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Authorities say a 17-year-old girl took a police cruiser on a joyride following a traffic stop early on New Year's Day in western Michigan.

Grand Rapids police say the girl was a passenger in a minivan that was pulled over about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday following a 911 call about a large fight nearby.

Police say the driver ran away and two officers ran after him, leaving the running police cruiser unattended. The young man was arrested. The other passengers were recorded on the cruiser's dashcam video fleeing the scene.

Police say the 17-year-old girl drove away in the cruiser, hit the minivan and ran several stop signs before stopping about a mile (1.6 kilometers) away. She was arrested nearby and faces charges including resisting and obstructing police.

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Police: 17-year-old girl arrested after police car joyride

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Authorities say a 17-year-old girl took a police cruiser on a joyride following a traffic stop early on New Year's Day in western Michigan. Grand Rapids police say the girl was a passenger in a minivan that was pulled over about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday following a 911 call about a large fight...

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A Californian man has been charged with murder because he shot the officer when he was pulled over.

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The man accused of shooting and killing a Northern California police officer the day after Christmas has been charged with murder, according to court documents.

The criminal complaint filed in Stanislaus County for suspect Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, a Mexican national, alleges that Arriaga "should have known" that Police Cpl. Ronil Singh was a "sworn police officer acting in the performance of his duties" and therefore "acted intentionally, deliberately and with premeditation."

Singh, 33, was killed on Dec. 26 just before 1 a.m. after he pulled Ariaga over in his a gray Dodge Ram pickup truck because he believed he was under the influence of alcohol, authorities said.

Merced Police Department

Arriaga, an undocumented immigrant, was arrested Friday and placed in Singh's handcuffs after law enforcement surrounded a home in Bakersfield, California, about 200 miles south of Stanislaus County. He had tried to flee to Mexico after the shooting, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said after his arrest.

During his arraignment Wednesday, Arriaga told the judge that his real name is Paulo Virgen Mendoza and that Gustavo Perez Arriaga is just one of his aliases, ABC San Francisco station KGO reported. At least three aliases were listed on Arriaga's criminal complaint, and authorities have said that he also used several different names on social media. Authorities also say that he has known gang affiliations.

Arriaga did not enter a plea during the hearing, and his attorney questioned his mental competency, according to KGO. The case has been suspended until he receives a mental health evaluation.

Seven people, including two of Arriaga's brothers, a woman described as his girlfriend and one of his coworkers, have been arrested for either misleading authorities about his whereabouts or aiding him in evading capture.

Arriaga crossed into Arizona from Mexico a couple of years ago and had been working as a farm laborer in California's Central Valley, Christianson said. He has two prior DUI arrests, authorities said.

Christianson blamed California's newly enacted "sanctuary state" law, SB 54, passed in October in response to President Donald Trump's immigration policies, for prohibiting law enforcement in the state from reporting Arriaga as a "criminal illegal alien," to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department

The day after the shooting, as authorities scoured the state for Arriaga, Trump tweeted, "Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!"

Singh, originally from Fiji, had been with the Newman Police Department since July 2011 and had previously worked at the Merced County Sheriff's Department, California Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement. He is survived by his wife and a 5-month-old son.

Arriaga's public defender, Dan Martin, did not immediately return ABC News' request for comment.

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson, Emily Shapiro and Gina Sunseri contributed to this report.

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u.s. immigration and customs enforcement

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Man suspected of killing police officer charged with murder

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The man accused of shooting and killing a Northern California police officer the day after Christmas has been charged with murder, according to court documents. The criminal complaint filed in Stanislaus County for suspect Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, a Mexican national, alleges that Arriaga "should have known" that Police Cpl.

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A lion killed an intern named Alexandra Black after it escaped from its enclosure and was shot by a tranquilizer to knock out the lion, then , after that did not work, they shot it 8 times so they could take the lion down and kill it.

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It took eight shotgun blasts by sheriff's deputies to kill a lion that got loose at a North Carolina wildlife center and killed a 22-year-old intern, according to a sheriff's report obtained Wednesday by ABC News.

Caswell County Sheriff's deputies resorted to deadly force on Sunday to take down the 14-year-old lion at the Conservators Center in Burlington after a worker at the facility shot the animal three times with tranquilizer darts that apparently had no effect, according to the report.

Alexandra Black, 22, was killed when the lion, weighing 400 to 450 pounds, escaped from what was supposed to be a locked pen and attacked her as she was cleaning its enclosure with a trained animal keeper, officials said.

Black, a recent graduate of Indiana University, was killed 10 days after starting her internship at the Conservators Center.

An investigation into how the lion got loose from its locked pen is ongoing. The sheriff's report mentions deputies being directed to an "opening in a fence," but does not say if that is where the lion escaped.

Sgt. Michael Griggs of the Caswell County Sheriff's Office noted in the report that when he arrived at the center "several staff members were attempting to get the lion to get into a separate enclosure away from the victim" while others were waiting for a tranquilizer gun to be brought to the scene.

But when the gun arrived, the tranquilizer dart broke and got stuck in the gun while a worker was trying to load it, rendering it useless, the sheriff's report reads.

As deputies and staff waited for a second tranquilizer gun to arrive, the lion went into a structure shaped like a doghouse as Black lay motionless just out of rescuers' reach, the report stated.

"After a while, the lion came out after staff members began to walk near the fence with raw meat," the report said.

Douglas Evans, a staffer at the center, fetched what was described as a "blow gun" and used it to try to tranquilize the lion.

"Mr. Evans then blew the dart from the blow gun, hitting the lion in the back leg area," but it had little to no effect on the animal, the report stated.

Evans blew another dart at the lion, according to the report, but instead of going down, the lion climbed on top of the doghouse-like structure and started "walking in circles and growling."

After Evans blew a third dart that hit the lion, the animal jumped to the ground and went back into the structure, according to the report.

Firefighters sprayed fire hoses at the doghouse, forcing the lion to come out and a staffer tried to lure it into a safety enclosure.

"The attempt failed and the lion started toward the area that the victim was lying in," the report stated.

At that point, sheriff's deputies resorted to deadly force.

"The lion was still not showing any signs of going down from the medication and as the lion passed my location I shot a 12-gauge ... into the lion's front right body area near the front right shoulder," Sgt. Griggs wrote in the report.

When the initial shotgun blast failed to stop the lion, Griggs fired three more shots at the animal.

Instead of going down, the lion charged a fence where deputies were standing, according to the report.

Griggs shot the lion two more times and another sheriff's deputy fired a seventh shot, hitting the animal in the breast, according to the report, and the lion finally dropped to the ground and stopped breathing.

"Mr. Evans advised that a shot needed to be placed in the lion's heart area to ensure that he had expired," Griggs wrote in the report.

After Griggs fired the eighth shot at the lion, Evans and Mindy Stinner, executive director of the Conservators Center, entered the enclosure and confirmed the lion was dead.

