Russell Westbrook declines player option with Nuggets, will become free agent: Report

Russell Westbrook declines player option with Nuggets, will become free agent: Report

Russell Westbrook has declined his player option for next season with the Denver Nuggets, and will become an unrestricted free agent on June 30,according to Marc Stein. Westbrook's player option was worth $3.5 million. The nine-time All-Star spent just one season with the Nuggets, playing in 75 games and averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. The 36-year-old Westbrook is six seasons removed from his last All-Star nod and won league MVP in 2017. Since leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder after the 2018-19 season, Westbrook has bounced around the league, from Houston to Washington to Los Angeles and, most recently, Denver. Westbrook's departure opens up cap space for the Nuggets as they continue to build around the core of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray in the quest for another title. After winning the championship in 2023, the Nuggets have lost in the conference semifinals the past two seasons to the Timberwolves and Thunder, respectively. In his lone postseason run with Denver, Westbrook came off the bench and averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds. The Nuggets went seven games with the Clippers and Thunder. Before Denver, Westbrook was acquired by the Clippers in 2023 and had decent performances alongside Kawhi Leonard and Co. under Tyronn Lue's coaching. However, after James Harden arrived in LA, the old Thunder tandem proved ineffective, which led to Westbrook's exit. The Clippers traded Westbrook to Utah and acquired Kris Dunn before the Jazz waived Westbrook, who was acquired by the Nuggets shortly after. His free agency comes after Westbrookunderwent surgeryto repair two breaks on his right hand. While his next team remains unknown, the explosive guard is expected to be cleared by training camp.

byMario Satorik

in

June 13, 2025

Russell Westbrook declines player option with Nuggets, will become free agent: Report

Russell Westbrook declines player option with Nuggets, will become free agent: Report Russell Westbrook has declined his player option for n...

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Penske driver Scott McLaughlin's tough month ends with hope for a fresh start at Gateway

Penske driver Scott McLaughlin's tough month ends with hope for a fresh start at Gateway

Scott McLaughlin's miserable month of May — hecrashed twiceat theIndianapolis 500, caused acrash at Detroitand engaged in a post-racesocial media feudwith Tony Kanaan — has finally ended. Now it's on to Gateway outside of St. Louis and a fresh start for the Team Penske driver as IndyCar prepares for only its second race on an oval this season and first event televised in prime-time by Fox. "That whole month was pretty tough. It started really well. It ended in a couple bad ways," McLaughlin acknowledged. "It was one of, if not the lowest, points of my career. But it's something that I'll learn from. Champions are made learning from their mistakes." McLaughlin crashed in practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and it prevented him from taking a car that many believed was a threat to win the pole out to qualify. Hours later, teammates Josef Newgarden and Will Power were found tohave illegal modifications on their carsand were disqualified from qualifying. The ensuing days were chaotic as team owner Roger Penske, who also owns IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500, handled the situation internallyby firing his top three IndyCar executives.The housecleaning included Tim Cindric, who had spent 25 years with Penske and was the architect of much of the organizations' success. Newgarden and Power were penalized and dropped to the back of the field for the start of the 500, whileMcLaughlin got to keep his 10th-place starting position.But come race day, armed with new crew members, McLaughlin was determined to earn his first Indy 500 victory. Instead, he crashed on the warm-up lap and immediately burst into tears. The New Zealander hoped to rebound one week later on the streets of Detroit, but contact with Arrow McLaren driver Nolan Siegel caused Siegel to crash. McLaughlin finished 12th, lowest of the Penske trio at Detroit. He later engaged in a tense social media back-and-forth with McLaren team principal Kanaan, and it ramped up when Kanaan took aim at both McLaughlin's crash at Indy on the warm-up lap and the Penske firings in comments that seemed over-the-line. "Misjudged last week, misjudged this week, at least you get a weekend off to square that away,"Kanaan wrote."I came looking for your team principal to have a chat but I couldn't find him. Oh wait……" IndyCar was off last week and McLaughlin said he and Kanaan have spoken, but he declined to discuss the details. He later insisted all is well between the two rivals even though it wasn't the first time the two have argued on social media. It's been a recurring theme dating to last season when McLaughlin criticized McLaren's revolving door of drivers. "Me and T.K. are completely fine. We cleared the air. There was nothing to really clear," McLaughlin said. "It's like he clapped back, and I clapped back. It's just how it is. I thought it was funny that he posted during the race. I, like, responded. I didn't think he was going to respond the next time, but he did. "Me and T.K. have always sort of talked on the social media. It's not like a year-long feud. It's just one of those deals where someone's going to call me out, I'll clap back as well. It's just who I am. I'm not going to change." Did he take Kanaan's words personally, considering Team Penske had a major overhaul of team personnel at Indianapolis? "It is what it is. That was his decision," McLaughlin said. The upheaval at Penske is ongoing as IndyCar readies for Sunday night's race at Gateway. Penske has had to shift personnel across three teams to cover the vacancies and the three-car lineup will have new engineers and strategists again this weekend. It makes it difficult to win — all three Penske drivers have yet to make it to victory lane this season — against Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing. Palou has won five of seven races this season, including the Indianapolis 500. Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global has won the other two. McLaughlin hasn't given up and believes Palou's run will eventually come to an end. He has two wins on ovals — Iowa and Milwaukee — and a pair of podium finishes at Gateway. McLaughlin finished second there last year. "I definitely don't think anyone's unstoppable. I think when they're going through a purple patch, they're executing like they are, it's tough," he said of Palou. "You have to figure out where you can be better and stronger and adapt to that. I enjoy that challenge. He's on a great run. There's no stopping us from learning where we can improve and where we can be better. "We have some great tracks coming up for us. Just got to keep our heads down, keep focused and learn as much as we can." ___ AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

