Ernie Johnson announces this will be his final season on ‘Inside The NBA’

FILE -- Emmy award-winning host Ernie Johnson checks out the Amex Experience during the 2025 NBA All-Star weekend (Alison Yin/AP Content Services for American Express)

Ernie Johnson announced he will be stepping down as host of “Inside the NBA” at the end of the season.

The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer took to social media on Wednesday to explain his decision to step away, saying, “It’s just time.”

Johnson, 70, stated that he would not be retiring, but cutting back.

“This is by no means the end. It’s just a turning of the page,” Johnson said. “And I’ll forever cherish every chapter we have written with ‘Inside the NBA.’”

Johnson said he plans to continue to work, including covering the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for CBS and Turner Sports.

The six-time Sports Emmy Award winner acknowledged that he has dealt with heart issues in recent years, but that isn’t the reason he’s stepping away from the show.

“I just want to slow down a bit,” he added in his social media post.

Johnson joined Turner Sports in 1989 and has hosted “Inside the NBA” since 1990. He thanked his TNT Sports and ESPN crews for their support over the years, as well as the viewers.

“I just want to say thanks to you. Thanks for your loyalty, for your love, for your support. And on this day, for your understanding,” Johnson said.

3-year-old dies after accidentally shooting himself with father’s gun outside Burger King

FILE — Police shown responding to a call for service. (Source: KHNL)

Bartow, Fla.

Florida authorities say a young child died following a shooting outside a Burger King Thursday evening.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting occurred at a Burger King on East Van Fleet Drive when a father and his 3-year-old son went to the drive-thru to get food.

However, while attempting to pay, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said that the father was having trouble with his credit card.

Judd continued, saying the father then parked the car to check why the card wasn’t working. During this time, he was bending over, and he removed a gun that was in his waistband because it began to cause him discomfort.

According to Judd, the child, who was in the backseat of the vehicle, got hold of the gun while the father was distracted by dealing with the credit card.

The child was playing with the firearm before accidentally shooting himself in the face, Judd said.

The 3-year-old was rushed to an area hospital, but he did not survive.

Judd described what happened as a “horrible tragedy.” He stated that no arrests were immediately made nor were any charges filed.

The sheriff noted that Florida has a statute regarding culpable negligence when leaving a loaded firearm within reach of a minor results in injury or death. This would be a third-degree felony.

The Polk County State Attorney’s Office is also said to be reviewing the case to determine whether criminal charges would be filed.

Robert F. Kennedy’s granddaughter, Kyle Kennedy, dies at 42, obituary says

FILE -- Robert F. Kennedy shown speaking in Los Angeles in 1968. (AP Photo/Dick Strobel, File)

Kyle Kennedy, a granddaughter of Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, died in September at the age of 42.

According to her obituary, Kyle Kennedy died peacefully on Sept. 21 at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts. She was one of 34 grandchildren of Bobby Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy.

Kyle Kennedy was said to have suffered a severe spinal cord injury in 2020 that resulted in long-term paralysis, disability and other medical challenges.

The 42-year-old had become an advocate for people living with disabilities. Her activism included testifying at a hearing on discrimination in health care for people with disabilities at the Massachusetts State House.

Kyle Kennedy spent most of her early life in Massachusetts before attending Georgetown University while continuing her education studies at Pace University and Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Her obituary noted that she was also a passionate advocate for more equitable elementary education and charter schooling. Additionally, she worked to reform and improve school curricula and coached educators working with young students.

She is survived by her family, including 12-year-old Conor and 10-year-old Declan.

No immediate cause of death was reported.

AT&T data breach settlement gets final approval

FILE - AT&T store shown in Florida. (Alan Diaz | AP)

A federal judge has granted final approval to AT&T’s $177 million settlement involving breaches that exposed customers’ personal information.

Last year, AT&T reached a combined $177 million settlement over two data breaches that were disclosed in 2024 and established a claim form for affected customers to submit.

The reported data involved in the breaches belonged to millions of current and former AT&T customers and dated as far back as 2019.

Now, with the judge’s final approval, those who submitted a claim could receive their payments soon.

According to the settlement, consumers impacted by the first breach may be eligible for up to $5,000, and those affected by the second breach may be eligible for up to $2,500.

Final payment amounts were expected to vary depending on the losses documented by each claimant and the total number of settlement claims received.

Those with knowledge of the settlement said most eligible customers were expected to qualify for payments ranging from $6.50 to $40.

Payments are said to be going out after the appeals period has expired, with the settlement calling for payments to be distributed within 60 days of the effective date.

Chick-fil-A has no plans to add AI to its drive-thru ordering service

FILE — Chick-fil-A restaurant sign. (Walker Kinsler/CC BY-SA 4.0/MGN)

Atlanta

Chick-fil-A leadership says customers can continue to expect to be served by its team members at restaurant locations and not artificial intelligence.

Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy recently shared in a CNBC interview that it’s not pursuing AI voice ordering in its drive-thru lanes.

Cathy stated that the company is exploring opportunities to use AI but just more behind the scenes.

“From our experience, we really want that hospitality to be human to human,” Cathy was quoted in the interview. “We’re not gonna substitute that interaction with technology, because we feel like that hospitality is so important to create that warm environment for consumers.”

The popular chicken chain’s stance against using AI in its drive-thru lanes comes as some of its fast-food competitors move forward with their automated order-taking plans.

McDonald’s shared that it plans to test its drive-thru AI assistant called Archy, while Wendy’s has also rolled out its AI drive-thru ordering assistant called FreshAi.

Earlier this year, Forbes shared a survey conducted by SurveyMonkey that found that 79% of customers said they would prefer interacting with a human versus some sort of automated customer service.

Chick-fil-A’s enduring focus on customer service has made it the fast-food leader when it comes to customer satisfaction. Ranking in the top two spots on the American Customer Satisfaction Index for more than a decade and has been the clear leader in the fast-food chicken category.