Whether two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant plans to leave the Golden State Warriors or is just positioning himself as if he might for the sake of negotiating the best deal possible, things just got real for the franchise. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported today that Durant has declined his $31.5 million player option thereby becoming an unrestricted free agent. According to Wojnarowski, Durant has remained in New York following surgery to repair his ruptured right Achilles and has been meeting with Rich Kleiman, his business manager, to explore his free agency possibilities behind the scenes. Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant has declined his $31.5M player option and will become an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell ESPN. Durant and his business manager Rich Kleiman are in New York, evaluating free agency options. So far, process has stayed private. - Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2019 Although Durant has spoken only glowingly about the Warriors, claiming he played in that fateful Game 5 of the Finals because he wanted to , other reports have surfaced about him being displeased with the team's handling of the calf strain that kept him sidelined for weeks and from which he had not fully recovered when he returned to game action, which lasted all of 12 minutes. Reports also maintain that Durant has met with Kyrie Irving more than once and that the pair seeks to join a franchise as a package deal. With Klay Thompson not receiving an offer from the Warriors yet, Durant entering free agency and the Knicks reportedly having an interest in DeMarcus Cousins, the Warriors and all of the NBA could look very different in 2019-20 even though the injury will prevent Durant for suiting up for any team. MORE: Four potential DeMarcus Cousins landing spots in free agency Mystery of fish caught with wedding ring attached solved Giants have found stability, are on the upswing Report: Nets likely to sign Kyrie Irving to 4-year, $141 million deal Raiders RB Jalen Richard says he's significantly heavier than his listed 205 pounds


On the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11, mankind's first mission to the moon, a new generation has the opportunity to relive the historic trip. Library visitors and live stream viewers were able to watch the virtual Apollo 11 take off for the stars at 9:32 a.m. on July 16, just like the actual rocket did back in 1969. If you missed it, you can watch the launch again through the library's augmented reality app. The JFK Library teamed up with Digitas, a local high-tech company, to create the JFK Moonshot app. Visitors are able to follow the entire space mission and will be virtually transported to the Apollo 11 launch pad by interacting with 10 different spots on the library's plaza. Via augmented reality, a 363-foot, 1-to-1-scale Saturn V rocket appeared in Dorchester Bay in place of Cape Canaveral. The project has been in the works for about a year. "Every time a kid opens up the app, they're going to hear JFK's voice," said Digitas Creative Director Mark Philip. "They're going to see his image and they're going to find out more about how he made the space program happen." "If human beings can do that -- go 250,000 miles away from Earth -- then we can do anything," said Steve Rothstein, the JFK Library's executive director, who was 11 years old when American astronauts landed on the moon. READ MORE: 3... 2... 1... liftoff: Recreating the moon mission 50 years later CHECK OUT WCVB: Get the latest Boston news, weather and sports online, anytime. Stay in the know with Boston's news leader   WCVB.


An aerial display team using old-fashioned map navigation mistakenly performed over the wrong festival in Switzerland last weekend. The Patrouille Suisse -- part of the Swiss Air Force -- had been due to put on a demonstration honoring the centenary of the Swiss aviation pioneer Oskar Bider, but instead treated visitors at a nearby yodeling festival to the high-flying display. The website of the country's armed forces describes the Patrouille Suisse as showcasing the "performance capacity, precision and operational readiness of the Swiss Air Force." But it was a lack of GPS and outdated instruments left that left the forces red-faced on Saturday. The fleet -- the Swiss equivalent of Britain's Red Arrows and the USA's Blue Angels -- were expected in Langenbruck, a municipality in north-western Switzerland that was the birthplace of Bider, the first aviator to cross the Alps in both directions. According to the Patrouille Suisse's official Twitter account, the planes were due to perform for 15 minutes from 11 a.m. The demonstration would have accompanied a memorial service and musical entertainment, Langenbruck's official website said. But it was attendees at the 31st Northwest Yodeling festival in nearby Mümliswil that instead watched the aerial acrobatics -- about four miles away from the intended location. According to military spokesman Daniel Reist, the F-5E Tiger II aircraft are not equipped with GPS technology. He told CNN: ''Unfortunate circumstances led to this incident. Between Mümliswil-Ramiswil in the canton of Solothurn and Langenbruck are only a few kilometers. "Preparations were carried out by looking at a map, the measurement of 1cm on the map equates to 1km - and this equates to five seconds flight time." The military spokesman went on to say that the Tiger F5 aircrafts are not suitable for combat missions and that their navigation technology is outdated. ''The F5 is equipped with navigational instruments that are over 40 years old, they are not equipped with GPS or any other modern technology. This was a simple fly-over and not a military flight demonstration. "For a simple fly-over we don't have any personnel on the ground assisting the pilot. However, after this incident we now are contemplating this for future fly-overs," he said. A referendum several years ago revealed that "the F5s are still popular and that they should not yet be taken off air," the spokesman added. Reist told CNN that the lead pilot, who was born in Langenbruck, noticed a helicopter in the airspace when he approached his destination and focused on not colliding with the craft. The pilot was "very embarrassed", according to Reist ,as he wrongly assumed a large marquee below was the planned destination and directed the jets to perform.


Seattle-based human resources and training company NextStep(NextStep Interactive) has secured $3 million in Series A funding, according to company database Crunchbase , topping the city's recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced August 1 and led by SEI Ventures. According to its Crunchbase profile, "NextStep provides training and job placement for workers." The company also raised a $3.1 million seed round in 2018. The round brings total funding raised by Seattle companies in education over the past month to $8 million. The local education industry has seen 12 funding rounds over the past year, securing a total of $90 million in venture funding. In other local funding news, ios company WattBuy announced a $1.2 million seed funding round on July 22. According to Crunchbase, "WattBuy is an electricity marketplace for residents to compare and switch their electricity provider." Founded in 2017, the company has raised three previous rounds, including a $265,000 grant earlier this year. This story was created automatically using local investment data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


PITTSBURGH (KDKA)   Pittsburgh Bureau of Police SWAT responded to a well-being check on a male, military veteran in the 5400-block of Broad Street early Sunday morning. Officers from Zone 5 were initially called to the scene just after 10:00 p.m. when the veteran's family told authorities he had not been eating or sleeping. They also had concerns he was suicidal. After speaking with the VA Hospital, police learned he also had male tendencies. When police arrived on the scene they found the man on the front porch of a residence holding an aggressive pit bull. He was unresponsive to verbal negotiation from officers and simply stared at them. This caused the police to call the SWAT team and tactical negotiation team to attempt to establish a communication and convince him to exit the residence without incident. These attempts lasted over three hours and were unsuccessful. Around 1:00 a.m., a flash-bang device was deployed to distract the man's attention so they could subdue him. He has been transported to Western Psych for a full evaluation.


Global carmakers are being rocked by problems of the worst kind: The ones beyond their control. They've been under pressure for months but events over the past two weeks have underscored the urgency with which executives must find answers to the huge challenges roiling the industry. Sales are being undermined by the economic slowdown, escalating trade tensions and dramatic regulatory changes , driven in part by the climate crisis. Profits are evaporating, jobs are being cut and the CEO of one of the industry's strongest brands has resigned . Automakers that are able to navigate the wave of disruption will have more cash to invest in technology needed to compete with traditional rivals and tech companies in the race for the electric car . Laggards may not survive. "These are moments of inflection and that's why there's stress on the production and employment, because the technology is changing," Ford CEO Jim Hackett told CNN Business. Trouble in China China's Geely revealed this week that its net profit probably plunged by 40% in the first half of the year as the world's second largest economy slowed. In June alone, its car sales fell 29%. Several major Chinese automakers have experienced even steeper falls. But global brands are suffering too in a market that had long been a source of huge growth. Ford sold nearly 22% fewer vehicles in China during the second quarter than in the same period a year ago. General Motors posted a 12% drop in vehicle sales in China for the quarter. China's car market shrank for the first time in more than two decades in 2018, and the slump has deepened this year due to weaker economic growth, the trade war with the United States, and new emission standards. While June brought some relief   Chinese car sales increased as dealers discounted old models before the new standards took effect   the malaise is expected to continue. LMC Automotive analysts predict China's vehicle sales will shrink by 5% this year, after falling 3% in 2018. The trade war between China and the United States remains a major risk. The two sides have agreed to restart trade talks, but tariffs remain in place and further disruption could mean lean years ahead for carmakers. A German vice German carmakers are in a particularly tough spot. BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz, have big operations in China. They also face weak economic growth at home, residual pain from the diesel scandal and new emissions targets. Daimler warned Friday of a slump in profits this year because of recalls, legal issues and weak sales. It expects a second quarter loss of €1.6 billion ($1.8 billion), and its van business is in dire straits. Its rival BMW has problems of its own. The luxury automaker said last week that CEO Harald Krueger was standing down . The company's profit shrunk in the first quarter, and its automotive division posted a loss. BMW's supervisory board is due to meet on Thursday to try to find a successor for Krueger. At Volkswagen, the world's largest carmaker, global vehicle deliveries dipped 2.8% in the first six months of the year. All three are exposed to further escalation of the US trade war with China, but they would also be walloped if President Donald Trump follows though on his threat to tax cars made in Europe. "Tensions are reducing our market potential," Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said Friday. "We are trying to do our best ... to make that trade doesn't become really local, because this is a global industry." Also stalking carmakers in Europe is fear of a chaotic Brexit in October that would mess with just-in-time supply chains and could lead to tariffs on cars moving between the European Union and Britain. The race to the electric car With profits hard to come by, carmakers are slashing costs to free up money to invest in electric cars. Ford is cutting 12,000 jobs and closing six plants in Europe, including an engine factory in the United Kingdom. Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by India's Tata Motors, is slashing 4,500 jobs . Honda is also closing a plant in the United Kingdom. A radical realignment of the industry is underway. Daimler and BMW have teamed up to develop ride sharing and driverless technology, while Honda has invested in General Motors' autonomous car unit. Increasing pressure, combined with new threats from tech companies trying to muscle into the auto business, could eventually force carmakers into mergers. Nissan and Renault are desperately trying to keep their alliance together in the wake of Carlos Ghosn's fall from grace, while Fiat Chrysler is considering its next steps after a merger proposal was rebuffed by Renault in June. On Friday, Volkswagen and Ford said they would extend their cooperation beyond commercial vehicles. Ford, which does not currently sell any fully electric vehicles, will use a Volkswagen platform to develop them for sale in Europe. Volkswagen has also agreed to join Ford in investing in Argo AI, an autonomous vehicle platform company valued at $7 billion. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook and Twitter


