Cubs will 'always have a chance' to win the World Series if they avoid one mistake originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Cubs are fighting with the Philadelphia Phillies for the No. 4 seed in the National League, which is the top spot in the NL Wild Card and home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Amid this fierce competition, which is heading towards the final few weeks of play, one American League executive shared a very strong belief in the Cubs.
ESPN's Jesse Rogers shared that one AL executive believes the Cubs "will always have a chance" to win a World Series, so long as they avoid one simple mistake: giving up home runs.
"I'll take the Cubs," an AL executive said. "First in offense, first in defense, and a No. 1-type starter in Clay Holmes. I know they just had bullpen problems, but as long as they keep the ball in the park, the Cubs will always have a chance."

#Cubs #first #executive #sporting

The Washington Huskies have a problem on offense.
Jedd Fisch's unit has now scored 40 points in their first two games combined, ten fewer points than the Huskies were favored to win those two games by (23.5 against Washington State, 26.5 against Utah State). Washington has finished with more than 350 yards of offense in both of those games, but has found itself completely unable to move the ball consistently or score points efficiently through the first two games.
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has struggled to throw the ball in rhythm, often opting to scramble and utilize his talent as a runner to keep the offense on track. Washington has needed that from him, too: Williams has been the Huskies' leading rusher in both games as the running back depth has been decimated by injuries to Jordan Washington, Quaid Carr, and Jayden Limar.
But there has also been opportunity for Williams to throw the ball more effectively. He's missed several what should have been easy throws in the flat and placed longer throws into the end zone out of reach of his receivers more often than he's found those plays. It hasn't been all on Williams, however: starting X receiver Christian Moss left after two snaps in the Apple Cup, and starting Z receiver Rashid Williams left early on Saturday against Utah State, thrusting true freshmen Jordan Clay and Trez Davis into action. Dezmen Roebuck and running back Trey Cooley both also dropped passes that could have easily been touchdowns on Saturday, further putting the offense behind schedule and making for a messy operation.
"As an offense, we shot ourselves in the foot a lot," Williams told the media after the game.

#utah

Britain Covey will be available to handle punt-return duties when the Philadelphia Eagles open their season against the Washington Commanders. Philadelphia elevated Covey from the practice squad Saturday after placing rookie tight end Eli Stowers on injured reserve. The standard elevation allows Covey to play Sunday before reverting to the practice squad after the game.
Covey was listed as Philadelphia's primary punt returner on its first unofficial depth chart, but he needed to be elevated because he was not on the 53-man roster.
Rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon worked extensively as a punt returner during training camp, even while recovering from a hamstring injury. Special teams coordinator Michael Clay expressed confidence in Lemon's development while acknowledging the Eagles had other options available.
We have downgraded TE Eli Stowers to out for tomorrow’s game with quadriceps and hamstring injuries. He has been placed on the Injured Reserve List. We have also elevated WR Britain Covey for the game. pic.twitter.com/4hGlWIiBY6
Covey gives Philadelphia an experienced and dependable alternative.

#philadelphia #game #stowers

As the Colts begin their season with a home matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, who do the experts predict will win the game?
ESPN's Mike Clay, Benjamin Solak, Seth Wickersham, Jason Reid, Dan Graziano, Jeremy Fowler, Matt Bowen, Eric Moody, Pamela Maldonado, Kalyn Kahler, Lindsey Thiry: RAVENS
NFL Network's Bucky Brooks, Colleen Wolfe, Nick Shook, Grant Gordon, Kevin Patra, Lance Zierlein, Tom Grossi, Brandon Perna: RAVENS
NFL.com's Jeremy Bergman, Brooke Cersosimo, Bobby Kownack, Dan Parr: RAVENS
NFL.com's Gennaro Filice: COLTS

