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  • With US, Canada and Mexico through, the World Cup knockout round hinges on who finishes third


    As group play winds down at the World Cup, the biggest intrigue might be not who finishes first in a four-team group.

    It’s who finishes third.

    Teams that are first and second in their groups move on automatically to the Round of 32. The U.S., Canada and Mexico, co-hosts of the tournament, have all advanced, along with France, Germany, Brazil, Norway and others.

    The U.S. will face Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California, while Canada heads to Los Angeles to face South Africa on Sunday. Other marquee matchups are set, including Morocco versus the Netherlands and Japan versus Brazil.

    Third-place is no guarantee. The eight best third-place teams also get in, with ties broken by goals scored and goal differential if necessary.

    “I personally didn’t want to end up in this kind of situation, where we have to wait and see if we will reach the knockouts,” South Korea forward Son Heung-min said. “It’s disappointing that we didn’t get the outcome we deserved, considering the amount of hard work we’ve done, but it’s out of our hands now and we will have to accept our fate, whatever it will be.”

    Teams with four points — a win, a draw and a loss — almost certainly make the Round of 32. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sweden and Ecuador already advanced that way, and Paraguay is poised to join that group, which would mean four qualifiers left.

    That leaves eight other third-place teams for the final four spots.

    Some matches to watch closely Friday on the third-place front:

    Group G

    Egypt (1-0-1) vs. Iran (0-0-2): Egypt would likely be a third-place qualifier even with a loss, provided that loss isn’t by a ton of goals. Iran would be heavily favored to advance as a third-place team with a tie. (Belgium and New Zealand each has a mathematically possible chance of finishing third in Group G.)

    Group H

    Cape Verde (0-0-2) vs. Saudi Arabia (0-1-1): Cape Verde will advance (as a first- or second-place team) with a win. The Saudis need a win to advance, as well.

    Uruguay (0-0-2) vs. Spain (1-0-1): Uruguay would likely qualify as a third-place team with a tie. If it loses, it goes home.

    Group I

    Senegal (0-2-0) vs. Iraq (0-2-0): If there’s a tie, both teams would be eliminated. If someone wins, that team has a chance (with three points, a 1-2-0 record and its status hinging on goal differential) and the loser would be eliminated. Scotland really needs an Iraq win or a tie here to help its fledgling chances.

    Here are the Round of 32 matchups already set:

    US vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 1

    The Americans had their powerful momentum from two consecutive victories stalled in the loss to Turkey. But in the knockout round, they’ll face a Bosnia-Herzegovina team that is 62nd in the FIFA rankings — the lowest-ranked World Cup qualifier from Europe. Bosnia finished third in Group B with four points. U.S. star Christian Pulisic entered as a substitute in the second half against Turkey. He had not played since leaving an opening win over Paraguay at halftime with a calf injury. “We play every game like a knockout game,” said U.S. midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who scored against Turkey. “You saw that in our intensity and the way we worked. For us, it’s keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

    South Africa vs. Canada, June 28

    These nations have already made history. It’ll be the first time both are in the knockout stage of the World Cup. Co-host Canada advanced as runner-up in Group B with four points — one win, one draw and one loss. South Africa was runner-up in Group A, also with four points, including a surprising win over South Korea.

    Brazil vs. Japan, June 29

    Japan advanced as Group F runner-up with a hard fought 1-1 draw against Sweden and the Samurai Blue’s reward is a knockout match against five-time World Cup champion Brazil. It’ll be a full-circle moment for Japan, which welcomed Brazilian soccer legend Zico in 1991. He was brought in to professionalize the country’s new domestic league and support Japan’s successful bid to co-host the World Cup in 2002. Now, the Japanese have a chance to show how far they’ve come against a country that has set the standard.

    Netherlands vs. Morocco, June 29

    The Netherlands won Group F after a draw with Japan and outscoring Sweden and Tunisia by a combined 8-2. Morocco went unbeaten to finish second in Group C in pursuit of becoming the first African winner of the World Cup. Morocco reached the semifinals four years ago in Qatar.

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    See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here.


  • Disagreements between Supreme Court justices bubble into public view as major rulings loom


    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is handing down major opinions at a rapid clip, but even with some of the biggest decisions yet to come, there are signs of tension as the justices near the end of the term.

