Director

Matt Hasselbeck took some nasty hits to the head during his 17-year NFL career, four years at Boston College and a childhood full of sports, but the quarterback seems to have emerged from more than two decades of collisions relatively unscathed, enjoying middle adulthood with his wife and three children.The 50-year-old knows that some of his friends and former teammates haven’t been as lucky.That’s why the three-time Pro Bowl selection recently spent two days at Boston University, going through a battery of scans and tests to determine how much all those collisions affected his brain. The hope is that it will be a small step toward a goal that has eluded doctors — diagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the living.“They need guys like me — they need people who are feeling good to step up to the plate and volunteer,” Hasselbeck said. “I played quarterback, so I didn’t take some of the hits that a lot of my teammates took.“But the guys who were blocking for me, or playing special teams, or trying to get the ball back for me on defense, I wanted to do something. They had my back, so in a way I’d like to have their back.”CTE puts harsh spotlight on NFL, college footballA degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions and other head trauma common in military combat and contact sports, CTE has been diagnosed in more than 100 former NFL players, casting a pall over the United States’ most popular sports league. Some high-profile football players diagnosed with CTE after their deaths include Hall of Famers like linebacker Junior Seau and quarterback Ken Stabler, along with former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.Right now, CTE can only be diagnosed after death.CTE can affect regions of the brain involved with regulating behavior and emotions. This can lead to memory loss, depression, violent mood swings and other cognitive and behavioral issues, though researchers note these symptoms can also be linked to other illnesses.Hasselbeck’s participation is just a small part of a study that Michael Alosco, co-director of clinical research at the Boston University CTE Center, hopes will expand to hundreds of participants in multiple locations. Alosco is the principal investigator in Boston and there are also sites in California, Arizona, Texas and Florida with potentially more to come.The study seeks two types of people: Those who played professional or college football and those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and never played contact or collision sports and have no history of repetitive head impacts.Alosco said there are many similarities between Alzheimer’s and CTE because both are degenerative brain diseases, but there are also some key differences, and mapping out those discrepancies is key to figuring out a way to diagnose CTE properly.“We’ve applied what we’ve known worked for Alzheimer’s disease, but we’ve learned it does not work for CTE,” Alosco said. “We’ve really got to push discovery efforts and find the marker that’s specific to the protein of CTE versus Alzheimer’s because they’re different.“How we’re going to get there is through the research we’re doing right now.”Nicholas Ashton, the principal investigator in Phoenix, said roughly 10 patients have participated at the Arizona site. He said that currently, diagnosing CTE in the living is mostly guesswork because so many of the symptoms mimic Alzheimer’s.“The more people involved, the more information we get and the closer we get to an answer,” Ashton said. “Treatments exploded with Alzheimer’s once we were able to accurately diagnose. We’re trying to get to the same spot with CTE.”NFL QB says tests are eye-openingHasselbeck said he went through a variety of mental tests — like counting backward from 100 by sevens and reciting the alphabet backward. He also had a blood sample taken, an MRI on his brain and a PET (positron emission tomography) scan that injects a small amount of safe radioactive tracer that maps out the brain’s function.The former quarterback said the procedures were eye-opening and humbling.“I’ve got a healthy respect for people who are dealing with serious brain trauma, whether it’s tumors or cancer,” Hasselbeck said. “I walked in there feeling completely healthy and you still get a little anxious when you’re doing a brain scan, an MRI. You come out and you’re looking at your brain.”Hasselbeck is also donating his brain for research after he dies.Not everyone in the study is a famous former NFL player.Bryan Savage, a 56-year-old who lives in Maryland, is a former linebacker at Union College in Schenectady, New York — an NCAA Division III school. He traveled to Boston for the study and also has committed to donating his brain.Savage said he’s lucky to be relatively healthy but that he’s been diagnosed with depression and ADHD over the past few years.“I was interested because of some of the things that I’ve gone through physically and mentally,” Savage said. “You wonder if it’s just getting older, a midlife crisis or if it’s related to any brain trauma I might have had playing football.”Savage praised the researchers who were with him during the study and said he was relieved to find out his brain scans look normal for a man in his mid-50s. He’s reached out to some of his former teammates, encouraging them to get involved in the study.“I’ll talk to some of my former friends and they’re going through a lot of the same things,” Savage said. “They’ll say — ‘Why do I feel like this? I’ve never been depressed. Things that I used to be passionate about I don’t care about anymore.’”Alosco said the main reason Alzheimer’s research is much more advanced than CTE research is sheer numbers: Alzheimer’s research dates back decades and there have been countless people who have been studied.By comparison, CTE research is relatively new. Volunteers like Hasselbeck and Savage are crucial to bridge the gap. The National Institutes of Health is sponsoring the current study, awarding $15 million for the research in 2025.“The (Alzheimer’s progress) is through years and years of research, of people donating their brains, and also collecting data during life,” Alosco said. “While we’ve been studying CTE for a while, we haven’t had the point where we’ve had all this data during life, that have also donated their brain. We need to get to that place.”He added: “I’m really hopeful about detecting CTE — I don’t think that’s too distant. Once we can accurately diagnose, that’s when we can start some treatment trials.”Culture around head injuries in NFL changingHasselbeck — who played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts — said he had three concussions before he even started college, one playing football, another on the basketball court and another while goofing around while ice skating. He had a few concussions during his college or NFL career, but he wasn’t sure of the exact number because some might have gone undetected since there was a culture of toughness in locker rooms, particularly early in his career.Hasselbeck’s pro career spanned from 1998 to 2015 and the quarterback said there was a huge change regarding head injuries during that time. Early in his career, the only acceptable answer after a hit to the head was “I’m good,” but by the mid 2010s, players were much more honest about potential concussions.Hasselbeck’s proud of that change. Now he hopes his participation in the current CTE study can continue that progress.“I’ve always had a passion for making the game safer,” Hasselbeck said. “I love football. One of the things I’m most proud of as an NFL guy is not just as a player, but the entire time I worked with the league and NFLPA for ways to make the game safer.”This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

Aug. 12—GRAND FORKS — From 2022 to 2025, the UND volleyball program did not add a single in-state recruit out of high school.This year's incoming freshman class has two: setter Mackenzie Dufner of Minot and Ellee McIntosh of West Fargo.The rest? Mostly international players.Head coach David Nguyen entershis first year at the helmwith 10 new players, seven of whom are freshmen. The diverse group has made an impression in training camp this summer."They're very, very good," Nguyen said. "We have a lot of athleticism and we have a lot of size with this group. That's what our M.O. is recruiting either way, to try to bring in those sorts of players that can bring this program to the next level."With the girls that are here, with the new players that are coming in, it's just really impressive what they are able to already do and already have built in. It's going to be exciting to see, because you're going to find a few of them in the starting lineup."Dufner and McIntosh signed with the Fighting Hawks while Jesse Tupac was still leading the program. Nguyen, however, is keeping the local recruiting rolling, as evidenced byMay-Port-C-G standout Paetyn Strand's commitmentover the summer.The Hawks brought in three transfers in addition to the freshman class: graduate outside hitter Andrea Zaric of Mercyhurst, sophomore middle blocker Tessa Jacobson of North Dakota State College of Science and junior middle blocker Lilliana Montest of Maryland Eastern Shore.With so many new faces and a coaching change, the first portion of camp focused on getting everyone accustomed to the system. UND will also have a tuneup before the season starts with a scrimmage against Jamestown on Aug. 21.The Hawks will open the regular season against Eastern Washington in Seattle on Aug. 28 as part of the Seattle U Tournament."My goal is to have this team going out there and playing their hearts out every single time," Nguyen said. "Doing it together, doing it in a way where we know it's going to be clean volleyball. That's the thing that we've been trying to preach in our gym the whole time since I've gotten here."We didn't start clean, I can tell you that. The first couple days it was definitely kind of rough. But once the player got used to everything, once the players got used to the system and the lingo, it's getting a lot better now."The roster wasn't completely overhauled in the offseason, though. Junior right side An den Hamer, junior setter Reagan McIntosh and senior outside hitter Lauren Perugini are three key returners who will serve as team captains."All of our captains have taken a step forward to really make the team their own," Nguyen said. "They've been great. They've been very, very mature. They've been able to set up different things for the newcomers, whether it's the international players who might be in the U.S. for the first time or some of the players that are around here. But they've been doing a really good job of getting the team together and just doing little things outside of volleyball as a team."UND finished with a 7-20 overall record in 2025. The Hawks were 4-12 in Summit League play, good for seventh place.Nguyen was hired in December after spending four seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson. He replaced Tupac, whose contract was not renewed at the end of the season.UND posted a 35-77 record in Tupac's four years as head coach.Nguyen was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) coach of the year twice during his tenure. Fairleigh Dickinson made the NCAA tournament and won the NEC regular-season championship under Nguyen.

Aug. 12—GRAND FORKS — With UND football's 2026 fall camp at about the midway point, the Herald asked readers for questions about the Fighting Hawks.Herald UND football beat reporter Tom Miller answered the questions.Q. Who is the one sleeper on the team who deserves more attention?A. Brody Thornton. The redshirt freshman edge out of Wisconsin is up to 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds and appears poised to be the next big thing after Lance Rucker. At camp, Thornton is constantly making me jot down a disruptive play in my daily notepad.Q. What are you thinking about the back end of the defense?A. It depends if I'm viewing it with the availability of Jy Martin, Avery Scott and Jonnie Wiltshire. If those guys all get the green light, UND will be strong on the back end.Otherwise, I have questions about the nickel group although there's plenty of potential in Grant Tylutki. At safety, I'm still learning about the depth there.We have a base of knowledge about what to expect from Tyler Erkman but his starting partner at this point is Avery Dixon, who is a first-year transfer.Safety is a tough position to judge until the action is game live.I think UND will be strong at corner with the addition of Ben Kamara and the development of Evan Kludt. If Scott can go, that would really solidify the corner position.Q. Should UND be positioning itself for a jump to the FBS?A. I believe UND should do everything it can to position itself to be an attractive option for whatever the conferences and divisions look like in 25 years. They need to lock arms with South Dakota State and the Montanas. That's good company but one more domino and the outlook changes quite a bit.Q. Is this the best UND football team in the Division I era?A. This team has the makeup to be the best team in the Division I era but I still have questions at wide receiver, linebacker and safety.This team's strength at quarterback, edge and the line of scrimmage in general, though, could separate it from previous strong teams that couldn't make deep playoff runs.Q. How does the QB room look?A. I think UND's quarterback group is strong at the top with Jerry Kaminski and, despite some of his struggles last season, Javance Tupou'ata-Johnson, who's a strong backup in an era in which keeping a strong backup is very difficult.Who's next, though? Who takes the reins in the post-Kaminski era? Is that 2027 or 2028? That's a tough one. I'm not sold on the rest of the group yet being ready for that label.Tupou'ata-Johnson needs to be more consistent with touch throws and rookie Brooks Hendrickson is still building his body of work.Q. Is there anything different with Danny 2.0 as the OC?A. I think we'll learn that as the season goes along in terms of play-calling. I do think Danny Freund's stops at South Dakota State and Washington State have made him a more seasoned coach, in a similar vein as Eric Schmidt's seasoning between UND stops.Q. Who do you see emerging as that fourth cornerback and the top two backups at LB?A. If we're assuming the top three are Grant Noland, Ben Kamara and Evan Kludt, the fourth corner question is easy if Avery Scott can play. He'd be the fourth. If he doesn't get his fifth season, the first crack at the job might go to Travis Hines II, a first-year transfer from Iowa Western. Christian Davis, a true freshman once committed to Northern Illinois, will probably get an opportunity, as well.Q. What two running backs get the most touches?A. I actually think the carries will get spread evenly across Matt Lawson, Charles Langama and Colton Brunell — at least to start the year.Lawson reminds me of Isaiah Smith, a natural pass-catcher and strong with the ball.Langama has traits I'd consider special on the field, perhaps an Otis Weah UND comparison. He's low to the ground, tough to bring down and has more burst than you expect.Brunell, meanwhile, is a steady option. He reminds me of a smaller Gaven Ziebarth or Mitch Sutton. He might not have the 70-yard scores but Brunell has a knack for finding a seam and getting a first down.To answer the question, I'll say Lawson and Brunell but Langama could pop onto the scene in major ways, too.Q. Who will be the offensive and defensive MVPs?A. If everything goes to plan, and it rarely does, it's hard to see the MVPs not being Jerry Kaminski and Lance Rucker.Q. Biggest surprise on each side of the ball in camp so far?A. Offensively, Caleb Goodloe's rise to what I'd consider easily the No. 2 option at wide receiver right now behind Deng Deng. The Bowling Green transfer is competitive on every ball. Honorable mention to tight end Hunter Kallstrom.On defense, I'll say Braden Mohr at edge. Mohr has had back-to-back season-ending injuries — first at Iowa State in 2024 and then Montana in 2025. I expected Mohr to be serviceable during this camp, but I've been surprised at how often he's in the backfield and at the quarterback.Q. Is this the best depth at the line of scrimmage since covering the team?A. That's a fair statement. UND's offensive line returns a ton of starts, with some solid options if injuries arise. As it may go, Caleb Olson and Ayden Teeter might be the backups and those two would start on a third of the FBS rosters around the country.Defensively, you have two preseason All-Americans at edge on defense, a future star in Brody Thornton behind them and the rookie Beaver twins from Missouri are solidifying some questions of depth at nose tackle.Q. Is there a position group ahead of schedule from expectations at fall camp?A. The defensive tackles are a much deeper position this fall. UND returns starter Logyn Eckheart, adds Albany transfer Kylyn Macklin and Eastern Illinois transfer Kefa Pereira, returns depth help Tyler Henry and adds rookies Mason and Isaac Beaver.That's a solid six. I wasn't entirely convinced coming into fall camp about the Beaver twins playing right away, despite the hype. But they've exceeded my expectations.Q. Any true freshman you expect to see critical roles?A. Outside of the previously mentioned Beaver twins, the most likely true freshman to make an early impact is linebacker Nate Appleget, who's noticeably bigger than previous UND linebacker standouts (thinking Wyatt Pedigo, Malachi McNeal) at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds from Lincoln, Neb.UND is thin at linebacker after starters Michael Devereaux and Ethan Boll. Appleget could be in the first two-deep depth chart.Q. Who is Mr. Memorial?A. Braden Mohr. There are a lot of people cheering for his comeback story.Q. Biggest breakout candidate on both sides of the ball?A. Offense — Nathan Hromadka. Defense — Ben Kamara. Kaminski seems to have found some chemistry with the big, young tight end, while Kamara moves really smooth for a 6-foot-4 cornerback.Q. If the Herald sports staff joined the team, what positional holes would each member fill? Who is most likely to win Newcomer of the Year?A. I'm over 40 and quit slowpitch softball because I was sick of wrecking my shoulder and pulling my hamstrings. I'd probably have to join the kicking competition. Hockey writer Brad Schlossman is a little older than me so he might need a red jersey at practice with the quarterbacks. Alex Faber is young and pretty tall so we can get him beat up at fullback, where he wins Newcomer of the Year by default.Q. Do we have a running package for Javance this year?A. That's a hard thing to say during fall camp, even from my experience with previous running quarterback package types of Brock Boltmann and Quincy Vaughn. Mostly, it looks to me like quarterbacks at camps run the generic offense in similar ways, although Javance Tupou'ata-Johnson clearly has the green light to tuck it and go more than some others.That's something that may be easier to pick up on when practice turns to game preparation.Based on offensive coordinator Danny Freund's UND history, it seems likely Tupou'ata-Johnson will find some kind of specialized role.Could that depend on the play of Jerry Kaminski? If everything is clicking with Kaminski, I'd imagine a coordinator is less likely to take a series or a few plays away from him.Q. Who scores the first TD of the year?A. Trace Thaden tackle eligible — the Matt Waletzko play at Idaho State.

