Harper's hitting, Luzardo's pitching key Phillies' 13-0 romp over Giants, keeping Verlander winless

Harper's hitting, Luzardo's pitching key Phillies' 13-0 romp over Giants, keeping Verlander winless

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bryce Harper homered and doubled three times, Jesús Luzardo struck out seven and gave up three hits in seven innings, and the Philadelphia Phillies kept Justin Verlander winless with a 13-0 rout of the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. Verlander (0-7), the 42-year-old right-hander in his first year with the Giants, gave up four runs (two earned) on seven hits in six innings. The three-time Cy Young Award winner struck out seven and did not issue a walk. It was his 15th start of the season and his longest previous streak of starts without a win was seven. The Phillies scored an unearned run in the second before Harper opened the fourth with his 10th homer, taking Verlander to left field. Harper led off the sixth with a double, igniting Philadelphia's two-run inning. He doubled twice in the eighth inning when the Phillies broke open the game with seven runs off San Francisco's bullpen. The big blow was a three-run homer by Kyle Schwarber off Scott Alexander, Schwarber's 29th homer of the season. Mike Yastrzemski, normally an outfielder, pitched the ninth for the Giants. He gave up two runs but got Harper on a foul popup to end the inning. Key moment The Giants' lone threat against Luzardo (8-5) came in the second when they had runners at first and second with one out before the lefty struck out Jung Hoo Lee and Luis Matos. Key stat The game was Verlander's sixth quality start (at least six innings pitched, no more than three earned runs allowed) of 2025. Up next Philadelphia LHP Ranger Suárez (7-2, 1.99 ERA) will start at San Diego on Friday night. Also on Friday, the Giants and RHP Logan Webb (8-6, 2.62) host the Dodgers and RHP Dustin May (5-5, 4.52). ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byMario Satorik

in

July 09, 2025

Harper's hitting, Luzardo's pitching key Phillies' 13-0 romp over Giants, keeping Verlander winless

Harper's hitting, Luzardo's pitching key Phillies' 13-0 romp over Giants, keeping Verlander winless SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bryce H...

Read More

Why PSG’s pummeling of Real Madrid shouldn’t be alarming or surprising

Why PSG's pummeling of Real Madrid shouldn't be alarming or surprising

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — On paper, it was superclub against superclub, Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain, filthy rich against limitlessly rich. It was 2025 European champions against 2024 champions. It was two of thefive most valuable squads, and two of thetop three moneymaking clubs, in soccer. So it was surprising, perhaps even stunning, thatPSG pumped four goals past Real Madrid, and pounded the longtime kings of Europe, 4-0, in a Club World Cup semifinal. But it shouldn't have been. "They're only getting started with their new head coach," PSG manager Luis Enrique said, through an interpreter, of Madrid after Wednesday's game. "And we have already been working on this for two years. So, these are different situations." The two clubs are similar in stature, similar in talent, similar in ambition. But on the field, on July 9, 2025, one is a potent final product; the other is embryonic. One is a finely tuned 11-piece machine. The other was, more or less, 11 pieces. Xabi Alonso is trying to construct something with Real Madrid. When he took over as head coach last month, he immediately stressed the importance of "balance" and "commitment." In modern soccer, he said, "everyone must be involved in every phase." He'd inherited a team that was disjointed, with attackers who didn't defend and defenders who compensated. He wanted to change that. "I want a team that's united," he said. He wants, in other words, what PSG has. A "group [that all] goes in the same direction," as PSG fullback Achraf Hakimi said Wednesday. "The success we've had this year," Fabián Ruiz said in Spanish, "is the collective work of all the players." "We all work together," Enrique said. "That's the idea. On attack, and on defense." Alonso and Real Madrid fans wanted it right away, but they know he'll need time to build it.That's what Enrique did over the past two years. That's what Alonso hasn't been able to do, because he was thrown right into a competition, this Club World Cup, after less than two weeks with his new players on the training ground. "These are two different projects," Enrique said through an interpreter. "Xabi's has just begun. Xabi has shown his level [as a coach] with other teams. But of course, they need some time, they need a preseason. There's no analysis to be done here, no assessment. They haven't had a chance to work." So, why didn't we see this beatdown coming? Because there are countless examples in soccer of talent winning out. There have been thousands of games decided in a few brief moments, moments in which players like Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior thrive, often against the broader flow of play. But at this uber-elite level, the talent must be connected — by tactics, by supporting casts, by shared identities and visions. On Wednesday, "the key was the way that we faced the game ... the clear way that we had in our mind what to do," PSG midfielder Vitinha said. "Like every game, we always try to do the same, to press every time, to control the game when we have the ball." They, too, have brilliant players, but they shut down Madrid "thanks to the collective effort of the team," Hakimi said. So it's no wonder that Alonso wants to shape Real Madrid in a similar mold. That's not to say hisBlancoswill press as ravenously as PSG. That's not to say his fullbacks will attack as purposefully as PSG's do. He is his own man with his own ideas and unique personnel at his disposal. This is not to say Real Madrid is trying to become PSG. But the way thatEnrique tore down a star-driven squad to build a nearly unbeatable one? The way he "put the team before everyone," as Hakimi said Wednesday? The way he implores and requires his best attacking players to defend, and his best defensive players to attack, and his midfielders to do everything? That is the shift that Alonso is trying to engineer. "We want to build a team. A team that plays as a unit, with everyone playing together, everyone being involved with that feeling and that spirit," Alonso said. He simply hasn't yet had an opportunity to engineer it. He suggested multiple times Wednesday that the team's belated start of preseason later this month, after a brief vacation, will be like "starting from scratch." This Club World Cup, therefore, was something less than scratch. As much as he tried to introduce his ideas, short-term goals overrode them. Four wins and a draw, in the end, were a decent haul. A semifinal against the world's best team, though — a team that multiple reporters labeled "unbeatable" Wednesday, a team on track to win every winnable trophy in 2025 — was a step too far. "Today," Alonso said, "we must accept that [PSG] are in a really good moment, and we are starting out a new stage." PSG, on the other hand, has "been working with [the same] coach for two years, with the same philosophy," as Hakimi said. "And the truth is, we're happy with how things are going, with the dynamics of the team. We feel quite good. And we want to continue making history."

