By Nate Raymond
BOSTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's administration from continuing to ask applicants for civil service jobs throughout the government to respond to ‌what unions described as a partisan "loyalty question."
U.S. District Judge George O'Toole in Boston sided with three ‌unions representing government workers who sued last year after the administration began asking applicants for nonpartisan federal jobs to write essays explaining how they would help advance Trump's policies and executive orders.
The unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees, argued the question mandated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) unlawfully politicized the hiring process for career government workers by attempting to **** s their support for the Republican president.
O'Toole, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, said the question had been asked of ‌applicants to positions ranging from an ⁠air traffic control specialist to a crane operator to a nuclear materials courier.

#applicants #unions #question #boston

The Chargers offense retooled and revamped like no other. The addition of Mike McDaniel is set to do wonders for the offense as a whole, and especially for Justin Herbert.
The offense for Los Angeles could be record-breaking, which would certainly make it one of the best units in the NFL. The expectations are sky-high, and if they accomplish these four feats, the Bolts will certainly be a top offensive unit.
Here are four bold predictions for the offense entering the 2026 season.
It's been over three seasons since Herbert has touched 4,000 passing yards, but I believe he'll finally surpass that total this season and then some.
McDaniel should create more efficient throws, more yards after the catch, and more opportunities for Herbert to consistently attack defenses. Herbert is set to benefit greatly from McDaniel's offenses, which have historically emphasized motion, play action and creating ***** e.

#chargers

East Lansing — Michigan State could win enough games to earn a bowl bid in Pat Fitzgerald's first year at the helm. The Spartans could also finish worse than they did last season.
Heading into Friday's opener against Toledo, one thinks Michigan State's offense might be a little better with a retooled offensive line and a star running back in Cam Edwards. One thinks the defense will benefit from having Jordan Hall and Nikai Martinez running the show, and a crop of adequate starters who are healthy. However, ***** ody knows until pads start cracking, crowds start roaring and TV networks cram as many ads as they can into mandatory commercial breaks. I think even Fitzgerald is curious to see just what he has on his hands once his guys line up against somebody else.
With a roster full of transfers and a new coaching staff leading the way, what exactly Michigan State has to work with this season is unknown — especially compared to the rest of the Big Ten. And it's that comparison where things have gotten tricky for the Spartans in four straight losing seasons.
The great challenge for MSU has been to make some noise in conference play, in which it is 9-27 the past four years and went 1-8 last season. It's a bleak record for a program that once put fear into opponents who walked into Spartan Stadium and proceeded to crawl out. Fitzgerald's task is to make this program scary again. Frightening to some, that process might take some time — longer than some may be willing to wait.
Where Michigan State benefits this season is its schedule. Five of its opponents are ranked in the bottom half of USA Today's preseason Big Ten poll. Likewise, using that poll the Spartans tie for the fourth weakest schedule behind Penn State, Illinois and UCLA. That doesn't consider travel nor the usual attrition of injuries, but it does show that there are a lot of what should be winnable games.

#state #last #line #running

Sep. 2—BEMIDJI — When looking at the singles side of the Bemidji High School tennis courts, the home fans would be forgiven if they thought Wednesday's match against Staples-Motley took place in 2025.
For much of this season, the Lumberjacks' singles lineup has carried over from last fall. Liz Peterson occupies the top spot, while Lilly Caron and Bailey Rupp typically play Nos. 2 and 3 singles, save for their occasional doubles appearances. Natalie ****** berg rounds out the group at No. 4 singles, just as she did on Wednesday in the Jacks' 6-1 win over the Cardinals.
The real differences so far in the young 2026 season have been on the doubles side of the court. With the departures of Megan Berg, Naomi Johnson and Abby Myhrer, almost every doubles pair had to be retooled for 2026.
Junior Kelli Carlson has been moved up to No. 2, paired with eighth-grader Piper Whiting. Freshmen Norah Friese and Emma Carlson are gaining experience at the No. 3 spot.
Then there are seniors Zoe McNallan and Millie Knott, who have known each other even before they became partners on the tennis court.