NEW YORK (AP)   The U.S. Open total purse this year is more than $57 million, the richest in tennis history. The men's and women's singles champion will each receive $3.85 million, and the men's and women's doubles champion teams will get $740,000. Those are both the highest payouts in U.S. Open history. The U.S. Tennis Association said Thursday it worked with the ATP and WTA Tours to determine specific round-by-round prize money levels, and that the payouts for each round are all Grand Slam tournament records. The payouts start at $58,000 for the first round of singles. The USTA adds that it will make a payment of $500,000 to each tour to support the ATP and WTA Tour player programs, including pension. The final major of the year will be played Aug. 26 through Sept. 8. ___ More AP Tennis: https://www.apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


No. Driver Sponsor Make Organization 00 Landon Cassill StarCom Fiber/Creek Enterprise Inc Chevrolet StarCom Racing 1 Kurt Busch Monster Energy Chevrolet Chip Ganassi Racing 2 Brad Keselowski Discount Tire Ford Team Penske 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet Accessories Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing 4 Kevin Harvick Mobil 1 Ford Stewart-Haas Racing 6 Ryan Newman TBA Ford Roush Fenway Racing 8 Daniel Hemric Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet Richard Childress Racing 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 10 Aric Almirola 3D Systems Ford Stewart-Haas Racing 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 12 Ryan Blaney Menards / Moen Ford Team Penske 13 Ty Dillon K&L Ready Mix Chevrolet Germain Racing 14 Clint Bowyer One Cure Ford Stewart-Haas Racing 15 Ross Chastain TBA Chevrolet Premium Motorsports 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. TBA Ford Roush Fenway Racing 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 19 Martin Truex Jr. Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Erik Jones DeWalt Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 21 Paul Menard Master Techs Ford Wood Brothers Racing 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford Team Penske 24 William Byron Liberty University Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 27 Quin Houff TBA Chevrolet Premium Motorsports 32 Corey LaJoie Schluter Systems Ford Go Fas Racing 34 Michael McDowell Long John Silver's Ford Front Row Motorsports 36 Matt Tifft Meijer Ford Front Row Motorsports 37 Chris Buescher Kroger Fast Start Chevrolet JTG Daugherty Racing 38 David Ragan MDS Transport Ford Front Row Motorsports 41 Daniel Suarez ARRIS Ford Stewart-Haas Racing 42 Kyle Larson McDonald's Chevrolet Chip Ganassi Racing 43 Bubba Wallace Victory Junction Chevrolet Richard Petty Motorsports 47 Ryan Preece Kroger Chevrolet JTG Daugherty Racing 48 Jimmie Johnson Ally Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 51 BJ McLeod Jacob Companies Ford Petty Ware Racing 52 Austin Theriault TBA Chevrolet Rick Ware Racing 53 TBA TBA Chevrolet Rick Ware Racing 77 Garrett Smithley Victory Lane Oil Chevrolet Spire Motorsports 88 Alex Bowman Axalta Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 95 Matt DiBenedetto Toyota Express Maintenance Toyota Leavine Family Racing ]]>


It is said that age is just a number. That's not true, of course, but in the world of sports, more attention gets paid to age than to other areas. People are enamored by the young athletes brimming with potential and also the cagey veterans on their last legs. Both extremes of an athlete's career arc are on display at this summer's World Cup. Here are the youngest, and oldest, players on every roster at the 2019 Women's World Cup. Emelyne Laurent The host French have a lot of talent on their roster that is mostly bolstered by players from the Lyon team that dominates Europe. As such, the 20-year-old Laurent may not see much playing time. The striker has made three appearances and has yet to score a goal, but she still made the World Cup squad. Elise Bussaglia France has two 33-year-old players on the squad, but Bussaglia's birthday is a little earlier than Gaetane Thiney's. Bussaglia also happens to be the player on the team with the most caps. The midfielder has already played a whopping 186 games for France, and way back in 2003 she led the U-19 team to glory. Chiamaka Nnadozie The Nigerian's have a really young team. In fact, there are three 18-year-olds on the squad. Backup goalie Nnadozie is the youngest, though, as she was born in December of 2000. Onome Ebi In addition to the handful of teenagers on the team, Nigeria has one of the oldest players at this year's tournament as well. Ebi is a 36-year-old defender who will be appearing in her fifth World Cup with the team. Currently, she plays professionally in the second division of Chinese soccer, so it seems like Ebi may not quite be in a place to contribute much to the team any longer. Frida Maanum Despite only being 19, she turns 20 in July, Maanum has already picked up 18 caps for Norway. The midfielder doesn't have an international goal yet, but she's scored six times in 28 caps for Swedish club side Linkoping Ingrid Hjelmseth Goalies tend to be able to keep their career going for longer than most. That explains how Hjelmseth is on Norway's roster at the age of 39. She's been the top choice in net for Norway for a while, tallying 131 caps, but now she's competing with the 23-year-old Cecilie Fiskerstrand, who has 21 appearances of her own. Kang Chae-rim The South Koreans are bringing an experienced team. They have only one player younger than 22, and that's Kang, who is 21. She hasn't exactly seen a lot of experience either, as she has one cap to her name. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Son Hwa-yeon has scored seven goals in 20 appearances, making her the youngest contributor. Hwang Bo-ram On the flip side, Hwang is the oldest player on Korea despite being only 31 on a team full of players in their primes. Hwang is a defenseman who has a decent amount of international experience and will likely see some playing time in this tournament. Xu Huan Two of China's youngest players are goalies, interestingly enough. However, Xu is unlikely to be able to see any time on the field. The 20-year-old seems likely to be stuck to the bench, as opposed to 21-year-old goalie Peng Shimeng, who is in the running to play and perhaps even start. Zhang Rui Zhang is only 30, but she still earns the title of China's oldest player. She's been playing for the national team for a decade, having made her debut in 2009. Once upon a time, China played in the World Cup finals, but its star has fallen in recent years. Lena Oberdorf Germany is one of the best women's soccer teams in the world. It has won two World Cups and is one of the favorites this year. As such, it takes a true talent to make this roster at the tender age of 17. Yet that's what Oberdorf has done. She's even been capped twice! Lena Goessling Yes, somehow, both Germany's youngest and oldest players are named Lena. However, Goessling, at 33, is basically twice as old as her teenage teammate. She's been one of the stars of the powerhouse Wolfsburg team and has over 100 caps for the German national team to boot. Karabo Dhlamini This is South Africa's first World Cup appearance, not that Dhlamini had to wait long. The midfielder is only 17, but she's made five appearances for the national team already. She's hoping this isn't her country's last appearance, or there will be a lot of years in Dhlamini's career without a World Cup appearance. Noko Matlou Meanwhile, it's been a long wait for Matlou. The 33-year-old is something of a do-it-all player for South Africa, as she has played both defender and striker. Yes, she stops goals from being scored and has also scored quite a few of them. Matlou was the first player from her country to be named Africa's Women's Player of the Year. Lucia Garcia Spain has a young team, with only one player over 29 and a bunch of players in their early 20s. That included the 20-year-old Garcia, a forward with 13 appearances for the Spanish squad. Also, she's a quadruplet! Silvia Meseguer Speaking of the only 30-year-old on Spain. This is Meseguer's second World Cup appearance, as she played in 2015 as well. While she's not the most experienced player on this roster, she brings a veteran presence in the midfield. Mary Fowler Australia isn't afraid to take a chance on players when they are young. Ellie Carpenter is only 19 but has appeared in 31 games already. However, despite being 19 she isn't even close to being the youngest player on the Matildas, as Fowler is only 16. She managed to score 17 goals in 10 games for Australia's U-20 team, which certainly earned her a call-up. Aivi Luik Luik may be 34, and the oldest player on Australia, but she hasn't seen a lot of playing time for the national squad. She only has 21 caps which, again, is fewer than her 19-year-old teammate Ellie Carpenter. Of course if Luik wasn't on the team, the honor would have gone to Australia legend Lisa De Vanna, who has 147 caps. Kathellen Brazil's team is old. Like, really old. Kathellen is a 23-year-old defender, and that makes her the youngest player on the squad. Brazil loaded up on veterans to make one last run at the World Cup with Marta. Kathellen plays her club ball in France and played in college in America as well. Formiga Like we said, Brazil has an older team with a lot of players in their 30s…and one player in her 40s. That would be Formiga. In fact, the midfielder previously retired from international play but came back in 2018. Now here she is, still playing for Brazil, a team she debuted for in 1995. Annamaria Serturini Italy's men's team has had a ton of success, but this is the women's first World Cup appearance since 1999. The 21-year-old Serturini had barely been alive at that time, but now she is part of this team. However, she has yet to get an official cap with Italy, so she may not actually see the field. Daniela Sabatino The 33-year-old Sabatino has scored 20 goals in 45 caps for Italy. That being said, six of those came in a 15-0 win over North Macedonia in the 2015 World Cup qualifiers. Italy didn't make that tournament but made this year's, thanks in part to two more goals from Sabatino. Jody Brown Jamaica is a great story. Less than a decade ago the team was disbanded due to a lack of funding. Now, it is in its first World Cup. Brown is a talented 17-year-old striker who has notched eight goals in only 12 games. Of all the teenagers in this tournament, she may make the biggest impact. Nicole McClure Given that Jamaica didn't have a team for a few years, it is not surprising that it is a young squad. The team has two players older than 27, including the 29-year-old goalie McClure, its oldest player. However, she will be competing with the 19-year-old Sydney Schneider for playing time. Dalila Ippolito Argentina has only a few young players, and nobody under the age of 23 has more than three caps. The 17-year-old Ippolito, who plays for River Plate in her home country, has just one appearance but has plenty of time to rack up more. Mariela Coronel The 37-year-old Coronel is more than twice as old as her teammate Ippolito, but she's currently plying her trade in Spain's second division. With 34 caps, she is one of the more experienced players on Argentina's squad, but she's only ever notched two goals. Georgia Stanway Did you know former England star Phil Neville manages England's women's team? And that the team has become one of the best in the world? The 20-year-old Stanway won the Golden Boot at the 2018 U-20 World Cup, and she was just named the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year as well. Karen Bardsley The 34-year-old Bardsley and Stanway are teammates at Manchester City, in addition to being teammates for England. Though she was born in America, Bardsley joined England early and found herself as the first-choice netminder for the team. This will be her second World Cup as England's top goalie. Jun Endo Japan was the runner-up at the 2015 Women's World Cup, but Endo was too young to be a part of that team. In fact, she just turned 19 in May. The forward has gotten a few caps already, though, and could make an appearance in this tourney. Aye Sameshima Sameshima was part of that World Cup silver medalist team, though, and will be looking for redemption. The defender is 31, which means she could have another World Cup in her, but this will be her last chance at a title in her prime. She's already played in 108 games for Japan, and she will hope to add several more to her total this summer. Erin Cuthbert This is Scotland's first World Cup, but it is not a young team. The team does get a lot of help from one particular youngster, though. Cuthbert is only 20, but she's already appeared in 29 games and notched nine goals. She also has 10 goals for Chelsea at the club level. Shannon Lynn The 33-year-old Lynn is a goalie who has been with Scotland since 2010. However, she is not guaranteed to be the first-choice keeper. Lee has 30 caps, but the 27-year-old Lee Alexander has 16 caps of her own. That being said, you'd think Lynn would get at least one start at Scotland's first World Cup, given all that she's done for the team. Alexandra Takounda Cameroon has several older players, including four at least 34 years of age. Takounda, on the other hand, is just 18. She's the only teenager on the team and as such is still plying her trade in Cameroon. It's unlikely she'll see much playing time, though. Madeleine Ngono Mani One of the people who will be fighting for playing time with Takounda is Cameroon's oldest player, Mani. The 35-year-old has a whopping 128 caps to her name, more than double anybody else on the squad. She also has tallied 49 goals for her nation. Jordyn Huitema If you don't follow women's soccer, you might not know that Canada is one of the best teams in the world. There are three 18-year-olds on the roster ,with Huitema the youngest and also the best. She's already plying her trade for Paris Saint-Germain and has scored six goals for her nation. Christine Sinclair Sinclair is a Canadian legend. She's still the captain, and her numbers are gaudy. The 35-year-old has a staggering 282 caps for Canada and has tallied 181 goals. She's the best Canadian soccer player of all time. This is her last World Cup. Will she go out with a bang? Victoria Pelova The Dutch roster includes a couple of 22-year-olds who are really dynamic players, but Pelova, who is 20, isn't quite there yet. The midfielder has only three caps, making her one of the least experienced players on the team. Loes Geurts The Netherlands has two experienced goalies on theroster. The 29-year-old Sari van Veenendaal plays for Arsenal and has 52 caps. However, the 33-year-old Geurts, who plays in Sweden, has a whopping 123 caps. Whomever the Dutch go with, there will be a solid veteran in net. Nadia Olla New Zealand doesn't have a lot of prestige. Many of its players ply their trade in their home country, and several are unattached to any team. Olla is a 19-year-old goalie who plays for Western Springs in New Zealand. She almost definitely won't play in this tourney. Sarah Gregorius The 31-year-old Gregorius definitely will. Though she isn't one of the Kiwis who plays in Europe   she plays locally for Miramar Rangers   Gregorious has 33 goals for New Zealand, tops on the team. Elisa Duran Chile is the final team making its first appearance. There are three teenagers on the roster, two 18-year-olds who have some experience and Duran, who is 17 and does not. If you want to keep an eye on a teen, make it Javiera Grez, 18, who isn't quite as young as Duran. Maria Jose Rojas There's not a lot of experience on this team. In fact, the player with the most caps on Chile has a mere 22. That isn't Rojas, who has 20 in her 31 years. She's also the only Chilean who has scored double-digit goals for her country. Julia Zigiotti Olme As you can probably tell by her name, Olme is part Italian, but she plies her trade for Sweden. The forward is 21 years of age and might make an appearance in this World Cup. Sweden has had a good amount of success at the Women's World Cup, so there will be some pressure on Olme if she plays. Hedvig Lindahl There is no question about who the No. 1 goalie is for Sweden. Lindahl, who is 36 and plays for Chelsea in club soccer, has 157 caps. The other two goalies on the Swedish roster have two total. This is probably Lindahl's last World Cup. Let's see if she still has life left in her legs. Phornphirun Philawan Thailand's national team mostly plays in Thailand, a few players are not attached to any team and 21-year-old goalie Tiffany Sornpao plays for Kennesaw State in the U.S. So yeah, it's not the most exciting roster, and the team is a bit of a mystery. Philawan is more mysterious than most, but the 20-year-old does hold the distinction of being the youngest player on the team. Duangnapa Sritala The 33-year-old defender is Thailand's captain, but her stats are indicative of the relative level of inexperience on this team. Sritala has been with the squad since 2008 but has made only 25 appearances. That qualifies as veteran leadership for Thailand. Tierna Davidson The 21-year-old Mallory Pugh is America's next star. She's already played in 50 games and notched 15 goals, and she is oozing potential. That being said, Davidson is a few months younger. The defender is less experienced but still has 19 caps to her name as a 20-year-old. Carli Lloyd You know Lloyd's name. She has over 100 goals for the U.S. She scored a hat trick in the 2015 World Cup Final against Japan. Lloyd is 36 and has played in 271 games. Her role is getting smaller, but if you need somebody to score a goal, you can still believe in Lloyd.