#colts #jeremy #clay #solak

Regular readers know that I've followed one of the great Cy Young horse races in recent memory, with Cam Schlittler going great start-for-great start with the Blue Jays' Dylan Cease. We got a little bit of separation this week, as the Athletics touched up Cease for four runs in five innings on Monday, and then Schlittler allowed just a solo shot in seven frames against the Rockies on Tuesday. Cam has crept just ahead by fWAR, enjoys a considerable lead in bWAR, and right now I think would end up at the top of most voters' ballots.
But something struck me in the aftermath of Cam's night against Colorado, the same night that Aaron Judge returned to the lineup. Cam Schlittler isn't just the Cy Young favorite, but he's built himself an MVP case. No pitcher has won the award since Clayton Kershaw for the 2014 Dodgers, and the last AL winner was 2011 Justin Verlander. Yordan Alvarez is in the hunt for the first Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Witt Jr. is probably the best overall player in the league, and if Junior Caminero tops the AL in home runs and plays on the Junior Circuit's best team, he probably gets his share of votes too.
And yet here's the thing: Cam stacks up fairly against all three of them!
Let's take Yordan, who I think has the inside track on the award right now. Schlittler's 0.1 fWAR back, a difference that is literally negligible, and more than three-quarters of a win better by bWAR. Alvarez's candidacy is based around the Triple Crown, probably being the best hitter in baseball, and dragging what we thought was a finally-deflated Houston Astros team to a division ****** le. ****** py AL West or not, that is exactly the blueprint for an MVP, if one for a slightly older voter.
Should Alvarez not win the Triple Crown, he loses a bit of his case, though he's likely still the best hitter in the game on a division winner, one who will have played in the neighborhood of 155 games. That's the big thing both undercutting Witt's MVP claim while bolstering his position as best all-around player — the Kansas City shortstop has only played 128 games at time of writing, yet leads the league in fWAR and bWAR among position players. With a solid-but-not-spectacular 18 homers and 124 wRC+, the parts of his game beyond hitting are doing the heavy lifting there as well. All that and the fact that the Royals are so bad work against him when it comes to end of season awards though, and Bobby seems cursed to be the Dave Stieb of shortstops.

#schlittler #young #cease

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jorbit Vivas hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning to lift Washington to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels that snapped the Nationals' seven-game losing streak Friday night.
The Angels led 2-1 before pinch-hitter Andrew Pinckney tied it with a sacrifice fly off Samy Natera Jr. (1-2) in the eighth. Then Vivas hit a flyball that dropped into the corner in right field to make it 4-2.
Clayton Beeter (6-5) won in relief, and Erik Tolman worked the ninth for his second save. Tolman allowed an RBI double by Christian Moore that very nearly cleared the wall in right-center for a tying homer, but it stayed in the park and the left-hander retired pinch-hitter Kyren Paris on a flyball to end it.
Mike Trout homered for the first time in over a month for Los Angeles.
Trout hadn't gone deep since Aug. 10 against Texas, but after 27 consecutive homerless games, he connected off Cade Cavalli in the first inning to put the Angels up 1-0.

#vivas #tolman #inning #pinch

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) announced an expanded collaboration with Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) on September 2 to scale Oracle's global AI infrastructure using HPE Juniper Networking across Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) data centers. The partnership builds on over a decade of joint engineering, leveraging HPE's routing and switching platforms to support OCI's expanding gigawatt-scale GPU superclusters. To align long-term incentives, HPE issued stock warrants to Oracle.
Following the announcement, Wall Street delivered fast price target hikes: Barclays' Tim Long raised HPE's target by $12 to $79 (Overweight), citing server upside and robust margins, while Morgan Stanley's Sanjit Singh boosted Oracle's target by $3 to $210 (Equal Weight), noting a tactically positive setup driven by GPUaaS demand.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) and Oracle both delivered strong results, although Oracle operates at a significantly larger scale. HPE reported record Q3 2026 revenue of $12.2 billion, up 34% year over year, driven by strong server demand and a 74.9% increase in Networking revenue to $2.9 billion. GAAP diluted EPS reached $1.06, while strong execution led management to raise full-year FY26 revenue growth guidance to 34%-37% and its free cash flow target to at least $3.75 billion.
Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL), meanwhile, ended fiscal 2026 with record Q4 revenue of $19.2 billion, up 21% year over year, and full-year revenue of $67.4 billion, up 17%. Q4 Cloud Infrastructure (IaaS) revenue surged 93% to $5.8 billion, while full-year GAAP EPS rose 34% to $5.83 and Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) jumped 363% to $638 billion.
Overall, ORCL leads in hyper-growth and long-term backlog, reinforcing its position as the stronger software and cloud play, while HPE is demonstrating stronger near-term hardware momentum and attractive cash flow generation for value-oriented investors.

