Directorio

Nashville SC's Sam Surridge fined by MLS Disciplinary CommitteeBy MLSsoccer staffThe MLS Disciplinary Committee has issued the following rulings after Matchday 20 of the 2026 season.Surridge finedThe MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Nashville SC forward Sam Surridge for violating the league’s policy regarding simulation/embellishment in the 52nd+ minute of Nashville’s match against Inter Miami CF on August 15.Disciplinary Committee: Matchday 20 MLS Disciplinary Committee Decision SurridgeMihailovic finedThe MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Toronto FC midfielder Djordje Mihailovic for failing to leave the field in a timely manner in the 76th minute of Toronto’s match against the New England Revolution on August 15.Disciplinary Committee: Matchday 20 MLS Disciplinary Committee Decision MihailovicFalcón finedThe MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Inter Miami CF defender Maximiliano Falcón for violating the league’s policy regarding simulation/embellishment in the 49th+ minute of Miami’s match against Nashville SC on August 15.Disciplinary Committee: Matchday 20 MLS Disciplinary Committee Decision FalcónAgyabeng finedThe MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Sporting Kansas City midfielder Kwaku Agyabeng for failing to leave the field in a timely manner in the 38th minute of Kansas City’s match against the Colorado Rapids on August 15.Disciplinary Committee: Matchday 20 MLS Disciplinary Committee Decision AgyabengMosquera finedThe MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Sporting Kansas City defender Moisés Mosquera for failing to leave the field in a timely manner in the 92nd+ minute of Kansas City’s match against the Colorado Rapids on August 15.Disciplinary Committee: Matchday 20 MLS Disciplinary Committee Decision Mosquera

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — On Friday against the Green Bay Packers, Bo Nix will play his first live football since fracturing his ankle Jan. 17 in the divisional round of the playoffs. But Tuesday during a training camp practice, the Broncos quarterback got an early taste of contact.Defensive end Malcolm Roach and linebacker Nik Bonitto rushed the left side of Denver’s offensive line, collapsing left tackle Garett Bolles and left guard Ben Powers into Nix.Nix was knocked down on the play, an occurrence NFL teams beg their players to avoid in practices.And as Roach celebrated the play, Nix threw a football at him.“We all know on defense to avoid the quarterback,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “It gets competitive, obviously, and guys are rushing to win the down, and sometimes they get too close and simply we remind them. But Bo’s our quarterback and we don’t want anyone near Bo.”Broncos DC Vance Joseph after chippy practice: "We all know on defense to avoid the quarterback. It gets competitive obviously & guys are rushing to win the down & sometimes they get too close and simply we remind them. But Bo’s our quarterback and we don’t want anyone near Bo." pic.twitter.com/XKT7WdzpBA— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) August 18, 2026The tension would simmer still further.Two plays later, as Nix threw an interception, a tussle broke out with a helmetless Calvin Throckmorton at the bottom of the pile. As more linemen joined the scuffle, Bonitto jumped on right tackle Mike McGlinchey. Nix yanked on Bonitto’s leg to pull Bonitto off his right tackle.Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!Coaches sent messages after practice about crossing the line. “I’m glad that we’re fiery, I love the competition out here,” offensive coordinator Davis Webb said. But “we can’t cross that line, and that’s offense and defense. That’s not just one person, one position group. “We all had a part of that. So we’re going to handle that the best we do and make sure we’re the Denver Broncos, not offense vs. defense.”Nix has participated fully throughout training camp after two offseason surgeries to repair and then treat bone spurs in his right ankle. Broncos coaches and personnel staff consider him fully recovered, play calls reflecting that progress including a Tuesday team-drill snap on which he escaped and ran to his right before checking the ball down to running back RJ Harvey.Despite the knockdown, Nix appeared uninjured and unfazed when he met with reporters at the podium after practice.“I love it,” Nix said. “It's football. It's getting me ready for the games coming up and it's a physical practice out there played by physical people. So it got intense and we were just really enjoying it. And sometimes in the dog days of summer, practice gets long and the intensity runs high.”

ST. LOUIS – Ryan Fox’s world changed last month when he drained a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the 154th British Open at Royal Birkdale. “I'm still trying to get used to that,” the 39-year-old New Zealand native said during a press conference Tuesday ahead of the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club. Asked to give an example of how becoming the Champion Golfer of the Year has been life-changing, he said, “I mean, I'm sitting here. I haven't done a press conference for an event pretty much all year. It's just everything's busier. Coming out of the hotel this week, I got stopped going to dinner like five times to sign an autograph. Like, that has never really happened. It might happen obviously on the golf course, but not just randomly at the hotel. So there's no more kind of flying under the radar.”Fox recounted how when he showed up at the airport the morning after his triumph to fly to Miami, where he makes his home during the PGA Tour season, Cameron Young, who he pipped by a stroke with his dead-eyed stroke at the last, was standing in line behind him. And, yes, he’s gotten the hang of getting the iconic Claret Jug into the overhead compartment on an airplane. Asked if he was traveling with the silver jug this week, Fox said, “Yeah, it's in the back of the BMW right now, actually.”More: Ryan Fox didn't waste time hitting shots or drinking wine from the Claret Jug at The OpenThe Jug has been making quite the rounds with Fox. Last week in Memphis, he enjoyed a celebratory dinner with members of the Srixon tour staff, his longtime equipment sponsor. “I was like, ‘Well, do you want me to bring the trophy?’ And they're like, ‘Of course!’ So, we chucked it in on the table of a steakhouse, and the boys put some wine in it and had a little drink out of it at dinner, which was really cool to be able to do that. So, it was with me last week, came straight here, so made sense. Yeah, it's cool. I'm going to do it a lot this year, to be honest, it's cool to be able to show it off.” In the aftermath of his victory, just his third on the PGA Tour, Fox took it home to New Zealand to celebrate in style. Joining Lydia Ko, Bob Charles and Michael Campbell as just the fourth Kiwi to win a major, his victory and subsequent return home was a big deal. He landed in Auckland at 9 o’clock in the morning on a Friday and during an interview he said his first order of business was to get a steak, bacon, jam and cheese pie from Rollers Bakery. It has since been re-named The Foxy and due to the frenzy for them, the bakery didn’t have enough in stock to open up on Saturday. “For those who love stats, we sold 3,700 pies in the 13 days we were open, 1,225 of them being Foxy pies,” the bakery wrote on its Instagram account. View this post on InstagramFox didn’t have to go to great efforts to enjoy more pies. Within a half hour of getting home, he got a knock on the door.“A woman from a local catering company who is one of our neighbors lives just down the street. She had heard I had did a little interview when we landed at the airport that I wanted a pie, a meat pie, which is not something you guys have over here. But she literally comes to the door and knocks on the door and gives us a couple of bags and it was like four meat pies and a big pie, big smoked fish pie for dinner that night. And they catered one of our kids parties a year or so ago, and she goes, ‘Yeah, just wanted to drop these off.’ ”Fox managed to squeeze in a round of golf with his mates, dropping the Claret Jug off at the pro shop while they played.“I was like, ‘Do you guys mind if I just leave it here?’ And like a bunch of the members came out and took photos with it and stuff like that. It was great to be able to do that. Definitely be able to do it again when I go home at the end of the year. But the buzz around the golf course was pretty incredible as well with it.”Adam Schupak is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Meat-pie mania and life after the British Open for winner Ryan Fox

When it comes to the major names at tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals right now, there’s something of a “big three” on the depth chart. Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample and Erick All would be the guys to know. But names like Tanner Hudson, Cam Grandy and rookie draft pick Jack Endries are in the hunt for final roster spots too. While Endries had the big touchdown during the first preseason game and Grandy has seen some notable training camp usage, it’s Hudson who is starting to surge over the last few days. “I knew my time would come if I was just patient,” Hudson said, according to Dan Hoard. “There’s no point in being uptight about it or getting mad about it, your time is going to come and you’re either prepared to make a play or you’re not.”Let Hoard tell it, Hudson has started to see more and more looks in the offense over the last few days of work. No great shock. Hudson joined the Bengals in 2022 and has earned contract extensions nearly every year. His all-around game and veteran status still provides major value. With Gesicki a receiver, Sample a blocker and All an all-around player with major injury red flags, it was a matter of time before Hudson’s moment this summer arrived. Barring a shocker from Endries or Grandy, Hudson still tracks as the third or fourth guy on the depth chart by Week 1, it just took a little longer than expected to hear his name buzz during camp. This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Yet another name starting to emerge at TE for Bengals

