The NBA is in expansion mode.
As well as the would-be franchises in Vegas and Seattle reportedly attracting bids of up to $10bn, commissioner Adam Silver wants the NBA to expand its horizons into Europe.
Across the Atlantic, NBA Europe franchises – and there are going to be at least 12 of them – are fetching bids of at least $500m, potentially up to and beyond $1bn.
There are kinks to iron out there, but Silver sees NBA Europe as his legacy project. One way or another, it is going to happen.
With a 2027 launch date targeted for NBA Europe, the Vegas franchise likely to launch in the 2028-29 season and Seattle soon after, it could be a very lucrative few years for the league.

#franchises #going #least #launch

The 10-12 Maryland Little League Baseball State Championship was held last week in Hagerstown, Maryland, as teams from across Maryland competed for the state ***** le and a spot at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals. But only one team could walk away with that honor, and that team would be the Berlin Little League team.
After winning the District 8 Championship over local rivals, Berlin Little League arrived at the Maryland State Championship Tournament as one of seven teams hoping to take one step closer towards an appearance at the Little League World Series. And they did just that, as they brought the state championship back to Berlin.
It all culminated in their 6-2 victory over South Baltimore in the ***** le game, which capped off their unbeaten run to the ***** le. According to The Herald Mail, Berlin's Jonah Isett struck out five in 4⅔ innings, only allowing two runs and two hits to help lead Berlin to victory. And at the plate, players like Isett, Jackson Howell, Gus VanKlompenberg, Miles Abott, Cole Brown also contributed to Berlin's state championship victory.
Berlin's first game of the Little League Baseball Mid-Atlantic Regionals will take place on Aug. 9 at 10 a.m., and they will play Mamie Johnson Little League of Washington, D.C. The Mid-Atlantic Regionals will take place in Bristol, Connecticut.
The winner of the Mid-Atlantic Regionals will advance to play in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, which will kick-off on Aug. 19.

#Atlantic #team

Barclays believes the next phase for equity markets will be determined by upcoming Big Tech earnings and a series of central bank meetings, as investors balance resilient corporate performance against mounting macroeconomic risks.
The bank said strong earnings have helped equities withstand higher bond yields, rising oil prices and renewed concerns over artificial intelligence spending, but warned that the investment backdrop is becoming more challenging.
According to Barclays, early second-quarter earnings have exceeded expectations on both sides of the Atlantic, reinforcing confidence in corporate fundamentals.
Despite higher interest rates and elevated energy prices, markets have remained resilient so far this reporting season. However, strategists led by Emmanuel Cau said oil prices and bond yields have now reached levels where downside risks are becoming more ****** ounced.
With no breakthrough in the conflict between the United States and Iran, Brent crude has climbed back to around $100 per barrel.

#bank #bond

The former Gonzaga Bulldogs walk-on and son of coach Mark Few will look to get his foot in the door with the previous leader of the Saint Mary's Gaels. Joe Few has joined coach Randy Bennett's staff with the Arizona State Sun Devils as a Graduate ******* istant, according to their official athletics website.
Joe's brother, AJ Few, is also following in his father's footsteps as the Director of Player Personnel on coach Leon Rice's staff with the Boise State Broncos.
Here are some other former Gonzaga players in the coaching ranks across the NCAA:
Eric McClellan – Graduate ******* istant, Florida Atlantic Owls
Stephen Gentry – ******* istant Coach, Gonzaga Bulldogs

#mark

Clipway, a London-based firm set up by a team of Ardian veterans, has reached a $6.4 billion final close on its maiden fund—a global record for a debut secondaries vehicle.
The raise defies a trend toward capital consolidating around scale incumbents, as it leverages an AI-driven sourcing system built to compete with much larger rivals.
The firm—which was set up just three years ago by a founding team including Vincent Gombault, Ingmar Vallano, and Benoît Verbrugghe—started raising its first fund, Clipway Secondary Fund I, in 2023 with a $4 billion target.
The fund closes 60% above its original goal and drew commitments from 186 LPs, with Europe supplying 44% of capital, North and Latin America 21%, the Middle East 18% and Asia 17%. Some of the firm's strategic partners include Mubadala Investment Company, Carmignac and General Atlantic.
Clipway sets itself apart by embedding its own tech-enabled system, TESS, throughout its investment process—a database covering more than 38,500 private companies that screens and underwrites deals before a human reviews them.