#billion #revenue #infrastructure

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Barclays raised its year-end S&P 500 target to 7,950 Wednesday, betting stronger earnings and continued artificial intelligence spending can keep the rally going.
The bank lifted its target from 7,800 and raised its 2026 earnings-per-share forecast to $365 from $337, Reuters reported. The S&P 500 was trading around 7,625 Wednesday, leaving Barclays' target about 4% above current levels. The index is tracked by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY).
Even after the upgrade, Barclays is still one of the more cautious voices on Wall Street. HSBC raised its target to 8,100 Tuesday, while UBS, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup also see the index finishing at or above 8,000.
Prediction traders are more skeptical. Polymarket puts roughly 40% on an S&P 500 finish above 8,000, while its contracts put more combined weight on the index ending below 7,500 than above 8,000.

#below

In 2026, the Cubs' starters have been a major storyline. While the bullpen's struggle is the biggest issue, the rotation has been concerning. The pitching struggles have severely impacted the team in the second half of the season. When looking at the playoff picture, their lead has diminished, and both San Diego and Arizona are within three games of Chicago. However, there is hope for the Cubs starters.
Chicago has had a very up-and-down year from their starters. Injuries have plagued the team, as nearly all pitchers miss time. A busy trade deadline had things looking promising. While a few have had good starts, the team has struggled to find consistency. That said, the Cubs' starter hierarchy has clearly shifted. If Chicago wishes to make a run in the playoffs, relying on the top three Cubs starters needs to be the move.
Clay Holmes has been the top Cubs starter since he joined the team. With Chicago, he is 2-3 with a 3.51 ERA. The ERA is inflated by his last start, in which he allowed eight runs in 4.1 innings. Without that game, he was showing his ace potential. Down the stretch of the season, Holmes will need to show his talent and give the Cubs valuable length.
The other newcomer, Kevin Gausman, has also been solid since joining Chicago. His most recent start against the Brewers was rough, allowing six earned runs. He has had mixed results in his seven starts, with a 5.31 ERA. However, he is giving good length, going six or seven innings in most starts. Additionally, his valuable playoff experience makes him a key piece of the Cubs rotation.
Of the three starters, Matthew Boyd is the only one who has been with them all year. Boyd has struggled with injuries and inconsistency, but still has given valuable innings. Like Gausman, he can go fairly deep into games. He is 8-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 109.1 innings. His experience with Chicago could see him start one of the first two games come playoff time.

#innings #playoff

Kim Zolciak is facing nearly $150,000 in alleged debts as she deals with ongoing legal issues involving her family. The former Real Housewives of Atlanta star faces two separate lawsuits over unpaid debts. The cases involve money tied to her former business and a credit card account. Both lawsuits remain ongoing.
According to Us Weekly, Headway Capital sued Zolciak in April 2026. The financial company claims she entered a business-use line of credit agreement for 8 Busy B's LLC. The company alleges Zolciak did not repay $75,000. Headway Capital is seeking $130,634.03, including interest.
According to court documents, Headway Capital claims Zolciak owes $74,983.89 in principal. The lawsuit also lists $55,650.14 in accrued interest through Aug. 13, 2024. Headway Capital also seeks prejudgment interest from Aug. 14, 2024, plus statutory post-judgment interest. Zolciak received the lawsuit papers at her Georgia home from a Gwinnett County sheriff's deputy on June 23. A hearing set for Aug. 8 was later canceled, and the court has not set another date. Zolciak has not responded to the lawsuit.
Zolciak also faces a separate lawsuit over an alleged unpaid credit card balance. Portfolio Recovery ****** ociates, LLC sued her on July 13 and claims she owes $16,759.51. The company says it bought the debt from Barclays Bank Delaware in May 2024. The lawsuit says Zolciak "failed to make payments" and "defaulted" under the agreement.
According to an affidavit, a process server made more than 10 attempts to serve Zolciak at her former home. Security reportedly said she no longer lived there, while several calls went unanswered. The process server's most recent attempt was on Aug. 22.

