BUCHAREST, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets to destroy a marine drone spotted a few hundred metres from the Black Sea gas project Neptun ‌Deep, Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Thursday.
The incident underscores the growing threat to ‌critical energy infrastructure in the Black Sea from drones and mines linked to Russia's war in Ukraine, with Neptun Deep expected to make Romania the European Union's largest gas producer when it comes onstream in 2027.
NATO-member Romania shares a 614-km (382-mile) land border with Ukraine and has seen Russian drones breaching its airspace over the last four years and mines floating in the Black Sea across key trade ‌and energy routes.
Thursday's incident follows similar ⁠action earlier this month when army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting in the exclusive economic zone near the offshore Neptun Deep project.
"In order ⁠to protect the lives of the several hundred people working on the platform and to secure critical infrastructure, the decision was made to destroy (the marine drone)," Miruta said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

#neptun #ukraine #destroy

Expect a much fresher "RDR."
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder makes his Light Heavyweight debut against Roman Dolidze on the UFC Sacramento main card this weekend (Sat., Aug. 22, 2026) inside Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
And the move is probably long overdue.
Despite enjoying tremendous success at Middleweight — climbing within one victory of a potential ***** le shot — de Ridder destroyed his body in the process of making the 185-pound limit.
At 6'4," de Ridder was gigantic for the division. During his first year with UFC, the Dutch fighter successfully made Middleweight five times, which seems absolutely insane in hindsight.

#expect #ultimate #reinier

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A former senior adviser to infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci pleaded guilty Tuesday to plotting to conceal federal records related to research on the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. David Morens is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland. Morens pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years.
"By pleading guilty today, Dr. Morens has taken responsibility for what he did, and he will continue to do so," defense attorney Tim Belevetz said in a statement after the plea hearing.
Morens is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Justice Department alleges that he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.
The indictment follows a probe by House Republicans into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that scrutinized Morens' email communications and accused him of intentionally concealing records. In congressional testimony, Morens denied attempting to evade federal transparency laws by using his personal email.

#records #guilty #infectious #pleaded

MOSCOW, Aug 19 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian government on Wednesday to launch a programme to ‌rebuild commercial warehouses damaged or destroyed by Ukraine in ‌a month of targeted attacks.
Ukraine has carried out drone strikes against at least two dozen warehouses of Russia's top online retailer Wildberries since July 18, causing explosions and fires that have destroyed a large chunk of its storage capacity.
Putin, without naming the company, said a number ‌of logistic sites needed ⁠rebuilding with state involvement, and told the government to work on this.
"It is essential to ensure ⁠that the restoration of damaged facilities is carried out at a qualitatively new technological level," he said in televised comments to a conference of ministers and business leaders on the economy.
Putin said the ‌economy was growing modestly despite external pressure — a reference to Western sanctions — and despite Ukrainian attacks on industrial and infrastructure facilities.

#government #warehouses #economy

Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY) recently experienced its best trading day since 2016, even though the company has yet to confirm anything has happened. Shares of the human-resources and finance software producer rose about 18% on August 13 after Reuters reported that private equity firm Silver Lake is in talks to acquire the company, in a deal that would rank among the largest software buyouts in history. The stock fluctuated even more wildly intraday, rising as much as 26% to $220.50 before being halted for volatility several times in the afternoon.
According to Reuters, Silver Lake and Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY) have carried out negotiations regarding a potential takeover in recent months, but the talks are still ongoing, with no guaranty that a transaction would occur. According to one source, Silver Lake may seek other investors to ******* ist in financing the deal, which would be one of the firm's largest technology investments to date. Workday's market value was around $43 billion before the report, and a full buyout at anything close to a typical takeover premium would place the deal in rare territory for software leveraged buyouts, while also representing the latest sign of private equity interest for large tech targets reviving after a number of quiet years.
The stock has been under pressure for much of 2026, trading more than 40% lower than its 2024 top, as investors have grown concerned that AI technologies could destroy the value of traditional enterprise software. Leadership has already responded to that pressure: Aneel Bhusri, who co-founded Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:WDAY) in 2005, returned to the CEO post in February for the mission of guiding the company during what it refers to as the rapidly evolving AI age. A private equity firm willing to pay a premium for a company that the market has been discounting due to AI disruption fears indicates that at least one sophisticated buyer sees more value in Workday's roughly 11,500 customers, which include Netflix, U.S. Bank, and Johns Hopkins University, than its depressed valuation suggests.
The bullish argument is that Silver Lake's reported interest may highlight value in Workday that has been obscured by the market's AI concerns. Going private would allow Bhusri to invest in an AI transition away from quarterly public scrutiny, a logic that has prompted a number of other software acquisitions in recent years.
That said, talks are still ongoing with no guarantee of a deal, and the stock's strong intraday movement before repeated volatility halts shows how much of the move is speculative positioning rather than ******* urance. Short interest of 12.74% indicates that a significant number of investors are still betting against the stock even before the report of the takeover emerged. Such skepticism reflects uncertainty that a deal would close at these levels or that AI-disruption worries will be properly addressed even under new ownership.

