Federal immigration officers deploy tear gas at protesters after a shooting Jan. 24, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)2026-06-16T16:44:57Z Federal prosecutors have charged 15 people with impeding the Trump administration’s massive immigration crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year, accusing them of coordinating efforts to block arrests and deportations as part of a conspiracy against the U.S. government. The monthslong investigation focused on members and associates of “Direct Action Minnesota,” a left-wing coalition of protest groups that played a role in the “surveillance, operational planning and rapid mobilization against law enforcement,” Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said.Rosen said some of the defendants self-identified as “antifa,” an umbrella term for a loose movement of militant left-wing activists that President Donald Trump has labeled a domestic terror group. Their actions included “stalking” U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents, throwing blocks of ice at their vehicles and setting up blockades around federal buildings. Rosen declined to say whether any federal agents were injured as a result. “Whether or not they actually, at the end of the day, cause bodily harm is not the measure of whether or not they committed a serious federal crime,” he told reporters. Twelve people were arrested Tuesday, two remain at large and one is already in custody, Rosen added. Information about their attorneys was not immediately available. The Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge” brought thousands of federal agents to the Twin Cities, setting off mass protests and leading to the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens. Read More During the surge, convoys of agents in unmarked SUVs traveled through neighborhoods, at times banging down doors, waiting outside schools and demanding residents produce proof of citizenship.A sprawling network of outraged Minnesotans — primarily organized through anonymous neighborhood messaging threads — quickly formed, with ordinary citizens and activists using whistles and car horns to call attention to the masked, heavily armed agents. At the time, border czar Tom Homan indicated that federal authorities were probing “the organization and funding of the attacks on ICE.” 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. “They’ll be held accountable,” he said. “Justice is coming.”Last September, Trump signed an order classifying antifa as a domestic terror organization and directing federal agencies to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle” its affiliates and funders.Democrats and several First Amendment groups have raised issue with the designation. While the federal government may designate foreign terror groups, there is no formal mechanism to apply the same label to domestic groups. Trump has long invoked the term against a range of political opponents, including peaceful protesters without anarchist-leanings. JAKE OFFENHARTZ Offenhartz is a general assignment reporter in the New York City bureau of The Associated Press. twitter mailto

This GOES-19 GeoColor satellite image provided by NOAA, shows a storm system forming along the Gulf coast of Texas, on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (NOAA via AP)2026-06-16T17:28:40Z MIAMI (AP) — A cluster of storms along the Gulf Coast of Texas could become the first named tropical storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center said.The storms threatened to bring heavy downpours that could lead to dangerous floods across southern states including Texas and Louisiana. The system was centered Tuesday morning about 65 miles (105 kilometers) southwest of Corpus Christi, Texas, according to a hurricane center advisory.National Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan said meteorologists are expecting the system to strengthen, possibly into a tropical storm. But coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana could experience tropical storm conditions this week, even if the system doesn’t officially get a name, Brennan said. “The main hazard with these types of systems is largely the flooding from the heavy rainfall,” Brennan said. “And we could see potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding across the Texas coast eastward into central Mississippi through Thursday. Prolonged rainfall may extend the flood threat into the weekend.” The storm’s maximum sustained winds were around 30 mph (45 kph) Tuesday morning, just shy of the 39 mph (63 kph) needed to be named a tropical storm.Houston, where a World Cup match between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is scheduled for Wednesday, has been under a flood warning since Monday. The stadium is covered, and no plans have been announced to move or reschedule the match. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

NEW YORK — That the New York Knicks, who just won the 2026 NBA championship, are not favored to win the 2027 NBA championship, is no great surprise.For one thing, the NBA hasn't seen a repeat champion since the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors. A decade into Adam Silver's "parity of opportunity" era, picking the field over the champs seems like a reasonable decision.For another, it's hard to blame the oddsmakers for dispassionately favoring a larger 82-game sample over a smaller 19-game one (even if those 19 games constituted some of the best basketball any team has played in recent memory). Heading into the 2026 NBA playoffs, both win-loss record and most advanced metrics pegged the Knicks as something like the fourth- or fifth-best team in the NBA, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics and arguably Detroit Pistons. Heading into the new season with the fourth-best odds of once again hoisting the Larry O'Brien championship trophy, behind OKC, San Antonio and Boston, is understandable, from a removed, quantitative view.Beyond that … I mean, of course the Knicks aren't considered the favorites to win next season. They weren't considered the favorites to win this season. Not until roughly one minute after The Right Hand of God made first contact.Championship runs don't always work this way. Sometimes, the favorite heading into the season winds up atop of the mountain come mid-June, and everyone's just sort of like, "Yep. That sounds about right." (In the last decade alone, the 2016 Cavaliers, 2017 and 2018 Warriors, and 2024 Celtics all pulled that off.)A lot of them, however, do unfold like this. Something that first appeared to be little more than an optimistic trick of the light somehow instantiates into tangible, three-dimensional reality; the impossible suddenly shifts into inevitability.So much had to go right for New York to end its 53-year NBA title drought and turn in one of the greatest postseasons in the history of the sport. That can make it difficult to extract grand takeaways from the Knicks' road to the top. All paths to glory differ, but this one …Find an undervalued player overshadowed by a higher-wattage face of the franchiseWho also has layers-deep family ties to your organization dating back to his literal infancyWho will then decide to forsake more than $100 million in immediate earnings so that you can make more moves around the marginsBring in a bunch of his old college buddies, who all fit brilliantly and are perfectly additive to the culture you're creatingTrade for an All-NBA unicorn who also used to be represented by your team president, back when he was one of the biggest power agents in the sportAnd when you suffer a devastating, high-profile loss in the playoffs, resist the urge to blow things upInstead, just fire the coach who delivered the most success your franchise had seen in a quarter-centuryAnd go find a perfect replacement (but only after like six unsuccessful attempts to hire someone else)… feels particularly hard to replicate.To the extent that there is a lesson to be learned from the Knicks' yearslong rise to the top of the heap, maybe it's this: The astonishing can happen. Everything can line up just right. You can go from 17 wins to an NBA championship. But the magic, like the man says, is in the work — years upon years of hunting wins on the margins in every scouting profile, every transaction, every signing, every analytical study, every tactical adjustment, every investment in player health and injury prevention.It's the organizational version of the way the Knicks offense put defenses in the blender, with each small advantage leading to another, and another, and another, until eventually the edge is too large to overcome. The result of what team president Leon Rose and his staff have built is a kind of a roster-building miracle — from one red paperclip to an immaculate house of cards, a friggin' Sagrada Familia of cards, all stacked precisely enough to be able to not only stand firm in the storm of the playoffs, but somehow reach all the way to heaven.It's a miracle borne of a leadership team that exercised patience at the right moments. Not using on Donovan Mitchell what would become the key pieces in the OG Anunoby trade. Doing the OG deal without surrendering any first-round picks, allowing them to become the ballast for Mikal Bridges.Not using those picks for a big man like frequently rumored targets Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo, who would have necessitated a more fundamental reorientation of how the offense would operate than either the chameleonic (sometimes to a fault) Bridges or the floor-spacing and more geometrically resonant Karl-Anthony Towns. Not overreacting to last spring's Eastern Conference finals loss to the Indiana Pacers or this January's post-NBA Cup swoon by damning the torpedoes and going all-in for Giannis. Continuing to believe in the collected talent, the underlying fundamentals, the bones of the house.It's also a miracle borne of an understanding for when to hit the gas. Moving to build the whole thing around Jalen Brunson after he'd shown that he was, definitively, the goods. Moving RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley at arguably the peak of their values for Anunoby at what might've been the nadir of his, with a giant new contract looming.Putting five first-round picks on the table for Bridges; recognizing the need to both raise the offense's floor and replace the likely-outgoing Isaiah Hartenstein, and doing both with the KAT trade, even at the cost of culture-setters Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Cutting bait on Tom Thibodeau just three days after he brought you to your first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, in favor of a coach in Mike Brown who you believed could get more out of this collection of talent — and who proved you 100% right.It's not one created, as the 2019 Toronto Raptors were, without any lottery picks. The highest-drafted player on the Knicks' championship roster, obviously, was Towns, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, who sacrificed and sublimated himself within the ecosystem for these Knicks, and who played the best basketball of his life over the past two months. New York's roster features two other lottery picks: Mikal Bridges, picked 10th overall in 2018, and Jeremy Sochan, chosen ninth overall in 2022.The highest-drafted player actually drafted by the Knicks, though? Second-year forward Pacôme Dadiet, whom New York selected with the 25th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and who played a grand total of 176 minutes this season.The entire rest of the roster consists of late-first-round picks (OG Anunoby, 23rd; Landry Shamet, 26th; Dillon Jones, 26th; Josh Hart, 30th), second-rounders (Jalen Brunson, 33rd; Tyler Kolek, 34th; Mitchell Robinson, 36th; Miles McBride, 36th; Jordan Clarkson, 46th; Mohamed Diawara, 51st; Ariel Hukporti; 58th, Kevin McCullar, 58th) and undrafted free agents (Jose Alvarado, Trey Jemison).Yes, some entered the league with pedigree: The Villanova guys had all won national championships, Alvarado had been named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Kolek and Jones had won Player of the Year honors in their respective college conferences, etc. And sure, Anunoby likely would've been a mid-to-high lottery pick had he not torn the ACL in his right knee during his sophomore season at Indiana. But all of these players — even No. 1 pick Towns and lottery selections Bridges and Sochan — have been in some way passed over, undervalued and questioned, and have had to answer those questions and push through those doubts to get where they are today."I think everybody to a certain degree at some point in life is overlooked, you know?" coach Mike Brown — who, for the record, was fired from four different head coaching jobs before winning it all in New York — said after the Knicks' miraculous Game 4 win. "I mean, I've had people in my own family who, I see more potential in them than maybe what the world sees. And you know, just to have the ability to stay with it, stay with it, stay with it, stay with it, especially when you get knocked down — to me, that defines who you are. Even if you don't have the 'ultimate success' that you think you deserve, if you get knocked down in life, and you're able to get back up and keep fighting, that's a freaking win."That shared willingness to keep fighting, a character trait that Rose and Co. clearly seemed to prioritize in building this roster, paid dividends for the Knicks throughout the treacherous climb to the summit. Hart saw and felt it firsthand after missing a fast-break layup that could've given the Knicks the lead late in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs — a moment where he felt as low as he could imagine … only for his teammates to sprint over and immediately pick him up."When you have a team that has that kind of togetherness in the most adverse situations, that breeds championship habits and a championship team," Hart said. "I feel like we can go down the line of every guy in that locker room that has had moments like that during the season, and everyone has been there to pick each other up. When you have a team that can do that, no matter what happens in a game, you feel like you can get through it."While the Knicks aren't built around high-profile in-house draft picks of their own, that's not to say that their drafting and player development work didn't have any role in assembling this title roster. Far from it.Robinson, their longest-tenured player, has grown from a scratch-off ticket full of athletic tools in 2018's second round into a fundamentally different player — less live-wire jumping out of the gym to block 3-pointers, more grounded interior defense and offensive-rebounding dominance. That evolution proved massively important to the Knicks' overarching approach — hammer the offensive glass, limit turnovers, create turnovers, win the possession battle — and found its greatest expression with 26.1 seconds left in Game 5, when he bulldozed through Victor Wembanyama to grab Hart's missed free throw, kick the ball out to Shamet, and force the Spurs to foul Anunoby, who made it a two-possession game.While Robinson was on the floor to put his fingerprints on the victory, his fellow former Knicks draftees weren't.Barrett, the last first-round pick of the previous regime, didn't reach the All-Star/All-NBA heights of the two players picked before him in the 2019 NBA Draft (Zion Williamson, Ja Morant). But he turned into a dependable-enough, counting-stats-productive near-star to merit being the first first-round pick to receive a contract extension from the Knicks since Charlie Ward in 1999. Quickley, the second first-round pick of Rose's tenure — and one that, according to reporting at the time, senior basketball advisor William Wesley, a.k.a. "World Wide Wes," essentially pounded the table to select — developed into an ace reserve, finishing second in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2023 and routinely juicing New York's efficiency on both ends of the floor when he checked into the game.After playing key roles on the Knicks teams that went to the playoffs in 2021 and 2023, Barrett and Quickley wound up being the trade package that delivered Anunoby — the central casting 3-and-D big wing whom the Raptors likely wouldn't have been able to re-sign in unrestricted free agency that summer, and whose arrival transformed the Knicks into a team that could seriously harbor bona fide dreams of contention. Since joining the team midway through the 2023-24 season, the Knicks have gone 141-68 with Anunoby in the lineup across all competitions — a .675 winning percentage, a 55-win pace — and have outscored opponents by 1,192 points with him on the floor, the second-highest figure on the team, behind only Brunson.Also part of that package heading to Toronto? A 2024 second-round pick that the Knicks originally got from the Clippers in a 2021 draft-night deal that sent Keon Johnson to L.A. in exchange for Quentin Grimes — who wound up being a starting 2-guard on a Knicks team that made the second round of the 2023 playoffs, and who was later dealt to Detroit in a trade that brought back Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, both of whom contributed to another second-round appearance in 2024. All the pieces matter.The Knicks, somewhat infamously, didn't send any first-round picks to Toronto for Anunoby. They have, however, turned what seemed like fairly limited draft capital into cornerstone players in a number of other deals.Rose and Co. turned New York's 2023 first-round pick, along with Cam Reddish and Ryan Arcidiacono, into Hart, the Jay to Brunson's Silent Bob, and the emotional and energetic centerpiece of the roster.(Being willing to move off Reddish, whom he'd imported ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, after just 35 underwhelming games highlights another strength of Rose's tenure: the ability to recognize when something he thought would work wasn't working, and to pivot quickly. See: The Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier era.)They entered the 2022 NBA Draft holding the No. 11 pick, and wound up, through a series of draft-night deals, turning that into three (protected) future first-round picks and enough cap space to sign Brunson — part of a multi-year pattern of trading down in the draft to accumulate more future draft capital and bring in players at slightly lower salary slots than a higher pick would command.That includes the aforementioned Dadiet, the 25th pick in 2024, who played a surprisingly pivotal role on this title team that belied those scant 176 minutes. As Fred Katz of The Athletic detailed at the time, his willingness to sign for 80% of his rookie-scale slot — a break of about $900,000 from what he could have gotten — was critical in the Knicks' efforts to crowbar open just enough salary cap space to be able to swing the eve-of-training-camp blockbuster for Towns back in 2024 while fitting his supermax contract underneath the second apron. (They were able to get that close to fitting in the mega-deal thanks in part to Brunson and Robinson both being on descending contracts — another "win every negotiation" hallmark of a transactional era overseen by cap strategist Brock Aller.)New York was hard-capped at the second apron at that point due to their previous summer blockbuster for Bridges, which saw them send out five first-round picks for a player they believed profiled as a perfect complementary wing next to Brunson, Anunoby and Hart. (One of those picks, by the way? The Milwaukee Bucks' 2025 first, which the Knicks got from the Detroit Pistons as part of that 2022 draft-night wheeling and dealing to create the cap space to sign Brunson. All the pieces matter.)The full freight the picks they sent to the Brooklyn Nets — New York's unprotected 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031 firsts, plus an unprotected 2028 pick swap — have, at times, been a millstone around Bridges' neck, an easy talking point for frustrated fans to hammer when his shot went cold and he appeared to float through games. But after he bounced back from a dire start to the 2026 playoffs to turn in the best month of his career as the Knicks ascended to a new plane of postseason existence, capped by a monster performance in Game 2 against San Antonio and 14 points with four assists in the Game 5 closeout, nobody seemed to be particularly concerned about all that draft capital.Nor is anyone hemming and hawing over the 2025 first that the Knicks sent Minnesota along with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for Towns — a pick that, again, originally came from Detroit before being redirected through Houston (for Christian Wood!) and Oklahoma City (for Alperen Şengün) and eventually landing in New York as part of the aforementioned 2022 Brunson-aimed draft-night arbitrage that landed Ousmane Dieng in OKC.Even with the draft picks added to the kitty, though, the Knicks needed to get creative on the margins to grease the skids on the Bridges and Towns deals. As Katz detailed, they had to guarantee the contracts of Mamadi Diakite and Shake Milton in sign-and-trade deals to add them to the Nets package to make the math work for Bridges while avoiding the hard cap. Then, they had to redirect Keita Bates-Diop (whom they received from Brooklyn in the Bridges deal) and the similarly signed-and-traded Charlie Brown Jr., Duane Washington Jr. and DaQuan Jeffries along with Randle and DiVincenzo in what wound up being a three-team deal to get Towns.Every roster spot, every player and pick under team control, every cent of extra cash a team can send in a deal — all the pieces matter. That includes hitting on the margins in the players you do keep.It's Rose immediately signing McBride to a three-year, $13 million contract extension after flipping Barrett and Quickley to Toronto in the Anunoby deal, locking in what was about to become an extremely important two-way rotation piece for what soon became an extreme value contract. It's creating attractive enough conditions for mid-career veterans that you can land guys like Shamet and Clarkson, both of whom had vital moments during New York's season and run to the Larry O'B, for the minimum. It's turning a swing-and-a-miss on Guerschon Yabusele into a quick-pivot correction — first, sending him (and cash) to Chicago for wing Dalen Terry, and then flipping Terry (and cash) to New Orleans for Alvarado — that returned a better-fitting player who played a huge role in the Game 4 comeback against San Antonio … while actually saving a million bucks on the balance sheet.The most important savings, of course, came courtesy of Brunson. His decision to sign a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension in the summer of 2024 rather than waiting a year to sign a five-year deal that could have netted him an additional $113 million (or, really, an additional $37 million, if you're getting technical about it) created the financial conditions that allowed the Knicks to conduct all the big business that followed — re-signing Anunoby, fitting in Towns' supermax, extending Bridges, being able to use the taxpayer midlevel exception on Yabusele, which later turned into Alvarado — without going into the second apron and being subject to the myriad restrictions on trades and signings that come with it.We can hold two thoughts simultaneously. On one hand, players shouldn't be put in the position of needing to take less than the top dollar they can make, in a system that artificially caps their earnings as it is, in order to facilitate the construction of the best roster possible. On the other, though, Brunson — from the day he got to Manhattan, a partner in this family business — seems exceedingly pleased with what giving up that up-front money wound up getting him on the back end.Brunson gave something up to get something in return, and now he has everything he could ever want.Well, maybe not everything."He's happy he won this m**********r," an, um, excited Bridges said during an Instagram Live stream on Monday. "He's very happy. I know he is. But if you don't think that [he's] not ready for another run? Then y'all don't know JB."It's unlikely that the Knicks will become the first team since the Kevin Durant-era Warriors to go back-to-back; there's a reason the oddsmakers set the lines the way they do, after all. Surviving one 100-game season, coming back and doing it all over again … well, it'd take a miracle, wouldn't it?

