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DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker asked the team to release him after saying late last month he plans to return for an 11th season rather than retire.

Decker posted Friday on Instagramthat he is "opting for a clean and amicable close" to a "beautiful 10 years" with the Lions.

"In the weeks since notifying the team of my return, there have been numerous discussions," Decker said. "Many of which were a surprise to me, and we could not find common ground. Therefore I decided to request my release."

The 32-year-old Decker has started 140 games for the Lions and made the Pro Bowl in 2024. He endured a shoulder injury for much of last year and acknowledged after the season that he was considering retirement. Detroit finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

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Decker signed a$60 million, three-year extension that put him under contract through the 2027 season as a key player inthe franchise's turnaround.

Detroit drafted Decker out of Ohio State with the No. 16 overall pick in 2016.

With the offensive line as a strength, the Lions won two playoff games in a season for the first time since 1957 when they reached the NFC championship after the 2023 season. The following year, they had a franchise-record 15 wins when they won a second straight division title before losing in the divisional round.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The Washington Capitals made one of the most surprising moves of the NHL trade deadline bydealing defenseman John Carlson, the second-longest tenured player on the team, to the Anaheim Ducks.

Their longest-tenured player has some thoughts on that.

Speaking with reporters the day after the Capitals announced the move,which will net them a conditional first-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick, all-time NHL leading goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin went beyond calling it a sad day:

"Obviously a sad day. Probably the toughest day in my career, talking personal-wise. It sucks. It's sad."

Ovechkin and Carlson had been teammates for 17 years, going back to the defenseman's NHL debut in 2010. Along with other franchise staples like Nicklas Backstrom, the pair presided over an era of Capitals history defined by regular playoff appearances and their Stanley Cup title in 2017-18.

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Carlson ranks behind only Ovechkin in games played for the Capitals and behind only Backstrom and Ovechkin on the franchise's all-time assists leaderboard. Ovechkin believes the franchise has never had a better blueliner:

"He's obviously the best defenseman in this franchise's whole history, leader. Obviously, an unbelievable man and a great friend for all of us. It's hard. It's a hard day."

The move answers one question for the franchise, making clear general manager Brian MacLellan is prioritizing the future over the 2025-26 season, but makes another question even more pressing.

Ovechkin is a free agent after this season, in which he holds an $8 million cap hit, andhe's been fairly mum on what he's planning to do.There are indications he'd like to return to his native Russia and play in the KHL before retirement,but he's going to have options regardless.

Asked about his future with the Capitals on Friday, he basically just shrugged:

"I don't know. I'm still here, so we'll see. We'll see what's going to happen, but yeah, it's a hard one."

The Capitals traded another of their most tenured players on Friday as well, sending longtime fourth-line center Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights. Ovechkin and Tom Wilson are now the only active Capitals players who made their debuts with the team before 2019.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears released linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on Friday aftergranting him permission last week to seek a trade.

The 27-year-old Edmunds was entering the final season of a four-year, $72 million contract he signed in 2023. The Bears saved $15 million in cap space by letting him go before the start of the league year next week.

Edmunds helped the Bears go from worst to first in the NFC North. He led the team with 112 tackles and had four interceptions despite missing four games with a groin injury.

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Chicago went 11-6 and won its first division title since 2018. The Bears advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, rallying to beat Green Bay in a wild-card thriller before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in the divisional round.

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

The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallonhas been a staple of late-night entertainment for decades. One of its latest playful exchanges has viewers giggling and nodding in agreement. An iconicactressplayfully called out Fallon for not inviting her on his show more often, and fans are loving every minute of it.

Jimmy Fallon called out by actress for not inviting her often on the show

Jimmy Fallon recently got some friendly fire from Jamie Lee Curtis, who playfully roasted him for not inviting her on The Tonight Show often enough. The veteran actress, who made an appearance on the Wednesdayepisode, kicked off her chat with the comedian, bluntly asking him why she is not a regular on his show.

"This is my second time with you. I don't know why," the Freaky Friday actress said. "Why have you rejected me? Why have you rejected me so much?"

