Colom would be Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction.
Why are major Democrats and Republicans flocking to Mississippi in recent weeks?
In a climate where polls show President Donald Trump's approval ratings cratering, Democrats are unusually optimistic about Scott Colom's chances of flipping the Senate seat held by incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith -- even in deep-red Mississippi.
"We got to have a senator that looks out for Mississippi, that puts Mississippi farmers first, Mississippi small businesses first, represent our values by not allowing corruption to ruin our country and actually delivers on the commitments to put America first," Colom told ABC News in an interview earlier this week.
The incumbent's campaign dismisses the Democratic push as the last-ditch effort of a campaign that will fall short.

#first #black #reconstruction

Democratic House members are writing bills to rein in a president’s emergency powers. Lawyers are strategizing about how to insulate the Justice Department from presidential influence. A House measure would block a president from unilaterally remodeling the White House. Ethicists are writing rules to prevent a future first family from self-dealing.
Throughout Washington and beyond, President Donald Trump’s opponents are scrambling to ensure that after he leaves office, the changes he has imposed on the presidency, and the country, will fade with him.
Whether they succeed could determine whether Trump’s aggressive exercise of executive powers will be limited to a finite stretch of U.S. history or will instead become a model for every president to come.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (Maryland), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said that Trump’s uses of presidential power can and must be reversed — but doing so will take decades.
“We have a massive reconstruction task ahead of us,” Raskin said in an interview. “Fortunately, reconstruction has a great history in our country, and when it’s allowed to work, it has been a lot more successful than either authoritarianism or revolution. … We will have to go department by department, subject by subject, and public purpose by public purpose to determine what we salvage and what we re-create.”

#House #president #country

Healthy Tanner Houck Hopes to Be a Difference Maker for Red Sox in Playoffs originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Tanner Houck started his career with plenty of hype, acting as someone who can do anything if given the opportunity. Coming off an injury that kept him out of action throughout he 2026 season, he hopes the Red Sox could use him come playoff time.
The 24th overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, Houck was picked up as a starting pitcher. A chameleon, he adapted to any situation, acting as a starter, reliever, and closer. In 2022, he appeared in 32 games and was as durable as one could be.
Houck has shown flashes of brilliance but hasn't found consistency. This year, he has been rehabbing after undergoing a special surgery of his ulnar collateral ligament. It's a "hybrid reconstruction" with a flexor tendon repair.
That was last August. This year, the Red Sox, with high expectations, struggled at first. Now, they are playoff contenders, and Houck wouldn't mind adding to the fun. That includes rejoining the team before the season ended.

#playoff #healthy

Extreme weather is creating a more demanding environment for property owners, insurers, and communities. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the United States recorded 27 confirmed billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2024, resulting in a total cost of $182.7 billion. These events spanned a wide range of extremes, including severe storm events, tropical cyclones, wildfires, drought/heat waves, and winter storm/cold wave events. Over the last decade, ***** ulative losses from these disasters have exceeded $1.4 trillion, driven significantly by population growth, material wealth, and increased development in hazard-prone areas. These figures suggest that the financial consequences of extreme events may increasingly depend on how accurately the value of exposed property is understood before a loss occurs.
That question becomes especially consequential during reconstruction. A 2026 report from Bloomberg, featured in Claims Journal, noted that surveys conducted by United Policyholders since 2007 found an average of two-thirds of wildfire survivors reporting that they were underinsured, with an average shortfall of $200,000 or more. The Insurance Information Institute has similarly estimated that two-thirds of American homeowners may be underinsured for wildfire losses, typically by about 20%, and in some cases by as much as 60%. These findings illustrate how the presence of an insurance policy can still leave a substantial difference between available coverage and the resources required to rebuild, particularly when construction costs rise after a catastrophe.
The financial implications can extend across the broader insurance ecosystem. Aon's 2026 Climate and Catastrophe Insight reported approximately $260 billion in global economic losses from natural catastrophes during 2025, compared with $127 billion in insured losses. For property stakeholders, such a figure may place greater attention on the relationship between the value ***** igned to an ***** et, the cost of restoring it, and the capital available when a loss occurs.
Frequency can add another layer to that calculation. Data from NCEI indicate that the average interval between U.S. billion-dollar disaster events was approximately 16 days during 2020–2024, compared with 82 days during the 1980s. NCEI notes that shorter intervals can leave less time and fewer resources for response, recovery, and preparation for subsequent events. As the time between major events contracts, property valuations may require more frequent attention because construction costs, labor conditions, materials, and local economic circumstances can change between policy reviews.

