In the midst of a down season for the Red Sox and their fans, those heading to Fenway Park on Saturday could be in for a treat in the form of an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel.Ranger Suarez takes the ball for Boston. And on the bump for the Texas Rangers, one of the best pitchers in the last 15 years, Jacob deGrom.The late afternoon contest is quite the response from Fenway, on a day that also marks the start of the FIFA World Cup in Boston. Matches are 40 miles north in Foxborough, but the city and surrounding communities will become host to millions of people from all over the world. It’s just the second time deGrom will pitch in Boston. His lone appearance came in September of 2018. The soon-to-be-named Cy Young fanned 12 Sox hitters over seven innings. This was a Sox team that won the World Series 42 days later. He struck out that year’s MVP Mookie Betts, twice. 8 of the 9 starting players went down at least once. Boston went on to win 4-3 after a sac-fly in the 8th. Since debuting with the Mets in 2014, no one in baseball has a lower earned run average (ERA) among qualified starting pitchers. deGrom defended his 2018 Cy Young title, winning it again in 2019. In 2020, a pandemic-shortened season resulted in only 12 starts. He led the league in punchouts and finished 3rd in Cy Young voting.An injury ended deGrom’s 2021 campaign before it could fully unfold, halting a season that was on pace to rank among the greatest ever by a starting pitcher. From April to just before the All-Star break, deGrom was 8-2 with a 1.08 ERA over 92 innings. He struck out 146 and walked just 11. He went 12 consecutive starts allowing a combined 4 earned runs. 2022 wasn’t much different - domination, but only over 11 starts due to injury. After being traded to the Rangers in 2023, he pitched in just 6 games. Then 3 in 2024. He’s had Tommy John surgery twice. But deGrom bounced back in 2025, making all 30 of his starts and finishing 8th in Cy Young voting. It’s been more of the same so far this year. He enters Saturday with a 3.18 ERA over 13 starts, paired with 84 strikeouts to 15 walks. The soon to be 38-year-old notched his 100th career win earlier this month and he’s 65 strikeouts away from 2,000. Not giving up runs is the name of the game, and arguably no one has done a better job than deGrom. Over the course of his 261 career starts, he’s given up 1 or fewer earned runs in 135 of those starts - a staggering 52%. He’s allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in 71% of all starts, which spans 13 seasons. It starts with not allowing base runners. deGrom holds the Major League Baseball record for the highest strikeouts-to-walks ratio. The statistic translates to hitters having a far more likelihood of seeing three strikes than four balls. Both he and Ranger Suarez, who’s putting together a good season in his own right, enter Saturday with matching 3.18 ERAs. Mid-August-like temperatures, paired with the madness of the World Cup, and a pitching showdown in the oldest stadium in the sport has the makings for a memorable day.This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

Report: Notre Dame 2027 top receiver target cancels official visit Notre Dame football has multiple big recruiting weekends set up, but on Thursday night news broke that one top target won’t be making his scheduled official visit.Florida wide receiver Osani Gayles had cut his list down and scheduled an official visit to see South Bend, but it is looking like the Irish won’t have the nation’s No. 46 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite on campus. According to a report from 247Sports Zach Blostein (subscription required), the 5-foot, 11-inch and 185-pounder has canceled his final two visits, to Notre Dame and Tennessee.Gayles is set to make his commitment on June 27th, but it looks like the Irish won’t be the pick. He made three officials prior to this news, as he’ll now choose from Stanford, Alabama or Washington. This wasn’t the news that Notre Dame wanted to hear, as the California native was once highly considering the Irish.There aren’t many top prospects at the position that are uncommitted, but Notre Dame is in a very good spot to land legacy Julius Jones, who will make his official visit next weekend. Big development in the recruitment of elite WR Osani Gayles 👀Two remaining OVs cancelled, will now decide between 3 schools...INTEL: https://t.co/EyTipl3qIapic.twitter.com/wFJ3860ASQ— Zach Blostein (@ZBlostein247) June 11, 2026Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChenThis article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame will no longer host top-50 wide receiver who cancels visit

Dodgers remove Ohtani as precaution after knee inflammation scare originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided what they hope is a major injury scare Thursday night when two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani exited an 8-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates due to inflammation in his left knee.Ohtani was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, prompting immediate concern throughout baseball. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts quickly downplayed the situation after the game, saying the move was purely precautionary and designed to prevent any aggravation of the injury.“We just didn’t want to take any chances,” Roberts told reporters. “My level of concern is not high.”Ohtani was not made available to the media following the game, leaving Roberts to address questions regarding the health of the reigning National League MVP. While the Dodgers have not announced whether additional testing will be required, the organization appears optimistic that the issue is minor.The timing of the injury concern is notable given Ohtani’s dominant performance this season both at the plate and on the mound. Entering Friday, the 31-year-old was batting .305 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs while continuing to rank among the National League’s most productive offensive players. His combination of power, plate discipline, and ability to impact games in multiple ways has once again made him one of the frontrunners in the MVP race.Dodgers hopeful Ohtani avoids serious injuryOhtani’s value extends far beyond his offensive production. After returning to the mound this season, he has been nearly unhittable, compiling a 6-2 record with a sparkling 1.06 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 67⅔ innings pitched. His dominance as a starting pitcher has given the Dodgers another ace at the top of their rotation while further solidifying his status as baseball’s premier two-way player.The Dodgers have relied heavily on Ohtani’s contributions as they battle for position atop the National League standings. Any absence would be significant, but Roberts’ comments suggest the club believes it avoided a serious setback.For now, Los Angeles will continue to monitor Ohtani’s condition, hoping its biggest star can return to the lineup without missing significant time.More MLB news:Braves' Tyler Kinley details why Atlanta has best bullpen, led by Robert Suarez, Raisel IglesiasBraves predicted to trade Ozzie Albies, top prospects for $4.2M dynamic NL rival All-StarBlue Jays all-in trade prediction sends top-100 prospects for $32M 2-time Cy Young winnerMets predicted to part ways with $15M 2-time All-Star, 74 strikeout arm at trade deadline

Jayden Daniels took the league by storm in 2024. The Rookie of the Year winner led his team to the NFC Championship Game, and it seemed like Daniels was on pace to dominate the league for the next decade-plus. Unfortunately, Daniels had multiple injuries in 2025, as did many of his teammates, and the Washington Commanders ended up suffering a losing season. However, the hope is that last season was just a temporary setback, and the team will return to contention in 2026. If that does happen, it will almost certainly be due to Daniels playing at an elite level once again.Many people still believe in Daniels. NFL.com's Dan Parr recently identified some dark horse MVP candidates, and he included Daniels near the top of his list. Regarding Daniels' case, Parr offered the following:After an injury-plagued 2025 season, everyone’s waiting to see how he will get off the mat. Washington’s running a new offense coordinated by 30-year-old former QB David Blough, who will ask Daniels to take more snaps from under center. I won’t blame the third-year passer if the burden feels heavy.When healthy, he has the potential to be one of the most electric playmakers in the game. If the Commanders are playoff contenders come December, it will be because Daniels is playing out of his mind.As Parr mentioned, Daniels has a new offensive coordinator, and he will likely be asked to be more of a pocket passer. Daniels has a great arm, though, and that could possibly help him stay healthy. We've seen how good Daniels is when he's healthy and protected, so it makes sense to consider him here. The only concerning thing is the quarterback's weapons. Terry McLaurin is still a quality No. 1 option, and new tight end Chig Okonkwo is exciting. However, there's not much else to be excited about unless rookie Antonio Williams contributes immediately. The Commanders should definitely be better on defense, though, which will take some pressure off of Daniels. If Daniels can replicate his 2024 season and the defense is improved, the Commanders will certainly be capable of contending, and it won't be surprising to see Daniels mentioned for many awards.This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels named dark horse for 2026 MVP

The Wimbledon main draw entry lists for men’s and women’s singles has been released. It is our first look at who could be playing professional tennis’s historic grass court Grand Slam.Unfortunately, there are multiple pieces of bad news on the draw sheets.MORE: What we know about the upcoming Katie Boulter, Alex de Minaur weddingWimbledon will be missing big stars1. Victoria Mboko is outSince injuring her knee at the HSBC Championships, we have not heard what further details on what Victoria Mboko‘s injury is. However, it is severe enough that she has already withdrawn from Wimbledon. Her name is not on the main entry list.2. Maja Chwalinska is far down the list of alternatesJul 13, 2025; Wimbledon, United Kingdom; Jannik Sinner (ITA) hits a backhand against Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)(not pictured) in the gentlemen’s’ singles final of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesNo one knows if Poland’s Maja Chwalinska, who just completed her breakout tournament as the French Open finalist, will get a wildcard. She is the 13th alternate on the list so if she does not get a wilcard, she will have to qualify for the main draw since it is highly unlikely that 13 players will withdraw from Wimbledon to give her lucky loser main draw status.3. Victoria Azarenka and Danielle Collins are not on the main draw entry listMy quest to understand Victoria Azarenka‘s prolonged WTA absence without explanation continues. She has not played since the 2025 US Open. Azarenka has said little so we do not know if she quietly retired.Danielle Collins, who started the year injured and working for Tennis Channel, said she would be back later in the season. She is not on the Wimbledon main draw entry list thus missing three Grand Slams this year.4. Retiring Dan Evans will get wildcard which could let Matteo Berrettini out in the coldMatteo Berrettini is the second alternate. His injury that caused him to retire from the French Open was not serious, and he is healthy and able to play. Will he? We do not know if he will get a wildcard. The only wildcard we can bet on is for Dan Evans. Evans, the British player who partnered with Andy Murray at the 2024 Paris Olympics, announced he is retiring after Wimbledon. The 36-year-old former World No. 21 now ranked 217th is a lock for one of the coveted wild cards. Two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist Stan Wawrinka is also retiring this year. He is 14th on the alternate list. His wildcard possibilities are still up in the air and could interfere with Berrettini getting one. Main draw entry lists for men’s and women’s doubles come out on June 17. Wild card announcements are expected sometime during the week of June 15. Wimbledon main draw play begins on June 29.

GIRLS SOCCERDivision 1 sectional semifinalsKimberly 1, Appleton North 0KIMBERLY - The Papermakers scored the game’s only goal in the second half and played solidly against the Lightning to pick up the win and advance to the sectional final June 13 against Wausau West at Loos Family Field in Stevens Point at 1 p.m.Ashlyn Krueger scored the winning goal for Kimberly, whose record improved to 21-1 with the victory.Bee Brockert had five saves in goal for Kimberly, which has allowed one goal in its last 10 games and five on the season.VOTE NOW: Vote for Piggly Wiggly Post-Crescent high school team of the month in MayAppleton North has its season end with a record of 19-3.Wausau West advanced with a 2-0 victory over Hudson.Division 2 sectional semifinalsPulaski 2, Cedarburg 1CEDARBURG - The Red Raiders are moving on to the sectional final following their win over the Bulldogs.Pulaski will play Brookfield Central at Plymouth at 1 p.m. June 13 in the sectional final.Leah Grygiel and Kara Barber scored goals for Pulaski. Estella Vieaux had an assist on Grygiel’s goal.Red Raiders goalie Tatum Wentland made 18 saves.Pulaski, which is 11-5-5 overall, is 6-0-3 in its last nine games and has outscored its opponents 15-5.Hayden Rogahn scored the goal for Cedarburg in the loss.Cedarburg ends its season with a record of 12-2-4.Division 3 sectional semifinalsNotre Dame 6, Winneconne 2GREEN BAY - The Tritons advance to the sectional final with the win over the Wolves.Notre Dame is 6-1-1 in its last eight games and will host Kiel at Stock Family Stadium in Green Bay in the sectional final at 1 p.m. June 13.Winneconne finishes with a record of 19-3.Kiel 2, Luxemburg-Casco 0KIEL - The Raiders advance to the sectional final with the win over the Spartans.Taavi Saeger scored in the ninth minute for Kiel and added a second goal in the 32nd minute. Kiel goalie Mya Langenfeld made two saves.Kiel (23-0-1) will face Notre Dame in the sectional final at 1 p.m. June 13. The teams played to a 2-2 tie on May 11.Luxemburg-Casco finishes with a record of 15-6-2.Division 4 sectional semifinalsXavier 2, Lourdes Academy/Valley Christian 0APPLETON - The Hawks improved to 20-1 with the shutout victory over the Knights in the sectional semifinal.Khloe Standish scored the first goal for the Hawks and Braelee Kiepert knocked in the second goal.VOTE NOW: Choose from seven nominees for Cellcom Post-Crescent athlete of the weekXavier will face Howards Grove in the sectional final June 13 at 1 p.m. on Rocky Bleier Field in Appleton. Howards Grove advanced with a 3-0 victory over NEW Lutheran/Providence Academy. Lourdes Academy/Valley Christian ends its season with a record of 11-5-2.Howards Grove 3, Providence Academy/NEW Lutheran 0SHEBOYGAN - The Tigers improved to 12-1-4 with the win over the Paladins.Howards Grove will face Xavier in the sectional final at 1 p.m. June 13. It will be a rematch of the 2025 sectional final, won by Xavier 3-1.Providence Academy/NEW Lutheran ends its season with a record of 13-3-1.This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton area high school sports results for Thursday, June 11

