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The haunting story set against the Yorkshire moors would become one of the most renowned novels of the 19th century. Now, a rare first-edition copy is heading to auction

Washington dictated and signed the letter in October 1781 to formally accept the British surrender at Yorktown, writing of his “ardent desire to spare the further effusion of blood”

The lead curse tablet was discovered in a city square in the Netherlands and recently deciphered by researchers in Germany

The former Longaberger basket company headquarters in Ohio is for sale to a buyer who is willing to preserve its quirky design

Construction continues on a helipad and the White House Ballroom on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tierney L. Cross)2026-08-07T14:53:24Z WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of its $400 million ballroom at the White House without congressional approval.President Donald Trump doesn’t have the unilateral authority to construct a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom where the White House’s East Wing stood before he ordered its demolition, according to the decision by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction. The court said it would stay its own ruling for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the court wrote. “This holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy. This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom.“What it does mean,” the court continued, “is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court’s expeditious litigation without securing Congress’s authorization, as the Constitution and laws require.” The panel upheld an April 16 order from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon for the administration to halt above-ground work on the ballroom. Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, allowed for construction to continue on below-ground work on a bunker and other “national security facilities” at the site.Trump, a Republican, railed against Leon’s decision on social media, calling him a “Trump Hating” judge who “has gone out of his way to undermine National Security, and to make sure that this Great Gift to America gets delayed, or doesn’t get built.” Read More The appeals court case was assigned to Judges Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated to the court by Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump nominated Rao. Garcia was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden. Both Millett and Garcia backed the decision, while Rao opposed it. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to challenge the project in December 2025, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people.Government lawyers have argued that the project — the biggest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years — includes critical security features to guard against a range of threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards.“These upgrades, alterations, and improvements are essential to protecting the President, his family, and his staff, as well as the White House itself, and the entire project flows from them,” government attorneys wrote in a court filing.Attorneys for the preservation group countered that the lack of a White House ballroom doesn’t constitute a national security emergency.“That commonsense conclusion is not clearly erroneous, and there is no basis to disturb it,” they wrote. In an initial ruling that the government also appealed, Leon barred above-ground work on the ballroom from proceeding without congressional approval. In response, the appeals court instructed the judge to reconsider the national security implications of stopping construction.In his most recent decision, Leon ordered a stop only to the above-ground construction of the planned ballroom. The judge stressed that the White House is free to proceed with below-ground work, including the construction of any bunkers, military installations and medical facilities.“Defendants argue that the entire ballroom construction project, from tip to tail, falls within the safety-and-security exception and therefore may proceed unabated,” the judge wrote. “That is neither a reasonable nor a correct reading of my Order!”On April 2, Trump’s ballroom won final approval from the 12-member National Capital Planning Commission, which is charged with approving construction on federal property in the Washington region.___Barrow reported from Atlanta. BILL BARROW Barrow covers U.S. politics for The Associated Press. He is based in Atlanta. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Construction continues on a helipad and the White House Ballroom on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tierney L. Cross)2026-08-07T15:02:37Z HOUSTON (AP) — A 2-year-old girl whose parents sued a Texas hospital to prevent it from testing if she was brain-dead after she drowned in a hotel pool on Memorial Day has been removed from life support and died, her family said this week.Annelise Camp “is now with Jesus,” her parents Johnston and Joy Camp said in a statement, weeks after a judge granted a temporary injunction in their favor. “While our hearts are broken, we trust in His perfect love, His faithfulness, and His promises.”The family had long said she still showed signs of life and wanted more time for her to recover and explore treatment.Breathing tubes were removed from Annelise on Monday, her grandfather Steve Camp posted online. “When this procedure was done, she passed very quickly.”A church service for Annelise is scheduled for next Wednesday in Houston.The Texas Right to Life organization supported the family’s case. “This victory gave the Camp family two extra months with Annelise and provided her a chance to recover from her injury,” the organization posted online. Annelise was discovered unconscious in the hotel pool and was brought to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Several days later, her parents petitioned the judge, requesting that she not be tested for brain death as advised by doctors. Court documents said Annelise’s heart was beating, although she was dependent on a ventilator, The Texas Tribune reported. The Camps also asked that Annelise be transferred to another hospital to explore other treatment options. However, Texas Children’s stated it wanted to conduct testing to determine next steps in her medical care and that it had no imminent plans to end care for Annelise. Read More Texas Children’s officials said in court documents they had contacted medical facilities to ask about accepting Annelise, but 35 of the 36 have declined and the one pending hospital said it needed her to undergo brain death testing to consider transfer, the Tribune reported. The Camps eventually were able to transfer Annelise to a hospital in Louisiana. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also supported the family. 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. “Annelise Camp is fighting for her life and deserves a medical team that will fight just as hard,” he posted on X in June. Texas law defines brain death as the irreversible cessation of brain function. Under the law, once a patient is declared brain-dead, a hospital can withdraw life-sustaining measures. “The big common denominator is time,” Johnston Camp told KRIV-TV in June. “And so when you have time, I know scientifically you can see a certain reading, but she is showing progressive results from her body or complexions, her vitals.” In July, the Camps had posted on a GoFundMe site that Annelise continued to show “encouraging signs” at the Louisiana hospital. “We are pursuing every available option, including specialized and exploratory treatments that show promise,” they added. The Camps did not say why Annelise was removed from life support. Messages seeking comment were sent to the family. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss Flock blogging, "rare" books, and Jesus Christ.EMANUEL: I was out last Friday so I want to talk about the story I published two weeks ago about AI companies buying printed books so they can scan them for training data. The story has gone mega viral on X, but mostly in the form of a post from an engagement farming account that both misrepresented my article and didn’t properly link back to our website. This is frustrating because it means a lot of other people siphoned traffic from our site and also because it caused a fair bit of confusion about what is happening.

The Louisiana senator said that, despite reservations, he would back President Trump’s pick for attorney general, giving Republicans enough votes for a majority.

Will Rosenzweig joins a growing list of former prosecutors and federal agents who have gone to court to contest the purge of law enforcement deemed disloyal.

Lamine Yamal’s confident words ahead of World Cup final: ‘I never think about defeat’The FIFA World Cup was a special competition for Barcelona, for Spain’s victory was a direct win for the club and the academy in many ways.The Catalans, after all, had as many as eight players in the World Cup-winning team with the likes of Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Ferran Torres and even Pedri having prominent roles in the competition.In fact, even the winning goal in the final was scored by a Barcelona player, and it is clear that the stocks of all of the team’s representatives in La Roja are at an all-time high.Yamal’s ice-cold confidence before the finalEarlier today, the Spanish national team released some visuals of Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal which were taken in the hours leading up to the final against Argentina.During those interactions, as relayed byMundo Deportivo, Yamal exhibited calmness, confidence and a mentality that is simply unbelievable for a player of his age.Yamal did not fear defeat against Lionel Messi’s side. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)“We are going to Spain as world champions,” Yamal says in the visuals, calm and fearless ahead of the biggest game of his career.The youngster also spoke at the time about how he was not nervous and how the reality had still not dawned on him.“I’m not nervous. I think we are still not aware that we are going to play a World Cup final.”Finally, Yamal exhibited great confidence in openly stating that he only saw a scenario where his team lifted the trophy and that he was not even thinking of a possible defeat.“I never think about defeat. In my mind, it doesn’t enter my mind to lose. All I imagine is raising the cup.”Returning to training soonThe youngster will return to training next week. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Yamal may not have had the most flashy World Cup, but for a player who just returned from injury, he did exceedingly well and was crucial in all of Spain’s attacking movements.Now a World Champion as just a teenager, Yamal is expected to return to Barcelona next week and will begin working under Hansi Flick once more.The entire Spanish contingent will be back in Catalonia on August 12th, and the winger will once again link up with the core of the Spanish national team who are in Barcelona, possibly even with his captain at the World Cup – Rodri.

