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Tag: sports and recreation

  • Real Madrid defeats Barcelona in El Clásico to go top of La Liga | CNN

    Real Madrid defeats Barcelona in El Clásico to go top of La Liga | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    Real Madrid and Barcelona both took to the field unbeaten in La Liga this season, with Barça leading its rival on points difference at the top of the league.

    But after the centenary edition of El Clásico at the Bernabeu stadium, it was Real Madrid who stamped its authority on the league with a 3-1 victory on Sunday, despite a late comeback from Barcelona.

    Madrid seemed to be cruising to victory after goals from Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde had given it a 2-0 lead at halftime, while midway through the second half, Benzema celebrated as if he had added a third only for it to be chalked off for offside.

    But as the game appeared to be petering out towards a regulation Madrid win, Barcelona struck through Ferran Torres to make it 2-1 and set up a grandstand finale.

    Although Barcelona continued to press for an equalizer, it was Madrid who confirmed its ultimately comfortable victory late on with a Rodrygo penalty.

    More to follow…

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  • The paw-fect caddy: Meet golf’s cutest ball collector | CNN

    The paw-fect caddy: Meet golf’s cutest ball collector | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    Lost in the rough, found with a ruff – in South London, an eagled-eyed dog and his owner have perfected an unusual solution to the evergreen problem of lost golf balls.

    During the past five years, four-legged finder Marlo has scampered through the woods and long grasses of local courses to help owner Charles Jefferson collect over 6,000 golf balls left behind by stray-shooting players.

    Admittedly more a hunter than a gatherer, the cavapoo’s penchant for chasing balls has made him an invaluable asset in tracking errant shots. Jefferson follows in Marlo’s wake with empty buckets at the ready, writing off a few balls each run as chew casualties.

    An estimated 300 million golf balls are lost each year in the US alone, and they represent a major litter problem, but also a potential source of revenue. A fully fledged retrieval industry sees contractors across the globe scouring the woods – and even lakes – of courses, with one UK-based golf ball diving company projecting that up to £100,000 (about $114,000) could be earned annually by those willing to take the plunge.

    Retailing at around £4 ($4.50) per ball first-hand, the Titleist Pro V1 represents the hole-in-one prize of the collecting world, with a perfect condition find offering up to £3 (about $3.40) in resale value.

    As a big-hitting amateur golfer of over four decades and a former employee of the European Tour, none of this was lost on Jefferson. Imagine his surprise then, when, on his first time taking the family’s newest addition for a walk around his local links course, he watched the puppy emerge from the bushes with a mint-condition Pro V1 between his jaws.

    Since then, such treasures have been a surprisingly routine find on the duo’s weekly evening trips to Mitcham Golf Club and Wimbledon Common Golf Club. Yet, other than once selling 600 Pro V1’s to friends – to sell on to other club members – for around £300 (about $340), Jefferson has never had any interest in profiting from Marlo’s discoveries.

    “I didn’t set out to go, ‘Ah I’m going to create a little business out of this’,” the 52-year-old told CNN.

    “Growing up, having golf balls was always a bit of a luxury, and having lost a lot of golf balls as well, being the type of golfer to hit the ball a long way … to me, I see a lot of value in it.

    “I partly see it as a bit of a service, picking up a lot of litter, and it’s partly for myself – I’m never going to buy a golf ball again.”

    The 300-plus Pro V1’s crammed into a drawer of Jefferson’s home are a testament to this, although he now limits his keepers to the newest, premium finds and has given bucket-loads to local charity shops.

    The rest of his finds, around 3,000 balls, were left at the course, sprinkled around the tees as “easter eggs” for golfers to discover the following morning.

    Even though it would dent his own personal supply, Jefferson longs to see golfers taking greater care to use as few balls as possible during rounds.

    “It’s a reflection of our throwaway society, and a lack of concentration,” he said. “People hit a ball and immediately they’re talking to their buddies, they haven’t tracked where their ball’s gone.

    “I just feel there’s an attention deficit going on – people almost expect that their [playing] partner is going to find it for them.”

    Tales of Jefferson’s overflowing stash of golf balls have long been a running joke among colleagues at 160over90, the branding agency where he works. So when a project arose to promote a ball-collecting container on the DP World Tour, all eyes turned to Jefferson.

    Weighing in at 12 tons when full, the repurposed 20 foot shipping container has been steadily filled with balls donated at various Tour events throughout the season – 40,000 balls so far.

    The modified container has been transported to various Tour events.

    Following it’s sixth and final appearance at the UAE’s DP World Tour Championship in November, the balls will be redistributed to five international golf beneficiaries: Kenya’s Junior Golf Foundation, the South African Disabled Golf Association, the European Disabled Golf Association, the UAE’s Chicks with Sticks, and India’s Golf Foundation.

    At the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth, London, in September, Jefferson and Marlo dropped off 600 of their finds to make an admirable dent in the container’s 200,000 ball capacity.

    Jefferson surveys the container in Wentworth.

    “I felt that was a better way than sending it to our local charity shop and some guy coming and picking up a load of balls,” Jefferson said.

    “If there was a way to give more I would, because there’s a lot of grassroots communities around the world that could benefit from half-decent golf balls.”

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  • Mariners produce sensational comeback to advance in playoffs | CNN

    Mariners produce sensational comeback to advance in playoffs | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    Seattle Mariners produced a sensational comeback on Saturday to beat Toronto Blue Jays in an MLB playoff game which also featured a violent clash that had Blue Jays’ George Springer carted off the field after he collided with teammate Bo Bichette.

    J. P. Crawford had hit a blooper into shallow center field and as the pair went for the ball, Bichette’s elbow made contact with the back of Springer’s neck.

    Bichette stayed on for the remainder of the game, while Springer departed in the eighth inning.

    After the game, Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider told reporters the 33-year-old was “doing OK.”

    “He’s going to be evaluated for a couple of different things, he said some nice things to his teammates just now,” Schneider said in the post-match press conference. “So, we’ll know more in the next couple of days.”

    Springer’s injury compounded what was an awful night for the Toronto team in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series at Rogers Centre as the Marines came back from a seven-run deficit to advance to the second round.

    According to MLB.com, the comeback was the second-largest in playoff history, the largest for a team on the road and the largest in a series-clinching game.

    The Blue Jays had an 8-1 lead after five innings, but the Mariners tallied four runs in the sixth and four more in the eighth to tie the game at 9-9. Second baseman Adam Frazier doubled in the ninth inning to drive in Cal Raleigh with the winning run.

    The Mariners will next host the Houston Astros in the best-of-five series.

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  • USWNT defeated by England in front of record Wembley crowd under shadow of Yates report | CNN

    USWNT defeated by England in front of record Wembley crowd under shadow of Yates report | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) was defeated 2-1 by England at Wembley in an international friendly that spotlighted both the increasing popularity of women’s football and its failures.

    Billed as a match-up between the world and European champions, both teams had displayed impressive form in recent months – the USWNT arrived on a 21-game unbeaten streak and England on its own 23-game unbeaten run that included winning Euro 2022.

    But the build-up to the match was dominated by matters off the pitch as, back in the US, women’s professional soccer had been left reeling from an independent investigation that found systemic abuse and misconduct within the sport.

    “It’s been an extremely difficult week for everybody and I’m proud of the players for even being on the field and playing the game,” US head coach Vltako Andonovski said after the match, according to the BBC. “It wasn’t easy.

    “I applaud their bravery and I applaud their fearless mentality and relentlessness. Once again they showed that nothing can stop them playing the game that they love. I’m very proud of them and hoping we never have to go through that again.”

    Before kickoff, both teams came together, holding a banner that read, “Protect the Players,” while the Wembley Arch was illuminated with teal light to show support for the victims of abuse.

    “First and foremost, if the players aren’t protected, then you don’t have a game, you don’t have anything. So for us to put that at the forefront of such an important night and game was really amazing and powerful for all of us,” American soccer star Megan Rapinoe said after the game, per Sky Sports.

    Throughout the match, both teams also wore teal armbands in a further display of support.

    “To take the time to do that, get the armbands – I think they were flown in from California and a little tight on some people, I’m happy I have a skinny arm – just an incredible show by all of us, some things are bigger than the game and we were able to put that on display,” Rapinoe added.

