Columbia Threadneedle Investments, an investment management company, released its "Columbia Seligman Global Technology Fund" second quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. During the quarter, the Fund's Institutional Class shares returned 50.34%, outperforming the MSCI World Information Technology Index's 33.65% gain. Stock selection in semiconductors, technology hardware and software, together with an off-benchmark electrical equipment allocation, supported relative performance, while exposure to financials, consumer discretionary and healthcare detracted. Technology stocks rallied as concerns over the Iran conflict eased and AI infrastructure spending boosted demand for semiconductors, memory, networking, servers and power solutions. The Fund expects AI and data-centre investment to remain strong, supported by broadening earnings growth and improving software bookings, cloud consumption and customer spending. However, geopolitical uncertainty, higher interest rates and heavy AI investment could pressure valuations and free cash flow. The strategy holds 50–75 technology companies across market capitalisations and uses bottom-up GARP research to identify misunderstood and undervalued businesses in the technology industry. In addition, please check the Fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Columbia Seligman Global Technology Fund highlighted Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC). Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) develops, manufactures, and sells data storage devices and solutions based on hard disk drive (HDD) technology. On July 27, 2026, Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) closed at $497.92 per share. One-month return of Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) was -31.70% and its shares gained 517.82% over the past 52 weeks. Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) has a market capitalization of about $150.67 billion.
Columbia Seligman Global Technology Fund stated the following regarding Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"The position in Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) was a key contributor as the fund maintained an overweight allocation to the name, and the stock continued an outstanding six-quarter run with its share price more than doubling during the quarter. The rally in the stock was a continuation of demand for high-capacity hard drives and the expectation that tighter industry supply discipline should support better pricing and profitability."

#digital

Long before LeBron James bid farewell to the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, the transition of power within the franchise began. Luka Dončić, whom the Lakers famously traded for in February 2025, became their crown jewel.
But James remained at the heart of JJ Redick's squad that season and this past season. James and Dončić co-existed remarkably well, each respecting the other's game while forming an entertaining three-headed attack with Austin Reaves.
Even though the Lakers have been planning their future around Dončić for a good bit of time now, it wasn't until James officially closed the door on his chapter in L.A. that Dončić stood alone in the spotlight. He's the undisputed face of the franchise, and he's reportedly embracing a leadership role that's seemingly heightened in the absence of James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP.
In fact, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Dončić is hosting the entire Lakers roster in Slovenia for a four-day minicamp in August. The trip will feature workouts, golf, bonding and touring Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, McMenamin reported on Wednesday.
Dončić, a six-time All-NBA first teamer, is preparing for a pivotal season in his already prolific career. He played his way into the MVP conversation last season before a Grade 2 left hamstring strain effectively ended his campaign prematurely. He experienced that setback in early April and didn't make it back for the Lakers' postseason run, which came to a screeching halt in the Western Conference semifinals.

#lebron

CHICAGO − Pat Fitzgerald is back in the Windy City. Only this time, he's wearing green instead of purple.
The first-year Michigan State football coach returned to his roots to speak at the Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday, July 29. Fitzgerald, a native of nearby Midlothian, Illinois, became an All-American and College Football Hall of Fame linebacker at Northwestern before going on to coach his alma mater from 2006-22. The Spartans hired him Dec. 1 to replace Jonathan Smith, who was fired after two seasons in East Lansing.
MSU is picked to finish 17th in the 18-team Big Ten in the USA Today preseason poll. The Spartans went 4-8 last season and are 33-38 overall and just 18-35 in conference games since Mark Dantonio retired after the 2019 season. They have missed a bowl game in five of those six seasons and have not played in the postseason since 2021.
Fitzgerald was 110-101 in his 17 seasons at Northwestern with a 65-76 Big Ten record and two West Division **** les. He was dismissed prior to the 2023 season.
Stay tuned here for live updates from freep.com.