Deputies and paramedics rushed to aid Black, but it was too late. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The fatal incident has put private wildlife facilities in North Carolina under scrutiny.

North Carolina is one of just four states in the nation with little or no laws for keeping wild animals like lions, bears and primates in captivity, according to The Humane Society of the United States.

"Sadly, this incident illustrates the need for strong legislation to better restrict the private possession of dangerous wild animals," said Kitty Block, acting president and chief executive officer of The Humane Society of the United States.

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Deputies shot lion who killed intern 8 times after tranquilizer darts failed: Report

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It took eight shotgun blasts by sheriff's deputies to kill a lion that got loose at a North Carolina wildlife center and killed a 22-year-old intern, according to a sheriff's report obtained Wednesday by ABC News.

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Houston teenager was charged with murder on Wednesday after crashing into a woman's truck at a intersection while claiming to be chased by another car. 14 year old driver said he was fleeing from a motorist who flashed a semi automatic weapon at him so he ran the red light to get away and that's when he hit the woman truck killing her. police did not disclose the teenagers identity but witnesses say they saw him throwing eggs at cars.

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A Houston teenager was charged with murder on Wednesday after he crashed into a woman's truck at an intersection while allegedly being chased by another driver a day prior, police said.

The 14-year-old driver said he was fleeing from a motorist who flashed a semi-automatic weapon at him on Tuesday afternoon when he ran a red light and slammed into 45-year-old Silvia Zavala's Ford F-150 truck, according to police.

Zavala, a mother of two, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Harris County Sheriffs Office

Police did not disclose the minor's identity, but witnesses said he'd been throwing eggs at cars with two other teens when a man allegedly brandished a firearm and began chasing them, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said. His vehicle may have been damaged by the eggs, according to the office.

"The 14-year-old & his two teen passengers were reportedly throwing eggs at other cars just prior to the crash. A separate car gave chase at a high rate of speed & the teen ran the red light striking other truck," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a tweet. "The deceased female was totally innocent; seems she had just gone shopping based on some debris strewn at scene."

KTRK

Gonzalez said the man who allegedly chased the teens is cooperating with police.

Surveillance video from a nearby business captured the deadly crash, showing the underage teen as he slammed his tan GMC Acadia into the woman's pickup truck.

The force of the crash bent the pickup truck's frame and sent both cars airborne, according to the video.

The victim's daughter, Jessica Gaspar, said her mother had been visiting family in Houston and was out running errands at the time of the crash.

"She was about to go back. She was about to come home and get her stuff and say bye and she was about to leave. She couldn't say bye," Gaspar told Houston ABC station KTRK. "He did what he did. He took my mother's life so he has to pay for what happened," she added, referring to the teen driver.

Police said the suspect was booked in a juvenile detention center and broke his ankle in the crash. It's unclear if he has been charged as a minor or an adult. The other two teens in the suspect's car were treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

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14-year-old charged with murder in fatal crash after egg prank, police say

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A Houston teenager was charged with murder on Wednesday after he crashed into a woman's truck at an intersection while allegedly being chased by another driver a day prior, police said. The 14-year-old driver said he was fleeing from a motorist who flashed a semi-automatic weapon at him on Tuesday...

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A woman in Colorado has been missing since thanksgiving day. Identified as Kelsey Berreth had a one-year-old daughter. Her fiancee has been charged with the crime but after her cell phone pinged in Idaho. A 32 year old nurse from Idaho has been arrested for the crime but police do not know how she is connected

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A woman being investigated for her role in the case of missing Colorado mother Kelsey Berreth has been identified as a 32-year-old nurse from Twin Falls, Idaho, two of the woman's family members and a law enforcement source told ABC News.

ABC News is withholding reporting the woman's name because she has not been publicly identified by law enforcement investigators.

Berreth's fiancé, Patrick Frazee, was formally charged Monday with two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of solicitation to commit murder.

Woodland Park Police Department

The woman has not been charged with any crime and her exact relationship to Frazee is unclear.

Sources told ABC News that the woman is being investigated for disposing of Berreth's cellphone in Idaho. Investigators had previously said that Berreth's phone was detected in Idaho on Nov. 25, three days after Thanksgiving when the 29-year-old mother was last seen publicly.

In the three months before Berreth vanished, Frazee allegedly tried three times to find someone to kill her, according to formal charges filed by prosecutors.

"I cannot comment on who is being solicited," Dan May, the district attorney for Colorado's 4th Judicial District, said previously.

The Twin Falls, Idaho, Police Department said in a statement in December that its officers had helped serve search warrants connected to Berreth's disappearance.

On the same day Berreth's cellphone pinged in Idaho, her employer, Doss Aviation, in Pueblo, Colorado, received a text message, presumably from Berreth, stating that she would not be able to work the following week, police said.

Woodland Park Police

The last confirmed sighting of Berreth was on Thanksgiving Day, when surveillance cameras videotaped her going into a Safeway supermarket near her home in Woodland Park, Colorado, with her 1-year-old daughter, police said.

Frazee told police that he met up with Berreth on Thanksgiving Day to pick up their daughter.

Berreth was reported missing to the police on Dec. 2 by her mother.

Frazee was arrested Dec. 21, though details of what led police to arrest him have not been disclosed.

Affidavits in the case were sealed by the court, prosecutors said.

Police no longer believe the mother is alive, officials said. The crime may have occurred at her home, police said.

"There potentially could be other people arrested in this case," May said.

Teller County Sheriff via KMGH

Frazee has not entered a plea. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 29. His attorney, Adam Steigerwald, did not return a request for comment.

The woman and her attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.

A spokeswoman with the 4th Judicial District, which is now prosecuting the case against Frazee, declined to comment Wednesday.

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson contributed to the reporting in this story.

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Idaho nurse under investigation in case of missing Colorado mother: Sources

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A woman being investigated for her role in the case of missing Colorado mother Kelsey Berreth has been identified as a 32-year-old nurse from Twin Falls, Idaho, two of the woman's family members and a law enforcement source told ABC News.

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On New Year's Day at the Brevard Zoo in Florida, a young girl slipped through/walked through the bars at the rhino exhibit and the rhino touched her. The girl and her mother were transported to a near hospital and are doing fine currently.

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The rhinoceros who touched a child after she entered its enclosure on Tuesday will not be "punished," according to zookeepers.

The incident occurred on New Year's Day at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida, when a 2-year-old girl was visiting the zoo's "Rhino Encounter."

Zoo officials have released new information about the incident, which they said started when the girl managed to get into the animal's enclosure.

Brevard Zoo

"Rhino Encounter participants stand on ground level and are separated from the animals by steel poles. This child stumbled through the poles, at which point at least one of the rhinos touched the child with their snout," Brevard Zoo officials said in a statement.

