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You know high school football is around the corner when teams are suiting up for scrimmages and jamborees.After months of practice and 7-on-7 camps, it’s time for teams across the 337 area to get a taste of what’s to come in the upcoming 2026 season. From the 74th Annual Kiwanis Jamboree, to cross-town state powerhouse matchups, the week leading up to the 2026 season will be one prep football fans won’t want to miss.The Daily Advertiser has got you covered with a roundup of the high school football scrimmages and jamborees happening across the Lafayette Parish and its surrounding area. All games are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. unless noted within the list.EDITOR'S NOTE: If you don’t see a scrimmage or jamboree that’s happening within Lafayette, Acadiana, St. Landry, St. Martin, Vermilion and Iberia on this list please reach out to sports reporter Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.(Games listed in chronological order)Lafayette-area football ScrimmagesAug. 20Catholic N.I. at LafayetteSouthside at Catholic-B.R.Carencro at Teurlings CatholicNorthwest at Lafayette Christian AcademySlidell at WestgateEunice at Westlake (5:30 p.m.)LRCA at WoodlawnVermilion Catholic at Opelousas CatholicNorth Vermilion vs Mamou vs Breaux Bridge at North VermilionChurch Point at AbbevilleErath at Ascension EpiscopalRayne at IotaCentral Catholic at DelcambreAug. 21Acadiana at AlexandriaNew Iberia at St. EdmundARCA at Loreauville (5:30 p.m.)Highland Baptist vs Centerville vs Gueydan at Highland BaptistNorth Central vs Pine Praire vs Avoyelles at AvoyellesCecila at KaplanPort Barre vs Oberlin vs East Beauregard at OberlinLafayette-area football JamboreesAug. 27Catholic-N.I. at ARCAWestgate at New IberiaKiwanis Jamboree at Cajun FieldCecilia vs LafayetteBreaux Bridge vs St. Thomas More (7 p.m.)Carencro vs Southside (8 p.m.)Vermilion Catholic at North Vermilion (7 p.m.)Ascension Episcopal vs Catholic Ponte Coupee at ARCAGueydan vs North Vermilion JV at North Vermilion (5:15 p.m.)Aug. 28LRCA at ErathOpelousas Catholic at St. Edmund2026 Iberia Parish Sugarcane Football Jamboree at NISHHighland Baptist vs DelcambreJeanerette vs Loreauville (7:30 p.m.)Church Point vs Kaplan at ErathEarth vs LRCA at Erath (8:30 p.m.)Sacred Heart at IotaLafayette Christian at Vandebilt CatholicKiwanis Jamboree at Cajun FieldNorthside vs Notre DameAcadiana vs Teurlings Catholic (7 p.m.)St. Martinville vs Lafayette Christian (8 p.m.)St. Landry Parish Football Jamboree at Donald Gardner StadiumNorthwest vs Beau CheneEunice vs Opelousas (7:15 p.m.)North Central vs Port Barre (8:30 p.m.)Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Lafayette-Area Football: Here's a round up 2026 scrimmages, jamborees

Lindsay Clancy watches the jury enter the room during her murder trial at Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth, Mass., Monday, Aug. 17 2026. (Greg Der/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)2026-08-17T15:23:21Z PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — Prosecutors have finished presenting their case in the emotionally charged trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mom who has admitted killing her three young children but blamed her actions on her failing mental health.The prosecution rested its case Monday after three weeks of testimony. Clancy’s lawyer now gets his chance to call witnesses.Prosecutors argue Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, was an intentional killer who contrived to get her husband out of the house by sending him to get takeout and to the pharmacy on Jan. 24, 2023. Then, she strangled the children before attempting to kill herself.Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington does not dispute that she killed the children. But he says the jury should not hold her criminally responsible because she had postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. He said she also had bipolar disorder and that antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child worsened her condition. ___EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.___ The jury has heard so far from witnesses who demonstrated that Clancy had sought treatment for severe mental health problems, including admitting herself to a psychiatric hospital. But witnesses also noted Clancy wouldn’t always take the medications prescribed to help with her insomnia, anxiety and depression, and expressed fears she was addicted to some of them.The defense, on cross examination, argued that Clancy was overmedicated and demonstrated that her care was disjointed, with doctors not speaking to one another, conducting appointments with her over Zoom and not sharing their notes. Despite her efforts to seek treatment, the defense also showed she was discharged from one facility after a day and denied a higher level of care at another when she couldn’t show that she had a suicide plan. Read More Prosecutors also questioned the seriousness of Clancy’s suicide attempt and showed through texts and photos that she performed many normal activities the day of the killings, including taking her children to the doctor and playing with them in the snow. Her doctors also testified they never saw Clancy exhibit signs of mania or psychosis, though she did repeatedly talk of feeling suicidal. 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. Clancy hasn’t testified in the trial and isn’t required to do so, but jurors have seen her break down in sobs at several points while others have been testifying, including when prosecutors showed the jury autopsy photos of the children.Early in the trial, Clancy’s former husband, Patrick Clancy, described the horror of returning home to find his dead children. During his testimony, prosecutors played a harrowing 911 call he made after finding his wife outside in the backyard.Patrick Clancy also testified he got a call from Lindsay Clancy about a week after the killings. She didn’t mention her children, he said, but “talked about what she went through. She said she heard a man’s voice telling her if she didn’t do it now she would lose her chance or something like that.” MICHAEL CASEY Casey writes about the environment, housing and inequality for The Associated Press. He lives in Boston. twitter mailto

New York Jets running back Breece Hall runs up field during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)2026-08-17T15:29:47Z FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets running back Breece Hall strained his groin during practice Monday and will have tests to determine the severity of the injury.Coach Aaron Glenn appeared cautiously optimistic after practice that Hall’s injury wasn’t serious. Glenn said Hall would have imaging tests done on the groin.“I don’t think it was a big deal,” he said, “but I want to make sure I get the evaluation on that.”Hall, the team’s top running back coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season, caught a pass late in the practice session, pulled up and fell to the rain-slicked grass. He got up and walked gingerly to the sideline, where trainers appeared to be examining his upper right thigh/abdomen area.The 25-year-old Hall is considered a key to New York’s offense. He received a three-year contract extension in the offseason from the Jets worth up to $45.75 million. The team had used the franchise tag on Hall, whose contract — which will pay him $15.25 million per year — made him the third-highest paid running back in the NFL at the time.___See AP’s full NFL coverage here DENNIS WASZAK JR. Waszak is an NFL writer for The Associated Press who has covered the New York Jets as the beat writer since 2006. He also is an editor on the AP’s national sports desk and has worked in AP Sports since 1996. twitter mailto

Nevada wide receiver Dalevon Campbell loses his helmet after being hit by Southern California linebacker Tackett Curtis, drawing a targeting penalty, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, in Los Angeles, Sept. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)2026-08-11T19:31:57Z Targeting penalties assessed in the second half of a game will no longer require the offending player to sit out the first half of his team’s next game, offensive pass interference will become a 10-yard penalty and the little-used fair catch kick will be introduced to college football.Those are among the changes for the 2026 season, the National Football Foundation announced Tuesday in its annual summary of rules changes.The targeting penalty change will be an experimental rule for 2026. A player disqualified for targeting for the first time in the season may participate in the following game. The trial rule will apply regardless of which half the targeting penalty is called.A player who draws his second targeting penalty of the season will be required to miss the first half of the next game. A player who draws his third targeting of the season must sit out the full following game. A conference can choose to initiate an appeals process after a player’s second targeting penalty. The appeal would be sent to the NCAA national coordinator of football officials for a video review. If the appeal is successful, the player would not be forced to sit out the first half of the following game. Offensive PI now 10 yardsThe penalty for offensive pass interference is being adjusted from 15 yards to 10 yards. The rules reserve 15-yard penalties primarily for personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct. Defensive pass interference will remain a spot foul, with a maximum of a 15-yard penalty. Read More Fair catch kickIn a change to align Division I rules with those in the NFL and high school, a team could choose to attempt a fair catch kick after a completed or awarded fair catch. The kick would be a place kick with a holder or a drop kick from the spot where the returner caught the ball. The defense would be at least 10 yards from the spot of the kick.If the ensuing kick goes through the uprights, it would be worth three points.The rarely used play last came up in the NFL in 2024 when the Los Angeles Chargers’ Cameron Dicker converted from 57 yards against the Denver Broncos. Unsportsmanlike conductAn automatic unsportsmanlike conduct penalty will be called if a player initiates any of these five actions or gestures: any act of simulating the brandishing of a weapon; slashing of the throat or a nose wipe signal; removing helmet after the ball is dead (with exceptions for timeouts and equipment adjustments); dead-ball contact fouls, such as pushing, shoving, striking, etc., that occur clearly after the ball is dead and that are not part of the game action; using forcible contact to push or pull an opponent off the pile after the ball is dead.2 replay challengesThe head coach will now have two replay challenges per game. If a coach wins at least one of their first two challenges, they are awarded a third challenge. A challenge can be made only if the team has a timeout remaining and available; if the challenge is successful, the team’s timeout will not be charged.Other changesCoach-to-player communications through the helmet is now permissible for all NCAA divisions. ... Helmet attachments (e.g., Guardian Cap, SAFR Helmet Cover) that enhance player safety are allowed. All helmets, with or without the attachment, must be of the same color and design. ... Up to two sponsor patches are allowed on the jersey, with conference approval. A third patch is allowed in conference championship or postseason games. Logos may not exceed 4 square inches. One commercial logo, not to exceed 4 square inches, is permitted on the helmet.___AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football ERIC OLSON Olson is an Associated Press college football writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He also covers the Big Ten, the NCAA, the College Football Playoff alongside local teams Nebraska and Creighton. twitter mailto

