Mizzou's 2026 fall camp has wrapped up. The team finished camp with a scrimmage under the lights at Faurot. Afterwards, head coach Eli Drinkwitz, wide receiver Donovan Olugbode and cornerback Chris Graves Jr. addressed the media.
The players brought different perspectives to the table, Olugbode being a young returner and Graves being a veteran transfer. Regardless of where both of them are in their playing careers, they improved through the fall.
Olugbode pointed to diversifying his skill set as a receiver as an emphasis coming into camp and feels like he achieved this goal.
"My contested catching, my run after the catch ability, getting more explosive after the catch," Olugbode listed as areas of improvement.
Graves' experience showed in his response. He was primarily focused on enhancing areas that he was already great in and gaining a better connection with the secondary.

#graves #receiver #areas

Republican lawmakers are still locked in a power struggle with the White House over control of federal cash, long since President Donald Trump swept back into office with unprecedented orders undermining Congress' power of the purse.
Earlier this month, GOP senators overwhelmingly agreed to a bipartisan government funding bill that would temporarily block the Trump administration from finalizing a federal rule to let political appointees steer money toward grants "aligned with the president's agenda." The House could clear that bill next month, and Trump is expected to sign it to avert a shutdown before the midterms.
And while the days of widespread funding freezes might be over, the Trump administration continues to create new rules for federal grants and then deny funding based on them — only to be repeatedly shot down in court this summer.
Lawmakers in both parties have also blasted White House budget director Russ Vought this year for delaying the release of cash for congressionally backed programs for antipoverty services, foreign **** istance, banking in underserved areas and more.
"Congress has appropriated money, and you don't have the authority to impound it," Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) chastised Vought this spring over the withholding of hundreds of millions of dollars the Trump administration is supposed to send quarterly to states.

#Trump #administration #power

This entire offseason, most all conversations around Alabama have been something along the lines of "They improved a few areas from 2025, but we still don't know who the QB is."
Well, now we do. And he's only a former #2 overall recruit who also happens to be the highest ranked recruit that Alabama has ever signed.
Keelon Russell has been named Alabama's starting quarterback ahead of the 2026 football season, BamaOnLine has learned. Multiple national reports and Yea Alabama also confirmed it.
Russell, a sophomore, has competed with senior Austin Mack all offseason. But the former began to pick up steam toward the end of spring practice. Mack was limited by an injury, and Russell had a strong showing throughout the week leading up to the A-Day scrimmage. He then had a big day throwing the ball, completing 21-of-33 passes for 240 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in front of the spring crowd that gathered at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
During Alabama's two preseason scrimmages in August, Russell continued to impress those who were in attendance. Buzz about him likely being named the Tide's starting quarterback picked up prior to the second and final scrimmage, and while head coach Kalen DeBoer did not tip his hand to reporters, Russell was ultimately named the UA starter over the weekend.

#recruit #starting #spring

Newly-promoted Hull City stunned Manchester United on their return to the Premier League with two first-half goals giving them victory.
Here are my player ratings and you can also see how you scored them at the bottom of the page.
What do BBC Sport's player ratings mean?
Konstantinos Tzolakis: Excellent one-handed save to turn away Mbeumo's angled drive, commanding when he came for high ******* . Really good debut. 8.
Lewie Coyle (off 70): Early deep cross for McBurnie from right wing-back area gave a hint of Hull's plan to attack from wide areas. 7.

#manchester

Everton begin the 2026/27 Premier League season at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, and David Moyes already has problems to solve. Some are familiar, some are self-inflicted, and one or two are simply down to injuries.
The biggest issues are in midfield, at right-back, and up front. That is where the team selection gets interesting. Everton have added bodies this summer, but opening day rarely waits for a squad to feel complete.
At the Hill ******* inson Stadium, Moyes is likely to trust what he has, even if what he has still looks short in a couple of areas.
James Garner, Christian Norgaard and Tim Iroegbunam are all out, which strips Everton of depth and balance in the middle of the pitch. Add Idrissa Gana Gueye's summer departure and the picture is obvious, Moyes is light in one of the most important parts of the side.
That opens the door for Harrison Armstrong. He has reportedly done enough in pre-season to earn serious consideration and, right now, Everton need legs, discipline and composure more than reputation.