#season #since #Chicago #windy

The western rival of Union Pacific said that the carrier's latest regulatory filing doesn't change the fact that the merger with Norfolk Southern will raise rates for shippers, and prices for consumers.
"We are continuing to review the additional information submitted at the request of the Surface Transportation Board in regard to the proposed UP-NS merger," said BNSF (NYSE: BRK-B) President and Chief Executive Katie Farmer, in a statement Tuesday. "Despite UP (NYSE: UNP) and NS's (NYSE: NSC) fourth attempt to submit a complete application, the bottom line remains the same. UP and NS have not changed the core of their proposal that fails to demonstrate how combining two major railroads into a single carrier would preserve – much less enhance – competition as required by the STB's merger rules.'
The merging railroads on Monday completed the supplemental filing requested by the STB when it conditionally accepted the second merger application in late May.
"UP and NS highlight several so-called new aspects of their application, but they are more of the same – processes with multiple caveats that are difficult to understand, available to very few customers and only available for very short periods of time," Farmer said. "They do nothing meaningful to mitigate the massive anticompetitive impact of 50% market share held by one company."
The combined UP-NS would claim around 37% of North American rail traffic, according to data from Railfax. The partners' just-announced operating agreement with Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) would add another 13% share to the total.

#merger #same #Share

We gave you our updated power rankings for the NBA's Eastern Conference, where LeBron James formed a superteam on the Philadelphia 76ers, where Kawhi Leonard will presumably join the Toronto Raptors, and where Giannis Antetokounmpo changed uniforms, but what kind of operation would we be if we didn't also give you power rankings for the Western Conference?
So, here they are in all their glory. Perfect and inarguable, as always.
We should note: The East is far deeper than the West for the first time in forever, though the West boasts the league's two ******* le favorites, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
The defending champion New York Knicks and LeBron's Sixers, among other teams in the East, may have something to say about it in the end, but the depth and youth of the talent in OKC and San Antonio is impossible to ignore. Those two rosters are in a stratosphere all to themselves.
It would be surprising if any of the top six teams here failed to earn a guaranteed playoff spot. The Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves form another tier of contenders. Beyond them, it's a ******* shoot, as every team features quality players and only the Sacramento Kings are in real danger of dropping into the draft's relegation zone.

#antonio #rankings #teams

It's time for the annual post to highlight how the Mountain West Conference compares to the American Athletic Conference in a variety of important categories. Since this yearly post began, the American has had the advantage overall, although the MW narrowed the gap in 2024. Which one was the top Group of 5 conference in 2024? Read below to find out.
The Mountain West and American don't have many opportunities to play each other from season to season, and it's sad that that hasn't changed over the years. In 2024, the conferences played one another four times, with two of those being the CIC Trophy games, Air Force battling Army and Navy. The other two were Boise State opening against South Florida and Colorado State taking on Texas-San Antonio. Last season, all of those games ended in losses for the Mountain West teams, which is extremely disappointing. They have now lost head-to-head matchups to the American two seasons in a row.
The American's top tier enjoyed a successful season and has been seen as a top-heavy conference for years, with this year being no different. Memphis led the way with a 12-2 record (good for a winning percentage of .857). Behind them was Navy at 11-2 (.846), and Tulane at 11-3 (.786). The three-team average ends up being a .829 score for the American. On the other side of things, UNLV was the top Mountain West team with a 10-4 record (.714 winning percentage). Then, New Mexico, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Hawaii all finished with identical 9-4 records (.692). Taking the three-team average, and it comes out to a .699 winning percentage, which is a drop from 2025. Unfortunately for the Mountain West, even a good season and a top-heavy bunch of teams, the conference couldn't measure up to the American, which takes this one once again.
Playing games against Power 4 teams is usually a great measuring stick for any mid-major conference. The Mountain West continues to have a poor showing in this category, but improved in 2025, going 4-12 in 2025. That is an increase of one win from 2024, though they played four fewer games this past season. The wins over Stanford, Cal, and UCLA (twice) represent a 25% winning percentage for the conference.
The American ended up improving as well, going from 1-14 to 6-13, which amounts to a 32% winning percentage. The additional five games against P4 teams should be noted as well. Beating Northwestern, Army, and Oklahoma State last year may not mean much, but wins over Florida, Duke, and Arkansas look impressive to varying degrees. It's nice to see both conferences improve, but the American takes this category back in 2025.