#NASDAQ #even

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Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix
Nicole Kidman is known for her best films like Eyes Wide Shut, Moulin Rouge and The Hours but, in recent years, she has also become known for being memed on the internet. From her bizarre reaction to Tweety Bird being brought up on a podcast to her very earnest AMC commercials that have inspired Halloween costumes, Kidman is one of the internet's favorite reaction GIFs. Now. she's humorously discussing one of her most memed Oscars moments, and I love hearing her side of the story.
Kidman and Lioness co-star Zoe Saldaña recently sat down for a Lie Detector interview with Vanity Fair. While promoting the much-waited Lioness Season 3, the duo asked each other questions to get their full honest perspectives on their pop culture presences. Saldaña asked Kidman about the viral video of her awkwardly clapping at the Oscars, to which Kidman said she'd never used this popular clip in her own correspondence with her friends, yet did give some insight into why she was clapping like that. She said:
I've seen one where I was clapping at the Academy Awards like that and my hands were…. I've seen that and I was like, 'Why am I clapping like that?' But I had very expensive jewelry on and I didn't want to destroy it.

#i 've

Raiders' Maxx Crosby reacts to former rival Von Miller joining Cowboys originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby built a massive reputation destroying opposing quarterbacks weekly. His relentless pass-rushing technique developed significantly through studying veteran legends closely. One specific mentor helped shape his incredible career trajectory permanently throughout his early professional career.
Von Miller recently joined the Dallas Cowboys, creating massive buzz across the entire league. Their deep personal relationship makes this signing an incredibly fascinating storyline entering the upcoming season. Crosby immediately reacted publicly, sharing his true feelings regarding this sudden move Sunday night.
The superstar defender recently addressed this massive free agent shift publicly online. He utilized social media to congratulate his longtime mentor immediately after official signing news broke Sunday afternoon. This transition provides Miller tremendous opportunity to return home to Texas finally after playing elsewhere.
Miller grew up cheering passionately for this legendary franchise throughout his entire childhood. He returns bringing eight Pro Bowl appearances alongside two Super Bowl championships. This veteran presence instantly upgrades the Dallas locker room dynamic significantly entering the crucial upcoming training camp schedule.

#cowboys

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is among the three newest advisors to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, officials announced Aug. 14.
As a member of HISA's Horsemen's Advisory Group, Baffert is expected provide feedback on the Racetrack Safety, and Anti-Doping and Medication Control programs, which cover rules and regulations in horse racing. The others named to the 18-member advisory group Aug. 14 are trainers Jena Antonucci and Tim Keefe.
"We are also pleased to welcome our new members to the Advisory Group and look forward to the perspectives they will bring as we continue working collaboratively with stakeholders to enhance the sport for horses and participants alike," HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus said in a statement.
Baffert, Antonucci and Keefe succeed outgoing advisory group members Kelsey Danner, Gavin Murphy and Jonathan Sadler.
Baffert, 73, has trained six Kentucky Derby and two Triple Crown winners in a more than 40-year career. In 2021, Baffert received a two-year suspension from Churchill Downs after Medina Spirit, who had finished first in that year's Kentucky Derby, was found to have failed a postrace drug test. The suspension was later extended one year amid a lawsuit from Baffert, who had claimed Churchill was targeting him and trying to destroy his career.

