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Consumers who have the recalled salad kits are advised not to consume the product and should discard it immediately. WASHINGTON — Salad kits sold in 25 states are being recalled due to the presence of undeclared sesame and soy allergens, the Food and Drug Administration announced. Taylor Fresh Foods, the California-based manufacturer behind the affected salad kits, issued a voluntary recall over its Honey Balsamic Salad Kit due to a mix-up with the wrong dressing and topping. The salad kits may contain undeclared allergens sesame and soy. The individual dressing and topping packets included in the Taylor Farms salad kits were supposed to contain the Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing but instead had the Asian Sesame Ginger dressing. Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to sesame and soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products, the FDA said in a press release on Aug. 26.  So far, the FDA has reported no illnesses associated with Taylor Farms in connection with the recall.  Taylor Farms' recalled salad kits were distributed in 25 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.  The salad kits have code dates starting with "TRFS" and "Best If Used By" dates up to and including Sept. 4, 2025. The product code can be found in the upper right-hand corner of the packaging, the FDA said.  Consumers who have the recalled salad kits are advised not to consume the product and should discard it immediately. The FDA said the recalled products can be refunded at the location of purchase. Those with questions about the recall can contact the company's customer service team Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.

The first big weekend of college football is over, and teams are adjusting to a new era where schools pay athletes and aim for playoffs instead of just bowl games. Ohio State and Florida State got into the win column. Texas and Alabama did not. The first big weekend of major college football is in the books, and now, players and athletic departments can settle into a new, once-unthinkable era in which schools pay athletes and a team's ultimate goal isn't a bowl game, but the playoff. Nobody should get too comfortable. In just seven years, the main funding source of all this change — a menu of media deals highlighted by ESPN’s $7.8 billion contract to televise the College Football Playoff — will either be renegotiated or blown up amid even more change. Whatever happens, another round of jockeying will almost certainly include a massive influx of even more cash. What could stem from that is any or all of the following: the introduction of private equity, an NFL-style super league with a bigger playoff, a greater gap between haves and have-nots in college sports, and, of course, increased payouts for players. “I think it will still be called college sports, but I think it's going to look completely different in the next five, 10, 15 years,” said Paia LaPalombara, a partner at the Church, Church, Hittle and Antrim law firm who specializes on college sports deals and previously worked at the NCAA and in the Ohio State athletic department. CFP is one part of a bigger TV rights puzzle Most of the billions ESPN pays to televise the newly expanded 12-team playoff goes directly to the conferences, with the SEC and Big Ten getting the most money starting in 2026 and the ACC, Big 12 and Notre Dame collecting multiple millions. All those conferences also have their own media-rights deals — the SEC and Big Ten are worth $1 billion or more — and when those deals expire, sports media experts who see live sports as maybe the most valuable property in TV and streaming believe the value will increase dramatically. “It’s not just the playoffs, it’s the top 50 schools,” said sports marketing expert Joe Favorito. “Are they worth ‘4X’ what they’re worth now for their rights? They could be. It’s going to be a reimagining of it all.” All of this bodes well for college athletes, whose portion of the revenue sharing is tied to the amount their schools bring in for the next 10 years under terms of the $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement that allows their schools to share revenue — to pay them — directly as of July 1. Could private equity make a difference? Under terms of the settlement, schools are allowed to pay players up to 22% of revenue from certain categories such as media rights, ticket sales and sponsorship. For the next school year, that means a school can spent up to $20.5 million to keep athletes happy alongside whatever third-party NIL deals are being struck. But that's hardly their only expense as the House settlement reduced the incoming revenue for schools and conferences over the next decade. The settlement also increased the number of those expensive scholarships schools can give out across all sports they sponsor. Can private funding be a solution to what some see as a cash crunch for athletic departments eager to lure and retain top talent and still pay a growing number of bills? “The thing about private equity is, we’re owned by the state of Ohio and the state of Ohio is not for sale,” Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork said. “Private equity has to buy something. I see these reports about how Ohio State is valued by Forbes at $2.3 billion. But nobody could buy 10% of that.” Not that some aren't trying to make this work. Florida State and the Big 12 Conference are among those who have explored deals with private equity firms, though neither reached agreements. Undoubtedly, they won't be the last to try. “There are definitely ways to do it,” said Dave Checketts, the former pro sports executive who is in the private equity space. “I know a public school right now that's talking about selling basically half of what I'd call their athletics-entertainment business. That means the revenue they get from football, basketball and, in this case, they have a concert business. You come up with a number, then multiply that by five years of revenue and sell half of it to private equity.” Would a super league drive revenue? Another way private equity might get into the game is through the idea of a super league. Two separate investors backed concepts called “College Sports Tomorrow” and “Project Rudy,” looking for ways to take 70 or more teams at the top of college football and combine them into an NFL-style league with huge payouts. Neither commissioner from the two biggest conferences likes the idea. “I have yet to see a single thing in any plan that contains things that we couldn’t do ourselves,” Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said last year, reflecting the reality that around 80% of Power Four conference schedules are either league games or games against other Power Four teams. “Project Rudy” investors were floating a reported $9 billion investment with a chance to drive a $15 billion increase in media revenue over 12 yearrs, according to Yahoo! Sports. Such a move could involve antitrust issues — the combining of the big conference media rights is against the law — and might hasten a complete breakup of the NCAA as we know it, significant because the smaller schools play an outsize role in the success of March Madness. Is more realignment to come? Absent a super league, the Big Ten and SEC figure to dictate what the playoff looks like, both for the remainder of the current contract and the next one. What's hard to know is whether they will keep vacuuming up more teams to expand the size of their own footprints. After Florida State and Clemson threatened to possibly depart the ACC, the league tried to cement its future by making a deal with them that restructures its media rights deal to give more money to teams that draw more viewers. The Big 12 is at 16 teams. It's hard to demolish that, even if only five have roots dating to the start of a once-Midwestern conference that now stretches across four time zones. The Pac-12 was once part of the Power Five but nearly disintegrated and looks more like a Group of Five league as currently constructed, soon to be filled with schools that are still not as big as the big boys. Jeffrey Kessler, a lead attorney for players in the House settlement, said change remains inevitable in college sports, with the players set to benefit the most. “The reality is that the biggest revenue schools are in a different parameter as the schools with lower revenue,” he said. “There's been a continuous movement of those schools, frankly, getting more independent decision-making and more control over their own destiny. There's no reason to think that won't continue. But I also don't see them leaving the NCAA.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

