1 hr. ago
What began as a hobby for two brothers from Nottinghamshire is taking them to the US as they prepare to compete at the Pokémon World Championships.
Thirteen-year-old Oliver, who became a European champion aged 12, will compete alongside his brother Edward, 11, who will play in the junior division.
The pair, from Ruddington, first started playing the trading card game at a Nottingham board game cafe when their mum wanted to get them out of the house and away from screens after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Oliver and Edward will join thousands of competitors at this year's world championships in San Francisco, taking place between 28 and 30 August.
Mum Kayleigh said: "It's crazy, I never thought that Pokémon would take me around the world and the kids.
#thirteen
Thirteen-year-old Oliver, who became a European champion aged 12, will compete alongside his brother Edward, 11, who will play in the junior division.
The pair, from Ruddington, first started playing the trading card game at a Nottingham board game cafe when their mum wanted to get them out of the house and away from screens after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Oliver and Edward will join thousands of competitors at this year's world championships in San Francisco, taking place between 28 and 30 August.
Mum Kayleigh said: "It's crazy, I never thought that Pokémon would take me around the world and the kids.
#thirteen
15 days ago
While the Penn State Nittany Lions lost a lot of production in the 2026 NFL Draft, fans were already questioning whether or not several of Penn State's returning options could be seen as draft picks in 2027. Well, after an offseason of change, there certainly seems like the Nittany Lions have a new look about them. So when the Shriners East-West Bowl watch list came out, it should have been no surprise that Penn State was well represented on the list.
Most importantly, it pointed out a major early win for new head coach Matt Campbell. Not only did Penn State place nineteen total players on the watch list, but fifteen of them were transfers from this year's portal cycle. In fact, thirteen of them come from Matt Campbell's former school, Iowa State. The headliners of the list include QB Rocco Becht, linebackers Kooper Ebel, Caleb Bacon, and Tony Rojas, and wide receivers Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell.
The other two transfers on the list were influenced by new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn after he came to Happy Valley from UCLA. Still, no matter the former programs each player represented, it's still highly impressive that in his first offseason, Matt Campbell was able to bring over such highly coveted talent. While the main question will still be about his future recruiting efforts, this offseason's transfer haul at least showed signs of positivity in terms of the program's direction.
Perhaps the craziest thing about several of the players on the list is that they may not all enter the draft at the same time. At least five or six players could return to Happy Valley at the end of this season. That continuity could prove to be more important than any preseason hype these players are getting. If they are already receiving this hype with multiple years of eligibility left, that's a good sign for Campbell's long-term planning with the squad.
The bottom line is that a lot of people are still high on the new talent in Happy Valley. The question of whether that translates to on-field success remains to be seen.
#penn #valley
Most importantly, it pointed out a major early win for new head coach Matt Campbell. Not only did Penn State place nineteen total players on the watch list, but fifteen of them were transfers from this year's portal cycle. In fact, thirteen of them come from Matt Campbell's former school, Iowa State. The headliners of the list include QB Rocco Becht, linebackers Kooper Ebel, Caleb Bacon, and Tony Rojas, and wide receivers Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell.
The other two transfers on the list were influenced by new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn after he came to Happy Valley from UCLA. Still, no matter the former programs each player represented, it's still highly impressive that in his first offseason, Matt Campbell was able to bring over such highly coveted talent. While the main question will still be about his future recruiting efforts, this offseason's transfer haul at least showed signs of positivity in terms of the program's direction.
Perhaps the craziest thing about several of the players on the list is that they may not all enter the draft at the same time. At least five or six players could return to Happy Valley at the end of this season. That continuity could prove to be more important than any preseason hype these players are getting. If they are already receiving this hype with multiple years of eligibility left, that's a good sign for Campbell's long-term planning with the squad.
The bottom line is that a lot of people are still high on the new talent in Happy Valley. The question of whether that translates to on-field success remains to be seen.
#penn #valley
24 days ago
Manchester United have been given renewed hope of striking a blockbuster deal for Yan Diomande, despite Paris Saint-Germain being frontrunners for the RB Leipzig sensation, according to the latest report from Germany.