San Francisco Unicorns enjoyed another impressive Major League Cricket campaign in 2025, finishing third in the league stage with seven wins from 10 matches and a net run-rate of +1.330. They emerged as one of the most explosive teams in the competition, winning their first six matches before stumbling towards the end and bowing out in the Eliminator.The Unicorns made a statement right away with a record-breaking 123-run victory over Washington Freedom and continued their unbeaten run with victories over Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, Texas Super Kings and Seattle Orcas. Their batting line-up consistently produced imposing totals, while the pace attack, spearheaded by Xavier Bartlett and Haris Rauf, made them one of the most balanced sides in the tournament.However, after winning six consecutive games, San Francisco lost three of their final four league matches. Although they edged Texas Super Kings in a thrilling one-run contest to seal a playoff berth, defeats to Los Angeles Knight Riders and MI New York in the Eliminator meant their promising campaign ended without a title.Season record: 10 matches, 7 wins, 3 lossesLongest winning streak: 6 matchesBiggest victory: Won by 123 runs vs Washington FreedomBiggest defeat: Lost by 12 runs vs Washington FreedomFinal position: 3rd in league stageMatch-by-matchMatch 1: Beat Washington Freedom by 123 runsSan Francisco Unicorns announced themselves in style. They hammered 269/5 before bowling out Washington Freedom for 146 in 13.1 overs, registering the biggest victory of the season.Match 3: Beat Los Angeles Knight Riders by 32 runsAfter posting 219/8, the Unicorns restricted LAKR to 187 to secure their second successive victory and maintain early momentum.Match 6: Beat MI New York by 3 wicketsChasing 183, San Francisco got home with five balls to spare. The narrow win highlighted the composure of their middle order in pressure situations.Match 10: Beat Texas Super Kings by 7 wicketsTexas Super Kings scored 198/5, but the Unicorns responded emphatically. They chased down the target in just 16.1 overs to underline their batting firepower.Match 14: Beat MI New York by 47 runsSan Francisco piled on 246/4 and never allowed MI New York back into the contest, restricting them to 199/6 for a comprehensive victory.Match 16: Beat Seattle Orcas by 32 runsDefending 176/8, the Unicorns bowled out Seattle for 144 in 18.2 overs to stretch their winning streak to six matches.Match 19: Lost to Washington Freedom by 12 runsTheir unbeaten run finally came to an end. Chasing 170, the Unicorns could only manage 157/9 despite a late fightback.Match 22: Lost to Seattle Orcas by 4 wicketsAnother close contest went against the Unicorns. Their 168/5 proved insufficient as Seattle chased the target with three balls remaining.Match 25: Beat Texas Super Kings by 1 runOne of the most thrilling matches of the season saw San Francisco defend 148/6. Texas Super Kings finished on 147/7, handing the Unicorns a dramatic one-run victory.Match 30: Lost to Los Angeles Knight Riders by 11 runsIn a rain-affected contest reduced to 19 overs, LAKR blasted 243/3 and set a DLS target of 245. Despite an aggressive response, the Unicorns were bowled out for 233 in 18.5 overs.Eliminator: Lost to MI New York by 2 wicketsSan Francisco's season ended in heartbreaking fashion. Bowled out for 131, they pushed MI New York all the way but the latter chased down the target with three balls to spare.Top performersBatting starsMatthew Short, 360 runs: Matthew Short enjoyed a brilliant campaign, scoring 360 runs in eight innings at an average of 45.00 and a strike rate of 164.38. He struck five half-centuries and provided consistency and aggression at the top of the order.Finn Allen, 333 runs: Allen was one of the most destructive batters in the tournament. He amassed 333 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 225.00, including a breathtaking 151 and two fifties. His powerplay exploits often set the tone for the Unicorns.Jake Fraser-McGurk, 275 runs: The Australian opener added 275 runs at a strike rate of 169.75 and produced two half-centuries. His attacking approach complemented Allen perfectly.Sanjay Krishnamurthi, 253 runs: Krishnamurthi contributed valuable middle-order runs, scoring 253 at a strike rate of 154.27. His highest score of 92 underlined his ability to accelerate.Hassan Khan, 225 runs: Hassan Khan made important contributions lower down the order, scoring 225 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 187.50 and adding balance to the line-up.Leading bowlersXavier Bartlett, 18 wickets: Bartlett spearheaded the attack with 18 wickets in 11 matches. He averaged 19.78 and claimed two four-wicket hauls, proving to be San Francisco's most consistent wicket-taker.Haris Rauf, 17 wickets: Despite featuring in only eight matches, Rauf collected 17 wickets at an average of 15.06 and a strike rate below 10. His two four-wicket hauls made him one of the tournament's most dangerous bowlers.Hassan Khan, 12 wickets: Hassan Khan enjoyed an excellent all-round campaign, taking 12 wickets and emerging as a dependable spin option in the middle overs.Romario Shepherd, 8 wickets: Shepherd provided important breakthroughs and maintained an economy rate of eight while contributing with the bat as well.Matthew Short, 6 wickets: The captain also chipped in with six wickets and maintained an economy of 7.35, further highlighting his all-round value.Season verdictSan Francisco Unicorns were among the standout teams of the league stage and looked like genuine title contenders after winning their first six matches. Their aggressive batting unit and potent pace attack made them one of the most entertaining sides in the competition.However, a dip in form towards the end of the league stage and a narrow defeat in the Eliminator denied them a place deeper into the playoffs. Despite the disappointing finish, the Unicorns can take plenty of positives from a campaign that showcased their explosive brand of cricket and reaffirmed their status as one of Major League Cricket's strongest teams.

Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion to secure the services of Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke in a deal understood by the Press Association to be worth £52 million.The move for the 25-year-old centre-back comes after a dismal 2025-26 campaign for Spurs, which saw them narrowly avoid Premier League relegation on the final day of the season. After two initial bids were rejected, an agreement has been struck for the player, who was set to be out of contract next summer, with a fixed £52m fee bringing him to north London.Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi previously worked with Van Hecke during his tenure at Brighton, where the ball-playing central defender blossomed into one of the league's standout players in his position. Roberto De Zerbi is set to bring in a player from his former club (PA)Despite avoiding the drop, De Zerbi has stressed the need for significant lessons to be learned, with the club's majority owners, the Lewis family, pledging to be "all in" to fund a necessary rebuild following consecutive 17th-placed finishes.Tottenham's defensive frailties were stark, conceding 122 goals across the last two Premier League seasons. Van Hecke's arrival marks another step in De Zerbi's immediate efforts to bolster the backline, following the earlier acquisitions of left-back Andy Robertson and centre-back Marcos Senesi.Van Hecke began his career in the Netherlands with NAC Breda before joining Brighton in 2020. It was under De Zerbi during the 2023-24 season that he truly flourished with the Seagulls, making 40 appearances and playing a key role in their qualification for Europe for only the second time in their history.He will now link up with his Netherlands international teammate Micky van de Ven at Tottenham. Brighton, meanwhile, are expected to intensify their pursuit of Spurs centre-back Luka Vuskovic as a potential replacement, though two of their bids have already been rejected this month, PA understands.

Iran's Mohammad Mohebbi (8), center, scores his side's second goal during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Monday, June 15, 2026. | Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press The World Cup is not even a week in and there is plenty to talk about. Second-ranked Spain played to a draw with major underdog Cape Verde, while Morocco captured a stalemate with Brazil.The Netherlands vs. Japan game also lived up to the hype, tying 2-2.Here are a few headlines to pay attention to as the action unfolds across the U.S., Canada and Mexico:Star Neymar remains sidelined as Brazil battles to draw with Morocco Brazil's Neymar, left, looks on before the World Cup Group C soccer match between Brazil and Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Saturday, June 13, 2026. | Yuki Iwanmura, Associated Press It was a highly anticipated matchup between the usual cup contender Brazil, against a Morocco team experiencing a golden generation of soccer players.Scoring first was Morocco’s Ismael Saibari as he flipped the ball up and over Brazil’s goalie. Not long after, Brazil responded with a goal of its own, and the score would not change after that.A thrilling match between Brazil and Morocco 🍿Relive all the action here pic.twitter.com/u5SrhlRfNY— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 14, 2026The last time Brazil experienced a draw in the group stage was when the team encountered Switzerland on its way to a quarterfinal appearance. Brazil is looking to restore its dominance in the sport, as the last time it made the semifinals was 2014, and its last time it won the World Cup was 2002.Brazil is playing without one of its stars, Neymar, who is working through a lingering calf injury. It is hopeful he returns for their match against Haiti on Friday, but he may sit out until June 24, debuting against Scotland.Cape Verde surprises Spain Spain's Pedri (20) grabs the jersey of Cape Verde's Nuno da Costa (21) and draws a yellow card during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. | Jacob Kupferman, Associated Press Perhaps the biggest surprise thus far is Cape Verde’s draw with Spain. Second-ranked Spain entered as one of the favorites to win the entire tournament but got off to a bumpy start against the World Cup novices.Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper played hero as he prevented seven shots on goal to keep the Spaniards out of the net the entire match. The island country only had one shot on goal.Get caught up on all the action from Cape Verde's stunning 0-0 draw with Spain 🤯 pic.twitter.com/f123tIsh6n— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 15, 2026The other match in Group H also ended in a tie between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, leaving the qualifying bid wide open. Despite Spain’s setback, oddsmakers still have great confidence in Spain’s ability to make a deep run. Spain is tied with France with the best odds to win the tournament.U.S. strong showing ahead of Australia United States' Alex Freeman, top, reaches for the ball over Paraguay's Antonio Sanabria during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Associated Press The U.S. soccer team opened up its quest for glory with a dominant showing against Paraguay, winning 4-1. A first half brace from Folarin Balogun allowed the U.S. to coast to victory.FOLARIN BALOGUN BRACE TO MAKE IT 3-0 @USMNT! 🇺🇸A truly stellar FIFA World Cup debut for Flo. pic.twitter.com/yfjrSEtKcz— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 13, 2026Next up will be Australia, which defeated Turkey 2-0, in a Sunday match that could determine the pool winner.Potential history in Group G Iran's Mohammad Mohebbi (8) celebrates after scoring his side's second goal alongside Mehdi Ghayedi (10) during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Monday, June 15, 2026. | Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press After two ties thus far, the countries in Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand could make history. Out of the four, Belgium is the only one to see the knockout round, and, after a tie with Egypt, left the door open for the African country to score its qualifying bid.Nothing to separate the teams in Group G and Group H. ⚖️#FIFAWorldCup— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 16, 2026To make history, New Zealand and Egypt simply need to win a game for it to be historic. A victory would result in a first-ever World Cup match win in both countries’ history.On another note, New Zealand’s Tyler Bindon subbed in during the 92nd minute, making him part of the first mother-son duo to ever play in a World Cup. His mother, Jenny Bindon, was a goalie for New Zealand in 2007 and 2011.Tyler and Jenny Bindon have become the first-ever mother-son duo to play in the World Cup.Tyler, who subbed on in the 92nd minute of New Zealand's opening match, now joins his mom, who played for the country at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups as a goalkeeper. pic.twitter.com/kNriPHCAA7— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 16, 2026Netherlands, Japan draw in closing minutes Netherlands' Virgil van Dijk (4) clears the ball on an attack during the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Japan in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Sunday, June 14, 2026. | Tony Gutierrez, Associated Press A highly anticipated match between Japan and the Netherlands came down to the ending moments, when Japan scored a late equalizer off the foot of Daichi Kamada to draw with the Dutch.🤯🇳🇱🇯🇵 WHAT A GAME AND JAPAN SCORES A LATE EQUALIZER AGAINST THE NETHERLANDS! Reminder that the winner of this group will play in MONTERREY in a potential clash against Brazil or Morocco in the Round of 32. 🏆🔥 pic.twitter.com/uC8cjZSmhK— All Fútbol MX 🇲🇽 (@AllFutbolMX) June 14, 2026Featuring Virgil van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong, the Dutch have much better odds to advance than Japan, but both are behind the needle as Sweden already secured a victory against Tunisia.Netherlands faces off against Sweden on Saturday.World Cup favorites such as France, Argentina, Portugal and England have yet to begin World Cup play, but will open up play Tuesday and Wednesday.

