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The Champions League final on Saturday will be an especially busy one for Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, perhaps the most multi-tasked official in world soccer. As president of Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain since 2011, Al-Khelaïfi's main goal is seeing his team become champion of Europe for the first time against Inter Milan in Munich. As chairman of the influential European Club Association, he leads 700 member teams increasingly taking over from UEFA inshaping sportingandcommercial decisions for the Champions League.It also puts him on UEFA's strategy-setting executive committee. As chairman of Qatari broadcaster beIN Media Group, Al-Khelaïfi controls exclusive Champions League rights to air the final in the Middle East, North Africa and much of South-East Asia. "Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is considered a visionary leader in the media industry,"beIN says on its website, adding that in 2016 he "alsoacquired the Hollywood film studio Miramax." He also is a minister in Qatar's government, a director of its sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and chairman of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) that owns PSG. QSI and Al-Khelaïfi — a former tennis professional — also are key in the fast-emerging racket sport padel which hasambitions to be an Olympic sport, maybe in time for the2036 Summer Gamesthat Qatar and its tennis-loving Emir want to host. Among the invited VIP guests in Munich is Thomas Bach, theoutgoing though still influential presidentof the International Olympic Committee. Saturday can be a peak of Al-Khelaïfi's 14-year career in international soccer that has fueled talk — despiteongoing investigationsof his sports career by French authorities — he could be a future FIFA president. Al-Khelaïfi declined comment to The Associated Press after a recent UEFA meeting in Bilbao, Spain. In a statement, PSG said he "doesn't want to be a distraction and wants humble focus for the team." From tennis to soccer Now aged 51, Al-Khelaïfi was a tennis pro who played for Qatar in the Davis Cup, bringing him into contact with the future Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Al-Khelaïfi'sATP biographyshows his ranking peaked at No. 995 and he played two matches on tour. The first in 1996 was against world No. 2 Thomas Muster in Austria.Brief footage shows a good-natured exchangeof shots with Muster in a 6-0, 6-1 mismatch. Al-Khelaïfi's career ended in 2003 and he joined the start-up Al Jazeera Sport as "Director of Rights Acquisitions,"according to beIN. Qatar stunned soccer in 2010, when FIFA awarded it 2022 World Cup hosting rights, and PSG was bought within months. Rising in soccer The rise of ambitious clubs fueled by Middle East sovereign cash — Qatar and PSG, Abu Dhabi and Manchester City — concerned the storied elite. The ECA helped UEFA introduce financial control rules for European competitions that saw both clubsdeducted 20 million euros ($22.7 million)of Champions League prize money in 2014. Still, while Man City did not get on the ECA board, Al-Khelaïfi was elected in 2016. Three years later he got one of two seats reserved for clubs on the UEFA executive committee (ExCo) — despite in-house cautioning about conflicts of interest. Conflicted interests? On election day in 2019 in Rome, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was asked about potential conflicts of interest around Al-Khelaïfi. BeIN was, and still is, among UEFA's main clients also owning extensive European Championship rights. Ceferin's narrowly focused answer was that ExCo members are not involved in approving commercial deals. Any conflict worked in UEFA's favor in 2021 when ECA leaders launched the Super League project designed to rival and replace the Champions League, which beIN broadcasts. PSG's refusal to join rebel clubs from Spain, Italy and England helped to undermine thebreakaway that ultimately failedamid a fan backlash and British government threats of legislation. In the fallout, Al-Khelaïfi took over leading the ECA and quickly repaired relations with UEFA and Ceferin. One year later, UEFAopened a disciplinary caseinto claims the PSG president confronted the match referee after losing in the Champions League at Real Madrid. When UEFA published the verdict Al-Khelaïfi was no longer cited andblame was puton sporting director Leonardo, who PSG had fired weeks earlier. Challenges in France Al-Khelaïfi is not always popular in France where PSG has won 11 of 14 league titles during Qatari ownership. His powerful role has attracted criticism, particularly from John Textor, the American owner at Lyon, including that PSG's funding model involving Qatari money allegedly breaks European Union laws. The pair have argued about poor management of the league's TV rights. In leaked footage from a 2024 meeting of Ligue 1 club owners, Al-Khelaïfi calledTextor a cowboy. Textor described his rival as a bully with a conflict of interest given his role at beIN. Al-Khelaïfi's legal challenges in France include some not related to PSG. The recent preliminary charges about possible alleged corruption relate to his links to a French businessman. Proceedings were dropped in relation toQatari bids to host track and field's world championships, which Doha staged in 2019. In Switzerland, Al-Khelaïfistood trial twiceand was acquitted both times on charges of inciting a top FIFA official to commit aggravated criminal mismanagement from 2013-15. His lawyers said after the second acquittal in 2022 that "years of baseless allegations, fictitious charges and constant smears have been proven to be completely and wholly unsubstantiated — twice." ___ AP Sports Writer Tales Azzoni contributed from Bilbao, Spain ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Formula 1's hangover from anot-so-successful experimentto spice up another slow Monaco Grand Prix was still being felt in Spain this weekend. A rule change requiring two pit stops was aimed at shaking up the Monaco GP, which offers scant chance of cars overtaking on the narrow and sinuous streets of the Mediterranean principality. But the move didn't produce the desired result, with most cars locked in a slow procession going well below optimum speed. After finishing the race in fourth, defending F1 champion Max Verstappen quipped that even if they adopted some of the outlandish features of a popularvideo game, it wouldn't change the fact that F1 cars are too wide to squeeze past one another on the street circuit. "You can't race here anyway so it doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops," Verstappen said. "We were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we have to install bits on the car – maybe you can throw bananas around? I don't know, a slippery surface?" A week later the debate continued in the buildup to Sunday'sSpanish Grand Prix. Monaco is Monaco Charles Leclerc, a Monaco native and the2024 winnerof the race for Ferrari, said that he was open to thinking about ways to add some excitement to the race. "Do we need to make every possible effort to make it better on Sunday? Definitely. But Monaco has always been ... a race when on Sunday not much is happening." While race day may not be super exciting, the Monaco GP remains part of the unofficial "triple crown" of motorsports with Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Beyond the suspense of qualifying when drivers have to push their cars to the limit through extremely tight turns, there