#group #antonucci #churchill

Ukraine launched hundreds of drones across Russia Sunday, killing at least six people in one of Kyiv's largest aerial attacks of the war.
Russia's Ministry of Defense said that it had destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones overnight. Some 600 drones were detected headed toward the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, with a third destroyed over the Moscow region itself.
An 83-year-old man was killed after a Ukrainian drone hit a private home in the Moscow region, local Gov. Andrey Vorobyov said. He also confirmed that a Ukrainian attack had sparked a blaze at a warehouse belonging to Russian retail giant Wildberries in the town of Podolsk, where images shared by Russian media outlets showed columns of black smoke .
A drone attack targeted three towns in Russia's southwestern Rostov region, killing five people, local Gov. Yury Slyusar said. The attack, with more than 150 drones, damaged several homes and a railway station and sparked a forest fire.
Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones increasingly targeting military industries and energy facilities. It has also increasingly pummeled giant Wildberries depots, burning billions of dollars' worth of merchandise and bringing the war home to the Russian public nearly 4½ years into Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

#moscow

Ian Garry had a pretty good showing, but ultimately lost a decision at UFC 330 against Islam Makhachev, who has been breaking records across two divisions. Garry had his moments on the feet, and showed excellent takedown defense and reversals on the ground, but Dana White felt it was the challenger's mindset that could've cost him the fight.
"This is my honest opinion. I felt like tonight was set up for the upset," White said at the UFC 330 post-fight press conference. "Ian is a talented guy, if he had even an ounce of killer instinct — in that fifth round he was beating him to the body. Islam's whole right side was beat up. His face was beat up. You don't come out and hug and shake hands. F— that ***** drives me crazy!
"This is one of those fights that Ian will go back and say 'f—k, I wish I could do that over again.' If he came out and tried to destroy and win that last round with everything he had, it's a totally different fight."
Garry remained cordial with Makhachev throughout the build up and even during the fight itself, where he offered high fives, fist ***** ps, and friendly pats on every break. White criticized this approach while Garry was trying to upset one of the all-time greats.
"I think Ian is a classy guy, is what I think. He always shows class, before the fight he goes over and shakes all their corners' hands. It's great, but when that f—ng bell rings, you've got to switch all that off and go," White exlaimed. "You definitely got to do it in the fifth round.

#fight #felt #even

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Indonesia just hours after a more powerful magnitude 7.7 quake struck off the coast of the eastern part of the country, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
At least 47 people have been killed, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), with the earthquakes knocking down some buildings and leading hundreds to evacuate amid fears of a tsunami, officials said.
At least six others were injured and two more are missing, according to the ****** ociated Press.
Kurniawan/AP Photo - PHOTO: Indonesia Earthquake
More than 300 houses were destroyed or damaged, according to Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency.

#management #magnitude

Lucas Fernando is a new name to watch in the light heavyweight division after he dismantled and then destroyed Rafael Tobias on the UFC 330 prelims on Saturday night.
Training under a pair of legends in Pedro Rizzo and Andre Pederneiras, Fernando definitely has plenty of experience to draw upon even though it was his octagon debut. Fernando showed patience and precision as he blasted Tobias with a variety of strikes including a nasty jab that earned him a knockdown.
Finally in the third round, Fernando had Tobias guessing with his every move and that's when he unleashed a devastating knee up the middle that blasted his fellow Brazilian in the body. Tobias has a delayed reaction but he soon grimaced in pain before crumbling to the canvas where the referee rushed in to stop the fight.
The end came at 1:10 in the third round.
"Thanks to Mick Maynard for putting me here along with my manager Jason House," Fernando said after his win. "Whoever they put in the fight, I'll be ready to go."

#fernando #Third #training

One of Paul Toboni's big goals in his first year as Nationals President of Baseball Operations was to build a player development monster. So far he has aced that ******* ignment. You can see the fruits of this player development machine in the big leagues. However, the real monster is being built at the Minor League level.
Under Mike Rizzo, there were times where the Nats had good farm systems, arguably better than this one. However, there has never been a time where the Nats system had this much depth. The Nats have 24 players with a future value of at least 45, something only one other team can say. They also have 9 players with an FV of at least 50 compared to just four last year.
This year it has felt like a new breakout prospect is emerging on nearly a weekly basis. A lot of these guys were not even able to crack the Nats top 30 list. Players such as Yohandy Morales, Angel Feliz and Maxwell Romero would be on most lists, but they did not make the cut in a stacked Nats system.
The fact that Morales is having his best year as a pro, yet is sliding down the rankings tells you a lot about the depth of the system. He is far from a perfect prospect, but this is still a player with pedigree that is destroying AAA. Maybe you would put Morales on your top 30, but it takes a lot to make the list.
Right now Caleb Lomavita is the Nats 30th ranked prospect. He is an athletic catcher who was a top 40 pick and has a .771 OPS in AA right now. In previous years, that would likely be a top 15 prospect in the system, but now he can barely hang on to a top 30 spot.