Addressing the media Monday afternoon in the Dominican Republic, David Ortiz's assistant Leo López said the former MLB star's shooting was "no doubt" the act of hitmen . "The robbery was discarded and there's no doubt it was an act of hitmen," Lopez said in Spanish outside a hospital in Santo Domingo, "It is under investigation and we hope that it will be concluded." Ortiz was transported to Boston on Monday afternoon on a plane provided by the Red Sox. Speaking to USA TODAY Sports earlier on Monday, López said that Ortiz was able to talk and had be answering yes or no questions. Ortiz underwent surgery following the shooting and had his gallbladder and part of his intestine removed. In a press conference, the National Police confirmed that it was not a robbery, but wouldn't speculate when asked for a motive. Policia Nacional: No fue un atraco... y que fue? SILENCIO TOTAL. Procurador: no fue un atraco... y que fue? SILENCIO TOTAL   Dionisio Soldevila (@dSoldevila) June 10, 2019 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: David Ortiz's assistant: 'No doubt' that attack was done by hitman Related slideshow - David Ortiz: Life in Pictures (Provided by Photo Services)


Say it out loud and sigh with satisfaction at how it sounds: We have no idea who will win an NBA title next season. Welcome to a basketball world with parity. Although the offseason doesn't feel completely over yet - the Paul George trade to the Los Angeles Clippers might indicate that the Thunder could try to trade Russell Westbrook - it's time to look back and remind ourselves how we got here. You could jump in the wayback machine and go back like a decade to trace it all, but let's start with last summer, when a trade and a giant free agent signing began the seismic shift that got us here. 1. LeBron James signs with the Lakers It always all begins and ends with LeBron, doesn't it? The Decision 2.0 ends with the star joining the Lakers, taking him out of the Eastern Conference, which he had won eight straight times with the Heat and Cavaliers. 2. Kawhi Leonard forces his way out of San Antonio The saga that lasted for much of the 2017-18 season ended with a shocking deal - the Raptors traded for Leonard, gambling on the hopes that he would either push them over the top for a title shot and/or re-sign with the franchise. We all know how that ended, but we'll get there. 3. Paul George re-signs with the Thunder for four years and $137 million A year after the franchise traded for the star forward, he was convinced to stay. And a year after that? Things change quickly, don't they? 4. DeMarcus Cousins signs a one-year deal with the Warriors I'll throw this in here, maybe because the Pelicans DIDN'T sign him and that had an effect on Anthony Davis's feelings about the franchise. 5. Jimmy Butler participates in the Timberwolves practice from hell and gets traded to the 76ers We already knew Butler wanted out of Minnesota, but this was a headline-grabber back in October and it only accelerated the deal that sent the forward to the Sixers in November. 6. Kyrie Irving and the Celtics disappoint I'm trying as best as I can to stay in order, but this kind of started in the summer with Irving promising he'd re-sign (oops) and continued all year with the point guard and the franchise not quite seeing eye to eye. 7. The Nets fly under the radar Again, this lasted all year, but the Timofey Mozgov et al trade for Dwight Howard in 2018 and their recent deal involving Allen Crabbe got them to cap space they needed, and the performance of the team from Day 1 of the season helped them become an attractive spot. 8. Draymond Green and Durant getting into a shouting match on the bench According to Kendrick Perkins, Durant never got over that and it helped convince him to leave. "KD never bounced back from the Draymond situation." @KendrickPerkins explains to @Rachel__Nichols why he thinks Kevin Durant parted ways with the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/49p6gHjkOm - NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 4, 2019 9. Anthony Davis demands a trade out of New Orleans I'll also include the failed deal with the Lakers here, because holy cow did that send waves through the league. It eventually led to the Pelicans firing Dell Demps, to Magic Johnson resigning (perhaps it was one reason for that, besides wanting to tweet about the NBA again) and to the trade eventually being consummated this summer. 10. The Mavericks trade for Kristaps Porzingis Poor Knicks. They got all that cap space but nothing to show for it. The Mavs got a second star to pair with Luka Doncic. 11. The Clippers trade Tobias Harris to the 76ers Los Angeles clears the decks for free agency and got back first-round picks they'd need later. 12. The Mavericks trade Harrison Barnes to the Kings This needs to be in here because Sacramento might actually still be good next year, and although I hate the eventual Barnes re-signing for so much money, the franchise is in the conversation to make the playoffs. 13. The Houston Rockets lose in the second round of the playoffs to the Warriors The impact of this kind of feels TBD. There are rumblings of discontent in the organization and reports flying around that they're looking to make changes. Stay tuned. 14. Kevin Durant ruptures his Achilles Although some people like Bobby Portis are saying everyone knew he and Irving would go to Brooklyn back in February, this still created parity partially because he might miss most of next season and because maybe the market on him wasn't as strong with concerns about his future. Bobby Portis wasn't waiting to see where KD & Kyrie were going. He'd know it'd be Brooklyn since Feb. Instead, he was in LA meeting w/ the Knicks as free agency opened. How NY signed Portis, and how he intends to bring a Rondo lesson & toughness to Knicks: https://t.co/GQ1HwPGcsj pic.twitter.com/huPPX3hhQ3 - Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 7, 2019 15. Klay Thompson tears his ACL in the NBA Finals The Warriors' 2019-20 chances were already going to take a hit, but this was rough. 16. The Raptors win the 2019 NBA Finals A huge moment because it sets up a conundrum for Leonard - does he stay with the team that won the title or go elsewhere? If Toronto hadn't won, maybe it would have been an easier call to leave. 17. The Lakers trade for Anthony Davis Bron and The Brow are now a thing. 18. The Pelicans win the NBA lottery and choose Zion Williamson Another huge "what if" - would the Lakers have traded for Davis if they ended up with the No. 1 pick? Would the Knicks have been a better free-agent destination with him? Also, with Williamson and the players from the Davis deal, the Pels are actually pretty decent on paper. 19. Durant and Irving choose the Nets The bonkers 2019 summer begins! 20. The Warriors sign-and-trade for D'Angelo Russell They're not done yet! 21. The Jazz trade for Mike Conley and sign Bojan Bogdanovic Utah jumps up a tier among Western contenders. 22. The Bucks re-sign Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez The best team in the NBA stays loaded in the East. 23. Kemba Walker signs with the Celtics Boston will still be a conference contender. 24. Jimmy Butler gets sign-and-traded to the Heat Instead of sticking with the Sixers, he joins Miami. 25. The 76ers re-sign Harris, sign Al Horford and get Josh Richardson from the Heat Philly might be the only thing standing in Milwaukee's way next year. 26. Pacers trade for T.J. Warren and sign Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb Indiana looks really balanced on paper. 27. The Clippers trade for Paul George and sign Kawhi Leonard WHOA! The West is SO LOADED. 28. DeMarcus Cousins signs with the Lakers Lakers vs. Clippers will be amazing next season. There you have it. Parity nearly everywhere, with six really good teams in the East and perhaps nine or ten in the West. We're living the dream here as NBA fans. MORE: 10 crazy Russell Westbrook trades, according to Trade Machine Five potential Russell Westbrook trade destinations WATCH: Jorge Masvidal Knocks Out Ben Askren in Five Seconds Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow impressed coaching staff during OTAs At which positions are the Packers lacking depth entering training camp? Related slideshow: NBA offseason moves (Provided by imagn)