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy didn't have a career year in 2025 and missed almost half of the team's games, but he still proved to be one of the most efficient passers when it mattered most.According to Sumer Sports, Purdy led all NFL quarterbacks in expected points added (EPA) per play on late downs (third and fourth down) during the 2025 season among those with at least 100 such plays. His mark of 0.58 was well clear of the field, with the Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love finishing second at 0.42 and New England Patriots quarterback and MVP runner-up Drake Maye third at 0.33.2025 NFL QB Late Down EPA/play (min. 100 plays):1. Brock Purdy (0.58)2. Jordan Love (0.42)3. Drake Maye (0.33)4. Daniel Jones (0.25)5. Josh Allen (0.20)6. Patrick Mahomes (0.15)7. C.J. Stroud (0.15)8. Bo Nix (0.15)9. Jalen Hurts (0.14)10. Jaxson Dart (0.13) pic.twitter.com/ZG8eoN41pY— SūmerSports (@SumerSports) June 11, 2026The gap between Purdy and the rest of the list is notable. He outpaced Love by 0.16 points per play and finished more than double the mark posted by Patrick Mahomes, who came in sixth at 0.15. Josh Allen, widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in football, checked in at 0.20 for fifth. Jalen Hurts was ninth at 0.14.Purdy finished the year with a 69.4% completion rate on just 284 passing attempts for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. However, 130 of his 197 completions were for first downs, which likely contributed to his high marks. Late-down situations are among the most high-leverage moments in any game. Converting on third and fourth down extends drives, controls the clock and keeps defenses honest. Purdy's ability to generate positive expected value in those spots at a higher rate than any other quarterback in the league speaks to both his decision-making and the efficiency of Kyle Shanahan's offense when the stakes are highest.Purdy enters 2026 as a dark horse candidate for MVP. Maintaining his elite efficiency metrics and staying healthy will go a long way and making that possibility a reality for him this year.This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Brock Purdy led all NFL QBs in late-down efficiency in 2025

Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)2026-06-12T11:16:59Z NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk may never colonize Mars as promised, but enough investors consider the SpaceX founder to be a sort of miracle man that they’ll help him reach another fantastic goal Friday when he takes the rocket company public.The world’s richest man is set to become its first trillionaire. Known for his brilliant technology breakthroughs, as well as wild claims and missed deadlines, Musk is expected to break that trillion dollar mark in the biggest initial public offering ever as investors place bets on a company with losses as big as its ambitions. Ahead of the first trade in SpaceX, Forbes puts Musk’s net worth at $982.6 billion. In addition to establishing a one-million person Martian colony, the company has promised to save humanity by establishing other outposts in space, launch data centers the size of football fields into orbit and outdo rivals Anthropic and OpenAI in the race to make money from artificial intelligence. To reach its goals, SpaceX needs billions more than it currently takes in from its rocket and satellite business. Between the start of 2025 and March 31, 2026, the company lost $8.7 billion. Big institutional buyers and smaller-pocketed investors alike have indicated they are willing to take a chance, paying a high enough price for the 555.6 millions on offer to raise $75 billion. That will easily top the current title holder, Saudi Aramco, the oil giant that raised $26 billion in its 2019 initial offering. Read More If the IPO goes off without a hitch, its value will come down mainly to one thing: Musk.The soon-to-be trillionaire — on paper at least — made his fortune by creating two companies, Zip2 and PayPal, that netted him about $200 million at sale. He used that money to start SpaceX and invest in Tesla, and defied the odds by creating a space company that figured out how to reuse rockets and a car company that made electric vehicles cool. Musk has realized vast sums of wealth for himself, much of it in stock he has yet to cash in or grants for shares he’ll only receive if Tesla or SpaceX hit ambitious performance targets. His recent pay package from Tesla drew criticism from the Vatican. At Tesla, he’s worried shareholders by fighting with regulators or dividing his attention between multiple companies and last year by taking a role in the Trump administration. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. But a rising stock price has cured all ills: Since it went public in 2010, Tesla has returned 20,000% for shareholders, or more than $1.2 trillion in investor wealth. That has helped lift Musk’s pre-SpaceX IPO worth to $795 billion, according to Forbes magazine.SpaceX is the first of three “megacap” companies expected to go public this year, with Anthropic and OpenAI to follow. Nasdaq even revised its rules to allow SpaceX to gain entry into funds tied to its indexes in 15 days, which means investors will end up buying the rocket maker’s shares much earlier.Not all investors are thrilled about SpaceX potentially showing up in their holdings of index funds. Officials from pension funds for firefighters, teachers and other workers in California and New York sent a letter to SpaceX last month decrying some of the provisions in its IPO, including the “super voting shares,” mandatory arbitration of shareholder claims instead of the possibility of lawsuits and how much power Musk will hold over the company.__Reporter Stan Choe contributed. BERNARD CONDON Condon is an Associated Press investigative reporter covering breaking news. He has written about the Maui fire, the Afghanistan withdrawal, gun laws, Chinese loans in Africa and Trump’s business. twitter facebook mailto

Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray points to a video display of a UAP during a hearing of the House Intelligence, Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee hearing on "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena," on Capitol Hill, May 17, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2026-06-12T11:01:04Z LOS ANGELES (AP) — In “Disclosure Day,” out Friday, Steven Spielberg is once again inviting audiences to ponder the existence of extraterrestrial life — and the implications it would have for religion on Earth.But Spielberg is hardly the only one making headlines of late about UFOs and the possibility of life on other planets.What was once considered fringe or conspiratorial has in recent months popped up everywhere from the White House to the Catholic Church, as public fascination with unidentified anomalous phenomena — or UAPs, as the government calls them — becomes more mainstream.The Pentagon in May made public large swaths of UFO files with very little context, leaving curious sleuths to piece together their own interpretations. The dump came just weeks after former President Barack Obama set off a media frenzy for stating unambiguously in an interview that aliens are real, though he later tempered that take. “Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there,” the former president, who made a surprise visit to the “Disclosure Day” set, posted on social media. “I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!” Some religious adherents, as well as some nonbelievers, maintain that the existence of life on other planets might undermine many faiths because it would complicate assertions that humans are unique. But others argue the opposite.“Belief in UFOs is really one of the best things that’s happened to religion in a long time,” said Diana Walsh Pasulka, a religion scholar at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. “It’s a blow to the secular, materialist worldview.” Read More An intersection of aliens, demons and CatholicsEven if broad interest in UAPs bolsters the case for an enchanted universe, some believers in religions such as Christianity think they are something to be wary of.“I don’t think they’re aliens. I think they’re demons,” Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, said in a recent podcast interview. That sentiment was echoed by Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, formerly an exorcist with the Archdiocese of Washington. He was removed last week by the archbishop, who said statements by Rossetti “gravely undermine” Catholic teaching on demons and the devil.“It’s my personal belief that probably many, if not most, of these UFO sightings are in fact demons,” Rossetti said in a May 29 video posted on his Facebook page. “Aliens, if there are aliens, don’t possess people.”Christopher Baglow, who heads a science and religion initiative at the University of Notre Dame, was surprised by the firing given that Rosetti made clear in the video he was expressing his own opinion. Baglow speculated that there may be other factors behind the decision.“I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium,” Rosetti said in a statement online.Despite the assertions by Vance and Rossetti about demons, Baglow maintains the Catholic Church has long been open to the possibility of extraterrestrial life. “Theologians have been speculating about this for centuries and the church has never ever taught one way or the other,” he said.While meeting with astronomy students last year at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the “ancient light of distant galaxies” and the “mysterious joy” provoked by the study of outer space. Some interpreted these remarks as tacit speculation about the possibility of life on other planets. Extraterrestrials, old and newIn one sense, the idea of otherworldly beings coming to Earth can be traced back millennia.“People would call it the plurality of worlds. So even back in the time of Socrates and Aristotle, there were Greek philosophers who talked about beings on other planets and other stars,” Walsh Pasulka said.But it wasn’t until after 1945 that modern conceptions of UFOs began to develop, according to Jeffrey Kripal, a historian of religions at Rice University. “The flying saucer and the alien and the UFO — it’s definitely a Cold War invasion narrative,” he said. That narrative explains why UAPs are often perceived as hostile to humans. But it’s also evolved over time and led to the formation of some religions — like Scientology, which counts many a Hollywood celebrity among its adherents — that see extraterrestrials as good or even part of a divine plan. Some adherents to the Nation of Islam, for example, believe that its founder will inaugurate an apocalyptic return to Earth on a spaceship.The International Raëlian Movement, also know as Raëlism, is a UFO religion that was founded in France in the 1970s. It is still practiced today, with its strongest followings in parts of Asia, Africa and Canada, according to Susan Palmer, a sociologist who studies new religious movements at Concordia University in Montreal.Its founder, Raël, claims he is a direct descendant of Yahweh, whom Raël visited on the planet of Elohim in 1975. Raëlism claims the Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad are all hybrids of humans and extraterrestrials, as well as Raël’s half brothers. Of the groups she has studied, Palmer argued Raëlism is the most sympathetic toward UFOs. “They’re not interested in extraterrestrial wars,” she said. But some think that sentiment might be growing. Kripal, who heads Rice’s archival collection of reported paranormal experiences called the Center for the Impossible, perceives an increasing openness to these kinds of conversations about the existence of UFOs — and the possibility that they are not hostile.“People are reporting these experiences or these encounters with entities and they’re religious through and through,” he said. “My colleagues in the academy, they’re really starting to listen in a different way.”___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. KRYSTA FAURIA Fauria covers religion and culture for The Associated Press. She is based in Los Angeles. instagram mailto