#season

Bayern Munich's summer transfer window sees another talent join their U-23s. This time, the Bavarians' confirmed via their official website that they have signed South Korean left back Doyeon Kim, who arrives from Daejon Hana Citizen. The South Korean team, who play in the East Asian country's top division (the K-League 1), will part with their youth academy product for an undisclosed transfer fee. He will join up with head coach Dante's squad and provide valuable depth at left back.
Campus sporting director Michael Wiesinger had this to say: "Doyeon trained with us as a guest player for some time and was able to recommend himself for a transfer to our team. We have had good experiences with young players from South Korea in recent years and are convinced that Doyeon will also take the next step in his development in our second team."
Kim joins goalkeeper Jae-won Heo as the second South Korean signing of the summer, signaling the strong understanding Bayern have with multiple South Korean teams and the emerging benefits of such an understanding. It is preferable, after all, to be able to see a player up close and personal before signing them. Bayern had the opportunity to do so with both players and saw enough in them to bring them to Munich.
There, Kim will join Bayern's youth academy, one in need of left backs. In the U-19s, winger Skender Nuraj has been retooled into the only left back in the squad. The U-23s can boast just Richard Ajayi as a left back. Clearly, more reinforcement in the position was necessary and arrives via Kim. Whether this signing will push Ajayi back to the U-19s or if Kim will spend some time with the U-19s remains to be seen.
Finally, Bayern released an article on their website introducing the youngster. Some excerpts from the article can be read below:

#bayern #korean #doyeon #join

LSU football retained both of its top ball carriers from 2025. Caden Durham and Harlem Berry decided to don the purple and gold during the first year of the Lane Kiffin era. The Tigers also added Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones, who made the running back room more competitive.
"Dilin's done great," Kiffin said. "[He] really has had a great week too, and it's kind of taken off from where he did in the spring, so we're really pleased with that."
Jones came to LSU after two years at Wisconsin. He started the Badgers' first seven games in 2025 as a sophomore before an injury ended his season. He finished with 76 carries for 300 yards and two touchdowns while also contributing in the pass game.
LSU struggled to establish its ground game last year, but it will look to improve behind an experienced group of three and a retooled offensive line. Durham and Berry combined for 969 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 2025. Kiffin likes that both have multiple years of eligibility left and have shown a strong work ethic so far.
"They still have a lot of work to go and can improve," Kiffin said. "We're pleased with where they're at now, but we want to push them more."

#berry #first #great #really

The Colorado Buffaloes are through four fall camp practices, and we finally were able to hear head coach Deion Sanders talk about his program entering year four of his tenure.
Coach Prime discussed a variety of topics, including the recent dialogue about his team being small, the biggest areas of improvement, his coaching staff, the retooled offensive line, roster turnover and a possible future series against Air Force.
Sanders seemed rejuvenated and excited for the 2026 season, stating multiple times that he can't wait to see what people are saying later this year.
Here are the top quotes from Coach Prime after his first media availability of fall camp, including a couple of injury updates
Danny Scudero has been seen in a walking boot since camp began, but Sanders said on Thursday that the projected leading receiver for the Buffs is improving.

#year #buffaloes

Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson speaks to the media after an 8-0 loss against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. | Teren Kowatsch
SEATTLE — A re-tooled lineup and new additions to the roster didn't lead to immediate success for the Seattle Mariners, who fell 8-0 to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park.
It was the Mariners' first game post-MLB trade deadline, which saw the team introduce outfielder/designated hitter Taylor Ward and right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez to the roster.
Both players made their Seattle debuts, with Ward being in the lineup as the DH batting eighth and Dominguez took the mound in the top of the ninth inning. Tuesday also saw the return of Brendan Donovan, who batted seventh in the order and played third after a two-and-a-half month-long stint on the injured list
Ward finished the game 0-for-3 with a strikeout and Dominguez surrendered four hits, four earned runs, two home runs and walked two batters in 0.1 inning of work. Donovan went 0-for-4.

#Seattle #detroit #donovan

Gianni Infantino has called an emergency meeting of FIFA staff in Rabat on Wednesday following comments by ***** ne Wenger that ramped up the pressure on the president, the Press ***** ociation understands.
Former ***** nal manager Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, issued a statement saying he was "not involved" in the plan to seek private investment in a company to run the World Cup but that the decision to withdraw it was "absolutely necessary and beyond question".
PA understands the meeting in Morocco was called after the weekend and is also to include secretary general Mattias Grafstrom and the FIFA management board, which includes the organisation's chief of staff Daniel O'Toole, chief legal officer Emilio Garcia Silvero, chief of member ***** ociations Elkhan Mammadov, HR chief Kimberly Morris, media director Bryan Swanson and communications director David Farrelly.
Grafstrom, the second most senior figure in the organisation after Infantino, is also understood to have contacted FIFA staff addressing the "sad and reproachable series of events" of the last week "which thankfully concluded with the project being permanently abandoned".
The plan to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company to run the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA's tournaments, first emerged in reports by The Times and the Financial Times last Tuesday, before FIFA issued confirmation of some of the details. The most controversial aspect was the idea to sell 20% of FFE to private investors.