The Indianapolis Colts entered this offseason with a goal of adding more depth to the foundation of the roster in order to have more competition all over the field. With the spring workouts over and the team enjoying summer break before returning for training camp at the end of July, head coach Frank Reich is feeling strongly about the depth that has been added this offseason. "Yeah, and that was the goal, right? I mean we said it, we said it was going to be harder to make the team. We have said that before," Reich told reporters Thursday. "Just the depth at every position it seems like is going to be very competitive. Everyone on this team knows that's good for all of us. It just brings out the best in each other." Adding competition to the roster has been the main objective for Chris Ballard since his tenure as general manager began ahead of the 2017 offseason. The roster looks entirely different since the work began to shed the fat and add youthful talent. Now, the Colts are looking at having one of the best young rosters in the league-large in part due to the uber-successful 2018 draft class headlined by two All-Pros. When training camp does finally arrive, the Colts are expected to have competition all over the place. The defense is primarily where the biggest battles will occur with linebacker and cornerback being the biggest positions to monitor. An indication that the roster depth is better than it has been in recent years could show in the form of rookie starters. Typically, the Colts have had a strong number of rookies enter the starting lineup, but that might not be the case here in 2019. That isn't a knock on the rookie class, but it simply shows the depth of the roster. The Colts will have their eyes keen on competition throughout training camp and the preseason games, which is likely going to lead to some difficult decisions come cutdown day. MORE: What the Lakers' new roster looks like with Anthony Davis NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players What Tim Duncan told LeBron James after Spurs beat Cavs in 2007 NBA Finals Lonzo Ball posts cryptic message on Instagram amid trade rumors Giants' Eli Manning helped encourage Hakeem Nicks' comeback bid


The Baltimore Ravens knew they had to add more talent at outside linebacker. And they did exactly that in the second wave of free agency, bringing back a face many will likely remember. The Ravens signed linebacker Pernell McPhee to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. McPhee will likely compete for a starting role at outside linebacker with Tyus Bowser, Tim Williams and rookie third-round pick Jaylon Ferguson. Former Ravens' LB Pernell McPhee, who left to go play in Chicago and Washington, is returning to Baltimore on a one-year deal, per league source. McPhee has 31 career sacks and six forced fumbles, and Ravens looking for some more. - Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 16, 2019 A fifth-round pick of the Ravens in 2011, McPhee left for a large contract with the Chicago Bears in 2015. However, injuries would cut his playing time down and eventually result in his release. McPhee played in 13 games for the Washington Redskins last year, though for fewer than 20% of the defensive snaps. Still, McPhee was a capable pass rusher for the Ravens. In 2014, McPhee had 7.5 sacks in a part-time role. In his eight-year career, McPhee has amassed 31 total sacks, 197 combined tackles, 94 quarterback hits, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. McPhee gives Baltimore much-needed veteran depth at outside linebacker with the ability to start if needed. Though the hope is that Williams, Bowser or Ferguson steps up and McPhee just depth. MORE: Roundup: RIP Grumpy Cat; Ruby Rose as Batwoman; Mets to Have Seinfeld Night Jimmy Butler's vague Instagram post had Sixers fans freaking out Why rookie Devin Bush is the cure for what ails the Steelers defense Five potential Jimmy Butler landing spots in free agency Report: Browns rookie RB LJ Scott decides to quit NFL after just 2 days


GILROY (CBS SF)   Tin Man lead singer Jack van Breen was stunned when he looked up and saw a man opening fire on the crowd with what looked like an assault weapon. Van Breen, whose band was the last of the day and performing an encore at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, told KPIX 5 he heard someone shout, "Why are you doing this?" He said the person responded, "Because I'm really angry." In a matter of minutes, the shooter's deadly volley had claimed three lives   including a 6-year-old standing at a nearby bounce house   and had wounded 15 others. An attendee in the crowd captured video of Van Breen's set when the shooting ensued. * WARNING: Possibly distressing footage* #BREAKING : Video shows moment gunman opens fire on Gilroy garlic festival Sunday evening; 4 people killed (including suspected gunman), 15 others injured. [Warning: Potentially-distressing footage] #GilroyGarlicFestival #GilroyActiveshooter pic.twitter.com/Qiv7GW3j4V   California Brief (@CaliforniaBrief) July 29, 2019 The gunman   who has not yet been identified   was killed a short time later in an exchange of gunfire with police. Police Chief Scot Smithee told reporters late Sunday night that the gunman armed with an assault-type rifle had evaded security by using "some sort of tool" to cut through a fence near a creek that borders a parking area. "It's sort of a nightmare that you hope you never have to live in reality," he said calling the shooting "somewhat random." But the nightmare could have been worse. Smithee credited a heavy police presence for saving more lives as chaos descended on the decades-old food festival. "We had many, many officers in the park at the time this occurred … which accounts for a very, very quick response time," Smithee said.


Delta Airlines has announced that American fashion designer Zac Posen will be dressing the airline's flight attendants beginning in 2018. Naturally, the airline is pitching the partnership as a way to "bring American glamour back to flying," which is often the way such designer-airline collaborations are spun. Let's be honest, the glamour has been absent from air travel for decades now especially on Delta and other US airlines' domestic flights, where it seems passengers are as likely to fly in yoga pants and hoodies or the crinkled suits in which they sat through a day of business meetings before rolling their carry-ons back home. Glamour may be out of the question, but a flattering, fashionable uniform for flight attendants should not be. No matter how much our airplanes increasingly feel like cattle cars , professional jet-setting seems like it still ought to have a bit of polish. This is a customer service business after all, and flight attendants are the ones who spend the most time facing the customers. Perhaps it's the marrying of fashion and function, or meeting a certain price point that proves difficult are they all polyester blends? but other recent attempts at improving airline uniforms have generally proven disappointing . Maybe Posen can end the creative drought. In addition to designing his own womenswear collection and consulting on a Charles James reboot , Posen is the creative director of Brooks Brothers. He has loads of experience flattering the female form with the intricate construction of his va-va-voom gowns , and has likely learned a thing or two about suiting from his Brooks Brothers gig. We'll see if his designs can fly off the runway.


Juventus continued their pre-season preparations with a lacklustre performance in an otherwise exhilarating 3-3 draw with the K-League All Stars in Seoul - a friendly that was without Cristiano Ronaldo, who watched on from the bench.  The K-League team started the game brightly, opening the scoring in the seventh minute courtesy of a phenomenal long-range strike from Osmar. I Bianconeri drew level two minutes later, however, with a wonderfully well-worked goal finished off by Simone Muratore. FT: Honours even in Seoul ⚪⚫ #MeetTheWonder #TeamKLeagueJuve pic.twitter.com/r87kr4NS5R   JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 26, 2019 Team K-League re-took the lead on the stroke of half-time, with an intricately flowing move resulting in a neat finish from Cesinha. The Brazilian ran off in joy, performing the infamous Ronaldo celebration. In the second half, the K-League side extended their lead after a brilliant volley from Adam Taggart. As the match entered the final 20 minutes, Juventus eventually woke up and scored two quick fire goals to make it 3-3. The third from Matheus Pereira was a thing of beauty - nutmegging the defender before chipping the goalkeeper. Check out 90min's review of the action. Juventus Key Talking Point I Bianconeri fielded a strong team, including the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Miralem Pjanic and Gonzalo Higuain. However, they were sloppy and perhaps the most disconcerting thing for Juve fans was the frailty of the supposedly strong defence. De Ligt and Daniele Rugani looked shaky in the centre, while Joao Cancelo offered little going forward for the Italian side in the first half. sorry to say but this k league all star is more "sarriball" than this team.. @juventusfc #juventus   AM Waskitoady D (@Wasqlicious) July 26, 2019 Maurizio Sarri made a whole host of changes in the second half, and it was the substitutes who changed the game. Most notably, Blaise Matuidi and Matheus Pereira were influential with their energy and desire - something that was not seen at all in the first half. It was as though they were fatigued for one reason or another, but the injection of pace allowed them to grab a draw. Manager Sarri is clearly still trying to find the combinations that will work best for his team, but this performance indicated that there is plenty of work to do. There was a lack of urgency and, more worryingly, it was as though the players were unsure over their roles. Juventus don't seem to be getting to grips with Sarri's system. Fitness levels are clearly extremely low as-well #Juventus #JUV   ObsessedTactics (@ObsessedTactics) July 26, 2019 Player Ratings Starting XI : Szczesny (5); Cancelo (5), De Ligt, Rugani (5), Beruatto (5); Emre Can (5), Pjanic (4), Muratore (7*); Bernardeschi (6), Higuain (6), Mandzukic (6). Substitutes: Pinsoglio (3), Buffon (6), Bonucci (6), Matuidi (6), Rabiot (5), Coccolo (5), Mavididi (6), Pereira (7), Di Pardo (5). STAR MAN - It is hard to take too many positives from a tame performance by Juventus, but Simone Muratore was certainly a bright light. The 21-year-old operated as part of the midfield three, and was constantly looking to support the attackers. He showed great awareness with his goal, recognising the inter-play between his teammates, allowing him to receive the ball in a pocket of space before firing home. The midfielder was subbed in the 72nd minute - lasting the longest of any of the other midfielders, reaffirming his importance to the game. Muratore  #MeetTheWonder #TeamKLeagueJuve pic.twitter.com/fem2d8O37A   JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 26, 2019 Looking Ahead Juventus will next turn their attention towards gaining more match sharpness. They will hope to gain greater fitness, before they face Atletico Madrid on August 10. Sarri will know that his side have a lot to work on before the season starts, and he will hope that this game will act as a learning curve.