    “Obviously the report came out about our league but … it’s probably a global issue as well. To anyone in the stands tonight who has been affected by it, obviously all the players, to just show that kind of support on a night like this.”

    And the night showcased the increasing reach of women’s football as 76,893 fans gathered at Wembley Stadium – the highest attended friendly match in USWNT history – to watch both sides beginning to fine tune their preparations for next year’s World Cup.

    England took the lead after just nine minutes, as Beth Mead played a ball into the box that eluded US defender Alana Cook and landed at the feet of Lauren Hemp, who guided the ball into the goal.

    Although England continued to threaten, the American defense held firm and the USWNT tied the scores less than 20 minutes later as Sophia Smith capitalized on a mistake to fire the ball past England goalkeeper Mary Earps.

    “[Smith] seemed like she made a name for herself. But we can’t forget she’s 21 years old,” US head coach Vltako Andovnoski told media after the game, according to CBS Sports.

    “To come in an environment like this, and to be a difference maker … it just shows the potential that she has. I think that we haven’t seen the best of her [yet].

    “These are games that will expedite Soph’s development, and I’m excited to see what she’s going to look like six months from now, nine months from now.”

    Sophia Smith is one of the USWNT's rising stars.

    But England restored its lead soon after when the VAR intervened to award the home side a penalty after a high foot from Hailie Mace caught Lucy Bronze in the head. Georgia Stanway converted for a 2-1 lead.

    And the free flowing first half seemed to show no signs of abating as Smith opened up the English defense for Rapinoe who fed Trinity Rodman for a goal. But once again, the VAR intervened in England’s favor, ruling that Smith had been fractionally offside in the move.

    The second half was an altogether cagier affair as England missed two opportunities to extend its lead, allowing the USWNT a glimmer of hope.

    When the referee awarded a penalty to the Americans for handball with just 10 minutes remaining, that glimmer widened a little but replays overturned the decision and England held on to close out its first win against the reigning world champions since 2017.

    “You are the best team in the world when you have won the World Cup. We haven’t,” England head coach Sarina Wiegman told reporters, per Reuters. “We are in a good place, but there are so many good countries.

    “We just have to do what we can, control, stick together and communicate with each other at all times. We need to have the freedom to make our own choices in the game. I think we are doing well in that.”

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  • Soccer lexicon: ‘Squeaky bum time’ and ‘park the bus’ added to Oxford English Dictionary | CNN

    Soccer lexicon: ‘Squeaky bum time’ and ‘park the bus’ added to Oxford English Dictionary | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    Soccer’s lexicon is a rich reservoir of often curiously contorted cliche and phrasing, frequently the subject of parody.

    Now, the linguistic ingenuity of two of the most influential coaches in modern football – Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho – have been officially recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

    Ferguson’s phrase “squeaky bum time” and Mourinho’s “park the bus” comment were two of 15 football-themed OED additions ahead of the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

    “While the OED already covered a large number of football terms, from catenaccio to nutmeg to water carrier, this select batch of additions fills a few gaps in our formation,” the dictionary said in a statement.

    The term “squeaky bum time” originated in a 2003 media conference when Ferguson was looking to heap pressure on Manchester United’s English Premier League rival Arsenal.

    “They have a replay against Chelsea and if they win it they would face a semifinal three days before playing us in the league,” said Ferguson.

    “But then they did say they were going to win the treble, didn’t they? It’s squeaky bum time and we’ve got the experience now to cope.”

    The OED defines Ferguson’s phrase as a “a reference to the sound of someone shifting restlessly on plastic seating during tense closing stages of a contest.”

    Current AS Roma coach Mourinho, who is famed for his influence on British culture – including a cameo appearance in English rapper and singer Stormzy’s latest music video – has also made the OED cut.

    The OED’s definition of the former Chelsea manager’s “park the bus” is “to play in a very defensive way, typically by having the majority of outfield players close to their own goal and showing little attacking intent.”

    “As we say in Portugal, they brought the bus and they left the bus in front of the goal,” Mourinho said after Chelsea’s 0-0 draw against Tottenham in 2004.

    “I would have been frustrated if I had been a supporter who paid £50 [around $56] to watch this game because Spurs came to defend. I’m really frustrated because there was only one team looking to win, they only came not to concede. It’s not fair for the football we played.”

    Some of the other football-related OED entries are: “Total Football” (a brand of attacking, possession-based football often credited to the Netherlands), “Row Z” (the furthest seat from the sideline in a stadium), “False No. 9” (a player who starts in the striker position but drops deeper in the field) and “Trequartista” (an Italian expression describing a player who plays in the spaces between the midfield and strikers).

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  • Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball is valued in the region of $1-2 million, experts say | CNN

    Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball is valued in the region of $1-2 million, experts say | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    As Aaron Judge hit his record-breaking 62nd home run, one fan struck the jackpot.

    The New York Yankees slugger moved clear of Roger Maris’ single-season American League record with his 62nd home run Tuesday, and Cory Youmans – sitting in left field with a front-row seat – was the lucky fan who caught the historic souvenir at Globe Life Field.

    A Dallas resident and Texas Rangers fan, Youmans said he doesn’t know yet whether he’ll keep the ball, and after making the catch – an event that prompted euphoric celebrations – he was escorted from the section of seats by security.

    Should Youmans sell the ball, he could be set for a handsome payday.

    “In the last week or so, our colleagues at Memory Lane auction house have guaranteed to pay the person who catches the ball $2 million,” Bobby Livingston, Executive Vice President of RR Auction, told CNN.

    “With all the publicity and excitement, plus the fact that it’s Aaron Judge of the Yankees, I wouldn’t be surprised if another auction house or sports investment group purchases the ball for $5 million in the current environment of the sports memorabilia market.

    “Assuming that Judge doesn’t play tonight [against the Rangers], this ball will live forever in New York Yankee lore.”

    However, Ken Goldin, the founder of Goldin Auctions, calls the $2 million price tag a “drastic overpay” and “more of a publicity stunt,” instead valuing the ball at $1.25 million.

    “It’s a historic achievement that is boosted by the fact he is a loved player and plays for the New York Yankees,” Goldin told CNN, adding that $1.25 million would make this the second most expensive baseball ever sold.

    In 1999, Mark McGwire’s 70th home run baseball fetched $3 million at auction including commission, at the time making it the most money ever paid for a sports artifact.

    David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, agrees that higher valuations are used as a tool to generate “branding and media coverage” for auctions houses and that Judge’s 62nd home run ball is “more of a $500,000 to $1 million item from an estimated standpoint.”

    “But to be clear,” Hunt told CNN, “I certainly could see a path where it would bring a million or maybe even two if the proper bidders got involved. That’s not impossible.”

    In a statement sent to CNN, Lelands auction house called Judge’s 62nd home run ball “the most valuable baseball hit in recent years … estimated to fetch over seven figures.”

    “It’s just incredible that a $20 baseball can turn into a seven figure ball with one crack of the bat,” the statement added.

    When Judge tied Maris’ record with his 61st home run last week, no fans were able to catch the ball as it fell into the bullpen and was eventually passed along to Judge, who then gave it to his mother.

    Michael Kessler, the 20-year-old fan who caught Judge’s 60th home run, exchanged the ball for a clubhouse meet-and-greet with the Yankees slugger, four signed baseballs and a signed game bat, according to MLB.com.

    “I don’t know where it’s at,” Judge told reporters when asked about the fate of his 62nd home run ball.

    “We’ll see what happens with that. It’d be great to get it back but that’s a souvenir for a fan. They made a great catch out there and they’ve got every right to it.”

    Judge runs the bases in Arlington, Texas, after hitting his 62nd home run of the season.

    Since breaking Maris’ 61-year-old record with his 391-feet drive in the first inning of Tuesday’s game against the Rangers, Judge has received widespread praise – including from President Joe Biden.

    “Congrats @TheJudge44 on home run 62. History made, more history to make,” Biden wrote on Twitter.

    Barry Bonds holds the major league single-season record of 73 home runs, but many have cast doubt on that landmark given he – along with other players of that era – was embroiled in performance-enhancing drug scandals and allegedly used steroids. Bonds has denied those allegations.