The coffin is taken from Swansea Minster following the funeral of Bonnie Tyler in Swansea, Wales, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)2026-08-17T15:47:00Z SWANSEA, Wales (AP) — Fans crowded outside a Welsh church Monday where family and friends remembered husky-voiced singer Bonnie Tyler as a star loved worldwide.Tyler’s “If I Sing You A Love Song” played as her rose-covered coffin was carried into Swansea Minster for the invite-only funeral that was projected on a screen outside. Her “It’s a Heartache” played as the coffin was placed in front of the altar.“Bonnie was always a star but never a diva,” her manager, Matthew Davis, said in one of several tributes. “She never forgot her roots or where she came from. She would have been amazed and very gratified at the massive outpouring of love from all over the world that has occurred since her sudden and unexpected passing.”The Grammy-nominated pop star, beloved for her 1983 chart-topping power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” died last month in a hospital in Portugal at 75. She had been hospitalized in May in Faro, where she had a home, for emergency intestinal surgery. The funeral was held less than a week after her signature song served as the soundtrack at celebrations marking a total eclipse that darkened skies across parts of Europe.Crowds lined the streets Saturday in her seaside Welsh village of Mumbles as a hearse carried her coffin, draped in a Welsh flag, home. Kathleen Davies, who joined the crowd outside the church, said she was starstruck when she first saw Tyler but later came to learn she was down to earth.“She’s Welsh through and through,” Davies said. “Everything about her, she’s natural, there’s no fake stuff. When you see her on the interviews, she’s just who she is.” Read More Tyler was born Gaynor Hopkins, a coal miner’s daughter in public housing with an outside toilet in Skewen, Wales, about 7 miles (11 kilometers) outside Swansea. She grew up with three sisters and two brothers.Canon Justin Davies said in a eulogy written by her family that she first performed in a contest at a rugby club in the late 1960s, singing ”Those Were The Days,” made famous by Mary Hopkin.“She came in second and won just one pound, but was hooked,” Davies said. “The rest, as they say, was history.” Tyler went on to earn three Grammy nods and in 2013 represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest, where she came in 19th. She was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2022 for her services to music by Queen Elizabeth II, thanks mainly to “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”The ballad shot to the top of the charts in Britain and the United States and has had more than 1 billion streams, boosted by real eclipses in 2017, 2024 and most recently during last week’s solar eclipse.She was also known for “Holding Out For a Hero,” from the soundtrack of the film “Footloose.”___Melley reported from London. LESLIE AMBRIZ Ambriz is a bilingual entertainment journalist based in Los Angeles. She primarily reports on film, television and music for The Associated Press. instagram mailto

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Britain's Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank leave after attending the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Dec. 25, 2023.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)2026-08-17T16:11:41Z LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Princess Eugenie has named her first daughter Adelaide Elizabeth Annina, she said Monday.The 6-pound, 9-ounce (3-kilogram), girl born Aug. 3 in Lisbon, Portugal, is the third child of Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank.“Two weeks ago today we welcomed our girl to the world,” Eugenie said on Instagram. “And since then we’ve had the most special, cosy and love-filled time.”Eugenie is the younger daughter of the former Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. She’s the niece of King Charles III.The infant girl has two brothers, August, 5, and Ernest, 3.She was named in honor of three people “we love and admire past and present,” including Eugenie’s late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, and to reflect her English and Portuguese roots.The name was also inspired by Queen Adelaide (1792-1849), who was married to King William IV, as well as Maria Adelaide of Portugal. Annina is the name of a close friend.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith runs the ball against Miami during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson, File)2026-08-17T16:00:00Z live Ohio State and Oregon lead AP Top 25 preseason rankings Ohio State and Oregon were 1-2 in The Associated Press Top 25 released Monday, giving the Big Ten Conference the top two teams in the preseason rankings for the first time in 65 years and just the second time ever.The Buckeyes received 40 first-place votes and Oregon received 14 in voting by 69 media members who cover college football.Ohio State will go into a season No. 1 for the ninth time, and first since 2015. The Buckeyes are now tied with Alabama for second-most preseason No. 1 rankings behind Oklahoma’s 10.Oregon has its highest preseason ranking in program history after having opened No. 3 four times.Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas round out the top five. Defending national champion Indiana starts at No. 6 and is followed by Miami, Texas A&M, Mississippi and Oklahoma.Notre Dame received six first-place votes, Indiana got eight and Miami one. This is the first year a conference has held down the top two spots in the preseason poll since Oklahoma and Nebraska of the Big Eight were 1-2 in 1987.The last time the Big Ten had the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the preseason was 1961, when Iowa and Ohio State topped the poll. The Hawkeyes lost four of their last five games after a 4-0 start and finished that season unranked. The Buckeyes went 8-0-1 and ended the season No. 2 behind unbeaten Alabama.The Big Ten has won three straight College Football Playoff championships (Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana) and will be going for an unprecedented fourth straight national title. This is the fourth consecutive year the Big Ten has had two of the top three teams in the preseason rankings.The Southeastern Conference leads all conferences with nine teams in the preseason Top 25, marking the third straight year it has had at least that many. Five of the top 10 teams are from the SEC for the first time since 2013.Four Big 12 teams are ranked, with conference champion Texas Tech the highest at No. 12. The Atlantic Coast Conference has three ranked teams, with the Hurricanes joined by No. 19 SMU and No. 24 Louisville. There are no Group of Six schools in the Top 25. Read More Top-ranked BuckeyesThe offense is loaded. Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin was the most accurate passer in the nation by a wide margin last season, Jeremiah Smith leads the nation in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns over the last two years and Bo Jackson is coming off a 1,000-yard rushing season as a freshman. There is little concern about the defense even though eight starters must be replaced for a second straight year. At least six transfers are projected to start or play major roles. Ohio State will get tested early and often. The Buckeyes visit Texas on Sept. 12 and five of their nine conference games are against preseason ranked teams, including at Indiana and against Oregon at home.The Buckeyes have ended a season No. 1 in the AP poll six times (1942, 1954, 1968, 2002, 2014, 2024). Bulldogs best of the SECThe beat goes on for Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs. They’re in the preseason top five for the ninth straight year. The two-time defending SEC champion Bulldogs are favored to play in a sixth straight conference title game and appear in the CFP for the sixth time in 10 years. Texas, the preseason No. 1 last year, opens in the top five for the third straight year. No. 8 Texas A&M is in the preseason top 10 for the first time since it was No. 6 in 2022, the year that marked the beginning of the end for coach Jimbo Fisher.Pete Golding’s first full season as Mississippi head coach starts with the No. 9 Rebels in the preseason top 10 for the second time in three years and third time since 1970. No. 10 Oklahoma is in the preseason top 10 for the first time since 2022, when it was in the Big 12.What about the Hoosiers?Indiana is the seventh returning national champion in 40 years, and second in three years, to be ranked outside the top five in the preseason (Michigan went into the 2024 season ranked No. 9 after winning the national title).The Hoosiers became the first team in the modern era to go 16-0, and they return lots of talent and signed a top-10 transfer class. The move from Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza to TCU transfer Josh Hoover at quarterback apparently put doubts in the minds of voters. Poll nuggets— Ohio State will try to become the 12th team to start and finish No. 1 since the AP preseason poll debuted in 1950. The last team to do it was Alabama in 2017.— Notre Dame has its highest preseason ranking since it was No. 2 in 2006. The Fighting Irish, who have a Heisman candidate in quarterback CJ Carr, bring a 10-game winning streak into the season and are still smarting from being left out of the playoff.— Lane Kiffin’s first LSU team is No. 11 after finishing 7-6 and unranked under Brian Kelly and Frank Wilson.— Ten of the 12 CFP teams last season are ranked. The two that aren’t are James Madison and Tulane from the Group of Six.— No. 23 Houston has its first preseason ranking in four years and third since 1991.___Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here ERIC OLSON Olson is an Associated Press college football writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He also covers the Big Ten, the NCAA, the College Football Playoff alongside local teams Nebraska and Creighton. twitter mailto

Fentanyl pills are displayed at a Drug Enforcement Administration research laboratory on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Northern Virginia. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)2026-08-17T16:18:08Z WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department’s internal watchdog on Monday announced a review of a controversial tactic in which federal law enforcement allowed fentanyl to hit the streets to build bigger cases against drug traffickers. The review will examine government policies and wiretap investigations in which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration may have learned of fentanyl deliveries before they happened but stood down to avoid jeopardizing larger prosecutions. Current and former agents said that investigative strategy — known as allowing drugs to “walk” — amounts to a gamble with public safety and may have violated Justice Department rules intended to safeguard communities from a synthetic opioid the White House last year designated as a “ weapon of mass destruction.”The review comes less than two months after an Associated Press investigation found DEA agents repeatedly monitored — but did not seize — major fentanyl shipments in New Mexico between 2023 and 2025. It was disclosed in a news release by Justice Department Inspector General Don Berthiaume, one of his first official actions since being sworn in on Friday. The DEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DEA Administrator Terry Cole requested a narrower inspector general inquiry following AP’s reporting, including a review of his agency’s handling of a whistleblower complaint brought by Agent David Howell. Cole wrote in an earlier statement that his request for an outside inquiry “should not be interpreted as reflecting any lack of confidence in the professionalism or integrity of DEA personnel.” Howell told AP that federal authorities “poisoned our community to make cases” in New Mexico. An internal DEA report reviewed by AP detailed how the DEA watched and declined to interdict a fentanyl delivery of 74,000 pills in a mobile home park in Albuquerque. Read More The fentanyl went unseized amid the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history and as DEA led a public awareness campaign — “One Pill Can Kill” — emphasizing that even a few milligrams of the substance can be lethal. The inspector general said the review will focus on the Justice Department’s actions over the past two years. It could determine whether the DEA permitted similar drug shipments to occur in other cities. 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. Howell said he expects the review to show federal authorities “endangered the public through willful inaction.”The new review comes as New Mexico authorities continue an investigation into whether DEA agents broke state law by allowing hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach the streets of Albuquerque. Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, recently threatened to sue the Justice Department after it refused to provide a list of records he requested. The DEA also has not allowed Howell to be interviewed by state authorities. “The state is bearing the societal and financial harms of an influx of fentanyl into its communities,” Torrez wrote in a letter to federal authorities earlier this month. Two additional DEA whistleblowers in New Mexico have come forward in recent weeks, including one who said his colleagues there failed to seize 350,000 fentanyl pills that they learned about during the very first call they intercepted in a 2024 wiretap. That shipment was part of an investigation that resulted in the largest fentanyl seizure in DEA history. Court records show agents had the opportunity to seize thousands of fentanyl pills but allowed trafficking to continue for months as they investigated. The other whistleblower filed a complaint this month alleging his colleagues monitored — but did not arrest — a drug courier who made repeated deliveries of fentanyl from Phoenix to Albuquerque between 2022 and 2023. Agents estimated each delivery to contain between 50,000 and 100,000 fentanyl pills that went unseized. ___Goodman reported from Miami. JIM MUSTIAN Mustian is an Associated Press investigative reporter for breaking news. twitter mailto JOSHUA GOODMAN Goodman is a Miami-based investigative reporter who writes about the intersection of crime, corruption, drug trafficking and politics in Latin America. He previously spent two decades reporting from South America. twitter mailto