The Indiana Fever (23-12) seek their fifth straight win as they visit the Toronto Tempo (10-23), who have lost 10 in a row.Kelsey Mitchell (24.2 points, 43.7% 3-pointers), Caitlin Clark (22.0 points, 8.3 assists) and Aliyah Boston (17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 43.2% 3-pointers) power the Fever. Marina Mabrey (20.8 points, 38.6% 3-pointers), Isabelle Harrison (12.0 points, 5.7 rebounds), Kiki Rice (11.2 points, 4.0 rebounds) and Laura Juskaite (10.1 points) lead the Tempo. Brittney Skyes (20.1 points) has been out since mid-June with a foot injury but is probable. We will have score updates and highlights throughout, so please remember to refresh.Find Fever tickets on StubHubWhen do the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark play the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday, Aug. 18? Indiana Fever game start timeThe Indiana Fever play the Toronto Tempo at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday, Aug. 18, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.Where to watch Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever vs. the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday, Aug. 18? What channel is the Fever-Tempo game on?TV: ESPNWatch Fever action on FuboHow can I stream Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark vs. the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday, Aug. 18? Stream the Fever-TempoWatch Fever vs. Tempo with a free Fubo trialIs Caitlin Clark playing vs. the Toronto Tempo tonight, Aug. 18? Fever-Tempo injury reportIndiana's Caitlin Clark (back) and Aliyah Boston (knee) are probable. Toronto's Brittney Skyes (foot) is probable. Julie Allemand (thigh) and Nyara Sabally (calf) are out. Caitlin Clark stats for the Indiana Fever heading into game vs. the Toronto Tempo tonight, Aug. 18?Caitlin Clark averages 22.0 points, 8.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game, making 45.0% of her field goals, 35.4% of her 3-pointers and 85.5% of her free throws.Buy Caitlin Clark merch, gearCheck out Caitlin Clark jerseys, hoodies and moreWho are the Indiana Fever's best players? Indiana Fever roster 20260, Kelsey Mitchell1, Ugonne Onyiah2, Myisha Hines-Allen3, Raven Johnson5, Mercedes Russell7, Aliyah Boston8, Sophie Cunningham10, Lexie Hull12, Damiris Dantas14, Grace VanSlooten21, Makayla Timpson22, Caitlin Clark23, Bree Hall25, Monique Billings52, Ty HarrisIndiana Fever schedulePrevious results are belowAug. 2:Minnesota Lynx 108, Fever 100 (recap, Clark stats)Aug. 6:Las Vegas Aces 86, Fever 84, OT (recap, Clark stats)Aug. 8: Fever 90, Chicago Sky 86 (recap, Clark news)Aug. 11: Fever 106, New York Liberty 92 (recap, Clark stats)Aug. 14: Fever 98, Dallas Wings 87 (recap, Clark stats) Aug. 16: Fever 95, Atlanta Dream 91, OT (recap, Clark stats)Aug. 18: at Toronto Tempo (Scotiabank Arena), 7 p.m., ESPNAug. 20: at Dallas Wings (American Airlines Center), 8 p.m., Prime VideoAug. 22: at New York Liberty, 7 p.m., Prime VideoAug. 23: at Chicago Sky, 7 p.m., NBCAug. 28: vs Connecticut Sun, 7:30 p.m., IonSept. 18: at Toronto Tempo, 7:30 p.m., IonSept. 20: vs Washington Mystics, 4 p.m., NBA TVSept. 22: vs Minnesota Lynx, 8 p.m., ESPNSept. 24: at Minnesota Lynx, 8 p.m., USA NetworkWatch WNBA action with a Fubo trialIndiana Fever results in 2026May 9:Dallas Wings 107, Fever 104 (Recap, Clark stats)May 13: Fever 87, Los Angeles Sparks 78 (Recap, Clark stats)May 15:Washington Mystics 104, Fever 102, OT (Recap, Clark stats)May 17: Fever 89, Seattle Storm 78, (Recap, Clark stats)May 20: Fever 90, Portland Fire 73 (Recap, Clark injury)May 22: Fever 90, Golden State Valkyries 82 (Recap, Clark stats)May 28:Golden State Valkyries 90, Fever 88 (Recap, Clark stats)May 30: Portland Fire 100, Fever 84 (Recap, Clark stats)June 4: Fever 83, Atlanta Dream 71 (Recap, Clark stats)June 6:New York Liberty 83, Fever 75 (Recap, Clark stats)June 8: Fever 78, Washington Mystics 76 (Recap, Clark stats)June 11: Fever 114, Chicago Sky 106, OT (Recap, Clark stats)June 13: Fever 85, Connecticut Sun 75 (Recap, Clark stats)June 16: Fever 113, Toronto Tempo 91 (Recap, Clark stats)June 18: Atlanta Dream 108, Fever 101 (Recap, Clark stats)June 20: Atlanta Dream 113, Fever 96 (Recap, Clark stats)June 22: Fever 86, Phoenix Mercury 77 (Recap, Clark stats)June 24:Phoenix Mercury 111, Fever 109 (Recap, Clark stats)June 27: Fever 111, Los Angeles Sparks 87 (Recap)July 5: Fever 84, Las Vegas Aces 68 (Recap)July 8:Los Angeles Sparks 106, Fever 92 (Recap, Clark stats)July 9: Fever 92, Phoenix Mercury 89 (Recap)July 12: Fever 109, Las Vegas Aces 75 (Recap, Clark stats)July 15: Golden State Valkyries 88, Fever 75 (Recap, Clark stats)July 17: Fever 110, Seattle Storm 107 (Recap, Clark stats)July 18: Fever 108, New York Liberty 88 (Recap, Clark stats)July 22: Fever 123, Connecticut Sun 88 (Recap, Clark stats)July 28: Fever 105, Seattle Storm 95 (Recap, Clark stats)July 31: Fever 112, Portland Fire 98 (Recap, Clark stats)Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Did the Indiana Fever win? Timeline, Live score updates, Caitlin Clark stats vs Toronto Tempo

Hayden Panettiere arrives at the 21st annual Critics' Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar on Jan. 17, 2016, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)2026-08-18T20:11:14Z GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were at the South Carolina apartment where the actor died over the weekend, according to a police report released Tuesday.A Greenville police officer who responded to the residence Sunday afternoon was met by the brothers and then observed paramedics performing CPR on an unresponsive woman, the report states.“The patient did not seem to have any obvious physical reasons to be unresponsive,” the officer notes. After attempting lifesaving measures, the emergency workers declared Panettiere dead at 2:31 p.m.No cause has been determined and her death remains under investigation. An autopsy found no signs of trauma and police said officers saw no signs of foul play.The onetime child star, who soared to fame in the TV shows “Heroes” and “Nashville” while enduring struggles with alcohol addiction and depression, would have turned 37 on Friday. Tumultuous relationshipPanettiere and Brian Hickerson had been in a tumultuous relationship for years, with allegations the 37-year-old aspiring actor physically abused her.He was charged in 2020 with multiple counts of felony abuse and he pleaded no contest to two counts of injuring a spouse or partner and served a short time in jail due to the case. He was sentenced to four years of probation and anger management and Alcoholics Anonymous sessions. He completed the terms and recently asked a judge to reduce his conviction to misdemeanors; that request was denied Thursday by a Los Angeles judge. Messages were sent Tuesday seeking comment from Pat Carey, an attorney for Hickerson. Panettiere wrote of Hickerson’s time behind bars, and how she hoped it would change him, in her memoir, “This Is Me,” which came out in May. Read More “I wanted Brian to be in jail just long enough to scare him, but not long enough where’d he become a worse person,” she wrote. “I needed him to admit his wrongs and change because of them, but I didn’t want to traumatize him in an irreversible way.”She wrote about her decision to “let go of my resentment” and try to forgive Hickerson, who she’d met at a West Hollywood restaurant in 2018 after noticing his “charming smile.” Police report has redactionsThe police report, which is heavily redacted, said the responding officer first spoke with Zach Hickerson, who said the unresponsive woman was his brother’s girlfriend. “I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden. Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased,” the officer said. After she was declared dead, the officer escorted the brothers out of the apartment. The officer spoke with Brian “more in depth,” but the details of that conversation are redacted in the police report.Also redacted is a list that of medications that Panettiere had been taking. She had been open about addiction issuesIn her book, Panettiere described lifelong scars from her early fame, and acknowledged being addicted to alcohol and enduring postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Kaya, with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in 2014.Panettiere’s daughter, now 11, began living with Klitschko full-time in Ukraine when she was 2. At the time, the actor was struggling with mental health and addiction. She entered rehab in 2015, while filming “Nashville.”“I think there’s been this very common misconception that I just gave up my child,” she said in an interview with podcaster Jay Shetty in May. “That could not be farther from the truth.”Panettiere had endured numerous family struggles, and tragedy. Her parents’ marriage was strained, and eventually ended. Her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who was also an actor, died of a heart condition in 2023, at age 28.Started out as a child actorPanettiere was one of two children born to Skip Panettiere, a former New York City fire captain, and Lesley Vogel, a former soap opera star who had been the prime force behind her early career before the two became estranged. Panettiere began acting in commercials and soap operas, including as the ever-troubled Lizzie Spaulding on “Guiding Light.” In “This Is Me,” she wrote that the traumas her character endured, from being kidnapped to killing her mother’s boyfriend, led her to associate “catastrophe with adoration.” “Is it any wonder why I’ve faced so many real struggles in my life?” she wrote.She had much warmer memories of her role as a cheerleader with supernatural powers in “Heroes,” which propelled her to fame in 2006. The series revolved around the mantra: “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”She went on to win three Teen Choice Awards for that role. She was also nominated for a Grammy for a children’s spoken word album, “A Bug’s Life: Read-Along.”Panettiere later played a brash country upstart opposite Connie Britton on “Nashville,” which aired on ABC for four seasons before being canceled and revived on CMT. She did her own singing in the show, which scored some hits on country charts, spawned U.S. tours and earned Panettiere two supporting actress Golden Globe nominations.

Hayden Panettiere arrives at the 21st annual Critics' Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar on Jan. 17, 2016, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)2026-08-18T20:08:38Z STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A Georgia man burglarized former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle’s home after learning Biffle and his family died in a plane crash, a North Carolina sheriff said Tuesday.Terrell Williams, 44, has been charged with second-degree burglary, safe cracking, money laundering and other felonies, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell announced at a news conference. Williams was being held without bond in Cobb County, Georgia, on suspicion of another home burglary. Jail records did not list an attorney.Campbell said investigators were led to Williams in July, when Cobb County police arrested him and found items taken from Biffle’s home. Biffle, his wife and his two children, along with three others, died in the Dec. 18 crash, which remains under investigation by the NTSB. Authorities reported a break-in at the home on Jan. 8 and have said $30,000 in cash, two Glock handguns, NASCAR memorabilia and gold and silver coins were stolen. Investigators have recovered some of the stolen items, including NASCAR memorabilia, Campbell said. They also found a radio-frequency detector they believe Williams used during the burglary to locate security cameras.He said Williams is also suspected in another North Carolina burglary that occurred when a law enforcement officer was in the hospital. “He used headlines, social media posts, different things to find out when people were and were not home, and he executed his plan in that capacity,” Campbell said. Campbell said investigators have also identified a person of interest in a separate fraud case following the Biffle family’s death. Read More Investigators have said bank, Venmo and PayPal accounts tied to the Biffles were accessed online using personal information, with phone numbers and email addresses changed to gain control of funds. Money was then allegedly transferred to accounts not belonging to the family and used for purchases, according to a search warrant affidavit.At least one fraudulent check tied to Biffle’s business interests was cashed, and other attempts were made to access accounts. The activity occurred across multiple states.

Haitians register to vote in the upcoming general election in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)2026-08-18T19:57:32Z PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Japan and the Organization of American States signed a deal Tuesday to award Haiti a $3 million grant to help it register voters as the troubled country prepares to hold general elections for the first time in more than a decade.The money will help Haiti’s government update its voter lists and procure 350,000 blank identification cards, the OAS said in a statement.Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti, with many leaving their IDs and other important documents behind when fleeing their homes under attack by armed men in Port-au-Prince and beyond.The OAS said the grant also would help reduce the backlog of Haitians awaiting identification, expand services in rural communities and improve power and internet connections in decentralized offices.Last month, Haiti’s government began voter registration in Port-au-Prince, where an estimated 70% of territory is controlled by gangs. The first round of elections is scheduled for Dec. 13, although experts have said ongoing gang violence could push back the date once again.Haiti hasn’t had a president since Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021. Moïse became president following the November 2016 elections.