The baby, who was born Wednesday with a severe heart defect, drew the attention of anti-abortion activists and the Texas attorney general after the intended parents wanted the surrogate mother to have an abortion.

The agent, Adam Saracco, was charged with misdemeanor after the altercation at a gas station near Chicago last year during the Trump administration’s crackdown there.

Sophie Cunningham clears air on Stephanie White, DiJonai Carrington controversy originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Sophie Cunningham wants Indiana Fever fans to know there is no problem between her and head coach Stephanie White. Cunningham directly addressed the controversy surrounding White’s response to a hard foul committed against her by Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington. The Fever veteran defended her coach, praised Carrington and said the criticism surrounding the situation has come from outside Indiana’s locker room.White faced significant backlash after explaining that she did not see Carrington’s foul in real time. Some fans believed the Fever coach should have offered a stronger defense of Cunningham, leading to an uncomfortable scene before Indiana’s 106-92 victory over the New York Liberty on Tuesday.White was booed by members of the home crowd during pregame introductions. Cunningham, however, insisted that the reaction did not reflect how Fever players view their coach.Sophie Cunningham defends Stephanie WhiteCunningham explained after Tuesday’s victory that White did not intend to dismiss the play or her player’s concerns. According to Cunningham, the coach simply had not seen the foul when she initially addressed it.“Our locker room in there, it’s tight, and we have each other’s backs,” Cunningham said. “Coach loves us. She didn’t see the clip.”Cunningham also offered a respectful assessment of Carrington, one of the WNBA’s most physical perimeter defenders.“And you know what, DiJonai is a hell of a player,” Cunningham said. “She’s a great defender, and [White] coached her for I don’t know how many years up [with the Connecticut Sun], so give her her flowers. And she didn’t see it, and that’s okay.”White coached Carrington during their time together with the Sun, giving the Fever coach a close understanding of what the veteran guard can provide defensively.That previous relationship contributed to some of the criticism directed at White. Cunningham’s comments, though, suggest the Fever players do not believe their coach was taking Carrington’s side or failing to support them.Cunningham says Fever controversy is “outside noise”Cunningham made her stance even clearer while addressing her relationship with White.“Me and Steph are great,” Cunningham said. “Steph is great with all of us, and so it’s really the outside noise that’s trying to distract us. But we’re good.”Those comments should help quiet speculation about possible tension within Indiana’s locker room. Cunningham’s decision to publicly defend White also carries significance because she was the player directly involved in the incident. The Fever guard did not minimize Carrington’s foul, but she refused to allow the situation to grow into a larger controversy involving her coach.Indiana responded to the distraction with one of its most balanced offensive performances of the season. Five Fever players reached double figures in the win over New York. Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 28 points, while Caitlin Clark recorded 22 points, 10 assists and four rebounds. Aliyah Boston added 19 points, Monique Billings scored 14 and Cunningham finished with 12.Cunningham was particularly effective from the perimeter, making four of her five 3-point attempts. She also contributed two rebounds and one blocked shot.MORE: Caitlin Clark leaves fans stunned with ridiculous shot over 6-foot-11 Liberty centerFever continue climbing WNBA standingsIndiana’s victory improved its record to 21-12 and strengthened its hold on fourth place in the WNBA standings. The result was especially encouraging because it came against a talented Liberty team and amid a week filled with conversation about White, Cunningham and Carrington. Rather than allowing the controversy to affect their play, the Fever delivered an efficient and convincing offensive performance.Cunningham’s defense of White also supported her larger message about Indiana’s chemistry. The Fever have developed into one of the league’s strongest teams, and their success has been built around a deep rotation rather than one individual player. Clark and Mitchell headline the backcourt, Boston remains a major presence inside and Cunningham provides shooting, physicality and energy. Billings’ 14-point performance against New York offered another example of the contributions Indiana can receive throughout its roster.The Fever have 11 regular-season games remaining. Their next test comes Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.Indiana will enter that matchup focused on strengthening its playoff position. As far as Cunningham is concerned, the controversy surrounding White and Carrington will not interfere with that mission.The outside conversation may continue, but Cunningham left no uncertainty about the situation inside the Fever locker room.More WNBA news:Old DiJonai Carrington-Caitlin Clark video resurfaces after Sophie Cunningham foulA'ja Wilson vs. Olivia Miles debate is on with Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers lurkingChiney Ogwumike reacts to WNBA’s Caitlin Clark suspension decisionWhy Indiana lieutenant governor is calling for Stephanie White's firing

A year after he ended his retirement to play for the Dolphins, veteran tight end Darren Waller is heading to Carolina.Via Adam Schefter of ESPN, Waller has agreed to terms on a one-year deal.A sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2015, Waller became a Pro Bowler with the Raiders in 2020. Traded to the Giants in 2023, he retired after his first season in New York. He joined the Dolphins last year.Waller, 33, has a pair of 1,100-yard seasons, both with the Raiders. In 2025, he caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns in nine games with the Dolphins.The Panthers currently have five tight ends on the roster: Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Caden Prieskorn, James Mitchell, and Feleipe Franks.Panthers associate head coach and offensive specialist Darrell Bevell worked with Waller last year in Miami, where Bevell served as the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.

BALTIMORE, MD - JANUARY 11: Elandon Roberts #50 of the Pittsburgh Steelers rushes the passer during an NFL football wild card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Pittsburgh Steelers are reuniting with a familiar face in their linebacker room.Pittsburgh has reached agreement with free agent Elandon Roberts on a one-year contract, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.Reunion: veteran linebacker Elandon Roberts, who played in Pittsburgh during the 2023-2024 seasons, reached agreement today with the Steelers on a one-year deal, per source. pic.twitter.com/Zpg0I72ghQ— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2026Roberts played for the Steelers during the 2023 and 2024 seasons before joining the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025.Roberts, 32, was a strong run defender at inside linebacker during his time in black and gold. He recorded 147 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two passes defended, and one forced fumble in 33 games in Pittsburgh (29 starts). Roberts started all but one game for the Raiders last year and totaled 90 tackles and six tackles for loss, playing for now-Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Roberts adds much-needed depth to the inside linebacker group, led by Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson. The Steelers begin the preseason at Acrisure Stadium with a 7 p.m. kickoff Thursday against Green Bay.

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 12: Alec Burleson #41 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning at Busch Stadium on August 12, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images The St. Louis Cardinals were able to beat one of the National League’s best pitchers Wednesday as Alec Burleson’s 3 RBI’s helped the Cardinals beat the Phillies and win the series.Kyle Leahy was excellent again for the Cardinals as he threw 5 innings Wednesday allowing just 6 hits while striking out 6 and walking no one. He outpitched Zack Wheeler who also lasted 5 innings, but surrendered 6 hits while giving up 4 earned runs while striking out 5 and walking 1. The St. Louis Cardinals were able to break through against Wheeler in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Jordan Walker hit a screaming single off an infielder’s glove and then stole second. Nathan Church then sliced a 93 mph four-seam Wheeler fastball down the left field line for a double that scored Walker and gave the Cardinals an early 1-0 advantage.The Phillies tied the game in the top of the 4th inning when Bryce Harper and Luis Arraez hit back-to-back doubles making it 1-1. The Cardinals would not just take back the lead in the bottom of the 5th inning, but break the game wide open after Prieto got his first hit of the year singling to lead off the inning. Two batters later, JJ Wetherholt singled advancing Prieto to third. Ivan Herrera singled in Prieto giving the Cardinals their lead back at 2-1. That would be followed by back-to-back doubles from Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker upping the Cardinals lead to 5-1 after 5 innings. The Cardinals would add a couple runs in the bottom of the 7th inning thanks to another Alec Burleson RBI single and a Nathan Church sacrifice fly making it 7-1 Cardinals. The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen did an excellent job holding the Phillies scoreless for the last half of the game. Justin Bruihl, Gordon Graceffo and Luis Gastelum threw a total of 4 scoreless innings locking up a series-winning victory for the Cardinals who now head to Chicago for another crucial series against the Chicago Cubs.

American Brandon Nakashima is through to the final of the ATP Montreal Masters (Minas Panagiotakis)Brandon Nakashima held off Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 on Wednesday, reaching his first ATP Masters final in Montreal where the title match will be an all-American affair.Nakashima awaits the winner of the second semi-final between defending champion Ben Shelton and fellow American Lerner Tien.The last US pair to battle for a Masters trophy were Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick in 2003.Nakashima needed two hours -- including 66 minutes in the second set -- to subdue Jodar.The Spaniard, a finalist in Washington this month and tipped to soon crack the top 10 in the rankings, saved four match points before his opponent fired an ace on his fifth opportunity to prevail in a final game that featured six deuces and lasted more than 10 minutes."That final game was crazy," Nakashima, 25, said. "It was super-tight. We both had to keep fighting."I was lucky I was hitting my spots on serve, it paid off today. I'm happy to get through that one."Nakashima goes into his first Masters final with growing confidence on serve and with his forehand."I'm just trusting it and swinging through on every ball," he said. "When I connect with it, (my forehand) is one of my best shots. I'm happy it paid off today."Nakashima will be playing the fifth final of his career and by far his most prestigious. He has never before competed in anything more than a 250-level title match.str/bb

2026-08-13T00:30:43Z A California couple’s surrogate who went to Texas in an escalating dispute over treating a congenital heart condition gave birth Wednesday, a day after a judge in Dallas ordered life-sustaining care for the newborn.The child was receiving stabilizing care and scheduled to undergo surgery at a Texas hospital, according to an attorney for McKenna West, the surrogate mother whose case has drawn widening national support from right-to-life groups and Republican officials.West was carrying the child for a California couple she has accused of wanting to end the pregnancy after the fetus was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a life-threatening heart condition.A judge on Tuesday ordered the child to receive life-sustaining treatment after Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened in support of the surrogate.“She has taken on great personal risk to herself,” said Lincoln Davis Wilson, an attorney for West. The couple, Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar, have denied in court filings that they intended to refuse surgery once the child was born. Lee Budner, an attorney for the couple, did not immediately return emails and phone messages seeking comment Wednesday. In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Budner said the baby was receiving medical care and accused West and Paxton of turning a family tragedy into “political theater.” “Our clients’ only focus at this time is ensuring that their baby receives the medical care that he vitally needs and that they, as his parents, are able to spend every precious moment they can with him,” Budner said.Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a condition where the left side of the heart prevents normal blood flow. If untreated, the condition causes severe symptoms such as breathing problems, weak pulse and ashen or bluish skin. Read More According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the condition must be treated with multiple surgeries that are complex and challenging. About 925 babies in the U.S. are born with HLHS each year, according to the CDC. Without treatment, children affected by the heart defect can die within days or weeks. Surgical repairs are not necessarily cures, and additional surgeries or heart transplants may be needed, according to the CDC. West’s lawyers have alleged the couple spent weeks pressuring West to seek an abortion after learning of the diagnosis at 20 weeks. 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. In court documents, the couple argues that West broke a surrogacy contract and that a California court determined she has no rights to legal or physical custody of the child. They also dispute they intended to refuse surgery, saying that medical professionals had told them it was not possible to determine whether the baby would be a candidate for open-heart surgery. “That is not and has never been our position,” Ahmed wrote in court documents filed in Texas. “Since Ms. West moved to Texas, we have consistently sought the opportunity to consult with physicians caring for our child to make informed medical decisions for him as his parents.”West was not able to see or hold the child because of a temporary restraining order that was entered by the couple, according to Wilson. University of Texas School of Law professor Rachel Rebouché, who specializes in reproductive law, said disputes like this one are rare.Contracts usually include language where parents and surrogates agree on issues of medical care and when or how to end a pregnancy, but she said “those are aspirational, not enforceable in court.”Texas law gives parents the rights to make decisions about medical care, but they don’t have the right to deny care in a manner that amounts to medical abuse or neglect, Rebouché said. She said Texas courts have extensive powers to issues orders in the best interest of the child, Rebouché said.“There is case law in Texas that supports intervention if there is the possibility of denying life-saving care, once born, for a child in medical need,” she said. JIM VERTUNO Vertuno has been covering news, sports and politics from Texas for The AP since 1998. He won a National Headliner Award for sports writing in 2013. twitter mailto

A Guatemalan migrant was transferred to a hospital when he experienced what appeared to be a seizure, federal officials said.