#everton #season

SAO PAULO (AP) — The world is increasingly turning to Brazil to explore for rare earth minerals that are crucial for technology and renewable energy. The country's large reserves are second only to China and have attracted investors, many of them with foreign support.
An ***** ysis by The ***** ociated Press and Reporter Brasil of all National Mining Agency records through June shows that rare earth exploration applications have surged, with more than 86% filed in the past three years, including 268 in the first half of 2026.
The interest is already raising environmental concerns for the Amazon and other areas.
Here are takeaways from the story:
Rare earth minerals are a group of chemicals essential in digital and defense technologies, used in electronics, magnets and batteries. They are also used in wind turbines and electric vehicle motors, critical to the transition away from fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal that cause global warming. The International Energy Agency estimated in 2022 that demand for rare earths could increase at least threefold by 2040.

#rare #associated

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has forayed into cricket at the league level, signing a multi-year partnership with the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) as its Digital Transformation Partner.

Under the partnership, TCS will work on the league's digital ecosystem, including fan engagement, ticketing, live match experiences and personalised content. The company will also use data and artificial intelligence across areas such as player development and commercial partnerships, according to the announcement.

TCS had previously entered the cricket ecosystem in 2009, when it became the technology partner of Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. The company provided IT solutions aimed at improving operations, on-field performance, and fan engagement.

The move is also part of TCS's wider presence in sports technology. In June, the company signed a multi-year partnership with Tottenham Hotspur as the English Premier League club's Digital Transformation Partner. The engagement covers areas including fan experience, club operations, **** ytics and the club's wider digital ecosystem.

The ETPL is an ICC-sanctioned T20 competition involving teams from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. Its inaugural season is scheduled to begin on August 26, with matches to be played in the Netherlands and Ireland.

#etpl

On Valentine's Day in 2024, an Atlanta woman sat in her car with hair wrapped in heatless curlers and told a story of discovery on TikTok.
The woman called the series "Who TF Did I Marry?!?" and over the course of more than 50 videos, she detailed how her ex-husband lied, cheated and stole his way through their relationship.
That first video has more than 33 million views, and the series would go on to become a viral sensation, inspiring spinoff videos, reaction clips across the internet and a television show.
The woman, whose name is Tareasa Johnson, is now digging deeper into the gripping story with a book ******* led "What (TF) Do I Do Now?" which was released on Tuesday.
Here's what we know.

#series

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola believes his side do not have enough wingers for the start of the season - but is confident they will find a solution before the end of the transfer window.
Liverpool had a £50m bid for Brighton's Yankuba Minteh rejected earlier this week and have explored the possibility of a move for Paris St-Germain's Ibrahim Mbaye.
PSG's Bradley Barcola remains Liverpool's main target as they look to strengthen in the wide attacking areas before the transfer window concludes.
"As a manager, this is an easy one for me. I wanted the players for the first day on 13 July - everyone here and all the positions doubled with top-level players," said Iraola when asked about the transfer window.
"But you understand how the competition works, that (the) market is open and you start the competition. We have to adapt as coaches to this situation.