byMario Satorik

in

June 13, 2025

Penske driver Scott McLaughlin's tough month ends with hope for a fresh start at Gateway

Penske driver Scott McLaughlin's tough month ends with hope for a fresh start at Gateway Scott McLaughlin's miserable month of May —...

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Who are the eight new vaccine advisers appointed by Robert F Kennedy?

Who are the eight new vaccine advisers appointed by Robert F Kennedy?

Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, named eight new vaccine advisers this week to a critical Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) panel afterfiring all 17 expertswho had held the roles. New members of the panelinclude experts who complained about being sidelined, a high-profile figure who has spread misinformation and medical professionals who appear to have little vaccine expertise. Kennedy made the announcement onsocial media. "All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense," Kennedy said in his announcement. "They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations." Formally called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the panel advises the CDC on how vaccines should be distributed. Those recommendations effectively determine the vaccines Americans can access. This week, Kennedy also removed the career officials typically tasked with vetting ACIP members and overseeing the advisory group,according to CBS News. Related:RFK Jr announces new panel of vaccine advisers after firing entire previous team Kennedy is a widely known vaccine skeptic whoprofitedfrom suing vaccine manufacturers, has takenincreasingly dramaticsteps toupendUS vaccine policy. "ACIP is widely regarded as the international gold standard for vaccine decision-making," said Helen Chu, one of the fired advisers, at a press conference with Patty Murray, a Democratic US senator. "We cannot replace it with a process driven by one person's beliefs. In the absence of an independent unbiased ACIP, we can no longer trust that safe and effective vaccines will be available to us and the people around us." Arguably the most high profile new member, Robert W Malone catapulted to stardom during the Covid-19 pandemic, appearing across rightwing media tocriticizetheBiden administrationwhile describing himself as the inventor of mRNA technology. Messenger RNA technology powers the most widely used Covid-19 vaccines. While Malone was involved invery earlyexperiments on the technology, researchers have said his role was limited. Malone's star rose quickly after appearing on the Joe Roganpodcastin 2022, where he and Rogan werecriticized for spreading misinformation. On the show, Malone promoted the idea that both ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine could be possible treatments for Covid-19, but said research on the drugs was being suppressed.Ivermectinandhydroxychloroquinehave not been shown to improve outcomes from Covid-19. "Malone has a well-documented history of promoting conspiracy theories," said Dr Jeffrey D Klausner, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at the University of Southern California, who recently told theNew York Timeshe was in touch with Kennedy about his appointments. Kulldorff is a former Harvard professor of biostatistics and an infectious disease epidemiologist originally from Sweden. He said in an essay for the rightwing publicationCity Journalthat he was fired because he refused to be vaccinated in line with the school policy. Like Malone, he rose to prominence during the pandemic as a "Covid contrarian" who criticized the scientific consensus – views he said alienated him from his peers in the scientific community. He voiced his opposition to Covid-19 vaccine mandates and, in his essay, complained of being ignored by media and shadow-banned from Twitter. Kulldorff co-authored theGreat Barrington Declaration, which called for limited closures instead of pandemic lockdowns before vaccines were available. The document became a touchstone for the American political right. Prior to the pandemic, Kulldorff studied vaccine safety and infectious disease, including co-authoring papers with members of CDC staff, such as on theVaccine Safety Datalink. He was a member of the CDC's Covid Vaccine Safety Working Group in 2020, but said later he was fired because he disagreed with the agency's decision to pause Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine and with Covid -19 vaccine