Artist David Hockney after unveiling the bottle design for the 2014 vintage wine of Château Mouton Rothschild in London, Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)2026-06-12T09:48:51Z LONDON (AP) — Artist David Hockney, whose paintings of pools shimmering in the Los Angeles sunshine became icons of 20th-century art, has died, his publicist said Friday. He was 88.One of the most popular and critically lauded British artists of the last century, Hockney was born in the north of England but lived much of his life in Southern California, making its sun-drenched suburban views a major motif.Later in life he returned to Europe, finding renewed inspiration in the wooded hills of his native county of Yorkshire and the fields and trees of France’s Normandy region. He became one of the U.K.’s most treasured artists, his works selling for record prices at auction.Historian Simon Schama said it’s no mystery why his work is so enduring.“His work is admired — loved is not too strong a word — by the millions who, worldwide, flock to see it because it presupposes an expectation of pleasure,” Schama wrote in an essay accompanying a 2025 Hockney exhibition in Paris. Hockney’s publicist, Erica Bolton, said he died at his home in London on Thursday, less than a month short of his 89th birthday. She did not give a cause of death.He is survived by his longtime partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, his great-nephew and studio assistant Richard Hockney, his brothers Philip and John, and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Hockey was an icon of the swinging 60sWith his trademark round glasses and bleached-blond hair, Hockney was a well-known figure in the swinging British and American art scenes of the 1960s, even before he reached the age of 30. His paintings were just as distinctive, many of them creating a dreamlike world of patterned light bouncing off water and windows, and human forms rendered in flattened, simplified shapes in matte acrylic paint.“I’m excited every day,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 1979. “London has lots of dreary parts but I never find anything dreary in Los Angeles.”Hockney was born July 9, 1937, in Bradford, a large industrial city whose chief export was woolen textiles. He spent his first two decades there before going to London’s Royal College of Art. He made an impact even before his graduation, and art dealer John Kasmin took him into his stable of artists in 1961. Read More His artistic influences ranged widely, from Renaissance portraitists to 19th-century English landscape painter J.M.W. Turner, Pablo Picasso’s experiments in Cubism and 20th-century American pop art. He shared with other pop artists an interest in the polished surface of modern life. And, like Andy Warhol with his Brillo boxes and Campbell’s soup cans, Hockney occasionally incorporated advertising labels, such as a British Typhoo Tea box used in his 1961 “Tea Painting in an Illusionistic Style.” Hockney saw success early in his careerHe told The New York Times in 1964 he enjoyed the burgeoning pop art scene in New York but wasn’t sure he was part of it.“I’m just an ordinary artist,” he said. “I do admire American pop — in fact it seems that everything fresh-looking and vital in England these days has been coming from the U.S.” Nonetheless, he still considered himself “very much an artist in the English tradition,” he said in 1995. Even his move to California in 1964 had a historic precedent, he noted, since earlier generations of English artists had sought out the brilliant light of Italy.Hockney, who was out as a gay man long before it was common, explored erotic themes, giving youthful male bodies the same tender scrutiny that artists had been giving the female nude for centuries. Friends and lovers frequently posed as models, and some images were based on photos in men’s bodybuilding magazines.Early works like “We Two Boys Together Clinging” and “Two Men in a Shower” celebrated gay relationships when homosexuality was still illegal in Britain.Early in his career, two of his drawings were bought for the Museum of Modern Art in New York.“The moment I first sold pictures to earn a living, I felt rich. I’ve been rich ever since,” he told The Associated Press in 1995. “I didn’t have much money but I did what I wanted. ... You are a rich man if you do the things you want to do.” That freedom brought Hockney acclaim and wealth, with his works fetching record-breaking sums. In 2018, his 1972 painting “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” sold at a Christie’s auction for $90.3 million, at the time a record for a living artist. In February 2020 another pool painting, “The Splash,” from 1966, sold at Sotheby’s for 23.1 million pounds ($30 million).While paintings of pools were a Hockney trademark, he also literally painted a pool when he decorated the bottom of the swimming pool at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles.While many of his best-known paintings had American scenes, he also tackled British subjects. He immortalized his parents in several portraits. “Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Percy,” a 1971 dual portrait of two of his English friends and their cat, was ranked No. 5 in a 2005 BBC Radio-National Gallery (London) online poll of the greatest paintings in Britain. It was the only work by a living painter in the top 10. His work went beyond drawing and paintingLike many traditional artists, he considering drawing a fundamental skill and lamented that it wasn’t taught as rigorously as it used to be.“Human beings are the most interesting things we see, so they’re the hardest to draw,” he said in a 1996 AP interview.He didn’t limit himself to drawing and painting, though. He contributed costume and set designs for theater and the opera, including a celebrated production of “Tristan und Isolde” first staged in 1987 at the Los Angeles Opera.Always an innovator, Hockney also embraced printmaking, photo collage and video in a seven-decade career.When he took up photography, he fused genres, assembling individual photos into elaborate collages like “Pearblossom Highway, 11-18th April, 1986,” built up of individual views of a desert highway intersection.“My photographer friends said it was a painting,” Hockney told the AP in 2001. “I said it’s a photograph; I used a camera.”The insight he gained from his photo work led him to research and write a 2001 book, “Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters.” He argued that through the centuries, artists used lenses and other optical devices to aid them in drawing much more often than most historians believe.Later he began to draw on iPads, which became his favorite tool.In the early 2000s he looked afresh at the fields and forests of Yorkshire in a series of landscape paintings that combined bold color with minute attention to the texture of snow on a hillside or a blossom on a hawthorn hedge. They featured in a 2017 exhibition at Tate Britain in London that was visited by half a million people and moved to the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum in New York.Hockney used the English landscape for inspiration in his design for a stained-glass window at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Completed in 2018, the Queen’s Window depicts a landscape of blossoming hawthorn trees in hues of blue, green, yellow, orange, pink and red.By this time, Hockney was widely considered Britain’s greatest living artist, and a national treasure. In 1997, the queen named him a Companion of Honour, an award limited to 65 people “of distinction.”‘They can’t cancel the spring’ In 2019, he moved to Normandy, where during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown he produced joyous iPad drawings of springtime for his friends. His message — “Do remember they can’t cancel the spring” — was emblazoned in neon across the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris when it hosted a huge Hockney exhibition that opened in April 2025.Art curator Norman Rosenthal, who helped put together the Paris exhibition, called Hockney “the Picasso of our times.”“When I say that, people laugh at me, as Picasso was the archetypal artist of the 20th century,” Rosenthal told the Independent newspaper. “But David Hockney is also an incredibly popular artist whose work changes how we see things.”An unrepentant cigarette smoker who railed against government anti-smoking rules, Hockney complained when a poster for the 2025 exhibition was banned from the Paris Metro because it showed him holding a cigarette.The announcement of his death from his publicist noted that Hockney was “a committed life-long and defiant smoker, expressing the pleasure in life it brought him. ... He smoked up to the end.”Hockney had a minor stroke in 2012 and was increasingly deaf in later years — something he said had improved his visual perception.“If you lose one sense, you gain other senses, and I feel I could see space clearer,” he told the AP in 2017.He never stopped working.“It’s my work that keeps me young,” Hockney told the Sun newspaper in 2017. “I’ve been a professional painter for 60 years. Sixty years of getting up every day and doing exactly what I want to do.” JILL LAWLESS Lawless is based in London, covering British politics, diplomacy and culture and top stories from the UK and beyond. She has reported for the AP from two dozen countries on four continents. twitter mailto

Five players to leave promoted Charlton AthleticFive first team players will be leaving Charlton Athletic at the end of this month when their contracts expire.The Addicks announced their end of season released list via a post on their official club website this afternoon.It has been revealed that Emma Bissell, Frankie Finlayson, Karin Muya, Gracie Pearse and Amalie Thestrup will all be moving on this summer.Bissell, Muya, Pearse and Thestrup contributed 10 league goals between them as Charlton Athletic claimed a long-awaited promotion to the Barclays Women’s Super League. Bissell was the club’s third-highest performer when it came to goals and assists in 2025/2026.Youngster Finlayson is a product of the Charlton Athletic academy system and she will be looking for an opportunity for regular minutes in the coming seasons.After Charlton Athletic’s summer departures were confirmed, head coach Karen Hills said “Karin has been an unbelievable servant for us. First and foremost, she is a lovely person who has worked really hard for the team. She has scored some really important goals for us this season, and her willingness to take players on makes her an exciting player. I wish her all the very best in her future.“[Amalie] is an experienced player, which is why we brought her in. Someone who leads the line really well, someone who has bags of experience on and off the pitch. Her contributions have been second to none this season, scoring some important goals, leading the line so well and really helping and encouraging the younger players around her. Amalie is an unbelievable person, is a great character to have and has had a huge impact on not only me, but the staff and her teammates. I wish her all the very best.“Emma Bissell is a lovely person with so much to offer in terms of her finishing. She has scored some really, really important goals, including the two goals against Nottingham Forest in December after she came on. The girl has an unbelievable eye for goal and has worked so, so hard for her moments with Charlton.“For me, I am really pleased that I had the privilege to work with Emma. I know Emma will go on to do some good things within women’s football, and I wish her all the very best because she has been another one in the last 18 months who has pushed us to the next level to be able to drive the ambition of being successful in the WSL.“Gracie, who came to us on loan, was very patient for her chances to play. She is another person who has driven standards for not only herself but her teammates. She is a very versatile player who has helped the team in different positions this season and last season. She has been really important to us in completing this year’s campaign with the promotion spot, and I wish her all the very best in her next adventure.“For Frankie, good luck with your next adventure. She has been a young, up-and-coming, talented player who has progressed from the PGA to our first team squad. She has significantly contributed to the standards this year in terms of her standards, training and work ethic. Her attitude has been excellent throughout the whole season, and wishing her all the best for her future development.”Charlton Athletic remain in contract negotiations with Katie Bradley, Lucy Fitzgerald, Carla Humphrey, Gillian Kenney, Ellie Mason, Elisha N’Dow, Charlotte Newsham, Anna Pedersen and Mia Ross while Jodie Hutton, Lucia Lobato, Katie Lockwood, Mary McAteer, Gloria Siber, Kiera Skeels, Lizzie Waldie and Sophie Whitehouse are all under contract for 2026/2027.

Jacob Misiorowski has emerged as the clear front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.As the Major League Baseball season moves deeper into the summer, Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski has positioned himself as the leading candidate for the National League Cy Young Award.The hard-throwing pitcher has been nothing short of dominant in 2026, overwhelming opposing lineups with a combination of elite velocity, pinpoint command, and swing-and-miss stuff that few pitchers in baseball can match. Entering Friday, Misiorowski led all qualified National League starters in several key categories, including a sparkling 1.50 ERA, 116 strikeouts, a 0.81 WHIP, and a .151 opponents’ batting average. He has also displayed impressive control, issuing just 22 walks across 78 innings.Those numbers place him among the most effective pitchers in baseball and have helped transform Milwaukee into one of the National League’s top contenders. Every time Misiorowski takes the mound, the Brewers know they have a strong chance to win.Elite Fastball, Elite ResultsA major reason for his success has been his overpowering fastball. According to advanced metrics, the pitch has been one of the most valuable weapons in the sport this season. It ranks as the fourth-best pitch in Major League Baseball by run value, highlighting its ability to consistently prevent runs and neutralize opposing hitters.The pitch is equally impressive when it comes to generating swings and misses. Misiorowski’s fastball ranks among the nastiest offerings in baseball on the league’s miss-distance leaderboard, a statistic that measures how far hitters are from making contact. Even when opponents know the fastball is coming, they often struggle to catch up to its elite velocity and movement.While there is still plenty of baseball left to be played, Misiorowski has separated himself from the rest of the National League pitching field through the season’s first half. If he continues producing at this level, the 24-year-old could not only capture his first Cy Young Award but also establish himself as one of baseball’s next great aces.More MLB news:Rangers predicted to gamble on two-way upside with first-round pickMock draft suggests Diamondbacks are high on a fast-rising high school prospectMock draft explores how Marlins might maximize lone early selectionAngels' first round draft plans hovering around top prep pitcher

It’s only a two‑game sample size, but Texas A&M fans, and now Chicago White Sox fans, are seeing exactly what they expected from Braden Montgomery. After a historic debut, the former Aggie followed it up with another strong performance that suggests he may have real staying power at the major‑league level.Just one night after becoming only the fifth player in MLB history to hit a walk‑off home run in his debut, a little bit of Olsen Magic seemed to travel with him to Guaranteed Rate Field. Baseball is a sport built on highs and lows, and the real test for any young player is how they respond after the emotional surge of a moment like that. A letdown would’ve been understandable.Montgomery didn’t allow it.Instead, he delivered again, going 2‑for‑4 with two doubles and scoring the first run of the game. Through his first nine major‑league at‑bats, he has four hits, a home run, three RBI, and is slashing .444 with a 1.444 OPS. It’s early, but the production matches the hype. For weeks, fans had been calling for the White Sox to promote him. Two games in, they look completely vindicated.Below, you can watch Montgomery break down his debut on the Waddle & Silvy Show.Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Braden Montgomery doubles twice as electric MLB debut continues

NFL minicamps are notorious sources of hype and overreaction. These pad-free practices go through the motions of training camp without adopting the contact or intensity. Despite this, they can provide good insight as to who is stepping up their development and what role they could potentially play on the team.For the Dallas Cowboys in 2026, minicamp is a place where astute observers can see who is competing at what positions, but also see who is one the verge of possibly breaking out as a star. Ryan Flournoy, a third-year receiver out of SEMO, appears to be that budding star.Given the voluntary nature of camp, George Pickens has predictably been a no-show. It’s opened up opportunities for Flournoy and the 26-year-old receiver is truly making the most of it. Reports from camp indicate Flournoy has been a top target of Dak Prescott. Coming off a 40-reception, 475-yard season, all indications are Flournoy is ready to blow previous career highs right out of the water.Shotty was talking about this today. Flournoy has taken his game to another level. https://t.co/5SjJs5Ddvb— Ben Grimaldi (@BenTalksCowboys) June 9, 2026Flournoy’s ability to now play outside and in the slot has increased his useability and upped his value on the offense. It makes him the definitive WR3 in 11 personnel and also the first alternate in case Ceedee Lamb or Pickens gets sidelined.With two elite targets ahead of him on the depth chart, his ceiling is somewhat capped, but he’s one of the most talented WR3s in the NFL and his blocking ability makes him a valuable piece in almost any package Brian Schottenheimer rolls out.Here's a Ryan Flournoy cut-up. I just think he's neat. pic.twitter.com/X0aOJh9fUi— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) June 10, 2026As a former sixth-round pick, Flournoy has far exceeded draft expectations already. Rarely do sixth rounders from small football programs make such an impact in their second season. But last season may have only scratched the surface, and Flournoy may be on the path to stardom in 2026.Given the Cowboys dependency on the offense, it’s good to have added insurance at the receiver position. If Lamb or Pickens miss time this year, Flournoy’s presence ensures the wheels don’t come off the bus. Dak Prescott was sharp today with four tds in goal line drills, two to Ryan Flournoy on two amazing contested catches, one to CeeDee Lamb and one to Jaydon BlueHe also had a td pass in 7 on 7 to Jake Ferguson.But stock in Flournoy talking another huge step The confidence is… pic.twitter.com/ZfWBvQxiBQ— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) June 4, 2026It’s not hard to see possible roster ramifications if Flournoy sets another career high this season. Pickens, or possibly Lamb, could be deemed expendable next winter and traded away for draft picks and/or defensive help. Flournoy would plug into the starting lineup and give the Cowboys offense an affordable option at WR2. That might not be the roster move anyone wants to see but it would help the Dallas front office balance payroll across the offense and defense.From short-term to long-term goals, news of Flournoy’s breakout is good news for the Cowboys.You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys WR Ryan Flournoy going from humble beginnings to budding star