#capital #company

Willie Lampkin projects as a backup center for the Philadelphia Eagles, but special teams could provide the rookie with another path onto the active game-day roster.
Special teams coordinator Michael Clay believes Lampkin's unique size, strength, and movement skills make him an appealing option for several units. The former North Carolina standout is undersized by traditional NFL offensive line standards, but his compact build allows him to play with natural leverage.
Those traits could translate to field-goal protection and other blocking responsibilities. Lampkin must first earn a spot among Philadelphia's active players on Sundays. NFL teams generally carry only a limited number of reserve offensive linemen on game day, and those backups must provide flexibility beyond one position. Cam Jurgens is established as the starting center, while rookie Drew Kendall also provides depth inside. Lampkin's ability to handle center duties and contribute on special teams would give the coaching staff another reason to dress him.
Philadelphia has previously found special teams responsibilities for reserve linemen, particularly players with the athleticism to move in ***** e and the strength to handle power rushers.
Lampkin's size will remain part of the evaluation, but Clay sees potential value rather than only a limitation. If the rookie can become dependable in the kicking game, he could strengthen his chances of remaining active while continuing his development as an interior offensive lineman.

#center #philadelphia

Clay Matthews finally opens up about facial transformation originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Clay Matthews has been turning heads after his latest over-the-top facial transformation, and fans are finally getting the answers to why.
The former Green Bay Packers star has been photographed walking around New York City with exaggerated cheekbones and a chin, where he is nearly unrecognizable. At first, fans believed it was a possibility that the Super Bowl champion decided to change his appearance, but it was never confirmed until now what was actually going on behind the scenes.
Matthews spoke to TMZ on Sept. 9 and shared that it was a hilarious take on the"looksmaxxing" trend, but it's nothing but prosthetics. The former NFL star is partnering with Caesars Sportsbook for the look. He told the outlet he had to sit in a chair for four hours to complete the outrageous appearance. The betting app shared a video of Matthews sitting in the makeup chair, showing how they created the look.
The former NFL star shared in a press release that this was nothing like he's done before, but it was interesting to see it all come together.

#former #fans

Cash App segment is becoming a major driver of the growth story for Block Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) in 2026, as the underlying lending operations within the segment standout as key determinants of management's outlook for the remainder of the year. Recent initiatives around the company's proprietary credit signal support the narrative and broaden the company's lending reach. For the first time, Block will open its Cash App Score for external lenders by collaborating with Nova Credit's Cash Flow Intelligence Platform.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Cash App Score was previously limited to internal use by the company for its consumer lending offerings such as the Cash App Borrow. This latest development could pave way for the monetization of company's data infrastructure, resulting in an additional revenue source.
During the second quarter, Block exceeded its prior guidance, reporting $3.17 billion in gross profit and $864 million in adjusted operating income. Revenue reached $6.62 billion, up 9.3% year over year. Gross profit expanded by 25% relative to the same period last year, and the company posted record 27% adjusted operating margins. Adjusted EPS clocked in at $1.02, exhibiting year-over-year growth of 65%.
Block's impressive second quarter print was driven by strong consumer spending, along with Cash App gross profit expansion of 31% year-over-year increase. This can be attributed to significant expansion in consumer lending, driven by Cash App Borrow. Block said Financial Solutions gross profit growth was driven primarily by Cash App Borrow. It reflects favorably on broader user engagement, who are utilizing Cash App for short-term credit financing instead of just a savings or payment mechanism. Despite a nominal 3% growth in monthly transacting actives, volumetric growth within Cash App was impressive. There was a 59% year-over-year jump in Cash App Consumer Lending origination volume, and 17% increase in Cash App Commerce Enablement volume.

#cash #Consumer

The Barclays Women's Super League 2 (WSL2) kicked off on Friday night under the lights. We witnessed some shock results, own goals, a red card and new signings shining. It was a ****** per weekend of footballing action.
There was plenty to talk about across the WSL 2 match-week one results, from Sunderland's four-goal win over Bristol City to Ipswich Town's late equaliser against Nottingham Forest. Here's how the opening round unfolded.
Two newly promoted teams faced off as Watford hosted Burnley at Vicarage Road. It was the first time the two teams had ever played each other.
Watford dominated possession but couldn't make any of their 12 shots count against a resolute Burnley defence. Burnley pressed Watford, giving them little to no time on the ball.
Burnley debutant and captain Christie Harrison-Murray came close with an audacious lob, but it drifted beyond Safia Middleton-Patel's post. Saoirse Noonan had Watford's best chance as she arched her run perfectly behind the last defender but shot into the side netting.

