• AT&T EYES FOOTBALL IN DIRECTV BUY: LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of the hidden benefits of AT&T’s $48.5 billion planned purchase of DirecTV is that it raises the possibility of making DirecTV’s programming crown jewel, NFL Sunday Ticket, more broadly available on mobile devices.
Making exclusive live NFL game programming available on AT&T smartphones could trump Verizon’s deal with the NFL for certain live game streams on its phones, because NFL Sunday Ticket involves most NFL games, not just a handful on certain nights of the week.
Verizon’s NFL Mobile deal enters its fifth season later this year after the two sides signed a multi-year extension last June.
For $5 a month, Verizon’s NFL Mobile app allows live game streams on smartphones — not tablets — for Thursday night, Sunday night and Monday night games. It will add local Sunday afternoon games this coming season.
DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket allows for live broadcasts of most NFL games around the country. That allows displaced fan to follow their favorite teams if they’ve moved.
• EDWARD KENNEDY’S DIPLOMA DELIVERED 55 YEARS LATER: BOSTON (AP) — When Massachusetts Congressman Joseph Kennedy agreed to deliver a commencement address at the University of Virginia Law School, he didn’t realize he’d be receiving a diploma too.
At the end of Sunday’s ceremonies, Kennedy was presented with the diploma his great-uncle, the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, earned from the school in 1959.
Fifty-five years ago, Ted Kennedy skipped commencement because he was helping run his brother John’s presidential campaign. The university had held onto the paper degree.
After the student diplomas were handed out Sunday, law school Dean Paul Mahoney announced they had one more and handed it to Joe Kennedy, who is Robert F. Kennedy’s grandson.
• ARIZONA CANDIDATE APOLOGIZES FOR SHOOTINGS REMARKS: FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) — A Republican businessman running for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District has apologized for saying most mass shootings in the U.S. are committed by Democrats.
Gary Kiehne made the remarks at a Republican primary debate Saturday in Florence, southeast of Phoenix. The eastern Arizona rancher said that “99 percent of (mass shootings) have been by Democrats pulling their guns out and shooting people.”
On Monday, Kiehne issued a public apology and said his comments were inaccurate. He says he shouldn’t have made the remarks without any reservations.
• TEXAS TEEN PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER IN CRASH: EDINBURG, Texas (AP) — A South Texas teenager pleaded guilty Monday to nine counts of manslaughter for a 2012 minivan crash that left nine immigrants dead.
Investigators say Junior Benjamin Rodriguez of Mission was 15 when he fled from Border Patrol agents and flipped a van he was driving in Palmview, west of McAllen. Authorities believe the van was hauling at least 17 immigrants.
Rodriguez, who was charged as an adult, faced nine counts of murder. Those were reduced to manslaughter charges as a result of his guilty plea.
Sentencing was scheduled for August. He could receive two to 20 years in prison on each count, but those years would run at the same time.
Two Border Patrol agents had pulled Rodriguez’s van over on April 10, 2012, suspecting that immigrants were being smuggled. As an agent walked toward the van, a passenger jumped out and ran and the vehicle sped off.
By the time the agent caught up, the van had crashed outside a day care
• CANDIDATE CHARGED WITH VOTER FRAUD DROPS OUT: OAKLAND (AP) — A woman running for the office of auditor-controller in Alameda County says she is dropping out of the race after being hit with felony voter fraud charges.
Kathleen Knox, 49, wrote in an email that she is “officially and respectfully” withdrawing her candidacy. Her name is still on the June 3 ballot.
In her candidacy filings, Knox said she lives in San Leandro, giving the address of the Rose Gate assisted-living facility. Investigators say they believe she lives in Danville, a community in a neighboring county.
Knox has been charged with six felony counts that include voter fraud, the registration of an ineligible voter, perjury by declaration and filing a false declaration of candidacy.