Penfield has a chance at history this weekend as the Patriots try to become only the second Section V girls lacrosse team to win consecutive state titles.The Patriots begin tournament weekend against Shaker, a Section 2 team that has never played in a final. Follow below for updates from the game:When is the NYSPHSAA girls lacrosse Class A semifinal between Penfield and Shaker?The game is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, June 12. Where is the NYSPHSAA girls lacrosse Class A semifinal between Penfield and Shaker?SUNY Cortland is hosting the state championships.Penfield Patriots lacrosse informationRecord: 17-3State ranking: 3rdState final appearances: 3 (2012, 2018, 2025)Shaker Blue Bison lacrosse informationRecord: 16-3State ranking: 12thState final appearances: N/APenfield girls lacrosse photosThis article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Follow Penfield lacrosse score, updates from girls state semifinal

[BBC]Just over a year ago, Celtic launched their season ticket campaign for the 2025-26 season under the tagline 'Back For The Future'.It was a clever nod to the return of familiar faces, with manager Brendan Rodgers joined by fan favourites Kieran Tierney and Jota, all embarking on second spells at the club.As it turns out, however, the marketing team may have been about 12 months ahead of schedule.Because the real Back To The Future story arrived this week, with confirmation Martin O'Neill will return for at least one more season at the helm - this time as permanent manager.It's an extraordinary turn of events for the now 74-year-old.Even in his wildest dreams he could scarcely have imagined that, having stepped in as interim manager on two occasions last season, he'd now be preparing to lead Celtic into a new campaign as the main man once again.Yet if the past few months have shown us anything it's that O'Neill remains as driven and as determined as ever.Just as he embraced the challenge when he answered Celtic's call last season, he'll throw himself wholeheartedly into this one too.And, like most fans, I'm delighted to know we'll once again see him donning the tracksuit on the sidelines in the season ahead.No one could describe this as a long-term appointment, but few could argue O'Neill hasn't earned the opportunity.A league title and Scottish Cup in the most unlikely of circumstances would have strengthened any manager's case, and he'll undoubtedly relish the chance to build from day one rather than arriving mid-crisis.Retaining the title will, of course, be priority number one.But, beyond that, there's a genuine sense of intrigue about what a Martin O'Neill side might achieve on the European stage.His first spell delivered some of the most memorable nights in Celtic's modern history and restored belief the club could compete with some of the continent's biggest names.It's a challenge that will surely excite him as much as any domestic campaign.The first hurdle is getting back to Champions League level - with a two-legged play-off to navigate in August.For O'Neill, that would mark a first time back at the tournament proper since a goalless draw against AC Milan at Celtic Park in December 2004.And if he can guide Celtic back to the big stage while recreating even a fraction of those unforgettable nights from the early 2000s, then perhaps we really will be heading back to the future.It looks like it's time to fire up the DeLorean one last time!Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange

Milan have agreement with Glasner, Amorim is Ibrahimovic’s candidate – reportAccording to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Oliver Glasner has reached an agreement with Milan, but the Rossoneri’s search for a new coach continues and includes ex-Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, who is backed by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.Milan are still looking for a replacement for Massimiliano Allegri, and even if ex-Crystal Palace boss Glasner remains their primary option, talks have also been held with other candidates.LEIPZIG, GERMANY – MAY 27: Oliver Glasner, Manager of Crystal Palace, looks on prior to the UEFA Conference League Final 2026 match between Crystal Palace FC and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Football Arena Leipzig on May 27, 2026 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)According to Gazzetta, Glasner has agreed to sign a two-year contract with a salary between €3m and €4m and an option for a further campaign.Glasner has rejected an offer from Feyenoord and has prioritised Milan, but the Rossoneri have yet to make a final decision.Milan already met with Matthias Jaissle, coach of Al Ahli, who has a €6m release clause, and Ruben Amorim, who, according to Gazzetta, is backed by RedBird Advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic.USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino has also met with Milan in the past weeks.The Pink Paper reports that Milan owner Gerry Cardinale wants to be much more involved in the decision-making process than in the past, so he’ll personally pick the new coach after more rounds of talks in the coming days.MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 03: Gerry Cardinale of AC Milan looks on before the Serie A match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 03, 2022 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)Cardinale’s priority, however, is to appoint a new technical director before hiring a new coach, and Ralf Rangnick remains Milan’s top choice.Rangnick is the Austria national team coach and has reportedly put contract extension talks with the Austrian federation on hold.The German, a former Manchester United boss, has already identified Jaissle and Glasner as ideal coaches for Milan, but it will be Cardinale who has the last word.

‘We got some things wrong’ – Bellingham says there are lessons to be learned from Euro 2024 for EnglandEngland midfielder Jude Bellingham says he thinks the team “got some things wrong” at Euro 2024.The Three Lions reached the final of the competition, where they were beaten by Spain, but reflecting on the previous international tournament, ahead of this World Cup, Bellingham says there are lessons to be learned.“At the Euros we got some things a little bit wrong off the pitch,” he said on England’s Lions’ Den show.“I don’t feel like the group connected as well as it could have for a number of reasons. Expectation was part of it – we had done well in 2018 and done well in Qatar [for the 2022 World Cup] and when it came to that tournament we were seen as one of two or three teams that should win it.“We were not playing particularly well so even when we were winning you didn’t get the feeling you were as happy as you should be.“There has to be that element of relentless and wanting to win but it is the nature of football that wins go out of the system quickly and we should hold on to that moment a little more.“I think this time round having those experiences… and knowing, for example, that the guy who scores the winning goal in the World Cup final isn’t always the one you’d bet your house on so you’ve always got to be ready, everyone’s got to feel loved and feel a huge part of the team. The other thing is just to enjoy it.”

Concurrently, a fascinating situation nearly materialized just up the Atlantic coast. The Brooklyn Nets were closer than anyone publicly realized to finalizing a mega-deal last season, having established a firm trade framework with Milwaukee to land the Greek Freak in the Barclays Center. However, internal momentum ultimately stalled due to lingering organizational concerns regarding the unique logistical and roster realities of bringing in Giannis alongside his brothers. Managing the “package deal” clause that has historically accompanied the superstar remains a complex variable that Brooklyn’s front office has been cautious to navigate, keeping an otherwise advanced deal temporarily on ice.ScoopB.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Nets had framework in place for Giannis Antetokounmpo deal before talks stalled

But Pat Riley and the Heat aren’t just watching defensively—they are actively plotting an aggressive counter-offensive. According to internal league sources, if a deal can be struck to bring the Greek Freak to South Beach, Giannis would sign an extension instantaneously with the Heat. He views Miami’s culture as a pristine tactical fit capable of extending his championship window indefinitely. To weaponize this pursuit, Miami is quietly evaluating who they can liquidate to assemble the ultimate asset puzzle. The goal is singular: preserve superstar big man Bam Adebayo at all costs to form a devastating two-way frontcourt. Sources indicate that high-level organizational discussions in Miami have even floated the name of Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard as a potential high-leverage piece in a multi-team framework to inject the ultimate championship punch alongside a Giannis-Bam pairing.ScoopB.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Sources indicate that high-level …

Pope Leo XIV meets migrants at the 'Las Raices' center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2026-06-12T11:07:24Z SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain (AP) — Pope Leo XIV warned people smugglers on Friday that they will face God’s wrath for exploiting the desperation of migrants, demanding they stop and repent during his final day in this epicenter of the African migration route to Europe.“Break those chains and free those you hold in bondage,” Leo said in a message to human traffickers that he delivered during a meeting with humanitarian aid organizations in the Canary Islands that help migrants.Leo wrapped up his weeklong trip to Spain in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago closer to Africa than the Iberian Peninsula and a key point of entry for migrants who make the perilous Atlantic crossing from West Africa. He is fulfilling a wish of Pope Francis to visit the islands to commemorate the thousands of lives lost at sea. He is also drawing attention to the Catholic Church’s biblically-mandated mantra to “welcome the stranger” amid anti-migrant sentiment in Europe and the Trump administration’s mass deportation program in his native United States. Pope Leo XIV meets a migrant at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Pope Leo XIV meets a migrant at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More During an encounter with aid groups in Tenerife, Leo implored receiving communities to integrate people fleeing war, poverty and climate change and spare them from the “silent shipwreck” of abandonment when they are left on the streets with nothing after surviving perilous crossings.“A human conscience, and even more so a Christian conscience, cannot remain indifferent in the face of these graveyards of the sea, to the victims of shipwrecks and the lack of aid,” Leo said. “Every life lost on these routes is a failure for the human family.” A deadly passage and a warning to traffickersThe Canary Islands have long been a stepping stone for migrants trying to reach Europe from West Africa and Morocco.While people smugglers and human traffickers operate the Atlantic route, there are also many self-organized boats of migrants, including many former fishermen from Senegal who were left without income due to overfishing in recent years. Read More Migrant arrivals in the Canary Islands peaked in 2024 at nearly 47,000. They have fallen dramatically, with over 3,000 people landing there in the first five months of 2026. Migrants attend a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Migrants attend a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Because of the vastness of the ocean and scarcity of rescue ships or monitoring, some experts consider the Atlantic route more deadly than the more well-known central Mediterranean smuggling route from Libya and Tunisia to Italy. Since 2020, several West African boats have been found in the Caribbean and Latin America with only dead bodies on board after drifting across the Atlantic, pushed by trade winds and currents. Leo directed his remarks Friday to the criminal organizations and individual smugglers who organize these “death routes” to Europe. Such smugglers charge thousands of euros a person and often force their passengers into prostitution or other forms of black market labor by withholding their documents to pay off the debt.“Stop. Repent,” Leo said in his message to traffickers, emphasizing each word in Spanish and drawing a sustained applause from the crowd. “For every life lost, every family deceived, every body subjugated, every woman threatened, every worker exploited, you will have to appear before divine justice.” “Repent while there is still time, for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice and conversion,” he said.With his two-day visit to the Canary Islands, Leo has confirmed himself as the heir of Francis’ migration preaching, which was a priority of Francis’ 12-year pontificate and often caused friction with U.S. and European powers.History’s first U.S.-born pope has not only echoed Francis’ message and gestures, he has expanded and amplified them during a deeply symbolic visit. Upon arrival on Thursday, Leo threw a bouquet of flowers into the sea from a port nicknamed the “Dock of Shame” in 2020, when migrants were forced to live in squalor during a spike in their arrivals. Pope Leo XIV hug a child during a meeting with migrants at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Pope Leo XIV hug a child during a meeting with migrants at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Leo’s gesture mimicked the one Francis made in 2013 when he visited Lampedusa, Sicily, another flashpoint in Europe’s migration drama, and denounced the “globalization of indifference” that the world showed asylum seekers. But in a sign Leo is making the papacy his own, the 70-year-old pope has added a new gesture: After a onetime migrant offered his testimony during Leo’s encounter Friday, the pope did the viral “6-7” hand gesture that’s popular with young people as he joked alongside him. That earned the pope cheers and applause from the crowd. Leo meets with migrants at reception centerIn the Canary Islands and in remarks on the Spanish mainland, Leo reaffirmed the right of migrants to flee but also to stay home, demanding their countries of origin provide the necessary economic and security conditions. He shamed European countries that turn their back on migrants’ plights, and said Christian cannot remain indifferent.On Friday, he noted that for the Catholic Church, the process of integrating migrants into a community can become a chance at spreading the faith, “without imposing” it and in respect of the migrants’ own beliefs.Leo opened the final day of his trip by visiting the Las Raíces migrant camp and meeting with migrants. Leo drew a round of applause when he went off-script to tell them that he would speak in French and English, the language spoken by many of the people living in the camp. One woman told him of the desperation that drove her to leave her homeland Senegal and family, the trauma of the crossings, and her gratitude at finding safety and a new life. The woman, identified as Bousso Diouf, asked for respect and dignity for all migrants.Next month, on July 4, the American pope will spend U.S. Independence Day on the island of Lampedusa, where Francis in 2013 first denounced the “globalization of indifference” the world shows migrants. Pope Leo XIV attends a meeting with migrants at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Pope Leo XIV attends a meeting with migrants at the ‘Las Raices’ center, in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More ___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them.

