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  • Tate brothers will fight extradition to the UK. But the law makes it difficult to win


    Any extradition of Andrew and Tristan Tate from the U.S. to the United Kingdom would ultimately rest with the State Department, but only after a judge determines whether the request complies with the law and a treaty between the countries.

    The U.S. has agreed since 2020 to send more than 20 people wanted in the U.K. on various criminal charges, according to the U.K. Parliament. With possible appeals, the process could last a few years — if the accused wants to fight it.

    “The government holds all the cards in an extradition proceeding because the rules of evidence allow the government to submit any evidence they wish,” said Jacques Semmelman, a New York-based lawyer and expert in the procedure.

    “It is very hard for the defense to defeat an extradition,” he said.

    Process starts with a treaty

    The U.S. has a treaty that allows it to honor a U.K. extradition request if the alleged crimes would also be considered illegal in the U.S. The Tate brothers are accused of rape, assault, trafficking and other offenses in southeastern England, from 2010 to 2017.

    “They’ve never done nothing wrong. They shouldn’t be extradited for crimes they did not commit,” defense attorney Joseph McBride said.

    A federal judge will review arrest warrants, investigative documents and other information submitted by the U.S. government to show there was a “reasonable basis” to file charges against them in the U.K., according to the treaty.

    The hearing would not be similar to a trial, said Semmelman of the Katten Muchin Rosenman law firm.

    “A partial victory might mean a reduction in the charges to be extradited upon,” he said. “An across-the-board victory — no extradition — is very difficult to achieve.”

    It’s rare to reject extradition

    If a judge finds that the U.K. government has met the threshold, and any appeals fail, the final decision to extradite would rest with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has wide discretion, or his successor.

    “In most cases the secretary of state will sign the warrant of extradition,” Semmelman said.

    Some extradition requests have failed in the U.S. In 2015, a judge said there was insufficient evidence to show that an art dealer knew that an 18th-century painting taken from a Polish museum by the Nazis during World War II was stolen property when he inherited it.

    In 2020, during President Donald Trump’s first administration, the government declined to turn over an American woman who fatally struck a young man while driving in eastern England. Anne Sacoolas, who was the wife of a U.S. intelligence officer, subsequently returned to the U.S. She later admitted responsibility in a U.K. court by video.


  • US gas prices back up to an average of $4 a gallon again as the US and Iran launch attacks

    NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. gas prices jumped back to $4 a gallon on average Monday, as Washington’s latest fighting with Iran renews strain on the flow of fuel worldwide.

    According to motor club AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now just above the $4 mark. That’s about 13 cents more expensive than it was a week ago, and far higher than where prices at the pump stood at this time last year, when American drivers could fill up for about $3.14 a gallon on average.

    The U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran plunged the world into a global energy crisis, notably as the cost of crude oil — the main ingredient in gasoline — soared due to supply chain and production disruptions across the Middle East.

    Energy prices cooled last month when Washington and Tehran reached an interim agreement aimed at permanently ending their fighting and reviving traffic in the key Strait of Hormuz. But that peace deal has now crumbled — with the U.S. on Monday only intensifying airstrikes against Iran, which has responded by launching its own attacks on American allies in the region. And oil flows are largely stalling again.

    Many eyes are on the White House. Before co-launching the war in late February, President Donald Trump once bragged about keeping gas prices low — and expressed frustration about them not falling as quickly as the cost of crude oil last month. If prices continue to rebound, expensive gas will likely be at the top of voters’ minds during the midterm elections this November.

    Here’s what we know.

    Where gas prices stand today

    Again, U.S. gas prices are now back at the $4 mark. But that figure is a national average, meaning drivers in some states have been paying well over $4 a gallon for a while now, while others pay less.

    California on Monday continued to see the most expensive gas, with an average of nearly $5.50 a gallon — followed by almost $5.42 in Hawaii and $5.01 in Washington state, per AAA. Meanwhile, states like Indiana and Mississippi have averages closer to $3.35 and $3.57, respectively. Prices vary between due to factors ranging from nearby supply to differing tax rates.