#investment #team #capital

TAMPA − Florida football coach Jon Sumrall said the Gators have "two starting QBs" right now and offered no timeline on a decision to name a starter before UF's season opener on Sept. 5 against Florida Atlantic (7:45 p.m., SEC Network).
Sumrall enters his first fall camp with the Florida Gators undecided on whether to start redshirt sophomore Aaron Philio or redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. at quarterback.
"I've met with both of those guys individually," Sumrall said at SEC Football Media Day. "I'll meet with them before we start training camp together. I'll meet with the whole room. Just because you start game 1 doesn't mean you start game 12 ... my timeline might be five minutes before a game before anybody finds out."
Philo, a transfer from Georgia Tech, played under new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner with the Yellow Jackets and is more familiar with the scheme. Jones, though, impressed coaches this spring with his leadership ability and ability to throw the ball deep.
In UF's spring game, Philo completed 21-of-28 passes for 193 yards and 2 TDs but also threw two intercepions. Jones completed 13-of-17 passes for 210 yards and 2 TDs but was sacked three times.

#gators #i 'll #timeline

BRISTOL, Conn. — Long Island’s Massapequa International Little League secured its ninth 12U state ******* le after its softball team defeated Stony Point 5-1 in the New York Little League state softball tournament and is now making its first Little League Softball World Series (LLSWS) Mid-Atlantic Regional semifinal appearance since 2023.
Massapequa International Little League softball team (New York) captured two thrilling victories in similar fashion against Delaware and Maryland in the early rounds of the Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament to advance to the regional semifinal, where the team will compete against New Jersey at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 22, for a ticket to the regional final game against Pennsylvania.
The 2023 World Series champion defeated M.O.T (Delaware) in a close 4-3 victory on Monday to keep their playoff run alive.
New York’s Milla Sollitto changed the tone of the game after hitting a triple in the top of the sixth inning and capitalizing on Delaware’s outfield error on the next play to break the 3-3 tie. Sophia Nislow led the way for the team with one run and two hits, while Sollitto finished with one run, one hit, and one RBI in the regional victory.
More: NY Little League teams have begun their journey to the 2026 Little League World Series

#regional

L.J. Cason is headed home.
Cason, the the former Michigan guard from Lakeland, Florida, announced Tuesday he is transferring to Miami (Florida).
Cason spent two seasons at Michigan, after committing to Florida Atlantic, where Dusty May was head coach. He followed May to Michigan, where he cracked the rotation as a freshman and was a key contributor as a sophomore. As the team's backup point guard, he averaged 8.4 points and 2.4 ******* ists in 18.6 minutes and shot 40.2% from 3-point range across 28 games last season.
Cason was playing his best basketball and was having a breakout campaign when he went down with a torn ACL in late February. He held off having surgery until April 9 — three days after Michigan beat UConn in the national ******* le game — so he could still be with the team during the NCAA Tournament.
Cason was the lone holdover Michigan was unable to hang on to following May's departure to the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. The other 13 players on the roster previously announced their plans to stay at Michigan for the 2026-27 season and play for former ******* istant Mike Boynton Jr., who agreed to a two-year deal as the Wolverines' head coach this month.

