The Global Helium Shortage Is Real, But Don’t Blame Party Balloons

The dating scene in Center, Colo., a town of about 2,000 residents, is said to be pretty sparse. So when a local potato and barley farmer named Brandon Rogers decided he was ready to get hitched, he chose an option many young hopefuls do these days: reality TV. Rogers was one of four cowboy hat-wearing men courting potential mates on season two of FOX’s “Farmer Wants a Wife.” Like so many reality dating shows, the premise centers on single men in search of a woman to spend forever with.

The Broncos are setting up a punting competition this offseason. Denver on Wednesday signed free agent Trenton Gill, the team announced. Gill spent the past two seasons as Chicago’s punter but was waived after the Bears drafted Tory Taylor in the fourth round last month. Gill had a tryout with Denver on Wednesday, a source said, and the team moved promptly to sign him. Gill should provide real competition for Riley Dixon, who punted in all 17 games for Denver last year. Gill checked in slightly behind Dixon last year in yards per punt (46.3 to 46.1) and well behind in net yards per punt (41.5 yards to 38).

By JOE REEDY (AP Sports Writer) Netflix and the NFL announced a three-year deal Wednesday to stream games on Christmas Day. The streaming giant will carry two games this year and at least one game in 2025 and ‘26. Netflix announced during a presentation to advertisers that it will have defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City at Pittsburgh followed by Baltimore at Houston. “Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports and more,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in a statement.

DALLAS — The Colorado Avalanche will get a big boost in its quest to save its season Wednesday night. Devon Toews, who missed Game 4 with an illness, will return to the lineup for Game 5 at American Airlines Center. The Avs are down 3-1 in the series, and face the first of three potential elimination games. “He was pretty sick last game,” defense partner Cale Makar said before coach Jared Bednar confirmed Toews’ return.

By SEUNG MIN KIM and COLLEEN LONG (The Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is preparing more changes to the nation’s asylum system meant to speed up processing and potential removal of migrants who continue to arrive at the southern border, an interim step as President Joe Biden continues to mull a broader executive order to crack down on border crossings that may come later this year. The change under consideration would allow certain migrants who are arriving at the border now to be processed first through the asylum system rather than going to the back of the line, according to four people familiar with the proposal.

By STEPHEN WHYNO and PAT GRAHAM (AP Sports Writers) It was untreated anxiety and depression that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard blamed for his alcohol abuse, a problem that reached the point where he needed to step away from hockey. He made a decision to leave the Avalanche and enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program earlier this season.