Annuaire

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, welcomes Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing during their meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace, in Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)2026-08-18T13:28:33Z MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday hosted the head of Myanmar’s military-backed government, who visited Russia on a trip to boost their cooperation.Speaking at the start of the talks with President Min Aung Hlaing, Putin noted both countries have cooperated on foreign policy and security issues and developed economic projects.They have held joint military drills and developed plans for Russia to build a nuclear power plant, a seaport, oil refineries and other facilities in Myanmar.The visit is the latest in a series of trips by Min Aung Hlaing to foreign countries, including neighboring China, India, Laos and Thailand as he seeks to strengthen international recognition and regain diplomatic standing with other countries. Despite the visits, Myanmar has remained largely isolated internationally since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Western nations have imposed economic and political sanctions in response to the takeover by the military, which he led, and its violent repression of the opposition, which has seen the deaths of thousands of civilians and given rise to a civil war.Russia has defended Min Aung Hlaing’s military government in international forums while Myanmar’s ruling generals have generally supported Moscow’s foreign policy agenda. During Tuesday’s talks, Min Aung Hlaing thanked Putin for his political support and emphasized that Myanmar has remained a reliable partner.Russia, along with China, is a major supporter and arms supplier to Myanmar. Russian-made fighter jets are used in attacks on territory under the control of ethnic minority groups, including many allied with pro-democracy resistance forces. Read More Russia’s Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov told reporters that Moscow stands ready to increase supplies of oil products, fertilizers and equipment to Myanmar and boost imports of agricultural products and textiles from the country.The trip marks Min Aung Hlaing’s seventh visit to Russia. Min Aung Hlaing previously met Putin on the sidelines of Moscow’s World Atomic Week Forum in September. Putin has never visited Myanmar. 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. Min Aung Hlaing was inaugurated in April following a general election judged by United Nations experts and rights groups to be neither free nor fair. Critics dismissed the polls, held in phases in December and January, as a sham designed to consolidate the military’s grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule.

Tennessee baseball's Blaine Brown underwent surgery on his left elbow to repair an injury suffered in the Cape Cod League and will miss fall ball, a UT spokesperson confirmed to Knox News on Aug. 18.Brown, a junior two-way player who mostly played left field last season, is expected to return in time for the 2027 season but will not be able to pitch. He will be able to hit, but whether he will play in the field is to be determined. He had internal brace surgery, which typically requires between six and nine months for a full recovery.Brown appeared in 15 games for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod League. He started on the mound for Brewster's playoff game on Aug. 4 but had to exit with athletic trainers after just 1.1 innings.Brown transferred to Tennessee from Rice last offseason and started all but one game for the Vols. He was a highly acclaimed transfer, having been a first-team all-conference selection at Rice the season before and landing on Baseball America's preseason All-American team for 2026.It was ultimately an up-and-down season for Brown at the plate, though. He flashed his power with 13 home runs, 12 doubles and 42 RBIs, but hit .240 batting average and had a .308 on-base percentage. He hit .233 in conference play and was ultimately benched for Tennessee's final game of the season in the Chapel Hill Regional.Usually playing left field and sometimes designated hitter, Brown pitched sparingly last season. He started four games but totaled just three innings with an ERA of 3.00. His last pitching appearance was on April 14 against UNC Asheville.As the only starting outfielder set to return for the 2027 season, Brown was poised to step back into a starting role and perhaps have another chance to prove himself on the mound. Wright State transfer Andrew Duncan is likely to start in center field, but if Brown is unable to play the field both corner outfield spots would be open.Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Blaine Brown injury update, Tennessee baseball player out for fall after surgery

The Cincinnati Bengals have spent the bulk of the offseason upgrading toward the idea of getting back into the playoffs and contending. But other accolades come with such a push, including major award chances for the likes of Joe Burrow. That’s a topic that made the rounds recently at ESPN, with Mina Kimes and Ben Solak attempting to predict next year’s award winners and providing some pretty interesting thoughts on Burrow in the process. Bengals fans will find themselves nodding along with the commentary, especially when Solak noted that the MVP award is all about narratives and Kimes highlighted some positives for the Bengals. “My feeling about Burrow was this—one, he’s never won it,” Kimes said. "…I just feel that, everything is in place. There’s no contract drama with the wide receivers.”Hard to argue with Kimes, who is right about the lack of contract drama (unless the stuff with DJ Turner suddenly turns into an issue) and the fact the Bengals actually have a really solid offensive line, even if most outside of the tri-state area don’t realize it yet. It all has to come together on the field for the Bengals to contend and Burrow to hunt for individual awards. But these sort of measured takes that are actually in tune with the happenings around the Bengals are pretty rare and, for fans, no doubt refreshing.This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Joe Burrow’s MVP case gets a boost from major experts

DETROIT — LIV Golf finally has confirmed what's been quite clear for a while: The Michigan tournament is not happening. LIV Golf announced Monday afternoon it will crown its 2026 individual and team champions this week at its event in Indianapolis. Michigan was supposed to host the season-ending team championship for a second consecutive year, from Aug. 27-30, but there have been countless signs for the past several weeks that Michigan's tournament was doomed, amid the league's ongoing funding crisis. There was no immediate word on financial implications for Saint John's Resort in Plymouth Township, where the tournament was to be hosted at The Cardinal. The resort is believed to have paid a seven-figure fee to LIV to host.How do fans get refunds for tickets to Michigan LIV Golf?LIV Golf said fans who purchased tickets to the Michigan event will receive refunds, but didn't give any specific details on how or when refunds would be issued. The News has reached out to LIV Golf for clarity. LIV Golf still was selling tickets to the Michigan tournament until late last week, despite obvious signs the event wasn't happening."We are disappointed that the LIV Golf team championship will no longer be held in August," Kevin Doyle, COO of the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, said in a statement to The Detroit News. "We were excited to welcome the event back after last year's tremendous reception from fans and the praise Saint John's Resort and The Cardinal received from LIV players. We wish LIV the best in the future. And we remain committed to making Saint John's Resort a place where the Michigan community comes to expect memorable, one-of-a-kind golf and resort experiences."A LIV Golf representative told The Detroit News: "Details on refunds are being communicated directly to affected ticket holders."LIV Golf's 2025 team championship was the first marquee event held at The Cardinal, a championship public course designed by Michigan's Ray Heard. It opened for public play in the spring of 2024. LIV Golf's debut in Michigan was an undeniable hit, drawing more than 20,000 fans to the three-day LIV Golf team championship, which saw Jon Rahm's team beat Bryson DeChambeau's team in a two-hole sudden-death playoff. That capped a weekend that drew rave reviews from fans who were treated to your not-so-typical golf tournament, with music and booze at every turn. LIV Golf announced in December that it was returning to The Cardinal for its 2026 season finale, but things started unraveling in the months that followed, as LIV Golf lost its chief financial backer in the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, amid billions in losses since the league launched in 2022. LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil has been on a frantic search to find new investors, and earlier this month he announced a new lead investor, though he didn't publicly identify the new money person or corporation.That new lead investment is reportedly hinging on the commitment of players, most notable Rahm and DeChambeau, the league's two biggest stars. They are being asked to take on more equity, perhaps in lieu of at least some of the dollars remaining on their contracts. Rahm is said to be owed more than $100 million. Rahm and DeChambeau haven't announced decisions on their short- or long-term futures. Brooks Koepka left LIV Golf earlier this year to return to the PGA Tour, while Patrick Reed also left LIV Golf this year, with an eye on returning to the PGA Tour in 2026.In the meantime, amid the league's funding crisis, there had been no infrastructure buildout at The Cardinal, an obvious sign the tournament long had long been doomed. It typically takes multiple months of building grandstands, VIP hospitality structures and concession areas ahead of hosting big-time golf tournaments. Saint John's staff had been telling curious recreational golfers for weeks that the tournament was not happening. The team championship in Michigan also was supposed to have a $40 million purse.What does the future look like for LIV Golf?The league's funding issues will hit Indianapolis' tournament, too, to be held Aug. 20-24. LIV Golf announced Monday that its concert lineup for the tournament at Chatham Hills no longer is happening. Thomas Rhett and Disco Lines were set to perform. "By concluding the season now, we can put our full resources behind what comes next and maintain the operational rigor this transition demands," O'Neil said in a statement Monday. "As we concentrate on finishing the season strong and building the next chapter of LIV Golf, we'll carry the energy and enthusiasm our fans have shown us into what comes next. The road ahead is possible because of the people who stand behind this league — our fans, players, caddies, employees, partners and sponsors."On canceling the Michigan tournament, the league said in its Monday press release, "LIV Golf is grateful to the Pulte Family Foundation for their partnership and support." The Michigan tournament is the second canceled by LIV Golf this season. Earlier, it canceled an event in New Orleans.LIV golfers Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk and Tom McKibbon already had signed up to play a DP World Tour tournament next week, the same week as the now-scrapped Michigan tournament, before LIV Golf's announcement. Saint John's remains interested in hosting marquee golf tournaments, and before it landed LIV Golf's championship in 2025, it had discussions with the LPGA. It also has eyed the Korn Ferry Tour. The Cardinal plays just over 7,000 yards, max, so it's too short to host a PGA Tour tournament, but the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, which oversees the resort, hasn't shot down the speculation that it would be interested in sponsoring a PGA Tour tournament somewhere in Detroit and Metro Detroit. The Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club was played for the eighth and final time this month. Doyle declined comment Monday when asked about any specific interest in the PGA Tour.tpaul@detroitnews.com. @tonypaul1984This article originally appeared on Golfweek: What's the financial fallout of canceled LIV Golf event in Michigan?

The Washington Huskies have a lot of promising talent at wide receiver heading into the 2026 season, but the majority of it is unproven, including sophomore Chris Lawson.After the former four-star recruit's career on Montlake got off to a hot start in the spring of 2025, injuries limited him in the fall, which led to him playing in eight games and tallying 10 catches for 110 yards in his debut campaign before he was sidelined for about half of the workouts in the spring of 2026. Now, fully healthy, Lawson has been making his mark left and right during fall camp.During Saturday's scrimmage, Lawson compiled 5 catches for an estimated 90 yards, including an impressive 40-yard reception downfield from sophomore Treston Kini McMillan. While working against freshman cornerback Elijah Durr, he made a mid-air adjustment on a slightly underthrown pass to go up and over the defensive back to haul in the pass, as he has become a consistent contributor for the Huskies over the last few days of practice, which has caught the eye of coach Jedd Fisch."Chris is getting better and better. It's really making the competition at receiver is really becoming better than it's ever been, also, because you've got Chris, then you've got, and (Dezmen) Roebuck, you've got Rashid playing at a high level, and Christian (Moss), then you got Trez (Davis), and then Mason (James) makes some plays, messing a nice little catch down there, and a couple other plays," Fisch said of his depth of the position on Saturday.As Washington's young talent continues to shine at the position, even with four-star freshman Jordan Clay sidelined with an injury, Lawson's versatility has continued to set him apart."So you got guys that are constantly working, and we've got to get Jordan Clay back," Fisch continued. "Jordan Clay should be back for Tuesday's practice. So he's got to step up, and he's got to go compete and make it hard. But, um, I love the way Lawson's playing. And the thing about Chris is he can play all three spots. So, Chris' flexibility at Z, at X, and at F for us is a big difference."This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Sophomore WR rising into important role for Washington football

