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  • Novak Djokovic says ‘people need to cool off a little bit with judgment’ on Serena Williams


    LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic knows just what it means to have to live up to lofty expectations after years of titles and trophies.

    He’s 39 and is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who now plays only sparingly.

    So he’s better positioned than almost anyone else to analyze what Serena Williams — a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion just like he is — must have been feeling after losing at the All England Club earlier this week in the first singles match that she played in nearly four years.

    “People always expect you to play at your best because they’re used to seeing you dominate the sport for many years,” Djokovic said. “She’s 44. She has two children. Coming back, it’s normal that she still is not at her best in terms of movement. She hasn’t played a match in so many years. People need to cool off a little bit with judgment and criticism and everything. Let’s just enjoy the greatness, who she is, what she represents to the sport.”

    Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia in the first round on Tuesday but showed she could be competitive with an opponent less than half her age after being away for so long.

    Williams still cranked out serves faster than 120 mph and dictated points with her heavy groundstrokes. But movement was an issue and the 87th-ranked Joint was able to win more of the big points by hitting beyond the reach of the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.

    “Her wanting to give it a try and just come back is an incredible gift for our sport,” Djokovic said. “I think people sometimes — I don’t know why — they don’t appreciate that enough. They just start to speculate, judge or whatever. It’s like, ‘Hey, guys, enjoy. You have the greatest ever to come play for you, to bring more attention to your sport.’

    “I really support Serena. Always have. Hopefully she’s going to play more,” Djokovic added.

    Williams was given wild card invitations to play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon and it remains to be seen whether she will still play doubles with older sister Venus.

    Williams announced on Wednesday that she tweaked her right knee toward the end of the first set against Joint. She said she still hopes to play doubles but the Williams’ sisters opener against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra of Argentina was only the remaining first-round match not on the schedule for Friday. There’s is still a possibility they could play Saturday.

    At last year’s U.S. Open, Djokovic publicly challenged Serena to return.

    “When somebody challenges her, she never refuses. So I challenge Serena: Come back on the tour next year,” Djokovic said in 2025.

    Now, Djokovic wants to see Serena play this year’s U.S. Open.

    “I hope for the sake of tennis and all of us that we be able to see her more,” Djokovic said. “I assume that U.S. Open is somewhere where she would like to play. Playing in her home Slam would be amazing for her and for everyone else.”

    Djokovic won his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets Wednesday night on Centre Court — 24 hours after watching Serena’s match on the same court on TV.

    “What she’s doing is incredible. Epic,” Djokovic said. “I’ve always been a fan of Serena. I’m sure she wanted and expected to at least win one match or more. Knowing how competitive she is, the mind of a champion that she has, she’s not happy with just showing up on the court. She wants to win.”

    Lindsey Vonn wasn’t expecting Serena to ‘show all her cards’

    Lindsey Vonn, another 40-plus athlete who recently made a comeback, struggled at times in her first season back on the World Cup skiing circuit after nearly six years of retirement.

    But Vonn was the top World Cup downhiller last season at age 41 until her horrific crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February left her with a severely fractured left leg.

    Vonn attended Serena’s comeback in doubles at Queen’s last month and last week told The Associated Press ahead of Williams’ singles return, “I would expect for her to play well but not show all her cards yet.”

    ___

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


  • Former Olympian indicted on felony charge over alleged Reflecting Pool vandalism


    WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Olympian was indicted Thursday on a felony charge in what President Donald Trump has called vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where a renovation project he launched has been riddled with problems.

    David Hearn, a former Olympic canoe racer, was indicted on a single count of property destruction in Washington, D.C., court.

    District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Hearn ripped up recently installed sealant on the pool in “a deliberate act” that caused more than $1,000 in damage. She accused him of “forcefully and violently” pulling up the bottom liner “with both hands” and acting belligerently toward an employee who told him to stop.

    “This is a case with tremendous evidence,” she said, adding that authorities have made about six other misdemeanor arrests.

    In a statement, Democracy Defenders Fund co-founder Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, senior counsel at Washington Litigation Group, said that they represented Hearn and that the charges were “outrageous and should be alarming to every American.” Eisen and Dohrmann construed the case as representative of “the misuse of government power against an ordinary citizen based on a concocted narrative.”

    Hearn didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment. He previously told The Associated Press that he reached into the pool on June 19 to examine the newly peeled coating. He said he briefly touched a chunk that was still attached to the side of the pool, then let go shortly after a park worker told him to.