Hoffenheim eye Belgian wonderkid and former FC Bayern target in potential record dealTSG Hoffenheim are reportedly exploring a move for Belgian prospect Nathan De Cat as the club continues its ambitious recruitment drive ahead of the new season. The teenager is regarded as one of Belgium's brightest young talents and has attracted interest from several clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich.According to "BILD", Hoffenheim view De Cat as a long-term investment and are willing to compete financially to bring him to the Bundesliga. Any deal, however, would require a transfer fee that would rank among the highest in the club's history - and potentially surpass previous records. Hoffenheim's most expensive signings in the past have generally fallen in the €15-20 million range, underlining the scale of the potential investment.According to “Transfermarkt”, De Cat's market value lies at around €27 million. While negotiations are reportedly ongoing, it remains to be seen whether Hoffenheim are prepared to meet the asking price for De Cat.The 17-year-old wonderkid has already made 53 appearances for Anderlecht in Belgium, scoring four and assisting five.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert missed some of the team's voluntary workouts this spring and worked on a modified schedule in some of the practices he attended, but he'll be back in a more familiar routine at minicamp this week. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said on Tuesday that Herbert will be throwing at each of the team's practices this week. Herbert had been taking a day a week to focus solely on footwork during OTAs with the goal of speeding up his release and Harbaugh indicated that this week's schedule is designed to make sure the quarterback is ready to hit the ground running this summer. "We got a plan," Harbaugh said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. "We got a nice progression where he's ramping up to training camp and the first game of the season and the entire season. So he's in a ramp up."The change in Herbert's practice work came in Mike McDaniel's first offseason as the team's offensive coordinator and the Chargers will be hoping that his labor translates into their first playoff win since the 2018 season.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended Iran's 2-2 tie against New Zealand on Monday -Credit:Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty ImagesFollowing months of speculation surrounding the Iranian national team and whether or not they would decide to participate in the largely U.S.-hosted 2026 FIFA World Cup amidst the backdrop of war between the nations, Team Melli finally kicked off its tournament on Monday.Drawn into Group G alongside Egypt, Belgium, and New Zealand, Iran kicked off its campaign against the All Whites at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with the two sides battling fiercely throughout in what proved an enthralling end-to-end game.Iran came back from a one-goal deficit twice, with Player of the Match Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi both finding the back of the net, while Elijah Just scored both of New Zealand’s goals.FIFA World Cup referee under investigation for alleged 'white supremacy' gestureSomali referee Omar Artan receives Canadian World Cup offers after U.S. border denialIran head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they had to return to Mexico 'immediately' after Monday's game -Credit:Sebastian Frej, Getty ImagesWatching on from the stands of the home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Chargers was FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who had long stated that, despite tensions, Iran would participate in the tournament. In fact, when he stated confidently that they would play back in April, U.S. President Donald Trump, a friend of Infantino’s, called him “a piece of work” in response.Following the draw, which saw 30 combined shots taken, Infantino visited the Iranian team in their locker room to deliver a speech. He said, “Tonight was a tough game. With a bit more luck, you win.“But you showed to your families, to your friends, to your people, to the world, that you are in the World Cup, that you perform, and you have two more games to go. And in these two games that you have to go, you will make again everyone in the world proud of what you do. Thank you for being here. “I know what you go through. I understand. But you are stronger than everything. And you send a strong message to the entire world. Like tonight, you united the whole stadium here, behind you, behind Team Melli, you are showing to the world and sending such a strong message. So, thank you very much.”While Infantino’s message may have been generally positive and an attempt to uplift the Iranian players and staff, it was quickly drowned out by frustration from within the locker room, not least after they were ordered to leave the country and return to their Mexico base, as per head coach Amir Ghalenoei.To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HERE"They didn't even give us time to recover," Ghalenoei said through an interpreter after the game. "After the game today, they said to us, 'You have to leave immediately.'"It's very important for us to have time for recovery, but we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that. They delayed our arrivals, and they are forcing us to go back early without time for recovery."They are making the situation more and more difficult, facing us with more hurdles, but we're not going to let that stop us from doing our best. That's why I think we are the most oppressed team in the World Cup."The team was originally expected to be based in Arizona, before a last-minute switch to Tijuana, Mexico, was made.Ghalenoei was clearly not alone in his frustration on Monday, with forward Mehdi Taremi, saying, "FIFA told us you have to go because it's our preparation. It's supposed to be, as I said, tomorrow morning recovery, then we fly to Tijuana, then return to LA again.Iran forward Mehdi Tarem said after their draw with New Zealand of their situation that 'everything is a disaster' -Credit:Soccrates Images, Getty Images"But now, right now, we have to go back, and I don't know who, because it's between the federation and FIFA. And also, we don't have that, because we don't have our media, we don't have our president of federation, we don't have vice president, and no one, some staff also, which is so important for us. It doesn't have any communication with the FIFA and for the players."As you see, our analyser, for example, have come here doing the job of the media, and you know, everything is a disaster, actually, for us. It's not the right thing for us, but we don't follow the excuse, we're just looking forward, we're having hope for the next two games, and we will do our best for our people, and we bring the joy for our supporters."Next up for Iran is another game at SoFi Stadium on June 21 against Belgium, before their final group game against Egypt at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on June 26.

Munich defender set for Hoffenheim switchTSG Hoffenheim appear set to strengthen their ranks with the addition of Sean Dulic, as the Bundesliga club looks to capitalize on the uncertain situation surrounding TSV 1860 Munich.The 21-year-old center-back is regarded as one of 1860's brightest academy products. A Munich native, Dulic has been with the club since childhood and recently established himself in the first team after making his professional breakthrough during the 2024/25 season. His performances earned him a contract extension last year as the club sought to secure one of its most promising young players.However, 1860 Munich's financial crisis has dramatically altered the picture. The club was denied a license for the 2026/27 3. Liga season after failing to provide the required financial guarantees, forcing the former Bundesliga side into the Bavarian Regionalliga. Reports suggest the crisis could even threaten the club's long-term future if additional funding is not secured.Against that backdrop, Hoffenheim have reportedly moved quickly to secure Dulic's services. Because of 1860's licensing issues, the defender could leave on a free transfer, giving the Kraichgau club the opportunity to add a highly rated prospect without paying a fee.Sky Germany report that a medical has already been planned for Wednesday and that Dulic is set to sign a contract with Hoffenheim until June 2031. Schalke 04 was also interested in the 21-year-old, but Hoffenheim proposed the better offer.

A 48-team tournament means the World Cup’s fantasy football game is bigger than ever, with over 1,200 players available for selection before the group phase. Does that mean almost everyone will still have at least two of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in their line-ups? Yes, yes it does - but it will take more than that to build a winning 15-man squad. Players of the Premier League’s increasing popular fantasy football game (FPL) will be familiar with Fifa’s format for the World Cup - but there are some twists to be aware of, too. Those include a couple of new chips (such as ‘12th man’ and ‘maximum captain’) and the ability to substitute players from your bench into your line-up during a round of matches. Furthermore, unlimited transfers will be available following the group phase, so you should spend your initial $100m without thinking too far ahead just yet. Top tierHarry Kane, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe (all £10.5m) are the most expensive players in the game but all three are also contenders for the golden boot. Kane is a must, while Haaland could be swapped out for Mbappe after the group stages. Spain’s excellent fixtures makes Mikel Oyarzabal ($8.1m) a cheaper alternative and Unai Simon ($5m) the best pick at goalkeeper, if he starts ahead of David Raya, but Lamine Yamal ($10m) is a fitness doubt for their opening game against Cape Verde. Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m) appears too cheap to pass up. In defence, attacking full-backs Achraf Hakimi ($6m), Nuno Mendes ($5.8m) and Denzel Dumfries ($5.7m) are expensive but they all carry goal threat and clean-sheet potential. Brazil and Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes ($5.5m) is a set-piece monster and Joshua Kimmich ($5.5m) is a playmaker for Germany from right back. Goalkeeper Unai Simon - Spain ($5m) Thibaut Courtois - Belgium ($4.9m) Jordan Pickford - England ($4.8m) DefendersAchraf Hakimi - Morocco ($6m) Nuno Mendes - Portugal ($5.8m) Denzel Dumfries - Netherlands ($5.7m)Gabriel Magalhaes - Brazil ($5.5m)Joshua Kimmich - Germany ($5.5m)Midfielders Lamine Yamal - Spain ($10m) Bukayo Saka - England ($9.5m)Michael Olise - France ($9.5m)Bruno Fernandes - Portugal ($8.5m)Luis Diaz - Colombia ($8.1m)ForwardsHarry Kane - England ($10.5m)Kylian Mbappe - France ($10.5m)Erling Haaland - Norway ($10.5m)Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal ($10m) Mikel Oyarzabal - Spain ($8.1m) Haaland, Kane or Mbappe? (Getty)Mid tier If you’ve spent heavily on forwards, you can get some good value back on goal-scoring midfielders. Turkey’s Arda Guler ($7m), Morocco’s Brahim Diaz ($6.4m), Scotland’s Scott McTominay ($6.5m) and Belgium’s Jeremy Doku ($7.5m) are pivotal to their teams and could produce a moment of magic in a low-scoring game. Marc Cucurella ($5.1m) is the cheapest starting Spain defender so will be popular, while Japan’s Ritsu Doan ($5.1m), England’s Nico O'Reilly ($4.7m) and Colombia’s Daniel Munoz ($4.6m), in different ways, all love to attack from full or wing-back. Mexico’s captain Cesar Montes ($4.7m) is a threat from set-pieces. Ecuador’s solid defence makes goalkeeper Hernan Galindez ($4.2m) a fine mid-tier option while Iran striker Mehdi Taremi ($6.1m) is excellent value in an open group. Germany could win big against Curacao, bringing Kai Havertz ($7.8m) into play. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou - Morocco ($4.7m)Hernan Galindez - Ecuador ($4.2m)Sergio Rochet - Uruguay ($4.1m)DefendersMarc Cucurella - Spain ($5.1m)Ritsu Doan - Japan ($5.1m)Nico O'Reilly - England($4.7m)Cesar Montes - Mexico (£4.7m)Daniel Munoz - Colombia ($4.6m)Midfielders Jeremy Doku - Belgium ($7.5m)Arda Guler - Turkey ($7m)Declan Rice - England ($7m)Scott McTominay - Scotland ($6.5m)Brahim Diaz - Morocco ($6.4m)ForwardsKai Havertz - Germany ($7.8m)Son Heung-min - South Korea ($7.4m)Matheus Cunha - Brazil ($7.3m)Antoine Semenyo - Ghana ($7.2m)Mehdi Taremi - Iran ($6.1m)Could Kai Havertz score big in the group stages? (Getty)Value tierEcuador are unbeaten in 19 games, conceding just six goals, so their Champions League-winning centre-back William Pacho ($4.4m) looks a steal in defence. If fit, Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui is also a good budget option, particularly when the former semi-finalists play Scotland and Haiti. Sergino Dest (£4.3m) plays an advanced role for hosts USA while Jan Paul Van Hecke ($4.3m) is the cheapest part of a star-studded back four for the Netherlands. Meanwhile, several starting goalkeepers will be available for less than $4m, such as Mexico’s Raul Rangel ($3.9m), New Zealand’s Max Crocombe ($3.9m) and Scotland’s Angus Gunn ($3.6m). Further forward, Keito Nakamura ($5.5m) is the other half of Japan’s attack-minded wing-back system and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s young winger Esmir Bajraktarevic ($4.7m) is likely to start and could be a breakout talent. Goalkeeper Raul Rangel - Mexico ($3.9m)Max Crocombe - New Zealand ($3.9m)Angus Gunn - Scotland ($3.6m)DefendersNoussair Mazraoui - Morocco ($4.5m)William Pacho - Ecuador ($4.4m)Sergino Dest - USA (£4.3m)Julian Ryerson - Norway ($4.2m)Jan Paul Van Hecke - Netherlands ($4.3m)Midfielders Keito Nakamura - Japan ($5.5m)Tyler Adams - USA ($5.3m)Kendry Paez - Ecuador ($5.2m)Lukas Bergvall - Sweden ($5.1m)Juninho Bacuna - Curacao ($5.1m)Ecuador’s William Pacho could be good value in defence (Getty)ForwardsEnner Valencia - Ecuador (£5.9m)Simon Adingra - Ivory Coast ($5.6m)Julian Quinones - Mexico ($5.6m)Lyle Foster - South Africa ($5.4m)Esmir Bajraktarevic - Bosnia and Herzegovina ($4.7m)What are the chips? Wildcard: Allows unlimited changes before a round. Can’t be used before round one or before the last-3212th man: Select an additional player to add to your squad, who will then earn pointsMaximum Captain: The top-scoring player in your team for that round automatically becomes captain and earns double points Qualification booster: +2 points for any player who reaches the next round of the tournament, to be used from last-32Mystery booster: Unknown, to be revealed once the last-32 begins

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was released from jail Tuesday and he made a mad dash, running away from reporters as they peppered him with questions.Video from KDFW showed the NFL star walking backward inside the jail, then smiling as he made a run for it out the door. Rice was freed after completing a 30-day sentence for violating probation. The violation stemmed from his involvement in a car crash on a Texas highway that injured multiple individuals.The 26-year-old was booked on May 19 after testing positive for THC. Prior to his sentencing, Rice underwent surgery to address inflammation in his right knee. A judge granted his lawyers' request for him to receive treatment at Parkland Hospital while serving his time.Rice's absence meant he missed all of the Chiefs' voluntary offseason workouts and their mandatory minicamp. However, Chiefs coach Andy Reid recently stated his expectation for Rice to report to training camp in late July. "(Chiefs trainer) Rick (Burkholder) has talked to him more than what I have," Reid said, adding, "just making sure that everything was set there where he could do some rehab with it and still do the time that he needed to take care of. So he's on top of that, and thank goodness that they're allowing him to do that. So, they've been great with that."The Chiefs are relying on Rice to bolster an offense that struggled during their 6-11 finish last season. While valuable when available, with 156 catches for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns, contributing to their 2023 Super Bowl win, he has also missed games due to suspensions and injuries, playing only 28 games in three seasons.Reid emphasized the path forward, stating during voluntary workouts, "We’re moving forward as normal as we go here. When he gets back, we’ve got to get him caught up in doing what he needs to do, and make sure he gets it. It’s not an easy thing he’s going through." He concluded, "Life lessons are important, but we’re all given chances to learn, and he’s in that position now."From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here.

