West
California billy club ban struck down by court on Second Amendment grounds
A court in California has stricken down a state ban on billy clubs on Second Amendment grounds.
The lawsuit was brought by plaintiff Russell Fouts against California Attorney General Rob Bonta over the state law making it a crime to carry or even possess a billy club.
“This case is about a California law that makes it a crime to simply possess or carry a billy. This case is not about whether California can prohibit or restrict the use or possession of a billy for unlawful purposes,” the verdict reads.
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Photo illustration shows a law enforcement officer carrying a billy club, also sometimes referred to as a police baton. (In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)
It continues, “Historically, the short wooden stick that police officers once carried on their beat was known as a billy or billy club. The term remains vague today and may encompass a metal baton, a little league bat, a wooden table leg, or a broken golf club shaft, all of which are weapons that could be used for self-defense but are less lethal than a firearm.”
The decision was passed down by Judge Roger Benitez in the Southern District of California.
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The court ruled to strike down the ban based on the Second Amendment and its protection of citizens’ right to carry weapons, including those other than firearms.
“The Second Amendment protects a citizen’s right to defend one’s self with dangerous and lethal firearms,” the court stated. “But not everybody wants to carry a firearm for self-defense. Some prefer less-lethal weapons. A billy is a less-lethal weapon that may be used for self-defense.”
Police in Canada brandish billyclubs as they clash with protestors during a protest in Toronto, Ontario. ((Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images))
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The verdict continued, “One can easily imagine countless citizens carrying these weapons on daily walks and hikes to defend themselves against attacks by humans or animals. To give full life to the core right of self-defense, every law-abiding responsible individual citizen has a constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms like the billy for lawful purposes.”
Billy clubs — also variously referred to as batons, billysticks, and truncheons — are short, lightweight clubs that have been used by security, law enforcement and private individuals as blunt weapons.
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NFL Draft prospects rate themselves on Madden
USAT’s Chris Bumbaca asks some of the top NFL Draft prospects what they would rate themselves in Madden after their rookie year.
Sports Seriously
That’s a wrap for the 2026 NFL Draft. Three days of the top football prospects yearning to actualize their dreams of making it to the NFL, are in the books.
The San Francisco 49ers concluded their selection after adding eight new players through the draft including Mississippi receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, Texas Tech edge Romello Height and Indiana running back Kaelon Black.
All of the 49ers players were selected in the second round or later, after the team traded the No. 27 overall pick for extra selections.
“Our gut was to stay and pick. We really like De’Zhaun Stribling. Everything that he stands for. The player, the person. We have a deal, the highest standard as a 49er in our draft process is called the gold helmet. It’s checking every box, on the field, off the field, athleticism. De’Zhaun was one of the 16 that we gave this year,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said. “So to make that your first pick at wide receiver, the way that he plays, his physicality that he plays with, his speed, his size. We just love the whole package and it kept growing and growing to the point where we were proud to make him a 49er.”
The full list of 49ers draftees includes Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton, Washington offensive lineman Carter Willis, Washington defensive back Ephesians Prysock, Louisiana linebacker Jaden Dugger and Kansas offensive lineman Enrique Cruz Jr.
While some players in the draft immediately earn starting jobs on their new teams, the newest 49ers most likely won’t be. Between key starters returning and splash offseason signings, San Francisco’s incoming rookie class will look to earn time on the field starting as second- or third-string players.
Here’s a look at the projected depth chart for the 49ers following the 2026 draft:
Here’s a look at the San Francisco 49ers projected depth chart for the 2026 season, following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. Projected starters names are listed in bold, non-starters will have their respective string. *= 2026 draft class
Offense:
Quarterbacks
- Brock Purdy
- Mac Jones (2nd)
- Kurtis Rourke (3rd)
- Adrian Martinez (4th)
Running backs
- Christian McCaffrey
- Jordan James (2nd)
- Kaelon Black* (3rd)
- Isaac Guerendo (4th)
Wide receivers
- Mike Evans
- Ricky Pearsall
- Christian Kirk
- De’Zhaun Stribling* (2nd)
- Demarcus Robinson (2nd)
- Jordan Watkins (2nd)
- Jacob Cowing (3rd)