This photo provided by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office shows Christopher Gillum being arrested Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at a hotel in Destin, Fla. (Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office via AP,File)2026-08-13T01:03:49Z NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A former law enforcement officer accused of planning to kill Black people in a mass shooting at a New Orleans festival was quietly released from custody over the summer after a grand jury found there was not enough evidence to charge him with a crime.A Louisiana grand jury in June declined to indict Christopher Gillum on a state terrorism charge that could have carried up to a 15-year sentence, court records show.Gillum, who had been held without bond, was released shortly after the grand jury’s decision and is not facing charges in any other jurisdictions, according to his attorney, Dylan Utley. He declined to comment further.Gillum’s release has not previously been reported. The 45-year-old ex-police officer, who is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, had been arrested in Florida in April with hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a handgun while on his way to Louisiana to commit a mass shooting, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation had involved the FBI and authorities across Louisiana, North Carolina and Florida. Authorities did not name the event Gillum was allegedly targeting, but his arrest came on the eve of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which attracts hundreds of thousands of festivalgoers annually. Gillum, who is white, had “expressed recent threats to harm ‘Black people’ ”, according to authorities. His family had reported him missing in North Carolina and said he had a history of self-harm. Lester Duhe, a spokesperson for Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, said in a statement that Gillum’s family had taken him “to a treatment facility out of the state” and that he is not facing additional criminal charges. Read More Duhe said there were “several jurisdictional issues” that complicated the case after Gillum was extradited to Louisiana following his arrest.“The threat relayed to a family member actually occurred in North Carolina,” Duhe said. “The defendant never entered the State of Louisiana until after his arrest.”Gillum had been planning to travel to the Florida Keys “during the same period he would have been suspected to travel to Louisiana,” Duhe added. Gillum was charged under a Louisiana statute for the crime of “terrorizing,” which requires that “a crime of violence is imminent or in progress or that a circumstance dangerous to human life exists or is about to exist.” 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. Jonathan Guidry, the foreperson for the grand jury, declined to comment on the decision to not indict Gillum.Katherine Schweit, a former Chicago prosecutor and FBI executive who ran the agency’s active shooter program, said that thwarted acts of mass violence do not always lead to indictments, but prosecutors often seek an array of criminal charges when possible.“It’s very difficult to convince a jury, or to convince a grand jury, that something might have happened,” Schweit told The Associated Press.Law enforcement authorities in North Carolina, where Louisiana court records list Gillum as residing, told the AP that they were not aware he had been released from custody.“If we’ve got an individual that was accused of such an action, we would want to know if in fact he did return to Alamance County,” said Byron Tucker, a spokesperson for the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. The offices of state attorneys general in North Carolina and Florida did not respond to a request for comment about whether Gillum may face additional criminal charges in their jurisdictions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana also did not return messages seeking comment.In a statement, the FBI New Orleans office said the decision whether to charge Gillum rested with prosecutors.The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival declined to comment.___Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. JACK BROOK Based in New Orleans, Brook covers Louisiana with a focus on state government, environmental issues and infrastructure. He is a Report for America corps member and can be reached on the secure messaging app Signal at jackbrook.88 twitter instagram mailto

Darren Waller’s NFL comeback is on for a second season.The former Pro Bowl tight end agreed to a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. Terms of the deal were not reported. Waller, 33, played in 2025 with the Dolphins on a one-year deal. He was limited by injury to nine games and tallied 24 catches for 283 yards and 6 touchdowns. Waller previously played for the Ravens, Raiders and one season with the Giants in 2023. He retired after the 2023 season at 31 years old, citing changing passions in life and an off-field medical scare of which he said he "couldn't breath" and "was pretty clear I almost just lost my life."Can Waller serve as a safety valve and reliable red zone target in a critical season for Bryce Young?Josh Lavallee via Getty ImagesWaller didn’t divulge the nature of his medical scare or diagnosis if there was one, but it was enough in part to push him away from football. But his retirement was short-lived.Waller rejoined the NFL with the Dolphins last season and will now join a Panthers team seeking to improve on 2025’s 8-9 campaign that was good enough to win the NFC South.Can Waller help Bryce Young in critical season for former No. 1 pick?At his best, Waller was one of the NFL’s most productive offensive weapons with the Raiders. He eclipsed 90 catches and 1,100 yards in consecutive seasons in 2019 and 2020. He made the Pro Bowl in 2020 after posting 107 catches for 1,196 yards an 9 touchdowns. He hasn’t surpassed 665 yards in a single season since, but he remains an imposing physical talent as a pass catcher at 6 feet 6 inches and 238 pounds. Waller joins the Panthers at critical juncture for fourth-year quarterback Bryce Young, who has improved enough to win his job back after being benched but not enough for the Panthers to entrust him with an extension to his rookie contract. Carolina is surely hoping that Waller can serve Young with a safety valve in pressure situations and a big, reliable target in the red zone.

Last offseason the Raiders signed former Steelers veteran linebacker Elandon Roberts to a one-year deal to be their new middle linebacker. That one season wasn't enough to earn him more of them in Las Vegas and he wasn't brought back.It took the entire offseason, but Roberts has finally found a new home. And it's the same as his old home. The 32-year-old has signed back with the Steelers, hoping to revitalize his career where he last surpassed 100 tackles.Roberts put up 90 tackles for the Raiders in his single season in Las Vegas. That was fourth on the team. Fellow linebacker Devin White led the team with 174 tackles. In both cases, those tackles were too often either after giving up positive yards on the ground or giving up the catch downfield.When Roberts joined the Steelers the first time, he was already an eight-year vet, having played with the Patriots and Dolphins. The former is where he was able to get two rings. So, now he is just hoping to prolong his career. This time it will be under a new head coach in Pittsburgh with Mike McCarthy having taken over for longtime head coach Mike Tomlin.This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Former Raiders free agent LB signs with Steelers

Kentucky fell to Ohio 6-0 on Wednesday, Aug. 12, in the championship game of the Great Lakes Region Tournament in the Little League World Series. North Oldham Little League out of La Grange was eliminated with the loss.Ohio's representative, West Side Little League out of Hamilton, will move on to the World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.West Side scored all six runs in the first inning and did not allow North Oldham many opportunities, limiting them to just one hit. Ohio manufactured nine hits over the course of its five innings of offense.Ohio had defeated Kentucky in their previous matchup Monday, Aug. 10, picking up an 11-4 win, which included a two-run home run.West Side will look to become the first team from the state of Ohio to win a Little League World Series championship. The LLWS will begin Wednesday, Aug. 19.Reach sports trending writer Alaina Morris at amorris@gannett.com and follow her on X at @alainammorris.This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Little League team falls short of World Series in region loss

A CORUNA, SPAIN - AUGUST 12: Bernardo Silva of Real Madrid gives instructions during the Trofeo Teresa Herrera match between RC Deportivo A Coruna and Real Madrid at Abanca-Riazor Stadium on August 12, 2026 in a Coruna, Spain. (Photo by Bruno Penas/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) | Getty Images Real Madrid edged Deportivo La Coruña 1-0, with Brahim Díaz scoring the winner after a remarkable assist from Andriy Lunin. Bernardo Silva was the standout performer in midfield, while several players continued to work their way toward full sharpness.Andriy Lunin — 7.5: It’s not too often you give a goalkeeper a high rating based on his attacking performance, but here we are. Lunin wasn’t really tested with the three saves he had to make, but produced an incredible assist for Brahim Díaz on the game-winner.Denzel Dumfries — 5: Still not at his best physical level. Looked a bit clumsy on the ball and with some of his challenges, though he did get into good attacking zones.Antonio Rüdiger — 5: Clumsy and off the pace. Never really looked comfortable.Dean Huijsen — 7.5: Covered well for Álvaro Carreras and was solid with his challenges and clearances. Bar a couple of misplaced passes, his vertical distribution was very good.Álvaro Carreras — 7: A mixed performance defensively, but he was very good on the ball. Made dangerous overloads and consistently handled pressure well.Bernardo Silva — 8: Real Madrid’s best player. Silky dribbling under pressure, comfortable receiving and progressing the ball in virtually any zone, and outstanding defensive work in midfield. An excellent all-around performance.Eduardo Camavinga — 7: He’s starting to find his feet. Camavinga still needs to clean up some giveaways that could have cost Real Madrid against a better team, but he was very good on the ball in Deportivo’s half and clever with his dribbling in tight spaces.Brahim Díaz — 7.5: Took his goal exceptionally well and continues to be a hugely impressive close-control dribbler. His ability to navigate tight spaces remains one of his biggest weapons.Arda Güler — 7: Registered three key passes in his 45 minutes and roamed around the field as an omnipresent outlet. Continually made himself available between the lines.Vinícius Jr. — 5: Rusty and quiet. Struggled to consistently get the better of 36-year-old right-back Ximo Navarro and never really imposed himself on the game.Endrick — 7: No goals or assists, but worked tirelessly. Dribbled well on the right wing with the intention of creating and fought his way into some excellent positions off the ball.SubstitutesTrent Alexander-Arnold — 7: Produced some beautiful progressive passing and created a big chance in the second half.Mario Rivas — 7: Solid distribution, and Real Madrid’s backline looked less frantic with him there.Fede Valverde — 6.5: Played as a No. 10 and was fine — if a little quiet — carrying the ball in transition.Carlos Espí — 6.5: Quiet, but not bad. Scored a goal that was disallowed for offside and showed some strong hold-up play.Jorge Cestero — 6.5: Wasn’t particularly influential on the ball, but his presence helped stabilize the team’s defensive balance.Alexis Ciria — N/A: Not enough minutes to rate.Lamini Fati — N/A: Not enough minutes to rate.

Photo provided by Matt Lynch Things are going from bad to worse for the Pirates, who lost their seventh straight series after being defeated 8-2 by the Marlins at loanDepot Park on Wednesday night. Scoring PlaysTop 2nd, 1-0 PIT: It looked like Jacob Gonzalez bounced into an inning-ending double play with two on base, but shortstop Otto Lopez delivered an errant throw to first base. Nick Gonzales came around to score from second. Gonzales became the first runner the Pirates (58-64) had in scoring position since the first inning on Sunday.Bottom 2nd, 1-1: With the bases loaded and two outs, Xavier Edwards hit a grounder to first baseman Spencer Horwitz. Carmen Mlodzinski (6-5) was late getting over from the mound, however, and Edwards reached on an RBI infield single. Bottom 3rd, 5-1 MIA: Mlodzinski was lifted after a Agustín Ramírez RBI double set the Marlins (62-59) up with runners on second and third. Evan Sisk followed and issued a walk to pinch-hitter Javier Sanoja to load the bases. Sisk then hit Leo Jiménez with a pitch, walked Joe Mack and allowed an Edwards sacrificfe fly.Top 4th, 5-2 MIA: Gonzales opened the inning with a double off starter Janson Junk (6-7) and advanced to third. He scored on a sacrifice fly to right-center from Esmerlyn Valdez, who was robbed of a potential home run by center fielder Jakob Marsee. Bottom 4th, 6-2 MIA: Griffin Conine got the run back with a leadoff home run off ex-teammate Lake Bachar. Bottom 6th, 8-2 MIA: Heriberto Hernández hit a two-run home run to left-center to extend the lead. Key MomentsThe Marlins’ big third inning capped off a stretch of five unanswered runs. With Pittsburgh’s offense struggling this month, it put the game far out of reach. Player of the GameGriffin Conine homered and reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances. He homered, doubled, drew three walks and scored three runs. Stat to KnowThe Pirates have now lost seven straight series. Their last series win came when they took two of three games from the Guardians in Cleveland from July 18-19. It was the first series after the All-Star break. Notable PerformancesCarmen Mlodzinski: 2.1 innings, five hits, four runs, three walks, one strikeout, 59 pitches/34 strikesLake Bachar: 3.0 innings, three hits, three runs, one walk, two strikeouts, 46 pitches/27 strikesNick Gonzales: 2 for 3, one double, one walkRonny Simon: NoteworthyCarmen Mlodzinski now has a 5.48 ERA in 11 starts. He has a 2.15 ERA in 16 relief appearances. Evan Sisk has allowed 15/25 inherited runners to score this season. Ronny Simon extended his hit streak to five games. Up NextRHP Braxton Ashcraft (11-5, 4.08 ERA) gets the finale for the Pirates on Thursday afternoon. The Marlins will send out RHP Tyler Phillips (3-5, 3.47 ERA). First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh, MLB Network/100.1 FM & AM 1020.Around the NetworkPittsburgh Baseball Now:Cherington’s Best Work Has Come of Late, Yet Pirates Back Where They Always ArePittsburgh Hockey Now:Offseason Grades: Metro Division; Where Penguins RankSteelers Now:Bell: Drew Allar’s Guide to Strong Steelers PreseasonPittsburgh Sports Now:More Recognition for Pitt QB Mason HeintschelThe post Pirates Knocked Around by Marlins, Drop 7th Straight Series appeared first on Pittsburgh Baseball Now.

