Midday Roundup: Nevada sidelines daily fantasy sports

All bets off. The federal government is putting the quickly growing online fantasy sports industry under the microscope. The Justice Department is examining whether or not the business model of online fantasy sports giants like DraftKings and FanDuel violate federal law. Congress banned online payments to gambling websites in 2006. But so-called “games of skill” were exempted. The government is trying to determine if the now multi-billion-dollar fantasy sports industry truly fits through that loophole. Nevada’s gaming regulators aren’t waiting for the federal government’s slow process. On Thursday, the state’s Gaming Control Board ruled daily fantasy sports is a form of gambling and will require a license for future operations. The two biggest fantasy sports companies, DraftKings and FanDuel, both said they were disappointed in Nevada’s decision. DraftKings previously said it would be open to some form of government regulation. A spokesman for FanDuel said the Nevada decision “stymies innovation” and ignores the skill component of fantasy sports.

Class action. An award-winning elementary school teacher is suing the Los Angeles Unified School District over what he claims are “witch hunts” targeting older teachers in an attempt to fire them before they earn costly retirement benefits. Rafe Esquith, 61, filed suit on behalf of about 2,000 teachers who say they have been targeted with baseless investigations as they neared the end of their careers. Esquith, who has written several best-selling books about education and has won national and international acclaim for his work with immigrant students, is under investigation for alleged sexual and financial misconduct. The school board reportedly voted in a closed-door session to fire Esquith, who denies any wrongdoing. The class-action lawsuit—the largest ever filed by teachers—seeks $1 billion in damages.

Anti-terror force. The Obama administration announced yesterday up to 300 U.S. troops will head to the African nation of Cameroon. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said they will provide aerial reconnaissance to a coalition now fighting the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram. The U.S. troops will be armed, but only for their own security. “They will not be there in a combat role, but rather to provide force protection to allow these airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations,” Earnest said. Nearly 100 of those troops are already on their way to Cameroon.

Looming deadline. The Treasury Department is increasing pressure on Congress to pass a debt-ceiling bill. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew recently told Congress it had until Nov. 5 to pass a measure increasing the government’s ability to borrow money. But in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner yesterday, Lew said the debt-ceiling limit will be reached two days earlier. Complicating things, Boehner was scheduled to step down at the end of the month but has agreed to stay on until Republicans find a replacement, which doesn’t appear imminent. House conservatives say they won’t vote for a debt-ceiling increase unless it’s accompanied by spending cuts—cuts President Barack Obama says he’ll veto. Boehner probably will need help from Democrats to pass a debt-ceiling increase.

Pray without ceasing. A high-school football coach in Washington state has decided to defy a rule banning on-field prayer—even though he might be fired for it. Joe Kennedy coaches football for Bremerton High School. After every game, he walks to the 50-yard line to offer a short prayer of thanksgiving. Over the years, students joined him—voluntarily. And that’s when the school district issued a three-page letter to Kennedy, banning him from praying before or after the games. The Liberty Institute’s Hiram Sasser, who is representing Kennedy, said the coach has a right to pray on school property. “And he doesn’t have a duty to flee the scene if other kids happen to come along,” Sasser added.

Flier fight. Students for Life is threatening legal action against a Kentucky high school if school administrators don’t allow a local club to display pro-life fliers on campus. Patrick Edwards tried to post fliers promoting an upcoming Students for Life meeting on campus when his principal at Ryle High School in Union, Ky., told him the fliers were “too controversial.” They displayed pictures of Mother Teresa with one of her quotes about abortion. Students for Life and Alliance Defending Freedom are taking up the cause, saying the ban is discriminatory and infringes on the students’ free speech. Students for Life has successfully defended its members in similar discrimination cases across the country.

WORLD Radio’s Kent Covington, Jim Henry, and Christina Darnell contributed to this report.