Damaged tree branches lie on a street in Elkhart, Ind., Thursday, June 11, 2026, following a severe weather system in the area. (Jennifer Hall via AP)2026-06-12T11:20:40Z Authorities and residents searched tornado-ravaged areas and assessed damage Friday after a strong line of storms barreled through communities south of Chicago, leaving around 380,000 customers without power in Illinois and Indiana and disrupting air travel in the region.There were no immediate reports of deaths or life-threatening injuries from Thursday’s storms.Officials in Merrillville, Indiana, about 33 miles (53 kilometers) southeast of Chicago, reported extensive damage. Homes and other buildings were torn apart, downed trees and power lines blocked streets and part of a high school’s roof was ripped off.Multiple agencies from the region helped local first responders search and assessed damaged areas, town officials said on social media. Crews worked into the night clearing roads.At least two other tornadoes battered communities in and around Streator, Illinois, and Hebron, Indiana, the National Weather Service reported. Photos and video posted on social media showed damage in those areas similar to that in Merrillville. The weather service said it will be surveying the damage over the next several days to determine how many tornadoes touched down in the region. In Streator, a manufacturing and farm city about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, emergency crews were also inspecting the damage. A reunification center for displaced residents was set up in its city hall and the Red Cross opened a shelter. Streator Mayor Tara Bedei said there were no reported deaths. “We are incredibly grateful for the safety of our residents and the quick action of emergency personnel,” she said in a statement. Read More First responders also worked through the night in Hebron, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Chicago, officials said in a Facebook post.Jennifer Hall was in her garage in Elkhart, Indiana, as the winds and rain picked up Thursday evening. Suddenly, she said, she heard a loud crash and discovered a tree limb had gone through the roof of her rental home. She used buckets to catch the rain coming in from the hole. “I’m just nervous because it’s just been one thing after another,” said Hall, explaining she just had surgery and her husband is out of town. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. About 235,000 homes and businesses were without power in Illinois, including 144,000 in Cook County, home to Chicago, according to poweroutage.us. Another 144,000 customers were in the dark in Indiana.The storms delayed or halted flights at airports in some cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York on Thursday. Parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic also strained under high heat and humidity. On Friday morning, 15 flights were canceled and about two dozen delayed at Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway International airports, a small percentage of total flights, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website.The tornadoes came after severe storms swept through the Midwest on Wednesday, knocking out power, damaging buildings and canceling flights.In Des Moines, Iowa, a 54-year-old man died at a homeless encampment in a park Wednesday after being hit by a tree that “broke apart and fell during strong storms,” police said in a statement. There were no immediate reports of other deaths or injuries from those storms.___Associated Press reporters Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed.

Nature, Published online: 12 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01911-zAndrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.

SpaceX’s trading debut is expected to smash records. Wall Street is watching to see what else it disrupts.

LSU baseball's transfer portal class grew on Thursday night as the Tigers added an infielder from an SEC rival. Ex-Florida second baseman Cade Kurland committed to LSU, becoming the fourth portal player to do so. Kurland announced the commitment with a social media post.Kurland heads to Baton Rouge after spending four years in Gainesville. He owns a .888 career OPS with 200 hits and 43 homers. It's rare to find an available transfer with this much SEC production. Jay Johnson and staff are putting a premium on veterans after LSU was inconsistent at the plate in 2026. Kurland impressed when the Gators played LSU in 2026, scoring five runs across the three-game series. Kurland homered twice in the series finale. Kurland, originally from Tampa, stands at 5-foot-11. He only played in 14 games in 2025 due to a season-ending shoulder surgery. 🐯#GEAUXTIGERS#ThePowerHousepic.twitter.com/oOnrhGqYBu— Cade Fox Kurland (@CadeFox4) June 12, 2026LSU will have a new look infield in 2027 and Kurland figures to have a starting role. The Tigers have open slots at second base and third base, and the status of shortstop Steven Milam is unclear as he mulls returning to school vs. turning pro.Kurland is LSU's third position player transfer of the cycle, joining ex-Texas State shortstop Dawson Park and former Notre Dame outfielder Bino Watters. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU baseball adds transfer portal infielder from heated SEC rival

Game 4 will go down as one of the most dramatic games in NBA Finals history. The Knicks erased a 29-point deficit — the largest comeback ever in a Finals game — to steal a 107–106 win and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.San Antonio dominated early, building a massive halftime lead (76–49) behind hot shooting, including a Finals-record 14 first-half threes. But everything flipped in the second half: the Spurs went ice-cold and settled for the long-range jumpers they were hitting in the first half, while the Knicks stepped up their defense and began making shots of their own. Call it a lesson in coaching malpractice and inexperience in the big moment by the Spurs or credit the Knicks for calling on their experience as players and coaches. Either way, it has the look of a series-defining win for New York.OG Anunoby (33 points) delivered the signature moment — a tip-in with 1.2 seconds left to complete the rally. Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 24 points and 13 rebounds, but the Spurs managed just 30 second-half points, a collapse goes beyond defining this series.The result: New York is one win from its first title since 1973, while San Antonio faces elimination and must somehow regroup emotionally and tactically. Can the Knicks carry over the momentum earned in Game 4 and close out the series? Or will the Spurs be able to overcome the emotional toll the Game 4 loss must have taken on them to stay alive in Game 5?Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.After 24 years, the NBA was back on NBC and Peacock this season. Thanks for tuning in and all the positive feedback as we combined the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel continues to deliver fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content. Game Details and How to Watch Game 5 Live: Knicks vs. SpursDate: Saturday, June 13, 2026Time: 8:30PM ESTSite: Frost Bank CenterCity: San Antonio, TXNetwork/Streaming: ABCRotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!NBA Finals Game 5 Odds: Knicks vs. SpursThe latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:Moneyline: New York Knicks (+164), San Antonio Spurs (-198)Spread: Spurs -5.5Total: 216.5 pointsThis game opened with the Spurs favored by 5.5 and the Game Total set at 217.5.Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule! Expected Starting Lineups for NBA Finals Game 5: Knicks vs. SpursNew York KnicksPG Jalen Brunson (36 points, 12-25 FG in Game 4)SG Mikal Bridges (7 points, 2 assists in Game 4)C Karl-Anthony Towns (13 points, 10 rebounds in Game 4)SF Josh Hart (6 points, 8 rebounds in Game 4)PF OG Anunoby (33 points, 7-9 from 3-point range in Game 4)San Antonio SpursPG De’Aaron Fox (18 points, 7 assists, 4 TOs in Game 4)SG Stephon Castle (13 points on 2-7 FG in Game 4)SF Devin Vassell (18 points, 5-8 from 3-point range in Game 4)PF Julian Champagnie (5 points, 5 rebounds in Game 4)C Victor Wembanyama (24 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist in Game 4)Injury Report: Knicks vs. SpursNew York KnicksNo injuries to reportSan Antonio SpursDavid Jones Garcia (ankle) has been declared OUT for tonight’s gameImportant stats, trends and insights: Knicks vs. Spurs – Game 5The Knicks are 30-20 on the road this seasonThe Spurs are 38-13 at home this seasonThe Spurs are 59-44-2 ATS this seasonThe Knicks are 56-44-1 ATS this seasonThe OVER has cashed in 47 of the Knicks’ 101 games this season (47-54)The OVER has cashed in 48 of the Spurs’ 105 games this season (48-57)Jalen Brunson is shooting 39.6% from the field in the NBA Finals (42-106)Dylan Harper was 8-12 from the field and 3-6 from 3-point range in Game 4OG Anunoby is shooting 58% in the NBA Finals (29-50)OG Anunoby was 7-9 from 3-point range in Game 4Rotoworld Best BetPlease bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals. Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s Game 5 between the Knicks and the Spurs:Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Knicks on the MoneylineSpread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Knicks +5.5Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 216.5Player Props:OG Anunoby 19+ Points (-103) - the Game 4 hero has blown past this number in each of the last 2 games / missed cashing by 2 points in each of the first 2 gamesOG Anunoby 25.5 PRA (-109) – this too has cashed the last 2 games / missed by 0.5 in Game 2 and by 5.5 in Game 1Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)

Beth Mead completes move to Man City after nine-year Arsenal tenureManchester City have announced the signing of Beth Mead on a free transfer from Arsenal.The 81-time capped Lioness joins the Women’s Super League champions following a nine-year spell with the Gunners. Mead, who turned 31 in May, has penned a three-year deal at the Joie Stadium.Speaking about the signing, City’ Director of Football Therese Sjogran said: “Beth’s achievements in the game speak for themselves, so we’re delighted to bring her to the Club.“Sjogran believes the capture of Mead’s signature can help the league FA Cup winners build on last season’s success, adding: “Winning the Double last season was a special chapter in our history, but it’s one we want to build on in the coming seasons. Signing a player of Beth’s quality and calibre can only help that happen.”A new chapter for Beth MeadStarting her career with Sunderland, Mead quickly became known as one of the hottest young prospects in England. In a five-year spell with the Black Cats, she netted 66 goals in 82 appearances. She also helped them lift the inaugural WSL2 title in 2014.In her first season in the embryonic WSL, Mead won the Golden Boot and was named Player of the Year in 2015.A move to North London followed in 2017, where she was to spend the next nine years. A host of trophies followed. The 2018/19 WSL title, three League Cups, the Champions League, and a FIFA Women’s Champions Cup were all added to her haul of silverware.Embed from Getty ImagesSpeaking about the move, Mead was excited for the challenge ahead, saying: “I’m very proud to be here. Obviously, City had an amazing season last year and I am excited to start a new chapter here.“I think the way City plays suits me really well. I feel like it can get something extra out of my game.”The signing of Mead represents another coup for City following the contract extension of Bunny Shaw as they look to build upon last season’s success.Related articles from Her Football Hub:Earth FC: The environmental campaign ‘defending where football lives’Why do we become football fans?: Types of supporters and the psychology behind itKatie McCabe to join Chelsea from Arsenal as Blues confirm three-year contract

Finn Russell will miss Bath's crucial semi-final against Exeter with a calf injury [Getty Images]Bath remains without fly-half Finn Russell for their Prem semi-final against Exeter, as the Scotland international continues to suffer from a calf injury.Russell has missed Bath's past two games with the injury and for the second week running, Santiago Carreras replaces him in the starting line-up for Saturday's home knockout game.Exeter makes just one change from the side that beat Saracens 32-12 last week to secure third place in the Prem.Greg Fisilau returns at number eight after recovering from a facial injury and replaces Ethan Roots, who is going through his return to play protocols following a head knock last week.How brutal pre-season sent Exeter back to play-offsRecord-breaker Dunn reflects on Bath journeyFollowing Bath's win against Leicester last weekend to secure second place in the Prem table, head of rugby Johann van Graan said playmaker Russell was in a "great place" but "was not perfect".However, Russell misses out on the entire matchday squad again, with Argentine international Carreras set to make his fourth start at 10 for Bath as part of an unchanged back line, having more regularly been deployed at full-back since signing last summer.Hooker Tom Dunn returns to the starting line-up in one of just two changes for the defending champions, having missed the past two games following his red card against Newcastle Red Bulls.Quinn Roux also comes into the second row, with Kepu Tuipulotu and Ted Hill dropping to the bench and scrum-half Benhard van der Linde also coming into the matchday 23.The Chiefs are still without England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who is likely to miss the rest of the domestic season after surgery on a facial injury.It means wingers Paul Brown-Bampoe and Campbell Ridl keep their spots with experienced former Bath player Olly Woodburn at full-back.Australia centre Len Ikitau continues his impressive partnership with in-form England star Henry Slade - defeat for Exeter would end Ikitau's time at the Devon club, as he will return to Australia ahead of the World Cup.Bath are seeking to reach a third consecutive Prem final under Van Graan, having spent every week of the past three seasons inside the play-off places.The South African credited the attitude of his players, who he said "never stopped trying to improve". "That is exactly what I wanted when I came in four years ago," he told BBC Radio Bristol."We have a group that continually wants to get better and that is what pleases me the most."Bath were however comfortably beaten 35-12 by the Chiefs just five weeks ago when the two sides met in the league at Sandy Park - Exeter's first win over Bath since December 2022.Away semi-final 'unique' for Exeter boss BaxterSaturday will be the first away Prem semi-final in Rob Baxter's 17 years in charge at Exeter [Getty Images]For Exeter the game represents a return to the play-offs for the first time since 2021.But the fixture at the Rec will be the first-ever away Prem play-off game for the club, as they finished either first or second in the table in each season from 2016 to 2021 while the Chiefs made six consecutive Twickenham finals. "For me it's a little bit unique," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon. "We've been in plenty of semi-finals, but never been away from home, so it's going to be another interesting challenge for us."When you look at where the club probably needs to build to, it's probably one of the things we need to try and tick off because we haven't done one yet."Those are the things that down the line you want to have achieved as a club, and this gives us the opportunity to do that."Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Ojomoh, Arundell; Spencer (c), Carreras; Obano, Dunn, Du Toit; Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Underhill, Barbeary.Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Sela, Molony, Hill, Van der Linde, Redpath, Reid.Exeter: Woodburn; Brown-Bampoe, Slade, Ikitau, Ridl; Skinner, Varney; Sio, Norey, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (capt), Zambonin, Hoope, Tshiunza, Fisilau.Replacements: Dweba, Burger, Tchumbadze, Tuima, Vintcent, Cairns, Wimbush, Hammersley.Referee: Christophe Ridley

Both Joyce's featured for Wales in the 2026 Women's Six Nations [Huw Evans Picture Agency]Internationals Jasmine Joyce and Alisha Joyce say they remain ambitious for club and country after confirming they will play their rugby in Wales next season.The married couple finished their careers with Bristol Bears last weekend having spent six years with the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) club.The next chapter will see them play in the Celtic Challenge, most likely Llanelli-based Brython Thunder, for who they made their debuts earlier this year.The move will also allow them to spend more time with their son Ralphie."This has not been an easy decision but one we have made for family reasons," said Wales flanker Alisha."The travel to and from Bristol to train and play is not ideal when you have a young family and we know we need the support network provided by our families and friends to bring up Ralphie."Wales wing Jasmine said it was a decision they had "not taken lightly" but was the "right one for us as a family"."Our son Ralphie is at the centre of our decision-making now and we want the best for him while maintaining our rugby careers as professional athletes," said the three-time Olympian."We are both still very ambitious and feel we have things to prove at club and Test level with Wales."Both of us have always wanted to play a high standard of club rugby in Wales but we have never had that opportunity until now."WRU lodges interest to enter team in expanded PWRWelsh rugby aims to halt player-drain to EnglandA sign of things to comeThe Joyce's return to Welsh rugby has been welcomed by Wales head coach Sean Lynn, who wants more of his players returning home, especially those not getting enough game time in the PWR.International duo Gwen Crabb and Natalia John led the way last season, with others likely to follow. "The fact that Alisha and Jaz have taken this decision after playing in the Celtic Challenge shows they have faith that we can provide them with the platform to further their club and Test careers," said Lynn.He also said their experience will be "a real benefit" to emerging players.Dave Reddin, WRU Director of Rugby and Elite Performance, said: "It won't be lost on anyone that this is something they could not have done before and demonstrates the investment made by the Welsh Rugby Union in providing high quality cross-border rugby in Wales."As well as bringing players back, the WRU has also formally lodged an interest at entering a Welsh team into an expanded PWR, which Reddin said would be a "really exciting option".