#time #barclays #league #wsl2

Viridis Mining and Minerals has awarded the first major equipment contract for its Colossus Rare Earth Project in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil.
The company has selected Dewater Filter Press to supply the residue pressure filtration package following a 12-month competitive tender and technical evaluation process.
The contract includes the design, manufacture, fabrication, testing and supply of a filtration system intended to handle solid-liquid separation of processed clay before it is returned to the mine as part of rehabilitation activities.
According to Viridis, Dewater was chosen after dedicated testing using Colossus residue, which established the appropriate equipment sizing and operating parameters.
These tests also underpinned contractual performance guarantees for throughput and final residue moisture levels.

#filtration

Cash App segment is becoming a major driver of the growth story for Block Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) in 2026, as the underlying lending operations within the segment standout as key determinants of management's outlook for the remainder of the year. Recent initiatives around the company's proprietary credit signal support the narrative and broaden the company's lending reach. For the first time, Block will open its Cash App Score for external lenders by collaborating with Nova Credit's Cash Flow Intelligence Platform.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Cash App Score was previously limited to internal use by the company for its consumer lending offerings such as the Cash App Borrow. This latest development could pave way for the monetization of company's data infrastructure, resulting in an additional revenue source.
During the second quarter, Block exceeded its prior guidance, reporting $3.17 billion in gross profit and $864 million in adjusted operating income. Revenue reached $6.62 billion, up 9.3% year over year. Gross profit expanded by 25% relative to the same period last year, and the company posted record 27% adjusted operating margins. Adjusted EPS clocked in at $1.02, exhibiting year-over-year growth of 65%.
Block's impressive second quarter print was driven by strong consumer spending, along with Cash App gross profit expansion of 31% year-over-year increase. This can be attributed to significant expansion in consumer lending, driven by Cash App Borrow. Block said Financial Solutions gross profit growth was driven primarily by Cash App Borrow. It reflects favorably on broader user engagement, who are utilizing Cash App for short-term credit financing instead of just a savings or payment mechanism. Despite a nominal 3% growth in monthly transacting actives, volumetric growth within Cash App was impressive. There was a 59% year-over-year jump in Cash App Consumer Lending origination volume, and 17% increase in Cash App Commerce Enablement volume.

#year #Growth #gross #profit

LOS ANGELES — Tommy Edman made a fantastic defensive play to rob extra bases, then rounded said bases after a three-run home run that helped the Dodgers to a 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
Down two runs in the seventh inning, Alex Freeland walked with one out and Kiké Hernández singled with two out. That set the stage for Edman, who jumped on a high slider from former Dodgers draft pick Clayton Beeter for a three-run home run, turning the game around.
Edman in five games on the homestand has nine hits in 22 at-bats (.409), what a way to make a living.
With no Shohei Ohtani in the lineup for a third straight day, the Dodgers were also without two other planned starters with Dalton Rushing scratched with elbow soreness and Max Muncy sick. They still managed to score a pair off Washington's best starter, Cade Cavalli in the opening frame. Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch and Mookie Betts singled with one out. Teoscar Hernández continued his solid week or so with an RBI single, and catcher Hunter Feduccia added another.
Tyler Glasnow struck out eight but pitched through traffic most of his night, and allowed four runs.

#Dodgers #night

MIAMI — Even when Javier ****** ad doesn't possess his best command, the right-hander finds a way to put the Chicago Cubs in position to win.
Assad worked around a season-high five walks as he grinded through 4 2/3 innings Saturday against the Miami Marlins, ultimately limiting enough damage in the Cubs' 6-5 win at loanDepot Park. Ryan Zeferjahn threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn his first save as a Cub.
The victory ****** ures the Cubs will maintain their hold of the National League's first wild-card spot over the Philadelphia Phillies as they go for the sweep Sunday with right-hander Clay Holmes on the mound.
"I try to stay calm and under control and work my game, and I've got the best defense behind me, and I let them work, and it came up huge," Zeferjahn said. "The biggest thing for me, honestly, is not chasing strikeouts. Like I said, I've got the best defense, and when you get a one-pitch out to start the ninth inning, so much weight's off your shoulders right there. So just focusing on that and then stay in the attack mode after that."
Making his first big-league start in a month, ****** ad gave up three hits and three runs, one of which scored when reliever Caleb Thielbar immediately surrendered a two-run home run to Griffin Conine, the first batter he faced.