Catering trucks are parked at Air Force One on the tarmac as the motorcade carrying U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to depart following the NATO summit at Ankara International Airport in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2026-08-13T01:44:13Z WASHINGTON (AP) — The two most senior members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Turkey on what was effectively a decoy plane following an Iranian threat, while Trump was secretly moved to a smaller military jet, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday. The official, who was briefed on the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details of presidential travel, said Rubio was aware of the switch and details of the threat behind it but could or would not say why he had stayed on the plane. The official said Bessent was likely aware but did not know for sure.The official, however, noted that security precautions for the president — especially one who has been the target of several assassination attempts — are more robust than those for even top members of the Cabinet. Under the U.S. Constitution, the secretaries of State and Treasury follow the vice president and the highest ranking member of each chamber of Congress in the presidential line of succession.Trump had flown to the annual gathering of NATO country leaders in Ankara, Turkey, in a new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, white and navy blue jet. But ahead of departing Turkey, he said he would fly partway home on an older-model baby blue Air Force One plane instead. The president at the time said the new luxury jet was being flown out ahead of his departure from Ankara to give some U.S. troops based in eastern England a chance to check out the new Air Force One. Read More The Washington Post reported this week that Trump wasn’t on the old Air Force One on the return flight from Turkey and that he instead was smuggled onto another jet via a catering cart to avoid a possible Iranian assassination plot. The ruse was carried out as journalists and some White House staff members were led to believe they were on the same plane as the president as he began his journey back to Washington.The New York Times and CBS News had reported last month that intelligence officials had raised concerns about a potential attack on the president or his jet, triggering additional precautions and the decision not to use the newly inaugurated aircraft gifted to Trump by Qatar for the first leg of Trump’s trip home from Ankara. Trump acknowledged the transfer late Tuesday.“It’s only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do, so I go by Secret Service and the military,” the president told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, but they wanted me to do it, so I do it, I do what they say.” 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: Scottie Scheffler of the United States \\during the third round of The American Express 2026 at Nicklaus Tournament Course on January 24, 2026 in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs begin tomorrow at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, and while every player in the field is looking to advance, the stakes are particularly high for a few players.From Jordan Spieth trying to find his form, to rookie Jackson Koivun looking to continue a remarkable first season, to Scottie Scheffler chasing another Player of the Year honor, there is plenty to watch as the playoffs get underway.Jordan Spieth: Searching for His First Top 10Jordan Spieth enters the playoffs ranked 54th in FedEx Cup points. While his spot in the playoffs was never really in question, his lack of top-10 finishes this season has been a concern.Spieth’s best finishes came at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Valspar Championship, where he tied for 11th on both occasions.“I feel better than my results have shown,” Speith said in YahooSports. “Just a mix of reasons why, but a really good opportunity this week to believe that, trust that. The more difficult the venue, it requires me to really dial in mentally a little bit more, which I think is going to be a good thing.”“Then being able to handle whatever comes your way on a difficult major venue and kind of react a bit less. Should be a really good opportunity this week. Yeah, I feel like I have a lot of great golf in front of me. I feel like I’m way more optimistic than I’ve been at a lot of different points in my career,” Spieth continued.“I’m quite frustrated with the results considering I know where my game is at.”This will be Spieth’s 14th consecutive appearance in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. A tie for 25th or better would allow him to advance to the BMW Championship and move into the top 50, making him eligible for Signature Events.BLAINE, MINNESOTA - JULY 26: Jackson Koivun of the United States celebrates with the Elemental Swing trophy after winning the 3M Open 2026 at TPC Twin Cities on July 26, 2026 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)Getty ImagesJackson Koivun: The Last Man InRookie Jackson Koivun enters the playoffs as the final player in the field after putting together a strong stretch of golf that included finishes at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and Wyndham Championship, as well as his win at the 3M Open.Making the playoffs was hardly a guarantee for the young player earlier this summer.“I mean, obviously I wanted to make the Playoffs, and I knew that was a far-fetched goal,” Koivun said in YardBarker.“If I told myself back in June that I would be sitting at 70 and waiting it out in Greensboro, I think I’d be pretty happy,” he added.“It’s pretty cool. Obviously, whenever you’re in the record books with Tiger, it’s a good name to get acquainted with. Not quite there yet, so just got to wait it out,” Koivun said.Now, the rookie has another challenge ahead of him. Koivun will need a seventh-place finish or better to advance to the BMW Championship.Scottie Scheffler: When Will He Win Again?Scottie Scheffler enters the playoffs as the FedEx Cup points leader, nearly 800 points ahead of second-place Matt Fitzpatrick.Scheffler certainly hasn't struggled to find consistency this season. The World No. 1 has 11 top-10 finishes, but he has only one victory, coming at the American Express.He has also suffered two losses in extra-hole playoffs, leaving the question of when his next victory will come.“Busy three-week stretch,” Scheffler said to yourNEWS. “I’m excited. I have three tournaments, three good starts to kind of end the year. Definitely excited to get this week going. I had a couple of good weeks of rest at home, and I’m looking forward to getting this week started.”Scheffler's lead in the FedEx Cup standings means he doesn't necessarily need a win this week to remain in control of the playoff race. But another victory could be significant for a different reason.A strong playoff run, and particularly a win, could go a long way toward helping Scheffler secure another Player of the Year honor.This article was originally published on Forbes.com

DETROIT (AP) — Jo Adell homered and Angel Martínez had three hits as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-4 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game skid.The Guardians (59-62) are 7-1 against the Tigers this season and have won 12 of the past 14 meetings between the AL Central rivals.The Tigers (59-61) had won three straight and eight of 10 overall. They were trying to reach .500 for the first time since they were 18-18 on May 4.Foster Griffin (13-4) allowed three runs — one earned — on four hits and a walk in five innings. He improved to 1-1 in two outings with Cleveland since arriving from Washington in a trade-deadline deal. The rookie left-hander had lost his previous two starts, giving up 11 runs in 9 1/3 innings.Cade Smith got four outs for his 31st save this season, including five against the Tigers.Framber Valdez (7-8) took the loss, yielding four runs on six hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings.The Guardians scored twice in the first on a run-scoring double play and an RBI double by Martínez, but the Tigers tied it in the bottom half. An error by third baseman José Ramírez gave them a runner at first with two outs before Hao-Yu Lee and Spencer Torkelson hit back-to-back doubles to make it 2-all.Detroit took a 3-2 lead on Gleyber Torres' homer in the third, but Adell put the Guardians back in front with a two-run homer in the fifth. Adell is hitting .129 (4 for 31) against the Tigers this season with three home runs.Cleveland made it 6-3 with a two-out rally against Enmanuel De Jesus in the seventh. Angel Genoa grounded an RBI double just inside first base to score Martínez, and Austin Hedges followed with an RBI single.Kevin McGonigle scored on a wild pitch in the eighth, narrowing the margin to 6-4, but Smith struck out rookie Max Clark in a 12-pitch at-bat to end the inning.The Tigers put two runners aboard in the ninth, but Cleveland shortstop Brayan Rocchio made a jumping throw from deep in the hole to retire McGonigle and end the game.Up nextThe teams finish the three-game series Thursday afternoon, with Cleveland LHP Parker Messick (9-6, 2.57 ERA) facing RHP Keider Montero (8-7, 3.38).___See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Dabo Swinney says Clemson is a 'bunch of nobodies' ahead of 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Clemson Tigers are looking to bounce back after a 7-6 record in the 2025 season. Needless to say, this season is setting up to be one of the most difficult in Dabo Swinney's tenure.Clemson came into last season ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. But a quick 17-10 loss to LSU flipped the table right off the bat. There hasn't been much national attention for Swinney's team, but he likes it that way.During Tuesday's press conference, the longtime Tigers coach said they were a "bunch of nobodies” weeks before the start of the season."Everybody’s just working,” Swinney said. “We’re just a bunch of nobodies. We’ll see if anybody becomes somebody as we play some games.Clemson won't be back to where they were eight years ago. However, a bounce back season will restore faith in the diehard Tigers fans. Swinney desperately needs to fix what's wrong while being up against a stacked ACC schedule. Also, beating Lane Kiffin in his LSU debut to start the season is the right way to get people talking.Swinney set the tone at ACC Media Days in Charlotte. It was clearly an attempt to grasp the spotlight. "We got to fix the football stuff. You get what you earn. It’s not what people predict," Swinney said. “This year, ain’t none of y’all going to pick us."Clemson starts the year with LSU on Saturday, Sept. 5 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). From there, the next four games are against Georgia Southern, UNC, Miami, along with a road contest at Cal. More College Football news:Deion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coachNike adds eight College Football stars to NIL roster before 2026 seasonESPN analyst says 'pump the brakes' on Texas' Arch Manning being the best QBShedeur Sanders is all over social media after Colorado GPA surfaces

Panthers just added a dangerous new weapon originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Carolina Panthers are adding another proven weapon to their offense.Carolina reached an agreement Wednesday with veteran tight end Darren Waller on a one-year contract, his agency announced, giving the Panthers an experienced pass catcher with Pro Bowl credentials.Waller, 33, spent last season with the Miami Dolphins, where he worked with Darrell Bevell, now the Panthers’ associate head coach and offensive specialist. Bevell served as Miami’s passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2025, giving Waller familiarity with one of the key members of Carolina’s offensive staff.Panthers gamble on Waller Waller returned from a one-year retirement to play for Miami after the Dolphins acquired his rights from the New York Giants. Despite battling injuries, he appeared in nine games and caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns.The former sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens has played nine NFL seasons. His best stretch came with the Las Vegas Raiders, including a Pro Bowl campaign in 2020. Waller has 374 career receptions for 4,407 yards and 26 touchdowns.His arrival adds intrigue to an already crowded Panthers tight end room.Veteran Tommy Tremble enters his sixth season with Carolina, while Mitchell Evans, Ja’Tavion Sanders, James Mitchell and Feleipe Franks are also competing for roster spots.Sanders could face increased competition following the move. The former starter has dealt with ankle issues during his first two NFL seasons and underwent surgery following his latest injury last year.Carolina carried four tight ends on its 53-man roster in 2025, but Waller’s addition could change the equation.While Tremble and Evans offer more traditional tight end skill sets, Waller gives the Panthers another receiving threat capable of creating mismatches in space.If healthy, Waller could provide Carolina’s passing attack with a veteran red-zone target and add another option as the Panthers continue shaping their offense ahead of the 2026 season.More NFL news:Panthers QB3 Haynes King's walk-off TD triggers roster spot, $3.1M salaryUDFA QB Haynes King aims to perfect plays anywhere, takes work to Panthers' parking lotJa'Tavion Sanders, Panthers' tight ends seek more productionPanthers' Bryce Young buries defense during NFL training camp practiceNewcomer Cam Gill in game-shape for first Panthers practice in pads