#american #mountain #season #percentage

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JULY 18: Jordan Henderson #14 of England applauds the fans after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Bronze Final between France and England at Miami Stadium on July 18, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Chelsea has been busy this summer. The Stamford Bridge club has broken its transfer record to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa with Marco Palestra also joining from Atalanta and Geovany Quenda coming in from Sporting CP. Chelsea has clearly altered its strategy ahead of the 2026/27 season.
This is reflected by the Blues' interest in Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, both of whom are reportedly close to joining the Stamford Bridge outfit. Henderson is 36 while Welbeck is 35. That Chelsea is even interested in such experienced players says a lot about how the strategy has changed over the summer.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 28: Xabi Alonso, Manager of Chelsea, reacts during the Sydney Super Cup match between Western Sydney Wanderers and Chelsea FC at Accor Stadium on July 28, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Xabi Alonso is remodelling the Chelsea team in his own image. The Spaniard is expected to recycle the approach and tactical set-up that worked so well for him as Bayer Leverkusen manager, hence the addition of a second number 10 in Rogers and a right wing back in Palestra. There is a plan in place.

#gardens #jordan

By Kemol King
GEORGETOWN, July 28 (Reuters) - The captain and two crew members of a passenger ferry in Guyana that ‌capsized were charged with murder on Tuesday, more than a ‌week after the disaster killed 73 people and left 30 others still missing.
The MV Barima, an 87-year-old ship, sank on July 18 while traveling from the capital, Georgetown, to the northwestern village of Port Kaituma.
Captain Kevin Price, 40, and crew members Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, and Delon Granderson, ‌33, appeared before a ⁠Georgetown court on murder charges, police said.
They were not required to enter pleas, and Reuters could not immediately ⁠contact the defendants or their representatives for comment.

#july #members #murder #kemol

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is preparing to ramp up funding by hundreds of millions of dollars for programs designed to counter China's growing influence around the world, after it had put a halt to many of those initiatives last year during a flurry of budget and personnel cuts.
The administration notified Congress late last week that it intends to spend $175.8 million to replace outdated and aging undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America to prevent China from moving in. The ******* ociated Press obtained a copy of the notification on Monday.
The administration has expressed deep concern about China's activities in the Americas, pushing back on Chinese ownership of ports at either end of the Panama Canal, infrastructure projects funded by China's Belt and Road initiative in the region, and Chinese investment in the telecommunications sector.
A State Department official said China's economic activities in the Western Hemisphere pose risks to U.S. national security and prosperity. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly to the subject and spoke on condition of anonymity, said China's offerings may seem cheaper but in the end wind up being more expensive due to cost overruns, hidden maintenance fees and poor performance.
The underseas cable funding appears to be part of a broader push to restore support for initiatives aimed at blunting Chinese influence globally that would cost many hundreds of millions of dollars more. That is even as President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping put on a show of cooperation and Xi prepares to visit the U.S. this fall.

#administration #millions

The AI memory supercycle has emerged as one of 2026's most defining stories, and also one of its most contested. Hyperscaler capital expenditure is expected to reach $750 billion this year, with Goldman Sachs forecasting $7.6 trillion in total AI infrastructure spending through 2031, resulting in a supply shortage of NAND and DRAM memory as data center demand for high-performance storage clashes against the chipmakers' capacity limitations.
That scarcity has been aggravated by reports that TSMC may boost contract chip manufacturing prices by up to 10% in 2027, with some products facing increases of up to 20%, owing to increased materials, equipment, and overseas facility development expenses.
Sandisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) is one of the names that have benefited the most from the supercycle. Since its February 2025 spinoff from Western Digital at $35.06 per share, Sandisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) has become the single best-performing stock in the S&P 500, climbing up to 858% at its late-June peak on the back of explosive fundamentals: fiscal Q3 2026 revenue reached $5.95 billion, up 97% sequentially and 251% year-over-year, with datacenter revenue specifically up 645% year-over-year.
Management anticipates continued sequential acceleration in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, with total revenue expected to range between $7.75 billion and $8.25 billion and non-GAAP earnings per share between $30 and $33, as gross margins increase to near 80%. More crucially, Sandisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) reported that its remaining performance obligations and contracted backlog came in between $41.6 billion and $42 billion. Sandisk's entire 2026 enterprise AI storage capacity is sold out under long-term agreements, thus locking in multibillion-dollar cash flows for the rest of the calendar year.
Despite its strong operational reports, Sandisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) has not been immune to macroeconomic turbulence. In mid-July, shares fell 8% to 15% across a number of sessions, contributing to a 39% slide from late-June record highs, as the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell more than 20%. According to market ****** ysts, this pullback is the result of an industry-wide valuation adjustment rather than a structural decline in memory demand or corporate earnings power.