mandates. Heservedon the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) drug safety and risk management advisory committee around the same time. He has since enjoyed support from people already within the administration, including Great Barrington Declaration co-authorDr Jay Bhattacharya, current head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), andDr Vinay Prasad, head of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, which handles vaccines. Meissner is a professor of pediatrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He previously held advisory roles at the FDA and CDC, including ACIP from 2008-2012. In 2021, Meissner co-wrotean editorialwith Dr Marty Makary, now the head of the FDA, which criticized mask mandates for children. In April, he was listed as an external adviser to ACIP on the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) committee. Notably, Meissneris listedin a new conflicts of interest tool launched by the health department in March. Kennedy had criticized the fired ACIP members as "plagued with persistentconflicts of interest". "He's a card-carrying infectious disease person who knows the burden of these diseases, and he knows the risk and the benefit," Dr Kathryn Edwards toldCBS News. Edwards previously served as chair of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel. Pebsworth is a nurse and the former consumer representative on the FDA's vaccine advisory committee. She is also the Pacific regional director for the National Association of Catholic Nurses, according to Kennedy's announcement. In 2020, Pebsworth spoke at the public comment portion of an FDA advisory panel meeting on Covid-19 vaccines. There, she identified herself as the volunteer research director for the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), "and the mother of a child injured by his 15-month well-baby shots in 1998". The NVIC is widely viewed as ananti-vaccine advocacyorganization "whose founder Barbara Lou Fisher must be considered a key figure of the anti-vaccine movement", according toan articlefrom 2023 on how to counter anti-vaccine misinformation. Levi is a professor of operations management at the MIT Sloan School of Management who Kennedy described as an "expert in healthcare analytics, risk management and vaccine safety". In 2021, heopposedCovid-19 booster shot approval during the public comment portion of an FDA advisory committee hearing. In 2022, he wrote an article calling for EMS calls to be incorporated into vaccine safety data, arguing that cardiovascular side effects could be undercounted – an article thatlater required correction. The potential effects of Covid-19 vaccines on heart health have been a focal point of right-leaning criticism. Last month, Levi wascriticizedfor publishing a pre-print paper – a paper without peer review – that he co-authored with Dr Joseph Ladapo, the Florida surgeon general, a vaccine skeptic. The paper alleged that people who took the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine were more likely to die than those who received the Moderna vaccine. Kennedy described Ross as "a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University, with a career spanning clinical medicine, research, and public health policy". However, as first reported byCBS News, Ross's name does not appear in faculty directories for either school. A spokesperson for George Washington University told the outlet that Ross did work as a clinical professor, but "has not held a faculty appointment … since 2017". A spokesperson for Virginia Commonwealth University described Ross as "an affiliate faculty member" at a regional hospital system in the Capitol region. He is also listed as a partner at Havencrest Capital Management, as a board member of "multiple private healthcare companies". Hibbeln is a California-based psychiatrist who previously served as acting chief for the Section of Nutritional Neurosciences at the NIH. He describes himself as an expert on omega-3, a fatty acid found in seafood. He also serves on theadvisory councilof a non-profit that advocates for Americans to eat more seafood. He practices at Barton Health, a hospital system in Lake Tahoe, California. His work influenced US public health guidelines on fish consumption during pregnancy. Pagano is an emergency medicine physician from Los Angeles "with over 40 years of clinical experience", and a "strong advocate for evidence-based medicine", according to Kennedy.