Fallon dodged the jab, chuckling, "Give me a break," and adding, "You are unbelievable." Curtis shot back, saying, "I was only here twice!"

In his defence, the celebrity host said that the only reason Jamie Lee Curtis hasn't been a more frequent guest is that she is based in Los Angeles.

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"Well, thanks for ridiculing me for where I live," the Halloween actress replied. "I'm born and raised in the City of Angels."

However, Fallon charmingly de-escalated the situation. He extended an open invitation for Curtis to appear on the show whenever she's in New York, citing his and the staff's great admiration for her. The 67-year-old was pleased, responding with a gracious, "Thank you, that's very nice of you."

Jamie Lee Curtis later clarified she's a big fan of Jimmy Fallon. Her playful jab was all in good fun, and she was happy to get a laugh out of him.

Jamie Lee Curtis is currently starring in the Prime Video crime drama series Scarpetta, alongside Nicole Kidman, and reprising her role in the film Freakier Friday. Additionally, she has completed filming for her role as Donna Berzatto in the final season of The Bear. Curtis is also featured in James L. Brooks' film Ella McCay.

Originally reported by Sibanee Gogoi onMandatory

The postJimmy Fallon Confronted by Actress Over Lack of Invitations to His Showappeared first onReality Tea.

Hunter King and Chris Copier have tied the knot!

NEED TO KNOW

• King announced on March 6 that they exchanged their "I do's" on Valentine's Day at the Medieval Times in Los Angeles

• The couple, who got engaged in October 2024, first met on the set of the 2022 film Give Me Your Eyes

Hunter Kingis married!

The Young and the Restlessstar and Emmy winner, 32, wed filmmaker Chris Copier at Medieval Times in Los Angeles on Valentine's Day.

On Friday, March 6, the actress posted an Instagram carousel announcing that she and Copier tied the knot at the medieval-themed venue. "Long ago, (on Valentine's Day) we said I do in front of the realm (our families). We celebrated (at Medieval Times) well into the night (9pm). The end⚔️🏰 ," she captioned thepost.

For the event, King and Copier wore medieval-inspired looks, with King in a light blue lace dress with a V-neckline trimmed in white lace. Her long blonde hair was styled half-up, half-down. She opted for flowers in her hair rather than a traditional veil. Meanwhile, Copier donned an oversized, distressed brown leather coat, layered atop a brown tunic and a gray-brown kilt. He also had a head accessory, and wrapped a brown scarf around his head, leaving his long hair flowing underneath.

King's family was in attendance, including her sisters Kelli and Joey, and Joey's husband, Steven Piet. Both King and Copier's families dressed in keeping with the theme, with everyone donning their best medieval garb. King posted several snaps of the families enjoying the festivities, including a sweet snap of her sisters taking a photo of her as she prepares to walk down the aisle of their intimate ceremony venue.

King's post also included a photo of Copier posing on what appeared to be a party bus, as well as photos of the newlyweds smiling in front of the tournament space. The carousel also included a photo of their wedding program, which read: "Lady Hunter & Lord Chris Upon Celebrating Their Wedding."

In December 2024,King exclusively told PEOPLEthat she and Copier were hoping to tie the knot "somewhere far away and tiny."

The couple got engaged in October 2024. In anInstagramreel shared by King, Copier popped the question in a picturesque beach setting. Copier got down on one knee, and King jumped up and down with excitement. The pair kissed before Copier put the engagement ring on King's finger.

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"Best day of my life 🤍," King captioned her post. "@chriscope88I can't wait to marry your a-- 💍."

"He took me to Santa Barbara, and we rented bikes with our two puppies, rode up and down the coast and then we went to the beach and he said, 'Let's take some photos,'"King recalled of the proposalduring an appearance onToday with Hoda & Jennain November 2024.

"And went down on one knee I just started jumping up and down," she continued. "I blacked out and I think I said, 'Are you sure, are you sure, are you sure?' And he's like, 'You need to say yes so I can give you your ring.' "

King and Copier first met on the set ofGive Me Your Eyesin 2022, in which King starred as Jael Jones and Copier was the assistant director. The first sign of their romantic connection came in video clips in King's end-of-the-year Instagram post in 2023.

