Contender Series

NFL Week 4 is underway with oddsmakers and analysts weighing in on the weekend's key matchups. Attention is focused on the showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos, plus the Indianapolis Colts facing the Washington Commanders in the NFL's international series game in London. Expert picks and betting odds are being published as fans debate which contenders will cover.

USA Today's MLB playoffs takeaways argue that a potential Rays-Yankees American League Championship Series would be a genuine marquee matchup between two legitimate contenders, while warning that the Los Angeles Dodgers are far from guaranteed to win the National League despite their regular-season strength. The piece frames the postseason as more open than many predicted.

A third article in a 2026 candidate series for the Wayne school board examines where contenders stand on housing growth, school capacity and redistricting. With new residential development continuing in Wayne, New Jersey, voters are looking to see how candidates would balance enrollment pressures, attendance-zone changes and district planning ahead of the election.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that its environmental assessment for commercial drone delivery operations is flawed. The state contends the federal review failed to properly evaluate the environmental impacts of expanding drone delivery, including noise, wildlife and air quality effects. The case adds to a series of legal challenges by California against federal regulatory rollbacks, and is likely to draw attention from both the drone industry and environmental advocates.