byMario Satorik

in

June 13, 2025

Who are the eight new vaccine advisers appointed by Robert F Kennedy?

Who are the eight new vaccine advisers appointed by Robert F Kennedy? Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, named eight new vaccine ...

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Republican enthusiasm for Musk cools after his feud with Trump, a new AP-NORC poll finds

Republican enthusiasm for Musk cools after his feud with Trump, a new AP-NORC poll finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tech billionaireElon Muskhas lost some of his luster with Republicans since hismessy public falling-outwith PresidentDonald Trumplast week, a new survey finds. Fewer Republicans view Trump's onetime government efficiency bulldog "very favorably"compared with April, according to the poll fromThe Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Though most Republicans continue to hold a positive view of Musk, their diminished fervor suggests hisvocal oppositionto Trump's signature spending and tax cut legislation — and Musk'ssubsequent online political and personal taunts— may have cost him some enthusiasm within the party. "Some things have happened lately that have changed how I feel about him a little," said Alabama Republican Katye Long, whose feelings for Musk have cooled to "somewhat favorable." "I liked what he was doing when he was helping. But now I feel like he's kind of hurting," said the 34-year-old automotive component factory employee and mother of three from Woodstock, Alabama. "I also don't feel like he matters that much. He's not actually part of the government. He's just a rich guy who pushes his opinions." Musk's overall popularity hasn't shifted, the poll found, and most of the shift among Democrats and Republicans was between "very" and "somewhat" strong opinions. Americans are less likely to view him favorably than his electric vehicle company,Tesla. That said, about half of Americans have a negative opinion ofTesla, highlighting another challenge for Musk when the company hasdropped in valueandbeen the target of protestsin the U.S. and Europe. About one-third have a favorable view ofTesla, while about 2 in 10 don't know enough to say. Republicans' enthusiasm waned, but so did Democrats' antipathy Even a subtle shift in the intensity of Republicans' feelings about Musk could be important as the electric car and aerospace mogul weighs a second political act afterspending about $200 millionin service of Trump's 2024 election effort. After decrying the GOP's massive tax and budget policy bill as "a disgusting abomination," Musk wrote on X, his social media platform, "In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people." The poll suggests the messy feud with Trump may have rubbed some Republicans the wrong way, as the share of Republicans viewing Musk as "very favorable" has dropped from 38% in April to 26% now. At the same time, antipathy toward Musk among Democrats has waned a little. About two-thirds, 65%, of Democrats have a very negative view of Musk, down slightly from about three-quarters, 74%, in April. Musk's bitter back-and-forth with Trump has business implications, too.Teslawas already struggling with a backlash against Musk's association with Trump.Sales across Europe plunged by halfin May, even as growth in the electric car market accelerated. Then the company's sharesplunged in valuewhen Musk began sparring publicly with the president. Victoria Brown, of Kansas City, Kansas, ratedTesla"somewhat unfavorable" because she objects to how Trump is conducting his administration and links the company's owner with the president's agenda. "I don't favor Trump. So, pretty much the fact that they have been working together means I don't care too much forTesla," said Brown, 63, a political independent and an insurance agent. Musk's overall approval remains unchanged While the intensity of people's feelings about Musk may have changed, their overall opinions have not. About one-third of U.S. adults have a favorable opinion of Musk, compared with about 6 in 10 who hold an unfavorable view, while about 1 in 10 don't know enough to say. That's unchanged from the April poll. The new poll was conducted June 5-9, after Muskleft his government roleand began attacking Trump's marquee legislative priority. Musk's public clash with Trump began four days after Trumphonored Musk effusivelyduring an Oval Office event discharging him from duties as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency. After first tearing down the budget bill, Musk two days later complained he had never seen the language, and he aimed his fire at Trump, suggesting the president didn't sufficiently appreciate the role Musk assumed as the chief benefactor to Trump's reelection effort. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," Musk wrote. "Such ingratitude." Musk went on to claim without evidence that the federal government was concealing information about Trump's association with infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.Musk deleted the post, and early Wednesday he stepped back from his attacks on Trump,writing on Xthat he regretted some of his posts and they "went too far." Views ofTeslaare far more negative than other car companies Teslaendureda difficult first quarter in 2025, with itssales fallingwhile the world's leading electric car manufacturer facedprotests in showrooms. The new poll also shows thatTeslais viewed far more negatively than some of its peers — notably, Ford, Toyota and General Motors. Only about one-third of U.S. adults have a "very" or "somewhat" favorable view ofTesla. About half of U.S. adults have an unfavorable opinion ofTesla, including 30% of Republicans. Democrats, at 66%, are more than twice as likely as Republicans to have a negative view ofTesla. But even among Republicans,Teslais viewed less favorably than the other brands. Marisa Mills is no Musk fan. The 41-year-old teacher from Oakland, California, objects to his association with Trump and what the Democrat sees as their misguided notion that government is always well served by operating like a business. And yet she was once proud to haveTeslabuilding cars in her own county. She soured on the company in 2020, when Musk sued Alameda County over its workplace restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, before he moved the company to Texas in 2021. "My government is supposed to serve the people, not his company. We were all glad to see him go," Mills said. "I do regret that we now have feelings of regret for theTeslacar product. We were once so proud." ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,158 adults was conducted June 5-9, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