    “I’m a curious citizen,” Hearn said in a telephone interview last month. “I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.”

    Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, owned a company that made composite materials used to build watercraft.

    Saying that he stopped by the pool during a 64-mile bike ride, Hearn said he was detained by National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police for five hours before being released.

    Trump said last month that federal authorities made “multiple arrests” of people he accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool as he struggled to explain why the $16-million rehabilitation project he launched for the nation’s 250th anniversary seemingly backfired. Without providing any substantiation, he also said vandals dumped fertilizer into the pool and slashed the coating with a box cutter.

    In subsequent days, National Guard members and Park Police patrolled the deck around the Reflecting Pool as Trump’s administration faced a self-imposed deadline to fix a botched renovation before the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. Contractors and federal workers used chemicals and ozone nanobubbles to combat an algae bloom, and Trump has said that problems most likely require draining the pool again for liner repairs.

    ___

    Kinnard reported from Columbia, S.C.


  • Supreme Court declines to halt $800-a-day fine for ex-Fox News reporter refusing to divulge sources


    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to intervene after a judge ordered an $800-a-day fine for a former Fox News reporter if she refuses to reveal her confidential source for stories about a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged.

    The high court rebuffed an emergency appeal from Catherine Herridge. The veteran investigative reporter has been held in civil contempt as part of a lawsuit that scientist Yanping Chen filed against the government over the leak.

    Chief Justice John Roberts previously put a short-term hold on the fine as the court considered the appeal. On Thursday, the court said it was denying Herridge’s bid to stay the fine. Justice Brett Kavanaugh supported granting the application for a stay, the court said.

    Herridge published a series for Fox News in 2017 that examined Chen’s ties to the Chinese military and raised questions about whether the scientist was using a professional school she founded in Virginia to help the Chinese government get information about American servicemembers.

    Fox News Media expressed disappointment in the decision.

    “Protecting the confidentiality of journalistic sourcing and the integrity of the newsgathering process is fundamental to a free and functioning democracy. While we are deeply disappointed by the Court’s decision, our commitment to defending these critical First Amendment principles remains unwavering and we will be reviewing our options to further fight this injustice,” the network said in a statement.

    Herridge’s attorneys did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

    The stories relied on what Chen’s lawyers say were items leaked from the probe into statements she made on immigration forms related to work on a Chinese astronaut program.

    Those include snippets of an FBI document summarizing an interview conducted during the investigation, personal photographs, and information taken from her immigration and naturalization forms and from an internal FBI PowerPoint presentation, according to court documents.

    The six-year probe never resulted in charges against Chen, and in 2018 she sued the FBI and the Justice Department.

    Her suit said that both her personal and professional life were upended amid a wave of negative media attention after the leak, leading to hate mail and death threats. She accused the government of violating the Privacy Act, which prohibits the public disclosure of private information about individuals without their consent.

    A judge ordered Herridge to answer questions about her source or sources in a deposition with Chen’s lawyers. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington ruled that Chen’s need to know for the sake of her lawsuit overcame Herridge’s right to shield her source.

    Herridge was interviewed under oath but declined to answer questions about her sources. The judge eventually held her in contempt, and the fine was set to begin after the order was upheld by an appeals court panel.

    The case has been closely watched by media advocates, who say forcing journalists to betray a promise of confidentiality could make sources think twice before providing information to reporters that could expose government wrongdoing.

    “Journalists facing contempt should not have to muster large payments to the court while they seek to vindicate First Amendment rights,” said Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “And forcing them to betray source confidences always has a harmful impact on the free flow of information to the public.”

    Chen’s lawyers say they have exhausted other ways to identify the leaker, and the identity is key to making their case that the Privacy Act was violated. Attorney Andrew Phillips said they hope Thursday’s decision will help bring the matter to a close.

    “Dr. Chen, like any other American citizen, is entitled to discover the identity of the federal official(s) who abused their access to an American’s private information and leaked it to cause her harm. That type of corrupt, unlawful conduct is exactly what the Privacy Act was designed to address,” he said.

    Herridge reported for Fox News and CBS News before recently becoming an independent journalist.


  • Jaylen Brown still processing how he became a former Boston Celtic after stunning trade with 76ers


    PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jaylen Brown said he was still processing how the trade agreement went down that will send the former Boston Celtics star to one of its most storied rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers.

    Brown — the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and the league’s fourth-leading scorer this past season — is getting traded by the Celtics to the Sixers, a person with knowledge of the deal’s terms said Wednesday.