    A misunderstanding led to a highly unusual exchange for the restrained and traditional atmosphere after the nation’s highest court took the bench Thursday to hand down their decisions. Those rulings included two major immigration wins for President Donald Trump.

    After conservative Justice Samuel Alito finished his reading of the majority’s ruling limiting how people can seek asylum at the southern border, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke up to read from her biting dissent.

    She traced the difficult journey many asylum seekers face and outlined a painful chapter in the country’s history: When the U.S. and other countries turned back a ship full of Jewish refugees attempting to flee persecution in Nazi Germany in 1939. About 250 of those passengers later died in the Holocaust.

    Sotomayor, the first Latina justice, said the majority’s opinion would allow the Trump administration to block people from applying for asylum at the border, which would result in more deaths. The decision “regrettably and tragically extinguishes the light of the torch of the Statue of Liberty.”

    Justice Brett Kavanaugh watched her intently as she spoke, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson looked straight ahead.

    Majority opinions are always read from the bench and dissenters can speak up as well to underscore their objections, which typically happens in few cases every term. Additional rulings are expected on Monday.

    Sotomayor’s spoken dissent, however, appeared to be a surprise for Alito. In a very rare move, he spoke off the cuff. He sounded surprised and frustrated, saying he would have added more detail to his summary if he’d known about plans to speak.

    The confusion turned out to be a misunderstanding on Alito’s part; Sotomayor’s chambers had passed along word of her plan.

    For the conservative majority, the case was about whether the law allows border officials can delay asylum seekers’ entry into the U.S. “until they can be processed in a safe and orderly way,” not about the wisdom of the policy itself.

    Out loud, Alito defended his opinion by noting that the policy at the center of the case had been used under both the Obama and Trump administrations. “I won’t add anything more to that,” he said.

    The exchange comes during the court’s busiest time of the year, as the justices prepare to release opinions next week on some of the biggest issues of the term, and Trump’s presidency so far. Those include his push to restrict birthright citizenship and expand the president’s power to fire board members at independent agencies.

    Supreme Court justices have spoken publicly about their cordial working relationships and regular lunches as a group where they set aside cases to talk and share each other’s company. And while there are ideological splits between the court’s conservative majority and its liberal wing, they also decide many cases unanimously, including one this month about the Second Amendment rights of marijuana users.

    Still, it isn’t the first time unusual tensions have surfaced this term. Sotomayor issued a rare public apology in April to another justice, Brett Kavanaugh, for what she termed “hurtful comments.” She had said during a law school talk that a colleague “probably doesn’t really know any person who works by the hour.”

    In another public appearance in March, Kavanaugh and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson sparred over the many emergency orders the court had issued allowing Trump to move ahead with key parts of his agenda.


  • From the Mayor’s Desk: Celebrating America – In Natchez Style!

    From the Mayor’s Desk: Celebrating America – In Natchez Style!

    Ever since my childhood I have loved the Fourth of July. From my earliest memories, my dad, a WWII veteran and my mom, a flag-waving product of those dark days when America saved the world, instilled in my brothers and me a great love for country. In the years since, that love has only grown.

    This year, July Fourth promises to be something truly memorable. Our nation celebrates an extraordinary milestone – 250 years of American independence. And in Natchez, we plan to celebrate this milestone in true Natchez style!

    Reflecting upon the courage of those who founded this great nation, and those who have fought from our earliest days to the present for freedom and equality, it is important that we celebrate the freedoms and opportunities that have come at so heavy a price. And in Natchez, we will be celebrating in a way that is fitting for one of America’s earliest and most historic cities.

    I want to personally invite everyone—from lifelong residents to first-time visitors—to join us for the Natchez Big 250 Fest, a two-day celebration that showcases the very best of our community. This isn’t simply another Fourth of July weekend. It is an opportunity to come together as neighbors, families, veterans, and visitors to celebrate both our nation’s birthday and everything that makes Natchez such a remarkable place to live.

    The weekend festivities kick off next Friday, as one of our community’s favorite traditions—Live at Five—joins forces with the City of Natchez, Visit Natchez, Miss-Lou Fireworks, and Natchez Parks & Recreation to present an unforgettable evening on the Bluff.