#window #players #Competition #minteh

The global media ******* ytics and digital advertising market is at a phase of rapid restructuring, as evidenced by Nielsen's definitive agreement to buy digital ad verification leader DoubleVerify Holdings Inc. (NYSE:DV) for $2.15 billion on August 6. Under the terms of the agreement, Nielsen will pay $13.60 per share in cash for all outstanding DV shares. The acquisition brings together Nielsen's cross-media audience measurement expertise with DoubleVerify's real-time digital ad verification, fraud prevention, and brand-safety tech stack. The merged company is expected to generate more than $4 billion in annual pro-forma revenue while targeting clients responsible for more than $300 billion in advertising spending.
Nielsen's operating approach is based on creating an all-in-one measurement and verification framework for advertisers around the world. By incorporating DoubleVerify's verification capabilities into the Nielsen ONE platform, the merged company will provide marketers with a single portal for measuring reach, frequency, viewability, and ad fraud all at once.
Domestically, the combined structure focuses on Connected TV (CTV) and retail media networks, where diverse viewing patterns and verification gaps have caused buyer friction. Internationally, the transaction could use Nielsen's extensive enterprise partnerships in Europe and Asia-Pacific to expand DoubleVerify's verification footprint into high-growth digital areas without incurring the costs of setting up independent sales units.
Following the transaction, prominent Wall Street firms reset ratings around $13.60, indicating limited upside and seeing the stock as a merger arbitrage trade with limited growth potential. Q2 2026 showed only 3% revenue growth but solid profitability, with a 34% adjusted EBITDA margin, substantial free cash flow, no debt, $210 million in cash, and adjusted EPS of $0.22 versus the $0.11 projected.
Meanwhile, other shareholder law firms are looking whether the $13.60 deal undervalues DoubleVerify Holdings Inc. (NYSE:DV) or comes with limited rights, which may lead to demands for better terms or further details. That said, hedge fund exposure for DoubleVerify Holdings Inc. (NYSE:DV) rose ahead of the transaction, increasing from 32 in Q4 2025 to 40 in Q1 2026. Also, Nielsen's private equity owners, Elliott Investment Management and Brookfield Business Partners, saw the drop in valuation as an attractive entry point to amass software-like recurring revenues and high-margin verification businesses.

#verification #Media #billion #transaction

A Bloomberg report on August 18 revealed that BP plc (NYSE:BP) has become the latest foreign company to enter the Venezuelan oil trade, with the tanker Monte Lema loading 400,000 barrels of heavy fuel oil for the British energy giant. The oil is being supplied by the state-owned PDVSA. The strategic move places BP among a select group of companies, including trading giants Trafigura and Vitol, with direct access to Venezuelan oil.
The development comes a few days after it was announced that the London-based company would partner with two other firms to develop the second phase of the Loran gasfield, in one of the first large-scale foreign investments in the South American country since the ouster of Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. That said, while the consortium has secured the official exploration and production license, the project remains in the pre-FID phase.
The developments come after President Trump called for global oil companies to invest in Venezuela and help restore and modernize its dilapidated oil infrastructure. The South American nation is sitting on the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, accounting for roughly 17% of the global total. However, the oil-rich country's government nationalized major heavy oil projects in 2007, forcing foreign operators into minority stakes or outright seizing their **** ets.
As a relatively early mover, BP plc (NYSE:BP) stands to gain a lot from a gradual revival of Venezuelan oil output. The company appears to be positioning itself across multiple areas of Venezuela's energy value chain – from exploration to production, to trading and international marketing. It means that the energy giant could benefit from the country in many ways as it reconnects with global energy markets.
Moreover, BP's entry into the Venezuelan oil trade could give it an opportunity to capture trading margins in addition to upstream earnings. This could be particularly beneficial for the company as it could potentially leverage its already existing refining, marketing, shipping, and trading infrastructure in the region. Although Trafigura and Vitol have an early foothold in Venezuela's oil trading business, BP's large integrated energy business gives it a significant competitive edge.

#energy #company #vitol

Liverpool have already been linked with a whole host of players this summer.
The Anfield outfit were expected to make many different changes to their ranks and, while they have welcomed three new players through the Anfield doors, it's unclear whether they'll make much of an impact.
Of course, Ronald Aruajo and Jeremy Jacquet are bound to get a lot of playing time due to the number of injuries that the Reds' defence seems to suffer every year but, someone such as Munoz might not be ready to fill Mohamed Salah's boots yet.
Indeed, a deal for Bradley Barcola is being rumoured in the background but, until that is completed, fans have to look at the options that Liverpool have available to them.
Despite their attack needing some serious work, other areas of their ranks could also do with another player or two being added to them.