EXCLUSIVE | Mikaël Silvestre: ‘For Rennes, qualifying for the Champions League has to be the objective’Get French Football News sat down with former Stade Rennais, Manchester United, Arsenal and France defender Mikaël Silvestre to look back at les Bleus performance at the recent World Cup, and to look at some potentially interesting prospects for the coming season.In this third and final part, Mikaël assessed the prospects for his first club, Stade Rennais, this season and also reminisced about playing in one of the great football teams.Your first club, Rennes, struggled a little at the beginning of last season, and then under Franck Haise, they improved a lot. Are you positive about their upcoming season?I think the club is always ambitious, and if they could return to the Champions League, it would be good. They are not the only ones to be ambitious, but when you look at their recruitment and the way they finished last season, qualifying for Europe, the Europa League is the minimum expectation. And taking third place and qualifying for the Champions League, that has to be Rennes’ objective. I say third rather than second because I think there is often a correlation between budget and the results. So it could be a Marseille, a Lille, a Lyon or a Monaco, they all have bigger budgets than Rennes. If they can spring a surprise then great, but at the moment I don’t see them as the dauphin of Paris Saint-Germain.You scored in one of my favourite ever matches when France beat Portugal 4-0 in 2001. At that time France were so good that it never crossed one’s mind that they could lose – I guess they peaked a year too early! What did it feel like to play in a team like that? Did you feel unbeatable?Yeah, it’s true that playing in a team like that where the players are all at the peak of their career, in fact, what it feels like is that we all feel strong. We all feel strong in all the compartments of the game, so in winning the ball back, in the construction, in the finishing. We feel very strong individually, collectively, and it’s a feeling that is quite unique because we go into the match feeling that at some point in the match we are going to dominate our opponent, that we are going find a solution and score. That’s not always a given but it’s true that coming into the match, coming onto the pitch, we know that if we each do our job, then we have a great likelihood of winning the match. It’s a rare feeling and a privilege to be able to do that at a very high level against the best nations in the world.Mikaël Silvestre was speaking exclusively to Get French Football News courtesy of BetVictor Online CasinoGFFN | Jeremy Smith

PALMYRA — The Palmyra Area District school board chose to table a decision on its high school wrestling staff during its Thursday, Aug. 6 board meeting.Four new board members were elected during Thursday evening’s meeting, and the new school board took an extended executive session break to discuss the program’s status. Former assistant coach Joshua Weidman along with five Cougars’ wrestlers were in attendance, and several residents showed up in support of former Palmyra wrestling coach Jonathan Regets and staff.GameTime PA: Meet the GameTimePA Football 50, top players to watch in 2026Football Polls: Vote now for Lebanon County's best football teams ahead of 2026 actionAfter attending several Palmyra school board meetings this year since the ongoing issues began, rising junior Elijah Foltz said he and his teammates are all in support of Regets and the coaching staff at hand.“I think that he's done wonders for our program, not only as a team getting better and getting wins, but as people, too. (Regets) has helped create a better person in me, I know that for a fact, and in other people, I've seen it, too. So, he's been about not only getting the wins but also making us better people.“I'm in a little group chat with some of the guys, and I'll text them and ask if anybody needs rides or who's going. It just shows how much these coaches mean to us, so we're willing to go to these meetings and push for them.”It’s been an eventful offseason since Foltz’s PIAA podium finish and Regets' District 3 Coach of the Year award, but the team has stuck together through it all. Foltz said Regets has been volunteering his time to help Palmyra’s wrestlers this summer in several ways.“Just this weekend, we had a dual team tournament and ended up getting first in our division. (Coach Regets) got a team together of mostly Palmyra guys, and a couple guys from local schools,” Foltz said. “It's nice just being able to wrestle with my team and get together.“It's fun because often times I'm doing this offseason stuff alone. It's nice that he's pulling in the other guys, and I'm getting to compete with my teammates over the offseason, too, because I miss them and competing, so it is fun doing that.”The next Palmyra District board meeting is set for Aug. 20.Foltz said the Cougars’ wrestling success is important to him and his teammates, and that being together off the mats is another way to grow.“Staying close and being able to just be with each other through this and encouraging each other (helps)." Foltz said. "I provided a ride for someone here, and just being with each other through this and (knowing) no matter how this ends up, we're a team and we're gonna deal with this however it ends up.”“We're a team, and we'll just keep working together.”Zavier Gussett covers high school sports and local sports in Lebanon County. Follow him on X at @CallTheHuddle or email zgussett@ldnews.com.This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Palmyra school board pushes wrestling coaches decision back

Red Sox had 'biggest overpay' of trade deadline, but it wasn't for Adley Rutschman originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Boston Red Sox made some of the most interesting trades of the 2026 MLB trade deadline. They acquired Adley Rutschman, Curtis Mead, and Erik Miller, among others, in a series of interesting deadline moves.But, after the deadline passed, the Red Sox were believed by former MLB general manager Jim Bowden of The Athletic to have made the "biggest overpay" of the entire deadline.Most might assume it's their Rutschman blockbuster, but Bowden instead pointed towards their trade for Mead using Connelly Early as the "biggest overpay" of the entire deadline.Red Sox trade for Curtis Mead called 'biggest overpay' of entire MLB trade deadline"Biggest overpay: Boston Red Sox dealing LHP Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for INF Curtis Mead," Bowden writes. "Early has less than one year of service time and profiles as a mid-rotation starter with many years in the big leagues ahead of him. Sometimes you have to overpay in trades to better your team, which is why this trade actually made sense for the Red Sox despite the overpay."Trading Early, a promising young pitcher with plenty of club control for Mead, a young slugger who seemed to finally find his footing with the Nationals after bouncing between a few clubs for a little while, was an overpay.There's no denying that Boston paid more than Mead's value to acquire him from the Nationals. But, as Bowden noted, it sometimes takes an overpay to land a good player.MORE: Red Sox expected to trade Jarren Duran during offseason, not MLB trade deadlineMead is a good hitter and likely would've been a great addition for the Red Sox lineup. It's just incredibly unlucky that he got hurt two plate appearances into his career with Boston.That injury has no bearing on whether this trade is viewed as an overpay, but it certainly doesn't help. Early is also not back in the big leagues just yet, as he's recovering from his own injury.Still, the Red Sox giving up Early, a young controllable starting pitcher, for Mead was the "biggest overpay" of the 2026 MLB trade deadline.Bowden doesn't mind the move, but he is acknowledging that Craig Breslow overpaid to acquire Mead to try to improve this offense.More MLB news:Cubs land Kevin Gausman in blockbuster trade with Blue JaysWhat did Mets get for Freddy Peralta? Rays send three prospects for 4.99 ERA SPTigers receive lousy grade for Tarik Skubal trade to Dodgers from ESPNHow Cubs inadvertently helped Dodgers trade for Tarik SkubalRoyals DFA former Phillies All-Star reliever Matt Strahm after trade deadline

Chad Tracy on Ace Garrett Crochet Potentially Joining Red Sox Bullpen: 'We’d Be Foolish Not to Consider That' originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Red Sox are on a roll again, this time on an eight-game win streak. Their last outing saw them perform a miraculous comeback, beating the White Sox in 13 innings. Everyone on the roster is excited about the potential playoff run this team can go on.One of those players is Garrett Crochet, out since April due to left shoulder inflammation. It’s also hard for the 2025 AL Cy Young runner-up not to feel a little low after feeling left out on all the fun.Crochet has a 3-3 record with a 6.30 ERA, striking out 37 in 30 innings. He finally got a chance to throw again after months on the shelf, not long after stating he’s in a race against time. The reigning MLB strikeout leader believes he could be on track to return sometime soon. “I do feel good about it,” Crochet said via MLB.com. “I don’t have one specific day in mind, but I generally feel good about it.”Picked 11th by the White Sox in the 2020 MLB Draft, Crochet was traded to the Red Sox in 2024. He went 18-5 in his first season in Boston, posting a 2.59 ERA and striking out 255 batters.Signing a six-year, $170 million extension, Crochet wants to prove the contract was worth it. Interim manager Chad Tracy believes it’s “not feasible” for him to go more than six innings when he returns. There is a way for Crochet to contribute: a potential bullpen run.“If he’s healthy and right, and he looks like Garrett Crochet, I think we’d be foolish not to consider that,” Tracy said.Crochet proved he can produce in the bullpen in Chicago. After eight strikeouts in five games in 2020, Crochet had a 2.82 ERA in 54.1 innings in 2021, striking out 65. After Tommy John surgery, he had a 3.55 ERA in 13 games in 2023, striking out 12.A move to the bullpen has done wonders for Brayan Bello, who got recalled in July after being optioned to Triple-A Worcester in June. In five games, he has a 0.48 ERA with 16 strikeouts. The transition has helped rest some reliable relievers.That transition may be a decision Craig Breslow makes. Regardless, Crochet, itching to pitch, wouldn’t say no to contributing in any way possible.“There’s no ego about it. It’s something I’ve done before,” Crochet said. “If there’s any way possible I can help this team achieve the goal we set out in Spring Training, the goal that every team sets out to achieve, if I could help us achieve it, I don’t really care what the role is.“I’ve been on the sidelines for three months, and they’ve been killing it, and it just makes me hungrier and hungrier to want to join and just contribute, because these guys have stepped up and posted all year. It’d be nice to help.”Garrett Crochet stats 2026CategoryStatGames Started6Record3-3ERA6.30Innings Pitched30.0Strikeouts37Walks11WHIP1.47More Red SoxLatest Red Sox news2026 Red Sox schedule2026 Red Sox rosterComplete history of Red Sox championships