byMario Satorik

in

June 13, 2025

Republican enthusiasm for Musk cools after his feud with Trump, a new AP-NORC poll finds

Republican enthusiasm for Musk cools after his feud with Trump, a new AP-NORC poll finds WASHINGTON (AP) — Tech billionaireElon Muskhas lost...

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Meet the amateur New Zealand team aiming to topple soccer’s biggest names at the FIFA Club World Cup

Meet the amateur New Zealand team aiming to topple soccer's biggest names at the FIFA Club World Cup

AsFIFA's revamped expandedClub World Cupkicks off in the United States on Saturday, most fans' eyes will be firmly fixed on the plethora of soccer superstarscompeting for up to $125 million, with the likes of Lionel Messi,Kylian Mbappéand Erling Haaland all taking part with their respective clubs. However, the remarkable story of amateur side Auckland City FC has flown under the radar, with the Oceania team's players set to embark on the trip of a lifetime to test themselves against some of the world's elite. Based in the North Shore suburb of New Zealand's largest city, the club boasts a squad comprised solely of players who work or study full-time in addition to theirsoccercareers. From forklift drivers to soda salesmen and real estate agents, the rise of the small New Zealand side to the apex of the global club game has been likened by some to the narrative of a Hollywood script. Having been crowned as the Oceania Champions League winner last year, Auckland City booked its place at the tournament and became the continent's sole representative in the process. Drawn in a group featuring 34-time German champion Bayern Munich, Portuguese giant Benfica, and iconic Argentine side Boca Juniors, the Auckland City squad will look to create soccer history as they compete against some of the sport's greatest players over the next fortnight. Speaking toCNN Sports, team captain Mario Ilich described how his side's "love of the game" was the driving force behind its historic qualification. "People say that professional players work hard, which they do, but we are trying to compete at the top level of the game while holding down two, and in some cases three, jobs." Ilich, who earns his living as a sales representative for Coca-Cola, detailed the hectic routine most of the squad follows on a daily basis. Without the multi-million-dollar training complexes available to many elite European teams, Auckland City players need to cram in the majority of their gym and recovery work outside of club facilities. "My normal day begins around 5 a.m. when the alarm goes off. I'm up and off to the gym for an hour before returning to grab breakfast and make it to the office for 8 a.m. "I try to finish up before 5 p.m. so I can make it across town to training, which gets underway at 6 p.m. We'll spend about two hours on the grass, and I'll get home at about 9 p.m. before heading to bed to prepare to do it all again the next day." TheNavy Bluestrain four evenings per week, with their New Zealand Regional League fixtures usually played on Saturdays. It's a schedule that doesn't lend itself to much of a life away from the office or soccer pitch and can take its toll, not just on the players, but on their families and friends too. "I only get to see my partner on a Friday night really, or the odd Sunday, but thankfully she is very understanding of the finite nature of a player's career and allows me to pursue my dreams," Ilich said. Auckland City FC goalkeeper Conor Tracey recalled the moment he and the rest of the playing squad learned the results of the Club World Cup group stage draw. "You'll never forget a moment like that," Tracey told CNN, describing how the players and management met up at 6 a.m. to watch the draw live from the Auckland City clubhouse before heading to their respective jobs. "As each team was pulled out, our jaws just kept dropping closer to the floor. Each side has such an incredible history and reputation in the sport – it really is the dream draw in terms of who you want to test yourself against." For Tracey, who spends his days on the warehouse floor of a veterinary pharmaceuticals company, the tournament will be "the pinnacle" of his career. However, with manual handling and frequent heavy lifting required in his day job, he has recently struggled with injury. "My job can be extremely physical and can take its toll on my body. I've been far more prone to injuries than a regular