#ranks #ronald

Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons expects Australia to respond strongly in the second Test after his side recorded a nine-wicket win in the series opener in Darwin.

The result was Bangladesh's first Test victory on Australian soil and was described by Australian media as the "Darwin Disaster". Simmons said his players cannot afford to relax when they face the World Test Championship leaders in Mackay from Saturday.

"The only thing I had to say to them - and I will repeat it anyway - is that Australia is going to come harder," Simmons said.

"We have to either keep that level of performance or get a little bit better. Even if we have to get 1% better in some areas, then we will have to make sure that that's there."

"But we know that they are going to change their game. They are going to come harder at us."

Simmons said the victory in Darwin was among the most satisfying results of his coaching career in Test cricket.

Bangladesh could also retain the same XI for the second Test despite left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam pushing for a return. Shoriful, who has taken 27 wickets in 13 Tests, missed the first Test because of a hamstring injury.

"He offers something different. But again, we just won a test match," Simmons said.

"I'm one ... who hardly likes to change winning teams. So it's a possibility, but I can't really say."

Australia, meanwhile, confirmed one change to their team on Friday. Matt Renshaw will open the batting in place of Jake Weatherald, who was dropped on Tuesday.

Captain Pat ****** mins had also considered playing four pacers by bringing in Scott Boland and leaving out spinner Nathan Lyon, but the final XI was confirmed after training.

Cummins said Australia need to produce a better performance in Mackay.

"I think if we play really well and we lose, you feel like you need to do some soul searching," he told reporters.

"I certainly felt like we didn't play anywhere near our best, and they played really well and they deserved to win. So, I think it's going back to when we play well."

"I think everyone's in a pretty good nick. So it's just about translating our form into actually a good result."

#going #better #really

The autonomous driving industry is moving rapidly towards commercialization, with competition intensifying as firms race to commercialize robotaxi services both domestically and overseas. China, in particular, is gaining growing recognition as a major player in the autonomous driving race.
Driverless vehicles are becoming a common sight in China, with companies including Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), WeRide and Pony AI Inc. (NASDAQ:PONY) operating commercial robotaxi services within select areas. The country's self-driving industry stands apart because it builds around a network of companies.
Autonomous vehicles are being made by established carmakers, specialists develop the software, and use the same batteries, sensors, and chips and as electric cars. The government is backing up the initiative through pilot programs, and China's complex traffic environment helps generate vast amounts of data to improve software.
In its latest endeavor, Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai has announced a planned and potential overseas robotaxi deployments of more than 4,000 vehicles, aiming to expand beyond China. This macro setup remains favorable for long-term demand, but profitability inherently depends on factors such as regulatory approvals, vehicle economics, and utilization.
A driverless vehicle navigating city traffic, equipped with ADAS and safety features.

#driving #vehicles #industry

Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) has expanded its partnership with Google to develop custom chips for AI infrastructure, strengthening its position in the growing custom-silicon market. The agreement covers several areas linked to Google's Tensor Processing Unit ecosystem, including AI inference accelerators, storage and networking products, memory interface controllers, and near-memory computing.
Alongside the commercial agreement, Marvell issued Google a warrant to buy up to 58.97 million Marvell shares at $206.58 each. If fully exercised, the warrant would be worth about $12.18 billion. The headline figure is important, but it needs some context because Google is not committing $12.18 billion upfront. Most of the warrants will vest only as Marvell generates revenue from Google over the coming years.
Investors reacted strongly to the news, with Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) shares gaining more than 11% in premarket trading. Broadcom, Google's existing custom-chip partner, fell more than 2%.
Photo from Marvell website
The most important part of the deal may be the way the warrant is structured. Most of the shares are linked to actual revenue from Google rather than simply vesting over time. That gives investors a fairly clear way to track how the relationship develops.