    Beginning at 4:00 p.m. Friday, July 3, everyone is invited to gather at Memorial Park for our patriotic second-line parade which will begin at 4:30 going down Main Street to the Bandstand on The Bluff. Led by the energetic Epic Funk Brass Band, families are encouraged to decorate their golf carts, bicycles, tricycles, wagons, and strollers, wave their American flags, and become part of the celebration.

    The parade’s Grand Marshal will be Captain Jack Kerwin, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday. Cpn’ Jack is a member of America’s Greatest Generation, having served our nation with distinction during World War II, and later again during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Few people have devoted a century of life to service as he has. I hope our community will line the streets to honor this remarkable American hero with the gratitude he so richly deserves.

    After the parade, the celebration continues at the Bandstand with our Family Festival featuring children’s activities, bubbles, cornhole, yard games, and plenty of opportunities for families to

    enjoy time together. The music begins at 5 p.m. with the Epic Funk Brass Band, followed by the incredible Mira.Got.Soul at 6 p.m.

    The celebration continues on Saturday, July 4, with another full afternoon and evening of family fun along the Bluff. Beginning at 4:30 p.m., the Family Festival returns with children’s activities and fun for all ages. Live music begins at 5 p.m. with Cha Cha Boo, followed by The Remedy featuring Tema Larry at 6 p.m. The evening concludes with the spectacular Miss-Lou Fireworks Grand Finale at 9:30 p.m., illuminating the Mississippi River in a breathtaking tribute to 250 years of American freedom.

    What makes this weekend so meaningful isn’t simply the schedule of events. It’s the people. It’s the volunteers who devote countless hours to making these celebrations possible. It’s the musicians who share their talents. It’s the first responders who work to keep everyone safe. It’s the local businesses, civic organizations, churches, sponsors, and community partners who continually invest in making Natchez a place where families create lasting memories.

    Most importantly, it’s you. Every smiling face in the crowd, every child waving an American flag, every veteran receiving a heartfelt thank you, and every family gathered together reminds us that community is built one relationship at a time.

    As your mayor, I can think of no better place to celebrate America’s 250th birthday than Natchez – the oldest city on the highest bluff of the mightiest river. So bring your lawn chairs. Bring your family. Bring your friends. Most of all, bring your pride in America and your love for Natchez. This Fourth of July weekend will be a historic opportunity to celebrate not only our nation’s remarkable past but also our city’s promising future.

    I look forward to seeing you on the Bluff! Happy Independence Day, and may God continue to bless the United States of America and the City of Natchez. Because Natchez, America, Deserves More.

  • Prosecutor dropping drug case against Olympian skier Bode Miller


    An eastern Idaho prosecutor says misdemeanor drug charges against Olympic gold medalist skier Bode Miller will be dismissed despite there having been probable cause to arrest him.

    Miller, 48, was arrested June 6 in Fremont County, which borders Montana and Wyoming, and charged with possessing psilocybin mushrooms. He pleaded not guilty last week and said his friend who was with him had a small amount of drugs he didn’t know about.

    County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Friday that her office will be dismissing the drug possession and drug paraphernalia charges against Miller.

    “Although the deputy had sufficient probable cause to arrest Mr. Miller at the beginning of June, we recently received information which resulted in our office determining it is in the interest of justice to dismiss Mr. Miller’s misdemeanor charges,” she said. “I will not be discussing the specifics of this recent information due to it being related to another active case.”

    Blake did not provide details on the other active case. Online court records related to Miller’s case list another man who was charged with the same crimes.

    Miller’s lawyer, Jeromy Stafford, did not immediately return phone and email messages Friday. He told media outlets earlier this week that Miller did not have any drugs on his person when he was arrested.

    In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Miller said he was pulled over after accelerating to pass a vehicle on a highway. He said his friend had a small amount of cannabis and a cannabis pipe, which Miller said he didn’t know about.

    “We fully cooperated with the officer,” he said. “I am hopeful the misdemeanor charges will be dropped once the facts are reviewed.”

    In a probable cause statement, Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Hurt wrote that he found Miller with a white dispensary bag containing 4.1 grams of the psychedelic mushrooms.

    The 48-year-old Miller took a gambler’s approach to ski racing. His high-risk, high-reward style resulted in six Olympic medals, including gold in the super-combined at the 2010 Vancouver Games, and numerous crashes.