Having only turned 19 in November, Diomande has emerged as one of the hottest prospects on the market this summer after a brilliant debut campaign in the Bundesliga. RB Leipzig signed the winger from Spanish minnows Leganés by triggering his €20 million (£17m) release clause last year.
The deal was a testament to the German club's belief in the youngster's potential, given he had only 542 minutes of senior football under his belt at the time. Their scouts were adamant he was a risk worth taking, however.
This faith has been handsomely rewarded, with Diomande becoming the centrepiece of Leipzig's side. Thirteen goals and ten **** ists in all competitions would be an excellent return for any winger, let alone one completing his first full season as a starter. But it is his all-round play which has been as impressive, showing maturity in decision-making and a level of athleticism that has put every top club in Europe – including Manchester United – on red alert.
This form has translated to the World Cup, where the Abidjan native flourished for the Ivory Coast. Despite only returning one **** ist, he was electric for Les Éléphants, striking fear into opposition defences with his potent pairing of speed and skill. **** nal's **** le-winning left-back Piero Hincapie, in particular, was given a torrid time by Diomande during Ivory Coast's 1-0 win over Ecuador, courtesy of a last-minute winner by Amad.
Having only turned 19 in November, Diomande has emerged as one of the hottest prospects on the market this summer after a brilliant debut campaign in the Bundesliga. RB Leipzig signed the winger from Spanish minnows Leganés by triggering his €20 million (£17m) release clause last year.
The deal was a testament to the German club's belief in the youngster's potential, given he had only 542 minutes of senior football under his belt at the time. Their scouts were adamant he was a risk worth taking, however.
This faith has been handsomely rewarded, with Diomande becoming the centrepiece of Leipzig's side. Thirteen goals and ten **** ists in all competitions would be an excellent return for any winger, let alone one completing his first full season as a starter. But it is his all-round play which has been as impressive, showing maturity in decision-making and a level of athleticism that has put every top club in Europe – including Manchester United – on red alert.
This form has translated to the World Cup, where the Abidjan native flourished for the Ivory Coast. Despite only returning one **** ist, he was electric for Les Éléphants, striking fear into opposition defences with his potent pairing of speed and skill. **** nal's **** le-winning left-back Piero Hincapie, in particular, was given a torrid time by Diomande during Ivory Coast's 1-0 win over Ecuador, courtesy of a last-minute winner by Amad.
26 days ago
Those hoping hoping to see the Sox splash the cash on some hard-to-sign candidates on day 2 of the MLB Draft were immediately disappointed, as the Red Sox spent their fifth round pick on Lucas Davenport, a pitcher out of Baylor University who was unranked by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline heading into the draft.
Davenport is a beastly 6-6, 230 lbs. and his pick launched a mini-run on those big college pitchers Craig Breslow likes so much: sixth rounder Brett Lanman, a 6-5, 23o lbs. lefty out of Abilene Christian, eighth rounder Josh Volmerding, a 6-4, 210 lbs. lefty out of California Polytech, thirteenth rounder Mason Lei, a 6-4, 215 lbs. righty out of the University of Illinois-Chicago, and fifteenth rounder Chase Frey, a 6-6 225 lbs. lefty out of Grand Canyon University.
The highlights of Day 2 are the two higher-ranked high schoolers the Sox nabbed back-to-back in the ninth and tenth rounds. Ninth rounder Martin Shelar, an outfielder, comes out of the baseball powerhouse that is the Marist School in Georgia. He has massive power potential, is committed to Mississippi State, and was ranked as the 65th-best prospect overall by FanGraphs, 125th by Baseball America, and 175th by MLB Pipeline.
Tenth rounder Kaleb LaFavor out of Bishop Heelan Catholic High School in Sioux City, Iowa is a towering 6-7 righty with a ton of extension who can already hit 95 MPH on the gun. He was ranked the 171st-best prospect by ESPN evaluator Kiley McDaniel, 465th by Baseball America, and is committed to the University of Iowa. Craig Breslow's got bonus pool money burning a hole in his pocket, and it's going to go to these guys in hopes of enticing them away from college (speaking as someone who spent a fair bit of time partying in Iowa City as a 22-year-old, good luck in LeFavor's case).