#warrant

Atletico Madrid are moving with some urgency in the transfer market, and Nicolas Jackson has emerged as a serious target. According to Marca, Mateu Alemany travelled to London on Thursday in an attempt to push discussions forward for the Chelsea forward, with Atletico seeking attacking help after an injury to Alexander Sorloth and with Julian Alvarez still short of top condition.
This is the sort of deal that makes sense on several levels, even if the mechanics look awkward. Atletico want another forward, Jackson knows Spanish football, and Chelsea have a squad that still feels crowded in key attacking areas. The issue, as ever, is cost. Atletico have already stretched themselves after the Cristian Romero deal, reported as £33 million plus £7 million in variables, so any move for Jackson appears dependent on favourable terms.
That means a loan is the obvious route, with Atletico reportedly hoping Chelsea would cover part of the player's salary. In plain terms, they want quality without paying the full freight. Clubs across Europe are trying the same trick, because the market is inflated and proven attacking players are expensive.
Marca's report places Jackson among the preferred options inside the Metropolitano. There are other names under consideration, but his profile is clear. He has pace, he attacks **** e, and he already showed in Spain that he can trouble defenders at a high level. His rise at Villarreal earned him a move to Chelsea for around £37 million after Bournemouth failed to complete a transfer for him earlier in that season.
Photo IMAGO

#jackson #deal

Amazon plans to dramatically expand its Prime Air drone delivery service, saying it expects to reach nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026 as retailers race to make airborne deliveries a larger part of everyday shopping.
The expansion would increase Prime Air's footprint sixfold, giving tens of millions more customers access to drone deliveries. Amazon said eligible shoppers can order millions of products, including groceries, electronics, medications and household essentials, with deliveries arriving in as fast as 30 minutes.
The announcement comes as the drone delivery industry appears poised for rapid growth. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed rules that would make it easier for certified operators to fly drones beyond a pilot's visual line of sight, a change companies say could significantly reduce costs and allow services to expand more quickly, according to Reuters.
Here's what to know about Amazon's Prime Air expansion, including where drone delivery is available and where it's headed next.
Prime Air currently operates from 11 delivery sites serving metro areas including Phoenix; Tampa, Florida; Kansas City, Kansas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Detroit; Omaha, Nebraska; Houston; Dallas; San Antonio; and Waco, Texas.

#delivery #amazon #expansion

Newcastle United are preparing for one of the biggest training ground projects in English football after agreeing to buy the 260-acre Woolsington Hall estate for a proposed new £190 million performance complex.
According to The Sun, the Magpies want the site, which is close to Newcastle International Airport and around five miles north-west of the city centre, to become the new home of their men's first team and academy.
Subject to planning approval, the Magpies hope to complete the move in time for the 2029/30 season, with a formal application expected to be submitted to Newcastle City Council early next year.
The project will transform the historic estate while keeping its character.
Woolsington Hall includes a listed country house and large areas of parkland, with Newcastle planning to restore and improve the existing buildings and surroundings as part of the development.

#newcastle

BEIRUT (AP) — A Canadian government official condemned what he called Israel's "unlawful invasion" of Lebanon, saying Beirut should govern its own ******* e and have sovereignty over its lands.
Randeep Sarai, Canada's secretary of state for international development, visited Lebanon to announce new humanitarian aid to the crisis-hit country, where the U.N. says some 360,000 people remain displaced as a result of the latest conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
"We have been working actively, I think, through diplomatic channels to do whatever possible to stop that and to allow Lebanese communities that are from those areas to be able to move back," Sarai said in an interview with The ******* ociated Press late Tuesday.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war started when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel on March 2, two days after the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran. The war has killed over 4,000 people, caused wide destruction in southern Lebanon and at one point displaced over 1 million people.
Israel launched a ground invasion and is now occupying dozens of towns and villages in southern Lebanon, many of which have been almost completely demolished. Israeli officials have said they will not pull out from Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.

