RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The on-ice celebration was underway for the Carolina Hurricanes, ticket in hand for their first Stanley Cup Final in two decades. But defenseman Jalen Chatfield had to bolt. Like, right now. He had just found out his wife, Drew, went into labor shortly before the Hurricanes' Eastern Conference Final clincher. He quickly showered and changed, then hopped in an unmarked police car for a blue-lights-on rush to the hospital.“Everything was good, yeah, I made it on time with a couple of hours to spare,” Chatfield said of son Rhodes. “He was born at like 2 a.m., so, perfect.”Chasing the Cup is pressure enough for the Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights in a chaos-filled series with nightly multigoal comebacks and two overtime finishes. Throw in a life-changing event at home while fumbling with diaper changes or a baby crying through sleep-interrupted nights — and, well, there’s a lot going on at the moment.Three Hurricanes players have welcomed babies in these playoffs since early May. Multiple members of the Golden Knights are preparing for deliveries of their own this month, offering the potential of adding to the postseason baby boom amid the sport’s biggest event that could go until June 17 if there is a Game 7. Vegas leads 2-1 going into Tuesday night's Game 3.“It’s going to be a lot of great stories to talk about,” said Vegas center Nic Dowd, whose wife, Paige, is due for their third child this month. “Having a new baby and trying to win a Stanley Cup, I’m going to compartmentalize those things. They’re different than each other, but definitely exciting and stressful. The biggest challenges in life are going to have the best rewards.”A playoff whirlwindThat was clear watching Hurricanes defenseman K’Andre Miller after closing out Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final on May 29.Nearly four weeks earlier, Miller and girlfriend Addison Clark had welcomed son Kashton, hours before Miller logged nearly 21 minutes of ice time in the 3-0 win to open Round 2 against Philadelphia. Fast forward to the night Chatfield rushed to the hospital, and there were viral videos of a teary Miller sitting on the bench afterward, holding Kashton and shaking his head between deep breaths in an emotional moment. Or there's the story of a frenetic 36 hours for teammate Sean Walker, one sure to be repeated at family gatherings for years.After the Hurricanes beat the Flyers in a road in Game 3, Walker got a 1 a.m. call from wife Taylor back in North Carolina. It was time. Her water had broken, and their first child was on the way. Walker quickly called team services manager Mike Brown for help getting an immediate flight home — with Walker FaceTiming with his wife during his trek — and made it in time for daughter Quinn’s arrival.“The baby gods were on my side for that one,” Walker said.The next day, he ate his pregame meal at the hospital cafeteria, then flew back to Philadelphia, arriving about four hours before puck drop of the sweep-clinching win on May 9. The good news was the Hurricanes had an 11-day gap between series, the longest in the playoffs in more than a century, for the Walker-Miller D-pair to settle in a bit as first-time dads.Walker savors those weeks as a special time in a still-unfolding adventure. As the Cup final began, his wife’s mother was in town in an “all hands on deck” effort on the home front. Teammates had been jumping in, too, by dropping off a steady stream of meals or something as simple as coffee along the way.“There was so much food, I kind of lost who all brought over everything,” Walker chuckled. “The support’s been amazing. It’s a family and everyone’s really showed that for us.”Teammate Eric Robinson understands well. He and forward Sebastian Aho welcomed babies during last year's run to the East final."The coolest part is you get to experience two of the best moments of your life kind of happening at the same time,” Robinson said.What’s ahead?That’s a feeling multiple Vegas players experienced around their 2023 Stanley Cup run. It could happen again. Joining Dowd, captain Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin and Shea Theodore — who had the Game 3 winning goal in double overtime Saturday — are playing for the Cup while preparing for baby arrivals. Theodore’s wife, Mariana, is due this month with their second child “very shortly” after the series; they don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl. “My wife is handling it amazing,” Theodore said. “I think especially when you’re in a playoff grind, there’s just some days where I’m not available. So she’s been handling everything so good, she’s been really good with it.”Hanifin’s wife, Monique, is carrying a girl. “It’s probably more stressful for my wife, to be honest,” Hanifin said before Game 1. “She’s at home going through it all, but we have a lot of family in town right now, just kind of with her, which is huge. ... Hopefully everything goes smoothly and we can win and celebrate a new baby at the end of June.”Stone's wife, Hayley, delivered a daughter shortly before that 2023 run. She’s due again for an arrival that could come during this series.“I guess my wife will be the telling tale of that one,” Stone said.Unforgettable daysChatfield's wife reached out to Brown’s assistant to say she had gone into labor with the couple’s second child shortly before Game 5 of the East final against the Canadiens. But she didn’t want them to let him know until afterward.So Brown told Chatfield after the traditional post-series handshake line. Chatfield joined the team photo with the Prince of Wales trophy, then bolted.“It was a special night for me, to be able to win the Eastern Conference Final and then shoot to the hospital,” Chatfield said. “My adrenaline was still going. It was a very confusing moment: I just went from celebrating with the guys to rushing out and being in a quiet hospital room, getting ready to have a baby. But there was no other way I’d rather have it. It was special and one of the best nights of my life.”Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour has observed it all from a different perspective. He has coached his son Skyler in a handful of Hurricanes games the past two seasons and he has watched players in the locker room grow from rising prospects to veterans with growing families, figuring out life with a new baby.“It’s supposed to be a little crazy,” Brind’Amour said last month. That’s particularly true in this Cup final, on and off the ice.“To be able to get these moments already with our new children is so special,” Walker said. “Obviously, they won’t really remember it at all. But we will.”___AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Marlie Packer has not indicated her next move after opting to leave Saracens [Getty Images]England flanker and double World Cup winner Marlie Packer will leave Saracens at the end of the season after nine years at the club.The 36-year-old, who has captained both club and country during a glittering career, has lifted three Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) titles with Sarries."This club has been a huge part of my life and has given me memories I will carry with me forever," Packer told the club website."Leaving was not an easy decision, and I will miss being around the club and the girls, but I will always look back on these nine years with immense gratitude and pride."Her final home game for Sarries will be this Sunday when they host Exeter in the PWR semi-finals.Packer - who won 116 caps for the Red Roses and was part of World Cup triumphs in 2014 and 2025 - joined Saracens in 2017 and scored six tries on her debut.She was also named World Rugby women's 15s player of the year in 2023.Saracens director of rugby Alex Austerberry said Packer had been an "exceptional servant" to the club.He added: "There have been many great players to represent Saracens and Marlie will undoubtedly be remembered as one of them. "Her competitiveness, quality and ability to deliver in the biggest moments have helped shape this club throughout the professional era."For much of the last decade, Marlie has been a captain, leader, trailblazer and advocate for the women's game. Quite simply, she has embodied what it means to be a Saracen."

Once a week, I run through the rest-of-season rankings for fantasy baseball. Use them for a fresh draft, use them for self-scouting, use them to evaluate trades and pickups. It's all up to you.UpgradeYordan Alvarez, OF, Astros: Man, it's fun to see him healthy and raking again. As lovely as Alvarez's slash line is — .316/.431/.650 — he's actually unlucky per his Savant page; he should be batting .347 based on his contact profile, and his true slugging percentage is .737. All of his hard-hit sliders are pinned to the right, and he has the eyes of a surgeon, spitting on balls and hammering strikes. Left-handed pitching doesn't bother him, either.In short, Alvarez is a perfect modern hitter.Jordan Walker, OF, Cardinals: It might feel a little odd to call him a post-hype sleeper because Walker is just 24, a story just beginning. Then again, he looked lost in 2024 and 2025 (.211/.270/.324), and I understand why he was ignored at draft tables this spring. Walker's improvement is standard stuff, a bump in his launch angle and a maturing batting eye (his chase and strikeout rates are still below average, but on the upswing). Walker can get away with empty swings because his connections are so emphatic — he's top shelf with exit velocity and hard-hit rate. And it's not just a power show; he's also copped 10 stolen bases. See you at the All-Star Game, kid.Michael Soroka, SP, Diamondbacks: The strikeout rate is passable but not electric, but he makes a lot of his own luck by never walking anyone. Soroka navigated the gauntlet last week, holding his water against the Dodgers and then shoving against the Nationals — and those are arguably the two hardest matchups in baseball.As we head into the second week of June, Soroka has made 13 starts — and just one of them was damaging to our fantasy line. This is a career year at age 28, Circle of Trust stuff.Louis Varland, RP, Blue Jays: He's come out of nowhere to be the best reliever in the American League, with the absurd 0.26 ERA and tidy 0.95 WHIP. Varland dominates in the classic way, piling up strikeouts, limiting the walks and getting ground balls by the truckload (60.3%). The outlier ERA is hard to take seriously, of course, but even his ERA estimators line up favorably — 1.29 FIP, 1.98 SIERA, 1.79 xERA.I watched the Orioles try to slow the game against him this weekend, stepping out of the box, and Varland almost seemed to smirk — knowing he was going to mow them down either way. Varland has become must-see TV for every appearance.Noah Cameron, SP, Royals: When the Yankees and White Sox roughed him up in April, a lot of fantasy managers shifted Cameron to the bench or the waiver wire. But it's been a quiet comeback story since, with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP over his last eight starts. Cameron is never going to light up the radar gun, with an average fastball under 90 mph. But he limits walks and home runs, and he's effective against both lefties and righties. Dial him up against Houston this week.Jake Mangum, OF, Pirates: Do you have room for a specialist on your roster? Mangum is on a 10-for-20 binge over his last seven appearances, with a homer and five steals. The Pirates will probably roll Mangum into the lineup for most opposing righties, which probably means 5-6 starts over the next week and a half. He's best utilized in deeper leagues with daily moves, but you need to be mindful of someone who's this skilled at running — and eager to run at that.DowngradeWill Smith, C, Dodgers: He's an eyelash above an average hitter right now (103 OPS+), and he missed some time on the weekend with a neck injury. That allowed Dalton Rushing's bat to wake up (four hits, homer on Sunday) after an extended slump. Smith is unlike many of the top catchers in that he can't pile up the playing time — he had zero DH equity because Shohei Ohtani locks up that spot. And Rushing's upside also has to be considered, even as his smashing April start was always too good to be true.Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournamentGeorge Kirby, SP, Mariners: He's still stingy with the walks and home runs, but the strikeout rate has tumbled down and the ERA has begun to rise. I dreamt of Cy Young upside for the early part of Kirby's career, but here we are, in his age-28 season and he's sitting on a 4.15 ERA over his last 36 starts. And while the roomy Seattle ballpark is a plus, the Mariners have not assembled a good defense.Kirby was drafted as a front-of-fold rotation piece, but he's pitching more like a SP4; worth rostering, but short of a true ace.Jake Burger, 1B, Rangers: There are some batters who swing at everything but make contact anyway — Ernie Clement comes to mind. Guys like that, we don't sweat their chase rate. But with players like Burger, who hack at everything and strike out a ton, that can be a problem. Burger's production to this point has been passable, though his hard-hit sliders are tepid and his expected slugging is just .401. I'd like more out of a corner infielder, and he's getting no float from the pitcher-friendly Texas home ballpark.Updated rest-of-season top-250 rankings (as of June 8)

LA Sparks just had their best game of the season and Cameron Brink was hardly involved originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Los Angeles Sparks might just have turned a corner.Double-doubles from Nneka Ogwumike (20 points, 17 rebounds) and Dearica Hamby (22 points, 12 rebounds) helped the Sparks to their largest win of the season over the Portland Fire. The Sparks' defense -- heavily criticized in the season's first month -- shut down the Fire in an 89-72 win.Sparks double-doubles in win vs. Fire:Nneka Ogwumike:20 PTS17 REB8-14 FGDearica Hamby:22 PTS12 REB8-13 FGLA held Portland to a season-low 72 PTS after allowing 104 PTS to the Wings on Friday. pic.twitter.com/7soHtw6kWt— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 8, 2026The Sparks improved to 5-6 as their veteran core tries to steer Los Angeles back to the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2020. But as the Sparks' All-Stars round into form, Cameron Brink continues fighting against consistency.MORE: Sparks' Kelsey Plum, Kate Martin show off special on-court connectionBrink, once heralded as the crown jewel of the Los Angeles rebuild, played only nine minutes in the Sparks' win over the Fire. Foul trouble kept her off the court again; Brink accrued four personals in just nine minutes, marking the seventh time in 11 games that the former second overall pick has picked up at least that many in a game.Cameron Brink has four fouls, and now the Sparks have to send her to the bench. She has to figure out how to foul less. It's been an issue for three years now.— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) June 8, 2026Brink has been whistled for 44 fouls in 11 games, which has affected how many minutes she can play.Despite her strong defensive impact around the rim, Brink has played fewer than 10 minutes in a game (twice) just as often as she has played 20 or more in 2026.Some highs & lows of Cameron Brink’s season so far:▪️8.6 PPG (career high)▪️4.1 RPG (career low)▪️1.1 APG▪️0.6 SPG ▪️1.5 BPG▪️50.0% FG (career high)▪️3.0 T/O (career high)▪️4.0 PFPG (T-career high)— E J 🏀 (@EJayArrow) June 8, 2026In her third WNBA season, Brink is still struggling to carve out a role in Los Angeles, on a Sparks team that reset its competitive timeline by acquiring Ogwumike and Kelsey Plum in the past year. The former Stanford standout hasn't developed offensively after losing much of her rookie season with an ACL injury, and foul trouble continues to harm her ability to stay on the hardwood even though she's healthy now.Only time will tell how the situation gets resolved, but it is starting to look like Brink and the Sparks just aren't a match anymore.More WNBA news:Fever's Caitlin Clark is struggling, but not for the reason you thinkWNBA coach needed police escort after heated Angel Reese moment spiraled out of controlFever are blaming the wrong people for their problemsLiberty's Breanna Stewart has totally lost one of her best skills

On a rare visit to North Korea, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, projected unity but also sought to remind Kim Jong-un that he is the senior partner in their alliance.

Wall Street is giving its richest clients velvet rope access to this week’s public listing of SpaceX, reflecting the growing importance of the wealth management business.