    Boston is getting Paul George, along with a slew of draft capital that could become two first-round picks and two second-round picks, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade does not yet have the required league approvals.

    “I’m still processing how this all went down,” Brown wrote on social media Thursday. “I’m excited and disappointed at the same time. I earned my respect from this city. I never asked for shortcuts or special treatment. I simply showed up every day, put my head down, and accepted every challenge.

    The relationships I built here, the battles we fought together, the championship we brought to this city, and the connection I shared with the fans, I’ll carry on with me.”

    Jayson Tatum missed most of this past season while recovering from an Achilles tendon tear that happened during the 2025 playoffs, meaning Brown had to carry even more of the load for Boston — and he wound up with career-best averages of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

    It seemed, though, that Brown has felt underappreciated, especially after it became known that Boston had included him in trade talks with Milwaukee when Giannis Antetokounmpo was on the market.

    “Saying goodbye isn’t easy when you’ve invested your heart into something,” Brown wrote.

    The Sixers have another star to pair with two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid — and the true franchise cornerstones in All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and second-year standout VJ Edgecombe — after new team president of basketball operations Mike Gansey pulled off a whale of a move in his first month on the job.

    “I’m excited for what’s ahead and grateful for the opportunity to join Philadelphia,” Brown wrote. “Every city has its own identity, its own passion, and its own expectation. I respect that, and I’m looking forward to earning that respect the only way I know how, through the work.

    “Philly — throw the ball up let’s get it!”

    ___

    AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.

    ___

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba


  • Wimbledon kept its courts lush green as other London lawns browned in record heat


    LONDON (AP) — Grass in much of London turned brown last week amid a record heat wave that made Britain and the rest of Europe sizzle. Water demand skyrocketed and suppliers urged people to drastically reduce outdoor usage.

    The perfectly manicured lawns of Wimbledon’s famous tennis courts are as green as ever, though, as play at the grass-court Grand Slam got underway this week.

    The lush green courts are a standard that players, spectators and broadcasters have come to expect — or take for granted.

    “I have not once ever considered the watering of the grass,” American player Madison Keys said Thursday after a second-round win. “They always are (green), so that’s probably why I have never thought about it.”

    The players don’t need to worry about it because Neil Stubley, the All England Club’s head of courts and horticulture, and his team of 31 groundskeepers make sure that Wimbledon is always a picture-perfect spectacle thanks to constant maintenance.

    Stubley said he’s “probably got about 25 weather apps that I look at probably every seven minutes” to make sure he keeps up with the changing climate. He attributes the perfectly green courts to years of research into grasses that can withstand extreme heat.

    “It’s inevitable and it is happening,” Stubley said of the increasing number of heat waves in Britain. “We have a grass species trial that’s been running for nearly 40 years looking at what are the best grasses for tennis, the more drought tolerant, the more hard-wearing grasses.”

    The 18 tournament courts and 20 practice courts for Wimbledon have been sown with perennial ryegrass since 2001. Also, tubes are installed on Centre Court and four other courts in which a probe can be inserted to measure soil moisture.

    Soil moisture levels have a direct bearing on surface hardness, live grass cover and ball rebound. The probes came in handy last week when temperature records for June in Britain were smashed on three consecutive days.

    It was England’s warmest June on record, according to the Met Office, Britain’s national weather service.

    What made the heat wave even worse was overnight temperatures were also well-above average.

    That hasn’t been an issue this week, though.

    “At the moment, in London, in the UK, you may have a 33-degree (Celsius) day (91 Fahrenheit) but you’re then getting a 17-degree (62 F) overnight,” Stubley added. “That allows the temperature to come down, it allows the dew point to come in. It’s almost like us going into an air conditioned room in the evening — we can all chill out.”

    The heat wave in Britain ended last weekend and temperatures at Wimbledon this week have not risen above 26 C (79 F). But it’s forecast to get hotter over the middle weekend and into next week.

    What’s more is that it hasn’t rained once during this year’s tournament and there is no rain in the forecast.

    Spring in London this year was also drier than usual with April having had only 20% of the average expected rain, according to Thames Water, which is responsible for the water supply in Greater London.

    Water supply

    There are 54 million grass plants on Centre Court alone at the start of the championships and 200 metric tons of soil are used each year to level the courts.

    Each court at Wimbledon has its own unique irrigation program but the club does not have its own water supply system.

    Still, organizers strive for conservation.