goalkeeper, given the lack of time we have for adequate recovery too. "I won't lie – it can be really hard mentally, especially when you're trying to deal with the dark mornings and nights in winter," Tracey added. "There have been a few occasions where I've thought about giving up on football, and lots of guys have done that over the years, with it just being too much with family and career. But the Club World Cup has been a goal worth putting in the hard yards for." The difficulty in dealing with the demands of elite football while attempting to balance an "ordinary" job is one that resonates with Auckland City vice-captain Adam Mitchell. Mitchell thought he had achieved his childhood dream when he secured a move to former European Cup winner Red Star Belgrade in the nascent stages of his career. However, a lack of gametime saw him move on to club soccer in Slovenia, followed by a short stint in the lower tiers of English football with Bolton Wanderers. A point was reached where Mitchell had to decide whether to continue to pursue his professional soccer dream or return to New Zealand, with the prospect of a more secure income from selling real estate proving to be the decisive factor in his decision. "At a young age, it's a lot of people's dream to make the big time and become a professional player, but I think a lot of the time people don't realize how hard and competitive it can be," Mitchell told CNN Sports. "There are thousands of players fighting for just a handful of contracts. So, when you don't end up in the glitz and glamor of elite soccer – where there are no big houses or flashy cars – you can find it very tough, especially if you are away in a foreign country." Thankfully for Mitchell, playing for Auckland City presents him with the opportunity to continue chasing his soccer dreams, albeit in a different way than many would imagine. As the kickoff to the team's opening group game against six-time Champions Leasgue winner Bayern draws ever closer, the magnitude of the occasion is not lost on the veteran defender, who hopes his squad's exploits can stoke a fresh wave of excitement among New Zealand's sporting public. "I remember watching the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as a young kid. I have such vivid memories of the excitement when New Zealand got three draws. So it is a huge opportunity to do the same thing at club level and represent our country and region with pride," Mitchell said. With each of Bayern, two-time European Cup winner Benfica and six-time Copa Libertadores winner Boca Juniors boasting World Cup winners among their ranks, theNavy Blueswill truly be pitting themselves against the world's best. For Ilich, the prospect of facing nine-time Bundesliga winner Joshua Kimmich in midfield is one he relishes. "As a midfielder myself, I've always looked at the way Kimmich plays the game, so to test myself against him will be pretty cool. Jamal Musiala is another who is just an incredible dribbler and creator. Their quality all over the field is insane, to be honest," he told CNN. Goalkeeper Tracey will line up against the "revolutionary" Manuel Neuer, a player he credits with modernizing the way the position is played. Despite the reverence he holds towards the Bayern captain, forklift driver Tracey is determined to show the World Cup winner that his Auckland City side have not just traveled to the US to take in the tourist sights. In the defensive line, vice-captain Mitchell can scarcely believe he will be tasked with containing England's record goalscorer Harry Kane, whom he adamantly labels as one of the best strikers of this generation. With names of such stature as opponents, the Auckland City squad is "under no illusions" as to how difficult its task is, according to skipper Ilich. However, the amateur side heads to the United States with an unwavering belief that anything can happen, no matter how great the odds. "They are on millions and millions of dollars, and we are just amateurs playing for the love of the game," Ilich said to CNN Sports. "But what we have is that we are all mates on and off the pitch and are going to compete so hard for one another. "If we execute our coach's plan and give it our best shot, who knows what can happen? At the end of the day, it's just 11 players versus 11 players. "So, we are just going to go there and do what we have always done: dream big." For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byMario Satorik