    His last major race was at the 2015 world championships in Beaver Creek, Colorado, when a bad wipeout knocked him out of the super-G. He later underwent surgery to fix a torn right hamstring tendon caused when his ski sliced him. He said in late 2017 that he was retired for good.

    Miller won 33 World Cup races and a pair of World Cup overall titles. He also captured four gold medals at world championships.


  • AC Milan names Massimo Calvelli as CEO as it goes “in house” in bid to restore winning culture


    MILAN (AP) — AC Milan named Massimo Calvelli as chief executive officer on Friday in a bid to “bring a winning culture” back to the club.

    The 51-year-old Calvelli replaces Giorgio Furlani, who was fired by U.S. owner, RedBird Capital Partners, last month as it cleaned house after what it deemed “an unequivocal failure” of a season.

    “The mandate is clear — we will play to win, instead of playing not to lose — in everything that AC Milan touches, but most importantly on the field,” RedBird managing partner Gerry Cardinale said in a statement.

    “The entire organization at AC Milan will now benefit tremendously from his full time appointment and sense of urgency to bring a winning culture and results back to the club.”

    Calvelli will continue to serve as CEO International at RedBird Development Group and Operating Partner at RedBird Capital Partners. A former professional tennis player, he was previously ATP CEO from 2020-25.

    “Since joining RedBird last year, Massimo has distinguished himself as a leader and driver of organizational design that brings people together and establishes a culture of collaboration and professionalism,” Cardinale added.

    “Our model at RedBird often requires our senior leadership to go “in house” in our most important investments to ensure best in class execution, especially in situations requiring change and innovation.”

    Milan spent much of last season in the top two positions and fighting for the Serie A title. But a run of only two wins in its last eight matches dropped it to fifth on the last day of the campaign and saw it miss out on Champions League qualification.

    That led to a number of dismissals, including coach Massimiliano Allegri. He was replaced by Rúben Amorim earlier this month.

    “The opportunity to lead AC Milan as it navigates this critical moment in its football trajectory, as well as within the overall state of Italian football, is something I take very seriously and with a profound sense of urgency,” Calvelli said.

    “The mandate from Gerry is to bring a culture of winning and results both on and off the field back to AC Milan … I’ve had a full year working collaboratively with the senior leadership of the club across all functions and have a hands-on sense of what needs to be fixed and innovated.”

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


  • Israel releases classified documents detailing 1976 Entebbe raid to free more than 100 hostages


    JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Friday released a cache of previously classified documents that outline in detail the decisions behind a daring 1976 raid to free more than 100 hostages held captive in Uganda.

    The operation saw dozens of Israeli commandos storm the Entebbe Airport where Palestinian and German militants — backed by Ugandan forces — had taken 106 passengers from a hijacked flight from Tel Aviv to Paris. It lasted less than an hour with limited casualties among the commandos and hostages, most of whom were either Israeli or Jewish, making it the stuff of lore given the difficulty and high-risk nature of the mission.

    Israel released the files ahead of the raid’s 50th anniversary on July 3, and as the nation still grapples with the aftermath of the hostage crisis that began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The attack killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage to Gaza.

    The files on the Entebbe raid build on earlier disclosures and what was already known about then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s ad hoc crisis team and show how officials weighed negotiating for the hostages’ release against attempting a long‑range operation that would require Israeli commandos to fly thousands of miles (kilometers) over multiple hostile states.

    The team initially insisted there should be no negotiations with the hostage‑takers — the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and West Germany’s Revolutionäre Zellen. The groups, which hijacked the Air France flight from Tel Aviv when it stopped over in Athens, demanded the release of prisoners in multiple countries and warned they would start killing hostages if talks hadn’t delivered by their self‑imposed deadline.

    But as the crisis dragged on over six days and pressure from the families of the hostages grew, Israeli leaders gradually became more open to talks, according to a summary of the files released by the Israel State Archives.

    “The zero hour is approaching … We believe that a supreme effort must be made and break the ultimatum,” Rabin’s crisis team wrote in one memo, authorizing negotiations over some of the conditions.

    Israel has historically negotiated with Palestinian militant groups to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners and detainees even as critics warned the practice could encourage more kidnappings. Entebbe is often viewed as a moment when Israel pivoted — choosing a risky military operation — but Friday’s documents suggest otherwise. Behind the scenes, officials moved to force only once negotiations stalled and confidence in a potential operation grew.