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 14: Houston Astros General Manager Dana Brown speaks with media about pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. having surgery to repair his right flexor tendon and bone spur prior to the game against the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park on June 14, 2023 in Houston, Texas. McCullers, Jr. will not return this season. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) | Getty Images In 2023, the Astros, fresh off a World Series title, brought in a new general manager in Dana Brown. Brown was lauded for his scouting acumen given his background as an amateur scout and his role in helping build a strong organization in Atlanta.With the 2026 MLB Draft now complete, we have four draft classes to evaluate what Brown and company have been able to do. Let’s take a look at those classes, along with the international signings and trades, and see how the Astros’ farm system compares to where it was when Brown took over in 2023.Going into the 2023 season, the Astros had a decent farm system with two Top 100 prospects in Hunter Brown and Yainer Diaz, according to Baseball America. Diaz, however, was not included on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list.2023In the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the Astros held the 28th pick and selected shortstop Brice Matthews out of Nebraska. Matthews eventually broke into Pipeline’s Top 100 in July 2025, ranking No. 98. Their second-round pick, Alonzo Tredwell, had a breakout 2025 season but has only pitched one in 2026.The Astros had a few other intriguing picks, including Jake Bloss, who was eventually traded in the deal for Yusei Kikuchi; Chase Jaworsky, who was traded for Jesus Sanchez; and Ethan Pecko, who is now one of the top pitching prospects in the system. Nehomar Ochoa and Anthony Huezo were two later-round fliers who have developed into legitimate prospects.Also of interest from that draft are right-handers Jackson Nezuh (Triple-A) and James Hicks (Double-A), along with an intriguing C/1B option in Will Bush. While it doesn’t appear the class produced any slam-dunk top prospects, it has already produced two major league players, and I would expect at least another two or three to debut.At the 2023 trade deadline, Brown traded Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford for Justin Verlander and Korey Lee for Kendall Graveman, dealing away some talent from the system in an effort to bolster the major league club.2024The 2024 international class was the first that Brown was really a part of. The Astros signed Cesar Hernandez for $1.7 million, but he has struggled, hitting just .242 over three minor league seasons. Luis Rives also received a significant bonus and is currently a 21-year-old in the FCL. There is still time for him to develop, but there hasn’t been much else of note from that class so far.The 2024 draft was the next step in the process of rebuilding the system. In the first round, No. 28 overall, the Astros selected Walker Janek. He had a solid 2025 season, but 2026 has been a struggle as he’s hitting just .215 in Double-A. The Astros didn’t have a second-round pick due to signing Josh Hader. Their third-round pick, Ryan Forcucci, unfortunately hasn’t been able to stay healthy and has struggled in 2026.Looking deeper into the draft, there are some good prospects in Cole Hertzler, Caden Powell, Joseph Sullivan and Jason Schiavone. They also found Bryce Mayer in the 16th round, and he is now one of the top pitching prospects in the system. On the undrafted side, they landed Lucas Spence and Jagger Beck. Only one player from that draft class has debuted so far, and it was Spence.At the 2024 trade deadline, Brown traded Joey Loperfido, Jake Bloss and Will Wagner for Yusei Kikuchi. None were Top 100 prospects at the time, though Bloss was trending in that direction before the trade.2025The next big date was the international signing period in January 2025, and so far, it looks like the Astros nailed it. They gave their biggest bonus that year to Kevin Alvarez, who is now a Top 100 prospect and the top prospect in the system. Anthony Millan has also drawn good reviews, while Juan Fraide and Sami Manzueta look like other solid finds from the class.The 2025 draft was next, and the Astros went with prep talent Xavier Neyens in the first round. He has been as advertised, showing big power along with some swing-and-miss, but he has still developed into a Top 100 prospect in baseball. The Astros didn’t have a second-round pick due to signing Christian Walker, but their third-round pick, Ethan Frey, appears to be a nice selection.Other picks who have drawn interest from that class include Nick Potter, Gabel Pentecost, Jase Mitchell and Justin Thomas. A few other names are intriguing as well, but it’s still very early in their professional careers.At the 2025 trade deadline, Brown made a series of smaller moves, trading away a few prospects but nobody who was considered a significant piece of the system.2026Next came the 2026 international signing period, where the Astros signed Albert Fermin, who has been great and is on the verge of Top 100 consideration, and Randy Arias, who signed for more than $1 million. It’s way too early to make any definitive judgments on the class, but Fermin already looks like a great pickup.In Brown’s three-plus years as general manager, no opportunity to improve the farm system was more important than the 2026 draft. The Astros had two first-round picks and two fourth-round picks, giving them an opportunity to inject significant talent into the organization.They selected Logan Hughes and Jack Radel in the first round, Wes Mendes in the second and then added overslot signings in Keon Johnson and Beau Peterson. Six players from the class have already made Pipeline’s Top 30 Astros prospects list and while debuts have been limited, there is a lot to like with this class.Where Does the System Stand?A general manager’s job is never finished, but the Astros have found some nice prospects through both the draft and international market under Brown. They’ve also missed on a few high picks, which is inevitable when evaluating multiple draft classes.The biggest difference now is the depth of legitimate prospects throughout the organization. Alvarez and Neyens have developed into Top 100 prospects, which is the first time having two top 100 prospects in a long time. Players such as Fermin, Mayer, Pecko, Hertzler, Frey, Schiavone, Huezo and others have given the system more depth behind them. That’s before knowing what the Astros will ultimately get out of a potentially important 2026 draft class.There have also been prospects traded away during Brown’s tenure, most notably in deals to improve the major league roster, which has worked against some of the progress made through the draft and international market.Overall, I would say the Astros’ farm system is in a better spot today than it was when Brown took over in 2023. How much better could ultimately hinge on the 2026 draft class. With multiple premium picks and six players already ranked among the organization’s Top 30 prospects, that group has a chance to define Brown’s success in rebuilding the Astros’ farm system.View LinkView Link

Republicans previously sued Google claiming its spam filter was biased, but the case was dismissed. The company will now allow verified campaigns to more easily bypass the spam filter.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are seeking larger oil reserves in Japan and South Korea as regional conflict threatens supply routes.

ESTES PARK, CO—Noting the bag’s elongated oval shape, prominent Wilson logo, and the fact that its owner was walking directly toward a tennis court, a new report released Tuesday concluded that the tennis-racket-shaped bag in local man Marcus Walman’s hand just had to be full of tennis rackets. “Using a multivariate Bayesian object-classification framework incorporating a 40,000-image training set of recreational sporting equipment, we determined that when a person is carrying a bag specifically contoured to the dimensions of a tennis racket, particularly while dressed in tennis clothes and in the vicinity of a tennis facility, there is a greater than 94% probability that the bag contains at least one tennis racket,” said report co-author Melissa Crane, adding that while the possibility remained that Walman was transporting similarly shaped objects such as a toilet brush, an oversized lollipop, or perhaps a stingray, specialized carrying cases for those items were comparatively rare. “We ran thousands of simulations, controlled for brand visibility, zipper placement, shoulder-strap length, and material-density estimates, and every model points to the same conclusion: That thing is almost certainly packed with rackets. Frankly, we’d be stunned if it contained anything else.” At press time, Walman had reportedly unzipped the bag to reveal approximately six pounds of mixed nuts. The post Report: Tennis-Racket-Shaped Bag Gotta Be Full Of Tennis Rackets appeared first on The Onion.

Geneticists used CRISPR to produce twin beagle pups who do not make the lead allergy-causing protein found in dogs, opening up new possibilities for gene-editing technologies. What do you think? “One day I’ll be able to edit my genes to make me allergic to them all over again.” Renée Arellanez, Tuna Prepper “Good. Now give them wings.” Oscar Halifax, Magnet Strengthener “People will do anything to not have to get a bichon frise.” Andy Geiger, Piñata Hanger The post Gene Editing Used To Create Hypoallergenic Beagles appeared first on The Onion.

WASHINGTON—Saying he would not hesitate to use force if she continued to disobey his orders, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered a military blockade Monday of a woman attempting to walk away from him in a D.C.-area bar. “Until further notice, U.S. troops shall not allow this gorgeous woman to pass,” said an irate, slurring Hegseth, who claimed he’d ordered several of the nation’s top infantry units to carry out a preemptive strike should the young, attractive bar patron attempt to leave the building and get into an Uber. “If she thinks she can just waltz out of here before I finish my story about my triumphant victory at Marine Corps Beer Olympics last summer, she has another thing coming. Because unless I get her number, she will absolutely not be allowed to pass via air, land, or sea.” At press time, Hegseth announced he’d extended the military blockade after several of the woman’s friends called him a “creep” and attempted to pull her into the ladies’ room. The post Pete Hegseth Orders Military Blockade Of Woman Attempting To Walk Away From Him appeared first on The Onion.

An airplane flies high in the sky with the moon in the background in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Jan. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)2026-08-18T14:21:25Z Hundreds of commercial flights will be told to change their paths over the northeastern Atlantic Ocean during the next two winters to show how minor altitude adjustments can reduce aviation’s climate impact. The British government is backing the landmark airspace-scale trial, launched Tuesday, to avoid creating condensation trails, or contrails. Google UK is contributing its artificial intelligence-powered forecasts to identify the contrail regions.When airplanes fly through cold and humid areas, ice crystals can form around the soot particles emitted from the engine, creating clouds that trap heat and warm the planet. The Shanwick Oceanic Control Area in the eastern half of the North Atlantic corridor, the location of the trial, is a busy gateway for air traffic between Europe and North America. It’s also a hot spot for where contrails form. The 30-month research program known as Operation Blue Skies includes test periods this winter and next, when air traffic controllers will tell some flights to deviate up to 2,000 feet (610 meters) to avoid areas where contrails are likely to form. These will be minor altitude adjustments within standard flight operations, coordinated through established air traffic control communication channels, according to the British government. There will be about 20 to 40 test days per winter, when there is less air traffic. Around 10,000 flights are expected to pass through the Shanwick airspace during the testing. Hundreds of those flights would deviate their routes. That 1 % to 5% would be enough to demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in contrail formation on an airspace-scale, said Paul Hodgson, Google’s technical lead for Operation Blue Skies. Individual airlines have tested shifting altitudes to avoid contrail regions. Earlier this year, Google and American Airlines announced that the airline significantly reduced the climate impact of some flights using Google’s AI-based forecasting tool to help prevent contrails. Read More This new effort expands on individual airline trials to try mitigating contrails across an entire flight corridor. The thin, white lines that form behind airplanes are responsible for a surprising amount of Earth’s warming — 1% to 2%, according to Contrails.org, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to reducing aviation’s climate impact through contrail management, as part of the Breakthrough Energy group founded by Bill Gates. Modeling shows that the Shanwick airspace accounts for about 5% of the total contributed by contrails, with a significant amount occurring during winter.Keir Mather, the UK minister responsible for aviation, said the government is partnering with Google to back British experts and innovators to find practical ways to make flying cleaner. The government is paying for more than half of the 5 million pound ($6.76 million) study. Google called contrails one of the most urgent yet solvable climate challenges facing aviation today.Hodgson said testing over an airspace, versus individual airline trials, can show how it’s possible to move multiple planes away simultaneously from an area where contrails will form, and can show if contrails can be reduced overall for a region. This could provide a blueprint for similar airspaces, he added.Along with Google and the UK Department for Transport, the consortium includes the Met Office, the UK’s leading air navigation service provider NATS, Contrails.org, Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge. An Imperial College London study in 2020 found that small changes to flight paths could reduce the climate impact of contrails. Professor Marc Stettler said Operation Blue Skies is a chance to test that idea in the real world, on a scale never seen before.___The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. JENNIFER McDERMOTT McDermott is a reporter on the Associated Press Climate and Environment team. She focuses on the transition to clean energy. twitter mailto

Parti Quebecois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon listens to a question during a University of Calgary School of Public Policy event in Calgary, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File)2026-08-18T13:58:28Z TORONTO (AP) — The leader of Quebec’s separatist party said Tuesday he would delay any referendum on independence from Canada until Donald Trump is no longer U.S. president.Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, whose party is out of power but could win Quebec’s next election that must be held by Oct. 5, said a PQ government would still hold a referendum during its first term — but not before Jan. 20, 2029, when Trump’s term ends. He said a question as consequential as Quebec’s future requires a clear and calm debate.“It must not be hijacked by the upheavals of American politics, nor by the outbursts of an unpredictable president, nor by fear campaigns,” St-Pierre Plamondon said.“This unpredictability of the American administration will harm our process as well as the quality of the debate on our future as a nation.”Trump’s tariffs and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have complicated the separatist case in Quebec, fueling Canadian nationalism and prompting some French-speaking Quebecers to see greater security in remaining part of Canada. Separatist sentiment has also surfaced in Alberta, where voters will decide Oct. 19 whether the province should take steps toward holding a binding referendum on leaving Canada. Separatist referendums would face an uphill battle in both Quebec and Alberta, with Trump’s tariffs and 51st-state rhetoric strengthening the case for remaining in Canada Quebec voters have twice rejected sovereignty, most recently by a razor-thin margin in a 1995 referendum. Read More Quebec, which is about 80% French-speaking, already has significant autonomy. The province of 9.1 million collects its own income tax, has immigration policies favoring French speakers and has laws giving French priority over English.The Parti Québécois was founded in the 1960s under René Lévesque and has long sought to make Quebec an independent country.The Parti Québécois has governed Quebec several times without holding a referendum, including during its most recent stint in power from 2012 to 2014.Quebec’s identity has been contentious since the 1760s, when the British completed their takeover of what was then called New France.