byMario Satorik

in

July 09, 2025

Why PSG’s pummeling of Real Madrid shouldn’t be alarming or surprising

Why PSG's pummeling of Real Madrid shouldn't be alarming or surprising EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — On paper, it was superclub against su...

Read More

Trump administration resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after Pentagon pause

Trump administration resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after Pentagon pause

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, a week after the Pentagon haddirected that some deliveries be paused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The weapons heading into Ukraine include 155 mm munitions and precision-guided rockets known as GMLRS, two officials told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly. It's unclear exactly when the weapons started moving. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the pause on some shipments last week to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move thatcaught the White House by surprise. A White House official speaking Wednesday on the condition of anonymity said there was never a "pause" in shipments, but a review to ensure U.S. military support aligns with its defense strategy. The official said the Pentagon never announced a pause. In a press briefing with reporters last week, though, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said he could not "go into detail about what weapons were paused and when and what we're providing and when. Ultimately, the president and the secretary will make those decisions about what happens with those weapon systems." The pause affected Patriot missiles, the precision-guided GMLRS, Hellfire missiles, Howitzer rounds and more, taking not only Ukrainian officials and otherallies by surprisebut also U.S. lawmakers and other parts of the Trump administration, including the State Department. It was not clear if a pause on Patriot missiles would hold. The $4 million munition is in high demand and was key to defending a major U.S. air base in Qatar last month as Iran launched a ballistic missile attack in response to the U.S. targeting its nuclear facilities. President Donald Trumpannounced Monday that the U.S. would continue to deliver defensive weapons to Ukraine. He has sidestepped questions about who ordered the pause in exchanges with reporters this week. "I would know if a decision is made. I will know," Trump said Wednesday. "I will be the first to know. In fact, most likely I'd give the order, but I haven't done that yet." Asked a day earlier who ordered the pause, he said: "I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" Trump has privately expressed frustration with Pentagon officials for announcing the pause — a move that he felt wasn't properly coordinated with the White House, according to three people familiar with the matter. The Pentagon has denied that Hegseth acted without consulting the president, saying: "Secretary Hegseth provided a framework for the President to evaluate military aid shipments and assess existing stockpiles. This effort was coordinated across government." It comes as Russia has firedescalating air attacks on Ukraine, with a barrage that the largest number of drones fired in a single night in the three-year-old war, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday. Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he wasn't happy with him. "Putin is not, he's not treating human beings right," Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, explaining the pause's reversal. "It's killing too many people. So we're sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I've approved that." The 155 mm artillery rounds have become some of themost used munitions of the war. Each round is about 2 feet (60 centimeters) long, weighs about 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and is 155 mm, or 6.1 inches, in diameter. They are used in Howitzer systems, which are towed large guns identified by the range of the angle of fire that their barrels can be set to. Howitzer fires can strike targets up to 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometers) away, depending on what type of round and firing system is used, which makes them highly valued by ground forces to take out enemy targets from a protected distance. The U.S. has provided more than 3 million 155 mm rounds to Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. It has sent more than $67 billion in overall weapons and military assistance to Ukraine in that period. ___ Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

byMario Satorik

in

July 09, 2025

Trump administration resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after Pentagon pause

Trump administration resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after Pentagon pause WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has resumed sen...