#Iran

HONOLULU (AP) — Communities still recovering from last weekend's hurricane in Hawaii could get pounded again in coming days from another tropical system gaining strength over warm Pacific waters.
Hurricane Lala tore roofs off houses, uprooted trees, covered roads in mud and rocks and left many households without electricity. With thousands of homes and businesses still in the dark Thursday, forecasters warned yet another tropical cyclone is likely to approach the islands soon.
A depression moving west and northwest could become a tropical storm in the coming hours and pass near or south of Hawaii's Big Island over the weekend or early next week, the U.S. Central Pacific Hurricane Center said. That system could dump up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain on the Big Island and trigger life-threatening flooding, mudslides and rip currents, it added.
Forecasters said the disturbance had top sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) and was located at midday Thursday about 900 miles (1,445 kilometers) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.
"There's definitely tension in the air'' at the thought of more rain in communities that floodwaters turned into rivers, said Tiffany Edwards Hunt, a teacher living in Keaau, on the east side of the Big Island. "There were some areas that were completely washed out."

#thursday #forecasters

Since arriving at Manchester City in the summer of 2024, Savinho has made 84 appearances, scoring seven goals and contributing sixteen **** ists. Those statistics do tell the story of Savinho as a City player. The Brazilian international needs to improve his end product to become the player he promises to be on the right or left wing. Savinho is blessed with tremendous ability to beat a man and is quick, but has that one obvious, and perhaps fatal, flaw in his game. Ever since last summer, Savinho has always seemed likely to attempt to take that next step away from Manchester City. That is exactly what will transpire as Savinho will finally get his desired move to Tottenham.
All summer it has been well known that Savinho has wanted to leave Manchester City to sign for Tottenham. He has now got his wish. Fabrizio Romano has reported that Tottenham have finally reached a verbal agreement with City to sign Savinho. Romano reports that Tottenham will pay over £75 million to sign the Brazilian international who will travel to London to complete his medical with Spurs imminently.
Ciaran Wiseman reports for TalkSport that Tottenham will pay £85 million to sign Savinho. That will be a club record sale for Manchester City which represents great business for the club.
Savinho may well kick on at Tottenham and become the player he always promised to be under Roberto De Zerbi. As mentioned countless times before and above, Savinho has the tools to become an elite winger. However, at Manchester City, it never seemed like that would happen for him. Too often, Savinho flattered to deceive for City and a summer transfer is the best move for all concerned. That has finally occurred and Savinho's move to Tottenham does represent great business for Manchester City.
Securing a club record sale for a winger who hasn't quite broken through at City is fantastic. Manchester City can now reinvest that money in the areas of their squad that need improving. They've sold a player that didn't want to be at the club and an end to a saga that has run over two summer has finally arrived.

#summer #sign

By
Aug. 19, 2026 11:59 am ET
Listen
(2 min)
Scott Bessent got bang for his buck on Wednesday. The decision to double to $4 billion the size of buybacks of the longest-dated bonds led the 30-year Treasury yield to plunge 0.1 percentage point, a bigger move than any day in the past year, and lit up leveraged areas of the stock market.