#property #losses #insurance #information

Defense attorneys for the New Jersey man accused of killing Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother in an August 2024 crash will retest their client's blood from that night.
Sean Higgins, 44, appeared Sept. 11 via video conference in Salem County Superior Court, where he faces charges including reckless vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter in connection with the Aug. 29, 2024, deaths of Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew Gaudreau, 29.
The Sept. 11 video conference happened a day after attorneys and the judge met to discuss procedural issues, Judge Michael Silvanio said. Defense attorney Richard Klineburger III said the issues have to do with data and diagrams from state police, including a crash reconstruction report and blood testing.
Depending on the evidence prosecutors share and the results of the new blood test, the defense might ask for a hearing to determine whether to exclude evidence or witness testimony at trial, Klineburger said.
Silvanio declined to issue any orders, saying prosecutors and defense attorneys have shown a good-faith effort.

#brother

Julián Álvarez ended the summer window still on Atlético Madrid's books, but that outcome has settled almost nothing. Barcelona spent the entire market chasing the Argentine, Atlético publicly rejected the pursuit in increasingly hostile terms, and ******* nal explored an offer of their own while the whole thing threatened to boil over. The question now isn't whether the saga is over – it plainly isn't – but which of the three forces at play, Atlético's contractual leverage, Barcelona's valuation, or Álvarez's own stated preference, actually decides what happens next.
Álvarez himself gave the clearest signal of intent back in June, telling ESPN after Argentina's World Cup win over Austria that a transfer to Barcelona was the best thing for everyone and that he wanted to fulfil his dream. Those words were music to Joan Laporta's ears and poison to Atlético's dressing room. Everything that has followed, including deadline day passing without a deal, sits downstream of that one public admission.
Álvarez's Atlético contract runs until June 2030 and carries a release clause of around €500 million – a figure so far beyond market reality that it functions purely as leverage, not a genuine asking price. Barcelona say they made a €100 million bid; Atlético sources initially denied receiving any offer at all before later confirming one had arrived, structured across six yearly instalments and worth that same €100 million.
On July 30, with the dispute already curdling, Atlético reported Barcelona to the Spanish Football Federation over their pursuit of the player. No public update from the federation had followed by the time The Athletic's reconstruction of the saga was published. Álvarez remained at the Metropolitano when the window shut, and reports suggest he is expected to stay at Atlético at least until the January window reopens the conversation.
Before the summer even began, senior Atlético sources indicated the club would let Álvarez leave for €150 million provided a deal closed by July 20. That deadline passed with no agreement, and Atlético's position hardened dramatically. By late June, chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín was drawing a line that had nothing to do with valuation gaps.