Here's the full slate of day 2 picks:
Davenport is a beastly 6-6, 230 lbs. and his pick launched a mini-run on those big college pitchers Craig Breslow likes so much: sixth rounder Brett Lanman, a 6-5, 23o lbs. lefty out of Abilene Christian, eighth rounder Josh Volmerding, a 6-4, 210 lbs. lefty out of California Polytech, thirteenth rounder Mason Lei, a 6-4, 215 lbs. righty out of the University of Illinois-Chicago, and fifteenth rounder Chase Frey, a 6-6 225 lbs. lefty out of Grand Canyon University.
The highlights of Day 2 are the two higher-ranked high schoolers the Sox nabbed back-to-back in the ninth and tenth rounds. Ninth rounder Martin Shelar, an outfielder, comes out of the baseball powerhouse that is the Marist School in Georgia. He has massive power potential, is committed to Mississippi State, and was ranked as the 65th-best prospect overall by FanGraphs, 125th by Baseball America, and 175th by MLB Pipeline.
Tenth rounder Kaleb LaFavor out of Bishop Heelan Catholic High School in Sioux City, Iowa is a towering 6-7 righty with a ton of extension who can already hit 95 MPH on the gun. He was ranked the 171st-best prospect by ESPN evaluator Kiley McDaniel, 465th by Baseball America, and is committed to the University of Iowa. Craig Breslow's got bonus pool money burning a hole in his pocket, and it's going to go to these guys in hopes of enticing them away from college (speaking as someone who spent a fair bit of time partying in Iowa City as a 22-year-old, good luck in LeFavor's case).
Here's the full slate of day 2 picks:
28 days ago
The 41-52 Athletics take on the 47-45 Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago today. The Southsiders are in the midst of the most dramatic turn-around from last season, currently sitting in first place in the American League (AL) Central, while the visiting A's are mired in a six-game losing streak and open the day in fourth place in the AL West.
Taking the mound this afternoon for the A's is Jacob Lopez. The 28-year-old lefty is 4-3 in thirteen appearances with a 7.04 ERA. He has had forty-two strikeouts in 53.2 innings this year. He'll go up against 26-year-old righty Sean Burke for the Pale Hose. Burke is 5-4 with a 3.56 ERA over the course of eighteen appearances this season. The White Sox will be thrilled to see rookie phenom Munetaka Murakami return to their lineup today after more than a month on the Injured List (IL) with a right hamstring strain.
Burke will face off against this lineup for Mark Kotsay's Athletics:
Lopez will battle this lineup for Will Venable's White Sox:
View Link
Taking the mound this afternoon for the A's is Jacob Lopez. The 28-year-old lefty is 4-3 in thirteen appearances with a 7.04 ERA. He has had forty-two strikeouts in 53.2 innings this year. He'll go up against 26-year-old righty Sean Burke for the Pale Hose. Burke is 5-4 with a 3.56 ERA over the course of eighteen appearances this season. The White Sox will be thrilled to see rookie phenom Munetaka Murakami return to their lineup today after more than a month on the Injured List (IL) with a right hamstring strain.
Burke will face off against this lineup for Mark Kotsay's Athletics:
Lopez will battle this lineup for Will Venable's White Sox:
View Link
29 days ago
France knocked out Morocco in Thursday's first World Cup quarterfinal with a 2-0 score that meant the same result as when the two countries last faced off four years ago in the semifinals in Qatar.
The French were threatening from the opening minutes, creating a flurry of chances on the pitch at Gillette Stadium, near Boston. Despite thirteen efforts before half-time, they were denied by a well-organised Moroccan defence and a vigilant Yassine Bounou, with the score locked at 0-0.
The key moment of the first half was a missed penalty by the French captain Kylian Mbappé in the 28th minute. After a long wait before being able to step up, the forward saw his attempt comfortably saved by the Moroccan goalkeeper.
Another highlight came in stoppage time at the end of the first half, when Lucas Digne unleashed a spectacular shot from 25 metres that crashed against Bounou’s crossbar.
With very few attacking chances, Morocco landed only one shot on goal, and that came in the 82nd minute while already trailing by two goals.
