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Mike Greenwell, 62, spent his entire 12-year MLB career as a member of the Boston Red Sox. He was a two-time All-Star and finished as American League MVP runner-up in 1988.

On Thursday, October 9, the former pro, nicknamed ‘The Gator’ passed away from a battle with thyroid cancer.

His death was announced on the Lee County Government Facebook page around 2 p.m. local time. Greenwell, a lifelong Lee County resident, had served as the District 5 commissioner in the county since being appointed to the position by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022.

The post wrote, ‘It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Commissioner Mike Greenwell, a lifelong Lee County resident.’ It continued, ‘He was a strong advocate for the people and businesses of Lee County and will be remembered for seeking meaningful solutions to the challenges his community faced.’

‘The Boston Red Sox mourn the loss of Mike Greenwell,’ the team stated in a release Thursday. ‘A member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame Class of 2008, he spent his entire 12-year Major League playing career with the Red Sox (1985-96).’

The team also provided quotes from several former teammates.

“Greenwell was one of my favorites,’ Hall of Famer Joe Morgan stated, ‘He didn’t start out great, but he worked hard and became a very good left fielder. He was fun to be around, happy-go-lucky. We’ll all miss him greatly.”

“Mike was a wonderful ballplayer who always played hard,’ Dwight Evans, who played with Greenwell from 1985-1991, said. ‘He was deeply involved in the Fort Myers community and gave so much of himself to others. You always wanted to be around him — I truly enjoyed my time with him. He was a gamer in every sense of the word, and he will be deeply missed.”

Mike Greenwell MLB stats

Greenwell was a strong hitter throughout his MLB career, slashing .303/.368/.463 for his career. He also tallied 130 career home runs and 726 RBI.

Greenwell’s post-MLB life

Greenwell had a very short stint in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan, but was forced into retirement after just seven games due to a fractured foot.

When he returned to the United States, he picked up stock car racing at New Smyrna Speedway, even winning the 2000 Speedweeks track championship. He ultimately gave up racing in 2010.

Greenwell was appointed as Lee County’s District 5 commissioner by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, following the death of then-commissioner Franklin Mann. Greenwell won his re-election campaign in 2024.

Greenwell’s family

Greenwell is survived by his wife, Tracy, and his two sons: Bo and Garrett.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

We’re nearly a third of the way through the 2025 NFL regular season, with the start of Week 6 getting underway tonight.

The New York Giants (1-4) are set to host the Philadelphia Eagles (4-1), and the defending Super Bowl champions are coming off their first loss of the season at the hands of the Denver Broncos. The reigning champs squandered a 17-3 lead into the fourth quarter when Denver scored 18 consecutive points in the final 13 minutes to take down the Birds. Philadelphia is looking to get back on track on the road against ‘Big Blue’ at MetLife Stadium.

Week 6’s edition of ‘Thursday Night Football’ promises to be entertaining with these division rivals set to battle in what’s known as the ‘I-95 game.’

Similar to the Eagles, the Giants blew a double-digit lead and ultimately suffered a disappointing loss against the previously winless New Orleans Saints last Sunday. The Giants jumped out to a 14-3 lead on the road before giving up 23 unanswered points to end the 26-14 loss.

The Giants struggled with turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble by Jaxson Dart in his second-ever NFL start. Tonight marks the first primetime game for the 25th overall pick and he’ll try to be the jolt the Giants and Brian Daboll need.

Another offensive star in Philly is off to an inauspicious start, A.J. Brown. Will the alpha wide receiver get back on track against the Giants’ secondary?

This is the first of two matchups in the next three weeks between these NFC East foes. Will the Eagles get back in the win column, or can the Giants hand them their first back-to-back losses since December 2023?

USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the Week 6 matchup between the Giants and Eagles on Thursday night below.

What time does Giants vs. Eagles game start?

Kickoff time: 8:15 p.m. ET

The Philadelphia Eagles travel to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ to take on the New York Giants at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday night.

What TV channel is New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles on today?

New York market: WNYW (Fox 5)
Philadelphia market: WTFX (Fox 29)

The game will be broadcast on TV locally for those in the New York and Philadelphia TV markets.

Jalen Carter inactive

Eagles defensive star Jalen Carter will not play vs. the Giants with a heel injury. He was listed as questionable earlier in the week with the ailment, leading to his deactivation for Thursday’s matchup.