The Minnesota Vikings have named Kyler Murray as their starting quarterback this season, as widely expected, ending the competition with J.J. McCarthy after two weeks of training camp. From the beginning, many/most were skeptical about the competition, figuring Murray would eventually be named the winner. And from Kevin O’Connell’s comments before the night practice on Sunday, indicating that the timeframe to make a decision on the starting quarterback had not changed, it appears that naming a starter after the night practice was the original plan. But now that the decision has been made, let’s look at again at Kyler Murray as the Vikings’ starting quarterback, look back at the rationale and merits of the quarterback competition, and what may be next for J.J. McCarthy.Let’s begin with a review of the quarterback competition.Critiquing the Quarterback CompetitionFrom the moment the Vikings signed Kyler Murray, there seemed to be little doubt that he would be the starting quarterback this season. The reason was straightforward enough- Kyler Murray has the better track record as a starter when it comes to accuracy and just about every quarterback metric and has also demonstrated the minimum required skillset to be a quality starter in the NFL: processing ability, accuracy, poise in the pocket, and proper mechanics. J.J. McCarthy is still developing those fundamentals. More than anybody, Kevin O’Connell understood where each quarterback was at with their skillsets, but still he chose to have a competition rather than simply naming Kyler Murray the starting quarterback shortly after he was signed. So what was the rationale for doing so? What was he hoping to gain? Part of the rationale for having a competition was simply out of respect for J.J. McCarthy. When you have an incumbent starter on the roster, it is respectful to allow that player to compete for the starting job with any new acquisitions or others on the roster that have earned the right. Handing the starting job to Murray without any competition may have been seen as an indictment of his ability and potential growth since last season. Another reason for the competition may have been to give some motivation to McCarthy that may help accelerate his development. After all, he did not compete for the starting job in either his rookie or second season. Darnold was the presumed starter from the get-go his rookie year, and McCarthy was in his second year. The competition might also help Kyler Murray sharpen his tools, while also giving O’Connell the chance to see how well/quickly he learns the scheme before naming him the starter.The downside to having a competition is having the eventual starter- Murray- receive fewer reps in the offseason program and fewer first-team reps in training camp. Given the shorter training camps and offseason program compared to years ago, each rep in practice has become increasingly valuable in helping a new quarterback learn the scheme and develop rapport with his teammates, especially his receivers. O’Connell seemed to hedge against that downside by gradually shifting more of the first team reps to Murray during the first two weeks of training camp and maintaining his two-week deadline to name Murray the starter and give him all the first team reps going forward. Continuing the competition much beyond that would begin to compromise Murray’s ability to develop the rapport with the first team needed to be effective by the start of the regular season.All that led many to suspect that the competition wasn’t fair- it had a preordained result- and that McCarthy never really had much of a chance at winning the competition. And looking back on it now, that pretty clearly was the case. But compared to the alternative- no competition at all- this was perhaps the best solution considering the needs of McCarthy, Murray, and the team. In terms of gains from the quarterback competition, I’m not sure there was anything significant. McCarthy seemed very much like he was last year, so the competition factor didn’t appear to have the desired effect on him. Nor did it have much of a discernable effect on Murray either. He said early on in a press conference that he wasn’t really worried about the competition and was more focused on learning the offense. And so to the extent he had reduced reps the competition didn’t really help him. So, if that was indeed the case, it didn’t seem like the competition did much other than perhaps cushioning the blow a bit for McCarthy, which may be perceived positively in some ways by both McCarthy and the team. That isn’t nothing. In his first press conference since Murray was named the starter, McCarthy seemed to accept it gracefully and expressed his desire to remain with the Vikings and do whatever he can to help the QB room, team, and organization. What’s Next for Kyler MurrayFor both Kyler Murray and Kevin O’Connell, the bet in his signing with the Vikings is for Murray to be the next reclamation project after Sam Darnold. If Murray is able to deliver on that wager, with 2024 Darnold-like performance metrics or better, it’s unlikely the Vikings will let him walk like they did Darnold. It’s clear that O’Connell has better luck whispering to veterans than he does young and developing quarterbacks, so it’s unlikely he would stand in the way of extending Murray. New Vikings GM Nolan Teasley will also have a significant say in the matter, but he came into the league making two Super Bowl runs with a mobile quarterback that was too short in Russell Wilson so it wouldn’t be surprising if he was willing to sign off on extending Murray if he has a good season. At what price tag will be a question but it looks like the Vikings have built in room in their salary cap for a possible Murray extension.But more immediately, Murray needs to continue the path to learning the offense and developing rapport with his teammates and receivers. There have been plenty of growing pains over the course of the offseason program and training camp for Murray, as he’s worked through miscommunications, bad snaps, interceptions, and lack of timing/rapport with receivers at times- all while also battling a mostly dominant Brian Flores defense. It hasn’t all been bad by any means- he’s delivered some high-level throws as well- and his results aren’t much different than they were with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold before him as they too struggled with all of the above in 2023 and 2024, especially early in training camp. So panic is premature at this point. There is a month until the first regular season game and that is a lot of time for Murray to improve across the board. His first practices since being named the starter have been encouraging.And what kind of a season Murray will have, and how well he’ll fit in O’Connell’s scheme, will continue to be a subject of debate. At this point in 2024 expectations for Sam Darnold were low. He was expected to be a mediocre bridge quarterback until McCarthy was ready, probably in 2025 but maybe sooner. All those expectations proved to be wrong. For Murray, expectations are higher- in part because of the success of Darnold with the Vikings in 2024. There is also the fact that the Vikings won nine games last season with bottom-of-the-league quarterback performance. Murray simply being average may result in double-digit wins and a return to the playoffs. There is also the fact that Murray’s performance in the two seasons prior to joining the Vikings was much better than Darnold’s was, and in Murray’s last full season (2024) he basically equaled Darnold’s performance with the Vikings that year by most metrics:Overall PFF Grade Murray: 82.1. Darnold: 80.7 PFF Passing Grade Murray: 77.9. Darnold: 77.5 Adjusted Completion % Murray: 75.9%. Darnold: 76.5% Adjusted EPA/Play Murray: 0.161. Darnold: 0.151 EPA/Play Murray: 0.150. Darnold: 0.127 Success Rate Murray: 51.3%. Darnold: 50.9% Completion % Murray: 71.4%. Darnold: 70.2% Completion % Over Expectation (CPOE) Murray: 2.1%. Darnold: 3.9%. CPOE+EPA Composite Murray: 0.116. Darnold: 0.121 PFF Big-Time Throw % Murray: 4.7%. Darnold: 5.4% PFF Turnover-Worthy Play % Murray: 2.4%. Darnold: 3.7% Yards Per Attempt Murray: 7.1. Darnold: 7.8 Average Depth of Target Murray: 7.4. Darnold: 9.3 Murray played with an inferior Arizona team in 2024 compared to what Darnold had with the Vikings that year and faced more unfavorable game situations in almost every game, not to mention a weaker supporting cast. 2024 wasn’t Murray’s best season either.But the debate about talent vs. environment will only be settled in Murray’s case by his performance on the field this season. Whether Murray’s struggles were intractable flaws in his game or more of a by-product of a poor organization and team around him in Arizona will be viewed from the perspective of his performance with the Vikings this season. There isn’t much doubt that the Arizona Cardinals were something of a dumpster fire throughout Murray’s tenure there and that the team Murray will be quarterbacking this year is better than any team he had in his seven seasons with the Cardinals. What’s Next for J.J. McCarthyIt’s been a tough run for J.J. McCarthy’s pro career so far. It’s clear now that McCarthy was the Vikings’ second-choice in the 2024 draft after Drake Maye. And after Sam Darnold’s performance in 2024, he was no longer essential to the team having a QBOTF. But despite all that, the Vikings stuck with McCarthy in 2025 and in all likelihood it cost them the division title and a playoff run compared to if they extended Sam Darnold on a medium deal and dealt McCarthy to the highest bidder. At that point he may have yielded a Day Two draft pick. The Vikings were forced to look for alternatives to McCarthy for this season after McCarthy’s league-bottom performance last season and were lucky to land at least an average starting quarterback in Kyler Murray without using any draft capital and for the veteran minimum. And now that Kyler Murray has officially been named the starter, that leaves McCarthy competing for a backup job with Carson Wentz while trying to develop the necessary skillset to be a quality starter, in year three of his rookie contract. There is zero chance his fifth-year option will be exercised and next year is the last of his rookie contract. The going trade rate for a quarterback with league-bottom metrics and who has been fully healthy for (apparently) even fewer than the ten games he started out of the 34 possible isn’t much, particularly with a $6 million cap hit this year and a $7 million cap hit next year- which is high for a backup quarterback with those results. Still, at age 23 there may be some interest out there for McCarthy as a backup, hoping a change of scenery may aid his development. I’m guessing a late day three pick would be the best that could be hoped for at this point. But whether to trade McCarthy or not will be up to Nolan Teasley. There isn’t much incentive to trade him at this point from a draft capital standpoint but trading him would save the Vikings around $7 million in cap space between this season and next. I suspect Kevin O’Connell would be at least as comfortable with Carson Wentz as the primary backup as McCarthy. But ultimately the decision to trade him or not may be centered around what they think his development trajectory will be over the next two years. But it seems doubtful at best that Kevin O’Connell will choose McCarthy as his starting quarterback next year without his having shown significant improvement in regular season games, and he may not have the opportunity to play in any this season. McCarthy, for his part, said he wants to remain with the Vikings and do what he can to help the team, that he likes the organization, state and fan base. In the meantime, McCarthy will be shown in preseason games, which may attract trade interest as the rest of the league evaluates their quarterback rooms. Follow me on X/Bluesky @wludford

Law enforcement officers kettle protesters outside Delaney Hall detention center Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, File)2026-08-13T01:55:00Z NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — U.S. immigration officials said Wednesday that they didn’t publicly disclose the death of a Guatemalan man who had a seizure at a New Jersey detention center because they weren’t notified that he died after they sent him to the hospital.Jose Chajon-Raxon had the seizure July 19, a day after being processed into Delaney Hall, a privately run immigration jail in Newark, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. DHS officials said Chajon-Raxon was “taken to the hospital and released from ICE custody on July 22.”The department didn’t say what happened after he went to the hospital, when he died, or whether he was released from the hospital before his death.“Per ICE policy, when an individual is no longer in ICE custody then ICE will no longer be responsible for monitoring or reviewing deaths that may occur. This is common sense,” the DHS statement said. This is part of a policy change announced earlier this year in which the agency no longer reports deaths that occur within 30 days of someone’s release from custody. The move rescinds a 2021 policy implemented by the Biden administration.U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who has routinely visited Delaney Hall, said the policy change creates a “loophole” where the agency can release someone from its custody and then “claim it has no responsibility to investigate their death or inform Congress and the public.” “ICE — consistent with the entire ethos of the Trump Administration — is dead set on avoiding public scrutiny and taking any accountability for its failures,” he said. Read More DHS said in the statement that ICE “remains committed to transparency regarding detainee deaths.”Chajon-Raxon’s death first became publicly known when it was disclosed by Menendez last week following the death of another detainee in early August. He told reporters that ICE granted the person a “discretionary release” from custody after they were taken to a hospital and lost consciousness, and the person died shortly afterward. At the time, he did not identify the person.In recent months, Delaney Hall has been the site of fierce protests by immigration advocates, with demonstrators at times attempting to block vehicles from entering or leaving the facility. Earlier this year, some people held at the jail launched a hunger strike over the conditions, according to Cosecha, an immigrant advocacy group. The facility is owned by Geo Group, a private prison contractor that operates multiple detention centers across the country. The contractor didn’t not immediately respond to email from The Associated Press requesting comment.

NEW YORK (AP) — Trent Grisham homered twice and hit a go-ahead double in the seventh inning as the New York Yankees erased an early deficit and pulled away for a 10-5 victory over the skidding Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.Yankees rookie Spencer Jones had three RBIs in his second start batting third. He hit a two-run double in the third and a tying double in the fifth.Grisham went deep off starter Bryce Miller in the fifth, when the Yankees evened it at 5 after trailing by three. After his double off reliever Gabe Speier (2-3) scored rookie George Lombard Jr. in New York’s three-run seventh, Grisham added a two-run homer off Nick Davila in the eighth to finish with four RBIs from the leadoff spot.Grisham had his ninth career multihomer game and fifth three-hit game this season. He also scored three times as the Yankees reached double digits in runs for the first time since July 9 at Tampa Bay and 11th time overall. Ben Rice followed Grisham’s tiebreaking double with a hard RBI single that skipped over shortstop Colt Emerson’s glove. Jazz Chisholm Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 8-5 after the Mariners intentionally walked Heliot Ramos.Ryan McMahon started New York’s comeback with an RBI double in the second but was thrown out twice on the bases.Randy Arozarena hit a two-run homer and Julio Rodríguez connected for a solo shot off New York starter Will Warren in the first. Dominic Canzone homered in the third and Josh Naylor hit an RBI single in the fifth for a 5-3 lead.The Mariners (56-65) have lost six straight for the first time since May 2022, and 15 of 20 to fall a season-high nine games under .500. Paul Blackburn (4-2) picked off Naylor at first base to end the seventh before the Yankees took the lead in the bottom of the seventh for the second consecutive night. Brent Headrick struck out the side in the eighth.Warren allowed five runs and six hits in four-plus innings. The right-hander tied a career high by allowing three homers.Miller permitted five runs and seven hits in six innings.Up nextSeattle RHP Logan Gilbert (8-7, 3.42 ERA) opposes LHP Max Fried (4-3, 2.88) in the series finale Thursday afternoon. ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

In a stunning turn of events, Mark Walter, the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, agreed to sell his stake in the franchise to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger on Wednesday. Walter had officially purchased his stake this past October, which means there could be yet another transition period in store for the organization.When Walter purchased his share from the Buss family, which had owned the team since 1979, an agreement was made that Jeanie Buss, who had been the Lakers' governor, would remain in that role for at least five more years. In addition, it was agreed that Rob Pelinka would remain in place as general manager.Iger said that Buss and Pelinka will still remain in their respective roles, via Khobi Price of the California Post.“We have enormous respect and appreciation for Jeanie, her father and what they’ve contributed to this franchise,” Iger said. “And we have every intention to honor the agreement that was made between Mark and Jeanie. If things change, they’ll change, but we’re going into this with enormous respect and appreciation for who she is and what she represents in the organization.”In addition, the Buss family will reportedly hold on to the minority share of the Lakers it had retained following Walter's purchase last year, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.This sale agreement is only for Mark Walter’s shares, not the Buss family’s remaining shares. https://t.co/IMvaW0Iolr— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) August 12, 2026Under Walter, the Lakers were becoming, in the minds of many, "modernized" in terms of bringing in multiple new people into their front office to handle various roles. In May, for instance, Rohan Ramadas, who was described as "a literal rocket scientist" by one source, was hired to be an assistant general manager. Tony Bennett, a very successful college basketball coach, was also brought in to be a draft adviser.This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Jeanie Buss will remain Lakers' governor despite sale of team

Defending National Bank Open champion Ben Shelton is back in the final on Thursday. He will try to become the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2019 to defend the title which alternates locations each year between Toronto and Montreal.Shelton took out Learner Tien in straight sets. However, it was not without incident. Shelton’s shoulder and left hand collided with the back wall.An open wound on his arm and more alarmingly on his hand required an extensive medical timeout to stop the bleeding. As Jim Courier pointed out, it could have been worse. Tennis fans were reminded of Zeynep Sonmez‘s collision with a platform before the back wall at the French Open resulting in a retirement and an ankle injury.MORE: Cincinnati Open qualifying matches rained out one day before main draw playAn all-American finalThree American men in the semifinals was exciting and something we have not experienced since the Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Jim Courier 1990s days. We are now treated to an all-American final for the first time in nearly a quarter century.Shelton is the favorite. He has never lost to Nakashima in five previous meetings including a three set win in last year’s NBO Round of 32. The lingering question could be related to his injury. Will he have bruising or issues with his left serving hand as a result of the wound? Aug 1, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Ben Shelton (USA) chases down a ball hit by Brandon Nakashima (not pictured) during the third round at Sobeys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn ImagesNakashima, who played a spectacular match against Rafael Jodar, has not been in this position before. Now coached by Wayne Ferreira, he has been climbing the rankings with big runs at Queen’s Club, Washington, DC and Montreal this summer. He is currently at a career high World No. 22 in the ATP live rankings. MORE: Down but never out: Elena Rybakina prevails over Naomi Osaka at National Bank OpenWomen were delayed by rain in TorontoThe women’s semifinals got off to a very late start because of rain in Toronto. Iga Swiatek defeated Elina Svitolina in three sets, and Coco Gauff will face Elena Rybakina in the second semifinal.Watch the conclusion of the National Bank Open on Tennis Channel on August 13.— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —

Aug. 12—LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bemidji State softball team finished the 2026 season tied for ninth in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top Team GPA honors.Of 8,852 collegiate student-athletes listed, 16 came from Bemidji State's roster. The Beavers are the only Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference program to appear on the top 10 list.The rankings and honors recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across the Association's membership categories. NCAA Division I led the way with 2,637 student-athletes earning a 3.5 grade-point average or higher for 2025-26. NCAA Division III followed with 2,493 and NCAA Division II with 1,869. Junior colleges and NAIA came in with 1,190 and 655 student-athletes, respectively. Seven student-athletes from Bay Path University earned recognition in the Other Four-Year category.Team GPAs and scholar-athletes are submitted by member head coaches.Individual Scholar-AthletesAubrey AukermanMorgan BenedictMaddie KielsmeierJackie LarsenDanica SarffJenna BurdAlayna DeGraefKeira LuceroCalleigh RichardsKassandra BalabonLauren BeisselGrace DuwenhoeggerSydney KlusmanBrianna NessMaddie SchwabAlexa SkogquistTop-10 Teams1. Lincoln Memorial University — 3.8532. Missouri Southern State University — 3.813. Mansfield University — 3.794. Black Hills State University — 3.7585. Wayne State University — 3.7576. Saint Leo University — 3.7447. Rockhurst University — 3.7438. Indiana University of Pennsylvania — 3.742t9. American International College — 3.74t9. Bemidji State University — 3.74t9. Oklahoma Baptist University — 3.74

Aug. 12—BEMIDJI — Bemidji State women's golf team head coach Erica Gartner announced the Beavers' 2026 Fall schedule on Wednesday, featuring four tournaments across Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa.Bemidji State opens its season at home September 14-15 at Bemidji Town and Country Club, hosting the annual Tracy Lane Memorial Tournament. The Beavers finished seventh at last season's event, led by then-sophomore Sara Sroga, who carded a 178 to place 24th individually. Sroga will be returning for her junior season this fall.The Beavers hit the road the following week for the Jewel Invitational, hosted by Winona State, Sept. 21-22 at the Jewel Golf Course in Lake City. Bemidji State placed 11th as a team at last season's tournament, with now-junior Lauren Kammann leading the way. Kammann recorded a career-best 164 to tie for 40th individually.Bemidji State will make its first appearance at the Battle in the North, Oct. 5-6, at Beowulf Golf Club in Minot, North Dakota.The Beavers close out their fall campaign Oct. 12-13 at the University of Sioux Falls Invitational at Falls Golf Course in Larchwood, Iowa. The tournament provides another new challenge for Bemidji State, as none of the Beavers' current student-athletes have previously competed at Falls Golf Course in their collegiate careers.

