Chris Kennedy, from Lakewood, North Little Rock, put up his decorations at the beginning of November—a display that included the 8-foot-tall inflatable. But on Monday, Kennedy received a letter telling him to leave the area and take the inflatable, which has featured in his Christmas display for three years, with him. The mailed note was signed by someone posing as “Santa” and included racial slurs. “Please remove your [N-word] Santa Clause [sic] yard decoration,” the message read, according to local news outlet 10 WBNS....

Only at a minor league baseball game, and only in Arkansas. On Friday morning, the Arkansas Travelers -- the Double-A affiliate of the Anaheim Angels -- revealed two new mascots just in time for the upcoming season. Meet Otey, the smiliest opossum in overalls since that one time you had a nightmare about one, and Ace, a pantless stallion. One more time for Otey. Many Travelers fans have taken to the team's Facebook page to express their disgust at what they feel is the team perpetuating incorrect stereotypes about people in Arkansas....

Lawmakers voted to reverse the governor’s decision a day after Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson unexpectedly broke party lines. The bill also prohibits doctors from providing gender-confirming hormone treatment or puberty blockers to anyone under age 18. Hutchinson issued a veto on the ban on Monday, calling the legislation a “vast government overreach.” He said the bill, which had already passed the state Senate and House once, would interfere with physicians and parents “as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters involving young people....

News of the U.S. victory against Iraq was a long-awaited tonic for the half dozen lobbyists from America’s biggest defense companies who gathered in a suburban Virginia conference room last February. It wasn’t just the pride of knowing their firms’ products had helped win the battle. The industry reps quickly realized that foreign customers would now be beating a path to their doors, seeking to buy the winning weaponry. “The next big push in the defense industry will be to exploit the Middle East,” one buoyant lobbyist told NEWSWEEK after the meeting....

Trump’s comments during a Monday press conference that military leaders acted at the behest of companies that make weaponry for the armed forces raised eyebrows from some members of Trump’s administration. Trump has also faced criticism for remarks he allegedly made disparaging dead or wounded members of the military as “losers.” McConville, a 1981 West Point graduate, said during a virtual event for Defense One on Tuesday that many military leaders have family members in the armed forces, which could affect their decision about placing soldiers in harm’s way....

Indianapolis police say 43-year-old Michael Lewis of Whitestown was arrested Wednesday on burglary and theft charges for the April 28 break-in during which George’s platinum All-Star ring valued at $15,000 was taken. MORE: Hibbert on overpaid players list | George’s ill-fated tweet in support of Rice Police say detectives believe the burglary was random act and that Lewis didn’t specifically target George’s home, which is on the city’s northeast side....

Medics and police responded Thursday evening in Boston, Lincolnshire, to find the injured girl lying in the street with a stab wound. She could not be saved and Lincolnshire Police launched a murder probe that has left the local community “rocked to the core.” Investigators revealed two people had been arrested in connection with the stabbing which they believe to be an “isolated incident.” Speaking at the scene the following day, Chief Superintendent Kate Anderson said: “Officers were called to the scene on Fountain Lane at around 6:20 p....

Sessegnon, 16, has been winning rave reviews since making his debut for the Cottagers at the start of the 2016-17 season, and was included in the NxGn list of the 50 best players under the age of 19. The attacking full-back’s Championship exploits have not gone unnoticed, with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City all rumoured suitors. The day Messi was broken by Bolivia But the former Fulham defender believes Sessegnon’s future would be best served at the club he joined at the tender age of nine as a trainee....

Three points adrift of leaders Leicester City after Wednesday’s surprise defeat against Swansea City, Spurs are 6/4 (2.50) favourites with Paddy Power to go top of the league with a high-profile win against their neighbours. Three points behind in third, Arsene Wenger’s men are available at +210 at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook to leapfrog their rivals by coming out on top at White Hart Lane, although they will be without both Laurent Koscielny and Petr Cech....