#morales #however

(NewsNation) — Homes are destroyed, shopping plazas and vehicles are submerged underwater, and communities are shocked after a "100-year flood" swept Indiana this week.
Rivers are still rising after the state was hit with storms and flash flooding.
The governor issued a statewide disaster emergency, and some cities are under a curfew.
Gov. Mike Braun said officials knew a storm was coming, but they were not expecting the magnitude.
Catastrophic Indiana flooding leaves families reckoning with the damage

#destroyed

After an edgy win against Dundee in the opening gameweek, the reigning champions Celtic destroyed Kilmarnock in their own backyard by scripting an emphatic 5-1 victory. But a tricky test awaits them on Saturday evening, with Dundee United set to host Martin O'Neill's men in the second round of the Scottish League Cup.
The Tangerines dominated this fixture last season, defeating Celtic at Tannadice Park on both occasions. However, the Hoops secured a thumping 4-0 win in Glasgow earlier this year, and a dismal defeat against Hearts last weekend exposed their frailty in the defensive third. Heartbreak in the Cup final against St Mirren prevented them from achieving a domestic treble, and the Glasgow giants must stay cautious to avoid another upset on the road.
Celtic have so far relied on Viljami Sinisalo, who replaced injured Kasper Schmeichel and cemented the 'number 1' spot at the back end of the previous campaign. Ross Doohan has not been involved at all since his move from Aberdeen last summer, and the Scottish custodian would once again find himself as the understudy to the Finnish shot-stopper.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – JANUARY 10: Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates after he scores his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Dundee United at Celtic Park on January 10, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
A fresh injury setback would keep Alistair Johnston sidelined, and the gaffer might opt for Colby Donovan ahead of Anthony Ralston on the right. The club have yet to bring in a new left-back to deputise for Kieran Tierney, and the Tartan Army international must retain his starting status in the defensive third. Liam Scales is available for selection after serving a two-game suspension. But the balance and stability offered by Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty should not be compromised to incorporate the Irishman.

#celtic #last #united

A year ago, the Oregon Ducks came out in Week 2 of the season and won a college football game by about as many points as you'll see in the modern era, destroying the Oklahoma State Cowboys by a score of 69-3. It was a bludgeoning that eventually played a role in legendary OSU coach Mike Gundy getting fired, and contributed to the Cowboys' 1-11 season.
So now, a year later, how are we saying that the Ducks' Week 2 game in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is one of the more intriguing matchups of the non-conference slate?
It may seem like a crazy notion, but we can thank new head coach Eric Morris and quarterback Drew Mestemaker for that.
The Cowboys have become one of the more intriguing teams to watch this year in the Big 12, and this early-season game against Oregon has picked up some major buzz recently, particularly after FOX Sports' ****** yst Joel Klatt ranked Oklahoma State inside his top 25 to start the season.
"How often do you see a team that went 1-11 start out in the top 25?" Klatt said. "Welcome to the new modern age of college football."

#oklahoma #year #klatt

Setbacks are nothing new to Gingsanglek Wor ******* chamnarn, and neither is the hunger that carries him past them.
He returns with a renewed focus for his bantamweight Muay Thai co-main event clash against American newcomer Dmitri Ramos at The Inner Circle 26. The entire card will stream live in Asia primetime from Bangkok's renowned Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, August 14, exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com.
That evening, the Thai finisher will seek a return to the win column after a knockout loss to four-time Muay Thai World Champion Yodlekpet "The Destroyer" Or Atchariya, which halted a three-fight winning streak that included destructive first-round finishes over Thant Zin and Alexey Balyko.
Rather than let that setback linger, Gingsanglek has channeled the disappointment into motivation as he aims to take another significant stride in his bid to secure the life-changing US$100,000 main roster contract.
The 25-year-old said:

#gingsanglek #main

Somali referee Omar Artan will take charge of the Super Cup showdown between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on Wednesday night, two months after he was barred from entering the United States to officiate at the World Cup.
Artan, 34, was denied entry into the US due to alleged links to "suspected members of terror organisations", which made him a "national security threat".
A highly-regarded official who was named Africa's referee of the year in 2025, Artan said he "the biggest dream of my life" destroyed at US border control despite him insisting he had "the correct visa".
The decision to turn him away led to widespread outrage and criticism towards the Trump administration and Fifa for failing to deliver on promises of inclusivity at the 2026 World Cup, with Artan far from the only footballing figure to be denied entry.
Gianni Infantino then added fuel to the fire by telling a reporter to "chill, relax" when pressed over Artan's refusal at the beginning of the World Cup, something which kickstarted a summer of scandal that would leave the Fifa president dangling by a thread.

