By JACK BROOK

Rudy Giuliani is recovering from a fractured vertebra and other injuries following a car crash in New Hampshire in which he was a passenger, a spokesperson for the former New York City mayor said Sunday.

Giuliani was being driven in a rented Ford Bronco by his spokesperson Ted Goodman when their vehicle was struck from behind by a Honda HR-V driven by a 19-year-old woman late Saturday evening, New Hampshire State Police said in a statement.

Troopers witnessed the crash, which caused both vehicles to hit the highway median and left them “heavily damaged,” state police said. Goodman and the 19-year-old suffered “non-life-threatening injuries” and were taken to hospitals for treatment, the agency added.

State police said they are investigating the crash and no charges have been filed.

Giuliani, 81, was taken to a nearby trauma center and was being treated for a fractured thoracic vertebra, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg, according to a statement posted on X by Michael Ragusa, Giuliani’s head of security.

Giuliani “sustained injuries but is in good spirits and recovering tremendously,” Ragusa said, adding: “This was not a targeted attack.”

Prior to the accident, Giuliani had been “flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident” and contacted police assistance on her behalf, Ragusa said. After police arrived, Giuliani continued on his way and his vehicle was hit shortly after pulling onto the highway in a crash that was “entirely unrelated” to the domestic violence incident, Ragusa told The Associated Press in an emailed statement.

State police said troopers were investigating a domestic violence report on the southbound Interstate 93 highway shortly before 10 p.m. and observed the crash, which occurred on the northbound lanes. Troopers and fire personnel quickly crossed to provide help.

New Hampshire State Police declined to comment on whether Giuliani had contacted the agency regarding the account of a domestic violence incident.

Goodman did not respond to requests for comment and Giuliani’s team did not provide additional details about the circumstances surrounding the crash.

“Thank you to all the people that have reached out since learning the news about my Father,” Andrew Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani’s son, wrote in post on X. “Your prayers mean the world.”

The crash follows some rocky years for the onetime Republican presidential candidate, who was dubbed “America’s mayor” in light of his leadership in New York after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

Giuliani later became President Donald Trump’s personal attorney for a time and a vocal proponent of Trump’s allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden. Trump and his backers lost dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud, and numerous recounts, reviews and audits of the election results turned up no signs of significant wrongdoing or error.

Two former Georgia elections workers later won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani. As they sought to collect the judgment, the former federal prosecutor was found in contempt of court and faced a trial this winter over the ownership of some of his assets. He ultimately struck a deal that let him keep his homes and various belongings, including prized World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop speaking ill of the ex-election workers. ____

Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in New York City contributed to this report.

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By DAVID BAUDER

NEW YORK (AP) — Coping with a sudden loss in federal funding, PBS affiliate KSPS in Spokane, Washington, faced a surprise extra hurdle. Many of its contributing members — at one point almost half — lived in Canada, and they were withdrawing support out of anger at President Donald Trump’s desire to make the country the 51st member of the United States.

When Congress decided this summer to eliminate $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting, it left some 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations, each with unique issues related to their communities and history, to figure out what that means.

Many launched emergency fund drives and are heartened by the response. The national NPR and PBS networks are reducing expected dues payments, and a philanthropic effort focused on the hardest-hit stations is taking shape. No stations have shut down, but job and programming cuts are already beginning.

In Spokane, KSPS has always tried to keep its requests for member donations separate from appeals for public funding. Not anymore. Congress left the station with a $1.2 million hole to fill, about 18% of its budget, and the station is using that as a pretext to seek help from listeners.

“We have definitely seen some attrition from our Canadian members,” said Skyler Reep, the station’s interim general manager.

Pleas for donations exceed expectations in many parts of country

Long suspicious of a liberal bent to public media news coverage, Republicans in Congress responded to President Donald Trump’s wishes in July and eliminated funding for the systems. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes the funding, has taken steps to shut down.

In some parts of the country, the answer to pleas for help have exceeded expectations. Public radio station WHQR in Wilmington, N.C. raised more than $200,000 in three days, filling a $174,000 hole and then some. It’s a small community growing fast with an influx of retirees, many who depend on the station’s news to learn about their new home, said general manager Kevin Crane.

With $525,000 gone from its budget, Hawaii Public Radio has already raised $650,000 in an emergency fund drive. “It’s a validation that what you’re doing is essential to the community and is appreciated by the community,” said Meredith Artley, president and CEO. The 2023 wildfires in Maui and their aftermath were covered steadily by Hawaii Public Radio news reporters.

“The initial response in terms of support for both stations and the NPR network has been extraordinary,” said Katherine Maher, NPR president. “People did a lot of work leading up to the vote, in actions and calls. When that did not prove convincing, they turned to direct support.”