Forty years after state health regulations were used to shut down New York City’s gay bathhouses, two out lawmakers are working to get those regulations repealed. This week, New York state Sen. Erik Bottcher (D) introduced Senate Bill S10673, the Public Health Modernization Act, with the support of State Rep. Tony Simone (D). The legislation aims to repeal a 1985 state law that banned businesses from making “facilities available for the purpose of sexual activities where anal intercourse, vaginal intercourse, or fellatio take place” and declared such facilities “a threat to the public health.” Bottcher’s bill would also require the State Department of Health to establish new rules and regulations around the licensing of bathhouses and adult sex venues within six months, according to Gay City News. Related City Council approves legalizing bathhouses in move advocates say is critical to public health Both lawmakers say the 1985 law, enacted at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, is out of step with modern public health science, including highly effective HIV prevention medications like PrEP. “It’s 2026, not 1986,” Simone told Gay City News. “Evidence-based practices informed by the last 30 years of public health research make it clear we need to repeal the ban.” Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The bill has garnered support from leading LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS organizations Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, Housing Works, GMHC, the NYC LGBT Community Center, and GLAAD, according to W42ST. Proponents like Housing Works president and CEO Charles King argue that bathhouses once served as hubs not only for gay social life, culture, and political organizing, but were also places where at-risk communities could get access to condoms and HIV/AIDS prevention information. Shutting them down, King told W42ST, “drove sex venues underground, creating more risk especially for gay and bisexual men.” “We all know these places exist,” Simone said. “By banning them, predominantly queer New Yorkers are being forced into the shadows. It is time to repeal the ban on adult-use bathhouses and create a safe and regulated system to protect the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers.” “By bringing people together rather than pushing them into less visible settings, we create opportunities to build trust and deliver services that improve health outcomes,” Callen-Lorde chief medical officer Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who also served as the White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator under President Joe Biden, said. Arguments for Bottcher’s bill echo those behind a pair of city ordinances signed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) in late June, paving the way for legal bathhouses and adult sex venues to operate in the city for the first time since the 1980s. And as Gay City News notes, San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami are among the cities throughout the US in which gay bathhouses can operate legally. “Many people have been talking about this for a long time, and now we’re seeing municipalities around the country change their policies to catch up with science,” Bottcher told the outlet. “New York State still hasn’t done so. Now’s the time.” S.B. S10673 is just a first step toward legal gay bathhouses in New York. Thomas Shanahan, a lawyer representing a group of investors who are hoping to open a “world-class” gay bathhouse in the city should the bill pass, told Gay City News that there are a number of building codes, fire codes, and health codes that would need to be amended first. “There’s not a clearly defined use group for this kind of facility,” Bottcher told the outlet. “So our legislation both orders the state to eliminate the prohibition and create the regulatory framework that would be necessary for new businesses to open.” As W42ST notes, the bill must first pass both chambers of the state Legislature, and would have to be approved by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). Neither Hochul nor New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has commented on the proposed legislation, according to Gay City News. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Researchers used a new method to investigate past interbreeding with Homo sapiens that doesn't require ancient DNA. The technique identified areas of living humans' genomes that came from unknown hominins, including one from a 1.8 million-year-old lineage

Their unusual diet of pollen—rather than nectar—might partially explain why members of the Heliconius genus live so long, up to nearly a year

When researchers played underwater recordings of pushy males, females that were capable of becoming pregnant swam away from the sounds

The famous waterway began as two rivers, a new study suggests. Tectonic activity around five million years ago probably made them change course and merge, helping to birth the Fertile Crescent

A recent study suggests that zebrafish have four sleep substates, just like humans do—and one of them is akin to an afternoon snooze

Andrew Tate, left, watches his brother Tristan speak, outside a police station in Voluntari, Romania, May 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File)2026-08-07T15:48:53Z MIAMI (AP) — Attorneys for social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate argued Friday that the brothers’ high-profile, public lives and other factors constitute special circumstances for their release as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking. The defense attorneys filed a motion for release in Miami federal court, where a judge will next week determine if the brothers should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Prosecutors must file a response to the motion by Monday.The detention hearing is likely to be the first time the Tates leave the Federal Detention Center in Miami since making a brief court appearance two days after their July 18 arrest. The Tates have become among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities with their promotion of wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire. The new allegations are the latest in the Tates’ long-running international legal saga spanning the U.S., Britain and Romania. The brothers claim special circumstances for their releaseThe defense motion acknowledges there is a presumption against bond in extradition proceedings but argues that release can be granted in special circumstances. It says the Tates’ high profile makes it nearly impossible for them to flee, and that they regularly post updates about their locations on social media. Prosecutors call the brothers a flight risk but their attorneys said they have proved they are not, by complying with all pretrial restrictions in Romania, where they are accused of luring women for sexual exploitation. Read More “Every prediction the government now asks this Court to make about the brothers’ future conduct — that they will flee if released — has already been made and answered by three years of data showing that they do not flee,” the motion says.The U.K. has until mid-September to provide evidence to the State Department to support extradition, meaning the brothers could spend months in FDC Miami before the proceedings are resolved, the motion says. No date has been set for an extradition hearing. They are being held in a special unit for their own protection. “The Tates have limited contact with their families, no television, no radio, and no commissary access,” the motion says. “They sleep without pillows, on bunks shorter than they are tall.”It says holding a detainee who hasn’t been convicted of a crime under such conditions violates due process. 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 have a history of legal troublesThe brothers have long claimed that their violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.The former professional kickboxers, who have dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump. The White House has said the brothers shouldn’t expect any help from the president. British prosecutors said the new charges relate to four new accusers and were brought after authorities received evidence from police in Bedfordshire, in southeastern England. The allegations, which span from 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and offenses relating to “indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.”The brothers are already charged with rape, bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain relating to three other accusers in the U.K. between 2012 and 2015. The brothers moved to Romania in 2016 and were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations, and the Romanian case hasn’t moved forward due to legal and procedural problems.The Tates’ attorneys have said the Romanian court has granted a U.K. request for extradition that will take effect after Romanian proceedings conclude.“What the United Kingdom seeks now is to shop for a second forum and a second judge in order to jump ahead of the Romanian proceedings and bypass the Romanian order that deferred surrender of the brothers,” the motion said. “The Court should decline and release the brothers on conditions.”Andrew Tate, 39, became famous a decade ago when he was a contestant on the U.K. reality television show “Big Brother.” He was ejected from the show when a video appeared to show him assaulting a woman. He has amassed over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, for violating hate speech guidelines. He has made widely condemned comments, such as saying women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for the attacks and sharing graphic descriptions of how he might attack women.Tristan Tate, 38, has worked with his brother on multiple businesses, including the production of online webcam pornography.

smoke emerges from a forest during a wildfire in Deliblatska Pescara (Deliblato Sands), near the village of Sumarak, 70 kilometers north-west of Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)2026-08-07T15:22:41Z BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thick gray smoke drifted over a wooded area in northeast Serbia on Friday as authorities raced to contain a major wildfire, while multiple other blazes raged across the country amid extreme heat and prolonged drought gripping the Balkans.Firefighters used helicopters to drop water on the blaze sweeping through pine forests near Deliblatska Pescara, a protected nature reserve about 65 kilometers (40 miles) from the capital, Belgrade. Another major fire raged near the central town of Kraljevo. The blistering heat wave bearing down on Europe in recent weeks has set national temperature records in multiple countries, led to droughts that have strained national energy systems and fueled wildfires from Western Europe to the Balkans. Fires in Serbia rage close to settlementsFires in Serbia rage close to the settlements of Cardak and Sumarak in the Deliblatska Pescara area. Regional television reported that villagers from Sumarak have been asked to leave their homes as a precaution. Authorities said that no houses had caught fire and no casualties had been reported.Days of dry weather and scorching heat reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104F) have worsened the wildfire risk. Strong winds across the Balkan nation on Friday complicated firefighters’ efforts to contain the blazes. After an emergency meeting Friday, Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said the army had been brought in to help emergency efforts. The government urged all state companies to provide any equipment and human resources they can spare to help tackle the blazes. Dacic added that despite nine wildfires affecting various parts of the country, the situation was “not critical.”Firefighters were also tackling blazes on Friday in neighboring Montenegro near the town of Cetinje, and other locations in the Adriatic Sea nation. Read More Heat wave breaks records in EuropeThe extreme weather across Europe has pushed temperatures above 40 C in many countries, prompting health warnings for millions of people. Scientists and officials warn that such events are becoming more frequent and intense as the climate warms.In Central Europe, Slovakia and Austria both recorded all-time high temperatures this week. In Dolne Plachtince in southern Slovakia, temperatures soared to 42.2 C (108 F), while the Austrian village of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg near the Slovak border recorded 41.2 C (106.2 F). Hungary also recorded its warmest overnight temperature on record, with temperatures falling only to 28 C (82 F) in the capital, Budapest.In Italy, officials placed all its major cities under the highest heat alert on Thursday, signaling a health risk for the entire population, not only vulnerable groups. 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. Severe droughts hit major European riversProlonged droughts have left major European rivers such as the Danube River and Rhine River at significantly low water levels, and multiple Central and Eastern European governments are facing energy emergencies as a result.On Friday, Romania continued an operation to sink four rock-laden barges into the Danube near the Bala Canal to redirect water downstream toward its state-owned Cernavoda nuclear plant, which relies on river water to cool its reactors. The aim is to buy more time before the second reactor is likely forced offline after its first reactor was shut down last week.In neighboring Hungary, operators of the country’s only nuclear power plant were also forced to reduce output to about 10% of normal production due to the Danube’s low levels, prompting the government to ask businesses and the general public to cut down on their electricity use, particularly during peak hours. On Friday, Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar told a news conference that slightly cooler weather and water level increases of around 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) on the Danube meant that energy-saving measures could be suspended. He praised Hungarians for successfully reducing the burden on the electrical grid.“We would like to thank everyone who, during the difficult week that’s behind us, joined in this unprecedented national cooperation,” he said. “We have preserved Hungary’s energy and water security.”Magyar said some rainfall could raise water levels on the Danube further and bring “temporary respite” in the coming days, but warned that more hot and dry weather in the forecast would likely lead to levels dropping again. Over the past week, Slovakia’s biggest hydroelectric power plant in Gabčíkovo was forced to shut down seven of its eight turbines, and Germany also faced growing concerns over the impact of drought on transportation and industry as water levels on the Rhine and other rivers continued to fall.In Moldova, which relies heavily on imported electricity, including from Romania, authorities have urged citizens to voluntarily reduce usage during peak hours.—McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England. Justin Spike reported from Budapest, Hungary.