    “Every time we do a project, part of the remit is how can we conserve things, whether that be energy, whether that be water, the construction of the core, we’re constantly looking at the drainage layers, whether we can start using systems where we can recapture water and reuse it, whether it’s just potable or can we have boreholes, whether we can use the lakes across the road,” Stubley said.

    “It’s always a very fast-moving kind of dynamic because the laws always change. One minute you can have a borehole, the next year you can’t, depending on legislation,” Stubley added.

    Counting grass blades

    Hot temperatures have become an issue at all four Grand Slams in recent years, whether it’s consistently extreme temperatures at the Australian Open, an unexpected heat wave during this year’s French Open, or the humidity at the U.S. Open.

    But Wimbledon is the only major played on a live surface; since the Australian Open and U.S. Open are contested on hard courts and the French Open is played on red clay.

    Preparation of the Wimbledon courts is independently verified by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) in Yorkshire.

    The research institute performs moisture and hardness readings and even counts blades of grass on the baselines to see how quickly the plants are wearing out.

    “And then every day we get that data,” Stubley said. “Each court will have its own microclimate. … So we’re constantly number crunching. … When we’re getting those hardness readings and it’s saying that Court 14 is firmer than Centre Court, we can then add a little bit more water to 14 and a little less to Centre Court so we keep those numbers the same.”

    ‘Cheese grater’ sliding damage

    Heat isn’t the only menace to Wimbledon’s courts. Defending champion Jannik Sinner and seven-time winner Novak Djokovic act as unintended lawn mowers when they slide across the baseline to reach shots.

    “If you look at the pimple of a grass-court tennis shoe, it’s almost like a cheese grater,” Stubley said. “As it cuts through the plant, it will shred leaves.”

    Unlike the spots where most players stand to serve — which typically turn brown later in the tournament because of heavy usage — the sliding damage has a different impact on the courts.

    “It’s more spread out when you’ve got the likes of Novak and Sinner doing that,” Stubley said. “Year on year you will have people that just have different styles and we just have to accept that.”

    ___

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


  • Democrats accuse Trump-linked fundraisers of fraud over diverted donations for America’s anniversary


    WASHINGTON (AP) — Consultants tied to President Donald Trump may have engaged in financial fraud, tricking donors who wanted to support the nation’s bipartisan 250th anniversary organizer into sending their money instead to a rival group set up by his administration, according to a report released Thursday by House Democrats.

    The report draws in part on interviews by Democratic staffers of the House Committee on Natural Resources. Those interviews suggest that donors seeking to celebrate America fell for a bait-and-switch that, if true, could have violated various criminal statutes.

    Donors who were intending to contribute funds to America250, a bipartisan committee created by Congress, were instead given the banking and routing numbers for a different but similarly named group, Freedom 250, the Democratic report says.

    The key difference was that Freedom 250 was set up under the auspices of Trump’s Republican administration to be “a vehicle for a Christian nationalist, partisan, and Trump-centered vision of American identity,” according to the report.

    Freedom 250, which has denied the report’s claims, has focused on staging big splashy events largely held in Washington, such as the UFC cage fight at the White House on Trump’s 80th birthday, the Great American State Fair on the National Mall and the upcoming July 4 celebration featuring a Trump speech and a fireworks extravaganza the president is touting as the “show of a lifetime.”

    Freedom 250 calls report ‘partisan smear’

    Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez dismissed the Democrats’ report as “categorically false” and a “partisan smear from politicians who would rather manufacture division” than celebrate a national milestone.

    “Freedom 250 remains fully committed to uniting Americans at this historic moment and giving all Americans a spectacular birthday they can be proud of — and we won’t be distracted by those rooting for it to fail,” said Alvarez, who previously served as a spokesperson for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee.

    Democrats allege in the report that this fits a broader pattern in which Trump hijacked the nation’s 250th birthday celebration, redirecting tens of millions of dollars in both taxpayer money and private donations to boost “the President’s ego, political ideology and pet projects.” Much of the spending was directed to companies connected to Trump’s political operation, including the event planners for the Trump rally that immediately preceded the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by a mob of his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.

    “The American people are the big losers in this,” said Rep. Jared Huffman, the ranking Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee. “I’m old enough to remember the bicentennial in 1976. No one cared about party labels or political agendas, religious agendas or anything else. Donald Trump stole that. He took this unifying America250 moment, and he made it all about himself.”

    The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

    Report recounts Trump administration effort to control America250

    The Democratic report recounts how the Trump administration sought to control America250, the nonprofit arm of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission established by Congress in 2016 to plan celebrations for this year’s anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

    After the Trump administration faced pushback, Freedom 250 was created last fall as a limited liability corporation that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Park Foundation, the fundraising arm of the National Park Service.