#fifa #omar

Political commentator Bill O'Reilly on Monday said Trump is not "flailing" as he seeks to pressure Iran to accept a deal to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz while also addressing the regime's nuclear program.
When asked about Trump's policy, O'Reilly advised that the president needs to inflict "more pain on Iran than Iran is inflicting on the world." In response, NewsNation's Leland Vittert pressed the commentator on whether Trump was "flailing."
"I don't think he's flailing," O'Reilly told the "On Balance" host. "I don't think that's fair. He's got to make very difficult decisions. He didn't want to kill thousands of civilians. He told me that directly, all right? He didn't want to do it."
"But now there doesn't seem to be any other choice. So these mullahs aren't going to stop. And when somebody isn't going to stop, you have to stop them," he continued. "And the only way we can stop them is to destroy the infrastructure of their country, which includes the uranium at Pickaxe and the capital city. You do that, the equation changes."
O'Reilly added that if he were president, he would "take out" and "obliterate" Pickaxe Mountain and then tell citizens in Tehran to evacuate "because we're going to wreck your infrastructure."

#stop #going #pickaxe #president

Beauty and the Geek alum Tamika Chesser has pleaded not guilty to murdering and dismembering her boyfriend Julian Story in their apartment in 2025
Chesser's lawyer said they are seeking to examine her mental fitness to stand trial, per multiple Australian outlets
The former reality star reportedly gave birth in March while in custody, and the identity of the baby's father has not been publicly disclosed
An Australian former reality star has pleaded not guilty to murder after being accused of beheading her boyfriend.
Tamika Chesser, who appeared on the 2010 season of Australia's Beauty and the Geek, pleaded not guilty to murdering her 39-year-old partner Julian Story and destroying his remains on Tuesday, Aug. 11, news.com.au, 7News Australia and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

#story

CALI, Colombia (AP) — A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 111 people, damaging hundreds of buildings and leaving many trapped under debris while their loved ones and rescue workers searched through rubble.
Search teams and civilians picked through the remains of destroyed buildings in the country's third-largest city, Cali, passing large pieces of concrete and other rubble down a long line of volunteers.
"Our building has basically been left in ruins, and the building next to ours? Completely collapsed," said Álvaro López, who cradled his dog as he watched the search. The desperate scene recalled the searches still ongoing in neighboring Venezuela weeks after that country was devastated by two powerful earthquakes.
Besides Cali, the quake ravaged cities across western Colombia, including Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales, and was felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama. The epicenter was in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Bogota, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella said at least 87 people were injured and around 1,600 buildings were damaged, including at least 61 that completely collapsed. He declared an emergency to expedite funding for the quake recovery while saying he would visit the disaster zone.