    According to the documents, Israel took a two-pronged approach. It pushed forward France-led negotiations with Ugandan President Idi Amin, while mocking up blueprints of the airport and preparing to send transport planes to Kenya and onto Uganda to raid the airport under the dark of night.

    The commandos broke into the airport and saved all but three hostages killed in the crossfire. During the gunbattle, Israeli forces killed all of the hijackers and dozens of Ugandan soldiers. Only one commando — Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of future Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — was killed.

    The operation was criticized by Amin and the Organization of African Unity — the African Union’s predecessor organization — which saw the raid as a violation of Uganda’s sovereignty at a moment when it claimed to be negotiating for the hostages’ release.

    For Israel, Entebbe was widely seen as a success just four years after all nine Israeli hostages were killed in a German-led rescue attempt at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Still, its leaders knew that military successes would not end conflict.

    “Let us not deceive ourselves,” Rabin wrote in one of the memos released Friday. “It was an extraordinary operation and achievement. However, the problem is not over. Terrorism continues to operate. What other problems terrorism will pose to us and what lessons we must learn from this matter, it is too early to say. We have finished one battle, but the war continues.”


  • Lawmakers subpoena billionaire Leon Black after contentious interview on Epstein payments


    WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Oversight Committee served subpoenas to billionaire investor Leon Black on Friday after lawmakers say he refused to answer some questions about his yearslong relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a time in which he paid the disgraced financier at least $158 million.

    Black is the co-founder and former chief executive of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management who stepped down in 2021 amid fallout over his ties to Epstein. He became the 16th person to appear before the committee as part of their broader investigation into the web of wealth and influence around Epstein.

    Lawmakers emerged from the closed-door voluntary interview with Black saying he refused to answer questions about non-disclosure agreements, prompting the committee to issue a subpoena about the NDAs. A second subpoena was issued for Black to testify under oath on July 16.

    “This is a result of refusing to answer specific questions,” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee chairman, told reporters after Black’s interview.

    Susan Estrich, the lawyer representing Black, said the decision to serve the subpoenas was a “premeditated political decision.” She called it a “planned political stunt.”

    Democrats emerged from their hour of questioning Black saying he had not answered questions, and they praised Comer’s decision to subpoena him.

    Rep. Robert Garcia, the top ranking Democrat on the committee, told reporters that “it was clear from the moment this interview started that Leon Black was not going was not going to answer critical questions.”

    Black was featured prominently in the Epstein files

    Black is mentioned repeatedly in files that the Department of Justice has released related to the Epstein investigation. He also appears in a collection of birthday messages sent to Epstein that were released by the House committee last year, including a poem attributed to him that refers to “Blond, Red or Brunette, spread out geographically.”

    Black maintained Friday that he was not aware of Epstein’s “nefarious activity” until 2019 and that he paid Epstein for legitimate purposes, in part due to his “unrivaled network of relationships” with influential figures.

    “I knew Jekyll. I didn’t know Hyde,” said Black.

    A 2021 review commissioned by Apollo found that Black paid Epstein $158 million from 2012 to 2017, after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor. The review said the payments were for “bona fide tax, estate planning and other related services.”

    “I gave Epstein a second chance, as did many others. I wish I had not,” Black said.

    Epstein was indicted in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. The Justice Department alleged that Epstein created a vast network of girls, some as young as 14, for him to sexually abuse between 2002 and 2005. He died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial.

    Comer said earlier this year that Epstein’s former accountant, Richard Kahn, told lawmakers in his testimony that Epstein received significant sums of money from a number of high-profile individuals, including Black.

    Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this month referred findings from a nearly four-year investigation into Black to the House committee. In a statement, Wyden said, “Epstein even appears to have acted as a middleman for Black to pay women on Black’s behalf.”

    Black broadly denied the allegations in his opening statement, calling them “rank speculation.”

    “I have never abused a woman. I have never been with an underage woman. I have never engaged in sex trafficking. I have never paid Epstein for access to women. I was never blackmailed by Epstein.”

    Many high-profile figures have been summoned to testify about Epstein

    Other figures to have appeared for the investigation include former Democratic President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

    Gates testified earlier this month and said he had made a “grave error in judgment” by meeting with Epstein.