#sandisk #corporation #june

The Trump administration is weighing whether to extend access to some Chinese rare earth materials beyond the January 1, 2027 cutoff after U.S. producers acknowledged they cannot build sufficient domestic processing and magnet capacity before the deadline, Reuters reported on Monday.
Industry executives and Pentagon suppliers told Reuters that U.S. processing and magnet manufacturing capacity remains insufficient to meet despite billions of dollars in federal support for new mines, separation facilities and downstream manufacturing.
The gap threatens not only military procurement but also supply chains serving electric vehicles, offshore wind, robotics, data centers and other energy-intensive industries that depend on high-performance permanent magnets.
The shortage centers on neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) and samarium-cobalt magnets, which rely on rare earth supply chains that China continues to dominate. Beijing still controls the overwhelming majority of global rare earth refining and permanent magnet production, giving it enormous leverage over downstream manufacturing even as Western governments accelerate efforts to diversify supply.
While the United States has made meaningful progress expanding domestic mining, processing, alloy production and magnet manufacturing require specialized infrastructure that has taken China decades to develop.

#earth #supply

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Part of a major interstate highway in Oregon was closed Monday due to a wildfire that forced a small town to evacuate, one of dozens of blazes burning across the state.
The Fox Fire forced the closure of Interstate 84 for some 70 miles (113 kilometers) between Baker City and Ontario near the Idaho state line before reopening later in the day, the Oregon Department of Transportation said. I-84 is a key thoroughfare, running from Portland in the west through the Columbia River Gorge and into eastern Oregon before crossing the Snake River eastward through Boise.
The transportation department said the wildfire remains active in the area and that intermittent closures were still possible.
Challenging wildfires have burned across the Western U.S. this summer, following months of dry weather, a record lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds. Federal authorities announced Saturday that a fourth firefighter died of his injuries after he and several colleagues were overcome last month by a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border.
The Fox Fire was burning near the Oregon-Idaho state line about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northeast of the small town of Huntington, which was under a Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation order, meaning its roughly 500 residents have been told to leave immediately.

#portland #idaho

Chelsea beat Western Sydney Wanderers 6-4 at Accor Stadium in Sydney in their first official pre-season game.
The Blues took the lead through Dastan Satpaev, who looked impressive, but the Australian side battled back into the game.
More Chelsea goals from Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo, and a hat-trick from Joao Pedro ensured the West London outfit secured the victory.
The Chelsea attacking unit and the midfielders were impressive, although Tosin Adarabioyo and Josh Acheampong did not cover themselves in glory at the back.
Still, there are plenty of positives for Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso to take home.

#sydney #back #western

On the ESPN College Football podcast, Dan Wetzel asked: is Michigan football poised to surprise pundits across the sport in 2026? His compatriot there on the writing side, Bill Connelly, notes in his preview that if a few things go right for the maize and blue, a deep run could be in their future.
In his feature-length write-up on the conference, the Wolverines aren't one of Connelly's contenders for the ****** le and beyond -- such belongs to Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana -- but Michigan is in the same category as USC, Penn State, Washington, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, UCLA, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Northwestern as schools that 'could be a couple of breaks away from a run."
Of course, Michigan is thought of much more highly than, say, UCLA, Maryland, and Northwestern, but Connelly asks a couple of questions that the answer will determine the team's ceiling in 2026.
Whittingham's bona fides are top notch, but I do have two big questions.
1. Can the hard-nosed overachiever coach properly connect with and motivate a roster of blue-chippers? Going from managing a roster of chip-on-their-shoulder underdogs (relatively speaking) to leading higher-caliber recruits with higher expectations has tripped up plenty of coaches through the years. And that's without getting into the fact that Whittingham is 66 years old. (Between Patterson and Whittingham, it's a big year for 66-year-olds.)