    While it remains unclear whether Judge will play Wednesday in the final game of the regular season, he has an outside chance of winning the American League triple crown by leading the circuit in batting average, runs batted in and home runs.

    He is first in home runs and RBIs but trails Minnesota Twins star Luis Arráez in batting average.

    If Judge does play on Wednesday and hits another home run, that would likely alter the value of Tuesday night’s ball.

    “It’s not his final home run ball, it’s not the one that established a new record and thus it’s not nearly as viable,” Hunt explained.

    But there’s also a scenario whereby Youmans’ catch only increases in value.

    “If we go another 15, 20, 30 years and nobody breaks that record, this could end up being a very, very special, historic piece, which would point towards a higher value range,” said Hunt.

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  • Survivors recount horror of Indonesia stadium tragedy as officials say locked exits contributed to crush | CNN

    Survivors recount horror of Indonesia stadium tragedy as officials say locked exits contributed to crush | CNN


    Jakarta, Indonesia
    CNN
     — 

    Fans attempting to escape the chaos that erupted at Indonesia’s Kanjuruhan Stadium last Saturday became trapped after security failed to open multiple exit gates, according to the national football association, contributing to the crowd crush in which at least 131 people died.

    Security forces are facing mounting anger over their role in the disaster, amid questions over whether officers used excessive force in attempting to remove fans from the field following Arema FC’s 3-2 defeat against visitors Persebaya Surabaya.

    The disaster, one of the worst in the sport’s history, saw a number of the 42,000 Arema FC fans clash with police, prompting security forces to fire tear gas into enclosed areas of the stadium. Most of the deaths – including 33 children – are believed to have occurred as panicked fans attempted to flee the choking smoke, triggering a crush at the exits.

    Indonesian police have launched an investigation into the use of tear gas at the game in the city of Malang, leading to the suspension of nine officers from East Java province.

    But amid allegations of mismanagement by both police and the game’s organizers, survivors of the tragedy are demanding answers.

    “We were all disappointed with the match result but there was no (sign of) violence or chaos until police started firing tear gas,” said Arema fan Toni Lestari Widodo, 62.

    It only “escalated the situation” and made it worse, he said. “The police overreacted in their handling of the situation. I really don’t understand why they did it. There was really no point for violence (on their part).”

    Andi Hariyanto, 32, lost multiple members of his family in the tragedy, including his wife, two teenage daughters and nephew.

    He had remained behind with his family in the stands to avoid joining crowds rushing for the exits.

    Riot police on the field fired tear gas at supporters in the stands, he said.

    “It was a big mistake,” he said. “Don’t they know that there were many women and children who were also watching the match? I still don’t understand. What did we do to make them want to shoot us?”

    Hariyanto managed to escape the ensuing crush along with his his 2-year-old son, Gian.

    His wife, Gebi Asta Putri Purwoko, and their two daughters, Natasya Debi Ramadani, 14, and Naila Debi Anggraini, 12, did not.

    At around midnight, he returned to the stadium, where dozens of body bags were lying on the ground. “One by one, I opened the covers to find my family,” he said.

    “Then I found Natasya and Naila, lying there close to each other,” he said, fighting back tears. “I can’t remember how many bodies I checked to find them but when I finished it all, I still couldn’t find my wife.”

    In a statement Tuesday, the Football Association of Indonesia said it had permanently removed the security official responsible for regulating the stadium’s exits. It said some of the gates remained locked during the disaster owing to a failure to properly communicate orders.

    “The doors should have been open but were closed,” said Erwin Tobing, chief of the association’s discipline commission. There are 14 gates at the stadium in total.

    Safety rules and measures state that gates must be unlocked 10 minutes before the end of a match.

    On the night of the disaster, several gates were still locked minutes after the referee blew the final whistle, the association noted.

    Spokesperson Ahmad Riyadh also blamed the shortage of workers, saying that “only a few guards” had been on hand to open the gates.

    All Indonesian soccer league matches have been suspended under orders of President Joko Widodo, as official investigations are underway. On Wednesday, Widodo said he will order a “total audit” of soccer stadiums across the country in an effort to prevent any further tragedies.

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  • Avalanche kills at least 4 mountaineers in Indian Himalayas | CNN

    Avalanche kills at least 4 mountaineers in Indian Himalayas | CNN


    New Delhi
    CNN
     — 

    At least four people were killed and 28 people remain missing after an avalanche hit a group of mountaineers in the Indian Himalayas on Tuesday, according to an Indian mountaineering organization.

    In a statement Tuesday, the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering said a team of 34 trainees and seven instructors were training on Mount Draupadi ka Danda II in the northern state of Uttarakhand when they were caught in an avalanche at around 8:45 a.m. local time.

    The group was returning from the 5,670-meter (18,898 feet) peak, the statement said.

    A search and rescue operation is ongoing with assistance from the Indian Air Force and state and national disaster response forces, the statement added.

    “Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives due to [a] landslide which has struck the mountaineering expedition carried out by the Nehru Mountaineering Institute in Uttarkashi,” India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh posted on Twitter.

    Last year, more than 200 people died after part of a glacier collapsed in Uttarakhand, carrying a deadly mixture of ice, rock and water that tore through a mountain gorge and crashed through a dam.

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  • Despite faceplant, Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw becomes youngest ever London Marathon winner | CNN

    Despite faceplant, Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw becomes youngest ever London Marathon winner | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    With six miles left, Yalemzerf Yehualaw’s race seemed to have been ruined after the Ethiopian was left sprawled on the road after stumbling over a speed bump.

    The incident caused her to lose time over her rivals and later she admitted the faceplant “hurt.”

    But it didn’t stop the 23-year-old from making history on Sunday as she eventually crossed the line first to become the youngest winner of the London Marathon.

    Her victory, in two hours, 17 minutes and 25 seconds, was the third fastest time ever in the women’s race, the fastest debut time in history and an Ethiopian record.

    Yehualaw, who had only ran her fist competitive marathon in April, made her break with four miles to go and clocked a remarkable 4:43 mile split on mile 24.

    2021 champion Joyciline Jepkosgei finished 41 seconds back in second, while Ethiopia’s Alemu Megertu was third.

    In the men’s race, Kenya’s Amos Kipruto won for the first time, finishing in two hours, four minutes and 39 seconds.

    Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner set new course records as they took the men’s and women’s wheelchair titles respectively.

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  • Start your week smart: Soccer stadium tragedy, Hurricane Ian, Brazil, Ukraine, Trump | CNN

    Start your week smart: Soccer stadium tragedy, Hurricane Ian, Brazil, Ukraine, Trump | CNN

    More people are buying electric vehicles than ever before, with monthly sales nearly triple what they were four years ago. But finding a place to charge your EV when you’re away from home can be a problem depending on where you live. So, before you head out on any long road trips, take a look at these maps first.

    Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

    • At least 131 people are dead after violence erupted during an Indonesian league soccer match, according to East Java’s Governor, in what is one of the world’s deadliest stadium disasters of all time.

    • At least 67 people were killed by Hurricane Ian in Florida as it swallowed homes in its furious rushing waters, obliterated roadways and ripped down power lines. Four people were also killed in storm-related incidents in North Carolina, officials say.

    •  Polls opened in Brazil earlier today in a presidential election marred by an unprecedented climate of tension and violence. Two household names – former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and current leader Jair Bolsonaro – are battling to become the country’s next president.

    • Russian forces retreated from Lyman, a strategic city for its operations in eastern Ukraine, the Russian defense ministry said Saturday – just one day after Moscow’s annexation of the region.

    • The National Archives has told the House Oversight Committee that certain presidential records from the Trump administration remain outstanding, citing information that some White House staff used non-official electronic systems to conduct official business.

    Monday

    It’s the first Monday in October, and that means the Supreme Court will begin its 2022-23 term following the formal investiture ceremony late last week for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the bench. Jackson has been on the job since June and has already cast votes on emergency applications, but she has yet to sit for oral arguments.

    Tuesday

    Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins at sundown. Yom Kippur is considered the most important and sacred of Jewish religious holidays and is a day of fasting, repentance and worship.