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Isaiah Evans participates during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 12, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images Isaiah Evans has had a nice few years. First, he was North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024, and then spent two years at Duke. In his first season, the Blue Devils got to the Final Four, and this spring, his sophomore year, Duke just missed getting back. And in less than two weeks, he’ll find out his future when the NBA Draft is held. Obviously, no one gets that far alone, and the biggest person who has helped Evans achieve all of that is his mother, Marieke Lemon.This article talks about the sacrifices that she’s made to help Isaiah achieve his dreams. And now that he’s in a position to do something for her, he’s helped her to build her nail business.There’s a lot of fun stuff in here that you may or may not have known. It’s a good read. Sixers draft profile: Isaiah Evans fires away from long rangeScouting the 2026 NBA Draft | AJ Dybantsa, Henri Veesaar, Isaiah Evans, & MoreEvery NBA team should be interested in Duke’s Isaiah EvansDrafting Isaiah Evans would save Lakers from a potential free agency overpayMavericks predicted to reunite Cooper Flagg with the sharpshooter Dallas needsDuke’s Isaiah Evans Making Noise Ahead of NBA DraftGo to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a lined

England international Beth Mead has completed a significant move to Women’s Super League champions Manchester City, signing a deal that will keep her at the club until the summer of 2029. The highly-regarded forward arrives from WSL rivals Arsenal, where she spent nine successful years.The 31-year-old departs north London having amassed an impressive trophy cabinet, including a WSL title in the 2018-19 season, a Champions League triumph in May last year, and three League Cups. Before her impactful tenure at Arsenal, which began in January 2017, Mead launched her career at Sunderland, where she became the youngest player to win the WSL Golden Boot at just 20 years old.On the international stage, Mead boasts 81 caps for England and was a pivotal member of the Lionesses' European Championship-winning squads in both 2022 and 2025. Mead had a trophy-laden nine years at Arsenal (PA)Her standout performance in the 2022 tournament, hosted on home soil, saw her named player of the tournament, finishing as the top goalscorer with six goals and also leading the assist charts with five.Expressing her enthusiasm for the move, Mead told the City website: "I’m very proud to be here. Obviously, City had an amazing season last year and I am excited to start a new chapter here. I think the way City plays suits me really well and I feel like it can get something extra out of my game. “Speaking to the manager, I think it was a place where I think I can really fit into, help and bring a different dynamic to the team, so it was a no-brainer for me."Manchester City enjoyed a stellar previous season, clinching their first WSL title since 2016 by finishing four points clear of Arsenal. They further cemented their dominance by securing a domestic double, triumphing 4-0 over Brighton in the Women’s FA Cup final at the end of May.Director of football Therese Sjogran underscored the importance of the acquisition, stating: "Beth’s achievements in the game speak for themselves, so we’re delighted to bring her to the club. “Winning the double last season was a special chapter in our history, but it’s one we want to build on in the coming seasons. Signing a player of Beth’s quality and calibre can only help that happen. “She’s shown what it takes to consistently perform on the kind of big stages we want to regularly be competing at, so she’ll be a brilliant addition to our already-impressive squad of players."

One of Clemsonbaseball’s transfer additions from a year ago is on the move again.Outfielder Bryce Clavon announced Thursday that he will continue his college career at Penn State, giving the Nittany Lions an experienced player with time remaining to make an impact. Clavon spent the 2026 season with Clemson after arriving from Georgia and carved out a significant role in the Tigers’ lineup during his lone year in orange.Clavon saw extensive action in the outfield, earning 38 starts throughout the season. Much of that work came in center field, where he provided athleticism and versatility defensively. At the plate, he finished the year with a .255 batting average while adding five home runs and 18 RBIs. He also produced extra-base power with six doubles and a triple. On the bases, Clavon showed his speed by swiping nine bags in 13 attempts.Before making the move to Clemson, Clavon spent the 2025 season at Georgia. Opportunities were more limited during his time with the Bulldogs, as he appeared in 27 games and made one start. Even in a smaller role, he flashed some potential with a home run, a double and a triple among his five hits.Dabo Swinney visits Boise State's Iconic blue turf, Albertsons Stadium📸 Jeff Blake, Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports https://t.co/WtJaP1WaxUpic.twitter.com/RonLqk6wwI— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) June 12, 2026Now, Clavon is set for another change as he heads to the Big Ten. The veteran outfielder still has two years of eligibility available as he prepares for the next chapter of his college baseball career at Penn State.Let’s do it! 🦁@PennStateBASE— Bryce Clavon (@RealbryceC) June 11, 2026Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Bruce Clavon finds new home in college baseball after Clemson transfer

[SNS]Aberdeen will take on Dutch Eredivisie side Twente in a pre-season friendly on Saturday 4, July.The match at Sportcomplex GFC in Goor, Overijssel will kick off at 13:00 BST.Stephen Robinson's side will spend a week in the Netherlands as part of their 2026-27 preparations.Prior to the match with Twente, the Dons meet Scottish League 1 Cove Rangers, managed by former Aberdeen player Paul Hartley. That game at Balmoral will take place on Saturday, 27 June at 14:00.There will also be closed-door games in and around the meetings with Cove and Twente."Pre-season is a crucial time for us to build both physically and tactically and it will be important as we integrate new faces into the squad," Robinson told Aberdeen's website."The opportunity to take the team away to work together intensively and face strong opponents like FC Twente is extremely valuable for the group."It will be a good test and alongside a comprehensive schedule of pre-season matches, will act as an important step in our preparations for the season ahead."

Jun. 12—Lewis-Clark State senior hurdler Madigan Kelly was ready to race.Then lightning flashed across the sky and the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in Asheville, N.C., were put on hold.Kelly spent the next two-and-a-half hours piled into a gymnasium with her teammates, coaches and athletes from across the nation.The disruption could have thrown her off and made that preliminary women's 100-meter hurdles her final collegiate race.But it didn't.Kelly and her coaches knew a lightning delay was a possibility. They arrived at the track two hours prior to her scheduled race time, warmed up like they usually would and got into the blocks just before her heat was pushed back.With her headphones on in that crowded gym, Kelly had to come to terms with her situation.LCSC hurdles coach Kurtis Bonner said that his focus during the delay was on keeping Kelly mentally prepared and physically fueled on that late May day."I found an Alani (energy drink) — what she loves for caffeine," Bonner said. "And that put a big smile on her face, and she's like, 'I'm ready to run.'"When the storm clouds cleared, Kelly burst off the block like she had done countless times before.AdvertisementShe was the first to clear the first hurdle, then the second, then the third — exactly what Bonner told her was the key to advancing."And then I'm like, 'Oh, she's pulling away, she's pulling away,'" Bonner said. "She did what she had to do. We're in the final. She's an All-American.'"Kelly not only gave herself one more race with her third NAIA All-American honor — she did it by surpassing her own school record in 13.80 seconds. She placed fourth in the final to polish off a decorated track and field career that began in middle school, blossomed at Lewiston High and soared at Lewis-Clark State."She's a gal that it was pretty evident early on, her commitment, devotion and sometimes obsession with hurdling," LC State coach Mike Collins said.A love for the sportTrack was a natural choice for a girl from a family of local athletes, and LC State — where her grandfather, Ron Ellis, played baseball and basketball in the late 1960s and early '70s — just made sense for her, Kelly said.It also provided a way for her to spend time with her mother, Carrie Kelly, a childhood survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that cut her high school track tenure short and eliminated her chance at a college career of her own."She loved running and that was her passion, like it was mine, and having it cut short to cancer definitely wasn't what she had in mind," Madigan Kelly said. "Every conversation we've had about track and running, it just kind of furthered it, just deepened my mom and I's relationship."Carrie would accompany Madigan to the Vollmer Bowl in Lewiston and watch her practice individually year-round."Fun to go down and spend some one-on-one time with her," Carrie Kelly said. "I'm not a coach, so it's not like I was there to give her pointers or anything, just to be supportive."Carrie and her husband, Madigan's father Mike Kelly, only missed one meet during her college career, traveling across the region and country to support her. Carrie's parents, Ron and Connie Ellis, were frequent LHS and LCSC track supporters as well.Kelly said she was not a perfect hurdler in middle school and some coaches advised her to find a different event.She didn't listen."I fell more times than I could count, but each time I got back up and just had this fire of wanting to continue," Kelly said. "I just was determined to make it work."When she got to high school, Kelly began working with then-Lewiston coach Keith Stuffle, who was a hurdler himself first at Orofino High School and then at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona.Stuffle said that Kelly was a joy to work with and put in the work to improve throughout her track career, earning state meet berths her junior and senior years.Not only did she physically evolve, her mentality changed, too.The morning of her senior state championship meet in 2021, Kelly looked Stuffle in the eye and said she was going to win, Stuffle said.She fell short of first place that day, but to Stuffle, that was exactly the moment he had been waiting for from her."That's the hard part about getting to that level of belief — you may not do it, and you gotta live with it, and that's what happened that day," Stuffle said. "But the good news is, she didn't quit."Bounce backTracy Collins, wife of LC State coach Mike Collins and head athletic trainer for the Warriors, wears a lot of hats in Lewiston.She's a driver at times, safely transporting athletes to events. She's a team photographer, standing beyond the finish line to capture the finest frames she can.And to Kelly and a slew of Warriors, she is a "second mom.""She's just there for everything," Kelly said of Tracy Collins. "Even if I had a bad day, I could always go to Tracy and just vent it out. She's very honest. She'll give you the honest truth, and she'll help you, support you throughout the way."To Tracy Collins, the title of "second mom" is a huge honor and was especially important in guiding Kelly through a chronicle of injuries.The lower leg and foot issues emerged during her sophomore year of college, Kelly said. She would limit the number of meets and events that she did, but she still managed to rack up the accolades, claiming three individual Cascade Conference championships between her sophomore and junior seasons and becoming an NAIA All-American in the outdoor 100 hurdles in 2024 — her first All-American honor.For hurdlers, range of motion is everything. They need a baseline speed and the ability to drive their feet off the ground and through the hurdle, while getting their trail leg over as well.That repetitive and demanding process can naturally lead to injuries and it also requires a particular approach in which Kelly would practice hurdling fundamentals twice a week and running on the remaining days, which allowed her to adjust her stride pattern over the course of her career, Bonner said."(Her injuries) gave us a chance to actually become a better hurdler. And then when we got back to being fast, it's like, 'Okay, now we're even better than we were before,'" Bonner said. "It allowed us to just find better versions of herself. I guess it was a blessing in disguise."However, her injuries became so severe that she had to redshirt her would-be senior season."It was definitely a low point of not being able to compete, and definitely facing the burnout of sport," Kelly said, "and kind of losing the love for the sport if I'm not able to do what I want to do."When Kelly returned to the track, the times that she was used to clocking weren't there at first. Her support system was."Having my teammates, and trainers and coaches being there to support me every step of the way to encourage me to keep going and show me that it's much more than that, and it's about the community of the sport and it's a lot larger than just the times that I'm running (helped)," Kelly said.However, it didn't take long for Kelly to regain her times, running an 8.51 in the 60 hurdles at indoor nationals in March.And when she crossed the finish line, who was there but Tracy Collins, with a big hug."You always hope that a student-athlete can return to the level that they were prior," Tracy Collins said. "That was a pretty special moment, because she could prove it to herself and anybody else that cared to watch that she was back in, if not as good, probably better form."Kelly's legacyKelly, Mike Collins said, is the kind of athlete that he can point to as a great example for future Warriors."You don't have to travel halfway across the country to be an All-American," Collins said, "to compete at a high level and experience some really good things."Kelly was a part of a talented crop of local athletes who stuck around to compete at LCSC.Mike Collins' daughter, Emily Collins, is a year younger than Kelly. Other former Bengals turned Warriors who ran with Kelly include Jennah Carpenter and Kobe Wessels.Kelly said that Carpenter and Emily Collins are among her closest friends.Carpenter, who graduated last year, and Kelly often roomed with one another, Kelly said. The two have known each other since the third grade.With her final race weeks behind her, Kelly wrapped up her student teaching and will be a third-grade teacher at Webster Elementary.She will also look to lend her talents as a volunteer coach — an area where she already has some experience helping LHS athletes navigate the mental blocks of competition and sharing her story.Her grade school kids are aware of her career, and aren't shy to ask questions, Kelly said."'Ms. Kelly, can we go race at recess?' and 'I don't think you're really that fast, Ms. Kelly. I definitely could beat you.' They just cracked me up," Kelly said. "It's so fun being able to share my love for the sport with others and help them find their love in whatever sport that they're looking at."In molding young minds, "Ms. Kelly's" impact on Lewiston has just begun.Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2260, staylor@lmtribune.com, or on X or Instagram @Sam_C_Taylor.