#wenger #grafstrom #understands

Colorado football is entering its most pivotal season under head coach Deion Sanders after finishing 3-9 in 2025 and needing to bounce back in a major way. Sanders is hoping a retooled defense led by new defensive coordinator Chris Marve can be part of the fix.
The defense is expected to have a completely new look, with transfers possibly filling all 11 starting spots. Along the defensive line, a rotating group of edge rushers will need to step up to elevate a pass rush that could not get to the quarterback last year. A new starting linebacker duo and an entirely revamped secondary will complete the defensive rebrand.
Fall camp offers an opportunity for the new group to build much-needed chemistry, but more importantly, find the 11 players that work best together. After going over the offensive depth chart, here is our projected two-deep defensive lineup heading into Colorado football's fall camp.
Starters: Toby Anene, Vili Taufatofua
Backup(s): Immanuel Ezeogu, Lamont Lester Jr., Balasama Kamara, Yamil Talib

#defensive #Colorado #fall #group

Who's going to be the most impactful high school quarterback in the Salem-Keizer area this fall?
It's time for you to decide.
The 2026 OSAA high school football season is rapidly approaching and teams across the Willamette Valley have retooled and refocused for an exciting season. Area quarterbacks return with accolades spanning from all-state to all-conference, and a handful of local transfers make for an intriguing year ahead.
The Statesman Journal will be working across the football field to decide who the most impactful players in each position will be this season, starting with the quarterbacks.
Without further ado, here are the nominees. Our list is sponsored by Maps Credit Union.

#high

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – Catriona Matthew celebrated her 2009 Women's British Open victory with a 3 a.m. feeding of daughter Sophie at the kitchen table and a cup of tea. At age 39, she became the first Scot to win the ****** le 11 weeks after giving birth.
"You just get on with it, don't you," Matthew said, rather matter-of-factly, of her remarkable feat 17 years ago at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
As the AIG Women's British Open returns this week to Royal Lytham, Matthew's victory has become a kind of championship lore, a feat new moms like Alison Lee can't even fathom.
"It's just so incredible and almost unbelievable to me," said Lee, who made headlines contending at the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera earlier this summer with her 13-month son Levi. "It's so, so crazy. For me, comparing it to my own experience, I couldn't even swing a club until six, seven weeks, and by the time I was 11 weeks, like I was still so slow. I couldn't hit the ball anywhere. And for her to come out here and win a major, I mean, I'm just trying to survive, and I feel like I'm doing pretty good, you know?"
There are five moms in the field this week at Lytham, including Ryann O'Toole, who is expecting her first child.

#like #royal #first

Mike Perry and Dillon Danis are venturing into new waters.
The two well-known combat sports names have agree to meet in an MMA bout on Aug. 29 at the Kia Center in Orlando, headlining the debut combat event from online crypto casino and sportsbook DuelBet. The show will be held under the "Duel: Arena" promotional banner, organized by veteran MMA matchmaker Dean Toole, featuring a hybrid card composed of MMA, kickboxing and boxing bouts.
The card, including Perry vs. Danis, will take place in a ring rather than a cage, per MMA Fighting. Toole told the outlet that the Aug. 29 lineup will additionally include "some influencer bouts as well, and a few [other] UFC vets" to be announced soon.
Perry (15-8 MMA) made his successful return to MMA in May with a second-round stoppage of Nate Diaz on MVP MMA's Rousey vs. Carano event on Netflix.
Prior to that, "Platinum" hadn't competed in MMA since exiting the UFC in 2021. Over that five-year gap, Perry emerged as the face of bare-knuckle boxing, rattling off a perfect 6-0 record in BKFC buoyed by brutal wins over a cascade of UFC veterans, including former champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez, and current contender Michael Page.