When asked about potential charges, Sgt. Michael Cass said the circumstances don’t appear to support a self-defense claim. HOUSTON — An 11-year-old boy is dead after police say he was shot during a “ding-dong-ditch” prank in east Houston late Saturday night. The shooting happened around 11 p.m. near Mimbrough and Fidelity streets, just east of the East Loop. Houston police said the boy and a group of kids had been ringing doorbells in the neighborhood when they knocked at one home. That’s when, according to witnesses, someone came out of the house and started shooting at the children as they ran away. “A witness says someone ran out of that house and was shooting at the kids running down the street, and unfortunately, sadly enough, one of the boys who was 11 years old was shot in the back,” said HPD Homicide Detective Sgt. Michael Cass. The boy was taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds and later died Sunday afternoon. Police said a man was detained at the home where the shooting happened. He has not been arrested but was being questioned by homicide detectives Sunday. While executing a search warrant at the house, investigators collected several rifles and handguns as evidence. When asked about potential charges, Sgt. Cass said the circumstances don’t appear to support a self-defense claim. "In my opinion, it does not look like any type of self-defense. It wasn’t close to the house, so it’ll more than likely be a murder charge,” Cass said. Neighbors said they’re devastated over the boy’s death and stunned that a child lost his life over what they considered a harmless prank. “What harm could they have done? Playing with a doorbell? That’s the part that really kind of hurts the heart,” one neighbor told KHOU 11. “For someone to shoot him in the back, they knew they were a kid. What’s the purpose of it?” Others shared a safety reminder for parents and children. “You just don’t go knocking on people’s doors,” one neighbor said. “I guess for parents out there, just be more cautious of the times we’re living in now,” Cass added. Police said they are working with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office on possible charges. Detectives are also reviewing surveillance video and asking neighbors for any additional footage. Got a news tip or story idea? Text it to us at 713-526-1111.