OMAHA — The Iowa State soccer team opened the 2026 season with a 1-0 victory over the University of Nebraska Omaha at the Caniglia Field.The Cyclones’ only goal was scored by San Francisco transfer Danica Lunceford, a junior. The goal came at the 23rd minute mark.Danica Lunceford, a transfer from San Francisco, puts the Cyclones up 1-0 in the 23rd minute. pic.twitter.com/slcq9YDEfG— Wide Right & Natty Lite (@WideRtNattyLt) August 13, 2026The goalkeeper was redshirt freshman Eme McClenahan, a Utah transfer, who recorded one save in the win.This was the fourth meeting between the two teams. Iowa State won 4-0 on Aug. 17, 2012, 1-0 on Sept. 8, 2019 and 4-1 on Sept. 15, 2022.The next home game for Iowa State will be Sunday, Aug. 16. They will face the Kansas City for Senior Day at 6 p.m. The Cyclones are 1-1 against the Roos, as they won 2-0 at home on Sept. 3, 2017 and lost 3-1 at Durwood Soccer Stadium on Sept. 14, 2018.

The Chicago White Sox acquired Luis Castillo at the trade deadline hoping he would boost their standing in the race for the AL Central.They got a glimpse of what they were hoping for Wednesday night in his second start for the team. Castillo allowed one hit and struck out 10 in a 5-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The outing marked a return to form for the 33-year-old three-time All-Star, who was in the midst of his worst MLB season before the Mariners traded him to the White Sox on Aug. 2. This is the Luis Castillo the White Sox were hoping for when they acquired him from the Mariners at the trade deadline.IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERSCastillo joined Chicago with a 5.06 ERA and 1.395 WHIP with 86 strikeouts and 32 walks in 99 2/3 innings. His worst ERA over the course of a full season was 4.30 in 2018. That was the only season of his career in which is ERA eclipsed 3.98.It was more of the same in his White Sox debut on Aug. 6. Castillo allowed 5 earned runs in 4 innings in a 12-11 loss to the Red Sox.But he found is groove against Cincinnati. Castillo stuck out two Reds in the top of the first and allowed a one-out single to Sal Stewart. He didn’t give up another hit in seven total innings of work. Castillo strikes out side to end his nightWhen his night was done, Castillo had recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts. He sat down JJ Bleday, Eugenio Suárez and Michael Toglia in order in the seventh inning, all via swinging third strikes, including a nasty changeup that fooled Toglia to finish his night. Luis Castillo, K'ing the Side in the 7th.10Ks thru 7 pic.twitter.com/sUufHvMyS2— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 13, 2026For the night, he allowed 1 hit, 2 walks and 0 runs while striking out 10. It was the kind of stuff that made Castillo an All-Star in 2019, 2022 and 2023.Should the White Sox expect this moving forward? That seems unreasonable. But they can reasonably hope that Castillo improves from his rough start with a change of scenery, and Wednesday night demonstrated the top of his range of outcomes.With the win, the White Sox improved to 62-57 to remain 3.5 games ahead of the second-place Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

The Brooklyn Nets have had plenty of great players suit up for the franchise since its inception and the hope now is that the team can have a great player or two on the current roster. Brooklyn once had centers Brook Lopez and DeAndre Jordan in town and while he will go down as one of the best players in franchise history, he was able to last longer in the NBA than a future Hall-of-Famer.Guard Russell Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA on Wednesday in a post on X in which his video was narrated by acclaimed actor Michael B. Jordan. Essentially, the video is showing Westbrook's life and career through various images going from his childhood to his recent days in the NBA before deciding to call it quits after a stored career.With Westbrook retiring, Lopez and Jordan are the only members of the 2008 NBA Draft left in the league with Lopez continuing his career with the Los Angeles Clippers while Jordan is with the New Orleans Pelicans. Lopez, 38, is coming off a solid season for a player of his age as he averaged 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Clippers.Westbrook, 37, finishes his career with nine All-NBA selections along with nine All-Star appearances while three times leading the league in assists and twice in scoring. Westbrook never managed to win a championship during his 18-year career, but he did win the MVP for the 2016-17 campaign along with winning All-Star Game MVP twice and earning a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary team.Jordan, 38, is in the twilight of his career as well as he played just 12 games last season for the Pelicans while assuming a veteran role off the bench, but he still averaged 4.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Westbrook retires from the NBA as one of the greatest point guards to ever step on the court and now, former Nets in Lopez and Jordan are the only ones left from that excellent 2008 class.Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end.You had to be there. And now it’s over. pic.twitter.com/6YoOW8WyIV— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) August 12, 2026DeAndre Jordan and Brook Lopez are the only remaining players from the 2008 NBA Draft Class currently on an NBA roster. pic.twitter.com/ZJKqklWBxe— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) August 12, 2026This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: After Russell Westbrook retirement, former Nets C Brook Lopez remains

The left guard competition is heating up for the San Francisco 49ers, and not in a good way.The Athletic's Vic Tafur reported that "it might be time to get concerned about the left guard spot" after watching Connor Colby against Robert Jones in practice this week."The 49ers all but handed the job to second-year player Connor Colby at the start of camp, but he has dropped below former Miami Dolphin Robert Jones on the depth chart," Tafur noted. "And it’s not like Jones, who is on his fourth NFL team and missed all of 2025 with a neck injury, has looked that good. Colby spent most of the day as the second-team right guard. He was also in at left guard with the third team, after Jones and rookie Carver Willis."Jones does have starting experience, though, which Colby lacks. He started 30 of 49 games across four seasons with the Dolphins, including a full 17-game starting slate in 2024, which is part of why San Francisco viewed him as a plug-and-play option after signing him to a one-year deal this offseason.Colby, meanwhile, was a seventh-round pick out of Iowa in 2025 who started 50 of 54 games in college and earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors as a senior.Head coach Kyle Shanahan made clear Wednesday that nothing is settled."I think it's too early to say. I mean, there definitely is a battle there," Shanahan said. "It's open for anybody. Those guys would probably be (in) the lead at it. I'd love to get Carver in that, too."That competition matters plenty for a 49ers offensive line that returns All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams and center Jake Brendel but has one clear vacancy up front. However, while the line looks good with its veterans, the left guard spot is easily the weakest of the unit with no standout player yet emerging.This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers insider shares growing concern over key position battle

LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — One of the best defensive lineman's to play at Kentucky has etched his name into program history. So, to be compared to Josh Hines-Allen's talent, is one of the highest form of compliment one can receive. When catching up with the team following fall camp on Wednesday, defensive line coach Anwar Stewart spoke to media about how his side of the ball is developing.When asked about Cedric "CJ" Works, he made it a point to emphasize that this young outside linebacker has serious talent, even as a rising sophomore. "CJ has a lot of talent," said Stewart. "He's long, athletic - you see some Josh Allen in him. Coach Washington has doe a good job with him and he hasn't even scratched the surface yet. He's still a baby. On 3rd downs you'll see those guys flying around getting to the quarterback."Getting the chance to speak to Works after Stewart and relaying what coach had said about him, a smile almost immediately crossed his face."That's huge to me," said Works. "I just want to stay focused and have the best season I can have - but that's crazy. It's hard not to see a lot of his [Hines-Allen] tape, his get off and his chop - he gets off that rock." Hines-Allen played at Kentucky between 2015-2018. He did not miss one single game in his four years for the Wildcats, with 51 games played in total and 35 starts. The linebacker collected 224 tackles, 41 TFL, 31.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, 11 forced fumbles with 2 recoveries, one blocked kick and one interception. This list can go on with the records he broke. He later went on to get drafted by Jacksonville where he has made a name for himself in the NFL. For Stewart to allude that the 2026 roster contains such a talent in Works seems pretty promising for this squad ahead of the season. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.

The WNBA continues to face intense scrutiny for different controversies. Fans have been calling the league out for how it’s treating Caitlin Clark and Enes Freedom declaring to join via the draft. Sophie Cunningham’s comments about transgender athletes has also garnered a lot of attention.In a statement issued on Wednesday, the WNBA shared some issues its anti-hate task force discussed. Critical language directed at players online was among the topics.MORE: Sophie Cunningham seeks book deal amid growing WNBA backlashUSA Today’s Meghan L. Hall posted the league’s statement on X.“Today’s meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at players online,” the statement read. “We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league. There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.”More meetings can be expected in the coming weeks and months, and some rule changes will likely be made. Cathy Engelbert and her team are finding ways to address the issues that cloud the WNBA’s credibility. Player eligibility rules are one of the biggest concerns.What’s next for the WNBA?Apr 14, 2025; New York, New York, USA; WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert talks to the media before the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesThe commissioner’s office faces a lot of pressure to make changes. Freedom declaring himself eligible for the WNBA draft, along with former Sacramento Kings forward Royce White, added more fuel to the fire.They argued that they thoroughly reviewed the existing requirements and that officials should allow them to join. It remains to be seen how this saga will unfold, but Engelbert and Co. will need to make a decision soon. Allowing Freedom and White to enter the draft could set a precedent that could further harm the league.— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —

WASHINGTON – Alex Bregman is more locked in than any hitter in the major leagues. The Chicago Cubs are as close to the Milwaukee Brewers as they’ve been in nearly three months.And with three balls rocketing off Bregman’s bat Wednesday, Aug. 12, he and the Cubs served notice that their alliance is starting to turn lethal.The two-time World Series champion and MVP runner-up crossed another item off his career to-do list, posting his first three-homer game as the Cubs withstood a stiff challenge from the Washington Nationals but burst the dam in the middle innings for a 12-6 victory.The Cubs signed Bregman to a five-year, $140 million contract not only for his production but also his reputation as a human victory cigar, his mere presence uplifting teammates in a manner rare among ballplayers.Yet after an epic run with the Houston Astros and a culture-shifting year spent in Boston, Bregman and the Cubs have proved a symbiotic relationship, grinders helping grinders.This week, that came in the form of Bregman and major league development assistant Ben Brown poring over more than a decade of videos at 1 in the morning after the club arrived in Washington.The video dated as far back as Bregman’s 2016 stint at Class AA Corpus Christi in the Astros’ system, and the duo used KinaTrax motion-capture data to chart changes in his swing.The homework paid off: Bregman had two hits and a homer in the Cubs’ series-opening win Tuesday.A night later came the booms.His three-run homer off reliever Jake Bird in the fifth inning lifted Chicago to a 4-1 lead and after the Nationals tied it in the bottom half, his two-run blast off Yovanny Cruz an inning later pushed Chicago’s lead to 9-4, ensuring a lower-leverage game for the Cubs' bullpen.For good measure, he piled on with a two-run shot in the eighth off veteran right-hander Trevor Williams, capping a perfect night: 3-for-3, three homers, two walks and an undeniable status that he’s been the game’s hottest hitter for three weeks running.Since July 27, Bregman leads all major league hitters with 26 hits in 16 games. He’s slashing .394/.460/.788 in that span, with six home runs.For reference: It took him 69 games spanning 10 weeks to hit his first six home runs of the season. Not that the Cubs really doubted the three-time All-Star and 2019 AL MVP runner-up.Nor did Bregman.“No. I knew,” Bregman said about tamping down any worries and retaining his confidence that, eventually, he’d break out. “But just gotta keep going. Gotta figure out what’s going on and address it. I feel like the last month or so has been a step in the right direction.“But really, the last two days have been a real step in the right direction.”Backing up his home run Tuesday with three more towering fly balls into the left field seats – almost identical, really – was crucial. Bregman knows himself enough to avoid the pitfall of the false positive – a moment where he believes he’s figured out a flaw in his swing, only for him to feel uncomfortable in the box the next day.“Honestly, that’s the most important thing, right?” he says. “I’ve had days this year where it’s gone all right, had a few extra-base hits and the next day, you wake up and get to the ballpark and it feels completely different because maybe that cue wasn’t the one that was actually correct.“We went through the archives for this, from way back in the day, to look at all the changes of how I’ve kind of loaded throughout my career. We were watching Double-A Corpus Christi video two nights ago in my room, 1 o’clock, Ben and I.”That stint at Corpus Christi came barely a year after the Astros used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft on Bregman, then an LSU shortstop. The No. 1 pick was Dansby Swanson, the Vanderbilt shortstop picked by Arizona.Bregman wore No. 2 in Houston as a reminder he wasn’t yet No. 1. Now, he and Swanson are mutual appreciators in Chicago, both owning three-homer games this season.“He’s obviously a guy I respect the knowledge of the game he has,” Bregman says of Swanson. “We bounce things across each other over the course of a season. We’re both looking to do one thing and win.“That’s what wakes us up in the morning every day, is winning baseball games.”Says Swanson, who hit his 18th homer Wednesday: “The track record speaks for itself. For him, it’s about being convicted in something that he’s doing. I feel like he’s finally found that. I’ve seen it his whole career.“He’s a special player when he’s going right.”Bregman’s season totals still look mildly un-Bregmanlike – a .256 average, 16 homers, a .759 OPS that’s a good tick off the .846 mark he brought into this season.Yet the Cubs are now 71-50, nicely invigorated by trade deadline additions, and as close to Milwaukee since they were 2½ games out on May 24.You forget, Cubs manager Craig Counsell says, that it’s a 162-game season.“A 162-game season,” he says, for emphasis.The great ones know that well. And Bregman now has the production to match the passion he’s spread around an already locked-in clubhouse.“Part of that personality really fit in seamlessly,” says Swanson. “One thing he’s brought is help guys navigate through things, whether it’s other guys and their at-bats, pitchers and their approach.“He’s at his best when he has his hands in everything.”Never moreso than Wednesday night.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Cubs never doubted Alex Bregman and neither did he. His three-homer game shows why.