#best #i 've #hander

An auction of the retail empire formerly owned by the Barclay family is set to be shelved after bidders failed to meet the £2bn asking price.
Very Group, the online retailer that also owns the Littlewoods brand, was bought by US private equity firm Carlyle for a nominal £1 sum last year and subsequently put up for sale.
But plans to sell the company now appear to be in jeopardy after none of the potential suitors, which included Chinese online giant JD.com, came up with offers large enough to meet Carlyle's demands, Sky News reported.
Carlyle, which had been Very's main creditor, seized control of Very in November following the collapse of the Barclay empire amid a dispute with Lloyds Banking Group about unpaid debts.
In addition to JD.com, possible bidders are said to have included investment firm Elliott, which owns Waterstones, and plus-size online retailer N Brown, which owns the Jacamo and Simply Be brands.

#owns #group #bidders #meet

On August 5, Clover Health Investments Corp. (NASDAQ:CLOV) reported second-quarter 2026 results that turned a year-ago loss into real profit. GAAP net income came in at $28 million, a $39 million swing from the $10.6 million loss posted in the same quarter last year. Medicare Advantage membership climbed to 157,309, up 48% year over year, and the company raised its full-year guidance across every major line item. For a stock that has spent years chasing profitability, this quarter reads like a turning point.
The headline number is the $28 million in GAAP net income for the quarter, but the six-month picture tells the same story with more weight behind it: $55.3 million in net income through the first half of 2026, compared to an $11.9 million loss over the same stretch last year. Revenue reached $743.2 million in the quarter, up 55.6% year over year, and consolidated gross profit rose 53.6% to $153.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled, jumping 139.2% to $40.9 million from $17.1 million a year earlier, which means profitability is scaling faster than revenue itself.
Clover backed those numbers by raising its 2026 outlook on every front. Full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance moved up to $70 million to $85 million from a prior range of $50 million to $70 million, and GAAP net income guidance rose to $20 million to $35 million from $0 million to $20 million. The company also closed the quarter with $443.0 million in cash and investments, up 13.8% year over year, giving it room to keep funding growth. CEO Andrew Toy pointed to the Clover ***** istant platform reaching more physicians and members as the engine behind "better health outcomes" alongside the growth, while Interim CFO Clay Thornton tied the improving cohort economics to the company retaining more of that value under its full-risk model heading into 2027.
The same filing shows that scaling a Medicare Advantage insurer is not cheap. Insurance net medical claims incurred rose 56.1% year over year to $615.4 million, tracking almost in step with revenue growth. The insurance benefits expense ratio, which measures how much of premium revenue goes toward paying medical claims, sat at 87.6% for the quarter, only 80 basis points better than a year ago, and the six-month figure improved by just 20 basis points. That means the cost of caring for members has barely budged as a share of revenue, even as the top line surged.
Spending on overhead grew too. Salaries, benefits, and general and administrative expenses rose 13.3% year over year to $124.4 million, while the adjusted version of that same cost line jumped 35.9% to $112.1 million. And even after the guidance raise, projected full-year GAAP net income of $20 million to $35 million is modest against total revenue guidance of $2.92 billion to $3.00 billion, a thin margin for a business still proving it can convert scale into durable profit.

#quarter #income

Cubs reportedly showed interest in Red Sox starter before Nationals trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Cubs did a pretty good job of acquiring starting pitching help at the trade deadline.
Right-hander Kevin Gausman was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays, and Clay Holmes from the New York Mets.
Before those moves, the Cubs added lefty David Peterson in a deal with the Mets.
This better positions Chicago's rotation before the postseason. However, those weren't the only three pitchers they targeted.