is the glamor of the principality and its harbor packed with yachts. AsSunday's race winner, Lando Norris dined with Prince Albert II following his victory. Norris said in Montmelo, Spain, that while some tweaks could perhaps be made, Monaco is just Monaco. "Monaco's never been a race that's been good on Sunday. Never has. Yet it's the race everyone wants to win. It's the one everyone looks forward to the most every single season. It's always been like that," Norris said. "If you want to make a bigger event out of it, make it a more qualifying-based event. I don't think you can really change the race, unless you make the cars half the size of what they are now." Not much you can do to the track Ideas have been batted around by F1 journalists and observers that run from tweaks to the circuit to widen some corners to even more drastic rule changes to allow for points to be awarded for qualifying. Carlos Sainz of Williams said he supported creative thinking to improve any race, but he was skeptical that Monaco could be revamped. "I think you could still position the car in the middle of the track, go 30 kmh, and still not get overtaken," Sainz said when asked about shaving off some edges of the course. And then there wasFernando Alonsowho, as the grid's senior driver at age 43, said that moping about Monaco – while also loving it – is just a part of F1 tradition. "You see one overtake every 10 years. So great, you know? I mean, this has been the Monaco nature," Alonso said. "(But) don't worry, because next year we will go to Monaco and on Wednesday we will be so excited," he said. "And then on Saturday we are all super excited, and the adrenaline that you get on those laps is probably unique in the championship. And then for whatever reason, on Sunday we will be all disappointed once again." ___ AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

I'm happy to pinch hit on this week's fantasy baseball waiver wire column, as recommending players for pickup is one of my favorite parts of this job. And since I rarely get a chance to recommend pickups, I'm going to make the names plentiful and the explanations brief. Hopefully there is something for everyone. Enjoy. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Weathers has looked great since returning from the IL, posting a 1.15 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP and a 15:4 K:BB ratio across three starts. Even more impressive, two of his appearances came against the high-scoring Cubs and his third outing was against a respectable Padres offense. The 25-year-old's velocity has improved on all of his frequently used offerings, and there is a real chance that he is rostered in 75% of leagues by the end of June. Birdsong struggled to keep runs off the board when he was scored on three times in 4.2 innings against the Tigers last time out. But he still had a solid 6:2 K:BB ratio in that start, and he kept the ball in the yard. Birdsong's swing-and-miss skills (career 10.6 K/9 rate) give him plenty of upside, and he should fare much better when he faces the Marlins (19th in baseball in runs scored) on Sunday. Head-to-head managers could get over the top this week by grabbing Birdsong now. Managers who look ahead to next week will find that the two-start streamers are a weak group. Horton is far from a sure thing, but he has been consistent en route to posting a 3.98 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and a 16:4 K:BB ratio across four starts. The rookie has talent, and he is backed by baseball's most productive lineup. Horton has reasonable matchups next week (Nationals, Tigers), and is worth stashing in head-to-head leagues. This is a rarity, as I'm recommending Henderson after he was sent to the Minors. The rookie is arguably Milwaukee's best starter, having produced a 1.71 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and a 29:6 K:BB ratio across four starts. The team sent him back to Triple-A due to the anticipated return of some veteran starters, but there is no way that they can leave Henderson on the farm for long. After all, the Brewers sit at 29-28 and are 3.5 games out of a wild-card spot. The guess here is that stashing Henderson now will lead to having an impactful starter in a couple weeks. Managers in shallow leagues should be scrambling to add Doval, who is more desirable than several relievers who are 70% rostered. The Giants named the right-hander as their closer on Wednesday, shuttling Ryan Walker back to the setup role where he thrived for much of his career. Doval has shown that he can handle the job (89 saves across 2022-24) and is pitching well this year (1.16 ERA, 0.73 WHIP). He could get 25 saves between now and the end of the season. Although the Tigers do not have a full-time closer, Vest continues to work high-leverage innings more often than anyone on the team. The right-hander has pitched well in his key role (28:9 K:BB ratio), which has led to four wins and seven saves. He has been the 9th most valuable reliever to this point in the season and should be rostered in twice as many leagues. Don't look now, but the Cubs may have finally found a closer. Valencia has picked up saves in each of his past four appearances, after Ryan Pressly struggled in the ninth inning and Porter Hodge was both inconsistent and injured. The 25-year-old does not have a strong MLB track record, but he has been solid this year (1.83 ERA, 0.81 WHIP) and will be valuable in any league while working the ninth inning for baseball's highest scoring team. Truthfully, I don't expect Valencia to keep this role all summer, but I would add him now and see where this goes. Baty has earned an everyday role by crushing the baseball of late, having hit .281 with five homers and 13 RBI in May. And this is a great time to target a Mets hitter, as the team is scheduled to face the Rockies (5.55 team ERA) in six of their next 10 games. Baty is the best option among the widely-available Mets, but Francisco Alvarez (20%) and Jeff McNeil (3%) are players to consider as well. Sometimes, boring can be good. O'Hearn is the definition of boring — he's 31 years old, has a career high of 15 home runs and rarely steals bases. But he is still serviceable, as he draws most of his plate appearances out of the heart of the lineup and has been the Orioles best hitter (.338 BA, .977 OPS) this season. O'Hearn has been especially hot in May (1.023 OPS) and should be active in most leagues until he cools off. This is a great time to give the left-handed hitter a chance, as the O's will face right-handers in each of their next six games, including three contests against the lowly White Sox. Sheets is emerging as one of the best platoon bats in baseball, having hit .288 with 10 homers, 31 RBI and an .885 OPS in 151 plate appearances against right-handers. And his best work has come of late, as he's collected eight homers and 22 RBI in May. Sheets is the perfect bench bat in leagues with daily transactions, as managers can stream him into the lineup on days when the Padres face a right-hander. Simpson is a rare prospect who fully delivered on expectations as soon as he arrived to the majors. The speedster was expected to be one of baseball's best base stealers, and he already sits third in the league with 19 swipes. There is a good chance that he will finish the season in the top spot, as he has played in far fewer games than the other leaders. And with a .285 batting average, the speedster has been more than a one-trick pony. Simpson should be rostered in every league that uses categories for scoring.

© Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection (2) Ralph Macchio was 22 when he filmedThe Karate Kid The long-running Netflix seriesCobra Kaiended in February 2025 after six seasons The latest installment in theKarate Kiduniverse,Karate Kid: Legends, hit theaters on May 30 More than 40 years later,Ralph Macchiois still crane-kicking it as Daniel LaRusso, his character fromThe Karate KidandCobra Kai. InKarate Kid: Legends, Macchio's latest martial-arts movie, the actor reprises his role from the originalKarate Kidtrilogy andCobra Kai, the Netflix series, which concluded its six-season run in February 2025. It has been decades since Macchio first played Daniel in 1984'sThe Karate Kid.Although his character was supposed to be 17, the actor was actually 22 while filming. When asked if he had anyfavorite memories from filming the firstKarate Kidmovie, Macchio said he had "tons." "From the original every day working with [Mr. Miyagi actor] Pat Morita, it was a blessed partnership and it still resonates," he told PEOPLE at theKarate Kid: Legendspremiere in May 2025. "And the reason I'm in this movie is to pay that legacy forward. Shedding a little piece of Miyagi forward. It's never the wrong thing to do in Daniel LaRusso's eyes and in Ralph Macchio's eyes." Since he has been playing the character for over four decades, does Macchio's age match up with Daniel's? Here's how old the actor was while making each ofThe Karate Kidmovies and the six seasons ofCobra Kai. © Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection In the 1984 original that kicked off a karate craze, Macchio starred as Daniel LaRusso, who was 17 for most of the movie. In reality, the actor was not a kid but an adult since he was actually 22 during filming. "Daniel LaRusso has become such a fixture of pop cultureandThe Karate Kidfilm has continued to inspire on a human level ever since its debut in 1984," Macchio told PEOPLE in 2022, when he announced his memoir,Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me. "I sought to celebrate all that it has given to me," he added. © Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection The sequel took the action to Japan, and even thoughThe Karate Kid Part IIis set during the following summer after the events of the first film, the movie was released two years later. Filming took place in the fall of 1985, and Macchio would turn 24 while making the movie. While reflecting on the making ofThe Karate Kid Part II, Macchio looked back on the memorable tea ceremony scene he shared with costar Tamlyn Tomita. "I remember the tea ceremony scene was a special scene," he toldComic Book Resourcesin 2020. "So much detail and eloquence in that and I just I love that scene even to this day because it's pure, pure innocence." © Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection The events ofThe Karate Kid Part IIIhappen in the months followingPart II, so Daniel should be 19 by the end of the movie, but in reality, Macchio was 27 while making the third part in the trilogy. In the years since its release, Macchio has been critical of the third film, tellingThe Hollywood Reporterhow he "was not a fan of how theKarate Kid IIIcame out." "I felt the story was only repeating itself and was not character forwarding for the end of LaRusso. And production-wise, it was being written one way and then changed another way," he continued. "It was not a smooth ride. In the end, there were parts of the character that I didn't embrace as well as I did with the original and the first sequel." "I don't put it on the top of my résumé," the actor added. Courtesy of Netflix Macchio was 56 when he returned to the dojo to play Daniel in the legacy series, which originally premiered on YouTube Red before moving to Netflix. Cobra Kaifollows Macchio'sKarate Kidcharacter, as he once again becomes martial-arts rivals with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), whom he originally fought at the All Valley Karate Tournament in the first film. Courtesy of Netflix Macchio was 57 while filming season 2 ofCobra Kai. In a 2019 interview withDeadline, Macchio remarked how "it's crazy" being part ofThe Karate Kidlegacy, and how the characters still live on decades later. "It's fascinating what has happened with that film from its inception to today," he continued. "With theCobra Kaiseries having re-birthed interest in that universe, it's constantly open world and a part of my life." Tina Rowden/Netflix While making the third season ofCobra Kai, Macchio was 58. In season 3 of the series, Daniel returned to Japan, and unlikeKarate Kid Part II, which was set in Okinawa but filmed in Hawaii, Macchio actually jetted off to Japan this time. "It was a whirlwind. I'm really thankful and proud of the production and Sony for letting us go there for what was only about two days of shooting," he toldColliderin 2020. "It was like a long weekend. Most of the time was in the air. It was blessed, you know? It just felt like I was in the land of Miyagi." Courtesy of Netflix Macchio was 59 while filming season 4 ofCobra Kai, making him the same age as the character of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in the originalKarate Kid. In 2021, Macchio told PEOPLE how his age can be confusing for fans who refuse to believe that he is pushing 60. "Listen — I blame my parents," he joked. "They both look very young for their age. I have ayouthful energyabout me for some reason. A healthy lifestyle doesn't hurt. But I think I've just gotten lucky in the gene department." Courtesy of Netflix During production for the fifth season ofCobra Kai, Macchio was 60. The actor appeared onJimmy Kimmel Live!in 2022 to discuss turning 60 and the continuing impact ofThe Karate Kidmovies withCobra Kai. "I knew it was beloved. I knew the characters were beloved," he toldJimmy Kimmel. "But to see it explode like this, and multi-generation, we have like 10, 12-year-old kids and people in their 60s and 70s, they're all watching the same show. It's equal parts nostalgia and now contemporary relevance." Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix The fifteen episodes ofCobra Kaiseason 6 were released in three installments in 2024 and 2025. Macchio was 62 while filming the final season. "It's less goodbye for me and more 'See you next time,' " Macchio toldThe New York Timesin February 2025, when asked what the last day of filmingCobra Kaiwas like. "As all over the place and as big asCobra Kaigot with these brawls and the accidental deaths and all these zillions of characters, it still was born out of Daniel and Johnny's rivalry and now, in turn, friendship," he explained. © Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Collection The latest chapter ofThe Karate Kidstory is the movieKarate Kid: Legends, which takes place after the sixth and final season ofCobra Kai.Karate Kid: Legendswas filmed in spring 2024, making Macchio 62 during production. When asked if he would return to theKarate Kiduniverse in the future, Macchio toldThe Hollywood Reporterin May 2025, "We'll see." "As long as it's honest, genuine and truthful to the base of this character and these characters, I'll always be open to listen," he continued. "Because I like that the next generation can experience the joy of what we've been through." "In a world that's not always joyful, it's really cool to bring some of that," Macchio added. Read the original article onPeople

Chris Sale added another milestone to his Hall of Fame resume. The reigning National League Cy Young winner became the fastest pitcher in major-league history to reach the 2,500-strikeout milestone, breaking the record previously held by Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. On his final pitch Thursday night, Sale struck out Edmundo Sosa of thePhiladelphia Philliesto end the sixth inning for his 2,500th victim. TheAtlanta Bravesleft-hander reached the milestone in 2,026 innings, besting Johnson's record of 2,107 ⅔ innings in 1999. In doing so, Sale also became the 38th pitcher in modern history to reach the milestone. "I appreciate it for what it is, but I try not to get too caught up in stuff like that right now," Sale said after the Braves' 9-3 win in Philadelphia. "I know what our job is here. And no matter whether you have a good one or a bad one, the next one is the most important one." Chris Sale is the FASTEST pitcher to 2,500 strikeouts in MLB history! 👏pic.twitter.com/2PQhuZluG1 — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork)May 30, 2025 Said Braves manager Brian Snitker: "He's kind of doing Hall of Fame stuff. That guy is probably as big a baseball fan as anybody, just the history of the game and the competition. He's a ballplayer, and it's really cool to watch." Sale, who is one of thehighest-paid starting pitchersthis season, is 3-3 with a 3.06 ERA through 12 starts this year. Last season, he went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and led the NL with 225 strikeouts en route to his first Cy Young award. During the course of his 15-year major league career, he has struck out 200-plus batters eight times and is one of four active pitchers with 2,500-plus career strikeouts, trailing Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Chris Sale becomes fastest MLB pitcher to 2,500 strikeouts

