MLB power rankings: Red Sox on 10-game win streak as post-Devers roll continuesNew Foto - MLB power rankings: Red Sox on 10-game win streak as post-Devers roll continues

The team that made one of the strangest early-season moves in recent baseball history is roaring into the second half hotter than anybody. TheBoston Red Sox, whotraded $313 million slugger Rafael Deversin mid-June, will take a 10-game winning streak into the second half, climbing within a game of the New York Yankees and lurking within striking distance of the first-placeToronto Blue Jaysin a once-again rugged American League East. And they've zoomed up six more spots to 10th in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings. Boston is coming off a four-game sweep of Tampa Bay and opens the second half with a showdown at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. A pitching staff once strafed by injury and poor performance now has two right-handers, Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello, performing like reliable near-aces. Its lineup, bereft of Devers, has benefited from the quiet and focused rise ofsuper rookie Roman Anthony, the recent activation of All-Star Alex Bregman and the star turn of center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Over his last 21 games, Rafaela has batted .347 with a 1.152 OPS, 10 doubles and eight home runs. Little wonder Boston has won 11 of 12 in July - and is continuing to rise as the trade deadline comes into sight. A look at our updated rankings: From a roar to a whimper as they're swept to end the first half. They take a series at Yankee Stadium to barely keep control of NL Central. Shohei Ohtani is up to three innings a start, and looking better every time out. Fromred-hotto dropping five of six. An ascendant farm system adds perhaps the best prep shortstop in JoJo Parker. Can't stop theJacob Misiorowskihype train. Ready for a pennant race, kid? Kyle Schwarber probably the phans' phavorite Phillie andnow he's the NL's, too. Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga will make this an entirely different team. Aaron Judge seemed strangely invisible at the All-Star Game. In addition to his offensive exploits, rookie Carlos Narvaez leads the majors with 20 runners caught stealing. A 10-game road trip to tip off the second half may yet determine their fate. TheSummer of Dumperresumes. Next stop: 40 home runs? With Matt Chapman back, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers should thrive in second half. Have they played their way into a neutral actor at the trade deadline? In a packed NL Central race, they're the "why not us?" entry. Terry Francona reaches2,000 career wins. Nearly reaching .500 by the All-Star break is a significant feat. The last days ofEugenio Suárez? Say it ain't so. Shocked the world by drafting Tyler Bremner second overall. Rob Manfred insists they'll be sold soon. Seth Lugo would be significantly attractive on the trade market. Paul Sewald hits IL again with sore shoulder. What a week for Kyle Stowers: Three-homer game vs. his old team, and a swing-off bomb. Had a chance to make sure Bryan Baker deal wasn't beginning of end. Then get swept by Miami. A nice pop for Brian Snitker during All-Star Game introductions. Paul Skenes impresses Clayton Kershaw with workout routine. All Brent Rooker does is hit bombs in All-Star Games. They should try to bring one to Yolo County. What will the franchise look like by the time17-year-old Eli Willitsgets to the bigs? Yep, even Shane Smith got into the All-Star Game - for 10 pitches. Ethan Holliday is a nice bit of hope to sell, at least for a while. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:MLB power rankings: Red Sox roll into second half, AL East standings

byMario Satorik
in
July 17, 2025

MLB power rankings: Red Sox on 10-game win streak as post-Devers roll continues

MLB power rankings: Red Sox on 10-game win streak as post-Devers roll continues The team that made one of the strangest early-season moves i...
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NFL, NFLPA tried to bury another grievance ruling concerning players faking injuriesNew Foto - NFL, NFLPA tried to bury another grievance ruling concerning players faking injuries