#colombia #search #western

DAZN, 5:00 am ET Teremoana Teremoana vs DeAndre Savage
From Gold Coast, Australia. Teremoana was a breakout from the 2024 Paris Olympics, arguably the 2nd best in the big boy division. Unfortunately, he caught a bad bracket and had to face professional Olympian Bakhodir Jalolov before the medal rounds. But, he earned himself enough attention to kickstart a pro career, and headlines the show in just his 12th professional outing. Savage is a 35 year old American with an 11-1 (11 KO) record, and much will be said about that in the commentary buildup to the main event. But, he's fought most of his career in Colombia and Mexico, and his two fights in the USA resulted in a no contest and his only pro loss. Michael Zerafa appears in support here against BoxRec's 194th ranked middleweight, Alejandro Ortiz. Teremoana is very exciting… But, a 5 am Wednesday start for a relatively unknown prospect isn't exactly a live coverage gold mine. So, this will be a follow along thread in The Feed!, and I'd expect at least one or two of the staffers here to jump in for the main event.
From Johnson City, Tennessee. It's the greatest event in the boxing-adjacent business, and arguably one of the greatest sporting shows of any kind in modern America. If you're new to the Brawl, here's the recap of Brawl #13 . Dozens of amateur fights with three one-minute rounds, fast pace, lots of action and excitement, and an unconventional but delightful commentary team guiding you through it all. The main event here features Frankie LaPenna, a Michigan man who apparently got online famous doing videos while wearing a fake ****** , taking on brawl regular Sasquatch. Catfish Cooley is out from commentary again, with Stalekracker, a former police officer who now cooks Cajun food online to promote his thriving spice business and has a vibe that can best be described as a hybrid of Guy Fieri and Dog the Bounty Hunter, subbing in as a guest. Many beloved favorites return, including Tennessee Cornbread, Lil' Smokey, Man Bear Pig vs Hook Hogan, Big Daddy T, and Lil' Terry fighting Lil' Fire after Fire knocked out Terry's brother Larry in 10 seconds in the last brawl. It's $22.99, and it's the best entertainment value you'll ever get.
ON THE UNDERCARD: Let's spotlight some exciting new names, shall we? How about The Intubator? Can House Arrest handle the Macho Man? Any interest in The Toothless ****** assin or Take-A-Shot Brandi? Wet Willie? One Leg Big Ed? Discount Destroyer? Mullet Trash? And, which will be the lady fight of the night? Throat Goat vs Big Thumper? Or 1st Class White Trash vs Trainwreck Tracy?
From Atlanta, Georgia, for Scott's WBC and WBA middleweight ****** les. Shields is the self proclaimed "GWOAT," ("Greatest Woman of All Time, presumably because Fran Drescher's lawyers are very protective of copyright) and effectively out of real challenges because of the talent gap between her and anyone near her size. Shields dabbled in MMA, tried to make being a female heavyweigh

Spencer Pratt may have lost the Los Angeles mayoral election in June, but the reality TV villain isn't giving up on politics just yet. On August 7, the former star of The Hills, 42, shared a photo on Instagram of himself sitting down with President Donald Trump at Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles.
"Working with the President on a 25% FEDERAL film tax credit to bring back Hollywood," wrote Pratt in the caption. "While Gavin Newsom's commissioner is actively outsourcing production jobs to Hungary, and his rogue AG is trying to destroy CA production companies, the adults in the room are actually trying to repatriate the most quintessential American industry. I'm committed to saving Hollywood," he continued.
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Pratt went on to say that 80-year-old Trump "is very passionate about revitalizing the entertainment industry and we will not let Canada, or the UK or Budapest steal our lunch anymore."
He then shared a few details about the meal they shared, writing, "Speaking of lunch…best clam chowder I ever had."

#hollywood #production #lunch

A man charged with starting one of the wildfires in Spokane, Washington, that have destroyed hundreds of buildings planned the crime for weeks and researched when the weather would be best for igniting it, police said.
Aaron Farinacci expressed that "fire is powerful, beautiful, and that things that go through fire experience a kind of rebirth," Spokane County Detective Michael Drapeau said in a court filing Wednesday, recalling his interview with him.
Farinacci, 37, is charged with starting the Old Trails Fire, one of three fires in the Spokane area that have burned more than 850 homes and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. He is also charged in connection with two smaller fires ignited in the summer of 2025.
He was scheduled to be arraigned on three first-degree arson charges Thursday, but his lawyer asked for a competency evaluation before he enters a plea. Spokane Superior Court Judge Jeremy Schmidt said he would review that request. He set bond for $2 million, ruling that Farinacci was a risk to community safety, a flight risk and that there was potential for a violent offense.
Defense attorney Colin Charbonneau did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

#three

LIV Golf 1.0 — the era of big talk and bigger paychecks — is over. Whatever comes next for the breakaway tour, cut loose by Saudi Arabian funding and now on the hunt for outside investment, the days of "Golf But Louder" are done.
Without a doubt, LIV fundamentally changed the structure of men's professional golf, forcing the PGA Tour into reworking its entire structure, schedule and financial model. LIV altered the professional arcs of some of the game's greatest players, gave others the opportunity to destroy their own reputations, and provided a pathway back to prominence for the once-lost Anthony Kim. LIV also brought the concept of sportswashing into the mainstream of the American sports conversation, forcing sports fans to decide just how much politics they were willing to accept with their sports.
That's a ****** of an impact in just a few short years, but that also leads into another LIV lesson: the impossibility of competing with the established American sports framework. Even a league funded by bottomless oil wealth ultimately couldn't compete with a vulnerable legacy organization.
So what does that mean? Competing with the PGA Tour is a lost cause for LIV, so coexistence is now the only path forward. And if LIV is going to survive and thrive in the years to come, version 2.0 will need to learn from the mistakes of its predecessor. And oh, are there plenty of lessons to learn.
LIV Golf fired off the tee in 2021 with swagger, attitude and arrogance, largely mirroring the personality of firebrand Greg Norman. Longtime PGA Tour antagonists like Norman and Phil Mickelson spoke openly (and in court filings) of wanting to upend the Tour's entire business model, torching the very house in which they'd grown wealthy. That didn't sit well with Tour traditionalists, and the badass playacting came off as more silly than intimidating. You're smacking a little white ball around a field, gentlemen. Let's not pretend this is armed combat.