The first AP Top 25 Poll of the 2026 season was released on Monday, featuring Texas A&M ranked inside the top 10, after finishing last season with an 11-2 record and an appearance in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Placed at No. 8 in the AP Poll, the Aggies are facing one of the most challenging schedules in the country, with contests slated against six teams ranked in the top 25. The Southeastern Conference had the most teams ranked, with nine programs making the cut, followed by the Big Ten, which had eight representatives.Here is where every team, including the Aggies, was ranked in the first AP Poll Top 25 of the 2026 season:Ohio State BuckeyesOregon DucksGeorgia BulldogsNotre Dame Fighting IrishTexas LonghornsIndiana HoosiersMiami Hurricanes Texas A&M AggiesOle Miss RebelsOklahoma SoonersLSU TigersTexas Tech Red RaidersAlabama Crimson TideBYU CougarsUSC TrojansMichigan WolverinesWashington HuskiesPenn State Nittany LionsSMU MustangsTennessee VolunteersUtah UtesIowa HawkeyesHouston CougarsLouisville CardinalsMissouri TigersEntering his third season with the Aggies, head coach Mike Elko boasts a 19-7 overall record and led his team to the program's first 11-0 start since 1992 in 2025. Many of Texas A&M's stars from last year's squad, especially on the offensive line, departed for the NFL. The Aggies tied a program record with 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.Elko wasted no time rebuilding during the offseason, reeling in the No. 3 transfer portal group and No. 8 recruiting class in the nation. The group of transfers includes four offensive linemen with SEC experience, who will be called upon to replace the four starters lost to the pros. While questions remain up front, the rumblings around Texas A&M's fall camp point toward a much-improved Marcel Reed, which could lead to the offense taking a big leap this season.Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: AP Top 25 Poll rankings: Where did Texas A&M land?

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 17: Shane McClanahan #18 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses for a portrait during photo day at Charlotte Sports Park on February 17, 2025 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rays fans and fans across the country.Last week we reacted to recent injuries in the rotation, let’s take a step back. Do you have concerns generally for these last few weeks of the regular season?Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys:

ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 31: Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns runs with the ball during the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Texas Longhorns on December 31, 2025 at Campting World Stadium in Orlando, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images In another landmark for the approaching college football season, the preseason AP Top 25 poll came out on Monday, slotting the Texas Longhorns at No. 5, one spot lower than the Coaches Poll almost two weeks ago.Steve Sarkisian’s team was not among the five that received first-place votes, a group that includes No. 6 Indiana (eight) and No. 7 Miami (one). The top three of the AP poll looks the same as the Coaches Poll — Ohio State at No. 1, Oregon at No. 2, and Georgia at No. 3, but instead of Texas at No. 4, Notre Dame secured that spot with the help of six first-place votes. Similar to the Coaches Poll, Texas is set to face seven preseason Top 25 opponents in Ohio State, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 11 LSU, No. 20 Tennessee, and No. 25 Missouri.

The preseason edition of the AP Top 25 was released on Monday with less than two weeks until the opening kickoff of the 2026 college football season. The Florida Gators were left out of the top 25 to start things off, coming in at a de facto No. 27 ranking with 51 votes. Thirteen of the Southeastern Conference's 16 member schools were mentioned in the poll, with nine cracking the top portion of the list. The highest-ranked SEC school is Georgia at No. 3 overall, followed by Texas (No. 5), Texas A&M (No. 8), Ole Miss (No. 9) and Oklahoma (No. 10) to round out the top 10. The remainder of the league's teams in the top 25 are LSU (No. 11), Alabama (No. 13), Tennessee (No. 20) and Missouri (No. 25). South Carolina (10), Vanderbilt (8) and Auburn (3) join Florida among others receiving votes. Jon Sumrall's team also came in at the de facto No. 27 spot in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll released earlier this month, earning 147 votes on that ballot. Florida opens up its 2026 schedule on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against FAU before hosting Campbell the following week. Then the Gators begin their conference journey on the road against Auburn on Sept. 19. 2026 preseason AP Top 25 pollPoint values in parentheses indicate the number of first-place votesOhio State - 1,672 (40)Oregon - 1,597 (14)Georgia - 1,513Notre Dame - 1,510 (6)Texas - 1,483Indiana - 1,440 (8)Miami (FL) - 1,379 (1)Texas A&M - 1,131Ole Miss - 1,102Oklahoma - 1,047LSU - 988Texas Tech - 983Alabama - 904(t) BYU - 839(t) USC - 839Michigan - 718Washington - 501Penn State - 482SMU - 434Tennessee - 394Utah - 304Iowa - 260Houston - 252Louisville - 194Missouri - 117Others receiving votes:Clemson 112, Florida 51, Boise State 43, Arizona 32, TCU 11, Navy 10, South Carolina 10, Illinois 9, Oklahoma State 8, Vanderbilt 8, Pittsburgh 7, Virginia Tech 6, Minnesota 5, UNLV 4, New Mexico 4, Georgia Tech 4, Louisiana 4, James Madison 3, Auburn 3, Memphis 2, California 2, Liberty 1, Western Michigan 1, Tulane 1, Virginia 1Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Here's where Florida football stands in preseason edition of AP Top 25

Who helped themselves at two weeks of training camp and the first New Orleans Saints preseason game? Between unexpected injuries, suspensions, retirements, and the depth chart changes that come with competition, it's time to reevaluate. Roster cuts loom large on Aug. 30. Guys on the bubble must make the most of their opportunities in joint practices with the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys this week before playing those teams again in the next two exhibition games. Here's our updated 53-man roster projection going into the second week of the preseason.Quarterbacks (2)On the roster: Tyler Shough, Spencer RattlerOn the outs: Zach Wilson, Hunter DekkersWilson did really well against the Jaguars' backups, but Rattler has maintained a gap ahead of him at practice. We've got to see more from Wilson before buying into the idea that he'll replace Rattler as the QB2. But he's starting that conversation. It could turn into a real debate if Wilson outplays Rattler these next two weeks.Running backs (4)On the roster: Travis Etienne Jr., Alvin Kamara, Audric Estime, Devin NealOn the outs: Kendre Miller, Ty Chandler, CJ DonaldsonIf he's healthy, Estime should make this team as the third running back. But he suffered an ankle injury after being set up by a bad ball from Spencer Rattler against Jacksonville. Kendre Miller is in the same position after injuring his back in practice, but his lengthier injury history means it's probably best to go in a different direction. Time is running out for Devin Neal to get back on the field and make his case, too. He gets in for now because we know he's better in pass protection than Estime. Chandler's big kickoff reteurn to start the preseason game might have won a roster spot, too, but we've got to see more from him.Tight ends (3)On the roster: Juwan Johnson, Noah Fant, Oscar DelpOn the outs: Moliki Matavao, Cody Hardy, Treyton Welch, Zaire Mitchell-PadenNo change here, but Delp may need more time after struggling with ball security in the preseason game. He only caught three of his six targets and still lost control of the football after scoring a goal-line touchdown. But he blocked well and should still have a role on game days. Mitchell-Paden had a costly special teams penalty.Wide receivers (6)On the roster: Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, Devaughn Vele, Bryce Lance, Barion Brown, Bub MeansOn the outs: Mason Tipton, Ronnie Bell, Kevin Austin Jr., Trey Palmer, Jalen Moreno-Cropper, Brock RechsteinerJa'Lynn Polk's abrupt suspension a couple of days into training camp torched almost everyone's roster projections, but the Saints have gotten impressive returns out of Brown, Means, and some other receivers lower on the depth chart since then. With Tyson's status unclear after another hamstring injury, it could be wise to run deep at wide receiver. Could free agent veteran Keenan Allen make sense for this team?Offensive line (8)On the roster: Kelvin Banks Jr. (tackle), David Edwards (guard), Erik McCoy (center), Cesar Ruiz (guard), Taliese Fuaga (tackle), Asim Richards (tackle), Jeremiah Wright (guard), Will Sherman (guard/center), Easton Kilty (guard)On the outs: Barry Wesley (tackle), Torricelli Simpkins III (center), Xavier Truss (guard), Alan Herron (tackle), Alex Wollschlaeger (tackle)Dillon Radunz was a lock to make the roster, so losing him to a season-ending knee injury is a big hit to the depth chart. Simpkins has had too many bad snaps at practice and he struggled at the pivot in this first preseason game. It's worth seeing if Sherman can do a better job on the second-string line. Richards is still comfortably ahead of the two rookie free agents and Wright isn't ready to push Ruiz for the starting job. Don't be shocked if the Saints trade for help on the offensive line while actively scouring the waiver wire.Special teams (3)On the roster: Zach Wood (snapper), Ryan Wright (punter), Tanner Brown (kicker)On the outs: Charlie Smyth (kicker)It's still early but we're giving Brown the nod in the kicking competition. He's been the steadier leg at practice and kicked a perfect game in the preseason, hitting a 49-yard field goal while Smyth missed from 52. There's time for Smyth to win this job but his inconsistency is keeping it up in the air.Defensive line (5)On the roster: Vernon Broughton, Nathan Shepherd, Christen Miller, Davon Godchaux, John Ridgeway IIIOn the outs: Myles Cole, Jay'Viar Suggs, Brien Taylor Jr., Khalil SaundersWho steps up after Bryan Bresee was lost for the season? Broughton has had some strong reviews coming out of training camp and it says a lot that the Saints didn't feel the need to play him in this first preseason game. Godchaux's injury opened the door for Miller to get more snaps and he was outstanding at the nose in the Jaguars game, but he's dealing with a persistent shoulder injury. Ridgeway has a minor back issue. This is another group that may need more help.Edge rushers (5)On the roster: Chase Young, Carl Granderson, Cameron Jordan, Anfernee Jennings, Michael HeldmanOn the outs: Tyree Wilson, Fadil Diggs, Garrett Nelson, Malakai WilliamsIt's going to be really tough to keep Heldman off this roster if he keeps playing as well as he did in the preseason opener. According to Pro Football Focus, 115 edge rushers have logged at least 10 pass rush snaps this preseason. Heldman leads all of them in PFF's pass rush productivity stat. He at least deserves to be promoted from the third-string defense at practice.Linebackers (5)On the roster: Kaden Elliss, Pete Werner, Danny Stutsman, Jaylan Ford, Isaiah StalbirdOn the outs: Deion Jones, Jackson Sirmon, Chris Rumph IIAny speculation that Ford would get pushed off the depth chart was squashed when he picked off a red-zone interception and had eight tackles in the first half against Jacksonville. Stalbird is still a top-flight special teams player but he's developing into a real asset on defense, too. Jones looked like he belonged and may be a fit for one of the six spots reserved for veterans on the practice squad.Safeties (6)On the roster: Justin Reid, Jonas Sanker, Julian Blackmon, Terrell Burgess, Jordan Howden, Lorenzo Styles Jr., On the outs: Elliott DavisonStyles already looks like an invaluable player on special teams; he gets downfield in a hurry on both punts and kickoffs, and he has some utility as the third-string slot defender behind Sanker and cornerback Jayden Price. Burgess and Howden are who we're most uncertain about here, but they've worn enough hats in the secondary to justify holding onto them. The Saints typically roster ten defensive backs but the split isn't always five safeties and five corners.Cornerbacks (4)On the roster: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley, Martin Emerson Jr., Jayden PriceOn the outs: Isaac Yiadom, Rezjohn Wright, TJ Hall Jr., Dalys Beanum, Mike ReidIt'll be hard to keep Emerson off the field after he broke up three passes on Jacksonville's first 11 pass attempts in the preseason opener. He played well in training camp, too. But the starters are holding up well and the guy under the most pressure is Yiadom. He was benched early last season and appears to have lost a step in his age-30 season. With Price making so m any plays as the backup slot corner, Yiadom might be a better fit on the practice squad. Wright made the team last year but has struggled to stay healthy this summer.This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: New Orleans Saints 53-man roster projection after first preseason game