#wednesday #bang #decision

Venezuela's new petroleum minister sees her South American home not as a dilapidated former oil giant, but as an emerging energy economy ripe for U.S. and foreign investments in new oil and gas exploration, both onshore and offshore.
Paula Henao, who took over as the hydrocarbons minister in March after the forced U.S. removal of former leader Nicolás Maduro, told an overflowing Houston energy audience on Wednesday that Venezuela is much more than just its famed heavy-grade crude oil. There are more than 916 exploration opportunities awaiting foreign investment, she said, including natural gas and other untapped oil basins. She cited an estimated 192 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, as well as the country's world-leading proven oil reserves of more than 300 billion barrels.
"It's an entire world waiting to be discovered, just waiting for us to reach these agreements so we can develop these new areas," Henao said in Spanish to the crowd at the posh Post Oak Hotel in Houston.
Henao and leaders of the Venezuelan state oil company, PDVSA, were in Houston this week for meetings and a showcase event in advance of a bigger Venezuela Energy Week in February in Caracas.
"Go to Venezuela to invest, go to Venezuela to develop businesses there," said PDVSA Vice President Jovanny Martinez, also speaking in Spanish. "We are at the right place at this historical moment. We have the energy that the world requires."

#venezuela #henao

Andoni Iraola will not get what he wants. Liverpool have rejected his wish in the transfer market.
Andoni Iraola is the new head coach at Liverpool but we can't imagine he's thrilled with the start to life in the transfer market. The club haven't addressed many of the issues that plagued them last season, nor the new issues brought about this summer.
Mohamed Salah's exit, for instance, remains unaddressed. Liverpool desperately need to find some sort of goal output from wide areas or they'll sorely miss his 12 goals and **** ists from even a sub-par season.
A loan move for Ronald Araújo at least puts off the decision on replacing Ibrahima Konaté for another year, but there also hasn't been any sign that Liverpool will find extra goals to make up for Hugo Ekitiké's long-term injury.
And then there's whatever's happening in midfield. The middle of the pitch wasn't well-balanced last season and many **** umed it would be addressed this summer.

#market

Brian Schottenheimer identifies two major Cowboys concerns originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Dallas Cowboys won their preseason opener, but Brian Schottenheimer found two areas that failed to meet his standard. Dallas defeated the Seattle Seahawks 17-7 behind an impressive defensive performance. The Cowboys allowed only 76 total yards over Seattle's final seven possessions and received multiple encouraging contributions from players competing for roster spots.
Schottenheimer still was not pleased with the special teams or the offensive line. The Cowboys allowed 144 yards on six combined kickoff and punt returns. Seattle's average offensive possession began at its own 42-yard line, repeatedly creating difficult situations for the Dallas defense.
"Our mantra is get back to basics," Schottenheimer said. "Got to pay more attention to detail. Very, very disappointed in how we lost contain. Very disappointed in how we gave up kick-side leverage."
Schottenheimer also criticized the communication from Dallas' coverage units.

#brian #sporting #line #disappointed

Billionaire investor David Tepper of Appaloosa Management has made a name for himself as one of the world's top investment minds. The hedge fund manager is worth an estimated $23.7 billion, and he was recently busy selling high-flying memory stocks while adding to positions in several Magnificent Seven names.
This includes Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Let's dive into why Tepper likely likes these stocks.
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 »
Tepper's largest position is in Amazon, representing over 15% of his portfolio, and he was adding more shares in Q2. It's easy to see why Tepper would like the stock. Amazon is both the market leader in cloud computing and e-commerce, and it's been showing strong growth in both areas.
The company's cloud computing unit, AWS, has been seeing accelerating growth, with revenue climbing 37% year over year in Q2, its fastest growth in four and a half years. With a huge backlog, partnerships with Anthropic and OpenAI, and the company spending aggressively on high-return AI infrastructure projects, the strong growth should continue.

#NASDAQ

"First and foremost, we want to win," said Michael Carrick when asked what style of football he wanted his Manchester United team to play this season.
But he quickly clarified: "We want to be excited - that's why we love this club. I'm fully aware that we need to do it in a certain way."
Out of possession, United have looked to press high. Starting in a 4-2-4 formation again, players hold their positions before springing to press certain opponents when the moment is right.
We have established that Carrick is keen to embrace United's front-footed DNA, looking to be proactive in their set-up this season rather than giving the opponent too much respect by sitting deep. Their defensive tactics feed into this.
The 4-2-4 leaves four attackers high and narrow. This is for a number of reasons. First, defending in this way blocks the centre of the pitch making it difficult for opponents to find players through the middle. Generally coaches, including Carrick, are more willing to concede possession in wide areas, considering the middle of the pitch more dangerous.