Starting this week, Costco customers risk being turned away if they don't come during their memberships' designated hours. WASHINGTON — Costco's new policy allowing an exclusive shopping hour for some members will take full effect this week.  Starting Monday, Sept. 1, the wholesale club will strictly enforce its latest perk: giving an exclusive, hour-long shopping window in the morning for its higher-paying members. The policy was announced earlier this summer, but Costco had given a grace period for the policy change in July and August. The enforcement goes into effect on Labor Day, when Costco is closed, so shoppers will likely see changes starting Tuesday, Sept. 2. Executive Members will be given early access to shop from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. local time on weekdays and Sundays, and from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays.  Gold Star and Business members who arrive at Costco during the "Executive hour" run the risk of being turned away by greeters at the door. The change, which is limited to U.S. stores, means executive members will get to shop earlier than when most - but not all - of the stores typically open. Some Costco locations, including all of the ones in California's Bay Area, already open at 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday.  According to company data, executive members make up 73% of Costco's sales despite representing a little less than half of their 79.6 million memberships.  The move aligns Costco with rival Sam's Club, which has long offered exclusive early morning shopping hours for its premium plus members.  As part of the change announced June 30, Costco said that all U.S. warehouses will now be open an extra hour on Saturdays, closing at 7 p.m. for all members.   How much is a Costco membership? Last year, Costco raised the price of its memberships for the first time since 2017. The cost for a Gold Star membership, the basic tier, increased from $60 to $65. Executive memberships, the higher-tier plan, increased from $120 to $130. 

The girl group made a surprise appearance at the Jonas Brothers' concert in Texas. WASHINGTON — Fifth Harmony reunited in a surprise performance at the Jonas Brothers concert in Texas Sunday.  The girl group, excluding original member Camila Cabello, performed together for the first time in seven years. Normani, Dinah Jane, Ally Brooke and Lauren Jauregui performed the group's hits "Worth It" and "Work from Home" at the Dos Equis Pavillion in Dallas, Texas. "Where were you on August 31, 2025? Thank you @jonasbrothers for having us. Felt amazing to be back 💖," the Fifth Harmony social media page captioned an Instagram post with a snippet of the performance.  In the video posted to Instagram, Normani asks the crowd if they remember Fifth Harmony as the quartet struts on stage to perform "Worth It." "That was special! 💞💞💞💞💞," Brooke later commented under the post.  Cabello, currently on tour in Australia, also commented on Fifth Harmony's post with a series of red hearts.  Following the performance, the group released limited-edition merchandise of the surprise reunion, selling hoodies and shirts with the slogan "Where were you on August 31, 2025?" "New merch available. One night only. Get it before it’s gone," the group's official X page said early Monday.  New merch available. One night only. Get it before it’s gone 💖 https://t.co/TqMkyK20QL pic.twitter.com/sGLLoGRLef— Fifth Harmony (@FifthHarmony) September 1, 2025 Fans of the girl group, known as Harmonizers, speculated something was in the works after the Fifth Harmony X page posted for the first time in over half a decade shortly before the concert. The group went on hiatus in 2018, when they bid goodbye to fans on Instagram. The break-up came within two years of Cabello's departure from the girl group. Fifth Harmony formed in 2012 after competing on the U.S. version of the "X-Factor." All five members originally auditioned as solo artist before getting put together as a group. They finished third in the competition.  The girl group's surprise reunion is the latest viral moment from the Jonas Brothers' current tour, who have been brining special guests to their shows. Earlier this month, Demi Lovato joined the band on stage for a "Camp Rock" reunion and performed songs from the Disney Channel movie.  Jesse McCartney, Jojo and All Time Low have also joined the band on stage throughout their tour.

The post-Labor Day fashion moratorium has its roots in the Gilded Age. WASHINGTON — Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer as most Americans bask in the final three-day weekend of the season.  The federal holiday, which is celebrated the first Monday in September, honors the U.S. labor movement and the achievement of American workers. Millions of Americans celebrate with beach getaways or barbecues while others take advantage of the plethora of sales available.  The holiday's origins date back to the gilded age as activists sought to establish a day to honor workers in the late 1800s. Each year, the holiday also brings about a popular adage: One should not wear white after Labor Day. Here's what to know about the "fashion rule" that is tied to the holiday. Why are you not supposed to wear white after Labor Day? Where did the rule come from? Fashion experts say it likely goes back to the Gilded Age — the same period that spawned Labor Day. The cool, white frocks worn by wealthy New Yorkers summering in places such as Newport, Rhode Island, would be packed away upon their return to the city with its dirt-packed streets. Christy Crutsinger, a professor in merchandising and digital retailing at University of North Texas, heard the adage from generations of women in her family. But “the fashion world’s not working that way anymore,” she added. “People think it, say it, but don’t abide by it,” she said. Still, fashion is on the mind of many around Labor Day, thanks to back-to-school shopping and a switch by many business people from a more relaxed summer dress code, said Daniel James Cole, adjunct assistant professor in fashion history at the Fashion Institute of Technology and co-author of “The History of Modern Fashion.” The holiday, he said, “is kind of this hinge” between summertime dress and fun to going “back to more serious pursuits.” Even fashion icons like Coco Chanel defied the rule, implementing white as a permanent stable in her wardrobe.  The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