The hot weather has exacerbated dry conditions, creating conditions for wildfires and receding rivers.

Beset by historically dry weather, much of the nation is losing its signature hue.

The river’s water levels have fallen as extreme heat has afflicted Europe, exposing sunken German vessels from World War II that are impeding navigation.

The elevation of Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and lifelong supporter of the Sox, was a godsend for a team failing on the field and with fans.

In “One Night Only,” Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner play singles living in a world where the government has banned premarital sex. How far-fetched is that?

I’m totally stealing this trick for my own place. READ MORE...

Hall of Fame weekend is a chance to celebrate some of the biggest stars from NFL history who are being enshrined in Canton, Ohio. This year’s class was particularly strong. Next year’s group of candidates have some no-doubt entries, and some figures who will garner plenty of debate. And maybe a mistake will be fixed and Bill Belichick will get in after being one of the most egregious snubs ever this year. There are two players who seem like locks to be first-ballot picks: Adrian Peterson and Rob Gronkowski. Ben Roethlisberger also seems like a good bet to get in on his first year of eligibility. After that, there are some big names who will be debated, maybe for a few years. An intriguing list of candidatesHere are some of the top candidates who are eligible for the first time in 2027: Peterson, Roethlisberger, Gronkowski, Richard Sherman, Cam Newton and Andrew Whitworth. Oh, and Antonio Brown as well. Antonio Brown is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Elsa via Getty ImagesBrown is probably the most intriguing name on the list. There’s really no debate about the numbers. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro and a member of the Hall of Fame’s all-decade team of the 2010s. He was absolutely unstoppable in his prime with the Pittsburgh Steelers and got a Super Bowl ring with the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And we all know there’s much more to the story. Brown’s off-field issues became a big story upon his trade from the Steelers to the Raiders in 2019 and haven’t really stopped. Brown started his clock to Hall of Fame eligibility when he quit on the Buccaneers in the middle of a game against the Jets, stripping off his jersey and shoulder pads and gesturing to the crowd as he left to the locker room. There’s no questioning the talent, but he’s a divisive figure. Other star receivers, most notably Terrell Owens, had to wait to get voted into the hall. Presumably Brown will too despite a resume that is undeniable. Brown will be a hot-button topic when the 2027 class is announced. But it probably won’t be more debated than Belichick’s snub. Bill Belichick was snubbed this yearEarlier this year, everyone who follows the NFL was shocked when Belichick wasn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Perhaps there were politics behind the scenes due to Spygate. Regardless of the reason, it was embarrassing for the Hall of Fame selectors that Belichick, who has six Super Bowl rings as a head coach and two more as a defensive coordinator, was left out. Presumably Belichick won’t be passed over again, though it was stunning that it happened once. Peterson, Gronkowski and probably Roethlisberger should be easier calls. Peterson is one of the greatest running backs ever, and the last non-quarterback to win NFL MVP. Gronkowski has an argument as the greatest tight end ever. Roethlisberger is a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion. Sherman also has a great argument as a three-time first-team All-Pro for the Seahawks, and a member of the 2010s all-decade team. Newton was NFL MVP in 2015 though longevity will work against him. There are also great players still waiting, most notably receiver Torry Holt. It will be a fun, crowded class next year. And there will be plenty to talk about once it’s announced next February.

MONT VENTOUX, France (AP) — Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney launched a decisive attack up Mont Ventoux to win the seventh stage of the Women’s Tour de France and take the overall lead from Marlen Reusser on Friday.The 2024 champion was in tears as she put on the yellow jersey and now leads 2023 champion Demi Vollering by 15 seconds and Reusser by 39 with two stages left.Reusser and Vollering could not follow Niewiadoma-Phinney when she broke away about nine kilometers (six miles) from the top of Ventoux, one of the most iconic climbs in cycling with its barren, lunar aspect.It was a first Tour stage win for Niewiadoma-Phinney, who won the 2024 edition without claiming a stage win. Gritting her teeth in the final few hundred meters, the Polish rider dug deep and with the sun gleaming behind her, raised her arms after crossing the line. She then almost lost balance through fatigue and had to be helped off her bike. Moments later, she was all smiles as she sat on the road and poured cooling water over her head.Vollering dropped Reusser in the closing stages of the 15.7-kilometer ascent of Ventoux, which has featured several time on the men's Tour. In one of the darkest days in Tour history, British rider Tom Simpson died after collapsing during a tortuous ascent in 1967.Reusser struggles at the endWorld time trial champion Reusser battled gamely but lost valuable time in the title fight. The Swiss rider finished the stage fourth as Vollering and two-time Giro d’Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini of Italy both placed ahead of her.There were three smaller climbs heading to Ventoux, which was ranked as a Hors Catégorie ascent — the hardest category — and had a gradient of nearly 9%.Vollering moved ahead first, and Reusser and Niewiadoma-Phinney joined her as others lagged behind. Niewiadoma-Phinney then attacked and, although Vollering stood up in her saddle to chase her the new race leader was riding a brilliant tempo and proved too strong.Weekend finaleSaturday's eighth stage is a flat 172-kilometer route for sprinters finishing in Nice, where the race ends after another mountain stage on Sunday.Stage 9 features four sharp climbs of Col d'Èze, nestled in the hills overlooking the tiny Principality of Monaco.Two years ago, Niewiadoma-Phinney — who is married to former Tour sprinter Taylor Phinney — beat Vollering on the final stage to win the race by just four seconds.___AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has landed inside the NFL's annual Top 100 list, coming in at No. 31. This is the sixth-time the 11-year veteran has made the list and is his third-highest placement of his career. He was voted No. 14 his rookie season and No. 16 in 2024 after his NFL MVP runner-up season.His 2025 campaign provided a strong foundation for his inclusion in the upper tier of the list after throwing for 4,552 yards, good for third most in the NFL, and 30 touchdowns, fourth-best league-wide. Under his command, Dallas had the second most total yards (6,663), passing yards (4,527), and yards per game (391.9). Their 471 points scored were seventh most on the NFL which averages out to 27.7 points per game.No. 31 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@dallascowboys QB Dak Prescott! @NFLFilmspic.twitter.com/WsPAhUr9I4— NFL (@NFL) August 7, 2026The annual ranking — voted on by NFL players — carries weight as a peer evaluation and underscores both respect across the league and the ongoing debate about his true standings among the elite quarterbacks."He led the NFL in completions for a second time in 2025 and has quarterbacked a top-seven scoring offense in four of the past five seasons, the outlier being a year he missed nine games. It was basically all on his shoulders last season due to an absent Dallas defense that gave up the most points in the league. Prescott nevertheless managed four fourth-quarter comebacks, over half of the Cowboys’ wins." — NFL.com However, landing at No. 31 also reflects the crowded landscape at the QB position. Prescott finished ahead of 12 named QBs, but there are still five names who will clearly land inside the Top 100.98) Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers85) Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers77) Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers72) Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers69) Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens62) Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars59) Bo Nix, Denver Broncos56) Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles51) Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears44) Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals39) Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers33) Jared Goff, Detroit LionsThe Rams' Matthew Stafford, Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Bills' Josh Allen, Patriots' Drake Maye and Seahawks' Sam Darnold will all likely be named in the Top 30.Prescott joins his offensive mates in receivers CeeDee Lamb (55) and George Pickens (36) as the only Cowboys on the list.From the Cowboys perspective, Prescott landing at No.31 can be viewed as both validation and motivation. It confirms that he is firmly considered one of the league's top players, yet leaves room form upward mobility. The upcoming season presents and opportunity for Prescott too climb even higher. Ultimately, his placement is less about definitive judgement and more about the fine margins that separate the NFL's best. If he can translate regular-season consistency into postseason success, a top-20, or even top-10 ranking could be well within reach. You can follow Angel on X @ArmyChiefW3 and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys' Prescott lands No. 31 in NFL's Top 100, outside Top 5 QBs