#window #federation #summer #nothing

SARATOGA SPRINGS - If it feels like it's already been a long summer at Saratoga Race Course even before the meet reaches its biggest day, that's only because it's true.
"It's literally and figuratively the longest summer up here," New York Racing ****** ociation President and CEO David O'Rourke said in an interview ahead of Saturday's Travers Stakes, "but it's been a great one in my opinion."
The supersized summer meet hits its crescendo Saturday with the 157th running of the Travers Stakes. The $1.25 million race, which features the return of Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo, is set for a 6:35 p.m. post time and will highlight a blockbuster day of racing that includes six graded stakes.
A variety of factors have led to this being the longest summer in Saratoga's venerable history.
This is the third and final year of extra racing days being moved to the Spa due to the $455 million reconstruction of Belmont Park, which is set to reopen next month. In addition to Saratoga hosting its third Belmont Stakes back in June, it's also the second straight year that July racing at Saratoga started over Independence Day weekend. This year, the July 4 Racing Festival was considered the official start to the meet, resulting in a planned 46-day racing calendar spread out over 10 weeks due to a late Labor Day - the meet's traditional closing day - on Sept. 7.

#summer #meet #race

Olivia Munn reflected on her personal style journey amid her struggles with postpartum and her subsequent breast cancer diagnosis in a new interview with USA Today
The actress and mom of two detailed how her health condition heavily influenced how she felt about her image
Munn then shared what helped her feel empowered to evolve her perspective
Olivia Munn dug deep to find herself again after a series of health diagnoses.
In a new interview with USA Today published on Aug. 27, the actress and mom, 46, reflected on what it was like to rediscover her sense of self, especially through her style, after giving birth followed by multiple surgeries, including a double mastectomy and eventual reconstruction, amid her 2023 breast cancer diagnosis.

#style #breast

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The World Bank Group announced last week it has raised $4 billion through a new seven-year sustainable development bond. The bond was issued by its subsidiary, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The group said its bond signaled a strong demand, attracting more than $11 billion in investor orders from a diverse pool of investors. There were over 150 investor orders, which were led by banks, treasuries and corporates (43%), followed by central banks and official institutions (30%) and ***** et managers, insurance and pension funds (27%).
The bond will mature in August 2033 and will support the World Bank's goal to "mobilize capital for sustainable development," according to an Aug. 18 press release.
The World Bank Group said the lead managers on the transaction were Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Nomura and TD Securities.

#group #development

JERUSALEM (AP) — Mideast negotiator and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner was meeting Monday with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the premier rejected the 15-point, U.S.-backed road map to move the truce deal forward in Gaza.
In the latest round of meetings, the U.S. is angling for Israel's approval of the road map. There is a lot at stake, including the lives of some 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, the reconstruction of the demolished enclave and future control over the territory.
Hamas says it has agreed to the road map, which includes disarmament, and the group is urging mediators and the U.S.-created Board of Peace to "compel" Israel to sign on as well. But Israel, which under the road map must withdraw from Gaza, says Hamas must fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal will occur.
Israeli troops occupy about 60% of the strip and Netanyahu has previously threatened to advance.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov were also in the meeting with Netanyahu, according to a source familiar with the plans and a diplomatic source. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting.

#Israel

Tommy John's name will live on in baseball forever, long after his excellent 26-year major league pitching career ended. John died on Saturday at age 83, and will be long remembered for being the first to undergo the surgery that bears his name.
John's baseball accolades on their own are mind-boggling. He played in 26 major league seasons, matched only in the modern era by Nolan Ryan, who pitched in 27 years. John is one of only eight pitchers to make 700 starts, and he pitched a whopping 4,710 1/3 innings in his major league career.
With the Dodgers, John led the National League in winning percentage in each of his first two seasons, including 13-3 for a pennant-winning team in 1974. But he didn't pitch that year after July 17, sidelined by an elbow injury. That September, Dr. Frank Jobe tried a new elbow reconstruction surgery, replacing the ulnar collateral ligament in John's left elbow.
"Tommy was an exceptional pitcher throughout his career in Major League Baseball, and his courageous role in becoming the first to have surgery that would go on to bear his name can't be overstated," Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said. "His impact both on and off the field has been felt by ballplayers of all ages and will be for generations to come."
After the first such procedure that would ultimately bear his name, John rehabbed in 1975 but returned to make at least 30 starts for his next seven full seasons, a stretch interrupted only by a strike-shortened 1981 season in which he started 20 games and pitched 140 1/3 innings.