The NFL's secret, rigged, kangaroo court of arbitration continues to crumble.On Wednesday, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles found that an arbitration clause used by the Rams is unconscionable and, in turn, unenforceable.The dispute arose from a lawsuit filed by Brittany Todd against the Rams. She claims that her March 10, 2026 termination happened after she complained that her immediate supervisors were consuming alcohol during work hours "to the point of extreme intoxication," that they coerced subordinate employees to consume alcohol, that they berated employees "to an abusive level" after becoming intoxicated, and that they berated employees for their religious views.The Rams filed a motion to compel arbitration. The court rejected the motion.The arbitration agreement used by the Rams gives the NFL Commissioner, or his designee, the exclusive power to resolve the case, including the threshold question of whether the dispute is "football-related." The court found that reliance on an arbitrator who is employed by the NFL, which represents the 32 member teams, makes the agreement unconscionable.It's the third ruling in recent months invalidating the NFL's arbitration provisions. Unlike the Jon Gruden and Brian Flores cases, however, the Todd case did not involve the NFL as a party to the litigation.Todd's lawyer, Mike Caspino, applauded the decision.“We are happy that our client will be able to have her day in court," Caspino said in a statement provided to PFT. "We are also happy that all of the employees of the 49ers, Chargers and Rams will no longer be subjected to the NFL’s biased arbitration system.”The tide seems to be turning sharply against the NFL's effort to serve as judge and jury in cases filed against the league and its teams. And to that we say, "It's about damn time."It was never fair for the league to handle the lawsuits filed against the NFL and its teams. And the league should have never tried to even do it. After years of pulling it off, the courts are finally tearing it down.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 10: Adrian Morejon #50 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the eighth inning at Petco Park on August 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country.Adrian Morejon is one of the longest tenured players on the roster for the San Diego Padres. The left-hander was signed in as an International Free Agent in 2016 and made his debut with the team in 2019. Morejon was initially being used as a starter but poor performances as a starter and injuries pushed him to the bullpen where he has blossomed into one of the most dominant relievers in MLB. The only bullpen arm who might be more dominant than Morejon is his teammate and current San Diego closer, Mason Miller. Morejon might not be the most dominant overall reliever in the game, but there is little argument that he is is the most dominant left-handed releiver in the game.With his appearance today in the final game of the series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park, Morejon has a record of 9-2 with a 2.76 ERA. He pitched the 10th and 11th innings and was not perfect, but he was good enough to hold the team with the best record in baseball in the Brewers to two hits and an unearned run with two walks and four strikeouts. He now has 80 strikeouts over 65.1 innings and has appeared in 56 games this season for San Diego. Morejon was not as dominant as the Friar Faithful have come to expect, but that is understandable when you look at the fact that the Padres just finished a stretch of 26 games in 27 days, the last 16 of which came after the lone day off.Morejon has been one of the primary contributors in the San Diego bullpen in recent years. He has become more prominent over the last two years as the setup man for the Padres. Morejon typically comes into games in the eighth inning of a game with a three-run lead or less. On most nights he mows down opposing hitters and then hands the game over to Miller who has recorded 30 saves on the season. Opponents know their opportunities will be limited over the final innings of the game once Morejon takes the mound. It is important to note he is not married to the eighth inning role even though that is where he comes into most games. When Jason Adam is healthy, Morejon has come into the games in the seventh or even the sixth innings depending on where the matchups benefit the Padres. More recently Morejon has become the Shohei Ohtani specialist when San Diego plays the Los Angeles Dodgers. Morejon’s days in San Diego may finally be coming to an end after he has spent a decade in the system. He will be a free agent at the end of the year and because of his performance and status in MLB, he could cash-in with a massive free-agent contract. It was for this reason that rumors about a possible Morejon trade could have been an option at the MLB Trade Deadline. All 29 MLB teams could use Morejon in some way in their ‘pen and many would make him their closer. The left-hander was not traded and made it clear prior to the deadline he did not want to be traded. In fact, he told members of the media who were assembled in the locker room that he would like to look at the possibility of remaining with the Padres beyond this season.Every fan likes to play general manager, so Gaslamp Ball is giving respondents the opportunity to do just that with the Gaslamp Ball Reacts Survey poll question this week. Do you think the Padres should extend Morejon? That’s it. Just a simple “Yes” or “No.” Results will be posted later in the week. Brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys:

Sep 6, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies defensive lineman Kemari Copeland (13) celebrates a defensive stop during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect College football is right around the corner. We are less than a month away from the Virginia Tech Hokies kicking off the James Franklin era in Blacksburg against VMI. And in what has become an annual tradition, Bruce Feldman recently released his annual “Freaks List,” previewing the top 101 athletes of the upcoming college football season. The Hokies have had multiple players appear on Feldman’s list over the years. And, no surprise, there were two Hokies on the 2026 list. One name will not surprise you: senior defensive tackle Kemari Copeland. He came in at No. 7 for 2026. No. 23 on last year’s Freaks List, Copeland was a bright spot for the Hokies in 2025, posting 48 tackles with 7.5 TFLs, a team-high 4.5 sacks and an interception. Two years ago when Copeland first arrived from junior college, video of him squatting 605 pounds for 10 reps went viral.This offseason, the 6-2, 290-pound senior set a program record when he benched 510 pounds. He also improved his back squat to 735 pounds and clocked 20.2 mph on the GPS. He did a triple broad jump of 27 feet, 7 inches and ran a 4.64 shuttle, which would’ve bested the 4.68 that Baylor’s Jackie Marshall did to post the top shuttle time for a defensive tackle in February’s NFL combine.You can’t talk about Copeland without talking about his world-class, record-setting strength. Even J.J. Watt was impressed. View this post on InstagramFeldman lists Copeland at 290. That’s incorrect, according to Franklin, who recently said he weighed in around 315. Virginia Tech’s official roster has Copeland at 305. Either way, it’s considerably bigger than the previous two years, and Copeland is just as explosive. Upon returning to Blacksburg, Copeland wanted to add size after talking to Franklin, in an effort to increase his NFL draft stock. Copeland was recently named a preseason first-team All-ACC selection. The next Hokie on the list? Senior linebacker Kaleb Spencer, at No. 83.A terrific combination of speed, power and explosiveness, the 6-1, 230-pound Spencer is coming off a breakout season in which he led the Hokies in tackles (67) and TFLs (nine). James Franklin and his staff are expecting he’ll be even better this fall. This offseason, Spencer bench-pressed 375 pounds, squatted 565 and power-cleaned 365. He also topped 21 mph on the GPS and ran a 4.20 shuttle. The fastest shuttle time by a linebacker at the combine since 2022 is just a one-hundredth of a second faster at 4.19.The Hokies have struggled at linebacker in recent years. They are in outstanding shape in 2026 with Spencer and sophomore Noah Chambers. Both are terrific athletes who were productive on the field last season. Now, they are coached by former head coach Brent Pry. Pry is now the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Pry has coached several linebackers over the years who went on to enjoy successful NFL careers. So, who were the former Hokies?No. 64: William & Mary LB Stephon HicksNo. 81: Connecticut RB Kenji ChristianNo. 88: USF WR Cameron SeldonSeldon, once the top high school player in Virginia, began his career at Tennessee, where he spent two seasons before spending the 2025 season in Blacksburg. Christian was initially a member of Virginia Tech’s 2021 recruiting class and spent two years at Virginia Tech. He transferred to North Carolina AT&T in 2023 and remained there for two seasons. He was at Toledo last season and will spend his final collegiate career at UConn.

A person walks in front of an electronic stock chart board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)2026-08-13T03:33:28Z TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly rose in early Thursday trading, as global market optimism continued on prospects for AI stocks and the semiconductor sector. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 1.6% in early trading to 68,609.92. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.6% to 9,155.80. South Korea’s Kospi surged 3.9% to 6,835.55. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up nearly 0.1% to 25,453.45, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.4% to 3,961.82. Asian regional sentiments received a boost from the overnight performance of Wall Street, which finished just shy of a record Wednesday. Several AI stocks reported better growth for the spring than analysts expected, while a report showed inflation across the United States was slightly less bad last month.The S&P 500 rose 0.3% for its first gain since setting its all-time high on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 21 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%. Stocks in the artificial intelligence technology business helped lead the way after strong profit reports bolstered hopes they can continue to deliver big-enough growth to justify the huge gains their prices have made.It’s a return to strength for AI stocks, which have been veering on a roller-coaster ride. After surging to records, AI stocks came under pressure on worries that they shot too high. Investors wanted to see big spenders on AI prove their investments are yielding enough in profits and productivity to make them worth it. That in turn could lead to continued demand for chips and other AI infrastructure. Treasury yields fell after a report showed that U.S. consumers paid prices for gasoline, groceries and other costs of living last month that were 3.4% higher than a year earlier. That’s higher than anyone would like, but it’s not as bad as June’s 3.5% inflation rate. Read More The deceleration could give the Federal Reserve more leeway to hold off on hikes to interest rates. The Fed’s members are notably split about whether they should have already begun hiking interest rates. But Wednesday’s update on inflation pushed traders to pull back on bets the Fed will hike its main interest rate at its next meeting in September.That helped pull the yield on the 10-year Treasury down to 4.68% from 4.70% late Tuesday. It, though, still remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war with Iran, which sent oil prices and worries about inflation spiking. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude dipped $1.07 to $82.20 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard fell $1.01 to $87.97 a barrel. That swung between modest gains and losses Wednesday. 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. All told, the S&P 500 rose 20.30 points to 7,748.50. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 21.58 to 53,770.27, and the Nasdaq composite gained 143.04 to 26,588.49.In currency trading, the U.S. dollar inched up to 159.43 Japanese yen from 159.41 yen. The euro cost $1.1525, down slightly from $1.1527. ___AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed to this report.___Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama YURI KAGEYAMA Kageyama covers Japan news for The Associated Press. Her topics include social issues, the environment, businesses, entertainment and technology. twitter instagram facebook mailto