    October 4 is also National Taco Day, which – as luck would have it – falls on a Tuesday this year. And yes, Choco Tacos are acceptable if you happen to find one in the back of your freezer…

    Wednesday

    October 5 is World Teachers’ Day. It’s a day to celebrate how teachers are transforming education, but also to reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their talents, and rethink the way ahead for the profession globally.

    Friday

    The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 will be announced in Oslo, Norway. Journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov won the prize in 2021 for their longstanding efforts to safeguard freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia.

    Hear more on how Hurricane Ian got so strong, so fast.

    In this week’s One Thing podcast, CNN’s chief climate correspondent Bill Weir joins us from Punta Gorda, Florida, after Hurricane Ian ripped through as a Category 4 storm – leaving multiple people dead and millions without power. We examine how residents are approaching rebuilding and why climate change is likely responsible for the storm’s rapid intensification. Listen here.

    Check out more moving, fascinating and thought-provoking images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.

    TV and streaming

    “Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire” premieres tonight at 10 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+. CNN’s Brian Lowry says the new series is a significant improvement upon the 1994 film – it ambitiously updates the story, introduces a racial component and serves up plenty of sex and gore.

    CBS is resurrecting a hit TV series from the ’70s and ‘80s as a reality dating show. “The Real Love Boat” is something of a reboot (re-boat?) of ABC’s “The Love Boat” that will chronicle the adventures of real-life singles brought together for a Mediterranean voyage – complete with its own captain, bartender and cruise director. The show sets sail Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

    Season 19 of “Grey’s Anatomy” arrives Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Star Ellen Pompeo is expected to be scaling back her role and will appear in only eight episodes while continuing as an executive producer on the long-running medical drama.

    In theaters

    Set in the 1930s, “Amsterdam” stars Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington as three friends who witness a murder, are framed for it, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history. Other notable names in the cast include Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, Taylor Swift, Rami Malek and Robert De Niro. “Amsterdam” opens on Friday.

    Football

    If you are reading this edition of 5 Things early enough this Sunday, you’ll have time to watch the Minnesota Vikings play the New Orleans Saints in London (yes, you read that right…) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The kickoff is set for 9:30 a.m. ET on the NFL Network and NFL+. It’s the first of two NFL matchups being played in London. The New York Giants will square off against the Green Bay Packers next Sunday.

    Baseball

    The 2022 MLB playoffs begin on Friday. Several teams have already punched their tickets to the postseason, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves – the reigning World Series champions.

    Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 30% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

    ‘Centerfield’

    Consider this your warmup music for the start of the baseball playoffs on Friday. (Click here to view)

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  • Jewish organization calls for lifetime bans if fans are found to have made Nazi salutes | CNN

    Jewish organization calls for lifetime bans if fans are found to have made Nazi salutes | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies has called on Football Australia to issue lifetime bans to fans found to have displayed Nazi symbols and salutes during Saturday night’s Australia Cup final.

    On Sunday, Football Australia said it will go through all the video footage and images at its disposal from Saturday night’s Australia Cup final in Sydney after it was widely reported that some fans made “the Hitler Salute.”

    At Commbank Stadium, a near-record 16,461 crowd watched Macarthur FC beat Sydney United 58 2-0.

    But the match was marred by “anti-social behaviour” and eight people were evicted from the stadium during the final, Football Australia said in a statement.

    According to reports in Australian media, some fans chanted and booed during the Welcome To Country ceremony, a sacred Indigenous tradition.

    Pictures on social media also appeared to show Nazi salutes being performed by some supporters of Sydney United 58, a club founded by Croatian immigrants in 1958.

    Football Australia, the sport’s governing body, said it would hold discussions with Sydney United 58, warning that the club and individual fans could face sanctions.

    Sydney United 58 did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

    In its statement, Football Australia said it “strongly condemns the actions of a small minority of individuals who engaged in behaviour that is not consistent with Football Australia’s values and wider community expectations.”

    It added: “Football Australia is today assessing all footage and images available of certain individuals which are of concern to our organisation and the broader Australian football community, including the displaying of the “Hitler salute”.”

    The governing body said it was “working closely” with stadium management and New South Wales Police and would take “strong and swift action.”

    Darren Bark, chief executive of NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, said in a statement to CNN: “These vile symbols and salutes have no place in modern Australian society. They represent the ultimate manifestation of evil – an evil which led to the murder of millions of innocent civilians during WWII, including six million Jews and thousands of Australian diggers who lost their lives fighting against the Nazis during WWII.”

    He added that the board, “urges the governing body to take strong action against any fan who participated in these acts, including implementing lifetime attendance bans.”

    “Football Australia should also work with Sydney United to address the concerning views which are venerated by some of its fans,” he continued.

    The crowd’s noise during the Welcome to Country, performed by Erin Wilkins before the game, “reached unacceptable levels,” Football Australia acknowledged.

    “We regret that this occurred and are reviewing all available footage and audio to further analyse the incident,” it said in its statement.

    “Football Australia has been in direct communication with Erin Wilkins during and since the match and will continue to receive hers and the Football Australia National Indigenous Advisory Group’s guidance on this matter.”

    Craig Foster, former Sydney United and Australia player, tweeted: “All involved need to be held accountable including the club.”

    Football Australia co-CEOs Beau Busch and Kathryn Gill said in a statement: “On the pitch the match reflected the universal values of fairness, respect and courage that should define our sport. Unfortunately, in the stands these values were shattered.”

    The statement added: “Our sport must now respond and the players are committed to playing an important role. An effective response will not be developed by focusing on whether or not these actions were inflicted by a minority.”

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  • Baseball great Alex Rodriguez reflects on steroid abuse, his past with J-Lo | CNN

    Baseball great Alex Rodriguez reflects on steroid abuse, his past with J-Lo | CNN

    Editor’s Note: Watch “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” on CNN TV Sundays at 7pm ET. New episodes with full-length interviews are availble on HBO Max each Friday.



    CNN
     — 

    Baseball great Alex Rodriguez is opening up about mistakes in his personal and professional life, and how they are shaping his growing business empire.

    In an interview on CNN and HBO Max’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?”, Rodriguez said the performance-enhancing drug scandal that marred his legacy was “the most embarrassing moment of my career.”

    “The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life was face my daughters Natasha and Ella and tell them this is the mistake that Daddy made,” he told host Chris Wallace

    Rodriguez said that because of the stringent culture of professional baseball, he was denied a happy ending to his otherwise legendary baseball career.

    “I understood my mistake, and I’ve taken full responsibility for it,” he added.

    The 14-time Major League Baseball all-star said he was “bullish” about the future of baseball despite warning signs that viewers are less motivated to watch games.

    Rodriguez, who just last week was passed by Albert Pujols on the MLB’s home run list, says if he were MLB commissioner he would “open the floodgates,” and give fans more access to America’s pastime.

    “We have to be proactive, meaning I would put cameras on guys,” he told Wallace. “The players that are driving to the park, I want to see them at home.”

    Rodriguez wanted coverage to expand so that fans have insight into the clubhouses, batting cages and bullpens.

    The World Series winner also advocated for Major League Baseball to plant its flag on America’s Independence Day, much like the National Football League does with Thanksgiving.

    “If you look at July 4, it’s a wide-open day. There’s no football, there’s no basketball, there’s no soccer,” he said, noting that the MLB should make the Fourth of July “all about baseball.”

    “Every game, we’re going to wire (put a microphone on) these guys and we’re going to have interviews, and everybody is at home watching baseball at a barbecue with their families.”

    Another change that Rodriguez wanted to make to baseball included increasing financial literacy education for players – like teaching them about capital markets, investments and the importance of balancing a checkbook.

    “I read something where it was over 50% of athletes were going bankrupt after their playing days,” Rodriguez said. “That’s a tragedy.”

    In his post-playing career, Rodriguez has turned his own focus to business. He told Wallace his investment firm, A-Rod Corp, is a “mini-Berkshire Hathaway” – referring to the multinational conglomerate owned by billionaire Warren Buffett, who Rodriguez considers a mentor.

    A-Rod Corp is an investment firm that houses his vast real estate holdings, as well as private equity and venture capital investments.