Giants vs. Eagles live stream

Live stream: Amazon Prime Video

Watch ‘Thursday Night Football’ with Amazon Prime Video

Giants inactives vs. Eagles

The Giants will be without wide receiver Darius Slayton, further hampering their wide receiver corps. Here’s the rest of the list:

WR Darius Slayton
ILB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
ILB Swayze Bozeman
T James Hudson III
OL Evan Neal
DL Elijah Garcia
QB Jameis Winston (3rd QB)

Eagles inactives vs. Giants

The Eagles will be without a couple of stars in the trenches: Defensive lineman Jalen Carter will be out, while guard Landon Dickerson will be out, as well.

CB Mac McWilliams
G Landon Dickerson
TE Grant Calcaterra
WR Xavier Gipson
DT Jalen Carter
QB Sam Howell (3rd QB)

Giants vs. Eagles prediction

It will be a beautiful October night in East Rutherford and spooky season is getting underway. The defending champs have not lost back-to-back games since December 2023, and it’s not likely that streak ends tonight against a reeling Giants team with a rookie quarterback. This has all the feels of a perfect spot for the Eagles to get right. The struggling stars Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown will lead the charge to a double-digit win.

Prediction: Eagles 26, Giants 16

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Mario Cristobal believes the postseason should be considered for the Heisman Trophy.

The fourth-year Miami football coach joined the Pardon My Take podcast on Wednesday, Oct. 8, and criticized the process of the Heisman ceremony happening in mid-December, instead of after bowl and College Football Playoff games.

“The only thing I’d wish about the Heisman Trophy is it was awarded when all the games are done,” Cristobal said. “That whole (giving out the) award before the postseason games are played is absolutely bizarre to me. Like I can’t comprehend it and never will.”

Last season, quarterback Cam Ward finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. Georgia transfer quarterback Carson Beck is among the favorites through six weeks of the 2025 college football season.

The 2025 Heisman Trophy will be awarded this year on Dec. 13, with the voting closing on Monday, Dec. 8.

Carson Beck Heisman Trophy odds

Following his 241-yard, four-touchdown performance against rival Florida State, Beck has the second-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, per BetMGM, as of Thursday, Oct. 9.

The former Georgia signal-caller has thrown for 1,213 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions this season. Beck’s odds are currently +600, trailing only Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (+500). Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Alabama QB Ty Simpson (+800) are tied for third.

Gino Torretta was the last Miami player to win the Heisman Trophy in 1992. Cristobal was a senior offensive lineman on that team, which ended up beating Miami 34-13 to win the national championship. Vinny Testaverde (1986) is the only other Hurricane player to win the award.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Cincinnati Bengals have acquired 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns.
Flacco is expected to start immediately for the Bengals, who are 2-3 since Joe Burrow’s injury.
Cincinnati’s struggling defense, ranked near the bottom of the league, poses a significant challenge to the team’s success.

One team’s trash. Another team’s treasure.

That sums up the exchange for Joe Flacco, who will start at quarterback on Sunday for the desperate Cincinnati Bengals. Last week, the 40-year-old vet was benched for a rookie by the hapless Cleveland Browns. Talk about bolting from the outhouse.

For the second time in three weeks, Flacco will face the Green Bay Packers defense. It makes perfect sense. Or not. Flacco opened this season on Sept. 7 by nearly beating the Bengals, who acquired him from the Browns on Oct. 7 as they try to save a season that hinges on a miracle. Even if Joe Burrow’s rehab from turf toe surgery breaks records, there’s still the matter of the team being positioned to make a legit playoff run.

Keep praying on that.

According to Bengals coach Zac Taylor, here’s how his initial phone conversation with Flacco went after the trade went down:

“Welcome to the club. We’re ready to start you on Sunday.”

Never mind that Flacco, with his fifth team in seven years, was such a disappointment in his return to Cleveland. He threw six interceptions in four games and produced a league-worst 60.3 passer rating. He hardly provided the spark that he did in 2023, when he came off the couch and led the Browns to the playoffs. Then again, Burrow’s replacement, Jake Browning, came off the bench this season and has thrown eight interceptions.