Bisexual Korean-American comedian Margaret Cho said there is a “trans genocide” currently happening in the US during her conversation on the August 12th installment of Black comedian W. Kamau Bell’s podcast Who’s With Me? The comedians began their discussion on trans issues by mentioning the racist jokes made during Netflix’s May 10 roast of Black comedian Kevin Hart. During the roast, white comedians made jokes about lynching and George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis. Related Margaret Cho reveals how Trump stopped her from appearing in “Heated Rivalry” Bell mentioned that an older generation of comedians followed a sensibility of “punching up” to make fun of power, whereas the roast featured “a whole generation of standup comedians who are here to become cozy with power.” Such jokes have accompanied the “coarsening of our society,” Bell added, saying, “Because of our president, we can all out loud make racist jokes because that’s what we do now in this country.” Cho agreed, replying, “It’s this misunderstood idea that because we are so woke as a culture, that we don’t have to worry about being racist because it’s almost like we’re making fun of people who are racist. But that only works if we have a society where there is equality.” Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today “They want to test like the boundaries of what that is,” Cho continued. “I think trans lives has become a very big thing in comedy because they want to contest it. They don’t understand that when you take trans lives lightly in a comedy routine, trans people die, and they don’t have that understanding that there are real consequences to your actions, just because they don’t affect you personally, that this will affect a trans person’s life. So it’s something that it’s hard to get into, like what people are taking so lightly on stage.” “It’s really sad, and it’s really scary,” she continued. “And you know the way that our government treats trans lives with insane bathroom laws and identity laws, or taking people’s driver’s licenses … it seems endless.” “We’re in the middle of a trans genocide,” she added, “and we have to do anything that we can to stop it. We have to make sure that trans people are safe, and then start working on restoring equality to their lives.” “It’s just it’s gone too far,” Cho said, adding, “I don’t know…. I mean, I want to support comedians, like of course, freedom of speech and ability to do whatever they want, and to test the boundaries, and to play and do their thing. But at the same time, their actions have consequences that they don’t feel because they have privilege. So it’s our job to really point it out.” Cho and Bell also encouraged listeners to donate to Friendly House, a trans-inclusive organization which provides assistance for low‑income women dealing with addiction. Elsewhere in their conversation, while discussing Cho’s rise as a rare Asian female comedian, she noted that she tried to avoid self-deprecating jokes because performing such jokes in front of predominantly white audiences reestablishes white supremacy. “You don’t need to do [that] because society is always going to do that for us,” Cho said. “So if we can stand out against that and use our intelligence and our gifts to supersede that, then you’re making a dent in the idea of white supremacy entirely…. All we do is fight against it, and … we have to be really canny about it because people don’t want to hear about like dealing with it. They want to feel like we live in a post-racism world, and that’s just not true.” W. Kamau Bell points out the transphobic WNBA non-troversy W. Kamau Bell at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards at the Tent on the Beach on March 4, 2023, in Santa Monica, California. | Kathy Hutchins via Shutterstock In his comments before the podcast, Bell briefly commented on transphobes using the WNBA to express their bigotry, despite there being no trans athletes currently in the women’s pro-basketball league. “I heard somebody say this: that men who didn’t like women’s sports used to just not pay attention to them, and maybe at the most they condescended to them. But now, men who don’t like women’s sports are sticking their fingers all into the middle of women’s sports. And I know that sounds gross, and it is gross.” “Let’s say that you had an issue with trans women playing sports… against women who are not trans,” Bell said, “it should not be in the top 1,000 things that you’re worried about because it’s not really a problem… it’s not really happening. It’s like people who are bothered by trans women in sports have created a fake problem in their head, and then they want to argue with it.” He called out two former NBA players — Royce White and Enes Kanter Freedom, who both recently threatened to try out for the WNBA to protest trans athletes playing in women’s sports — as “doofuses” and “right-wing grifters.” “[Right-wingers and some left-wing people] are obsessed with the idea of protecting women’s sports when women’s sports is only under attack from men and grifters,” Bell said. “Women’s sports is in danger from the patriarchy, and this is just another way in which patriarchy won’t let women just play a game of basketball because there’s no trans women in the WNBA.” “Men like myself need to be very clear where we stand on this issue because this is all a result of the right-wing weaponizing trans people and acting like trans people are raising your price at the grocery store… why your cities aren’t safe… why we spent over $30 billion at war with Iran… why our immigration system is f**ked up,” Bell continued. “We all know that’s not true. That is white men, and specifically right now, Donald Trump and his goons. Leave trans people alone. Just leave them alone. Let them be, and you’ll find out that the only thing we’re under threat of in this country is the patriarchy and white male supremacy,” he concluded. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Nature, Published online: 17 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02552-yThe drug, called Orzeyful, takes aim at the root cause of the sleep disorder rather than at its symptoms.

Debris is seen along Hawaiʻi Belt Road near Pahala, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)2026-08-17T16:23:25Z HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Lala left behind a muddy mess Monday caused by intense rainfall and flooding as it moved past Hawaii’s main islands.Lala weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Sunday after lashing the state without making landfall. The storm was projected to continue moving westward and was forecast to become a hurricane again at sea and far from land by Wednesday.There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect for Hawaii on Monday as cleanup efforts were expected to begin, but life-threatening surf and rip current conditions remained, according to the National Hurricane Center. Saturation caused heavy rainfall could still cause some landslides, but winds were no longer a threat, National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Blood said.“There’s no real looming hazards that we’re facing now,” he said. “Lala’s off to the west.” Laupahoehoe, on the northeast coast of the Big Island, saw the heaviest recorded rainfall at 43.54 inches (1.1 meters). The highest winds were atop the towering Mauna Kea volcano, where gusts hit 140 mph (225 kph). At the lower elevations, residents all across the island chain experienced tropical storm force winds of 30 to 40 mph (48 to 64 kph) with gusts up to 60 mph (97 kph), Blood said.The storm felled trees and power lines and caused serious flooding that swept some 100 homes from their foundations on the Big Island, authorities said. Gov. Josh Green said Sunday that no one is believed to have died when the homes washed away.