In a post attacking the media for its coverage of his strike on Iran, President Donald Trump referred to CNN host Anderson Cooper as “Allison Cooper” in a seemingly homophobic dig, implying that he is basically a woman because he is gay. The insult also implies that being stereotypically feminine is a bad thing. “The sites that we hit in Iran were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it,” Trump wrote. “Only the Fake News would say anything different in order to try and demean, as much as possible — And even they say they were ‘pretty well destroyed!'” Related Trump’s lesbian niece explains exactly why he wants a war with Iran: This is “about his fragile ego” “Working especially hard on this falsehood is Allison Cooper of Fake News CNN, Dumb Brian L. Roberts, Chairman of ‘Con’cast, Jonny Karl of ABC Fake News, and always, the Losers of, again, Concast’s NBC Fake News. It never ends with the sleazebags in the Media, and that’s why their Ratings are at an ALL TIME LOW — ZERO CREDIBILITY!” 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 Cooper was one of several journalists who questioned the president’s claim that his strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities completely obliterated them. The U.S. “successfully” hit three nuclear sites in Iran, President Donald Trump announced earlier tonight, as the conflict between Israel and Iran entered its second week. pic.twitter.com/OekDOQxmHN— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) June 22, 2025 Trump’s homophobic comment toward Cooper came only a day after Cooper and his film crew fled to a bomb shelter while live on-air in Israel due to an alert of an incoming Iranian missile strike. Despite the danger, Cooper continued his journalistic duties, telling viewers, “We have about a 10-minute window to get down into a bomb shelter, and we’ll continue to try to broadcast from that bomb shelter, and even if we can, on the way down.” Cooper spoke with viewers as he and his co-hosts, all impressively calm, walked through a hotel to descend to the basement. “This is the first time today that we have had an alarm like this,” he said. “It’s obviously something that many here in Tel Aviv have gotten used to over the last 10 or 11 days since this began. We saw one alarm shortly after the first strikes on Iran by the United States. This is the first one we’ve had this morning.” The live feed cut off as they descended into the shelter, but once they arrived, they continued to broadcast. Cooper explained it was a “luxury” to have a 10-minute warning before a strike because that window doesn’t exist when rockets are coming from Gaza. Trump is facing anger from every side of the aisle for his decision to attack Iran and put the United States at risk. Even some of his staunchest allies, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), have publicly expressed their extreme disappointment in the president for breaking his campaign promise to keep the United States out of another war. He’s been heavily criticized for prioritizing his ego and desire to show strength over the safety of Americans. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Charging documents outlined an ambitious plan involving explosive-laden drones and rifles, but left less clear that the conspirators had the means to carry it out.

Six transgender residents claimed that the bathroom ban, the most restrictive in the nation, violated their constitutional rights.

One of the nation's top 2027 recruits, John Meredith III has officially set a commitment date between three finalists, he announced Tuesday on social media.Per his announcement, Meredith will be announcing his decision this upcoming Friday, June 19, and is set to choose either Alabama, Texas, or Texas A&M. An elite defensive back, Meredith is currently ranked as the nation's No. 2 overall prospect in the 2027 class, per the 247Sports Composite. Rated a five-star recruit, Meredith is also ranked as the nation's No. 1 cornerback in the 2027 cycle, as well as the No. 2 player in the state of Texas where he attends North Crowley High School.Alabama's 2027 class currently features eight total commitments, none of which are from defensive backs. Should the talented cornerback commit to Alabama this Friday, Meredith would become the first in that group, as well as the Crimson Tide's second five-star prospect this cycle alongside quarterback Elijah Haven.THE DAY IS COMING ! pic.twitter.com/A5ccPyZcBK— ⭐️John Meredith lll⭐️ (@JOHN_MEREDITH2) June 16, 2026Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football recruiting target John Meredith sets commitment date

Arsenal Are Keeping A Keen Eye On This Lille Midfielder: A Star In The Making?In a recent report, the Mirror stated that Arsenal are keeping a keen eye on Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi this summer. It has been claimed that the Gunners are showing interest in recruiting the Morocco international in this transfer period.Bouaddi’s Rapid Rise In Ligue 1Bouaddi put in a string of impressive displays at the heart of Lille’s midfield in the previous campaign and is currently putting in a strong showing with Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 18-year-old featured in 42 appearances for the French outfit last season, securing one assist in all competitions. However, he failed to get his name on the scoresheet.The Moroccan sensation is one of the most talented young central midfielders in Ligue 1 right now. Thus, it is no wonder that the Gunners are eager to snap him up this off-season.Bouaddi’s current contract at Lille will expire in the summer of 2029, which could make it difficult for Arsenal to sign him on a cut-price deal later this year.BOLOGNA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 27: Ayyoub Bouaddi of LOSC Lille during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Bologna FC 1909 and LOSC Lille at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on November 27, 2024 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)Arsenal Are Keeping A Keen Eye On Bouaddi: Is He A Star In The Making?Bouaddi loves a tackle and can sense the danger well to make some crucial interceptions for his team on the defensive end of the field. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when the opposition are on the front foot and is a tidy passer from midfield.Standing at 1.85m, the Morocco international can use his strong frame to make life difficult for the opposition at the centre of the park. However, only time will tell whether he can adapt to the high intensity of the Premier League if the Gunners manage to land him this summer.Bouaddi would add more bite and steel to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s midfield. He has what it takes to compete for a regular starting place at the North London club in the coming years.At 18, Bouaddi has the ceiling to be a world-class player in his position someday. Therefore, the Gunners would be wise to get him on board in this transfer window. Bouaddi is undoubtedly a star in the making, so Arteta should consider going all out to sign him before the end of this transfer window.

Nico Paz back to Real Madrid: The latestA fresh update on the plans of La Liga giants Real Madrid for Nico Paz has early this week come to the fore online.This comes amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the immediate future of the Argentine international.Midfielder Paz has of course long been expected to take his talents back to Spain’s capital this summer. After another spectacular campaign on the books of Como, the Real Madrid brass have been widely tipped to activate their cut-price buyback clause on the 21-year-old.Paz himself, however, appears to have other ideas. The understanding is that the starlet has made it known that he would like to stay put in Italy for one more year, to experience Champions League football in Como’s colours.Real Madrid’s signing of Bernardo Silva, meanwhile, has only thrown Paz’s future further up in the air.All of a Blancos persuasion will on Tuesday therefore no doubt be interested to learn of an update on the situation coming to the fore online.The info comes courtesy of market insider Fabrizio Romano, who has confirmed the following:‘No doubts since last week on Nico Páz preference to stay at Como for one more season, even more after Bernardo deal — Real Madrid are informed of that.‘But Como and Real are still in talks to find the best solution about Nico deal, all parties in contact. Not done yet.’ https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2066832856333099446 Conor Laird – GSFN

Content warning: This article contains depictions of alleged domestic violence.Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper will not attend the team's mandatory minicamp after he was arrested multiple times in June due to an alleged domestic-violence situation, per multiple reports. Cooper, 28, was excused from team minicamp as he works though his "legal and personal issues," per Mike Klis of 9News. Cooper was initially arrested Friday, June 5 after an alleged domestic-violence incident with his girlfriend. Cooper was alleged to have grabbed his girlfriend by the neck and lift her off the ground, per an affidavit. Cooper then allegedly prevented his girlfriend from leaving and threw her to the ground multiple times. Cooper was also accused of putting his girlfriend's phone in his mouth and biting down on it until it broke. He and his girlfriend were charged with two counts of domestic violence and one count of misdemeanor criminal mischief, per 9News.com. Cooper was later charged with an "additional felony charge of second-degree assault by strangulation and a charge of third-degree assault," per 9News.com.As part of the initial arrest, Cooper received a protection order, preventing him from contacting his girlfriend.But a week after that incident, Cooper violated that protection order and was arrested a second time. He received four new charges for violating that order. Following Cooper's second arrest, the Broncos put out a statement saying the team was "disappointed" to learn about the arrest. After starting out his NFL career as a part-time player, Cooper has emerged as a key member of the Broncos' defense over the last three seasons. During that time, he's racked up 27 sacks and 180 combined tackles. He was set to enter the 2026 season as one of the team's starting options at linebacker prior to his two offseason arrests.Depending on how his legal situation progresses, Cooper could be subject to punishment from the NFL ahead of — or during — the 2026 season.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — When St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol saw his team had an unusual Saturday off during the season, and in the middle of a series, he had one question: “Can I make it to the soccer game?”Not just any soccer game, a World Cup match.The international soccer tournament, held every four years, is ongoing at 16 sites in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Those include 11 markets that are also home to a combined 13 Major League Baseball teams.Kansas City, where the Cardinals open a three-game series Thursday, is hosting six World Cup matches at the NFL stadium in the same complex with the Royals' ballpark. The Cardinals and Royals will be off Saturday, when Ecuador plays Curaçao.“That is the goal, yes,” Marmol said when asked if he was going to that match.Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and his wife, who played soccer at Old Dominion, plan to be there.“It’s strange, but it’s special circumstances,” Pasquantino said. “It’s awesome that Kansas City got access to World Cup games. So, however many years until the United States hosts again, we’ll be all right with some off days like that.”World Cup matches are being played in the United States for the first time since 1994.Getting their kicks in TexasA tournament-high nine matches are being played at AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys that is adjacent to Globe Life Field. The neighboring Texas Rangers will host two split series, but also have a Monday off between home series on July 6, the day of a round of 16 match.Texas is now in a three-game series against Minnesota that will finish Thursday, after a pause Wednesday when powerhouse England plays its Cup opener against Croatia.“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson, who played soccer as a kid in California.The Rangers completed a road trip Sunday in Boston, with thousands of Scottish fans chanting and singing at Fenway Park the night after Scotland won the opener of its first World Cup appearance in 28 years. That win over Haiti was at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, about 30 miles away.Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said the presence of the Tartan Army made it feel like a European soccer game. He and members of his staff now want to attend the World Cup.“It was so much fun that on the off day the majority of our staff is trying to find a way to get tickets to go to a game that they know really nothing about because of the atmosphere that was so incredible,” Schumaker said. “The passion was insane.”In Philadelphia, the Phillies will be off Friday during their home series against the New York Mets since Brazil plays Haiti at nearby Lincoln Financial Field.Like for the Rangers, Royals and Seattle Mariners, the home of the Phillies is next to an NFL stadium hosting some of the 104 matches during the nearly six-week tournament with teams from 48 nations. Those stadiums all have shared parking lots.Texas and Kansas City are both off for round of 32 Cup matches on July 3, a Friday. The Rangers will have already opened a series against Detroit, while the Royals wait to start an unusual Saturday through Monday series against the Phillies.Not all of the matches are next doorEither the Mets or Yankees have a home game on each of the eight dates World Cup matches are at MetLife Stadium across the river in New Jersey, including the championship finale July 19, when the Yankees also host Shohei Ohtani and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Yankee Stadium is about 14 miles from the Meadowlands, with Citi Field about 24 miles away.World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium will be about 13 miles from Dodger Stadium and 35 miles from Angel Stadium. Either the Dodgers or Angels play at home on six of the eight match dates in Inglewood. Those other two dates fall on normal off days during a homestand, one for each team.With separation between stadiums, Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Miami and Toronto all will play multiple home games that concur with World Cup matches in their markets.Mariners and Red Sox almost played twoThere will still be a split series for the Angels when they go to Seattle, with a midweek break July 1 for a round of 16 Cup match.The Mariners were originally scheduled to have a home doubleheader Saturday against Boston with the United States playing Australia in Seattle. But when match time at Lumen Field was set at noon local Friday, the Mariners and Red Sox switched to a traditional three-game series with the opener that night, instead of playing MLB's first scheduled doubleheader in two years.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