    Crude oil is the main ingredient in gasoline, and its cost makes up the bulk of what consumers pay at the pump. There’s a bit of a delay because refineries buy crude in advance, and deliveries of that oil take time. But the latest gas prices follow an uptick in oil costs seen over recent weeks. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, swung between roughly $86 to $91 a barrel Monday — compared to closer to $72 at the start of July.

    Oil has been volatile throughout the course of the war, with prices soaring more rapidly in the conflict’s early days. In March, Brent climbed as high as nearly $120 per barrel. Meanwhile, U.S. gas prices hit a four-year record of more than $4.50 a gallon in May.

    The national average fell to as low as $3.79 a gallon earlier this month. And the latest turnaround is bringing whiplash to some drivers.

    “I am down to the last drops of gas,” said Litza Mavrothalasitis, a Chicago resident, when filling her tank on Monday, adding that she was shocked to see how high it had gone up again. “It was just unbelievable. I thought we were finally settling down.”

    Jacob Fisher, another Chicago resident who was buying gas on Monday, added that thinking about what’s behind these higher fuel costs “makes me angry.”

    “Senseless war in Iran, and our current administration is fueling a lot of this — and it’s terrible,” Fisher said. “It is not serving the American people. Nor does it serve anywhere in the entire world.”

    White House’s response and the road ahead

    White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement Monday that “oil and gas prices will plummet back to pre-conflict levels” as the U.S. military degrades Iran’s ability to attack vessels and disrupt trade in the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly a fifth of the world’s oil sailed through during peacetime.

    “President Trump remains committed to unleashing American energy dominance, cutting costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families,” Rogers added.

    Still, the escalation of attacks and confusion over future control of Hormuz has fueled uncertainty. All the while, traffic in the key waterway has stalled — with analysts from S&P Global Energy noting Monday that vessel crossings fell 50% last week compared to the week prior.

    “The continued predominance of Iran-linked and sanctioned vessels suggests mainstream shipowners remain cautious about transiting the waterway,” the analysts added.

    Even if fighting ends, experts have repeatedly warned it could take months, if not longer, for supply chains to return to prewar levels. Last month, S&P Global Energy said it did not expect Persian Gulf oil production to rebound fully until at least the first quarter of 2027.

    Gas isn’t the only necessity getting more expensive

    Beyond gasoline, fuel like diesel — which powers many freight and long-haul trucks — is also back on the rise. On Monday, diesel averaged at nearly $5.11 a gallon in the U.S., per AAA, up from $4.88 just a week ago.

    American households have already collectively paid nearly $71.1 billion in extra costs for gas and diesel alone since the war began, according to an online tracker from Brown University’s Watson School of International and Public Affairs.

    Beyond pain at the pump, higher fuel prices raise transportation costs across businesses. And shortages of other core necessities — like fertilizer — have also worsened amid the war. Groceries, airline tickets and even goods like condoms and shoes have gotten more expensive in recent months.

    Supply shocks have been even starker in places that rely more heavily on imports from the Middle East — notably countries across Asia and Africa.

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    AP journalists Laura Bargfeld in Chicago and Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this report.

  • Nolan Wells remembered for his gentle spirit as Rev. Al Sharpton demands truth about his death


    OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) — Family members and supporters of Nolan Xavier Wells filled a Mississippi church Monday to mourn and celebrate the 18-year-old, as the Rev. Al Sharpton pleaded for new evidence addressing the “many unanswered questions” around the teenager’s July 4 disappearance.

    The funeral opened with tearful remarks from Wells’ parents, who described their son as a warm and gentle presence, a role model to his younger siblings and a gifted athlete with NFL ambitions.

    “He had a way of making people feel seen, welcomed and valued,” said his mother, Christine Wonsley. “He could lift your confidence with just a few words and make you feel like you belong.”