    Freedom 250’s sole employee appears to be CEO Keith Krach, a wealthy Trump supporter who served in the State Department during the president’s first term.

    Democrats said this structure enables Freedom 250 to operate as a “financial black box,” shielded from having to comply with competitive bidding, accounting and transparency rules that would typically apply to a federally controlled entity receiving tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds and private donations.

    Under Trump’s big tax and spending cuts bill approved by Congress last year, $150 million in federal funds was allocated to the Interior Department for events celebrating the 250th anniversary. America250 was expecting $100 million of that, though it has received only $25 million, according to the Democratic report.

    Even as a member of a congressional oversight committee, Huffman said that he has no way to know exactly how much taxpayer money has been redirected into Freedom 250 by the Trump administration.

    Freedom 250 CEO solicited donations from foreign government officials, Democrats allege

    The Democrats alleged Krach, the Freedom 250 CEO, traveled in January to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to personally solicit foreign government officials and business leaders for money to help fund America’s birthday celebrations. The report says Trump appointees at the State Department, including some ambassadors, have also held fundraising events overseas and sent out written solicitations seeking foreign donations for Freedom 250.

    Krach did not respond to an email seeking comment. Alvarez denied the group accepts foreign donations.

    The publicly named sponsors of Freedom 250 include defense contractors, oil conglomerates and big tech companies that have federal contracts, that have regulatory issues before federal agencies and in some cases that Trump has personally invested in. Democrats said the arrangement creates the appearance of a cozy pay-to-play scheme in which donors to Trump’s pet projects could get favorable treatment from his administration.

    There has been no public disclosure of how much corporate money has been raised. Freedom 250 also allows donors to request to remain anonymous, and the contributions are tax deductible.

    Democrats allege donors were pressured to withdraw commitments from America250

    The allegation of potential criminal wrongdoing stems from fundraising by Meredith O’Rourke, who served as the national finance director for Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign and as a board member for the parent company of Trump’s Truth Social media platform.

    O’Rourke’s firm, Forward Strategies, initially worked as a contractor for America250, which coordinated with the White House to organize last year’s military parade in Washington to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday. O’Rourke is also a primary fundraiser for other projects Trump has championed, including the construction of the White House ballroom, the planned renovation of the Kennedy Center and the Garden of American Heroes.

    After the creation of Freedom 250 last year, the report alleges, corporate donors were pressured to withdraw fundraising commitments to America250 and shift their financial backing to the new Trump-backed entity.

    Democrats say they have also interviewed donors who were misled by fundraisers, including O’Rourke, into believing they were contributing to America250 but were given wire transfer instructions that routed their money to a bank account controlled by Freedom 250 — a ruse the report says could constitute wire fraud.

    O’Rourke did not respond to a text message seeking comment.


  • The best movies of 2026 so far, from ‘Project Hail Mary’ to ‘Rose of Nevada’


    A quick summary of the movie year so far: The box office is booming, Gen Z is flocking to theaters and aliens are … real?

    It’s been a curiously seesawing first six months. The movies have been dominated as much by 26-year-old YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker as they have 79-year-old Steven Spielberg. Some much-prized Hollywood IP has struggled ( “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” ) while other franchises ( “Toy Story 5” ) have been more than fine.

    The favorites so far of AP Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr are fittingly varied, running from shattering debuts to goofy sci-fi. Here are their picks.

    “Disclosure Day”

    Listen, I realize the alien stuff is a little blunt. And you can question the nostalgia baked into a modern-day movie where everyone huddles around TV sets. But when “Disclosure Day” is moving, Spielberg is back in an idiom all his own — and what reconnecting to that spirit means isn’t simply wistful. This is a stealthily political movie about whether Spielberg’s warm belief in humankind can exist today — if he can rebuild that suburban family home. “Disclosure Day” is as much Spielberg phoning home as was his autobiographic “The Fabelmans.” (In theaters) — J.C.

    “Project Hail Mary”

    Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s space saga about a middle school science teacher who is called on to help save the dying sun is one of the easiest recommendations of the year. It is a most-ages crowd-pleaser, funny, warm and dazzling, with a hopeful spirit, a quotable alien sidekick and a quirkily charming lead in Ryan Gosling. (Streaming on Prime Video on July 3) — L.B.