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On Copier's birthday, King shared a sweet post in his honor. "Happy birthday to the guy who does it all❤️ The guy who makes matzo ball soup from scratch for me when I'm sick. Who hates tofu but learned how to perfect it anyway because he knows I love it," she wrote in the caption. "Who re watches all the shows I haven't seen and pauses them every 20 seconds to answer all my questions. Thank you for loving me the way you do. Here's to many more birthdays together 🍻Love you."

The couple worked on another movie together —Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story— with King starring as the lead character, Alana, and Copier serving as the film's assistant director. The film premiered on Nov. 30 as part of Hallmark Channel's 15th annual Countdown to Christmas.

Read the original article onPeople

Almost two weeks after the BBC aired a racial slur that wasshouted during the broadcast of this year's BAFTA Film Awards, its outgoing director-general Tim Davie is officially sharing the corporation's version of events that led to the awards ceremony debacle.

In aletter sent to Dame Caroline Dinenage DBE MP, the chair of the U.K. government's Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Davie said that the BBC "profoundly regrets" airing the incident in which Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson yelled the N-word whileSinnersstarsMichael B. JordanandDelroy Lindowere presenting an award during the first half of the2026 BAFTA Awards. The disturbance made headlines when, instead of being edited out along with other instances of Davidson's involuntary outbursts,the moment aired within the broadcast after a two-hour delay, and remained on BBC iPlayer for 15 hours after the ceremony concluded.

"We understand the hurt and shock that the mistake caused," Davie wrote in the letter. "I'd like to make clear: although the racial slur was symptomatic of a disability and an involuntary tic, it should never have been broadcast. It was a genuine mistake, and we take full responsibility for our error."

Although Davie acknowledged that the question of how the slur hadn't been edited out prior to the Feb. 22 ceremony being broadcast is "the subject of ongoing review," he claimed that "initial evidence gathering" concluded that "no-one in the on-site broadcast truck heard this when they were watching the live feed."

"The second occasion the slur was shouted was during the second award of the evening, whenWunmi Mosakuaccepted her Best Supporting Actress award. In that instance, the edit team did hear the racial slur on the feed and removed it immediately from the version of the ceremony that would be broadcast later that evening," the executive detailed. "These two incidents happened within ten minutes of each other. It appears that soon after the second incident, the edit team in the truck started receiving reports, including from BAFTA, that a racial slur had been shouted during the ceremony."

Davie claims that the "understanding" of the BBC is that the editing team "mistakenly believed" that they had handled the incident being referenced "on the basis that they had heard and edited out the slur shouted out during the Best Supporting Actress award."

He continued, "Therefore, when they were told a racial slur had been shouted, they believed they had removed it."

When addressing why the show remained on iPlayer that night — despitemultiple outletsreporting thatWarner Bros. raised immediate concernsand requested that the moment be removed from the BBC broadcast within minutes, bringing light to the first instance of the racial slur —Davie claimed that because "the on-site team did not believe that the slur was audible on the broadcast," the footage remained unedited until the morning when the issue "was escalated to the Chief Content Officer, who authorized the removal."

"We are now looking in more detail why the team did not ascertain sooner that there had been two instances of the use of the racial slur, and why post broadcast further action was not taken to edit or remove the programme from iPlayer sooner," he added.

The BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) is examining the issue more deeply and will report back soon.

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In the meantime, Davie wrote that "lessons had been learned."

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The backlash surrounding the BAFTAs incident has now entered its second week.

The ceremony's host,Alan Cumming, initiallyapologized on stageafter Davidson could be heard shouting slurs and other curses from the audience.

"Tourette's syndrome is a disability, and the tics you've heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette's syndrome has no control over their language," he explained at the time. "We apologize if you are offended tonight."

Later that evening, Lindoclaimed that nobody from the British Academy of Film and Televisionapproached him or Jordan to offer an apology or acknowledge the incident after it occurred. While speaking toVanity Fairat a Warner Bros.' after-party, Lindo said he and Jordan "did what we had to do" while they were on stage, but he added that he wished "someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards."