#Cubs #trade #source

Several of architect David McLay Kidd's most popular courses have focused on extreme and creative playability, with Gamble Sands in Washington and Mammoth Dunes at Sand Valley in Wisconsin as prime examples. Even his first-ever design, the original Bandon Dunes layout at the famed resort of the same name in Oregon, put playability at the forefront.
Kidd had a few deviations from the playability theme in his career, but in recent years he has talked at length about designing courses that are approachable for any level of golfer. The trick, he has said, is to challenge the best players while allowing less-skilled golfers to keep swinging.
Consider that challenge accepted at Bone Valley in Florida, his latest completed creation that will open in late September for preview play at the well-regarded Streamsong Resort. Built with an appreciation of the resort's other courses and with those layouts' DNA in mind, Kidd has constructed a new, full-sized 18 that offers ample width and plenty of opportunities to bounce **** into greens – those are keys to playability for less-skilled players.
But just as megalodon shark teeth can be found in the sand piles left over from the site's history as a phosphate mining operation, Bone Valley can offer a bit of a bite. Stray too far from the best scoring lines, and even the best players will struggle with the angles as they attempt to set up birdie putts.
"My team and I felt like we got to build something really, really fun both visually, strategically, creatively," Kidd said. "I think golfers, when they come here, won't be disappointed. I think they'll have a blast trying to figure out how to navigate their way through. I think every hole has a dozen different attacks you could make, a thousand different ways you could recover from error. It's not overly penal, but she is going to put up a fight against scoring. I think I've been able to refine that over the last dozen years or so."

#think #players #dunes

WSL Full-Time were informed of the news via an official club press release from The Hammers this afternoon.
The 35-year-old has signed a one-year contract at The Chigwell Construction Stadium.
Kumagai joined London City Lionesses in January 2025. She won the Barclays WSL2 ******* le with the club three months later before featuring for The Pride in the top tier last term. The midfielder has also turned out for Urawa Reds, Eintracht Frankfurt, OL Lyonnes, FC Bayern Munich and AS Roma in her career to date. ******* agai won five UEFA Women's Champions League ******* les with OL Lyonnes while she has lifted league ******* les in four different countries.
On the international stage, ******* agai has been capped by ******* an on 173 occasions in which she has scored four goals. The midfielder was a FIFA Women's World Cup winner with her country in 2011.
After joining West Ham United, ******* agai said "I'm very happy to be here and excited to join West Ham United.

#lyonnes #league #club #titles

Amy Hunt will continue her busy summer as the only athlete running both the women's 100m and 200m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels this weekend.
The young British sprint star – who won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games five weeks ago, claimed a record four gold medals at the European Athletics Championships shortly after and has since competed in Diamond League events in Zurich and Lausanne as well as a meeting in Brescia – will face two stacked fields at the King Baudouin Stadium, with Olympic silver medallist Sha'Carri Richardson, World Championship silver medallist Tina Clayton and Commonwealth Games champion Zoe Hobbs headlining the 100m field, and two-time Olympic medallist Julien Alfred the favourite in the 200m.
There are global superstars littered throughout the events as the season-long Diamond League reaches its conclusion, with unbeatable pole vault icon Mondo Duplantis finally having a legitimate rival in the form of Emmanouil Karalis, making for a fascinating Friday night showdown, while Audrey Werro vs the ever-improving Femke Broeders-Bol will be a blockbuster 800m match-up in the penultimate race of the meeting on Saturday evening.
Recent world-record breakers Alison Dos Santos (men's 400m hurdles) and Masai Russell (women's 100m hurdles) will both be in action once more, while the likes of Georgia Hunter Bell in the women's 1500m, Matthew Hudson-Smith in the men's 400m and Ben Pattison in the men's 800m provide further British interest. In addition to the Diamond Trophy, there is an extra incentive for the winners, with automatic qualification for the lucrative World Athletics Ultimate Championship later this month on the line.
Here's everything you need to know about the event

#diamond #medallist #british #games

Kevin O'Connor is joined by Sam Amick to continue his NBA Entertainment Rankings, diving deep into offseason moves, ****** le expectations and chaos potential for the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks. They break down Houston's all-or-nothing gamble on veterans like Kevin Durant, OKC's roster flexibility and subtle strategy shift and the Knicks' shot at a championship repeat amid new roster dynamics.
(0:29) Entertainment Rankings: Rockets
(06:38) Entertainment Rankings: Thunder
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Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets drives the ball during the first half of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 01, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