    “Rose of Nevada”

    Everything feels like an echo in Mark Jenkin’s dreamlike tale of time and sea. George Mackay and Callum Turner play crewmen who enlist on a rusty Cornish fishing boat that, upon its return, drops them off in the same English village, 30 years earlier. They’re mistaken for two men thought to be lost. Jenkin, who shoots on 16mm and syncs sound in postproduction, makes films that feel out of time, and “Rose of Nevada” rocks to a haunting tide. (In theaters) — J.C.

    “Tuner”

    Remember how “Good Will Hunting” originally had a crime element to it and Rob Reiner (rightly) advised taking it out? Daniel Roher’s crackling, original thriller “Tuner,” a spiritual descendant of that great film, goes down that path successfully, creating a scenario where a workaday piano tuner, and musical prodigy who can no longer play, gets entangled in a criminal underworld, using his sensitive hearing to crack safes. Leo Woodall stars alongside Dustin Hoffman and Havana Rose Liu. (Available for digital rental) — L.B.

    “Miroirs No. 3”

    Christian Petzold, a great admirer of Hitchcock and “Vertigo,” makes movies where identity, rather than people, can go missing. In this lightly enigmatic 86-minute chamber piece, a woman (Paula Beer) injured in a car crash decides to stay and recuperate at a nearby home where an older, solitary woman (Barbara Auer) resides. The unfolding drama is as beguiling as it is healing. (Available for digital rental) — J.C.

    “The Invite”

    A San Francisco couple host their upstairs neighbors for a last-minute dinner party in Olivia Wilde’s deliriously sharp chamber dramedy about sex and marriage. Wilde both directs and stars as the neurotic Angela, whose relationship with Seth Rogen’s Joe is already on the rocks, when their more, let’s say, liberated neighbors Pína (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) arrive to stir things up for better and worse. The mix — contentious, revelatory, awkward and funny — proves a wonderful showcase for some great acting, staging and filmmaking. (In theaters) — L.B.

    “Blue Heron”

    Sophy Romvari’s exquisite and soulful directorial debut melds documentary and fiction, past and present. It’s based on her own childhood, when her Hungarian parents moved their family of six to Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Their teenage son is mentally troubled and distant, and you can feel “Blue Heron” yearning to reach him, through his disorder and through time. It’s an aching, probing memory piece. (Streams July 21 on Criterion Channel) — J.C.

    “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie”

    Slacker buddies develop crackpot schemes to land a gig at the Rivoli, a Toronto music venue, in this infectiously silly, lo-fi indie about time travel, friendship and dreams. Canadian comics Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol may have a cult fanbase from their various series about these lovable losers, but I’m proof that no prior knowledge is needed to get on their goofy wavelength and enjoy the ride — and all the “Back to the Future” references. (Available for digital rental) — L.B.

    “Minions & Monsters”

    This year’s most affectionate ode to the golden age of Hollywood comes from … the Minions? Yes, it’s an unlikely role for one of the most ubiquitous marketing forces in animation. But “Minions & Monsters,” a cartoony good time, finds that the best role yet for the yellow henchmen is as filmmakers. They had me at bello. (In theaters) — J.C.

    “Is God Is”

    Rage and revenge are the heart of Aleshea Harris’s adaptation of her Obie-winning play, in which twin sisters embark on a journey to find, and kill, their abusive father. The tale has both ancient Greek tragedy and Tarantino in its DNA, but it comes alive as its own shocking, vital creation driven by unforgettable performances from Kara Young, Mallori Johnson and a truly terrifying Sterling K. Brown. (Available for digital rental) — L.B.

    “A Poet”

    There hasn’t been a better protagonist this year than Oscar Restrepo (Ubeimar Rios). He’s a failed Columbian writer, a bit of a drunk and, as one character calls him, “a walking problem.” But he’s also, despite his seemingly total lack of grace, a true believer in poetry. Simón Mesa Soto’s film, reportedly getting an English-language remake, is the tragicomedy of the year. (Available for digital rental) — J.C.

    “Hoppers”

    There is a gleefully chaotic spirit to Pixar’s “Hoppers,” about a determined young environmental activist who Avatars her way into the world of beavers in an attempt to block the construction of a highway overpass that would destroy her beloved glade. It is unhinged in the best way. Funny, weird and heartfelt with a terrifically distinct voice cast, including Dave Franco as a tyrannical insect prince. (Streaming on Disney+) — L.B.


  • Massachusetts city with large Cape Verdean community sets curfew ahead of World Cup match


    BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts city home to one of the nation’s largest Cape Verdean communities will impose a nighttime curfew ahead of Cape Verde’s World Cup match Friday after police said recent postgame celebrations were marred by shootings, stabbings and other violence, prompting city officials to request National Guard assistance.