in

June 13, 2025

Meet the amateur New Zealand team aiming to topple soccer’s biggest names at the FIFA Club World Cup

Meet the amateur New Zealand team aiming to topple soccer's biggest names at the FIFA Club World Cup AsFIFA's revamped expandedClub ...

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College World Series schedule Day 1: Breaking down the matchups

College World Series schedule Day 1: Breaking down the matchups

Before the collegiate sports calendar reaches its increasingly short summer hiatus, we put the bow on the 2024-25 academic year with the final NCAA championship event, the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Those who look forward to this event on an annual basis are already familiar with the format. But for the uninitiated, the eight participants are split into four-team mini brackets who will compete in a double-elimination tournament similar to the earlier regionals. The two winners from each quartet will then meet in the best-of-three championship series starting next weekend. This year's field looks completely different than last year's. All eight teams are new and just three of the eight national seeds made it through the super regionals. It shapes up to be a wild week where a national champion is determined. Here's a look at the matchups and schedule for the first day of games: TIME/TV:Friday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN Given the impressive numbers posted by its pitching staff, Coastal Carolina was perhaps underseeded at No. 13. The Chanticleers lead the CWS field in team ERA (3.21) and WHIP (1.19). Jacob Morrison and Cameron Flukey anchor the starting rotation, with closer Ryan Lynch leading an equally reliable relief crew. Coastal is also the hottest team in the field with a 23-game winning streak. The Wildcats followed a similar blueprint to the Big 12 championship, surrendering few free passes and committing just 51 errors in the field all season. They do give up their share of hits, however, but excellent contact hitters like Mason White and Aaron Walton keep them in most games. CWS FIELD:Ranking the eight teams fighting for title in Omaha DIVERSE FIELD:College World Series highlights best of college sports TIME/TV:Friday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN The Beavers are as fundamentally sound as they come, entering the CWS with a healthy .409 on-base percentage and just 40 errors committed. They can mash a bit as well, as demonstrated by the home-run cycle they unleashed against Florida State in the clinching super regional contest. Aiva Arquette and Gavin Turley are usually involved in innings when a crooked number is posted. The Cardinals finished in the middle of the crowded ACC pack but are now the league's sole representative in Omaha. They don't always get consistent results from the mound, but they steal more bases (155) than anyone else in the field. Lucas Moore and Zion Rose are the top thieves, with Eddie King Jr. often tasked with bringing them home. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College World Series schedule: Previewing Day 1 matchups

byMario Satorik

in

June 13, 2025

College World Series schedule Day 1: Breaking down the matchups

College World Series schedule Day 1: Breaking down the matchups Before the collegiate sports calendar reaches its increasingly short summer ...