#coach

Michigan men's basketball point guard L.J. Cason officially entered his name into the transfer portal on July 20. Just one day later, he has a new college basketball home.
The Florida native is taking his talents back to his home state, as he is set to transfer to the University of Miami.
Cason was a three-star prospect and originally committed to Florida Atlantic in the 2024 recruiting class before Dusty May left for Michigan. He followed May to Ann Arbor and found immediate success as a true freshman, playing in all 30 games off the bench. He averaged 4.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and one ****** ist in 11.8 minutes per game his first year in college.
He took another step forward this past year, playing in 28 games and averaging 8.4 points, 2.4 ****** ists and 1.9 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game. Cason was playing really well midseason prior to his season-ending ACL injury at Illinois on Feb. 27, the night the Wolverines clinched the Big Ten regular-season championship.
Head coach Mike Boynton Jr. and company will now be tasked with coming up with a plan to distribute minutes at the point guard position for the 2026-27 season. Cason was reportedly eyeing a late-season return from his ACL tear, but now that he is officially gone, developing a plan with the remaining guys on the roster should be a priority. Elliot Cadeau is locked in as the starter, while Trey McKenney and Brandon McCoy Jr. will also likely ply a factor handling the ball. The Wolverines also welcome in another true freshman in Joseph Hartman who might be able to earn some minutes at point guard as well.

#season #Florida #wolverines

Artificial intelligence (AI) data centers are popping up everywhere, to the point where it's becoming a source of political backlash. Yet while the debate over where to build data centers rages on, one thing remains very certain.
As AI data centers proliferate, electricity demand will continue to rise as well. While this trend could bode well for utility stocks across the board, it could serve as a strong long-term catalyst for the following three electric utility stocks in particular: Constellation Energy Group (NASDAQ: CEG), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), and NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE).
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Spun off from utilities giant Exelon in 2022, Constellation Energy Group provides electricity and natural gas to a variety of customers, including regulated utility companies. What makes Constellation especially interesting is its high exposure to nuclear power.
That is, the company owns and operates 15 nuclear power plants, primarily in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. In the past, nuclear power has been a controversial industry, but in recent years, public and private stakeholders have recognized nuclear power's value as a scalable, low-carbon energy source, with nuclear power plants a viable "green" alternative to coal- and natural gas-fired power plants.

Kelly Klein has remembered the last day she saw Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, nearly 27 years after Carolyn died in a plane crash with John F. Kennedy Jr. and her sister, Lauren Bessette.
Klein posted two photographs of Carolyn on July 15 and wrote that the date in 1999 had marked their final meeting. The photographer and designer became close with Carolyn during their years around Calvin Klein's fashion house.
One image showed Carolyn on a trip to Paris. The other came from a Calvin Klein fitting, with Carolyn wearing a pale yellow dress with white lace detailing.
Carolyn died the following night, July 16, 1999, when the plane piloted by her husband crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard. She was 33, John was 38 and Lauren was 34.
"I didn't know today would have been the last day I saw you!" Klein wrote in the Instagram caption. "If you only knew what was going on down here!"

Aside from the storied World Cup history between England and Argentina, the national teams' meetings have had political undertones since the Falklands War in 1982.
The Falklands – or "Malvinas" by their Argentine name – is an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Argentina, but operates as a British Overseas Territory. With their sovereignty in dispute, Argentina's military junta invaded the territory in 1982.
The British sent its fleet across the Atlantic and retook the islands after a 74-day conflict resulting in 907 deaths.
Anticipating an intense crowd Wednesday in Atlanta, Argentina's security minister Alejandra Monteoliva, said enhanced measures had been discussed at a meeting in the United States. With the historic tensions Atlanta police are upping security and plan to deploy 1,600 officers around the match.
Monteoliva said Argentina fans would not be able to take any flags or banners into the stadium which claimed sovereignty over the islands.

It's that time of year again for the talented girls from Toms River to show their skills on the national stage.
The Toms River Little League softball team repeated as state champions on Sunday with an emphatic 9-3 victory over Waterford. It was an impressive undefeated run through the state tournament, as those three runs were the only ones allowed as Toms River outscored opponents 20-3 across three wins.
With the state ******* le in hand, Toms River will represent New Jersey in the Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament in Bristol, Connecticut that will be broadcast on ESPN starting Saturday.
In addition to New Jersey, the region also includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Washington and Maryland.
The double-elimination tournament will finish with the ESPN broadcast of the final Thursday, July 23. The other games will be on on ESPN+ and ESPN2.