While researching my forthcoming book, We Refuse to Disappear: Resistance Amid Anti-Trans Education Policy, I heard a story from Alabama that I cannot stop thinking about. An elementary school student walked into class, looked at a bulletin board that had once displayed a rainbow border, and asked a simple question: “Where did the rainbow go?” The teacher knew the answer. So did every adult in the building. Related House passes “Don’t Say Trans” bill that would force teachers to out trans students nationwide Yet no explanation made sense because nothing had actually happened. No law had passed. No policy required the display’s removal. The rainbow had disappeared because educators were already responding to a threat that did not yet exist. Alabama’s HB 244 never became law. Introduced in 2025, the bill sought to prohibit discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity throughout K–12 schools, ban Pride flags and LGBTQ+ symbols, and further restrict how educators could acknowledge LGBTQ+ students and families. Civil rights organizations, educators, and advocacy groups warned that the bill would intensify censorship and erasure in public schools. Ultimately, it stalled in the legislature. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today Yet by the time lawmakers moved on, classrooms across the state had already begun changing. Books were removed from shelves. Displays disappeared. Teachers altered lessons. Administrators advised staff to avoid controversy. The bill failed. The fear succeeded. That should concern all of us. We often talk about anti-trans legislation as though its impact begins when a governor signs a bill. Increasingly, that is not how these policies operate. Their power often emerges long before they become law. A bill is introduced. National organizations amplify it. School boards discuss it. Administrators worry about complaints. Teachers receive warnings to stay neutral. Classrooms begin censoring themselves before anyone is legally required to do so. Researchers sometimes call this pre-compliance. Educators often call it survival. The danger is not simply that schools become more cautious. The danger is that fear becomes curriculum. Students notice what disappears. They notice which books vanish, which conversations stop, which histories are no longer taught, and which families are no longer represented. Absence teaches. Silence teaches. Erasure teaches. Long before a student encounters a formal lesson about citizenship, they learn who belongs, whose stories matter, and which identities are treated as controversial. The educators I spoke with in Alabama understood exactly what was happening. As HB 244 advanced, a group of teachers from different schools began meeting off campus in the back room of a public library. They taught elementary students, middle schoolers, and high schoolers. Some worked in social studies, others in English language arts, special education, and the arts. They were not organizing protests. They were trying to figure out how to continue serving students without sacrificing either their professional responsibilities or their humanity. At one meeting, they compared what was happening in their schools. Bulletin boards had been stripped. Inclusive books had been boxed for review. Administrators across multiple districts were using remarkably similar language: community standards, neutrality, avoid controversy. One teacher finally voiced what everyone was thinking. “It feels like we’re being trained to erase before we’re told to.” Another educator responded immediately: “That’s the point. Fear is cheaper than law.” Fear is cheaper than law. I have spent years studying educational policy and anti-trans legislation, and I cannot think of a more accurate description of the current moment. Legislatures attract headlines. Fear quietly reshapes behavior. Lawmakers increasingly understand that they do not always need laws to achieve their goals. They only need educators to believe punishment may be coming. Once fear enters a system, institutions often begin policing themselves. The Alabama educators chose a different path. Rather than retreat into isolation, they built a coalition. They created shared folders containing lesson plans, state standards, instructional rationales, and documentation. They compared strategies and developed common language explaining why teaching fairness, belonging, and civic participation remained central educational responsibilities. If one teacher faced criticism, others would stand beside them. If one classroom became the target of complaints, similar lessons would appear elsewhere. Their refusal was not individual heroism. It was collective protection. That coalition soon found its way into classrooms. One elementary teacher introduced a story about a neighborhood garden in which two mothers appeared among the families. Students discussed fairness, community, and belonging. In another classroom, children explored what makes neighborhoods welcoming. In another, they considered who belongs when we use the word “we.” The lessons were fully aligned with state standards and grounded in civic learning. They also affirmed a truth increasingly under attack: every child deserves to see themselves as part of the community. Students understood the lesson immediately. One child said fairness meant “when everyone helps.” Another responded that a fair community is one “where nobody is hidden.” The teachers documented these responses because they recognized something policymakers often overlook. Belonging is not separate from civic education. It is civic education. Public schools cannot prepare students for democratic participation while simultaneously teaching them that some people are too controversial to acknowledge. Yet educators cannot carry this burden alone. Too often, we celebrate teachers for their courage while abandoning them to the conditions that require courage in the first place. We praise resilience while normalizing hostility. We applaud educators for protecting students while expecting them to absorb the consequences of political decisions they did not create. That is not support. It is abandonment disguised as admiration. No educator can do this work alone. Teachers need librarians, counselors, healthcare providers, families, legal advocates, faith leaders, journalists, unions, community organizations, and administrators willing to stand beside them. Protecting students is not the work of a single profession. It is the work of communities willing to defend one another. The story of HB 244 is not ultimately a story about a bill. It is a story about what happens when fear enters schools and how educators respond when it does. Alabama’s proposed law never took effect, yet its shadow reshaped classrooms across the state. At the same time, the educators who gathered in that library demonstrated another possibility. They showed that solidarity can interrupt fear, that coalition can counter isolation, and that belonging remains worth defending even when doing so carries risk. The student who asked where the rainbow had gone was really asking a much larger question: Who gets to belong here? That question now confronts schools across the country. Alabama’s HB 244 taught us how quickly fear can spread through an educational system. The teachers who refused to face that fear alone taught us something far more important. When educators build coalitions and communities stand beside them, erasure becomes harder to accomplish. The anti-trans law did not need to pass. Its fear already had. Fortunately, so had the refusal. sj Miller | sj Miller Dr. sj Miller is an award-winning scholar-activist, Faculty Trainer in the Center for Professional Learning, Professor at Santa Fe Community College, and part-time faculty at the University of Washington. Their work centers on gender identity justice, the pedagogy of refusal, and inclusive educational frameworks. Miller has authored eight books, over fifty peer-reviewed articles, and over thirty book chapters. Miller serves as Senior Associate Editor of The International Journal of LGBT Youth and co-editor of the series Social Justice Across Contexts in Education. Miller has received numerous awards in the fight for gender identity justice, including the 2019 Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity Award from the American Education Research Association. Miller’s forthcoming book, We Refuse to Disappear: Resistance Amid Anti-Trans Education Policy, with Harvard Ed Press, is due out later this month. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

A peace framework with Iran, and hope for cooperation with Ukraine, softened the tone on Tuesday at a Group of 7 gathering in France.

For the first time in a decade, it appears York High will have a new head football coach.According to the York City school board's agenda for their upcoming June 17 meeting, Russ Stoner, who has headed the program for the past 10 seasons, was not listed for approval as head football coach for the 2026-27 season. Eastern York coach Daryl "Bud" Kyle was the name provided on the agenda instead.Kyle still has to be approved by the school board pending pre-hire clearances. Standard procedure indicates that high school football coaches are rehired on an annual basis, and the position had been posted since March 18.A former standout athlete at West York during the 1980s, Stoner was brought on as the Bearcats' head coach in 2016 to replace Shawn Heinold following a stint as the head coach at Spring Grove from 2011-14. During his tenure with the Bearcats, Stoner accrued a 62-41 record overall, including an 11-2 record in 2018. In 2025, the Bearcats finished 6-4 overall and 5-1 in YAIAA's Division I, outscoring opponents 373-273.Russ Stoner's York High football: 'A calling, a passion, a ministry.' What it took for this York football coach to succeedAFL York Mega Practice: York Mega Practice returns for third year to showcase local high school football playersThe coach has also sent many of his former players to play at the collegiate level. By his count, Stoner has sent 72 players to college, and 50 graduated. Three rising juniors and three rising seniors on the Bearcats' current roster received college offers before his departure.Stoner is also the head of Accountability For Life, a York-based nonprofit that mentors adolescents in academics, life skills and leadership among others, in a athletics-based environment. His rehiring was also the subject of heated debate in 2020, when the York High school board voted 6-2 with one abstention in favor of his retention. During that meeting, multiple former York High players signed on to speak about the positive impact Stoner left on their lives, while school board members debated through a tense four-hour long meeting.A change.org petition posted on June 16 asked that the York High community show support for Stoner and "encourage decision-makers to consider the full body of his work, the measurable success of the program, and the countless lives he has impacted throughout his years of service." The petition, created by Stoner's daughter Maddi, and has already garnered over 450 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.York High's June 17 meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. inside the Central Admin Boardroom.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York City school board will not rehire Russ Stoner as football coach

Prendergast scores 26 but rest of Ireland team strugglesUnchanged England win delayed toss and field firstNZ on the brink after shock defeat by Sri LankaWomen's T20 World Cup, Group 2 Women's T20 World Cup: Ireland slump to 57-5 against ruthless England

Hazeltine National Golf Club prepares to welcome a major field to Chaska, Minnesota, next week when the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship comes to town.World No. 1Nelly Korda, fresh off a press tour in Manhattan from her U.S. Women's Open win at the beginning of the month, will look to capture her third straight major championship in what has been a historic season. Minjee Lee is the defending champion having won in front of a home crowd in north Texas last year. Here's how to watch all the coverage live, from Round 1 to the 18th hole on Sunday (all times in ET).Thursday, June 2511AM-3PM: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Round 1 (Golf Channel/Golf Channel Mobile)6-8PM: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Round 1 (Golf Channel/Golf Channel Mobile)Friday, June 2611AM-3PM: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Round 2 (Golf Channel/Golf Channel Mobile)6-8PM: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Round 2 (Golf Channel/Golf Channel Mobile)Saturday, June 2710AM-12PM: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Round 3 (Peacock)12-3PM: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Round 3 (NBC/Peacock)3-5PM: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Round 3 (Golf Channel/Golf Channel Mobile)Sunday, June 289AM-1PM: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, final round (Peacock)1-4PM: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Round 1 (NBC)

John Tortorella will not be back to coach the Vegas Golden Knights next season.You know that suit that John Tortorella left behind at the hotel in Raleigh last week? He can go back and claim it any time he wants. Because time is a commodity he now has plenty of.The fiery 67-year-old who helped turn the Vegas Golden Knights’ season around and guided the team on its long Stanley Cup Playoff run only to fall two games short of defeating the Carolina Hurricanes, will not return to the bench at T-Mobile Arena this fall. The team announced Tuesday it is partying ways with Torts and is moving on to what will be the fifth head coach for the team’s 10th anniversary season come October.The smart money is on Ryan Craig, the current head coach of the AHL Henderson Silver Knights, who has been with the team since its inception and was an assistant on Bruce Cassidy’s Stanley Cup-winning staff in 2023. He’s a good guy, a smart hockey person and has put in his time as both an assistant at the NHL level and as a head coach in the AHL. Many of the players know him, especially the younger ones like Braeden Bowman, Kaedan Korczak, and others who played for Craig in Henderson. He’s ready to take over in Vegas.Torts? This was likely a short-term solution from the outset. General manager Kelly McCrimmon will tell you that when he speaks on the matter Wednesday morning at City National Arena. Torterella was willing to leave the comfort of the ESPN studio to get back behind the bench because that’s what coaches do. Look no further than Cassidy, who has said publicly that he wants to get back to work. And now that the Golden Knights’ season is over, perhaps he’ll be free to pursue that opportunity, perhaps in Toronto where the Maple Leafs are still searching for Craig Berube’s replacement.And while Tortorella performed admirably in an interim role when he took over with eight games remaining, going 7-0-1 and taking Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final, perhaps it has opened the door for yet another chance down the road. He’s coached six different NHL teams — Tampa Bay, Columbus, the Rangers, Vancouver, Philadelphia and Vegas — so someone might be willing to bring him on board in the hopes he can do for them what he did for the Golden Knights, which was revive and breathe new life into a team that had stagnated.He deserves full marks for what he did. The majority of the players loved playing for him and said so Tuesday on locker room cleanout day at City National Arena.“It’s a tough situation for a coach to come in with that little time left,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin. “Just the way he was able to get us back on the right track fast and give us a chance was pretty impressive.”Goaltender Carter Hart, who played the entire playoffs in the Vegas net and who had played for Tortorella when they were together in Philadelphia, said: “He keeps things black and white. He’s a super honest man and coach and I think as a player that’s all you can ask for is complete honesty and transparency.”Tortorella always said he was able to coach a group like this successfully because they were experienced, had been through the wars of a Stanley Cup playoff run and that it was a good room with strong leadership and high character. He referred to himself as more of a guidance counselor while coaching the Knights, a term which most found somewhat amusing. But the reality is he didn’t have to be the bad guy, the angry guy to get his team’s attention. Just a lot of trust and belief in their abilities to play to their potential.Of course, you can’t change who you are and that was true with Tortorella when it came to his dealings with those who didn’t play for him. His media availabilities were a cross between comical and cringe worthiness, sometimes lasting for less than a minute, sometimes not at all, as was the case when the Knights eliminated Anaheim and he was a no-show at the postgame news conference.That cost him $100,000 and perhaps contributed to the team being dinged a second-round draft pick by the NHL for repeated violations of the league’s media policies.Personally, I got along with Torts about as well as someone in my position could. He answered virtually every question I asked, be it about a player’s performance, team strategy or about hockey in general. Was he as engaging as Cassidy, Pete DeBoer or even Gerard Gallant? No. But I never expected him to be. I just tried to be prepared, keep my questions simple and not expect a lot in return, so when Tortorella did give a lengthy response, it felt like a win.Some of my colleagues who cover the team weren’t as fortunate. They were treated to the full Torts experience, which isn’t pleasant. That meant short, curt answers leaving them little to work with.But we all knew that going in. And had he stayed on in Vegas, at some point, things would’ve boiled over and the Knights would have once again been looking for yet another coach. So the decision by the team to move on from Tortorella now is the right one.If Craig is indeed the successor, I’m excited for him and for what he can do as an NHL head coach. At some point, every coach needs to get an opportunity to show that they’re capable or incapable of coaching at the game’s highest level.I think back to when Glen Gulutzan was coaching the Las Vegas Wranglers in the ECHL and how he eventually got to be an NHL head coach in Dallas and how happy I was for him. The guy had paid his dues and even after being let go by the Stars and later, Calgary, he’s back running the bench in Dallas.So here’s hoping Craig gets that same opportunity. As for Tortorella, there’s probably going to be an opportunity for him to stay in coaching. He showed he can still do it, and he deserves to get behind someone’s bench, warts and all.As for that suit he left behind in Raleigh, he should donate it to some worthy charity or organization. Or put it up for sale on eBay. It might fetch a pretty good price.

Cameron Norrie was beaten by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at Queen's in the Briton's first singles match since suffering a rib injury in May.Norrie has often been the last Briton standing at Grand Slams but had to retire injured from his first-round French Open match with the problem last month.He returned to the court in the men's doubles at Queen's on Monday, where he and Australian partner Alex de Minaur lost 6-4 7-5 to India's Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus of New Zealand.On Tuesday, the British number one started strongly against world number 22 Davidovich Fokina but ultimately faded to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 loss.Norrie went an early break up against the Spaniard but Davidovich Fokina responded straight away, before holding firm in the tie-break.Despite finding himself on the floor at several points as he dived and slid around the court, Davidovich Fokina broke Norrie's serve twice on his way to closing out victory.Norrie is one of five Britons to have direct entry into the Wimbledon main draw and will be seeded when the tournament begins on Monday, 29 June.Moutet swears seven times in live BBC interviewGB's Klugman, 17, claims first win on WTA TourEarlier, Arthur Fery won an all-British battle in emphatic style, beating Toby Samuel 6-0 6-2.The pair are good friends, having reached the junior doubles semi-finals at Wimbledon together in 2019, and both received Wimbledon main-draw wildcards on Tuesday."It's never easy playing someone you know and I was happy with how I handled that," Fery said.Third seed and French Open semi-finalist Jakub Mensik suffered a surprise 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) loss to veteran French man Adrian Mannarino.In Halle, French Open champion Alexander Zverev survived a second-set wobble in his first match since his Paris triumph, beating Czech Vit Kopriva 6-3 4-6 6-2 to reach the second round.Defending champion Alexander Bublik was shocked 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 by Italy's Mattia Bellucci, while Andrey Rublev fell 6-3 6-2 to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz.Williams sisters receive Wimbledon doubles wildcardEvans questions lack of 'classy gesture' after Queen's wildcard decision