#name #Baseball #surgery #only

Former Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tommy John, the namesake of the surgery which revolutionized baseball, died aged 83 on Saturday.
John, a 26-year MLB veteran, pitched in parts of six seasons with the Dodgers from 1972-78, pitching three seasons on either side of his game-changing surgery.
"The Los Angeles Dodgers would like to express our sadness over the passing of Tommy John, who died Saturday at the age of 83," the Dodgers wrote via X. "Thanks in no small part to the pioneering surgery that bears his name, Tommy's extraordinary career encompassed 26 seasons and 288 career victories. We offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends."
John suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in 1974, and underwent UCL reconstruction surgery to repair it that year. Dr. Frank Jobe performed the surgery, now named after John, as the procedure solved what had previously been a career-ending injury.
After his surgery, John returned to MLB and pitched 14 more seasons, ending his career with the New York Yankees. Over the course of his career, the left-hander pitched for the Yankees, Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, California Angels, Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics.

#Dodgers #saturday

Tommy John Surgery — the revolutionary surgery named after the first person to receive it, MLB pitcher Tommy John, who died Sunday at the age of 83 — has saved thousands of pitchers' careers over the past five decades.
The groundbreaking procedure was developed in 1974, when John was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers and tore the ulnar collateral ligament on the inside of his left elbow.
Dr. Frank Jobe, the Dodgers' team physician, performed the four-hour UCL reconstruction surgery on Sept. 25, 1974, forcing John to miss the entire 1975 season.
The surgery entailed replacing the UCL with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. In that case, Jobe took a tendon from John's right wrist, drilled holes in John's injured elbow, and wove the tendon through the holes.
At the time, Jobe estimated one-in-100 odds of John's return to pitching in the Major Leagues, according to MLB.com.

#john #surgery #jobe #sunday

The Cincinnati Reds expect to learn more sometime Wednesday about the long-term prognosis of All-Star pitcher Hunter Greene after he undergoes surgery for his badly damaged elbow – specifically whether the extent of the surgery could sideline him all of next season.
Greene, who began experiencing soreness after his fifth start since returning from his first injured-list stretch this season, was to have the surgery in Los Angeles the morning of Aug. 12 with Dr. Neal ElAttrache performing the operation.
Reds schedule Chicago White Sox Forget September. The Reds are already being pushed by their August schedule
If the damage is severe enough to require Tommy John reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament that is all but certain to mean Greene's return to the rotation would be pushed to at least early 2028. It would be the second Tommy John surgery of his professional career (also in the minors).
A less severe outcome could mean an internal brace procedure for the UCL that typically requires less rehab time but still would mean missing most of next season.

#reds #surgery #pushed

The Cincinnati Reds expect to learn more sometime Wednesday about the long-term prognosis of All-Star pitcher Hunter Greene after he undergoes surgery for his badly damaged elbow – specifically whether the extent of the surgery could sideline him all of next season.
Greene, who began experiencing soreness after his fifth start since returning from his first injured-list stretch this season, was to have the surgery in Los Angeles the morning of Aug. 12 with Dr. Neal ElAttrache performing the operation.
Reds schedule Chicago White Sox Forget September. The Reds are already being pushed by their August schedule
If the damage is severe enough to require Tommy John reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament that is all but certain to mean Greene's return to the rotation would be pushed to at least early 2028. It would be the second Tommy John surgery of his professional career (also in the minors).
A less severe outcome could mean an internal brace procedure for the UCL that typically requires less rehab time but still would mean missing most of next season.