The French were threatening from the opening minutes, creating a flurry of chances on the pitch at Gillette Stadium, near Boston. Despite thirteen efforts before half-time, they were denied by a well-organised Moroccan defence and a vigilant Yassine Bounou, with the score locked at 0-0.
The key moment of the first half was a missed penalty by the French captain Kylian Mbappé in the 28th minute. After a long wait before being able to step up, the forward saw his attempt comfortably saved by the Moroccan goalkeeper.
Another highlight came in stoppage time at the end of the first half, when Lucas Digne unleashed a spectacular shot from 25 metres that crashed against Bounou’s crossbar.
With very few attacking chances, Morocco landed only one shot on goal, and that came in the 82nd minute while already trailing by two goals.
1 month ago
UFC 329 is live this Saturday (July 11, 2026) from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV and streamed exclusively on Paramount+ (watch here). The main event needs little introduction. It's Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2, a rematch thirteen years in the making (but at Welterweight, not Featherweight). This is our first time seeing McGregor since 2021, but the lead up to this one has felt very different from past McGregor fight weeks.
Saturday's co-main is Benoit Saint Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett in the Lightweight division. Rounding out the stacked main card is Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista, Bandon Royval vs. Lone'er Kavanagh and King Green vs. Terrance McKinney.
The "Prelims" are pretty stacked, too. They are headlined by Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov. There's also Luke Rileyvs. Kai Kamaka III, Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yanez and the debut of Gable Steveson. He fights Elisha Ellison.
The early "Prelims" are headlined by Tracy Cortez vs. ***** Cong. There's also Damian Pinas vs. Cesar Almeida down there.
As always, there's lots to bet on this card and we've got odds for all the fights below:
Saturday's co-main is Benoit Saint Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett in the Lightweight division. Rounding out the stacked main card is Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista, Bandon Royval vs. Lone'er Kavanagh and King Green vs. Terrance McKinney.
The "Prelims" are pretty stacked, too. They are headlined by Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov. There's also Luke Rileyvs. Kai Kamaka III, Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yanez and the debut of Gable Steveson. He fights Elisha Ellison.
The early "Prelims" are headlined by Tracy Cortez vs. ***** Cong. There's also Damian Pinas vs. Cesar Almeida down there.
As always, there's lots to bet on this card and we've got odds for all the fights below:
1 month ago
Argentina’s apotheosic comeback against Egypt (3-2) at the 2026 World Cup has unleashed a tsunami of global praise.
The front pages of the planet’s most prestigious newspapers have unanimously surrendered to the figure of Leo Messi, who at 39 once again moved the footballing world.
In just thirteen minutes of pure madness and pride, the star rewrote history when his national team seemed doomed, delivering a dramatic feat already being described as eternal.
In his homeland, the emotional impact dominates the most passionate headlines in both the general and sports press. The newspaper Clarín highlights on its front page that "when everything seemed lost, Argentine pride turned it around", praising the team’s immense courage in overturning a 0-2 deficit with only 11 minutes left before the final whistle.
Meanwhile, the newspaper Crónica runs with the emotional headline "Messi-go moving us!", echoing the captain’s tears that spread to an entire country now dreaming awake of a fourth World Cup after a "heart-stopping" victory. In the same vein,
The front pages of the planet’s most prestigious newspapers have unanimously surrendered to the figure of Leo Messi, who at 39 once again moved the footballing world.
In just thirteen minutes of pure madness and pride, the star rewrote history when his national team seemed doomed, delivering a dramatic feat already being described as eternal.
In his homeland, the emotional impact dominates the most passionate headlines in both the general and sports press. The newspaper Clarín highlights on its front page that "when everything seemed lost, Argentine pride turned it around", praising the team’s immense courage in overturning a 0-2 deficit with only 11 minutes left before the final whistle.