It's Week 2 of our series covering the biggest Risers and Fallers in Yahoo ADP, and we've got a host of depth chart diamonds (or duds) on the move heading into late-August and the heart of fantasy draft season. For the full context, you can check out the first piece here. Let's get right into it!Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL seasonBiggest ADP RisersHonorable MentionsVery briefly, there's a trio of ADP risers at wide receiver that I really like and want to highlight. Malik Nabers continues to trend towards playing in Week 1 and, even after rising to 32nd overall, is still being undervalued. We saw Michael Wilson flash briefly in Week 1 of the preseason, a reminder of his absurd second half of last season, and jump up nearly eight spots in ADP as a result. He's still a value past Pick 100. Finally, Josh Downs, one of my favorite "sleepers" in 2026 drafts, is up to 105th overall as the fantasy community starts to understand his role in the Indy offense (and Alec Pierce remains banged up).4. Jonathon Brooks, Panthers, RB (ADP: 105.6, ↑ 8.6)Last week (and, spoiler alert, this week again), we hit on Chuba Hubbard's slide in drafts as he remains week-to-week with a hamstring issue. Unsurprisingly, Jonathon Brooks is seeing an inverse rise as fantasy drafters begin to realize he may be the lead back in Carolina. Remember, the team drafted Brooks early in the second round two years ago — capital that suggests RB1 expectations — and he just has not seen the field thanks to horrible injury misfortune. Heading into 2026, Brooks is pushing past Hubbard as the lead back in Carolina and has the talent to be a fantasy star with a starting role. Plus, you still don't need to draft him early — he's going around the 8-9 turn, which could make him a viable RB4 or RB5 depending on your build. That's low risk for a potentially sky-high reward.Subscribe to Fantasy Ultra to unlock our Strategy Lab, 150+ page Draft Playbook and more!3. MarShawn Lloyd, Packers, RB (ADP: 132.1, ↑ 9.5)Very similarly to Brooks, Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd earned Day 2 draft capital in 2024 (88th overall) but has missed the vast majority of his first two NFL seasons since. He literally has six career carries (all in Week 2, 2024). So why is his ADP on the rise? Because he saw all the work with the first-team offense with Josh Jacobs absent for the preseason opener against Pittsburgh, racking up five touches on the first eight plays from scrimmage. Jacobs has missed practice time with a groin injury and is still somewhat mired in question marks surrounding his alleged domestic abuse incident in May. Should the injury bug become a bigger problem for Jacobs — or should the NFL dole out a suspension — Lloyd appears to be firmly established as the next-man-up. Jacobs has shouldered 607 touches the past two seasons in Green Bay, and Lloyd would be extremely fantasy relevant with that kind of volume even if he wasn't particularly efficient. Among the many late-round backups at running back, Lloyd looks particularly promising, making him an attractive stash at the end of drafts.2. Stefon Diggs, Commanders, WR (ADP: 119.8, ↑ 12.1)Stefon Diggs made the column last week after jumping more than a round in ADP days after his signing with Washington. Another week later and he's up another round. For those who weren't here last week, or need a refresher, Diggs finished as the WR17 in New England last year, with 85 catches for 1,013 yards. And perhaps more importantly, when projecting his outlook with the Commanders, he averaged 2.4 yards per route run, trailing only Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers and Amon-Ra St. Brown among all players with 300+ routes. I said last week that I believe Diggs could be a better fantasy pick than Terry McLaurin, and at the very least the ADP gap between them is shrinking. I have Diggs ranked as my WR38 and think he should probably end up in the late single-digit rounds. He's encroaching on that territory now, so keep checking back for updates, but I'm still happily taking Diggs in the early 10th.1. De'Zhaun Stribling, 49ers, WR (ADP: 127.2, ↑ 26.3)Last week saw a very small 3-4 spot boost in ADP for 49ers rookie wideout De'Zhaun Stribling, but he still made the column amid the loss of Ricky Pearsall (knee) and the practice absences of both Mike Evans (quad) and Christian Kirk (calf).Red alert. Stribling absolutely rocketed up ADP after the preseason opener, in which he caught seven of eight targets for 63 yards, including a couple highlight-reel snags. He is already starting to lend credence to the draft reach San Fran's front office made in April ... and might be making a case for a draft reach in fantasy as well. This is a consistently efficient offense with a quarterback in Brock Purdy who throws plenty of touchdowns. Stribling will likely continue to rise (from the 11th round) and I'm now taking him over fellow rookie Jordyn Tyson (injured), Xavier Worthy and Matthew Golden (among others).Biggest ADP Fallers4. Chuba Hubbard, Panthers, RB (ADP: 75.2, ↓ 5.1)Chuba Hubbard made the first column in this series, but that was shortly before he was announced to be week-to-week with a hamstring injury. Now, as noted above, Hubbard is starting to fall down fantasy draft boards under the pretense that he could lose the starting job to Brooks. (Candidly, I had already believed Brooks would win the starting job, or at least hold the bigger half of a committee.) And if there's one thing that scares me off drafting a player more than anything else, it's soft tissue issues in August. No thank you. Even after he's dropped to 84th overall, I'm not touching Hubbard in drafts. He'd need to slide another couple rounds, into or beyond the range of Rachaad White and Jordan Mason, to even draw a glance from me.3. Courtland Sutton, Broncos, WR (ADP: 100.4, ↓ 7.7)Courtland Sutton is not dealing with an injury and caught all three of his targets for 60 yards (including a 40-yarder) in the preseason opener, so there's only one viable explanation for his nearly-eight-spot drop in ADP. The fantasy community is starting to properly value Jaylen Waddle and his role as the WR1 in Denver. Waddle is up to 42nd overall this week — and I like him a full round earlier than that — while Sutton drops into the range of the WR4s like Quentin Johnston and Jordan Addison (fellow touchdown-dependent No. 2s)."But, Okada, Sutton had 120+ targets each of the last two years in Denver!" Yes, but that was a result of zero relevant competition for those targets. Prior to 2024, Sutton had logged 109 targets or fewer in five of his six seasons. Just from a profile perspective, he's more of a big-bodied downfield and red-zone guy, not a high-volume No. 1. That's Waddle's job. Particularly in any form of PPR scoring, I think Sutton belongs closer to the WR4s than the WR2s, and his ADP is starting to reflect that more and more.2. Kyle Monangai, Bears, RB (ADP: 97.6, ↓ 8.7)Bears running back Kyle Monangai suffered a hyperextended knee in practice and is expected to miss multiple weeks. Theoretically, here in mid-August, that should still put him on track to return in or around Week 1 ... but it also puts the injury cloud over his head and his draft price. On the one hand, it makes him a riskier pick in the ninth round, and drafters might be justified in turning to guys like Brooks (see above), J.K. Dobbins and Blake Corum. On the other hand, this might create an opportunity to get Monangai at a discount. We're primarily drafting him as a backup to D'Andre Swift, with the potential for a sort of Detroit-David-Montgomery upside in Ben Johnson's vision for a record-breaking Bears offense. Unless you're going Zero RB, Monangai doesn't need to make your starting lineup in Week 1 or 2, so this injury isn't taking him off my draft board. If anything, I might be more inclined to consider him if/as he drops towards the double-digit rounds. Keep an eye on his recovery process, particularly if you don't draft for a couple weeks. And do consider glancing at RB3 Roschon Johnson in very deep leagues.1. Makai Lemon, Eagles, WR (ADP: 106.5, ↓ 10.9)The Eagles' pick at 20th overall, and hopefully heir to A.J. Brown, is not trending in the right direction. Makai Lemon has remained sidelined at practice for two weeks due to a lingering hamstring injury. And as I mentioned with Hubbard earlier, I hate soft tissue issues in August. As I said last week, the chances that Lemon misses time, starts slow and/or re-aggravates the injury throughout the year are all increasingly high. Moreover, missing this much of training camp and the preseason is particularly concerning for a rookie wide receiver. They usually take longer to acclimate and produce for fantasy and this is only going to extend that timeline. Frankly, Lemon is all the way down to WR65 in my rankings, which makes him essentially undraftable at his current ADP of WR46 (even after his multi-week slide). It's not impossible that he rights the ship and ends up a huge value (especially with DeVonta Smith also banged up), but as of right now, I'd rather take the shot on one of the several rookie wideouts with fewer red flags, like Stribling (see above), Ja'Kobi Lane or KC Concepcion.

Payton Talbott will look to enter the UFC bantamweight rankings when he takes on a former champion.Talbott meets Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 332 (Paramount+) on Oct. 3 from Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The UFC announced the matchup Tuesday, along with six others that includes Johnny Walker vs. Mick Parkin and Ateba Gautier vs. Roman Kopylov.Talbott (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is coming off his biggest-career win, a unanimous decision over former two-division champ Henry Cejudo at UFC 323 this past December. The 27-year-old has just one blemish on his record, which came against Raoni Barcelos at UFC 311.Figueiredo (25-7-1 MMA, 14-7-1 UFC) has lost two fights in a row, with back-to-back setbacks against top contenders Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong. Figueiredo, the former UFC flyweight champ has lost four of his past five fights, with his lone win in that stretch coming by split decision over Montel Jackson at UFC Fight Night 261.Walker (22-10 MMA, 8-7 UFC) vs. Parkin (10-1 UFC, 4-1) is a light heavyweight matchup of fighters coming off losses. Walker lost a split decision to Dominick Reyes in April at UFC 327, while Parkin lost a unanimous decision to Marcin Tybura in March for his first career setback.The current UFC 332 lineup includes:Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Payton TalbottMick Parkin vs. Johnny WalkerAteba Gautier vs. Roman KopylovDamian Pinas vs. Andrey PulyaevIsmail Naurdiev vs. Marvin VettoriAlden Coria vs. Imanol RodriguezCourt McGee vs. Eric NolanThis article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Payton Talbott vs. Deiveson Figueiredo among 7 fights booked for UFC 332

🚨 Official statement: Chelsea's bold call on their reserve teamChelsea have decided to rename their U21 and U19 teams. They will now be called “Cobham Next Gen”.Cobham is the name of the Blues’ prestigious academy, located in Surrey, southwest of London, and considered one of the best in Europe. Chelsea hope to build on this iconic brand to give new momentum to their youth teams.The U21 team currently plays in Premier League 2 and is often involved in the title race.In the current first-team squad, two true Cobham products in particular play an important role: Reece James and Levi Colwill.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

Patrick Vieira has been appointed as Senegal's new head coach, taking over the national side following his departure from Genoa last November. The Senegal-born former Arsenal captain had been out of work since being sacked by the Serie A club.The 50-year-old succeeds Pape Thiaw, who was dismissed after Senegal suffered defeat against Belgium in the round of 32 at the recent World Cup. During his playing career, Vieira won three Premier League titles with Arsenal and claimed both the World Cup and European Championship with France, in 1998 and 2000 respectively.A statement published on the Senegal national team’s X account read: "Mr Patrick Vieira is the new coach of the Senegalese national A team.Vieira replaces Pape Thiaw (Getty)"The date of the official presentation and the next steps in its installation will be communicated at a later date. Welcome to Senegal, coach."Vieira, who was capped 107 times by France, previously had managerial spells at Nice and New York City before spending two years in charge of Crystal Palace. He left Palace in March 2023 to join Strasbourg as head coach the same year, before undertaking a 12-month stint with Genoa.Vieira takes over from Thiaw following a chaotic period for the Senegalese national team. Senegal were crowned Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) champions in January following a dramatic 1-0 victory over hosts Morocco after extra time.However, the game was marred by controversy after Senegal staged a walk-off protest in added time after Morocco were awarded a penalty when the score was level at 0-0.After a break of approximately 20 minutes, the Senegal players returned to the pitch and Brahim Diaz had his penalty saved, as the game went into extra time.Senegal went on to win the match 1-0, but the result was overturned by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) appeals board following Senegal’s protest, as Morocco were handed a 3-0 forfeit victory and the title.The case is now set to head to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with a hearing set for 8 October.Following the Afcon drama, Senegal endured a disappointing World Cup, losing three of their four matches against France, Norway and Belgium.

An offensive line is built on chemistry and with the Chicago Bears getting a new center, it seemed like the unit would have to start over building that chemistry. However, left guard Joe Thuney has some experience playing with the Bears new center Garrett Bradbury.This will be the first time that Thuney and Bradbury have been on the same roster since college. Back in 2014 and 2015, they played together at NC State. Bradbury was in his first two seasons while Thuney was in his final two seasons before getting drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. While it's early, Thuney has enjoyed playing alongside Bradbury again and has also been impressed with how Bradbury has been making such an effort to learn head coach Ben Johnson’s offense."It’s crazy after all these years being back together now," Thuney said. "He’s really smart and communicates so well. Athletic, strong, does a lot of things really well, and he’s done a lot of work to catch himself up on the offense and all the terms we use. He’s been great from day one, and it’s fun playing next to him."Neither Thuney or Bradbury played in Chicago’s preseason opener since Johnson opted not to play most starters. However, he has not ruled out the possibility of the Bears playing their starters at some point in either of their final two seasons games against the Cincinnati Bengals or Tennessee Titans. It may help the whole unit to get in a drive or two during the preseason to help build that on-the-field chemistry, especially since the Bears are still figuring out who will be the starting left tackle.Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and InstagramThis article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Joe Thuney discusses reunion with Bears center Garrett Bradbury

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), the frontrunner in the race to become Florida’s next governor, attacked the Democratic frontrunner repeatedly for his support of some trans rights. Arguing that Democratic frontrunner and former Rep. David Jolly isn’t “a cultural fit for our state,” Donalds said on a recent podcast, “David Jolly is somebody who believes it’s still okay for boys to play in girls’ sports. He thinks it’s okay to allow for gender reassignment surgery for minors. I mean, that’s, that’s crazy. Transgendering the kids? Nobody believes that, nobody with common sense.” Related TLC’s Chilli claims she’s “not MAGA” after sharing “Michelle Obama is a man” conspiracy theory Your LGBTQ+ guide to Elections Stay ahead of the election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today While Florida is holding its primary election today, Donalds is by far the favorite to win the GOP nod. He was endorsed by the president earlier this year, and polling shows that he has nearly 50% support in a crowded field. And he’ll likely face Jolly, a former Republican congressmember who switched parties in 2022 to support Andrew Yang’s centrist “Forward Party” and then run as a Democrat this year. Donalds has a long history of opposing LGBTQ+ rights, getting a three and then a zero out of 100 on HRC’s Congressional Scorecard for the past two sessions of Congress, going so far as to vote against marriage equality in 2022. Now, Donalds is running for governor as the current Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, is term-limited. And he’s following DeSantis’ path by making LGBTQ+ issues central to his platform to attract right-wing support. Donalds brought up his anti-trans accusations at a rally in Sarasota yesterday, with similar phrasing, showing that the well-rehearsed attack lines will likely continue in the general election. “David Jolly is somebody who believes it’s okay for boys to be in girls’ sports,” Donalds said at the rally. “It’s just him and the WNBA now who thinks this. This is just crazy. Everybody already knows that makes no sense.” And at another recent rally in an unspecified city, reported by Advocate, Donalds repeated the WNBA line and also added a jab at Jolly’s support for trans people’s medical freedom. “David Jolly still thinks it’s okay to transgender kids. This is sick to me,” he said. “Even the American Medical Association has finally realized that this is insanity. That you do not take the puberty from kids. You protect their puberty. Even European countries have realized this now, and they’ve stopped this practice. But David Jolly and the radical Democrat socialists-they still support it.” Donalds’ ads also focus on trans rights. One of the ads not only shows a picture of Pennsylvania college swimmer Lia Thomas, who is transgender, it also has part of a speech where Jolly says, “If a local community wants to paint a mural for the LGBTQ+ community, I’ll buy you a can of paint.” The color saturation is low and ominous music plays, showing that Donalds thinks that is bad. Jolly, though, isn’t the solid supporter of trans people’s rights that Donalds makes him out to be. He said in an interview earlier this month, “I don’t think we should have biologically born men playing in competitive sports,” but added that he doesn’t think that the state government should be getting involved “if a 10- or 12-year-old soccer league in the community has a coed team.” And when it comes to gender-affirming care for trans youth, his position is that the government shouldn’t be getting involved in what is a decision to be made by families and medical professionals, which is not the same as support for “transgendering kids.” His “parents’ rights” position was enough to get him the endorsement of Equality Florida Action PAC. Donalds is incorrect when talking about the American Medical Association, which, like all major professional medical bodies in the US, supports gender-affirming care for trans youth. And European countries, being multiple countries, have different positions on gender-affirming care, with large European countries like France and Germany supporting it. But, as DeSantis has shown, there is an appetite for this kind of rhetoric in Florida, and it could be Donalds’ path to victory in November. Florida’s primary elections are being held today. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

High blood pressure, diabetes and smoking are three major modifiable risk factors of dementia. New research tracked more than 12,000 participants to quantify how many years of healthy cognitive function you can gain by evading some or all of them during middle age

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02524-2It is 20 years since induced pluripotent stem cells shook biomedicine. Public trust must be retained now that clinical trials are well under way.