#kevin

Amy Hunt will continue her busy summer as the only athlete running both the women's 100m and 200m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels this weekend.
The young British sprint star – who won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games five weeks ago, claimed a record four gold medals at the European Athletics Championships shortly after and has since competed in Diamond League events in Zurich and Lausanne as well as a meeting in Brescia – will face two stacked fields at the King Baudouin Stadium, with Olympic silver medallist Sha'Carri Richardson, World Championship silver medallist Tina Clayton and Commonwealth games champion Zoe Hobbs headlining the 100m field, and two-time Olympic medallist Julien Alfred the favourite in the 200m.
There are global superstars littered throughout the events as the season-long Diamond League reaches its conclusion, with unbeatable pole vault icon Mondo Duplantis finally having a legitimate rival in the form of Emmanouil Karalis, making for a fascinating Friday night showdown, while Audrey Werro vs the ever-improving Femke Broeders-Bol will be a blockbuster 800m match-up in the penultimate race of the meeting on Saturday evening.
Recent world-record breakers Alison Dos Santos (men's 400m hurdles) and Masai Russell (women's 100m hurdles) will both be in action once more, while the likes of Georgia Hunter Bell in the women's 1500m, Matthew Hudson-Smith in the men's 400m and Ben Pattison in the men's 800m provide further British interest.
Here's everything you need to know about the event:

#league #silver #commonwealth

One problem in the artificial intelligence industry that just doesn't seem to be going away: Companies still aren't saying new AI tools are making them more profitable.
"While it's easy to find anecdotal examples of AI-driven margin gains or cost-cuts, economically meaningful implementation seems uneven at best," Barclays strategist Venu Krishna wrote in a note on Thursday.
"While nearly half of all companies talked about AI [on recent earnings calls], only 12% were willing to quantify AI-related value capture," Krishna added. "Of those, tech, financials, and healthcare companies were over-indexed at 68% of the total. The average reported gain in operational efficiencies seems impressive at first blush at 56%, but these ******* sments have not meaningfully changed over the last three years of LLM advances, calling their precision into question."
Krishna noted that Meta's (META) AI tools delivered an 8.3% increase in Facebook ad clicks and a 15.7% uplift in conversions.
Online pet care retailer Chewy (CHWY) is targeting $50 million in cost savings in fiscal year 2027 through AI deployed across fulfillment and customer service.

#cost #barclays

For years, the world's largest banks watched stablecoins from the sidelines, treating them as a threat to deposits and traditional payment rails. That era appears to be over.
A consortium of 21 financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, UBS, Wells Fargo, Barclays and Santander, is planning to form a company that would issue a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, with a launch targeted for the first half of 2027, according to Reuters.
A stablecoin is a digital token designed to hold a steady value, typically backed one-to-one by a traditional currency like the U.S. dollar, and used for payments, trading and moving money across borders.
Related: 50 major hacks cost crypto investors $136M in August
The effort started smaller.

#goldman #sachs #wells

Brad Pitt sent a message to George Clooney as the Michael Clayton star was honored Wednesday at the Venice International Film Festival.
While some of his words were kind, he made sure to roast Clooney.
Pitt and Clooney are longtime friends who've costarred in the Ocean's 11 movies and others.
Brad Pitt just can't resist a playful shot at his friend George Clooney.
Pitt couldn't attend Wednesday as Clooney was honored with the Venice International Film Festival's Golden Lion for lifetime achievement. So he sent a message for Laura Dern to read as she presented the honor to the Michael Clayton star.

#brad #george #clayton #venice

George Clooney was a late bloomer in Hollywood who now frequently uses his platform as an industry icon to promote political and humanitarian causes close to his heart.
At 65, the megastar belongs to a rare caste of Hollywood actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise whose names have become globally famous.
His dark good looks, natural charm and on-screen charisma have also earned him frequent comparisons to 20th-century Hollywood giant Cary Grant.
"I think he's better at the job of being a movie star than anybody who has ever done it," Tony Gilroy, who directed him in 2007 thriller "Michael Clayton", once said about him.
Clooney "absolutely can't be reduced to just his looks and charm, which are indisputable," Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, told AFP on Tuesday.

#brad #pitt