Nebraska's Andi Jackson (15) gets a kill in the fourth set during an NCAA college volleyball match against Utah Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Charlie Dekker, file)2026-08-17T16:41:40Z As women’s college volleyball continues to see an increase in popularity on television, Fox Sports announced Monday that it will air 35 matches, including eight on Fox, this season.The eight matches marks the most on a broadcast network in a single season.The schedule will be highlighted by top-ranked Nebraska facing No. 2 Texas in the inaugural Players Era Volleyball Showcase in Las Vegas on Aug. 30. The remaining 27 matches will be on FS1 and FS2.“I think when you look across women’s sports, to me, volleyball is the next basketball,” said Mike Mulvihill, Fox Sports president for insight and analytics. “I think the same patterns that we saw in basketball five years ago are what we’re now seeing in volleyball. We want to lean in to this year the same way that we leaned into basketball five years ago.“Because I do think that the breakthrough in basketball has now happened. That process is basically complete. And so now you’re starting to think about, well, what’s the next thing that can have that kind of explosive growth? And I think it’s this.” While there isn’t a national mainstream star in volleyball like what women’s basketball saw in Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Mulvihill cited the popularity of Nebraska, Wisconsin and Texas as well as recent breakthroughs by Pitt and Louisville for the increasing national support for the sport.Fox’s schedule begins with Louisville facing Wisconsin in the Jeep AVCA First Serve on Saturday at 4 p.m. Eastern. It also includes a Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week primetime doubleheader from Wrigley Field on Sept. 6. No. 3 Kentucky faces No. 10 Penn State in the first match at 7 p.m., followed by Missouri and No. 1 Nebraska at 9 p.m. Fox also will broadcast the first Big Ten Volleyball Championship on Nov. 25.ESPN and ESPN2 had 26 matches last season and two on ABC, including the Division I NCAA championship for the third straight year.___See AP’s full college sports coverage here JOE REEDY Reedy is a sports writer based in Cleveland covering Ohio for The Associated Press. He has worked for the AP since 2015 with previous stops in Los Angeles and Tallahassee, Florida. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Jun 22, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) reacts after a play against the Toronto Tempo during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn ImagesThe Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark rivalry added another memorable installment Sunday, with Clark and the Indiana Fever outlasting Reese and the Atlanta Dream 95-91 in overtime. The matchup also included a viral moment, with a smiling Clark being caught on camera in the background after Reese missed a game-winning layup on the final possession of regulation. Caitlin Clark LAUGHING at Angel Reese after she missed a layup for the win pic.twitter.com/5Js8RijGUi— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) August 16, 2026Reese’s miscue and the Dream’s eventual loss sparked an outpouring of reaction online, with former longtime ESPN anchor Linda Cohn being one of the people to weigh in.Cohn, WNBA fans chime in“Sometimes life happens the way it’s supposed to, especially with these two,” Cohn said in response to the meme of Clark smiling following Reese’s failure.“Great clip, no doubt. CC started smiling as soon as the horn sounded, when CC started walking towards and facing her teammates. Don’t think it was directed at AR, CC was smiling because of how lucky they were to get to OT. There was hoop left to play, don’t see CC gloating there,” a fan added.“It warms my heart that you CC fans are still not over that championship game!” a Reese fan fired back.“Angel Reese’s game is straight up Ben Simmons-level trash. Decent defense, terrible offense. Can’t make a layup!” another person said.“Damn Linda , I expect more from you, this is really disappointing,” a fourth person tweeted.“Damn this tweet is perfect, its poetic,” someone else commented.Cohn is an outspoken Clark fanWe’re not sure if Cohn is specifically anti-Reese in general, though the tone of her tweet makes it obvious which side of the rivalry she is on.Since retiring from ESPN, the Hall of Fame sportscaster has been sharing her opinions on “The Linda Cohn Show” on YouTube two nights a week. This morning, Cohn promoted an upcoming segment tonight regarding Clark.“You don’t promote other stars INSTEAD of Caitlin Clark. You promote them THROUGH Caitlin Clark,” reads the tagline.Cohn has also advocated for Clark, who has been playing her best basketball of the season of late, to be voted WNBA MVP for the 2026 season.The post Former ESPN star breaks silence on Angel Reese failure appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.

Training camp ended a little early for the Pittsburgh Steelers thanks to a little help from mother nature, as the team cancelled their final practice in Latrobe.According to Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith, severe weather forced the Steelers to cancel practice on Monday, which sadly brings 2026 training camp festivities to a close.Steelers cancel final day of training camp because of thunderstorms #Steelers#NFLhttps://t.co/B5OzHgjlBl— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) August 17, 2026Speaking with reporters on Monday, head coach Mike McCarthy expressed disappointment in how the Steelers' training camp ended.“We’re breaking camp early,” McCarthy said via Smith. “Disappointed to leave here because this is such a great environment for us to train in. Disappointing, frankly, for the fans, because those are our best practices when everybody is out there, but just based off the weather.”This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers' 2026 training camp ends in anticlimactic fashion

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Connor Zilisch signed a multiyear contract with Hendrick Motorsports on Monday to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet beginning in 2028.Zilisch, a 20-year-old rookie currently driving for Trackhouse Racing, will replace Alex Bowman behind the wheel. Bowman announced last month that he will step away from full-time racing at the end of the 2027 season.“Connor is a truly gifted young racer,” Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said. “His talent behind the wheel is exceptional, but I’m even more impressed by the person he is. When someone with that kind of ability and character becomes available, you do everything you can to bring them into your organization.”Zilisch currently ranks 34th in the Cup Series standings, with a series-leading eight DNFs.“This is one of those moments you dream about as a kid,” Zilisch said. “Hendrick Motorsports has always represented the standard in our sport and being entrusted to help continue that legacy means everything to me."Zilisch's car will be sponsored by Ally, which has been the primary sponsor of the No. 48 Chevy every year since 2019.___See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Espanyol star to miss Real Madrid clashEspanyol are set to be without a leading member of the club’s defensive ranks for their upcoming La Liga meeting with Real Madrid. This comes owing to a suspension to have carried over from last season.Espanyol kicked their 2026/27 fixture list into gear this past weekend, in a Spanish top-flight clash with Levante.The outing proved to be a thoroughly productive one for the Catalans, giving rise to an eventual 3-0 triumph highlighted by a brace from frontman Roberto Fernández.All the while, Manolo González was forced to make do without one of the first names on his team sheet, in the form of veteran defensive presence Leandro Cabrera.Stopper Cabrera played his part in all but one of Espanyol’s La Liga fixtures last season. As confirmed by Mundo Deportivo, though, the 35-year-old missed his side’s downing of Levante ‘due to a suspension carried over from last season, which the club appealed until the last minute, ultimately without success’.With the ban standing at three games, it is therefore concluded that, ‘barring any surprises’, Cabrera will also not be eligible to face Real Madrid this coming weekend.Conor Laird – GSFN

NEW DELHI: Ravindra Jadeja added another remarkable milestone to his Test career on Monday, becoming only the fourth cricketer in history to score at least 4,000 runs and take 350 or more wickets in the longest format.Jadeja reached the landmark on the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, picking up his second wicket of the innings to complete 350 Test wickets. His milestone wicket came when Keshara Nuwantha attempted to slap-drive an away-turner through the off side, only for the ball to take a deflection off his knee and balloon towards Shubman Gill, who completed the catch.The wicket also made Jadeja only the fifth Indian to reach 350 Test wickets, joining Anil Kumble (619), Ravichandran Ashwin (537), Kapil Dev (434) and Harbhajan Singh (417).Jadeja had earlier scored 13 runs in India's first innings, which ended on 462, before making his mark with the ball as Sri Lanka reached 243/7 in reply.Jadeja joins Kapil, Botham and VettoriJadeja's latest achievement puts him in an exclusive club alongside three legendary all-rounders — Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori.Kapil remains the leading run-scorer among the four, having amassed 5,248 runs and taken 434 wickets in 131 Tests for India. England great Botham finished with 5,200 runs and 383 wickets in 102 Tests, while former New Zealand captain Vettori collected 4,531 runs and 362 wickets in 113 Tests.Jadeja, with 4,108 runs and 350 wickets in 90 Tests, is the only member of the elite quartet to have achieved the double before playing 100 Tests, underlining the extraordinary efficiency of his all-round contribution.The milestone further strengthens Jadeja's standing among the most productive left-arm spinners in Test history. He is now third among left-arm spinners for Test wickets, behind Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath (433) and Vettori (362), while England's Derek Underwood (297) and Bangladesh's Taijul Islam (271) follow.Another milestone in an extraordinary careerJadeja's consistency with both bat and ball has made him one of India's most valuable Test cricketers over the past decade. His ability to contribute runs down the order while providing control and wickets as a spinner has repeatedly allowed India to balance their playing XI.Among left-arm spinners with at least 125 Test wickets, only South Africa's Keshav Maharaj has a better strike rate than Jadeja's 58.1, with Maharaj at 56.4.The 350-wicket mark also places Jadeja alongside some of the game's most celebrated all-rounders, but his route to the milestone stands apart. While Kapil, Botham and Vettori crossed 4,000 runs and 350 wickets after lengthy Test careers, Jadeja has reached the same landmark in fewer than 100 matches.With the first Test against Sri Lanka still in progress, Jadeja now has the opportunity to add to both his wicket and run tallies and further cement his place among Test cricket's greatest all-rounders. 133296567

A bone feature found in a mammal ancestor hints that the creature was relatively large as a newborn, more in line with the size of a creature birthed live than hatched from an egg. Still, it provides only indirect evidence

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 @ 4 PM Pacific Time Join us live for a chat with the authors of Make: Volume 98 about getting out of the workshop and putting rubber to the road for our Action issue! Engineer and inventor Saul Griffith will show off his all-wheel-drive, electric go-cart that’s just as fun to […] The post Make: Live – Inside Volume 98, The Action Issue appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 @ 4 PM Pacific Time Join us live for a chat with the authors of Make: Volume 98 about getting out of the workshop and putting rubber to the road for our Action issue! Engineer and inventor Saul Griffith will show off his all-wheel-drive, electric go-cart that’s just as fun to […] The post Make: Live – Inside Volume 98, The Action Issue appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.