Well water, which was filtered to remove iron and tannins, spills onto the grass, July 2, 2026, in St. George, Maine. (John Forbes/The Maine Monitor via AP)2026-08-18T19:56:24Z Wendy Brennan agreed to participate in a study examining how arsenic exposure can affect children’s cognitive development primarily because her young daughter wanted the free T-shirt. It was 2009, and the family had lived on their property in the small Kennebec County town of Mount Vernon for eight years. Brennan said she had no reason to fear the results.But when researchers came to test their drinking water, Brennan learned that her family’s well tested nearly six times above the Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum exposure guidelines for arsenic.“I pride myself on being a good mom,” she said. “One of the first things I thought was: ’I was giving my baby arsenic with her formula, and I was unaware.’”Brennan is not alone: just 53 percent of Mainers on private well water had tested for arsenic as of 2023, the latest figures available. The number has not moved much since 2014, when around 48 percent of Mainers on well water reported having tested it for arsenic, and is far short of the goal set by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to have tested 65 percent of wells by 2020. Low-income households making below $25,000 were least likely to have had their wells tested, according to the data collected by the Maine CDC.For nearly the past decade, the state has maintained programs through MaineHousing to help lower-income homeowners test and treat their wells for arsenic and other contaminants. But the program has served fewer homes than anticipated because of rising costs and changing treatment criteria.“The money we have is kind of a drop in the bucket right now, and it’s not permanent money — it’s not ongoing funding,” said Rep. Daniel Ankeles, D-Brunswick, whose bill to establish a $1 million contamination response fund to test and treat private wells died in the Legislature this spring. Rising costs, unrealistic expectationsOver half of Maine homes get their daily water for drinking, cooking and bathing from private wells. Most of these are bedrock wells, which are drilled an average of 250 feet deep to access pockets of groundwater contained in the rock’s fractures.Much of the bedrock in Maine contains minerals that house arsenic and radon, the byproduct of decaying uranium, said Jean MacRae, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Maine. Soluble portions of these elements dissolve into the water in the bedrock. The Maine CDC estimates that 1 in 10 wells has too much arsenic. People cannot taste, see or smell arsenic in water, but it can have serious health effects. A University of New Hampshire and Columbia University study found that drinking water with arsenic levels above five parts per billion — half of the Environmental Protection Agency’s limit— posed a threat to child development. Other research has found links between children’s prolonged exposure to high levels of arsenic and increased rates of certain cancers in later life. Read More While public drinking water systems are governed by state regulations, private wells do not fall under the same framework, meaning testing, treatment and upkeep is left to individual owners. Treatment costs for arsenic and other contaminants can be thousands of dollars, depending on the type of system that is installed; one 2015 study that surveyed homeowners in central Maine found that the cost of treatment was a barrier to treating arsenic contamination. The costs can continue for years, as systems require new filters and maintenance. Brennan and her family moved into a new home on the same property soon after learning of her well’s test results. Her new home used the same contaminated well. 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. Brennan, who advocated in 2017 for the creation of Maine’s Private Well Safe Drinking Water Fund, said her family would not have been able to afford the filtration system they installed if the payments had not been included in their mortgage. Maine formed its first dedicated program to help low-income homeowners treat their wells for arsenic in 2017, with $500,000 in one-time funding, administered through MaineHousing. Between 2017 and 2022, the program helped install 124 filters for eligible homeowners.In 2022, the Legislature provided another $400,000 to the program, and expanded it to cover other contaminants that exceed health guidelines. The Maine CDC said the following year that it expected the funding to help more than 500 homes install water filtration systems.But three years later, the program has spent over $385,000 of its $400,000 and has helped just 57 homeowners install filtration systems.Rising costs of water filters have been challenging, said Kim Ferenc, director of the abatement program. In 2022, the abatement program spent about $3,500 on average to treat a home’s well water system. Now, that treatment can cost between $4,000 and $5,000.Installing a filtration system that treats all the water entering a home is even more expensive, costing up to $15,000, which is the highest grant amount offered by the program. Most grants it has offered have been for individual systems, such as a filter underneath a kitchen sink, Ferenc said, not the more expensive systems that serve a home’s entire water supply and are often stored in a garage or basement. The program does not provide financial aid for maintenance costs.Companies that install these systems said prices are up for materials, much of which are imported, in part because of tariffs. Haskell’s Water Treatment, based in Rockland, imports much of its materials from outside the United States: ultraviolet lights from Canada meant to detect bacteria and water pumps from Italy or Germany. Following the Trump administration’s tariff measures last year, the treatment company saw an eight percent price increase across all its materials, Haskell’s co-owner Jack Martin said.“Pretty much everything that we are getting from our suppliers went up, even down to the fittings,” he said.Spokespeople for Fontus Water Treatment and Air & Water Quality Inc., which handles many of the jobs funded by the state abatement program, said they have seen prices increase as well in the past four years. Even without these cost increases, the idea that the program would be able to treat 500 homes was “not a realistic expectation,” MaineHousing spokesman Scott Thistle wrote in an email. At about $3,000 per house, excluding administrative and water-testing costs, the funding could be expected to provide grants for, at most, 134 homes, Thistle said. The type of contamination and its severity can also lead to vast fluctuations in the price of treatment, he added.The Maine CDC determined the abatement program could reach this goal after examining the average cost of “mid-level” treatment systems in 2023 detailed in MaineHousing’s reports at that time, said Maine Department of Health and Human Resources spokesperson Lindsay Hammes, but it was not a formal target.A ‘generational story’Inconsistent funding to treat well water contamination has been a “challenge,” Ferenc said. Lawmakers did not introduce any legislation to fund MaineHousing’s abatement program in their latest session earlier this year, and other bills to fund different well testing and treatment efforts failed to make it through. Getting state funding to help private well owners test and treat contamination can be challenging. Lawmakers said it is not uncommon for a bill to be approved but die on the appropriations table.That was the case for Rep. Ankeles’ bill, L.D. 2115, which would have established a $1 million contamination response fund through the Department of Environmental Protection to test and treat private water wells contaminated with PFAS chemicals and other hazardous substances.Ankeles said he plans to reintroduce the bill next session and is open to expanding it to include funding for MaineHousing’s abatement program.“We’re going to throw everything at the wall with respect to clean water because we can’t come away empty-handed,” Ankeles said. “It’s so bad for our state’s health if we come away empty-handed.”Thistle, of MaineHousing, said he expected that lawmakers will continue funding MaineHousing’s abatement program for low-income homeowners.“Advocates for this program consistently request funding for it, and so far, the Legislature has consistently provided funding,” Thistle said.Brennan now lives in California, but her eldest daughter, Caitlyn, still lives in their old house in Mount Vernon, where she is raising her own children. Her family is using the same water well and continuing to treat the arsenic contamination they found when she was a teenager.“It’s a generational story,” Brennan said. “It started with my daughter, and now it’s trickled down to her daughter.”___This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

In this photo provided by U.S. Navy, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) conducts routine underway operations in the Philippines Sea on June 24, 2022. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Arthur Rosen/U.S. Navy via AP, File)2026-08-18T20:21:26Z WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy destroyer with about 300 sailors aboard suffered a major breakdown in the Pacific Ocean last month that left it without power for four days, the Navy confirmed in a statement. The USS Benfold “reported an engineering casualty involving its generators, causing a loss of power” on July 24, Navy spokesman Cmdr. Matthew Comer said in the statement. The breakdown meant the crew went without drinking water, meals, functioning toilets and air conditioning for days aboard the ship, Comer said. The incident, which only became public on Friday when it was first reported by USNI News, comes as the Pentagon grapples with serious questions about the quality of life aboard naval vessels and the military’s ability to supply ships during the conflict with Iran. Democratic lawmakers are calling for investigations into conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Reports last week revealed that the ship, which has spent a record-setting 250 uninterrupted days at sea, has experienced shortages of supplies, including food and hygiene products, while crew members have suffered from stress and poor mental health. Comer stressed that there were no injuries to the crew of the Benfold, “who demonstrated resilience, grit, professionalism, and unwavering steadiness in their response,” but that the ship needed assistance from the George Washington carrier strike group. The cruiser USS Robert Smalls provided meals to the stricken destroyer. Ultimately, Comer said the Benfold had to be towed to Subic Bay, in the Philippines, for repairs, arriving on July 28. The crew was then provided food and lodging off the ship. On Aug. 8, the Benfold left port “with all engineering, combat systems, and crew support systems functioning normally,” the statement said. Read More Meanwhile, the ships from the George Washington strike group, including the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, were spotted heading toward the Middle East. The carrier was expected to replace the Lincoln, which the acting navy secretary, Hung Cao, said last week would be returning home soon. This would leave the waters of the Pacific without a U.S. carrier presence for an unknown period of time. The Trump administration sees China, the dominant power in the region, as “a settled force” that only needs to be deterred from dominating the U.S. or its allies and not the top global adversary that it was under the Biden administration. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Los Angeles Rams are set to dominate on defense due to their strength along the defensive line. When the team added Myles Garrett, that moved the needle for how dominant the Rams could be.While Garrett and company need to prove themselves on the field, Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness named them as the number one defensive line in the NFL, squeezing by the established units for the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks.The Rams fielded the NFL’s second-highest-graded defensive line last season, then added the best player from the only unit that ranked ahead of them by trading for edge defender Myles Garrett. Garrett joins fellow edge defender Byron Young and interior defensive lineman Kobie Turner, giving Los Angeles a trio that combined for 227 pressures last season.What separates the Rams from the pack is that they have Pro Bowl-caliber players at every position along the line, while having equal quality in their depth. The belief is that Garrett's influence should open up opportunities for his teammates to turn their top pressure rate into sacks.The Rams also rebuilt their defensive back room during the offseason, giving defensive coordinator Chris Shula more options to draw up pressure on quarterbacks with blitzes.This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: PFF ranks Rams' defensive line best in NFL

New York Jets quarterback Bailey Zappe (11) scrambles away from Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker David Walker (51) during a preseason opening game between the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co Yesterday the feedback was really strong on my Cade Klubnik breakdown video so I figured I would follow it up with one dissecting Bailey Zappe’s pair of interceptions in the Jets preseason opener. Unlike with Klubnik I’m not breaking down every passing attempt. I am sticking with the interceptions.I think I have a plan for how to use videos in the regular season that people will enjoy, but I’m still working out how to use the technology so this is good practice. I will probably try to do a few more before the preseason is out.Zappe’s performance was certainly poor in this game, but I don’t think he was the only Jets player to miss the mark on these two plays. Sometimes I think interceptions can be a team stat as much as they are an individual stat for a quarterback, and hopefully I explain why I feel that way well in this video.