The politician behind Texas’ conservative overhaul of higher education is now running a university system. Some say his effort to ferret out forbidden topics is a dystopian academic nightmare.

The consequences of A.I. for the budget will largely hinge on whether — and to what extent — the technology reshapes the labor market.

People spend time at a beach as commercial vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)2026-08-18T14:30:05Z CAIRO (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman because he is unhappy the country is close to a deal with Iran to manage ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, two regional officials said Tuesday, a day after Trump leveled the threat.The officials said the Trump administration has told Oman it is opposed to parts of the yet-to-be-announced deal, including the joint Iranian and Omani management of the exit route out of the passage that’s critical to global supplies of oil and natural gas. The officials were briefed on the U.S. position and how the administration views Oman’s position.Meanwhile, a projectile hit a ship as it sailed out of the strait, according to the British military’s maritime monitoring agency, and an Iranian official said the waterway would not reopen until the United States meets Iran’s conditions. US believes Oman has not been tough enough with IranThe U.S. believes Oman has not been tough enough in its negotiations with Iran and is unhappy with Oman’s agreement to collect voluntary fees from vessels, even if the charges are related to security and maritime environmental protection, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists. Trump on Monday threatened to bomb Oman as it works with Iran on a deal to open the strait and pave the way for the U.S. and Iran to resume negotiations to end the war. Read More He posted a map on social media Tuesday depicting the strait as a U.S. territory. The president first mentioned the idea in an offhand comment last week. On Monday, he told reporters in the Oval Office, “I like the idea of declaring it a territory,” without providing details.The White House on Tuesday referred to Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office and declined to comment further about Oman. Iran refers to Trump’s ‘delusion’ about the straitIranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi appeared to respond to Trump’s post on social media depicting the strait as American territory.“Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will soon either be corrected, or we will correct this deluded man’s delusions for him,” Gharibabadi wrote on X. 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. Trump’s comment on Monday was not the first time he has threatened Oman. In May, he told reporters during a Cabinet meeting that Oman “will behave just like everybody else, or we will have to blow them up.”Iran reiterated Tuesday that Tehran plans to maintain its grip on shipping traffic until Washington meets its conditions.“Until the United States fulfills its commitments under the agreement, including lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, lifting oil sanctions, ending threats and military operations on all fronts, and implementing the other conditions to which it committed, the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen,” said Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and negotiator in previous talks with the U.S.The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Iranian-Omani deal could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations for a “comprehensive and permanent deal that addresses all concerns and enhances regional security and stability.”The statement came after a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi. But it did not address Trump’s latest threat against Oman. President insists strait is open as more attacks are reportedTrump said Tuesday the U.S. has no planned talks with Iran but insisted the strait is “open and operating,” despite limited traffic, the reported boat strike and the end on Monday of the 60-day negotiating period between the countries.Trump wrote on social media that a U.S. blockade of the strait remains “in full force and effect,” adding that all water mines have been removed.As the talks between Iran and Oman continue, more attacks were reported in the region.An unidentified projectile hit a ship early Tuesday in the strait off the coast of Oman, damaging the engine room and causing a casualty, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center.The monitoring agency did not release any details about the ship or its cargo, and it was unclear whether the crew member was killed or wounded. The agency said the Omani Coast Guard was assisting other crew members and that authorities were investigating.And Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they fired drones at an oil refinery in neighboring Saudi Arabia, the latest attack that threatened to reignite Yemen’s civil war and open another front in the Middle East. The attack targeted a facility run by Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, according to a report by the Houthi-run SABA news agency. There were no immediate reports of damage or comment from Saudi Arabia. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

People spend time at a beach as commercial vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)2026-08-18T14:40:59Z BANGKOK (AP) — An explosion of old munitions in northern Israel on Tuesday injured six Thai migrant workers, with two sustaining serious injuries that required surgery, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said. There are more than 40,000 Thai workers in Israel, mostly in the agricultural sector. Most are from rural areas where employment prospects are poor, so they work abroad to send money back to their families.Israeli media reported that the workers were hurt when unexploded ordnance detonated in an orchard near the town of Metula, close to the border with Lebanon, where there has been combat for months.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jaithai Upakarnitikaset, citing the Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv, said the country’s ambassador had already visited the Ziv Medical Center in Safed, where all six were taken, to provide assistance. The embassy said it would coordinate with the medical center and other agencies to help provide care and compensation. Thais were the largest group of foreigners to have been captured in the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel; 31 were taken hostage, 28 of whom were returned alive, and three dead. Thirty-nine other Thais were killed in the assault, while a few others have died in northern Israel since then. Many of the Thai agricultural workers lived in compounds on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns, and Hamas militants overran those places first.A large number of Thai workers fled home after the 2023 attack but many have since returned to Israel. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The U.S. Army's soldiers conduct a training exercise on a river in Yeoncheon, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)2026-08-18T14:22:42Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — For decades, the United States and South Korea have regularly staged military drills to prepare their soldiers to work together smoothly in the event of a crisis or conflict with North Korea. But this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, one of the two main drills conducted by the allies annually, could be disrupted after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially” scale it back just before its start Monday.He cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran. It was unclear what parts of the 11-day exercise were being cut and to what extent, but many experts say Trump’s move threatens to hurt combined U.S.-South Korean readiness and eventually weaken their decades-long alliance. The exercise is central to the US-South Korea alliance The Ulchi Freedom Shield, or UFS, is a computer-simulated tabletop exercise meant to hone the allies’ ability to deal with potential regional security threats like North Korean aggression. The two countries usually hold field training exercises during the tabletop exercise period.South Korea’s military had earlier said this year’s exercise would be similar in scale to previous years, with the participation of about 18,000 South Korean soldiers. The U.S. military said it would incorporate lessons from recent conflicts such as North Korea’s battlefield experiences on the Russia-Ukraine front. Local media reported South Korea and the U.S. had planned 14 field training exercises.The UFS, along with a similar joint war game in the spring, is a central pillar of the U.S. -South Korea alliance, which dates back to the 1950-53 Korean War. But it’s also a long-running source of tensions with North Korea, which has denounced the exercises as a rehearsal for war and responded with provocative missile tests.Last Friday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. and South Korea of plotting more provocative drills this year and vowed to respond with “a new level of a deterrent.” The U.S. and South Korea have said their regular drills are defensive in nature. Field training will likely be affected by Trump’s decisionIn a social media post, Trump called the exercise costly, “with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America.” During his first term, Trump complained about the cost of drills with South Korea, suspending joint exercises in 2018 to advance now-stalled nuclear negotiations with North Korea. Read More Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, visited South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Tuesday for talks likely focusing on the adjustment of this year’s drills, according to media reports. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it couldn’t confirm the report.Yang Uk, an analyst at Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said the U.S. will likely participate in the tabletop exercise but cancel “some costly field training that requires large-scale movements of troops.” Yang said that a downsizing or suspension of military drills matters because commanders of the allies change periodically. He said a one-year suspension of drills would see commanders unfamiliar with procedures of those drills taking part when they resume. Trump’s move could strain the US-South Korea alliance Jung Chang Wook, head of the Korea Defense Study Forum think tank in Seoul, said Trump’s step could result in the U.S. downsizing other regular drills with South Korea, posing “a big, crippling blow” to their joint operation posture.Lee Illwoo, an expert with the Korea Defense Network, said downsizing the exercise will likely delay the planned transfer to a system in which wartime operational control would be exercised by a binational command led by a South Korean general. 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. Under the current system, the U.S. military would command joint forces in the event of war.The South Korean and U.S. militaries had earlier said the exercise would be an opportunity to support preparations for the transfer. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday stressed the need to complete the transition during his term that ends in 2030. Many South Koreans view the transition to South Korean leadership of the combined forces in wartime to be a matter of national sovereignty, but others worry that could weaken the alliance. HYUNG-JIN KIM Kim is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Neal Schon, of Journey, performs in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/David Dermer, File)2026-08-18T14:41:42Z NEW YORK (AP) — The long, riding road once more beckons for the members of iconic rock band Journey. Is it the band’s final journey together?The last leg of what is being billed as their farewell tour kicks off in September in Los Angeles and what likely will be an emotional homecoming is at the end of it — in San Francisco in November.“I’m sure it’s going to be somewhat emotional because that’s where it all started,” says co-founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon. “I know the audience is going to be off the hook.”The band has plenty of dates before that finale, with stops in Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Cleveland, Denver and Las Vegas, among others.The tour’s last show in San Francisco will cap more than 100 concerts this year, and the band frequently plays for more than two hours, adding deep cuts — like the spacy, melodic “Of a Lifetime” from the early ‘70s and songs from the album “Raised on Radio” from the ’80s — to the reliable hits, like “Faithfully.”“I’m loving it because it’s the type of show I’ve been wanting to do with Journey,” says Schon, who is frustrated when the band is lumped in with other ‘80s bands like REO Speedwagon, Styx or Foreigner.“I always felt like even though all those bands have contributed something that a lot of people like, we were much different. I thought musically we could go any place that we wanted to. And so now we’re doing that, finally.” Expect hits and album tunes alikeJourney has had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard singles chart — including “Open Arms” and “Who’s Crying Now” — and eight albums in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, including the 1981 No. 1 “Escape.” Fans can expect to hear those hits as well as Journey’s enduring anthem, “Don’t Stop Believin,’” which Schon wrote with keyboardist Jonathan Cain and then-lead singer Steve Perry. It has shown up in the Broadway show “Rock of Ages,” the cut-to-black finale of “The Sopranos,” the TV show “Glee,” Brad Pitt’s “Moneyball,” the movie “Monster” and the Democratic National Convention roll call in 2024. Journey returns to the road this fall after a summer in which “Don’t Stop Believin’” was heard at the World Cup and as the New York Knicks won the NBA crown.“‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ has surpassed our expectations,” says Cain. “Every band wishes they had one and we have one. So, I guess that’s our ‘Hey Jude’ calling card. So we’ll take it.” Read More In addition to Schon and Cain, the current Journey lineup includes singer Arnel Pineda, keyboardist Jason Derlatka, drummer Deen Castronovo and bassist Todd Jensen. Cain, Derlatka and Castronovo pick up the mic to give Pineda a break on some songs.Band members say they look out and see five generations attending their shows. “I like to say Journey is certain music in uncertain times,” Cain says. “Journey is a soundtrack to a lot of people’s lives.” Future is uncertain for band membersThe band, born in San Francisco in the days of vinyl, have endured through huge changes in the music business — CDs, Napster, digital and streaming. Schon, who cut his teeth playing with Carlos Santana, remembers Journey in the early days opening for Kiss, Jeff Beck and Cheech and ChongTouring seems to be the only way for most bands to make any money since each streaming song earns them a fraction of a penny. Journey has leaned into the tour, sometimes hitting three cities in one day. “I feel bad for the new generation,” says Cain. “I remember when I got a big old fat royalty check and they were playing our songs on the radio and that a new album meant you would sell more tickets. Not so today.” The end point — Nov. 28 at the Chase Center — looms, but the band isn’t sure what that night will include. “It’ll be fitting to end there for sure,” says Cain. “Who knows who’s going to show up? I don’t know. There might be a reunion of sorts, I hope.”After that, the band isn’t certain. “The future kind of remains up in the air really,” says Cain. Schon agrees but isn’t ready to make predictions.“I’m not nearly done with what I want to do,” he says. “I think there’s many great opportunities in the future. Whether or not it’s with everybody that’s here right now, I’m not certain.” MARK KENNEDY Kennedy is a theater, TV, music, food and obit writer and editor for The Associated Press, as well as a critic for theater, movies and music. He is based in New York City. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

MANHATTAN — Kansas State football held its first open practice to the media on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and it was highlighted by the notable absences of two assumed offensive line starters.Left tackle John Pastore and left guard Tanner Morley were not seen during the first portion of practice, which saw the Wildcats move from an outdoor practice field to the indoor as weather moved into the Manhattan area.Kansas State's offensive line has undergone an overhaul this offseason under new coach Collin Klein. Pastore is the team's lone returning starter and is a preseason All-Big 12 player. Morley was the highlight of the Wildcats' transfer portal haul along the offensive line. The other three offensive line spots appear to be up for grabs.It's unclear whether or how long either player will be held out, or the extent of whatever they are dealing with. Kansas State isn't scheduled to make Klein available to the media until Monday, Aug. 31, while the team's coordinators are scheduled to speak Thursday, Aug. 20. If Kansas State is without either player, the Wildcats could look to freshman Oliver Miller at left tackle, who has drawn high praise since arriving on campus. The left guard position would be more of a question, as several players have been battling for the right guard spot. Pastore and Morley have been the most sure-fire players to play along the offensive line throughout the offseason.Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.comThis article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football practice highlighted by missing OL starters