Kick-off was delayed by an hour after thousands of travelling fans arrived at the stadium without tickets after marching through London. There were then scuffles with stewards as some supporters, who had managed to get into the stands, attempted to force their way into the away section. The Bundesliga club have been punished for crowd disturbances, setting off fireworks, throwing objects and acts of damage. In addition to the fine, they have been given a ban from selling tickets to an away game in UEFA competition, which has been deferred for two years....

MORE: Messi takes flight FIFA ‘15 trailer | Soccer WAGs | Beautiful fans Goals either side of halftime from Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang settled the game in Dortmund’s favor and those two attacks, and plenty more, illustrated the vast gulf in confidence and ability between Germany’s second-best team and England’s fourth. Arsenal played like a team intent on limiting the damage right from the off. The Gunners were overwhelmed from the opening minutes and were forced into a high number of errors....

VIDEO: Pogba’s celebratory dance … in Amsterdam ArenA carpark! The Frenchman faces a huge decision over his future at the end of the season when his contract runs out — and it could be that the Gunners are put in a position where they have to look elsewhere for the first time in two decades. Wenger himself has revealed that the decision will be made in May and is dependent on how successful a campaign Arsenal have had....

The Gunners have been accused in the past of failing to flex their financial muscle when presented with an opportunity to bolster the ranks. Big-money deals have been sanctioned at times, but there has been no influx of high-profile additions. ‘Aguero-Alexis swap is a minefield’ That could be about to change, with Gazidis suggesting that Sead Kolasinac is merely the first exciting addition to be drafted in to Emirates Stadium....

Coquelin will require surgery on his right leg having sustained the injury during Friday’s session, the club confirmed. “The player will be operated upon in the coming hours,” Valencia said in a brief statement. Former club Arsenal offered support to Coquelin, posting on Twitter: “We’re thinking of you, Francis.” Coquelin has made nine La Liga appearances since joining Valencia from Arsenal in the January transfer window. Valencia are fourth in the table, 11 points clear of Sevilla in the race for Champions League qualification....

Will Cazorla’s injury cost Arsenal the title? The experienced midfielder’s contract at the Emirates Stadium is due to expire at the end of the season and he has been heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid in recent months. Arsenal have an option to extend his stay at the club, though, and Wenger is adamant the 31-year-old’s injury problems do not play a role in deciding whether Cazorla will stay, with the Spaniard expected to be sidelined until February with an ankle problem....

Arsenal take on the league champions at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing in a re-run of last season’s FA Cup final, a game which the Gunners won 2-1. Get odds on Arsenal-Leicester Chelsea will play Arsenal again before the start of the new league season, the London clubs facing off at Wembley in the Community Shield, and Wenger says Saturday’s meeting is important. “It’s difficult to predict, but it’s a friendly between Chelsea and Arsenal,” the Frenchman told reporters on Friday....

Arsene Wenger’s men will look to reignite their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the competition when they play host to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in north London on Tuesday (2:45 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 2). Pep Guardiola’s side, though, will make the trip in confident mood, having made history this past weekend by becoming the first side to win its first nine league matches. Indeed, the enormity of the task facing the Gunners is reflected by the +290 odds at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook for Wenger’s side to come out on top at the Emirates....

As human rights advocates working in a number of countries, including the U.S., we have seen how policies that reduce regulation of dangerous industries can increase health and safety risks for workers and communities, while offering them little in return. This is as true in the U.S. as it would be anywhere; in fact, in one recent study In the coalfields of Appalachia, we examined how deregulation left communities exposed to the health risks of coal mining pollution....

Experts behind Google’s AutoML suite of artificial intelligence tools have now showcased fresh research which suggests the existing software could potentially be updated to “automatically discover” completely unknown algorithms while also reducing human bias during the data input process. According to ScienceMag, the software, known as AutoML-Zero, resembles the process of evolution, with code improving every generation with little human interaction. Machine learning tools are “trained” to find patterns in vast amounts of data while automating such processes and constantly being refined based on past experience....