#golf #american #norman

Here is the paradox at the center of Broadway economics: the production that just broke the box-office record for a filmed stage musical was not built by anyone with the authority to greenlight it. It was built over 19 years by a Vermont folk singer who kept handing control to other people.
On the last weekend of July, the live capture of Hadestown opened on fewer than 2,000 screens. It took in $10.2 million, the largest opening ever recorded for a filmed Broadway musical, ahead of Hamilton. The distributor had booked it as a five-day event. Within 72 hours it announced an indefinite run. Its strongest per-screen results came from Huntsville, Salt Lake City, Eugene, and Boise: markets with no Broadway house at all.
I have spent a career focused on how the screen reshapes commerce—as President and CEO of The Museum of Television & Radio (now The Paley Center for Media), as Harvard Law School's inaugural Visiting Professor of Entertainment and Media Law, and as a management consultant on entertainment and media industry strategies. What Anaïs Mitchell built with Hadestown is the clearest working refutation I have seen of the instinct that destroys founder-led ventures in various market sectors.
The operational reality is unforgiving. A modern Broadway musical is a highly capitalized joint venture requiring upwards of $15 million against a weekly burn rate that can approach $700,000. The people who put up that money are not patrons of the arts. They are investors, and the directors, general managers, and marketing leads they hire are the operators who convert a creative vision into a going concern. Broadway posted the highest-grossing season in its history in 2025–2026, roughly $1.9 billion, and only six new musicals opened all year. More money is chasing fewer bets.
The industry's default bet is a famous name. Elton John's Tammy Faye and the Avett Brothers' Swept Away both took that bet recently, and both closed within weeks of opening. Neither was a failure of talent. Both were failures of organizational architecture. The creative founders believed that dominance in one market guaranteed fit in another, and they overruled the operators who knew better.

#hadestown #people

Few, if any, movie stars achieve the level of celebrity of Paul Newman without good fortune. No one recognized that more than the screen legend himself.

Newman's luck did not begin with his three-year stint in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He understood during his years in the Pacific (and then in Hollywood) that fate fell in his favor more than once.

Also Read: Why it took 2 decades for 'Patton' to make it to the big screen

While serving his country, forces beyond his control likely saved Newman's life. If a pilot in his squadron hadn't come down with an ear issue, Newman might have died at Okinawa—one of the bloodiest battles in military history. Then Newman was supposed to take part in the invasion of mainland ***** an. Dubbed Operation Downfall, Allied commanders called it off after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Newman, who died on September 26, 2008, at the age of 83, admittedly didn't fully consider the potential consequences when he enlisted.

"I thought it would be a big adventure," Newman said of joining the military during wartime. "I was really dumb. I never considered that it might be dangerous."
Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman served in the Navy for 3 years. (U.S. Navy illustration/Peggy Frierson)
Born on January 26, 1925, in Ohio, Newman was in his first year at Ohio University when he dropped out. Newman signed up for the Navy with the intent of becoming a pilot. He never made it to the ***** pit after a supposedly routine exam revealed he was colorblind.

Newman pivoted from that diagnosis and began training as a rear gunner and radioman for Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers. In the Pacific, the Navy ***** igned Newman to squadrons that trained air crews and pilots. After a stint as a turret gunner, the plan was for Newman and his squadron to meet up with the USS Bunker Hill, an aircraft carrier stationed near the shore of Okinawa.

They never made it that far after their pilot wasn't medically cleared to fly. That turned out to be a likely life-saver after the ***** anese unleashed kamikaze attacks on the USS Bunker Hill on May 11, 1945. Nearly 400 men on the carrier died, with 264 more wounded.

It wasn't the only time that Newman, then only 20 years old, skirted death during the war. He did it again a few months later. When the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, Newman was on an aircraft carrier several hundred miles from ***** an. Three days later, another bomb destroyed Nagasaki.