The NFL and NFLPA are once again under fire for trying to bury yet another grievance ruling. The league and players' association reportedly tried tohide the resultsof a ruling focused on comments made by former union president J.C. Tretter, in which he suggested players fake injuries as a way to hold out for a better contract, according to Pablo Torre and Mike Florio. It marks at least the second ruling the NFL and NFLPA tried to prevent from being reported. Florio and Torre revealed details of the first grievance in June, which found the league and commissioner Roger Goodell encouraged teams toreduce guaranteed contractsto veteran players. The league and players' union was also accused of trying to hide certain details ofthat ruling from players. Thursday's report from Florio and Torre isn't as scandalous, though raises more questions concerning the goals andmotives of both the NFL and the NFLPA. In 2023, the NFL filed a grievance against Tretter, then the NFLPA president, over comments he made during an appearance on "The Ross Tucker Football Podcast." Tretter was asked about running back holdouts and the resistance from some teams about handing out significant deals to running backs. Tretter responded by implying it was a smart strategy for a player to fake an injury to sit out of practices while seeking a new contract. He seemed to recognize his error during the show, saying, "I don't think I'm allowed to ever recommend that, at least publicly, but I think each player needs to find a way to build up leverage to try to get a fair deal." The NFL believed Tretter's comments violated the collective-bargaining agreement, and filed a grievance against Tretter two months after that interview. Arbitrator Sidney Moreland ruled in favor of the NFL, saying Tretter's comments violated a section in the CBA, per Florio. Said the NFL, in a Tuesday statement to PFT: "The Arbitrator upheld the Management Council's grievance in its entirety and found that Mr. Tretter's statements violated the CBA by improperly encouraging players to fake injury. As a result, he prohibited Mr. Tretter and the union from such conduct in the future. The NFL did not allege that any individual player ever feigned injury. We are grateful for the arbitrator's thorough review of the evidence and order enforcing the CBA." Moreland specifically called out Article 2, Section 2 of the CBA and Article 3 in the CBA in his ruling. Article 2, Section 2 of the CBA contains a passage stating both sides will "faithfully" adhere to the rules laid out in the CBA. Article 3 deals with strikes and work stoppages. Moreland essentially ruled that Tretter's comments encouraged players to skirt CBA rules by engaging in mini work stoppages. It's unclear why both the NFL and NFLPA felt it was necessary to try and bury the ruling, however. The decision makes more sense on the NFLPA side, as they ultimately lost. The NFL's decision to hide the ruling makes less sense, as they won the grievance. The decision adds another layer of confusion to the relationship between the NFL and NFLPA. That relationship has faced scrutiny recently, as an ESPN report revealed NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howellworked as a consultantwith an NFL-ownership group during his time with the NFLPA, a possible conflict of interest. Thursday's reveal adds yet another layer of murkiness to the already confusing relationship between the NFL and NFLPA.

byMario Satorik
in
July 17, 2025

NFL, NFLPA tried to bury another grievance ruling concerning players faking injuries