#first #players

Spanish champions Barcelona have spent the summer strengthening different areas of their squad.
They have signed Rodri from Manchester City, which meant adding a Ballon d'Or winner and World Cup-winning captain to a midfield already packed with talent.
They have added pace and width in their attack with Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, while Belgian winger Jesse Bisiwu, 18, has arrived as a longer-term investment.
But there is one notable gap - Barcelona do not have an established striker.
With their first La Liga fixture away to Elche on Sunday, 23 August, Hansi Flick's side could go through the campaign without a number nine if they do not sign a striker before the window shuts on 1 September.

#spanish

India's crushing victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle unearthed two potential long-term ****** ets in different departments — left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and batter Devdutt Padikkal.

Suthar, in particular, looks every bit a Test star in the making. In just two Tests, the 24-year-old has claimed 17 wickets at an average of 11.35, including two five-wicket hauls and his maiden 10-wicket match haul. In Galle, he showcased the classical virtues of left-arm spin, extracting loop, drift, turn and bounce.

Padikkal, meanwhile, grabbed his opportunity with both hands. Playing his first Test in 19 months after replacing the injured Sai Sudharsan at No. 3, the stylish left-hander marked his return with a majestic 167, the standout innings of the match, followed by a useful 44 in the second innings. Comfortable against spin on both the front and back foot, Padikkal has strengthened his case to retain the No. 3 slot.

Suthar made an impact from his very first ball, trapping Dinesh Chandimal with a beauty that pitched, bounced and turned away before finding the edge to Rishabh Pant. On the final day, he wrapped up Sri Lanka's tail with smart variations in pace and an effective straighter delivery.

Former India left-arm spinner and selector Venkatapathy Raju believes familiarity with subcontinental conditions and a recent county stint with Warwickshire have played a key role in Suthar's rapid rise. The youngster took 11 wickets in two county matches, including a maiden five-for against Somerset.

"I was very impressed by Suthar's attitude. He has a high-arm action, bowls close to the wicket and possesses the aggression needed to succeed as a left-arm spinner. Playing his first two Tests in familiar conditions has helped, while county cricket gave him valuable red-ball experience," Raju told TOI.

"This will do wonders for his confidence. He can bowl long spells, challenge both right-handers and left-handers and has shown all the signs of becoming a very good bowler."

India vice-captain KL Rahul credited Suthar's accuracy, subtle changes in pace and ability to exploit drift for making him such a potent threat.

"It's the subtle variations from the same action and angle. He can bowl slower or quicker without changing his arm speed. In Galle, he used the wind beautifully to get drift before the ball either straightened or came back in," Rahul said.

Rahul also praised Suthar's consistency in hitting the right areas.

"His greatest strength is his pace through the air and his ability to challenge every mode of dismissal. The line he bowls brings LBW into play, while any turn can produce catches behind. That's a special skill."

The vice-captain was equally effusive about Padikkal, with whom he shared a 150-run partnership in the first innings.

"That innings defined the Test," Rahul said. "The tempo he batted at and the fact that he converted it into a big hundred really set the game up for us. The conditions were physic

Liverpool now have less than two weeks to finalise their plans and figure out what their first-team squad is going to look like.
This means that, although there isn't a lot of time left in the window, changes can still be made.
Andoni Iraola still has a couple of problem areas among his ranks and, without figuring out how to plug those gaps, it's unclear how he's going to do any better than Arne Slot did last term.
Obviously, a couple of players have already been brought in to try and solve some of these issues but, it's clear that, if Liverpool want to start competing for silverware again, they're going to have to keep up with their rivals and start making more transfers.
However, without moving some of their current crop on, they won't really have enough room in their squad or money in the bank to sanction new deals.

#couple #without