Hockey Day in Houston releases 2027 date originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Hockey Day in Houston is officially slated for March 20, 2027 for the fourth annual event, which has raised over $110,000 into local Houston hockey organizations and programs throughout the years.The event — which has also awarded 16 scholarships in partnership with The Howe Foundation, in honor of Gordie and Colleen Howe — will once again be held at Saint Arnold Brewing Company (11:00 a.m. CST) and feature NHL, WHA and professional hockey alumni. In 2026, the NHL's Dallas Stars had a booth set up at the event with alum Bob Bassen in attendance. Cards of Houston native and current Stars player Tyler Myers were also given away. Last year's event would raise over $40,000 which was matched by an additional $25,000 to go towards academic scholarships and hockey organizations across the city. 2027's rendition of Hockey Day in Houston will also be in partnership with the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. The HCHSA is responsible for overseeing the city's sports venues (managing stadium debt through hotel and rental car taxes, generating billions in economic impact).Lance Rosenberg, Hockey Day in Houston Co-chair, said the event continues to grow year after year."What started as a bold idea in 2024 has become a Houston tradition. Every year the crowds get larger and the enthusiasm gets louder, and our fourth annual event will be no exception as we continue to show why Houston Is A Hockey Town," Rosenberg said. Harris County-Houston Sports Authority partnering with Hockey Day in Houston for 2027 eventOver 16,000 have attended the event in years past. This year's theme will be centered around honoring the city's deep history with the sport and pre-existing hockey organizations in addition to showcasing how hockey became a vital part of the city's culture throughout the population growth of the major Texas city. "Hockey Day in Houston captures so much of what makes our city special, with our passionate fans, strong community support, and a growing appetite for sports across every level," said Holly de Beer, Chief Operating Officer of the Harris County–Houston Sports Authority. "Events like this support the future of sports across our region, strengthen community ties, and expand opportunities for young athletes."Another focus of the event is to, of course, grow the sport in Houston.The Bulls, University of Houston, Rice University, Houston Hellhouds Sled Hockey, the Houston Girls Hockey Association/HTX Storm, and Women's Hockey Outreach Association of Houston are expected to once again also be involved.The 2027 event follows the announcement of the upcoming inaugural season of the North American Hockey League's Houston Bulls in addition to the fact that the NHL is currently evaluating Houston or Austin to be the League's 33rd possible franchise.MORE:NAHL Houston Bulls sell out season tickets ahead of inaugural season

Rickie Fowler has the distinction of being this week's "Bubble Boy" as he enters the BMW Championship, the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Fowler, 37, will tee off at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis at No. 30 in the season-long points standings, and only the top 30 advance to East Lake in Atlanta for the Tour Championship.A lot is riding on the line for the 50-man field this week. While making the BMW Championship came with a big carrot — entry into all of the signature events next season — making the FedEx Cup finale offers its own set of rewards. The field will be whittled down to 30, all of whom will qualify for next year's men's majors. All 30 also get a two-year PGA Tour exemption.More: 2026 BMW Championship payout, purse: How much is on the line? What does the winner get?The Tour also will pay out nearly $100 million in FedEx Cup bonus money after this week. Scheffler already is a mathematical lock to be No. 1 after the BMW and collect another $22 million. In other words, this week is kind of a big deal. Plus, make it to Atlanta, and for the second straight year in a row there will be no staggered start, meaning FedEx Cup points leader Scottie Scheffler doesn't get an advantage. Everyone starts at even, and the low 72-hole stroke-play aggregate score takes home the trophy, even if it happens to be the Bubble Boy.Let's take a look at the minimum finish required for players to make it to East Lake.Rank PlayerMin Finish 28 Kitayama, Kurt Solo 49th 29 Cauley, Bud Solo 48th 30 Fowler, Rickie Solo 50th 31 Woodland, Gary Solo 48th 32 Poston, J.T. Solo 31st 33 Højgaard, Nicolai 3-Way T18 34 Noren, Alex Solo 17th 35 Knapp, Jake 3-Way T16 36 MacIntyre, Robert 3-Way T15 37 Rai, Aaron Solo 12th 38 Griffin, Ben Solo 11th 39 Straka, Sepp Solo 11th 40 Im, Sungjae Solo 8th 41 Thorbjornsen, Michael Solo 8th 42 Echavarria, Nico 2-Way 7th 43 Cantlay, Patrick Solo 7th 44 Thomas, Justin Solo 7th 45 Hisatsune, Ryo 3-Way 2nd 46 Theegala, Sahith 3-Way 2nd 47 Brennan, Michael 2-Way 2nd 48 Cole, Eric 2-Way 2nd 49 McNealy, Maverick 2-Way 2nd 50 McCarty, Matt Solo 2ndAdam Schupak is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rickie Fowler faces FedEx Cup playoff pressure as the 'Bubble Boy' at BMW Championship

St. Thomas Aquinas is all alone as the No. 1 team in Florida.The Raiders received all 11 first-place votes in the USA Today Florida Network Super 25 heading into Week 1. Aquinas received eight first-place votes in the preseason poll.Apparently, a dominant road win over a defending state champion in the Kickoff Classic was all the evidence voters needed to prove itself to the voters. Aquinas raced out to a 36-0 halftime lead and beat Cardinal Mooney, the 2025 Class 3A state champion, 49-0 on Aug. 14.IMG Academy, Chaminade-Madonna, Carol City and American Heritage round out the top five.Three teams — Miami Palmetto (No. 21), Edgewater (No. 24) and Choctawhatchee (No. 25) — made their Super 25 debut on the Week 1 poll.Get discount to stream football games on the NHFS Network1. St. Thomas Aquinas (11 first-place votes)Record: 0-0. Week 1: at Western, Aug. 21.2. IMG Academy Record: 0-0. Week 1: at Lone Peak (Utah), Aug. 21.3. Chaminade-MadonnaRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Monarch, Aug. 20.4. Carol CityRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Mainland, Aug. 21.5. American HeritageRecord: 0-0. Kickoff Classic: vs. West Boca, Aug. 21.6. Miami CentralRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Orange Lutheran, Aug. 21.7. West BocaRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at American Heritage, Aug. 21. 8. LakelandRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Kathleen, Aug. 21.9. VeniceRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Rabun Gap (Georgia), Aug. 21.10. DeLandRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Lake Wales, Aug. 21.11. BuchholzRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Vanguard, Aug. 21.12. ArmwoodRecord: 0-0. Week 1: v. Lennard, Aug. 21.13. Cardinal MooneyRecord: 0-0. Week 1: vs. Berkeley Prep, Aug. 21.14. BollesRecord: 0-0. Week 1: vs. Columbia, Aug. 21.15. JonesRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Santa Margarita (California), Aug. 21. 16. Vero BeachRecord: 0-0. Week 1: vs. Jensen Beach, Aug. 21.17. MandarinRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at McArthur, Aug. 21.18. McArthurRecord: 0-0. Week 1: vs. Mandarin, Aug. 21.19. RainesRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Oakleaf Aug. 21.20. Eau GallieRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Carrollwood Day, Aug. 21.21. Miami PalmettoRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Miami Killian, Aug. 21.22. Port CharlotteRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Cape Coral, Aug, 21.23. ColumbusRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Miami Southridge, Aug, 20. 24. EdgewaterRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Ocoee, Aug. 21.25. Choctawhatchee Record: 0-0. Week 1: at Mosley, Aug. 20.This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: St. Thomas Aquinas unanimous No. 1 Florida Super 25 high school football

St. Thomas Aquinas is all alone as the No. 1 team in Florida.The Raiders received all 11 first-place votes in the USA Today Florida Network Super 25 heading into Week 1. Aquinas received eight first-place votes in the preseason poll.Apparently, a dominant road win over a defending state champion in the Kickoff Classic was all the evidence voters needed to prove itself to the voters. Aquinas raced out to a 36-0 halftime lead and beat Cardinal Mooney, the 2025 Class 3A state champion, 49-0 on Aug. 14.IMG Academy, Chaminade-Madonna, Carol City and American Heritage round out the top five.Three teams — Miami Palmetto (No. 21), Edgewater (No. 24) and Choctawhatchee (No. 25) — made their Super 25 debut on the Week 1 poll.Get discount to stream football games on the NHFS Network1. St. Thomas Aquinas (11 first-place votes)Record: 0-0. Week 1: at Western, Aug. 21.2. IMG Academy Record: 0-0. Week 1: at Lone Peak (Utah), Aug. 21.3. Chaminade-MadonnaRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Monarch, Aug. 20.4. Carol CityRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Mainland, Aug. 21.5. American HeritageRecord: 0-0. Kickoff Classic: vs. West Boca, Aug. 21.6. Miami CentralRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Orange Lutheran, Aug. 21.7. West BocaRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at American Heritage, Aug. 21. 8. LakelandRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Kathleen, Aug. 21.9. VeniceRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Rabun Gap (Georgia), Aug. 21.10. DeLandRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Lake Wales, Aug. 21.11. BuchholzRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Vanguard, Aug. 21.12. ArmwoodRecord: 0-0. Week 1: v. Lennard, Aug. 21.13. Cardinal MooneyRecord: 0-0. Week 1: vs. Berkeley Prep, Aug. 21.14. BollesRecord: 0-0. Week 1: vs. Columbia, Aug. 21.15. JonesRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Santa Margarita (California), Aug. 21. 16. Vero BeachRecord: 0-0. Week 1: vs. Jensen Beach, Aug. 21.17. MandarinRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at McArthur, Aug. 21.18. McArthurRecord: 0-0. Week 1: vs. Mandarin, Aug. 21.19. RainesRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Oakleaf Aug. 21.20. Eau GallieRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Carrollwood Day, Aug. 21.21. Miami PalmettoRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Miami Killian, Aug. 21.22. Port CharlotteRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Cape Coral, Aug, 21.23. ColumbusRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Miami Southridge, Aug, 20. 24. EdgewaterRecord: 0-0. Week 1: at Ocoee, Aug. 21.25. Choctawhatchee Record: 0-0. Week 1: at Mosley, Aug. 20.This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: St. Thomas Aquinas unanimous No. 1 Florida Super 25 high school football

Earlier this year, out Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) commuted the sentence of Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk and MAGA conspiracy theorist who was sentenced to years in prison for tampering with voting machines. And new evidence shows that the White House held a “brainstorm call” with several federal agencies to discuss imposing “harsh measures” on Colorado to pressure the state to release Peters. Related Trump rages at “incompetent” Dem for refusing to pardon “wonderful” election conspiracist MS NOW’s Steve Benen cites New York Times reporting that the administration announced, a day after the call, that it would be “canceling hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants for Colorado projects.” Trump later vetoed a bill to “bring clean water to the southeastern part of Colorado,” according to Benen, and said he did so because Polis is a “bad governor.” The Times reported that the Trump administration “vowed to dismantle a leading climate and weather research center and rejected disaster relief for rural counties hammered by floods and wildfires” that happened to be located in Boulder, Colorado. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Now, an uncovered email confirms that the brainstorm call took place. The email, from White House special assistant Emily Underwood, organized the call to “prioritize Colorado for the purposes of ensuring grants and federal support are in line with administration priorities.” “Please come prepared to discuss immediate actions that your department or agency can take with respect to Colorado,” she wrote. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” US District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson said in a hearing last Tuesday where the email was revealed. The email itself has still not been publicly released and reporting on it is based on court documents. “I’ve never even imagined something like it. The very idea that the president of the United States or the executive office of the president would target a state because they don’t feel that the state and its administrators are in line with the current administration’s priorities is phenomenal.” In May of this year, Polis commuted Peters’ sentence, defying the recommendation of his own clemency board. The move was controversial enough to prompt the Colorado Democratic Party to censure him, and his commutation of Peters’ sentencing, at the time, seemed inexplicable. Even Donald Trump said that it was his bullying – not Polis’ clemency – that freed Peters, saying that Peters “came to the White House to thank me for getting her released from prison in Colorado.” The White House denies that the email has anything to do with Peters but is not saying what the email was about. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Fish surveys in the 1960s detected what experts thought was a dead coral reef barrier off the country of Benin. Decades later, researchers set off in small fishing boats to investigate it using sonar mapping, underwater drone surveys and stationary video recorders

Doctors were stumped by his memory loss and confusion, until he met the epilepsy specialists.

