Costco has built a reputation on low prices, bulk deals, and member-exclusive perks. But one of the warehouse club's most recognizable attractions is also one of its most controversial: the food court.
For many shoppers, a trip to Costco isn't complete without a $1.50 hot dog and soda, a slice of pizza, or another inexpensive bite after navigating the warehouse's crowded aisles.
The food court has become an important part of the Costco experience, reinforcing the retailer's value-focused image and giving members another reason to shop.
The hot dog deal, whose $1.50 price point has been locked in since 1985, is particularly iconic.

#built #bulk #deals #exclusive

Olivia Colman joined her Wicker co-star Alexander Skarsgård on the red carpet for the film's screening at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival this evening, returning to the festival after attending opening night yesterday.
Courtesy of Celine
Wearing her hair down this time, Olivia opted for a black Celine gown with asymmetrical draping that gives the otherwise simple design an interesting twist. The contrast between the matte upper half and the sheen of the skirt is another detail I appreciate, preventing the look from falling flat.
But I just can't ignore the length.
There's far too much fabric gathering at the bottom. The structured hemline only adds to the heaviness, making the skirt look unnecessarily bulky when the rest of the gown has such a beautiful flow.

#skirt #wicker

Musk predicts Starlink (SPCX) could carry a majority of global internet within 10 years, powered by a 100x bandwidth increase from V3 satellites.
Enterprise revenue surged 108%, fueled by airline deals with American Airlines (AAL) and Southwest (LUV) and over $6 billion in Starshield contracts.
Just released. Our ****** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and ****** eX made the cut. Enter your email to see the other nine names and why SPCX earned its spot. The report is free. Enter your email and see the full list.
On the August 4, 2026 earnings call, ****** eX (NASDAQ:SPCX) chief executive Elon Musk predicted Starlink could carry the bulk of global internet traffic within 10 years, driven by a next-generation satellite that multiplies delivered bandwidth dramatically.
This morning, in a post on X, he expanded on just how big that could be:

#starlink #enter #internet

On September 16, Air Products (NYSE:APD) said it had signed a long-term deal to supply high-purity gases to a leading chipmaker, backed by roughly $250 million of its own money in Arizona. It is the company's second semiconductor supply win, and the two projects together carry more than $900 million of investment. That is a notable turn for a company that has been pulling back from big clean-energy projects.
The Arizona project plays to what Air Products already does. It will build, own, and operate the equipment, from hydrogen generation units and carbon dioxide purification to bulk supply for three gases: helium, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. That means the customer's gas supply runs through equipment Air Products owns. Supply is targeted to start in phases, so the buildout can move alongside the customer's expansion plans. And this is familiar ground. Air Products has supplied electronics makers for more than 40 years, and its Chandler facility has served the Phoenix chip cluster since 1981, with a pipeline system carrying ultra-high purity nitrogen around the area.
The core business gives the deal a solid floor. In the fiscal third quarter, reported on July 30, adjusted earnings per share rose 12% to $3.47, and management lifted its full-year outlook to an adjusted $13.39 to $13.49 per share. Margins widened as well, so growth is showing up as profit. Chips appear elsewhere in the results too, since the company announced a deal to build four large air separation units to serve a chipmaker's growth in Taiwan.
The cost of the pivot is hard to ignore. On June 30, Air Products announced it would not go ahead with its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex and would discontinue a zero-carbon liquid hydrogen facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, plus other smaller clean energy distribution projects. The exits triggered roughly $2.9 billion in pre-tax charges, which is why the company posted a GAAP loss of $6.47 per share in the third quarter even as its underlying earnings grew. Adjusted results leave that hit out, but the GAAP numbers show what the retreat cost.
Owning the ****** ets also means funding them. Air Products expects about $3.5 billion of capital spending in fiscal 2026, and the Arizona plant alone is a commitment of approximately $250 million, with supply arriving in phases. The release also leaves gaps: it does not name the customer or say how long the contract runs, so the length of the revenue stream is unclear. Elsewhere, Europe's operating income rose only 2% as costs climbed, and management says it is still cautious about the economic backdrop.