Read More

HHS abruptly calls off meeting of expert panel on preventive care, raising questions about its future

HHS abruptly calls off meeting of expert panel on preventive care, raising questions about its future

The US Department of Health and Human Services called off an upcoming meeting of expert advisers on preventive health care, raising questions about the future of the longtime nonpolitical advisory group. An HHS spokesperson confirmed to CNN that the US Preventive Services Task Force — which has set recommendations for cancer screenings, STI testing and other preventive care — will not meet Thursday, as previously scheduled. A notice sent Monday afternoon said the office of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is postponing the July meeting, according to a person familiar with the details who declined to be named because they weren't authorized to discuss the meeting publicly. "Moving forward, HHS looks forward to engaging with the task force to promote the health and well-being of the American people," the notice said. But the cancellation arrives amid Kennedy's push to reshape the health agencies and expunge them of what he has called longtime health-care industry influence on policies. Last month, he dismissed the 17-member vaccine advisory committee for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and, two days later, named eight new picks. Several of the new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have questioned vaccine safety; two have testified in court against vaccine manufacturers. "There is extraordinary concern" among those connected to the US Preventive Services Task Force "that it's about to be dismissed, like ACIP was," the person familiar with the meeting said. HHS didn't respond to CNN's request for further comment. "The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is essential to ensuring cancer screenings and other lifesaving preventive services are covered by insurance at no cost to patients—and the abrupt postponement of tomorrow's task force meeting should set off alarm bells," Sen. Patty Murray said in a statement Thursday. "I'm concerned Secretary Kennedy may be taking the first steps to dismantle the Preventive Services Task Force and attack its mission and commitment to scientific evidence, just like he has done at the CDC's vaccine advisory committee and across our nation's public health agencies." Kennedy's control over the task force was recently solidified by the US Supreme Court. Last month, in a case challenging a popular provision of the Affordable Care Act, the justices upheld the constitutionality of the task force, which recommendspreventive health care servicesthat insurers must cover at no cost. Both the Biden and Trump administrations argued that the task force was properly set up — and therefore, its recommendations should be upheld — because the Health and Human Services secretary was able to name and fire its members. The 16-member task force was established in 1984 and provides recommendations about preventive services, such as screenings for cancer and various disorders and counseling, that help make Americans aware of illnesses and conditions earlier, when they can be easier and less expensive to treat. The Affordable Care Act mandates that those services are provided without charge to patients. While consumer advocates cheered the Supreme Court ruling, they cautioned that it gives Kennedy more power over preventive care recommendations. "The big takeaway here is that the Task Force's recommendations are binding, just as the ACA's drafters intended," Nicholas Bagley, a law professor at the University of Michigan,posted on Xlast month. "BUT the scheme is constitutional only because Sec Kennedy can exercise near-complete control over Task Force recommendations. A mixed bag!" The task force meeting's cancellation is "very concerning," said Dr. Aaron Carroll, a pediatrician and CEO of Academy Health, a national organization for health services researchers, policymakers and health practitioners. The task force has operated across both Democratic and Republican administrations as a trusted source of science-based guidance, he noted. Its recommendations are based on systematic, rigorous review, and its methods are very transparent. "Political interference in any way could undermine the task force's vital role in improving health outcomes nationwide," Carroll said. "If you were to come in and just start wiping it clean and then appointing everyone, or appointing a bunch of new people, that undermines the entire process by which we assure it's not partisan or not ideological." Changing the process could affect how patients access no-cost preventive care, how doctors practice and how insurers design coverage, he said. It also sends a "chilling message" to health researchers and providers and "potentially opens the door to fringe theories influencing mainstream medicine," he added. AcademyHealth and more than 100 other health organizations wrotea letterto congressional leaders on Wednesday, urging them to "protect the integrity" of the task force. Thursday's meeting agenda was to include a discussion of recommendations around "healthy diet, physical activity, and/or weight loss to prevent cardiovascular disease in adults," focused on "behavioral counseling interventions," according to the person familiar with the meeting. The panel typically meets in person three times a year, and Thursday's meeting was to be one of those. In addition, the members typically meet virtually every week. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byMario Satorik

in

July 09, 2025

HHS abruptly calls off meeting of expert panel on preventive care, raising questions about its future

HHS abruptly calls off meeting of expert panel on preventive care, raising questions about its future The US Department of Health and Human ...