#whittingham

Though expected to be ranked, not many are thinking much about Michigan football at this time of the year. Eerily similar to 2021, when a Jim Harbaugh-led team had zero offseason buzz before shocking the college football world, all is quiet on the Western front as it pertains to the maize and blue.
But one ESPN personality thinks that the Wolverines could end up shocking the world.
Dan Wetzel is local to Michigan, and as the ESPN College Football podcast panel did a brief preview of the Big Ten in 2026, and though Michigan football wasn't spoken of much, Wetzel asked: why not the team in Ann Arbor?
"I think that the program that could totally surprise, because I don't think anyone's much of them, is Michigan," Wetzel said. "I don't think there's a lot of discussion, but how are they with a coach, like how good can Kyle Whittingham get them? There's a lot of talent at Michigan; it's a very high-priced roster still. Can Kyle Whittingham step right in and kind of revive that program quickly?"
If Jason Beck gets his offense going and Jay Hill manages to do a good job with the defense, it wouldn't surprise if the Wolverines are better than anticipated. However, the schedule is a bear, so there will need to be some surprise wins there if Michigan is going to find its way to a better postseason berth than the previous two years.

#wolverines

Joao Pedro scored a late hat-trick as Chelsea kickstarted the Xabi Alonso win with a thrilling 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
Chelsea overcame the A-League side in a 10-goal contest to begin their tour of Australia, with Pedro the difference.
Alonso named an inexperienced side for the fixture with only Tosin Adarabioyo, Josh Acheampong and Liam Delap regulars in the first-team group last season
Alonso's side led inside six minutes through 17-year-old Dastan Satpayev, who has arrived at Chelsea this summer from Kairat Almaty. An end-to-end first half then saw Western Sydney Wanderers turn the game around, before Dario Essugo equalised for Chelsea before half-time.
The action continued after the interval, with Dylan Scicluna scoring for the Australian side and Jamie Gittens levelling once more for Chelsea. Teenager Awan Lual put Western Sydney Wanderers ahead for a third time, only for Pedro's late treble to earn Chelsea the win.

#side

Chelsea vs. Western Sydney Wanderers score, result, highlights: Joao Pedro hits hat-trick in chaotic friendly originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Chelsea began their preseason preparations in earnest on Tuesday with a thrilling friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers.
Xabi Alonso's first match in charge of the Blues ended in a 10-goal thriller in which Joao Pedro scored a hat-trick.
The Premier League side trailed their A-League opponents three times before the Brazilian forward struck all three goals in the ****** e of nine minutes to settle the contest.
Chelsea will now continue training Sydney before facing London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Accor Stadium on Saturday.

#joao #pedro #sporting

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso believes Morgan Rogers has all the qualities needed to make an immediate impact after completing his club-record move from Aston Villa.
The England international joined the Blues in a deal worth £117 million last week but has not travelled on the club's pre-season tour of Australia and South-East Asia after featuring at the World Cup. Rogers is instead expected to report for training at Cobham on 9 August, leaving him just under two weeks to prepare for Chelsea's Premier League opener against Fulham.
Speaking to reporters in Sydney ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers, Alonso said Chelsea targeted Rogers because of his ability to settle quickly and raise the team's level.
"For sure, it's a great signing," Alonso said. "In that position we needed an important player and I'm sure there were not many better options than Morgan Rogers."
"You need players who can have that almost instant impact and I am sure Morgan won't need much time to adapt to the club, to the system, to his team-mates. That was the idea that we wanted, to get a top player and Morgan is one of them."

#morgan #rogers #alonso #impact

Every start of preseason we make it clear that these games are nothing more than fitness preparation for the squad. However when you give playing time for several young players like we did today, you have to keep your eyes peeled for what may come next.
One of those young'uns, Dastan Satpayev, had some eyes set on him and showed why that was the case. A good run from Ryan Kavuma-McQueen's pass to break the offside trap from the hosts at Accor Stadium in Sydney and the Kazakh international scored not even 10 minutes into the match.
While offensively the Blues were very promising, the combination of Tosin Adarabioyo and 18-year-old centre-back Olutayo Subuloye in defence didn't make it for solid defending. In spite of Teddy Sharman-Lowe's best efforts to organise his teammates in a corner kick, he couldn't do much to avoid giving Western Sydney Wanderers the tying goal.
It didn't help that midfielders Reggie Watson and Dário Essugo weren't in the kind of rhythm needed to control action in their sector. The hosts were thus able to attack at whim with little to no counterpart offered by Chelsea, who had instead to keep defending against a barrage of shots from the Wanderers.
Unsurprisingly the hosts got in front via Aydan Hammond, with defence once again not covering themselves in glory. What was surprising, was Chelseaying at 2-2 with Dário Essugo ***** isted by Reggie Walsh on a Satpayev play and pass from the left flank.