Israeli settlers patrol a road in front of besieged Palestinian houses, in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, south of Nablus, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)2026-08-17T16:52:32Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Palestinian American whose home in the occupied West Bank has been besieged by Israeli settlers for over a week arrived in the region Monday and said he planned to join other family members in defending the property. The standoff, in the village of Qusra, has seen groups of settlers surround several Palestinian houses and prevent residents from leaving. The United States has condemned the siege and the Israeli military has deployed troops it says are there to maintain order. The siege of Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers comes as violence in the West Bank has soared in recent months. The settlers, emboldened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, have ramped up attacks on Palestinian towns and villages, harassing residents and setting homes, mosques and fields ablaze.As Loui Ridi, an Ohio-based owner of one of the houses, landed in Israel, settlers were still roaming near Qusra, according to video footage taken by his brother. Qusai Abu Rida and his teenage son have stayed inside the home to protect it from the settlers. “I’m terrified for my brother and his son and their safety,” Ridi told reporters at Israel’s main international airport. “And now I’m going to have to fear for my own safety.” He said he would try to reach Qusra, which is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Nablus, but was unsure if he would be able to enter. The Israeli army declared the part of Qusra where Ridi’s home is located a closed military zone last week. According to Palestinian health officials, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed 87 Palestinians so far this year. Palestinians have killed three Israelis, including two who were killed in the West Bank village of Tell last month. SAM METZ Metz covers Israel, the Palestinian territories and the broader Middle East for The Associated Press. He previously covered North Africa and the Western United States. twitter mailto

This is a locator map for Syria with its capital, Damascus. (AP Photo)2026-08-17T17:13:52Z DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The death of a young man with a serious medical condition who was arrested and allegedly beaten by Syrian security forces has stirred up dark memories of torture and other abuse in detention centers under the Assad dynasty’s decades-long rule.Syrians have taken to social media and the streets in recent days to demand answers about the death of Mohammad Ghamira, who was buried Monday in his hometown of al-Haffah in coastal Latakia province.When insurgents unseated former President Bashar Assad in December 2024 after a nearly 14-year civil war, they opened the country’s notorious prisons. During Assad’s rule, rights groups say, thousands of prisoners were killed in mass executions or died from injuries and disease. Detainees were subjected to torture, beatings and rape.Officials with the government of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa have promised accountability in Ghamira’s case, but rights groups say it is not an isolated incident and that abuses persist in detention centers. The detainee had hemophilia, which affects blood clottingGhamira, a 29-year-old father of two, was a former volunteer with the White Helmets civil defense organization, which operated in opposition-held areas before Assad’s fall.He died in a hospital in Latakia on Sunday after being released from jail. He had been detained days earlier following an “allegation of theft involving a sum of money,” Latakia’s internal security command said in a statement, without giving more details. Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh, who was previously head of the White Helmets, said on X that Ghamira had died of “complications from cerebral and gastrointestinal hemorrhaging” that “resulted from a beating he sustained after being detained at the al-Haffah police station.”Al-Saleh and Ghamira’s relatives said he had hemophilia, a condition affecting the blood’s ability to clot. Read More Ghamira’s uncle, Issam Ghamira, said in a video interview with state news agency SANA that the family had told the police chief in al-Haffah that his nephew had hemophilia and warned against hitting him. Despite that, he said, his nephew was hit while in custody. Syria’s interior ministry announced an investigation into Ghamira’s death and said seven interior ministry personnel were detained for questioning. 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. Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba, speaking to journalists, acknowledged “shortcomings and deficiencies” in some of the country’s police departments but said others were doing “exceptional” work.“God willing, this painful incident will serve as a catalyst for positive change in the operations of the ministry of interior,” he said.Watchdogs call Ghamira’s death part of a wider problemIn a report released in March, the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic said it had documented “torture and ill-treatment” in 18 official detention facilities and 12 “makeshift facilities” in different areas of Syria between January and October 2025, in the months following Assad’s ouster as the new government asserted control.The practices it documented included beating prisoners with rifle butts, sticks, pipes, bars and cables; the use of electric shocks and other forms of torture; mock executions; and sexual violence. Syrians for Truth and Justice, a human rights organization that tracks abuses, in a report published earlier this month said that “severe beatings, electric shocks, humiliation, threats, deprivation of basic necessities, and deaths in custody continue to be common practices at the hands of multiple security and military actors.”The group concluded that the incidents were too widespread to treat as isolated incidents but that there was not evidence of a “single centralized system equivalent in structure and direction to the torture apparatus entrenched by the Assad regime.”“It is somehow widespread, but it’s not structured,” Bassam Alahmad, the group’s executive director, told The Associated Press. “For us, there is no evidence that these orders came from the commanders to torture people, but still (the authorities) have a responsibility to stop this behavior.”Syrians whose loved ones disappeared or died in detention centers during Assad’s rule said they were disturbed to see the patterns being repeated under the new government. Families for Freedom, a group representing relatives of detainees, said in a statement, “What happened to Mohammed reopens the wounds of torture and death in detention for thousands of Syrian families — practices Syrians have struggled for years to end, and the recurrence of which cannot be accepted today.”___Sewell reported from Beirut. ABBY SEWELL Sewell is the Associated Press news director for Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. She joined the AP in 2022 but has been based in the region since 2016, reporting and guiding coverage on some of its most significant news stories. twitter mailto

This is a locator map for Syria with its capital, Damascus. (AP Photo)2026-08-17T16:48:33Z ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A private helicopter crashed Monday on the popular Greek tourist island of Sifnos, killing three people, Greek authorities said.The helicopter crashed and sparked a fire in the Tholos part of Sifnos, the fire department said. The bodies of three people were recovered from the site, it added. The identities of those on board and the cause of the crash were not immediately clear.

[Getty Images]Arsenal ended their long wait to win the Premier League again by securing the title last season.It means they begin this campaign as defending champions - something they have not done since the 2004-05 season.The Gunners are favourites to lift the trophy once more - but what does history tell us about how defending champions perform, and just how likely is it that Mikel Arteta's men can claim back-to-back Premier League titles?Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola made defending the Premier League title look easy in recent years.Before Guardiola there were only two managers who had overseen successful title defences in the Premier League era - Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea - and only City have defended their title successfully since 2009.One of the reasons why it can be so difficult to defend a title is the psychological factor.For a whole campaign a title-winning team's players have been working hard towards the goal of winning the league and the moment it is achieved will understandably feel like a huge success and relief.But then, just a few months later, those same players have to build up to the idea of having to do it all again, only this time with a bigger target on their back as defending champions.Ex-Premier League winger Andros Townsend believes the Gunners will find it hard to replicate their 2025-26 achievement because of the competitive nature of the Premier League."The last two times Liverpool have won the title the next season they have not been able to replicate it. They have had relatively poor seasons," Townsend told BBC Radio 5 Live, with the Reds finishing third and fifth after lifting the Premier League trophy."When you get over the line, that huge relief. Do you go into the summer with the same sort of aggression and mentality?"

While Aaron Rodgers commands the huddle as the Pittsburgh Steelers immediate starter, the franchise's long-term plan under center is rapidly crystallizing. Inside the Steelers' front office, rookie quarterback Drew Allar isn't viewed merely as a third-round developmental project; he is quietly being positioned as the team’s starting quarterback for 2027.Selected 76th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Penn State, Allar fell out of the first round following a late-season ankle injury and lingering questions about raw arm mechanics. However, new head coach Mike McCarthy has previously revealed that Pittsburgh’s personnel evaluation held a far higher grade on the big passer.Insiders confirm the organization’s vision aligns directly with that high assessment."I would say yeah," noted Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. "I believe everything he said right there that they did have a first round value on there. Right now in their minds, they're thinking Drew Allar is their QB1 next year. That's the way they're going to go into it."While Allar's impressive preseason debut against the Packers yielded inflated box-score numbers aided by defensive pass interference penalties, his underlying growth has impressed coaches. His footwork, real-time decision-making, and self-correcting ability have progressed at an accelerated pace."If he continues to make that leap, I can definitely [see] he could be a starter next year," Kaboly added. "It's a good start."With Rodgers firmly helming the ship for the present campaign, the Steelers have created an ideal bridge scenario. By giving Allar a full year to refine his mechanics without the immediate pressure of starting, Pittsburgh is laying the groundwork for a seamless succession plan.This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: How Drew Allar is quietly positioning himself as Steelers' 2027 QB1

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.The New York Yankees offense is missing some key bats right now, and their tremendous pitching is being let down as of late.Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton all being hurt certainly is not doing the Yankees offense any favors, but they are still in a position to make the postseason. In the last 30 days, they are 15-13, and their offense has been one of the worst in baseball.Since Jul. 17, the Yankees rank 29th in runs scored, with only the Los Angeles Angels behind them, and have the worst batting average in baseball. They have the highest strikeout rate in all of baseball in that span as well. They rank 18th in walk rate as well. The only thing the offense has done relatively well is steal bases, ranking seventh in that category.Despite that, they have somehow managed to maintain a record over .500 in their last 28 games. That is in large part because of how good their pitching staff has been. Their team ERA since Jul. 17 is a league-best 2.81. The second-ranked team is the Detroit Tigers at 3.24.Looking for the perfect gift for a baseball player in your life? Check out our brand new baseball lifestyle brand!Bellinger is starting a rehab assignment soon, and Judge has started playing catch. Stanton is still in a running progression and could be nearing a rehab assignment as well. Those are three huge bats that could save the Yankees offense.Judge and Bellinger were All-Stars this year and are the type of players who can carry an offense. Right now, the Yankees are hitting as badly as they have all year and are still finding ways to win games. With their offense at full force and the pitching staff they have, they could make a deep run in October.More MLB: Brewers Pitcher Outduels Tarik Skubal After Team Reportedly Refused To Trade Him To Tigers

Why Freddy Peralta has reasonable excuse for brutal 9.31 ERA start with Rays originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Tampa Bay Rays traded for Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets at this year's trade deadline, hoping to turn him back to his former All-Star form.Well, through three starts, he has a 7.53 ERA for the Rays. A huge reason for that figure is his brutal 9.31 ERA in the first two starts of his Rays tenure.But, as USA Today's Bob Nightengale notes, Peralta actually might have an excuse for his struggles this season with the Rays. The excuse? He played in two of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball.Freddy Peralta has ballpark excuse for rough Rays start"Freddy Peralta has hardly made a good first impression with his struggles in his first two starts with the Tampa Bay Rays (9.31 ERA, 15 hits and 10 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings), but his two starts have been in the high-altitude Colorado and the launching pad in Sacramento," Nightengale writes.While Peralta's struggles with the Rays were quite concerning through his first two starts. His Rays' debut was a 3.2-inning, seven-run outing. He allowed three runs in 6.0 innings in Sacramento the following week.Coors Field is notoriously a hitter's ballpark, and a nightmare for pitchers. Unfortunately, his first outing with the Rays was at a ballpark that's far from ideal.MORE: Dodgers and Mets predicted to be only teams active in Tarik Skubal’s free agent marketPeralta was a lot better against the Athletics, but he still allowed a couple of runs and got a no-decision. Those two ballparks back-to-back were a tough stretch to begin his Rays tenure.He allowed two runs in 4.2 innings of work in Tampa Bay in his most recent start, which also wasn't exactly ideal, but it wasn't a terrible outing either.Nightengale is somewhat excusing Peralta's 7.53 ERA through his first two starts with the Rays thanks to the unfavorable ballparks he had to pitch in. As he gets more familiar with the team and pitches in more favorable environments, he could turn things around.It might be a step too far to completely excuse Peralta for his 7.53 ERA since the trade, but one bad start is doing some serious heavy lifting to make his Rays' production look a lot worse than it really is.More MLB news:Brewers World Series odds look a bit bleak with MLB HR historyAstros expected to fire Joe Espada if they miss the postseasonDodgers update on Shohei Ohtani pitching again has major MVP implicationsDiamondbacks' Corbin Carroll joins only Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio in wild MLB historyCardinals' Joshua Baez just did something never done before in MLB history with 3-HR debut