Leadership and a live arm buoy Bengals’ hopes for Flacco

So, switching to Flacco, whose mobility is still a liability, probably can’t make it any worse for a team (2-3) that has lost three consecutive games since Burrow went down in Week 2. Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP, still has some juice left in what was once one of the NFL’s most powerful arms. And Cincy’s dynamic tandem of star receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins – with value reflected by the contract extensions signed last spring that are worth a combined $276 million – add a layer of hope that he can still catch fire with the pretty rainbow throws that have been part of his package.

Maybe the change of scenery will help. Again. Flacco had his first meeting with Taylor over the phone during a five-hour drive from Cleveland – the team had a driver pick up the QB and his wife, Dana – and that covered the easy stuff he needs to know in breaking in. Formations. Personnel. Motions. Running game concepts.

Over an 18-year NFL journey, Flacco has seen it before. That experience, a still-lively arm and leadership traits are at the basis of the “good fit” that Taylor is selling.

“He’s different than a young quarterback coming in, trying to learn the system and understand what a defense is doing to try to challenge you,” Taylor said during a Wednesday press conference. “Not only that, he’s played Green Bay this year and he’s already gone through a week of prep. So, that’s the nice part.”

Another fascinating twist: Flacco’s new blind side protector, left tackle Orlando Brown, Jr., was a ballboy for his father’s former team, the Baltimore Ravens, when Flacco broke into the league in 2008. In 2018, they were teammates in Baltimore during Brown’s rookie year and Flacco’s final season with the Ravens as the transition to Lamar Jackson began.

“It’s 2025 and Joe Flacco is playing for the Cincinnati Bengals. That is insane,” Brown told reporters in the locker room on Wednesday.

Flashing back to his days as a Ravens ballboy, Brown added, “I have a Joe Flacco-signed ball somewhere. Guarantee it.”

Of course, for a Flacco feel-good story to unfold this time, he will need to develop chemistry with his prime targets and handle other nuances in a new scheme. Like fast.

Flacco may jolt a stalled-out offense. But about the Bengals’ defense…

Oh, and there’s something else that underscores the difficulty of this challenge.

Let Phil Simms, the legendary New York Giants quarterback, explain.

“They got him for one reason. They’re hoping he can find a way to win some games that will give them a shot if Joe Burrow makes it back later in the season,” Simms, the Super Bowl XXI MVP, told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s the hope.

“But unless Joe Flacco turns into Lawrence Taylor and plays defense, too, I don’t see where this is going. Their defense is getting destroyed.”

The Bengals defense ranks 30th in the NFL for yards allowed and 30th for points allowed. It is 29th against the pass. Only Dallas and Baltimore have been worse on defense. That’s the reality check that dampens the possibility that Flacco represents a potential savior for the Bengals.

This predicament also illuminates the risk the Bengals took in giving short shrift to their defense while divvying up salary cap dollars. Betting big on Burrow and the receivers is one thing. But this is what it looks like when going for broke at the expense of investing more into the defense backfires.

For Flacco, though, at least there’s this last hurrah – a chance to play again for a team that desperately needs him to recapture some magic.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on social media: on X: @JarrettBell; on Bluesky: jarrettbell.bsky.social

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

WNBA star Angel Reese is set to become the first professional athlete to take part in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Reese vowed last year to one day take part in the annual fashion extravaganza, and that dream is about to come true for her on Oct. 15 in New York.

The Chicago Sky forward was limited to just 30 games this past season, but averaged 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game while being named an All-Star for the second time.

But as much as she’s already accomplished on the court, Reese has arguably been even more successful off it.

Among her estimated 20 different endorsement deals is a new signature shoe from Reebok, which just went on sale last month. And she was featured on the cover of the NBA 2K26 WNBA edition video game.

In addition, Reese recently became a partner with several other female athletes – including Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Simone Manuel and Chloe Kim – in a venture to advance the women’s sports movement.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

This is the USA TODAY Sports NFL newsletter, 4th and Monday. If this newsletter isn’t already getting conveniently delivered to your inbox, click here to subscribe. USA TODAY Sports is now on Bluesky! Give us a follow for more of our NFL content.

Welcome to Week 6 in the NFL!

We present some essentials for you to enjoy before we check out the weekend’s biggest matchups:

Our NFL vodcasts offer fantasy insights, injury updates, more
Week 6 picks from USA TODAY Sports’ experts
Need fantasy advice? We have you covered
Point spreads for every Week 6 game

➤ On tap for Thursday night: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants — The Eagles are coming off their first defeat in more than 280 days. In Week 5, Jaxson Dart came back down to earth and the Giants earned the distinction of being the first team to lose to Saints QB Spencer Rattler, who finally won in his 11th NFL start. The Eagles have won 10 consecutive prime-time meetings against the Giants. Philly should make it 11 tonight.