Davidsonaddressed the incident the day after the ceremony, sharing a statementwhich reiterated that his verbal tics and uncontrollable swearing are symptoms of Tourette's and involuntary. He stated that he was "deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning. I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette's community and to teach empathy, kindness, and understanding from others, and I will continue to do so."

BAFTA alsoreleased a detailed apology to all involved, saying it wanted to "acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened, and apologise to all."

The incident has become a hot topic of discussion, being referenced atthe 2026 NAACP Image Awards, as well as inspiring a recent sketch onSaturday Night Live. The March 1 sketch featured the host,Heated Rivalry's Connor Storrie, and other cast membersdepicting a slew of canceled celebrities blaming their respective controversies on Tourette's, and arguing that they should be let off the hook because their actions were out of their control. The sketch, which was cut for time and didn't make the Saturday night broadcast, was posted on social media the following day andswiftly condemned by several viewers.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

LONDON (AP) — An American anti-drone system proven to work againstRussian drones in Ukrainewill soon be sent to the Middle East to bolster U.S. defenses against Iranian drones, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Friday.

While the U.S. has used Patriot and THAAD missile systems totake down Iranian missilessuccessfully, there are limited effective anti-drone defenses now in the Middle East, according to a U.S. defense official, one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

The U.S. response to countering Iran's Shahed drones has been "disappointing," the other U.S. official said, particularly because the drones fired by Iran are a much more basic version of the same drone that Russia is continuously refining and updating in its war in Ukraine.

The effort to bolster U.S. anti-drone capabilities in the Middle East underscores concerns about the planning for anIranian retaliatory responseacross the region to the American and Israeli strikes. Persian Gulf countries have complained they werenot given adequate timeto prepare for the torrent of Iranian drones and missiles bombarding their territory.

Thesystem that is being sent, known as Merops, flies drones against drones. It is small enough to fit in the back of a midsize pickup truck, can identify drones and close in on them, usingartificial intelligenceto navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed.

Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes. The Merops system is designed to spot them and take them down. Crucially, the system also is cheaper than firing a missile that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars at a drone that costs less than $50,000.

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, said this week that "we're pretty good at taking missiles down. What is much more problematic for us is the huge inventory of Iranian drones, which are hard to detect and hard to take down."

Himes said the drone attacks present a "math problem" in that the U.S. cannot keep relying on expensive military interceptors, like Patriot systems, to down the quickly and cheaply made Iranian drones.

"It's really, really expensive to take down a cheap drone," he said. "A giant missile going after a tiny little crappy drone."

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Merops was deployed in NATO nationsPoland and Romania in NovemberafterRussian attack dronesrepeatedly entered NATO airspace. The U.S. defense official says America has learned lessons from the deployment of the system and others like it in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that the U.S. asked forhis country's helpin combating Iran's Shahed drones, which Russia has used in huge numbers in Ukraine. Zelenskyy did not specify the type of assistance Ukraine would provide, but the U.S. defense official said the Merops system is a part of it.

When asked about Zelenskyy's comments, Trump told Reuters on Thursday: "Certainly, I'll take, you know, any assistance from any country."

In the Middle East, Merops will be deployed to various locations, including where U.S. forces are not present, the defense official said. Most of the systems will be sent directly by Perennial Autonomy — the manufacturer backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt — and will not affect defenses in Europe, the official said.

Perennial Autonomy did not immediately respond to questions about the use of Merops in the Middle East.

Pentagon officials conceded this week in closed-door briefings with lawmakers they are struggling to stop waves of drones launched by Iran, leaving some U.S. targets in the Gulf region vulnerable.

"This does not mean we can stop everything, but we ensured that the maximum possible defense and maximum possible force protection was set up before we went on offense," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters this week.

Michael Robbins, president and CEO of AUVSI, a drone industry group, said lessons from the Middle East and Ukraine show that the U.S. must accelerate deployment of sophisticated counter-drone technologies, so "our forces can defend bases and populations without spending a million dollars to stop a $50,000 threat."

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Didi Tang, David Klepper, Michelle L. Price, Ben Finley and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report from Washington.