    Brockton Mayor Moises Rodrigues announced what he called a “temporary safety curfew” within the Boston suburb at a news conference Wednesday. Cape Verde, an island nation off the west coast of Africa that qualified for the World Cup for the first time this year, is scheduled to face Argentina on Friday in the knockout stage of the tournament.

    “The purpose of this curfew is to protect public safety, reduce criminal activity associated with post-game celebrations, and enable police, fire and emergency personnel to effectively maintain order and respond to emergencies,” Rodrigues said.

    The curfew will run from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Saturday in parts of Brockton, where thousands of people have gathered after Cape Verde’s World Cup matches, pouring into downtown streets waving flags, dancing and celebrating late into the night. No one will be allowed to enter establishments serving alcohol after 7 p.m., and last call will be at 9:30 p.m.

    Brockton is home to one of the nation’s largest Cape Verdean communities. Nearly one in five residents is Cape Verdean, and the community is often referred to as the “11th island” of Cape Verde.

    Cape Verde has captured the attention of its diaspora during a historic World Cup run, drawing jubilant crowds in Brockton after matches. City officials have repeatedly said the overwhelming majority of those celebrations have been peaceful.

    But police say recent celebrations have also been followed by violence. At least nine people have been injured in shootings that occurred after World Cup matches or as crowds gathered downtown, according to Brockton police. Others were hurt in stabbings.

    In recent days, detectives released surveillance photos and video from multiple shootings, including one near Main Street as crowds gathered June 21 and another later that night at a gas station, asking the public to help identify suspects.

    Police also said they linked a suspect in another investigation to a shooting that occurred after a World Cup match.

    Officials said the curfew exempts first responders and people traveling to or from work or seeking medical care. They said First Amendment activities, including news coverage, would also be respected.

    Police Chief Brenda Perez said the department is understaffed and has relied on mutual aid from the Massachusetts State Police, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office and neighboring police departments during previous celebrations. She said more than 200 officers were deployed during recent World Cup gatherings but declined to discuss operational plans for Friday.

    Steve Hooke, director of the Brockton Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the city requested National Guard assistance but declined to discuss operational details or whether the request had been approved.


  • StubHub sued by fans who say ticket cancellations crushed dreams of going to World Cup


    NEW YORK (AP) — After weeks of complaints from frustrated fans, StubHub is being sued by customers who say the ticket reseller’s inability to fulfill orders crushed their dreams of going to World Cup.

    Julia Reeker Moghal and Reuben Renteria, both of California, sued the ticketing giant this week in federal court in New York, alleging that “false and misleading” sales practices left them without the tickets they purchased for group stage matches last month.

    The lawsuit, which seeks to become a class action, says Moghal and Renteria are among hundreds or even thousands of World Cup fans who purchased tickets only to find out that they “did not exist, were revoked without any forewarning, or had been erased” because of what the tournament’s organizer, FIFA, deemed “poor digital infrastructure.”

    In addition to monetary damages, Moghal and Renteria are asking that StubHub be barred from selling World Cup tickets and that any profits from those sales be given to affected customers.

    StubHub declined to comment on the lawsuit but said in a statement that its “singular goal is to get fans into events.”

    If anything goes wrong, “our FanProtect Guarantee provides replacement tickets or a full refund,” the company said. “The World Cup is no different, and the issues fans have experienced are largely driven by problems with the event organizer’s own ticketing infrastructure.”

    FIFA encourages fans to buy tickets through its own marketplace, where it adds a 30% surcharge to every resold ticket — 15% each from the buyer and seller.

    In a statement, the organization said it “has no visibility over, or control of, secondary market ticket transactions carried out on third-party platforms” and “rejects any suggestion that the functional issues being experienced by users of third-party platforms” are the result of FIFA’s ticketing infrastructure.

    For weeks, fans have been complaining on social media about tickets that never arrived from resellers, orders that were canceled at the last minute and hours they spent trying to sort out problems between FIFA’s ticketing system and outside resale platforms.

    According to the lawsuit, Moghal paid $1,905 for three tickets to the June 18 Switzerland-Bosnia and Herzegovina match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, but never received them and never got a refund, which would violate the company’s guarantee.

    As the match approached, Moghal was given conflicting information about the status of her order, first receiving a notice that the tickets were ready, then learning that StubHub had canceled her order, then being misled into thinking her tickets would be delivered after all, the lawsuit said.