    Black said Epstein’s network included SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir.

    Democrats on the House committee have pushed Republicans to seek testimony from President Donald Trump, a Republican who had his own yearslong relationship with Epstein. Republicans have refused, saying they have not come across any evidence that Trump did anything wrong during his well-documented friendship with Epstein.

    Comer has said he has been in touch with the Justice Department about acting Attorney General Todd Blanche coming in for questioning soon.

    Bondi, in her testimony, stressed that Blanche had overseen the chaotic release of the federal Epstein files, which included the unintentional release of victim information.


  • Last-place Mets fire manager Carlos Mendoza. Team owner Steve Cohen says ‘fans deserve better’


    NEW YORK (AP) — From the front office to the field, the New York Mets have failed in almost every area over the past year.

    And on Friday, manager Carlos Mendoza took the fall.

    Halfway through a wretched season, Mendoza was fired as skipper of the underperforming Mets and replaced by former San Diego Padres manager Andy Green, who was already working in the organization.

    Last-place New York was 34-47 at the season’s midpoint, 15 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta and 9 1/2 back of the final NL wild-card berth.

    Mets owner Steve Cohen had high expectations for a team without a World Series title since 1986. New York opened the season with baseball’s highest payroll at $358 million and was projected to pay an additional $124 million in luxury tax.

    “There is no sugar-coating it: This season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we’ve delivered,” Cohen said in a statement.

    Although in some ways Mendoza had been on the hot seat for months, in others it was a stunningly swift decline for a skipper viewed as a rising star in 2024, when he earned high praise and was a Manager of the Year finalist after taking the Mets on a surprising playoff run in his debut season.

    At a Citi Field news conference before Friday night’s 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, president of baseball operations David Stearns thanked Mendoza for his contributions and called it “a very difficult day.”

    “Despite all of our effors, Mendy’s included, we haven’t been able to get this going this year. And I take responsibility for that,” Stearns said. “I also have a responsibility to push us forward, to look for solutions and to make difficult decisions and change when I think it’s needed.”

    Slowed by injuries to Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Clay Holmes, Francisco Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco, the Mets (34-48) are a season-worst 14 games under .500 after dropping their seventh in a row. Friday night marked only the 10th time all year — and first since April 22 — that Lindor and Soto were both in the starting lineup. On two of those occasions, one left early because of a calf strain.

    New York traded pitcher David Peterson, who had been the team’s longest-tenured player, to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday and could pivot to a selloff this summer and retooling for the future.

    “I understand we have an uphill battle ahead of us this year, but we’re not turning the page,” Stearns said. “I think sometimes a new voice, a new perspective, a new view, helps. And sometimes it’s really difficult to explain why or how. But at this point, it was time to try.”

    Stearns said he informed Mendoza of the decision when they met Friday morning, and the Mets held a team meeting Friday afternoon.

    “At the end of the day, this is not on him. It’s more on us, the players, that we didn’t perform to our capabilities,” Lindor said.

    The 46-year-old Mendoza spent 15 seasons working for the New York Yankees, the last four as bench coach, before the Mets hired him to replace Buck Showalter after the 2023 season. They reached the National League Championship Series in 2024 but missed the playoffs last year and are among baseball’s biggest disappointments this season.

    “If we were playing better, he’d still be here. It’s just unfortunate he had to take the fall,” infielder Bo Bichette said.

    Since starting 2025 a major league-best 45-24 through June 12, the Mets are 72-103. The team went 206-199 under Mendoza, who was in the final guaranteed season of a three-year contract. He was hired by the Mets a month after Stearns arrived.

    After signing Soto to a record $765 million, 15-year contract before the 2025 season, Stearns made major changes last offseason. He overhauled Mendoza’s coaching staff and allowed fan favorites Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz to leave as free agents. Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil were traded, and Stearns brought in Bichette, Polanco, Robert, Freddy Peralta and Marcus Semien.

    None of it has worked.

    New York had a 12-game losing streak in April, its longest since 2002, and made six errors in the nightcap of Wednesday’s doubleheader loss to the Chicago Cubs, the team’s most in a game since 2014.

    The 48-year-old Green, a former major league infielder, joined the Mets in 2023 as senior vice president of baseball development and had been running their farm system. He was given the title of interim manager for the rest of the season and will wear uniform No. 70.