NEW YORK — Analytics have taken kind of a beating in these 2026 NBA playoffs, thanks to Kenny Atkinson's well-intentioned commentaries on shot quality eventually becoming the stuff of memes and Josh Hart getting Comedy Cellar laughs for recycling Villanova coach Jay Wright's line about analytics, lampposts and drunks.At base, though, "analytics" is just information: a way of taking a closer look at something, seeing what you turn up, and figuring out how that can help you make sense of things. What you really need is someone who can help you understand those numbers — an expert who can contextualize the data and arrive at a conclusion."The statistics right now," rap legend/podcast host/quantitative analyst Fat Joe tells me, "are saying this is the greatest New York team ever."Joey Crack tells me this at the Knicks' Sunday practice on the eve of Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), which will be the first Finals game contested at Madison Square Garden in 27 years. He tells me this because he's one of millions of New Yorkers swept up in the hysteria surrounding a Knicks team that currently holds a 2-0 lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the best-of-seven set, having taken the first two games of the Finals on the road in Texas. And he tells me this because, analytically speaking (shouts out to Kenny), it has the ring of truth.You've likely seen the numbers by now, but they bear repeating. The Knicks have won 13 straight playoff games, the second-longest postseason winning streak in NBA history, trailing only the 2017 Golden State Warriors. They've won those games by a combined 273 points — the highest plus-minus in any 13-game stretch in playoff history, and just behind the 1970 Bucks (+279) for the most lopsided 13-game stretch of all time.Their +17.6 average margin of victory in these playoffs is the highest of any team to play at least four playoff games (shout out to the 1956 Minneapolis Lakers). They are the first team in NBA history to win three closeout playoff games by 20-plus points — and they won them all by 30-plus. They own the postseason's No. 1 offenseanddefense, and their net rating — +18.1 points per 100 possessions — is on pace to blow away every team in the play-by-play era, which stretches back to the 1996-97 season, with only the Shaq-Kobe 2001 Lakers (+13.4) and the Year 1 Durant-era Warriors (+12.9) even coming within spitting distance.You've got to admit: Those are some pretty compelling numbers."So when you say — what we got, 13 [wins] in a row?" Fat Joe says. "Look, we've had a little bit of bad luck in the past …"At this, his podcast partner and fellow New York hip-hop legend Jadakiss interjects, "A little bit?""… so everybody's, like, tentative," Fat Joe continues. "But if you really compare these stats, this team's looking like … I don't even wanna tell you. Do you see the numbers? Let's just wait 'til it's over. But right now, if you analyze the numbers, we might be looking at the greatest team ever. If you analyze the numbers. I'm not making this up."(Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports Illustration)He's not making it up — just like he wasn't making up the line about seeing "Hasidic Jews breakdancing with Black kids outside the stadium." But not making something up doesn't necessarily mean something is true, and it's reasonable to pump the brakes a little bit — "a little bit?" — on crowning this the best Knicks team ever just yet.For one thing, the regular season counts for something, too. These Knicks finished 53-29, the ninth-highest win total in franchise history, and with a winning percentage of .646, which is 10th-best. (Joe Lapchick's squad won 67.1% of their games and made the Finals back in 1952-53, years before the league went to an 82-game schedule.) They're looking up at a pair of 60-win teams (1969-70, 1992-93), three 57-win groups ('93-94, '72-73 and '96-97), the 55-win '94-95 squad, and two 54-win units (1968-69, Red Holzman's first year on the bench, and 2012-13, the Mike Woodson/Carmelo Anthony at the 4 year). These Knicks finished third in the East, a full seven games behind the Detroit Pistons; they didn't even win their division, finishing three games behind the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic.You are within your rights not to care about seeding and division crowns! Even just adjusting for performance on the court, though, this season's model has some stiff competition atop the all-time New York leaderboard.According to Jared Dubin's adjusted efficiency metrics at Last Night in Basketball, which measure how much better or worse a team's offense and defense were than the league's average unit in that season, the 2025-26 Knicks had a net rating 5.6 points per 100 possessions better than league-average this season. That ranks third among all Knicks teams in Dubin's database, behind the Patrick Ewing-led 1993-94 squad (+7.1) that went to Game 7 of the NBA Finals before falling to Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets, and its 1992-93 predecessor (+5.9), which lost a six-game heartbreaker to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals.According to Basketball-Reference's Simple Rating System — a metric "that takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule" — this year's Knicks were 6.05 points better than league-average. That's the fourth-highest finish in franchise history, behind 1969-70 (+8.42), 1993-94 (+6.48) and 1972-73 (+6.07).There are some important caveats. For one thing, those are just regular-season numbers, meaning they don't account for the quantum leap into the stratosphere that the current Knicks have taken over the past two months. For another, Dubin's numbers only go back to the ABA-NBA merger in 1976 — meaning they don't include the Holzman-era teams that won 52 or more games four times in five years, and that captured what remain the only two NBA championships in franchise history.Holzman's Knicks teams operated according to two rules — on defense, see the ball (all five players connected on a string with the movement of the ball rather than focused on their individual matchups) and on offense, hit the open man (swing the ball to create cleaner looks rather than going one-on-one) — as Knicks role player turned legendary championship head coach (and, um, less successful Knicks lead executive) Phil Jackson detailed in his 2013 book, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success" …"On a good team, there are no superstars," Red insisted. "There are great players who show they are great players by being able to play with others as a team. They have the ability to be superstars, but if they fit into a good team, they make sacrifices, they do things necessary to help the team win. What the numbers are in salaries or statistics don't matter; how they play together does."… which sounds an awful lot like what head coach Mike Brown has been preaching ad nauseam to and about his charges all season long."You can't tell me that ['70] Knicks team and that '73 Knicks team wasn't a thing of beauty," former Knicks point guard, Warriors head coach and ESPN color commentator Mark Jackson said in the 2018 book and documentary series "Basketball: A Love Story." "The way they moved the ball, the way they were united, the way they orchestrated victories, the way they needed each other, the way they followed a great leader in Red Holzman. It's a thing of beauty when done the right way, at its purest form."Sounds sort of like this:While the iconic 1970s Knicks teams were defined by playing the beautiful game, their 1990s successors operated on the other side of the street. Or, more frequently, in the gutter beneath it."In the temple of Madison Square Garden, the Knicks are permitted to win only one way: as they played in the 1990s," wrote Ben Detrick and Andrew Kuo in their 2021 book, "The Joy of Basketball: An Encyclopedia of the Modern Game." "The godheads are Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy; the war deities are Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley and Latrell Sprewell; light pours from a stained glass window depicting John Starks dunking over Michael Jordan and Horace Grant. [...] The Knicks reflect the self-identity of the New Yorker — past and present. It is basketball funneled through Fran Lebowitz, wearing Lugz boots and shivering a bacon, egg, and cheese into her maw while smoking a loosie.""When Patrick slams, when Anthony Mason grabs a rebound and knocks somebody on their ass — it's Coltrane, man. 'A Love Supreme,'" jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis told Chris Smith for a May 1993 cover story in New York magazine. "The Knicks have that vibe, that aggression. This team is tailor-made for New York."The Riley-Ewing-Oakley-Mason-Starks-helmed squads represent the longest, most consistent stretch of championship-contending basketball in the lifetime of many Knicks fans. When the game reached the highest levels, though, running up against eternal weapons like Jordan and Hakeem, those Knicks lacked quite enough offensive firepower to get to the top of the mountain."To me, the Knicks were that boxer that just pummeled at your midsection," Hall of Fame journalist Harvey Araton told Chris Herring for his 2022 best-seller, "Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks." "They never could beat Michael, but they always administered some pain. And you always felt they were one big left hook away from winning."The Ewing-Oakley-Starks Knicks had sustained success, but never won the title. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)Nathaniel S. ButlerWhich is why, for as much winning as they did — more regular-season and playoff victories throughout the 1990s than any Eastern Conference team besides Jordan's Bulls — they could never deliver that final blow. By the time they returned to the Finals in 1999, fueled by a more modern offensive model led by guards Sprewell and Allan Houston, with a 36-year-old Ewing missing the bulk of the last two rounds after rupturing his Achilles and Larry Johnson shooting four 3-pointers a game as sort of a proto-stretch 4, they did so as a lightning-in-a-bottle miracle — a 27-23 eighth seed that caught fire at the right time, but that never really had the goods to go toe-to-toe with a Tim Duncan-led Spurs team that discarded them in five games."I don't have any bitterness," Ewing said when he was traded away to Seattle in 2000, according to the New York Daily News. "The only regret I have is that I didn't bring a title to New York. I'll carry that regret with me the rest of my life, more than any fan."While the '70s teams, the Riley-era squads of the early-to-mid '90s and the late-decade JVG crews differed in a number of ways, they all carried stylistic markers that — while admittedly not seen all that often over the past couple of decades — are representative of the ideal characteristics of "Knicks basketball.""A New York team has to have grit, you know what I mean?" Jadakiss — who's won a championship in the Garden more recently than the Knicks — tells me. "We always need grit. You need a good point guard. You need a good big man. You need a good coach. You need a little bit of luck. You need a glue player, like Josh [Hart]. You need a decent bench like we have. And you need the New York fans."With Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Brown, Josh Hart, a second unit (Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson, Deuce McBride, Jose Alvarado) that arguably won Game 2, the benefit of good health and opponents that have had to go the full seven games in each of the last three rounds, and the mob of mirthful maniacs that make MSG shake, both inside and out, this year's model seems to check all the boxes. Hart agrees."Toughness, grit, physicality, energy, clutch plays — I think that's what you think of when you think of Knicks basketball," Hart said Sunday. "That's something that we want to do. We want to come out with energy. We want to come out with physicality and be focused on the game plan. Especially with the guys that we have in the locker room, we're going to make plays. We're going to make big plays. We're going to do those kind of things. That's kind of our brand — playing fast and having fun."Once a Knick, always a Knick: Playoff games have become a gathering of former New York players. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)Nathaniel S. ButlerTheir predecessors are, too. Over the past few years, Knicks alumni from across the generations — Ewing and Starks, Bill Bradley and Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Bernard King, Houston and Sprewell, Stephon Marbury, Anthony and J.R. Smith, and on, and on — have become ubiquitous at Madison Square Garden (and, increasingly, road arenas too) as a franchise often defined by its lack of success recognizes those who helped it reach this point. Representatives of golden eras and fallow periods alike are celebrated for their contributions; "once a Knick, always a Knick" means they get to share in this thrilling moment, too."They've been with us, you know, my whole five years here — it's not just showing up when we're winning," McBride said after the Eastern Conference finals. "They've been with us through a lot. So shout out to them and obviously everything they did. We just want to get the job done for them.""It truly means a lot, because when they're on the sidelines or baselines or whatever, they make their presence known," Brown said after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers. "They're full of energy. That's just who they are. They just want the best for us, and it's a really cool sight to see. It's an honor to play for this organization, the history it has, to see the former players around all the time, that makes it even more special.""Special" is how longtime Knicks play-by-play man Marv Albert recently described this year's team to Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. Van Gundy, now back on the bench as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers after years in the announce booth, recently called this "the greatest playoff run in Knicks history [...] there's never been a Knicks team this dominant."But a short run of dominance doesn't necessarily define a great team. The length and breadth of your achievements does, as Frazier reminded me when I broached the "best Knicks team ever?" question to him in San Antonio after Game 2.(I did it while he was holding court next to a giant replica of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, and I couldn't help thinking about how Clyde — 81 years of age, 46 years moved from his playing days — is still the coolest guy in any room he walks into. "I know that all this fame and glory is not forever," he wrote in his seminal 1974 book, "Rockin' Steady: A Guide to Basketball and Cool." "One day I'll fade from the scene. I'll go back to just being plain Walt Frazier." Verdict: false.)"How many guys on this team are going to be Hall of Famers?" Clyde asks me.Hmm. Brunson and Towns, probably, if they keep this up. Maybe Hart and Mikal Bridges, given their collegiate success at Villanova? OG Anunoby, if he settles into a long second half of his career as a perennial 3-and-D unlocker of championship rosters?"It's a good question," I tell him."So right there, that answers your question, right?" he says. "We had five Hall of Famers on the [1970] team."That's true: himself, Bradley, Willis Reed, Dick Barnett and Dave DeBusschere. The '72-73 model was even more star-studded, featuring Earl "The Pearl" Monroe (Frazier's partner in the legendary "Rolls-Royce Backcourt") and frontcourt sniper Jerry Lucas."So they've got some work to do," I say."They got a lot of work to do," Clyde replies.Step No. 1: Get two more wins. That'd make four, which would end the Finals and the franchise's 53-year championship drought. I'm pretty sure it would, anyway; I'll have to check with my stat guy, Fat Joe, to be sure.

There's no action on the field just yet in college football, but there's plenty in the dialogue department. Lane Kiffin's highly controversial departure from Ole Miss to LSU has kept the offensive-minded head coach firmly in the spotlight, and squarely on the radar of ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum.On a recent episode of "The Paul Finebaum Show", he took issue with Kiffin's perceived need to communicate that he has been wronged in some way."What's really interesting about this, Earl, is that Lane Kiffin is the one who betrayed Ole Miss," Finebaum said. "Lane Kiffin is the one who left a bunch of broken hearts, and he's acting like the aggrieved one here.... He just couldn't resist going as low as possible. He's a smart guy. He knew that line. He could back it up because it's been said before, but he also knew how controversial it would be. It's in his DNA."Finebaum was alluding to Kiffin's comments about not being able to recruit as well as he had hoped when he was at Ole Miss.It continues a run of critical comments by Finebaum about how Kiffin has handled his departure from one SEC school to another, and it seems unlikely Finebaum will turn down the heat anytime soon.Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Paul Finebaum criticizes Lane Kiffin for making himself a victim

Report: Spurs ace’s future clouded with doubt as Serie A ginats come callingJuventus Turn Attention to Guglielmo Vicario After Alisson SetbackJuventus appear to be narrowing their search for a new goalkeeper, and Tottenham Hotspur’s Guglielmo Vicario has reportedly emerged as the leading candidate.According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian giants have accelerated their interest in the Spurs stopper after encountering obstacles in pursuits of several high profile alternatives, including Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and AC Milan’s Mike Maignan.Photo: IMAGOThe report paints a picture of a club seeking leadership, reliability and experience as it looks to strengthen a key position ahead of the new campaign.Liverpool Stance Alters MarketJuventus had identified Alisson as an ideal solution.His pedigree, leadership qualities and winning mentality made him a natural fit for a side eager to add authority between the posts. However, Liverpool’s determination to retain the Brazilian has forced the Serie A club to reassess its options.Photo IMAGOGazzetta dello Sport suggests Liverpool were unwilling to sanction another major dressing room departure after already seeing several influential figures leave. That stance effectively removed Alisson from Juventus’ shortlist and prompted a fresh evaluation of the market.Martinez and Maignan both remained under consideration, but financial complications quickly emerged. Salaries and overall package costs have reportedly made those deals difficult to progress.Photo IMAGOFinancial Reality Shapes Juventus StrategyModern recruitment increasingly requires balancing ambition with sustainability.Juventus appear to be operating within clear financial parameters, making value as important as quality. While Martinez and Maignan bring proven credentials, their wage demands create significant hurdles.Photo IMAGOThat reality has helped elevate Vicario’s standing.The Tottenham goalkeeper combines top level experience with a salary structure that reportedly fits Juventus’ model. Equally important, his transfer valuation is viewed as attainable compared to some of the other names under discussion.Vicario Moves Into Pole PositionGazzetta dello Sport reports that Vicario is now the preferred option.The 30 year old has established himself in the Premier League since joining Tottenham and remains highly regarded in Italy following his performances in Serie A with Empoli.Photo IMAGOHis reported desire to return to Italian football only adds further intrigue to the situation.With Inter Milan seemingly no longer pursuing a move and Juventus facing limited competition, the Bianconeri may sense an opportunity to act decisively.For Tottenham, any decision will depend on their own plans and whether a suitable offer arrives. Vicario remains under contract until 2028, placing Spurs in a relatively strong negotiating position.Nevertheless, Juventus appear increasingly focused on securing his signature as they seek greater stability in goal.Our View – EPL Index AnalysisVicario has become an important figure since arriving in North London. His shot stopping ability, personality and connection with supporters have made him one of the more popular members of the squad. Losing him would undoubtedly create a significant challenge.At the same time, Spurs fans understand why Juventus might be interested. Goalkeepers with Premier League experience, international pedigree and strong leadership qualities are always in demand.The key question is whether Tottenham have any intention of selling. Unless the club already has a replacement lined up, many supporters would see little logic in weakening such an important position. Vicario remains firmly within his prime years and has regularly demonstrated his value during difficult periods.Juventus may view €20 million as reasonable, but Spurs supporters are likely to believe their goalkeeper is worth considerably more in today’s market. Contract length also strengthens Tottenham’s position.Ultimately, fans will hope the club resists any advances. Ambitious teams retain their best performers rather than allowing them to depart. If Tottenham are serious about competing at the highest level, keeping Vicario should remain a priority.