The Heisman Trophy will add fan voting in 2026 according to Sports Business Journal. Fan voting will begin on September 9th and go all season with all the fan voting being combined and submitted as a single vote to go along with the more than 1,000 current individual voters. There is a countdown clock on the Heisman Hopefuls website where fans will be able to vote. Statistics, including “EA Sports College Football ’27” ratings are prominently featured. Via SBJ:The initiative is being supported by EA Sports, Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Center, Next League — the Heisman’s AI and technology service provider — and Yangaroo, which hosts the fan vote ballot. CLC will also be involved to enable the purchase of approved merchandise featuring eligible athletes.MORE: Jayden Daniels reportedly made odd Heisman Trophy request with LSUSo fans can vote for the Heisman in September using video game ratings. It’s the kind of thing that makes you wonder how a trophy was able to survive nearly a century without an official AI service provider. In the SBJ article Heisman CEO Jeff Price said that they wanted to make the Heisman a “year-round platform.” It seems that nothing can just be one thing anymore. The Heisman is the trophy given to the best player in college football each year. MORE: College Football conference power rankings ahead of 2026 Week 0Heisman is more than a trophyJan 17, 2026; Miami Beach, Florida, USA; The 2025 Heisman Trophy of Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza at Playoff Fan Central at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Why must everything be everything all at once now? Why does the Heisman need a platform in March? To promote the year-round Heisman podcast? Maybe to make sure that Heisman winners like Jayden Daniels are properly respected by the schools they played for?I realize it’s harmless. Giving every fan in American the chance to affect less than one-thousandth of a percent of the Heisman vote will probably have less of an impact than Akron letting a fan put together a gameplan against Robert Morris. That doesn’t make it less weird when you hear someone say the most prestigious award in college sports has fan voting as if it’s the “People’s Choice Awards” or “Dancing with the Stars.”— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —

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Motorsport photoFormer Formula 1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer has revealed the bizarre method he used to warn his colleagues that he was wearing a microphone for Netflix's Drive to Survive cameras.The popular docuseries gave fans unprecedented access to the F1 paddock, but this meant those within the championship had to get creative to protect their privacy. Szafnauer opened up about his time filming for Drive to Survive during an episode of the High Performance Racing podcast. "I'll tell you what I used to do whenever I was miked up and on the pitwall," he explained. "You could say all sorts of stuff because emotions were quite high and they recorded everything. I used to put a piece of tape across my forehead that said 'Netflix'."So whenever anyone was talking to me, they could see I was miked up."When asked if he was constantly wired, Szafnauer confirmed that the microphones were only used when his team was the focus for that particular episode. "Exactly. Well, when we're the story, I would be miked up, and I'd then be miked up on the grid," he added.Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal, Alpine F1 Team Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal, Alpine F1 Team Despite the show airing after the season in which the footage was captured, Szafnauer stressed the importance of keeping operational secrets private."[There is] still some strategic stuff that you're doing on the pitwall that you don't want them to know."Drive to Survive, which is produced by Netflix and Box to Box Films, gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at F1 and its drivers. Since the release of the first season in 2019, the docuseries has been credited with expanding the drivers' profiles by giving them a spotlight to showcase their personalities and lives away from the track. In addition to that, the show has been a huge force behind the championship's boom in popularity in the United States.To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Michigan football is just about two and a half weeks away from kicking off the 2026 season and thus a new era for the Wolverines. Kyle Whittingham is now leading the charge, and the maize and blue are expected to be much better as a result. But, with a bear of a schedule, despite higher expectations, it will be tough sledding for the players in winged helmets.There's no surer way to see that the season is fast approaching than the release of the preseason polls, and now we know what the media thinks of Michigan. In the newly-released preseason AP Top 25, the Wolverines come in ranked No. 16 -- just like in the US LBM Coaches Poll. But Michigan will face No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon, No. 6 Indiana, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 18 Penn State, and No. 22 Iowa this season. Other opponents, Minnesota and Western Michigan, both received votes but didn't crack the top 25.Here is the full poll:Ohio State BuckeyesOregon DucksGeorgia BulldogsNotre Dame Fighting IrishTexas LonghornsIndiana HoosiersMiami HurricanesTexas A&M AggiesOle Miss RebelsOklahoma SoonersLSU TigersTexas Tech Red RaidersAlabama Crimson TideBYU CougarsUSC TrojansMichigan WolverinesWashington HuskiesPenn State Nittany LionsTennessee VolunteersSMU MustangsUtah UtesIowa HawkeyesHouston CougarsLouisville CardinalsMissouri TigersOthers receiving votesClemson 112, Florida 51, Boise State 43, Arizona 32, TCU 11, Navy 10, South Carolina 10, Illinois 9, Oklahoma State 8, Vanderbilt 8, Pittsburgh 7, Virginia Tech 6, Minnesota 5, UNLV 4, New Mexico 4, Georgia Tech 4, James Madison 3, Auburn 3, Memphis 2, California 2, Liberty 1, Western Michigan 1, Tulane 1, Virginia 1This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football enters season ranked No 16 by AP

Elkann: Our ambition is always to winFollowing the Men’s First Team’s final pre-season friendly against the Next Gen, John Elkann, CEO of Exor, and Chairman of Stellantis, Ferrari and the Giovanni Agnelli Foundation, spoke.“Our ambition is always to win, both in Serie A and in Europe," he said. "We’ve had cycles in our Club’s history, and between one cycle and another there is always a rebuilding, and we are busy working on that now.“I have a strong relationship with [Luciano] Spalletti, and I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to watch a game from the bench with him today, because I’ve never done it before. It was a great experience, and it was nice to hear his thoughts and how he views the game.“[Giovanni] Carnevali’s ability, his drive and his passion to bring Juventus back to where it deserves to be align perfectly with this Club’s identity.”

Jacksonville Jaguars two-way player Travis Hunter is getting the opportunity to take root with the defense.After missing nine months and a steady diet of action on both sides of the ball to start training camp, Hunter’s defensive workload has increased. He was given 37 total snaps during Day 14 of training camp, a new-high for the second-year cornerback/wide receiver.Hunter played 32 of those snaps on defense as he got a chance to go into the deep end. He was able to remain on the defensive sideline and get coaching he’d typically miss until meetings or film study instead of immediately switching back to offense.From UDFA to main roster?: How Jabbar Muhammad is making a strong case for a Jaguars roster spotThe result was a productive day as he logged a pass breakup in the final team period against rookie wide receiver CJ Williams and was able to jam Nate Boerkircher and Brian Thomas Jr. on deep routes.“We just wanted to get him the seven-on-seven work and just really hone in on a little bit more corner,” head coach Liam Coen said of Hunter. “Made a good fricking play on the out cut over there. Trying to get him more just when he's on defense and then getting some of the mental reps on defense.”Go crazy, Trav ‼️@TravisHunterJr | @Dream_Finderspic.twitter.com/fYVnGi7xvZ— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 13, 2026Hunter’s best play of the day wasn’t even on a pass attempt. As the Jaguars' offense ran the ball, he found himself on an island with lineman Ezra Cleveland. Without hesitation, Hunter exploded into Cleveland’s chest to set the edge and allow his defensive teammates to swarm to the ball and prevent a long run.It was a positive sign for Hunter as he tests the limits of the added weight and strength conditioning he did during the offseason.“I gained 13 pounds. It put confidence in my mind,” Hunter said while smiling. “Whoever comes around that corner, when it's time to set the edge, I'm going to set it.”Travis Hunter talks about joint practice experience with New Orleans SaintsDuring joint practice last week, Hunter was beat by Chris Olave on a deep out route. Hunter took the lost rep in stride, not allowing it to alter his confidence.“I haven't been on the football field in nine months, so going out there and being able to get those reps, it felt great,” he said. “It's a lot of people out there saying, ‘Oh, he caught a ball on Travis.’ I mean, I haven’t been on the football field in nine months, what did you expect? But I just take that and just continue to go and work.”The joint practice was Hunter’s first competition against non-Jaguars in over nine months. It gave Jacksonville’s coaching staff a chance to evaluate his progress and the progress of their defense overall. It altered the team’s plan for Hunter, slightly."It's a lot of people out there saying, 'Ah he caught a ball on Trav.' I mean, I ain't been on the football field in 9 months, what do you expect?"@TravisHunterJr on knocking the rust off. pic.twitter.com/RMdwDWsjkB— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 17, 2026He was already listed as a reserve on offense and a starter on defense in the team’s depth chart last week. Not because he’s struggling on offense, but because they have several options at receiver.Defensively, the team can’t say the same. Hunter is viewed as one of their top options at cornerback alongside Montaric Brown, Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis. With Lewis sidelined by an injury currently, Jones has been given more reps at nickel.It has cleared the way for Hunter to start at boundary corner opposite of Brown—something that was likely to happen anyways.“We need a lot of the communication, a lot of the repetition needs to continue obviously on both sides of the ball, but specifically on the defense, Coen said. “Pre-snap, post-snap on defense, there's just so much more that can go into it, especially being in unison and being in connection.”Hunter is coached hard by defensive backs coach Matt Araujo, but he said he likes it. Araujo will frequently make Hunter and other defensive backs repeat drills if it’s not to their standard.The work he’s put in individually is showing up in team drills as he displays positive flashes daily and as he continues to get “back to Trav.”“I needed to knock the rust off, like I said earlier. I’ve got to get better somehow, somewhere,” Hunter said. “I definitely took my time to hone in on one today and that was defense. Get better, get my feet up under me. Can't let anybody catch the ball, so that's my motto right now, just continue to focus and get better.”This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why Travis Hunter's defensive workload ramped up for Jaguars