    “Tough. I don’t think anybody dreams of sitting in this seat this way,” Green said.

    Green managed San Diego to a 274-366 record from 2016-19, finishing with losing records in all four seasons.

    Stearns said Green will return to a front-office role after this season and the Mets will conduct a full search for a new manager. Green said he loves the player-development job he had and chose it largely to be able to spend more time with his three daughters.

    “This wasn’t something I was running to,” Green said. “This felt more like a responsibility than an opportunity.”

    Green played four games for the Mets in 2009, his final big league appearances as a player. He became the team’s fourth manager since Cohen bought the club from the Wilpon and Katz families after the 2020 season, following Luis Rojas, Showalter and Mendoza.

    Mendoza is the third major league manager to lose his job since the season started. Boston’s Alex Cora was replaced by Chad Tracy and Philadelphia’s Rob Thomson by Don Mattingly, with both of those changes coming in late April.

    Roster shuffle

    In other moves, the Mets reinstated outfielder Tyrone Taylor (right hip flexor strain) from the 10-day injured list and recalled left-hander Zach Thornton from Triple-A Syracuse to make his second big league start Friday night against Philadelphia. The club optioned outfielder MJ Melendez and right-hander Daniel Duarte to Syracuse following Thursday night’s 10-inning loss to the Cubs.

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    AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum and AP freelancer Jerry Beach contributed to this report.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb


  • ATF cancels phone tracking contract after lawmakers raise concerns


    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives canceled its contract for a surveillance tool that enables warrantless tracking of mobile devices after lawmakers, a prosecutor and a judge raised concerns about the legality of the tool in criminal investigations.

    ATF, the federal agency responsible for enforcing the nation’s gun laws, told The Associated Press that it discontinued what it called a “pilot” program using a tool called Webloc after Rep. Michael Cloud, a Republican from Texas, and Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, expressed reservations about the agency’s use of bulk commercial location data.

    Webloc, which is made by a vendor called Penlink, sources data from consumer apps and advertising networks, which collect the location of mobile devices from consumers who download apps or browse the web. Such data is sometimes called “ad tech” and has been controversial in criminal law enforcement as it allows agencies to bypass warrant requirements to identify the mobile devices present in certain areas at specific times.

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that police needed a warrant to obtain historic movement data from cellphone companies on a criminal suspect. But it has never addressed the growing practice of commercially acquired data.

    Other users of Webloc include the U.S. military and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement but also local law enforcement agencies such as police in places like Elk Grove, Calif. and Durham, N.C. The technology has also expanded around the world, with the national police in El Salvador and Hungarian intelligence agencies as customers, according to a report from earlier this year from Citizen Lab, a group of researchers at the University of Toronto who investigate digital threats to civil society.

    “A victory for Americans’ constitutional rights”

    ATF said in a statement that it determined that the tool “does not meet our needs.” The agency said it is not using any other ad-tech-sourced services.

    “ATF continually evaluates tools and techniques to enhance our investigations and ultimately reduce violent crime in American communities. We did conduct a pilot with Webloc to determine if it could improve our investigative capabilities,” an ATF spokesperson said in an email.

    Wyden called ATF’s decision to abandon the software “a victory for Americans’ constitutional rights.”

    “For years, I have warned that the government’s purchase of Americans’ location data from shady data brokers is an unacceptable end-run around the Fourth Amendment,” Wyden said in a statement. After Rep. Cloud and my staff informed the ATF about the legal and privacy quagmire surrounding adtech data, the agency did the right thing.”

    Under questioning from Cloud, ATF Director Robert Cekada acknowledged in a congressional hearing in May that the agency had been buying geolocation data on American cell phones.

    After the hearing, Wyden and Cloud’s office were briefed by ATF. In a joint press release, the two lawmakers said they learned ATF had conducted more than 300 warrantless searches using the tool — including more than 200 tied to active ATF cases.

    In one instance involving suspected arson at a facility belonging to a U.S. defense contractor, both a prosecutor and a judge expressed concerns about the use of Webloc ad tech data, according to the two lawmakers. The agency “was ultimately forced to backtrack and obtain a traditional court order for bulk cellphone tower data” from cell carriers instead, Wyden and Cloud said in a release.

    Webloc was originally made by an Israeli company called Cobwebs before it was bought and merged with a U.S. company called Penlink.

