead characters — rising star Ally (Lady Gaga) and fading country-rock icon Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper). New scenes included in the movie feature Ally singing “Is That Alright?” to Jack in a wedding sequence, Jack in his studio crooning “Too Far Gone,” and the main twosome penning a new, never-before-heard song together called “Clover." The one-week engagement will play on more than 1,150 screens in the U.S. and Canada. The encore will also feature an a cappella take on "Shallow," which won the Academy Award for best original song.
Contributing: Associated Press