Today marks a new beginning for Audacy’s sports talk brand based in Houston, Texas. For 32 years, SportsRadio 610 has been known as Houston’s sports talk leader. But today, the brand and signal are forever changed as Audacy officially launches 95.7 The Fan with the kickoff of the Houston Texans’ 25th season set to begin. A moment that was in the works for years under the leadership of Brand Manager Parker Hillis.“The timing ended up being perfect because of our amazing partnership with the Houston Texans,” said Parker Hillis, brand manager of 95.7 The Fan. “For us to start our new era at the start of an incredible era for them, it’s poetic for us. It made all the sense in the world to share in that moment with them. It’s football Christmas for us and the perfect storm in putting this all together.”95.7 The Fan is the latest example of Audacy ensuring the company’s top sports talk outlets are being served to an FM audience. The station serves as Audacy’s 23rd sports talk brand on the FM dial, with several joining the ranks beginning this year in Chicago, Buffalo and Los Angeles.For Hillis, who’s been serving as brand manager of 95.7 The Fan since May 2022, the shift to FM has been a long time in the making.“It’s ultimately been a really long process. I’ve been lobbying for the move since day one when I began,” said Hillis. “We’ve been putting the pieces in place for eighteen months to two years. It was a slow process because it wasn’t a question if we were ready. It was a question of where do we go regarding the brand and signal.”A Long Road To FMWhile discussions had taken place over several years, the shift to FM did not become a realistic possibility until recently. Hillis said recent changes in Audacy management helped change that. The company’s increased focus on building sports talk brands on FM also played a key role. Those shifts moved the conversation from a possibility to a potential reality.Finally, the moment came when approval was granted. For Hillis, it was a special moment to get across the finish line.View this post on Instagram“The hardest part for me was keeping it quiet and under wraps for a handful of months,” noted Hillis. “I knew how exciting it was going to be for my team. Six months ago, I noticed the tides beginning to turn. To get the confirmation it was happening about three months ago was exciting.”The opportunity for a legacy brand to shift to FM is unique. With that goal in mind following his arrival in Houston four years ago, Hillis approached building the brand in preparation for when the opportunity would arrive. While the Houston market does have sports talk on the FM dial, Hillis says the market desired more.“For Houston, this is a gamechanger. I felt for a long time this market has been desperately in need for a true full market FM sports brand. We have such a rabid fanbase, that the market has been underserved,” said Hillis. “We’ve been operating as a station that was ready to go on the FM dial. We were just waiting for the opportunity by being FM ready. Had there been one, we probably would already be there.”While the branding is evolving around the new FM signal, the station will retain its legacy 610 AM position. That preserves more than three decades of familiarity among Houston sports fans. Hillis and Audacy followed a similar path by keeping the AM signal alongside the shift to FM.Hillis noted that over the past several months, research with focus groups showed that while the shift to FM was desired, a section of the audience still preferred what they’ve always known.“The AM represents a handful of things with us. First and foremost, a level of consistency. It didn’t make sense to get rid of a legacy brand that’s been around for 32 years,” said Hillis. “We’ve received some feedback where maybe ten percent still prefer listening to their sports talk on the AM dial. There’s something nostalgic about that, and that’s really cool.”A Fresh Look He also noted that having the brand on both AM and FM creates opportunities to eventually split the brands. In addition, that approach could provide additional room for growth. Hillis said there are currently no plans for another rights deal on either dial. However, retaining the AM signal provides Audacy with additional options.Unlike other Audacy sports talk brands shifting to FM, 95.7 The Fan is not just shifting to the FM band but also rebranding as The Fan. Moreover, the brand is synonymous with Audacy, stemming from WFAN in New York City. To date, 95.7 The Fan will be the 13th Audacy sports talk brand using The Fan branding.“Over time we just got generically lumped in with the casual listener as ‘Sports 610.’ There hasn’t been a ton of separation. To us, there’s a power to having a unique and strong brand name like ‘The Fan’ or ‘The Ticket’ or ‘The Game.’ We had to determine what’s the value of SportsRadio 610 versus the value of a strong, well-regarded, more widespread sports brand name like ‘The Fan,’” explained Hillis.Of anything regarding the shift to FM, Hillis noted that in the final stages of planning, the conversation about shifting to ‘The Fan’ was the item that took the most time and effort.“The Fan speaks to the foundation and philosophies of what our radio brand is. We are a voice for fans and a place they can come to connect. This station is a collection of Houston sports fans walking these halls,” said Hillis. “I’m sure there will be questions regarding why go with a brand name that exists around the country. For me, that brand speaks to who we are and it’s a bonus that we get to share that moniker with so many strong stations around the country.”With the rebrand comes a new look and a new logo as well. Hillis admits he’s not the most savvy graphic artist and admitted to using AI for early mockups of what he envisioned. In the end, Hillis said the logo was the element of this process he was most proud of. He noted every element of the logo has some tie to the Houston area, building on the connection the station has with the sports fans that encompass it.“The light blue represents the city of Houston. The tile pattern is also an homage to the city as well,” said Hillis. “For a Houstonian that sees our logo, our hope and expectation is they see that light blue and tiles and know instantly this is Houston’s sports station. It’s a tip of the cap to the city.”Serving Space CityView this post on InstagramHillis says he doesn’t feel any added pressure with the switch to FM but instead approaches it as a unique opportunity. 95.7 The Fan is taking over an FM signal that was the cluster’s best-performing FM music brand in 95.7 The Spot.Typically, when a sports talk station shifts to an FM signal, it replaces an underperforming music brand. Hillis credited The Spot’s successful run in attracting audiences and hopes to continue building upon that foundation.“The Spot has been incredible. It’s been a powerhouse. Yes, it’s certainly a risk, but a risk that ultimately corporate and the building felt was taking for us. We believe in the power of the Houston sports audience,” said Hillis. “This is a statement that I believe that there is power in the sports talk brand unlike any other time in the past. That’s the opportunity in front of us… We’re stepping into big shoes, but it’s not pressure.”For Hillis, the launch of 95.7 The Fan represents more than a frequency change or a new logo. It is the culmination of a vision that began when he arrived in Houston and an opportunity to take a brand with more than three decades of history into its next chapter.SportsRadio 610 will continue to live on the AM dial, preserving the identity and connection that generations of Houston sports fans have come to know. But on FM, 95.7 The Fan has the chance to introduce that connection to an even larger audience.“I’m the most aggressive and optimistic person you’ll find about our product and our team. I fully expect us to win and be not just competing against the other sports stations in market, but the top stations across the demographic,” said Hillis. “I truly believe we have what it takes to be a number one station in men and adults… There’s a lot of buzz and we couldn’t be doing this at a better time.”The timing only adds to the significance. As the Houston Texans begin their 25th season, 95.7 The Fan is beginning its first. For Hillis, that makes the launch feel less like an ending and more like the start of something much bigger.After 32 years as SportsRadio 610, Houston’s sports station now has a new frequency, a new identity and a new opportunity. The signal has changed. The mission hasn’t. The next era of Houston sports talk begins today.Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.John MamolaJohn Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.linktr.ee/johnmamolaThe post Why Parker Hillis Feels the Time Was Right for To Rebrand SportsRadio 610 To 95.7 The Fan appeared first on Barrett Media.

The first round of the Cincinnati Open main draw kicks off Thursday, Aug. 13, with 32 singles matches to be played on both the men's and women's side. While the top 32 seeds receive byes into the second round, there are still several matches to look out for in the tournament's opening round.Here are some WTA matches to keep an eye on in the first round:Caty McNally, McCartney Kessler headline All-American rematchAmerican women are a staple on the WTA tour, not just in terms of star power but also due to the depth of talent. Emerging players Caty McNally and McCartney Kessler add to the depth, and they will be facing each other in the only All-American first-round match.Alongside Peyton Stearns, McNally is one of two Cincinnati area natives in the WTA draw. The Madeira native has been amidst a career resurgence in the last two years after missing all of 2024 with an injury, recently reaching the fourth round of a WTA 1000 for the first time in her career at the Madrid Open and reaching a career-high No. 50 world ranking in June.Kessler has been ranked as high as 30th in the world, most notably upsetting Coco Gauff at the Dubai Championships in 2025. She's having a career-best Grand Slam season, making the second round of multiple slams for the first time in her career. The Georgia native previously beat McNally in the 2025 Cincinnati Open second round 6-4, 6-3.Upset brewers Yulia Putintseva and Liudmila Samsonova will face offThough both are ranked outside the top 32, Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva and Russian player Liudmila Samsonova have a history of giving top players trouble.Putintseva notably beat Iga Świątek and Gauff in back-to-back months (defeating Gauff at Cincinnati) in 2024 and is a three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist. Meanwhile, Samsonova had runs to the Canadian and China Open finals in 2023 and most recently took reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina to three sets in the fourth round of this year's Canadian Open − her best WTA 1000 result in over a year.Not only do these two players have a history of standout results, but they also have contrasting play styles. Samsonova is known for her big hitting from the baseline and is amongst the tallest WTA players at 5-foot-11. Meanwhile, Putintseva is just 5-foot-3 and plays more of a creative, variety-driven game. The only time they faced off, an unseeded Putintseva upset No. 13 Samsonova 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, so the Russian will be looking for revenge.Former champion Karolina Plíšková returns to Cincinnati to play Sarah BejlekAt the 2024 U.S. Open, Karolina Plíšková suffered a severe ankle injury that required surgery and sidelined her for almost the entire 2025 season. But in her return this year, the 34-year-old has shot back up into the WTA's top 70 after a third-round Australian Open run and a trip to the Madrid quarterfinals. The former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam finalist now returns to Cincinnati, the tournament that she won in 2016, for the first time since 2024.As a veteran and one of the best Czech players of her generation, Plíšková will go up against 20-year-old compatriot Sarah Bejlek, who is making her Cincinnati Open debut and is the highest-ranked unseeded player in the draw. Bejlek won her first WTA title this February at the Abu Dhabi Open and reached a career-high No. 34 WTA ranking in April. In her most recent match, a second-round loss to No. 7 Świątek at the Canada Open, she challenged Świątek by forcing her into a 21-minute-long service game.The winner of this all-Czech match will take on another Czech player in the second round: two-time Grand Slam champion and the No. 9-seeded Barbora Krejčíková.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The top first-round WTA matches to watch during the Cincinnati Open

The first round of the Cincinnati Open main draw kicks off Thursday, Aug. 13, with 32 singles matches to be played on both the men's and women's side. While the top 32 seeds receive byes into the second round, there are still several matches to look out for in the tournament's opening round.Here are some WTA matches to keep an eye on in the first round:Caty McNally, McCartney Kessler headline All-American rematchAmerican women are a staple on the WTA tour, not just in terms of star power but also due to the depth of talent. Emerging players Caty McNally and McCartney Kessler add to the depth, and they will be facing each other in the only All-American first-round match.Alongside Peyton Stearns, McNally is one of two Cincinnati area natives in the WTA draw. The Madeira native has been amidst a career resurgence in the last two years after missing all of 2024 with an injury, recently reaching the fourth round of a WTA 1000 for the first time in her career at the Madrid Open and reaching a career-high No. 50 world ranking in June.Kessler has been ranked as high as 30th in the world, most notably upsetting Coco Gauff at the Dubai Championships in 2025. She's having a career-best Grand Slam season, making the second round of multiple slams for the first time in her career. The Georgia native previously beat McNally in the 2025 Cincinnati Open second round 6-4, 6-3.Upset brewers Yulia Putintseva and Liudmila Samsonova will face offThough both are ranked outside the top 32, Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva and Russian player Liudmila Samsonova have a history of giving top players trouble.Putintseva notably beat Iga Świątek and Gauff in back-to-back months (defeating Gauff at Cincinnati) in 2024 and is a three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist. Meanwhile, Samsonova had runs to the Canadian and China Open finals in 2023 and most recently took reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina to three sets in the fourth round of this year's Canadian Open − her best WTA 1000 result in over a year.Not only do these two players have a history of standout results, but they also have contrasting play styles. Samsonova is known for her big hitting from the baseline and is amongst the tallest WTA players at 5-foot-11. Meanwhile, Putintseva is just 5-foot-3 and plays more of a creative, variety-driven game. The only time they faced off, an unseeded Putintseva upset No. 13 Samsonova 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, so the Russian will be looking for revenge.Former champion Karolina Plíšková returns to Cincinnati to play Sarah BejlekAt the 2024 U.S. Open, Karolina Plíšková suffered a severe ankle injury that required surgery and sidelined her for almost the entire 2025 season. But in her return this year, the 34-year-old has shot back up into the WTA's top 70 after a third-round Australian Open run and a trip to the Madrid quarterfinals. The former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam finalist now returns to Cincinnati, the tournament that she won in 2016, for the first time since 2024.As a veteran and one of the best Czech players of her generation, Plíšková will go up against 20-year-old compatriot Sarah Bejlek, who is making her Cincinnati Open debut and is the highest-ranked unseeded player in the draw. Bejlek won her first WTA title this February at the Abu Dhabi Open and reached a career-high No. 34 WTA ranking in April. In her most recent match, a second-round loss to No. 7 Świątek at the Canada Open, she challenged Świątek by forcing her into a 21-minute-long service game.The winner of this all-Czech match will take on another Czech player in the second round: two-time Grand Slam champion and the No. 9-seeded Barbora Krejčíková.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The top first-round WTA matches to watch during the Cincinnati Open

Aston Villa signing Matteo Ruggeri is a clear upgrade over Pervis Estupiñán, despite the catchAmid Lucas Digne’s impending move back to Paris Saint-Germain, there had been uncertainty at Villa Park regarding who would succeed him at left-back.That question has seemingly been answered. Atlético Madrid’s Matteo Ruggeri is Birmingham-bound, with only the medical separating him from his official unveiling as a villain.Ruggeri’s arrival also effectively ends Villa’s pursuit of Milan’s Pervis Estupiñán, and it’s hard to argue against their choice.The Rossoneri had been asking around €20 million to let the Ecuadorian go after just one season. Instead, the Villans have managed to bag Ruggeri for €25 million.What’s more, the Italian is four years Estupiñán’s junior, taller than him, and significantly more versatile than the former Brighton man, who was well regarded as an attacking left-back during his time with Brighton but mostly flattered to deceive in his debut season at San Siro.Ruggeri, who cut his teeth under Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta is is coming off a year during which he was coached by Diego Simeone, can operate in a back three both as a left-wingback and centre-back, and is adept both in attack and defence in a back four. Tactically, there’s little Villa have left on the table by choosing him over Estupiñán that they might come to regret.However, it would hard and almost irresponsible not to address the elephant in the room. A little over a month ago, allegations emerged accusing Ruggeri of having paid a woman to send him abusive and racist messages to elicit sexual pleasure.While these have remained allegations thus far, the scandalous nature of the story means both Villa and the player will remain awash with noise in the days to come. And, if anything substantial were to materialise, things may take a turn for the worse.One can only assume that Villa did their due diligence and decided there was nothing of note here for them to worry about, though the inevitable noise will dictate how this relationship gets off the ground.Anshuman Joshi | GIFN

Former world number one Iga Swiatek of Poland is through to the final of the WTA 1000 event in Toronto (MATTHEW STOCKMAN)Former world number one Iga Swiatek turned the tables on Elina Svitolina, outlasting the Ukrainian 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 on Wednesday to reach her first WTA final of the year in Toronto.Swiatek, seeded seventh, improved to 5-3 against Svitolina, who had narrowed their head-to-head record with two wins over the Polish star this year.In Thursday's final, Swiatek will play either American fourth seed Coco Gauff or Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who is seeded two.In a match delayed more than an hour by rain, Swiatek raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, in which Svitolina held serve just twice.The Ukrainian made Swiatek work to serve it out, saving a pair of set points in the final game of the first.Energized, she raced through the second set before Swiatek rebounded in the third, breaking Svitolina to love for a 5-3 lead before holding serve to secure the win."Against Elina it's always tough, so I'm happy that I won this one," said Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion who will be chasing her first title since she won in Seoul almost a year ago."Especially that I came back in the third set playing better. So, yeah, that's for sure a big improvement. I'm proud of myself."bb/dh

The retreat by the Justice Department effectively allowed a pillar of the Prohibition-era National Firearms Act to lapse.

The deadly strikes are part of a long-running maritime battle with Ukraine and echo battles over other key shipping routes around the world.

With forecasters issuing a warning for very high temperatures, this summer is on track to be one of the hottest yet.

Some Democrats said the outcome showed that the moderate wing of the party carried more electoral weight, while Ms. Hong’s strong showing gave some progressives hope.