In two nights of violence in Northern Ireland after a brutal stabbing, people were targeted because of their skin color, the authorities said.

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Last season, the Oregon Ducks had one of the best safeties in the country, Dillon Thieneman. After his college success, he went on to be drafted by the Chicago Bears and join forces with former Trojan Caleb Williams. Thieneman is a huge loss, but the Ducks may have found the perfect replacement. In a recent article, Logan Brown showcases the Ducks' new incoming versatile and talented safety, Koi Perich. Here is what he and an analyst had to say about Perich:"Perich made 82 tackles and snagged one interception last season with the Golden Gophers. As a freshman, Perich made five interceptions and earned All-Big Ten first team honors. He also contributed in spurts on offense and served as a dynamic return man. Oregon could use him in a role similar to Thieneman's as a middle-of-the-field defender, thanks to his strong tackling ability."Perich arrives with proven production, recording 128 tackles, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack over two seasons while earning consecutive All-Big Ten honors," ESPN's Billy Tucker wrote. "At 6-1 and 200 pounds, he brings a strong blend of range, physicality and coverage instincts that fits the star/rover role in Oregon's defense. He is versatile enough to support aggressive pressure packages while still functioning as a reliable last line of defense. Alongside Aaron Flowers and Brandon Finney Jr., he strengthens Oregon's secondary into one of the more complete units in the country."The Ducks' defensive line is already a nightmare to have to deal with. They will put Perich in every position for him to be successful and a playmaker. Jayden Maiava and the Trojans offense will have to be on the lookout for Perich in the secondary when they face the Ducks.This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Oregon football defense could give USC fits if Trojans aren't sharp

Photo by Luis Cano/Jam Media/Getty ImagesMexico and South Korea might not clash until the second round of Group A, but their supporters have already delivered one of the standout stories of the 2026 World Cup.The opening day brought goals, red cards, and comeback drama. But it also revived a football friendship that began eight years ago and now looks stronger than ever.Viral videos from Mexico showed fans from both countries enjoying the occasion together, turning matchday into a shared party.Mexico and South Korea fans revive a famous bondOne video showed South Korean fans being told they could not bring a bottle of tequila into the stadium. Their solution was simple: drink it outside and invite nearby Mexican fans to join in.Other clips showed Mexicans singing “Korean brother, you’re already Mexican” in a bar.Another video emerged where Mexico fans were tossing a Korean fan into the air during celebrations after both nations won their opening day games.Another South Korean fan was serenaded by “BTS, BTS, BTS” chants surrounded by Mexican fans.Mexico and South Korea’s footballing friendship started in 2018In 2018, Mexico lost 3-0 to Sweden and looked in danger of elimination. Then South Korea stunned Germany 2-0, sending Mexico through at the expense of the defending champions.Mexican fans responded by celebrating South Koreans in Russia and outside the Korean embassy in Mexico City. The chant “Coreano, hermano, ya eres mexicano” became part of World Cup folklore, and South Korea’s ambassador to Mexico was even lifted onto shoulders as fans shared tequila.That history makes the 2026 scenes feel less random. Mexico and South Korea fans are not inventing a friendship; they are renewing one.Mexico South Korea clash now has extra spicePhoto by Luciano Gonzalez/Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe two teams meet in Guadalajara on June 18, and the game suddenly looks huge. Mexico opened with a 2-0 win over South Africa, while South Korea came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1 through goals from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu.Both now sit on three points in Group A. The winner will be close to the Round of 32, while a draw may suit both before their final group games.Mexico also has the historical edge. In senior meetings, El Tri have won four, South Korea one, and one has ended level, with Mexico winning World Cup games in 1998 and 2018.The rivalry will matter on the pitch. Off it, the first day showed something better: football fans finding a shared language before a ball between them has even been kicked.Read more:When is Lionel Messi playing? Argentina’s full World Cup scheduleBellingham & Rogers say Henderson is the best person they’ve ever met in footballArsenal legend Ian Wright says USA have ‘no idea’ about spirit of World Cup

Phil Mickelson is reportedly no longer a member at a San Diego golf club after some serious allegations about him surfaced.According to Golf Digest: "Multiple sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed to Golf Digest that Mickelson is no longer a member at The Farms Golf Club outside San Diego after a female club employee accused the six-time major champion of inappropriate contact with her before a round of golf earlier this spring."As this story continues to develop, here's what we know so far about the allegations and the fallout from it after the report dropped on Thursday:What did Phil Mickelson do at The Farms that got him removed as a member?Per the report, he " approached the female employee at the clubhouse where he made nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact with her. The employee rejected his advances."After an investigation, Mickelson was located in the middle of a round at the course and was told to leave.Who was the woman who accused Phil Mickelson of inappropriate contact?Although Golf Digest verified the employee, the publication isn't disclosing her name due to privacy.What did Phil Mickelson say in response to the allegations?A Mickelson spokesperson had this to say to the publication:"Any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf."Who is Phil Mickelson's wife?View this post on Instagram

Jun. 12—The term "video game numbers" gets thrown around a lot in sports, but in the case of Austin's Arden Breedlove, it definitely applies.The 2026 Decatur Daily Class 5A-7A softball player of the year had an outstanding season for the Black Bears, batting .589 with 98 RBIs, 89 runs scored and 27 home runs, while stealing 32 bases. She now holds Austin's school records for most home runs (68), RBIs (279), runs scored (275) and walks (166).Good luck reaching those numbers on a PlayStation."You don't really think you're ever going to put up those kinds of numbers, so it's pretty crazy to think about the fact my name is in the Austin history books," Breedlove said. "My goal was always to be better than I was the year before, and I'm just thankful to the Lord that he allowed me to have so much success."It's not Breedlove's first brush with postseason honors. As a junior last year, she also received The Daily's player of the year honors after batting .536 with 82 RBIs and 24 home runs.Coming into this season, Breedlove said she wanted to continue to improve, but topping her junior numbers was easier said than done. Accomplishing that feat was something Austin head coach Blake Gray said was mesmerizing to watch."She's started every game since her eighth grade year, and every year her numbers would just shoot up even more," Gray said. "Last year she had a breakout season where she set the school record for most home runs and RBIs in a season, and then this year, somehow, she got even better and broke her own records."The most impressive thing, though, was she was intentionally walked about 60 times. Most teams would only give her one, maybe two good at-bats a game, but she always capitalized. At the state tournament this year, she had 15 plate appearances and was walked 10 times. She went four-for-five in the other five appearances."While her numbers were impressive, Breedlove's impact went beyond the record book.Last season, Austin advanced to its first state softball tournament in 12 years. This year, however, the Black Bears had a young lineup, including four middle-school starters by the end of the season. In order to reach its second consecutive state tournament this year, Austin needed more than just crazy stats from its star player."I don't know if we're sitting at the state tournament at the end of the year if it wasn't for her. She got a taste of it last year, and it spread like wildfire," Gray said. "A lot of our young players looked up to her. They bought into her, and she poured into them. I give her a lot of credit for helping to shape our young talent."As Breedlove prepares to depart Austin, she not only does so as arguably the greatest softball player the school has ever had, but also as an integral piece in building what is becoming one of the top softball programs in north Alabama."Stats are great, but people are going to forget those. What people will remember is what kind of player you were. Did you do things the right way and were you a great teammate?" Breedlove said. "I hope people never forget how I treated them and how much helping this program succeed meant to me."— caleb.suggs@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @CalebSuggs2

2026 OTAs officially started in mid-May, and in the last week, teams have shifted to their mandatory minicamps. Because of that, we have received a steady stream of reports and social media clips aimed at influencing ADP. In this article, we will look at the biggest risers and fallers at each position since June 1. ADP for this article is from Underdog Fantasy, a best ball platform that has plenty of ADP data since the NFL Draft. Let’s dive in. Fantasy Football ADP Rumblings (6/12)RisersDrake Maye, QB, New England PatriotsADP: 69.1 (-2.5), QB5 There hasn’t been any seismic movement at the quarterback position since the start of June, but a subtle 2.5 jump in ADP was enough to push New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye into the QB5 spot over Caleb Williams. Maye was stellar in his second season, finishing second in MVP voting while leading quarterbacks in EPA (172.67) and explosive pass rate (13.6%) while finishing second in average depth of target (9.1 yards). New England continued to build the offense around him, adding offensive linemen (Alijah Vera-Tucker and 2026 first-round pick Caleb Lomu) and wide receivers (Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown) this offseason. If Maye can maintain his efficiency as a thrower, a QB1 overall finish in his range of outcomes. Sean Tucker, RB, Tampa Bay BuccaneersADP: 173.0 (-6.6), RB53 Sean Tucker has been a fan favorite dark horse candidate for fantasy managers since he was an undrafted free agent in 2023. Tucker had his best season in 2025, playing 16% of the team’s snaps and racking up 86 carries for 320 yards and seven touchdowns thanks to a shoulder injury to Bucky Irving. Irving is still recovering from that injury and hasn’t practiced, which is once again pushing up Tucker’s ADP. Irving is expected to return before the 2026 season, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Kenneth Gainwell to a two-year, $14 million contract with $9.8 million guaranteed. Gainwell would be the biggest beneficiary if Irving falls behind his return timeline, but Tucker would still have a role on the field. Adonai Mitchell, WR, New York JetsADP: 196.5 (-14.2), WR80 One of the more surprising trades of the 2025 season was the Indianapolis Colts acquiring cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets for multiple draft picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Mitchell struggled to break through the Colts’ depth chart, playing just 23.9% of the team’s snaps in Weeks 1-9. Mitchell immediately carved out a role on the Jets, ranking 14th among all wide receivers in targets (58) in Weeks 11-18. He wasn’t able to produce much thanks to poor quarterback play (24 receptions for 301 yards and two touchdowns), but he continued to show that he could get open when given opportunities without Garrett Wilson in the lineup. The Jets believe they upgraded the quarterback room with Geno Smith, which can only help their passing attack. Mitchell has plenty of competition for targets in 2026 with the return of Wilson, combined with two first-round pass catchers (Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr.). He’s had a strong OTA (which explains the ADP bump), which should solidify his role as the team’s WR2. Greg Dulcich, TE, Miami DolphinsADP: 192.7 (-11.6), TE28 Fantasy managers are starting to realize just how barren the pass-catching group is for the Miami Dolphins in 2026. 2024 sixth-round pick Malik Washington (46 receptions for 317 yards and three touchdowns) is the only returning wide receiver with more than 150 yards. Their big acquisitions this offseason at free agency (Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell) and their draft selections at wide receiver (third-round pick Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas and fifth-round pick Kevin Coleman Jr.) all leave plenty to be desired. Arguably, the most intriguing pass catcher on the team is tight end Greg Dulcich. Dulcich didn’t play until Week 8 in 2025 but showed a lot of fantasy-friendly upside once he did. He ranked third among tight ends in yards per route run (2.4) and sixth in explosive play rate (21.2%) over the final 11 weeks of the season. Dulcich is the ideal home run swing for fantasy managers who fade the tight end position in 2026. This is as ambiguous of a pass-catching corps in the NFL, combined with the fact that Miami should be in plenty of negative gamescripts in 2026. Is Dulcich one of the top fantasy sleepers in Miami? Check out Sleepers, Busts and Bold Predictions.FallersJosh Allen, QB, Buffalo BillsADP: 33.5 (+2.3), QB1 The quarterback position isn’t being prioritized as heavily in early drafts given the depth at the position, but Josh Allen is the clear QB1. However, even he has seen his ADP slip since the start of June, dropping 2.3 spots in the last two weeks. Allen’s drop likely has nothing to do with him but is instead due to the shifting of players behind him, like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith climbing after Brown’s trade to the Patriots. Allen finished as the QB1 in fantasy for the fourth time since 2020 (he was second the other times) and should be considered a favorite to repeat after the Bills invested around him this offseason, trading for D.J. Moore and drafting Skyler Bell in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Fantasy managers who prioritize drafting an early quarterback should have no problem buying the dip as he slightly falls. Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Jacksonville JaguarsADP: 119.5 (+6.4), RB39 Chris Rodriguez Jr. has been a topic of discussion on fantasy social media throughout the offseason after signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. For some, he was viewed as a zero-RB target after reuniting with Liam Coen, his offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky, and joining a backfield with second-year running backs (Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr.) who struggled as rookies. However, that hype has cooled in recent weeks. First, Rodriguez was mysteriously absent from offseason activities. Eventually, we learned that he had foot surgery this offseason and wasn’t scheduled to be on the field until training camp at the earliest. That news has caused him to fall a half round since the start of June. The initial messaging in Jacksonville is that the team expects him to be healthy by the start of camp. But a foot injury that required surgery close to the season is a concern for any running back, which means his ADP should continue to fall until he shows he’s healthy. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ersADP: 189.1 (+10.1), WR77 Brandon Aiyuk is set to be one of the most polarizing late-round selections of the 2026 offseason. Aiyuk has made it perfectly clear that he wants (intends?) to play for the Washington Commanders in 2026. His reuniting with college teammate Jayden Daniels in a barren pass-catching group (outside of Terry McLaurin) with an exciting new offensive coordinator (David Blough) could be fantasy gold. On the other hand, Aiyuk is currently under contract with the San Francisco 49ers, who have insisted they are waiting for a trade offer for Aiyuk. If Aiyuk doesn’t report to camp, the team has no incentive to release him since he’s not counting against the cap on the “Did Not Report” list. There is also the fact that he has not stepped on a football field since October 2024 after tearing his ACL, MCL and meniscus. Aiyuk’s ADP has fallen 10 spots since the start of June, likely thanks to videos he’s been posting on Instagram trying to secure his release. While the upside case for Aiyuk is clear, fantasy managers will have to be willing to eat the risk of his unknown recovery, combined with the 49ers holding his rights until they have a reason not to. David Njoku, TE, Los Angeles ChargersADP: 204.0 (+5.9), TE30 David Njoku is one of the surprising examples of a veteran player whose ADP actually drops after signing with a team. Njoku has fallen nearly six spots since the beginning of June, now that he is with the Los Angeles Chargers. Njoku was limited to just 12 games in 2025, catching 33 of 48 targets for 293 yards and four touchdowns. The veteran was eclipsed in the offense by third-round rookie Harold Fannin Jr. when he was healthy. Still, the Chargers should be one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL in 2026 thanks to their offensive line upgrades and the hiring of new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. The presence of Oronde Gadsden complicates things, but Njoku will have weekly touchdown upside in a potentially good offense with a creative playcaller.