This image taken from video provided by KABC shows law enforcement responding to the scene of an aircraft crash, Monday, June 15, 2026, near Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (KABC via AP)2026-06-16T18:56:48Z LOS ANGELES (AP) — The B-52 involved in a deadly crash during a test flight at an Air Force base in California made a sharp right and then nearly completed a 180-degree turn before plunging to the ground at nearly a mile a minute, limited tracking data shows Tuesday.All eight people aboard were killed in Monday’s fiery crash of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which was taking part in a routine mission as part of an overall program to keep the long-running aircraft flying for decades to come. It was not yet clear what caused the plane to crash shortly after takeoff, and officials at Edwards Air Force Base said it could take up to six months to complete the investigation. The airfield remained closed Tuesday. Crews were making the crash site safe for search and recovery teams to enter, after fires flared up overnight, said Mike Paoli, a spokesperson for the 412 Test Wing at Edwards. The flight tracking that was available Tuesday shows the bomber turning to the northeast right after taking off and nearly completing a sharp turn before crashing on another runway, according to AirNav Systems. The data that comes from a system called multilateration doesn’t show precise altitude and speed information, but it does show the plane fell to earth at a rate of descent of 5,056 feet (1,541 meters) per minute — nearly 10 times as fast as a plane normally descends when preparing to land. The aircraft was supporting a “radar modernization program,” Col. James Hayes, the deputy commander for the 412 Test Wing, said Monday. In 2025, Boeing sent a B-52 to Edwards with a modernized radar system that is key to keeping the bomber in the air through at least 2050, nearly a century after it first entered service. AP AUDIO: B-52 on test flight plunged at nearly a mile a minute before crashing, killing 8 At a news conference Monday, the Deputy Commander for Edwards Air Force Base, Col. James Hayes, said the cause of the crash is unknown and is being investigated. Read More A test team planned to conduct ground and flight test activities on the aircraft throughout 2026 to feed a production decision, the Air Force said in a 2025 news release. The modern Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system replaced the aircraft’s antiquated radar for efficacy. It was unclear if that was the same aircraft involved in Monday’s crash.AESA replaced 1960s radar technology and offers improved navigation and targeting capabilities, according to a 2023 news release from Raytheon, which designed the new system for the Air Force’s entire B-52 fleet. B-52 began flying in the 1950sThe B-52, a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955, is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. It has been used in conflicts involving the U.S. military from Vietnam to Iran. Along with a new radar, the fleet of 76 B-52s are scheduled to receive additional upgrades, including new engines, crew compartments, conventional and nuclear communication systems, avionics and weapons. The military said the goal is to make the B-52 a complement to the Air Force’s newest strategic bomber, the B-21 Raider. 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. Aerial footage showed virtually nothing left of the aircraft that went down at the base in the Mojave Desert about 100 miles (161 km) northeast of Los Angeles. Officials determined no one could have survived after reviewing footage of the crash, Hayse said at a news conference. Those on the B-52 included government contractors and uniformed military. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing confirmed that two of its employees were on board.Edwards is home to a large portion of the U.S. Air Force’s aircraft test and development efforts. The 412th Test Wing, which runs the base, also conducts developmental testing of all Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software and components before purchase by the service as well as throughout their lifespan.The base is where Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager reached a speed of Mach 1.05 and broke the sound barrier in 1947. Investigators will focus on how quickly the crash cameThe way the B-52 crashed so quickly after takeoff without getting very high or going far makes aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti suspect some kind of flight control malfunction. It’s possible the controls were rigged wrong after maintenance, he said, or a catastrophic engine problem or a failure of a piece of equipment that was being tested.“I think it was definitely a controllability issue. Now, whether that was tied to an engine failure, a flight control failure, or some new testing device failure, I’m not sure,” said Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.In recent years, fatal Air Force training accidents in the U.S. have included an instructor pilot who was killed in 2024 when the ejection seat activated while the aircraft was still on the ground in Texas and an Air Force ROTC cadet’s death in a 2022 accident involving a Humvee during a training exercise in Idaho. Two Air Force pilots were killed when a trainer jet crashed near an Alabama airport in 2021.___Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press journalist Konstantin Toropin contributed from Washington, D.C. JOSH FUNK Funk covers transportation including aviation safety, trucking and airlines along with the major freight railroads. Funk also covers Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, drones, the effort to break China’s stranglehold on rare earth elements and agriculture. twitter mailto

Felix Nmecha: How much Dortmund want Man United to pay for De Bruyne 2.0 This is the summer transfer window when Manchester United hope to reshape their engine room.Casemiro is leaving upon the expiry of his contract, and there is a growing urge to upgrade on Manuel Ugarte, who has flopped at the club. Replacing the duo and assembling a stronger engine room has left Ineos with little choice but to pursue at least three central midfield signings.A deal for Atalanta’s Ederson on an initial £35 million with £3.8 million in add-ons has been agreed. With only the medical to be conducted, the Samba star is set to be unveiled imminently.Two other midfielders are expected to follow him through the door, though it remains uncertain who those two will be. Some reports point to Mateus Fernandes and Alex Scott; others suggest it could be Aurelien Tchouameni or German World Cup 2026 standout Felix Nmecha.Now, if it is Nmecha, United have now been told what it would take to land the German.Felix Nmecha, a manager’s dreamNmecha is one of the finest midfielders European football has to offer. The 25-year-old, who FTS claimed can be Kevin De Bruyne 2.0, is every manager’s dream, as Nuri Sahin, who coached him at Signal Iduna Park, best put it:“Felix has an exceptional profile. He can play at number six, but can also play at number eight and ten. As a coach, you want players like that.”Such versatility would certainly revolutionise this United midfield.Real Madrid transfer rivalryEarlier today, a report relayed by The Peoples Person revealed that Real Madrid are set to battle the Red Devils for the Borussia Dortmund star.Bild, while teasing the transfer battle that could erupt for the 25-year-old, has also dropped an interesting update on a potential Dortmund exit.How much for Nmecha?The German outlet suggests that anyone wanting the ex-Manchester City star would have to fork out as much as €120 million (£103.7 million).With Nmecha’s €70 million release clause not active until 2027, it remains to be seen whether United or another suitor will lodge that ambitious bid.£100m better spent elsewhereIf INEOS are to splash £100 million-plus on a midfielder, however, they would be better served directing that spend towards a tried-and-tested Premier League star, someone like Sandro Tonali or Elliot Anderson.Featured image Christof Koepsel via Getty Imagesonline pollsThe Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

Have your say: Football Italia readers weren’t convinced by Amorim – but he’s the man nowEarlier this week, we asked you whether Ruben Amorim was the right choice to take over as Milan head coach.With his appointment now officially confirmed, the results make for interesting reading.A clear majority of the 418 voters were unconvinced.Oliver Glasner, fresh from winning the Conference League with Crystal Palace, was the preferred alternative with 38% of the vote, while a further 30% backed a different candidate and 8% wanted Mauricio Pochettino.Just 3% would have chosen Arne Slot and only 21% of voters felt Amorim was the right man for the job.Ruben Amorim appointed Milan head coach (Source: acmilan.com)Is Amorim the right man for Milan?It is a fascinating snapshot of the mood among the Milan-watching community, and one that Amorim will now have the chance to prove wrong.One user expressed their doubts over the Portuguese coach but that they prefer it to an ‘old recycled Italian coach,’ while another dreamed of a move for former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.His record at Sporting and his reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting young coaches suggest the doubters may yet be won over. The next question is whether he can do it without Champions League football.What do you think – have Milan made the right call? Let us know in the comments.

The next Kvaratskhelia, Michael Edwards prepares genius moveLiverpool could be eyeing a move to sign the next Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. There are very few players in world football capable of changing a game quite like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian winger has established himself as one of the most exciting and effective attacking players on the planet, combining flair, creativity and end product in a way that makes defenders dread facing him.What makes Kvaratskhelia so special is his unpredictability. He can beat opponents on either side, create chances from nothing and produce moments of magic when his team needs them most. Whether he's driving inside from the wing, delivering a decisive pass or finishing chances himself, he always looks capable of making something happen.It's no surprise that supporters across Europe wish their club had signed him. Players with his blend of technical quality, confidence and work rate are incredibly rare. He isn't just a highlight-reel footballer either; he consistently delivers in the biggest matches and has proven he can perform at the highest level of the game.Now at PSG, Kvaratskhelia has only enhanced his reputation further. Surrounded by elite talent, he has shown he belongs among football's very best and remains a key figure in one of Europe's strongest squads.Bet £10, Get £30 in Free BetsOpen an account and place a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1/5 (1.2) or greater.18+New UK/ROI customers. Min £5 deposit. Bet Credits available on settlement of qualifying bets, capped at £10 stake. Min odds 1/5 (1.20). Bet Credits expire in 7 days. Excl. Cashed Out/Free Bets/Boosted odds. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org£30 FREECLAIM NOW18+Gambling can be addictive — please only bet what you can afford to lose. For free support visitBeGambleAware.org or call 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7). Self-exclude at GAMSTOP.co.uk. AnfieldWatch is not a licensed betting operator. Offers subject to change.At just 25, his best years could still be ahead of him. That's a frightening thought for defenders and a reminder of why so many clubs will look back and wonder how they ever let the opportunity to sign him slip away.Liverpool will be among them. They could have identified his talent before he moved to Napoli, when he was playing in Georgia and Russia.They could have signed him before he moved to Paris Saint Germain. They had concrete interest in him at the time and it is moot whether Richard Hughes had made his advances too late because Kvaratskhelia was set on a move to Paris, or whether Liverpool simply could not move Luis Diaz on, so therefore could not afford the deal.Nonetheless in hindsight with two Champions League triumphs under his belt in Paris, Liverpool will be regretting they never made a move for him in the first place.Missing out on Kvaratskhelia could go down as one of the biggest mistakes and what ifs in Liverpool's recent history. Imagine just how exciting the Reds would look right now with the Georgian winger bombing up and down the left flank.Perhaps Arne Slot might still be in the job, and last season would not have gone as horribly as it did.But that's in the past, Liverpool have a new Kvaratskhelia on the horizon. © IMAGO - Abbosbek Fayzullaev Liverpool Meet Abbosbek Fayzullaev, a player who is equally renowned in a country that is nearby Georgia in Uzbekistan. Fayzullaev like Kvaratskhelia had to make his name in Russia playing for CSKA Moscow.He is one of the brightest young prospects in the Uzbekistan national team and has recently moved to Turkey, where he is starting to catch the eye.He's a very technical player - small in stature but with great vision and dribbling ability.Unlike Kvaratskhelia, Fayzullaev plays best in an attacking midfield role. He has seven goal contributions in his last 12 league games for his club side in Turkey, and he's equally impressive for his country, registering five goal contributions in his last six games during qualification to the World Cup.Now, he's supposedly on the radar of Liverpool.According to Zamin, an outlet in Uzbekistan, Liverpool have sent scouts to the World Cup to watch the 22-year-old in action as they consider a possible move for the youngster.It's one to keep an eye on. Fayzullaev is a massive talent and having missed out on Kvaratskhelia, maybe Liverpool have learned their lesson.

West Virginia vs. Troy baseball box score: Live stats from College World Series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Troy Trojans baseball team faces the West Virginia Mountaineers on Tuesday afternoon in Omaha. Both look to keep their season's alive in the College World Series elimination game.The Trojans already survived once with a win over Ole Miss, while the Mountaineers were on the wrong side of a 5-2 loss to North Carolina. The winner will advance to face UNC, and need two straight wins.First pitch will be at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.2026 NCAA Baseball Championship123456789RHEWest Virginia (46-16)0020240Troy (39-31)0000010West Virginia vs. Troy vs. baseball box score: Live stats from College World SeriesWest Virginia BatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP5Armani GuzmanRF201010.316.4132Gavin Kelly2B311002.374.4736Paul SchoenfeldCF200011.328.42311Sean SmithDH200001.320.411Matthew GravelineC211101.294.37117Matt IneichSS000020.292.44112Brodie Kresser1B100000.300.40224Ben LumsdenLF200001.268.4028Tyrus Hall3B201001.286.406Total16241472B: Graveline 1 (12)RBI: Graveline 1 (37)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA31Dawson MontesaP3.210024145.5Total3.21002414Montesa 62 (35 strikes)TroyBatterPOSABRHRBIBBSOAVGOBP2Aaron PiaseckiSS200000.337.44332Josh Pyne3B100011.284.36934Blake Cavill1B200001.274.4305Jimmy JanickiC201000.345.4181Steven MeierCF200001.309.44822Drew NelsonLF100001.309.39537Sean Darnell2B000010.264.3888Jabe BoroffDH100000.273.40223Houston MarkhamRF100000.322.356Total12010242B: Janicki 1 (26)PitcherPOSIPHRERBBSOBFERA30Cooper EllingworthP3.042234176.127Dylan AlonsoP1.00001344.5Total4.04224721Alonso 23 (14 strikes)Ellingworth 73 (39 strikes)How to watch: West Virginia vs. Troy 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship Game Date: Tuesday, June 16Time: 2 p.m. ET TV: ESPNMore College World Series NewsTroy vs. West Virginia baseball box score: Final stats from CWSOle Miss vs. UNC box score: Final stats from CWS USC vs North Carolina baseball box score: Game 1Little Rock vs. Troy baseball box score: Game 1Texas vs. Texas Tech softball box score: Final Women's College World Series

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesIlia Topuria’s defeat to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 has created the first major uncertainty of his career.The Spaniard had been unbeaten before Sunday, but a heavy loss to one of the sport’s most damaging fighters has raised questions about how he will respond.That debate has brought Khabib Nurmagomedov’s old warning about Tony Ferguson back into focus, because Ferguson’s decline began after a similar night against Gaethje.Khabib Nurmagomedov warned Tony Ferguson would not be the samePhoto by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCFerguson entered UFC 249 with a 15-1 UFC record, but Gaethje punished him across five rounds and changed the direction of his career.Khabib later predicted: “Tony Ferguson’s time is finished. Now he’s gonna come back and someone’s gonna beat him again, I believe. When you take damage like this, you’re never gonna be the same. Never ever, even if you’re Tony Ferguson. He took too much damage.”That prediction proved accurate as Ferguson never truly recovered his previous level, completing an eight-fight skid before leaving UFC in 2025.That is why Topuria’s situation feels so uncomfortable for some fans.‘El Matador’ was 9-0 in the UFC before fighting Gaethje, and his aura was built on control, confidence and inevitability. Taking heavy damage from the same opponent naturally makes Khabib’s Ferguson take feel relevant again.Ilia Topuria already explained how he would handle defeatTopuria has previously rejected the idea that one loss would define him, making his comments to Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos especially notable now.He said: “I mean, I’m going to beat everyone, and if I have to learn then I have to learn and that’s it. A person can fall. But you decide whether you fall into a rough patch or into a grave. I don’t plan on falling into a grave, you know? I’ll get back on my feet with my head held high. Because I know all the work I put in.”That mindset now faces its first real test. Ferguson showed how brutal the aftermath of a Gaethje fight can be, but the 29-year-old still has the chance to prove this is only a setback.Read more:White House chaos: Alex Pereira demands redemption against Ciryl Gane now!Alex Pereira goes off on referees; Says someone must be held accountable after Gane’s KOFBI busted explosive drone terror plot targeting Donald Trump’s UFC White House card

Health workers have warned that the outbreak, already one of the worst in decades, could take as long as a year to contain if infection rates do not flatten.