➤ Game of the week: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs — This one lost some of its luster when the Chiefs were defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars on ‘Monday Night Football’ to fall to 2-3. The Lions (4-1), meanwhile – thanks to Week 5 defeats by the Bills and Eagles – vaulted into the top spot in Nate Davis’ NFL power rankings. The Lions’ Week 1 loss to the Packers now looks like an aberration.

➤ Sneaky-good game of the week: San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — It might be premature to call this showdown of 4-1 teams an NFC championship game preview. Both teams are coming off thrilling Week 5 victories. Both teams are a little banged up, but this still should be a banger of a game.

➤ Dud of the week: Tennessee Titans at Las Vegas Raiders — At least this matchup of 1-4 teams gives fans a chance to check out rookies Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty. Otherwise, it’s been a very disappointing season so far for both squads.

TNF BETTING LOCK

Jalen Hurts first TD scorer (+450*). How about a ‘Tush Push’ for the game’s first touchdown? Hurts has rushed for five touchdowns in four starts on ‘Thursday Night Football,’ so it seems likely he’ll get one against the Giants.

*Odds per BetMGM (as of publication)

BEST BETS FOR WEEK 6

Lorenzo Reyes is back with his NFL betting locks of the week. Here are the bets he likes most for Week 6:

Patriots (-3.5 spread). This is an inviting point spread, even though New England is on the road against the New Orleans Saints.

Rams (-7.5 spread). The Rams’ game against the Baltimore Ravens has blowout potential.

Titans (+4.5 spread). We have a hard time seeing the Las Vegas Raiders winning this one by nearly a touchdown.

ONE BOLD PREDICTION

Lions sink the Chiefs to 2-4. What would have been billed as a possible Super Bowl 60 preview when the 2025 NFL schedule was released back in May has become an early season must-win for the Chiefs. However, it’ll be the Lions who prevail in this ‘Sunday Night Football’ showdown.

One thing to watch for: If Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery each score a touchdown against the Chiefs, they will surpass 1990s Cowboys teammates Daryl Johnston and Emmitt Smith for the third-most games that a running back tandem each scored a touchdown (14 games). Frank Gifford and Alex Webster of the New York Football Giants have the most with 20. Fun facts!

HOT READS

The best NFL reads from USA TODAY and our Sports Network:

The Bills and Eagles both lost last week, so there’s a new No. 1 team in the power rankings.

Emari Demercado’s Hall of Shame goal-line gaffe keeps getting worse. This time with the spotlight on Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.

With Joe Flacco traded to the Bengals, Shedeur Sanders is moving up (by default) the Browns’ depth chart. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz has more winners (and losers) from the trade of the veteran quarterback.

Travis Kelce reviewed Taylor Swift’s new album. Here is everything he said about it.

FANTASY ESSENTIALS

Do you have a battered fantasy football squad? Perplexed by how to navigate bye weeks? We’re here to help you ideate an optimized lineup for Week 6.

Week 6 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends

NFL DRAFT PROSPECT TO WATCH

Dante Moore, QB, Oregon (vs. Indiana, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS/Paramount+) — This No. 2-vs.-No. 7 showdown of undefeated Big Ten teams features the quarterbacks projected to go 1-2 in Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz’s latest mock draft: IU’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Moore. Moore has taken a circuitous route to become one of the best quarterbacks in college football … decommitting from Oregon to go to UCLA, struggling as a true freshman with the Bruins, then transferring to Oregon. Now, he faces (not directly) Mendoza in a must-watch quarterback duel.

ON THIS DAY IN NFL HISTORY

On Oct. 9, 1983, Dan Marino made his first NFL start and was outdueled by … Joe Ferguson? After the Dolphins selected Marino in the first round of the 1983 draft, it seemed as though David Woodley’s days as starter were numbered. After a Week 5 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Don Shula finally made the switch, thus putting Marino on a path that would eventually lead to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Marino’s first start came against the Buffalo Bills at the Orange Bowl. Not surprisingly, it was an offensive shootout. Surprisingly, it was Ferguson, the Bills’ veteran quarterback, who outdid Marino and led Buffalo to a thrilling 38-35 overtime win (for the Bills’ first victory at the Orange Bowl since 1966!). Ferguson threw for 419 yards and five touchdowns; Marino threw for 322 yards and three scores. There was kicking drama in overtime, as the Dolphins’ Uwe von Schamann missed two field goals while the Bills’ Joe Danelo connected on the game-winner.