It can be hard to work out what might be going through Donald Trump’s head at the best of times, but lately his actions have seemed to be increasingly bizarre and reckless. However, all of those actions become much easier to understand with one simple perspective shift: Trump knows he is dying, he doesn’t have much time, and he won’t have to face any consequences, at least not in this life. Related The Trump Virus is spreading around the globe. Especially in the UK. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Trump often doesn’t seem too stressed about consequences, and that’s felt especially true since he won the 2024 election. But over those four years out of office, he came close to facing very real consequences. He was tried and found liable and guilty in both civil and criminal court. It’s not unreasonable to suggest that he was well on his way to being bankrupt, imprisoned, or both. The only thing that saved him was the presidency. If Trump leaves the White House again, he’ll be at risk of those consequences again, along with all the other ones that he has racked up over the last few months. While Steve Bannon has become the latest supporter of Trump seeking an unconstitutional third term, and Trump still refuses to rule that out, it starts to feel more likely that Trump will avoid walking out of the White House not by changing the Constitution, but by shuffling off his mortal coil while still in residence. Trump’s health is clearly failing. He’s been seen struggling with stairs and has even mused that Obama was better at navigating them. His cognitive health might well be in decline, and his instances of random word association in public comments appear to be getting worse. While Trump and his cronies claim that his medical reports generally show that he is in the finest health any person has ever been in, the number of those reports recently should raise an eyebrow. In early October, he had what he called a “semi-annual physical” at the Walter Reed National Medical Center. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed it was a “routine yearly checkup.” The problem is that he already had his annual physical in April. Those checkups included an MRI at Walter Reed. “It was perfect,” Trump said, claiming “the doctor said [it] was some of the best reports, for the age, they’ve ever seen.” While MRIs are often used to rule out possible medical concerns, they’re rarely used when there are no concerns to begin with. Trump has also claimed to have aced another cognitive test, making comments that echo his “person, woman, man, camera, TV” debacle. The White House has not released comments on the MRI or the cognitive test. All of that might be fine, but Trump has historically overstated his health (with the help of his doctors), and with everything else, it becomes part of a suspicious pattern. Death is clearly on Trump’s mind. He’s been talking about heaven to a concerning degree, working on trying to get into heaven by ending the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and he’s been reflecting on the fact that he won’t be getting through those pearly gates. And if he’s not expecting to get into heaven, his consolation plan seems to be to make sure he leaves some sort of irrevocable mark on the world, whatever sort of mark that might be. There are plenty of signs of a desire to plant his legacy. His wild bid to win a Nobel Peace Prize has been particularly extravagant (and unsuccessful). Since the start of his presidency, he has hit the ground running, trying to make major (and horrific) changes through executive orders, rushing through everything he wants to do, and putting the military on our streets. There’s a reason that it feels like he’s done quite so much damage in the past nine months. But no sign of his desire to leave his mark is more explicit than the demolition of the White House’s East Wing. Trump’s plan to build a ballroom was already over the top and set to change the landscape of the White House (and that was after he already paved over the Rose Garden). Demolishing the East Wing takes that re-landscaping far beyond what anyone could have expected. That ballroom was never going to be finished during Trump’s presidency. It would have been for those who came after. And a construction project can be stopped, or at least redirected. But knocking down a large part of one of the most symbolic and historic buildings in the United States? That’s one for the ages. It can’t be rebuilt. If Trump dies tomorrow, he will always have changed that landscape. Construction requires time and building permits, but destruction can apparently be rushed through before anyone can complain about not having the required permissions. The hurried nature of the whole project signals that Trump is worried he might not be here to see the progress if they wait even just a little bit longer. Why is Trump not worried about the consequences of violating the boundaries of his executive powers? Why is Trump not worried about the consequences of shutting down the federal government and wiping out entire departments? Why is Trump not worried about the consequences for his blatant corruption and taking bribes from Qatar? Why is Trump not worried about the consequences of sharing videos of himself wearing a crown as a king while he defecates on protestors from a fighter jet? Because Trump doesn’t think he will live to see those consequences. 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WASHINGTON – To Daniel Cormier, there's nothing like a Conor McGregor fight week.McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns from a five-year-long layoff to rematch Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) in the UFC 329 main event on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+).Cormier will commentate Sunday's UFC Freedom 250 (Paramount+) event at the White House in Washington, which is expected to draw historic viewership numbers for the promotion. However, McGregor making his highly-anticipated comeback is a different kind of feeling, said Cormier."It's going to be a tremendous fight," Cormier said during Wednesday's UFC Freedom 250 media day. "I think that we now get to see two guys that are adults. The first time they fought, they were children. Max was a kid, Conor was a kid."These guys are going to be grown men fighting in what will be... it's hard to think that an event will get bigger after this, but every time Conor McGregor is here, it's bigger and it's better. The sport's better with this man in the fight game. So, I'm excited for that as I am excited about the fights this weekend."UFC CEO Dana White said he expects McGregor's return to break the promotion's gate record, which UFC 306 at the Sphere currently holds at almost $22 million.This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Daniel Cormier: UFC better with Conor McGregor in fight game

Clubs believe Brighton and Hove Albion’s Jan Paul van Hecke will join Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium club want to strengthen at the back and the 26-year-old Netherlands international is on their radar. Interest from other clubs in the player has cooled because of the belief he will join Spurs, according to The Telegraph. Van Hecke played under Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton and he has been described as being like a son to the Italian.A reunion could be on the cards but Spurs must be willing to offer a juicy bid for him after two bids were knocked back. De Zerbi is confident that the Dutchman can help improve his defence, and a move for Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen could also be exploited as they are in the market for a new goalie. Guglielmo Vicario is expected to leave this summer, and while Antonin Kinsky was in fine form under De Zerbi, Verbruggen already knows exactly how the Tottenham boss plays.

The Stanley Cup Finals have been full of emotion and among the most entertaining championships in sports. Vegas versus Carolina has been extremely exciting with back-and-forth action, but where does it rank amongst the last 10 finals?MORE: Mitch Marner sets Stanley Cup Final record with fastest hat trick in NHL history#5 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Nashville Predators 2017Jun 11, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) skates with the Stanley Cup after defeating the Nashville Predators in game six of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsSidney Crosby and the Penguins were eyeing their second cup in a row. They faced the Predators in a heavyweight battle. The key to this series was that no team ever won following a loss. The Penguins took two in a row, then Nashville took two in a row, then Matt Murray puked up two shutouts to seal the deal.#4 Washington Capitals vs Vegas Golden Knights 2018After a long wait, Alex Ovechkin finally lifts the Stanley Cup to defeat the Knights in the Knights’ opening season in the NHL. Vegas nearly completed the most historical start to a franchise in NHL history.#3 Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning 2022When you get a series full of Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, and Andrei Vasilevsky, it will be exciting. Two juggernauts went after it, and the Avalanche got their first Stanley Cup since 2000.#2 St Louis Blues vs. Boston Bruins 2019Jun 12, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating the Boston Bruins in game seven of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY SportsAn amazing story with a young goaltender in Jordan Binnington, hired by Craig Berube in the middle of the season, had to go into one of the loudest arenas and steal a game. Binnington stopped 32 shots in the 4-1 victory to claim the Stanley Cup.#1 Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers 2024The Edmonton Oilers had their backs against the wall, down 3-0. With McDavid, no series is over when he is on your team. McDavid and the Oilers force a Game Seven. which the Panthers ultimately got their skates on right, winning the game 2-1.Vegas vs Carolina OutlookThis series has the opportunity to be one of the best Stanley Cups in recent memory. No lead has been safe in this series, and every game has been high-scoring. Some fans love the 1-0 games, but others love goals.— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —

Former Lioness Jill Scott is running and cycling 388 miles (624km) from Wembley Stadium in London to Sunderland's Stadium of LightShe has visited places which helped shape her career including Birmingham, Liverpool and ManchesterShe started her gruelling journey in London on Monday and is due to finish in Sunderland on FridayAt least half of the funds will support local Sport for Change projects while the rest will fund Comic Relief's wider work Jill Scott on final stretch of gruelling 388-mile challenge attempt for Sport Relief

Mandarin forward Robert Calazans is completing his high school career with one of Florida's top soccer honors.The Mustangs' senior was named June 12 as winner of the Gatorade Florida Player of the Year award, after leading Mandarin to the Florida High School Athletic Association boys soccer final.Calazans scored 33 goals and 14 assists on the year for the Mustangs, leading Northeast Florida in scoring, while excelling in both attacking midfield and wide forward roles. He recorded 66 goals and 32 assists during his four-year high school career with the Mustangs.Mandarin went 16-5-2 during the 2025-26 season, reaching the Class 6A championship game but losing 3-2 to Land O'Lakes Sunlake. A repeat All-First Coast selection, he had also won the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 6A player of the year award. Calazans signed following the season with the University of North Florida, where the roster already includes two recent Mandarin standouts in defender Sasha Maric and midfielder Omar Trto.He follows Orange Park's Garry Lewis (2002-03), Bishop Kenny's Trey Langlois (2014-15) and Fleming Island's Reed Davis (2016-17 and 2017-18) as Northeast Florida's winners of the Gatorade Florida Player of the Year for soccer. Calazans is the first to receive the award from a Gateway Conference program. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Mandarin's Robert Calazans wins Gatorade Florida Boys Soccer award

The post Embarrassed Woman Scrambles To Stop Emotionally Resonating With Movie Before Lights Come On appeared first on The Onion.

A new paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the release of the Apple iPhone in 2007 contributed to a decline in the birth rate, especially among teens and young adults. What do you think? “I just use Android and get abortions.” Alana Fowler, Roof Technician “My phone doesn’t shit itself 10 times a day.” David Featherstone, Stable Sweeper “It’s the 21st Century, man. Fucking’s what my grandparents did.” Jeremy Wasyl, Cellophane Exporter The post Study Finds iPhone Lowered Birth Rate appeared first on The Onion.