NFL, NFLPA tried to bury another grievance ruling concerning players faking injuries The NFL and NFLPA are once again under fire for trying ...
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Just 1 in 4 US adults say Trump's policies have helped them, a new AP-NORC poll findsNew Foto - Just 1 in 4 US adults say Trump's policies have helped them, a new AP-NORC poll finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — Only about one-quarter of U.S. adults say that PresidentDonald Trump'spolicies have helped them since he took office, according to a new poll that finds underwhelming marks for him on key issues, including the economy,immigration, government spending and health care. In fact, the Republican president fails to earn majority approval on any of the issues included in the poll fromThe Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. He's even slipped slightly since earlier this year on immigration, which has consistently beena strength for himin his second term. And while a majority of Americans do seeDonald Trumpas at least "somewhat" capable of getting things done following the passage ofhis sprawling budget bill, fewer believe he understands the problems facing people like them. Most don't see positive impact from Trump's policies Roughly half of U.S. adults report that Trump's policies have "done more to hurt" them sincehis second termbegan six months ago, the survey found. About 2 in 10 say his policies have "not made a difference" in their lives, with about one-quarter saying his policies have "done more to help" them. The vast majority of Democrats and about half of independents say Trump's policies have had a negative impact, while even many Republicans say they haven't seen positive effects. "As it sits today, I don't know his policies have made much of a difference in my day-to-day life," said Landon Lindemer, a 29-year-old logistics manager from suburban Atlanta who voted for Trump three times. Lindemer said he generally approves of Trump's job performance, even if he has concerns about the massive spending in the big bill the presidentsigned into law on July 4. "I'm not sold it's really going to help," he said. Low but steady presidential approval ratings The mixed reviews on Trump's policies come as he struggles to follow through on key campaign promises, including lowering costs for working-class Americans, preserving popular social welfare programs like Medicaid, ending foreign wars and lowering government spending. Inflation roselast month to its highest level since February as Trump'ssweeping tariffspush up the cost of everything from groceries and clothes to furniture and appliances. Separately, Trump's budget bill included Medicaid cuts that will lead to11.8 million more Americans becoming uninsuredandadd $3.3 trillion to the national debt, the Congressional Budget Office estimated. At the same time, violent conflicts still rage in Israel and Ukraine. Overall, the new poll finds that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of Trump's job performance, a figure that's in line with his June approval but historically weak compared with recent presidents. Closer to half of U.S. adults approved of President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama at roughly the same point in their Democratic presidencies, according to polls from AP-NORC andGallup, although Biden's approval rating declined in the second half of his first year andremained lowfor the rest of his time in office. Poll respondent Bailey Neill, a 42-year-old attorney from San Antonio, said he was "terrified" of Trump. Neill, a Democrat who describes himself as a "student of history," cast Trump as an authoritarian who has followed the controversial playbook outlined inProject 2025,a conservative blueprintfor transformative changes across the federal government that Trump tried to distance himself from before the November election. "In terms of my day-to-day life, I really haven't seen a change, except for the general fear and anxiety I feel at a core level," Neill said. Most disapprove of Trump's handling of immigration, economy and more Trump earned less than 50% approval on every issue included in the new AP-NORC poll, including the economy, government spending, trade, taxes, immigration, health care and his handling of the conflict in the Middle East. Only 43% of U.S. adults said they approved of his handling of immigration, down slightly from the 49% whosupported his work on the issueback in March. Trump also appears to have lost some support for his spending decisions. About 4 in 10 Americans approve of Trump's handling of government spending, down from 46% in March. On the economy overall, roughly 4 in 10 adults approve of Trump's performance, which hasn't changed measurably in the last few months. Timothy Dwyer, of Dyersburg, Tennessee, a 26-year-old self-described independent who works in retail sales and leans Republican, said Trump's work on the economy, especiallyhis tariffs, has "really sucked." "He's turned us into a toilet and has absolutely made us the laughing stock of the world," Dwyer said of Trump's trade policies, while also lamenting the president's work on reducing grocery prices and health care. Most view Trump as effective, but fewer think he understands their needs Despite such criticism, most U.S. adults think Trump is at least somewhat effective. About 6 in 10 say "capable of getting things done" describes Trump at least "somewhat" well. And about half of U.S. adults say the same about the phrases "good negotiator" or "capable of handling a crisis." That doesn't mean they believe Trump can see things from their perspective. Most Americans, 56%, say "understands the problems facing people like you" is a phrase that describes Trump "not very well" or "not well at all." His numbers on the question are relatively weak even among those in his party: Just about half of Republicans say he understands the problems facing people like them "extremely" or "very" well. "I think he's doing quite well. He could be doing a hell of a lot worse," said poll respondent Levi Fischer, of Marshalltown, Iowa, who voted for Trump three times. Still, Fischer acknowledged that he hasn't seen the economy improve as quickly as he hoped. Trump's policies, he said, "don't make much difference in my life." ___ Peoples reported from New York. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,437 adults was conducted July 10-14, 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 3.6 percentage points.