As we get ready for the 2026 fantasy football season, there's no better way to prepare than doing mock drafts. And while live mock drafts will give us a great idea of how things might shake out, sometimes they're hit or miss and can be time consuming. Fortunately, Yahoo is offering its Instant Mock Draft tool again this season, available with your Fantasy Plus subscription.If you're new to the instant mock tool, here are some of the benefits:Draft immediately: That means no lobbies and no dropouts.Drafts tailored to your league: No more guessing if a mock draft from a generic 12-team league with standard scoring matches your custom setup. Draft against our algorithm, which mimics your league opponents.Test strategy: Simulate and try out different draft strategies from your exact draft slot. Find out which approach builds the strongest roster, then nail your live draft with real-time, on-the-clock recommendations.Subscribe to Fantasy Ultra to unlock our Strategy Lab, 150+ page Draft Playbook and more!In this series, I'll be performing an instant mock draft out of each pick slot for 12-team leagues with default half-PPR scoring. We've already mocked from the No. 1 spot — now, we move to the second overall pick. Below is the full roster, plus key takeaways.Full RosterQB: Caleb Williams, CHIRB: Bijan Robinson, ATLRB: Quinshon Judkins, CLEWR: Chris Olave, NOWR: Malik Nabers, NYGTE: Mark Andrews, BALFLEX: Rome Odunze, CHIKicker: Jason Myers, JAXDefense: ChargersBench: Parker Washington, JAXBench: Blake Corum, LARBench: Isaiah Likely, NYGBench: KC Concepcion, CLEBench: Zach Charbonnet, SEABench: MarShawn Lloyd, GBJoin or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL seasonStrategyI went over this a bit in the first instant mock, but I'm not straying from Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson at 1-2. Yahoo analyst Scott Pianowski has been preaching the same going into this season and has Robinson as one of his favorite targets for 2026. Justin Boone also prefers the No. 2 pick in the draft because you get your pick of Gibbs or Bijan in most cases. I agree with both those sentiments; drafting in the 1 or 2 slot at least makes your initial decision pretty easy, so you can focus more on what's to come in your draft. As for strategy, in the No. 1 mock we used more of a Hero RB approach and waited a bit at WR. This time around, we made a concerted effort to go WR in Rounds 2-3 (but also balanced things out a bit throughout). Running backs will likely fly off the board so I made it a priority to shore up my starters before the fifth/sixth round. You can check out some of our analysts favorite strategies for this season here. Rolling the Dice on Malik Nabers + More WR ThoughtsNabers has been the most talked about player in fantasy football this offseason. Right now, it's looking like he'll be OK for the start of the season. And even if Nabers were to miss the opener or a few games, I feel good enough about my WR room withstanding that early on. But with this pick, I get a player with first-round upside at a third-round price, which feels like a risky (but potentially rewarding move). When Nabers is healthy and on the field, he's one of the best WRs in the world. The Giants also don't have a ton of target competition and I trust the new coaching staff to make sure Nabers gets his. Joel Smyth breaks down Nabers' potential to bounce back and what history tells us. I love Olave as my WR1, especially after it looks like Jordyn Tyson will miss the start of the season with a hamstring injury. Though, you could argue it'll hurt the Saints offense overall. But given the type of game scripts New Orleans should be in (and the offense's pace of play), Olave should be a target hound all season. He's also coming off his best NFL campaign and is entering his prime years at age 26. Kellen Moore is an exciting young head coach and Tyler Shough is an exciting young QB — sign me up. Hayden Winks talks a bit about Olave's stock moving up after Week 1 of the preseason here. I decided to roll with another QB-WR stack in this draft with Williams and Odunze. I'm a big Rome believer, same as my colleague Matt Harmon, who has Odunze as one of his "My Guys" in his Draft Day Blueprint, which you can check out here. Odunze feels like the perfect Year 3 post-hype sleeper in a great offensive environment. Plus, his draft cost is great at an ADP of 68.4. I had to reach a bit for him given my draft position, but don't be afraid to do that every so often, as Pianowski writes in his draft mistakes to avoid. Late-Round Tight EndI'm a big believer in the strategy and am also fine streaming the position in most cases during the season. But if I'm going to grab a TE late in my draft, I usually want some type of Plan B. In this case, we went with a TE approach that had multiple angles. Likely left for the Giants, leaving Andrews as the clear TE option in Baltimore. I like both situations a lot and both players given their ADPs. Likely also gives me insurance on Nabers; in the event the WR isn't ready for Week 1 or gets hurt again, I can see Likely being a top target for Giants QB Jaxson Dart this season. Boone highlights Likely as one of his breakout TE candidates for this season. As for Andrews, there's virtually no competition behind him on the Ravens' TE depth chart. Rookie Matthew Hibner is getting some hype but he's the only threat to Andrews' snaps/targets it seems. Andrews feels like that boring, overlooked veteran who goes on to finish as a top-12 TE this season (sort of like Dallas Goedert in 2025). Quick RB OverviewI like Judkins as an RB2 given his upside. The Browns aren't the best environment but I think Judkins' talent can win out; he's an explosive play waiting to happen when healthy.I like the idea of taking Charbonnet and stashing him in an injured reserve spot until he's healthy. That allows me to pick someone up off waivers after my draft. Plus, if Bijan and Judkins are great, I'm not worried much about RB the rest of the season. If something happens, Charb could be a solid RB2/3 option by the middle of the season. Lloyd and Corum are high-value backups who should have some role behind their RB1s, but have an easy path to fantasy relevance through injury. Final ThoughtsThe bench and TE position are a bit weak but I really like this build. I have enough insurance if something happens to Nabers and there's tons of upside with guys like Odunze, Caleb Williams, Parker Washington and Judkins. Stay tuned for more instant mock analysis in our next installment. Level up with Yahoo Fantasy UltraYahoo Fantasy Ultra includes the Strategy Lab and Playbook.Beyond the Instant Mock Draft tool that's part of Yahoo Fantasy Plus, we also have a new subscription tier this season, Yahoo Fantasy Ultra, which offers an even deeper experience thanks to our Draft Playbook and Strategy Lab.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.

[Fran Torode]Guernsey FC maintained their unbeaten start to their Southern Combination Premier Division season as they twice came from a goal down to draw 2-2 at Crawley Down Gatwick.The hosts took a seventh-minute lead when Will Harley curled past Seb Sheppard after some neat passing following a counter-attack down the right.James Laws went close to doubling the lead 25 minutes later before Will Fazakerley and Callum Le Lacheur had chances for the Green Lions as they went into the break a goal down. But the Green Lions levelled six minutes after the break as Sam Murray nodded on Charlton Gauvain's cross from the right and Jamie Dodd was able to bundle the ball home at the far post. The hosts were back in front just four minutes later as Archie Drillot's weak back-pass was picked up by Harley and substitute Callum Kilkenny finished well moments after coming on.Another Guernsey error almost let Harley in for his second seven minutes later, but the forward struck the post.It looked as though Guernsey’s evening would get worse after Murray went off injured midway through the second half.But his strike partner Fazakerley levelled the scores with 13 minutes left as he reacted quickest when substitute Dylan Graham’s shot was saved. Related internet links Guernsey FC

Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Mike Washington Jr.’s performance in the team’s 27-14 preseason Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals demanded attention. Washington had one of the plays of the game, and showed signs of being ready to step into the Raiders’ backup running back role behind Ashton Jeanty out of the gates in 2026.Pro Football Focus gave Washington the nod at the running back position in their preseason week 1 rookie team of the week, consisting of players who played in a minimum of 15 snaps in their preseason debuts.”Washington is the clear No. 2 option behind Ashton Jeanty in the Raiders’ backfield, and at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, he provides a powerful change of pace from the starter. The Cardinalsfelt the full force of that over the weekend, as Washington powered through defenders for 63 yards on just six carries, with 52 of those yards coming after contact.”Washington had a 53-yard rush with 8:03 left to play in the second quarter of the Raiders’ loss to the Cardinals that helped Las Vegas go on to score a game-tying touchdown on that drive. The Arkansas product proved that his size and athleticism is built for the NFL level and was a notable statistical performer on the week.The fourth rounder was selected over fellow rookie running backs J’Mari Taylor (Jacksonville Jaguars), Emmett Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs) and Jeremiyah Love (Arizona Cardinals), the former two of whom had more rushing yards and touchdowns in his preseason debut, while the latter two were more productive than Washington on a per down basis in their respective performances.Taylor finished with 78 rushing yards and a rushing TD in Jacksonville’s 24-20 win over the New Orleans Saints. Johnson recorded 59 rushing yards on 12 carries in Kansas City’s 20-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and Love recorded 58 rushing yards on 11 carries in the win over Washington’s Raiders.Washington will look to continue playing the way that he is throughout the rest of the preseason. As things stand, he is a premier rookie to watch moving forward in the preseason, regardless of position, based off of his play in Week 1.This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders RB Mike Washington named top rookie RB in NFL preseason Week 1

Lesbian comedian Rosie O’Donnell briefly mocked the president and mentioned her recent life in Dublin, Ireland, with her 13-year-old child (who is nonbinary) while guest-hosting the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday. “They said you can’t come home again, but here I am,” she said to the cheering audience at the start of her opening monologue. “And if you thought the president hated Jimmy Kimmel Live when it was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, buckle up, people, buckle up!” Related Rosie O’Donnell says decades-long feud with Donald Trump gave her PTSD Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today O’Donnell’s comment referenced how the president has called Kimmel “talentless,” “terrible,” and “horrible” and repeatedly encouraged ABC (which airs Jimmy Kimmel Live) to fire him. The president has used the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to challenge ABC’s broadcast licenses after Kimmel’s comments about the president’s self-interested comments regarding the September 2025 murder MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk. ABC recently sued the FCC, alleging a “retaliatory campaign” that violates the network’s right to free speech. “From ’96 to 2002, I had my own talk show: The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” she told the late-night audience before semi-sarcastically remarking, “I haven’t sat behind a desk on TV in almost 30 years, and a lot has changed since the ’90s. Well, back then there was a war in the Middle East, climate change was ravaging our planet, we had a president who was embroiled in scandals. But today, everything is so chill.” “I’ve been living in Ireland for the past two years because of Mango Mussolini,” she said, referring to the US president. “I read that Project 2025 and said, ‘Gotta get myself out of here.’ And I decided to go to Ireland, a place where people are driven to drink, regardless of who’s running their country.” O’Donnell said she encouraged her child to keep their emigration a secret, but they “then went to school and proceeded to tell their entire class, ‘I’m very sorry. I won’t be able to graduate sixth grade with you. I’m being forced to move to another country because the president of the United States hates my mother. But in all fairness, I believe my mother hates him more.'” Later in the monologue, she mentioned that her child’s crossing guard didn’t believe her at first when she identified herself because she remembered O’Donnell as having “raven black long hair.” (O’Donnell has silvery gray hair now.) The comedian also shared an anecdote about her asking a local pharmacist named Joan on a date after they helpfully suggested anti-cramping medications for O’Donnell’s child, who has trouble swallowing pills. “She said, ‘Are you asking me out on a date?’ I said, ‘I believe I am.’ And she said, ‘That’ll come as big news to my husband,'” O’Donnell recounted, adding, “I ran out of that pharmacy so fast. I didn’t go back for like a month. I was so ashamed.” O’Donnell said the woman bought her a drink at a pub some time later, so O’Donnell went over to thank her. There, the pharmacist introduced O’Donnell to her husband, who told her, “By the way, Rosie, she’s just got short hair — she’s not a lesbian.” The comedian ended her monologue with one final comment about the president, saying, “You know, right now he’s in the White House crying because I haven’t mentioned him.” Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

This social behavior might reveal the evolutionary roots of traits that underlie pet-keeping in humans, scientists say, from caregiving to tolerance and curiosity. But it's not the same as a person keeping a cat or a dog

The only member of the Texas power trio without a beard, he propelled the band’s blend of boogie, Southern rock and blues for more than a half-century.