Manuel Baum discusses Augsburg’s upcoming Bundesliga campaign in extended interviewFC Augsburg head coach Manuel Baum has spoken at length on his decision to remain in charge of the Fuggerstädter, his tactical plans for the coming season, and precisely where several members of his squad fit into them in an interview with Kicker. The 46-year-old also identified a number of Augsburg players he believes new Bundestrainer Jürgen Klopp should be monitoring.Baum ultimately delivered Augsburg a ninth-place finish last season, the club’s best final Bundesliga placement since 2015. What began as a three-match interim assignment following Sandro Wagner’s dismissal in December eventually became something considerably more permanent.Baum initially insisted that he merely wished to enjoy his unexpected return to Bundesliga coaching, famously explaining in December that he was effectively “installing guardrails on the Autobahn” before returning to his position as Augsburg’s head of development and football innovation.By late April, however, Anton Kade and Fabian Rieder were openly endorsing Baum for the permanent job after the coach had guided Augsburg safely away from the relegation battle. Baum ultimately agreed a new contract through 2028.Speaking to Kicker at Augsburg’s Achensee training camp, Baum revealed that his decision was not finalized until the week after the season ended. After taking some time to reflect on things, Baum ultimately decided that he should remain head coach.Baum believes switching back into his former administrative position and appointing another head coach would have threatened the continuity established during his successful second stint on the touchline. He noted that sustainable clubs cannot redefine themselves every time a new coach arrives.Baum speaks on club culture and his role within itThe importance Baum places on club culture has been evident throughout his second tenure. When Augsburg’s organised support continued protesting the club’s controversial “image change” last December, Baum personally approached the FanKurve and asked supporters to give the team “ten percent more than their best”. A Get German Football News Augsburg relegation check from February noted that only Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim and Stuttgart had accumulated as many or more points than Augsburg following Baum’s Matchday 13 return.Baum himself believes FCA succeeded because they created a genuine unit and a healthy dressing-room culture. Players enjoyed training and working with one another, while the coaching staff attempted to give every individual a clear purpose. Crucially, Baum says Augsburg adapt their football to suit their players rather than forcing the players to conform to a preconceived tactical plan.Baum speaks on tactical plans for the seasonOne positional experiment from the conclusion of last season has already become permanent. Fabian Rieder will remain in central midfield. The Swiss international apparently told Baum during Augsburg’s end-of-season celebrations that his performances there represented the best football of his career. Baum has now found what he believes to be Rieder’s optimal position.Baum also confirmed that strikers Michael Gregoritsch and Rodrigo Ribeiro can play together. The two forwards offer significantly different profiles, something Baum considers desirable. Ribeiro’s role was anything but obvious when the Sporting CP loanee arrived during the winter transfer window. Gregoritsch had already been added to the squad and FCA possessed several other centre-forward options.Baum nevertheless handed Ribeiro a surprise Bundesliga start in February and later explained the club’s reasoning in detail. Augsburg wanted to provide young players with a platform, but only when the coaching staff considered the timing correct. Ribeiro promptly rewarded the decision with his first Bundesliga goal, with Baum praising his technical quality and the scouting work behind the acquisition. GGFN examined Baum’s decision and Ribeiro’s breakthrough.Gregoritsch also became an important figure during the successful second half of the campaign. Baum notably offered a nuanced defence of the Austrian after his widely praised fair-play intervention against Hamburg in April. The coach does not, however, wish to manufacture endless tactical possibilities merely because his squad contains versatile players.Every player should possess a clear “1A” position and, where appropriate, a “1B” alternative. Constantly opening new possibilities risks confusing players rather than helping them. Anton Kade serves as Baum’s prime example.The former Basel player initially viewed himself primarily as a wing-back, but Augsburg’s staff believed his attributes could be utilised further forward and showed him how playing higher could place him into more scoring situations.Baum subsequently took that versatility much further. Kade was even used as a centre-forward during the early stages of Baum’s tenure and spearheaded the attack in Augsburg’s sensational victory over Bayern while Gregoritsch was unavailable.His progression has now become significant enough for Baum to mention him as a possible Germany international.Dahmen, Kade, Kömür, Banks and Schnitzer for Klopp?Kicker asked Baum whether any Augsburg players might feature among the 57 names new Bundestrainer Jürgen Klopp reportedly has under consideration. Baum did not struggle for candidates. Finn Dahmen and Anton Kade should, he hopes, already feature on the list.Mert Kömür, Noahkai Banks and academy prospect Tim Schnitzer are players Baum hopes may eventually join them. New signing Hennes Behrens was another name the FCA coach volunteered, while Baum has also considered Robin Fellhauer’s potential merits as a Germany wing-back.Baum was already lobbying publicly for his goalkeeper last April after Dahmen produced a spectacular nine-save performance against Bayer Leverkusen. The Augsburg coach said at the time that a highlight package of Dahmen’s performance could have lasted ten minutes and argued that his weekly displays rendered him worthy of international consideration. Banks presents a particularly interesting international case. The Augsburg academy defender enjoyed a major breakthrough last season and subsequently revealed that he remained open to representing either the United States or Germany at senior level. In February, Banks credited both Wagner and Baum for helping young players such as himself and Kömür develop. Hennes Behrens isn’t to be forgottenOne of the players intended to provide something new is Hennes Behrens. Augsburg paid €3.5m for the youngster and Baum believes the signing neatly embodies the club’s recruitment profile. Behrens is young, but has already demonstrated that he can operate at Bundesliga level with Heidenheim.Following Giannoulis’ departure, Baum considers the likelihood of Behrens receiving significant playing time very high. Character again played a role in the transfer. Baum described Behrens as grounded and natural, precisely the type of personality Augsburg wants to have in the locker room. The coach expects supporters to appreciate a player prepared to repeatedly work the flank, create goals and potentially score himself. Heidenheim trainer Frank Schmidt even recommended Behrens once it became clear he could not retain him.Manuel Baum prepares for Schalke reunionThe fixture list has supplied Augsburg with an especially interesting opening opponent. Baum will begin the new campaign against Schalke, the club he coached briefly between September and December 2020. His spell in Gelsenkirchen remains an unusual chapter in his career, not least because it took place during the coronavirus pandemic.Baum recalled that only 300 spectators were permitted to attend one Revierderby against Borussia Dortmund. As a result, he never truly experienced Schalke as the club normally exists. His second Augsburg stint has produced rather different memories.It included victories over Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, the latter ending Bayern’s 27-match Bundesliga unbeaten streak. The aftermath even produced one of last season’s more humorous press-conference exchanges, when Vincent Kompany became confused by a Bavarian reference to a case of beer before Baum eventually confirmed that his Augsburg players could celebrate with one.More importantly, Augsburg transformed themselves from relegation candidates into ninth-place finishers. The question now concerns what Baum and his unusually settled squad can do with a full season. Asked what would need to happen for him to be happy when sitting down for the same interview in one year, Baum first offered another characteristically dry answer.It would be nice, he joked, if he were still conducting the interview as Augsburg head coach.GGFN | Peter Weis