Meanwhile, the newspaper Crónica runs with the emotional headline "Messi-go moving us!", echoing the captain’s tears that spread to an entire country now dreaming awake of a fourth World Cup after a "heart-stopping" victory. In the same vein,
1 month ago
Thirteen months and two days after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips was activated off the 60-day injured list on Monday by the Dodgers ahead of their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
Phillips had an extensive rehab ****** ignment, appearing in 12 games over 30 days with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The right-hander had a 1.80 ERA with 13 strikeouts and five walks in 10 innings for the Comets, with his last game coming last Friday, a perfect frame with two strikeouts against Sugar Land. This was essentially spring training for Phillips, who pitched on back-to-back days on June 24-25, and appeared in parts of two innings on June 28, usual items on the checklist for relief pitchers building up for their season.
The right elbow procedure for Phillips was June 4, 2025, ending a season that was already hampered at the start by a shoulder injury, limiting the right-hander to only seven games last year.
Jake Eder, who was on the minor league injured list in Oklahoma City, was released to make room on the 40-man roster for Phillips. Paul Gervase was optioned to Triple-A to open the active roster spot. Gervase pitched in two of the four games for which he was active on this stint in the majors. Eder, acquired from the Washington Nationals on April 1, piched in four games for the Dodgers and allowed a run on three hits in four innings, with one strikeout and one walk.
Also on Monday, the Dodgers added pitcher Carlos Durán to the 40-man roster and designated catcher Chuckie Robinson for ****** ignment.
Phillips had an extensive rehab ****** ignment, appearing in 12 games over 30 days with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The right-hander had a 1.80 ERA with 13 strikeouts and five walks in 10 innings for the Comets, with his last game coming last Friday, a perfect frame with two strikeouts against Sugar Land. This was essentially spring training for Phillips, who pitched on back-to-back days on June 24-25, and appeared in parts of two innings on June 28, usual items on the checklist for relief pitchers building up for their season.
The right elbow procedure for Phillips was June 4, 2025, ending a season that was already hampered at the start by a shoulder injury, limiting the right-hander to only seven games last year.
Jake Eder, who was on the minor league injured list in Oklahoma City, was released to make room on the 40-man roster for Phillips. Paul Gervase was optioned to Triple-A to open the active roster spot. Gervase pitched in two of the four games for which he was active on this stint in the majors. Eder, acquired from the Washington Nationals on April 1, piched in four games for the Dodgers and allowed a run on three hits in four innings, with one strikeout and one walk.
Also on Monday, the Dodgers added pitcher Carlos Durán to the 40-man roster and designated catcher Chuckie Robinson for ****** ignment.
1 month ago
The Southeastern Conference is well known for its athletic dominance, especially in football. The conference is also an academic powerhouse. The SEC has over 620,000 total students with many schools reaching record enrollment figures.
The SEC has some of the largest student enrollments in the country. In fact, Texas A&M has the second-biggest undergraduate enrollment of any school in the nation.
Thirteen of the SEC's 16 schools have over 30,000 enrolled students. The average SEC school has over 40,000 students enrolled. It is no wonder that with such large enrollments that the SEC is also home to some of the largest college football stadiums in the country.
Enrollment figures include both graduate and undergraduate students and in many cases part-time students. We used the most recent enrollment totals from every SEC school's official website. These enrollments numbers are primarily from the 2025, but it varied among schools.
Texas A&M University (81,314 students enrolled)
The SEC has some of the largest student enrollments in the country. In fact, Texas A&M has the second-biggest undergraduate enrollment of any school in the nation.
Thirteen of the SEC's 16 schools have over 30,000 enrolled students. The average SEC school has over 40,000 students enrolled. It is no wonder that with such large enrollments that the SEC is also home to some of the largest college football stadiums in the country.
Enrollment figures include both graduate and undergraduate students and in many cases part-time students. We used the most recent enrollment totals from every SEC school's official website. These enrollments numbers are primarily from the 2025, but it varied among schools.
Texas A&M University (81,314 students enrolled)
1 month ago
An 11-year-old boy crashed a pickup truck into a group of monks on a pilgrimage walk in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing nine and injuring 13 others, officials said.
A total of 35 monks from Mukdahan province, about 600 kilometers northeast of the capital Bangkok, were on the pilgrimage. Five monks were killed at the site, while three others died at a hospital, according to Mukdahan Governor Worrayan Boonnarat. The office later announced the death of a ninth monk.
Thirteen were hospitalized with three in critical condition, according to the provincial administration.