    After the initial cancellation, Moghal spent hours on the phone with StubHub, which said the order would remain canceled but then reversed course and promised her that they would be delivered an hour before the match, the lawsuit said.

    Moghal drove to the stadium and waited in line, but never received her tickets, the lawsuit said. She was then promised a refund but never got one, the lawsuit said.

    Had she known “that StubHub was either unable to deliver or not authorized to deliver her World Cup Tickets to her, she never would have purchased them,” the lawsuit said.

    Similarly, Renteria paid $2,294 for two tickets to the June 18 Mexico-South Korea match in Guadalajara, Mexico, but never received his tickets, the lawsuit said.

    Like Moghal, Renteria received a notice that his tickets were ready, only to find that StubHub canceled the order, the lawsuit said. He was only refunded after “significant complaints to StubHub,” but had to eat the cost of traveling to Mexico, the lawsuit said.

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    Associated Press reporter R.J. Rico in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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    See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here


  • Anisimova avoids Wimbledon upset with 20 aces in win over Kenin. Swiatek, Zverev also advance


    LONDON (AP) — Amanda Anisimova served three of her 20 aces in the deciding tiebreaker to hold off Sofia Kenin 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (3) and reach the third round at Wimbledon on Thursday as Kate, the Princess of Wales, visited the All England Club.

    Anisimova, who was consoled by Kate a year ago after being routed by Iga Swiatek in the final, trailed 3-1 in the third set before she broke back in the sixth game against her fellow American, the 2020 Australian Open champion who is now ranked No. 105.

    “Some moments were really awful. I’m just so happy through to the next round,” Anisimova said on No. 2 Court. “I never thought that I’d be saying this — but thank you to my serve today,” she added. “I’m not an amazing server. Now, I can finally say I can serve pretty good.”

    The sixth-seeded Anisimova whacked her racket on her leg at one point in the deciding set.

    “I was down 3-1 and I told myself to just keep fighting and this might be your last moments at Wimbledon … just try and maybe have fun and enjoy it,” said Anisimova, who will next face another American, 26th-seeded Madison Keys. “I try to remind myself, just have fun, you are playing at Wimbledon. I do get hard on myself sometimes.”

    Swiatek, who beat Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 for the 2025 title on Centre Court, needed just 70 minutes to get past 2021 Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-3.

    The defending champion next gets Filipino rising star Alexandra Eala, who rallied to beat Maya Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. On Tuesday, Joint spoiled Serena Williams’ singles comeback.

    Second-seeded Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion at the All England Club, made quick work of Caty McNally 6-1, 6-2 and will face Belgium’s Elise Mertens, seeded 25th, for a spot in the last 16.

    Fritz emulates Tiafoe with tear-away pants

    A well-dressed Taylor Fritz impressed again, beating compatriot Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the third round.

    Fritz’s white blazer and NBA-style warmup pants for his walk-on at No. 2 Court drew attention but his play wasn’t bad either — he fired 19 aces and avoided getting pushed into a fourth set.

    The sixth-seeded American, a semifinalist last year, emphatically pumped his right fist when he broke Kypson to convert his fourth match point.

    Fritz also won his opener in straight sets and had worn a similar outfit with tear-away warmup pants — designed to easily unbutton as you pull them off in one tug.

    “I took it off slowly in the first round. I kind of actually made a mess of it,” Fritz said in his media conference. “It’s actually just a lot easier to just rip them off. I saw a video of Frances (Tiafoe) doing it. I was just trying to copy him today. ”

    Later, an equally dapper Tiafoe showed how it’s done — earning applause for quickly pulling off the bottoms before his match against Jan Choinksi. The 17th-seeded Tiafoe won 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.

    “I had a lot of momentum from the end of the third,” the American said in his on-court interview. “I just wanted to try to get an early break and take his soul a little bit, take his belief away, and that’s kind of what happened.”

    Naomi Osaka’s fashion statements have made her court walk-ons must-see viewing at Grand Slam tournaments — Wimbledon included.

    Also Thursday, second-seeded Alexander Zverev and fifth-seeded Alex de Minaur recorded straight-set victories.

    Matteo Berrettini, who lost the 2021 Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic, beat 20th-seeded Arthur Fils 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on Centre Court.

    Berrettini will next face wild-card entry Grigor Dimitrov, who eliminated 15th-seeded Jakub Mensik 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Last year, Dimitrov was leading his fourth-round match against eventual champion Jannik Sinner but stopped playing because of an injured pectoral muscle.

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