The sky is not falling on the Indiana Fever, despite the team sitting around league-average with 10 games logged on the 2026 season. While the house next door burns with hot takes and hand-wringing about Caitlin Clark (and every single silly discourse surrounding Clark) and how the Fever are allegedly handling her, the teams is simply off to an uneven start with plenty of time to find consistency. Has it all been great? No. Has it all been bad? Also, no. The Fever, like most of the WNBA's 15 teams, are simply still trying to find a regular groove. A 5-5 record is pretty indicative of how Indiana has played. Some games, they're world-beaters. Others, they're just trying to stay afloat. Why should Fever fans not crash out about this latest 10-game sample? Well, there are plenty of reasons, the biggest and most obvious being that it's June and the WNBA title series isn't until October. Outside of that, there are some good reasons to take a deep breath and relax about what Indiana is capable of achieving in 2026. This isn't to say they're guaranteed to win the title, but they're in a good spot to keep improving and play better. The 2025 playoff team went 5-5 to start the season, too Last year's Fever team found a way to grind out a 5-5 record, even though both Clark and Sophie Cunningham missed time with injury to start the season. This team has fared better with injuries so far, but the new roster is taking a moment to gel within Stephanie White's system. If you look at that 2025 season, you'll see the roller-coaster that was just launching off after 10 games. That team fought through multiple injuries and a major free agent departure a month into the season, somehow won the Commissioner's Cup without Clark and found a way to get within a game of the WNBA Finals despite rostering multiple hardship players. The 2025 Fever team proves that you just can't get too high or too low in June. The WNBA season, like most professional leagues with this many games, is a marathon, not a sprint. The Fever have plenty of time to sort through any on-court issues before the playoffs. This is already one of the best Fever starts in the last 12 years No, really, it is. Since 2014, only three Fever teams have made it to 5-5 after 10 games: the 2014 team, the 2025 team and this one. Indiana has been one of the worst professional sporting franchises of any league in the last decade-plus. White is the only coach who has been able to consistently get results out of this franchise since her first coaching stint in 2015. Her return has already righted the ship on simply being competitive on a regular basis; adding world-class talents like Clark and Aliyah Boston has made that much easier, of course. The Clark discourse swirls about outside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse and clouds the franchise's history before her arrival. Before Clark, the franchise had fallen into disarray. Even in Clark's first year, it took the Olympic break for the team to sort through its myriad of on-court issues to make a last-minute playoff stand. White has proven herself to be more than capable of steering the ship through choppy waters. To argue that the Fever are actually underachieving right now and still sit at one of the best franchise starts since the Obama administration is pretty remarkable to consider in a full view. Boston's health should improve as the season goes on One of the biggest storylines that isn't getting a ton of attention right now is the overall health of Boston. She missed a game in May with a lower leg injury after missing time in the winter's Unrivaled league with the same problem. She left the game on Saturday at New York, too, with a similar issue. Boston is the team's elite post player; so much of its potential depends on what Boston can do to balance out the team's elite backcourt of Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. If she's not at 100-percent right now, it's going to be hard for the Fever to reach their ceiling. Thankfully for Indiana, Boston has plenty of time as the season goes on to get healthier. Managing her minutes and limiting any further injury complications, old or new, will be key in getting Boston into a better place on the court. So far this season, she hasn't been quite herself on a consistent basis. That's probably because she's playing through pain. If this were September, we'd be a little more concerned. It's June; Boston has plenty of time to find her game, as long as she stays on the upward track on her health. If things linger, the team has to consider giving her a break. The Fever should eventually adjust to Clark's defensive targeting Much ado has been made as of late on teams picking on Clark defensively. The superstar is one of the best offensive players of her generation, but her defense has always been a patchwork. Clark getting isolated on defense is favorable for opponents; targeting her on that end of the court is just smart for her limitations. However, Indiana just needs to tighten up its defensive scheming and put Clark in more favorable positions. The team's Atlanta Dream win last week showed that Clark can be a lunchpail defender when called upon; she can do the job with basic competence. However, the Fever can't win a title with Clark racking up fouls like she is. Adjustments won't come swiftly, but Indiana has plenty of time to better position Clark on defense with scheme and personnel fixes. Plus, Clark can just play better. Her infamous Portland Fire outing in May showed the low; Atlanta showed the high. The Fever can continue to coalesce with the pieces available... Up until Saturday's Liberty loss, you would have sworn forward Monique Billings might be on the outs with the Fever with her minutes dwindling and starting job in question. However, Billings played the best game of any Indiana player in New York with 15 points and eight rebounds. Her Liberty breakout shows why patience is important with new players and a newly constructed roster in general. It just takes different teams different amounts of time to find their rhythm during a long season. If Billings can keep her momentum swing in the right direction, that's a huge asset the Fever didn't previously have. Rookie guard Raven Johnson should improve as the season goes on, too, the team seemingly comfortable with some first-year mistakes here and there if it means she gets valuable on-court experience. You also wonder if free agent guard Ty Harris, who started for White on her 2024 semifinals Connecticut Sun team, could play more a role as she gets further from her 2025 season-ending injury. ...and add talent as needed via trades or free agency Also, the Fever can and will likely tinker more with the roster as time goes on. Could they swing a big trade with their 2027 first-rounder? Could they activate developmental forward Justine Pissott to add more pop on the wing? Indiana's roster liabilities are evident, the team is a bit thin in the frontcourt and has struggled a bit playing against teams with lots of size. You can't solve all of those problems with roster tweaking, but you can tip the scale a bit. Clark will play better on offense as she gets more comfortable The biggest reason for optimism in Indiana continues to be Clark, who is still one of the league's top 10 scorers on average this season and still the assists leader. Clark's been dealing with some back soreness this season, which may just stem from a lack of regular game reps in 2025. Remember, she's still getting back in the regular season grind she missed so much of last season. There are mental hurdles, too, likely the fear of another injury that lands her back in the grueling rehab process. The noxious discourse surrounding her every move notwithstanding, Clark is still getting her sea legs back after a frustrating 2025 campaign. Time and reps are the only cure-alls for such a predicament for an athlete. She'll benefit from just playing more, seeing her shot fall on a more consistent basis and, quite honestly, staying healthy for a long enough amount of time to shake off the anxiety of getting hurt again. The Fever proved last year what they can do without Clark; just imagine what's possible when she's playing at her best. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Reasons Caitlin Clark and the Fever are just fine despite 5-5 start

On Monday, June 8, the Big Ten announced the single and double-play opponents for the 2026-27 Iowa women's basketball season. In the full 18-game Big Ten schedule, Jan Jensen's crew will take on Nebraska twice, at home and on the road. Iowa will battle the other 16 conference foes once. Dates, times and TV info for all of the games will be announced early in the fall, according to a press release. Here's a look at who the Hawkeyes will take on at home and on the road: Iowa women's basketball Big Ten opponents for 2026-27Home: Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin, UCLA, and USC. Road: Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and Washington.This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: Iowa women's basketball Big Ten single, double-play schedule released

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2026-06-08T16:35:58Z NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is set to be the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game, bringing strict security measures that will require New York Knicks fans to navigate an extensive safety perimeter around Madison Square Garden and an expected lengthy wait to get inside the building.The security for Game 3 between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs and the scene around the arena more closely resembled New Year’s Eve in Times Square, and for fans, it might seem more akin to a trip to the airport. They were asked to get to the game two hours early and will be required to provide a ticket to get past various checkpoints along with passing through a TSA-style magnetometer.Trump’s appearance led the New York Police Department and Secret Service to establish a multi-block security perimeter around the arena, cancel a watch party outside and institute a no-bag policy for ticket-holders. Fans had gathered around the Garden to watch games during this playoff run, during which the Knicks have won 13 games in a row to reach the final for the first time since 1999 and move two victories from their first NBA title since 1973. “The NYPD in coordination with the Secret Service made the decision for Game 3, where we have a presidential visit, that we could not support watch parties right outside of the Garden,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Monday. “We are looking forward to bringing back watch parties for Game 4. But I think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas and that’s what you’re going to see tonight at the Garden.” Trump has attended several major sporting events in his time as president, and the security measures have created major hassles for fans. Read More Thousands of fans missed the start of last year’s U.S. Open men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner because of lengthy security lines. Even though the U.S. Tennis Association pushed back the start of the match by a half-hour, many fans still couldn’t get in because added measures meant that they had to go through screening not only when they arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center but again in front of the steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Trump watched from a suite. Asked his thoughts on Trump attending, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson said: “Cool, I guess. We can still get out there and play (no matter) who’s here and who’s not.”Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries are also expected to be at the game Monday night. It was already hard enough for Knicks fans to get inside Madison Square Garden because of astronomical ticket prices. The get-in price for a ticket is higher than the average cost of monthly rent in New York, surging over $6,000. The best seats are tens of thousands of dollars. Mamdani said he bought his ticket for about $1,000 directly from Madison Square Garden.The difficulty of seeing the game in-person has prompted fans to crowd bars, streets and watch parties all over the city. The watch party near the Garden has become a major event all through the playoffs, but with Trump attending, that event will be moved a few blocks away outside the security perimeter, at Bryant Park.“We improvise,” said Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, who is a New York native. “We’re New Yorkers. We’re going to find a way to watch a game, and that’s what we’re doing.”___AP Sports Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA STEPHEN WHYNO Whyno has covered the NHL, international hockey, NFL and horse racing for The Associated Press since 2016. twitter facebook 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson runs drills prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the San Antonio Spurs, Sunday, June 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)2026-06-08T16:04:33Z NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA Finals are back in New York and the hype is unavoidable.The Knicks are two wins from their first championship since 1973 and it seems everyone in the city wants the chance to see it. Even President Donald Trump will be on hand Monday night at Madison Square Garden for Game 3, along with fans who will pay exorbitant prices and endure lengthy lines to get in.It feels like more of a major event than any basketball game, and Victor Wembanyama was asked if the chaos could be a distraction for his San Antonio Spurs.“Not really,” he said. “I think it could be, but isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years. I think I’m good at it. So it’s not a problem.”The Spurs have a big enough problem with their 2-0 deficit.No team has recovered to win the championship after losing the first two games of the NBA Finals at home, and no team in the 80-year history of the league has won any series after falling behind 3-0. So the Spurs need to win Monday. They had good chances in both games at home. San Antonio led by 14 points midway through the third quarter of Game 1, then erased a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead in the final minute of Game 2 before the Knicks rallied for a 105-104 victory. That was New York’s 13th consecutive victory, the second-longest winning streak in postseason history.Back at home, even the Knicks don’t know quite what to expect of the atmosphere for the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999. But they know what to expect from the Spurs. Read More “I mean, their best,” center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “Every single game you expect their best. That’s how you don’t get caught in a way lacking. You go out there and you expect their best, so you want to bring your best. This is the NBA Finals. There’s no time to take any game easy or to take any game lightly.”___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA BRIAN MAHONEY Mahoney is an editor on the AP Sports desk. He also is a pro basketball writer, primarily covering the two NBA teams in New York. twitter mailto

Thousands of people contributed their Broadway favorites of the season ahead of the Tony Awards. Here’s how their votes stacked up.

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The NFL offensive landscape has slowed down significantly over the last several seasons, but a strategic shift by the Los Angeles Rams could trigger the league's next major schematic trend. According to Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice, head coach Sean McVay’s offseason addition of Kliff Kingsbury as assistant head coach points to a major embrace of high-tempo, no-huddle football designed to counter modern defensive structures.Data indicates that the league-wide adoption of heavy pre-snap motion has inadvertently slowed the game down. TruMedia and NextGenStats tracking from Tice's report show that NFL offenses averaged a record-high 29.6 seconds between plays in 2025, a noticeable increase from 28.1 seconds in 2020 and 28.2 seconds in 2015. Offenses also snapped the ball with an average of just nine seconds remaining on the play clock last season, compared to 10.5 seconds in the two prior years.Tice notes that this extra time gives defensive coordinators more room to communicate and disguise their coverages. To combat this, McVay brought in Kingsbury, who was formerly the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders before being let go last offseason.While Kingsbury is traditionally associated with the "Air Raid" passing system, Tice emphasized that his primary utility to the Rams is his ability to operate a diverse playbook without huddling.Operating at a faster tempo alters defensive behavior. TruMedia metrics indicate that on early downs, defensive blitz rates drop from 27.1% against a huddling offense to 20.4% against a no-huddle look. Without the time to communicate complex checks, defenses are forced into simpler, more predictable coverages.If the Rams successfully integrate Kingsbury's no-huddle mechanics with McVay's established offensive principles, they could provide the blueprint for the rest of the league to speed the game back up.This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Analyst explains how Rams could start new NFL trend in 2026

The Jacksonville Jaguars will return all five of the team's starting offensive linemen this season, giving the team a consistency it didn't necessarily have during the 2025 offseason.While there will still be some competition at certain positions including likely left tackle and right guard, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen indicated that right tackle Anton Harrison will further entrench himself on the right side of the team's line.The Jaguars picked up the former first-round pick's fifth-year option earlier this offseason, locking him in with the franchise through the 2027 season. Since being drafted with the 27th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Harrison has started 48 games for the Jaguars, starting all games at right tackle.ROSTER MOVES: Jacksonville Jaguars sign two, including veteran CB Dane Jackson“A little. We actually did talk about it a little bit last week. It's something that you don't want to mess with too much unless you're going to make a change. I think you look at what Detroit's doing with [Lions OL Penei] Sewell, I mean, that's going to be a long-term change that they're making," Coen explained during Organized Team Activities earlier in June.Last year, Jacksonville flirted with the idea of Harrison being cross-trained at left tackle, primarily to see how that configuration would look like during the team's mock game in training camp last year. Coen said the team will do it again, but didn't give any reason to think it would be a long-term move for the former Sooner. "But just also trying to get him — it's OTA No. 4, so we're just trying to get a little bit more of that continuity and chemistry back before doing that," said Coen.Harrison also hasn't expressed much desire to switch sides, something Coen said the team would factor into their decision-making regarding the job. "But we've had conversations about it. He's very comfortable on the right side," Coen said. Anton Harrison earns high praise from division rivalHarrison will be one of the team's most important players moving forward and that's doubly true because of whom the team will line up against at least twice a year. The Houston Texans deploy two of the best pass rushers in the NFL in Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. Anderson was selected with the third overall pick in the same draft as Harrison.Anderson and Harrison have competed against each other six times in their career. Since then, Anderson has totaled six quarterback hits and just two sacks. Both sacks came against Jacksonville in 2025.During an appearance on Chasing 10 Fishing with Randy Moss, Anderson gave high praise to Harrison, comparing him to one of his former elite teammates. Anderson was fishing with Los Angeles Rams pass rusher Myles Garrett. The two exchanged stories of who gave them problems in games during the early parts of their careers. "My guy, the Jaguar, I say my guy at the Jaguars. We in the same class, and of course we play each other more than any other tackle I'll go against, but he kind of reminds me of LT (Laremy Tunsil) a little bit," Anderson said. "Like they kind of like the same size, athletic build. It's always a good matchup." The two will face off against each other twice this season, with the first matchup coming Week 6 in London. The game will be the second of back-to-back London matchups for Jacksonville this year. Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky at Demetrius.If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider subscribing to support local journalism in Northeast Florida.This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars OT Anton Harrison compared to Laremy Tunsil