​West Point praised Larry Pickett Jr. on social media for his bravery, saying he embodied the Army's values. WASHINGTON — Army football player Larry Pickett Jr. is being praised after he helped rescue a man from a burning car after a crash Sunday.  Pickett is a second-year cadet at the service academy and was returning to West Point Saturday night after dining with his family in New York.  Photos of the crash scene from the Fort Montgomery Fire Department show a fiery single-car crash off the side of the road, surrounded by downed power lines.  When Pickett and his father, Larry Pickett Sr., saw the crash about five miles from the Army's West Point campus, they rushed into action. Video taken by Pickett's sister shows the father-son pair pulling a person from the burning wreck and carrying them away from the danger.  "Just after midnight, I watched in awe as my son, Larry Pickett Jr., ran toward a burning vehicle, ignoring the downed power lines crackling around it," Larry Pickett Sr. wrote on the Facebook post showing the rescue. "With immense courage, he pulled a man to safety, saving him from a fiery fate." West Point praised Pickett on social media for his bravery, saying he embodied the Army's values.  "We're proud of the heroic actions taken Saturday night by Cadet Larry Pickett Jr, a second-year cadet & @ArmyWP_Football player, & his father who are seen pulling a driver to safety in a video online taken by the family," the post reads. "Their actions are the embodiment of the @USArmy Values." Tom Theodorakis, West Point's athletics director, said the rescue showed "leadership, courage, and selfless service." "Cadet Larry Pickett Jr. and his father exemplify the values we hold dear, stepping up in a moment of crisis to save a life," he wrote on X. "Proud to see these traits in action, on and off the fields of friendly strife." According to ESPN, the rescue came just after Pickett made his college football debut Friday night. He recorded a tackle during Friday's Black Knights game against Tarleton State. 

Police believe the altercation began over an argument about a bench. SEATTLE — A "dangerous" suspect has yet to be found after a violent stabbing in Seattle overnight. Officers responded to a reported stabbing near Broadway East and East John Street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood around midnight. A 31-year-old victim with a stab wound to the abdomen was found and transported to Harborview Medical Center in "serious condition." There have been no further updates on his condition at this point. Police at the scene determined that prior to the stabbing, there had been an argument about people sitting on a bench. During the argument, the suspect stabbed the victim with what was described to police as a "six-inch kitchen knife." Police believe the stabbing occurred directly across from the Capitol Hill location of Dick's Drive-In. The suspect is described as a white man in his 50s with curly, shoulder-length hair, a green and white sweater and dark pants. He is believed to have fled the area before officers arrived. Police say he may still be armed with a knife, and should be considered dangerous. Anyone with information about the stabbing is asked to call 911 or the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.

Troopers say drivers going both directions should expect significant delays Monday morning. WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — The roads have fully reopened in Whatcom County after a serious car crash forced a full closure of Interstate 5 southbound near the U.S.-Canada border in Whatcom County early Monday morning. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) first posted about the crash partially blocking a lane just after 12:15 a.m. Monday. At 2:50 a.m., WSDOT said southbound lanes were fully blocked. The northbound lanes near the crash were also closed for a short time. A Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper tells KING 5 at least one person involved in the crash was taken to the hospital. No word yet on the severity of their injuries.  Around 6 a.m. Monday morning, the road was reopened. This story will be updated.

Von der Leyen, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow’s war in Ukraine, is on a four-day tour of the EU nations bordering Russia. BRUSSELS, Belgium — A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was hit by GPS jamming over Bulgaria in a suspected Russian operation, a spokesperson said Monday. The plane landed safely in Plovdiv airport and von der Leyen will continue her planned tour of the European Union’s nations bordering Russia and Belarus, said the commission's spokesperson Arianna Podestà. “We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming,” said Podestà. “We have received information from the Bulgarian authority that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia.” Von der Leyen, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow’s war in Ukraine, is on a four-day tour of the EU nations bordering Russia and its ally Belarus. “This incident actually underlines the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in the front-line member states," Podestà said. She said that von der Leyen has seen "firsthand the everyday challenges of threats coming from Russia and its proxies.” “And, of course, the EU will continue to invest into defense spending and in Europe’s readiness even more after this incident,” she said. Bulgaria issued a statement saying that “the satellite signal used for the aircraft’s GPS navigation was disrupted. As the aircraft approached Plovdiv Airport, the GPS signal was lost.” Von der Leyen was scheduled to address a news conference at 1430 GMT in Romania. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.