    “If you were to put value in our enterprise, it’s probably somewhere between 1 billion and 2 billion,” Rodriguez told Chris Wallace.

    The former shortstop also discussed his break-up with pop icon Jennifer Lopez. Lopez married actor Ben Affleck in July 2022 after she and Rodriguez ended their multi-year relationship the year prior.

    “With Jennifer, look, it was a good experience. And I wish her and the children – who are smart, and beautiful and wonderful – I wish them the very best,” Rodriguez said.

    Telling CNN’s Chris Wallace that, despite his multiple high-profile relationships, he now feels that his previous relationships and the impact of his 2014 suspension from the MLB have made him “husband material” in the future.

    Wallace asks A-Rod if he thinks he’s ‘good husband material.’ See his response

    “I think I’m going to make a wonderful partner or husband and father post-suspension because of the lessons learned of my biggest mistakes.”

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  • Indonesia stadium tragedy: 129 people dead following soccer match, police say | CNN

    Indonesia stadium tragedy: 129 people dead following soccer match, police say | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    At least 129 people are dead and about 200 more injured, police say, after chaos and violence erupted late on Saturday following an Indonesian league soccer match between two of the nation’s biggest teams.

    Supporters of Arema FC and rival Persebaya Surabaya clashed after home team Arema FC was defeated 3-2 at a match in the city of Malang in East Java.

    Supporters from the losing team had “invaded” the pitch and police fired tear gas, triggering a stampede which led to cases of suffocation, East Java police chief Nico Afinta said during a press conference following the event.

    “First of all, a riot happened,” Nico said.

    “From Saturday’s incident (so far), 127 people have died – including two members of the police,” he said earlier. Close to 200 people were also injured, he added.

    Videos filmed from inside the stadium late into the night and shared on social media showed fans, dressed in red and blue, storming the field and clashing with Indonesian security forces, who appeared to be wearing riot gear.

    Video footage broadcast on local news channels also showed images of body bags, Reuters reported.

    Smoke, which appeared to be tear gas, was also seen later in videos, with several people shown being carried into a building. The severity of their injuries remained unclear. Officials said that many had been admitted to nearby hospitals, suffering from “lack of oxygen and shortness of breath.”

    According to Nico, when Arema FC lost 2-3 in the match against Persebaya Surabaya, their supporters stormed onto the field in anger.

    S
    peaking to CNN affiliate CNN Indonesia, Sports and Youth Minister Zainudin Amali said he has asked for a full investigation into the tragedy to “determine the parties responsible.”

    “I am coordinating with the national police chief and PSSI chairman and we will go directly to the stadium pitch in Malang,” he said.

    Located in East Java, the Kanjuruhan Stadium is used mostly for soccer matches and is estimated to hold up to 42,500 people.

    While officials have not yet confirmed how many people were in attendance at the stadium during Saturday’s late night match, video footage and pictures taken by fans showed full stands of people.

    There have been previous outbreaks of trouble at matches in Indonesia, with a strong rivalry between clubs sometimes leading to violence among supporters.

    The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has suspended matches next week as a result of the deadly tragedy, and banned Arema FC from hosting games for the rest of the season.

    “PSSI regrets the actions of Aremania supporters at the Kanjuruhan Stadium,” the association’s chairman, Mochamad Iriawan, said in a statement issued on Sunday.

    He added that the incident had “tarnished the face of Indonesian football” and they were supporting official investigations into the event.

    “We are sorry and apologize to the families of the victims and all parties for the incident,” he said.

    “For that PSSI immediately formed an investigation team and immediately left for Malang,” he added.

    CNN reached out to FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, for a statement but did not immediately hear back. The Southeast Asian country is set to host

    Persebaya released a statement expressing their condolences, saying: “Persebaya’s big family expresses their deepest condolences for the loss of life after the Arema FC vs. Persebaya match. No life is worth football.”

    “Alfatihah for the victims and may the family left behind be given fortitude.”

    Security officers detain a fan during a clash between supporters of two Indonesian soccer teams at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, Indonesia.

    Indonesia is due to host the FIFA World Cup U-20 in 2023.

    Criticism is now growing over the Indonesian police’s handling of Saturday’s event. In a statement released on Sunday, watchdog group Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) called for accountability and the “removal” of Malang Police Chief Ferli Hidayat.

    “This is the worst event in Indonesian soccer. The police chief should be ashamed and resign,” IPW said.

    “The death toll must be thoroughly investigated and President Jokowi must pay attention,” it added.

    Exiled Indonesia rights advocate Veronica Koman of Amnesty International condemned the police’s use of tear gas.

    “This instance of abuse of tear gas by police is unlawful and amounts to torture,” she said.

    “Tear gas is illegal in warfare – but why is it still legal for domestic use?”

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  • NFL players’ union terminates neurotrauma consultant involved in evaluation of Dolphins’ player concussion, reports say | CNN

    NFL players’ union terminates neurotrauma consultant involved in evaluation of Dolphins’ player concussion, reports say | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    The National Football League Players Association has terminated the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who was involved in the evaluation of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a concussion during their game against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, according to multiple reports, including from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, citing unnamed sources.

    The unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant was terminated after it was found they made “several mistakes” in their evaluation, according to ESPN, citing an unnamed source.

    CNN has reached out to the NFLPA but did not immediately receive a response.

    The National Football League and the NFLPA released a joint statement on Saturday, saying that while the investigation into the handling of Tagovalioa’s concussion protocols remain ongoing, both sides have agreed that updates to the protocols are required.

    The NFL and NFLPA said they “anticipate changes to the protocol being made in the coming days based on what has been learned thus far in the review process.”

    On Sunday, the NFLPA told the league it would initiate a review into the handling of Tagovailoa’s apparent head injury. The NFL later confirmed to CNN that a joint investigation would take place.

    In the Dolphins’ 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa was knocked out of the game briefly in the second quarter after a hit by Bills linebacker Matt Milano forced the back of his helmet to hit the turf. The 24-year-old third-year quarterback got up stumbling and was taken to the locker room for a concussion check. Milano was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty.

    The Dolphins initially announced Tagovailoa was questionable to return to the game with a head injury but came back out onto the field in the third quarter and finished the game throwing for 186 yards and a touchdown.

    Tagovailoa told reporters after the game that he fell onto his back before his head hit the turf causing his back to lock up and the stumbling. He added that he was evaluated for a concussion but was ultimately cleared.

    “The adrenaline kept me going,” Tagovailoa added.

    Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel alluded to a back injury after the game, saying that Tagovailoa back got “bent” on an earlier play but the hit “loosened his back” causing his legs to get wobbly. McDaniel added that Tagovailoa told him that his back was like “Gumby.”

    The NFL and Dolphins are under scrutiny for the decision to allow Tagovailoa to play another game on Thursday.

    Tagovailoa was sacked by Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Josh Tupou in the second quarter of that game and lay motionless on the field for several minutes. The entire Dolphins sideline walked onto the field as he was placed on a backboard and stretcher before being taken to the hospital. Bengals fans in attendance at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati showed their respect as Tagovailoa was carted off the field.

    In a statement Thursday night, the NFLPA said player health and safety were at the “core” of their mission.

    “Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery,” it said. “Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing.”

    McDaniel told reporters on Friday that Tagovailoa was in concussion protocol after Thursday’s but gave no timetable for his return to the field.

    Video showed Tagovailoa’s forearms were flexed and his fingers contorted – a sign that CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, said is a “fencing response” and can be linked to a brain injury.

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  • Two concussions don’t always add up to second impact syndrome | CNN

    Two concussions don’t always add up to second impact syndrome | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    The NFL has been thrust back into the concussion debate after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took two big hits just four days apart.

    This time, the debate involves whether Tagovailoa was appropriately cleared to play, with some fans concerned he was at risk of a condition called second impact syndrome.

    On Sunday, Tagovailoa left a game in the second quarter after a hit from the Buffalo Bills’ Matt Milano caused him to fall backward and hit his helmet on the turf. On his way back to the line of scrimmage, Tagovailoa stumbled and fell.

    NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport said Tagovailoa was checked for a concussion and cleared, and he came back onto the field in the third quarter.

    In a postgame news conference Sunday, Tagovailoa explained it felt as if he had hyperextended his back.