Stations across the country have stories that make them smile: the youngster from Florida who collected money for public stations in Alaska, sending a note written in crayon; the regular $300 donor who came in to PBS SoCal with a $100,000 check, one of three six-figure donations the station has received.

Most stations aren’t in areas with so many wealthy donors. Most station managers are like Jeff Hanks of PBS’ LPTV in Lakeland, Minnesota. He lies awake wondering where he will find $1 million to pay for things like his station’s nightly newscast, a primary news source for central and northern Minnesota.

“These are extremely, extremely challenging times,” Hanks said. “We’re fighting hard every way we can.”

He knows membership donations won’t make up for what is missing. Both PBS and NPR have taken steps to reduce the annual dues that stations pay for programming and other services. At PBS, it’s an average 15% reduction, but needy stations get more — in one case, more than half of next year’s dues will be forgiven, said PBS president Paula Kerger.

Adopting stations in poorer, more rural areas

NPR is encouraging donors in wealthier areas to adopt stations in poorer ones, perhaps in an area where a contributor has emotional ties.

Public media leaders are also working with a group of philanthropists led by the Knight and MacArthur foundations that is hoping to raise some $50 million to support stations in areas hardest hit be the cuts. Ed Ulman, president and CEO of Alaska Public Media, which represents nearly two dozen radio and television stations in the largest state, said he’ll be seeking money from this fund.

Ulman said he’s been buoyed by the response from Alaskans in their effort to raise $15 million through various sources by October. The services their stations provide is free, and citizens see its value.

“I’ve never been worried about the future of public television or radio because our community needs us,” he said, “and what we’ve seen in Alaska is an outcry about that.”

Still, Alaska Public Media has suspended the weekly public affairs television show “Alaska Insight,” which isn’t returning after a summer hiatus. The future of “Indie Alaska,” a weekly video series highlighting the lives of Alaskans, is also in danger.

Some stations are already making the difficult decisions of cutting staff, In Spokane, for example, 12 of KSPS’s 35 staff members have either been laid off, had their hours reduced or pay cut. Reep is also considering that future seasons of local shows like “Northwest Profiles” or the arts showcase “Inland Sessions” will have fewer episodes.

Similar programming decisions are also being weighed on a national level. While several upcoming shows, like Ken Burns’ six-part miniseries “The American Revolution” scheduled for November, are completed, PBS will have to consider making shorter seasons of its series, Kerger said.

“We’re working very hard so that the public doesn’t feel that there’s a change,” Kerger said.

Looking for ways to share services

Between an increase in donations and “rainy day” resources set aside, the initial impact of the government action may be minimized. But that brings its own worries: It’s unlikely public media will be able to count on sympathy donors to the same extent in the future. And there’s a risk that some politicians will feel the response proves that public support isn’t necessary.

The bigger reckoning may come a year from now, Kerger said. “I am a realist,” she said. “I have to believe that there are some vulnerable stations that are not going to make it.”

The crisis is forcing some public stations to work together, searching for ways to share services in areas not before contemplated, in things like finances, management and programming, said Andy Russell, president and CEO of PBS SoCal. Public stations in Washington are meeting to see if they can get state financing.

In Los Angeles, PBS SoCal has shared some of its templates for fundraising appeals with other stations. Several celebrities — people like Kerry Washington, Jack Black, Ziggy Marley, John Lithgow and John Leguizamo — have volunteered to film pitches, and the station is making them available nationwide, too, said Maura Daly Phinney, senior vice president for membership engagement and strategy.

“We’re going to make it,” Phinney said. “The system is going to be different. But we’re going to make it.”

___

David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

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If training camp at TCO Performance Center was any indication, the Vikings shouldn’t have an issue getting after opposing quarterbacks this season.

Whether it’s the trio of Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner off the edge, the duo of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave on the interior or any of the rotational pass rusher in between, the Vikings have a ton of talent in that department.

Asked about the group as a whole last month, Greenard sounded like a man on a mission, noting the guys up front are trying to play at such a high level that it doesn’t matter who is playing behind them.

“We don’t accept anything less than a sack,” Greenard said. “That’s the mindset we all have out there. We should be making every single play. It shouldn’t even get to the linebackers or the secondary.”

That might explain why the Vikings feel comfortable moving forward with few cornerbacks at their disposal.

Maybe they believe they can get by with only Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah and Dwight McGlothern on the active roster, to go along with Fabian Moreau and Zemaiah Vaughn on the practice squad.

But it wouldn’t be a shock if the Vikings add secondary depth.

Here are five cornerbacks that make sense:

Stephon Gilmore

After serving as a starter for the Vikings last season, Gilmore is still a free agent waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. He turns 35 years old in a few weeks, so he’s well past his prime.

Though he might not have a high ceiling because of his age, Gilmore could still have a high floor as long so long as he’s not asked to do too much. In a vacuum, Gilmore would be a good insurance policy after Murphy, Rodgers and Okudah. Is he interested in being a backup?