    In a fiery eulogy, Sharpton then promised a $100,000 reward for any new information about the circumstances around Wells’ death, which came following a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, off the Gulf Coast.

    Half of the sum will be covered by the actor and producer Tyler Perry, who also paid for the funeral, Sharpton noted.

    “Somebody knows something,” Sharpton continued, drawing applause from the crowd that included the director Spike Lee, former NFL player Terrell Owens and many prominent Black clergy.

    “Let every stone be rolled back and every veil be torn asunder and let truth pop out of the ground like a flower,” he continued.

    Wells, who was Black, had traveled to Horn Island — a popular Fourth of July destination — with a group of friends from high school, all of whom are white. He did not return with them to the mainland that evening, officials said. His body was found two days later off the island’s coast.

    Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said initial interviews suggested Wells chose to stay on the island and that his friends believed he would get a ride with someone else. The friends were cooperating with investigators, according to the sheriff.

    But the still-unknown circumstances leading to Wells’ disappearance have fueled rampant online speculation and galvanized leaders in the Black community, including some who have expressed skepticism about the independence and transparency of the investigation.

    In his eulogy, Sharpton urged those following the case to withhold judgement until more information becomes available. But he also questioned why Wells’ phone and keys were found with his friends, why they had not immediately called police after realizing he was missing and why local officials appeared so quick to dismiss the possibility of foul play.

    Invoking the history of racist violence in Mississippi, including the lynching of Emmett Till and assassination of Medgar Evers, Sharpton continued, addressing the state’s law enforcement authorities: “Before we can medicate and heal today, we’ve got to look at your history.”

    The family’s attorney, Ben Crump, then led the crowd in a chant of “Nolan’s life mattered,” as Wells’ mother sobbed into the shoulder of her husband, Elmore Wonsley.

    At a news conference following the funeral, Crump said they were still waiting on the results of an independent autopsy. The official autopsy has also not been released.

    Crump had said he is working alongside the local prosecutor to inspect Wells’ phone. The prosecutor has agreed to present the results of the investigation to a grand jury once it is completed, according to Crump.

    “They went out on the boat, the boat came back, and Nolan washed up on the shore two days later dead,” he said at the funeral Monday. “Wouldn’t you want answers?”

    Wells, who would have turned 19 next month, played wide receiver on the football team at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Mississippi, and had aspirations of playing at a high-level Division I program.

    At the funeral, Wells’ father, Elmore Wonsley, recalled the hours the two spent studying game tape and running drills on the beach.

    “I nicknamed you Mr. Cool Hands because it seemed like you were catching a touchdown every game,” the father said through tears.

    “Our son meant a lot to a of people,” he concluded. “Today shows us how much he meant to the community, the country and the world.”

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    Associated Press video journalist Sophie Bates in Jackson, Mississippi, contributed to this report.


  • Bedard says Carlsson’s offer sheet had no effect on his thinking for Blackhawks contract


    CHICAGO (AP) — Connor Bedard never wavered. Whenever the young center was asked about his future, he always responded with similar variations of the same message.

    All the way to his $75 million, five-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.

    “I’ve said (it) so much and it’s not anything fake. Chicago’s really, you know, the only place I want to play,” Bedard said.

    Bedard’s new deal was announced on Saturday, a day after his 21st birthday. It provides a level of security for both Bedard and the rebuilding Blackhawks, even if it always seemed as if it was just a matter of the final numbers than any sort of question about the end result.

    Some intrigue arrived when Leo Carlsson, another restricted free agent, signed a $90 million, five-year offer sheet with Philadelphia before going back to Anaheim when the Ducks decided to match the offer sheet. But Bedard stayed with his plans all along.

    It was always Chicago.

    “I’m very happy with the amount of money I’m making. You know, it’s a lot,” a chuckling Bedard said Monday in his first public comments since the deal was announced. “I think just with that, obviously the offer sheet is different as well. You know with a team trying to take a guy, it is going to be a different value. But for me, that didn’t change anything I was thinking.”