The girl, whose name has not been released, "was retrieved in a matter of seconds and transported to a local hospital via ambulance," the zoo said in its statement.

The girl's mother was also transported to the local hospital for non-critical injuries on her arm, according to Brevard County Fire Rescue.

"Our hearts are with the family impacted by this incident and we are committed to being as transparent as possible without disclosing personal information about our guests," the zoo said in their statement. "We are actively participating in a standard investigation conducted by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission."

"The welfare of the rhinos was never compromised and they will not be 'punished' in any way," the zoo added in its statement.

Brevard Zoo

The zoo noted that the Rhino Encounters program and other experiences at the zoo have been suspended until a thorough review of safety protocols is completed.

The injured child's father released a statement through the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, where she is being cared for.

"Our daughter is in good care at Arnold Palmer Hospital and is doing well. My wife was also treated for her injury and has been released from the hospital. At this time, we ask for privacy as we focus on our daughter's recovery," the girl's father said.

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Rhino won't be 'punished' after touching toddler who entered its enclosure

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The rhinoceros who touched a child after she entered its enclosure on Tuesday will not be "punished," according to zookeepers. The incident occurred on New Year's Day at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida, when a 2-year-old girl was visiting the zoo's "Rhino Encounter." Zoo officials have...

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Ravens QB Lamar Jackson will be the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start in a playoff game. Jackson is 21 years old. He will start against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Lamar Jackson will make NFL history when he steps onto the field for Sunday's wild-card matchup versus the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Baltimore Ravens quarterback, at 21 years, 364 days, will become the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start a playoff game. Jackson turns 22 on Monday.

"I'm trying to taste that victory for my birthday Monday," Jackson said, per the team's official website. "I can taste it!"

Coincidentally, Jackson is attempting to break the record of another scampering quarterback, Michael Vick, who was 22 years, 192 days old when he ran over the Green Bay Packers in 2003 at Lambeau Field, becoming the youngest signal-caller to win a playoff game. Vick was in his second season.

Jackson, as a rookie, has history against him entering Sunday afternoon's tilt. The last five rookies to start a playoff game all came out on the losing end. Since 2010, first-year signal-callers are 2-7 in playoff tilts, with the only two wins coming in rookie versus rookie battles (T.J. Yates vs. Andy Dalton in 2011 and Russell Wilson vs. Robert Griffin III in 2012). Rookies are 0-5 this decade versus veteran signal callers.

The last rookie to win a playoff game versus a non-rookie quarterback was Mark Sanchez's Jets in 2009. Sanchez and Ravens' Joe Flacco are the only rookies since the 1970 merger to win multiple playoff games in their first season. No rookie quarterback has ever led his team to a Super Bowl.

"It really doesn't [matter to me]," Jackson said of his age. "I'm here to play football. I was 21 all year, so this is another game for me."

Asked if anything changed this week for Jackson, the rookie shrugged off the playoffs adding more pressure.

"I changed my clothes. That's about it. Everything else is the same," he quipped.

Jackson's running acumen completely overhauled a stale Ravens offense that was stuck in the mud. The rookie quarterback helped lead Baltimore to a 6-1 record (including a victory over Sunday's opponent) and an AFC North division title. Jackson finished 2018 with a .857 win percentage, third-highest win percent by any rookie QB with five-plus starts since the 1970 NFL merger ( Ben Roethlisberger 13-0, 2004; Mike Kruczek 6-0, 1976).

"Lamar's maturity has impressed me greatly. He's very mature," coach John Harbaugh said. "I think you guys see it -- you see it when you interview him, players see it when he walks around. Like I said before, he's very comfortable with who he is. That's a sign of maturity for sure."

In a rematch against a Chargers team that held Jackson to a starter-low 39 yards rushing a fortnight ago, the Ravens will need the quarterback's maturity and playmaking ability to shine Sunday in Baltimore.

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Lamar Jackson will be youngest QB to start in playoffs

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Lamar Jackson will make NFL history when he steps onto the field for Sunday's wild-card matchup versus the Los Angeles Chargers. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback, at 21 years, 364 days, will become the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start a playoff game. Jackson turns 22 on Monday.

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In Tennessee, Police officers fatally shot a man. The officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call. When they arrived, they were confronted by a man who ran at them wielding a knife. The officers were not harmed but are being relieved of duty while an investigation takes place.

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Tennessee police fatally shoot knife-wielding man, authorities say

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Tennessee police officers on Wednesday night shot and killed a man who had charged at them with a knife, Fox 13 reported.

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After "Bird Box" became one of the most popular movies (with over 45 million views within the first week) on Netflix, memes about the movie blew up, including a series of risky stunts done by blindfolded people. Both Netflix and the cast of Bird Box say they appreciate the fans support for the movie, but they need to consider their health and not do dangerous challenges because of the movie.

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Netflix is warning fans about the "Bird Box" Challenge on social media, inspired by its hit movie. Netflix tweeted: "PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don't know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes."

The R-rated film stars Sandra Bullock, who plays a mother fleeing from a sinister force that turns anyone who sees it suicidal. She and her children don blindfolds to make their escape. Last week, Netflix bragged "Bird Box" was one of its most popular films ever. But now that fans are going to dangerous lengths to parody this make-believe thriller, the company is urging them to keep their eyes open to the very real risks.

Blindfolded copycats have now popped up on social media, reports CBS News correspondent Jamie Yuccas. While many stunts appear to have been done for laughs, others carry a little more risk. Onewoman nearly burned herself on a heater, and another boy repeatedly crashed into furniture with his tricycle. One toddler slammed into a wall.
"Companies are always a little concerned when something takes off that's out of their control," said Rebecca Keegan, senior film editor at the Hollywood Reporter. She also believes Netflix senses a marketing opportunity for the movie.

"The first time I heard about the quote-unquote Bird Box Challenge was by Netflix warning people about the Bird Box Challenge," Keegan said.

Bullock leads a cast of Hollywood A-listers like John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson and Trevante Rhodes. They're names that normally light up theater marquees. The company, famously secretive about its viewership figures, boasted more than 45 million accounts streamed "Bird Box" in its first seven days - numbers that can't be independently verified.
"I think Netflix really wants to demonstrate to Hollywood that it takes them seriously," Keegan said. "They want to be able to pound their chest just like you would if you had a big box office opening."

"Bird Box" was released in theaters for only a week before Netflix started streaming it. Although the movie did well in test screenings prior to its release, Keegan said even Netflix has been taken aback by the audience response.

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"Bird Box" Challenge: Blindfolded copycats post risky stunts inspired by Netflix movie

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Netflix is warning fans about the "Bird Box" Challenge on social media, inspired by its hit movie. Netflix tweeted: "PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don't know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes."