The Virginia Tech Hokies are operating on a different level these days. After hiring James Franklin as head football coach last November, it was later revealed that Virginia Tech would also be looking for a new school president and athletic director, as President Tim Sands and Athletic Director Whit Babcock announced their retirements.
Last month, Virginia Tech found Babcock’s successor, hiring Brian White from Florida Atlantic University. Before his time at FAU, White also spent time at Tulsa, Louisiana Tech and Missouri. He’s the son of retired Duke AD Kevin White and the brother of Tennessee AD Danny White and Georgia men’s basketball coach Mike White.
White brought his top ******* istant, Ryan Gottlieb, over as Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Strategy Officer.
On Tuesday, White made another big-time hire, hiring Brad Bell as the Executive ******* ociate Athletics Director of Advancement and Executive Director. Bell comes to Blacksburg from the University of Georgia, where he spent the past five years as ******* ociate athletic director for major gifts. You had me at Georgia.
Bell comes from a fundraising background, with 14 years of experience. He raised tens of millions during his time at Georgia. He played college football at Furman, where he was a four-year letterman.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni says he is not concerned about fatigue or his team’s performance before another FIFA World Cup semifinal as they prepare to renew their rivalry with England on Wednesday.
The World Cup holders will be seeking to make it to consecutive finals by beating Thomas Tuchel’s side in a fixture that evokes 1986 and Diego Maradona, as well as the lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
“We are in good shape, and we really can’t wait. This is a World Cup semifinal, and our hopes are intact. We are so grateful to these players for getting us here again,” Scaloni told reporters on the eve of the showdown in Atlanta.
Argentina, with an ageing side led by a 39-year-old Lionel Messi, have had to battle their way through the knockout rounds to get here.
Twice they were pegged back before beating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time. Then they needed a late comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta, before requiring another draining half-an-hour of extra time to sink 10-man Switzerland 3-1 last Saturday.

Hines Ward is one of the most beloved players in Pittsburgh Steelers history. From 1998-2011, he was one of the most consistent receivers in the league, and also one of the toughest.
From 2001-04, Ward made four consecutive Pro Bowls and was a Second-Team All-Pro three years in a row from 2002-04. In 2005, he helped the Steelers make it to the Super Bowl, catching what ended up being the game-sealing touchdown en route to being named the MVP of Super Bowl XL. Three seasons later, he put together his fifth 1,000-yard season as the Steelers won their second championship of the decade.
In the years since his retirement, Ward has taken the path of coaching. He interned with the Steelers in 2017 and was an offensive ****** istant for the New York Jets from 2019-20. From there, he became the wide receivers coach at Florida Atlantic in 2021, and had the chance to be a head coach in the UFL for the San Antonio Brahmas. Now at Arizona State University, Ward is the team’s wide receivers coach, as well as ****** ociate head coach. On a recent episode of the Yinziders Podcast, Ward said that coaching was something he did even as a player.
“As a player, I was always running all our drills,” Ward said. “You know, yes, I’ve had coaches, but the coaches that came in [would be like], ‘Hey, what type of drills do you guys do?’ I was like, “I got it covered.‘ So, I was always kind taking a bull by its horn.“
As previously noted, Ward has already been at his fair share of stops over the last decade – something that he and every coach has to understand is part of the life of a coach.

At his first two colleges, Washington Huskies wide receiver Christian Moss wore a different jersey number.
This fall won't be any different as the 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior will wear No. 5, the same number he wore back in 2021 as a senior at North Cobb High School in Georgia.
Moss began his college football career at Virginia Tech after coming on late as a senior. A breakout game against Buford High School, a 28-14 victory for North Cobb, saw the Peach State product record a pair of touchdowns and put up a 100-plus yard game against the Georgia high school football powerhouse, and in turn, his recruitment began to take form.
He ultimately chose the Hokies and then-coach Justin Fuente, but only played two seasons in Blacksburg before an injury led to his removal from the Atlantic Coast Conference program's roster, which forced Moss to miss the entire 2023 season.
This spring proved to be no different, as Moss missed the majority of UW's spring football practices while recovering from a hamstring injury. Moss is expected to compete for the starting X receiver role in fall camp along with freshman Jordan Clay and sophomore Chris Lawson, in addition to Ohio State transfer Bodpegn Miller.