CANTON, OHIO - AUGUST 06: Simi Fehoko #80 and Xavier Weaver #89 of the Arizona Cardinals wait for the snap during the first quarter of the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on August 06, 2026 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images The Arizona Cardinals have gone through two preseason games, with another pair right behind them. Two rookies have already gotten hurt at different stages and are most likely out for the year.The preseason games provide a Catch-22. These exhibition games are important because it shows which players the coaches need to keep, and which to allow to find gainful employment elsewhere.RELATED: CARINALS SIGN DEVIN DUVERNAYWith practices and preseason games, the coaches should be getting a good feel for which players are going to make the final 53-man roster. The final cutdown is August 30. “The Turk” is polishing his sword of which athletes to cut.Every year, there are surprises. Guys who aren’t drafted, or who were signed as free agents, ball out and find a new home.One group that will have some tough decisions to make for the offensive coaches is the receiver room. This unit this year has plenty of talent, which has been on full display during practices. The trick is to show that same ability once the big-boy football begins in the exhibition contests.Most NFL coaching staffs retain six receivers on their active roster, and whatever number they feel they should keep once their practice squad is being formed.Realistically, with the talent level in this group, the Cardinals could conceivably keep eight guys and not blink an eye. That is what they would like to retain, but of course, by keeping two extra receivers, that would mean one less defensive end, cornerback, or that fourth tight end. And since most plays feature only three receivers, adding five other pass catchers along the sideline doesn’t make much sense.So, six is the number.There are a few guys on this roster who are locks, namely Michael Wilson and Marv Harrison, who are slated for the right and left outside receivers. Currently on the depth chart, Kendrick Bourne is penciled in as the slot receiver. In all probability, that’s three.Certainly, there will be times that four receivers on the field are called for, but this offense will more than likely have three tight ends in the huddle rather than a bevy of receivers.The final three guys are the quagmire. Let’s examine the actors.—————————————————————————–Kendrick Bourne (6’-1”, 204 pounds)Age: 31Contract: Two-year, $10 million: Incentives up to $2 million, $7.5 million guaranteed, $4.5 million signing bonusCardinals GM Monti Ossenfort went after Bourne pretty hard during the free agency period. The team wanted to elevate the slot receiver position after fiddling with a combination of Xavier Weaver, Zay Jones, and Greg Dortch.Both Jones and Dortch ended up on IR, which resembled a medical ward last year. Weaver started two games with 13 targets, 7 receptions, for 67 yards. The veteran Jones was supposed to be the answer in the slot, but had issues such as being suspended for five games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and then suffering a torn Achilles last year, which ended his season. In 2025, he had 18 targets and 12 catches for 183 yards. Dortch was compact with a ton of speed and on his fifth NFL club when he signed with the Cardinals to play the slot. The end result was 33 targets, 29 receptions for 206 yards.Ossenfort decided a known talent needed to be brought in and inked Bourne to a two-year, $10 million contract worth up to $12 million. This means Ossenfort is expecting Bourne to live out his contract and become that third receiver.He has played nine years and has twice had over 70 targets in a season. He has reliable hands with strong route-running burst and is a tough kid. He also possesses versatility in that he can play inside or outside. Now, he isn’t going to win any races, but he is a physical receiver and will fight for contested balls. Ossenfort is counting on him to become that third chess piece.Sources: Former #Bears All-Pro WR/returner Devin Duvernay is signing with the #Cardinals on a 1-year, $2.5M deal, negotiated by @ErikBurkhardt of @RocNationSports.Aside from being an option at receiver, Duvernay is a key weapon for his field-position impact as a returner. pic.twitter.com/U8dfTYZwM1— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 15, 2026Devin Duvernay (5’-11”, 200 pounds)Age: 28Contract: One-year, $1.85 million: Incentives up to $650,000, $550,000 guaranteed, $300,000 signing bonusThe Cardinals signed Duvernay to be their return man. Not that he won’t be getting any snaps on the offense, but it won’t be many this season. He hasn’t proven in training camp that he is the right guy for either the kickoff or punt return position, but he does have a very good history of being good at both. So, there’s that.And he is fast. He ran a 4.39 in the 40 with a vertical leap of 35.5”, broad jump of 10’-3”, with a wingspan of 6’-3 ¼”. He was also a track star. Duvernay won the 2015 100-meter 6A State Championship in high school, so he can scoot. He had 34 college offers. During his first three years with Baltimore, he was used sparingly and was more of a return specialist than a receiver role. In his contract year, he suffered a back injury in Week 14 and was placed on IR, which limited his stats. In order to make this roster, Duvernay will have to show he can handle both the kickoff and punt return aspects of special teams; otherwise, there are several receivers who are going to outplay him and earn that spot instead.Reggie. Virgil. 📺: NFL+ pic.twitter.com/8nnAAnCNAW— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 14, 2026Reggie Virgil (6’-3”, 187 pounds)Age: 22Contract: Four-year, $4.94 million: $556,500 guaranteed, $556,500 signing bonusThe Cardinals coaching staff is doing all it can to keep Virgil on this year’s final roster. He has impressed in training camp and practices. He has also performed well in both preseason games. Watch the 19-yard catch he had in the Raiders game. Over the shoulder, with two feet being dragged, that converted a third-and-11 play.He has good height and was a high school basketball standout. Runs a 4.57, can jump 36” and benched 225-pounds 30 times. Virgil will take advantage of defensive backs vertically down the field. This is a big speed guy who plays scrappy and tenacious. He is very physical and can incorporate his hands with good speed, so when defenders tug on him, they aren’t able to hold him. He is a good hand-fighter. He is known for putting in the work and has a big appetite for making big plays. Very explosive. Against the Raiders, 4 targets, 2 catches for 43 yards and a 21.5 yards-per-catch average. In the Hall of Fame Game, Virgil had 6 targets, 5 receptions for 66 yards with a 13.2 yards-per-catch average.MINSHEW TO SIMI FOR SIX!📲 NFL+ pic.twitter.com/ifOdeHVoc9— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 14, 2026Simi Fehoko (6’-4”, 225 pounds)Age: 28Contract: One-year, $1.4 million: $1.26 million guaranteed, $187,000 signing bonusFehoko is in a strange position. He has plenty of experience going into his sixth season and has had a really good camp. Great touchdown grab against the Raiders. The Cardinals have always loved his size, with a large frame and a high catch point. He is excellent with tackling on special teams and offers a big target in the receiver room, so he gives the team versatility. His only season with the Cardinals last year was interrupted by a broken arm, sprained ankle, and a concussion. The coaching staff loves this guy, so we will see.Jalen Brooks (6’-2”, 205 pounds)Age: 26Contract: Two-year, $2.18 million: $0 guaranteed, $0 signing bonusEvery year, there is a receiver who becomes the darling of training camp and preseason. Brooks is this year’s version. He has impressed in two of two games. The Cardinals might need to find a way to keep him. He has been a force in practices as well. Brooks led all receivers in the Hall of Fame Game with 4 targets, 3 catches for 99 yards. In the Raiders contest, he again led all receivers with 6 targets, 6 receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. Great hands and a fearless receiver. He has a great ability to track the ball in flight and will adjust his route to meet the ball. Brooks will also go across the middle despite knowing he will get whacked. A very smooth route runner and is shifty. Able to fool cornerbacks with good deception. The coaching staff will have a difficult time releasing him.Ihmir Smith-Marsette takes one back against his former team 🏠📞#CARvsCHI on Prime VideoAlso available on #NFLPluspic.twitter.com/4MTENIL0r6— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023Ihmir Smith-Marsette (6’-1”, 185 pounds)Age: 26Contract: One-year, $1.22 million: $0 guaranteed, $0 signing bonusThe Cardinals love his 4.42 speed and shiftiness. He is also a kick returner, which is a huge plus. Arizona is his sixth NFL club, so he hasn’t been able to settle down and just play football.No catches or returns in the Hall of Fame Game, and 1 reception for 7 yards in the Raiders match, with 1 punt return (4 yards) and 1 kickoff return (24 yards). Smith-Marsette has open-field speed and is a valuable guy for the return game. As a receiver, he has some limitations with his lean frame, which limits his physicality against larger safeties.————————————————————————–Other receivers include Xavier Weaver (6’-0”, 185 pounds), Bryson Green (6’-1”, 210 pounds), and Harrison Wallace III (6’-0”, 192 pounds).

With less than a week remaining before the 2026 NFL Draft, Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson held a private workout that most of the NFL teams attended.Tyson had missed the end of the Sun Devils’ 2025 season with a left hamstring injury, and he’d foregone workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine in late February and at ASU’s pro day in late March. The workout was viewed as an important health barometer for a prospect whose career had been defined by injuries as much as anything else.Tyson ran about two dozen routes, looking good — because Tyson looks good running routes — and reportedly dropping only one pass. Giants GM Joe Schoen and Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan were there among the scouts. The Saints were one of the more than half the NFL teams in attendance.“He showed the twitch, explosiveness and leaping ability we all saw in the fall. He showed he’s healthy and still explosive, which is all he needed to do,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel tweeted after Tyson’s workout.It was the kind of check-the-box workout that alleviated the health concerns and vaulted Tyson close to the top of the draft. Six days later, Tyson was a Saint, drafted eighth overall.And less than four months after that, Tyson is back in a sadly familiar place — injured. He suffered a hamstring injury that could keep him out for two months, potentially missing at least the first quarter of his rookie season.Jordyn Tyson’s length injury historyTyson landed at Colorado in 2022 as a three-star prospect and suffered three torn ligaments (ACL, MCL and PCL) in his left knee that year, wiping out the rest of that season and nearly all of 2023. He’d transferred to ASU in 2023 and played a handful of snaps late in that season. Tyson’s injury luck continued to haunt him in Tempe. Late in the 2024 season he suffered a fractured collarbone, forcing him to miss the Big 12 championship and ASU’s playoff game vs. Texas. In 2025, Tyson suffered a sprained ankle that caused him to miss most of spring practices, and later last season he suffered a strained hamstring that caused him to miss three more games.So it isn’t shocking that the injury-prone player got hurt again. What is notable about Tyson’s current hamstring is that it’s apparently unrelated to his past issues with that body part.Saints head coach Kellen Moore praised his rookie receiver, who has had some eye-opening moments in camp, and claimed that Tyson’s injury was a fluke thing, saying that “this has nothing to do with Jordyn's history."Injuries have followed Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson around since college. (AP Photo/Ella Hall)AP Photo/Ella HallBut that history can’t be ignored, no matter how badly some would like to. One AFC scouting director, who liked Tyson as a player but ended up worried about the risk factor, said after the draft Tyson was one of their most debated prospects in pre-draft meetings.“We ended (up) talking him over — him, the Alabama tackle (Kadyn Proctor) and I think (Florida DT Caleb) Banks — more than any other guys,” the director said. “With injury guys, you want to figure out on some level how tough they are, how competitive, and if this is always gonna be a problem that chases you around.“At the end of the day, he hasn’t had a healthy season — fully healthy — since high school.”That streak just extended another year with Tyson’s latest ailment.Or as another scout relayed via text: “Hurt players tend to stay hurt. Just the way it is.”Saints have been risk takers when it comes to healthOne advantage we have with Saints GM Mickey Loomis in terms of judging his talent is a large sample size. He’s possessed personnel say for nearly a quarter century now, so there are ample decisions by Loomis from which we can easily form opinions.Two indisputable facts: 1. Loomis has unquestionably improved the team during his watch, which has included a Super Bowl title. 2. Loomis is more willing than other general managers to gamble on injured players whom he believes possess very good to elite talent.Drew Brees is the ultimate example. The Saints were willing to take a health risk that the Dolphins and other teams were not. That ultimate gamble paid off immeasurably. You can understand how they might be emboldened by this approach.Some of the Saints’ and Loomis’ dart throws on injury-prone draft prospects, such as Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk, have paid off. Other similar risks, however, have not had the same return on investment.2021 first-rounder Payton Turner also had a lengthy college injury history, and he impressed with pre-draft workouts, but Turner has spent significant time on IR in the pros and was one of their biggest recent busts.2018 first-rounder Marcus Davenport had a significant injury history in college, never became a full-time star in New Orleans, and he has continued to miss time in the NFL.2017 third-rounder Alex Anzalone — Repeated shoulder injuries (including some major surgeries) limited him significantly at Florida, missing big chunks of multiple seasons. Anzalone became a standout eventually with the Lions, but the Saints never really reaped the full benefits of that pick. His shoulder issues remain a worry to this day.2015 second-rounder Hau’oli Kikaha suffered multiple ACL tears in college, yet the Saints still used a top-50 pick on him, about a round higher than most teams were comfortable with. Not surprisingly, knee issues continued to plague Kikaha in the NFL.The hope is that Tyson at worst can follow a similar track to Lattimore, who became 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year, made four Pro Bowls and was clearly a star before the chronic injury concerns reared their ugly head late in his New Orleans tenure. Some players’ injury histories might hide for a bit, even if they never completely go away.Saints’ contingency plans without Jordyn TysonThe Saints must make a call on whether to place Tyson on injured reserve. If they do so, the earliest he could return would be Week 5 against the Vikings. The Saints open the season with a tough road duo — at Detroit and at Baltimore — and play the rival Falcons in Week 4.After the Saints drafted Tyson, wide receiver appeared to be a potential area of strength, even with another injury-prone wideout (Chris Olave) opposite him. Olave has remained healthy so far, but in addition to Tyson’s injury, the unit took a hit when Ja’Lynn Polk abruptly retired back in early August.Olave and Devaughn Vele appear to be the top pair now. Bryce Lance and Barion Brown, the other 2026 draft picks the Saints spent at receiver, have reportedly looked good in camp and might be counted on sooner than expected now. If there was a smart thing the Saints did after drafting Tyson, it was buttressing him with two other WR selections. Those could prove to be two very important insurance policies. The Saints also appear to like third-round TE Oscar Delp quite a bit, too.There are other options, too, with the likes of Bub Means, Ronnie Bell and Kevin Austin. But this is clearly a disappointing development with Tyson expected to miss regular-season game time.