Alabama baseball had to wait for it. But the Crimson Tide is officially heading back to Omaha, Nebraska.With a 7-2 win against St. John's Sunday, June 7, Alabama earned its first trip back to the College World Series since 1999 and its sixth College World Series berth in school history.Here's what you need to know. Alabama baseball College World Series opponent Alabama will face the winner of the NCAA Super Regional between Oklahoma and Kansas. The Sooners beat the Jayhawks 8-1 in Game 1. Oklahoma holds an 8-1 lead against Kansas in the third inning before the game was suspended due to weather. The game will resume at 12:02 p.m. CT Monday. Alabama College World Series schedule Alabama will face either Kansas or Oklahoma at 2 p.m. CT Saturday, June 13.Here's a look at the entire College World Series schedule: Game 1: 1 p.m., Friday, June 12Game 2: 6 p.m., Friday, June 12Game 3: 2 p.m., Saturday, June 13Game 4: 7 p.m., Saturday, June 13Game 5: 1 p.m., Sunday, June 14Game 6: 6 p.m., Sunday, June 14Game 7: 1 p.m., Monday, June 15Game 8: 6 p.m., Monday, June 15Game 9: 1 p.m., Tuesday, June 16Game 10: 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 16Game 11: 1 p.m., Wednesday, June 17Game 12: 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 17Bracket 1: TBD, Thursday, June 18 (if necessary) Bracket 2: TBD, Thursday, June 18 (if necessary) Championship Series Game 1: TBD, Saturday, June 20Championship Series Game 2: 1:30 p.m., Sunday, June 21Championship Series Game 3: 6 p.m., Monday, June 22 (if necessary)How to watch Alabama baseball College World Series Every College World Series game is set to air on ESPN other than the second game of the Championship Series, which will air on ABC. Each game can be streamed on platforms such as ESPN+ and Fubo.Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama baseball College World Series: Opponent, date, TV, streaming inf

New club enters bidding for Liverpool midfielder who looks set to be soldLiverpool are set for another busy summer. Following on from last year’s £450m spending spree sporting director Richard Hughes is once again expected to put several deals in place.There will be consequences for the players already on the club’ books and one who is not expected to make the cut for next season is Luca Stephenson.The 22-year-old has spent the last two seasons out on loan at Dundee United in Scotland. He has impressed all-comers for the Tangerines - even captaining the side on one occasion last term.Stephenson - who came through the Liverpool academy after joining from Sunderland - saw his season curtailed through injury.He should be fit for preseason and given the number of first-team stars at the FIFA World Cup he may even join in with Andoni Iraola’s initial sessions should he still find himself at the club.Blackburn Rovers join race for Luca StephensonLast year Stephenson benefitted from being brought on tour by Arne Slot - inking a new contract before heading back on loan to Dundee United.Now however the time has come for the midfielder-cum-right-back to find a permanent home and a breakthrough looks increasingly unlikely at Anfield.Liverpool were linked with bringing Stephenson back to the club in January when they were struggling at right-back as well as in midfield. But Arne Slot opted against a return deal with Stephenson staying put.Bolton Wanderers have since been credited as leaders in the race to sign Stephenson for a fee of only £700k - a bargain for a player of his quality.Stephenson will be sold for a bargain feeA new report in the Bolton News claims the Trotters are set to be rivalled in their interest by another Championship side in the shape of Blackburn Rovers.“It has been claimed by various sources that a £700,000 bid for Stephenson has already been accepted by the Reds, and by others that Blackburn Rovers are also vying for the 22-year-old’s signature, with a £1million price put on the deal,” the report reads.£1m still represents ridiculous value for a player like Stephenson. Dundee United fans were impressed with his technical ability and workrate and it’s a shame he won’t get a chance at Anfield.Given his versatility and homegrown status surely there could have been a place for him under Andoni Iraola but he now has the chance to go on and become a regular at Championship level.

TimesofIndia.com in Mullanpur: India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak believes Rishabh Pant should continue playing his natural game and rejected suggestions that the wicketkeeper-batter alone needs to adjust his approach according to match situations."I don't think Rishabh alone has to play according to the situation. Every player has a different style. Sai Sudharsan plays differently, Shubman Gill plays differently, KL Rahul plays differently and Rishabh plays differently. What we want is for everyone to play their own game with complete freedom," Kotak said after India's dominant showing in the one-off Test against Afghanistan.Kotak explained that while every player has the freedom to express themselves, the team's requirements remain paramount."When the team needs something specific in red-ball cricket, every batter has to respond to that need. But Rishabh is a senior player who understands the game. Why would anyone tell him how to bat? He reads bowlers, changes gears and often tries things bowlers do not expect. That is his strength."The batting coach felt Pant's innings showcased exactly why he remains one of the most dangerous players in world cricket.— BCCI (@BCCI) "He may have missed out on a hundred or even more runs, but I thought he batted really well. KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan also batted exceptionally well."Kotak was equally effusive in his praise for debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, whose impressive performance with both bat and ball vindicated the team's faith in him."He is a very good prospect and has been progressing through the system for the last few years. From Ranji Trophy to India Emerging and India A, he has consistently performed. The BCCI structure gives players exposure and opportunities, and Manav has made the most of them."Having closely followed Suthar's development, Kotak admitted he was never surprised by the youngster's emergence.— BCCI (@BCCI) "Ever since I first saw him, I felt he would play for India one day. He is talented, hardworking, consistent and bowls really well. The timing of opportunities is never guaranteed, but he always looked like a player destined to represent India."The coach defended India's decision not to bat again after dismissing Afghanistan cheaply in the first innings."Once they were bowled out for 151, everyone felt it was important to bowl again if they got out before lunch. There will be times when we need to bowl 100 or 120 overs in a Test match. It is not only about giving batters more practice. It is also about preparing bowlers, especially spinners, for long spells."Kotak also highlighted Washington Sundar's maturity and professionalism."Washington has been around the system for a long time. What impresses me most is that his work ethic never changes, whether he is playing, sitting out, batting or bowling. That consistency is why he keeps contributing whenever the team needs him."— BCCI (@BCCI) Asked about teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Kotak said the 15-year-old's talent was impossible to ignore."The way he has played over the last two years, especially in the IPL against world-class bowlers, is unbelievable for someone so young. He is an exciting talent. Right now, the focus is to understand what helps him most and support his development without overloading him with changes."

A federal judge has referred attorneys from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to disciplinary proceedings, criticizing them harshly for how they behaved when asking for trans kids’ private medical records as part of a wide and unfocused investigation into a hospital that provides gender-affirming care. The move comes after the judge heavily criticized their actions in a May ruling, and the DOJ released a statement denying the accusations. Related The Trump admin is trying to collect trans kids’ medical information. So families are suing. “As citizens, we trust that federal prosecutors, when wielding this awesome power against a state, a company, or certainly against vulnerable children, will play fair and be honest with its counterparts and the judiciary,” Judge Mary McElroy, a Trump appointee, wrote of the DOJ in her May 13 decision. “DOJ has proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case. It has misrepresented and withheld information to both this Court and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.” Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today “Its representatives have, under oath, misrepresented salient facts. It has misled the parties with whom it was negotiating in Rhode Island, who have now been placed in an untenable and unprecedented procedural position.” The Rhode Island case is the result of an ongoing campaign from Donald Trump’s DOJ to obtain private medical records for trans youth from hospitals across the United States. In July last year, the DOJ issued at least 20 administrative subpoenas to hospitals demanding their full records about trans youth patients, their providers, and any healthcare that was administered. Many of these hospitals refused to comply with the subpoenas, and seven of them went to court to quash them. Judges have called the subpoenas a “fishing expedition” and attempts to “intimidate” and “harass” trans people and their providers. McElroy noted that the subpoenas had been “previously rejected by every other court to review them.” Rhode Island Hospital (RIH) received such a subpoena, and while they didn’t comply at first, they had ongoing conversations with the Justice Department and never sought a motion to quash. Ultimately, the DOJ went to the Northern District of Texas court, where Judge Reed O’Connor issued an order to enforce the subpoena against RIH despite his jurisdiction being nearly 2,000 miles from the hospital. McElroy would later accuse the DOJ of forum-shopping, noting that they had chosen “a distant forum that DOJ deems friendly to its political positions.” In response, RIH and the state’s Office of the Child Advocate went to McElroy’s court to seek a motion to quash. McElroy granted the motion and, at the same time, criticized the DOJ’s lawyers for their behavior. As well as forum-shopping, misrepresenting facts, and withholding information, McElroy took issue with the actions of the DOJ’s attorneys when they attempted to defend themselves. “And when its attorneys came to this Court to explain their conduct, the senior attorney—who was present at many of the events that took place in this case—sat silently by as his counterpart, a junior attorney who has been practicing law for approximately six months and had no relevant information, was forced to answer questions about DOJ’s blatant disregard for the proper course of negotiations.” The lawyers in question are Jordan Campbell and Brantley Mayers. On June 3, the DOJ released a statement regarding McElroy’s ruling and the criticism she leveled at its lawyers. In it, they dismissed McElroy’s accusations, insisting that their attorneys had behaved properly. “The Civil Division has thoroughly reviewed the District Court’s allegations and concluded that they are without merit,” DOJ representatives wrote. “Our attorneys did not misrepresent facts, withhold relevant information, or otherwise mislead the Court. The Department stands behind its attorneys without reservation and has appealed the District Court’s erroneous order.” Two days later, McElroy referred the case for disciplinary proceedings. Based on the timing of the referral, it is possible that the clear sign that the DOJ was not going to address the issues with its own lawyers led McElroy to initiate proceedings herself in the Rhode Island court system. The proceedings will be based on the Rhode Island District Court’s Local Rule 210(B). The attorneys will face a disciplinary committee where they will be required to present evidence for why their actions were correct, and discipline is not necessary. Following a hearing, the attorneys may face sanctions that can include public reprimand, suspension, or removal from the Rhode Island bar. RIH ultimately complied with the DOJ subpoena and started sending anonymized records to the Texas court. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

With President Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani set to attend Monday night’s Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, there will be strict security in Midtown Manhattan.

Artificial intelligence is mastering the kinds of projects that have long helped to build the careers of young mathematicians. What does that mean for their future?

The Alabama Crimson Tide swept the St. John’s Red Storm 2-0 during the Tuscaloosa Super Regional at Sewell-Thomas Stadium this weekend. Alabama was red hot at the plate across both matchups against the Johnnies. The Tide outscored St. John’s 15-2 throughout both games, and Alabama has officially punched their ticket to the 2026 College World Series in Omaha as a result. Here are three takeaways from Alabama baseball’s sweep over St. John’s in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional. Tyler Fay dominates in his final home start at The JoeFay has been one of the most reliable pitchers in Alabama’s rotation throughout the entire 2026 campaign. The Crimson Tide star surrendered just two hits over 7.1 innings of work, as Fay was almost flawless against the Johnnies on Saturday afternoon. The flamethrower will play a critical role on the mound during the College World Series, as Fay will need to keep things rolling into Omaha next weekend. Justin Lebron stays red hot on Saturday, records 3 total hitsLebron was the Tide’s hottest hitter during Saturday’s 8-0 victory over St. John’s. The star shortstop went 3-for-4 at the plate, while also driving in two runs on an RBI double in the eighth inning.Lebron has continued to perform at a much higher level throughout the entirety of the postseason, and the shortstop will look to stay red hot at the plate throughout Alabama’s time in Omaha. Jason Torres hits a series-clinching grand slam on SundayTorres is now credited with one of the greatest hits in Alabama baseball history following the seventh inning of game two on Sunday. The third baseman was able to connect for a seventh inning gram slam which ultimately gave the Tide a 7-2 lead, as Torres’ moonshot proved to be more than enough insurance when the game resumed on Monday. Alabama ultimately won the game 7-2, and Torres now finds himself cemented in Crimson Tide history forever. Alabama will face the winner of the Atlanta Super Regional between Oklahoma and Kansas, as the Tide will now head to Omaha in hopes of securing their first National Championship in program history. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Takeaways from Alabama's Super Regional sweep vs. St. John's

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said it is investigating a possible breach of team protocols after an “incident” at a nightclub at which captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present.The undisclosed incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning after England had wrapped up a 115-run victory in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.“The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men’s Test against New Zealand,” a statement said. “Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place. We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course. The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible.”The investigation comes in the wake of an Ashes during which England’s team culture was criticised, with white-ball captain Harry Brook involved in an altercation with a bouncer in New Zealand the night before leading the side in a one-day international (ODI) in November.Brook later admitted to lying to protect others having initially claimed to have been alone on the night in question. He was fined over the incident.The ECB were also forced to investigate reports of players drinking excessively during a break from the Ashes in the beach town of Noosa. England are thought to have brought in a curfew after the tour of Australia. Seam bowler Atkinson helped seal victory with a second innings five-for at Lord’s as England went 1-0 ahead in the series with victory in a rain-affected Test. The second Test is due to begin at the Oval on Wednesday 10 June.