Median Strategies revealed that recent polls from the firm were intended to expose how easily false results can be spread.

We did the research for you. READ MORE...

Munich's Jamal Musiala receives medical treatment during a pre-season soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa via AP)2026-08-18T20:33:21Z MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala said he’s dealing with a neurological issue but doing well despite collapsing during a preseason game Tuesday at Heidenheim, three days after a similar incident against Leipzig.The 23-year-old Germany international went down shortly after entering the friendly as a substitute in the second half. He received medical treatment and was helped as he walked off the pitch.Musiala had collapsed Saturday during a friendly against Leipzig. German news agency DPA reported that he left the field on his own but still appeared dazed.Bayern, in its report on Tuesday’s game, only said of the incident: “There was a setback when Jamal Musiala had to be subbed off with a knock minutes after coming on.”After the game, Musiala posted a message on his Instagram account, explaining that he has suffered “treatable absence seizures” because of a neurological problem.Musiala said he’s optimistic and receiving excellent medical treatment.___See AP’s full soccer coverage here 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

FILE – Larry Greene, public information director of the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, demonstrates how a curtain is pulled between the death chamber and witness room at the prison in Lucasville, Ohio, in Nov., 2005. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)2026-08-18T20:32:19Z COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tyrone Noling has spent 30 years on death row for the double murder of an elderly Ohio couple that he insists he didn’t commit. He had a rare chance Tuesday to make his case for a full pardon to the Ohio Parole Board.Noling, 54, of Alliance, assembled a growing body of evidence — with the support of the Ohio Innocence Project — to present at his clemency hearing. That includes recanted witness testimony, changed stances by the sheriff and one of the jurors at his trial, and clues pointing to an already executed killer as the possible perpetrator.His case has been the subject of documentaries and true-crime podcasts and garnered celebrity attention from Kim Kardashian and actors Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who all support his exoneration. Following Tuesday’s hearing, the first for an Ohio death row inmate since 2020, the parole board will issue its recommendation to Gov. Mike DeWine, who has the final say. DeWine, a Republican, called in June for abolishment of the death penalty — saying his stance has changed because he no longer views capital punishment as a deterrent to violent crime. Death row inmates don’t typically land clemency hearings until they have an execution date, which Noling does not, so winning Tuesday’s hearing was a victory. He seeks release from prison and has said he would not accept a commutation to life without parole for a crime he didn’t commit. Noling was convicted in the April 5, 1990, killings of Bearnhardt and Cora Hartig, both 81, at their Portage County home. The couple’s bodies were discovered on the kitchen floor of their Atwater Township home by a neighbor who noticed their lawn mower had been in front of their home for several days. Bearnhardt Hartig had been shot three times and his wife five times with a .25-caliber automatic handgun. The house had been ransacked. Authorities said Noling, who had just turned 18 at the time, was part of a group involved in home robberies of elderly couples. Three others in the group — 14, 15 and 16 at the time — implicated Noling in the slayings of the Hartigs during a burglary but later retracted their statements, saying that police pressured them to name Noling as the shooter. Read More Initial aggravated burglary charges brought against Noling were dropped in 1992, but a grand jury reindicted him in 1995 for the Hartig murders. He was sentenced to death in 1996. No physical evidence tied him to the crime, and no murder weapon was ever found. Noling’s advocates say evidence, including law enforcement notes and a cigarette butt found in the Hartigs’ driveway, points to two other potential suspects. One is Dan Wilson, who was executed by lethal injection in Ohio in 2009 for a different crime. Noling’s lawyers wrote in court documents that a man told authorities that his foster brother, Wilson, bragged about committing the crime. 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. Former Portage County Sheriff Ken Howe, now 83, will be among a long line of witnesses testifying on Noling’s behalf at Tuesday’s hearing. In an Associated Press interview, he said that there were red flags at the time, and evidence that’s piled up since then has persuaded him to take Noling’s side.“I believe that these boys were, and are, innocent,” he said.Portage County Prosecutor Connie Lewandowski did not immediately return a voicemail seeking comment. Following the hearing, the board will deliberate in executive session and send a recommendation to the governor within six business days. JULIE CARR SMYTH Smyth covers government and politics from Columbus, Ohio, for The Associated Press. She was part of the AP team honored as a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news. twitter mailto

FILE – Larry Greene, public information director of the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, demonstrates how a curtain is pulled between the death chamber and witness room at the prison in Lucasville, Ohio, in Nov., 2005. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)2026-08-18T20:24:03Z BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — A gold mining site collapsed Tuesday in the western part of Central African Republic, killing at least 30 miners and leaving others trapped, authorities and residents said. The low-tech, artisanal mine collapsed Tuesday morning in the Abba region of the Nana-Mambere prefecture, according to Florian Gaguende, one of the surviving miners. He said rescuers were searching for additional miners believed trapped, but that the chance of finding them alive “is getting slimmer.” The sub-prefecture’s deputy mayor, Souleymane Bi, said rescuers and residents managed over several hours to pull 30 bodies from the collapsed mine, and that injured miners were receiving treatment.“It is horrible and we are calling for help from organizations and all people of good will to help pull from the hole those who are unable to do so,” Bi said.Artisanal mine collapses are common in the Central African Republic, where several thousand people work in small-scale extraction mining. The work is risky because miners typically do not have enough protection. 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Billy Gibbons, from left, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard of ZZ Top, perform in Monaco on July 5, 2010. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File)2026-08-18T20:00:41Z NEW YORK (AP) — Frank Beard, the drummer for the Texas boogie-rock trio ZZ Top who kept the tempo for the band’s biggest hits like “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs” and “Gimme All Your Lovin,’” has died. He was 77.Beard was in hospice care when he died Tuesday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members at his side, according to publicist Bob Merlis. Band co-founder and guitarist Billy Gibbons, on tour with bassist Elwood Francis, hailed Beard in a statement. “Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished,” Gibbons said. ZZ Top sold more than 50 million records and had six singles that reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. Seven of their albums have been in the Billboard 200’s Top 10 and they earned three Grammy Award nominations.“I’ve found the people I was meant to play with,” Beard says in the 2019 documentary “ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas.” “I never wanted to quit, and never wanted to get fired.” 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

With rookie first-round pick Jordyn Tyson out of action through ass much as two months, the New Orleans Saints are beginning to look at their options for weathering the storm. On Tuesday, the Saints reported two tryouts on the daily NFL transactions wire: veteran wideouts Chase Claypool and Josh Reynolds. Neither of them has signed, yet, but they're clearly on the team's radar.Claypool, 28, was a second-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020 but was traded to the Chicago Bears just a few years later. That proved to be a tumultuous experience and he was benched for multiple games before being traded to the Miami Dolphins, where he caught his last pass in 2023. Claypool suffered a season-ending injury in the 2024 offseason after signing with the Buffalo Bills and was out of football in 2025. He tried out for the Green Bay Packers this spring but wasn't signed. Most of the 175 catches, 2,261 yards, and 13 touchdowns in his career came during his first three years in Pittsburgh, a span of 39 games. He's only caught 22 passes for 217 yards and a single touchdown in the 19 games that followed.Reynolds, 31, was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams back in 2017 after setting Texas A&M's school record for touchdown catches in a single season (13). He briefly played for the Tennessee Titans before reuniting with his old quarterback Jared Goff on the Detroit Lions for three seasons. Since then he's dressed for the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, and most recently played for the New York Jets in 2025, but his season was cut short by a hip injury. He's totaled 244 receptions for 3,228 yards and 20 touchdowns over his 121-game career.This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints work out free agent wide receivers after Jordyn Tyson injury

📋 It's the game of the year! Fluminense named to face Rivadavia in 🇦🇷The moment of truth has arrived!Fluminense face Independiente Rivadavia from 7 pm (Brasília time) this Tuesday (18).It is the second leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16.The match will be played at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, in Mendoza.Colombian referee Andrés Rojas will be in charge.ESPN and Disney+ will broadcast it.Match situation 🆚Any new draw will send the tie to a penalty shootout, since the first leg ended 0-0.Whoever advances will face Coquimbo Unido or Platense next. They will also secure prize money of 1.7 million dollars.The first leg on Argentine soil ended in a 1-1 draw. And the return leg will be this Wednesday (19).Independiente Rivadavia 🔵⚪Alfredo Berti once again has midfielder Florentín available, after he served a suspension in the first leg.The expectation is for a more attacking lineup.The lineup has not yet been officially confirmed.Fluminense 🔴⚪🟢Tricolor come in motivated after ending their winless run.Still serving as interim manager, Marcão will be without Savarino (pain in his right calf) and Igor Rabello (acromioclavicular dislocation in his left shoulder).Thiago Silva returns after being rested against Palmeiras.The big question was the makeup of the attacking unit.Ganso starts, with Lucho Acosta on the bench.Photo: Reproduction/FluminenseThis article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

Fred Warner is back on the field for the San Francisco 49ers, and he says the defense will look different than the one that took the field without him last season.Warner missed most of last year with a fractured and dislocated ankle, and San Francisco's defense fell from a top-10 unit in yards allowed to 20th in his absence. With Warner back and new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris — San Francisco's fifth coordinator in five years — installing his scheme, Warner previewed a defense built around more disguise and more moving pieces up front."Being more multiple and different sort of sets personnel-wise that we're bringing out," Warner told Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein. "We have some more versatility with guys being able to play on the line of scrimmage, off of the ball. Obviously we've always brought a nickel to play on the field, but having an ability to have an extra D lineman, an extra backer or something like that."It'll kind of be a different look for offenses from what they're accustomed to seeing from us."This tracks similarly to what 49ers cornerback Upton Stout said about Morris' defensive philosophy. The second-year defensive back noted that Morris lets everyone play fast and not worry too much about what they can or cannot do.With a new coordinator, a new scheme wrinkle set and a healthy Warner running the show, San Francisco's defense enters the season with a different look than the one that took the field a year ago. Not only will the coordinator look different, but the team added some new players to the defensive line, such as Osa Odighizuwa and rookies Romello Height and Gracen Halton.This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Fred Warner explains unique advantage 49ers defense will have in 2026