On a roll or against a wall, Group of 7 leaders bring sharply different agendas. The leaders of some other nations are also attending to press their own interests.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cooper Pratt has reached the major leagues 2 ½ months after the Milwaukee Brewers signed the shortstop prospect to an eight-year, $50.75 million contract.The Brewers called the 21-year-old Pratt up from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday before opening a three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. They made room for Pratt by designating third baseman Luis Rengifo for assignment.Brewers officials showed their faith in Pratt when they signed him on April 3 to an eight-year deal that includes club options for 2034 and 2035. The $50.75 million contract includes escalators that could raise the value by $10 million if he repeatedly finishes high in MVP voting and the team exercises those two options.Pratt won a Gold Glove as the top shortstop in the minor leagues in 2024 and has continued to play outstanding defense ever since. His hitting is more of a work in progress.Pratt was hitting .241 with a .349 on-base percentage, six homers, 32 RBIs and 17 steals in 58 games with Triple-A Nashville this season. He batted .238 with a .343 on-base percentage, eight homers, 62 RBIs and 31 steals in 120 games with Double-A Biloxi last year.“We believe in the bat,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said when Pratt signed his contract. “We believe in the glove, certainly. This guy is really toolsy, too. He’s very athletic. He’s a big, physical kid, so we think there’s a chance to grow into some power. And he can really run. When you have that kind of athletic foundation, it’s a really good thing.”The Brewers can afford to be patient with Pratt’s bat as long as he fields the way he did in the minor leagues.Milwaukee has received little offensive production from the left side of its infield all season, yet the Brewers still entered Tuesday leading the NL Central by 4 ½ games over St. Louis as they chase their fourth straight division title. The versatile David Hamilton had been splitting time with Joey Ortiz at shortstop and with Rengifo at third base.Hamilton is batting .231 with a .316 on-base percentage, .320 slugging percentage, three homers, 11 RBIs and 14 steals in 58 games. Ortiz is hitting .207 with a .299 on-base percentage, .262 slugging percentage, one homer, 14 RBIs and five steals in 60 games.Rengifo was hitting .205 with a .280 on-base percentage, .254 slugging percentage, no homers, 19 RBIs and three steals in 57 games.Pratt was one of two Brewers prospects to sign a lucrative long-term deal this year while still in the minors. Luis Lara, a 21-year-old outfielder playing for Nashville, signed a seven-year deal worth $31 million last week.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Aces' A'ja Wilson closes in on history that might end up being unbreakable with latest honor originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.A'ja Wilson on Tuesday was named the WNBA's Western Conference Player of the Week.Between June 8 and June 14, Wilson led the Las Vegas Aces to three consecutive wins and scored at least 30 points twice. Even by Wilson's sky-high standards, that's impressive stuff.But what this Player of the Week honor means in the wider context is that Wilson -- already the league's only four-time MVP -- is inching closer to another record.MORE: Fire's Emily Engstler is for real and A'ja Wilson just found out whyWith her 30th Western Conference Player of the Week nod, Wilson trails only Tina Charles for the most Player of the Week distinctions in league history.Wilson, 29, already has the Western Conference record for Player of the Week wins. Her 30th victory took her four clear of the legendary Candace Parker -- her former Aces teammate -- who won 26 such awards in her career.That's our 4x M'VP right there 💅✨3-0 Record ✔️2x Double-Doubles ✔️2x 30-point Games ✔️For the second time this season, @_ajawilson22 is the @WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week. pic.twitter.com/djj7rahJw8— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 16, 2026In addition to her MVP and Player of the Week awards, Wilson is:a seven-time All-Stara six-time All-WNBA selectiona five-time All-Defense selectiona three-time WNBA championa two-time Olympic gold medalista two-time WNBA scoring championa two-time WNBA Finals MVPIt seems just a matter of time before she has Charles' record for herself, and further distances herself among the greatest players not just in WNBA history, but in all of professional basketball.More WNBA news:Lynx's Olivia Miles revealed a hidden talent during a blowout winSparks' Kelsey Plum followed up career-best performance with her worst output of 2026Meet the new Arike Ogunbowale: Wings star gets special praise after Aces routCaitlin Clark's big social media update means only one thing

Oct 11, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Florida Gators offensive lineman Jake Slaughter (66) sets the ball during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Chargers mandatory minicamp gets underway today!Here are six players we’ll be watching closely when the team hits the field!LB Junior ColsonNow here is a name that many fans probably have forgot about in stretches over the last year.Colson was a 2024 third-round pick of the Chargers straight out of Jim Harbaugh’s championship defense at Michigan. Initial expectations were that Colson was to join Daiyan Henley as a starting linebacker immediately due to his advanced knowledge of Jesse Minter’s defense.Unfortunately injuries have simply ravaged his early NFL years and he’s on the cusp of a real make-or-break season in year three. If does not start seeing the field and showing he can stay healthy, I’m not sure his ties with Harbaugh will be enough to keep him on the roster.EDGE Akheem MesidorNo surprise that the eyes of the Chargers faithful will be on this year’s first-round pick. Mesidor was one of the nation’s top pass rushers in 2025 and he’ll now look to further build the chemistry needed to wreak havoc alongside both Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu in Chris O’Leary’s defense.This week, we’ll be keeping an eye on Mesidor’s usage in both two and three-rusher packages to get as good of an early idea as possible on how he’ll be utilized under O’Leary this season.QB Justin HerbertOne of the weirdest storylines of this offseason has most certainly been Justin Herbert being asked NOT to throw as he builds a new foundation of footwork to be used in Mike McDaniel’s offense.There have been a number of days where Herbert did not throw a single pass and instead worked footwork drills with a medicine ball. The reason behind this is that McDaniel’s offense works much more within the quick game (screens, RPOs, etc.) and Herbert’s previous stance and footwork was geared towards his deep drop backs from the shotgun.Now, Herbert must utilize a different stance and setup to better prep for success in this new system.OG Kayode AwosikaAt this point of the offseason Awosika has been the Chargers’ starter at left guard. He earned the lion’s share of snaps with the first team through OTAs and the expectation is that he’ll continue that trend this week during mandatory minicamp.I don’t think it’s out of line to say that Awosika’s addition in free agency was mainly to find depth at the spot who had some semblance of experience in McDaniel’s system. Awosika spent time with the Niners earlier in his career and the two offenses aren’t that far off.If he can start and finish minicamp as the starter at left guard, I think we’ll have to reset expectations for Slaughter this year. It just does not sound like good process for the coaching staff to give Awosika all of these reps just to replace him with Slaughter in training camp. That does neither player any good for their short-term development.OG/C Jake SlaughterSlaughter was drafted with the plan that he would fight for a starting job at left guard with both Awosika and Trevor Penning. Through OTAs, Slaughter has mainly been with the second team at left guard. That shouldn’t be all that big of a surprise given that hadn’t played guard since high school. He’ll likely continue to be with the backups to start OTAs, though it’d be a positive sign to see him earn more time with the 1s this week.Ideally, Slaughter starts to get more of a show of faith and commitment from the staff as the team’s starter. If there’s no change in his snaps this week, I’lS Genesis SmithThe Chargers have a fairly full safety room after they used one of their fifth-round pick on Smith in this year’s draft. He came into this team as their fifth safety behind the likes of Derwin James, Elijah Molden Tony Jefferson, and R.J. Mickens.Smith has more of a unique skillset compared to the others as a true centerfielder. That may get Smith involved in some specific coverage packages, even as a rookie.

Dylan Betts © X/ @DylanBetts51UCLA is about to get another Betts sibling after Lauren Betts and Sienna Betts led the Bruins to their first women’s basketball national title. This time, however, it is the men’s team that is going after their younger brother, 7’3 center Dylan Betts, as he officially received a scholarship offer from the school.This is exciting news for Dylan, who is a five-star center playing for IMG Academy, ranked No. 10 in the nation by 247Sports, as well as the No. 5 center and the No. 3 player in Florida from the Class of 2028. Like his sisters, he was originally from Colorado, but unlike them, he transferred to IMG Academy in Florida to further develop his game.His eldest sister, Lauren, is a known dominant center, while his other sister, Sienna, a power forward, was the No. 2 prospect from her class and was also central to UCLA’s championship run. With the family’s history being filled with talented bigs, the pressure is on for Dylan Betts to also be a dominant big, should he go to the school.Also like his sisters, he was part of UCLA basketball and attended the organization’s training camps. In addition, he also participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp. The UCLA offer came in after that training camp, with many questioning why the Bruins only offered a five-star legacy like him now, given that his sisters won a national title with the team.Aside From UCLA, Other Schools Have Also Been Trying To Recruit Dylan BettsEven with the history of the Betts sisters playing for UCLA giving the Bruins the advantage, other schools have beentrying to recruit him much earlier, and this could edge out his family’s history with UCLA. He has not yet visited any of them, and the UCLA offer now changes things.Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, USC, Washington, Colorado State, and UNLV all sent their offers to Dylan Betts ahead of UCLA, giving them the advantage of already having a relationship with him ahead of the Bruins.Powerhouses like Illinois and Purdue stand out, with Purdue having the slight edge over the Fighting Illini because of their program’s history in developing big men. USC might also be intriguing, going to his sisters’ school’s eternal rival instead of going with family tradition.Read More:Andrej Stojakovic NBA Draft: Can Illinois Star Still Return To College Basketball?Dusty May’s 2025 Contract Extension: How Much Does Michigan’s HC Earn?College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball,tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh appears to be enjoying his offseason the best way he knows how: with more sports.Harbaugh was spotted at Dodger Stadium Monday evening ahead of the much-anticipated matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and Dodgers.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Dodgers Nation (@dodgersnation)As one would expect of the sports fanatic, Harbaugh had his glove with him, and he caught some balls in the outfield.He also tossed a ball to a young fan and signed a ball for another fan at the outfield wall, as shown in video recorded by Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez.David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports said Harbaugh was there with his family shagging fly balls during batting practice.It appears Dodgers’ first base coach Chris Woodward was out there with the Harbaughs, too.“Harbaugh has caught 21 foul balls in the stands of Major League stadiums,” Vassegh added, though that statement could cause a bit of friction with the Chargers coach.Jim Harbaugh is a notorious foul ball hawkHarbaugh famously brings his glove to all baseball games he attends, and over the years, he claims he’s caught 22 — not 21 — foul balls and home runs.“Legit … I’m really proud of that,” he said at a Chargers press conference during which he also spent five minutes detailing each catch, as reported by Daniel Popper of The Athletic. May 19, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh during offseason workouts at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesHarbaugh said he and his brother, New York Giants coach John Harbaugh, would snag balls in the stands at Detroit Tigers games when they were kids.Per Jim Harbaugh, 13 of his 22 balls came from those Tigers games.That, of course, means nine of those catches came when Harbaugh was an adult, something that’s likely due in part to his technique and willingness to pursue a souvenir instead of watching a homer. “I use my technique of going down,” Harbaugh said, as reported by Pro Football Network. “Everyone’s going up, I’m going down. So you get down there and I came up with the ball.”That kind of attitude tracks for the idiosyncratic Harbaugh, who famously discouraged his players from eating chicken because it’s “a nervous bird” and wasn’t afraid to join the skins team during a summer scrimmage in the Alabama heat. The post Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh Shows Off His Skills Shagging Fly Balls at Dodgers Game appeared first on LA Sports Report.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 22: Mitch Daniels, President, Purdue University speaks onstage during the 2021 Concordia Annual Summit - Day 3 at Sheraton New York on September 22, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit) | Getty Images for Concordia Summi Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Purdue fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.Purdue finds itself in the strange position of needing both a president and an AD at the same time. The president of course plays a hand in the hiring of the AD, so should the president be hired first? Or should you run the searches concurrently and hope for the best candidates for each role? My opinion you ask? I don’t want Mitch Daniels making the AD hire because he won’t be the one who has to live with the consequences of that choice. I know that the president is not the sole decision maker, but it’s an important voice and as the future head of the university I feel that person should have the say. Then, with football ramping up, it’s time to ask which unit we hope will be the most improved. There are a number of position groups that have seemed to have updated the available talent, but will that translate onto the field? Purdue had a lot of problems last season on the field and surely they will need to improve at every position group in order to be competitive this season. Results will come later in the week. Please take our survey