The group started the 260-kilometer walk to Ubon Ratchathani province about 30 minutes before the crash.
Security camera footage shared by a local rescue group, Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue ****** ociation, shows the monks walking in a single line on the side of a road before the truck crashes into them.
A total of 35 monks from Mukdahan province, about 600 kilometers northeast of the capital Bangkok, were on the pilgrimage. Five monks were killed at the site, while three others died at a hospital, according to Mukdahan Governor Worrayan Boonnarat. The office later announced the death of a ninth monk.
Thirteen were hospitalized with three in critical condition, according to the provincial administration.
The group started the 260-kilometer walk to Ubon Ratchathani province about 30 minutes before the crash.
Security camera footage shared by a local rescue group, Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue ****** ociation, shows the monks walking in a single line on the side of a road before the truck crashes into them.
1 month ago
Thirteen years ago, at UFC Fight Night 26 in Boston, future legends Conor McGregor and Max Holloway fought in a featherweight bout on the preliminary card. McGregor defeated "Blessed" via unanimous decision. It was the Irishman's second octagon appearance.
The two will rematch in the UFC 329 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11 and neither are the same fighters they were standing across from each other at TD Garden in 2013.
McGregor hasn't fought since UFC 264 in July 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier after suffering a gruesome leg injury. It was his second consecutive loss to "The Diamond" and the Irishman has been on the sidelines since. While McGregor was out, Holloway was fighting the best in the world in two different weight classes.
After the loss to McGregor, Holloway went on to win the undisputed featherweight championship. He successfully defended the belt three times. The Hawaiian also captured and defended the BMF ****** le. In the rematch, Holloway intends to take the Irishman into the later rounds and outlast him.
"We drown him. We down him. We're going to give him an old Hawaiian style beating and drown him. We're taking him to deep waters," Holloway said on his YouTube channel. "Come Saturday night, Holloway versus McGregor 2, it's going to be fireworks, man. The 4th of July ain't nothing compared to come July 11th."
The two will rematch in the UFC 329 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11 and neither are the same fighters they were standing across from each other at TD Garden in 2013.
McGregor hasn't fought since UFC 264 in July 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier after suffering a gruesome leg injury. It was his second consecutive loss to "The Diamond" and the Irishman has been on the sidelines since. While McGregor was out, Holloway was fighting the best in the world in two different weight classes.
After the loss to McGregor, Holloway went on to win the undisputed featherweight championship. He successfully defended the belt three times. The Hawaiian also captured and defended the BMF ****** le. In the rematch, Holloway intends to take the Irishman into the later rounds and outlast him.
"We drown him. We down him. We're going to give him an old Hawaiian style beating and drown him. We're taking him to deep waters," Holloway said on his YouTube channel. "Come Saturday night, Holloway versus McGregor 2, it's going to be fireworks, man. The 4th of July ain't nothing compared to come July 11th."
1 month ago
Punters on Polymarket are all but certain that Anthropic's valuation will breach $1 trillion by the end of the year.
The prediction market puts the odds of a valuation topping $1.1 trillion at 97%, and even the $1.25 trillion threshold at 92%, reflecting how firmly a thirteen-figure price tag is now **** umed.
The more interesting action sits further up the ladder, where the disagreement actually lives.
A leap to $1.75 trillion is priced at a coin-flip 50%, while $2 trillion is given a 39% chance and $2.5 trillion a still-punchy 32%.
Those are the numbers doing the real work, because they price not whether Anthropic is a giant but how fast it keeps compounding.
The prediction market puts the odds of a valuation topping $1.1 trillion at 97%, and even the $1.25 trillion threshold at 92%, reflecting how firmly a thirteen-figure price tag is now **** umed.
The more interesting action sits further up the ladder, where the disagreement actually lives.
A leap to $1.75 trillion is priced at a coin-flip 50%, while $2 trillion is given a 39% chance and $2.5 trillion a still-punchy 32%.
Those are the numbers doing the real work, because they price not whether Anthropic is a giant but how fast it keeps compounding.
1 month ago
Damian Lillard walked into the NBA as a grizzled veteran.