Approximately 214,000 ***** anese citizens, including roughly 38,000 children, died in the attacks, per the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Those numbers don't include those who were maimed. While President Harry S. Truman's decision remains a source of debate, but Newman didn't question it.

"I know all of the controversy about those weapons," Newman said. "But I'm one of those guys who says, 'Thank God for the atomic bomb,' because it pro

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA - JUNE 12: Rianna O'Meara-Hunt (NZL) / Timmy Hansen (SWE), Team Miami, in action during Qualifying for the E1 Series Dubrovnik GP on June 12, 2026 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)
When Formula E launched in Beijing in 2014, it arrived with a clear mission. Electric racing was intended to demonstrate that battery-powered vehicles could be exciting, fast and commercially viable while promoting a cleaner future for transport. More than a decade later, the landscape has changed dramatically. Electric vehicles are now a mainstream product in many markets, China has become the global center of EV innovation, and conversations around climate change have entered a more fractious mode. The newest electric racing championship, E1, finds itself entering the market at a very different moment. The series, featuring all-electric hydrofoiling RaceBird boats competing in waterfront cities around the world, still promotes clean technology, but its leadership increasingly believes that sustainability is no longer enough to capture public attention. Instead, E1's future may depend on demonstrating that electric propulsion simply delivers a better experience. I talked to E1 (and Formula E) founder Alejandro Agag, Sports.com Predict Team Miami pilots Timmy Hansen and Rianna O'Meara-Hunt, and Sports.com Predict Team Miami team principal Steve Curtis. They described a championship that is rapidly evolving from an environmental showcase into one of the world's most technically fascinating forms of motorsport.
Agag has spent much of his career launching new forms of electric motorsport. Having founded Formula E before turning his attention to Extreme E and now E1, he has witnessed first-hand how attitudes towards electrification have changed. "When we launched Formula E electric was the future," says Agag. "Manufacturers were going full electric. Mercedes came in, BMW, and Audi."
Today, Agag believes the public conversation has moved on. "Sustainability has really lost a lot of its attraction, which is a pity, because the climate problem has not changed, it's worse than before," says Aga. "Activists have been incredibly bad for the cause. To destroy a piece of art or to block a highway has exactly the opposite effect. It really repels people. It produces a divorce between the public and sustainability, because those activists wrongly embody environmentalism."
DUBROVNIK, CROATIA - JUNE 13: RaceBirds sit in the Launch Zone ahead of the E1 Series Dubrovnik GP on June 13, 2026 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)

#Miami

By Heejin Kim and Kyu-seok Shim
SEOUL, Aug 5 (Reuters) - North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, warned on Wednesday that Pyongyang would adopt "additional ‌military options" in response to what she called ****** an's transformation into a military power, ‌after Tokyo test-fired a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile.
In a statement carried by state media KCNA, Kim accused ****** an of moving beyond a defensive posture and turning its armed forces into a force capable of pre-emptive attacks and overseas military operations.
She cited ****** an's recent Tomahawk test from the Aegis destroyer Chokai in the Pacific Ocean, as well as test-firings of other missiles and its participation in a U.S.-led joint military drill in the Philippines in ‌May.
Kim said that North Korea would ⁠respond in ways that made ****** an feel that its security has been exposed to greater danger. "We should make it regret," she said, in some of her ⁠strongest rhetoric toward Tokyo in recent months.

#north #tomahawk

Sydney Sweeney has spoken out over the devastation caused by the wildfires in her hometown of Spokane, Washington.
According to local authorities, the fires have consumed more than 8,000 acres across Spokane County, with three main blazes destroying more than 700 structures. No deaths or injuries have been reported.
Taking to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, Sydney put a spotlight on the news, emphasising that around 65,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.
"Spokane has always been home to me. It's where I grew up, where my family still lives, and where so many of the people and places that shaped me are," she began. "The devastating fires have changed countless lives in ways that are hard to put into words. Thousands of families have lost their homes, their belongings, and places of business, including members of my own family. This devastation is something our community has never experienced on this scale."
The Euphoria actress went on to note that she is supporting organisations including Innovia Foundation, SpokAnimal, Second Harvest, and Watch Duty amid the emergency. She also shared a link to Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides essentials for families and children.
"Unlike larger cities that often receive an overwhelming amount of national attention and resources, Spokane doesn't have the same spotlight," the 28-year-old declared. "If you're looking for ways to help, these are four organizations I'm supporting that are on the ground right now helping this community that needs us."

#homes #family #places