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It was 4 a.m. when Amanda Antonio was traveling on interstate 4 when another driver cut her off and sent her veering off of the highway and into a deep water-filled ditch. Antonio recalls her car flipping multiple times on the slick grass, she stated, " I felt like it wasn't going to stop." Because the car was upside down she wasn't able to kick the doors open so she used her apple watch to ping iphone which allowed her to call 911, where a dispatcher walked her through the situation. Authorities where able to find her in the nick of time before she drowned from the freezing water rising in her car.

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As she sat in her overturned car in the early hours of New Year's Day, sinking into the mud with cold water rising up to her chest, Amanda Antonio had one message for a 911 dispatcher: please help, and fast.

The 20-year-old had been traveling eastbound on Interstate 4 just outside of Tampa just before 4 a.m. when another driver cut her off and she lost control, veering off the highway and overturning in a deep, water-filled ditch.

"It was all really a blur," Antonio told " FOX & friends" on Thursday. "I just remember when I swerved to the right I slipped on the grass and I just started flipping numerous amounts of times. I felt like I wasn't going to stop."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But when she did stop, the 20-year-old realized she was upside-down and wasn't able to kick open the doors to get out.

"I panicked for a second and then I'm like 'ok, so what do I do' because obviously this isn't going to help me," she said.

After using her Apple Watch to ping her iPhone that was underwater, Antonio said she called 911, where a dispatcher helped walk her through the situation.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office released the recording of the dramatic 20-minute call to 911 on Wednesday, where Antonio can be heard gasping for air as water and mud seep into the car.

"There's water getting the car and I can't get out. I'm freezing," she can be heard telling the 911 dispatcher.

The operator asks how deep the water is inside the vehicle, to which Antonio replies, "well, now it's up to my chest."

After trying to help pinpoint her location using Google Maps, Antonio told the operator the water was up to her neck.

"I'm so scared. Please tell them to come faster," she could be heard saying "Please help me. My phone's dying, it's at 5 percent."
FLORIDA DEPUTIES RESCUE NEAR-DROWNING WOMAN AFTER CRASH INTO MUDDY DITCH
Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office were able to find Antonio in the nick of time after spotting the sinking vehicle through thick fog.

"Amanda absolutely saved her own life that night," Deputy Chris Sullivan told "FOX & friends."

Sullivan said that he and another member of the dive team, Deputy Jeremy Pollack, went to the vehicle to try to determine how much of an air pocket the 20-year-old had inside. Once the pair realized they needed to get Antonio out from the driver's side fast, they came across another problem.

"The situation with the mud, there was no prying open the door," he said.

Pollack was able to get over to the passenger side and pry open another door to free the 20-year-old.

"I just want to thank all of you guys for helping me that night and just without you guys there's no way I would have made it out of there by myself," Antonio told her rescuers on Thursday.
Fox News' Robert Gearty contributed to this report.

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Florida woman told dispatcher 'please help me' in terrifying 911 call as her car sank in muddy ditch

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As she sat in her overturned car in the early hours of New Year's Day, sinking into the mud with cold water rising up to her chest, Amanda Antonio had one message for a 911 dispatcher: please help, and fast.

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The NFL has named its first official casino sponsor. They have announced their casino sponsor with Caesars Entertainment Corporation.

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The National Football League announced an agreement Thursday with Caesars Entertainment Corporation to become the NFL's first casino sponsor.

"We couldn't be more excited to work with one of the world's largest gaming and entertainment companies," said Renie Anderson, Senior Vice President, NFL Partnerships, Sponsorship and Consumer Products. "Combining the NFL with Caesars' expertise in world-class entertainment will provide our fans unique experiences both here in the United States and abroad."

The deal, which starts with the upcoming NFL playoffs, is focused solely on the company's casinos and doesn't include sports betting or daily fantasy games.

Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg reported it's a three-year contract worth around $30 million annually.

Caesars Entertainment already possessed contracts with seven NFL teams-the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles-and will be included in 2020 NFL draft events inLasVegas.

MarkFrissora, the company's president and CEO, released a statement as part of the first-of-its-kind NFL deal:
"All of us at Caesars Entertainment are thrilled to be the first-ever casino partner of the NFL, the most prominent sports league in North America. Combining the league's 180 million fans with our 55 million Total Rewards loyalty program members will expose millions of people to the exclusive and exciting year-round opportunities at our properties."
In May, after the United States Supreme Court votedto strike down a 1992 federal law that prohibited sports betting, NFL Commissioner RogerGoodell said the league was focused on "protecting the integrity of our sport" and working to "ensure no improper influences affect how the game is played on the field."

"These efforts include supporting commonsense legislation that protects our players, coaches and fans and maintains public confidence in our games," he said.

Senators CharlesSchumer(D-New York) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced a bipartisan bill in December to give the federal government oversight on sports gambling. NFL Executive Vice President Jocelyn Moore released a statement in favor of the proposed legislation, per ESPN.com:
"The threats posed to the integrity of sporting contests cannot be confined within state borders. Without continued federal guidance and oversight, we are very concerned that sports leagues and state governments alone will not be able to fully protect the integrity of sporting contests and guard against the harms Congress has long recognized as being associated with sports betting."
The NFL has yet to support sports gambling at the state level, with seven states joining Nevada in legalizing the practice, which is why its deal with Caesars Entertainment doesn't including betting or daily fantasy.

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NFL Names Caesars Entertainment as League's 1st Official Casino Sponsor

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Dylan Buell/Getty Images The National Football League announced an agreement Thursday with Caesars Entertainment Corporation to become the NFL's first casino sponsor. "We couldn't be more excited to work with one of the world's largest gaming and entertainment companies," said Renie Anderson, Senior Vice President, NFL Partnerships, Sponsorship and Consumer Products.

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The house race has finalized and is seen to be ran by the democrats. CA-12 Representative Nancy Pelosi is speaking out on behalf of the democrats to the public and speaking of their first action to get the impeachment process started, especially after the government shut down.

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With Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives as the 116th Congress convenes Thursday, incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leaving the door open to the possible impeachment and even indictment of President Donald Trump.

"Many Democrats are talking about impeachment. You've said it would be sad and divisive for the country to pursue impeachment. Are you willing to rule it out?" NBC "Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie asked in an interview with Pelosi that aired Thursday morning.

"We have to wait and see what happens with the Mueller report," Pelosi said, referring to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. We shouldn't be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn't avoid impeachment for a political reason. So we'll just have to see how it comes," Pelosi responded.

In the past Pelosi has been more conclusive, saying over the summer that impeachment was "off the table" and there's not enough to "focus on that." But Pelosi has also repeatedly said whether to pursue impeachment shouldn't be decided on or ruled out based on "political reasons."

Evan Vucci/AP

Guthrie also asked Pelosi if she believes a sitting president can be indicted. Justice Department lawyers have long held the position that they don't have the authority to indict a sitting president, though special counsel Mueller has other avenues for action, such as issuing a report on his findings and turning that over to Congress.