#danis #toole #well #including

The Tennessee ***** ans kicked off the opening salvo of training camp when rookies reported on Thursday and are just days away from taking the field.
The ***** ans changed almost everything during the offseason, with an upgraded staff led by head coach Robert Saleh, a retooled roster, and even a new organizational brand, setting higher expectations heading into the 2026 season. With so many new faces, it will be interesting to watch the team come together and build a solid foundation.
This is also true of the staff, the new coordinators, and the position coaches. Where Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic believes new nickelback coach Dalton Hilliard could be a coach to watch on Saleh’s staff.
Tennessee ***** ans: Dalton Hilliard, defensive backs/nickels
Hilliard will be in his first NFL coaching season after a decade in college football. While Tennessee’s new coaching staff is a bit of a wild card, its structure shows real potential — and part of my reasoning starts with Hilliard. To split the three DBs coaches (safeties, cornerbacks, nickels) into more specific designations is interesting in itself and extremely in tune with the modern game. But to have a coach in Hilliard who will specialize in nickel players (whether corner, safety, or hybrid linebacker) speaks even further to how head coach Robert Saleh wants to react to the latest offensive evolutions that force defenses to cover “move” players of all sizes, from tight ends (including out of heavier personnel groupings) to fullbacks and large slot receivers. This might be a really smart way to structure a defensive staff in this era, and Hilliard will play a key role in that.

#hilliard #staff #coach #tennessee

The Chargers have had themselves quite an offseason.
They've revamped and retooled like few teams this offseason, and their biggest offseason acquisition may have been offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
After serving as the Dolphins' head coach for the last four seasons, McDaniel heads to sunny Southern California with the goal of taking the Chargers' offense —and Justin Herbert — to the next level.
There's no denying Herbert's talent from the moment he stepped onto an NFL field; however, many wonder if the 28-year-old could take his game to the next level.
With McDaniel running things now, the expectation is that he will make things easier for himself. And some believe that an MVP could be on the horizon for the now veteran quarterback, including for NFL safety, Donte Whitner.

Ireland boss Andy Farrell admitted he was "more relieved than anything" after his side battled through a scrappy performance to beat a spirited ****** an in the Nations Championship.
Tries from Nick Timoney, Tom O'Toole, Robbie Henshaw, debutant Sean Jansen and Tom Stewart helped Ireland win 36-20 at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle.
Taira Main and Hayate Era crossed for ****** an but Ireland finished with a flourish to deny the Brave Blossoms just a second win in 12 meetings between the sides.
"If you look at it, the scoreline is the scoreline but it flattered us a little bit, especially with stop-start nature of the game, the errors and stuff like that," said Farrell.
"But I was just saying to the lads that that happens in sport when you tinker a lot. We put them under a lot of pressure this week as coaches with the changes, the different combinations, lads not playing for a long time.

Every year, the NFL head-coaching carousel kicks off the offseason and can, at times, spark immediate change within an organization. In 2025, three teams with a new head coach made the playoffs. In 2026, the Tennessee ****** ans will join nine other teams with a new head coach, and they hope to see results early.
With the new staff led by Robert Saleh and a retooled roster, excitement is building within the organization, and expectations are high that the ****** ans will take a significant step forward. And as Moe Moton of Bleacher Report points out, it may be a tough road, but the ****** ans do have a shot at making the playoffs in 2026.
Tennessee ****** ans
The Tennessee ****** ans could be the league's biggest surprise playoff team if quarterback Cam Ward makes a significant second-year leap, which is a realistic expectation with his revamped receiver unit.
Tennessee signed wideout Wan'Dale Robinson, who racked up a career-high 1,014 receiving yards last season. During most of his four-year tenure with the New York Giants, he played under offensive play-caller Brian Daboll, which bodes well for his role in the ****** ans' aerial attack.

Chicago Sky point guard Skylar Diggins confirmed on Monday, July 6, that she would be coming off the bench after starting all 19 games this season.
"I've been putting my body on the line all year for this team," Diggins told the media at a shootaround in Phoenix, where the Sky will play the Mercury on Tuesday. "I've done everything that's been asked of me. I've been great professionally, that's the decision that's made, and I gotta live with that."Earlier in the day, Diggins had posted on social media: "Now I'm coming off the bench?????? Cool."
Then she posted a video saying: "And the crazy part about it all is that ... I've been so quiet. I've been so good and quiet."
Diggins, 35, is likely being benched in favor of Courtney Vandersloot, 37, who returned to the lineup on June 26 after recovering from a torn right ACL.
Diggins, who was an All-Star last season, is averaging 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.9 ***** ists per game in 29.1 minutes a game. Vandersloot has averaged 8.7 points and 6.0 ***** ists in 16 minutes of play.The Sky, who retooled in the offseason by trading away Angel Reese, won three of their first four games before Rickea Jackson tore the ACL in her left knee. Chicago has won three games since then and is 13th in the WNBA standings with a 6-14 record.