byMario Satorik
in
July 17, 2025

Just 1 in 4 US adults say Trump's policies have helped them, a new AP-NORC poll finds

Just 1 in 4 US adults say Trump's policies have helped them, a new AP-NORC poll finds WASHINGTON (AP) — Only about one-quarter of U.S. a...
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Former Fox News host and Judge Jeanine Pirro's nomination for top D.C. prosecutor advancesNew Foto - Former Fox News host and Judge Jeanine Pirro's nomination for top D.C. prosecutor advances

Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirrohas moved one step closer to taking on a long-term role as the top federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C., after a Senate committee voted to advance her nomination July 17. The vote by the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee sets the stage for a vote by the full Senate on Pirro's bid to be the D.C. U.S. attorney. Pirro has already been serving in the role on an interim basis since mid-May, after Trump withdrew the nomination of Ed Martinin the face of oppositionfrom Sen.Thom Tillis(R-NC) due to Martin's support for Jan. 6-related defendants. The D.C. U.S. attorney's office is a particularly critical prosecutorial office, with the responsibility for enforcing laws for the nation's top government officials. The office was behind well over 1,000 prosecutions against defendants accused of committing crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol to block the peaceful transfer of power followingJoe Biden's 2020 presidential election. Trump granted clemency to all those defendants on his first day in office in 2025. This is a developing story that will be updated. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Judge Jeanine Pirro moves closer to powerful top D.C. prosecutor role

byMario Satorik
in
July 17, 2025

Former Fox News host and Judge Jeanine Pirro's nomination for top D.C. prosecutor advances