#clean #adjusted

The shipping industry group continues to show why it's one of the best in the current stock market, with boatloads of stocks making new highs. Among them, Scorpio Tankers (STNG) and Matson (MATX) remain in buy zones.
Shares of Monaco-based Scorpio climbed above the 87.39 buy point from an 18-week pattern. The buy zone goes to 91.76. It had already climbed above resistance around 81, a level that could have been treated as an early entry.
After slumping for much of 2024 and 2025, earnings growth surged 157%, 193% and 232% the past three quarters. Sales growth accelerated 26%, 48% and 76%. Scorpio, Tuesday's IBD Stock of the Day, has a 98 IBD Composite Rating.
Matson made new highs the past week but has settled back near its 230.74 buy point from a seven-week base. The buy range goes to 242.28. The company, which mainly serves the Hawaiian islands, has a 98 Composite Rating.
Genco Shipping & Trading (GNK) is at the top of a buy range in choppy trading following a breakout past a 26.80 handle buy point. Genco is the largest U.S.-based shipper of dry-bulk commodities. Iron ore is one of its principal shipments. It made a 52-week high Thursday.

#scorpio #genco

Volkswagen announced a steep cut to its full-year profit outlook on Friday, citing roughly €10 billion ($11.5 billion) in one-time charges concentrated at its troubled Porsche division, amid mounting pressure from U.S. tariffs and a weakening Chinese auto market on the world's second-largest automaker.
The company said it now expects an operating return on sales of up to 1% for 2026, down from its previous guidance of 4% to 5.5%. Volkswagen also said full-year revenue is expected to fall to about €315 billion, from €321.9 billion in 2025.
The bulk of the charges — about €6 billion — stem from revised mid-term ******* umptions for Porsche, in which Volkswagen holds a 75.4% stake. The sports car brand has been hit by U.S. tariffs and a collapse in demand for foreign luxury vehicles in China. On top of that, Volkswagen said it would book a further €2 billion in impairments in the second half of the year, covering China-related writedowns as well as restructuring charges such as costs from early-retirement schemes and the pending divestiture of its Osnabrück plant in Germany, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Volkswagen stock closed down 5.6% following the announcement. Shares of Porsche and Volkswagen's top shareholder Porsche SE fell 3.3% and 4.9%, respectively.
The company cautioned that "further deterioration in the market environment, especially in China, as well as an accelerated shift in demand in favour of battery-electric vehicles" would drag down results, with its Audi and Volkswagen passenger car brands bearing the brunt. Volkswagen noted that its outlook ******* umes tariffs remain unchanged and does not account for possible future effects from the war in the Middle East.

#charges #tariffs #full

Milena Maria Pappas, a Director at Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK), reported an indirect purchase of 74,400 shares on Sept. 15, 2026, according to an SEC Form 4 filing.
Metric
Value
Transaction value
~$2.1 million

#pappas

Amazon (AMZN) has spent the bulk of 2026 giving investors tons to debate, from its growing cloud business to the enormous bill for its AI ambitions. Now, it's putting another spending decision in the spotlight, one that goes directly into workers' household budgets.
Amazon has announced more than $1.5 billion in higher pay for U.S. operations employees, alongside benefits aimed at everyday expenses.
For workers, the appeal is the obvious, immediate financial breathing room.
For Amazon, the calculation goes further. Keeping experienced employees helps the business built around getting orders to doorsteps a lot quickly. The details point to how Amazon is trying to make those interests meet, even as its broader efficiency push leaves questions about job security.
For perspective, Amazon's pay ******* p adds $2,080 to an eligible worker's annual earnings before taxes, ******* uming 40 paid hours weekly for 52 weeks.

#amazon #goes #employees #amzn

Raffaele Zagari, a Director of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ:SBLK), purchased 60,000 shares of common stock on September 15, 2026, according to a recent SEC Form 4 filing.
Metric
Value
Transaction value
$1.7 million

#corp

A question has bedeviled a wealthy Lake Tahoe enclave for years: Who is poisoning the towering trees that stand sentry on the North Shore?
Residents of Incline Village, Nev., hope a $147,000 reward will generate some answers.
"It's the most appalling, selfish thing that anyone could do, especially for trees that are irreplaceable," said Chris Nolet, a retired certified public accountant and consultant to the biotechnology industry who ***** embled a small group of private donors known as Friends of Burnt Cedar Beach to put up the bulk of the reward. "These trees are 100 years old."
The donors are offering $122,000 for information leading to the successful prosecution of anyone responsible. The Incline Village General Improvement District, which owns and manages the residents-only beach where the poisonings took place, has put up another $25,000 and installed additional cameras around the trees.
The move came after an investigation failed to generate actionable leads, Nolet said.