It’s not everyday — or every year — that a team makes four trades in the span of a little more than a week. But that’s what happened to the Red Sox in the waning days of July and the first few days of August.In a dizzying stretch of activity, the Red Sox unloaded eight players and got back seven in return. The moves were controversial in nature, and frankly, somewhat shocking — enough so that, days later, they’re still reverberating, and will for some time.Accordingly, rather than tackling a single topic, let’s review several.1) The Red Sox’ pursuit of a controllable shortstop.It’s easy to see what the Red Sox were up to with the moves they made. In acquiring Adley Rutchman and Curtis Mead, the Sox looked to bolster and deepen their lineup. With Eli White, they improved their outfield depth and defense, and with Erik Miller, strengthened their bullpen with a lefthanded swing-and-miss option.But a lingering question remains with what the Red Sox tried to do, but ultimately didn’t: Acquire a shortstop with long-term control.On the face of it, that might make some sense. The team had clearly lost confidence in Marcelo Mayer and his ceiling, and Trevor Story has just one year of control remaining. Given his injury history, he could hardly be regarded as dependable this year and next.BETTING: Red Sox -1.5 run line is sitting at -126 on FanDuel for Friday’s contest versus the A’s. Our complete FanDuel Sportsbook review shows you how to navigate their app. Also, be sure to check out our MLB betting guide if you’re interested in learning more about how to bet on baseball.But the Red Sox also have an elite shortstop prospect at Triple A in Franklin Arias, whom some outlets have as a Top 5 prospect in the industry. Why would the Red Sox be interested in dealing for Zach Neto, Otto Lopez, C.J. Abrams or Elly De La Cruz when Arias is probably no more than a half season away?Keep in mind, the shortstops the Red Sox pursued weren’t rentals for the rest of the year. They each had multiple years of control remaining.Does that suggest that, despite the praise for Arias and the projections that have him becoming a star, are not trusted by the Red Sox? Do they have doubts about his ability to play shortstop long-term? Have the struggles of Mayer, Kristian Campbell and others led them to be skeptical about all prospects?As it turned out, the Red Sox didn’t acquire a shortstop. But that was presumably because they couldn’t match up and/or the asking price remained prohibitive. The point is, they tried.Why?2) The Sox’ self-scouting will determine whether the Rutschman deal was a success.Teams hoard top prospects and are loathe to deal them away. Every executive lives in abject fear that they’ve traded away the next John Smoltz or Jeff Bagwell, both of whom were once dealt at the deadline for rentals.Despite Dave Dombrowski’s reputation as someone who doesn’t value prospects enough, he seldom made the wrong call when he dipped into the prospect inventory to address more pressing needs.In fact, the Red Sox have largely done a good job in the last decade of not trading away the wrong prospects. Thus, the Sox gave up on Yoan Moncada to get Chris Sale, but not, importantly, Rafael Devers.More recently, it’s still premature to evaluate the package of prospects they surrendered for Garrett Crochet, but for now, there are no lingering regrets. Chase Meidroth has become a solid regular, but not a star. Kyle Teel has seen his development interrupted by injury. And Braden Montgomery is less than 50 games into his major league career.To date, though, there’s been nothing that has provided them with instant seller’s remorse. Will the same be said of Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon or Enddy Azocar? Time will tell.In a perfect world, the Red Sox will have succeeded in both inflating the value of their own prospects so as to obtain maximum return while also retaining the ones that they truly wish to retain.3) What does the Red Sox’ trade deadline activity say about the upcoming offseason?The upcoming free agent class this winter is thin. Among position players, the best are probably Jazz Chisholm Jr. Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford. In other words, there are no game-changers.Did the lack of impact free agents dirve the Red Sox to be more aggressive at the deadline, knowing that there was little of impact to be had this winter. That could partly explain their interest in controllable shortstops, though it still doesn’t address the Arias half of the equation.Then there’s the upcoming labor mess. With a Dec. 1 lockout 99 percent assured, that could squeeze a lot of activity into November, which could produce a highly busy month of free agent signings and trades.Then again, given the uncertainty over what will be included in the new CBA — a salary cap? tougher CBT penalties? — did the Red Sox decide that there won’t be much movement at all and opt to strike now?The truth is, neither the Red Sox nor the rest of industry know what’s ahead. But the opportunity to acquire talent now and have it in place for the final two months of this regular season and into October evidently appeared to be irresistible. More Red Sox coverageRed Sox’ ‘marathon’ win included taped-up hero, ‘drenched in sweat’ manager, new ‘pain’ for opponentsBaseball’s second-best prospect, Franklin Arias, is on a tear in Triple AChad Tracy is on his way to being the most improbable Manager of the Year everRed Sox reactions: Wild 13-inning game ends with Caleb Durbin walkoff RBI singleRed Sox open 40-man roster spot by releasing left-handed relieverRead the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Likely 2028 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is being praised for recent comments defending his push for “big swing” goals, acknowledging that they could take 10 or more years to achieve. He’s right, of course: we need long-term plans, and Project 2025 didn’t happen overnight; it was the result of laying decades of groundwork. But Republicans still benefit from the fact that their goals are more easily packaged into sexy results that appeal to voters who want to see promises turn into progress. In contrast, Democratic policies require time to grow and shine, and when broken into smaller four-year bites, they look more like bureaucracy to the average voter than real change. Related Playing sports doesn’t qualify you to talk about trans people When Politico’s Jonathan Martin asked if his big 10-year reforms were realistic, he said that “those are significant overhauls that would take a lot of work and effort to get done.” Martin is framing making major systemic changes that could help fix the country as being unrealistic, as if we aren’t one and a half terms into a president who has remade parts of the country in a drastic way that needs fixing. Buttigieg called this out when he responded, “Yeah, so? It’s especially important for Democrats to think this way because we have watched Republicans take on massive projects like delegitimizing the right to choose… Project 2025 is the result of the iterative, every four-year exercise that they started in 1980. So if we want to do a Project 2050 and start today, we’d already be a couple decades behind.” Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today What Buttigieg is highlighting here is one of the major problems facing Democratic candidates: four-year thinking that relies entirely on asking “how do we get elected?” quickly followed by “how do we then get re-elected?” Those questions are always going to be locked into short-term, flash-in-the-pan policies that let candidates say, “See, I did what I promised.” And that shuts out the question of “what do we need to do now so that we still have a nation and a planet 30 years from now?” Long-term strategy for Republicans also gets a big boost from outside groups like the Heritage Foundation, who keep working on right-wing goals in a powerful, conversation-controlling way, even when Republicans are out of power. While the ACLU defends our rights when Democrats are out of office, they don’t push forward legislative discussions like the Heritage Foundation does. When it comes to big swing policies like overturning Roe v. Wade, opposing same-sex marriage, or stripping trans people of their rights, the groundwork was maintained and grown while Republicans were out of office. And for voters who are in favor of those policies, it’s easier for those incremental steps towards big swing policies to look like wins and proof of concept. For someone who has never knowingly met a trans person, a state banning trans participation in sports is a win. Federal bans on trans people using the correct restroom are wins. And the government pressuring yet another hospital system into not providing gender-affirming care for trans youth is a win. When a Democratic president then retakes the White House and undoes some of those wins, it is not seen as a win in return, but the bare minimum that they can do. For the Democrat, they are restoring the status quo and bringing us back to zero without actually taking a step forward to create their own victory. Simply undoing the harms of the past isn’t enough, and a bigger swing is needed in the form of constitutional protections for the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups that are so often the targets of the right-wing. That background plan doesn’t work the same way for Democrats. When it comes to fighting climate change, so much depends on who is in power and actively setting regulations or deciding whether we’re part of the Paris Climate Accord. It doesn’t look like a big victory that makes all voters’ lives better in a four-year span. Biden oversaw the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which was hailed as the “largest climate investment” in US history, but the effects weren’t immediate, and it is now often ignored as part of his legacy. Climate change is all about policies that slow issues or start to rectify things, but would take decades of monitoring and analysis to show their true results. With that, being out of power for four years can feel like a policy death sentence that destroys small incremental change. The four-year thinking is going to be doomed going forward for Democrats. The economy can’t be fixed overnight (as much as Trump would like to tell you he has done it several times in the last year). A policy that moves it in the right direction is still likely to take long enough to pay dividends that a Republican might be in office and take credit for the results anyway. It’s hard across the board for Democrats to get a win in a four-year span. Having a foreign policy where everything ticks along and works well is quiet compared to boasting that you’ve stopped 50% of all the wars that you started this month. That four-year thinking meets unsexy results is evident in Buttigieg’s notion that for “every big swing, there is a base hit.” Moving to the popular vote instead of the Electoral College to elect the president sounds great, and Buttigieg’s nod to ranked choice voting (which is already used in some Senate races) would be the perfect addition to it. That might be a long-term goal, but there are smaller plans that can help us get there, such as a National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, under which states would give their electoral votes to whoever won the national popular vote as a stopgap before getting a constitutional amendment. But for those who don’t understand all the intricacies of the US voting system, that sort of move can sound like strange bureaucracy and would be easy for Republicans to spin as a state’s vote not mattering. The small win wouldn’t be enough to encourage voters to keep voting Democrats in to finish the job. Of course, not so long ago that wouldn’t have been quite such an issue, as there was an unwritten rule that the incoming administration shouldn’t simply undo a bunch of things the previous administration installed. But since Biden and Trump, that decorum has gone out the window, with Biden (rightly) removing Trump’s trans military ban and Trump putting it right back in while overturning Biden’s reading of Title IX (to name a couple of many examples). The good news in all of this is that while Republicans have had success with their long game and using small wins to keep gas in the tank and distract people from the fact that the only people benefiting from Trump’s economy are millionaires and billionaires, that seems to be finally running out of steam. The bad news is that that likely has less to do with the small and long-term goals, and more to do with people being done with Trump and the affordability crisis getting so bad that it overshadows any Republican wins. This country is severely broken. We need reforms to the Supreme Court, the Electoral College, and money in politics (all of which Buttigieg is pushing for). So absolutely, let’s swing for the fences. But we have to find a way to make those base hits compelling enough that the crowd keeps on cheering. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Migrants try to cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)2026-08-07T15:58:25Z CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Seven Moroccan taxi drivers were sentenced to up to six months in prison and fined $1,070 each for aiding irregular migration by driving people to the Spanish border in Ceuta. It marked the first ruling in Morocco tied to the surge of more than 70,000 people crossing into the tiny Spanish North African territory over the past week.Judges in the northern Moroccan city of Tetouan found the taxi drivers guilty of “facilitating the illegal exit of Moroccans and foreigners through unauthorized border points” and “transporting passengers without a license,” after they drove clients to the Moroccan border town of Fnideq, according to excerpts of the ruling on the Justice Ministry website.The drivers were sentenced Monday after appearing before prosecutors without defense representation due to a nationwide lawyers’ strike. They retain the right to appeal. One vehicle was confiscated by authorities. Dozens in pre-trial detentionThe Moroccan Association of Human Rights said on Friday that 111 people are in pretrial detention following the recent Ceuta events. Charges include mass rebellion, assaulting public officials and obstruction of traffic, it said.Morocco’s Justice Ministry and the public prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Labor unions, including the national taxi union, condemned the sentences as “shocking and harsh,” noting in a statement that “no official decision was issued imposing restrictions on passenger transport.”“Taxi drivers cannot be held responsible for what happened,” Ali Younes, secretary general of the Tetouan branch of the national taxi union told The Associated Press. “They were punished simply for providing a public service.” Read More Fueled by false social media rumors that the border was open and economic hardship, tens of thousands of Moroccans crossed or swam into Ceuta, a Spanish city that sits on the North African coast, triggering a crisis resonating across Europe.More than 80 people died on both sides of the border. Nearly all of the migrants who survived were expelled by Spanish authorities or returned voluntarily after seeing they were unwelcome. An estimated 1,000 minors remain, their future uncertain. Officials in Spain take apart a major trafficking networkMeanwhile, European Union police agency Europol on Friday announced that an international police operation led by Spanish authorities dismantled a major criminal network involved in trafficking migrants, drugs and weapons across the Western Mediterranean. The operation resulted in 78 arrests in Spain and Algeria in June, weeks before the migrant surge into Ceuta.