#satpayev #keep #eyes

The annual preseason Big Ten football poll has been revealed, and the Wisconsin Badgers are outside of the top 10.
In an 18-team conference, the Badgers found themselves earning 207 points, which is good for 12th place, according to cleveland.com.
Team ranked below Wisconsin include: UCLA, Northwestern, Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers, and Purdue.
The Boilermakers sit at last place with just 45 points, so it's optimistic knowing Wisconsin gets to play them this season.
Even after winning the National Championship, Indiana only sits at No. 3. Their 509 points weren't good enough to take down No. 2 Oregon (527 points) or the expected No. 1 Ohio State (540 points).

#badgers

Tennessee football is one of four finalists in the recruitment of three-star running back Asa Barnes.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound prospect will announce his commitment decision between the Vols, Arkansas, USC and Florida State at 5 p.m. EDT on the Rivals YouTube channel.
Barnes is an in-state target from Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 41 running back in the class and No. 24 player in Tennessee.
Tennessee offered Barnes a scholarship during an unofficial visit on June 5, 2025. He has visited the Vols three times since then, most recently for an official visit on June 19.
Florida State was the first school to offer Barnes a scholarship on Jan. 19, 2025. Other schools to offer him a scholarship include Ohio State, Alabama, Ole Miss, Purdue, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Louisville, Northwestern, Cincinnati and Virginia Tech.

#tennessee #june

Seven academy players have been taken on Chelsea's pre-season tour - and they will all be looking to impress new boss Xabi Alonso.
The Blues are travelling to Australia with a 26-man squad, and are facing Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham.
Almost all of the academy players have been training with the first team throughout Alonso's first two weeks in charge, featuring in behind-closed-doors friendly wins against Crawley Town and Bromley.
However, they could return to London during the Asian leg of the tour if the players involved at the World Cup rejoin the squad.
Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli is one of the young players hoping to make an impact and break into a star-studded - perhaps oversized - Chelsea squad.

#tour #alonso #blues

Zinédine Zidane has been officially introduced today by French FA president Philippe Diallo as Didier Deschamps' successor in the dugout for Les Bleus.Zidane faced the media this morning at the French FA's Parisian headquarters alongside Diallo. The former Real Madrid head coach has penned a four-year contract with France.
Diallo has explained that he initiated contact with Zidane in February 2025, a couple of weeks after Deschamps made official his decision to step down as manager after the 2026 World Cup. Zidane started his remarks by sending a message of support to the firefighters battling massive forest fires in southwestern France as well as a congratulatory message to his predecessor, Deschamps.
Zidane went on to say, that during his five-year break from management, he turned down numerous proposals because he only had the France job on his mind. "I turned them all down for the French national team, because it's the only thing I wanted to do after my experience at Real Madrid. The only thing that motivates me is being able to work for this team and for it to continue winning." Zidane added that today was the best day of his coaching career.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval

#diallo #madrid

Warriors reportedly denied $285M deal that would have secured 76ers superstar LeBron James originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Golden State Warriors were one of the most aggressive teams pursuing LeBron James during his free agency process. James is entering his 24th NBA season, yet he was pursued like a young star entering his prime.
Instead, the 41-year-old veteran is nearing the end of his legendary career. The Warriors wanted to pair Stephen Curry and James together for the final years of their careers, and at one point, Golden State was even considered one of the favorites to land him.
"I would be stunned if he picked a team that wasn't Golden State or Cleveland," a Western Conference executive told FOS' Alex Schiffer.
The Warriors were right in the middle of the race for the four-time NBA champion but ultimately fell short. James decided to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, and a major factor in that decision was believed to be Philadelphia's acquisition of former Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

#james #golden #lebron #source

Xabi Alonso's Chelsea is set to begin their pre-season journey against Australia's Western Sydney on Tuesday at the Accor Stadium.
Date: Tuesday, 28th July.
Kick-off: 10:45am BST.
Venue: Accor Stadium.
Chelsea face a heavily depleted squad for their pre-season opener in Australia under new manager Xabi Alonso.