#reds #mean #tommy #schedule

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cody Bradford is set Wednesday to make his first start for the Texas Rangers since the end of the 2024 season in the left-hander's comeback from elbow surgery.
Manager Skip Schumaker said after the Rangers' 5-4 win over San Francisco on Tuesday night that Bradford will start the finale in that series Wednesday afternoon instead of making another rehab start.
Bradford was part of the Rangers' only World Series ***** le as a rookie in 2023, when he was 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in five relief appearances during the playoffs. He was 4-3 with a 5.30 in 20 regular-season games (eight starts).
His return to the mound for the Rangers will come a day after they snapped a season-worst six-game losing streak that dropped them out of the lead in the AL West. It also came after the trade deadline passed Monday without Texas adding any starting pitchers.
The Rangers are also awaiting the season debut of left-hander Jordan Montgomery, another key piece of the championship run. He returned to Texas in free agency this spring while rehabbing from a second elbow reconstruction surgery.

#start #left

The Detroit Tigers are preparing to welcome Jackson Jobe back into their starting rotation.
According to Chris McCosky, Drew Anderson will start Wednesday and transition into a rotation role, while Jobe is expected to join the Tigers during their upcoming road series against the San Francisco Giants.
For a rotation recently reshaped by the trades of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, Jobe's return could not arrive at a more important time.
Jobe has been working his way back from the hybrid Tommy John procedure he underwent in June 2025. The surgery included a full reconstruction of his ulnar collateral ligament and an internal brace designed to support the repaired elbow.
The 23-year-old began his minor-league rehabilitation ****** ignment on July 7. In his first outing with Single-A Lakeland, Jobe reached 100.2 mph twice and averaged 98.8 mph with his four-seam fastball, well above his 2025 major-league average.

#rotation #detroit

Well this is a peculiar first move for trade deadline season. Jake Rogers, the longest tenured Detroit Tigers player, has been designated for ***** ignment. Eduardo Valencia was recalled on Sunday and will be taking over the backup catcher duties. Rogers' roster spot will go to Javier Báez, who returns from a three-month absence after suffering a high ankle sprain at the end of April.
The 31-year-old Rogers made his major league debut with the Tigers back on July 30, 2019 after coming to the Tigers in the trade that sent Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros in August of 2017. He finally became the Tigers primary catcher in 2021 before tearing his UCL and requiring reconstruction surgery that cost him all of the 2022 season. In 2023 and 2024 Rogers put together good seasons based around his defensive ability, plate discipline, and the occasional burst of home run power. He was worth 4.7 fWAR across those two years, but since that point his offensive contributions collapsed as Dillon Dingler took over the everyday catching role. This season, Rogers' defense finally showed real signs of cracking as well. He's hitting .161/.266/.301 for a 60 wRC+ which ranks him 48th out of 59 catchers with 100 plate appearances or more this season.
Despite his struggles, two part-time White Sox catchers, and numerous others, are even worse offensive players than Rogers. It won't be a surprise if he gets claimed, but it's too bad no one would flip a lottery ticket prospect to acquire him. The problem is that Rogers defensive numbers have declined this year and he's finally grading out a little below average as a defender. Whether that's partly the result of lack of playing time is hard to say, but hopefully he'll be claimed somewhere. If he clears waivers and is outrighted the Tigers will still be on the hook for the rest of his $3.05M salary for 2026.
Valencia is far and away a better hitter than Rogers, so that should provide a little support to the offense. On the other hand, Valencia isn't that good behind the plate, particularly in terms of holding opponents' running game in check. Still with Rogers defensive numbers in decline, perhaps Valencia won't do worse.
Getting Báez back could be pretty helpful to the Tigers although it's just funny to look at Báez as a way to trim strikeouts in the lineup by taking over some of the workload from James Outman. It will be interesting to see how he's deployed. With Kerry Carpenter out with a foot injury, the outfield needs help. It needed help anyway. We'll see if Báez is back to full speed and can get back to playing a solid enough center field. If he's back to 100 percent, that also gives the Tigers options, with Báez getting some time at shortstop and around the infield to get another right-handed bat into the lineup. Either way, it's good to have Javy Báez back, and hopefully further support for the outfield isn't too far away as Max Clark will be available to be called up without spoiling his 2027 rookie eligibi

Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (ZBH) is a global medical technology company specializing in musculoskeletal healthcare. It designs and manufactures innovative orthopedic implants, surgical instruments, and digital solutions for joint reconstruction, trauma, and sports medicine. The company operates internationally with a corporate headquarters in Warsaw, Indiana. It has a market capitalization of $17.20 billion.
Zimmer Biomet is expected to report its second-quarter results for fiscal 2026 on Aug. 5, before the market opens. Ahead of the release, Wall Street **** ysts are tepid about the company's bottom-line trajectory.
PayPal Says a $53 Billion Takeover Offer from Stripe Undervalues It. How to Play PYPL Stock Here.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos Called Amazon's Customer Service to Prove a Point But Waited in Silence for More Than 10 Minutes — 'It Was Really Long'
Micron Stock Is Near Bear-Market Territory. Here's Why ASML's Guidance Says Buy the Dip.

#market #zimmer

Nürnberg city council agreed to the rebuilding of the Max-Morlock-Stadium in their meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The municipal representatives unanimously instructed the administration to pursue the plan to demolish and rebuild part of the historic stadium.
The goal is set to extend the spectator seats from 36,000 to 50,000 for league games. The stadium will have 40,000 visitors for international matches with the new goal. According to the initial plan, the reconstruction will be completed for the start of the 2031/32 season.
The 2. Bundesliga side need to find a temporary home during the reconstruction work. Nürnberg have called Max-Morlock-Stadium home since 1963 as they celebrated their only Bundesliga **** le there in 1968.
The Bavarians compete in 2. Bundesliga since their latest Bundesliga relegation in 2019. According to Transfermarkt, Miroslav Klose's side had an average attendance of 35,180 during the 2025/26 season. The stadium also hosted several games of the Germany women's national team this year.

#stadium #bundesliga #rnberg #goal

A Democratic senator on Saturday alleged that whistleblowers have detailed several problems stemming from rushed or improper reconstruction of the Kennedy Center, adding a new layer to the travails of the arts complex as President Donald Trump tried to seize control of it and its name.
Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island said in a release on Saturday that he had received a whistleblower disclosure from the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit whistleblower protection group, alleging that "the Center rushed a series of renovations driven by the President's aesthetic whims and his desire to star in a series of televised events in December."
"The Center's subservience to the President's desires and its corner-cutting contracting practices have resulted in steel columns that are rusting through fresh paint, a reflecting pool that may have to be torn out and rebuilt, and a brand-new bathroom floor torn out over an offending tile color," Whitehouse continued. "This is waste, and it treats a national memorial to President Kennedy as if it were a private renovation project."
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump seized control of the arts and culture venue, named after former President John F. Kennedy, at the beginning of his second term. Trump ousted the center's prior leadership and replaced it with a Board of Trustees that named him chairman and added his name to the building.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Hamas militant group said Monday it had dissolved its government in Gaza and is preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal.
Hamas did not say whether it planned to take the crucial step of disarming or handing over security to an international force, but described its decision as evidence of its commitment to Gaza's reconstruction after years of war.
It was unclear if the move, announced by a lower-level official, would lead to any meaningful change on the ground.
The Board of Peace, the new entity led by President Donald Trump with the mandate of governing and rebuilding Gaza, said it was aware of the Hamas announcement but would ******* s the impact based on "actions, not promises." The board stressed in a statement on X that the technocratic committee must control all weapons in Gaza, as laid out in the ceasefire agreement.
At a news conference Monday, Ismail al-Thawabta, general director of the Hamas-run Government Media Office, said "only technical and professional staff" would remain in their positions to run the Palestinian enclave's day-to-day affairs.