    The final details were completed after Bedard had surgery on his left shoulder on July 8. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft is expected to miss the start of the season after he got hurt while skating with a group of NHL players in western Canada.

    Bedard also missed 12 games last season after he hurt his right shoulder on a draw during a 3-2 loss at St. Louis on Dec. 12.

    “You always do everything you can to try to prevent injury and stay healthy,” he said. “It’s a terrible part of the game but it’s something that you know I think for me to have this next little bit and go through that adversity and try to get stronger, you know, mentally in that way. That’s the way I’m trying to look at it and then come back.”

    Bedard has been Chicago’s most important player since he made his anticipated NHL debut in October 2023. He continued his steady improvement in his third season, setting career highs with 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.

    But he hasn’t experienced much winning since arriving in Chicago. The Blackhawks went 29-39-14 last season, an 11-point improvement on the previous season and still nowhere near playoff contention. The team has finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the past three years.

    Chicago is looking for its first postseason appearance since the NHL used an expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Looking to get the team back in contention, general manager Kyle Davidson swung a trade for defenseman Bowen Byram on June 23. The Blackhawks also signed forward prospect Roman Kantserov in May, and then added forward Cole Smith and defenseman Ian Cole on the first day of free agency.

    “I think we’ve had a great summer,” Bedard said.

    But Chicago could use another top-six forward, possibly to play alongside Bedard, and, well, Patrick Kane remains on the market as a free agent. The 37-year-old Kane, who helped the Blackhawks win three Stanley Cup championships before he was traded to the New York Rangers in February 2023, is reportedly considering a return to his first NHL team.

    “That would be incredible to get to play with him and learn from him,” Bedard said. “So hopefully he decides to come back. … You talk about kind of the legacy aspect of it, but just as a team, it would make us a way better team. He’s still an amazing player.”

    With the contract completed, the next big moment for Bedard could be taking over as the 36th captain in franchise history. He became an alternate captain after the team traded away its entire leadership group in March.

    “If I was able to get that honor, it would be so special and something that I know I wouldn’t take for granted for a second,” Bedard said. “But we got so many guys in the room that can lead.”

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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl


  • FDA still focused on lettuce supplier as source of parasite, despite faulty test result

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials said Monday they remain focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of a multistate outbreak of a diarrhea-causing parasite, despite inaccurate test results that the government briefly publicized over the weekend.

    Food and Drug Administration officials on Monday said a laboratory test incorrectly identified a positive result for cyclospora on a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms. The FDA posted the finding to its website on Saturday but then said Sunday that the result had been a false positive.

    Federal and state authorities have been investigating a rise in cases of the parasite, initially linking the outbreak in five states to lettuce served at Taco Bell locations. On Saturday, Taylor Farms announced it was recalling 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. The products are used by a number of U.S. food chains and suppliers.

    “FDA’s traceback investigation and the outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms’ locations in central Mexico,” FDA’s acting food chief, Donald Prater, told reporters on Monday.

    In addition to tracing the supply chain of lettuce, FDA staff have begun testing samples of produce coming across the U.S. border.

    FDA officials on Monday said the false positive result came from a rapid test used to screen for traces of cyclospora. The sample that initially appeared positive for the parasite came from Taylor Farms but was not part of the company’s lettuce recall. FDA officials said they felt compelled to alert the public to the finding.

    But a subsequent quality control check showed the positive finding was an error. FDA officials notified Taylor Farms of that on Sunday.

    The company touted the updated test results on social media and claimed “FDA apologized to us.” Agency officials said there was no official apology.

    Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.

    In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the U.S. and hospitalized 141, according to the FDA and CDC. The agencies are investigating five separate clusters of illnesses, including the one traced to Taylor Farms.

    FDA’s acting commissioner, Kyle Diamantas, said health officials have continued to see new cases associated with the latest outbreak, including some as recent as last week.