Mike Boynton Jr. is set to lose his first player since being named head coach, as Michigan point guard L.J. Cason intends on entering the transfer portal upon its opening for every player on the Wolverines’ roster.
Cason came to Michigan as a lowly regarded three-star prospect out of Lakeland, Florida. Former head coach Dusty May landed his commitment at Florida Atlantic prior to him leaving for the Michigan job, so Cason followed him to Ann Arbor. He contributed right away as a true freshman, playing in all 30 games coming off the bench for the Wolverines. Cason averaged 4.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, one ***** ist in 11.8 minutes per game.
He took a major step forward as a sophomore in the national championship-winning 2025-26 season, playing in 28 games (off the bench once again) and averaging 8.4 points, 2.4 ***** ists and 1.9 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game. Cason was on a midseason heater — including putting up a career-high 18 points at Northwestern on Feb. 11 — prior to his season-ending torn ACL injury that he suffered in the Big Ten regular-season championship-clinching win at Illinois on Feb. 27.
Cason may have only played in seven more minutes per game between his freshman and sophomore years, but his shooting percentage significantly improved. This past season, Cason shot 50.3 percent from the field (81-for-161) and 40.2 percent from beyond the arc (33-for-82), more than doubling his three-point total as a freshman.
Prior to May leaving for the Dallas Mavericks, there was a plan in place for Cason to redshirt during the 2026-27 season. However, the 5-in-5 rule that passed by the NCAA earlier this summer enabled him to possibly be able to return for the upcoming season. This rule gives college athletes five years to compete from the time they turn 19 years old or graduate from high school, whichever happens first. This is set to end redshirting altogether and, in turn, let Cason return from injury sooner than once expected.

Dziki Warsaw has officially signed former Iowa State men's basketball player Osun Osunniyi for the 2026-27 season. Standing at 6-foot-10, Osunniyi joins the Polish OBL (first tier) after spending the last two years with MLP Academics Heidelberg in the German BBL (first tier). During his most recent season in Germany, he averaged 7.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. He also showcased his defensive versatility in the Basketball Champions League, where he recorded 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
Before his tenure in Germany, Osunniyi established himself as an elite professional in Belgium with Limburg United. In 2024, he helped lead his team to a Belgian Cup victory and was honored as the Eurobasket.com All-BNXT League Defensive Player of the Year. This professional success followed a storied collegiate career where he recorded 1,372 points, 1,027 rebounds and 340 blocks.
Osunniyi's reputation as a premier rim protector began at St. Bonaventure, where he finished as the program's all-time leader in blocks with 305.
He was the first player in the school's history to be named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, an honor he won in both 2021 and 2022. His impact was most visible in 2021 when he anchored a defense that ranked in the top 10 nationally and was named the Atlantic 10 Championship Most Outstanding Player after leading the Bonnies to a conference ******* le. Even as a freshman, he led all NCAA Division I freshmen in blocks, signaling his immediate impact on the college game.
In his final collegiate season at Iowa State, Osunniyi continued his dominance, leading the Cyclones in both blocks (35) and dunks (32).

Energy regulators warned data centers could be cut off as a heat wave swept the mid-Atlantic states.
PJM, which runs the regional grid, said "demand response" kept power consumption manageable.
Dark smoke was seen rising from a Virginia data center. Other big loads also ran diesel generators.
Ashburn, Virginia, is in the heart of America's "data center alley." Over the July 4 weekend, diesel generators at a Digital Realty data center switched on as temperatures spiked.
Dark smoke floated above ACC9, one of dozens of data centers clustered in Ashburn and nearby cities, according to a video and photos from July 3 seen by Business Insider. The company said it turned on generators as part of a program run by the electrical grid operator, PJM Interconnection, to reduce the load on the grid during times of peak demand.

Wimbledon and the World Cup are known for their high stakes, high drama and - this year - high fashion.
On both sides of the Atlantic, fans, celebrities and players have been bringing their sartorial A-game to two of the biggest sporting events of the summer.
Use our interactive tool to rate their tournament style. There are four rounds and each allows you to select your standout looks.
Keep clicking on your favourite outfits until you find the one you like best. Then select your overall winner. Will it be football or tennis?
Choose your overall winner.