Cole Custer will start first in today's Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (4 p.m. ET on NBCSN). Custer claimed his fifth pole of the year with a speed of 130.528 mph around the 1-mile track. He topped Christopher Bell , who qualified second with a speed of 130.189 mph. "It's huge, I didn't know if it was going to be a pole lap, honestly," Custer told NBCSN. "I thought I could have hit it a little bit better. … This is the best car I've had at New Hampshire in a long time." It's the ninth time Custer has started on the front row this year. The top five is completed by Austin Cindric , Paul Menard and Chase Briscoe . This is the second time Briscoe has started in the top five this year. Tyler Reddick qualified 11th, his worst starting position in the last 15 races. Dillon Bassett , Josh Bilicki and Camden Murphy failed to make the race. Click here for the starting lineup.


E. Spencer Kyte looks back at a weekend where women headlined events in Bellator MMA and the UFC while also having a prominent role on the latest events from the Professional Fighters League and ONE Championship, along with handing out his weekly awards in the latest edition of The Remix. A week after the UFC was the only game in town, all the biggest promotions in the sport were back in action over the last several days, starting with the return of the PFL on Thursday, ONE Championship on Friday morning, Bellator MMA on Friday evening and the UFC wrapping things up in Sacramento on Saturday night. Join DAZN and watch more than 100 fight nights a year Weekends like this are a challenge for hardcore fight fans, but also highlight how robust and diverse the landscape is at the moment, as each event offered a little something different and the quality on the whole was quite high. Sure, there were slow moments and sloppy fights, but there were also a ton of impressive outings, tremendous stoppages and important results. It's easy to be cynical and lament the massive UFC schedule and the time commitment you're "forced to make" as a serious fight fan, but as someone who grew up watching every Toronto Blue Jays game during the 162-game regular season and more than 82 regular season hockey games every year for years on end, I'd much rather watch four events over 72 hours where something memorable is more than likely to happen. Here are the stories, performances and competitors that really stood out to me over the last few days. Women's MMA continues to flourish Last weekend, Amanda Nunes solidified her standing as the greatest female fighter of all time. This weekend, women across the four most prominent promotions in the sport stepped into the spotlight to show that while "The Lioness" is the queen of the jungle, she's far from alone when it comes to top talent competing around the world. Thursday night, Kayla Harrison continued her ascent, recording a first-round submission win over Morgan Frier to secure her position in the PFL's women's lightweight division playoffs. The two-time Olympic gold medalist enters as the No. 2 seed and will face Genah Fabian, while Canadian Sarah Kaufman, who received three points for a walkover win when Roberta Samad missed weight, finished with nine points to earn the top seed and a semifinal pairing with Larissa Pacheco. Friday morning in Kuala Lumpur, ONE Championship strawweight titleholder Angela Lee squared off with former teammate and grappling ace Michelle Nicolini in the co-main event of the company's Masters of Destiny event. The 23-year-old landed on the wrong side of a debated unanimous decision result, incurring a second straight loss after starting her career with nine consecutive victories, while Nicolini should return to title contention after getting the nod over one of the promotion's biggest stars. Friday night, Bellator women's featherweight champion Julia Budd collected her third consecutive successful title defense and 11th straight win overall with a first-round stoppage win over unbeaten challenger Olga Rubin. "The Jewel" has developed into an absolute force in recent years and lobbied for a bout with Gabi Garcia under the RIZIN banner following her victory. And then Saturday night in Sacramento, Germaine de Randamie blasted Aspen Ladd with a clean right hand that put her on the deck and gave "The Iron Lady" her fifth straight victory. Whether you want to argue with the stoppage or not, there is no arguing that de Randamie is a powerful, experienced striker and the shot she dropped Ladd with was beautiful. These were far from the only fights featuring female competitors to take place this weekend, but the fact that so many matchups on the women's side landed in prominent positions across several promotions is a huge positive and one that has to be acknowledged. The women have been forced to play catch-up for years and while the men still command far more attention and generally receive much of the prime fight card real estate, this weekend serves as an indication that the quality of action on the female side of the sport is continuing to grow by leaps and bounds and they're closing the gap on their male counterparts. Hopefully weekends like this continue to happen more frequently in the years to come. Urijah Faber, Henry Cejudo and a fight that feels inevitable Everyone shook their heads when Henry Cejudo beat Marlon Moraes to claim the vacant bantamweight title and called out a trio of felled former champions in Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber and Cody Garbrant, despite being down 0-1 to Joseph Benavidez and holding himself out as the savior of the flyweight division. None of the fighters he called out made any sense, as Cruz hasn't fought in quite some time and is coming off a loss, Garbrandt has been stopped in three straight, and Faber was still six weeks away from ending his two-and-a-half-year retirement in a bout against surging upstart Ricky Simon. But Saturday night, "The California Kid" smiled, waved, and bopped his way to the Octagon at home in Sacramento before planting a right hand on Simon's chin that momentarily shut down the communication between his brain and his legs. As soon as the bout was halted and Michael Bisping put the microphone in front of Faber, you knew who he was going to call out. And just like that, a fight that sounded utterly ridiculous six weeks ago now feels inevitable once Cejudo is ready to return to action. The duo have been trading barbs on Twitter since the fight, with Cejudo maintaining his "Triple C" moniker and suggesting Faber will be the next to "bend the knee," while the 40-year-old former WEC champ responded with a slang remark about legumes that usually is accompanied by BOFA. Let's be clear: the fight still doesn't make sense because Faber has one win in three years and icing Simon shouldn't be enough to skip you to the front of the line, but with no other immediate contenders at the ready and a potential boatload of cash to be made by pairing the tiny titan with two belts against the returning "California Middle-Aged Man," there is a very real possibility that we see Faber fighting Cejudo before Benavidez, Petr Yan or Aljamain Sterling get their shot. Sigh. The PFL structure continues to impress I'll be honest: I wanted to think it was a just a gimmick and wouldn't change things all that much, but the way the PFL structures its year and the intriguing that surrounds the final regular season matchups continues to grow on me. As much as it felt inevitable that Kaufman and Harrison would meet in the women's lightweight finals, Pacheco has quickly made herself into a potential spoiler, and watching as the action played out in the welterweight fights knowing that different results could dramatically change the playoff seeding made them that much more compelling. After getting stopped in the first round last time out, John Howard literally punched his ticket to the playoffs by returning the favor to Ray Cooper III, who still made it through on the strength of his four-point win over his cousin, Zane Kamaka, earlier this spring. David Michaud followed the same path as Howard, stopping Handesson Ferreira after being stopped by Sadibou Sy, while former TUF: Brazil winner Glaico Franca and last year's champion Magomed Magomedkerimov continued piling up points to finish first and second in the standings, respectively. The next two events, which take place on Thursday, July 25 and Thursday, Aug. 8, also in Atlantic City, New Jersey, feature the remaining regular season bouts across the four other divisions, with lightweights and featherweights up first, followed by the heavyweights and light heavyweights. In both fields, the matchups are such that there are numerous playoff possibilities, just like in the final couple weeks of the regular season in most major professional sports. It will be interesting to see what kind of ratings and feedback these events have been generating on ESPN, but personally, I'm converted and think the PFL has found a unique way of differentiating itself from the competition that should allow the company to continue to flourish and become an even more prominent player in the sport going forward. Fight of the Weekend: Glaico Franca vs. Sadibou Sy at PFL 4 I'm picking this one as a means of highlighting Franca, who has been on an absolute tear since being released by the UFC following consecutive losses to James Vick and Gregor Gillespie. Now 28, Franca has won eight straight, all but one by stoppage, including a first-round victory in his PFL debut and this third-round finish of Sy, who also entered this battle with top seed implications with a full six points. The six-foot-two Astra Fight Team member was doing himself a disservice by competing at lightweight, even though he had largely been successful. But now that he's fighting in the 170-pound ranks where he rightfully belongs, we're getting to see Franca at full strength and it has been tremendously impressive. He's slated to face Andre Fialho in the quarterfinals and will get the winner of the Howard-Michaud fight should he advance. While Dana White is correct that he's not often wrong when it comes to cutting ties with fighters, this is clearly one where he made a mistake, while parting ways with Kyoji Horiguchi remains inexcusable. Submission of the Weekend: Ev Ting vs. Daichi Abe at ONE Championship: Masters of Destiny Ting has been a ONE fixture since the company's launch and over the weekend, the popular welterweight was on the wrong side of things against former Pancrase champ and UFC competitor Abe, only to reverse course and find the submission late in the second round. Ev Ting survives early trouble from former Pancrase champ Daichi Abe to mount a spirited comeback in R2, cinching up the RNC for the win. #MastersOfDestiny pic.twitter.com/vUUoQKf59C   caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) July 12, 2019 The thing that I like the most about this finish   other than it being a big comeback win   is that Ting attacks the neck in the midst of the scramble, knowing that the opening is there and he can sink in his hooks later. Most fighters tend to work for the position first and it's the right approach in most situations, but attacking a rear-naked choke might be the one time putting position second makes more sense because it's easier to fish your arm under the neck when your opponent is worrying about not getting their back taken than it is when they're free to fight hands. We're seeing more and more fighters attack in these transitional phases with great success and it remains something I think we'll continue to see even more of in the future as more finishes like this transpire. Knockout of the Weekend: Julia Budd vs. Olga Rubin at Bellator 224 There were better one-hitter quitters and I probably should give this one to de Randamie for the beautiful right hand that bounced Ladd from the ranks of the unbeaten, but I'm a sucker for body work and the initial kick and subsequent swarming Budd used to finish this one is too good to overlook: #AndStill ! @JuliaBudd #Bellator224 pic.twitter.com/gXr8AZHzA9   Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) July 13, 2019 Budd took some grief for a tepid fight with Arlene Blencowe in her first title defense, but she's since finished Talita Nogueira and Rubin with little resistance. Her stated focus going into this fight was to showcase her striking and get back to her Muay Thai roots and it was clearly mission accomplished as she hurt the unbeaten challenger with a front kick to the body and then finally dropped her with a knee to the midsection while pushing for the finish. The Port Moody, British Columbia resident is clearly one of the top female fighters in the sport today and it will be interesting to see if Scott Coker & Co. are able to entice Cris Cyborg to come over and become a challenger for Budd once the former Strikeforce standout finishes her UFC contract later this month. Prospect to Watch after this Weekend: Kayla Harrison Yes, I've featured her in this space before. Yes, I'm probably biased because we had an outstanding conversation in advance of her fight last Thursday, but none of that changes the fact that the two-time Olympic gold medalist arguably has the most upside of any fighter with just five appearances under their belt than I have seen in quite some time. Fighting at lightweight is always going to limit her competition, but from a skill standpoint, it's going to be fun to watch Harrison continue to progress because her grappling base is very strong, her mindset and approach is rock solid and she knows what it takes to not only compete, but win at the highest level. She gave herself a "B or B-" for her victory over Frier on Thursday and provided that both she and Kaufman advance to the finals as expected, it will be all kinds of interesting to see how that one plays out because while the Canadian will have a distinct edge in terms of experience and polish, the standout judo player will have a significant edge in the size and strength departments. Given the way we fawn over male prospects when they're blasting through overmatched competition on the regional circuit and hitting cool moves in "squash matches," it's actually surprising to me that the buzz surrounding Harrison isn't greater. Is it because she's in the PFL? Fighting at lightweight? Older than your traditional up-and-comer? All I know is that if a hyped male prospect swept the scorecards against an 11-2 veteran with UFC experience in their fourth professional bout, there would be all kind of people falling over themselves to declare them "The Next Big Thing."