    “My back kind of locked up on me. But for the most part, I’m good. Passed whatever concussion protocol they had,” he said.

    On Thursday, Tagovailoa was back in the lineup against the Cincinnati Bengals. During the second quarter, he was sacked by defensive lineman Josh Tupou and lay motionless for several minutes before being taken off the field in a stretcher and sent to a hospital for evaluation.

    The Dolphins reported Tagovailoa was diagnosed with a concussion at the hospital but cleared to fly back home with the rest of his team. On Friday, head coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa is following the NFL’s concussion protocol, with no clear timeline of when he’ll return to the field.

    A concussion is a brain injury which happens after a hit to the head causes the brain to move back and forth inside the skull. But even after the organ itself stops shaking, there can still be changes in the brain.

    Neuroscientist Julie Stamm, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, describes it as a cascade of chemical events. “It takes time. Each of these metabolites and chemicals in the brain has a different trajectory in how they recover,” she said.

    She pointed out it can typically take 10 to 14 days after a concussion for the brain to get back to its baseline condition.

    Stamm has not treated or evaluated Tagovailoa but noted, based on what she saw of Sunday’s game against the Bills, it is very possible he had a concussion.

    “He initially grabbed his helmet and shook his head. That is a clear sign that you’re trying to shake the cobwebs,” she observed.

    Watching him fall was particularly concerning. “It didn’t look like it was his back that caused him to fall down. It looked like he just lost balance, and then his teammates are trying to hold him up.”

    The team stated it followed the concussion protocols, and Tagovailoa was cleared to return to the game.

    Later, McDaniel told reporters, “Tua went out with a lower back. He really got bent back on a quarterback sneak earlier. … His legs got wobbly because his back was loose. As he described it, his lower back was like Gumby.”

    But Stamm acknowledged even if someone doesn’t notice symptoms, they can still have a brain injury. “It’s possible that he may have felt better after, so he may not have felt like he had symptoms anymore.”

    Before Thursday’s game, social media lit up about Tagovailoa starting despite his injury from Sunday. But after Thursday’s hit, many fans began to suggest Tagovailoa may have second impact syndrome.

    “What we currently believe second impact syndrome to be is a second blow to the head or second concussion prior to the resolution of a first one. And that can result in uncontrolled swelling of the brain,” explained Steven Broglio, director of the University of Michigan’s Concussion Center. Broglio is a certified athletic trainer and is a lead author on the National Athletic Trainers’ Association position statement on management of sport concussion. He has not been involved in Tagovailoa’s care.

    Broglio said to think of your skull like a box, with your brain inside the box. In the case of second impact syndrome, the second hit compresses the box, and portions of the brain controlling vital functions like breathing and heart rate can stop working.

    Stamm said the changes happen very rapidly and can lead to permanent brain injury or even death.

    But both Broglio and Stamm stressed second impact syndrome in this sense is very rare, and happens typically among younger athletes.

    “This is a part we don’t quite understand, but it tends to be only in younger athletes; so middle school or high school,” Broglio said.

    Even if Tagovailoa had been concussed in Sunday’s game, what happened Thursday night wouldn’t be second impact syndrome in the traditional sense, Broglio emphasized. “If somebody had true brain swelling and potentially brain herniation through the bottom of the skull, he would not be getting out today.”

    But even without brain swelling, a potential second concussion could make recovery worse, Stamm added.

    “When someone has a second concussion before they’ve healed from the first one, we often see worse symptoms compared to the first one. Those symptoms can be more severe. The symptoms tend to last longer. The recovery is much slower,” she said.

    Of greatest concern to Stamm is immediately after Thursday’s hit, Tagovailoa’s hands were stiff and splayed, a posture known as the fencing response.

    “That was something that jumped out at me right away,” she recounted. “Whenever you have a posturing like that, it suggests an injury that is potentially involving the brain stem.”

    McDaniel admitted after the game “it was a scary moment. … That was an emotional moment that is not part of the deal that anyone signs up for, even though you know it’s a possibility in football to have something that you have to be taken off on a stretcher.”

    Tagovailoa issued a statement on Twitter on Friday, which read, “I’m feeling much better and focused on recovering so I can get back out on the field with my teammates.”

    The NFL Players Association is conducting an investigation into whether the Miami Dolphins violated concussion protocols in determining Tagovailoa’s readiness to play.

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  • Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa taken off the field on stretcher during game against Bengals | CNN

    Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa taken off the field on stretcher during game against Bengals | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    The Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was taken off the field on a stretcher on Thursday during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, after suffering apparent head and neck injuries.

    Tagovailoa is conscious, has movement in all his extremities and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation, the team said in an update.

    In the second quarter, Tagovailoa was sacked by Bengals defensive lineman Josh Tupou and laid motionless on the field for several minutes.

    The entire Dolphins sidelines walked onto the field as Tagovailoa was placed on the backboard and stretcher.

    Bengals fans in attendance at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati showed their respect as Tagovailoa was carted off the field.

    Tua Tagovailoa being examined during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, on September 29.

    The injury comes days after the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) told the National Football League (NFL) it wants to initiate a review into the handling of Tagovailoa’s apparent head injury suffered during the team’s game on Sunday.

    The Dolphins later said Tagovailoa suffered a back injury, not a head injury.

    Tagovailoa was listed as questionable to play before tonight’s game with a back injury.

    The Bengals currently lead 14-12 at halftime.

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  • Spain stuns Portugal with late goal to reach Nations League finals | CNN

    Spain stuns Portugal with late goal to reach Nations League finals | CNN




    CNN
     — 

    Spain secured a dramatic, late victory against Portugal to qualify for next year’s Nations League finals.

    Portugal had looked more likely to take the lead throughout Tuesday’s match in Braga, but Álvaro Morata’s goal with two minutes remaining handed Spain an unlikely victory – the country’s first win in Portugal since 2003.

    The 1-0 scoreline means La Roja narrowly topped Group A2 on 11 points – one ahead of Portugal and two ahead of Switzerland – and joins Croatia, Italy and the Netherlands in the finals.

    Portugal, needing only a draw to the top the group, came close in the first half when Diogo Jota was denied by a strong save from Unai Simón.

    The goalkeeper then denied Cristiano Ronaldo, who was put through on goal by Jota’s pass, from close range at the start of the second half before Rúben Dias saw his shot cleared over the bar by Dani Carvajal.

    As the match entered its closing stages and a draw seemed the likeliest result, substitute Nico Williams headed across goal and into the path of Morata, who hooked a shot into the open net to spark jubilant celebrations among the Spanish players and coaching staff.

    Portugal had one more chance to level and return to the top of the group, but Ronaldo once again had a shot blocked by the legs of Simón.

    “If we were knocked out, it had to be by leaving everything on the field and that’s how it was one more time for us,” Atlético Madrid’s Morata told reporters after the game, according to Reuters.

    “Every time that Spain have to show up in big games, we do it. That’s how we do it and tonight we did it again.”

    A surprise 2-1 defeat at home against Switzerland on Saturday seemed to have put qualifying for the Nations League finals out of reach for Spain before Morata’s late goal.

    The finals take place in June next year with the host country chosen in January.



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  • Golf’s new Saudi deal presents questionable political, business and sporting realities | CNN Politics

    Golf’s new Saudi deal presents questionable political, business and sporting realities | CNN Politics



    CNN
     — 

    The PGA Tour once advertised its brightest stars with the catch phrase “These guys are good.” A better slogan might now be “These guys are even richer.”

    In a bombshell announcement so staggering that many golf fans thought it was fake at first, the venerable PGA Tour unveiled a partnership Tuesday with Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund, the financier of its sworn rival LIV Golf – a breakaway circuit that split the sport and seeded feuds among its top players.

    The deal means that the PGA Tour – built on the image of quintessentially American Arnold Palmer, who epitomized post World War II US values – will now rest atop a pile of money put up by the regime that the US blamed for the murdering and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, that was home to 15 of the 19 hijackers of September 11, 2001, attack, and that has frequently been condemned by Washington for infringing women’s rights.

    It is beyond doubt that the new reality of pro-golf will mean a better spectacle for fans since it will end the split between the two rival tours and will also fold in the DP World Tour (formerly known as the European tour) and mean the brightest stars will play one another more often.

