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Ex-NBA player who allegedly gave suspected tip on LeBron James plans to reverse plea in gambling case: report

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Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones reportedly plans to change his plea to guilty on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering that stemmed from two separate illegal gambling cases. 

ABC News reported that Jones has requested a change-of-plea hearing after originally pleading not guilty in November.

Jones’ attorney, Kenneth Montgomery, told the outlet that Jones “is not cooperating.”

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Jones is alleged to have told someone close to him that a “prominent” player on the Los Angeles Lakers, widely speculated to be LeBron James, would not play Feb. 9, 2023, before the information was public. Jones was an assistant for the team at the time.

James did not play in the game due to an ankle injury. The game in question took place two days after James scored 38 points to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

Jones also allegedly gave apparent inside information about another “one of the Lakers’ best players” 11 months later, speculated to be Anthony Davis, regarding an injury that was likely to affect his performance. That ultimately backfired because the player “performed well,” and the Lakers won, according to authorities.

7 NBA GAMES DOJ SAYS WERE AFFECTED BY HIGH-STAKES WAGERS AFTER INSIDE INFORMATION WAS LEAKED TO GAMBLERS

Jones is also alleged to have taken part in, and benefited from, rigged poker games, being used as a “face card,” along with Chauncey Billups, to lure victims into playing with celebrities.

In response to being coached on how to cheat, Jones replied, “Lol man y’all call Djones in cause y’all know I know what I’m doing!!” according to the Department of Justice.

Jones is one of three people to be charged in both gambling cases.

Despite being undrafted out of Houston in 1997, Jones played 11 seasons in the NBA. The definition of a journeyman, Jones played for 10 teams and made more than $20 million in his career. Throughout his time, he was teammates with prominent stars, including James, during his three-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. He also spent a season with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal with the Miami Heat.

He became a coach following his playing career, winning a title with James and the Cavs in 2016 as an assistant. Jones joined the Lakers, James’ current team, as an unofficial, unpaid member of the coaching staff for the 2022-23 season.

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Blue Panther and Último Guerrero steal the show at CMLL’s first-ever US event in Las Vegas

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Mexican pro wrestling legends Blue Panther and Último Guerrero have been through the wringer and then some in their careers.

Panther, 65, made his wrestling debut in 1978, left Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in 1992 and then returned in 1997. Guerrero, 54, started his career in 1990 and joined CMLL in 1997. 

The two have won multiple championships with the company and, on Thursday night, made more history.

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Panther and Guerrero were a part of the first solo CMLL show in the U.S. The company made its way to Las Vegas for the event for the first time in its 92-year history. They competed against each other in a legends match that turned into a must-see wrestling performance.

The two Lucha Libre giants turned back the clock to deliver a phenomenal performance. Guerrero broke out hurricanranas and a superplex from the top rope. Panther matched him with multiple suicide dives. When Guerrero stepped away from the third one, Panther hit a crossbody from the middle rope onto the floor.

Panther capped off the match with a toss from the top rope. He then pinned Guerrero for the win.

Fans who packed the Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino Resort shouted “Muchas gracias” to the two superstars, who didn’t feel like they were close at all to hanging up their boots.

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The show featured Persephone defending her CMLL World Women’s Championship against Tessa Blanchard, a one-time CMLL tag-team champion and former Total Nonstop Action (TNA) world champion and knockouts champion.

Blanchard entered the venue as the ultimate heel and heard the boos from the crowd because of it. But she was not timid against the rising star Persephone. She went to work on Persephone, targeting her knee throughout the match.

Persephone would pull out all the stops to take care of Blanchard. After receiving a cutter on the apron, Persephone hit Blanchard with a gnarly German suplex.

As the match wore on, Persephone got the upper hand in the corner. She was able to reverse Blanchard’s attack and nailed her with a crucifix powerbomb for the win. She’s 3-1 against Blanchard all time.

Persephone will have a chance to win more gold Friday night when she makes her Maple Leaf Pro (MLP) debut as part of the Slam Fest event

She’s challenging for the MLP Women’s Canadian Championship against titleholder Gisele Shaw and Shotzi Blackheart.

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Miami Catholic Charities loses $11M contract providing care for migrant children under Trump administration

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The Trump administration canceled a longstanding contract with Catholic Charities in Miami, citing a drop in illegal immigration as a factor amid tensions between the president and the Pope.