There has been plenty of discussion around the time for the season opener between Ohio State and Texas, and theLonghornsultimately determined it. The College Football Playoff semifinal rematch will kickoff the 2025 season in one of the most highly anticipated Week 1 games. When it was announcedthe game would be on Fox, the belief was the game would kick off at noon ET as part of the network's "Big Noon Saturday." Thegametime was confirmed Thursday. The timeslot has been widely disapproved of byBuckeyesfans, so much that anOhio lawmaker introduced legislationto prevent Ohio State from playing early afternoon games. Understanding the implications of the matchup,Ohio State reportedlytried to move the game to Sunday − with no NFL − for a primetime kickoff. However, Fox Sports president of insights and analytics Mike Mulvihill said Texas blocked the move. "There was a deal in place between Fox and Ohio State to move the game to Sunday night," Mulvihilltold The Athletic. "We felt like Week 1 prior to NFL kickoff gave us an opportunity to look at sort of an alternate scenario, and then Texas exercised their contractual right to keep the game on Saturday, which is completely their right. I can understand why they would take that position, but we did work with the school to try to come up with a different scenario and get the game to Sunday." Texas athletic director Chris Del Conteconfirmed to ESPNhe vetoed the decision, citing the short week it would create for the Longhorns. Texas plays San Jose State in Week 2 at noon ET. Noon kickoffs have drawn the ire for Ohio State fans. When Fox debuted "Big Noon Saturday," the network could air a premier matchup in the first timeslot of the day as ESPN and CBS typically aired their top game in the late afternoon and evening. It's worked for ratings, but at the cost of people attending the game. Fans argue the early kickoff times force them to wake up earlier in the morning and give them less time to tailgate, in addition to losing the atmosphere that night games provide. Ohio State has been a consistent College Football Playoff contender, and thus has made it an easy choice for Fox to pick for the noon timeslot. Five of Ohio State's eight home games during the regular 2024 season were at noon, including the last six games of the regular season. The Buckeyes are also confirmed to have another Fox noon kickoff in the regular season finale at Michigan on Nov. 29, which is the rivalry's traditional time. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ohio State vs. Texas Sunday move vetoed by Longhorns, Fox exec says

Two years ago,Alexis Díazwas an All-Star closer with the Cincinnati Reds. Now, the 28-year-old right-hander is set to become aDodgersreclamation project. Amid a wave of early-season injuries to their bullpen and rotation, theDodgers agreed to acquire Díazfrom the Reds on Thursday, the team announced. Díaz, who was demoted to triple-A earlier this month by the Reds, won't be joining the Dodgers' big-league roster right away. He will instead report to Arizona to work with the Dodgers' pitching group there. Read more:'A major league shortstop, on a championship club.' Why Dodgers don't plan to move Mookie Betts To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred injured relieverEvan Phillips(who was initially expected to only miss 15 days with a forearm injury) to the 60-day IL. Once a rising relief star who had a 1.84 ERA as a rookie in 2022, and 37 saves and a 3.07 earned-run average as an All-Star selection in 2023, Díaz has faded over the past two seasons. In 2024, he was 28 of 32 in save opportunities, but posted a 3.99 ERA with 31 walks in 56 1/3 innings. This season, he lost the closer's job while battling a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the start of the season, then was optioned to triple-A after giving up eight runs, eight hits, four homers and five walks in his first six appearances. Five of the runs, and three of the homers, came in a single outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 30, the day before he was sent down. Díaz, the brother of New York Mets closerEdwin Díaz, hasn't experienced much greater success in the minors, holding a 4.61 ERA with 12 walks in 13 2/3 innings with the Reds' Louisville affiliate. Still, just two years removed from the early heights of his MLB career, the Dodgers were willing to take a flier on the once-promising talent, only giving up minor-league pitcher Mike Villani (a 13th-round pick in last year's draft) in return. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared inLos Angeles Times.

After winning a tournament on Sunday, Ben Griffin stayed hot Thursday by shooting a 7-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. Griffin made an 11 1/2-foot eagle at the par-5 seventh and had a three-birdie run at Nos. 16-18 at Muirfield Village Golf Club. He finished the day with a two-shot advantage over Collin Morikawa, a two-time runner-up at the tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus. "My dad always used to tell me, 'Par the first and last holes,' and unfortunately, I birdied the first and the last," Griffin joked. Griffin, 29, won his first PGA Tour title last month at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event with Andrew Novak. He validated that victory with his first individual win this past week at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club. It was clear he was not tired from the quick turnaround. "This is nothing. I started out the year playing 13 events in a row," Griffin said. "... It's funny, I talked to a lot of my peers out here, and they don't understand how I do it. I think it's because I do a really good job resting on Mondays and Tuesday mornings. I don't really prepare for tournaments until pretty much Tuesday afternoons, unless it's a course that I'm not familiar with or maybe a major championship, I try to get a little extra prep in." Morikawa had five birdies through 14 holes before a wayward drive at the par-5 15th led to his lone bogey. He made up for it at the very next hole, rolling his tee shot at the par-3 16th just past the cup and making a 4-footer for birdie. "Honestly, I woke up today kind of not knowing how the swing was going to produce," Morikawa said. "I spent a couple hours on the range after the pro-am yesterday and was just trying to find something. Yeah, kind of went to some old swing thoughts, and it's hard to filter through that, but did it on the range, and kind of was just able to go play golf." In third place was Max Homa with a 4-under 68. Homa has fared better since parting with caddie Joe Greiner, who now works for Morikawa. Homa is searching for his first win on tour since January 2023. "My game feels about as good as it has in a very, very long time," Homa said, "and I knew that I think that brought some peace, which was nice, not feeling like I needed to do much. Then, yeah, you get off to a good start like that and it just kind of calms some of the nerves." U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, Canadian Nick Taylor and Irishman Shane Lowry are tied for fourth at 3-under 69. World No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler opened with a 2-under 70. "I need to give myself some more looks," Scheffler said. "I felt like I was out of the fairway a bit too much today. I was able to hit a decent amount of greens, just giving myself a few more quality looks, I think, would be a big difference." The $20 million signature event will feature a cut Friday from 72 players to the top 50 and ties, plus anyone within 10 shots of the lead. Only 13 players managed to shoot under par Thursday. Players who'll need to work to make the cut in the second round include Sweden's Ludvig Aberg (3-over 75), England's Matt Fitzpatrick (4-over 76) and Justin Rose (6-over 78), Wyndham Clark (78) and Justin Thomas (8-over 80). --Field Level Media

DALLAS (AP) — This playoff run has felt different for Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, though they are now back in the same place. They haveadvanced to their second Stanley Cup Final in a row, again against Florida after losing a seven-game series to the Panthers last June. "I think we're better for going through last year. It's a great learning experience and it's really driven us all year," McDavid, their captain, said after the Oilers wrapped up their second Western Conference title in a row. "This run has felt different than last year. It's felt very normal. ... I don't want to say boring because it's not boring at all. It hasn't been as emotional." Edmonton won in its first clinching opportunity in all three series so far this postseason. After losing their first two games at Los Angeles in the opening round, the Oilers won four in a row against the Kings, took out Vegas in five games and then did the same to the Dallas Stars in a West final rematch that ended with a 6-3 win Thursday night. Game 1 of their Stanley Cup rematch is Wednesday night in Edmonton. "We haven't had the highs and we haven't had the lows. It's just kind of been steady,"McDavid said. "I think that does put us in a good position. You know those games can be emotionally draining. We're not drained. ... You know, we've got as good a chance as they do." Florida wrapped up the East in five games over Carolina to get to itsthird Stanley Cup Final in a row. The Panthers won the first three games against Edmonton last year, then finished it off with a2-1 victoryafter the Oilers forced a Game 7. That was