The moment he stepped foot in Portland, he was ready to lead and impart wisdom on his teammates.
He’s always had the utmost confidence in himself, and he’s used that excess confidence to embolden those around him.
“I’m not surprised by it,” Lillard said at the news conference following his Rookie of the Year selection. “That’s not meant to be a **** y statement. But I’m not surprised by it at all because I put the work in to put myself in this position.”
Now thirteen years into his NBA career, he’s only refined his leadership skills.
Those will come in handy soon, as the Blazers have traded for the callow yet phenomenal Ja Morant, giving Lillard his tallest task yet.
The Blazers paid possibly the lowest-ever price for a 26-year-old two-time All-Star and Second-Team All-NBA player; Trading away Jerami Grant and Kris Murray was an exchange of bad money for worse money.
The moment he stepped foot in Portland, he was ready to lead and impart wisdom on his teammates.
He’s always had the utmost confidence in himself, and he’s used that excess confidence to embolden those around him.
“I’m not surprised by it,” Lillard said at the news conference following his Rookie of the Year selection. “That’s not meant to be a **** y statement. But I’m not surprised by it at all because I put the work in to put myself in this position.”
Now thirteen years into his NBA career, he’s only refined his leadership skills.
Those will come in handy soon, as the Blazers have traded for the callow yet phenomenal Ja Morant, giving Lillard his tallest task yet.
The Blazers paid possibly the lowest-ever price for a 26-year-old two-time All-Star and Second-Team All-NBA player; Trading away Jerami Grant and Kris Murray was an exchange of bad money for worse money.
1 month ago
After over 1,800 days, we’re less than two weeks away from Conor McGregor’s return to the cage at UFC 329. To mark the occasion, the UFC has dropped a new promo for his second fight against Max Holloway.
McGregor and Holloway faced off for the first time all the way back in 2013, with McGregor dominating Holloway in a one-sided fight that ended with 30-27, 30-27, and 30-26 scores for “The Notorious.” It was the third loss in the UFC for Holloway, and a fight that “Blessed” said changed him mentally.
“The first time I fight Conor, that was thirteen years ago,” Holloway said. “After that fight, I had a two loss streak. My next fight, if you lose, you probably get your papers going home. And I was like, ‘Brother, I’m not going home yet. I got a belt I need to win.’ I was wanting to fight the best guys and prove that the best is ‘Blessed.'”
“I think Conor’s coming back because he’s just got something to prove to himself. He did some great things, but he didn’t really check the box on MMA yet. He has some unfinished business. Unfortunately, for him, he’s gotta see me first.”
McGregor sees the Holloway fight as his springboard back into the world of elite competition. A win over Max puts him in a position to go for a third belt at welterweight, something “The Notorious” has desired for years.
McGregor and Holloway faced off for the first time all the way back in 2013, with McGregor dominating Holloway in a one-sided fight that ended with 30-27, 30-27, and 30-26 scores for “The Notorious.” It was the third loss in the UFC for Holloway, and a fight that “Blessed” said changed him mentally.
“The first time I fight Conor, that was thirteen years ago,” Holloway said. “After that fight, I had a two loss streak. My next fight, if you lose, you probably get your papers going home. And I was like, ‘Brother, I’m not going home yet. I got a belt I need to win.’ I was wanting to fight the best guys and prove that the best is ‘Blessed.'”
“I think Conor’s coming back because he’s just got something to prove to himself. He did some great things, but he didn’t really check the box on MMA yet. He has some unfinished business. Unfortunately, for him, he’s gotta see me first.”
McGregor sees the Holloway fight as his springboard back into the world of elite competition. A win over Max puts him in a position to go for a third belt at welterweight, something “The Notorious” has desired for years.
1 month ago
After a nice, solid drubbing of the Houston Astros on Friday night which evened the four-game series at a game apiece, the Detroit Tigers looked to clinch at least a series tie on Saturday afternoon. Despite a lovely grand slam early in the game, the Tiger bullpen couldn’t hold onto this one as the Astros prevailed 8-6.