LSU baseball sophomore right-handed pitcher Deven Sheerin was picked by the Philadelphia Phillies with the No. 128 overall selection in the fourth round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday, July 11.
Sheerin was the third current LSU player to be taken in this year's draft, following outfielder Derek Curiel, who went in the first round and outfielder Jake Brown, who went in the second round.
Coming into the MLB Draft, Sheerin was rated as the 145th overall best prospect and his projected slot value at No. 128 was $597.40k.
After starting his college career at Mount St. Mary's, he broke into the college baseball scene by winning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year. Following that, he transferred to LSU for his sophomore campaign working his way into the Tigers bullpen mix.
LSU DRAFT TRACKER: LSU baseball MLB Draft tracker: Where Tiger players, signees are selected

A lot of baseball players childhood dreams will come true this weekend in the 2026 MLB Draft.
The selections will take place in Philadelphia as The Show will bring in a new class of talented ball players and future stars. There are some players from the Jersey Shore that are likely to get selected this weekend.
AJ Gracia is a left-handed hitting outfielder that played his high school days at Ranney School in Tinton Falls. He's projected to go in the first round of the draft according to the MLB.com prospect list. This past season for Virginia, he batted .354 and had 14 home runs and 48 RBI. Prior to Virginia, he spent two seasons at Duke. As a Blue Devil, he set a new program freshman home run record with 14 and freshman RBI record with 58.
MORE: Wall's Andrew Fischer, Central's Cam Leiter go early in MLB Draft with 6 from Shore picked
Another is Reece Moroney out of Rumson-Fair Haven High School. He was invited to the 2026 MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field in Phoenix where the Diamondbacks play. He became a standout at the University of Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 Conference. In May, he broke the single season record for most hits with 88. He's an infielder and just finished his junior season.

Saturday's FIFA World Cup quarterfinal between England and Norway faces fresh uncertainty due to severe weather conditions, with the 5pm ET kickoff potentially subject to postponement.
Thomas Tuchel and Ståle Solbakken's teams are gearing up for Saturday's marquee quarterfinal at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, but adverse weather is threatening to overshadow proceedings. With punishing heat and thunderstorms predicted throughout South Florida, mounting worries suggest the game could encounter delays or even brief halts.
The US National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the area, cautioning that temperatures could reach as high as 109°F when humidity is considered. Those circumstances have been compounded by a blanket of Saharan dust that crossed the Atlantic earlier this week, creating hazy skies and sparking health warnings for individuals with allergies and respiratory issues, via Wales Online.
England vs Norway World Cup quarter-final in danger of being hit by weather delays
Two US Soccer officials suspended by FIFA after controversial Folarin Balogun incident

CENTERVILLE — It's not just that the program endured seven consecutive losing seasons.
It's that the run of futility for the Mediapolis softball team began with a 54-game losing streak that spanned the course of four different seasons. Over five seasons, the Bullettes won by 19 of 105 games.
That was just three years ago. On Thursday, Mediapolis won its 17th game of this season pulling off a thrilling 1-0 win at 11th-ranked Centerville in the Class 3A, Region 8 quarterfinals.
"Our program was way down six years ago when we took over this thing. This is our second straight winning season. It's a testament to how good our girls are getting better and wanting to get really good," Mediapolis head softball coach Jeff Martin said. "It shows on the field. We've won a lot of close games like this."
The postseason road win for Mediapolis mirrored the success that Centerville had last season when the Redettes scored a pair of road wins in regional tournament play, including a regional semifinal win at No. 14 Atlantic. Like Mediapolis, Centerville has has to overcome tough seasons to find sustained success going from a three-win season in 2022 to 35 wins over the past two seasons, finishing up 17-7 this year with a top-15 statewide ranking.