the first Stanley Cup Final for the Oilers since 2006, their only other one since the franchise's five titles in a seven-season span from 1984-90. "I think we spent seven months getting ready for this playoff run. Like, I think it was on our minds since we lost that last game," coach Kris Knoblauch said. "A long, tough summer, and training camp, regular season and it was just kind of punching our card, showing up, wanting the playoffs, just having another opportunity." While top scorers McDavid (26 points, six goals) and Leon Draisaitl (25 points, seven goals) were the players on the podium after the West clincher, these playoffs have been more than a two-man show for the Oilers. Nineteen different players have goals, 11 of them have at least three. Corey Perry, 40, has seven goals — the most in a single postseason by any player 39 or older. Both goalies, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, have won six games. Regular-season starter Skinner was replaced in net after the two losses to the Kings. He took over again when Pickard got hurt midway through the second round against Vegas. Skinner finished off the Golden Knights with consecutive shutouts, including a 1-0 overtime win in the clincher, and posted another shutout against the Stars. "We're mature. We've learned, and we're learning every game. The way we're playing, the calmness on the bench and making plays when things are going hairy on the ice," Perry said. "This group, it's been a want since the end of last year. There's been a lot of things said about what happened last year and self-reflecting. But here we are." So are they glad they get another shot at the Panthers? "It doesn't matter. You're competing for a Stanley Cup," said Perry, a Cup champion at age 22 with Anaheim in 2007, and now going into his fifth Final in six seasons while still seeking another title. "I mean we know what they're about. We played them seven times and they're a good team," Draisaitl said. "We're really a good team as well. Obviously it's nice to get a shot at, you know, getting some revenge, but a long ways from that." ___ AP NHL playoffs:https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cupandhttps://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty; Tim Clayton via Getty Naomi Osaka shared a new image of the painful open blisters on her knuckles after losing the first round of the 2025 French Open "I genuinely cannot bend these fingers all the way lol," the tennis star wrote on Instagram, per theNew York Post Following the match, Osaka became emotional as she admitted, "I hate disappointing people" Naomi Osakahas revealed a painful injury following her first round exit from the2025 French Openon Monday, May 26. The tennis star, 27, shared an Instagram Stories post of a cluster of open blisters on her knuckles on Thursday, May 29. "I genuinely cannot bend these fingers all the way lol," she wrote, per theNew York Post. The four-time Grand Slam champion lost the first round of the French Open to Spain'sPaula Badosain three sets, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4. In a subsequent Instagram Stories post, Osaka shared an image of her sneakers on a court and wrote per theNew York Post, "Me: 'I'm sick of this I'm gonna take a break for a while,' " followed by "Me a day after my match because I have anxiety if I don't work out." In a post-match press conference held on May 26, Osaka explained she had been working through the tough blisters since the Italian Open earlier this month. "Since Rome, I have had blisters on my hands," she said, perBBC Sport. "I think it's the friction of clay because I don't have blisters on any other surface." Tim Clayton via Getty During her match against Badosa, 27, Osaka also called a medical timeout after the end of the first set as she struggled with the blisters, according to the outlet. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The sports star then became emotional during the press conference and started to cry, according to theNew York Post. "I hate disappointing people," she said. "Even with [coach] Patrick [Mouratoglou], I was thinking just now, he goes from working with like the greatest player ever [Serena Williams] to like, what the f–-- this is." Robert Prange/Getty Photos from the match show Osaka briefly kneeling on the ground and examining her fingers. In 2024, Osaka was forced to forfeit in the second round of the China Open due to a back injury. In a heartwarming show of sportsmanship,U.S. player Coco Gauff, who was Osaka's opponent at the time,helped her move her bags off the court. In avideo of the moment posted to Xat the time, Gauff, 21, asked Osaka if she was okay or needed any help, with Osaka replying in a surprised voice saying "Really?" Gauff then grabbed one of Osaka's tennis bags to carry and the two walked off the court to cheers from the crowd. Read the original article onPeople

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - A British man appeared in court on Friday charged with causing grievous bodily harm after a car ploughed into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans during this week's victory parade. Paul Doyle, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, is charged with seven offences including dangerous driving and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The 53-year-old appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Friday morning and confirmed his name, address and date of birth before the case was briefly adjourned. The incident took place in Liverpool's packed city centre on Monday evening, as around a million people had come out to celebrate Liverpool's Premier League win and watch an open-top bus parade the team and its staff with the trophy. (Reporting by Phil Noble in Liverpool and Sam Tobin and Sam Tabahriti in London; editing by William James)

ROME (AP) —Massimiliano Allegriis headed back to AC Milan. Gian Piero Gasperini could leave Atalanta forRoma. Maurizio Sarri might be rehired by Lazio. Juventus, meanwhile, needs an entirely new plan after Antonio Conte decided to stay atSerie A champion Napoli. Less than a week after the Italian league concluded, theSerie Acoaching carousel is approaching full speed. All 10 of the top 10 finishers in Serie A are either looking for a new coach or have had to work hard to convince their current manager to stay. Here's where the top 10 teams stand: Napoli(1st place) Conte appeared interested in a return to Juventus but announced late Thursday following a meeting with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis that he would stay in place. Conte still has two years remaining on his contract at Napoli, which will now include a salary increase. It's an important development for Napoli, which saw Luciano Spalletti leave the club after he coached the Partenopei to the title two years ago. Conte may have been swayed by Napoli's intent on signing Kevin De Bruyne, with Jonathan David also high on the club's wish list. Inter Milan(2nd) With Inter set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday, Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal is reportedly trying to lure Simone Inzaghi with an offer of more than 20 million euros ($23 million) per season. "Fortunately, my club knows me well," Inzaghi said on Monday. "Every year, there are offers from Italy and abroad, from Saudi Arabia, but I think it would be crazy to think about that now." The Italian coach has been at Inter since 2021 and has one more year left on his contract. Atalanta(3rd) Gasperini appears to have had enough after nine seasons at Atalanta that included a Europa League triumph, six top-four finishes in Serie A, and a Champions League quarterfinal. Gasperini's talks with Roma's American ownership are reportedly moving along. If Gasperini does indeed leave, Atalanta could hire former Juventus coach Thiago Motta or former Milan coach Stefano Pioli. Juventus(4th) Juventus' plans are perhaps the most unclear of any of the top teams, with sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli reportedly set to be replaced and Conte no longer on the market. For now, Igor Tudor is still in charge despite voicing his displeasure with his status after guiding Juventus to the final Champions League place. Tudor is open to coaching Juventus at the Club World Cup, his agent said Monday, a day after the Croatian indicated he might not be. Roma(5th) With Claudio Ranieri heading into retirement, Gasperini appears to be Roma's choice for a replacement. Whoever is hired will become Roma's fourth coach in the 1 ½ years since Jose Mourinho was fired, following Daniele De Rossi, Ivan Juric and Ranieri. Gasperini's only experience coaching a big Italian club came when he lasted just five winless matches at Inter Milan in 2011. Fiorentina(6th) Raffaele Palladino has reportedly resigned at Fiorentina after only one year in charge, although the move has not been announced yet. Palladino coached Fiorentina to a Conference League spot and it was regarded as a successful season, so his resignation caught club management off guard. Lazio(7th) Marco Baroni is on his way out at Lazio after failing to secure the club a spot in Europe. The Roman team appears interested in rehiring Sarri, who already coached Lazio from 2021-2024. AC Milan(8th) Allegri was hired on Friday, a day after Sergio Conceicao was fired following Milan's failure to qualify for Europe. Allegri coached Milan to the Serie A title in 2011. Milan began the season as a potential title contender but ended up 19 points behind Napoli. Bologna(9th) Vincenzo Italiano's contract was extended by a year through 2027 after he led the squad to the Italian Cup title —Bologna's first major trophy in 51 years— which qualified the team for the Europa League. Milan reportedly wanted to hire Italiano but Bologna gave him a salary increase to 3 million euros ($3.4 million) per season, plus bonuses, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported. Como(10th) Cesc Fabregas has been a revelation at Como in his first coaching job and was reportedly considered as a possible replacement for Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen until Erik ten Hag was hired by the German club. Como seems willing to spend more to keep Fabregas in place. ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The New York Knicks found a lead that was safe against the Indiana Pacers. In a 2025 Eastern Conference finals that has seen both teams choke away big leads, the Knicks found a Game 5 advantage and kept it against their fellow comeback artists in a 111-94 win. Game 6 is scheduled for Saturday in Indiana (8 p.m. ET, TNT). It was Indiana's first loss in a Game 5 all playoffs after closing out the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the same situation. The mechanics of the blowout came down to two major factors: Jalen Brunson and a miserable night on offense for the Pacers. The Knicks star posted 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting with five rebounds and five assists, continuing a stellar series in which he was averaging 33.3 points per game entering Thursday. Brunson joined LeBron James, Michael Jordan and potential NBA Finals opponent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the only players to post at least 10 games of 30 points and five assistsin a single postseason. Brunson's point guard counterpart, Tyrese Haliburton, was a bit quieter. He posted eight points on 2-of-7 shooting with six assists and two rebounds. As a team, the Pacers shot 40.5% with 20 turnovers. None of that is to say the Pacers were dead all night, though. The Knicks never trailed and were up by as many as 22 points late in the third quarter, but Indiana cut it to 12 early in the fourth quarter. Any fan in Madison Square Garden who says they weren't worried at that point is lying. It might be hyperbole to say that about a second half in which the Knicks led by double digits throughout, but that's the reputation the Pacers have earned given what they've done in all three of their series this postseason. Tom Thibodeau was certainly concerned, as that was when the Knicks head coach reinserted his starters. That group held on until Indiana finally waved the white flag with two minutes remaining. "Knicks in seven" chants rang out soon after. Now comes the harder part for New York. The Knicks staved off elimination at home with a loud crowd behind them, but Game 6 will feature a Gainbridge Fieldhouse audience fully aware of how close its team is to its first Finals since 2000. It will be loud, and it won't even be the only game the Knicks need to win. But for now, they can say they definitely looked like the better team on Thursday.

The Florida Panthers are looking to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, but to do so they'll have to beat a familiar foe — who is a slight favorite. The Edmonton Oilers and Panthers faced off in last year's Stanley Cup Final, and the Panthers won the series with a hard-fought 2-1 victory in Game 7. Florida entered as a -140 favorite over Edmonton last year. This season, the margin entering the series between the two teams is even smaller, asBetMGMopened the Oilers as -115 favorites and the Panthers at -105. Edmonton defeated the Los Angeles Kings in the first round in six games, the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round in five games and the Dallas Stars in the conference finals in five games. Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is searching for his first Stanley Cup. Florida beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the opening round, the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in Round 2 and the Carolina Hurricanes in five games in the conference finals. Game 1 will be at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday on TNT.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton followed hishistoric triple-doubleby getting held to single digits in everything. With a passive performance from their playmaker, the Indiana Pacers failed in their first attempt to earn the second NBA Finals trip in franchise history, falling111-94 to the New York Knicksin Game 5 on Thursday night. They will need Haliburton to be much closer to the player who dominated Game 4 than the one who managed only two baskets in Game 5 when they try again at home Saturday. "Rough night for me," Haliburton said. Haliburton had 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds and no turnovers in Game 4, the first 30-15-10 in the postseason since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78. But he was limited to eight points, six assists and two rebounds Thursday. The All-NBA point guard didn't even have a basket in the first half, when the Pacers' total of 45 points was just two more than the had in the first quarter of Game 4. "I've got to be better setting the tone, getting downhill. I feel like I didn't do a great job of that but I'll watch the film," Haliburton said. "There were some different things they did defensively, but for the most part their base stuff was the same. They picked up the pressure a little bit more, try to apply more as the game went on. But I've got to be better and I will be better in Game 6." The Knicks cut down on some of the mistakes they made in Game 4 that allowed Haliburton and the Pacers to get their transition game going. And they were much sharper in the halfcourt, rarely letting him penetrate into the lane to set up opportunities for himself of his teammates. "It's probably a combination of him missing some shots he normally makes, but I thought our guys were tied together and trying to make him work for everything and that's what you have to do," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. The Pacers were held to their lowest point total of the postseason and shot just 40.5% from the field. Haliburton wasn't the only one who struggled, with Aaron Nesmith going just 1 for 8 on the same court he had a postseason career-high 30 points to spark Indiana's comeback in Game 1. Pascal Siakam, who had his postseason career high of 39 in Game 2, was limited to 15 — and that made him the only Indiana starter in double figures. "We weren't great as a group," Haliburton said. "We turned the ball over too much, didn't rebound to our ability (like) we have shown this series. When you (don't) do those two things against these guys in a game that comes down to so many possessions, it's tough. So, we've got to be better as a group. I think our pace has to be better and that starts with me. I've got to be better there. " ___ AP NBA:https://apnews.com/nba

At the end of last year's Scripps National Spelling Bee, Faizan Zaki grimaced, nodded his head and offered a gracious handshake as runner-up to winner Bruhat Soma after a dramatic spell-off. One year later, Zaki stood alone, with a trophy in hand. The 13-year-old Allen, Texas, native beat out eight other finalists to win the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday in National Harbor, Maryland. His winning word: "éclaircissement." You can see the moment he won in the video above. His prizes: $50,000 cash from Scripps, a medal and the Scripps Cup trophy $2,500 cash from Merriam-Webster, plus a reference library from the dictionary company. $400 worth of books from Encyclopædia Britannica $1,000 in Scholastic Dollars donated to the school of his choice A five-year subscription to a News-O-Matic platform for his school First runner-up Sarvadnya Kadam will receive $25,000, while second runner-up Sarv Dharavane will get $15,000. Zaki had previously competed three times in the spelling bee, finishing 370th in 2019, 21st in 2023 and as the runner-up in 2024. It was nearly another heartbreaker for Zaki earlier in the finals, though. He was poised to win the event after Kadam and Dharavane both misspelled their words in the 18th round. After being asked to spell "commelina," Zaki jumped the gun and started spelling before bothering to ask for the definition or origin. Three letters in — "K, A, M" — Zaki realized his mistake. Kadam and Dharavane reentered the competition, with Dharavane quipping, "This is surprising." Fortunately for Zaki, Dharavane misspelled his next word too, while Kadam fell in the next round, setting him up to take the title. On the final word, longtime spelling bee pronouncer, and former champion, Jacques Bailly playfully asked for "all of us to take a deep breath," to which Zaki deadpanned, "That did not help at all." Zaki again didn't ask for the definition or origin of "éclaircissement," but he clearly had the letters in his head as soon as he heard it. And as soon as the judges confirmed he got it right, he fell to the ground, followed a moment later by the confetti. You can see every word Zaki spelled on his way to victory here.