"I think that that is an open discussion. I think that is an open discussion in terms of the law," Pelosi said. She said she doesn't think the guidelines are "conclusive," adding "Let's just see what Mueller does."

The president submitted answers to written questions from Mueller's office in late November.

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Pelosi says impeachment, even indictment of Trump open questions

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With Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives as the 116th Congress convenes Thursday, incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leaving the door open to the possible impeachment and even indictment of President Donald Trump. "Many Democrats are talking about impeachment. You've said it would be sad and divisive for the country to pursue impeachment.

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The man that was suspected for killing a police officer in California has been charged for murder. The suspect was Gustavo Perez Arriaga. Arriaga was pulled over because the police officer thought he was under the influence of alcohol. He shot County Sheriff Adam Christianson and after he tried to flee to Mexico.

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The man accused of shooting and killing a Northern California police officer the day after Christmas has been charged with murder, according to court documents.

The criminal complaint filed in Stanislaus County for suspect Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, a Mexican national, alleges that Arriaga "should have known" that Police Cpl. Ronil Singh was a "sworn police officer acting in the performance of his duties" and therefore "acted intentionally, deliberately and with premeditation."

Singh, 33, was killed on Dec. 26 just before 1 a.m. after he pulled Ariaga over in his a gray Dodge Ram pickup truck because he believed he was under the influence of alcohol, authorities said.

Merced Police Department

Arriaga, an undocumented immigrant, was arrested Friday and placed in Singh's handcuffs after law enforcement surrounded a home in Bakersfield, California, about 200 miles south of Stanislaus County. He had tried to flee to Mexico after the shooting, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said after his arrest.

During his arraignment Wednesday, Arriaga told the judge that his real name is Paulo Virgen Mendoza and that Gustavo Perez Arriaga is just one of his aliases, ABC San Francisco station KGO reported. At least three aliases were listed on Arriaga's criminal complaint, and authorities have said that he also used several different names on social media. Authorities also say that he has known gang affiliations.

Arriaga did not enter a plea during the hearing, and his attorney questioned his mental competency, according to KGO. The case has been suspended until he receives a mental health evaluation.

Seven people, including two of Arriaga's brothers, a woman described as his girlfriend and one of his coworkers, have been arrested for either misleading authorities about his whereabouts or aiding him in evading capture.

Arriaga crossed into Arizona from Mexico a couple of years ago and had been working as a farm laborer in California's Central Valley, Christianson said. He has two prior DUI arrests, authorities said.

Christianson blamed California's newly enacted "sanctuary state" law, SB 54, passed in October in response to President Donald Trump's immigration policies, for prohibiting law enforcement in the state from reporting Arriaga as a "criminal illegal alien," to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department

The day after the shooting, as authorities scoured the state for Arriaga, Trump tweeted, "Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!"

Singh, originally from Fiji, had been with the Newman Police Department since July 2011 and had previously worked at the Merced County Sheriff's Department, California Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement. He is survived by his wife and a 5-month-old son.

Arriaga's public defender, Dan Martin, did not immediately return ABC News' request for comment.

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson, Emily Shapiro and Gina Sunseri contributed to this report.

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u.s. immigration and customs enforcement

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Man suspected of killing police officer charged with murder

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The man accused of shooting and killing a Northern California police officer the day after Christmas has been charged with murder, according to court documents. The criminal complaint filed in Stanislaus County for suspect Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, a Mexican national, alleges that Arriaga "should have known" that Police Cpl.

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A 17 year old girl took a police car for a joy ride and then was arrested. The driver ran away and then the police chased after him leaving the running cruiser alone.

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Authorities say a 17-year-old girl took a police cruiser on a joyride following a traffic stop early on New Year's Day in western Michigan.

Grand Rapids police say the girl was a passenger in a minivan that was pulled over about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday following a 911 call about a large fight nearby.

Police say the driver ran away and two officers ran after him, leaving the running police cruiser unattended. The young man was arrested. The other passengers were recorded on the cruiser's dashcam video fleeing the scene.

Police say the 17-year-old girl drove away in the cruiser, hit the minivan and ran several stop signs before stopping about a mile (1.6 kilometers) away. She was arrested nearby and faces charges including resisting and obstructing police.

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Police: 17-year-old girl arrested after police car joyride

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Authorities say a 17-year-old girl took a police cruiser on a joyride following a traffic stop early on New Year's Day in western Michigan. Grand Rapids police say the girl was a passenger in a minivan that was pulled over about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday following a 911 call about a large fight...

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After not seeing straws out, a man went up to the register and started arguing about not having straws and the worker told him that customers have to ask for straws at the register. The man got angry and grabbed the woman who started fighting back and throwing punches. After about 15 seconds, another employee was able get her away from the man. The man was later arrested.

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a man attacked a mcdonald's employee over a straw - cnn

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A man attacked a McDonald's employee over a straw and she fought back

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A new plastic straw law had unexpected consequences when a man lashed out at a worker at a fast food chain.

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In Florida a man was upset after finding out that there were no plastic straws out at McDonald's because of a new plastic straw law. He argues with the employee and then reaches over the counter and grabs the employee. He is then arrested on two charges of simple battery.

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a man attacked a mcdonald's employee over a straw - cnn

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A man attacked a McDonald's employee over a straw and she fought back

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A new plastic straw law had unexpected consequences when a man lashed out at a worker at a fast food chain.

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A 16 year old boy was walking out of church today and stabbed two staff members with a 10 inch kitchen knife. One is dead and one is just injured.

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A 16-year-old boy stabbed two Church of Scientology members outside the organization's headquarters in Sydney, Australia, killing one and injuring another on Thursday, police said.

The teen was being escorted out of the church in Sydney's Chatswood district about 12:30 p.m. Thursday when he began attacking the two staff members with a 10-inch kitchen knife, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. It's unclear if the 16-year-old was a member of the church, but police said he had a "lawful reason" to be there before being asked to leave.

"On being escorted down the roadway a knife was produced and with that knife he stabbed a 24-year-old who we believe to be a Taiwanese male in the neck," Detective Chief Inspector Jones said. "He also caused some lacerations to an older gentleman also escorting him from the premises."
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Both men were taken to the hospital, where the 24-year-old who was "bleeding heavily" from the stab wound to his neck later died.

The teen was taken into custody and is cooperating with the investigation following the "domestic alteration," police said.

The Church of Scientology said the man killed was a "beloved" member of the congregation.
TOM CRUISE REPORTEDLY HAD GIRLFRIENDS AUDITIONED BY THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY, FORMER MEMBER CLAIMS
"This very unfortunate matter is in the hands of the police. We cannot make any further comment beyond the fact that the victim was a beloved member of our Church," the church said in a statement. "The Church is providing the police with any assistance needed in their investigation."