    “Which means it’s imperative for us to take action to ensure that contaminated product is not making its way to the market,” Diamantas explained.

    As of Friday, foot traffic was down at a number of dining chains compared with the day-of-the-week averages between Jan. 1 and July 6, according to Placer.ai, which tracks people’s movements based on cellphone usage.

    Taco Bell suffered the biggest drop — an 18.9% decline — after federal health officials named the chain in its investigation of the cyclosporiasis outbreak. Foot traffic fell 14.3% at Chopt, Placer.ai said. Both Chipotle and Panera Bread had close to a 7% drop in traffic, while Cava’s drop was less — at 4.2% — according to the firm.

    Food safety investigators often cannot draw a direct biological connection between recalled produce and outbreaks of foodborne illness. Some common tests used to check for food poisoning have not been geared to detect cyclospora. Technicians aren’t able to grow the parasite in labs, making it hard to draw evidence from contaminated produce.

    Instead, investigators draw conclusions based on accounts of what people ate, the proximity and timing of cases and other patterns.

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    AP Business Writer Anne D’Innocenzio contributed from New York.

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    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

  • WTA introduces gene testing for all players on women’s tennis tour


    BERLIN (AP) — The Women’s Tennis Association is introducing one-off mandatory gene-testing for all players effective from Tuesday – a requirement to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

    The WTA updated its women’s eligibility policy to include gender screening “based on biological sex” this week “to preserve the integrity of women’s professional tennis and maintain fair competition conditions for all players.”

    The new policy takes the organization in line with the eligibility policy introduced by the International Olympic Committee in March to align with U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on sports ahead of the 2028 Games.

    The WTA is complying with what is effectively an order from the IOC that Olympic sports bodies are following, though it remained unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at Games level.

    Players are to be tested for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero and indicates the presence of testes.

    “In this policy, ‘biological male’ means an individual who, regardless of their legal sex or gender identity, has an SRY gene and therefore has or previously had testes or streak testes; and ‘biological female’ means an individual who, regardless of their legal sex or gender identity, has no SRY gene and therefore has or previously had ovaries or streak ovaries.”

    The WTA said the policy distinguishes between biological sex and gender identity, and that there is “no intent to disrespect or question the gender identity or the dignity of any person.”

    The mandatory gender screening — already conducted by the governing bodies of track and field, skiing and boxing — has been criticized by human rights experts and activist groups.

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    AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis


  • Officials sought phone records of NYT journalists and their relatives in an effort to unmask sources


    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration sought phone records of several New York Times journalists and even those of some of their relatives, according to a motion unsealed Monday — an unusually aggressive attempt to unmask the confidential sources of reporters who wrote about Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet.

    The efforts by the Republican president’s administration to compel the identity of sources in the form of additional subpoenas come at a time when the executive branch’s relationship with the press is increasingly contentious. The efforts, described in a letter-motion filed by the Times over the weekend, were more expansive than previously known, the newspaper noted. They also covered a time frame that exceeded the news articles in question.

    “Two of the subpoenas seek records beginning on January 1, 2026, long before the events that are purportedly the basis for the Department’s investigation,” lawyers for the Times wrote in the letter. “That timeframe strongly suggests that the Department is using this investigation not to focus on any purported concerns arising from the July 8 and 9 articles, but instead to forage for information about the Journalists’ source relationships more broadly.”

    Government has said reporters aren’t the target

    The phone records subpoenas come on top of grand jury subpoenas that were served July 10 on three journalists, seeking testimony about the identify of their sources. The Times has separately challenged those grand jury subpoenas, and a judge is scheduled to hear arguments on Thursday.

    Lawyers for the newspaper noted that some of the phone records subpoenas were issued on the same day as the grand jury ones, an additional one was issued the following day and another was issued on July 16 — after the Times had already moved to quash the grand jury subpoenas.