#incline #nolet #beach #anyone

Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) and Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) have expanded their US delivery partnership to 47 states, up from 17, making nearly 600 Costco locations available through the Uber Eats platform.
The companies said the expanded service allows Costco members to place orders for on-demand or scheduled delivery through the Uber Eats app.
Customers can purchase fresh produce, bulk groceries and household products, link their Costco membership during checkout and track their deliveries in real time.
The expansion increases the geographic reach of Costco's delivery service through Uber Eats, giving members access to products from participating warehouses.
Nearly 600 Costco locations are now available on the platform, according to the companies' joint statement.

#costco #expanded #available #platform

The U.S. fuel crisis stemming from the ongoing war in Iran has now reached the retail shelf, with Costco Wholesale (COST) nearly doubling the price of its Kirkland Signature full-synthetic motor oil from roughly $30 to $58 per 5-quart two-pack, while simultaneously capping purchases at two units per membership every seven days.
It's an extraordinary move for a retailer whose entire brand identity rests on bulk buying at deep discounts, and it signals that severe supply chain disruptions are spreading well beyond the gasoline pump.
Goldman Sachs Expects Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to Raise Rates This Week — But Not Because of Oil Prices.
Crude Prices Soar as Global Oil Supplies Continue to Tighten
Middle East Supply Constraints Lift Crude Oil Prices

#supply #wholesale

On September 10, Imperial Petroleum Inc. (NASDAQ:IMPP), a company involved in seaborne transportation of crude oil, dry bulk, and petroleum products, released its second quarter results. With a topline figure of $87.1 million, the company delivered record quarterly revenue, which also resulted in 139.9% year-over-year growth. Imperial's adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter stood at $41.7 million, while the Q2 adjusted net income of $35.3 million exhibited around 163% growth in comparison with Q2 FY25.
Ralf Gosch/Shutterstock.com
Several factors contributed to the second quarter topline growth. A 6.9 vessel rise in the company's average fleet size was the primary growth enabler. Other factors include encouraging dynamics across the drybulk segment, and higher rates for both drybulk and tankers amid the geopolitical uncertainties. Operating income for the quarter jumped to a near-record level of $33.4 million, which translates into a 307.3% growth relative to Q2 FY25. Imperial posted an adjusted EPS of $0.76 for the reported quarter, which almost doubled compared to the same quarter a year prior.
At the back of efficient fleet management, management remained focus on strengthening its financial position. The company ended the quarter with no debt, and its liquidity position also remained resilient. Cash and cash equivalents, including time deposits, increased from $179.1 million at the end of 2025 to $245.2 million as of June 30, 2026. The company added that its cash base had increased further to approximately $260 million as of the September 10 results release.
Certain areas of weakness warrant a closer examination. During the reported quarter, fleet operational utilization went down from 83.1% in prior year's second quarter to 73.5%. There was a substantial increase in some of the underlying operating expenses. For instance, the vessel operating expense stood at $14.4 million compared to $8.4 million during Q2 FY25. This $6 million rise can be attributed to Imperial's larger fleet size. Similarly, the voyage expenses also jumped from $10.7 million in last year's Q2 to $22.1 million for Q2 FY26. The incremental voyage expenses stemmed from higher bunkers' rates, as well as a 58.4% jump in spot days.

#fleet

With a market cap of $22.4 billion, Dollar Tree, Inc. (DLTR) operates discount variety stores across the United States and Canada under the Dollar Tree and Dollar Tree Canada brands. The company offers a wide range of consumables, variety merchandise, and seasonal goods, catering to everyday needs as well as holidays and special occasions.
Companies worth more than $10 billion are generally labeled as "large-cap" stocks and Dollar Tree fits this criterion perfectly. Supported by a nationwide logistics network and its e-commerce platform, DollarTree.com, the retailer serves individuals, small businesses, and organizations with affordable products and bulk purchasing options.
Goldman Sachs Expects Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to Raise Rates This Week — But Not Because of Oil Prices.
Morgan Stanley Doubles Down on Apple Stock as New Offerings Become 'More Exciting'
The EV Bubble Has Burst. How to Play Rivian Stock Now.

#Stock #variety

With a market cap of $22.4 billion, Dollar Tree, Inc. (DLTR) operates discount variety stores across the United States and Canada under the Dollar Tree and Dollar Tree Canada brands. The company offers a wide range of consumables, variety merchandise, and seasonal goods, catering to everyday needs as well as holidays and special occasions.
Companies worth more than $10 billion are generally labeled as "large-cap" stocks and Dollar Tree fits this criterion perfectly. Supported by a nationwide logistics network and its e-commerce platform, DollarTree.com, the retailer serves individuals, small businesses, and organizations with affordable products and bulk purchasing options.
Goldman Sachs Expects Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to Raise Rates This Week — But Not Because of Oil Prices.
Morgan Stanley Doubles Down on Apple Stock as New Offerings Become 'More Exciting'
The EV Bubble Has Burst. How to Play Rivian Stock Now.

#tree #canada #united #Companies

Prosper Stars & Stripes, a long/short equity fund, recently released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter. The letter can be downloaded here. In Q2 2026, the portfolio delivered a strong net return of +30.1% compared to the Russell 2000 Index's +21.5% return and the HFRX Equity Hedge Index's +10.3% return. The long book drove performance, generating a 43.2% gross contribution, while average net exposure remained relatively modest at 47%. U.S. economic growth remained resilient despite inflation concerns, elevated energy prices, and geopolitical uncertainty. Markets rallied sharply after easing U.S.-Iran tensions pushed oil prices lower, supporting renewed risk appetite. Small-cap equities benefited significantly, with Information Technology, Industrials, and Health Care leading gains, while Energy declined as crude prices fell. Year to date, the Composite returned +23.7%, slightly ahead of the Russell 2000's +22.6% and well above the HFRI Equity Hedge Index's +9.7%. Additionally, you can review the Portfolio's top 5 holdings to see its best picks for 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Prosper Stars & Stripes highlighted Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG). Headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG) specializes in precision measurement and sensing technologies. On September 14, 2026, Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG) closed at $60.49 per share. Over the past month, Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG) declined 10.77%, while its shares gained 85.95% over the past 52 weeks. Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG) has a market capitalization of $805.75 million, and its shares traded within a 52-week range of $28.71 and $151.78.
Prosper Stars & Stripes stated the following regarding Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG) was the largest contributor to our long book during the second quarter of 2026. Vishay's core technologies, bulk metal foil resistors and bonded foil strain gauges, are niche, designed-in sensor solutions embedded in precision instruments, such as semiconductor test equipment and aerospace, medical, military, and robotics applications. Vishay has done a lot of work during the industrial downturn to improve its footprint to have more profitable growth as the industrial economy recovers after years of tepid performance. In addition, Vishay is pursuing a substantial secular growth opportunity in humanoid robotics, with $500 to $1,200 in content per robot. Management is executing on both sides of the ledger: cutting costs while strengthening the leadership bench with new Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer roles. Together, these initiatives are expected to lift gross margins and EBITDA margins from 39% and 8% in 2025 toward long-term targets of 46% and 20% over the next several years. We reduced and then exited our position in Vishay during the quarter but still see good value in th

A few weeks ago, I used Uber Eats to deliver me a case of bottled water, a dozen Starbucks iced coffee bottles, and a 12-pack of Gatorade Zero.
It cost a little more than going to the store less than two miles from our house, but instead of having to lug those bulky items from the store to my car and then my kitchen, I only had to bring them in from the front door.
That was either a lazy choice or evidence of excellent time management skills, but it's a solid example of how people use the internet. Because while people generally think it's much higher (I've asked the question to thousands of people on various podcasts and live shows over the years), digital sales are still a relatively small percentage of total retail sales.
"E-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2026 accounted for 17.1 percent of total sales," United States Census Bureau data showed.
Consumers have shifted some of their purchases online, and they're looking for convenience.

#people #zero

The Dodgers and Marlins conclude their 2026 business on Sunday afternoon at loanDepot Park in Miami.
The Dodgers haven't listed a starter, but Emmet Sheehan is in line to pitch bulk innings after his stellar Monday start at home. Justin Wrobleski was previously listed as the Sunday starter, perhaps as an opener, as the left-hander was also warming up to potentially pitch on Friday night in relief in Miami. There's also when the Dodgers decide to activate Roki Sasaki off the injured list to consider.
Right-hander Eury Pérez starts for Miami.
Teams: Dodgers at Marlins
Ballpark: loanDepot Park, Miami

#loandepot #starter

Sep. 10—The opening week of the season was rough for the upper divisions of the Greater Spokane League as the 4A and 3A teams went a combined 3-7 in Week 1. Both No. 1 seeds to the postseason in 2025 — Gonzaga Prep and Cheney — suffered multiple-touchdown losses, and Week 2 won't get any easier for them.
But that's the beauty/danger of the league opening up its schedule to nonleague games early in the season. It allows teams with postseason aspirations to play tougher opponents to bulk up their schedules — but it also means the risk of psyche-busting early-season losses.
In the grand scheme of things, nothing that happened last Friday has any impact on which teams might reach the postseason. But no one wants to start the season 0-2, either.
Let's go around the league and take a closer look at the matchups for Week 2.
All games nonleague and Friday at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

#season #postseason #opening #nonleague

Our ****** ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
Record quarterly revenue of $87.1 million was driven by vigorous fleet expansion and strong market rates across both tanker and dry bulk segments.
Net income for the first half of 2026 reached $62.8 million, already exceeding the total profitability for the full year of 2025.
Operational utilization decreased to 73.5% due to a strategic decision to manage a concentrated schedule of six dry dockings to ensure future efficiency.
Suezmax rates surged in excess of $200 thousand a day following the end of the ceasefire period and Houthi-led trade disruptions in the Red Sea.

#houthi #analysts

With the bulk of the 2026 NBA offseason now concluded, and with the calendar now flipped to September, it's time to start looking ahead to what's coming next in the NBA, both this season and afterward.
In that spirit, and in the interest of killing some time in the dying days of summer, let's take a look at the five* most interesting players — to me! — who are entering their sophomore seasons.
(We've previously considered my five most interesting potential free agents in the class of 2027 and my five most interesting comeback players for next season.)
One note: I decided not to include the top three finishers in 2025-26 Rookie of the Year voting: winner Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks, runner-up Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets and third-place finisher VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers.
(Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

#five #next

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) biggest lingering investor concern was customer concentration, CNBC reported. Nvidia relies on hyperscalers Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, along with major buyers Meta and ****** eX, for an outsized share of revenue, and in May began splitting its data center reporting into "hyperscalers" versus everyone else, a group it calls AI clouds, industrial, and enterprise, or ACIE. In the first quarter, the two segments were nearly even, at $37.9 billion for hyperscalers and $37.5 billion for ACIE, with ACIE growing 31% versus a slower pace for hyperscalers. CEO Jensen Huang has said the "easiest go-to-market" is hyperscalers "because there are only five or six of them," versus "250,000 companies" in the broader industry Nvidia hopes to reach.
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)'s actual results answered the concentration question better than investors feared. In a later quarter, Data Center revenue reached $89 billion (beating the $85.8 billion forecast), while CFO Colette Kress noted that hyperscale revenue more than doubled. ACIE revenue surged 138%, an outcome showing the smaller, more diversified customer base is now growing even faster than the concentrated hyperscaler group Nvidia has leaned on most heavily.
Huang's own framing shows the concentration is a go-to-market choice, not a structural ceiling. Huang has described hyperscalers as simply the "easiest" customers to sell to first because there are only a handful of them, while pointing to roughly 250,000 other companies as the long-term addressable market. It means today's concentration shows where Nvidia started selling, not the limit of where it can sell.
Even Nvidia's most concentrated customers keep buying at scale despite their own cost pressures. Hyperscalers have continued purchasing GPUs in bulk even as their free cash flow gets squeezed by capital spending, evidence that AI infrastructure remains a top spending priority for these companies rather than an area facing near-term cutbacks.
The underlying dependence is still there, even if this quarter's mix improved. Nvidia continues to draw an outsized share of revenue from just three hyperscalers plus Meta and ****** eX. Each of those companies is actively designing its own custom chips specifically to reduce reliance on Nvidia. It is a long-term competitive threat that one strong ACIE quarter does not eliminate.

#NVIDIA #acie

Call it a winning streak!
Not for the White Sox. Taking two of three from an AL Central rival in what wound up being emphatic 10-1 fashion is always satisfying, but it wasn't two in a row. No, folks, I'm celebrating me and my absolute heater of 10 wins in 11 recap tries. Put me in every day, Brett!
The box score does betray the tension that underlined the majority of this one. Hosting their first Sunday Night Baseball broadcast as a first place team since 2008, the tone of the game was lively early, though the bulk of the early action was a straightforward redux of the frustrating offensive play the Sox have produced since the All-Star break. They rank near the bottom of the league with a .240 batting average with RISP since then, and it feels like that average should be a lot lower, because getting runners in from the basepaths without the longball has been like pulling teeth lately.
The theme continued with verve for what I'd call the majority of the game — though ultimately, and fortunately, not the entirety of it. Sam Antonacci led off the first and fifth innings with a double, sandwiching back-to-back free bases from the non-brothers Montgomery to open the second frame and preceding Tristan Peters' own leadoff double an inning later. They even queued up a rally in the third inning, when Miguel Vargas and Andrew Benintendi reached base before Colson Montgomery's second punchout of the game ended the threat. Colson finished with a golden sombrero, bringing him to 197 on the season. When he presumably reaches the ignominious 200-K milestone, he'll make the White Sox the only team to have three separate players break the 200 strikeout threshold in a season. Yoán Moncada did it most recently, and I don't think I need to type the name of the one who did it first.
If you've been following the team as of late, it won't be surprising that almost none of those White Sox rallies resulted in any runs, as Twins starter Bailey Ober labored through 4 1/3 innings with highly-diminished stuff. Still, when the Minnesota pen got the call, only one Sox run had been stuck on the board, as Antonacci did make his way around in the fifth, after Murakami shot a single through the right side:

#white #call #since #majority

Instead, on the latest episode of a podcast that continues to make NBA headlines, Green pivoted the conversation around the scandal to not just Leonard or the Clippers but the league's salary cap itself. "I think that's what comes out of this," Green said. "Why is there a salary cap? Why are guys being prevented from making money from team sponsors or league sponsors, or whoever else? "We talk about, we're in a league that is player-centric, that is player-focused, that is player-driven, that has the best benefits, best interest for the players. And here's a situation where a guy can make 20 to 30 million extra dollars, and we're like, 'Oh, yeah, you're in trouble.' I'm happy Kawhi didn't get the bulk of this punishment. I think it's absolutely beautiful."
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Draymond Green on Clippers investigation: 'Why is there a salary cap?'

#player #think

James Madison made history in 2025, becoming the first-ever Sun Belt team to qualify for the College Football Playoff. But success came with a cost in the offseason. Head coach Bob Chesney left for UCLA, as did some of the Dukes' top players including running back Wayne Knight and defensive end Sahir West. Starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III wound up at UCF.
James Madison lost a bulk of the coaching staff and all but three primary starters from its CFP team. But the program is accustomed to handling adversity of this nature, not missing a beat when Curt Cignetti handed the reins to Bob Chesney two years ago.
Signs of a similar baton pass were evident Saturday when JMU defeated Liberty, 20-13, in head coach Billy Napier's debut.
James Madison fielded the nation's fifth-ranked total defense in 2025, and that was the team's calling card in the 2026 opener. Liberty was held completely out of the end zone until 10 minutes remained in the contest, thanks to the Dukes' ability to stonewall the run game.
Liberty's spread option attack ranked top-4 nationally in rushing in two of three seasons under head coach Jamey Chadwell. But through 38 attempts against JMU, the Dukes produced just 91 rushing yards, calculating to 2.4 per carry. They never broke off a big one, with the longest run of the day measuring to 10 yards.

#chesney

Ethan Pecko entered his fifth inning Saturday unscored upon but with a reliever warming behind him in the Houston Astros' bullpen. Three batters later, his outing ended. Tim Tawa cued an infield hit into an open right side. Pecko pounced on a Ryan Waldschmidt tapper before Lars Nootbaar lined a clean single.
Nootbaar occupied the leadoff spot in the Diamondbacks' lineup and was facing Pecko for a third time in the game. His single put the potential tying run on base, brought manager Joe Espada out to remove his starter and reinforced an issue within Houston's rotation with 19 games left in a postseason race.
Two of five starters the Astros are deploying - Cristian Javier and Pecko, the right-handed prospect - are under tighter reins, with Houston hesitant to have them face opposing lineups a third time. Javier hasn't faced more than 19 batters in any of his past four outings, one of which he pitched in bulk relief.
Having three starters who will work deeper - Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert and Hayden Wesneski - can mitigate that usage somewhat. But it puts added pressure on those starters to cover innings and protect the bullpen, and on the bullpen to shoulder a significant workload at least two out of five (or six) days.
How sustainable that is down the stretch, for a club with a three-game division lead and 19 games left in the regular season, is a question. The bullpen has been arguably the Astros' biggest strength, yet it's also at less than full capacity, even with expanded rosters offering an extra spot on the pitching staff.

#starters #javier #right

The Dodgers finish things off with the Washington Nationals with a rare Sunday night start, a 7:10 p.m. first pitch on the night before Labor Day at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers will use a variety of arms to fill innings on Sunday, including Justin Wrobleski and likely Bobby Miller for bulk outings, while left-hander Andrew Alvarez goes for the Nats.
Teams: Dodgers vs. Nationals
Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
Start time: 7:10 p.m.

#justin

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers swapped relievers in the bullpen on Saturday, activating Bobby Miller from the 60-day injured list with Kyle Hurt getting optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The timing of the move helps provide a lesson in timing and roster planning with just over three weeks remaining in the regular season.
The immediate need is available arms to cover Sunday and Monday's games. Sunday was an open spot in the rotation already on the nine-game homestand, and Monday opened up after Eric Lauer was placed on the injured list after his start last Tuesday. Justin Wrobleski, who pitched two innings on Tuesday, will be available for bulk innings on Sunday against the Nationals. Miller will be potentially available Sunday as well up to around 50 pitches if needed if he doesn't pitch on Saturday, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday.
Miller began the season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, and also dealt with a back injury this season. During his rehab ***** ignment for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Miller put up a 3.86 ERA in seven games, with 17 strikeouts and four walks in 14 innings. His last two outings were exactly one inning, but his first five games with the Comets were between two and three innings, and ranged from 44-50 pitches.
"I feel like my stuff has played up a little bit better [in relief], but being in attack mode just all the time is really a mindset out there," Miller said Saturday. "Try to get ahead of every single hitter, not get in a ton of 3-2 counts, just try to get the hitter out as best you can."
Whether Miller is even an upgrade over Hurt is at least debatable, as at least one Dodgers reliever was surprised to see Hurt in street clothes with a travel bag packed walking out of the clubhouse on Saturday. But Miller is more likely than Hurt to provide length, and the fresh arm express isn't always fair.

#games

Big Tech is betting trillions of dollars on artificial intelligence, with a lot of that to be spent on building the data centers that would power large language models. Stock markets are reflecting this in Big Tech stocks, but that's not the only industry riding the artificial intelligence wave. Because that wave runs on electricity and the equipment that brings it from generator to consumer.
There have been reports about a chip shortage caused by the AI rush, and higher compute prices overall resulting from AI-related demand growth in electronics. But a more serious shortage is unfolding in power equipment, as the companies pledging hundreds of billions in AI investments want everything ready yesterday if possible. Alas, it is not.
Transformers, a vital component of the grid, have been in increasingly short supply for at least two years. The shortage has been driven by the fast growth in electricity demand, mostly coming from the tech sector, and the inability to respond to that growth with equally fast grid expansion.
Related: Europe's Low Gas Stocks Set Stage for Winter LNG Battle
Transformers are used to convert the high-voltage electricity that runs from power plants to substations along transmission lines to a lower-voltage electric current that can be used by end consumers, including data centers. According to Wood Mackenzie, the shortfall in transformers this year is 15%. Yet there is also a shortage of substations, highlighting the essential nature of power equipment. Per Wood Mackenzie estimates, the substation deficit is 8%. This situation will be aggravated further by a recent executive order by President Trump that banned imports of bulk power equipment from China.

#Growth #wood #stocks

Hiring by private-sector employers fell short of expectations last month, according to payroll processor ADP.
Private employers added 38,000 jobs in August. Economists polled by Bloomberg had been expecting a gain of 47,000 jobs. July's job gains were revised up slightly to 46,000.
The education and healthcare sectors were responsible for the bulk of new jobs, while manufacturing and business and professional services both saw job losses.
Job switchers saw their base wages increase by 4.7% year-over-year, while wages for those who stayed put rose by 3%.
There is "still some opportunity to boost wages by changing jobs, even in this low fire, low hire job market." ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said.

#wages