The Chatswood Scientology Center, known as the Advanced Organization and Saint Hill Australia, New Zealand & Oceania, opened in September 2016 and is considered the "spiritual headquarters" for Scientologists in the Asia-Pacific region. It is the biggest Scientology center outside of the United States and lauded by the organization as an "architectural masterpiece," ABC reported.

The center also has a chapel, auditorium and "purification center" that includes a gym and sauna, along with training facilities.

Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige called the 145,000-square-feet headquarters an "arboreal palace nestled at the rim of a eucalyptus wonderland."

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Scientologist stabbed to death by boy, 16, outside Australian headquarters, police say

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A 16-year-old boy stabbed two Church of Scientology members outside the organization's headquarters in Sydney, Australia, killing one and injuring another on Thursday, police said. The teen was being escorted out of the church in Sydney's Chatswood district about 12:30 p.m.

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Officers from the Milwaukee Police Department began chasing a black Chevrolet Trailblazer Monday after it matched the description of two armed burglaries that occurred earlier that evening

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3 dead, including 2-year-old, after car plunges into frigid river during police chase on New Year’s Eve

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The black Chevrolet Trailblazer found in the river matched the description of a car used in multiple armed robberies that occurred on New Year’s Eve, police said.

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A 17-year-old New Jersey boy died on New Year’s Day after he plunged at least 20 feet from a ski chairlift at Blue Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania.

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A 17-year-old New Jersey boy died on New Year's Day after he plunged at least 20 feet from a ski chairlift at Blue Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania, the coroner's office said.

Connor Golembiewski was on the chairlift at the popular ski resort in the Pocono Mountains when he fell and hit the ground below about 11:30 a.m., NJ.com reported. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Carbon County Coroner Robert Miller Jr. said the teen died from multiple blunt force trauma and his death was ruled an accident. Miller said Golembiewski fell about 20 feet, though other reports indicated the drop was nearly double the distance.
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It's unclear if Golembiewski was using the lift bar at the time of the fall, which helps lock skiers in the lift as it transports them up the slopes. The teen reportedly landed on rocks, causing injuries to his head, back and ribs, according to WFMZ.

Golembiewski was in his junior year at Hunterdon Central Regional High School and part of the New Jersey Renegades Hockey Club.

"The NJ Renegades mourn the tragic loss of one of their players, Connor Golembiewski, who passed away tragically on New Year's Day in in a skiing accident," the team wrote in a statement on its website. "Connor was a Renegade starting at the age of 9 playing squirts thru bantams with the Renegades. He was a loyal, hardworking, respectful player that gave his all every time he came to the rink."

Renegades coach Cliff Graziano mourned the teen's death in a Facebook post, saying he lost "a friend" on Tuesday.
SUSPECT ARRESTED IN NEW YEAR'S EVE SEX ASSAULT OF 99-YEAR-OLD, SAN FRANCISCO COPS SAY
"I had the privilege to coach Connor since the age of 8. I was just on the ice with him 2 days ago doing a lesson with him and his friends," Graziano said in his post. "I often tell my players that I'm their coach and we'll be friends when they are done playing for me."

"Yesterday I lost a friend. This is incredibly difficult to accept and understand," he added.

Golembiewski's death follows two other fatal incidents at the resort last year, NJ.com reported.

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New Jersey teen dies after falling from ski lift at Blue Mountain resort

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A 17-year-old New Jersey boy died on New Year's Day after he plunged at least 20 feet from a ski chairlift at Blue Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania, the coroner's office said. Connor Golembiewski was on the chairlift at the popular ski resort in the Pocono Mountains when he fell and hit the ground below about 11:30 a.m., NJ.com reported.

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Tyrann Mathieu was a former LSU safety who now plays for the Houston Texans in the NFL. He was kicked off of LSU's football team after being arrested for drug use. After being signed with the Texans in march he was eventually promoted to one of the teams captains for his dedication to the team. The Texans are on their way to the super bowl.

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HOUSTON - Tyrann Mathieu looks comfortable, self-possessed, at home here, lounged in the living room of his new home in his new city. Ready to say anything.

When he first signed with the Texans back in March, he was shy. Reserved. Not quite ready to let his voice be heard. Every other week, J.J. Watt would badger him. Hey, man! Let's go! Talk to the guys! But Mathieu wasn't ready. He stayed in the shadows for a good four-and-a-half months.

Then one night in training camp, head coach Bill O'Brien asked his new safety to speak in front of the entire 90-man roster. And Mathieu didn't hesitate. He bared his soul. The growing up without Mom and Dad. The marijuana abuse. The arrest. Getting booted from the LSU football team. He minced zero words, sharing for all to hear every raw twist and turn in his life.

"From that point," Mathieu says, "I was able to be myself."

True bonds were born, instantly, and Mathieu was voted a team captain. Suddenly, players were asking him about everything. Suddenly, he was the one roaring during pregame. Suddenly, a franchise muddled in mediocrity was armed with what every champion needs. Attitude. Swagger.

More specifically, " Championship swagger."

Those are the words Mathieu used to repeat constantly back at LSU in 2011, when he was leading the Tigers to their last championship game appearance. And that's what he's repeating in Houston. As his voice here has grown louder and louder, win after win, it has become his call to arms again, his battle cry in nearly every speech since that first one.

"Let's celebrate each other," he says. "If my teammate makes a play, let's celebrate that. If I make a play, let's celebrate that. Let's enjoy the game. You've got to love it. If you don't love it, we won't be winners."

That's championship swagger.

And he knows that's what it'll take. Especially this postseason. Something extra.

Because standing between the Texans and a Super Bowl is a murderers' row of quarterbacks.

Patrick Mahomes' right arm is illegal in certain countries. Tom Brady is again playing January football in Foxborough, five rings 'n' all. Philip Rivers is having an MVP-caliber season. Andrew Luck is, again, the prodigal son. Lamar Jackson is resembling Mike Vick 2.0. This is a golden era for the position, and-because owners know the world craves more no-look passes, more Brady heroics, more shootouts-the rulebook doesn't help defenses, either.

In his Dope Faith Vs. Everything shirt, a constellation of tattoos covering his arms, Mathieu gently rubs the tip of his beard. He's ready to fight back against it all-the quarterbacks, the rigged system-as the one serving as the air traffic controller in the Texans secondary, the one pushing all the buttons.

He's the one who must inject real belief where belief could be scarce.

Mathieu can see these Texans conquering them all-Mahomes, Brady, whoever. Because this has become a team in his image.

"I try to raise the tide," Mathieu says. "I want everybody to play at a level they may never expect themselves to play at. I want everybody to think that they're special. I just try to bring that part to it. I celebrate my teammates' plays more than I celebrate my plays. I think that's part of, really, who I am. I want everybody to be successful. I want everybody to feel that. If I've brought anything, I hope it's that. Just really bringing everybody together."

Giving everyone the attitude a champion needs. The mentality to push through anything. An 0-3 start. A broken dam of an offensive line. Injuries. The quarterback gauntlet that awaits. Anything.