Butler basketball is one of 12 power conference programs with a new head coach for the 2026-27 season. Former Bulldogs point guard Ronald Nored takes over a team that has finished over .500 once in the past six seasons.
As is common these days, a new coach means an almost entirely new roster. Just one returning player saw extensive court time with the Bulldogs last season. Another was lost to a season-ending injury after six games. Otherwise, it's freshmen, transfers and returning players who have seen little action.
The Athletic's C.J. Moore graded the roster reconstruction of the power conference teams with new coaches, and Butler came away with "A," along with North Carolina State, Cincinnati and Boston College.
"Ronald Nored was also very intentional in his approach, signing five freshmen and adding only transfers with multiple years left. The Bulldogs didn’t sign any big names, but they may have landed one of the more promising international prospects. Samu Adler is an 18-year-old who was the finals MVP in the top Finnish league, which includes a good number of former college stars. The league’s MVP was former Oklahoma/Oregon/Texas Tech guard De’Vion Harmon. A transfer to watch is Samis Calderon, who rarely played for Kansas as a freshman. He’s raw but has the athleticism and tools to become a really good college wing. Nored also held on to guard Jalen Jackson, who played six games before an ankle injury ended his season. With Jackson in the starting lineup, Butler was 5-1, including a neutral-court win over Virginia. He’s a veteran who could help bring along the young guys. Butler hasn’t finished above .500 in the Big East since 2019-20. If Nored can get close and provide hope for the future, that’ll be a successful first year."
(with uniform number, name, year and previous college if applicable, height)

If a recent report from the Serbian outlet Mozzart Sport (as cited by The Daily Record) is believed to be true, Rangers are plotting a move for Vanja Dragojević. They have tabled an offer of around €4.5m for the Partizan Belgrade midfield ace, but his current employers, destined to lose him this summer, are holding out for a €5.5m fee along with a sell-on clause.
The 20-year-old Serbia international took his first steps in football at Altina Zemun before joining the esteemed ranks of Partizan. There, he impressed at various youth levels and was eventually loaned out to third-tier outfit Teleoptik for first-team experience.
However, Dragojević was recalled after a brief stint, as he was starting to be involved with the seniors sporadically. The 2025-26 season proved to be the turning point of his career, particularly after goalkeeper Aleksandar Jovanovic's departure. Israeli veteran Bibars Natcho was elected as the club skipper. But the Serb, their vice-captain and a starter, led the Steamrollers more often than the now-retired midfielder.
TOLUCA, MEXICO – JUNE 04: Alvaro Fidalgo of Mexico competes for the ball with Vanja Dragojevic of Serbia during the international friendly match between Mexico and Serbia at Nemesio Diez Stadium on June 04, 2026 in Toluca, Mexico. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)
Dragojević made 41 appearances last season, scoring and ****** isting 4 times each across competitions [stats via Transfermarket]. He cemented his place as a deep-lying playmaker, and Rangers, despite securing the services of Dan Neil already, are keen to have the youngster in their ranks as part of a squad reconstruction under new boss Derek McInnes. They are also attempting an ambitious swoop for Lewis Ferguson, but it won't impact any potential deal for the Serbian sensation.