LAS VEGAS — Not quite 10 years ago, while attempting to record a UFC 205 pre-fight show outside of Madison Square Garden with Ariel Helwani and Marc Raimondi, a great fiasco took place. As soon as we started taping, a mob of Irishmen came storming toward us, a couple of hundred strong, singing and cavorting and generally causing a scene of pure pandemonium. That whole show consisted of Ariel holding onto the mic for dear life while Raimondi and I were consumed into the sea of green.
Ah, yes, the good ol’ days of Conor McGregor.
For that one, McGregor was getting ready to fight Eddie Alvarez for a second ***** le, this time at lightweight, and he was a virtual MMA god. I was thinking of that as he showed up to the UFC 329 press conference Thursday — on time, if you can believe that — to hype his fight with Max Holloway. Gone were the Irish who used to take out second mortgages to afford the trans-Atlantic flights to see their hero. What was on hand was a broader MMA fanbase, UFC fans, who gave McGregor the loudest pop when he played the hits, yet it wasn’t quite the same.
I heard somebody in the media call McGregor’s performance “cosplay,” which was an apt enough word for it. This version of Conor, the one who has found God, wanted everyone to know that the “Mac was back,” which the crowd got behind. Still, the conviction wasn’t there.
And maybe using a word like conviction hits a little too close to home, too. Because these days … well, it’s more complicated than it used to be.

The golf architecture team of Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner have signed on to restore Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, a seaside course originally designed by C.B. Macdonald with collaborator Seth Raynor and opened in 1921. The course work will follow a clubhouse renovation and upgrade, with the course slated to close for the restoration in the fall of 2027.
Mid Ocean was the only course Macdonald, a famed Golden Age architect, designed outside the United States. Mid Ocean, which accepts limited non-member play, ranks No. 6 on the 2026 Golfweek’s Best list of top courses in the Caribbean, Mexico, South America and the Atlantic islands. It also ranks among the top 100 courses outside the United States.
"C.B. Macdonald is on my personal Mount Rushmore of golf architects, so it’s an honor to have the opportunity to work on another of his courses," Hanse – who also restored Macdonald’s designs at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, The Creek Club and Yale Golf Course – said in a media release announcing the project. "He only built 10 or 12 golf courses, depending on how many you credit to him. The fact that we now have a significant opportunity at Mid Ocean Club means the world to us.
"Every single golf course C.B. Macdonald worked on was impactful, not only from the standpoint of that particular club, but in the world of golf course architecture."
Macdonald pioneered the use of template holes in his designs, using the concepts of great holes abroad to recreate strategic demands with “ideal holes.” One particular template in play at Mid Ocean – the Cape Hole design at No. 5, a par 4 that launches off an elevated tee then curves around a lake – was described by Hanse as “one of the greatest holes in the world.”

July 8 (Reuters) - AI chip startup SambaNova said on Wednesday it has raised $1 billion in a late-stage funding round led ‌by General Atlantic at an $11 billion post-money valuation.
The company makes custom ‌chips, hardware systems and cloud services tailored for inference - the process by which models respond to user queries.
Here are some details:
• The Series F round included significant investment from Seligman Ventures, T. Rowe Price ***** ociates and Capital Group.
• New and existing investors include A&E Investment, ***** am Ventures, funds and accounts managed ‌by BlackRock, Intel Capital and ⁠the Qatar Investment Authority.

September S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESU26) are down -0.96%, and September Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQU26) are down -1.34% this morning as sentiment took a hit after U.S. President Donald Trump declared an end to the ceasefire with Iran, sending oil prices and bond yields soaring.
When asked at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara, Turkey, whether the ceasefire and memorandum of understanding were over, Trump said: "It's a very interesting question. For me, I think it's over. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time." The price of WTI crude jumped over +5% following Trump's comments. Treasuries fell across the curve as a spike in oil prices reignited inflation concerns, with the benchmark 10-year yield rising two basis points to 4.58%.
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Meta's technology chief shared details on the data leak from its Model Capability Initiative.
Andrew Bosworth said an internal researcher had put the data "in a place it wasn't supposed to go."
The program has been paused temporarily since June.
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth shed new light on the data leak that made the company pause its unpopular Model Capability Initiative.
In an interview with The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson, released on Wednesday, Bosworth spoke about why Meta paused the AI training program that involved tracking employee keystrokes. The interview was filmed in late June.