    For many sports fans in the US and elsewhere, that’s just fine. They like to plop down on the couch and watch their favorite golfer on the back nine on Sunday or their Gulf-owned Premier League team on TV. Who can begrudge them one oasis free from bitter, tribal modern politics?

    And the deal is also undeniably a great piece of business, assuming PGA Tour players accept it. Global golfers stand to win a lot more money, various tours will be invigorated and Saudi Arabia’s government and its ruthless leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), get to be associated with one of the planet’s most prestigious year-round sporting properties. And all pending litigation between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour was also mutually ended under the new agreement.

    But for others, Tuesday’s peace deal on the links raises painful moral issues. It also exposes top PGA leaders – who had blasted golfers who defected to LIV – to accusations of hypocrisy and reflects the way modern professional sports are hostage to the highest bidders. This can only pose uncomfortable questions to fans whose values and history clash with those of distant and sometimes politically dicey entities who effectively own their teams and top stars.

    PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, for instance, had some explaining to do – not least to the tour’s players gathered at the Canadian Open this week after many tweeted that they had no advance notice of the deal. Monahan had played the 9/11 card last year at the same event, saying that two families that were close to him had lost loved ones in the worst terror attack on American soil, adding, “I would ask any player that has left, or any player that would ever consider leaving, have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”

    Now Monahan stands to be the effective supremo of global golf, save for the four majors – the sport’s most prestigious tournaments – aided by a gusher of Saudi cash.

    9/11 Families United effectively accused Monahan of using the tragedy as leverage in a business deal to reunite golf. He “co-opted the 9/11 community last year in the PGA’s unequivocal agreement that the Saudi LIV project was nothing more than sports washing of Saudi Arabia’s reputation,” the group said in a statement. “But now the PGA and Monahan appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills, taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation so that Americans and the world will forget how the Kingdom spent their billions of dollars before 9/11 to fund terrorism, spread their vitriolic hatred of Americans, and finance al Qaeda and the murder of our loved ones.”

    Monahan was asked about his reversal after what he said was a “heated” meeting with PGA Tour players on Tuesday.

    “I recognize that people are going to call me a hypocrite,” he said. “Anytime I said anything, I said it with the information that I had at that moment, and I said it based on someone that’s trying to compete for the PGA TOUR and our players.”

    Major champions who jumped to the rival circuit last year like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Cam Smith might also now wonder whether their PGA tour brethren will face the same grilling over human rights that they had to endure at the time.

    One very famous golfer was delighted by the deal and seemed keen to claim some reflected credit – former President Donald Trump. The current front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination associated himself with LIV after the PGA Tour and other golf governing bodies distanced themselves from him over his radioactive political reputation. Trump has hosted several tournaments at his courses for LIV – a circuit that sits well with his record of refusing to sever links with the Saudis over the murder of Khashoggi in 2018, reasoning that the Saudis were great customers of the US.

    “A big, beautiful, and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf. Congrats to all!!!” Trump wrote in block capital letters on his Truth Social platform.

    Some defenders of LIV golfers have pointed out that the players were only making a choice to prioritize personal interests over moral ones in partnering with the Saudis – a calculus that mirrored decades of US foreign policy. Indeed, President Joe Biden had called on the 2020 campaign trail for the kingdom to be treated as a “pariah” because of Khashoggi’s murder only to travel to the kingdom as president to fist-bump MBS when he needed a spike in oil price production to bring down American gas prices.

    On Tuesday, after the LIV/PGA partnership was announced, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sat down for talks with the Crown Prince in Riyadh.

    The idea that politics and sport shouldn’t mix has always been quaint. The Olympics and the World Cup are two of the planet’s most political spectacles after all. And modern sport has long run on money as monster TV rights contracts translate into huge salaries for top soccer players, Formula One Drivers, NBA stars and the top names in other sports.

    But Tuesday’s LIV/PGA Tour agreement lays bare questions of morality so starkly precisely because of the way golf has sold itself. In a sport where players call penalties on themselves, and commentators idolize top players in whispered tones as paragons of gentlemanly conduct, patriotism and family values, the origin of the sport’s new financial lifeline is glaring.

    The PGA Tour and Saudi partnership may be the most prominent example yet of the phenomenon known as sports washing, whereby an authoritarian nation seeking to buff up its image – despite serious criticism over its political system and human rights performance – woos the world’s top sporting stars. China was accused of such an agenda with its 2008 and 2022 Summer and Winter Olympics, where attempts at political activism largely fizzled under its repressive rule. The Qatar World Cup last year was another example of a nation that used its financial muscle to present a new image to the world. Various controversies during the tournament over LGBTQ rights and the plight of workers who built the stadiums undercut global governing body FIFA’s pretensions to inclusion.

    The Saudis, Qataris and others are using their oil wealth to buy themselves a foothold among the world’s most powerful nations and to create tourism, entertainment and sporting legacies to sustain them when their reserves of carbon energy are depleted.

    This mirrors a global shift in power and especially financial muscle – from the capitals of Western Europe to new epicenters in the emerging economies of the Middle East, India and China. Soccer, like golf, is taking its share of the cash. Traditional working class football clubs knitted into their communities for decades in the UK, for example, now suddenly find themselves owned by foreign energy magnates. Premier League giant Manchester City was bought by a United Arab Emirates-led group. And Newcastle United is owned by a Saudi Arabia-led consortium, forcing fans to consider (or not) the ethical dimensions of their support for their hometown clubs. And global cricket has been transformed by the Indian Premier League, which pays lavish salaries in a shortened form of the game.

    One of the top names in soccer, Cristiano Ronaldo, is playing out the twilight of a glorious career spent at Europe’s top clubs in the up-and-coming Saudi league for a massive salary. And on Tuesday, Saudi team Al-Ittihad announced the signing of Real Madrid and French forward Karim Benzema, completing a sporting double whammy for the kingdom.

    There are as many sporting questions about the PGA Tour/LIV Golf partnership that remain unanswered. The partnership combines the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s golf-related commercial businesses and rights (including LIV Golf) with the commercial businesses and rights of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour into a new, collectively owned, for-profit entity. A spokesman for the PGA tour told CNN that the deal is not a merger.

    “After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” Monahan said, describing a “transformational partnership” that would “benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.”

    Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, told CNBC he expected the partnership to be finalized within weeks and revealed, in a stunning move, that he had told LIV figurehead and Hall of Famer Greg Norman about the deal only moments before going on air.

    LIV lured some of the PGA Tour’s top stars with massive signing bonuses and huge purses at substantially fewer events than the PGA tour, prompting the premier US circuit to unveil its own select “designated events” with upped prize money. The two sides were locked in bitter legal battles that have now been resolved.

    It remains unclear, however, what steps LIV stars will have to take to potentially be able to return to events like The Players Championship, currently hosted on the PGA tour from which they were banned.

    Then there is the question of how current PGA Tour members will respond.

    Former British Open Champion Collin Morikawa tweeted, “I love finding out morning news on Twitter.”

    The sudden announcement also did not specify what would happen to LIV tour events, which have struggled to draw a strong TV audience, beyond this season. Monahan’s announcement did hint that the new entity was committed to the new format of team events that has been introduced by LIV, to compliment golf’s traditional reliance on individual tournaments.

    The golfer with the widest smile on Tuesday was probably Mickelson. The three-time Masters champion took the most heat for deserting the PGA tour for a reported massive payday, and was one of the most outspoken supporters of LIV – a breakaway he argued was a way to revolutionize the structure of professional golf and to secure more rewards for players.

    Mickelson was also open about the reality of partnering with the Saudis, calling them “scary m*therf**kers to get involved with,” in an interview with golf journalist Alan Shipnuck that he later claimed was off the record. Shipnuck has written that he offered Mickelson no such agreement.

    On Tuesday, Mickelson simply tweeted: “Awesome day today,” with a smiley sunshine emoji.