The Brooklyn Nets are less than three weeks away from having to make a decision on which player they will be taking in the 2026 NBA Draft as the franchise continues its rebuild. Brooklyn has been linked to various players over the course of the pre-draft process and it seems like one of the players is as much in play for the No. 6 overall pick as anyone else."The Nets have engendered by far the most speculation among sources. I’ve also heard a lot of contradictory information, which is an indication that there is some smoke billowing from Barclays Center," Sam Vecenie wrote in his latest mock draft for The Athletic. Vecenie took the time to speak with various executives and scouts and took those conversations into account when explaining why his mock draft goes the way it does."I’ve heard all the guard prospects in this range for them, from Wagler to Acuff to Kingston Flemings to Mikel Brown Jr.," Vecenie continued. "I’ve heard Nate Ament quite a bit over the last week. I’ve also heard Mara’s name creep into the conversation, as well as the potential trade-down offers." As Vecenie alludes to, there seems to be so much speculation around who the Nets will be taking that it's hard to pin down what to follow.Vecenie projects the Nets to take Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. which makes sense considering how the draft board is expected to shake out according to most mock drafts. At this point in the pre-draft cycle, it seems that Brooklyn would have the choice between Acuff and Illinois guard Keaton Wagler, potentially depending on which of them the Los Angeles Clippers take with the No. 5 pick."I’m going with Acuff for now. If the Nets really do want the best player, I think it’s him. The city would fall in love with him as a fearless guard with toughness," Vecenie wrote on Acuff. With the Nets still in the early stages of its rebuild, the most likely outcome is that they go with the best player available when it's their turn to pick and as of now, it seems like Acuff will be their guy come Jun. 23.This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets mocked to take Darius Acuff Jr. in 2026 NBA Draft (The Athletic)

Lille's French forward Olivier Giroud, 39, will stay another season with the Ligue 1 club (Sameer Al-DOUMY)France's record goalscorer Olivier Giroud has extended his contract with Ligue 1 outfit Lille by one season, the club announced on Monday.The 39-year-old former Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan striker scored 57 goals in 137 games for France during a 13-year international career."I identify with Lille's vision, a club with values I share, one that works hard and stands out from the rest through its approach and results," 2018 World Cup winner Giroud said in a statement."I always want more, and I'm determined to keep going and do even better this year." Giroud joined Lille last season and scored decisive goals including four in the Europa League. Lille finished the season third qualifying for the Champions League.His leadership was regularly praised by coach Bruno Genesio who has been replaced by Italian Davide Ancelotti, son of Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti."I don't know Davide Ancelotti personally, but the fact that he's a young coach is great," Giroud said."He's a coach with fresh ideas. I'm convinced he has a lot to offer the club, and I'm looking forward to working with him." Giroud's goal-scoring record with France could soon be overtaken by Kylian Mbappe who has 56 goals.rbo/ea/iwd

Ben Stokes made scores of 12 & 0 against New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's [Getty Images]The England and Wales Cricket Board are investigating an incident in a nightclub involving captain Ben Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson following the first Test against New Zealand.An ECB statement said the pair were involved in a "breach of team protocols" in the early hours of Monday morning, after the conclusion of England's win at Lord's on Sunday.It is the latest controversy to hit the England team following an Ashes tour dogged with allegations of a drinking culture.As a result, England imposed a midnight curfew on all players and staff."The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first men's Test against New Zealand," said the statement."Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place."We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course."The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible."More to follow.McCullum backs captain Stokes to find batting formGet cricket news sent straight to your phone

Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte walks outside the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)2026-06-08T16:49:02Z WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are warning the White House that a critical surveillance authority is likely to lapse this week amid bipartisan backlash over President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the nation’s intelligence community.Sen. Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sounded the alarm over the weekend after a failed procedural vote to extend the program.The senators in a letter urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to prepare “for a potential significant gap in foreign intelligence collection” if the authority expires. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, set to lapse June 12, allows agencies including the CIA, National Security Agency and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant. Efforts to secure a long-term extension of the program already faced hurdles because of bipartisan concerns that the program can incidentally collect Americans’ communications. Privacy advocates and some lawmakers have been pushing to create a new warrant requirement before those communications can be searched. Senate leaders from both parties appeared to be nearing agreement on a long-term extension. But the effort collapsed after Trump selected federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence.“I know how important this tool is. Why the president would throw this live hand grenade of Bill Pulte in 10 days before this is due to expire, I’m not sure,” Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on ABC’s “This Week.” Read More Pulte pick upends bipartisan deal Early Friday morning, after senators spent the night debating separate immigration legislation, seven Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in blocking a long-term extension of the surveillance authority.Democrats and several Republicans registered their opposition to Trump’s selection of Pulte, arguing the federal housing finance regulator lacks the experience needed to oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies.“The naming of Pulte to that position, although the timing arguably wasn’t the best, I still don’t think it ought to derail something that’s this important,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said. Thune has expressed concern over Pulte’s pick, saying the nation’s top intelligence post should not be “weaponized” and that the job should be filled by “professionals.” Cotton, who rarely strays from supporting Trump and a leading advocate for the surveillance authority, declined to endorse Pulte, saying only that he had “no observations on the matter.”“He’s not qualified for the long-term position,” Republican Sen. James Lankford, another member of the Intelligence Committee, told “Fox News Sunday.” “That’s been clear on this. He has no national security background.Both Republican and Democratic senators skeptical of Pulte pointed to his record at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. In the role, he’s been linked with criminal referrals over allegations of mortgage fraud by public officials Trump sought to punish, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat; Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; and Lisa Cook, a board member of the Federal Reserve. Republicans will need to garner some Democratic support to pass any extension of the surveillance authority in the Senate. But a breakthrough appears difficult so long as Pulte remains in the position, which Trump said last week would only be temporary. “I don’t see any path to convincing enough Democrats,” Warner said on CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked if renewal was possible with Pulte in the position. A key surveillance toolThe current reauthorization debate is hardly the first time that lawmakers have grappled with the fate of the surveillance program, particularly after a flurry of revelations about government misuse of the vast trove of intelligence it collects.The topic in recent years has scrambled predictable partisan alliances, with Democratic critics of the Trump administration uniting with skeptics of government power on the right in voicing concerns about Section 702’s renewal.In 2024, for instance, those divisions nearly caused the program to lapse. The Senate barely missed its midnight deadline that year before approving by a 60-34 margin legislation to reauthorize Section 702 that was subsequently signed by then-President Joe Biden.A spokesperson at the Justice Department did not immediately return messages seeking comment Monday about the national security concerns that would be created if the program lapses. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence referred inquiries to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.“America faces real threats from foreign adversaries, terrorists, cyber actors, and hostile intelligence services,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media Sunday. “Section 702 remains one of our nation’s most effective tools for identifying and disrupting those threats before they reach our shores.” Cotton and Grassley said they believed Democratic leaders would not support another short-term extension of the surveillance authority and urged Rubio to prepare contingency plans. They said Trump should consider an executive order to prevent a disruption in intelligence collection.Cotton and Warner had said they were close on a bipartisan deal on a long-term extension and could still move quickly should a change occur before Friday. Still, the bill would likely need to go through the House — and the two chambers so far have disagreed on a separate issue regarding central banking digital currency. “If we go dark next week, right before the World Cup FIFA games, and the 250th anniversary, that would be the most grossly irresponsible thing I’ve seen Congress do in my 22 years in office,” Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul said on ABC’s “This Week.” JOEY CAPPELLETTI Cappelletti covers Congress for The Associated Press. He previously reported on Michigan politics for AP. twitter mailto ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department. twitter mailto

Indianapolis Colts’ defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is willing to do whatever it takes in order to be fully healthy by Week 1 after suffering a neck injury in 2025.The veteran sustained a herniated disc injury during Week 9 of the regular season. He returned in Week16 but was placed on IR after that game. Buckner then underwent surgery in early January.He recently took a moment to share an update on his status prior to minicamp.“When things like that (happen), obviously I find myself with some deep, dark thoughts about what I'm going to do," Buckner said of his injury recently, via Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. “Talk with the people closest to me and talking through all those emotions. I'm in a good space and obviously I want to be out there this year and going to do whatever it takes to be out there Week 1."Bowen added that Buckner is "shooting for training camp" as a potential return-to-action time frame.Buckner has recorded 389 total tackles, 43 sacks and six forced fumbles over 88 games in Indianapolis. The veteran was originally acquired by the Colts following the 2019 campaign in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.A three-time Pro Bowler, Buckner has played an essential role on the Colts’ defensive line when healthy over the last six seasons. The veteran also missed time in 2024 with an ankle injury, but Buckner appears to be headed in the right direction and could potentially find himself fully healthy by Week 1. Buckner will more than likely get a better understanding as to where his health stands throughout training camp this summer, as hewill look to bounce back in 2026 following last season's neck injury. This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts' DT DeForest Buckner reveals injury update prior to minicamp

ESPN said it was “evaluating” a promotional image of Tony Parker that was created using AI.Front Office Sports reported that an AI-generated moving image of Parker, a former San Antonio Spurs player, was shown during ESPN’s broadcast of Game 1 between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. The image, which depicted Parker during the Spurs’ 2003 NBA championship season, sparked controversy online.“One of the most bewildering uses of AI to me is when we just generate an image of something that already exists. There are approximately 7 bazillion photos available of Tony Parker. Surely one of those fits your purpose, fellas,” wrote reporter David Ecker on X.One X user wrote, “I genuinely wondered who that was.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by @courtsidebuzzigA spokesperson for ESPN told Front Office Sports that AI was used to create the image of Parker, as well as two other moving portraits shown during the broadcast. The images were intended to amplify key moments from previous playoffs. This also included a photo of Bill Russell from the 1980 NBA Finals, which was shown in the second quarter of the game, according to the outlet.ESPN views the use of technology as “an experiment,” per the outlet. The network also said it was evaluating whether to use it for Game 2, which took place on Friday, June 5.ESPN’s embrace of AI is nothing new. ESPN partnered with Microsoft, Accenture, Meta, and WSC Sports through the ESPN Edge Innovation Center in 20203, according to a blog post. In 2024, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro noted that working with WSC Sports had led to more AI-powered highlights being created for niche sports.Accenture worked with ESPN to build a generative AI solution that helps create summaries for a professional sports league, which are edited by ESPN editors before publication on ESPN.com and the ESPN app, according to a blog post.“Gen AI has the power to deliver more sports to more fans,” said Accenture Managing Director Beth Keating in a blog post. “With the ability to provide more content faster, we’re enhancing fan engagement and reinventing what sports coverage covers.”The post ESPN Is ‘Evaluating’ An AI-Generated Moving Image Of Tony Parker Shared During NBA Finals appeared first on AfroTech.The post ESPN Is ‘Evaluating’ An AI-Generated Moving Image Of Tony Parker Shared During NBA Finals appeared first on AfroTech.

Despite having a decent 2025 campaign as a fill-in for RB Omarion Hampton, a Kimani Vidal trade could be possible after the Los Angeles Chargers overhauled its offense and ground game. The team signed Keaton Mitchell to add some extra speed that would fit into the new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s new scheme. There’s a chance that Vidal could be the “odd man out” in this situation if this new offense works for Mitchell and Hampton this upcoming season. Although the future is still bright for the former sixth-round pick, he might not have a huge role after the 2026 season.“Despite his contributions in the previous season, Vidal could drop to No. 3 on the depth chart if Mitchell flashes his pre-ACL-injury quickness,” Moe Moton of Bleacher Report said. “If Vidal falls out of favor in McDaniel’s offense, the Chargers may look to deal him to a team that needs to bolster its backfield committee.”At the same time, nobody should believe that the Chargers would trade Vidal. He’s proven that he can be reliable, and it would be hard to replace him after just two seasons in the league. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh joined the Chargers a few years ago and selected the RB for the sole reason of winning football games with a strong run game.Main Photo: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesKimani Vidal Trade: Chargers Face Tough $9M DilemmaHowever, that could change when McDaniel takes the lead. Vidal shouldn’t have any worries, though, since Mitchell hasn’t proved that he can stay healthy. The same can be said about Hampton, who started just nine games last year. Unless a miracle and a breakout season come from Hampton and Mitchell at the same time, they shouldn’t move the former 2024 draft selection.Although no one should rule out the fact that he could get pricey come contract negotiations, the Chargers won’t have to worry about that anytime soon, but the team has been reluctant to sign superstars to at least boost their pass-attack and defense. One can argue that the team could be the same way with their RB. They still believe in Hampton, and if Mitchell has a decent season, they could use Vidal as a trade chip at the right price.Possible Next TeamsDallas CowboysEarlier this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys solidified their running back unit, signing Javonte Williams to an extension. However, their depth is a concern heading into the 2026 season. The team didn’t draft one RB, and that means Malik Davis and Jaydon Blue could battle for the backup job. Nobody should forget about Phil Mafah, who’s been like a dash in a pan. Blue hasn’t had much of an opportunity in this run game until the final matchups of the 2025 campaign.Does the Cowboys’ potential targeting of Vidal mean the end of Blue? Not a chance. However, they must address the depth issue, and someone like the Chargers RB could be a primary backup as a rotational bell cow.Minnesota VikingsMeanwhile, with a new QB, Kyler Murray, the Minnesota Vikings could use all of the help they could get on offense to see true competition for the starting job. The team re-signed veteran Aaron Jones to a revised deal, but he’s slowed down in the last few seasons. With Jordan Mason as the next man up, the Vikings could search for a new backup, and that’s where Vidal could fit into this equation.Jacksonville JaguarsAfter letting Travis Etienne Jr. walk in free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars preferred to rebuild their ground game since they knew the back would be expensive. While they had Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen waiting for opportunities, the Jaguars signed Chris Rodriguez this offseason. They don’t need a backup, but what they could use is some true competition at the running back position.It doesn’t mean that Vidal would become the permanent starter, but he’s arguably a better fit over Rodriguez.