The Texans keep on winning and now harbor very real Super Bowl dreams.

There's "no doubt about it," Mathieu assures. This team can go the distance.

Kicked back on his couch, he coolly rattles off the reasons.

His quarterback, Deshaun Watson, is freaky calm in the clutch. ("It's a blessing to have a quarterback like that.") Everyone on special teams. Mathieu praises how selfless that third of the roster is. ("You don't really get that in the NFL.") The fact that J.J. Watt is on his team and nobody else's. Watt sprints around trash cans any idle moment of practice before then diving into a pool to work out on his own afterward. ("He's crazy.")

And Mathieu knows his presence is a major part of the Super Bowl equation. He'll make sure nobody loses any confidence at any point.

The Texans need a championship swagger to win it all.

He sees one too.

"Guys are motivated to show everybody we can play," Mathieu says. "It hasn't always been pretty. We haven't played our best football yet. And that's very clear to us.

"We'll be tough to beat."

He cracks his knuckles at the memory, scowls, and his voice lowers to a near whisper.

The first domino to fall, the first decision that set this Texans season into motion, was actually a (predictable) Cardinals gaffe. The team that took a chance on Mathieu decided it was through with him, asking him to take a substantial pay cut before cutting him loose and then using that precious capital on- drum roll, please!-quarterback Sam Bradford.

Bradford decomposed. The Cardinals finished 3-13. They fired their first-year head coach, Steve Wilks.

Mathieu can still hear Arizona asking him to take a pay cut.

"I wasn't really too fond of it," he says.

The next step was easy. He signed a one-year deal with the Texans because he saw a team loaded with players just like him. Players with something to prove. More specifically, he saw a quarterback with the same wiring: Watson. " DEY-shaun," he calls him. Mathieu recognized Watson as a kindred spirit back when Watson was still at Clemson, reached out to him on Twitter, and the two started messaging regularly. Like Mathieu at LSU, Watson delivered in big moments. And like Mathieu coming into 2018, Watson was hungry. Eager to finish what he started as a rookie.

The days of Houston starting quarterbacks straight out of the Walmart bin are over. It's finally a fair fight in the AFC. From May on, the two spent time breaking down exactly what each was seeing after plays in practice. Football is Watson's life, Mathieu says. " Everything for him." So they picked each other's brains constantly.

Mathieu has never seen Watson frown. Ever. Never seen Watson upset. Ever.

Maybe the world's been drooling over Mahomes all season long. He's the MVP front-runner, the one who finished with video game numbers: 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. But everyone on this Texans team witnessed Watson grit through a cracked rib, a bruised lung and a partially collapsed lung through Houston's nine-game winning streak.

Mathieu knows precisely what makes his quarterback different.

"They're obviously both flashy. They both can do really exciting things," Mathieu says. "Mahomes can throw the ball wherever you want him to throw it. He could throw it to Tokyo if you wanted him to. I think with Deshaun, what he has really proven, really since we have all been watching him, is he can handle the moments. He's been getting beat up, and he's been handling it well. ... He's special."

Of course, when Mahomes is Mahomesin' around-throwing left-handed, rifling 40-yard bullets with his torso flipped at impossible angles, escaping, re-escaping, pulling off stunts nobody's ever seen before-Watson will be on the sideline. Powerless. It's on Mathieu to fight back, and it hasn't always been pretty. Two weeks ago, Nick Foles blistered Houston for 471 yards and five touchdowns. Injuries rocked the secondary for a stretch. Still, the Texans did finish with 29 takeaways (fourth in the NFL) while allowing just 19.8 points per game (also fourth), with Mathieu as the point man. And he asserts his belief that this Texans defense can be "dominant."

Mathieu has been more of a cerebral "communicator" than a freewheelin' blitzer this season, he says-decoding formations and lining up coverages.

His impact, as O'Brien has pointed out, goes beyond the numbers.

"Since the day he walked in the door here, he has a presence about him," O'Brien said in a December press conference. "Even though he may not be the biggest guy in the world, he has a presence about him. He handles himself in a very professional way. He practices the right way. He pays attention in meetings. He doesn't talk all the time, but when he speaks, people listen."

Now, the pressure's on.

Mathieu is a facilitator, sure, finishing the regular season with a respectable 89 tackles (70 solo), two picks and three sacks. But he knows a day of reckoning is rapidly approaching. He knows he inevitably will have to make a play to save Houston's season. Mathieu has spent hours studying these quarterbacks...to the point of knowing how each one will attack him. And he's ready. He chuckles that he's "looking forward to it."

In January and February, nothing else matters. This is when legends are made.

"I think of guys like Troy Polamalu," Mathieu says. "These are guys who didn't see much action in the regular season, but when it came postseason time, they made their plays," Mathieu says. "That's ultimately how they got their names. Ed Reed. Troy Polamalu. Ty Law. Asante Samuel. They caught interceptions, and they took them to the house. They picked up fumbles, and they were touchdowns. That's what I'm looking forward to doing this postseason."

So Mathieu isn't worried about his impending free agency. Nor the Cardinals' snub.

Not even how the NFL has made DBs play with virtual blindfolds on-a big thing that Polamalu and Reed and Law didn't have to deal with. Mathieu does admit that corners and safeties leaguewide are slowing down. "You're so scared. You don't know whether to catch the ball or hit the guy-either way you might get a flag." Because, frankly, he adds, "30 grand is 30 grand." Nobody wants to get fined. Not rookies, not vets. He's still breathing a sigh of relief that one of his fines was rescinded.

But he gets it. The NFL is giving fans what they want. Quarterbacks must operate in a clean pocket, and receivers must run freely wherever they please en route to the end zone, to celebrations, to theatrics that are must-see.

That's the script the commish, the owners, the television networks, everyone's hoping for this month.

Mathieu grins.

"That's why I play defense," he says. "We're going to make sure that doesn't happen."

He speaks so confidently because this year has been one of total self-reflection. Everything he told teammates in camp was condensed into one "Fall Forward" tweet for his 907,000 followers in October, and he's been ALL CAPS'ing his emotions ever since. Reflecting on his life so publicly feels more cathartic than ever.

It's helping him and helping others.

Three days before meeting with B/R, Mathieu visited a local high school football team still reeling from the death of a player who was killed during a family dispute. When a Texans official told him about this tragedy, asking if he'd want to meet with the team, Mathieu didn't hesitate.

"I was like: 'Hell yeah. Why not?'" Mathieu says. "I'm sure I've got a story that could relate in some kind of way."

He told that story to B/R back in February and, since then, has reconnected with his imprisoned father, Darrin Hayes, who has been behind bars Mathieu's entire life. They talk every week now-and, beaming, Mathieu says his dad has a realistic shot of getting released from Elayn Hunt Correctional Center within the next four years. He can't wait to give Dad a second chance. Forgiveness is a virtue Mathieu insists he cherishes now more than ever.