The logo for Boeing appears on a screen above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, July 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)2026-08-07T16:03:43Z CHICAGO (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration this week ordered inspections for hundreds of Boeing planes, following reports of cracks in some older models.The now-finalized rule, which was unveiled Thursday and kicks in Sept. 10, applies to certain aircraft under three Boeing 737 Max models: the 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200. The FAA estimates this covers 471 planes — and said it is using this directive to address “the unsafe condition” tied to prior reports.So far, no cracks have been found in these specific Max models. But when proposing the rule back in November, the FAA noted it had received reports of cracks in a forward bear strap for several older, “Next-Generation” 737 planes. Bear straps are metal sheets that reinforce areas on planes like doorways and emergency exits.The Max jets have “a similar design and build process” to the older models, “making those airplanes susceptible to the same crack condition,” the FAA wrote in November. The agency warned that the issue could “adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane” if not addressed. In a statement, Boeing said that it previously identified and reported this issue — and “has been working with operators on it over the past six years.”The Virginia-based aircraft maker said it sent operators inspection instructions for the affected Next Generation 737s back in 2019, and the FAA later mandated those checks in 2021. The company added that it had already expanded those inspections to Max jets — and the FAA’s latest directive now similarly mandates that process. “We support both directives and continue to support our airline customers,” Boeing said in a statement. Read More The FAA noted Thursday that its directive also requires inspections of the fuselage skin of planes with existing repairs.Boeing has been battered by years of safety, quality and production challenges — notably in the aftermath of two deadly crashes involving the larger Max 8 that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, as well as a 2024 incident in which a panel flew off one its Max 9 planes operated by Alaska Airlines midflight. Just last month, the FAA said Boeing would again be allowed to take responsibility for certifying all of its 737 Max and 787 planes. WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Grantham-Philips is a business reporter who covers trending news for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

People demonstrate against the potential closure of the Lincoln Hospital's birthing center outside of Portland City Hall in Portland, Maine on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, ahead of the vote. (Megan Blonigen/The Maine Monitor via AP)2026-08-07T15:51:05Z The MaineHealth board of trustees voted Thursday to close the labor and delivery unit of MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta after months of discussion and community pushback. The unit is set to close on Dec. 18, and services will be moved to MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, according to a statement from the health system.The closure will mark the 12th maternity unit in Maine that has shuttered since 2015, leaving Lincoln County, Waldo County and Sagadahoc County without hospitals that deliver babies. The decision means fewer than half of Maine’s 34 hospitals will offer a place to give birth.Gov. Janet Mills, U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree, all three gubernatorial candidates and others had called on the hospital to delay the decision and preserve birthing services in Damariscotta.The board promised in its statement that the health system would not close any additional labor and delivery units in the next two years, and called on state lawmakers and the next governor to convene a group of hospitals, doctors and others to discuss solutions to the challenges facing labor and delivery units in rural communities. The health system has said the closure is necessary because of low birth rates and difficulty recruiting staff. “Providing maternity care requires a team of physicians, nurses, anesthesia professionals and support staff who are consistently available to respond to routine deliveries and life-threatening emergencies at any hour,” the Thursday press release said. “Following its assessment, management concluded it could not identify a staffing model capable of providing safe, reliable care over the long term.” The health system described the change as moving toward a “new regional model” that links OB-GYN services at its hospitals in Damariscotta and in Brunswick. Lincoln Hospital will continue offering prenatal and postpartum care — including ultrasounds, fertility services and postpartum counseling — and will expand gynecologic outpatient and surgical services. But the hospital will not have the staff to offer labor and delivery services, and patients will be sent to the Brunswick hospital, or another of their choosing, to deliver their babies. Read More The vote comes after months of tension between MaineHealth and community organizers. Miles Delivers Action Coalition, a grassroots advocacy group, formed after MaineHealth began discussing plans to close the maternity unit earlier this year. The group has publicly challenged the hospital’s reasoning for closing the unit, met repeatedly with MaineHealth leadership to argue against the pending closure and organized multiple protests, including a demonstration in Portland days before the scheduled vote. The group released a press release following the decision pledging to use “every available legal, regulatory, legislative, political, and community avenue to protect patients and maternity care in Lincoln County.”“A hospital where you can no longer be born is hardly a hospital at all,” the group wrote in the statement. A pregnant woman from Lincoln County who is due to give birth in January filed a lawsuit, with the support of Miles Delivers Action Coalition, against MaineHealth on Wednesday in an attempt to stop the board from voting on the closure. A judge denied the request for an emergency preliminary injunction on Thursday, saying the lawsuit assumed that the board would vote to close the unit, even though the final vote had not been made by the time the lawsuit was filed. The lawsuit also asked for a permanent injunction to prevent the hospital from closing its maternity unit, which remains outstanding. Democratic candidate for governor Hannah Pingree criticized the decision in a Thursday press release. “MaineHealth had a choice, and I believe they made the wrong one today,” she wrote. “Moms, babies and families in Lincoln County will suffer for it. Women will still be giving birth, just farther from home, with less time to spare and fewer safety nets if something goes wrong.”___This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, center, speaks to FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, left, sitting beside president of Moroccan Royal Football Federation Fouzi Lekjaa as they attend a Women's AFCON 2026 soccer match between Malawi and Zambia, in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo)2026-08-07T10:26:26Z MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Norway’s soccer federation wants Gianni Infantino to step down immediately, piling more pressure on FIFA’s embattled president Friday. Infantino is facing a revolt after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.The Norwegian federation held a meeting on Thursday and president Lise Klaveness said the decision had been made to ask Infantino to resign. “When trust is gone, leadership must also be assessed. We therefore believe that Gianni Infantino’s time as FIFA President should be over, and ask him to resign,” Klaveness said via translation. The announcement is the latest blow for Infantino as the fallout continues over his controversial plan to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).European soccer’s governing body UEFA said Thursday its threat to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions remained in place despite FIFA abandoning and apologizing for its failed plan. It reiterated its stance that it had lost confidence in Infantino. Earlier this week Infantino appeared to have held off the potential of an internal revolt during a summit meeting with top staff in Rabat, Morocco. FIFA said the president had been given the full support of those in attendance. But UEFA’s response, followed by Norway’s direct call for him to resign shows the sense of anger from Europe, in particular, remains strong. The English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election next March. Read More He did, however, receive backing from Mexico’s federation.The Norwegian federation said it would raise concerns with FIFA regarding FFE, the peace prize awarded to Donald Trump and the suspension of Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban at the World Cup.“FIFA needs new leadership to rebuild trust, strengthen good governance and ensure that the organization’s own reforms are actually implemented,” Klaveness said.___James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Buffalo Bills guard O'Cyrus Torrence (64) blocks during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)2026-08-07T13:23:34Z PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills reached an agreement to sign starting right guard O’Cyrus Torrence to a four-year contract extension with $46 million in guarantees, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday.The agreement represents the Bills’ latest major investment in keeping much of their offensive line intact for the long term.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been announced by the team.Torrence was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft out of the University of Florida, and was entering the final season of his rookie contract. The 26-year-old has been a starter since his rookie season and part of a line that’s played a key role in protecting Josh Allen, and a unit that assisted in James Cook to lead the NFL in yards rushing last season.Torrence has 57 career starts, including playoffs, and was part of a line that allowed the NFL’s fewest sacks in both 2023 and 2024. The group has been mostly together since 2024. The only change entering this season is at left guard, with Alec Anderson and Austin Corbett competing for the starting job left open following David Edwards’ free-agent departure to New Orleans in March.Otherwise, the four returning starters, including left tackle Dion Dawkins, are now under contract through at least the 2027 season.In March, the Bills signed center Connor McGovern to a four-year, $52 million contract to prevent him from entering free agency.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Nithe Station, usually submerged under a reservoir, will be accessible this summer as officials drain the site to perform dam maintenance

