Rep. Tony Gonzales ends reelection bid after admitting to affair

Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican who admitted tohaving an affairwith a former staffer who died by self-immolation, will not seek reelection, the lawmaker announced on March 5.

"After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I've always had to my district," Gonzaleswrote in a statement posted on X.

His announcement came hours after U.S. House SpeakerMike Johnsonand Republican leaders called on Gonzales to withdraw from his reelection bid ahead of a May 26 runoff against gun activist Brandon Herrera. Gonzales has been embroiled in controversy after allegations spread about an affair between him and his late ex-staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles.

In February,NBC News reportedthat Gonzales sent Santos-Aviles, who died in September 2025, multiple sexually explicit texts in May 2024. The San Antonio Express-News also reported that Santos-Aviles admitted to an improper relationship in text messages with a former colleague.

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Gonzales initially denied the allegations and claimed the reports were a blackmail attempt, theEl Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. Earlier on March 5, Gonzales appeared on theJoe Pags podcastand admitted to the affair, saying he "made a mistake."

"I had a lapse in judgement and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions," Gonzales said on the podcast. "I've asked God for forgiveness, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever."

His appearance also comes after the House Ethics Committee voted to establish an investigation into Gonzales. The panelwill examinewhether he "engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office" and "discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges."

Contributing: Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY; Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tony Gonzales ends reelection bid after admitting to staffer affair

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 05, 2026

Rep. Tony Gonzales ends reelection bid after admitting to affair

Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican who admitted tohaving an affairwith a former staffer who died by self-immolation, ...

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‘They saved multiple lives’: Austin police release new video from mass shooting response

Police in Texas released new video Thursday from aweekend mass shootingthat left 19 people shot and three victims dead, along with the gunman.

The Austin Police Department held a news conference after the county district attorney declined to charge three officers who shot and killed the suspected shooter, Ndiaga Diagne, after he opened fire early Sunday morning outside Buford's Backyard Beer Garden.

RELATED STORY |Gunman who opened fire on Texas bar was not on FBI radar, authorities say

The department shared portions of dramatic video showing the events as they unfolded. One officer's body-worn camera video shows him passing people running for safety and hiding crouched behind a wall.

"It's an AR-15!" someone is heard yelling. "Everybody down!" the officer yelled.

Austin Police Department

Police said officers arrived on scene within 57 seconds of receiving 911 calls about the shooting just before 2 a.m. Sunday. Within minutes, three officers saw the suspect, who police say fired his weapon in the direction of officers. The three officers returned fire, striking and killing Diagne.

Police also released portions of 911 calls and a video recorded from a parked vehicle showing the gunman walking in a parking lot. He is shown wearing asweatshirt reading "Property of Allah,"holding his rifle and raising it to fire at someone passing by.

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Austin Police Department

"I want to recognize the bravery of our officers, you saw that firsthand, as they ran into danger to stop this," said Austin police chief Lisa Davis. "It's quite clear they saved multiple lives."

The three murder victims were identified as 21-year-old Savitha Shan, 19-year-old Ryder Harrington, and 30-year-old Jorge Pederson. Police said two victims remained hospitalized on Thursday and described one of them as being in "critical condition."

Police said the FBI is investigating the incident as a potential act of terrorism.

Diagneis reported to be from Senegal. The Department of Homeland Security told Scripps News Diagne, 53, entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2000 before becoming a lawful permanent resident by marriage in 2006 and naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2013.

At Thursday's news conference, Chief Davis said police in New York may have done a welfare check on the shooter in 2022, but she did not think it resulted in him being committed for mental health treatment.

"I don't know that they had enough to do a commitment for him," Davis said. "What I'm hearing is they gave him resources to call, that type of thing."

Scripps News obtained paperwork from Diagne's 2022 divorce in Texas, in which the court found he had "a history or pattern of committing family violence."

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 05, 2026

‘They saved multiple lives’: Austin police release new video from mass shooting response

Police in Texas released new video Thursday from aweekend mass shootingthat left 19 people shot and three victims dead, a...

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US, Venezuela agree to re-establish diplomatic ties

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - The United States and interim authorities in Venezuela have agreed to re-establish diplomatic ‌and consular relations, the U.S. State Department said ‌on Thursday, aiming to foster a peaceful transition to elect a new ​government in the South American country.

"This step will facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery, and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela," the State Department said in ‌a statement.

"Our engagement is ⁠focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the ⁠conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government."

After months of heightened tensions, the U.S. captured Venezuela's President ​Nicolas Maduro ​in January, setting off a ​chain of changes in ‌the country, including the swearing-in of interim President Delcy Rodriguez.

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The two countries have since gradually resumed bilateral relations, after Rodriguez's interim government expressed interest in rebuilding ties with Washington with diplomatic missions in both countries following Maduro's capture.

"The ‌Bolivarian Government reaffirms its willingness to ​move forward in a new ​phase of constructive dialogue ​based on mutual respect, sovereign equality of ‌states, and cooperation between our ​peoples," the Venezuelan ​government said in a statement shared on Thursday.

"Venezuela expresses its confidence that this process will contribute to strengthening ​understanding and ‌opening opportunities for a positive and mutually beneficial relationship," ​it said.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Writing by Daphne ​Psaledakis; Editing by Sonali Paul)

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 05, 2026

US, Venezuela agree to re-establish diplomatic ties

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - The United States and interim authorities in Venezuela have agreed to re-establish diplom...