Former Fox News host and Judge Jeanine Pirro's nomination for top D.C. prosecutor advances Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirrohas moved o...
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Simone Biles win top honors at ESPYSNew Foto - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Simone Biles win top honors at ESPYS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBA Finals MVPShai Gilgeous-Alexanderand Olympic champion gymnastSimone Bileswon as best male and female athletes at the ESPYS on Wednesday night. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA championship last month while piling up hardware as league MVP and scoring champion. "It's a dream come true and for dreams to come true it takes a village," he said, thanking his wife, parents, brother and others. "Those names probably don't mean much but to me they mean everything." Biles, an 11-time Olympic medalist, claimed the night's first award, best championship performance for her efforts at the Paris Games. She won three golds and a silver while helping the U.S. win its first team title since 2016. "That was very unexpected, especially in a category of all men," Biles said after kissing her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens. She beat out Stephen Curry, Freddie Freeman and Rory McIlroy. Biles' Olympic teammate, Suni Lee, won the best comeback award for overcoming two rare kidney diseases. She brought one of her doctors to the show. Arthur Ashe Award for Courage Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage from point guard Russell Westbrook. Robertson was president of the NBA Players' Association at the time of a landmark antitrust lawsuit against the NBA in 1970. It led to an extensive reform of the league's strict free agency and draft rules and eventually to higher salaries for all players. The 86-year-old Robertson, a 12-time All Star known as The Big O during his career, was the first Black president of any sports labor union. "I knew there was work to do. There was a desperate need for players to have more career security, improved working conditions and other accommodations," he said. "In life, it's important to be persistent or as I have been called stubborn. Stubborn about what you believe in." Host Shane Gillis' awkward monologue Comedian Shane Gillis' opening monologue as host of the show that honors the past year's top athletes and sports moments went over awkwardly. Early on, he called out various famous faces in the Dolby Theatre crowd, including retired WNBA star Diana Taurasi. Gillis said, "Give it up for her" after calling her "Deanna." The camera showed an unsmiling Taurasi shaking her head. Gillis quickly caught his mistake, saying, "My bad on that." Gillis moved on to WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, who wasn't on hand. "When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she's going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist fighting Black women," he joked. While some in the audience laughed, others appeared uncomfortable. Gillis plowed on for 10 minutes, with jokes about PresidentDonald Trumpand Jeffrey Epstein, whose sex trafficking investigation has roiled the Justice Department and FBI. Gillis' performance drew mixed reviews on social media, with some calling him "hilarious" and others "cringey." Gillis' initial joke aboutNorth Carolina coach Bill Belichickand his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson drew a lot of laughs. "A bookie is what Bill Belichick reads to his girlfriend before bed time," he said. "They read 'The Very Horny Caterpillar,' 'The Little Engine That Could But Needed a Pill First' and of course the classic 'Goodnight Boobs.'" But the laugher lessened as Gillis continued. "He won six Super Bowls. He's dating a hot 24 year old. Maybe if you guys won six Super Bowls you wouldn't be sitting next to a fat ugly dog wife." Before closing it out, a smiling Gillis said, "I see a lot of you don't like me and that's OK. That's it for me. That went about exactly how we all thought it was going to go. I don't know why this happened." Icon Award Taurasi and retired U.S. national women's soccer team star Alex Morgan shared the Icon Award in recognition of their careers and major impact on sports. The women touched their trophies together in a toast. "Our mission has always been very similar," Morgan said. "We fought to leave our game in a better place than where we found it just as a generation before us did. We're standing on the shoulders of giants." Taurasi, whoretired in Februaryafter a 20-year basketball career, mentioned her parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Argentina. She also had words for the next generation. "Keep going, don't wait for someone to hand you anything, outwork them, be loyal, bring that damn fire every day," she said. "We're proof you can do it. We did it our way. No shortcuts, no apologies, and no regrets." Pat Tillman Award for Service Former athletes David Walters and Erin Regan accepted the Pat Tillman Award for Service, given to those who have served in a way that honors the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger. Walters, 37, earned a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a seven-time world championships medalist. He's now a Los Angeles city firefighter. Regan, 45, was a Wake Forest soccer player who spent one season in the pros before retiring to join the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Both Walters and Regan fought the deadly and destructive wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena in January. Jimmy V Award An emotionalKatie Schumacher-Cawleyaccepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance with her husband and children joining in the standing ovation. The Penn State women's volleyball coach was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in September. She continued coaching without missing a practice and became the first woman to guide a team to the NCAA national championship. "Cancer changed my life but it didn't take it. It didn't take my belief, it didn't take my spirit and it didn't take my team," she said. Gatorade Male and Female Players of the Year Basketball player Cameron Boozer and track and field athlete Jane Hedengren were named the Gatorade Best Male and Female Players of the Year. Boozer will be playing at Duke in the fall, following in the collegiate footsteps of his father, Carlos, a former NBA All-Star. Hedengren will compete for BYU in her hometown of Provo, Utah. ___ AP sports:https://apnews.com/sports

byMario Satorik
in
July 17, 2025

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Simone Biles win top honors at ESPYS

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Simone Biles win top honors at ESPYS LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBA Finals MVPShai Gilgeous-Alexanderand Olympic champio...
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Eugenie Bouchard set to retire after leaving 'profound' mark on Canadian tennisNew Foto - Eugenie Bouchard set to retire after leaving 'profound' mark on Canadian tennis