As nice as it was for the Atlanta Falcons to beat the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams last season, and as encouraging as it was for them to win their last four games, it also showed something had to change.
Being the type of team that could beat the Bills and Rams yet finish 8-9 in one of the worst divisions in NFL history was a glaring sign of underachievement. Many teams might have stuck it out with head coach Raheem Morris after that final four-game winning streak. The Falcons rightfully wondered where that level of play had been all season and fired Morris. They hired Kevin Stefanski, who had just been fired by the Cleveland Browns, to replace him.
"At the end of the day, I didn't think we achieved the level that we're capable of," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said, via the team's site. "The expression that I often use is: Good is the enemy of great. I think we're capable of getting to another level."
The Falcons are a conundrum. They have some very talented players, including running back Bijan Robinson and receiver Drake London, who just signed a four-year, $141 million extension. They also have plenty of holes on offense around those stars. The defense was better last season but probably won't be good enough to carry the team where it wants to go. Things got murkier on that side of the ball when 2025 first-round draft pick James Pearce Jr. was charged with multiple felonies after Pearce allegedly stalked WNBA player Rickea Jackson and caused a collision as Pearce pursued Jackson in a car (those charges can be dropped if Pearce completes an intervention program, though he still could face NFL punishment).
And the quarterback situation went from promising to a complete mess in a year. The Falcons thought they were onto something with Michael Penix Jr. after a fairly good finish to the 2024 season. Then Penix struggled and his season came to an end when he suffered a knee injury that led to ACL reconstruction surgery, continuing his spotty health history dating back to college. The Falcons got Tua Tagovailoa cheaply as the Dolphins pay all but the veteran's minimum portion of his salary this season, but Tagovailoa's play has fallen off the past two seasons. It's worth the $1.2 million the Falcons are paying to see if Tagovailoa can be a reliable insurance policy, but it's not like Atlanta should expect much more.

The attorney who helped persuade the Supreme Court to strike down Hawaii's private-property concealed-carry restriction on Thursday criticized the state's reliance on a Reconstruction-era Black Code to defend the law.
In a 6-3 decision in Wolford v. Lopez, the Court held that Hawaii cannot require licensed gun owners to obtain express permission before carrying firearms onto private property open to the public. Gun-rights challengers dubbed the policy the "vampire rule" because lawful gun owners had to be "invited in" before entering businesses while armed.
"It is disgraceful that any state would rely on a law specifically aimed at taking away the Second Amendment rights or any constitutional right of Black Americans as it was at that time," attorney Kevin O'Grady, who represented the plaintiffs, told Fox News Digital.
"And it's not surprising, however, that Hawaii would rely on it as they are diametrically opposed to the Second Amendment. We fully expected that the Supreme Court would identify that as the kind of law that one absolutely should not look to determine whether or not something is constitutional because this is the perfect example of something which is not constitutional."
Supreme Court Hands Second Amendment Win To Concealed Carry Holders In Blue State Gun Control Case

A proposed $300 billion investment fund for Iran included in the U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding may face major legal obstacles under existing U.S. sanctions law, raising questions about whether the plan is workable even if both sides move toward a final agreement.
The memorandum, digitally signed Wednesday by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, is aimed at ending the war and restoring traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. As part of the 14-point plan, the U.S. agreed to lift sanctions on Iran, allow Tehran to increase its oil revenue and regain access to parts of the international banking system, among other measures.
But one of the most ambitious parts of the framework — a proposed $300 billion private investment fund for Iran's reconstruction and development — may collide with a longstanding U.S. determination that Iran's construction sector is controlled directly or indirectly by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The issue is not just technical. It goes to whether one of the central economic promises of the Trump-Iran framework can realistically be executed under current U.S. law. If the $300 billion fund depends on investment in sectors Washington has already identified as IRGC-controlled, experts say the administration may be forced to rely on temporary waivers or new licenses — a legal structure that could make long-term investors wary and complicate any final deal.
Top Senate Republican Rips Into Trump's Iran Deal, Says $300 Billion Makes Obama Deal Look Like 'A Pittance'

WARSAW, June 19 (Reuters) - Poland's president has decided to strip Volodymyr Zelenskiy of the country's top honour after Ukraine's head of state caused outrage by renaming an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), nationalists who ‌massacred Poles in World War Two.
President Karol Nawrocki's decision looked likely to unleash a severe diplomatic crisis between ‌the neighbours just days ahead of a conference on Ukraine's reconstruction in the Polish city of Gdansk.
"In light of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's consent to name one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "Heroes of the UPA,"... I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from the President of Ukraine," Nawrocki said in a statement.
"At this point, I would like to emphasize: this decision is not directed against the Ukrainian people. It does not signify a change in the strategic direction of Polish security policy."
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