Aug 17, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Derek Hill (49) high fives teammates after win against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:Let's keep it rollin'#RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/DLNLJf7Kgr— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 18, 2026For the Marlins:Let’s talk about it.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 06: Payton Talbott of the United States looks on before a bantamweight fight at T-Mobile Arena on December 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) | Getty Images He’s back!Top Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight prospect Payton Talbottfinally returns to action against former Flyweight kingpinDeiveson Figueiredo at UFC 332, which goes down in less than two months on Sat., Oct. 3, 2026, inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.Talbott was last in action in Dec. 2025, when he retired former “champ-champ”Henry Cejudo in what was easily the biggest victory of his young career.Then, instead of capitalizing on that breakout performance … poof! He vanished.So, where did he go?“I’ve just been doing me, but I’ve been training a lot and doing the same old things—music, travel,” Talbott recently told reporters during a media scrum. “But, yeah, I just took a step back from sharing. You know, you’ve got to keep really important things inside of yourself, or else you could potentially lose them. So, yeah, just detoxing for a second.”Although Talbott stepped away from the media and public eye, the 27-year-old never wanted to take a break from competing.“I’ve been waiting for the better part of a year,” Talbott said. “I’ve been spoken to about a bunch of fights, but I guess people have had better plans, or I don’t know how it all works. If I don’t fight before the end of the year, I don’t know what will happen with my sanity.“I haven’t wanted to take a step back from fighting at all—just from sharing things with the media,” he continued. “But I’ve heard fighters have had injuries, dates don’t line up. I guess I just got stuck being patient because of the position I’m in.”Before defeating Cejudo, Talbott told MMAmania.com that he was not worried about struggling to find willing opponents once he entered the rankings.Unfortunately, that concern has now become a reality.“I’ve always wanted to fight up, but I understand the guys in the Top 10—it’s quite risky if they lose,” Talbott said. “Most people are going to say no to fighting me, and they don’t have much to gain by beating me.“But at the same time, there are only so many of us, so what else am I supposed to do?” he continued. “I wasn’t offered anyone below me—and I haven’t said no yet—and because of that, I have a loss on my record.”That lone defeat came against Raoni Barcelos, whom Talbott accepted despite having little to gain in the rankings. The Brazilian veteran pulled off the massive upset via unanimous decision at UFC 311.Thankfully, Talbott finally has another opponent 10 months after his victory over Cejudo—and it is a big one for him.Figueiredo is a former UFC champion and currently sits at No. 11 in the Bantamweight rankings, giving Talbott an opportunity to make up for lost time and officially break into the Top 15.To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.

The damage was real and long-lasting.

An archaeologist holds up a ceramic snake head that he unearthed while excavating skeletal remains at the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. The findings are from the Lima culture, according to the excavation's leader Gladys Paz. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)2026-08-18T21:11:28Z LIMA, Peru (AP) — Archaeologists in Peru on Tuesday unveiled the skeletal remains of an adult they believe was buried as an offering near the base of Huaca Pucllana, an ancient adobe pyramid in Lima, the nation’s capital.The remains are believed to be those of a man who may have been sacrificed during a ritual in which a canal linked to a ceremonial pool was closed.Gladys Paz, the archaeologist who led the excavation, said the bones will help researchers better understand “the rituals of the Lima culture” and reconstruct ceremonies performed hundreds of years ago.Paz said that the body was buried inside a canal, resting on its left flank, with the skull facing the pyramid and the Pacific Ocean.The Lima culture flourished between the 1st and 7th centuries along Peru’s arid central coast, about 700 years before the rise of the Inca Empire. Huaca Pucllana was one of the most important ceremonial and administrative centers of the Lima culture, which disappeared centuries before a group of Spanish conquistadors founded Lima in 1535.Today, the pyramid is surrounded by parks, leafy streets and upscale apartment buildings in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro.Huaca Pucllana is open to tourists, with a restaurant serving Peruvian specialties like ceviche, stir-fried beef and roasted alpaca meat. According to Peru’s government, there are more than 400 archaeological sites across metropolitan Lima. Pieter Van Dalen, an archaeology professor at the National University of San Marcos who was not involved in the excavation, said that it’s common to find tombs, mummified remains and other burial-related items along Peru’s coast. Such discoveries have also been made while construction workers dig canals to install gas pipes.___Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Pakistan suffer a major setback ahead of the first Test against England as newly reappointed captain Babar Azam is ruled out with a finger injury. Babar injures the middle finger of his right hand while batting against the West Indies and aggravates it during a warm-up game in Beckenham.“Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first test match,” Pakistan coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said. “Salman Agha will be the captain for the first test.”Babar ruled out, Agha takes chargeAhmed confirms that Babar’s finger is not broken but says the team hopes the pain settles in time for the second Test at Lord’s, starting August 27. Babar’s absence is a significant blow after he recently returned as captain and was Pakistan’s leading run-scorer against the West Indies.Agha is set to captain Pakistan in a Test for the first time, having already led the team in T20 cricket. Shan Masood, who was replaced by Babar as captain, also returns after recovering from a broken finger.“Our practice match gave us a lot of confidence,” Ahmed said. “Whatever bases we needed to cover with bat and ball, we did. We believe we'll do very well here.”England also enter new eraEngland, meanwhile, begin the series under a changed leadership setup. Joe Root returns as captain following Ben Stokes’ retirement, while Brendon McCullum has also left the coaching role. Marcus Trescothick takes interim charge as new coach Stephen Fleming misses the series.Root, who previously led England from 2017 to 2022, says his experience has prepared him for another stint as captain.“I feel as ready as any other England captain that's ever been before,” Root said. “To have that amount of experience is invaluable.”Harry Brook remains vice-captain, with Root confident of his support.“I fully feel he's got my back like the rest of the guys do,” Root said.

PEORIA HEIGHTS, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) -- The Peoria Heights football program is in Jake Smith's blood. So, taking over the program is special.The Metamora High School grad is the new coach of the Patriots but he is not new to the program. His father John coached Peoria Heights for 30 years and Jake was a ball boy for some of those teams.Now he takes over a program for which he was an assistant the past six years. Most recently, he was the team's offensive coordinator.Peoria Heights has a new co-op agreement with Lowpoint-Washburn allowing students from that high school to play for the Patriots this season. Smith, who replaced Kendal Parker, hopes he can regularly have 30 plyers in uniform on game nights.And he hopes to bring winning football back to the Heights."I've been around the Heights community and I'm ready," said Smith. "It's been 23 years since we've had a winning season. That's a curse I'm trying to break."His father's 2003 team went 6-4 that season, the last time the Patriots made the playoffs. Peoria Heights, which plays 8-man football, will rely on returning lineman Crew Shaver, Eathan Brooks and Maddix Callister, to anchor the team. "I would say we are a pretty young team. We had eights seniors last year, seven of them started on both sides (of the ball)," said Shaver. "We are a fairly new team. I'm just excited to see how it turns out this year."Peoria Heights opens the season at Champaign St. Thomas More on Saturday.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.

Erik Lira of Mexico looks dejected after losing the round of 16 match between Mexico and England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Mexico City Stadium, Mexico, July 5, 2026. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua via Getty Images) In recent weeks many reports have popped up about Mexican players leaving Liga MX to play in Europe. So far no player has left abroad but that doesn’t stop the rumor mill from flying. Specifically, Erik Lira of Cruz Azul has been linked that his move abroad is close. Let’s talk about it. Cruz Azul fans, and Liga MX fans in general, have known about the talent Lira possesses for a long time. It was just a matter of time until the rest of the world caught up. This happened thanks to the World Cup where he played an important role in the midfield. Many saw his talent in the games leading up to the summer tournament and hoped he would get a chance to play in the midfield. Everyone was pleasantly surprised when Lira was given the starting role and he took his opportunity. Lira was a big reason why Mexico scored their first goal against South Africa. It was his effort to fight for a ball that allowed Julian Quiñones to receive the ball and put it in the back of the net. He won the starting role in the midfield and his performance raised his stock abroad so it wasn’t a surprise when rumors started that the Lira was wanted in Europe. The first big club that was rumored to want Lira was Al-Jazira of the United Arab Emirates but according to reports, the player himself rejected the offer as he only wants to play in Europe. The UAE club was willing to pay the $12MDD + $2 MDD in variables but Cruz Azul will allow Lira himself to make the final decision. 🚨ÚLTIMA HORA🚨El Al Jazira está listo para poner una FUERTE suma en la mesa por Erik Lira; ÉL SE NIEGA, solo quiere ir a Europa. @ale_orvananos con el reporte.#ClaroSportsEnW📻96.9FM y 730AM📺336 Dish📲MENSAJES al 55-54-02-2844 pic.twitter.com/0UbCaV8jZs— Claro Sports (@ClaroSports) July 31, 2026Then there’s AS Monaco which is looking to be the real thing. The midfielder is willing to make the move and now it’s about both clubs coming together for a final offer. According to FOX Mexico, as of today, the talks are advancing slowly but they are advancing and there might even be news coming this week. In the same broadcast, Santiago Fourcade mentioned that an English team might swoop in at the last minute though the reporter did not elaborate further. 🚨 UN EQUIPO INGLÉS VA POR LIRA 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🚨Aunque la negociación entre Erik Lira y el Mónaco va bien, @santiago4kd tiene otros datos. pic.twitter.com/0o3owzGMOJ— FOX (@somos_FOX) August 18, 2026Out of all the players from Mexico that participated in the World Cup, Erik Lira is the one who stood out the most and has earned his right to move to Europe. He always had the talent. It was just about the world seeing what Mexican fans have been saying all along. Hopefully Cruz Azul and AS Monaco can come to terms about a contract so Lira can fulfill his dream of playing abroad. Don’t worry Mexican fans, we’ll be here to talk about the move when it happens!

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 11: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies during the MLB game at Chase Field on August 11, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images After missing the entire series against the San Francisco Giants and the series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Colorado Rockies officially placed Hunter Goodman on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder strain, retroactive to August 15.The Rockies announced today the following transactions:-Placed C Hunter Goodman on the 10-day IL (retroactive to Aug. 15) with a left shoulder strain.-Recalled C Braxton Fulford from Triple-A Albuquerque.— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) August 18, 2026Goodman, 26, played the entire series in Arizona last week, catching the first two games before serving as the designated hitter in the third game. During the series, he went 1-for-9, with the lone hit being a triple. He was initially in the lineup in three of the last four games but was scratched hours before first pitch each time. The two-time All-Star catcher has had a prolific year at the plate as a key run-producer in the Rockies lineup. Entering play on Monday, Goodman is batting .251/.320/.541 with 34 home runs and 69 RBI. In his absence, the Rockies have utilized Brett Sullivan, who has batted .316 (6-for-19) with three home runs and eight RBIs during the last road trip. In a corresponding move, the Rockies have recalled Braxton Fulford from Triple-A Albuquerque. Fulford carries a .177/.254/.290 slash with one home run and seven RBI on the season in 40 games with the Rockies. During his time with Albuquerque, Fulford is batting .270/.399/.484 with five home runs and 21 RBI in 35 games. His numbers have been excellent during his time in the Pacific Coast League, but the hit tool and plate discipline haven’t quite translated in his limited big league action. Join the conversation!Sign up for a user account and get:Fewer adsCreate community postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community postsNew, improved notifications system!Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 6: Andrew Abbott #41 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game against the Athletics at Great American Ball Park on August 6, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images After a rocky start to the 2026 season, there was a time that Cincinnati Reds lefty Andrew Abbott settled into a rather great groove. That time, though, has sadly evaporated, and he’s been nothing more than mediocre – at best – for a little bit now.Over his last 9 starts dating back to June 26th, he’s pitched to just a 4.66 ERA/4.41 FIP with an extremely discouraging 38/25 K/BB in 48.1 IP. He was shelled for 5 ER in his most recent outing (in just 4.1 IP), and the month of August has seen him allow 11 ER with a brutal 8/10 K/BB in just 16.0 IP (6.19 ERA). The Reds will surely hope he can find a way to flip that script on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, who boast the second lowest K% against southpaws among the 30 MLB clubs (just 18.3%).Kyle Leahy gets the starting nod for the Birds, and first pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET.Here’s how both clubs will line up to begin things:Today’s LineupsCARDINALSREDSJJ Wetherholt – 2BElly De La Cruz – SSIvan Herrera – DHSal Stewart – 1BJordan Walker – RFJJ Bleday – LFAlec Burleson – 1BEugenio Suarez – DHJoshua Baez – LFTyler Stephenson – CBlaze Jordan – 3BDane Myers – CFMasyn Winn – SSMatt McLain – 2BJose Fermin – CFHector Rodriguez – RFPedro Pages – CKe’Bryan Hayes – 3BKyle Leahy – RHPAndrew Abbott – LHP