Read More

Yankees designate DJ LeMahieu for assignment, will eat nearly $22M in salary

Yankees designate DJ LeMahieu for assignment, will eat nearly $22M in salary

In a move that figured to eventually arrive the moment theNew York Yankeessigned a 32-year-old infielder to a six-year contract, the club designatedDJ LeMahieufor assignment, cutting him loose on July 9 with nearly two years remaining on that deal. LeMahieu, who turns 37 on July 13, re-signed with the club on a six-year, $90 million deal in January 2021. He was coming off a two-year run with the Yankees during which he batted .336 - including a majors-best .364 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season - with a .922 OPS and amassed 8.6 WAR. Given their druthers, the Yankees probably didn't want to grant a six-year contract at that point, but spreading the $90 million over six years greatly lessened their luxury tax commitment, to just $15 million per year. But the end came quickly. LeMahieu struggled greatly with injuries during the course of the deal, playing in 150 games just once and seeing his availability shrivel with each passing year, from 136 games played in 2023 to 67 last season and just 45 this year before the Yankees cut bait. They certainly saw a large enough sample last season, when LeMahieu produced a .204/.269/.259 line and a -1.6 WAR. He found a window for playing time this year when Jazz Chisholm missed time with an oblique injury, but manager Aaron Boone indicated on July 8 that LeMahieu likely would be the odd man out for playing time going forward - and that he didn't handle it particularly well. The Yankees will owe LeMahieu roughly $21.6 million - his $15 million salary next season and what's owed him this year. Despite his struggles, it's likely LeMahieu will find a new club once he passes through waivers and can be paid the pro-rated league minimum by the acquiring team. LeMahieu became the first player in the modern era to win batting titles in both leagues, with a .348 average for Colorado in 2016 and .364 for the Yankees in 2020. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Yankees' DJ LeMahieu designated for assignment

byMario Satorik

in

July 09, 2025

Yankees designate DJ LeMahieu for assignment, will eat nearly $22M in salary

Yankees designate DJ LeMahieu for assignment, will eat nearly $22M in salary In a move that figured to eventually arrive the moment theNew Y...

Read More

Valkyries rout the Fever as Caitlin Clark struggles in her return from injury

Valkyries rout the Fever as Caitlin Clark struggles in her return from injury

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Veronica Burton had 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Kayla Thornton added 18 points and eight boards, and the Golden State Valkyries beat the Indiana Fever 80-61 on Wednesday to spoil Caitlin Clark's return. The Valkyries held Clark to just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting as the Fever scored their second-fewest points of the season. Clark returned after missing the past five games with a left groin injury. TheAll-Star captainparticipated in practice Monday — the first time she'd done that since getting hurt on June 26. Golden State led 41-32 at halftime and Kate Martin scored five consecutive points in the third for a 15-point lead. SUN 93, STORM 83 UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) —Tina Charles set season highs with 29 points and 11 reboundsto help Connecticut end a 10-game losing streak with a victory over Seattle. Connecticut (3-16) won its first game since June 6. Charles made a baseline jumper with 5:36 left in the fourth quarter to give Connecticut its first lead of the game at 79-77. Charles also made two layups in eight seconds — following a steal by Saniya Rivers — for a 91-81 lead. The Sun pulled away by scoring 11 straight points late in the fourth. Charles finished 11 of 22 from the field for her sixth 20-point game of the season. Jacy Sheldon added 16 points and Bria Hartley had 15. Rivers scored all 11 of her points in the opening five minutes of the third. Skylar Diggins led Seattle (13-7) with 23 points and seven assists. Gabby Williams added 21 points and Nneka Ogwumike had 12 points and 12 rebounds. MERCURY 79, LYNX 71 PHOENIX (AP) — Alyssa Thomas scored 12 of her career-high 29 points in the fourth quarter and Phoenix closed on a 19-4 run to beat Minnesota. Thomas, who was coming off her 16th career triple-double on Monday, was 14 of 24 from the field to top her previous high of 28 points. She also had eight rebounds and five assists. Phoenix tied it at 69 and 71 before Thomas scored on back-to-back possessions to take a 75-71 lead. She scored 10 points during the Mercury's game-closing run. DeWanna Bonner, Thomas' fiancee and former Connecticut Sun teammate, signed with Phoenix as a free agent on Tuesday and played her first game since June 10. Bonner, who spent the first 10 years of her career with the Mercury and helped them win titles in 2009 and 2014, finished with seven points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. Monique Akoa Makani added 13 points and Sami Whitcomb, coming off a career-high 36 points, scored 10 for Phoenix (14-6). The Mercury were without Satou Sabally (right ankle) and Kahleah Copper (right hamstring) for a second straight game. Courtney Williams led Minnesota (17-3) with 21 points. Napheesa Collier added 18 points and Bridget Carleton scored 10.