Not Olise? New name touted as Real Madrid’s €150 million mystery transfer targetLa Liga giants Real Madrid have early this week been tipped to launch a move for a headline member of the attacking ranks at capital rivals Atlético Madrid.This comes amid claims of Julián Alvarez being Los Blancos’ much-discussed mystery summer transfer target.Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez of course set tongues wagging across world football last week, upon announcing his intention to launch a €150 million swoop for an unnamed big-name player.Ensuing reports were quick to point towards Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise as the subject of the Spanish patron’s interest.As alluded to above, though, early this week, a new name has been floated as Pérez’s mystery man…As per a report from Sky Germany journalist Patrick Berger, amongst a host of other sources:‘Is Julian Alvarez the €150m player Florentino Perez wants to bring to Real Madrid? Real Madrid are understood to have made enquiries about the Argentinian striker and rate him very highly.’Any such move would of course spark frustration at Los Merengues’ arch rivals Barcelona, with the Blaugrana also eyeing a deal for Alvarez this summer.Conor Laird – GSFN

BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 23: Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano of FC Bayern Muenchen celebrate with the DFB-Pokal trophy after the DFB Cup Final 2026 match between FC Bayern München and VfB Stuttgart at Olympiastadion on May 23, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images) | FC Bayern via Getty Images Bayern Munich star Michael Olise sees a lot of Dayot Upamecano. The twosome spends a lot of time together at Bayern Munich, of course, but they also play together for France and are neighbors in Bavaria.Clearly, Olise see both sides of Upamecano — the humble, nice guy off the field and the physical warrior on the pitch. “Dayot is my neighbor. He’s a very good guy, very nice off the pitch. On the pitch, it’s different. He’s aggressive, a leader, always wants to win. I’m happy to be playing with him at Bayern and here,” said Olise (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). As they did for Bayern Munich, Olise and Upamecano will play big roles for France in the World Cup. The French are one of the favorites and will be well-equipped in the attack and on the backline. Clearly, Olise and Upamecano will play big roles in how France performs in North America.After the tourney, though, they can go back to their regular neighborhood gossiping and (maybe) carpooling to work. If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor… Join the conversation!Sign up for a user account and get:New, improved notifications system!Fewer adsCreate community postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community posts

Voters in Washington state could approve an anti-transgender law, Initiative Measure No. IL26-638, which would require girl student-athletes statewide to confirm their “biological sex” with genital inspections just to play sports. Opponents of the initiative say it’s invasive, could block poorer students from getting verified, and could meet pushback from medical professionals who refuse to comply. The initiative would require students who want to participate in girls’ sports to provide “a health examination and consent form or other statement signed by the student’s personal health care provider that verifies the student’s biological sex, relying only on one or more of the following: The student’s reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or normal endogenously produced testosterone levels.” Related Republicans to parents: Let us peep at your kid’s vagina before we let them play sports Hormone and genetic testing aren’t always covered by health insurance plans, making a visual inspection of the child’s genitals the most affordable option. Supporters of the initiative say that kids are already required to undergo verification of their sex assigned at birth, but that’s untrue, KUOW reported. State policy — handled by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), the statewide body that oversees middle and high school sports — has allowed kids to play on sports teams matching their gender identity since 2007. The WIAA said it knows of only 10 or so trans athletes out of more than 200,000 kids currently competing statewide. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The WIAA requires students to undergo a medical physical exam before they’re allowed to play, but the exam checks overall health; it doesn’t verify sex. In fact, the state-recommended forms for the exam don’t even include a section for verifying sex. Medical providers in Washington who conduct routine health inspections for student-athletes say they often perform these check-ups while the children are clothed and focus only on things like eyesight and cardiovascular health. Some providers told the aforementioned news outlet that they wouldn’t feel comfortable examining a girl’s genitals to ensure they can play sports, nor signing off on a document that could make them liable if the student’s sex assigned at birth turned out to differ from what the provider perceives. The measure is backed by Brian Heywood, the millionaire hedge fund manager and Republican megadonor, who runs the anti-trans political group Let’s Go Washington. He said, “This is not a partisan issue, this is a common-sense issue. This has broad support.” Trans journalist Erin Reed noted that trans sports bans with similar requirements have been highly controversial. Last March, Congress failed to pass the so-called Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would have amended Title IX — the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in government-funded schools and education programs — to prohibit schools from allowing trans female athletes to participate in athletic programs or activities “designated for women or girls.” The Congressional Equality Caucus noted that the bill could have forced “any student to answer invasive personal questions about their bodies & face humiliating physical inspections to ‘prove’ that they’re a girl.” According to Reed, the Washington ballot measure would restore language to the 2024 parental rights law that would effectively require the forced outing of trans students to their parents. Reed said the law will likely face constitutional challenges if it becomes law. A statement issued by WA Families for Freedom, Gender Justice League board member Sophia Lee accused Let’s Go Washington of “playing political games with the lives of vulnerable trans and queer kids.” Anti-trans voting measures are being used as “ballot candy” to get Republican voters to the mid-term polls, according to Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, who calls them “wedge” issues. “It’s essentially an attempt to distract,” Fields Figueredo said. “These are bad faith attempts to drive potential supporters to the polls at the expense and well-being and belonging of trans students.” A similar Maine ballot measure was terminated after the state’s secretary of state found that many of the petition signatures were incorrectly collected or forged. A similar measure will face voters this November in Colorado. Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The judge had previously ruled that the woman had been improperly deported by the Trump administration and had ordered her returned to the United States.

Former Red Sox Utility Player Surging For New Team; Quietly Becoming Everyday Starter originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Boston Red Sox traded David Hamilton to the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason, and as of late, he is surging at the plate.Hamilton started just 49 games for the Red Sox last year. This season, he has already started 48 games for the Brewers in their 63 games. Hamilton's overall offensive numbers were not great in Boston, and have not been the best in Milwaukee. However, recently, he has made great strides as a hitter and has basically become an everyday player for Pat Murphy.Hamilton has started in the last 11 games. It's not like he's starting because Joey Ortiz or Luis Rengifo are hurt either. He has simply proven he's the better hitter and has earned a spot in the lineup. The Brewers have been moving him around between shortstop and third base, and he has impressed defensively as well. However, the real surprise is what he's done offensively in the 11 consecutive starts.Hamilton is slashing .270/.341/.541 in his last 11 games and has hit three home runs. He also has a double, four stolen bases, four walks and three RBIs. The Brewers have been working on his swing all season, and they are finally seeing results.All three of his home runs on the season have come in the last 11 games. Previously, he was finding his way into the lineup because of his speed and ability to bunt, which is something the Brewers do plenty of. Hamilton leads the league in bunt hits. Even that is a surprise considering he had just two bunt hits with the Red Sox in 204 games.The Brewers have taken Hamilton and turned him into the type of player the Red Sox hoped he would be. Whatever adjustments they've made to his swing have resulted in more consistent power. The home runs are an indicator of that, but so are his exit velocities. The Brewers are one of the best teams in baseball right now, and Hamilton is a huge reason why.More MLB: Yankees Ace Continues To Torment Red Sox With Latest Gem

The Green Bay Packers have a variety of position battles going on this off-season. Offensively, it will be interesting to see who emerges as the backup running back behind Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs after Emanuel Wilson signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency. Marshawn Lloyd, a top-100 pick two years ago, has only been healthy enough to play one single game so far in his NFL career. Chris Brooks was re-signed this off-season, but is better used as a third running back.On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers are learning the new defensive scheme of Jonathan Gannon, who replaced Jeff Hafley as the defensive coordinator. Additionally, several veterans who are returning in 2026 did not play well in 2025. This is particularly true of the cornerback room.The Green Bay Packers need better play from their cornerbacksGreen Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) intercepts a late fourth quarter pass intended for Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) in the end zone to end the game on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers defeated the Bears 28-21.Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Green Bay’s incumbent cornerbacks are Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine. Over the course of the off-season, they signed Benjamin St-Juste in free agency and selected Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson in the 2026 NFL Draft.Bleacher Report has the position battle in Green Bay’s cornerback room named as their most important:“The Green Bay Packers’ looming cornerback battle will be big for a couple of reasons. For one, the Packers are adapting to a new defense under new coordinator Jonathan Gannon.“Secondly, Green Bay’s cornerback group left a bit to be desired last season. Keisean Nixon, for example, allowed an opposing passer rating of 105.1 in coverage. Carrington Valentine allowed an opposing passer rating of 121.2.“Nickel corner Javon Bullard was marginally better, allowing an opposing passer rating of 98.3.“This offseason, things should be wide open at cornerback for the Packers, who added Benjamin St-Juste before drafting Brandon Cisse in Round 2 and Domani Jackson in Round 6.”As one can see from the excerpt above, neither Nixon nor Valentine were particularly good last season. Both are entering the final season of their contracts with the Packers, so the pressure is on them to earn their starting jobs again in 2026 as they will hit free agency in 2027.But it will not be easy. Green Bay clearly was not happy with how they played last year, and it is entirely possible that the Packers have a new pair of starting corners in 2026 with the veterans serving as backups.More Green Bay Packers news from Gridiron Heroics“This is huge;” former Packers WR has son playing in the World CupFormer Green Bay LB Nick Barnett snubbed from PFF’s All-Packers TeamPackers call for GM’s firing after Christian Watson extension announcedFor More Great Football ContentFollow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional football, click hereThe post “Should be wide open;” Green Bay Packers biggest position battle during 2026 NFL off-season appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.

The school year may be over, but the debates are just beginning.With another high school sports season complete, The Record is shifting the Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week series into offseason mode.Rather than honoring athletes from a specific week, we'll spend the summer revisiting the biggest performances, moments and accomplishments from across the 2025-26 school year.Best single-game performances. Athletes of the year. Coaches of the year. The best of the best.After kicking things off with football last week, we now turn our attention to girls basketball.We've selected 20 of the most impressive single-game girls basketball performances from the 2025-26 season. Now it's up to you to decide which one deserves the top spot.The poll at the bottom of this page closes at noon Thursday, June 12. There are no voting restrictions, so vote now and vote often.Here are the 20 nominees:Coronado scores more than Stagg, drops 39 points in Kimball season openerSwitching sports usually comes with an adjustment period. Emma Coronado skipped that step. Less than a month after finishing a flag football season that included 8,079 passing yards, 1,453 rushing yards and 110 touchdowns, the Kimball senior guard erupted for 39 points in a 74-30 victory over Stagg on Nov. 22.St. Mary's Smith posts 18 points, 18 rebounds in rout of California top-50 teamAfter a 20-14 season, questions surrounded what St. Mary's could become. Those questions began to fade quickly on Nov. 29. Facing Buchanan, a top-50 team in California, Oregon State signee Evelini Smith dominated with 18 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in a 75-45 victory in just the Rams' second game of the season.Ten steals headline Escalon's Velasco's triple-double performance against Millennium Although Arianna Velasco is committed to UC Riverside for softball, performances like this show why she was named The Record's 2025-26 All-San Joaquin County Girls Basketball Co-MVP. In just the third game of the season on Dec. 3, the Escalon junior turned in one of the year's most complete performances, posting a triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 steals in a 56-23 victory over Millennium. She also added eight assists, finishing just two shy of a quadruple-double while recording her third straight game with at least 10 steals.Kimball's Coronado erupts for 40 points in blowout of ChavezHow does it feel to outscore the opposing team by yourself? Emma Coronado is one of the few who know. The Kimball senior guard scored 40 points in a 72-24 victory over Chavez on Dec. 8, while also adding eight steals.Millennium's Digiallonardo posts jaw-dropping 32-point, 24-rebound effortSome performances require context. This wasn't one of them. Just read the numbers. Millennium's 5-foot-10 senior center Sarah Digiallonardo piled up 32 points and 24 rebounds in a 68-28 victory on Dec. 9, putting together a stat line that demands a second, third and maybe even fourth look.Velasco carries Escalon past Gregori with 38-point performancePutting a team on one's back is a phrase often used in sports. On Dec. 12, Arianna Velasco provided a fitting example. Less than 24 hours after a win over Venture Academy, the Escalon junior finished with a career-high 38 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and five steals in a 55-50 victory over Gregori.One steal shy, Escalon's Velasco nearly joins exclusive quadruple-double club against PitmanFour games in four days did little to slow down Arianna Velasco. Thirteen days after coming two assists shy of a quadruple-double, the Escalon junior nearly pulled it off again, recording 10 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and nine steals in a 54-22 victory over Pitman on Dec. 16. She finished just one steal short of joining one of basketball's most exclusive clubs.Smith's 34-point double-double helps Lincoln topple VOL powerhouse East UnionLong before East Union's run to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship game, Terrazia Smith gave a glimpse of what it would take to knock off the Lancers. The Lincoln sophomore stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points, 10 rebounds and six steals while shooting 15-for-25 from the field in a 75-65 victory on Dec. 19.Digiallonardo reaches 20-20 plateau with ease as Millennium sneaks past Venture AcademyThe stakes couldn't have been much higher when Millennium faced Venture Academy. A loss would have left the Falcons out of a share of the Central California Athletic Alliance League title race. Sarah Digiallonardo refused to let the opportunity slip away, finishing with 23 points and 26 rebounds in a 47-45 victory over eventual co-champion Venture Academy on Jan. 20.Escalon's Velasco caps title run with 29 points, 19 rebounds over defending champsEverything changed for Escalon on Jan. 30. A season-ending injury to senior guard Madison Babasa left the Cougars without their second-leading scorer and created uncertainty for a team sitting atop the Trans-Valley League standings at 8-0. Less than two weeks later, Arianna Velasco helped erase any doubt, piling up 29 points, 19 rebounds and six assists in a 56-33 victory over defending league champion Ripon on Feb. 10 as Escalon moved to 11-0 in TVL play and closed in on its third league title in five years.Smith reaches 2,000-point milestone in Liberty Ranch rout of ArgonautMilestones followed Haley Smith throughout her Liberty Ranch career, and another arrived Jan. 30. The senior guard eclipsed 2,000 career points during an 87-13 rout of Argonaut, scoring 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting. In fitting fashion, Smith later showed just as much appreciation for surpassing 1,000 career rebounds on Feb. 10, highlighting the all-around impact she brought every night.Crabb's 26 points, six threes help Sierra reclaim city bragging rightsA three-point loss to Manteca earlier in the season gave Sierra extra motivation when the rivals met again on Feb. 5. Isabellah Crabb made sure the Timberwolves took advantage. The senior sharpshooter, who led San Joaquin County in made 3-pointers, scored 26 points while shooting 9-for-15 from the field and 6-for-11 from deep in a 59-28 victory.Wiseman's double-double helps Lathrop complete perfect 28-0 regular seasonFew would have predicted a perfect regular season for a team coming off a 13-14 campaign and starting three freshmen. Fast forward to Feb. 12, and Lathrop was one win away from completing exactly that. Breanna Wiseman helped finish the job, recording 17 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in limited minutes during a 67-22 victory over Beyer.St. Mary's Horton shines with 27 points in 61-point victory of rival LincolnWith future college talent spread throughout the lineup, it would have been easy for a freshman to blend into the background. Dylan Horton never did. The St. Mary's guard spent the season emerging as the team's top scorer, and against rival Lincoln on Feb. 12 she was flawless, pouring in 27 points while shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the field in a 101-40 victory.Twenty-eight points from Smith lift Lincoln into CIF SJS quarterfinalsAn opening-round playoff game that looked comfortable on paper turned into a battle for Lincoln. Every time No. 13 Monterey Trail threatened to pull off the upset, Terrazia Smith had an answer. The sophomore guard scored 28 points while shooting 10-for-21 from the field and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc in a 60-58 victory on Feb. 17.Smith's 30-point performance sends St. Mary's to CIF SJS semifinalsEvelini Smith's impact is often felt in ways that don't always show up in the scoring column. Against No. 9 Sheldon in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinals, however, the St. Mary's senior center took advantage of every opportunity she got. Smith poured in 30 points on 14-for-17 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in a 91-30 victory on Feb. 19, helping send the Rams to the semifinals.Lathrop's 30th straight win, CIF SJS semifinal berth comes behind Porter's double-doubleLeague opponents know each other too well for a third meeting to come easy. Yet when Lathrop faced Ceres in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III quarterfinals on Feb. 19, senior Shakara Porter helped make sure the result stayed the same. The lone senior in the Spartans' starting lineup recorded 22 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and five steals in a 60-52 victory that delivered a semifinal berth and a 30th consecutive win.East Union spoils Lathrop's perfect season, reaches first CIF SJS final since 1994 behind Beasley's double-doubleLathrop was 30-0 when it met East Union in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinals. By the end of the night, Zyondupree Beasley and the Lancers had handed the Spartans their first loss. Beasley finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the 47-37 victory on Feb. 24, helping send East Union to its first section final since 1994. "Credit to them," Beasley said. "They're a great team. But we've beaten undefeated teams before. They're 30-1 now."Hardy delivers two-way gem as St. Mary's captures CIF SJS title No. 23The bright lights of Golden 1 Center never seemed too big for Aynya Hardy. After spending the season proving she belonged on one of the state's top teams, the St. Mary's freshman guard delivered on the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship stage, finishing with 21 points, four assists, no turnovers and eight steals while helping the Rams secure their 23rd section title on Feb. 28.Ray delivers 18 points as Lathrop advances to first CIF State regional semifinalA 30-game winning streak had ended. A one-point victory over a No. 14 seed followed. Lathrop needed a response, and Jaleiyah Ray helped provide it. The junior forward scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a 49-42 victory over No. 6 University Prep on March 5, helping send the Spartans to their first CIF State regional semifinal.This article originally appeared on The Record: Vote for the Martin Dentistry best girls basketball performance