A Ring home security camera captured footage of anti-LGBTQ+ U.S. Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) looking through a voter’s mailbox while canvassing for votes last Sunday around 4:55 p.m., Fine confirmed to the celebrity gossip website TMZ. The video shows Fine ringing the house’s front doorbell in north-eastern coastal town of Ormond Beach. He waits before eventually lifting the lid of its mailbox and quickly looking through the envelopes — he neither removed nor destroyed any letters nor inserted anything into the box. In a follow-up article, Ormond Beach Police told TMZ that a woman contacted officers to report the incident, but she declined to press charges. Related Cop allegedly used Flock cameras to stalk her ex-girlfriend. The police suspended its Flock system. Democratic Florida politician Barbie Harden Hall shared video of the incident in an X post published yesterday. “Why are you looking through someone’s mailbox while you’re out canvassing?” she wrote, directly addressing Fine. “Not only is it wrong, it’s creepy AF.” “Randy Fine is a menace to basic human decency,” she added. 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 Hey @RepFine why are you looking through someone’s mailbox while you’re out canvassing? Not only is it wrong, it’s creepy AF. Randy Fine is a menace to basic human decency. pic.twitter.com/kAwUKAt857— Barbie Harden Hall (@barbiehhall) August 18, 2026 Fine, who the current US president has hailed as a “MAGA warrior,” has built a reputation as one of Florida’s most anti-LGBTQ+ politicians. He is a former state senator who won a special election to represent his state’s 6th U.S. House district in April 2025. He is now seeking re-election to the seat. In addition to sponsoring Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill, a law that forbids instruction on LGBTQ+ issues in schools, he also wrote a bill to revoke Disney’s special tax district when the company publicly opposed the law. He sponsored a state bill to criminalize drag performances in front of children. Fine said the bill would “protect our children by ending the gateway propaganda to this evil — ‘Drag Queen Story Time.’” However, the bill was blocked in federal court as a violation of free speech — the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal to revive the law. While defending the drag ban, Fine said he was fine with “erasing” the entire LGBTQ+ community. “I find it stunning that in order to justify that community, you have to stand up and demand that children be exposed to this,” he said during a hearing on the bill. “[Some LGBTQ+ people are] the ones that are saying this definition [of drag] applies to them. Well, if it means ‘erasing a community’ because you have to target children – then, damn right, we ought to do it!” Fine was also an architect of his state’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth, calling it “the mutilation of children in the name of radical ‘transgender’ theory.” The US president and transphobes use this rhetoric to vlifiy the care when, in reality, surgeries are almost never conducted on trans minors, and the methods of gender-affirming care have been administered to youth for decades, with all major American medical associations recommending it as a safe and effective way to improve the wellbeing of trans youth. In October 2024, Fine was held in contempt for angry gestures in court and now has to pay to take anger management classes. The following November, Fine defeated his transgender female opponent, Democrat Vance Ahrens, to win re-election to his Florida Senate seat. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02584-4Proponents argue that the current system creates a false sense of precision, but critics fear that the change could increase political interference.

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration broke the law when it approved a deal to allow a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

A day after President Trump’s envoy, Jared Kushner, visited Israel to advance a stalled plan for demilitarizing and rebuilding Gaza, the Israeli military said it targeted Hamas commanders.

Report: Barcelona turn full focus to No 9 after major double dealBarcelona transfer latest as Rodri arrives, Ferran Torres departs and Julian Alvarez remains the dream targetBarcelona’s summer has moved with that familiar blend of calculation, theatre and necessity, and now there is genuine momentum to examine. In a market where every move seems to carry a sporting purpose and a financial consequence, the Catalan club have reached an important juncture. Credit to The Athletic, the original source of these latest developments, for outlining a week that may yet define the rest of Barca’s window.What matters for Barcelona now is clarity. There has been activity, there has been sacrifice, and there is a clear sense of direction. Ferran Torres has gone to Paris Saint-Germain, Rodri is on his way in from Manchester City, Joao Cancelo is set to return on a free, and the club’s hierarchy have narrowed their sights firmly on one remaining attacking priority. In the compressed language of modern recruitment, it all sounds neat. In the reality of Barcelona, it still carries layers of risk, ambition and pressure.The first significant development is Ferran Torres’ departure. As reported, “Ferran Torres‘ €50million move to PSG was made official.” That sentence alone tells a wider story. Torres had talent, pedigree and moments of real quality, but he also represented one of those investments Barcelona had to manage carefully. From the club’s perspective, this is far more than a footballing farewell. The report notes that “from a financial perspective, the Catalan club regards this deal as highly satisfactory”, which is another way of saying Barca believe they have navigated a difficult piece of business with uncommon efficiency.Rodri arrival changes Barcelona midfield pictureIf the Torres exit was pragmatic, the Rodri move feels emblematic. Barcelona have “reached agreement with City over the signing of Rodri in a deal that could be worth up to €76.5million but involves an initial fee of €60m for the 30-year-old midfielder.” It is a statement signing in age profile, in status and in intent. Rodri is not a speculative purchase, nor a developmental talent for the future. He is an accomplished operator arriving to impose order, rhythm and authority.Rodri’s arrival feels like the start of the final phase of this window, not the conclusion of it. He strengthens one line, but he also enables the club to move into the last stretch with a little more certainty and a little less suffocation from the wage structure.Julian Alvarez pursuit reveals Flick’s attacking priorityThe most revealing element of the report concerns what Barcelona want next. There is no smoke screen here. “All efforts will be focused on one position: centre-forward.” That directness is refreshing and significant. Clubs often scatter interest across multiple roles, feeding possibility into the market. Barcelona, by contrast, appear to have reached a simple conclusion. They need a No 9.The reason is obvious enough. “Torres’ departure makes this need even more apparent, as Barcelona are now left without any specialists in the position.” In elite football, that is a precarious place to be. Systems can be adapted and false nines can be improvised, but title-contending sides usually need one dependable reference point at the top end of the pitch, especially across a long domestic and European season.The name remains familiar. “The top target, as it has been all summer, is Julian Alvarez.” Barcelona’s admiration has not faded, and the report adds that “Barca have not yet given up on him, despite Atletico showing no signs of wanting to sell.” Here lies the great tension of the final weeks. Wanting a player and being able to prise him away are separate arts entirely.There is also a touch of old-fashioned edge to the saga. “When Barca said they had bid €100million for the Argentina international in late May, Atletico strongly denied this and reacted with a series of mocking social media posts.” That line captures the modern transfer market perfectly, where negotiations happen in offices but also on screens, with public messaging becoming another means of leverage.Most intriguing of all is the profile wanted by Hansi Flick. The report says, “Flick wants an experienced reinforcement in attack. He believes there are already plenty of young players in the squad and that, for a signing like this, he wants someone with a proven track record.” That is a deeply sensible reading of Barcelona’s current needs. The club’s academy and recruitment have provided youth, dynamism and promise. What they require now is certainty, a forward who arrives with evidence rather than potential.Julian Alvarez fits that demand elegantly. Whether Barcelona can still make it happen remains another question, but the logic behind the pursuit is difficult to dispute.Joao Cancelo return adds craft and familiarityAnother piece of business carries less noise but considerable utility. “Joao Cancelo landed in Barcelona on Monday after having his contract with Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal terminated. He will join Barca as a free agent.” In a market shaped by financial discipline, a free transfer of proven quality has obvious appeal.Cancelo offers technical assurance, versatility and a level of familiarity with elite tactical demands. He can operate in multiple roles, step into midfield zones, and offer width or invention depending on the pattern of the game. Barcelona will know there are defensive questions around him at times, but there are very few full-backs available at no fee who can alter possession sequences as naturally as he can.For Flick, that sort of player broadens choice. He gives the side another experienced voice and another footballer comfortable in the high-pressure, high-possession environments Barcelona seek to inhabit. Free transfers are often framed as opportunistic. In this case, it feels more strategic than accidental.Our ViewAs a hopeful Barcelona supporter, this report feels encouraging because for once there is a sense of logic running through the window. Selling Ferran Torres for €50million looks like smart business, especially with the wage pressure and all the old financial restrictions still hanging over the club. Rodri coming in feels huge. He is experienced, calm and elite in possession, exactly the kind of midfielder who can help the younger players grow and give the team authority again in the biggest matches.The most exciting part, though, is that the club seem to know exactly what is still missing. “All efforts will be focused on one position: centre-forward.” That is what fans want to hear. There is no point pretending the squad is complete without a proper No 9. If Flick wants someone with experience and “a proven track record”, then the club must back him. Julian Alvarez would be a dream signing because he brings energy, goals and personality, and he already knows how to win.Cancelo on a free also feels like the kind of opportunistic move Barcelona used to make so well. There are still risks, of course, and this club always lives with drama, but for the first time in a while, it feels like the pieces are being arranged with a clear football idea behind them. That gives supporters real hope.