    The Times said the phone records subpoenas should be spiked, arguing that each instance demonstrated “bad faith” by the government. The lawyers argued that the Justice Department ignored its own guidelines by not giving the journalists advance notice that records were being sought and had issued subpoenas “without first conducting any serious investigation.”

    The newspaper’s lawyers said the additional subpoenas call “into question the accuracy” of testimony given last week by Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, where the grand jury subpoenas were issued. At his confirmation hearing to be the Trump administration’s director of national intelligence, Clayton said that “we followed the protocols” and that the government took “the least intrusive possible” steps.

    The Justice Department has justified the grand jury subpoenas by saying that “reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.” Asked about the phone records subpoenas, the department said Monday: “Any subpoena issued by the Department of Justice is done so in full compliance with federal law and internal Department policy.”

    The additional subpoenas included a request for phone records of one reporter’s mother and two of the journalists’ spouses. The motion noted that the mother in question is a mental health professional with confidential client relationships and that one of the two spouses is the general counsel of a law firm.

    “The disclosure of additional subpoenas for confidential newsgathering information of the Journalists is deeply concerning, revealing yet another instance of the alarming pattern of conduct detailed in the Motion to Quash,” the news organization’s lawyers wrote.

    “These actions demonstrate abuse of the grand jury process, continued bad faith attacks on the Journalists, violations of the Department’s own internal regulations and disregard for the law in this Circuit intended to protect critical First Amendment interests,” the motion stated.

    It’s part of an ongoing legal challenge

    The Times revealed the government’s actions as part of an ongoing legal challenge to quash subpoenas that the Justice Department served on three journalists who reported on security concerns involving the jet.

    The original subpoenas, delivered to reporters at their homes, marked a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration’s crackdown on media leaks that free press advocates swiftly condemned as a government effort to intimidate news organizations. It followed an FBI search earlier this year of a Washington Post reporter’s home and the seizure of her electronic devices.

    The new jet in question, a present from Qatar that Trump’s administration spent $400 million to retrofit and upgrade, recently entered service. But Trump used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month.

    The Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the switch had come at the urging of the Secret Service and that the newer plane lacked some of the advanced security features of the older Air Force One aircraft, including antimissile capabilities. On social media, Trump denied security concerns.

    Trump’s administration has clashed with the press, from newspapers to TV networks to the Voice of America, on multiple fronts since he returned to office last year. The methods include lawsuits, administrative actions and public threats.

    The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the press’ ability to operate free of governmental restrictions.


  • FIFA investigates Argentina players confronting Spain’s on-field World Cup celebrations


    EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — FIFA opened an investigation Monday after Spain’s celebrations on beating Argentina in the World Cup final took an ugly turn when players briefly clashed on the field.

    Video replays showed several players involved in a scuffle, including Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes.

    He appeared to shove Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat. When Spain substitute Gavi jumped in to intervene, Paredes pushed him to the ground.

    Spain captain Rodri also seemed to be hit in the stomach by Argentina defender Nahuel Molina as he ran past to join teammates celebrating the title win.

    Molina later crowded Rodri, who was the target of a verbal confrontation by his former Manchester City teammate Nicolas Otamendi.

    Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and other players rushed in to deescalate the situation.

    FIFA said in a statement its “disciplinary committee has appointed a Disciplinary and Ethics Prosecutor to investigate potential breaches of the (FIFA disciplinary code) with regard to the post-match incidents.”

    The brief statement gave no timetable for an investigation and did not name Paredes, who was not shown a red card after the game yet could face a suspension.

    Spain needed extra time to win Sunday’s final 1-0 after Argentina was reduced to 10 men. Enzo Fernandez was sent off with a second yellow card in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes.

    The Argentina players stood facing their fans, with their backs to the podium, when Spain’s squad lifted the trophy. It was an unusual show of disrespect to the new champions, who had given their opponents a guard of honor to collect their medals.