byMario Satorik

in

July 09, 2025

Valkyries rout the Fever as Caitlin Clark struggles in her return from injury

Valkyries rout the Fever as Caitlin Clark struggles in her return from injury INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Veronica Burton had 21 points, eight rebou...

Read More

New lawsuit seeks to redraw Wisconsin's congressional maps before 2026 midterms

New lawsuit seeks to redraw Wisconsin's congressional maps before 2026 midterms

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A new lawsuit seeking to redraw Wisconsin's congressional district boundary lines was filed on Tuesday, less than two weeks after the state Supreme Courtdeclined to heara pair of other lawsuits that asked for redistricting before the 2026 election. The latest lawsuit brought by a bipartisancoalition of business leaderswas filed in Dane County circuit court, rather than directly with the state Supreme Court as the rejected cases were. The justices did not give any reason for declining to hear those cases, but typically lawsuits start in a lower court and work their way up. This new lawsuit's more lengthy journey through the courts might not be resolved in time to order new maps before the 2026 midterms. The Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy argue in the new lawsuit that Wisconsin's congressional maps are unconstitutional because they are an anti-competitive gerrymander. The lawsuit notes that the median margin of victory for candidates in the eight districts since the maps were enacted is close to 30 percentage points. "Anti‐competitive gerrymanders are every bit as antithetical to democracy, and to law, as partisan gerrymanders and racial gerrymanders," the lawsuit argues. "This is because electoral competition is as vital to democracy as partisan fairness." The lawsuit alleges that an anti-competitive gerrymander violates the state constitution's guarantees of equal protection to all citizens, the promise to maintain a free government and the right to vote. The lawsuit was filed against the state's bipartisan elections commission, which administers elections. Commission spokesperson Emilee Miklas declined to comment. The Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy had attempted to intervene in one of the redistricting casesbrought by Democratswith the state Supreme Court, but the justices dismissed the case without considering their arguments. Members of the business coalition include Tom Florsheim, chairman and CEO of Milwaukee-based Weyco Group, and Cory Nettles, the founder of a private equity fund and a former state commerce secretary. Republicans hold six of the state's eight U.S. House seats, but only two of those districts are considered competitive. In 2010, the year before Republicans redrew the congressional maps, Democrats held five seats compared with three for Republicans. The current congressional maps, which were based on the previous ones, were approved by the state Supreme Court when it was controlled by conservative judges. The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2022declined to blockthem from taking effect. Democrats had wanted the justices to revisit congressional lines as well after the court ordered state legislative boundaries redrawn before last year's election. Democrats thennarrowed the Republican legislative majoritiesin November, leading to abipartisan compromiseto pass a state budget last week. Democrats are pushing to have the current maps redrawn in ways that would put two of the six seats currently held by Republicans into play. One they hope to flip is the western Wisconsin seat of Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who won in 2022 after longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind retired. Von Orden won reelection in the 3rd District in 2024. The other seat they are eyeing is southeastern Wisconsin's 1st District, held by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil since 2019. The latest maps made that district more competitive while still favoring Republicans. The two rejected lawsuits were filed by Elias Law Group, which represents Democratic groups and candidates, and the Campaign Legal Center on behalf of voters. Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy are represented by Law Forward, a liberal Madison-based law firm, the Stafford Rosenbaum law firm in Madison and Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School.

byMario Satorik

in

July 09, 2025

New lawsuit seeks to redraw Wisconsin's congressional maps before 2026 midterms

New lawsuit seeks to redraw Wisconsin's congressional maps before 2026 midterms MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A new lawsuit seeking to redraw Wis...

Read More