The Indianapolis Colts will have several difficult decisions to make before trimming their roster to 53 players, and two recognizable names could end up on the outside looking in.The Athletic’s James Boyd projected the Colts’ initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, noting running back DJ Giddens and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery among his notable cuts.Giddens, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, entered training camp with an opportunity to slot in as Jonathan Taylor’s primary backup. A hamstring injury has kept him sidelined for most of camp, though, allowing rookie Seth McGowan and Ulysses Bentley IV to gain ground in the competition.Boyd projected Taylor, McGowan and Bentley to make the roster at running back, leaving Giddens without a spot one year after Indianapolis drafted him.Tillery's situation is different. The veteran defensive tackle was described by Boyd as the “hardest cut” along the defensive line, particularly because general manager Chris Ballard has traditionally prioritized depth in the trenches.The issue is Indianapolis has stiff competition up front. Boyd projected DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Adetomiwa Adebawore and Colby Wooden as the interior defensive linemen to survive final cuts.And it's Wooden’s ability to play multiple spots at both 3-technique and nose tackle that could work against Tillery.NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by Aug. 30.This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts draft pick, veteran defender projected to miss 53-man roster

Ahead of the 2026 NFL season, the league is releasing its list of the top 100 players, which is voted on by the players themselves.Coming in at No. 17 is Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor."Great contact balance," said Raiders' running back Ashton Jeanty. "Able to make guys miss. He's pretty fast out there too."Colts' tight end Mo Alie-Cox called Taylor "Electric," adding, "There's not a lot of guys that every time they get the ball I think they're going to score, but JT is definitely one of those guys. If he gets to that second level, good luck."No. 17 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@Colts RB Jonathan Taylor! @NFLFilmspic.twitter.com/ZVhrL5Te4i— NFL (@NFL) August 18, 2026Taylor remains one of the most productive backs in football, while continuing to shoulder a heavy workload out of the backfield. He played in 13 games in 2024 and all 17 games last season, rushing for 1,431 yards and 1,585 yards, respectively.Taylor also led the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season and was tied for third in rushes of 10-plus yards, per PFF."You gotta get him down," said linebacker Zaire Franklin. "Best back in the league, no question."Texans' defensive end Danielle Hunter said, "There will be a pile and then boom -- dude explodes out of nowhere for like a 80 yard gain."Success for the Colts' offense often begins with Taylor. There is the obvious with his high-level production, but by providing a strong running game for the offense, that opens up the playbook for Shane Steichen and helps take some of the burden off the passing game."He's just the most explosive running back; you give him a little crease and boom -- he turns it into an 80-yarder," said Alec Pierce.The Colts recently signed Taylor to a two-year contract extension worth $44 million."His vision and his acceleration, how he sees the holes, the game develop, and then just able to take off from 0 to 100," said Trey Sermon.This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Why active NFL players voted Colts' Jonathan Taylor among best in 2026

Chelsea's Under-21s are the reigning Premier League 2 champions -Credit:Chris Lee - Chelsea FC, Chelsea FC via Getty ImagesChelsea have provoked frustration among supporters by opting to rebrand their under-19 and under-21 teams. Going forward, the club will designate them as Cobham Next Gen (CNG).The Blues boast one of the most renowned and successful youth systems in English soccer, having nurtured countless gifted players over the years. It appears that, under BlueCo's stewardship, the organization now seeks to create a distinct identity for their academy, which operates out of Cobham, Surrey.The club maintains, via The Mirror, that Cobham Next Gen "accurately reflects the age profile" of the academy squad members and reinforces its standing.Mykhailo Mudryk speaks out after Chelsea star's doping suspension is liftedPierre-Emerick Aubameyang embraces new La Liga challenge with Deportivo La Coruña -Credit:James Gill - Danehouse, Getty Images"The new name more accurately reflects the age profile of our leading academy side and Chelsea's long-standing heritage of developing the next generation of players for the senior game," the club said in a statement."Cobham Next Gen also better fits the role of the squad within the academy. It recognises a group of young players with momentum, taking the next step in their development - the final one in the pathway to senior football - competing at a higher level as they continue their journey through Cobham towards the men's team."It added: "The introduction of Cobham Next Gen also strengthens the academy's identity. More than an age-group name, it represents the players progressing through Cobham and the opportunities available to them as they continue their development towards the men's game."This new identity reflects the distinction of Chelsea's academy as a unique footballing environment with its own history, culture and proven record of developing players for the highest level of the game."To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HERECobham Next Gen will be led by head coach Harry Hudson in the upcoming 2026/27 season. Hudson was promoted to oversee the under-21s last season after Calum McFarlane was elevated to the first team as interim manager between the tenures of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.Chelsea's under-21s claimed the Premier League 2 title last season, winning 14 of their 20 matches.The announcement comes a day after it emerged that Chelsea shareholders Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are in talks to sell their stakes in the Premier League club to majority owner Clearlake Capital. The BlueCo consortium, including Boehly, Walter and Clearlake, acquired Chelsea in a deal valued at £2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) four years ago.According to a report from The Financial Times, Boehly, Chelsea's chairman and co-controlling owner, along with board member Walter, have been in talks to offload their respective 12.8 per cent stakes. The transaction would place the club's valuation at in excess of £5 billion ($6.77 billion).

People take photos near a John Harvard statue, left, on the Harvard University campus, Jan. 2, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)2026-08-18T14:52:55Z The Department of Defense has ordered 30 U.S. universities to audit their partnerships with mostly Chinese universities and military training institutions as the Trump administration scrutinizes the country’s growing global influence. If the schools don’t complete a review and terminate any arrangements deemed problematic within the next two weeks, they face losing funding. The goal is to protect taxpayer-funded research from theft and exploitation, the Pentagon said Monday.“The Department of War has zero tolerance for academic partnerships that compromise our national security,” Emil Michael, the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, said in a news release.The release didn’t name the schools, but a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters said they include Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University. The schools didn’t immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment. Sarah Spreitzer, vice president at the American Council on Education, which represents college and university presidents, raised concerns that the announcement suggests, without any evidence, that the schools are engaged in wrongdoing. The order comes after the Pentagon last month released an updated list of 130 foreign institutions it accused of engaging in “activities that increase the likelihood of U.S. government-funded research and development efforts being misappropriated.” While the vast majority were Chinese, such as the University of Science and Technology of China and the country’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences, several Iranian and Russian institutions also appeared on the list. Read More The first version of the list was developed during Trump’s first term, with the help of the American Council on Education, Spreitzer said. She said most of the council’s member institutions moved away from research partnerships with those institutions in the years that followed. She said she worries U.S. schools will be held liable for partnerships that predate the creation of the list.“We don’t appreciate the implication that we are not good partners on research security, given that we helped create this list, and given that we’ve always partnered with the federal government when there has been national security concerns,” she said. The audit comes as the Trump administration continues to express deep concern about China’s activities in the Americas, pushing back on Chinese ownership of ports at either end of the Panama Canal, infrastructure projects funded by China’s Belt and Road initiative in the region and Chinese investment in the telecommunications sector.The Justice Department also is investigating whether Harvard University is allowing Chinese donors to create scholarships that exclude American students, adding to the barrage of federal inquiries the Trump administration has opened in its battle against the Ivy League school.A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said in a statement that the country opposes what it described as the politicization of “normal scientific, educational, and academic exchanges.”“The U.S. side,” the statement continued, “should abandon the Cold War mentality and foster an open, fair, and non-discriminatory environment for educational, scientific, and people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States.” ___ Associated Press writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report.___The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Hollingsworth has worked for The AP for 25 years, covering stories of interest in the Midwest and beyond. She is based in Kansas City, Missouri. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Gianandrea Noseda conducts the orchestra during a rehearsal at Milan's La Scala theatre, Italy, on Feb. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)2026-08-18T15:00:12Z Forced from the Kennedy Center following approval of a reconstruction project by allies of President Donald Trump, the National Symphony Orchestra will split its 2026-27 season among six venues in Washington, D.C., and the capital’s suburbs.The NSO made its delayed 2026-27 season announcement Tuesday, 5 1/2 weeks before its opening concert on Sept. 26 and five months later than the release of its 2025-26 schedule.The Kennedy Center, named by Congress after President John F. Kennedy, was taken over in 2025 by a board of Trump loyalists who added his name to the complex, only to be ordered to remove it by a federal judge. The board said last week it intends to close the complex for a two-year renovation and add Trump’s name to the building’s facade so it would read “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.” NSO tickets sales declined from 72% of capacity in 2024 to 58% in 2025 to 41% last season, The Washington Post reported. The NSO did not confirm the figures.“For us to perform and to be somehow disconnected with the Kennedy Center probably will convince some of the audience who stayed away from the center to come back to our concerts, and not only that, even to increase the number of the audience,” music director Gianandrea Noseda said in an interview with The Associated Press. “At least this is my hope.”Noseda was the only NSO official who commented on the record about the season announcement. Trump’s name was included twice in the joint statement by the NSO and the Kennedy Center, which cited his “strategic direction” as Kennedy Center chair and “vision for a revitalized institution.” Entering his 10th season as music director, Noseda is signed through the NSO’s 100th anniversary season in 2030-31. Read More Tickets go on sale Aug. 28, leaving little time to start rebuilding an audience.There are 64 scheduled NSO classical concerts in the upcoming season, including 56 in the D.C. area and eight on a U.S. tour from April 20-30. The total matches 2025-26, when there were 62 at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall and two on tour. Next season will include 24 concerts at George Washington’s Lisner Auditorium in D.C. (1,350 available seats), 13 at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland, (1,925), nine at Northern Virginia Community College’s Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center in Alexandria (900), eight at George Mason’s Center for the Arts in Fairfax, Virginia, (1,850), and two each at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park (1,050) and D.C.'s Lincoln Theatre (1,150).“We’ll increase the ability of the orchestra to adjust very quickly to the acoustics. I’d like to think of this year of the National Symphony Orchestra as a regional touring orchestra,” Noseda said. “So we will be on tour and we will take and bring the music where the people are instead of inviting them to where we perform.”Capacity of the venues will be below that of the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall, which had up to 2,465 available seats.The orchestra still intends to rehearse at the Kennedy Center during the reconstruction and keep its office and music library there. Noseda will conduct 20 concerts at five of the venues during his 10 weeks in the D.C. area starting with a gala Sept. 26 at Strathmore, and he also will lead the tour performances. He said just two of his programs were changed from his original plans, substituting Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 5 for Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell” overture and one Ottorino Respighi composition for another, both to account for a smaller stage that could accommodate fewer musicians.Five holiday performances of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” are the only concerts that require a chorus.“I honestly would have preferred not to go through this, but the situation is the way it is and we have to be proactive,” Noseda said.

Jacksonville Jaguars' two-way star Travis Hunter got another heavy workload during the team's 15th training camp session on Aug. 18 at the Miller Electric Center.And like recent practices, it was top-heavy on defense.On a day when the Jaguars practiced in shorts and helmets ahead of a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers, Hunter got a solid day's work, taking all of his snaps in 11-on-11 periods and at one point playing eight defensive snaps in a rowHunter nearly made his third interception of camp. On a pass from Trevor Lawrence that appeared to be tipped at the line of scrimmage, the ball floated towards no open receiver in particular, with Hunter and Jabbar Muhammad in the vicinity.Either of them could have made the pick. Muhammad stepped in front of Hunter and snared the ball.Hunter still got touches during his limited work on offense: Two plays, two runs from scrimmage.Jaguars season ticket informationHow many snaps did Travis Hunter have?Hunter was in on 21 snaps total, a day after he had 31 plays. He had two offensive plays and 19 on defense.On Aug. 17, Hunter had five offensive snaps and 31 on defense. His snap count the last two days is seven offense and 50 defense.For the season, Hunter has 62 offensive snaps, 137 defensive snaps and one special-teams snap in 11-on-11 periods. He has 10 offense and 18 defense in 7-on-7 periods, for a total of 72 offensive plays and 155 defensive plays.Hunter has nine receptions on offense and three carries from scrimmage. In addition to his two interceptions, he has has broken up three passes. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars' Travis Hunter has another busy day on defense

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 14: Jack Strand #18 and Cooper Rush #13 of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to an NFL preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 14, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images There are two separate quarterback competitions going on for the Atlanta Falcons. The first is the battle for the starting job, where Tua Tagovailoa is in the driver’s seat because he’s healthy enough to appear in full-team practices and play in preseason games, where Michael Penix Jr. is working his way back. The second is the fight for the third quarterback role, where Cooper Rush and Jack Strand are engaged in a more feisty battle than anticipated after Rush played poorly in the first preseason game.Neither of those battles are settled, head coach Kevin Stefanski noted yesterday, with Tua and Penix still set to battle and Stefanski weighing whether to start Rush or Strand on Saturday against the Colts. Kevin Stefanski on naming a QB:“We’re continuing on our process, continuing where we are.”Thinks joint practices will be a chance for good work for both Tua Tagovailoa & Michael Penix Jr. pic.twitter.com/cbQqOYRvL0— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) August 17, 2026Stefanski doesn't know if Rush or Strand will start Friday at QB. #Falcons— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 17, 2026After Tua’s shaky performance in preseason, it’s good to see Stefanski keeping the door open for Penix. As I’ve written all spring and summer, health is the chief obstacle and continues to be, as we’re still waiting for Penix to be ready and the team to start rolling him out in full-team drills. But Penix winning this job and excelling in it is the best case scenario for Atlanta, given he’s younger, has more theoretical upside, and is under team control for longer than Tua. If Penix cannot get into game action at all and simply isn’t ready to do so by Week 1, Stefanski will have to closer that door in the coming weeks, but the hope is that Penix is nearing full clearance. That’s hope, of course, and nothing concrete.In the interim, Tua can help himself with good joint practices this week. He hasn’t been stealing the show in the last handful of practices and looked flustered against the Broncos, which is also leaving the door very much open for Penix. The second battle also seems very much up in the air. Strand was not impressive against the Broncos, but he had a couple of really nice throws, scored the game’s lone touchdown on a sneak (and pulled off another successful sneak later), and continues to be far more advanced than a Division II undrafted free agent typically is. Rush is a veteran with successful NFL stints under his belt, but he threw some unbelievably poor passes against Denver, including a pick-six and another interception, and generally did not look comfortable running the offense. Rush has the experience to bounce back and seize the job, but I’d be interested in seeing Strand get a start and see if he can hold his own. It’s likely we won’t know the result of these battles until after the third week of preseason, with the competitive nature of both a good thing and the uncertainty a little unnerving. Perhaps this week of joint practices will create some welcome daylight.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesShane Lowry has reflected on his 2026 PGA Tour season after his exit from the FedExCup Playoffs after the first event.Lowry finished tied for 52nd at last week’s St Jude Championship, which was not enough to reach the BMW Championship.The Irishman finished 62nd in the FedExCup standings when only the top 50 qualify for the second playoff event.Lowry has explained the key reason for his difficult campaign and has looked ahead to his upcoming events on the DP World Tour.Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty ImagesShane Lowry reflects on a ‘disappointing’ PGA Tour seasonShane Lowry admitted that his two final-round collapses at the start of 2026 affected his play for the rest of the season.Lowry made a double bogey on the 72nd hole at the Dubai Invitational in January, gifting Nacho Elvira the victory.Two months later, he blew a three-shot lead with three holes to play at the Cognizant Classic, and Nico Echavarria won the title.Those results knocked Lowry’s confidence for the remainder of the PGA Tour season, but he is looking forward to a fresh start.“End of a disappointing PGA Tour season. In truth, not winning early in the season hurt and lingered for several months afterwards,” Lowry wrote.“I’m happy where my game is now and have an exciting part of my season ahead.“A few weeks off now to prep for a run of DP World Tour events and the start of my Ryder Cup qualification campaign for Doonbeg.”Lowry will play in the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship next month before the Alfred Dunhill Links in October.The 39-year-old will be looking to reach the DP World Tour Play-Offs in the UAE with strong performances in the coming weeks.Read more:Jon Rahm returning to the PGA Tour could be set to have major impact on Scottie Scheffler Why Scottie Scheffler’s dominant FedEx St. Jude win was exactly what Rory McIlroy and the PGA Tour neededHow the PGA Tour treated Jon Rahm compared to Tyrrell Hatton makes it clear how they will deal with LIV players leaving