It's been 15 years since an Italian club last lifted theChampions Leaguetrophy – a long and barren stretch for thecalcio-mad country. To see a team from Italy win the most coveted prize in European clubsoccerfeels overdue, particularly given the nation's history and pedigree in the sport. That could all change this weekend whenInter Milanfaces Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich on Saturday – a second Champions League final in three years for theNerazzurri. A fourth European title for Inter might be a flickering reminder of the golden era of Italian club soccer in the 1990s, back when Serie A was home to the greatest players of the time. Today's teams hardly boast the same number of global superstars, but Champions League success for Inter – following the lesser European titles of the Europa League and Conference League for Atalanta and AS Roma, respectively – would perhaps offer a glimpse of an Italian Renaissance. "Italian football was really feeling a bit down on itself up until recent years, about its record in European competition," Adam Summerton, a TNT Sports commentator who closely follows Italy's Serie A, toldCNN Sports. "I think it had almost become an embarrassment, really, for a league the size of Italy and the standing of Italy. … Some of that pride now has been restored with the performances of teams in recent years, but in order to truly restore that – and I guess for Italian football to gain that bit of pride back – I think to win the Champions League, to win the ultimate prize, to have a club that has to be called the best team in Europe, that's massive." Inter has been on the cusp of silverware on three, arguably four, occasions this season. Just last weekend, it came achingly close to winning the Serie A title, only to finish a single point behind champion Napoli on the final matchday. That prompted manager Simone Inzaghi to acknowledge that there had been "a lot of suffering in me and in the players" at the start of this week, though Saturday's final offers a chance to ease that pain. And one positive for Inter is that Inzaghi and many of his players have been in this position before, the current squad not radically different to the one whichnarrowly lost to Manchester City in the 2023 final. This Inter team is full of experienced campaigners – the likes of defenders Francesco Acerbi and Matteo Darmian, plus midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan. It has the highest average age of any squad in Italy this past season – 29.1, according toTransfermarkt– and will be hungry for silverware after a series of near-misses. As well as failing to clinch the league title, Inter lost to bitter rival AC Milan in January's Italian Super Cup and again to Milan in April's Italian Cup semifinals. But the bigger picture for theNerazzurriis one of success under Inzaghi. The 49-year-old, who arrived at the club in 2021, has already won a Scudetto, two Italian Cups and three Italian Super Cups during his time in charge. Just to reach two Champions League finals is also an impressive feat, especially given the financial firepower of some of Europe's top clubs – the likes ofReal Madrid, Manchester City, and, indeed, PSG. "This isn't just a coach who's a flash in the pan or somebody who's up and coming," says Summerton. "People might disagree, but in my view, he's an established, elite-level coach now, and I think that to win the Champions League would give that validation, recognition, and underline that this is a guy whose work really needs to be taken seriously." Inzaghi, a former striker who spent most of his playing career with Lazio, is under contract with Inter until 2026. He hasreportedlybeen offered more than $23 million per season (€20 million) to take charge of Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, but was reluctant to talk about his future when asked this week. "It's the same thing every year, when I was at Lazio and at Inter,"saidInzaghi. "Luckily, there are requests from Italy, from abroad and from Saudi Arabia. "But I think it would be crazy right now to think about that. As the (club) president said, with whom I have a great relationship, the day after the game we'll sit down and talk, as we've always done over the years, with only one objective, which is the good of Inter." Understandably, a Champions League trophy would provide a huge boost to Inzaghi's managerial resumé – because of the funds at his disposal and the teams he would have beaten along the way. Having conceded just one goal in this season's group stages, Inter then saw off Feyenoord, Bayern Munich, and –in sensational fashion– Barcelona in the knockout stages. The breathless, mad-cap win in the semifinals against Barça – finally ending 7-6 on aggregate after Acerbi's stoppage-time equalizer and Davide Frattesi's extra-time winner – will be remembered as one of the great nights in the club's history. Crucially, it showed that Inter under Inzaghi has the tools and tactics to compete with – and beat – the best teams in Europe. "They have this incredible ability to adapt, to be flexible," says Summerton. "They play within a formation that Inzaghi is pretty wedded to – the 3-5-2 – but there is so much flexibility within that formation, in the way that they play. "I think that Inter are a really tricky side for PSG to play in the final because of that versatility that they have, the rotations that they play with. They're a very, very difficult team to play against." Ahead of the final, Inter has been boosted by the return of captain Lautaro Martínez, whose nine goals in 13 games represents one of the best returns in the Champions League this season – only four players have scored more. Martínez is looking to add a Champions League medal to an already impressive haul of trophies in his career: the World Cup and two Copa América titles with Argentina, as well as two league titles with Inter. "To experience another final of this scale, in this competition, is going to be incredible," hetoldUEFA this week, adding: "I really want to enjoy the moment, this final, this game. Then if it comes to fruition, it will be a dream come true." It will be a dream, too, for those Inter fans who have waited 15 years to taste Champions League glory once again. Now, only one team stands in the way of the trophy's long-awaited return to Italy. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's high school track-and-field state championships starting Friday are set to be the testing ground for a new participation and medaling policy for competitions that include transgender athletes. The California Interscholastic Federationwill let an additional student competeand potentially offer an extra medal in three events in which a trans athlete is competing. The athlete, high school junior AB Hernandez, is the second seed in the triple jump and will also participate in the long jump and high jump. It may be the first effort by a high school sports governing body to expand participation when trans athletes are participating, and it reflects efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls' participation in youth sports. "The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law," the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change. State law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity. PresidentDonald Trumpthreatened this week to pull federal funding from California unless itbars trans female athletesfrom competing on girls teams. The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the state federation and the district that includes Hernandez's high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law by allowing trans girls to compete in girls sports. What the new participation and medaling policy will look like The meet, which is taking place at a high school near Fresno, will open up the girls triple jump, long jump and high jump to one additional athlete each who would have qualified had Hernandez not participated. Hernandez will compete in the preliminaries Friday for a chance to advance to the finals Saturday. Under the pilot policy, if a transgender athlete medals, their ranking would not displace a "biological female" student from medaling, the federation said. The federation said the rule would open the field to more "biological female" athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for "biological female" athletes but not for other trans athletes. The federation did not specify how they define "biological female" or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Medical experts say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only males and females. The two-day meet is expected to draw attention from a coalition of protesting parents and students. Critics have objected Hernandez's participation and heckled her in qualifying events earlier this month. Leaders from the conservative California Family Council joined Republican state lawmakers Thursday for a press conference blasting the policy change and saying Hernandez shouldn't be allowed to compete. "If they have to create special exceptions and backdoor rule changes to placate frustrated athletes, that's not equality, that's a confession," Sophia