With the NFL season now less than a month away, teams are ramping up preparations for their Week 1 matchups in early September.But not every roster is heading into the opener at full strength. Several franchises are already dealing with injuries, and some with players facing pending investigations.MORE: 5 most improved NFL offenses entering 2026-2027 seasonWith that in mind, here’s a look at some players worth monitoring ahead of Week 1. Alec Pierce, Indianapolis ColtsGetting much-needed ankle surgery before camp even began, Alec Pierce remains sidelined for the preseason as Colts fans and the front office are expecting the highly paid WR1 to be ready for Week 1. While fans may not get a glimpse of him until closer to the start of the season, it’s in the Colts’ best interest to make sure Pierce is 100% before letting him off the leash. Breece Hall, New York JetsJets lead running back Breece Hall left practice on Monday due to a groin injury, but is still expected to suit up for Week 1’s match against Tennessee. New York will play it safe by letting the veteran rest up for the next 2-3 weeks and miss the remainder of camp, which was the best-case scenario for the Jets. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ersDealing with muscle tightness rather than any contractual issue, the 49ers’ injury woes have been a major highlight of their offseason, and losing their star running back, Christian McCaffrey, would only spell doom for 2026. As McCaffrey takes a few days off to deal with the tightness, fans will continue to monitor their workhorse’s status as we creep up to the NFL season. Jeremiyah Love, Arizona CardinalsGetting shut down until Week 1, Cardinals’ rookie running back Jeremiyah Love suffered a high ankle sprain against the Las Vegas Raiders to start the preseason. Now, Arizona will have to remain hopeful that his Week 1 status is not in jeopardy, as they will likely keep their No. 3 overall pick off the field until closer to the NFL season’s start. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay PackersPackers starting running back Josh Jacobs could find himself on the couch for a few weeks this season as the NFL is still deciding whether or not to discipline Jacobs for his arrest in May. While all charges against Jacobs were dropped following the arrest, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has already stated the league may still come down on Jacobs and other NFL stars for their offseason behavior. Kyle Monangai, Chicago BearsHurting his knee during a training cap drill, Bears running back Kyle Monangai may not be ready to go by Week 1, although Chicago remains optimistic with the season opener still three weeks away. Bears head coach Ben Johnson has stated they will monitor the injury “week to week,” but it is still unlikely Chicago will utilize Monangai for the remainder of the preseason. Luther Burden III, Chicago BearsSuffering a groin injury during training camp, Luther Burden III is expected to be out for 3-4 weeks, which could jeopardize his Week 1 start against Carolina. Jun 11, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (10) stretches during Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Still, a return is not out of the question, but Chicago will play it day to day, as the receiver will likely remain sidelined for now. Malik Nabers, New York GiantsExpected to bounce back from last season’s scary ACL and meniscus tear, Giants’ wide receiver Malik Nabers is on track to play Week 1 of the NFL season, as he continues to gear up at training camp with limited contact. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City ChiefsComing back from a torn ACL that happened in Week 15 of the 2025 season, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was cleared for training camp by head coach Andy Reid at the end of July and is expected to start in Week 1’s matchup against the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs will remain cautious with the 2-time NFL MVP, but if all signs continue to remain positive, then Kansas City will have 15 under center to kick off the season. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles RamsPuka Nacua may also be on the end of a Week 1 suspension following his offseason antics that include antisemitic comments and a civil lawsuit from a New Year’s Eve incident. Although the receiver underwent rehab before training camp, the NFL is still investigating Nacua, which could lead to a suspension this upcoming season. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —

Aston Villa Face £70m Call As 30-Year-Old Agrees Saudi Terms: What Should The Midlands Club Do?Aston Villa have received a warning over Ollie Watkins’ future after Al-Hilal agreed personal terms with the England striker, according to TEAMtalk, with Graeme Bailey reporting on 18 August that the Saudi giants now stand ready to open negotiations. Al-Hilal still need to clear Karim Benzema’s situation before they can push ahead.Aston Villa face a major striker callWatkins, 30, comes off a campaign. He scored 16 Premier League goals and supplied three assists in 37 appearances, then added five goals and two assists in 15 Europa League matches as Villa won the competition. He went to the 2026 World Cup with England, and the Three Lions finished third after beating France 6-4 in Miami. Villa secured their first continental trophy since 1982.T4O take: Aston Villa cannot treat Watkins as disposableFrom Villa’s perspective, this timing could hardly look worse. Jhon Duran has left for Al-Nassr at the start of the year, Tammy Abraham has struggled to impress and carries an injury concern, while teenager Brian Madjo faces a spell out after picking up an injury. That leaves Watkins as the senior focal point when Emery’s side needs attacking continuity. Watkins has scored 15 or more goals in four successive European seasons, so losing that output creates a problem that money can’t replace overnight.Aston Villa should demand a replacementKANSAS CITY, KANSAS – JUNE 21: Ollie Watkins #19 of England speaks to the media during an England Press Conference during an England FIFA World Cup 2026 Camp on June 21, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)Personal terms, however, don’t equal a transfer. Villa should reject any offer and demand a fee that reflects Watkins’ importance and his contract, which runs until June 2028. A bid above £60-70 million would create a different discussion because Watkins is 30 and near peak market value.If Al-Hilal arrive with that sort of money, Olabe and Emery should act quickly. Nicolas Jackson deserves serious consideration because Emery knows his game from Villarreal, while his younger profile could refresh an attack that needs reliable options. Villa‘s Saudi relationship, strengthened by the Moussa Diaby and Duran sales, gives them room to demand premium money.The Benzema issue gives Villa a delay. Al-Hilal need to resolve his contract exit before making Watkins their striker target, while reports indicate Benzema wants the final year of his deal paid in full. That complication gives Villa room to set the price rather than chase the clock.Losing Watkins now would leave Emery short of proven firepower, so Villa should keep him unless Al-Hilal offer enough money to finance an immediate replacement.

Michael Scotto: The New Orleans Pelicans have waived two-way center Hunter Dickinson, league sources told @hoopshype. The former Michigan and Kansas star averaged 17.6 points on 59% shooting from the field and 39% from 3-point range with 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the G League last season.x.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Pelicans waive Hunter Dickinson

"When the league adopted the apron rules four or five years ago, but they eased them in over time, we knew that our window was going to be those first couple years to be exceeding that," Stevens explained. The Celtics enjoyed their time in the aprons and brought home that aforementioned championship while over budget. However, it's difficult for any team to stay in that spending zone, and the Celtics had to lose several parts of their championship team last offseason in order to shed salary. "Last summer, when we made the moves we made, we knew we would ultimately have to do that with the new apron rules, the thresholds, and the challenges of trying to operate in that neighborhood," Stevens said. "And those challenges are not the financial part; it's the limitation on trades, the future draft pick issues, et cetera."Celtics WireThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "Last summer, when we made the moves we made, we knew …

This combo made with photos provided by NASA on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows before, left, and after images of a fresh crater on the moon created by a collision with a SpaceX rocket. (NASA via AP)2026-08-18T21:38:57Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft circling the moon is providing the sharpest views yet of the crater carved by a crashing SpaceX rocket. The space agency released before-and-after photos of the impact area on Tuesday.The Falcon rocket’s upper stage plowed into the moon at 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) on Aug. 5 after drifting through space for more than a year. It launched a pair of private moon landers with experiments and even a tiny rover in 2025 as part of NASA’s push to commercialize lunar exploration.Based on these new photos by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the fresh crater appears to be 60 feet (18 meters) across and less than 10 feet (3 meters) deep, according to scientists. Dark and bright streaks are clearly visible emanating like butterfly wings from the crater. The darker lines represent excavated material that was close to the surface and shaped by eons of solar wind, cosmic rays and micrometeorite strikes. The brighter rays indicate fresh rocks and dirt that were hurled from farther down. The spacecraft photographed the crater a week after the collision from 60 miles (96 kilometers) up, while zooming along at one mile per second. Flight controllers had to tilt the spacecraft so its cameras pointed toward the impact scene. The orbiter completes a lunar polar orbit every two hours, as the moon rotates beneath. It took six days before the crash scene came into view. South Korea’s Danuri spacecraft was first on the scene to beam back photos. Read More The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been orbiting the moon since 2009, serving as NASA’s up-close eyes as the space agency works to return astronauts to the lunar surface.___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.

This combo made with photos provided by NASA on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows before, left, and after images of a fresh crater on the moon created by a collision with a SpaceX rocket. (NASA via AP)2026-08-18T21:37:09Z WASHINGTON (AP) — On the same day it invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russia disabled thousands of satellite modems across Ukraine and other European countries, aiming to disrupt communications. A new AI-assisted tool aims to help close that kind of vulnerability amid concerns about continued Russian aggression and newer Iranian threats to cyber infrastructure. The cybersecurity company Atalanta has released “Argo” — a product that includes the technology that was instrumental in securing Viasat’s satellite communications network after the Russian hacking attack. Industry experts say it presents a new capability for those trying to defend critical systems in the emerging cyberwarfare theater. Atalanta’s leaders say the new technology relies on what it calls “software understanding,” combining complex mathematics along with artificial intelligence technology to create the first commercially available system that can analyze software and internet-connected systems for vulnerabilities in a more comprehensive manner. The conflicts in both Ukraine and Iran have highlighted the danger that hackers can pose to everyday life. This summer several government agencies have warned that Iranian hackers have been targeting water and wastewater systems, among other critical infrastructure.“The tools and techniques of yesterday do not scale for today and ‘software understanding’ is going to be the path forward for anyone building a system of consequence for the United States,” Atalanta CEO and co-founder Anjana Rajan told The Associated Press. Viasat’s chief of cyber strategy, Nick Saunders, said the new technology not only ensures that the Viasat network is hardened against future attacks but produces the math that backs up that claim. Read More “We have built over the past year, working with Atalanta ... a capability where we can start to develop an understanding of how our systems are more resilient against attacks,” Saunders said.Atalanta’s technology has also been tapped to work on the Genesis Mission — the Department of Energy’s effort to create autonomous nuclear reactors. Greg Shannon, the chief cybersecurity scientist at the government’s Idaho National Laboratory, said the kind of technology that Atalanta is making available will likely eventually become the standard for testing any new capability.“In a decade or two, I would expect it to be just part of the standard development tool kits,” Shannon added.Shannon noted that the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, or DARPA, has been investing billions in this technology for a couple of decades. This investment helped create the demand for a system like Argo.DARPA is the military’s cutting-edge research office, which also helped pioneer technologies such as the internet and stealth aircraft.“They’ve probably invested well over $2 billion in various programs to advance formal methods ... and we’re finally seeing them start to come to fruition,” Shannon said.Last year, Emil Michael, the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, told a DARPA software conference in a prerecorded address that he saw the mathematics underpinning Atalanta’s technology as the future of the military and he wanted it to “become the DoD’s gold standard” for cybersecurity.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks alongside Paraguay's Vice President Pedro Alliana (not pictured), in the Treaty Room at the State Department, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tierney L. Cross)2026-08-18T21:24:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court and one of its top prosecutors as it continues a campaign to dismantle the tribunal, which it accuses of trying to unfairly prosecute U.S. and Israeli soldiers for alleged crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza.The State Department said Tuesday it had hit ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in U.S. jurisdictions or come into contact with the U.S. financial system.“The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.” The move is the latest by the Trump administration against the ICC, which it says has exceeded its mandate by investigating or trying soldiers, commanders and political officials from countries, such as Israel and the United States, that are not members of the court.The ICC was quick to respond, as it has done when faced with previous Trump administration actions, saying that the sanctions “undermine the rule of law.” “When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” it said.___Associated Press writer Mike Corder in The Hague contributed.

The agency joins a growing number of workplaces and groups to ban Meta’s devices, which have spurred privacy concerns.

A former Justice Department lawyer says Trump administration leaders ignored findings that elite schools, including Brown and Columbia, hadn’t broken the law as they pressed them into deals.