The San Jose Sharks have reached an agreement with restricted free-agent center Dylan Gambrell , signing him to a two-year contract. No financial details were released, but GM Doug Wilson did issue a short statement: "Dylan had success at the AHL level with the Barracuda this past season, helping to lead the league's youngest team to another Calder Cup Playoff berth. He has continued to show us growth in all areas of his game, and, with his goal in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final, has proven he can handle the pressure of the NHL. We look forward to his continued development, and the impact he will have on the Sharks." Gambrell, 22, played in eight regular-season games and two playoff games for the Sharks this past season. The team has also signed forward Antti Suomela to a one-year contract . Both players will still be restricted free agents when the deals expire.


Stop us if you've heard this one before: Mets infielder Jed Lowrie still isn't close to making his 2019 debut, manager Mickey Callaway told Tim Healey of Newsday and other reporters Wednesday. Lower body injuries have kept Lowrie from playing this season after he joined the Mets on a two-year, $20M contract over the winter. With the season now at the halfway point, Callaway doesn't even seem willing to commit to Lowrie taking the field at all in 2019. Asked if he expects to see Lowrie this year, Callaway said: "That's hard to say. There's so much of the season left. We'll just have to play that by ear."


As hard as it was for the Lakers to pry Anthony Davis away from the Pelicans, the next step in the roster-building process might be even more difficult. After acquiring Davis in a blockbuster trade, Los Angeles has two of the top 10 players in the NBA   but not much else. Once the Davis trade is finalized, the Lakers won't be able to put a starting five together. They will be leaning heavily on Davis and LeBron James regardless of how the rest of free agency pans out. ANTHONY DAVIS TRADE GRADES: Lakers begin title chase; Pelicans exploit LA's desperation Lakers players under contract 2019-20 salary Career games LeBron James $37.4 million 1,198 Anthony Davis $27.1 million 466 Kyle Kuzma $2.0 million 147 Talen Horton-Tucker (2019 second-round pick)   0 (Note: the Lakers extended qualifying offers to Alex Caruso and Johnathan Williams, making them restricted free agents.) Obviously the Lakers will add other players, but just how good can this team be in 2019-20? Everything is on the table now that Los Angeles has created $32 million in cap space. The Lakers will send Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jermerrio Jones to the Wizards as part of the Davis trade, which will become a three-team deal completed on July 6, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski . Davis has also agreed to waive his $4 million trade bonus, pushing the Lakers up to that $32 million number, good enough for a max salary slot. General manager Rob Pelinka must determine whether he should chase one superstar and form a new "Big Three" or divide that money among multiple role players who fit around Davis and James. Here are the three tiers of free agents the Lakers will analyze this summer. Lakers free agent targets: The max players Jimmy Butler: The 76ers star is declining his $19.8 million player option , paving his way to a max contract. Butler would give the Lakers another primary ball handler and scorer offensively, plus some much-needed perimeter defense and toughness. Kawhi Leonard: He's on this list because, sure, the Lakers want him, but the odds aren't in their favor. Leonard's decision should come down to the Raptors and Clippers , but he does at least intend to meet with the Lakers, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes . Kemba Walker: Now off one of the best value contracts in the league, Walker is leaning toward the Celtics . If he's searching for a shot at a title, though, he would be an ideal fit at point guard next to James and Davis. Kyrie Irving: Reunion time! If anyone knows how to succeed as part of a drama-filled, James-led team, it's Irving. A new "Big Three" with Davis instead of Kevin Love is intriguing, but Irving may already be on his way to Brooklyn . MORE: LeBron welcomes Davis by giving him No. 23 Lakers free agent targets: Middle of the road Bojan Bogdanovic: The 30-year-old forward is coming off a season in which he averaged 18.0 points on 49.7 percent shooting (42.5 percent on 3-pointers) in 81 games. His salary would fall in the $16 million-$18 million range, eating up a fair amount of space. Still, he'd be a big shooter to space the floor, creating lanes to the basket for James and Davis. Danny Green: A two-time NBA champion, Green is the definition of 3-and-D on the wing. He shot 45.5 percent from deep for the Raptors during the 2018-19 season. The Lakers are probably looking at a $10 million-$12 million commitment here. Darren Collison: He's not nearly on the same level as Irving or Walker, but Collison is a solid veteran who does his job. Maybe $8 million-$10 million for his services. DeMarcus Cousins: It's possible Cousins simply chases the highest offer in free agency following an injury-plagued year. If he wants to proceed with a one-year deal similar to what he signed with the Warriors last summer, Los Angeles could be an option. After all, James has expressed interest in playing with Cousins before . Derrick Favors: While Rudy Gobert (understandably) receives all of the frontcourt love in Utah, Favors has been a strong presence on both ends of the floor. The Jazz hold a team option on the final year of his contract worth $16 million, but should they let him go, don't be surprised if the Lakers give him a call . Jeremy Lamb: The former UConn star quietly had the best season of his career in 2018-19, averaging 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He is due for a raise after making just less than $7.5 million, but he should be within the Lakers' price range. JJ Redick: If the Cavs and Heat years taught us anything, it's that LeBron thrives with shooting around him. Insert Redick, a career 41.3 percent 3-point shooter capable of hitting contested bombs at impossible angles. Somewhere around $12 million-$14 million seems appropriate. Malcolm Brogdon: Brogdon scored 15.6 points per game on 50.5/42.6/92.8 shooting splits in 2018-19, and he is also a versatile defender. Brogdon is a restricted free agent, so a pricey offer sheet might not be worth the trouble of waiting to see if the Bucks match during the early days of free agency. Marcus Morris: One of the rare bright spots for the Celtics, Morris averaged 13.9 points and shot 37.5 percent on more than five 3-point attempts per game last season. A forward with the ability to stretch the floor and defend multiple positions would be extremely valuable for the Lakers. Nikola Mirotic: Another stretch-4 on the market, though he can be streaky at times. He could fall into that $10 million-$12 million area after making $12.5 million with the Bucks last season. Patrick Beverley: At the very least, Beverley would save on moving costs after playing a key role on a scrappy Clippers squad. Beverley is known for his defensive tenacity, but he is also a 38.0 percent 3-point shooter for his career, including 39.7 percent in 2018-19. That's the kind of guy the Lakers would love to add. Paul Millsap: The 34-year-old forward is on Denver's books for $30 million next season, but it is a team option. Assuming the Nuggets decline that, would Millsap put a chance at a ring above money? Similar to Bogdanovic, Millsap could be too expensive considering his age and the need for guards. Terrence Ross: Back in December, the Lakers launched a search for depth, and Ross was among their targets . He averaged a career-high 15.1 points per game off the bench in Orlando and shot 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. It would certainly help to have a bucket-getter outside of James and Davis. Trevor Ariza: He has history with the Lakers, but are Ariza's best days behind him? The soon-to-be 34-year-old could work as a cheap veteran, but LA's front office can't overpay him. NBA DRAFT 2019: Grades, analysis for first-round picks | Trade rumor roundup Lakers free agent targets: Bargain shopping Austin Rivers: Yes, we've all laughed at Blake Griffin's impression of Rivers , but he's a good backup point guard who only made a little more than $1.1 million last season. Carmelo Anthony: Do you really believe this couldn't happen? Be honest. With all of the wild stories that have emerged about the Lakers over the past 12 months, would this really be a shock ? Joakim Noah: James and Noah have, well, let's call it a history . Harsh words may have been thrown back and forth in the past, but Noah shouldn't be immediately crossed off the list. He performed fairly well in 42 games for the Grizzlies last season considering his long break from basketball. Justin Holiday: He is a 6-6 wing who has shot around 35 percent from the 3-point line for his career. Not a flashy signing, but the kind of player James could elevate. Rajon Rondo: James has always respected Rondo's basketball acumen, and Rondo played with Davis in New Orleans, helping guide the Pelicans to a stunning first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers in 2018. He is interested in returning to the Lakers , but that doesn't necessarily mean they will re-sign him. Reggie Bullock: He didn't set the world on fire after being traded to the Lakers at the February deadline, but he has a cap hold of just $4.8 million. LA possesses his full Bird rights, so the front office can exceed the cap in order to keep him. Seth Curry: It turns out a guy with Curry on the back of his jersey can shoot. Go figure. The 28-year-old hit 45.0 percent of his 3-pointers last season for the Trail Blazers. His catch-and-shoot opportunities would explode with James and Davis drawing the attention of opposing defenses.


Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack was a star for fantasy football managers during the second half of the 2018 season, which is why many are predicting him to have a breakout campaign in 2019. There has been a drumbeat all offseason that Mack is ready to explode onto the scene as one of the league's best running backs. That narrative continued as KC Joyner of ESPN listed Mack as a breakout for the 2019 season. There are multiple reports that indicate the Colts are planning to utilize Mack as a three-down back. Mack already has racked up 200-plus touches in four of his five pro and collegiate seasons, so a workload increase could move him close to or into bell-cow territory. Mack ranked 15th in volume of good-blocking carries last season despite starting only 10 games, so he could vault toward the top of the league in that category if he plays a full schedule. This combination of upside elements gives Mack a very good chance of reaching RB1 status despite his current low-tier RB2 ADP status. It can be argued that Mack technically already had his breakout during the second half of the 2018 season. That argument holds water and should be taken seriously, but the USF product still only managed to play in 12 regular-season games during his second year. Mack has yet to put together a full campaign, which is why most have him breaking out in a big way in 2019. When Mack finally returned healthy from the nagging hamstring injury in Week 6, he was the RB7 in standard scoring. Couple that with the strong postseason he had, and it is clear he's ready to be an RB1 (top 12) in fantasy football. Where Mack's concerns and limitations come into play will be his work in the receiving game. He actually recorded fewer receptions in 2018 (17) than he did in 2017 (21) likely due to the emergence of Nyheim Hines. Those numbers likely won't increase in a big way unless injuries befall the position. Regardless, Mack is considered one of the top breakouts for the running back position and his ADP at the end of the second round could wind up being a nice value if he hits his ceiling in Year 3. MORE: Lakers land consolation prizes after missing out on Kawhi Leonard Russell Westbrook Chased Away Another Star Teammate NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Projecting T.J. Hockenson's fantasy value and when to target him in drafts How does Kawhi Leonard's decision effect the Boston Celtics


Six weeks after Huawei was blacklisted by the US government, President Donald Trump had what the Chinese telecom firm described as a "U-turn." Trump said Saturday that "US companies can sell their equipment to Huawei," allowing the transactions won't present a "great, national emergency problem." Trump's comments at the G20 in Japan came after a widely anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two sides met to discuss the impasse in the trade dispute, and Huawei, one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, has become a flash point in the battle. In May, the US Commerce Department banned sales of American-made goods to Huawei without first obtaining a license. US officials have accused the company of working to undermine US national security and foreign policy interests. Trump said Huawei was still part of the ongoing trade discussions between Washington and Beijing, but for now, he would move to resume allowing US companies to sell parts to the Chinese firm. The Commerce Department, which issued the ban against Huawei in May, did not respond to requests for comment on how it will modify the company's status. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about whether it had already asked Commerce to review the issue. Huawei responded on one of the company's official twitter accounts: "U-turn? Donald Trump suggests he would allow #Huawei to once again purchase U.S. technology!" Huawei has denied accusations of wrongdoing. And it's lobbied over the past few weeks to regain access to US products, which are key to its supply chain. Huawei relies heavily on computer chips imported from companies like Intel and Micron. Google also supplied the company with its Android operating system. Google said in May that it would comply with the Trump administration's new policy and restrict Huawei's acces to the Android platform, which was seen as a devastating blow to Huawei's smartphone business. Micron, however, counts Huawei as one of its biggest customers and faced a steep revenue decline: Its overseas smartphone unit sales dropped 40% in the weeks immediately after Huawei was blacklisted. Micron announced earlier this week that it found a workaround to the ban and was able to resume at least some shipments to Huawei. Intel reportedly made a similar move. Those companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday. Trump appeared to acknowledge that US suppliers aren't happy with the current policy. "The (US) companies were not exactly happy that they couldn't sell," he said. The United States sells a "tremendous amount of product" to Huawei, he added. The ban on purchasing goods from American companies is not, however, the only policy hurdle Huawei faces in the United States. An executive order Trump signed in May bars US firms from purchasing or using Huawei telecom gear. Officials said it could pose a spying risk to Western infrastructure networks. Huawei, which is considered a world leader in developing technologies to support 5G networks, has said banning the company from the United States would ultimately hurt American businesses and consumers. "Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, leaving the US lagging behind in 5G deployment," the company said in a statement responding to the executive order.


SOTOGRANDE, Spain   Christiaan Bezuidenhout has taken a four-shot lead over Sergio Garcia and three other golfers at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters. Bezuidenhout carded a 3-under 68 on Friday to reach 8 under for the tournament after two rounds. He started with a 66 that included eight birdies and three bogeys. Full-field scores from the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters ''I just kept it in play really nicely,'' Bezuidenhout said. ''That's the key thing here, hitting fairways. I was driving it really well. On a course like this you can score well if you hit the fairways but if you don't you can really struggle.'' Tournament host Garcia shot a 1-over 72 to stay at 4 under, along with Bradley Dredge of Wales and fellow Spaniards Adri Arnaus and Alvaro Quiros. First-round leader Victor Perez fell five shots off the lead after a 74 in a round that included a triple bogey on the par 4 13th hole. The Frenchman had a bogey-free round on Thursday.


A 10-year-old girl shot two of her cousins Thursday afternoon at an east Fort Worth home, relatives said. The shooting occurred in the 2100 block of Sanborn Street, near Interstate 30 and Beach Street. Fort Worth police confirmed one of the children is in serious condition, while the other child remains in stable condition. Relatives said the children are 5 and 7. Police said the shooting was accidental. They said the firearm was found in the back of the home. It's unclear who owns the weapon. RELATED: Kids and guns: What happens when a child finds a gun? This is a developing story. Check back for new information. Download our free WFAA app to stay up-to-date on all news stories in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.


The Houston Rockets were yet again eliminated from the postseason by the Golden State Warriors, and have yet again failed to come out of the Western Conference and reach the NBA finals. After missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, the team traded for James Harden - and the rest is really history. Houston has made the playoffs every season since that trade went through before the 2012-13 season. But yet for every change they've made, Rockets fans are still scratching their heads as to why they can't make the NBA finals. Now, the blame may next fall on head coach Mike D'Antoni, who has been with the team in three seasons and is considered an offensive mastermind. D'Antoni has posted seasons with 55, 65 and 53 wins, respectively, since being hired. He also won the NBA coach of the year award for the 2016-17 season, his first with the Rockets. Since he was hired in 2016, the Rockets have a 173-73 record, which a pretty good 70.3 percent winning percentage. The team wasn't clicking under the helm of Kevin McHale, and James Harden has since flourished under D'Antoni's fast-paced, offensive-heavy style. But, FOX Sports analyst and former NBA player Stephen Jackson thinks it may be time for the Rockets to move on from D'Antoni. "D'Antoni is not going to get it done," Jackson said on Monday's 'Undisputed." "The problem is not offense. You have one of the best scorers in NBA history, Harden's going to score in any system. … D'Antoni's not a defensive coach. They might win [a title] with James, but not with D'Antoni at the helm." "D'Antoni is not going to get it done. The problem is not offense. You have one of the best scorers in NBA history, Harden's going to score in any system. … D'Antoni's not a defensive coach. They might win [a title] with James, but not with D'Antoni at the helm." - @DaTrillStak5 pic.twitter.com/W9NC2Qf8W6 - UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 13, 2019 Though there haven't been rumors that D'Antoni's job isn't safe (at least that I have been privy to), the front office of the Rockets is clearly fed up with losing. Video by FOX Sports Tim Fertitta, the Rockets' owner, told reporters on Friday that Houston's failure to win Game 6 - an elimination game - at home was "unacceptable" and that the team had to "be better" in the future. In the epic rant, Fertitta also promised the team wouldn't "sit on our hands" this offseason. "I know that we're going to rise to the occasion and our time is going to come," Fertitta said. "James is 30 years old [in August]. … Hakeem [Olajuwon] didn't win his first championship until [31]. I can promise you, we're going to win some championships with James Harden, because we are not going to sit here. We will go to battle every year. We're going to have a strong offseason, and we're going to do whatever we need to do to be a better team. We are not going to sit on our hands, I can promise you that." And a report from Sunday reveals that Daryl Morey, the Rockets' general manager, is not necessarily looking to avoid paying the luxury tax again next season. Q: So how do they get better? A, from Houston Chronicle reporter Jonathan Feigen: Never rule out a bold move, but the most likely avenues are with the mid-level exception and minimum contracts. They could have as much as $9 million of mid-level money to spend, though given what that would take under CBA rules and the roster constraints that would bring, it is much more likely they operate with the $5.7 million exception. Though spending the exception money would push the Rockets back into the luxury tax, general manager Daryl Morey has already been given a green light to pay the tax, a person with knowledge of the team's planning said. Next season, the Rockets are expected to have seven players guaranteed for $117.7 million, assuming Nene opts into his $3.8 million player option, RocketsWire previously reported . "They have $4.2 million in non-guaranteed salaries toward Chris Chiozza, Michael Frazier and Isaiah Hartenstein, who is only guaranteed for $708,426. Altogether they have $122.2 million in total salaries, putting them just $7.5 million below the luxury tax. They will certainly be a luxury tax team this season once they fill out the rest of their roster," wrote Yossi Gozlan. When it boils down to it, it is not necessarily D'Antoni that needs to go, though he should definitely be on the hot seat during the upcoming season. The bottom line is that Harden's supporting cast needs to get better. Rearrange some players and that is how you will be able to maximize Harden as he enters into his prime as a 30-year-old. Harden on Friday briefly and cryptically spoke about what needs to change in the offseason: "I know what we need to do. I know exactly what we need to do. Just … we'll figure it out this summer." MORE: Charles Barkley hit back at Joel Embiid for saying he doesn't know what he's talking about NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Video confirms reports of Chris Paul's attempt to sabotage Steph Curry Dak Prescott's accuracy, aggressive quantified ahead of new deal Future heir or temporary face? Assessing the unknowns of Patriots QB Jarrett Stidham