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Deion Sanders discusses player death: 'Toughest thing for me to digest'

Colorado footballcoachDeion Sandersmade his first extensive public comments about the recent death ofColoradoquarterbackDominiq Ponder, revealing that Ponder had recently earned a new jersey number and was going to wear itfor the first time on March 2, one day after hedied in a car accident at age 23.

Sanders discussed Ponder's death on his weekly talk show on Tubi which aired March 5. Ponder was a non-scholarship backup quarterback at Colorado who had spent two seasons in Boulder and had previously worn jersey No. 22, which is unusual for a quarterback.

But Sanders said he encouraged Ponder to fight for the right to wear a more coveted jersey number - No. 7. He was going to wear it when histeam started spring practice March 2.

"He worked his butt off, and this season he was gonna wear No. 7," Sanders said on the show"We Got Time Today.""But the teammates love him so much. One of the kids came to my office today and said, `Coach, can I wear 22? You know, for my roommate?' I said, 'Yeah, but you know, he was getting ready to wear 7.' Like, the next day, he would have been in 7 for his first time ever."

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his father Deion Sanders on the sideline before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field on Dec. 28, 2025. Shedeur Sanders made seven starts during his rookie season with the Browns, going 3-4 in those games.

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Deion Sanders through the years

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his father Deion Sanders on the sideline before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field on Dec. 28, 2025. Shedeur Sanders made seven starts during his rookie season with the Browns, going 3-4 in those games.

Colorado still deciding which number to use on patch

The number change has presented Sanders' team with a decision to make. The Buffaloes plan to honor Ponder's memory with a patch on their jerseys, but is still deciding which number to use in it – the one Ponder was known for (22) or the one he worked hard to get (7).

"Everybody knows he's 22," Sanders said. "But I know how much 7 meant to him. So we're going back and forth with that right now."

What else did Deion Sanders say about Dominiq Ponder?

Sanders said Ponder was "one of my favorites" and a team leader. He also had a nickname for Ponder: "Black Flutie," referring to white former quarterback Doug Flutie, who wore No. 22 at Boston College before switching to No. 7 in the NFL.

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Sanders spoke with Ponders' parents after his death.

"It was tough, because I'm like, you send a kid to college to become a man and to get education, and to just soar through life.," Sanders said. "You don't send a kid to college to lose him. And that's the toughest thing for me to digest."

MASSIVE CHANGES:Is Deion Sanders fighting for his job? Not yet, but there are issues

Coloradoheld an emergency meeting on March 1after learning of Ponders' death and elected to start spring practice as scheduled March 2 instead of taking the day off.

"They said, `Dom would have wanted to practice, coach; He wasn't missing no practice,'" Sanders said. "I said, `Wow.' So we went out to work."

Colorado continues spring practice through April 11 and begins the seasonat Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer@Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Deion Sanders discusses death of Colorado player Dominiq Ponder

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 05, 2026

Deion Sanders discusses player death: 'Toughest thing for me to digest'

Colorado footballcoachDeion Sandersmade his first extensive public comments about the recent death ofColoradoquarterbackD...

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Tottenham loses again and faces fight for Premier League survival

LONDON (AP) — Tottenham'sPremier Leaguesurvival hopes took another blow with a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Thursday.

Britain Premier League Soccer

Spurs — one of the richest teams in Europe and a founding member of the Premier League — is just one point above the relegation zone and without a domestic win in 2026.

"We know that the position we are in is not where we want to be. We need to figure out how to get out of it as soon as possible," said Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke. "There have been difficulties, but we aren't in the position to make excuses. We need to do the job on the pitch."

Spurs' latest defeat was the fifth in a row and the third under new coach Igor Tudor, who was tasked with the responsibility of turning the season around.

He watched as his team capitulated in front of a home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — conceding three goals in the first half, having taken the lead and then gone down to 10 men when Micky van de Ven was sent off.

Palace took full advantage by scoring three times in seven minutes before the break.

Ismaila Sarr struck twice — one from the penalty spot — with Jorgen Strand Larsen getting the other for the visitors.

That was after Solanke had given Spurs the lead in the 34th minute. Van de Ven was red-carded four minutes later for bringing down Sarr in the box and Palace took control.

"I am very disappointed, like the fans," Tudor said. "We know what the moment is and we need to keep working and believe.

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"But after this game I believe more than before because I saw something in the team and in the dressing room after the game. When we will be complete it will be good, I believe."

The deepening crisis at Tottenham comes after winning the Europa League last season and advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League this term, where it faces Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 next week.

But its desperate league form has carried on from last year when it finished one place above the relegation zone — its lowest final position in the Premier League era.

Its plight also comes amid a tumultuous period when it has had seven managers in less than seven years.

Tottenham has spent only one season out of England's top flight since 1950 and has been an established member of the Premier League since the competition's inception in 1992.

It is a two-time English league champion and was a Champions League finalist in 2019.

It's near-63,000 capacity stadium is one of the most impressive in Europe and regularly hosts NFL games, as well as top music concerts.

Deloitte ranked Spurs ninth on its most recent rich list in January with revenues of $781 million. That placed Tottenham above giants like Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byAlpha World

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

March 05, 2026

Tottenham loses again and faces fight for Premier League survival

LONDON (AP) — Tottenham'sPremier Leaguesurvival hopes took another blow with a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Thursday...

Read More