Shaq Griffin

If the Vikings came calling with a spot of the active roster, Griffin would be on he next flight to the Twin Cities. He’s currently on the practice squad with the Seattle Seahawks after being cut by them last week.

The experience Griffin has under his belt could be exactly what the Vikings are looking for at the position. He also has familiarity with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, having played for him with the Vikings last season.

Mike Hilton

There’s a chance Hilton signs with the Indianapolis Colts soon after working out with them last week. But he remains unsigned at the moment.

There’s a lot to like about Hilton, as he’s a proven commodity in the slot. He carved out a a niche for himself starring in that role with the Cincinnati Bengals. The biggest issue with Hilton is his inability to play outside. That lack of versatility might not be a fit for the Vikings’ shapeshifting defense.

Duke Shelley

This wouldn’t be the splashiest signing. The stats suggest he’s a replacement-level player, at best.

That said, Shelley had an impressive stretch with the Vikings not too long ago — he started five games for Minnesota in 2022 — and perhaps made a lasting impression in the process.  If the Vikings decide to promote Moreau to the active roster in the near future, Shelley would be a nice addition to the practice squad.

Asante Samuel Jr.

As intriguing as Samuel is on the surface, the Vikings would be playing the long game here. It doesn’t sound like Samuel is anywhere close to being ready to contribute on the field after reportedly having a spinal fusion.

He is more or less of an unknown because of his health. But the Vikings may eventually benefit from rolling the dice with Samuel, especially if he returns to form at some point down the road.

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By BOB FERRANTE

Alabama hasn’t looked the same since coach Nick Saban’s retirement. It raises speculation about the future of his replacement, Kalen DeBoer.

The eighth-ranked Crimson Tide have dropped three of their last four games following a 31-17 loss at Florida State on Saturday, a game in which the Seminoles bullied Alabama on both of the ball. The Tide are now 2-5 away from home during DeBoer’s 14-game tenure — with four of those losses coming as a double-digit favorite.

“Not going to live in regret,” DeBoer said. “We got to go fix it and be better because of it and evaluate the film and move on.”

Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos said this summer that Saban wasn’t around “to save Alabama,” and he didn’t see the Crimson Tide stopping the Seminoles. After racking up 230 yards rushing, Castellanos and Florida State clearly backed up his bold statement.

Coupled with managing just 87 yards on the ground, there were plenty of questions about Alabama’s seemingly downward spiral. The loss at Vanderbilt last October was shocking. But then the Tide played even worse in losses to two more unranked opponents: Oklahoma and Michigan. And then the latest one, which came at the hands of a revamped FSU squad that had dropped 11 of its previous 13.

Now the Tide look like they need a rebuild, having gone 5-5 since beating Georgia 11 months ago.

Simply put, Alabama looks like it has a small margin for error. The Tide face Louisiana-Monroe and Wisconsin before a bye week. And then, yes, a road trip to Georgia to open the Southeastern Conference slate on Sept. 27.

Does the season-opening loss put pressure on Alabama players?

“Feel the pressure is not necessarily the way I would put it,” Alabama center and team captain Parker Brailsford said. “I would say the urgency to go out and do the right things, but I already felt that.”

The matchup against Florida State, which was coming off a 2-10 season, appeared to favor Alabama. The Crimson Tide feature veteran, experienced linemen on both sides of the ball and were 13 1/2-point favorites.

But Florida State was the aggressor, and Alabama ended up playing from behind again. DeBoer said going into the game that jumping out to a good start was crucial. After a game-opening, 16-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, Alabama failed to get into the end zone until the fourth quarter.

The Tide were stopped three times on fourth down, each of them in the Seminoles’ territory. On a fourth drive, quarterback Ty Simpson was sacked on third down that forced Alabama’s Conor Talty to attempt a 53-yard field goal that came up short.

“That’s the thing that is frustrating,” DeBoer said.

On defense, Alabama allowed Florida State to pick up 4.7 yards a carry. The Crimson Tide also gave up big plays, from Jaylin Lucas’ 64-yard catch to Squirrel White’s 40-yard reception and Micahi Danzy’s 32-yard touchdown run.

While Florida State’s skill was impressive, Alabama’s tackling was poor, too.

“They did a nice job going sideline to sideline, a lot of things with those fly sweeps that we worked on, prepared for,” DeBoer said. “You get 1 on 1, you get in space and you got a find a way to get them on the ground.”

If there’s optimism for Alabama, it’s the same story for programs like No. 1 Texas and No. 4 Clemson that are dealing with season-opening losses. One loss, especially on the road, does little to knock a team out of contention for the College Football Playoff. But it certainly raises questions.

“We’re behind the eight ball,” Brailsford said. “We got to go 1-0 and strive to be our best day in and day out.”