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  • Witness says Rep. Ronny Jackson handcuffed and ‘briefly detained’ during rodeo while trying to assist with medical emergency | CNN Politics

    Witness says Rep. Ronny Jackson handcuffed and ‘briefly detained’ during rodeo while trying to assist with medical emergency | CNN Politics



    CNN
     — 

    Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas was handcuffed and placed on the ground face-first by local law enforcement while he was trying to assist a teenage girl in medical distress at a rodeo over the weekend, according to a witness who spoke to CNN.

    In a Facebook post, Linda Dianne Shouse, a home healthcare and traveling nurse, said her 15-year-old relative was “seizing due to possible hypoglycemia” Saturday night at the White Deer rodeo, about 45 miles northeast of Amarillo, Texas. Jackson represents the Amarillo area and was an attendee at the rodeo.

    Shouse said she and another family member, who is also a nurse, were attending to the girl when Jackson, who is an ER physician, stepped in to assist. Shouse said she didn’t know Jackson was a congressman at the time but told CNN they were all working together to help the teen girl.

    “We were just waiting for EMS to get there. The police came up, the deputies, highway patrol, and everyone was just screaming, ‘Get back, get back, get back,’” she said during an interview.

    Shouse said she was pushed back and then punched in the chest by a woman and said she saw a law enforcement official screaming in Jackson’s face, telling him to “Get the f**k back.”

    “He was trying to tell them that he was a doctor and probably trying to tell him who he was, to be honest. And they were screaming that they did not effing care who he was,” she said. “And the next thing I knew, they had him on the ground, grabbed him by the shirt, threw him on the ground, face first into the concrete and had him in cuffs.”

    Shouse said once they realized Jackson was a congressman and doctor, they uncuffed him and started apologizing.

    “We had the scene under control. We were just ready to give a report to EMS and get the patient out of there. And that’s not what happened,” Shouse said, recalling what she described as a “loud, chaotic” situation. “She wound up going eventually, but whenever you have someone laying there – when it could be neurological – time is on your hands.”

    In a statement provided to CNN, a spokesperson for Jackson said the congressman was “briefly detained” while trying to help the teenager. When Jackson approached the scene, a relative of the girl, who is a nurse, was assisting the 15-year-old. Jackson asked if the relative needed any help, and she said she did, according to the statement.

    “While assessing the patient in a very loud and chaotic environment, confusion developed with law enforcement on the scene and Dr. Jackson was briefly detained and was actually prevented from further assisting the patient,” the spokesperson said.

    His office believes he was detained for a matter of minutes. Jackson was released immediately when officers realized that he was tending to the medical emergency, the spokesperson said. Jackson’s office did not deny he was handcuffed during the incident.

    According to the Texas Tribune, Carson County Sheriff Tam Terry said in a statement that one person was “temporarily detained” at the rodeo on Saturday night and his department was “reviewing the incident.”

    CNN has reached out to Sheriff Tam Terry of Carson County for further comment. CNN has also reached out to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

    Jackson previously served as the White House physician for Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He retired from the US Navy as a rear admiral in 2019 and was elected in 2020 to represent the 13th Congressional District in Texas.

    Shouse said the girl is back in her hometown and undergoing further evaluation.

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  • ‘Peril to our democracy’: Chilling lines from the judge who sentenced the Oath Keepers’ leader | CNN Politics

    ‘Peril to our democracy’: Chilling lines from the judge who sentenced the Oath Keepers’ leader | CNN Politics



    CNN
     — 

    Judge Amit Mehta on Thursday handed down an 18-year prison sentence for the leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that ended with the violent attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

    Before announcing the sentence, however, Mehta, a nominee of former President Barack Obama, delivered a chilling address to Rhodes about the impact of his seditious conspiracy crimes on American democracy.

    The federal judges in Washington, DC, who work just blocks from the US Capitol, have served as a conscience of democracy since January 6. They have rejected defenses that downplay the seriousness of the Capitol attack, spoken out about future dangers to the peaceful transfer of power and – while they have criticized former President Donald Trump – reminded defendants they are responsible for their actions.

    Here are some of the powerful lines from the judge on Thursday:

    “I dare say, Mr. Rhodes – and I never have said this to anyone I have sentenced – you pose an ongoing threat and peril to our democracy and the fabric of this country,” Mehta said.

    “I dare say we all now hold our collective breaths when an election is approaching. Will we have another January 6 again? That remains to be seen.”

    The judge, refuting claims Rhodes made during a 20-minute rant earlier in the day, added: “You are not a political prisoner, Mr. Rhodes. That is not why you are here. It is not because of your beliefs. It is not because Joe Biden is the president right now.”

    The sentence is the first handed down in over a decade for seditious conspiracy and Mehta said he wanted to explain the offense to the public. He did not mince words.

    “A seditious conspiracy, when you take those two concepts and put it together, is among the most serious crimes an American can commit. It is an offense against the government to use force. It is an offense against the people of our country,” the judge said.

    “It is a series of acts in which you and others committed to use force, including potentially with weapons, against the government of the United States as it transitioned from one president to another. And what was the motive? You didn’t like the new guy.”

    “Let me be clear about one thing to you, Mr. Rhodes, and anybody who else that is listening. In this country we don’t paint with a broad brush, and shame on you if you do. Just because somebody supports the former president, it doesn’t mean they are a White supremacist, a White nationalist. It just means they voted for the other guy.”

    “What we absolutely cannot have is a group of citizens who – because they did not like the outcome of an election, who did not believe the law was followed as it should be – foment revolution.”

    Mehta echoed these warnings later Thursday, when addressing a second Oath Keepers defendant, Kelly Meggs.

    “You don’t take to the streets with rifles,” he said. “You don’t hope that the president invokes the insurrection act so you can start a war in the streets… You don’t rush into the US Capitol with the hope to stop the electoral vote count.”

    “It is astonishing to me how average Americans somehow transformed into criminals in the weeks before and on January 6,” the judge said.

    Mehta said Rhodes, 58, has expressed no remorse and continues to be a threat.

    “It would be one thing, Mr. Rhodes, if after January 6 you had looked at what happened that day and said … that was not a good day for our democracy. But you celebrated it, you thought it was a good thing,” the judge said.

    “Even as you have been incarcerated you have continued to allude to violence as an acceptable means to address grievances.”

    “Nothing has changed, Mr. Rhodes, nothing has changed. And the reality is as you sit here today and as we heard you speak, the moment you are released you will be prepared to take up arms against our government. And not because you are a political prisoner, not because of the 2020 election, because you think this is a valid way to address grievances.”

    “American democracy doesn’t work, Mr. Rhodes, if when you think the Constitution has not been complied with it puts you in a bad place, because from what I’m hearing, when you think you are in a bad place, the rest of us are too. We are all the objects of your plans to – and your willingness to – engage in violence.”

    Mehta granted a Justice Department request to enhance the potential sentence against Rhodes, ruling that his actions amounted to domestic terrorism.

    “He was the one giving the orders,” Mehta said. “He was the one organizing the teams that day. He was the reason they were in fact in Washington, DC. Oath Keepers wouldn’t have been there but for Stewart Rhodes, I don’t think anyone contends otherwise. He was the one who gave the order to go, and they went.”

    During the sentencing hearing of Meggs, who was also convicted of seditious conspiracy, the judge again pegged Rhodes as the ringleader.

    “It is in part because of Mr. Rhodes, frankly, that Mr. Meggs is sitting here today.”

    On Wednesday, several police officers and congressional staffers who were at the Capitol on January 6 testified about their experiences, injuries and the aftermath. Mehta said their bravery and actions are also an important legacy of the attack, as officers put their bodies on the line.

    “The other enduring legacy is what we saw yesterday,” the judge said. “It is the heroism of police officers and those working in Congress … to protect democracy as we know it. That is what they are doing.”

    Before he was sentenced, Rhodes addressed the court for 20 minutes about the charges against him, repeating falsehoods about 2020 election fraud, claiming he was a political prisoner and expressing his desire to continue fighting.

    “It’s not simply a conspiracy theory or a false narrative about fraud. It’s about the Constitution,” Rhodes said, later shouting: “I am not able to drop that under my oath. I am not able to ignore the Constitution.”

    The judge had none of that, and compared Rhodes’ comments to the heroism of police officers and others protecting the Capitol: “We want to talk about keeping oaths? There is nobody more emblematic of keeping their oaths, Mr. Rhodes.”

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