NEW DELHI: India captain Shubman Gill described his side's comprehensive victory over Afghanistan as a near-perfect performance, saying the team had "ticked all the boxes" in a dominant display in the one-off Test.After leading India to 564 for 8 declared and then watching his bowlers dismiss Afghanistan twice, Gill was delighted with the contributions from every department.Gill himself scored a brilliant century, while KL Rahul also notched up a ton as India piled on a mammoth 564/8 declared. The hosts then rode on an impressive spin performance, led by debutant Manav Suthar, to crush Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs - India's biggest victory in Test history.“I think a complete win from us, ticked all the boxes. So very happy with that,” Gill said during the post-match presentation.The victory also offered a glimpse into India's future. With several senior players absent and a younger group taking on greater responsibility, Gill acknowledged that batting units often face greater scrutiny during periods of transition.However, the skipper believes the blueprint is simple: post substantial first-innings totals and trust a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets in any conditions."I'd say pretty simple. When you're batting first innings, try to post 350 on the board every time you get into bat, no matter where we are playing, what kind of conditions it is,” Gill mentioned.The confidence stems from the quality of India's bowling resources."I think there's enough trust in our bowling group that we can take 20 wickets anywhere."Biggest innings wins for IndiaInns & 300 runs vs AFG, Mullanpur, 2026*Inns & 272 runs vs WI, Rajkot, 2018Inns & 262 runs vs AFG, Bengaluru, 2018Inns & 239 runs vs BAN, Mirpur, 2007Inns & 239 runs vs SL, Nagpur, 2017The only bigger innings wins on Indian soil are by WI vs IND at Eden Gardens in 1958 (Inns & 336 runs).The only other biggest innings wins by an Asian team than this are by PAK vs NZ in Lahore in 2002 (Inns & 324 runs).One of the major talking points during the match was India's decision to enforce the follow-on after bowling Afghanistan out for 152. Despite holding a huge lead, the decision was not straightforward given the extreme heat and workload on the bowlers.Gill revealed that the team management had discussed multiple scenarios before deciding on their approach.“It was very hot. We decided that if we get them before lunch or just after the first drinks, we'll see if the bowlers are fresh we'll give them a follow-on. If not, we'll bat a couple of sessions and maybe at the end of the day, we'll give them the ball again,” Gill said.The bowlers quickly convinced the captain they were ready for another stint. Mohammed Siraj struck an early blow after the follow-on was enforced, while Prasidh Krishna's key breakthroughs ensured Afghanistan never gained any momentum.“But we got quick wickets, we came back. And also the way our fast bowlers bowled, Siraj got us that crucial wicket when we gave them a follow-on and Prasidh got three important wickets,” the skipper said.India's spinners also played a decisive role in the victory. Debutant Manav Suthar starred with six wickets in the first innings, Washington Sundar picked up four wickets in the second innings and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with three as Afghanistan struggled against India's varied spin attack.Gill said there was never any doubt about the quality possessed by the trio."The kind of quality, I think, Manav, Washi and Kuldeep has, all three of them, there was never any doubt."According to the India captain, the next step for the spinners is gaining experience, learning to bowl long spells and understanding how to build pressure in different conditions."It's all about getting the experience and getting a number of overs and seeing, on wickets like these how to set the batsman up, keep varying the pace, keep testing the batsman in different areas."Gill also admitted that India's young batting group remains a work in progress, with the team focused on developing a clear identity and approach across varying conditions."Whenever there's a transition, we feel the batting group is under more pressure and we are trying to get experience. We're trying to build here to see what kind of game can work for us as a batting group and in different conditions and different situations."For Gill, the long-term objective is to create a batting unit capable of consistently dominating matches through substantial first-innings scores."How we can keep posting regularly 350-400 totals on the board (going forward)."

The U.S. State Department has become a major player in the World Cup.On the eve of the tournament, many involved are facing travel issues as they try to enter the U.S.At least one player and referee have been held up or denied, while many team staff members and federation leaders have had their visa applications rejected. Journalists are also facing widespread denials or single-entry limits, and Iran’s federation reportedly claimed the U.S. will only let the team enter one day before any match.The Trump administration has instituted travel policies that ban or restrict visitors from several World Cup participating countries. The administration claims some policies are in the interest of national security, while others seek to limit the spread of disease. These policies have included carveouts for players and staffers, but not fans.“The denial of visas for journalists from certain countries, or the rejection of a visa for a coach of a team, as well as single-day visas for specific foreign national teams, this is anathema to what this tournament is supposed to be about,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday.The 104-match tournament kicks off Thursday in Mexico and runs through July 19, when New Jersey will host the World Cup final. The U.S. will host 78 matches, including every contest after the Round of 16.When reached, the U.S. State Department did not immediately comment on why so many individuals coming for the World Cup have had visa issues.Iran’s Ongoing Visa ChallengesThe Iranian federation has experienced World Cup-related travel issues since before the war with the U.S. began in late February.Members of the federation nearly skipped the draw in December after leaders had visa troubles, but eventually resolved the issues and attended. While traveling to FIFA Congress in Vancouver in late April, federation president Mehdi Taj was denied entry at the border in what the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister called “unintentional.”Last month, the national team moved its base camp from Arizona to Mexico after FIFA had previously denied a request to move all of Iran’s matches there. Taj said the move came after an Iranian request, while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the U.S. “doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight.”All Iranian players received visa approval, but more than a dozen team staffers and federation officials, including Taj, did not, according to The New York Times. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei did receive his visa, despite some reports to the contrary, which Mamdani cited. The Iranian soccer federation accused the rejections of being “vindictive behavior” aimed at keeping out “key managerial and administrative members” of the team.Taj also said the team is allowed to enter the U.S. “only one day before the match,” according to Iranian media.The State Department official said in a statement Saturday that “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued.” The official also said: “We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses.”Swiss Striker’s Last-Minute Hold-UpOn the morning of the Swiss team’s departure for the World Cup, one of the players found out he wouldn’t be able to travel.Swiss travelers are not required to obtain a visa for short stays in the U.S., but they must submit an application for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. The entire team, including forward Breel Embolo, had approved ESTA applications on the morning of their travel. But less than three hours before the flight, Embolo learned his application required further checks, including court documents related to a recently finalized conviction stemming from a 2018 altercation, the team said.“The Embassy’s inquiries focused specifically on whether any physical violence had been involved,” the team’s media officer said in a statement. “This was not the case.”On Tuesday, the team traveled without Embolo to San Diego, where it’s training at the San Diego Jewish Academy. Embolo had an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Bern the next day and got approved on Thursday. He rejoined the team over the weekend, though he did not play in the Saturday friendly against Australia.Bafana Bafana’s DelaysThe South African national team, also called Bafana Bafana, delayed its travel to the World Cup due to visa issues.The country’s sport minister, Gayton McKenzie, claimed in a May 31 post on X that the federation’s visa process was “embarrassing & grossly unfair towards the players & coaching staff,” and said, “We are being made to look like fools.” Later that day, McKenzie posted that all players received their U.S. visas and only four staff members still needed approval.The next day, McKenzie changed his tone, saying in a post, “the fault is entirely on our side.” The federation also released a statement apologizing “to the nation for these unexpected travel delays” and thanking the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg. The team has since traveled to Mexico, where it will compete in the tournament’s opening match against the host nation in Mexico City on Thursday.Journalists Barred or LimitedThe International Sports Press Association wrote a letter to FIFA on Friday to “intervene” in cases where World Cup-accredited media members have been “wrongfully denied entry” to the U.S.“There are many cases: Iranian colleagues, African colleagues, some of whom have been given single entries, so if their team goes to play in Canada or Mexico and they follow it, they can no longer return to the States,” wrote the organization’s president, Gianni Merlo. “The cases are countless and, I repeat, unacceptable.”Ebola OutbreakLast month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention banned visitors from three African nations, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak. The team canceled a farewell celebration in the capital of Kinshasa. Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House’s World Cup task force, told ESPN in May that the team must isolate for 21 days before the tournament. The players have been outside of the country playing abroad, but some staff members have come more recently.The team’s friendly against Chile in Cádiz, Spain, was canceled by the city’s mayor over health concerns, and will now be played without fans or media on Tuesday in Orleans, France. The team is scheduled to travel to its base camp in Houston on Thursday.In late May, the World Health Organization said that there have been over 900 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo strain in the DRC, and 223 suspected deaths.Somalian Ref DeniedSomali referee Omar Artan was denied entry in Miami as he traveled to officiate his first World Cup matches. The CAF Best Male Referee of 2025 was set to be the first-ever Somali World Cup official.Somalia is on the list of countries banned from traveling to the U.S., but an anonymous FIFA representative said last week that Artan’s “visa issues have been fully resolved.” He has since returned to Istanbul. FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.“Denying him entry to the United States and preventing him from officiating scheduled matches harms not only him personally but also undermines football’s commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, an advisor to the country’s sports ministry and former national team player.This is a developing story and will be updated.The post Travel, Visa Issues Hang Over World Cup appeared first on Front Office Sports.

The push to denaturalize more immigrants is the latest sign that the administration is setting its sights on the legal immigration system.

Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has greenlit regulatory requests for the company’s Starlink satellite internet service and lavished praise on its chief executive.

Less than a week away from the UFC White House event that has been nearly a year in the making, it doesn't seem like anyone is setting their sights low."We're expecting Super Bowl-type numbers for this fight," UFC CEO Dana White told TNT Fight Sports.U.S. President Donald Trump, no stranger to hyperbole, at one point promised that this event would be "the greatest show on earth." White House spokesman Davis Ingle was slightly more measured, calling it "one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history."Mark Shapiro, president and COO of UFC parent company TKO, has said the event will be "a once-in-a-generation moment."In other words, this is going to be big. Just how big — and for whom, exactly — remains to be seen.Specific plans for the broadcast on Sunday, June 14, have been scarce so far. White has suggested that a portion of the undercard may air for free on CBS, with the top fights held in reserve for Paramount+ subscribers, but no exact schedule has been released as of yet. (Uncrowned reached out to a Paramount executive with questions about the broadcast plan, but did not receive a response.)In a recent story from "The Hollywood Reporter," executives from both TKO and Paramount suggested that one primary goal for the event is to drive signups on Paramount+, the streaming service that's home to all UFC events under a behemoth seven-year, $7.7 billion deal.U.S. President Donald Trump (right) after UFC CEO Dana WhiteJeff Bottari via Getty Images"This is about sampling, new fans, casual viewers, a spectacle on a stage that will ultimately expand our audience, our viewership, and our success on Paramount+," Shapiro told Wall Street analysts back in February. "We see this once-in-a-lifetime stage as a strategic investment to drive subscriber acquisition at Paramount+, massive audience sampling for the UFC overall, and Super Bowl-like earned media across the globe."But here's where it gets tricky. As a network, CBS is available in almost every home in America that contains a television set. Paramount+, on the other hand, has reported somewhere around 80 million subscribers. If the UFC were to air some of the White House event prelim bouts on CBS, but keep the title fights in the main and co-main event exclusively on Paramount+, that could significantly limit the overall reach.For the sake of comparison, the most recent Super Bowl drew an estimated 125.6 million viewers. Even if every single existing Paramount+ subscriber watched this event, the UFC would still need to pick up an additional 45 million viewers either through new subscriptions or other broadcast methods in order to hit the goal of "Super Bowl-type numbers."It's not impossible, but it's also not easy. This event will be up against the opening weekend of play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and potentially Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. It also faces the resistance that's now essentially built-in to any Trump-endorsed event, which is no small obstacle in a country where the President faces plummeting approval ratings.That backlash potential became evident when Trump's "Freedom 250" concert plans saw multiple artists, ranging from Martina McBride to Bret Michaels, withdraw in recent weeks. That alone suggests that Trump's very vocal and visible association with this UFC event might be enough to turn some viewers away.Even without polarizing political implications, MMA has long been a niche sport that appeals to a subset of American sports fans. Unarmed combat in the confines of a cage simply may not to everyone's liking.So what's a reasonable bar for success? The recent MVP MMA debut on Netflix last month peaked with nearly 17 million viewers while averaging about 12.4 million, shattering the record as the most-watched U.S. MMA broadcast in history. If the UFC White House event doesn't at least beat that mark, you'd have to think it would be a major disappointment after all this build-up and these promises of Super Bowl-level interest worldwide.Construction continues on the South Lawn of the White House for Sunday's UFC Freedom 250 event.Kevin Carter via Getty ImagesBut a lot may depend on what the goal of this event really is. If it were purely about reaching the largest audience possible, you'd think it would air simultaneously on CBS and Paramount+. That would expose the UFC to the largest potential audience, while also increasing the Trump administration's chances to come away boasting that it had met the goal of putting on a truly massive sporting event.If a portion of the broadcast is limited to Paramount+, however, that would decrease the potential audience size while likely increasing the potential for immediate monetization. Telling people they have to subscribe to Paramount+ to see the top two bouts would almost certainly lead to a sudden injection of new signups. It also means inevitably playing to a smaller audience in the end, since not every viewer will be willing to add a new subscription service to their monthly bills.There's also the question of broader purpose for this event. If it's truly a celebration of America, shouldn't it be available to all Americans? Or at least those with a TV? Then again, maybe there is something quintessentially American about charging a subscription fee even for our big birthday bash. We want big audiences, sure. But it's paying crowds that keep the lights on.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may have left the days of dominating the NFC North behind him, but his rivalry with the Chicago Bears may have received new life, courtesy of quarterback Caleb Williams.During his appearance at the EA Sports’ Opening Drive event as the Madden 27 cover athlete, Williams was asked to weigh in on the greatest quarterback of all-time debate — and he made it clear that it's Tom Brady, then Rodgers.“I mean, Brady,” Williams said via Heavy Sports. “When you go seven Super Bowls it’s hard to...there’s not anybody close. And so it gets hard to debate that. I put Brady as number one, and for me, Aaron Rodgers is probably number two.”Williams' comment about there not being “anybody close” to Brady's level falls a little flat, as Rodgers' four MVP awards hold tremendous value in the league. In fact, Rodgers was regarded by Williams' GOAT, Brady, as the “greatest passer of the football the league's ever seen.”While it's still a compliment to be regarded as the second-best quarterback to ever play in the league, Williams only added another layer to the Rodgers-Brady debate with his clear stance at the EA Sports event. But who could blame Chicago's franchise signal-caller for not choosing the quarterback who owned the Bears for almost two decades?For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers ranked behind Tom Brady by Caleb Williams

After emerging as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference last season, the Boston Celtics' playoff run came to an abrupt end. Joe Mazzulla's team dropped three straight games, two of which occurred at TD Garden, as they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round. Of course, the nature of that loss has led to fans wondering what went wrong. During a recent episode of WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," Meghan Ottolini shared her thoughts on the situation. Ottolini noted that Mazzulla moved away from a lot of what was working in the regular season, including his 10-man rotation, among other things."I think they went away from a lot of the stuff they did in the regular season, and that was the mistake," Ottolini said. "Like the regular season, they had like a 10-man rotation, and then it took until game seven to see somebody like Hugo (Gonzalez), who I thought provided a big spark in the first half when he was in there. Even some of these other guys, like Jordan Walsh. (He was) one of the few guys on the team who could at least slow down Tyrese Maxey. I don't think you have a Maxey stopper on that team, but (Walsh could) at least slow him down." Falling short in the opening round of the playoffs certainly came as a shock to the Celtics' fanbase, especially as it was against a Sixers team that had struggled for stretches of the season. Nevertheless, Boston will now head into the summer looking to regroup and find some new additions to improve the rotation.Of course, there will also be hope that Mazzulla learned some key lessons during that ill-fated postseason run, and we don't see another mid-series collapse like that next season or in the years to come.Watch or listen to the "Celtics Chronicle" podcast on:YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QnlPcSSpotify: https://bit.ly/40JRevfApple: https://apple.co/45sAUBGThis article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: What went wrong for the Celtics during the playoffs?