EAGAN, MINNESOTA - MAY 27: Kyler Murray #1 of the Minnesota Vikings participates in a drill during an OTA workout at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center on May 27, 2026 in Eagan, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Minnesota Vikings concluded their mandatory minicamp last week, but Kevin O’Connell said the starting quarterback competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy would continue into training camp. Just how long into training camp it would continue was a little vague. Equally ambiguous was O’Connell’s explanation about how snaps may be divided between the two quarterbacks in training camp and what the criteria for naming a starting quarterback would be, other than the one who elevates the team the most. He also said that while they track data on the two quarterbacks in practice, it may come down to more of a ‘feel thing’, where both he and the quarterbacks would know who felt better running the offense. He did, however, assure everyone that there is a plan in place that will both allow that competition to play out and provide ample time for the eventual starting quarterback to be fully prepared for the regular season and the Packers week one, despite that those two goals may very well be mutually exclusive. Below is a link to O’Connell’s full remarks at the end of minicamp, including the quarterback competition, beginning at 3:30 of the video. Mutually ExclusiveAllowing the quarterback competition to play out may very well be mutually exclusive with fully preparing the starting quarterback for the season. The reason largely comes down to reps, but there are other factors too. But let’s consider what allowing the competition to play out looks like, and then what fully preparing the starting quarterback for the season looks like.Letting the Competition Play OutIf the Vikings are going to let the competition play out, surely that will involve competing and splitting reps equally through at least the joint practices against the Ravens, which are scheduled for August 19-20. The reason for that is because team drills in joint practices are the closest thing to real games in training camp, including preseason games for the most part. Having both quarterbacks show what they can do in as close to a real game situation as possible is the ultimate test of which quarterback can elevate the team the best. Having them prepare equally up to that point, and potentially beyond, in terms of having equal reps also makes sense so one doesn’t have a built-in advantage over the other in working with the offense. Preseason games may offer some value as well, but given other teams are typically playing basic schemes and mostly non-starters, they don’t provide a close approximation of a real game. Results can be misleading. In recent years, joint practices have been one of the more important parts of training camp in terms of player evaluations at every position, so it only makes sense that any quarterback competition includes them as well.If the competition was cut short after, say, one week of training camp, or one quarterback getting the lion’s share of the reps at that point before ultimately being named the starter, was it really a competition? At this point prior to training camp, J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray have each had about 80 reps in somewhat competitive 7-on-7 drills (just over 50 in OTAs/minicamp open to the media). I would imagine that in a week of splitting reps in training camp, they each might get another 80-100 competitive reps, maybe more although that would likely include hand-offs, with probably less than half in fully padded practices. Is that enough to decide the competition? No. Unless it was never really a competition to begin with. In which case, why bother having one?Fully Preparing the Starting QuarterbackIn past seasons, Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, and J.J. McCarthy have received all the first-team reps during both the off-season practices and training camp as they prepared for their first season in Kevin O’Connell’s scheme. I believe all of them have said at one time or another that it was the most difficult scheme for them to learn. I don’t recall any of them saying they had too much time or too many reps or they had got it down well in advance of the regular season. This season, Kyler Murray- who as a veteran isn’t known for his preparation the way Cousins and Darnold are- has been tasked with learning O’Connell’s scheme while getting only half the reps of those in seasons past. At least so far. If that were to continue through the joint practices as above before being named the starter, that would leave basically two weeks with full reps to be fully prepared in terms of knowing and adapting the scheme before a week of game prep prior to the Packers game. That would be at least 300 fewer reps than any other veteran starter had to learn O’Connell’s scheme during the off-season and training camp. There is no way to get those back. And assuming it takes Murray the same number of reps to learn the scheme as it took Cousins or Darnold, and we have no way of knowing whether that is the case or not, that likely means at least a few more weeks during the regular season before Murray is where Darnold or Cousins were at week one. That’s not having a plan. That’s planning to fail.And beyond Murray mastering the scheme, there is also less time for the Vikings to optimize the scheme for Murray should he be named the starter. There are many aspects of O’Connell’s scheme that can be tailored to Murray and his strength as a mobile, dual-threat quarterback who can operate well outside the pocket. The 49ers made a host of changes to Bill Walsh’s west coast scheme when the 49ers went from Joe Montana to Steve Young. Those changes didn’t happen overnight, let alone be installed and practiced so they were ready for game day.On the other hand, what if McCarthy is eventually named the starter. McCarthy may not need as much time to learn the playbook, but there are several other things that he needs to improve, most of which can only be done with more reps. First, McCarthy needs more reps to improve his accuracy, ball placement, and touch. Second, he needs to speed up his processing so he can deliver the ball on time. Third, he needs to improve his ability to get in and out of the huddle in time to read the defense and get the offense into the right play at the line of scrimmage. He struggled with all of those things throughout the season last year. If he’s to elevate the offense around him this season as the starter, he’ll need to improve all of the above. And that takes reps. Lots and lots of reps. And good coaching. And sometimes even then it can take longer and there are dozens of first-round picks over the years that never really put it all together. Letting the competition play out in this scenario, and limiting McCarthy’s reps, is also planning to fail. Where Things Stand NowRight now, McCarthy still has to improve to get to the level where he can elevate the team around him. We’ve heard from multiple sources that McCarthy seems to have improved his mechanics, or they at least appear smoother or different compared to last year. But so far in the off-season program, comments have been a lot less clear on whether he’s improved his accuracy, ball placement, and ability to layer and throw with touch. The Vikings have not allowed any of McCarthy’s team-drill throws to be videoed, except the tail-end of a deep ball to Jordan Addison at the outset of OTAs. Beat writers who attended OTAs noted McCarthy’s improved mechanics and generally characterized his 7-on-7 performance as solid or fine, but they did not talk about McCarthy throwing with touch or hitting receivers in stride like they did with Murray. They did say the ball zipped out of his hand and that he can throw the ball on a line as well as anybody- something they could have said last year too. There was one mention of his being able to throw over some defenders a couple times too but compared to Murray it seemed more like damning with faint praise. In minicamp descriptions McCarthy was described as being sharp, and most gave him the “win” because Murray threw a few interceptions, but still no mention of throwing with touch or hitting receivers in stride. The last day of minicamp didn’t get great reviews for either quarterback, with both having a couple bad throws and Murray having one of his picked. At the end of minicamp press conference with Kevin O’Connell (link above), Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune mentioned that Wes Phillips said that the arrow was pointing up for McCarthy and asked him how that has shown up or how he assessed him during the offseason. O’Connell’s response (11:33 on link above):I think it’s been physical, with his fundamentals and how he has tried to apply to the different types of throws- he’s now had the experience and you’re not talking about hypotheticals anymore. He can learn plays based upon reps, in many ways he’s seeing himself up on the board when either myself or Wes is installing those plays, and then he knows he’s worked on those throws and the rhythm and the timing and the trajectory of those throws, and then he gets to come out and practice them, and then he gets to go, at least in the 7-on-7s, and compete and try to apply those things. You guys have probably seen it- I know you’re not out here every day- but you’ve seen him make some of those throws and it’s been fun to just watch him totally dive into an individual improvement plan for the betterment of the group.That response seemed to be lack anything concrete, talking about process and McCarthy ‘trying to apply’ things, which he said twice. The question seemed like the perfect occasion where if McCarthy had shown improvement in laying the ball, throwing with touch, or anticipation, or with improved accuracy or ball placement, he would have mentioned those things specifically. But he didn’t. Maybe that round-about answer was just O’Connell struggling with his thoughts in coming up with an incomplete answer, but it does seem to contrast significantly with how he described Murray the week before: “His physical talent throwing the ball has been on display every day. The ability to throw to all three levels, layer the ball, anticipation that veteran players bring to the position.” With Murray, based on his (and O’Connell’s) comments, and perhaps indirectly by his performance in minicamp, he seems to be more bogged down now in learning the scheme. Mandatory minicamp appeared to be more heavily focused on installing the offense, which makes sense for mandatory rather than voluntary practices, given that more of the team drills were half-speed or walk-throughs, which typically indicate an install period. Murray said that he wasn’t really worried about the quarterback competition during minicamp, but rather about learning the offense while splitting reps: “Having to split reps, me already being behind, not getting the amount of reps you would typically want a guy to get learning the offense, that’s probably the toughest part. Coming to a new system, learning on the fly, trying to play fast, efficient, letting loose while learning it, that’s the toughest part.”Murray has neither had competition or split reps since college, if then. O’Connell later characterized Murray’s comments as his being uncomfortable, and that being uncomfortable but coming out on the other side can lead to growth. That may be true, but it also risks O’Connell not appreciating that Murray may need more reps to learn the offense, as Cousins and Darnold and McCarthy had in previous seasons.Is This Really a Competition?Neither oddsmakers, Vikings beat writers, national pundits, or (I believe) most fans really believe this to be a true competition that either quarterback can win. The implied probability of Murray winning the competition is 90% based on current odds. Kevin O’Connell saying that the competition will stretch into training camp did little to move those odds. And from the beginning, Vikings beat writers have maintained a healthy skepticism that this is really a competition. And I haven’t heard a single national pundit or NFL insider say they think McCarthy will beat out Murray. Even now Albert Breer is suggesting that after Murray said the quiet part out loud, O’Connell may be forced to move up his timetable for announcing Murray as the starter.Breer reported back in March that O’Connell had told Murray, “He was the one guy on the market that they could see as a potential longer-range answer, rather than a one-year Band-Aid.” The Vikings briefly tried to add a second year to Murray’s contract as well.But O’Connell says it’s a competition. I’m not sure even J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray believes that to be the case- McCarthy appeared skeptical in his comments about it while Murray said he isn’t worried about it.“Organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations”What this competition may be about, if it’s not a real competition as most people believe, is giving Kevin O’Connell time to save face. He made the above statement a couple years ago and it may be haunting him now. He may be waiting for a time when he feels he gave McCarthy a fair shot before naming Murray the starter, even though McCarthy’s chance of starting this season may have been close to zero from the moment the Vikings signed Kyler Murray.The risk in doing so- letting a false competition play out too long- is not failing a young quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, but a veteran one in Kyler Murray and the rest of the team. This isn’t the old days with two-a-day practices and plenty of reps to go around. The off-season and training camp schedules have been whittled down over the years while schemes have become more complicated. All that means that time on task with the first-team offense is at a premium for a starting quarterback learning a new scheme. At the end of the day, Kevin O’Connell said the Vikings would make a quarterback decision that is best for the team. The timing of that decision may also be important if the starting quarterback is to be fully prepared week one. Waiting too long to name a QB1 and give him all the first-team reps risks a poor start to the season and would be a disservice to the team. Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Where to watch Wisconsin high school baseball playoffs: Schedule, channel, live stream for WIAA state tournament originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Trophies are on the line this week at the Wisconsin high school baseball state tournament. The top teams from all four divisions have gathered in Grand Chute to determine the WIAA champions for 2026, with a pair of schools looking to go back-to-back.Muskego has been the top team in Division 1 this year and is the top seed as it looks for a repeat. Kenosha St. Joseph is also looking to bring home a trophy for the second consecutive year, but the Lancers are in Division 2 this time after taking the Division 3 crown in 2025. Those two are the only finalists from a year ago to return to the state bracket, continuing a tradition of turnover each year across the state championships. While St. Joseph has reached the state final three of the last five years (also winning the D3 title in 2021), repeats have been rare in WIAA play. Who will close the school year with state championships in 2026? Here's when and where to watch every game. Where to watch Wisconsin high school baseball playoffsTV channel: NoneLive streams:NFHS Network (quarterfinals, semifinals), Allen Media station websites (finals)Fans can stream every state quarterfinal and semifinal game live on WIAA.TV, which is part of the NFHS Network. The NFHS Network offers two basic plans: an Annual Pass ($6.67 per month) or a Monthly Pass ($13.99 per month). These plans give subscribers the ability to watch live sporting events and create clips of their favorite moments from games.State championship games will stream on the websites of Allen Media television stations around the state. Those stations include: WAOW, WKOW, WXOW, WQOW and WLUK.Wisconsin state baseball tournament schedule, scores 2026All games will be played at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.Division 1DateRd.GameTime (CT)WatchJune 15QFNo. 4 Madison Memorial 8, No. 5 Fond du Lac 4——June 15QFNo. 1 Muskego 7, No. 8 Marquette 5——June 15QFNo. 3 Kaukauna 4, No. 6 River Falls 1——June 15QFNo. 7 Nicolet 3, No. 2 Milton 2——June 17SFNo. 1 Muskego vs. No. 4 Madison Memorial2:30 p.m.NFHS NetworkJune 17SFNo. 3 Kaukauna vs. No. 7 Nicolet5 p.m.NFHS NetworkJune 18FSemifinal winners6:05 p.m.Allen MediaDivision 2DateRd.GameTime (CT)WatchJune 17SFNo. 2 Kenosha St. Joseph vs. No. 3 Waupun9 a.m.NFHS NetworkJune 17SFNo. 1 Pewaukee vs. No. 4 Somerset11:30 a.m.NFHS NetworkJune 18FSemifinal winners3:05 p.m.Allen MediaDivision 3DateRd.GameTime (CT)WatchJune 16SFNo. 2 Marathon vs. No. 3 Cedar Grove-BelgiumTBDNFHS NetworkJune 16SFNo. 1 St. Croix Falls vs. No. 4 DodgevilleTBDNFHS NetworkJune 18FSemifinal winners12:05 p.m.Allen MediaDivision 4DateRd.GameTime (CT)WatchJune 16SFNo. 2 Potosi/Cassville 2, No. 3 Reedsville 1 (11 inn.)——June 16SFNo. 1 Columbus Catholic vs. No. 4 Loyal (weather delay)11:30 a.m.NFHS NetworkJune 18FSemifinal winners9:05 a.m.Allen Media

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian makes surprising admission about Arch Manning’s NFL future originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Arch Manning might not be entering his final season with the Texas Longhorns in 2026. At least that's the feeling around the program that was conveyed by Steve Sarkisian.The Longhorns head coach explained why he believes Manning could bypass the 2027 NFL draft and stay put in Austin. "You know, we haven't had the discussion, but I will tell you, I would not be surprised," he told Up & Adams this week."I think Arch really loves college football, I really do. I think he loves the University of Texas. He does pretty good through NIL, you know, he's got some pretty good endorsements going right now, which is a credit to him and obviously the lineage of the last name and the brand of the University of Texas, all of those things coming together. On the same token, I won't be surprised if he declares and decides to go into the draft. But I think some of that is dependent on how we play as a team this fall, how he plays individually."Steve Sarkisian LOVES the growth that he's seen out of Arch Manning, especially in the toughness category 💪@heykayadams | @TexasFootball | @ArchManningpic.twitter.com/zajET3QMF6— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) June 15, 2026Manning will have to make the ultimate decision to either throw himself into the projected stacked class next year or wait until 2028. After dealing with injuries during the first half of last season, the grandson of Archie Manning looks for his best campaign to date. He threw for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. All while still keeping the Longhorns in contention for a College Football Playoff spot.MORE:Average GPA of Texas Longhorns football players under Steve Sarkisian turns headsEven with Manning being widely considered as one of the top prospects in the 2027 cycle, there's really no rush for him to make a jump. He's currently at the top end of On3's NIL valuation and doesn't need to cash in his NFL chips right away. Another year with Sarkisian could be key to his overall development as well.What once seemed like a forgone conclusion is now in the likely range. Either way, this upcoming season will be critical for Texas and how Manning is viewed by NFL evaluators.More Texas Longhorn Football news:Texas' Steve Sarkisian goes off about Ole Miss' basket weaving degreesArch Manning's cousin is the talk of college football after workout tape surfacesSteve Sarkisian can't be serious saying Arch Manning is 'underpaid'Arch Manning and the bonkers reason why one NFL team is out for his familyCam Newton blames Arch Manning for the worst QB draft class in 20 years

It had been widely reported that Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens desired a long-term deal this offseason. But, a month and a half after officially signing the franchise tag, Pickens told reporters Tuesday at mandatory minicamp that he’s not disappointed he didn’t receive a long-term contract.Pickens also said he doesn’t plan on holding out or in and that he’ll be at training camp later this summer.This story is being updated.

Federal prosecutors told a judge that they were deciding whether to seek the death penalty if Rahmanullah Lakanwal is convicted of killing a National Guard specialist.

The post Mikal Bridges Wakes Up From 4-Day Bender Next To Dead Jimmy Fallon appeared first on The Onion.

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The NFL has released a statement in support of the Protect College Sports Act. The league cited the need for stability in the college athletics landscape and said the bill is an “important step” toward that point.Tuesday’s statement comes ahead of a scheduled markup this week – the next step in the legislative process. The NFL also voiced its support for the bill’s provision regarding the voluntary pooling of media rights. That has been a key point of conversation about the bipartisan legislation, particularly since the Big Ten and SEC have spoken out against the idea.[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]The NFL also said it plans to keep working with Congressional leadership as the bill moves ahead. A markup is on the schedule for Thursday, the Senate Commerce Committee previously announced.Statement from the @NFLpic.twitter.com/ZxAff9A81K— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) June 16, 2026“The National Football League applauds Senators Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Eric Schmitt, and Chris Coons for their bipartisan leadership in introducing the Protect College Sports Act of 2026,” the statement reads, via ESPN’s Heather Dinich. “Healthy, stable, and thriving collegiate athletics is essential to the future of American sports, including Olympic sports, and this legislation is an important step to achieving that for the benefit of all college athletes and institutions alike.“By utilizing proven models like the voluntary pooling of media rights under the Sports Broadcasting Act, which supports broad, fan-friendly distribution of NFL games, this legislation will support college athletics and ensure fans will be able to access their favorite games across today’s changing media landscape. The League looks forward to continue working with Congressional leaders as this bill moves through the legislative process.”This story will be updated.