    Penlink said in a statement that it is “proud to have a long-standing relationship with ATF that has enabled us to support its mission to protect America’s communities from violent crime involving the illegal use of firearms, explosives and arson.” The company added that it “looks forward to continuing our relationship in support of that mission.”

    Practice continues in other government agencies

    Other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security continue to buy commercial geolocation data.

    DHS issued a request for information to private industry in January asking about how commercially available advertising data might be used to assist in its deportation and law enforcement mission. And earlier this year, FBI director Kash Patel told the Senate: “We do purchase commercially available information that’s consistent with the constitution and the laws under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and it has led to some valuable intelligence for us.”

    A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Wyden, Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, have introduced a bill that would ban the practice of buying data without a judicial order.


  • Cody Johnson’s country music is only getting bigger. On ‘Banks of the Trinity,’ he’ll take you home


    NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a moment at every Cody Johnson show where the Texas-born and bred country star asks the crowd: “How many of you tonight are watching me and this band live for the very first time?” he told The Associated Press. “And every night, I would say at least 80% of the crowd raises their hands.”

    It’s not the kind of reaction most veteran artists receive. “And I’m thinking, you know, 20 years is a long time to work for something. But when you see that … What’s the next 20 years look like?” he asks.

    The rancher, rodeo competitor and onetime prison guard started his two-decade career playing honky tonks and dive bars. That led to slow and steady growth for the country traditionalist, but in the last few years, something has shifted. He landed his fifth career No. 1 song with “The Fall.” He was named entertainer of the year at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards, the show’s highest honor. That was a month after he headlined Stagecoach Music Festival. For an artist with legions of fans, it looked like he was accessing new heights.

    “I feel like I’m closing a book and I’m opening another one and it’s all blank pages,” he says of this period. “Let’s get to the next chapter.”

    On Friday, that new era began with the release of his album “Banks of the Trinity.”

    Traveling to the ‘Banks of the Trinity’

    It hasn’t been an easy road. Last fall, Johnson had to cancel a bunch of tour dates after upper respiratory and sinus infections caused a burst eardrum that required surgery — an intimidating medical procedure for anyone, but especially nerve-wracking for a musician. “I was scared,” he said simply. But “in a roundabout way, it’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

    It forced him to take three months off, which allowed him to be home during the birth of his son. It also rejuvenated his approach in the studio. Before the incident, he thought the album was complete. It was not: The additional time resulted in the inclusion of a few songs that now feel inextricable from the record: “Thank Somebody Country,” “Take Me Back (Leave Me There),” “Cricket on a Hook,” and the resilient “I Have” among them.

    “What a blessing to have that kind of song fall in your lap when you’re kind of up against the ropes,” he says of the latter. “I mean, we thought we had the record done. It wasn’t done.”

    A title track with real resonance

    At the heart of “Banks of the Trinity” is its title track, which recalls Eagles’ cover of “Seven Bridges Road” meets bluegrass and Southern gospel. Lyrically, it’s an ode to Johnson’s childhood. “I grew up on the banks of the Trinity (River.) Fishing for catfish, not so much out of pleasure or sport but for necessity to put food in the freezer. Deer season for me was not a trophy thing,” he said.

    And while that track inspires a feeling of nostalgia within the listener, he doesn’t consider this album a throwback collection. He says it’s about showcasing his evolving sonic diversity. “The rest of the album for me is a musical journey from track one to track 16,” he said. “There’s a little bit of a flavor for everybody. It does kind of hit Motown. It does kind of hit Bluegrass. It does hit progressive country. It does it old country. It does a little rock here and there.”

    It’s the result of a new kind of freedom, one that is at least partially due to his recent accomplishments, including taking home the top prize at the ACM Awards. “I just did the thing that I’ve aspired to do in my career my entire life,” he says. “A really good place is a really good way to describe where I am.”

    And now that the album is out, he’s ready to take a breather. “I will be shirtless with no shoes on a beach at an undisclosed location,” he jokes about the days after record release. “’Cause I have already done all the prep work. I’ve been working on this album for two years. I’ve done all of the interviews. I’ve shook all the hands. Me and my wife and kids are gonna disappear for 10 days and I’m gonna become, I guess, every Kenny Chesney song ever.”

    It’s not a bad place to be.