- Malik Turner (3rd)
- Colton Dowell (3rd)
- Junior Bergen (4th)
- Brandon Aiyuk (4th)
Tight ends
- George Kittle
- Jake Tonges (2nd)
- Luke Farrell (3rd)
- Brayden Willis (4th)
Fullbacks
Offensive linemen
- Trent Williams (LT)
- Carver Willis* (2nd)
- Vederian Lowe (3rd)
- Austen Pleasants (4th)
- Robert Jones (LG)
- Brett Toth (2nd)
- Connor Colby (3rd)
- Nick Zakelj (4th)
- Jake Brendel (C)
- Drake Nugent (2nd)
- Dominick Puni (RG)
- Colton McKivitz (RT)
- Enrique Cruz Jr.* (2nd)
- Brandon Parker (3rd)
- Isaac Alarcon (4th)
Defense:
Defensive edge
- C.J. West (left)
- Sebastian Valdez (2nd)
- Osa Odighizuwa (right)
- Gracen Halton* (2nd)
Defensive tackle
- Alfred Collins
- Evan Anderson
Linebackers
- Nick Bosa (WLB)
- Sam Okuayinonu (2nd)
- Romello Height* (3rd)
- Andrew Farmer II (4th)
- Dre Greenlaw (LILB)
- Luke Gifford (2nd)
- Garret Wallow (3rd)
- Nick Martin (4th)
- Fred Warner (RILB)
- Tatum Bethune (2nd)
- Jaden Dugger* (3rd)
- Jalen Graham (4th)
- Mykel Williams (SLB)
- Keion White (2nd)
- Cameron Sample (3rd)
- William Bradley-King (4th)
Defensive backs
- Deommodore Lenoir (LCB)
- Jack Jones (2nd)
- Darrell Luter Jr. (3rd)
- Eli Apple (4th)
- Renardo Green (RCB)
- Nate Hobbs (2nd)
- Ephesians Prysock* (3rd)
- Tre Tomlinson (4th)
- Ji’Ayir Brown (SS)
- Marques Sigle (2nd)
- Malik Mustapha (FS)
- Darrick Forrest (2nd)
- Derrick Canteen (3rd)
- Upton Stout (NB)
- Siran Neal (2nd)
Special Teams
- Eddy Pineiro (PK)
- Corliss Waitman (Punter, holder)
- Jacob Cowing (PR)
- Isaac Guerendo (KR)
- Jon Weeks (LS)
The 49ers weren’t done at the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. San Francisco continued to build their roster by signing undrafted free agents.
Here’s a list of their undrafted free agent signings:
- Duce Chestnut, S, Syracuse
- Khalil Dinkins, TE, Penn State
- Mikhail Kamara, Edge, Indiana
- Will Pauling, WR, Notre Dame
- James Thompson, DT, Illinois
You can follow the complete team-by-team list for all 32 here.
NFL draft’s best undrafted free agents
USA TODAY Sports’ Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz provides a ranking of the top 10 best available undrafted free agents after the NFL draft.
Denver, CO
PHOTOS: Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of first-round NBA playoff series
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 112-96 in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday, April 24, 2026. The Timberwolves took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series as the teams head back to Denver for game 5.
- Defender Lalas Abubakar played in his 200th MLS regular season game
- Three players made their first starts of 2026
- Nick Simmonds made his first career start in MLS
- Nolan Norris scored his first career goal for FC Dallas
SEATTLE, Washington (April 25, 2026) – FC Dallas (3-3-4, 13 points) fell 2-1 to Seattle Sounders FC (6-1-1, 19 points) on Saturday night from Lumen Field. Homegrown defender Nolan Norris scored his first career goal for Dallas.
Goalkeeper Michael Collodi made his first MLS penalty-kick save. FC Dallas last registered a penalty kick save on Aug. 31, 2024 when Maarten Peas made the stop.
THE FIRST HOMEGROWN GOAL FOR DALLAS
Homegrown Nolan Norris scored his first career goal off a corner kick in the 40th minute of the first half. Norris’ goal is the first scored by a Homegrown player this season, with the defender becoming the club’s fifth different goal scorer of 2026. Norris joined the FC Dallas Academy at 12 years old and has now scored for the club at the MLS NEXT, MLS NEXT Pro and MLS levels. His was the first goal by an FC Dallas Homegrown in a MLS regular season match since September 18, 2024 when Jesús Ferreira scored against Real Salt Lake.
Defender Lalas Abubakar made his 200th MLS regular season career appearance tonight after starting his first game of the season versus the Sounders. Abubakar appeared in 29 matches last season for Dallas and recorded one goal.
Defender Lalas Abubakar, midfielders Samuel Sarver and Ran Binyamin and forward Nicholas Simmonds made their first starts of the season tonight in Seattle. This was Binyamin and Simmonds’ first starts for FC Dallas as both players were acquired in the 2026 offseason. Simmonds was drafted No. 3 overall in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft and made his MLS Debut on April 18, 2026, against Minnesota United FC while Binyamin was acquired from Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C.
FC Dallas visits Sports Illustrated Stadium to face Red Bull New York on Saturday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The match will air on Apple TV. Fans can listen on the official FC Dallas app or join the radio crew in the booth through an interactive live stream on FC Dallas’ YouTube channel.
FC DALLAS ON LOCAL TV
On Tuesday, April 28, from 7-9 p.m. CT on KDFI More 27, FC Dallas Rewind will replay the western conference matchday 10 match versus Seattle Sounders FC.
FC Dallas has partnered with KDFW FOX 4 and KDFI More 27 to launch The Kick, a World Cup-driven show for North Texas soccer fans. Episode five premiers tomorrow, Sunday, April 26 at 10:30 p.m. CT on FOX 4 immediately following Free 4 All and will stream for free on FOX LOCAL.
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