On Wednesday, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski wrote an op-ed for The Miami Herald lamenting the loss of an $11 million contract to help care for unaccompanied minors and migrant children programs, which has been active for more than 60 years. Without funding, Wenski warned, services would not even last the rest of the year.

“For more than 60 years, the Archdiocese of Miami’s services for unaccompanied minors have been recognized for their excellence and have served as a model for other agencies throughout the country,” Wenski wrote. 

“Our track record in serving this vulnerable population is unmatched. Yet, the Archdiocese of Miami’s Catholic Charities’ services for unaccompanied minors has been stripped of funding and will be forced to shut down within three months.”

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According to The Miami Herald, the administration informed Catholic Charities last month that funding would be canceled, prior to President Donald Trump’s comments criticizing Pope Leo XIV for disagreeing with U.S. military action in Iran.

Department of Health and Human Services press secretary Emily G. Hillard informed The Miami Herald that the decision was made because the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border was now “significantly lower” than it was under the Biden administration.

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“[The Office of Refugee Resettlement] is closing and consolidating unused facilities as the Trump Administration continues efforts to stop illegal entry and the smuggling and trafficking of unaccompanied alien children,” Hillard said.

In a comment to Fox News Digital, White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai pointed to an X post calling the article “fake news,” adding that the administration informed 49 charities, only two of which were Catholic, last year that it would be cutting grants towards care for migrant children.

“Our historically secure border means fewer border crossings. This is good stewardship of taxpayer dollars made possible by common-sense border policies that keep the American people safe and protect our sovereignty,” Desai wrote.

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In Wenski’s opinion piece, he pushed back against the argument that fewer unaccompanied minors was an acceptable reason to discontinue funding.

“It is true that the number of unaccompanied minors entering the country has decreased. It is also understandable that some programs may be scaled back or even eliminated. But given the history and reputation of Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village, it is baffling that the U.S. government would shut down a program that it would be hard-pressed to replicate at the level of competence and excellence that Catholic Charities has achieved if and when future waves of unaccompanied minors reach our shores,” Wenski wrote.

The Archdiocese of Miami pointed Fox News Digital to Wenski’s op-ed when reached for comment.

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Former SMU cornerback Teddy Knox faces $2.88M judgment for crash linked to Rashee Rice’s Lamborghini race

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Kansas City Chiefs star receiver Rashee Rice isn’t the only one facing discipline for a March 2024 car crash in Dallas.

Theodore “Teddy” Knox, a former SMU cornerback and teammate of Rice’s in college, was driving a Corvette while racing Rice’s Lamborghini on a Dallas highway before it caused a multi-car crash.

Knox has been hit with a $2.88 million default judgment in a lawsuit from one of those crash victims, Kathryn Kuykendall, according to ESPN.

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Knox was ruled “grossly negligent” by Judge Kim Bailey Phipps, and a default judgment comes when a lawsuit has no response or a party does not appear in court. In this case, it was reportedly the latter.

“We’ve asked the court to grant the default judgment because we’re ethically required to as a matter of diligence,” Kuykendall’s attorney, Marc Lenahan, said in a statement to ESPN when the motion was filed. 

“Personally, it pleases us that Teddy hasn’t made further mistakes that we’re aware of. If a team gives him a chance to prove that he’s walking the right path now, we’ll be rooting for him.”

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This marks the third default judgment issued against Knox from the March 2024 crash. He was also ordered to pay $1.99 million to Irina Gromova and $1.63 million to Edvard Petrovskiy in combined damages.

Knox and Rice pleaded guilty to charges from the crash, and Knox was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation. Knox was charged with causing a collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.

Rice had similar charges, receiving five-year deferred probation and 30 days in jail as a condition of the probation. His jail time was said to be flexible, according to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.

Rice was also required to pay the victims for their out-of-pocket medical expenses, which totaled around $115,000, as part of his plea agreement.   

Rice was also suspended six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, which he served last season.

The 25-year-old receiver said in a statement issued by his attorney at the time of the league’s decision that he’s had “a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole.”

Knox was suspended by SMU, and he hasn’t been in college football ever since. He began his career at Mississippi State before transferring to SMU.

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