The Eagles will travel to New England on Tuesday afternoon, hoping to learn more about their backup quarterback competition this week during two joint practice sessions than they did during Saturday’s preseason opener.Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee enter a critical stretch after neither separated himself in Philadelphia’s 24-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Dalton completed 3 of 6 passes for 25 yards, while McKee finished 6 of 10 for 35 yards. Their eight combined possessions produced 77 net yards, two first downs, seven punts and no points. Penalties and a basic game plan didn't help, but neither quarterback created any rhythm, sustained a possession or elevated an offense filled with backups. Rookie Cole Payton then directed Philadelphia’s only touchdown drive, giving both veterans another reason to respond this week. Patriots practices offer a better measuring stickThe Eagles will practice against New England on Wednesday and Thursday before Saturday’s preseason game. Those sessions should give Dalton and McKee competitive work, stronger personnel, and defensive looks that require quicker decisions. Dalton brings 15 years of NFL experience and the steady presence Philadelphia values behind Jalen Hurts. McKee provides youth, familiarity and evidence that he can win games when called upon. What neither has provided is separation.One poor preseason game will not decide the competition, but another quiet week could affect how the Eagles distribute their remaining repetitions. Most importantly, Nick Sirianni and Sean Mannion must determine which quarterback gives the offense its best chance if Hurts is unavailable in critical regular-season games. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Andy Dalton, Tanner McKee enter critical week in Eagles backup QB battle

At the end of the school year, a Catholic high school removed all of its Pride flags. Now the school is back at the beginning of a new academic year with a Pride symbol that they think will work for the school since they came up with it themselves. It seems everyone has an opinion on what the Pride flag should look like, whether they’re a part of the community or not. And Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, California, has its own design – “created by and for the O’Dowd community” – that they believe will “visibly communicate that every student belongs.” Related Emblems of equality: Discovering the world of LGBTQ+ Pride flags The symbol is called the “Inclusive O” and is a blocky letter O filled with splotches reminiscent of watercolors. The colors include those found in the Progress Pride flag – purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, brown, black, pink, light blue, and one can infer the white – but without the order or clear delineations of the Pride flag. | Screenshot Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today “It serves as a visible expression of O’Dowd’s commitment that LGBTQ+ students, families, faculty, and staff are welcomed, valued, supported, and belong here,” the school’s website says. “The Inclusive O is now displayed throughout classrooms, offices, and shared spaces across campus.” In a letter to parents, school president Kim Walsh said, “Pride and Progress flags have become part of a much larger conversation taking place throughout the Catholic Church in the United States. Across the country, Catholic schools have been working to navigate these tensions while remaining united as communities, caring for students, and living their Catholic values.” “Last year, this became a lightning rod within our own community,” she wrote without providing any details of the controversy. “Our Inclusive O now appears in lieu of the Pride and Progress flags that had previously been displayed in some classrooms, and is now displayed campus-wide.” Pride flags were hung in the school for the past ten years but were pulled down at the beginning of Pride Month this year, on June 1, without explanation from administration. The Oaklandside reports that the push to remove the flags came from the diocese. “To have an organization that has said, ‘ We care about you. We see you. We support you,’ to then take that away, in many ways, it hurts more than an organization that has always said, ‘No, you are not accepted here,'” LGBTQ+ advocate and former Catholic school student Rick Oculto told the publication. “It’s deeply hurtful, and it feels like they are pandering to the aspects of Christianity that we left a long time ago.” Others praised the school for coming up with a compromise as the Catholic Church itself opposes LGBTQ+ equality even if many Catholics support it. “This is a creative solution to a problem that has bothered Catholic schools in the U.S. for the last few years. Catholic high schools want to affirm their LGBTQ students and faculty, but some people see the Pride flag as a political symbol, and so I think this does the trick of finding a happy medium where using the rainbow colors in a different formation,” Francis DeBernardo of the queer Catholic organization New Ways Ministry told the San Francisco Chronicle. “That is something I have not heard any other school doing.” “I think a lot of Catholic schools are going to be grateful for this solution. I think that a lot of Catholic schools are going to follow suit,” DeBernardo said. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Golfers have been golfing since the end of July, while girls tennis players have been playing since Aug. 7, and soccer opened its season statewide with Futbol Friday Night Aug. 14.Volleyball gets underway this week starting Aug. 17, and the first regular season Friday night football games will be Aug. 21. Cross country starts running officially during the week of Aug. 24.To recognize what's started, here are the first polls of the 2026-27 sports calendar. Fans are asked to pick their favorite boys and girls nominees for the Marion Star's athlete of the week polls.The polls will be found at MarionStar.com and its app in this story. Readers may vote as often as allowed until the polls close at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24.Here are the nominees and polls:Marion Star Boys Athlete of the Week for Aug. 17River Valley golfer Asher Gates was the medalist with an even-par 72 at the Weiss Invitational in Ashland.North Union golfer Ethan Monroe shot a 78 at Colonial Golfers Club in a tournament with Allen East.Pleasant soccer player Rodric Gomez scored two goals and had two assists in a win over Clyde.High school football scoedules: Who's playing who in 2026 and when? Area HS football schedules in fullMarion Harding coach Trent Ramsey: Ramsey shares a love for teaching as this week's Aces of TradeMarion Star Girls Athlete of the Week for Aug. 17River Valley soccer player Sarina Strother scored a pair of goals in a win over Marion Harding.Marion Harding tennis player Kaelyn Bonsel started her season at 3-0 in third singles.North Union golfer Delaney Workman shot a 49 in a win over Graham.rmccurdy@usatodayco.com419-610-0998X @McMotorsportInstagram @rob_mccurdy_starThis article originally appeared on Marion Star: Inaugural Marion Star athlete of the week polls for 2026-27, vote now

Confirmed: Barcelona youngster joins Ajax in permanent transferFollowing Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s loan move, FC Barcelona and Ajax have now confirmed another transfer, with Jofre Torrents making the switch to the Dutch outfit.“Ajax have reached an agreement with FC Barcelona and Jofre Torrents regarding the transfer of the defender,” the statement from the Eredivisie giants read.“The 19-year-old player has signed a contract in Amsterdam that runs until June 30, 2030.”Torrents had been at the Barça academy since 2017, having joined La Masia as a 12-year-old prospect. The young left-back rose through the ranks gradually and made his first-team breakthrough in pre-season in 2025.He went on to make his official first-team debut in a La Liga match against Mallorca in August last year. The Spaniard featured three more times under Hansi Flick.Having been part of the first-team dynamics this summer during the pre-season, it was soon made clear to Torrents that he would not be a part of the team once the campaign started.After all, Barcelona are re-signing Joao Cancelo and have Alejandro Balde and Gerard Martin as options as well. As such, the youngster decided to move on and sign for Ajax on a permanent transfer.While the statement does not divulge the details, the Catalans are expected to receive a fee of around €6 million for the teenager, while retaining 50% of his rights.

Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesKyle Tucker’s difficult first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers has taken another turn after the $240 million star was booed by his own fans during Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. A defensive mistake in the ninth inning proved to be the moment that pushed the frustration at Dodger Stadium over the edge.Tucker went 0-for-3 in the Dodgers’ 6-2 defeat and finished the team’s seven-game homestand without a hit, going 0-for-19. He also came into the game batting just .043 over his previous seven games.The 29-year-old’s problems have been particularly noticeable at home. He was batting .189/.286/.272 at Dodger Stadium, while his overall season numbers had fallen to a .232 average and 97 wRC+.Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty ImagesKyle Tucker’s Dodgers struggles have now turned the home crowd against himThe latest incident came when Tucker failed to secure what should have been a catchable fly ball from Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio.After the ball got away from him, Tucker jogged after it and Luis Lara was able to race to third base. The reaction from the Dodger Stadium crowd was immediate.That was enough to bring another round of boos for a player who has already experienced hostile receptions this season.Tucker was booed by Cubs fans during his return to Wrigley Field earlier this month after leaving Chicago in free agency. He had also heard boos during a return to Houston.This time, however, the criticism came from his own supporters.Los Angeles has also struggled as a team. The Dodgers have lost 11 of their last 16 games since July 31 and dropped three of four against Milwaukee.Manager Dave Roberts has already tried giving Tucker time away from the lineup. After leaving him out on Saturday, Roberts admitted the situation was becoming frustrating.‘This has been four, five, six weeks of below-average production from our offense,’ Roberts said following Sunday’s defeat.Tucker is not the only Dodgers player struggling, but his contract means the attention is naturally greater. Los Angeles invested $240 million expecting one of baseball’s most reliable hitters, yet the return has not matched those expectations.For now, a trip away from Dodger Stadium could give Tucker a chance to reset. After another rough home series, though, the pressure surrounding the Dodgers’ biggest offseason signing is only growing.Read more:Toronto Blue Jays provide concerning Vladimir Guerrero Jr. update after injury against New York Yankees‘Scariest moment of the year’ – Freddie Freeman injury update provided after shock fall into dugoutCal Raleigh makes brutally honest ‘awful’ admission about himself and Seattle Mariners

With nearly a month until the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams are playing it very safe with their biggest stars. Puka Nacua suffered a core muscle injury in last week’s practice with the Dallas Cowboys and has been sidelined ever since. Myles Garrett, meanwhile, has dealt with swelling in his knee, causing him to miss the last week of practice, too.Sean McVay said he expects Nacua to be back on the field this week but he’s not yet ready to return. According to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, Nacua is not practicing on Monday. Garrett also was not in uniform to start practice, meaning he’s also not participating.It’s not time to panic about either of these superstars, given the time of year the Rams are currently in. Nacua and Garrett would be sitting out preseason games anyway, and the team is just aiming to have them both ready for the start of the regular season.Garrett’s injury feels a little bit more worrisome because it’s swelling in his knee and not just “soreness” like Nacua is experiencing, but it’s also easy to understand why the Rams would play it extra safe with their star edge rusher.McVay should provide an update on both players after practice on Monday. Their statuses will be worth monitoring leading up to Thursday’s joint practice with the Saints.This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Myles Garrett and Puka Nacua miss Rams practice again Monday