New research has mapped more than 64,000 square miles where the crucial habitat seems to be somewhat protected from the impacts of the warming ocean

In the second century C.E., Roman emperors such as Marcus Aurelius and Antoninus Pius frequented the area where the residence was found

One is inscribed with the name "Lycurgus," suggesting the bust may depict the legendary founder of ancient Sparta

The remains of a wooden monument in southern England, three miles away from Stonehenge, may demonstrate Neolithic people's interest in the heavens

This dystopian rom-com follows Allie (Monica Barbaro) and Owen (Callum Turner), on their parallel hunts for passion.

It creates distinct zones without sacrificing natural light or making the space feel closed off. READ MORE...

Baseball fans may hate the Los Angeles Dodgers after the team added to its already embarrassment of talent at the trade deadline, but those fans seemingly can’t help themselves from tuning in when the Dodgers are playing in a nationally-televised game.Tarik Skubal’s Dodgers debut drew the highest MLB regular-season game rating on a TNT Sports network since 2007, according to Sports Media Watch. The game averaged just under a million — 923,000 — viewers, across TBS, truTV and HBO Max, all of which are TNT Sports networks, per SMW. At its peak, the game reached 1.1 million viewers. Those ratings do come with a small caveat, however. They do not include one-game playoffs, which were technically classified as regular-season games by MLB. The Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins one-game playoff in 2009 drew 6.5 million viewers on TBS, per SMW.Skubal delivered a fine start, allowing two runs over six innings, but it wasn’t enough to win. The Dodgers’ offense went cold against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, with Chicago picking up a 5-1 win to spoil Skubal’s debut. Los Angeles’ trade for Skubal sent shockwaves throughout the game. Despite the Dodgers coming off consecutive World Series titles, the team still had the resources to acquire Skubal — arguably the best pitcher in baseball — at the deadline. The move caused outrage from fans across social media, though many within the game took no issue with it. With Skubal, the Dodgers now boast one of the greatest rotations in the game — at least, when everyone is healthy. The Dodgers now have two starters who have won two Cy Young awards, the 2025 World Series MVP, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani in their rotation. That’s a tough group to beat in a short playoff series.Turns out, that’s also a pretty appealing collection of talent for fans. Whether those fans tuned in to hate-watch a loss or were experiencing FOMO after seeing a major-league team actually try to win a championship, the Dodgers ultimately won out in the end. They know they have the attention of the sport, and the television numbers prove as much.

Earlier this summer, as the Kentucky basketball schedule was being put together, rumors began to swirl that the Wildcats would be playing against West Virginia on Black Friday. However, it seems that particular matchup will no longer be happening.On Thursday, West Virginia announced that they would be participating in the Dick Vitale Invitational on Nov. 27. There, they will face the North Carolina Tar Heels for the first time in 61 years. It should also be a nice matchup.With that game no longer possible, Kentucky will likely look elsewhere for another. Mark Pope has been in favor of expanding the schedule, adding more games. Currently, teams may schedule up to 32 regular season games, but the Wildcats have just 31 of them on the docket for now.Pope will certainly try to add another game as soon as possible, so fans can keep an eye out for that. It may be too late to add another power conference foe, but that's something Kentucky would prefer. We will update the schedule when, and if, another game is added.This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky won't face West Virginia on Black Friday after all

August is often a down period for NHL transactions, and that mostly has been the case this year after a very eventful July.Many top free agency signings were done on July 1, Alex Ovechkin re-signed on July 2 and Patrick Kane made his decision to come home to the Chicago Blackhawks on July 23. The arbitration period ended with all 15 players settling before their hearings.Also in July, the Philadelphia Flyers signed the Anaheim Ducks' Leo Carlsson to a record $18 million average annual value offer sheet, which the team matched. Blackhawks star Connor Bedard signed for $15 million AAV and the San Jose Sharks' Macklin Celebrini passed Carlsson to become the NHL's highest-paid player with an $18.8 million AAV extension.The Pittsburgh Penguins broke the usual August doldrums on Aug. 6 with a surprising eight-year contract for Ville Koivunen. Does that mean NHL teams might ramp up again? There's more on their plates.Here is some of what needs to be resolved as the start of the 2026-27 season approaches in late September:Related reading: Who are highest-paid NHL players for 2026-27 season? Red Wings general manager searchThe Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported that team owner Chris Ilitch has employed a search firm to find a replacement for general manager Steve Yzerman. Yzerman will move up to a senior advisor position after seven years as GM. Assistant GM Shawn Horcoff is handling day-to-day responsibilities, though that does not extend to making trades, the Free Press said.Dylan Larkin trade requestThe Red Wings star's trade request happened after the regular season and leaked in early June. He has a no-trade clause and has listed the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild as preferred trade destinations. Yzerman said after the draft that he would act only in the best interest of the team. That decision likely will fall to Yzerman's successor. Larkin has five years left on his contract, so the Red Wings don't have to rush to make a move. But things could get complicated for Larkin as team captain if the situation isn't resolved before training camp.Quinn Hughes contract extensionThe Wild sent a big haul to the Vancouver Canucks to land the coveted defenseman last winter and he's about to enter the final year of his contract. Minnesota would like to sign him to an extension."I've been talking to Quinn and his camp all along," general manager Bill Guerin said on the "Judd's Hockey Show" podcast this week. "These things take time. They're big decisions for players. They're big decisions for teams. It's a process to work through it."A three-year extension through 2029-30 would line Quinn up with the end of the contract of his brother Jack, who's playing for the New Jersey Devils. Quinn Hughes should pass Chicago's Bowen Byram ($12.5 million) as the top-paid defenseman with his next contract − and likely Celebrini as the top-paid player.Colorado defenseman Cale Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, is also up for an extension and could set records.Top remaining restricted free agentsSome big names still have to be signed.Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier is coming off a 41-goal season, but after Carlsson's deal, Anaheim has a little more than $9 million left. Gauthier is expected to come in above that, meaning the Ducks will need to trade someone.Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli also needs a new deal. He was drafted third overall in 2023 behind Bedard and Carlsson. Columbus has a little less than $14.5 million left in cap space.Other unsigned restricted free agents include Carolina defenseman Alexander Nikishin, Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson and Montreal forward Zach Bolduc.Top remaining unrestricted free agentsThere are plenty left, though available roster spots are shrinking.Vladimir Tarasenko is the biggest name. The six-time 30-goal scorer hasn't been at that level recently, but he had two 23-goal seasons over the last three seasons.Other UFA forwards include Michael Bunting, who has an edge to his game, Eeli Tolvanen and James van Riemsdyk. UFA defensemen include John Klingberg, Logan Stanley and Nick Blankenburg, and goalies include Connor Ingram, Matt Murray and Cam Talbot.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These five questions still must be answered before NHL offseason ends

A misdemeanor gun charge against All-Star Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden in Texas has been dismissed after he completed an alternative resolution program allowing him to avoid a criminal record, court records show.Harris County Criminal Court Judge Alex Salgado in Houston dismissed the criminal charge Thursday at the request of the Harris County district attorney's office following Harden's completion of an alternative resolution program. Such programs allow defendants to avoid a criminal conviction by doing community service. Court documents don't detail the terms of Harden's agreement.Harden was arrested June 13 in Houston after police found that he had a handgun in his vehicle. Texas law makes it a misdemeanor to have a gun “in plain view” in a vehicle without a license, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.Neither the district attorney's office nor Harden's attorney in Houston immediately responded to email and phone messages Friday seeking comment. The Cavaliers also did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.Harden, 36, finished his 17th NBA season in May when the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks swept the Cavs in four games in the Eastern Conference finals. He averaged 23.6 points per game during the regular season, playing in 70 of 82 games.He has said he'd like to remain with the Cavaliers, but he declined to exercise a $42.3 million option to return next season in favor of a longer contract. A deal has not been finalized.Harden is an 11-time All-Star and an eight-time All-NBA selection. He earned MVP honors in the 2017-18 season while playing for the Houston Rockets, averaging 30.4 points per game while the Rockets won the Eastern Conference championship but lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA finals.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba