Mauricio Pochettino has the United States purring on home soil at the World Cup, fresh off a winning start that has eased the pressure on the host nation.
The Argentine has turned a team that crashed out of the 2024 Copa América into one that suddenly looks the part, and the federation's decision to gamble on a marquee coach is starting to look shrewd.
Landing him, though, was never simple business. Pochettino arrived on a deal worth several million dollars a year, and US Soccer could not cover that figure alone. Instead, the money came from a small group of private donors.
When Gregg Berhalter was dismissed in 2024, US Soccer wanted a marquee name to lead the team into a home World Cup. Paying for one was the harder part.
Unlike most national federations, the governing body receives no direct government funding, leaning instead on its own revenue, sponsorship and donations.

Fox Sports could pull in more than $250 million from World Cup hydration break adverts, after turning mandatory stoppages into a major new commercial opportunity.
Throughout the tournament, the broadcaster has cut to full-screen adverts during mid-half breaks, opening up a valuable new revenue stream during moments viewers cannot skip without risking missing the match restart.
The figures show why the strategy is likely to remain in place.
According to Sports Business Journal, Fox could generate around $249.6 million from hydration break adverts alone, based on estimated rates and available slots.
That figure is based on an average price of $300,000 per 30-second spot.

Calix, Inc. (NYSE:CALX) is one of the best AI networking stocks to buy according to ***** ysts. The company gave investors a recent regulatory and deployment angle on June 3, when it said the FCC's latest Conditional Approval notice, combined with prior authorizations, now covers all Calix gateway appliances under the agency's phased approval process.
The approval permits the continued importation, sale, and deployment of Calix gateway appliances, giving service providers confidence to keep ordering and supporting the products across their markets. Calix said service providers can deploy its GigaSpire and GigaPro gateway appliances integrated with the AI-native Calix One platform to deliver differentiated broadband experiences.
The news matters because AI networking is not limited to hyperscale data centers. Broadband providers also need intelligent network platforms, gateway systems, automation, security updates, and subscriber-facing AI tools as connectivity demand grows across homes, businesses, municipalities, and multi-dwelling units. Calix said it will continue delivering software, security, and firmware updates across its installed base, while also expanding its gateway appliance portfolio to address customer needs.
Calix, Inc. (NYSE:CALX) is an AI platform company that enables service providers to transform operations and deliver differentiated broadband experiences through appliances, cloud software, AI agents, and managed services.
While we acknowledge the potential of CALX as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) is one of the best AI networking stocks to buy according to **** ysts. The company gave investors a fresh AI infrastructure angle on June 1, when it announced progress on a production-grade digital twin capability for Vertiv SmartRun integrated into the NVIDIA Omniverse DSX Blueprint.
The system is designed to make AI factory infrastructure more configurable, repeatable, and simulation-ready, with Vertiv saying it can help design, simulate, and validate power, cooling, controls, and deployment workflows as a single system before build-out. That matters for AI networking because high-speed interconnects and dense accelerator clusters only work if the surrounding power and thermal infrastructure can support them at scale. Vertiv also said the SmartRun digital twin is the first phase of a multi-phase AI factory digital twin roadmap, aimed at narrowing the gap between accelerated compute innovation and physical infrastructure readiness.
photo by Business-laptop-campaign-creators on Unsplash
The company added another data-center infrastructure update on June 3, when it introduced Vertiv PurgeRite NearZero, a fluid management service for commissioning closed-loop hydronic systems in data centers and other mission-critical environments. Vertiv said selected deployments reduced total water consumption by up to 78%, water haul-off volumes by up to 91%, and discharge management costs by as much as 34%.
Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) provides critical digital infrastructure technologies and services for data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial environments.

ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADTN) is one of the best AI networking stocks to buy according to ****** ysts. The company gave investors a recent optical networking angle on May 27, when euNetworks launched a new quantum-safe private connectivity service powered by Adtran's encrypted optical transport technology.
The new Quantum Shield service was developed to protect sensitive data moving between European data centers, using Adtran's optical transport technology to support secure, scalable data center connectivity across euNetworks' pan-European network. Adtran said the infrastructure is built on its FSP 3000 optical transport platform, incorporates S-Flex technology for high-capacity encrypted data center interconnect services, and uses post-quantum cryptography aligned with NIST standards.
Image Credit: Pixabay
The relevance to AI networking is that AI workloads increase the importance of secure, high-capacity data-center connectivity. Adtran's optical layer also includes real-time fiber monitoring through its ALM solution, which the company said can detect and locate fiber-tapping events while supporting low latency, high throughput, and enhanced security.
The company's latest results also showed momentum in its optical business. On May 4, ADTRAN reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $286.1 million, up 15.5% year over year, and said it had introduced LiteWave800, its first product purpose-built for intra-data center AI infrastructure.

Vistance Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:VISN) is one of the best AI networking stocks to buy according to ***** ysts. The company gave investors a recent enterprise networking angle on May 28, when its RUCKUS Networks business, alongside Fortis Solutions, deployed a full Wi-Fi 7 network infrastructure modernization at Oakland Arena.
The project included nearly 300 RUCKUS Hyper-Directional T670sn Wi-Fi 7 access points, upgraded controllers, and a refresh of the venue's routing and switching infrastructure. Vistance said the installation also used RUCKUS ICX switches with multi-gigabit and 10-gigabit ports, creating a wired backbone designed to support rising data demands and future-ready applications.
The deployment showed the company's networking technology in a demanding, high-density environment. During two back-to-back sold-out K-pop concerts, the system handled 8.22 terabytes of traffic over two days with 100% switch uptime and no disruption, according to the company. Vistance said Oakland Arena now has up to ten times faster connectivity, lower infrastructure costs, simpler operations, and better ongoing network-management efficiency.
Vistance Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:VISN) is a provider of intelligent network solutions through brands including RUCKUS Networks and Aurora Networks, offering enterprise networking, broadband access, and communications infrastructure technologies.
While we acknowledge the potential of VISN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) is one of the best AI networking stocks to buy according to ***** ysts. The company gave investors a fresh AI networking update on June 1, when it reported fiscal second-quarter revenue of $10.7 billion, up 40% from the prior-year period.
The strongest signal came from HPE's networking business. Networking revenue reached $2.7 billion in the quarter, up 148.2% year over year, while Data Center Networking revenue rose 233.3% to $320 million. Cloud & AI revenue also reached $7.7 billion, up 22.9% from the prior-year period, supported by stronger server demand.
The numbers are relevant to the AI networking theme because HPE is no longer just a server and hybrid-cloud story. Its expanded networking portfolio, strengthened by Juniper, gives it exposure to campus, branch, routing, security, and data-center networking demand as enterprises build infrastructure for AI workloads. HPE also raised its fiscal 2026 revenue growth outlook to 29% to 33% and lifted its Networking segment growth outlook to 72% to 75%.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) is an enterprise technology company that brings together AI, cloud, and networking solutions to help organizations modernize infrastructure and improve operational performance.
While we acknowledge the potential of HPE as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

Whitney Risner is featured in episode five of The Enquirer's new special-edition podcast series "Beyond Sunday, presented by Mi Cozumel" that shines a light on six wives or girlfriends of Bengals players.
The podcast is posting every Tuesday morning from May 19 through June 23. Rachel Karras, wife of Bengals center Ted Karras, kicked off the series for episode one, followed by Halle Gesicki (Mike), Jensy Knight (Demetrius) and Gracie McPherson (Evan) in episodes two, three and four.
Whitney, wife of Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Dalton Risner, joined Bengals beat reporter Kelsey Conway in studio to discuss meeting her husband while playing college basketball, starting a jewelry business, dealing with a miscarriage, becoming a social media influencer and more.
Among the conversation topics:
Whitney played college basketball at Fort Hayes State in Hays, Kansas, while Dalton played football at Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas. Dalton saw her at one of her basketball games and messaged her on social media. The couple didn't talk for a year, then reconnected at the lake in the summer and have been together since.

Oracle (ORCL) is changing the way in which businesses pay for artificial intelligence, and the company's CEO says the new approach places customers back in control.
During Oracle's fiscal fourth-quarter 2026 earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Mike Sicilia outlined a shift toward token-based and outcome-based pricing for AI features across its software suite. The goal, he said, is simple: help customers spend smarter on artificial intelligence without the sticker shock.
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Eddie Andelman, the Boston radio pioneer who some call the “godfather of sports radio,” has died at age 89. The news was announced by Andelman’s three sons on Monday.
“From humble roots in Dorchester, he went onto great success in business and broadcasting,” the brothers wrote. “Some call him the godfather of sports radio. He certainly changed and elevated the sports radio game.”
Andelman created the sports talk program The Sports Huddle for Boston area radio station WBZ in 1969, which is often credited as the precursor for the familiar sports talk format prevalent today. The show moved to WEEI two years later, and then WHDH after that. Andelman returned to WEEI in 1991 during the station’s heyday. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcaster Hall of Fame in 2011 after a 42-year career in sports broadcasting. Per the Boston Globe, Andelman hosted more than 13,000 shows throughout his career.
In addition to his contributions to sports radio, Andelman also helped create WWE’s King of the Ring in 1985.
Dale Arnold, Andelman’s partner following his return to WEEI, called The Sports Huddle “groundbreaking,” telling the Globe on Monday, “Everyone was listening to their radios to hear what Eddie and those guys would say next.”

Fans, players, and coaching staff alike have had to wrap their heads around the new set of laws FIFA introduced for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico – some haven’t quite stuck yet.
In Saudi Arabia’s surprise 1-1 draw against a disjointed and disarrayed Uruguay – who hadn’t played a game since March – one of their new rules seemed to have subtly been breached while in-form Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais was receiving treatment.
It occurred on the hour mark. Referee Maurizio Mariani was overseeing the goalkeeper’s treatment near Saudi Arabia’s goal. Georgis Donis called over one of his players for his coaching staff, notebooks open, to relay some tactical instruction.
The rule in question concerns what’s been called the ‘goalkeeper tactical timeout‘, which has become infamous in the Premier League this season with the suggestion that goalkeepers have been faking injuries in order for mangers to adjust tactics in-game.
When the manager finishes his business, their goalkeeper miraculously stands up and is fit to continue.

Arman Tsarukyan just can't see himself getting skipped over again in the ****** le queue at lightweight.
Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC), long labeled the No. 1 contender in the UFC lightweight rankings, thinks the time has finally come for the belt. The Armenian fighter sees himself as the obvious answer for champion Justin Gaethje, who took the lightweight belt from Ilia Topuria in the main event of Sunday's UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.
"It has to be me. Who else?" Tsarukyan said on The Ariel Helwani Show. "What are they going to do? They're going to put Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje or Conor McGregor, if he wins, and I don't think he wins versus Max Holloway? It's me. I want to beat Justin Gaethje. I want to beat everybody, and when Ilia is going to be ready, I want to be the champion, and I'll do same as Justin did and even worse."
Like many, Tsarukyan was surprised to see Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) pull off the upset. Few were giving Gaethje a chance against Topuria. But unlike many, Tsarukyan found out about the fight result under peculiar circumstances.
"I couldn't watch the fight," Tsarukyan said. "I was flying on British Airlines, and I thought they were going to have internet. I was flying business class. They don't have Wi-Fi on that plane, and I was sitting and saying, 'No way. How can I miss this fight?,' and eight hours, I was thinking of what happened. When we land, my internet is still didn't work, but my friend's internet worked, and he said, 'Justin won,' and I said, 'What?' I thought he was kidding."

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Exit and liquidity aren't the same things — exit means the company has reached its final chapter, and ownership is changing, usually via an IPO or acquisition. Liquidity can turn ownership into cash, and doesn't require the company to be sold or go public.
Liquidity can become infrastructure for your business, changing behavior and creating a more sustainable system.
For years, venture capital ran on a simple story: Build the company. Raise capital. Grow fast. Go public. Return capital.
It worked because everyone agreed on the ending. The IPO was the dream outcome. Founders, investors and employees all aligned around the idea that value would convert to cash on a predictable timeline. That ***** umption no longer holds.

The BLS reported 172,000 jobs added in May, but employment is a lagging indicator that often looks healthy while the economy is already deteriorating.
Only 9% of small business owners plan to hire over the next 3 months, which is the weakest reading since May 2020, while labor costs hit an all-time survey high.
Small-business hiring plans historically lead private payroll growth by 4 months; after 6 straight months of decline, negative payroll growth could arrive by Q3.
Don't wait: the ***** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just revealed his top 10 AI stocks. See the full list FREE now.
Economic data rarely tells a clean story. One report points to strength, while the next hints at trouble. Inflation is a perfect example. The May Consumer Price Index jumped to 4.2%, yet core inflation -- which strips out volatile food and energy costs -- has remained far more manageable. The same pattern appeared in producer prices. Headline PPI soared to 6.5%, but core PPI came in well below forecasts because much of the increase was driven by energy costs rather than broad-based inflation pressures.

Chinese EV maker XPeng (XPEV) is taking physical AI quite seriously as competition in the EV market heats up. After years of competing with Tesla (TSLA) in electric cars and autonomous driving technology, Chinese automaking giants like XPeng are looking to mass-produce humanoid robots, targeting a market beyond transportation.
In that regard, Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng is set to take charge of the company's robotics business as it comes "on the eve of mass production and commercialization" of Xpeng's humanlike IRON robots. With its aim of mass-producing the IRON robots this year and launching commercial sales in China and overseas next year, we take a closer look at XPeng.
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Cathie Wood, head of Ark Investment Management, has a history of buying stocks shortly after their IPOs.
In recent years, Wood's Ark funds have invested in newly public companies such as Tempus AI (TEM), Coinbase (COIN), and CoreWeave (CRWV), reflecting her strategy of gaining early exposure to high-growth businesses in artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and cloud computing.
Now, Wood is making another IPO bet, buying more than $529 million worth of ****** eX stock.
In 2025, the flagship Ark Innovation ETF gained 35.49%, far outpacing the S&P 500's return of 17.88% in the same period. But so far this year, Wood's flagship Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) is down 2.85%, while the S&P 500 surged 8.56%, Yahoo Finance data shows.
Wood gained a reputation after the Ark Innovation ETF delivered a 153% return in 2020. However, her style also brings painful losses in bearish markets, as seen in 2022, when the Ark Innovation ETF tumbled more than 60%.

Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali. The Italian is facing an uncertain future at St James’ Park this summer, with several top clubs interested in his services. Spurs’ pursuit is driven largely by manager Roberto De Zerbi, who has identified Tonali as his primary midfield target ahead of his first full season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Targeting a player of Tonali’s calibre signals Spurs’ intent to compete for silverware in the near future, having narrowly avoided relegation in 2025/26. Any deal for the 26-year-old will require Spurs to fend off competition from Manchester City and ***** nal. City see the Italian as a top alternative to first-choice target Elliot Anderson, while ***** nal remain interested after a failed January bid. With Tonali under contract until 2028, Newcastle United hold significant leverage and will demand a substantial fee to consider selling their prized ***** et, despite having already sanctioned a high-profile exit this summer, with Anthony Gordon moving to Barcelona, which somewhat alleviates the Magpies’ financial concerns.
Having signed Andrew Robertson and Marcos Senesi, Spurs are moving quickly to complete their summer business. The North London club are also in talks with Brighton & Hove Albion for Jan Paul van Hecke and reportedly hold an interest in Bart Verbruggen.

194 Rutgers student-athletes who participated in spring sports, such as baseball and softball, earned academic all-Big Ten status, according to a list that was announced on Wednesday, June 10. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team, be enrolled full-time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months, and carry a ******* ulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
15 of the 194 students recognized earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. Those include Emily James, Krystal Li and Grace Lu from women’s golf, along with Justin Lawler and Ben McKelvy of men’s lacrosse, Kimberly Greenblatt of women’s lacrosse, Madeline Galesi, Avery Mattos, and Emily Szopa with rowing, Noah Kriesman and Zach Love of men’s track and field, and Emma Baeyens, Charlee Crawford, Alianna Eucker, and Emma Keating from women’s track and field.
Rutgers had 141 students recognized for participating in fall sports while still maintaining a high GPA, and 62 students were recognized for doing the same while playing the winter sports, meaning that 397 student-athletes were recognized in total this academic year.
Below is a list of all the athletes who earned the honor via ScarletKnights.com
Baseball
Charles Batista: Labor Studies and Employment Relations
Peyton Bonds: Labor Studies and Employment Relations
Yomar Carreras: Criminal Justice
Matt Chatelle: Labor Studies and Employment Relations
Matthew Cruz: Criminal Justice
Luke Fithian: Labor Studies and Employment Relations
Zach Gleason: Labor Studies and Employment Relations
Tyler Kane: Business ******* ytics and Information Technology
Jack Kirchner: Finance
Zack Konstantinovsky: Accounting
Joe Mazza: Supply Chain Management
Nolan Peel: Leadership and Management
Andrew Rondini: Communication
Jack Sweeney: Communication

UFC Freedom 250 went down in the history books last night (Sat., June 14, 2026) in what was truly one-of-a kind event that saw all seven fights end via knockout. In the main event of the evening, Justin Gaethje became the undisputed Lightweight champion of the world after he absolutely brutalized Ilia Topuria to the point to where “El Matador” could not answer the call to come out for the fifth and final round (highlights). In the co-headlining act, Ciryl Gane once again captured UFC gold by knocking out Alex Pereira (video), while Sean O’Malley stopped Aiemann Zahabi in round two (see it here).
It’s about time UFC stops playing with Tsarukyan and give him his long over due shot at the **** le. He is currently ranked No. 2 and while he has been meaty taking on side quests in RAF, he should be ready to get back to his true calling inside the Octagon. This is another fight that has fireworks written all over it. Tsarukyan is on a five-fight win streak and was last seen submitting Dan Hooker in Nov. 2025.
After Gane stunned Pereira in round two with his heavy bombs, the hulking Frenchman can now look ahead to trying to settle some unfinished business with the current champion, Aspinall, in a rematch. The two men initially threw down at UFC 321 in Oct. 2025, which saw the fight end in anti-climactic fashion in the very first round after Aspinall was on the wrong end of an inadvertent eye poke, resulting in a no contest (NC). Since then, however, all we have been seeing is how slow the champ’s recovery has been, so there is no telling when that fight will happen…if ever.
After O’Malley took care of Zahabi last night, he called for a **** le fight against current Houston champion, Petr Yan. The two men initially fought way back at UFC 280, which saw “Suga” walk away with a split-decision win. Since then, however, Yan has become champion once again, winning the undisputed **** le more recently at UFC 323 by defeating Merab Dvalishvili. There have been talks about a potential rematch between the two, but nothing has yet become official. If and when it does, then I can see O’Malley waiting to face the winner, as he should.
Hokit secured his fourth straight win inside the Octagon in just seven months by stopping Derrick Lewis in round number two (see it here). Currently ranked No. 5, he could be moving up a spot or two following his latest win. Up next, a fight against Pavlovich could be in order, which would undoubtedly be his biggest test so far inside the Octagon. Pavlovich is currently ranked No. 3 in the division and is coming off an easy night of work, disposing of Tallison Teixeira in 39 seconds just last month (see it here). The winner of this fight could put himself in great position for a **** le eliminator fight, possibly against Alexander Volkov.

Gaming is the mega-sector few talk about. With a global market value of $386 billion this year, it dwarfs the size of film and music combined. As many as 350,000 people work in the industry directly, according to market research firm Gitnux. As with all other parts of the business world, talk of artificial intelligence is intense and inconclusive.
Microsoft is one of the Big Daddies. Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Minecraft live within the Xbox gaming empire, catapulted to leading global status by the acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion in 2023. Tencent, from China, and Sony, from ******* an, vie with Microsoft for supremacy at the top of the gaming leaderboard.
With such a successful stable, Microsoft is keen that advertisers engage with gaming platforms, and it has set up a business division—Xbox Media Solutions—to drive profitable deals. The first game it lists on its "global portfolio of fan-favorite franchises" has nothing to do with battlefield simulations in future universes or worlds created by an endless supply of rubble, bricks, and tree trunks. The first game it highlights relies on people matching different types of sweets in a row and has a name that is part pro wrestling, part confectionery store: Candy Crush Saga.
Candy Crush was launched in 2012 with 65 "levels" of candy-matching to complete. Few would have predicted that, 14 years later, it would still be making $1 billion in annual revenue and have a fan base of over 150 million users playing it more than once a month, according to Business of Apps, which covers the sector. The number of levels now exceeds 20,000, and spinoff games include Soda Saga and Jelly Saga. Given its rabid fandom, the $5.9 billion Activision paid in 2016 for King, the company that launched the game, now looks like a steal.
What's next for a game so successful that when writer of catchy tunes Meghan Trainor wanted an exclusive launch platform for the video of her new single "Made You Look," she chose Candy Crush? For the answer to that, it is worth turning to Paula Ingvar, the game's general manager, based at the company's HQ in Stockholm. She does not lack ambition.

Scott-Vincent Borba shared an update on his life in his first interview since becoming an ordained priest
The e.l.f. Cosmetics co-founder, who stepped away from the brand in 2019, was ordained as a Catholic priest in his hometown of Visalia, Calif. on May 23
He opened up to Today about his spiritual journey and how he built a new life after realizing his "soul was in ****** "
Scott-Vincent Borba, who co-founded e.l.f. Cosmetics in 2004 but left in 2019, is sharing a glimpse into his spiritual journey to priesthood.
The former businessman, 52, announced this past May that he was making a career jump from the beauty industry to the church. Following his ordination as a Catholic priest, performed by the Diocese of Fresno in his hometown of Visalia, Calif., on May 23, Borba took part in his first interview since on Today, opening up about why he made the spiritual leap.

The New York Knicks aren’t just NBA champions, they’re a lesson in perseverance. Proof positive why you should never quit on your team, no matter how dark it gets, no matter how bleak the future seems, no matter how much an owner tries to push you away. James Dolan’s name might be on the papers, but Saturday night proved that the Knicks don’t belong to him — they belong to New York.
It’s impossible not to love the scenes from New York following the Knicks’ breaking their 53-year championship drought. Did the celebration go too far? Sure. Did it turn the streets into anarchy? Absolutely. Did it closely resemble the Joker’s clown parade in Batman Returns? It sure did. It was also magical, inspiring, and reminded us how powerful sports can be, even as we become jaded in the face of ticket scalpers, political movements, and greedy owners who put their own motivations ahead of a city. When the dust settles, it’s about simply this: A small group of individuals who came together as a team, to bring joy to millions who have invested their heart and souls into loving a team their entire lives. People who said “this could be our year” more times than they could count, and when it comes to the NBA there is not a single more passionate, longer-suffering fanbase than the New York Knicks.
No doubt there would have been joy in San Antonio too, but it would have hit different. All due respect to Spurs fans, but even y’all have to admit that your franchise has had a horseshoe lodged up your derriere for the better part of 30 years. From drafting Tim Duncan during David Robinson’s ONE injury year to winning the Wemby sweepstakes, it just wouldn’t have been satisfying to see another Spurs win. Moreover, San Antonio is a competent, sensible organization run like a successful business — it’s not the Knicks, where fans have had to endure James Dolan’s whims at every turn, doing his level best to destroy the organization from within while playing a piano solo in his nepo band.
Dolan and the Knicks have given fans HUNDREDS of reasons to pack it in over the years. I don’t know how Spike Lee managed to endure the pain for as long as he did — but not just the pain, the promise. The possibility that Patrick Ewing, and John Starks would win a **** le, then if Stephon Marbury and Allan Houston could get the job done, then Carmelo, Amare, and J.R. Smith. Fans continually experience the yo-yo whiplash of made that make them believe, before seeing opportunity get yanked away, like a cat toy from a desperate tabby. They’ve seen brilliant teams under the guidance of Jeff Van Gundy, Mike D’Antoni, and Tom Thibodeau all establish specific eras of Knicks disappointment, which makes it all the more magical right now.
This Knicks team was so decidedly un-Knicks. Jalen Brunson is obviously a superstar, but this team was defined by doubt, not promise. **** ody believed Karl-Anthony Towns was good enough to be a focal point, Mickal Bridges was an overpaid addition; heck, Mike Brown wa

"I'm supposed to work out a settlement with myself," President Donald Trump told reporters a few days after he sued the IRS. He wasn't kidding: His January 29 lawsuit, which alleged damages from an IRS contractor's illegal leaking of his tax returns, pitted Trump against an agency he oversees, represented by Justice Department lawyers who also answer to him.
The "settlement" that the president reached with himself, which Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on May 18, included $1.8 billion in taxpayer money for purported victims of the Biden administration's "lawfare and weaponization." It also included protection from liability for tax violations and any other federal offenses that Trump or his family might have committed. That sweet deal was business as usual at the Justice Department, Trump's personal lawyers improbably claim in a brief they filed on Monday in the Southern District of Florida.
There is "no evidence" of "collusion or fraud" in Trump v. IRS, Alejandro Brito and two other lawyers told U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, who last month ordered briefing on that issue. Any suggestion that Trump used a phony lawsuit as a pretext to obtain huge favors for himself, his relatives, and his supporters is based on "nothing but speculation," Trump's attorneys say.
Brito et al. glide over the glaring conflicts of interest created by a case in which both sides were represented by lawyers who worked for Trump. Further compromising the Justice Department's ability to defend the IRS, an executive order that Trump issued in February 2025 bars the government's lawyers from taking legal positions at odds with the president's.
That bizarre situation prompted Williams to question whether the case involved a genuine controversy between adverse parties, as required for the lawsuit to proceed. After Williams ordered briefing on that crucial issue by May 20, Trump avoided the need to address it by dropping his lawsuit two days before the deadline. But in response to a May 27 motion by 35 former federal judges, Williams is now mulling "whether the case should be reopened because the Court was the 'victim of a fraud.'"

By Saeed Azhar, Nupur Anand and Chris Prentice
NEW YORK, June 15 (Reuters) - Big U.S. lenders are bracing for further public scrutiny over whether they improperly closed customer accounts as a top watchdog wraps up a review that is expected to name and shame banks and result in disciplinary action, said several people with knowledge of the matter.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is poised ‌to publish in coming weeks the findings of a supervisory review of whether lenders including JPMorgan and Bank of America cut off or denied services on religious or political grounds, often dubbed debanking. It has ‌also examined whether lenders denied services to legitimate, conservative-aligned sectors such as fossil-fuel companies, gun makers and crypto, the people said.
Debanking generally refers to the process whereby a financial institution suddenly cuts off or restricts services to individuals or businesses. Following Republican President Donald Trump's order last year, authorities have been cracking down on what Trump has characterized as politically motivated debanking pushed by Democrats, creating headaches for lenders, who deny the claims and say they have merely been following risk management rules.
Republicans have for years been ramping up pressure on Wall Street banks to drop what they describe as left-leaning "woke" policies that they say are discriminatory, and Trump says he has personally had accounts closed for such political reasons.

Madison Investments, an investment advisor, released its first-quarter 2026 investor letter for the "Madison Large Cap Fund". A copy of the letter is available to download here. The Madison Large Cap Fund (Class I) declined 2.7% in the quarter, outperforming the S&P 500's -4.33% return. The fund focuses on long-term capital appreciation. The quarter saw a shift in the equity market beyond the mega-cap technology stocks into physical economy stocks, influenced by fears of AI disruption. Additionally, rising commodity prices due to the Middle East conflict reignited inflation concerns, benefiting sectors such as Energy, Materials, Utilities, Staples, and Real Estate, which the Fund does not invest in, impacting its relative performance. Please review the Fund's top five holdings to gain insights into their key selections for 2026.
In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Madison Large Cap Fund highlighted Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN). Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN), a professional services company that focuses on consulting, technology and outsourcing, was among the leading detractors from performance during the quarter. On June 12, 2026, Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) closed at $170.28 per share. One-month return of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) was -4.09%, and its shares lost 45.83% over the past 52 weeks. Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) has a market capitalization of $104.79 billion.
Madison Large Cap Fund stated the following regarding Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
"The bottom five detractors for the quarter were Gartner, Danaher, Workday, Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN), and Agilent Technologies. At Accenture, performance continues to be muted as clients eschew large discretionary projects and Department of Government Efficiency ("DOGE") efforts weigh on its Public Service customer group. While we've long admired Accenture's ability to retool its nearly 800,000 employee workforce to adapt and commercialize the latest technology with its large enterprise customer base, we sold our position in the quarter. The company has recently started to limit its disclosure of customer bookings related to AI technology and evolved its capital allocation framework to emphasize acquisitions outside its core business. In light of these developments and range of outcomes related to the impact of AI on its business, we elected to sell our investment."
Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 64 hedge fund portfolios held Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) at the end of the first quarter, up from 71 in the previous quarter. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) reported revenues of $18.7 billion, reflecting a 5% increase in local currency. While we acknowledge the potential of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI sto

For the roughly 60,000 Somali Americans who call central Ohio home, the Somali national soccer team was among the 163 national teams that did not make to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
But one of Somalia's own still found a place on soccer's biggest stage.
Omar Artan, who was named Africa's top male referee in 2025, was selected by FIFA to officiate at the World Cup, making him the first Somali referee chosen for the tournament. For many Somalis in Columbus and around the world, Artan's appointment was a rare moment of international representation and pride.
That excitement turned to disappointment when Artan was denied entry into the United States on June 6 despite reportedly holding a valid visa.
"It was disheartening," said Jamila Gurhan, a Columbus community advocate and small-business owner. "He worked very hard to get there because not every person makes it to that level in their career."

At just 7.6 times earnings, PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) is essentially priced like a mature utility stock. This may seem odd for a company that is generating $6 billion or more in annual free cash flow, has a loyal customer base of nearly 440 million active accounts, and is buying back stock hand over fist.
To be fair, although PayPal is a very cheap stock by most metrics, there's also significant uncertainty about the company's future. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the reasons to buy PayPal, as well as some reasons investors may want to take a cautious approach.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
As mentioned, PayPal is a highly profitable business. It generated $6.4 billion in adjusted free cash flow last year, grew adjusted EPS by 14% year over year, and reduced its outstanding share count by about 8% through aggressive buybacks.
But there's a difference between cheap and "cheap for a reason," and for the time being, PayPal fits into the latter category.

INDIANAPOLIS -- One of the first additions to Bryce Taylor's ****** lesville Boom staff was a coach who stayed familiar after leaving the Pacers because he never left town.
Connor McCaffery -- the former Iowa wing, Pacers player development coach and Butler ****** istant who is perhaps most famously known as Fever superstar Caitlin Clark's significant other -- has rejoined the Pacers staff as a Boom ****** istant coach. That was initially reported by Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files.
McCaffery spent two years on Thad Matta's staff at Butler after spending 2023-24 on the Pacers staff. Though he obviously has personal reasons to want to stay in Indianapolis, he has long-term hopes of joining the family business as a coach. His father, Fran, is coming off an Ivy League ****** le and NCAA Tournament berth at Pennsylvania after 15 seasons as head coach at Iowa.
"You can't overlook the impressive basketball bloodline he comes from," Boom general manager Chris Taylor said. "I think from getting to know him I've been so impressed with his legitimate commitment to being a coach and a high-level coach. He has lofty aspirations and he's still young. A lot of times coaches his age, you're like, 'Hey what's your goal here?' And they might be just like, 'I just want to coach.' But he has very strict and kind of guided goals, which is great. His willingness to do anything. He had the player development role, the opportunity over at Butler, now coming back in a G League role, he's just open to any way he can learn and grow."
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

INDIANAPOLIS -- One of the first additions to Bryce Taylor's **** lesville Boom staff was a coach who stayed familiar after leaving the Pacers because he never left town.
Connor McCaffery -- the former Iowa wing, Pacers player development coach and Butler **** istant who is perhaps most famously known as Fever superstar Caitlin Clark's significant other -- has rejoined the Pacers staff as a Boom **** istant coach. That was initially reported by Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files.
McCaffery spent two years on Thad Matta's staff at Butler after spending 2023-24 on the Pacers staff. Though he obviously has personal reasons to want to stay in Indianapolis, he has long-term hopes of joining the family business as a coach. His father, Fran, is coming off an Ivy League **** le and NCAA Tournament berth at Pennsylvania after 15 seasons as head coach at Iowa.
"You can't overlook the impressive basketball bloodline he comes from," Boom general manager Chris Taylor said. "I think from getting to know him I've been so impressed with his legitimate commitment to being a coach and a high-level coach. He has lofty aspirations and he's still young. A lot of times coaches his age, you're like, 'Hey what's your goal here?' And they might be just like, 'I just want to coach.' But he has very strict and kind of guided goals, which is great. His willingness to do anything. He had the player development role, the opportunity over at Butler, now coming back in a G League role, he's just open to any way he can learn and grow."
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

Barron Trump took time out from his studies and fledgling energy drink business to attend the blood-soaked UFC fight card at the White House on Sunday, which also happened to be his father Donald Trump's 80th birthday.
The president's youngest son was photographed in his rare public appearance alongside the president, his mother, first lady Melania Trump, and other members of the Trump family as they watched the controversial spectacle which is part of America's 250th birthday celebrations.
The 20-year-old non-time traveler is currently studying business at New York University's Washington, D.C., campus and has kept a relatively low public profile.
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He was partially credited with his father securing the vote of younger male voters during the 2024 presidential election, a demographic that now appears to have turned on the president.