Tottenham Hotspur Are Showing Interest In This Barcelona Defender: Should De Zerbi Go For Him?In a recent report, Fichajes mentioned that Tottenham Hotspur are showing interest in Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo this summer. It has been stated that Spurs are eyeing a €30m move to sign the Uruguayan talent in this transfer period.Araujo’s Solid Campaign In La LigaThe 27-year-old served as an important role in Hansi Flick’s squad in the previous campaign when he put in a run of solid performances for Barca on the defensive end of the field. Araujo found the back of the net four times in 38 matches for the Catalan club last season across all fronts.The Uruguayan talent is currently one of the most reliable centre-backs in La Liga. Hence, it is no surprise that Spurs are trying to sign him in this summer transfer window.Araujo’s current deal at the Nou Camp will run out in the summer of 2031, so Tottenham have to make a convincing offer if they are serious about recruiting him this off-season.CANELONES, URUGUAY – JUNE 05: Maximiliano Araujo of Uruguay attends a farewell activity ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Estadio Emilio “Tito” López López de Pando on June 05, 2026 in Canelones, Uruguay. (Photo by Ernesto Ryan/Getty Images)Should Tottenham Hotspur Boss Roberto De Zerbi Go For De Zerbi?Araujo loves a tackle and can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his team on the defensive third of the pitch. He usually puts his foot through the ball when required and is proficient at playing his way out from the back.Standing at 1.85m, the Uruguayan talent is a strong presence in the air as well. Araujo mainly functions as a centre-back but can also fill in as a right-back if asked to do so. The Barcelona defensive ace has got a wealth of experience at the highest level, but it remains to be seen whether he can make a smooth transition to life in the Premier League.We can expect Araujo to bring more quality and depth to Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi’s defensive department. He is good enough to nail down a regular first-team spot at the North London club in the coming years.At 27, Araujo is about to enter his prime, which makes him a good fit for De Zerbi’s needs this summer. Therefore, Spurs would be wise to go for a defender with his skill set and experience before the end of this transfer period.

PREVIEW: Can Belgium’s golden generation win first World Cup in last hurrah?Belgium will be seeking to upset the odds and claim a historic victory at the 2026 World Cup in likely the final international tournament for Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.The Napoli pair are amongst a handful of players who remain from the core of the side widely considered as their country’s golden generation, and could go out on the highest of highs on football’s biggest stage.Going off of FIFA’s world rankings, which Belgium had topped for almost half a decade until March 2022, they should have been in with a chance of having already won it, but failed to ever deliver on their promise at a major tournament.But with Lukaku now 33 and De Bruyne one year his senior, it’s probable they’ll both have called time on their international careers by the time the World Cup arrives in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain in 2030.The Red Devils are aiming to bounce back from an abysmal showing in Qatar in 2022, where they failed to progress from the group stage – a stark contrast from their third-place finish in Russia four years prior.De Bruyne and Co. did little to restore their pride at the 2024 Euros, staggering to second in the group stage and only progressing on goal difference from a group they were heavily favoured to top, before losing 1-0 to France in the round of 16.Rudi Garcia is the man tasked with leading the country at this summer’s finals. His predecessor, Roberto Martinez, could never truly apply the finishing touches as boss while Dominic Tedesco shouldered the blame for the Euros catastrophe.Garcia guided Belgium through an unbeaten qualifying campaign to book their spot in North America, netting 29 goals across their eight matches.They’ve also recorded encouraging wins over the USA, Croatia and Tunisia in the build up to the competition.The former Roma and Marseille manager will hope his combination of exuberant talents alongside the aforementioned senior players will pay dividends.Thibaut Courtois, Thomas Meunier, Youri Tielemans and Axel Witsel are the other survivors from the 2018 squad and will bring plenty much-needed experience to a relatively young group.There’s still significant X-factor amongst the Belgian ranks, with Jeremy Doku looking like the complete package for Manchester City whilst fellow winger Leandro Trossard has enjoyed a successful campaign with Arsenal.Serial Premier League winner De Bruyne appears to be evergreen, a testament to his spell as one of football’s long-standing world-class midfielders.They may be relied upon for firepower given that neither Charles De Ketelaere or Matias Fernandez-Pardo are the most prolific of forwards, and Lukaku was included despite Garcia labelling him “out of shape” after a lengthy injury.Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana will bring a physical edge to the centre of the park and the tournament could perhaps be a coming of age opportunity for Strasbourg’s Diego Moreira.The Red Devils’ could fall short defensively, though. Both Brandon Mechele and Timothy Castagne are over 30 and none of Sporting CP’s Zeno Debast, AC Milan’s Koni De Winter and Lille’s Nathan Ngoy have been mainstays at club level.Belgium face Egypt in their opening match in Seattle on Monday 15th of June before taking on Iran in Los Angeles six days later.They end the group stage by travelling to Canada to face New Zealand in Vancouver early on Saturday 27th of June (GMT).

Trans activist and costume designer Qween Jean made history at last night’s Tony Awards, becoming the first out trans person to ever win one of the iconic theater awards. Jean won for Best Costume Design of a Musical for her work on Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a revival of the original Cats musical. Related Cara Delevingne says she’s a “proud lesbian” after rejecting labels in the past “This experience has been monumental,” she said in her acceptance speech. “We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people. We are taking up space in ways – we have to take up space.” The crowd erupted in cheers. “We have to shift the paradigm,” she continued. “So I just want to say thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.” Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vulture (@vulture) Jean has received significant recognition for her work this year, People reported, including a Drama Desk Award for Cats, a Dorian Award for LGBTQ Theater Artist of the Season, and a Lucille Lortel Award for her work on the Off-Broadway production Saturday Church. For Cats, she created a whopping 500 looks, according to The New York Times. Some of the outfits included odes to trans activists like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. In an interview after her Tony win, Jean spoke out against “what’s happening across the street in Newark, New Jersey, at the Delaney Hall [immigration detention center].” A majority of the detainees there have not been convicted of any crimes but are being held as part of a “civil” legal process. ICE has said that detainees receive adequate medical care, but detainees at Delaney Hall have alleged medical neglect, poor sanitary conditions, and rotten food. “There are so many people that are being detained there without due process, without seeing a judge,” Jean said, “so it’s just very horrific that these things are happening and that people are silent, so I really just urge folks to do as much as we can to shut down Delaney Hall and to end all oppression against our immigrants.” “I’m an immigrant,” continued Jean, who was born in Haiti, “and so it’s really monumental to use whatever we can as artists to speak up and to speak out.” In addition to her work in theater, Jean is also the founder of the New York-based mutual aid organization Black Trans Liberation Kitchen. The group provides food, clothes, and other necessities to trans people in need. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Tony Awards (@thetonyawards) Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia Shuran Huang/The New York Times/Redux Trump administration officials earlier this year killed a federal criminal investigation into the coal empire owned by Sen. Jim Justice, a Republican from West Virginia and a close ally of the president’s. The investigation examined potential criminal violations of the Clean Water Act by the multistate mining operations largely run by Justice’s son, Jay, according to current and former officials familiar with the matter. The criminal probe was a significant escalation in the yearslong effort to police serial pollution offenses by Virginia-based Southern Coal and dozens of affiliated mining operations controlled by the family. In the past decade, Southern Coal and other Justice corporations have racked up tens of thousands of alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and have been sued repeatedly by state and federal prosecutors over their failure to properly follow environmental laws at their mining sites. The investigation shuttered by the Trump administration was a joint effort by prosecutors and investigators with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Virginia to probe whether the incessant violations of antipollution laws had risen to the level of criminal behavior, people familiar with the matter said. People familiar with the investigation told ProPublica that prosecutors believed they had a strong case. They initially had the blessing of Robert Tracci, President Donald Trump’s top official in the Western District of Virginia, to move forward. But in recent months, as prosecutors battled the Justice companies in court over subpoenas for records, the Office of the Deputy Attorney General shut down the probe. At the time, Todd Blanche still headed the office, before assuming the role of acting attorney general in April. “They were told ‘pencils down,’” a person familiar with the investigation said. That prosecutors were even conducting a criminal investigation is noteworthy, people said, because the DOJ only charges a dozen or so criminal Clean Water Act cases each year. It is rare for top DOJ officials to derail a criminal investigation initiated by career officials at such an early stage, people familiar with the case said. “I’ve never heard of that happening before,” said former federal prosecutor Rick Mountcastle, speaking generally about DOJ protocols. Mountcastle spent 24 years as a prosecutor in the Western District of Virginia. “There shouldn’t be some sort of untouchables list of people who are immune from enforcement.” The move is part of a pattern of behavior at the top echelons of the DOJ to push cases against Trump’s political adversaries and ease up on allies. Environmental enforcement against large polluters has plunged under the second Trump administration. Just days after inauguration, the administration reassigned top career environmental lawyers at the DOJ, including those overseeing the Southern Coal case, to work on the president’s immigration crackdown. At the beginning of the year, Blanche personally ordered prosecutors to stand down from cases against diesel emissions cheating. Do You Know More About This Topic? We’re still reporting. If you know more about this case or other instances of the Trump administration shutting down criminal investigations, please contact our reporting team. Molly Redden Send me tips or documents about lawyers getting special access to the Trump administration, the DOJ rewarding Trump’s supporters and pursuing his enemies, the administration’s legal strategy, and the White House’s judicial appointments. Contact Me Steven Ruby, an attorney for the Justice companies, said they became aware of the criminal investigation earlier this year. “Ultimately the finding of the inquiry by the government was that there wasn’t any evidence to pursue criminal charges,” Ruby said. “There’s never been any intentional wrongdoing by the companies.” While objecting to the subpoenas in court, the company simultaneously convinced the DOJ to drop the case, he said. “The Justice companies — because Sen. Justice has been governor and because he’s now a senator — are singled out and put under a microscope, and there’s news coverage of violations and consent decrees and compliance actions,” Ruby said. “But the fact of the matter is that those kinds of issues exist throughout the industry.” Current and former government officials familiar with the companies’ environmental record called them routine bad actors. Spokespeople for the EPA and the Western District of Virginia referred questions to the DOJ. Justice’s senate office did not respond to questions. “There is no case to be made here for a criminal investigation,” Emily Covington, a DOJ spokeswoman, said in an email. “Any career prosecutor who would paint a criminal case as strong is simply a deep state prosecutor continuing to push the priorities of the Biden administration.” The deputy attorney general’s office is routinely involved with reviewing cases, she added. The office determined that this case was not consistent with the Trump administration’s priorities, she continued, and it was more appropriate to resolve it through the less punitive civil process. “The bottom line is that this was a politically motivated prosecution for a case that can and should be resolved civilly,” she wrote. The Justice family runs a sprawling coal mining enterprise that extends across the South. Estimates of its fortune fluctuate. Forbes tallied Jim Justice’s net worth to be as much as $1.9 billion until 2021; more recently, it declared him “broke” and facing $1 billion in debt. But environmental groups have accused his companies of misrepresenting their assets to avoid paying environmental penalties. Ruby said company finances seesaw because coal is a “boom and bust” industry. Justice, who was first elected governor of West Virginia as a Democrat, announced he had become a Republican at a Trump rally in 2017. Trump backed Justice’s bid for Senate in 2023, amid a contested GOP primary. Justice went on to win the seat, helping Trump clinch a GOP majority in the Senate. Coal mines often leach dangerous chemicals like arsenic into waterways and are required to strictly monitor pollution discharge and keep it under certain limits. The family’s companies have settled many accusations of environmental violations by agreeing to pay fines and invest in better pollution prevention without admitting or denying culpability. In recent years, however, the company has repeatedly flouted regulators and the legal process. Jay Justice has been a no-show at court hearings involving Clean Water Act violations in the past, and in 2024 a judge in Alabama issued a civil contempt order against him for his repeated failure to respond to those lawsuits. Ruby, the Justice companies’ lawyer, attributed the violations in that case to surrounding facilities the family does not own. The case is now in mediation. A number of recent legal proceedings have laid bare the extent to which the Justice companies may have knowingly violated environmental laws, a key threshold for bringing a criminal matter. Such allegations surfaced in a 2023 civil case brought by the Justice companies’ former chief of environmental compliance Robert Fowler. In the suit, Fowler claimed that Jay Justice blocked him from spending the money necessary to comply with environmental laws, including making court-ordered payments and repairing equipment. As a result, according to emails disclosed in the lawsuit there were at times complaints of near-daily violations of permit water requirements. In a resignation letter and in subsequent court filings, Fowler said he was concerned the circumstances exposed him to “potential civil and criminal liability.” Fowler declined to comment. The Justice companies denied Fowler’s accusations. The Justice companies believe the government’s criminal investigation was based primarily on Fowler’s claims, which Ruby dismissed as the allegations of a “disgruntled” former employee. Last month, a jury in Alabama found that the Justice companies had made false representations to Fowler about his role, but it did not award him the millions of dollars in damages he demanded in his lawsuit. The judge has yet to enter his final ruling. In the DOJ’s aborted investigation of Southern Coal, prosecutors and federal agents had begun to gather evidence, scrutinizing testimony in the Justices’ various civil trials, and had approached former employees seeking information. Government attorneys also sent subpoenas seeking further documentation, said those familiar with the probe, a move that was opposed by the company’s lawyers. People familiar with the case said Justice Department attorneys were ready to fight the Justices’ lawyers over the subpoenas. But before they could move forward, Blanche’s office shut it down. The post Trump Administration Killed Criminal Investigation of GOP Senator’s Coal Companies appeared first on ProPublica.