#western

Chelsea will kick off their pre-season schedule on Tuesday with a clash against Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers at the Accor Stadium.
This match signals the start of a new chapter for the club, as Xabi Alonso officially takes charge as head coach. The Blues are effectively starting from scratch after a disappointing 2025/26 Premier League campaign, which saw them finish 10th. With no pre-season matches played so far, Chelsea head into this fixture short on match fitness and overall rhythm, making their Australian opener a challenging starting point.
The squad travelling to Australia is far from full strength, with several important players unavailable.
A number of key names are still recovering after international duty, including Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Pedro Neto, and Enzo Fernández, all of whom featured in the latter stages of the World Cup.
In addition, summer signings Emmanuel Emegha and Geovany Quenda have remained in London as they deal with minor injury concerns.

#head #sydney

Although a writer from The Athletic recently reported that Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors "may no longer be on the same page," another NBA insider sees things differently.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, he "fully expects" there to be contract extension negotiations between Curry and the Warriors this summer. Charania also noted, "They (Golden State) are going to give him one (contract extension) if he wants one."
Curry is eligible to add one or two seasons on to his current deal. That said, if Curry doesn't extend with the team this summer, his relationship with the front office will be worth monitoring, especially if the team isn't able to improve on a 37-45 record that saw them finish 10th in the Western Conference.
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: NBA insider reveals his expectations for Stephen Curry contract extension

#contract #stephen #state #insider

WASHINGTON – Six weeks after he was hospitalized for a fall and pneumonia, Sen. Mitch McConnell's doctors still have not medically cleared him to return to work or leave a rehabilitation facility, the Capitol physician's office said.
Since June, the Kentucky Republican's health has been a source of widespread speculation and interest. He has missed 38 roll call votes in the Senate, including on key measures such as the annual defense policy bill and ending the Iran war, as well as high-profile confirmation hearings for crucial Trump nominees like Todd Blanche, who is awaiting a vote to become the next attorney general.
All summer his office has provided only limited updates on his condition. But in a statement July 27, McConnell, 84, said he was still having "intense physical therapy" and wouldn't be able to travel to western Kentucky for the annual Fancy Farm picnic, a marquee political event in the state.
"As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I'm looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon," he said.
The Office of the Attending Physician, which provides medical services and guidance to members of Congress, said the lifelong effects of McConnell's bout with childhood polio continue to be a "significant factor in his mobility." Doctors visit with him every day.

#still #annual

The Georgia Bulldogs have been nominated for several different awards as part of USA TODAY Sports Readers' Choice Awards. Georgia fans can vote for Georgia in multiple different categories.
At the time of writing this post, Athens is No. 6 in the best college sports towns in America. Athens is among 20 different college towns nominated including Chapel Hill (North Carolina), Eugene (Oregon), Austin (Texas) and more.
Uga is among the top nominated mascot. Other nominated mascots include Big Red (Western Kentucky) and Bevo (Texas), who is one of Uga's fiercest rivals after charging Uga at the Sugar Bowl. Uga is ranked No. 14 of 20 mascots.
The Red Coat Marching Band is among the nominees for the best band. The Red Coats are No. 11 in the voting.
Georgia's fight song, "Glory, Glory" is one of 20 nominees for the best fight song. It ranks No. 6 out of the nominees.

#awards

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 08: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs watches the action with son, Bronze, during the first inning between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 08, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) Getty
The Kansas City Chiefs officially kicked off training camp on July 24 with quarterbacks and rookies reporting to Missouri Western State's campus.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid started the day with incredible news during his press conference, revealing Patrick Mahomes was cleared to be a full participant in practice. After Mahomes tore his ACL and MCL against the Los Angeles Chargers in December, the normal timeline for recovery would force the three-time Super Bowl MVP to miss the start of the 2026 NFL season.
However, starting Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football seems to be in play. "I feel stronger than I've ever felt, as far as strength and lifting [weights]," Mahomes told reporters. "I feel amazing."
"I'm excited just to be able to play football," he continued. "I've been seeing cinderblock walls rehabbing every single day in Kansas City. Now, to be on that practice field with my teammates, it's going to be a lot of fun."

#patrick #getty #i 've