Lorey, the council's outreach director, said in a statement. "Girls' sports should be for girls, full stop." CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti urged participants and bystanders to behave respectfully toward all student-athletes in a message shared in the championship program. Nationwide debate over trans athletes' participation Arecent AP-NORC pollfound that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women's sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats. Trump won Fresno County, where the meet will be held, in 2024. Hernandeztold the publication Capital & Mainearlier this month that she couldn't worry about critics. "I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person," she said. She noted that she has lost some of her events, saying that disproved arguments that she can't be beat. Hernandez is expected to perform well, particularly in the triple jump, in which she has a personal best of over 41 feet (12.5 meters). That is more than 3 feet (1 meter) short of a national record set in 2019. She's the fifth seed in the long jump but ranked much lower in the high jump. California's state championship stands out from that of other states because of the number of competitors athletes are up against to qualify. More than 57,000 high schoolers participated in outdoor track and field in California during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. California had the second-largest number of high school outdoor track-and-field athletes, only behind Texas. Of the 12 high school athletes who have set national records in the girls triple jump between 1984 and 2019, eight have been from California, according to the national sports governing body. Davis Whitfield, the national federation's chief operating officer, called a state championship "the pinnacle" for high school student-athletes. "It's certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience in some cases to participate in a state championship event," he said. ___ Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.Report for Americais a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X:@sophieadanna

"Knicks in 7" chants echoed around "The World's Most Famous Arena" on Thursday night as the duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns led the New York Knicks to an Eastern Conference Finals-extending 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers. Despite being pushed to the brink of elimination, the Knicks came out the gates fast and stomped the Pacers to force a Game 6. Brunson finished with 32 points, while Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds. The 29-year-old Towns came into Game 5 listed as a game-time decision with a knee contusion, but showed little signs of discomfort in the dominant win. "I looked at the game and it said Game 5 do-or-die. That was pretty much all I needed to see," Towns told reporters after the game. "Shout out to our medical staff. They gave me a chance to go out there and compete tonight." The Knicks suffered two brutal losses to open the series at Madison Square Garden but were able to shake them off, securing their first home win of the ECF so far. With a who's who of celebrities sitting courtside – including actors Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller, Kylie Jenner, and director Spike Lee – it was the captain Brunson that set the tone for the Knickerbockers. The 28-year-old Brunson scored 14 first quarter points and set a franchise record with his 21st career postseason game of at least 30 points with New York. That was not the only record broken: Brunson and Towns became the first teammates to both score 20+ points in each of the first five games of a conference finals since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal did so for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002. "He was cooking. That's what I saw. I saw him cooking," Towns said of Brunson. "Especially when you're getting points at that kind of rate, you got to get some stops. You want to be able to get some stops while cap is on that kind of burner." Besides the offensive feats for the Knicks, it was their defense especially keying in on stopping Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton. In Indiana's Game 4 win,the two-time All Star finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, four steals and zero turnovers. It was the first time in league playoff history that a player had registered at least 30 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds without a turnover. However, Game 5 yielded a much different result for Haliburton, who finished with eight points and six assists. "We're up 3-1, their season is on the line today," Haliburton said. "Understand they are going to come out and play hard. … Now, it is on us to respond in Game 6. When you get here, at this point, there is no such thing as surprises. You got to be prepared for whatever is to come. "Kudos to them, they played better than us today. We've got to be prepared for Game 6." Brunson downplayed if he felt pressure to outplay Haliburton after his previous games' heroics. "He played phenomenal in Game 4. Our backs are against the wall," Brunson said. "I wasn't thinking, 'I need to play better than him.' I was just thinking, 'I need to help my team win.' And that's my mindset every time I am on the court." The Pacers, looking to clinch their second-ever NBA Finals appearance, will have another go on Saturday night in front of their home fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

The Edmonton Oilers get their shot at revenge in the Stanley Cup Final after claiming a 6-3 road victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday to close out the Western Conference finals. Connor McDavid collected one goal and one assist as the Oilers dispatched the Stars in five games in the best-of-seven series. Next up is a rematch of last year's finals against the Panthers, won by Florida in seven games. "They're a really good team and we're a really good team as well," Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said of the Panthers. "It's nice to get a shot at getting some revenge, but we're a long ways from that. We'll enjoy this and get ready." Game 1 will be Wednesday at Edmonton. Corey Perry, Mattias Janmark, Jeff Skinner, Evander Kane and Kasperi Kapanen also scored for the Oilers, who have won 12 of their past 14 playoff games and eliminated the Stars in the conference finals for the second consecutive year. Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner made 14 saves. In last year's Stanley Cup Final, Edmonton lost the first three games but pushed it to the limit before dropping the deciding game 2-1. Now the Oilers have their opportunity to not only win the Stanley Cup but claim the crown against the club that broke their hearts. "I think we're better for going through last year," McDavid said. "It's a great learning experience and really driven us all year. This run has felt very different than last year. It's felt very normal. ... "Games can be emotionally draining, but we're not drained. We've got as good a chance as they do." Jason Robertson scored twice and Roope Hintz tallied once for Dallas, which has lost out in the Stanley Cup chase in the third round three straight years. Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley each recorded two assists. Starting Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger was pulled after surrendering goals on the first two shots he faced. Casey DeSmith made 17 saves in relief. "We felt we had a solid group from top to bottom, and that's why this stings pretty bad," Stars captain Jamie Benn said. "It (hurts). Three years in a row now you get that close and come up short. It's not a good feeling." Sensing their chance to close out the series, the Oilers staked an early 3-0 lead thanks to goals by Perry at 2:31, Janmark at 7:09 and then Skinner -- playing his first game since the playoff opener -- 58 seconds later for his first career playoff goal. On Perry's goal, McDavid collected his 100th career playoff assist in his 90th game, the second-fastest player to hit the century mark for postseason helpers, behind only Wayne Gretzky (70 games). Robertson scored for the third consecutive game at 11:40 of the opening frame and Hintz made it a one-goal game with a power-play tally at 12:27 of the second period to draw Dallas close. However, McDavid restored Edmonton's two-goal lead two minutes later with a breakaway tally. Robertson's second of the game 38 seconds into the third period again brought the Stars within one, but Kane responded at 3:21 of the final period. Kapanen's empty-net goal in the last minute rounded out the scoring. Dallas failed to record a shot on goal in the final 16:17 of the game, but a big story going forward will be the goalie change. "I didn't blame it all on Jake, but the reality is if you go back to last year's playoffs, he's lost six of seven games to Edmonton (before Thursday)," Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. "And we give up two goals on two shots in an elimination game. It was partly to spark our team and ... status quo had not been working." --Field Level Media