Eugenie Bouchard, who broke new ground for women's tennis in Canada, has announced she will retire after this year's National Bank Open in Montreal. The Canadian revealed her decision to step away in an InstagrampostWednesday, saying: "You'll know when it's time. For me, it's now. Ending where it all started: Montreal." The 31-year-old reached the Wimbledon final in 2014, becoming thefirst woman from her nationto reach a grand slam singles final in the Open Era. She also reached the semifinals of both the French Open and Australian Open earlier that year, reaching a career high of world No. 5 in October 2014. The year also saw Bouchard win her first and only singles title at Nürnberg, before she qualified for the 2014 WTA Finals. "Few athletes have left as profound a mark on Canadian tennis as Genie has throughout her extraordinary career," said Tennis Canada's CEO Gavin Ziv in astatement. "As one of the very first players to ever be part of the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers in Montreal, she achieved things that many thought would be impossible for Canadian players." He added: "She's been and still is an incredible ambassador for our sport and, on behalf of Tennis Canada, I want to thank her for everything she's done. We wish her continued success in the next chapter of her career." Her career peaked in 2014 and she never quite managed to hit the same heights again, more recently turning her attention topickleball. A distinct turning point in her trajectory as a player was the US Open in 2015, when Bouchard suffered a serious head injury after slipping on a wet locker room floor. She suffered a concussion andsued the US Tennis Association(USTA) – a jury found the organization was 75% to blame and Bouchard was 25% to blame. Her playing level never seemed to recover from that moment. Bouchard has barely played top level tennis over the last two years and has dropped out of the world's top 1,000 players. Nevertheless, her career has served as inspiration to a new generation of players coming out of Canada. "She has been one of the most important figures in the history of our sport in Canada and a trailblazer who redefined what Canadian tennis could be," National Bank Open's tournament director Valérie Tétreault said in astatement. "We are proud of everything she has done, as a player and role model, and we can't wait to see her in action one last time at IGA Stadium this summer." The National Bank Open will start on July 26, with Bouchard receiving a wild card to play in the tournament. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byMario Satorik
in
July 17, 2025

Eugenie Bouchard set to retire after leaving ‘profound’ mark on Canadian tennis

Eugenie Bouchard set to retire after leaving 'profound' mark on Canadian tennis Eugenie Bouchard, who broke new ground for women...
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Trump's approval on immigration falls to lowest level of his term, Reuters/Ipsos poll findsNew Foto - Trump's approval on immigration falls to lowest level of his term, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump's public approval rating on immigration fell in recent weeks to 41%, the lowest since his return to the White House, as Americans took a dour view of heavy-handed tactics, a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Wednesday found. The same share of respondents in the two-day poll - 41% - said they approved of Trump's overall performance as president, matching a June 21-23 reading that marked the lowest of Trump's second term so far. Trump's approval rating on immigration was 43% in the June poll. The Republican president has ordered a nationwide campaign to arrest migrants in the country illegally and has vowed to deport millions of people, executing raids at work sites including farms that were largely exempted from enforcement during his first term. The raids often feature masked officials and have provoked dozens of lawsuits. Only 28% of poll respondents said they agreed with a statement that "immigration arrests at places of work are good for the country," compared with 54% who disagreed. Republicans were notably divided, with 56% in favor of workplace raids, 24% opposed and about 20% saying they were unsure. Democrats overwhelmingly disagreed. In one recent immigration raid of a farm in California, one worker died and hundreds were arrested. Republicans were also divided when asked if they agreed with a statement that arrests of immigrants should be carried out like military operations. Sixty percent agreed and 25% disagreed. Overall, just one in three Americans supported the notion, and one in 10 Democrats. Americans were more clearly divided along partisan lines on whether immigration enforcement officials should wear masks during raids. Some 70% of Republicans said they should while the same share of Democrats said they shouldn't. Immigration policy until recently was a strong point for Trump. In Reuters/Ipsos polling on his approval on a range of issues, from foreign policy to taxation, immigration has been the only policy area where his approval reached 50% - hitting that mark in February and March. It has since trended lower, and in the latest poll 51% of respondents said they disapproved of his performance on the issue, 10 points more than the share who liked his approach. Congress passed a spending law this month that provides funding to detain at least 100,000 people, a steep increase over the record 58,000 in custody by late June. The Reuters/Ipsos survey was conducted online and nationwide, gathering responses from 1,027 U.S. adults. It had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone and Deepa Babington)

byMario Satorik
in
July 17, 2025

Trump's approval on immigration falls to lowest level of his term, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

Trump's approval on immigration falls to lowest level of his term, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Presid...
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