As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States, one can’t help but look back and reminisce about the past and the tremendous achievements that have transpired. But for some NFL fans, the 4th of July is just another day in the countdown to the start of training camps.
The Tennessee ***** ans are set to kick off what they hope is the start of something big with a new staff, a retooled roster, and an excitement that hadn’t been felt in some time. Yet, if you listen to some of the ***** ysts outside of Nashville, they see it differently, and Moe Moton of Bleacher Report believes the ***** ans have two of the most overpaid players in the league on their roster: Dan Moore and Alontae Taylor.
Yesterday, we covered Moore, but now, we will look at what he says about Taylor.
CB Alontae Taylor - Tennessee ***** ans
2026 cash salary: $22 million

Day two of the Barrett Media Audio Summit was a smashing success. As someone who has attended the sports summits over the years, I thought the retooled approach to this year’s event was a smart pivot. Instead of two days full of content, discussion, and networking, organizers embraced a less-is-more approach. However, one element of this year’s annual gathering of the best in sports media stood out more than anything else. It should have been predictable, but unfortunately, I forgot to ask my AI agent about it.
Woven throughout every conversation was the role AI plays in the industry’s evolving workflow. From sales and marketing to programming, video editing, prep sheets, and even the occasional email, AI surfaced in every panel throughout the day. That’s a far cry from where we were just a couple of years ago, when AI seemed like something off in the distance.
How did we get here so quickly? What happened over the past few years that caused the sports media business to move AI from the back burner to the forefront of nearly every conversation at the Barrett Media Audio Summit?
The answer is actually pretty simple. AI stopped being a futuristic concept and became a practical one because the sports media industry isn’t unlike any other business today.
Sports radio has always embraced tools that create efficiency. We moved from carts to digital automation, from fax machines to email, from tape editing to Adobe Audition, and from physical media kits to digital marketing campaigns. Every technological shift initially produced skepticism before eventually becoming standard operating procedure.

Dayo Odeyingbo's first season with the Chicago Bears didn't go according to plan, as he only played in eight games after rupturing his Achilles tendon in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Coming off a career year with the Indianapolis Colts in 2024, Odeyingbo received his first big pay day with a three-year, $48 million contract, including $32 million guaranteed, with the Bears last offseason. It was the same offseason that general manager Ryan Poles signed veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, retooled the offensive line, and hired head coach Ben Johnson.
With only 16.5 career sacks upon arriving in Chicago, the move seemed questionable, but Odeyingbo planned to prove his worth to the city. In his short sample size last season, he tallied just one sack, four QB hits, 21 tackles, and two tackles for loss.
The need for a pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat was obvious when the Bears signed Odeyingbo, and it was apparent when he left. Who knows how his 2025 season would have ended, but having another rusher available would have made a significant impact.
With Chicago wrapping their offseason program ahead of training camp next month, Odeyingbo, seven months removed from the Achilles injury, has already been on the practice field, and he seems like a motivated Dayo.

This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter.
Alphabet named company veteran Marsida Saraci as the tech giant's next principal accounting officer, effective immediately, according to a securities filing Friday.
Saraci, 47, has worked for Google's parent for about 15 years, most recently serving as vice president, finance - deputy controller. Prior to joining the company in 2011 she worked at Big Four firm KPMG for more than eight years.
The appointment follows roughly two months after Amie Thuener O'Toole stepped down from the dual roles of PAO and corporate controller at Alphabet. Thuener, 51, left the Mountainview, Calif.-based company to take the finance reins of the semiconductor and software infrastructure company Broadcom this month, CFO Dive previously reported.
Alphabet has a history of promoting women to its top finance and leadership posts. In 2024, the company tapped Eli Lilly veteran Anat Ashkenazi to succeed Ruth Porat, the company's longest serving CFO. Porat stepped down from the post to transition to a newly created dual role of president and chief investment officer at the company.