In fantasy football, the QB position is easily the deepest player pool to choose from for managers. With that, we see a lot of year-over-year variance, QBs who are drafted later on jumping up into QB1 status by the end of the season. Four of our Yahoo analysts — Hayden Winks, Joel Smyth, Justin Boone and Ray Garvin — share their favorite QB breakout candidate for 2026. Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL seasonJordan Love, PackersIt's rare to have a QB's WR1, WR2, WR3, TE1 and RB1 all go before him in fantasy football ADP, but that's what is happening with Love. Either we are taking crazy pills with all of this Packers' investment or Love is simply underpriced. I think the latter. Love is benefiting from a few things this upcoming season. First, his skill group is sick. I love Matthew Golden at cost as a sleeper and Tucker Kraft being back a month before the season is promising. Beyond that, the Packers are stressing more pace in practice and they followed that up by quickly breaking the huddle and snapping the ball in preseason action last week. It wouldn't be a surprise if they passed more with Josh Jacobs' status and this new quicker-paced offense, and more dropbacks mean more fantasy points. On that, Love has been extremely efficient for years (see below), but the Packers have been too conservative for him to break into the top-10 fantasy mix. The defense looks rough early on without Micah Parsons, and the early schedule includes games with the Vikings, Jets, Falcons, Bears, Cowboys, Lions and Panthers. — Hayden WinksHere's a look at how Love stacks up in terms of EPA per dropback vs. success rate at the QB position.Hayden WinksCaleb Williams, BearsWilliams finished as the QB9 in PPG last season and is now being drafted as the QB8 on Yahoo. For a Year 3 quarterback, the combination of floor and upside looks incredible. He's flawed; his second season had plenty of missed throws down the field, but his natural playmaking ability and offense easily overcomes it. Keep in mind, this is only his second season in the offense and third overall in the NFL, often where the most offseason growth occurs for a QB. Williams has every ingredient of a great fantasy QB: Coaching, offensive line, weapons, scrambling, an aggressive passing style, all on an offense that will likely be in shootouts or as Ben Johnson loves, merciless blowouts. He already was a 20-PPG scorer in the second half of last season and can take it to the next level this year. — Joel SmythSubscribe to Fantasy Ultra to unlock our Strategy Lab, 150+ page Draft Playbook and more!Malik Willis, DolphinsYou can define a breakout player a lot of ways, but to me it should be someone who hasn't had a complete season as a fantasy star yet. The breakout occurs the year they finally put it all together and become a difference-maker. There are a few players who fit that criteria in 2026, but Willis is the kind of dual-threat QB fantasy managers used to steam up draft boards. The 27-year-old rediscovered his game as a backup on the Packers the last two seasons. During that time, he made three relief starts where he posted rushing totals of 41, 60, and 73 yards while averaging a touchdown per outing on the ground. Unsurprisingly, he finished as a top-seven fantasy QB in two of those three contests. The Dolphins were impressed enough to sign him to a three-year, $67.5 million contract this offseason. Though Willis' path to fantasy relevance will come thanks to his skills as a runner, there's also untapped upside here through the air, if any of his pass-catchers other than De'Von Achane step up. The positive reports around Malik Washington, as well as third-round rookies Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell provides some hope for this passing attack. Don't be surprised at all if Willis flirts with low-end fantasy QB1 numbers, even if it might not always look pretty. — Justin BooneJaxson Dart, GiantsJaxson Dart is one of my favorite breakout bets at quarterback this fall because I think the usage is going to be there in a major way. You're talking about a head coach who just spent years with Lamar Jackson. No, Dart isn't Lamar as a runner. Relax. This offense is going to flow through the quarterback. And Dart can do major damage with his legs. He's getting Malik Nabers back, the Giants upgraded the weapons around him and I expect them to lean into everything Dart does well instead of asking him to sit in the pocket and play boring football. That rushing production gives him a fantasy floor with a legitimate winning weekly ceiling. Yes, the trips to the blue tent concern me. They should. But let's also remember he's only been diagnosed with one concussion. At the price you're paying right now, I'll gladly bet on the talent, rushing upside and potential volume. The ceiling is way higher than the cost. — Ray GarvinLevel up with Yahoo Fantasy Ultra Want breakout candidates for all 32 teams? Sign up for Fantasy Ultra and unlock over 150 pages of advice with our Draft Playbook, including ...Top targets and players to avoid from Justin Boone (the top in-season ranker of 2025) , Matt Harmon, Josh Norris, Joel Smyth, Scott Pianowski and Hayden WinksIn-depth positional advice and strategies for every draft pick range32 sleeper and 32 breakout candidatesCheat sheetsHalf and PPR rankingsHalf and PPR positional tiersMore than 125 player profilesAn Ultra subscription also comes with access to several top-notch tools like Yahoo's Draft Strategy Lab to mock draft like a champ with tons of features, including filtering by each analyst's rankings or a draft strategy style (like late-round QB).If you're looking to up your game this season, consider Fantasy Ultra.

Brazil name squad for U-20 South American futsalThe Brazilian Men’s National Team has been called up for the CONMEBOL South American U-20 Futsal Championship, which will take place from September 26 to October 4 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. This Tuesday (18), head coach Cafu announced the list of 14 players who will represent Brazil in the competition.The most successful team in the tournament’s history, Brazil has won eight CONMEBOL South American U-20 Futsal titles and heads to Venezuela in search of another continental trophy.Before its debut, the Brazilian National Team will begin preparations in São José do Vale do Rio Preto (RJ), where the squad will hold its training camp.In the first stage, Brazil is in Group B alongside Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile. Group A consists of Venezuela, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia.The ten national teams were divided into two groups of five and will play a single round-robin in the preliminary stage. The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals. The remaining teams will continue in the competition to determine places from fifth to ninth.Coach Cafu wants to maintain Brazil’s tradition in the competition. Brazil has won eight CONMEBOL South American U-20 Futsal titlesCredits: Paulinho SauerCALLED-UP PLAYERSGOALKEEPERS: Bernardo – Corinthians (SP) / Bertoldo – Blumenau (SC)DEFENDERS: Braian – JEC/Krona (SC) / Caetano – Jaraguá (SC)WINGERS: Erick – São José (SP) / Luquinhas – Tubarão (SC) / Marcelinho – Umbro Liga São Caetano (SP) / Murillo – Vasco (RJ) / Odara – Corinthians (SP) / Sani – Jaraguá (SC) / Vini Dias – Corinthians (SP)PIVOTS: Claudinho – Vasco (RJ) / De Nez – JEC/Krona (SC) / Marcello – Atlântico (RS)STAFFHead coach: Rafael (Cafu) – Umbro Liga São CaetanoAssistant coach: Vanildo Neto – Sport RecifeCoordinator: Mauro Sandri – MagnusOperations: Elmo Mariano – CBFAdministration: Luan Neiva – CBFFitness coach: Rodrigo – Minas T.C.Goalkeeping coach: Ney Lopes – JEC/KronaPhysiotherapist: Valtinho – CBFDoctor: Thiago Ribeiro – CBFPerformance analyst: Thiago Silveira – CBFKit manager: João Eudson – CBFCommunications: Flavia Domingues – CBFThis article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

The artworks by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse disappeared in a three-minute heist earlier this year. Now, police have arrested five suspects in connection with the burglary in northern Italy

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is seen as President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce the Freedom Haulers initiative at the White House, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2026-08-18T15:37:29Z WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal district judge said Tuesday that paint tests on a 19th-century historic landmark building next to the White House can go ahead, advancing President Donald Trump’s plans to add a new coat of white paint to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, for now.Trump has suggested the massive building be painted as part of his push to remake and beautify the nation’s capital. Planners said the paint job would cost at least $7.5 million.The proposal to paint the building has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and degrade the stone.U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich said plaintiffs in an ongoing case had not shown that minimal tests planned for the historic building would cause irreparable harm if those tests go ahead. The plaintiffs, which include cultural preservationist groups, had sought a restraining order and a temporary injunction to stop the Trump administration from conducting tests and other preparatory work.At issue was whether that work would get ahead of a larger question before the court over whether the General Services Administration could delegate its authority for such a project to the Executive Office.“The plaintiffs’ motion rises and falls on irreparable harm,” Friedrich said from the bench. The test areas would include about 8 square feet of the building’s massive exterior and several panels that can’t be seen by the public, she said. Friedrich said that while she was allowing that test to move ahead, she would not hesitate to step in and rule if the administration moved beyond the limited testing. She asked the parties to provide a status report by next Tuesday and ordered regular reports following that. Read More Gregory Werkheiser, a lawyer with Cultural Heritage Partners and one of the plaintiffs, said that while he and others challenging the painting plan were disappointed, “the reasons we brought this case are untouched by today’s decision.”The larger issue, he said, is whether “the president has taken power illegally from the GSA and put it in his office in terms of this project and the implications of that. If that holds true for historic properties around the country, that could be devastating.”

A passenger jet on approach to Newark Liberty International Airport flies over the setting sun in Newark, N.J., March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)2026-08-18T15:21:13Z NEW YORK (AP) — Flight attendants and pilots are at the highest risk of dying from radiation-related cancers — even more than people who work with radioactive materials, according to a new study.Cosmic radiation comes from space. Only a small amount reaches the Earth’s surface, but exposure is greater for people flying at high altitudes.There’s been limited evidence from small studies suggesting that the exposure translates to higher cancer death rates among people who fly often — particularly pilots and flight attendants. The new study “brings important new evidence to bear on this question,” two Australian radiation experts who weren’t involved in the research wrote in an accompanying commentary.The latest study, published Monday by JAMA Internal Medicine, used national data from more than 12 million death certificates that included information about occupations. The authors looked at death rates from cancers that are tied to radiation exposures, including leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and cancers of the skin, breast, thyroid, prostate and central nervous system. Among more than 500 occupations, flight attendants had the highest percentage of deaths from radiation-related cancers, and pilots were second, the researchers found. For those two occupations, the odds of dying were unusually high for each type of radiation-related cancer.Neither group showed higher-than-normal death rates from cancers that aren’t tied to radiation exposure, noted the commentary writers, Catherine Olsen and Ken Karipidis. That fact “supports the hypothesis that occupational radiation exposure, rather than lifestyle or socioeconomic factors, underlies the observed excess,” they wrote. The researchers found that flight attendants had about 50% higher odds of dying from a radiation-related cancer than the general working population, and pilots had about 36% higher odds. Read More In terms of absolute risk, about 6.9% of flight attendant deaths were from these cancers — roughly 1 in 14. Among pilots, it was 6.7%. For the general working population, it was 5%, said the study’s first author, Dr. Vishal Patel of Harvard Medical School. The authors acknowledged some limitations in their study. They do not know how much exposure each flight attendant and pilot got in the air or from other sources. It’s also possible occupations were misclassified on some death certificates. They also could not account for another possible contributor specific to the professions: Cancer risk can be worsened by frequent disruption of the body’s internal clock, which can be affected by jet lag, crossing time zones and irregular work schedules. The Federal Aviation Administration has acknowledged that aircrews are exposed to ionizing radiation, but the government does not set federal dose limits or require monitoring, the authors noted.“You can’t manage an exposure you’ve decided not to measure,” Patel said in an email. Sara Nelson, who leads a union representing 55,000 flight attendants, said the report reinforces that radiation exposure needs to be taken seriously, as the union has suggested for years.“The risk is known, but crew are not educated or informed. And, no one is taking responsibility,” said Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. Annual skin examinations may be warranted for all people working on high-altitude flights, and women in those jobs may want to get mammograms earlier or more frequently, Olsen and Karipidis wrote. Doctors who care for pilots and flight attendants also should have a “heightened index of suspicion” for cancer when evaluating these patients, they said.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. MIKE STOBBE Stobbe mainly covers public health for The Associated Press. twitter mailto