Manchester United have reached an agreement with Crystal Palace over the £50m signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the defender set for a medical 'imminently'. United have been chasing Wan-Bissaka since the opening of this summer's transfer window, following a breakthrough season in 2018/19 for the 21-year-old, at the end of which he won the Eagles' Player of the Year award. BREAKING: Man Utd have reached an agreement with Crystal Palace to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka in a deal worth £50m. 21yo likely to travel north imminently for medical & to sign long-term contract on £80/90kpw (up from £10kpw). #MUFC retain 25% sell on clause for Wilfried Zaha #CPFC   David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) June 26, 2019 And now, as reported by BBC Sport's David Ornstein, the Red Devils have finally agreed on a £50m deal with the Eagles, with personal terms also accepted. The right back is set to earn up to £90,000 a week, a whopping upgrade on his £10,000 contract at Palace, where he was the lowest paid star in the first team. Revealing the news on Twitter , Ornstein wrote: "BREAKING: Manchester United have reached an agreement with Crystal Palace to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka in a deal worth £50m. "21-year-old likely to travel north imminently for medical & to sign long-term contract on £80/90kpw (up from £10kpw). United retain 25% sell on clause for Wilfried Zaha." The deal has been delayed by Wan-Bissaka's presence at the European Championships with England's U21s, but with Aidy Boothroyd's side now returning home from Italy following their group stage exit, the player is now expected to travel to Carrington to complete his medical. The defender has been at Palace since the age of 11, rising up the ranks at the academy before breaking into the senior squad in 2018. Subject to the completion of the medical, he will become United's second signing of the summer, following on from the £15m capture of Swansea City winger Daniel James.


WATER MILL, N.Y.   Dressed in workout clothes, Lulu Hall hovered by the front door of the SoulCycle studio while fighting back tears. She had already signed up for Thursday's 10 a.m. indoor-cycling fitness class when she learned that Stephen Ross, the chairman of the Related Companies, whose principals own majority stakes in SoulCycle and the fitness club chain Equinox, was planning to host a fund-raiser at his Hamptons home for President Trump on Friday. Different levels of access will be offered to donors, including a photo with the president for $100,000. Sign Up For the Morning Briefing Newsletter Ms. Hall, a stay-at-home mom who lives in Brooklyn and nearby Sag Harbor, N.Y., is a regular SoulCycle customer who has found inspiration in the brand's message of sweaty spirituality and community. But she is not a supporter of Mr. Trump's, and was alarmed to realize the money she spends at SoulCycle, where 45-minute classes held in the Hamptons cost $42, was profiting a Trump booster who would be hosting the president at his home on Friday, just a few miles from her morning ride. "I don't know what to do," she said as class was about to begin. "Part of me feels like a hypocrite for going." Briggs Coleman, who lives in West Palm Beach, Fla., and spends summers in the Hamptons, had no such concerns. "I don't want to hear about politics while I'm working out," she said. "There is a lack of respect. People should just respect the president," she said, adding an expletive. Amid a summer of division and dissent over treatment of migrants, political rhetoric and gun safety, the anger that has roiled 2020 campaign events and social media feeds has landed with a barbell's thud on the fitness studios, where the well heeled pay for expensive club memberships and boutique classes to release tension and burn fat. The controversy may seem trivial in the scope of things, especially to people directly affected by the news of the past week: mass shootings, large-scale arrests of immigrant workers. But many bystanders, engaged or enraged by those events, were troubled by the financial connection to SoulCycle and Equinox and a president whose policies they do not support. Political fund-raisers hosted in the Hamptons by wealthy New Yorkers are an annual August rite. Yet news that Mr. Ross is supporting Mr. Trump's re-election efforts was met with a swift outcry on social media, with indoor cyclers and club members vowing to boycott. Both companies have significant customer bases in liberal cities and promote themselves as safe havens for the L.G.B.T. community and stalwarts against bigotry. Equinox, a fitness club with 100 locations in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, and SoulCycle, which has 94 studio locations, released statements distancing themselves from Mr. Ross. "SoulCycle in no way endorses the political fund-raising event being held later this week," the company said. "Mr. Ross is a passive investor and is not involved in the management of SoulCycle." Equinox's statement also referred to Mr. Ross as "a passive investor." It added, "We want to let you to know that Equinox and SoulCycle have nothing to do with the event and do not support it." Management is struggling to control the damage. On Wednesday, SoulCycle's chief talent officer sent an email to instructors providing "talking points" to share with customers. They included, "At SoulCycle, we believe in diversity, inclusion, and equality. All souls are welcome" and "None of the money you spend at SoulCycle will go to this event." Meanwhile, people who work for the fitness company are organizing to register their anger. On Thursday, emails from an anonymous Gmail account went out to some Equinox employees calling for a strike. "If we do not show up to work, the clubs can not function," the email read. "We are the cleaners, the managers, the trainers, the group fitness instructors, the sales reps, the shop salespeople, the spa professions and the gatekeepers. Our collective efforts will have results." Inside the 10 a.m. class at the Water Mill studio on Thursday, it was entirely perspiration and no politics. All but a handful of the nearly 70 bikes were occupied by ponytail-wagging, sports bra-wearing riders who had showed up for a workout led by Mireya D'Angelo , one of the company's most popular instructors. As " Havana " by Camila Cabello and Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" blasted in the dark room, the mostly female cyclers swayed and bopped like dancers at a club exclusively for stationary bikers. Toward the end of the class, the staffers who had been working at the check-in desk skipped in and sashayed across the studio, wielding flashlights and positive attitudes. Many bikers swung hand towels above their heads. In the parking lot after class, the feel-good endorphins turned to agitated adrenaline as some riders realized a reporter was present. "Are you here to ruin people's day?" shouted one woman wearing a baseball cap with the word "LOVE" written in rainbow letters. Her friend called out, "I love you, SoulCycle!" Jared Epstein, who lives in New York City and Water Mill, was circumspect. "All Americans are entitled to their own opinions and their own political views," he said, calling Mr. Ross "a great human being. "What about the Democrats and the liberals?" he added. "More hate spews from them." Evan Johnson, a rising senior at Cornell University who grew up in Sag Harbor and worked as a desk attendant at SoulCycle two summers ago, got out of her mother's car and asked if she could share her perspective on a SoulCycle investor's role in a Trump fund-raiser. "I'm very upset," she said. "I feel like it goes against everything they tell people to work toward and all the values they say they promote. I think Mr. Ross should consider his constituency and the base which supports his business." Mr. Ross, the man whose political fund-raising is at the center of this tempest, is a billionaire who owns the Miami Dolphins and has a wide range of business interests anchored by the Related Companies, one of the most powerful real-estate interests in New York. (Related Companies retains a majority stake in Equinox, of which SoulCycle is a subsidiary   the holding is divided among the firm's partners, of which Mr. Ross is only one, making him a minority investor.) Mr. Ross issued a statement on Wednesday noting that he had known President Trump for 40 years. He said he agreed with him on some issues, but "strongly disagreed" on others. He also said he has always "been an active participant in the democratic process." Mr. Ross has primarily been a donor to Republicans, though he has given to Democrats as well over the years, including Senators Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Mark Warner of Virginia, as well as Representative Lois Frankel of Florida. So far in 2019, Mr. Ross has contributed $150,000, topped by $50,000 to the Republican National Committee and $33,600 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. In the 2018 midterms, Mr. Ross's largest contributions were $155,000 to the political committees of then-Speaker Paul Ryan and $150,000 to the R.N.C. For one anonymous SoulCycler, though, Mr. Ross's political contributions weren't the only problem. The rider took issue with how the fitness companies responded to the uproar by trying to diminish Mr. Ross's influence. The cycler attended class because he had already paid for it, and thought a boycott would hurt the company employees more than its wealthy investors. "I think they need to get on top of this big time," said the customer, who declined to be named. "I've already paid for a big package of classes, but I'm waiting to see what they do next before I pay for more." Boutique fitness classes, perhaps more than other ways people could spend $45 of disposable income on a Thursday morning, are closely tied to people's identity and sense of community. The routine becomes a part of their lives. "You're going to hear people say, 'Keep politics out of business, keep politics out of exercise.' But all politics is is principles, and it is values," said Anne Mahlum, the chief executive of Solidcore, a D.C.-based fitness chain that offers Pilates-inspired classes. "So what you are asking people to do is to set aside their values in certain situations, and that's a tough ask." In 2017, Ms. Mahlum faced intense criticism after she requested a meeting with Ivanka Trump, who had attended a class using an alias. Ms. Mahlum said she wanted to register her concern about Mr. Trump's policies and Ms. Trump's involvement in them. "Discovering something about a company, it's like discovering your boyfriend has been cheating on you for three years," Ms. Mahlum said. "If people didn't know Ross was a Trump supporter, and are now finding out, they have an opportunity to decide how to respond to the new information. If they say 'This is not O.K.,' that's their right. If they say, 'This doesn't bother me,' then that's great, too." And if customers do decide it's not O.K., New York-area cardio enthusiasts will have an affordable alternative this weekend. The chief executive of the New York Sports Club fitness chain announced his facilities will waive fees for people switching gyms. Ms. Hall, who had struggled with the decision over whether to attend the SoulCycle class, wished afterward that she hadn't. "I was annoyed no one said anything in the class about what is going on," she said. "SoulCycle for me was something that made me feel good. But I think, for the time being, I am done." Shane Goldmacher and Michael J. de la Merced contributed reporting.