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    See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here


  • Best moments of the 2026 World Cup


    The World Cup produced hundreds of spectacular moments and The Associated Press covered all 104 games over 39 days in the United States, Canada and Mexico from every angle.

    Goal of the tournament

    Sidny Lopes Cabral stunned defending champion Argentina with a tying goal in extra time of their round of 32 match at Miami Gardens, Florida, on July 3. The Blue Sharks, who entered the tournament ranked 67th, trailed 2-1 in the 103rd minute when Cabral settled a long pass from Yannick Semedo near the left flank with his left foot. The 23-year-old, who plays in Turkey for Trabzonspor, cut past Alexis Mac Allister while playing the ball onto his right foot and from just inside the penalty area curled a shot past goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and into the upper corner at the far post for his fourth goal in 14 international appearances. Argentina went on to win on an own goal.

    Upset of the tournament

    Eliminated in consecutive group stages following its fourth World Cup title in 2014, Germany clinched its group title with wins over Curaçao and Ivory Coast before losing its first-round finale against Ecuador. Paraguay was in its first World Cup since 2010, began the tournament ranked 41st and advanced as a third-place team, opening with a 4-1 loss to the U.S., beating Turkey 1-0 and playing a 0-0 draw against Australia. Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead in the 42nd minute of the round of 32 match at Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 29 but Kai Havertz tied the score 12 minutes later. Germany, which began the World Cup ranked No. 10, appeared to go ahead on Jonathan Tah’s header of a corner kick in the 102nd minute but a video review concluded the goal should be disallowed because of a foul by Waldemar Anton on goalkeeper Orlando Gill. Germany won all four of its previous World Cup penalty kick shootouts, succeeding on 17 of 18 kicks — including 15 in a row. Havertz’s attempt on the opening kick was saved by Gill, who also batted away Nick Woltemade’s effort on Germany’s fourth kick. Tah skied Germany’s sixth kick over the crossbar, José Canale beat Manuel Neuer and Paraguay won the shootout 4-3 after the 1-1 draw only to lose 1-0 to France in the round of 16.

    Breakout player

    Pau Cubarsí, a 19-year-old Barcelona defender, played every minute of every match as Spain won its second title and first since 2010. He had 668 successful passes in 690 attempts, a 96.8% rate that was the second best in the tournament among players with 400 or more attempts, just behind Norway’s Sander Berge at 96.9%. Cubarsí’s total was second to teammate Rodri’s 747. Cubarsí’s 750 minutes tied teammate Marc Cucurella and Mac Allister for the tournament high among outfield players. At 19 years, 178 days he became the seventh youngest to win a World Cup, trailing Pelé (17-249), Ronaldo (17-298), Giuseppe Bergomi (18-174), teammate Lamine Yamal and Coutinho (both 19-6) and Marco Antonio (19-135).

    Save of the tournament

    Vozinha, Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper, leapt to his left to slap away Lionel Messi’s quick free kick in the 73rd minute that was headed to the upper corner, keeping the score 1-1.

    Blunder of the tournament

    Matt Freese had a howler in the United States’ 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 that will long be replayed among goalkeeper lowlights. Brandon Mechele played a long ball from deep in his own end and when Charles De Ketelaere burst past American defender Chris Richards, Freese came off his line and about 5 yards outside the penalty area chested the ball, which had taken two hops. The 27-year-old, who became the No. 1 U.S. goalkeeper last year, was about to clear the ball with his left foot, hesitated and tried to pass to his left only for the ball to deflect off a leg of De Ketelaere toward midfield. Hans Vanaken scored from about 30 yards as defender Tim Ream missed his attempt to block the ball.

    Worst foul

    Qatari midfielder Assim Madibo broke the left tibia and fibula of Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné with a tackle from behind in the 51st minute of a June 18 group stage match at Vancouver, British Columbia. Madibo received a red card and a five-game suspension. Koné had surgery and Madibo visited Koné at the hospital.