He relaxes. He looks inward.

And right here, right now, it feels like Tyrann Mathieu may be the player uniquely qualified to combat QB after QB this postseason. On the spot, it's as if Mathieu is transported into the Texans locker room, talking to a teammate. His energy's infectious.

Whenever anything went wrong in his life back in college, he says he had one default: Smoke weed and blame everybody else. Now? He's locked into a routine, day to day, hour to hour, from meditation sessions in the sauna, to studying those AFC quarterbacks with mad-scientist detail, to working with a personal recovery coach, to throwing around that inflatable football on the living room floor with his son.

Mathieu took control of his mind, and that's not easy. The shadow of another player who could have rocked these AFC playoffs, receiver Josh Gordon, lingers over the conversation. Just hours before B/R met with Mathieu, Gordon was released by the Patriots after reportedly failing yet another drug test.

So, again, Mathieu reflects.

"Everything around me was a problem," Mathieu says. "I was never the problem. In my mind, my thoughts, I was never the issue, because I could always put it on somebody else. When you really sit down and you have to focus on yourself, then you come full circle and realize, 'Everything is my fault.' Once you're able to handle that, you're able to really deal with anything. ...

"A lot of people do impulsive things. They just go with their moves. I used to do that. Once I was able to control my mind, I was able to control my actions."

Endless counselors and therapists told Mathieu it needed to start with him, nobody else. When he was kicked off the LSU football team, when his best friend was killed, when his world was crashing down, Mathieu finally looked in that mirror and pointed the finger at himself. For him, the key was multiplying all positive thoughts in his mind whenever something bad happened.

Like his two torn ACLs. Like the Cardinals releasing him. He refuses now to get down.

"A regular person might be like: 'I'm in control of my thoughts. What are you talking about?'" Mathieu says. "But, no, if you're able to control your thoughts, you're really able to control your actions. I think with Josh, it's more than marijuana because he can't control his thoughts. And it's sad. But if he's able to take control of his thoughts, I think he'll be able to control his feelings.

"Most guys don't take that next step because they don't want to challenge themselves. They don't want to sit in front of the mirror, in their room, and just pick themselves apart. They don't want to tell themselves the truth. It's sad because you'll cry. I cried! Just telling yourself: 'Dog. C'mon. That's you. I know who you think you are, but this is what you're doing.' So that's who you are! And that's some of the deepest... It's real. It's real."

So when Mathieu shouts before games, everyone listens. Everyone knows he had to tell himself, "Enough is enough." Everyone knows how far he's come. And everyone can hear that championship swagger back in him now.

As Mathieu pinned to the top of his Twitter profile at one point: "I'm letting my scars bleed all 2018." That's what he's done, and the Texans are threewins away from the Super Bowl.

Long term, this is where he wants to be. The people are welcoming. The BBQ's great. He can picture himself throwing a football to his son in this quaint neighborhood. He's building a foundation to last, determined to extract every drop of greatness he can out of every single teammate he can. What Mathieu told that high school team is exactly what he tells these Texans all the time: Use all of the bottled-up emotions inside of you for good. As motivation. If he failed to do that, he wouldn't be here.

Then, Mathieu takes a moment to stare into a virtual crystal ball. What does he see going down these next five to 10 years? Multiple postseasons, for sure. He sees himself continuing to "defy the odds" as a DB flying all over the field on two reconstructed knees. Maybe all of these quarterbacks Houston's about to face are heading to Canton-well, he sees himself in Canton one day too.

No doubt about that, he repeats.

"I take great pride in being who I am. Whether I'm broken or not, I am who I am."

And one more thing: He absolutely sees himself hoisting a Lombardi Trophy. Maybe even this year. It's not too complicated, really. The Texans, by now, have adopted his championship swagger. He's rising the tide.

Count on Mathieu to share a few words with his team before Saturday's game too.
Tyler Dunne covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: .

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Tyrann Mathieu Takes on the AFC, QBs and History

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HOUSTON - Tyrann Mathieu looks comfortable, self-possessed, at home here, lounged in the living room of his new home in his new city. Ready to say anything. When he first signed with the Texans back in March, he was shy...

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A 28-year old woman, Nicole Ham, celebrated her 336 month birthday with her friend by wrapping herself up in a swaddle and taking photos with a sign saying she loved champagne and hates dating. She captioned her photo by saying she still has all of her teeth and gets around 8-10 hours of sleep a night.

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In a playful spin of the ever-trendy monthly update photos excited new parents have taken to sharing of their babies on social media, one South Carolina photographer created an infant-inspired photo shoot in honor of her high school pal's 28th birthday.

On Dec. 29, Stephanie Smith of Southern Stitched Photography shared photos to Facebook of her friend Nicole Ham swaddled in a cozy pink blanket with a bow on her head, encircled in greens and pretending to be asleep for an iconic "336 month" birthday photo opp.

"Because your best friend only turns 336 months once," Smith captioned the images of her funny friend, which have since gone majorly viral online.
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"336 months old. Loves: Champagne, Hates: Dating in 2018 - Go Tigers!" a black-and-white letter board artfully posed next to Ham reads.

"Nicole had the idea for the shoot and I brought it to life!" Smith told Fox 13 of the inspiration for the silly stunt. "From shopping and laying out flowers in the store to see if we had enough to fit an adult to a collaborative effort between myself and Nicole's mom to swaddle her...We couldn't keep a straight face!"
'BRIDEZILLA' UPSET BRIDESMAID GOT PREGNANT BEFORE WEDDING: 'I THINK IT'S WRONG'
"I'm 336 months old today!" Ham similarly quipped on her own Facebook page. "I have all of my teeth (thank God) and I sleep for 8-10 hours a night!"

In the days since, the post has since been liked 13,000 times and sparked almost just as many comments.

Many other jokesters were quick to share photos of their own baby blogger-inspired pics for adult birthdays and milestones, such as a grown-up footprint commemorating "Baby's 35th Christmas" or a cool "smash cake" for a 21st birthday.

After all, age is simply just a number.
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Woman's '336 month' birthday photo shoot goes viral

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In a playful spin on the ever-trendy monthly update photos excited new parents have taken to sharing of their babies on social media, a South Carolina photographer created an infant-inspired photoshoot in honor of her high school pal's 28th birthday.

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The Florida man had just received his order at a McDonald's in St. Petersburg on Monday evening. He became upset when there weren't any plastic straws out at the condiment station, he then walked back and got into a heated argument with an employee. He then started to try to hit the woman employee because of the law that does not let one use plastic straws unless you ask at the counter.

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a man attacked a mcdonald's employee over a straw - cnn

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A man attacked a McDonald's employee over a straw and she fought back

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A new plastic straw law had unexpected consequences when a man lashed out at a worker at a fast food chain.