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Why these college students are wary of the GOP megabill

Why these college students are wary of the GOP megabill

WASHINGTON – Emi Glass had one thing on her mind when she was applying to college: cost. Footing the bill for a degree was never a foregone conclusion for her, growing up in a single-parent household in Kettering, Ohio. In between shifts at the local Dairy Queen, she poured hundreds of hours into applications for a wide range of schools and scholarships. She worried about where she would go, and more importantly, if she'd be able to pay for it. Those worries vanished when she was accepted to Yale University. The Ivy League school in Connecticut offers some of the most generous financial aid in the country to lower-income students. Between federal grants, outside scholarships and financial aid directly from Yale, going to college suddenly seemed affordable. "I'm living out a dream that once felt unattainable for me," said Glass, now 21, standing outside the U.S. Capitol on June 12. She came to Washington with a group of other college students,many from similar financial circumstances, to bring attention to the financial aid implications ofPresident Donald Trump's so-called "Big, Beautiful Bill" for low-income students. "For students like me, financial aid isn't just helpful," said another student, Jackson Howe, 21, a rising senior at West Virginia University. "It's essential." The students were in the nation's capital to lobby congressional Republicans to oppose new taxes on university endowments and changes to federal student loan programs. As part of the GOP's efforts to get Trump'smajor domestic policy billacross the finish line this summer, lawmakers are considering a slew of reforms to funding for higher education. One aggressive legislative package, which already passed the U.S. House of Representatives, would significantly curb eligibility for Pell Grants (federal subsidies that help low-income people pay for college) and fine schools for leaving students with debt. Read more about the House bill:Republicans propose massive overhaul of student loans, Pell Grants The other package, which was published by a U.S. Senate committee on June 10, takes a more measured approach. Still, it would make big changes, including cutting the number of student debt repayment plans to just two (which the House bill also suggests) and imposing new caps on borrowing. Read more about the Senate bill:Major student loan changes just came one step closer to becoming law Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chair of the Senate committee overseeing education, said his chamber's bill would save taxpayers at least $300 billion and make higher education more affordable. "We need to fix our broken higher education system," he said in a statement. "While Biden and Democrats unfairly attempted to shift student debt onto taxpayers that chose not to go to college, Republicans are taking on the root causes of the student debt crisis to lower the cost of tuition and improve Americans' access to opportunities that set them up for success." The Senate package includes several provisions with bipartisan support. One measure, which would yank financial aid funding from certain college programs that provide a poor return on investment, has been pushed for years by a former high-ranking official in the Obama administration. Some Democratsalso agree with a provision that would expand Pell Grants to weekslong training programs in fields like welding and cosmetology, even though consumer protection advocates warn that doing so without the right guardrails could lead to fraud. Among the chief concerns for the students rallying outside the Capitol on June 12 werenew taxes on university endowments. Those penalties, which would primarily hurt some of the richest schools in the country, could force institutions like Yale to pay upwards of $700 million a year to the government. Read more:With a war on Harvard raging, religious colleges get big tax break in Trump spending bill Republicans such as Missouri Rep. Jason Smith, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, saythe provision would hold "woke, elite universities that operate more like major corporations and other tax-exempt entities accountable, ensuring they can no longer abuse generous benefits provided through the tax code." Cayla Waddington, 18, a rising sophomore at Yale, worries the tax could force schools like hers to pull back on their financial aid commitments, which can be supported in part by endowment funds. "I pay next to nothing for my Yale education, thanks to their endowment," she said. "There are thousands of us across the country who share the same story." Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:The GOP megabill is worrying these college students. Here's why.

byMario Satorik

in

June 13, 2025

Why these college students are wary of the GOP megabill

Why these college students are wary of the GOP megabill WASHINGTON – Emi Glass had one thing on her mind when she was applying to college: c...

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