    Fan base of the tournament

    Norway’s fans charmed fellow spectators and television viewers when they performed the Viking Ro, chanting “Ro!” while mimicking oarsmen in stadiums and even in the bleachers above the TKTS booth selling Broadway theater tickets in New York’s Times Square. Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland led the row celebration on the field following wins. Scotland’s Tartan Army also left indelible memories, depleting Boston’s beer supply and taking an excursion to a baseball games at Fenway Park and in Miami.

    Best photo

    Raúl Jiménez scored Mexico’s second goal in the tournament-opening 2-0 win over South Africa on June 11. An image from Associated Press photographer Natacha Pisarenko captured the joy of a player who scored on a header, six years after his career was endangered when he fractured his skull while playing for Wolverhampton in a clash of heads with Arsenal’s David Luiz.

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    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup


  • Could the SEC really break away? Commish says conversations are real but that’s not what they want


    TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that leaders of the powerhouse league — some of them frustrated over the changes upending their industry — are having “real” conversations about breaking away from the rest of college sports, though that is not the preferred solution.

    “They’re real,” Greg Sankey said Monday of talks with school presidents involving the SEC separating itself from the rest of the NCAA. “They’ve opined about the frustrations that bring them to the point of saying we should look at something significantly different.”

    Sankey’s 45-minute meeting with reporters to kick off SEC football media days detailed the several issues that college sports is trying to find solutions for: Congressional legislation, litigation stemming from the new five-year eligibility rule, the future of the College Football Playoff and an overall lack of transparency regarding name, image and likeness payments to players.

    Sankey acknowledged the conference’s unhappiness with the handling of all those issues, but also touted the league’s 13 national championships won last season across a variety of sports as a key reason it’s in no rush to move away from the current framework.

    “There is meaning and value and I do think a national expectation that we participate in a national organization,” he said. “But that national organization must function in a healthy manner; otherwise, that simmering will continue”.

    The SEC and Big Ten produced a 10-point paper about changes they would like to see to the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation in the Senate. The SEC and Big Ten are negotiating with lawmakers over potential tweaks.

    Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman, the chair of the SEC presidents, released a statement saying conference leaders “have provided feedback from the perspective of university leaders who are trying to navigate the current state of college athletics.”

    The SEC argues the bill does not go far enough in limiting the possibility of lawsuits against conferences and schools, and also needs better language to preempt state laws in favor of a national one regarding the tens of millions in NIL payments now so common at the top of college sports.

    Sankey called the rollout of the recent NCAA rule that rewrote eligibility standards and has induced lawsuits — players mainly get five years to play five seasons — “magnifies frustration” among some in the SEC. Plowman said the SEC “applauded” how transfers and eligibility were addressed in the Senate bill.

    “That means student-athletes would not be able to transfer every year, putting their educations and team dynamics at risk — or toggle back and forth between professional teams and university teams with no intention of getting a degree,” she said.

    The SEC remains the Power Four’s only holdout over expanding the 12-team playoff to 24. Sankey said more research is needed, especially regarding “media interest” — likely shorthand for media rights interest — in adding more games.

    There is also the underlying issue of what an expanded playoff would do to conference title games. Symbolic of the wide range of opinions on that topic, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said in his own media session that he favored conference play-in games to determine CFP spots and he doesn’t think title games should be put on the chopping block.

    “Throwing those away so you can get a bad matchup between 24 and 18 doesn’t make sense to me,” Drinkwitz said.

    Sankey said he also wants more transparency about who pays players and for what. Among the SEC’s proposed changes to the Senate bill would be clearer guidelines for paying players, including “NIL, pay-for-play (which is not allowed), revenue sharing and other forms of compensation.”

    The commissioner conceded that the SEC is not bent on getting its way regarding every issue that college sports is trying to solve. But as one of the biggest, richest and most influential leagues in a quickly changing business, it does want to lead the way.

    “I think we do a better job now than has ever been done in college athletics,” Sankey said. “But we haven’t achieved that level of stability as we go through change that’s needed at this point.”

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