Framber Valdez’s seventeenth start for the Tigers aimed to build upon two solid, six-inning, one-run outings in a row. Regardless of the start, though, walks have been a problem for him: coming into today he’d walked at least two batters in every start since the middle of May. As the late Jim Price used to bemoan on the radio broadcasts, “Oh, those bases on ****** !”
Facing the Tigers today was Kai-Wei Teng, making his tenth start of the season to go along with thirteen relief appearances. He’s found a home in Houston’s rotation after having limited success in San Francisco the past two years. That’s not to say it’s been all sunshine-and-roses lately; to wit, two starts ago he faced these very same Tigers in Houston and didn’t make it through the fourth inning, having given up five runs and a trio of taters. One of those was to Colt Keith, amongst the three he hit that lovely day.
The Astros struck first: in the bottom of the second Christian Walker led off with a double; Kerry Carpenter took a strange route to it and might’ve had a play on it in some parallel universe. That cost the Tigers a run as Cam Smith immediately followed with a sizzling line drive home run to left field.
Meanwhile, the Tigers were getting pretty good swings against Teng, but the line drives seemed to be finding gloves at an annoying rate.
Framber Valdez’s seventeenth start for the Tigers aimed to build upon two solid, six-inning, one-run outings in a row. Regardless of the start, though, walks have been a problem for him: coming into today he’d walked at least two batters in every start since the middle of May. As the late Jim Price used to bemoan on the radio broadcasts, “Oh, those bases on ****** !”
Facing the Tigers today was Kai-Wei Teng, making his tenth start of the season to go along with thirteen relief appearances. He’s found a home in Houston’s rotation after having limited success in San Francisco the past two years. That’s not to say it’s been all sunshine-and-roses lately; to wit, two starts ago he faced these very same Tigers in Houston and didn’t make it through the fourth inning, having given up five runs and a trio of taters. One of those was to Colt Keith, amongst the three he hit that lovely day.
The Astros struck first: in the bottom of the second Christian Walker led off with a double; Kerry Carpenter took a strange route to it and might’ve had a play on it in some parallel universe. That cost the Tigers a run as Cam Smith immediately followed with a sizzling line drive home run to left field.
Meanwhile, the Tigers were getting pretty good swings against Teng, but the line drives seemed to be finding gloves at an annoying rate.
2 months ago
President Trump on Thursday announced that he is invoking the Defense Production Act of 1950 to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support for the coal industry.
The Cold War-era law gives the president broad powers to shape key industries involved in national defense and emergency preparedness. Trump’s move makes $500 million available under the DPA to coal mining firms, coal-fired electricity plants and coal exporters, part of a broader effort to boost domestic oil, gas and coal production at a time when energy prices are soaring.
Thirteen coal-fired plants will share $425 million in funding, Bloomberg reports. Companies benefiting from the funds include Duke Energy, Hallador Energy and Oklahoma Gas & Electric. Another $75 million will be used for a new coal export facility in Oakland, California.
In addition to the Defense Production Act funds, the Energy Department will provide $185 million in separate grants to build new coal-fired plants in Alaska and West Virginia, and to restart a facility in Maryland.
“Today, we’re taking historic action to bring down the price of energy and the cost of living for all Americans with the power of clean, beautiful coal,” Trump said at an event at the White House. “If you look at China, if you look at so many of the successful countries, they’re using coal.”
The Cold War-era law gives the president broad powers to shape key industries involved in national defense and emergency preparedness. Trump’s move makes $500 million available under the DPA to coal mining firms, coal-fired electricity plants and coal exporters, part of a broader effort to boost domestic oil, gas and coal production at a time when energy prices are soaring.
Thirteen coal-fired plants will share $425 million in funding, Bloomberg reports. Companies benefiting from the funds include Duke Energy, Hallador Energy and Oklahoma Gas & Electric. Another $75 million will be used for a new coal export facility in Oakland, California.
In addition to the Defense Production Act funds, the Energy Department will provide $185 million in separate grants to build new coal-fired plants in Alaska and West Virginia, and to restart a facility in Maryland.
“Today, we’re taking historic action to bring down the price of energy and the cost of living for all Americans with the power of clean, beautiful coal,” Trump said at an event at the White House. “If you look at China, if you look at so many of the successful countries, they’re using coal.”