If you enjoy reading 4th and Monday , encourage your football fan friends to subscribe . Follow the writer of this newsletter on social media @jimreineking and drop a line if you want to talk some football .

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

An autopsy report shows Aidan Zingg died from cardiac tamponade hemopericardium when the 16-year-old rising motocross star crashed during a dirt-bike race on June 28 in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

The report confirmed what Zingg’s mother, Shari, told USA TODAY Sports on July 11 and provides more detail about his death.

Cardiac tamponade, according to the Cleveland Clinic, “describes a heart that has so much fluid around it that it can’t pump enough blood. The force of this fluid makes it hard for your heart to do its job. This is a medical emergency. A healthcare provider has to remove the extra fluid with a needle or surgery. You need quick treatment for a good outcome.’’

Hemopericardium, according to Radiopaedia.com, “refers to the presence of blood within the pericardial cavity (that surrounds the heart)…If enough blood enters the pericardial cavity, then a potentially fatal cardiac tamponade can occur.’’

The autopsy was performed by Eva Wasef, who pointed out Zingg’s heart had a perforated left ventricle measuring approximately six centimeters, according to the autopsy report. Wasef also indicated the presence of a chest tube with a needle on the right side of Zingg that would have been used in life-saving efforts.

Zingg was thrown from his motorcycle during the race and, when located, he was face down and unresponsive, Nicholas Rhoads of the Mono County Sheriff’s Office said he was advised according to a coroner’s report. Rhoads said he was dispatched to the track at about 10:35 a.m. and began his investigation.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol was first on scene and said the incident was not witnessed, according to the report. The report said the Ski Patrol began CPR and also said Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was applied to Zingg “with no indication for shock.’’

Zingg was then transferred into the care of Mono County Paramedics, which transported him to Mammoth Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased, according to the report.

Life-saving efforts were in process for about 20 minutes during the drive to the hospital and for another 20 minutes at the hospital before a doctor determined Zingg had died, according to Rhoads’ report.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Consumers’ Research, a leading nonprofit dedicated to consumer information and taking on woke corporations, launched a new campaign Thursday targeting insurance giant Chubb Limited and its CEO Evan Greenberg, alleging ‘deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).’

The campaign, which is facing pushback from a Chubb official and a pair of renowned China hawks accusing the nonprofit of misrepresenting Greenberg’s view, is part of a seven-figure initiative titled ‘China Chubb.’ The campaign accuses the insurance company and its chief executive of ‘cozying up to the CCP’ and ‘using their market power and resources to push a woke, political agenda on the American people.’

The effort falls under Consumers’ Research’s Consumers First Initiative, aimed at exposing companies the group claims put politics ahead of consumers. Chubb’s business reaches across 54 countries, including China, territories, all 50 states and employs over 40,000 people worldwide.

Consumers’ Research says the campaign will include a national 30-second television advertisement titled ‘China Chubb,’ which will begin airing across the country following the launch. 

The campaign also features a new website, ChinaChubb.com, a mobile billboard that will circulate throughout Washington, D.C., including Capitol Hill and Chubb’s Washington office, as well as a targeted digital push with sponsored content on social media platforms and online news outlets.

The ad campaign received a sharp rebuke from a Chubb spokesperson, who called it ‘completely dishonest’ in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

‘Evan has called out China’s authoritarian approach and predatory practices. He has repeatedly called for the U.S. to stand up and defend its interests,’ the spokesperson said. 

Robert O’Brien, former National Security Adviser to President Donald Trump, also pushed back on the ad in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

‘I’ve worked with Evan Greenberg for several years now on American relations with China,’ O’Brien said. ‘In my dealings with Evan, he has been a proponent of U.S. interests in the region. Through its operations in China, his company has contributed to shrinking the U.S. trade deficit.’

However, a Fox News Digital review found that Greenberg has personal and professional entanglements with the CCP, including meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and offering public statements praising the CCP’s global vision.

Earlier this year, Greenberg reportedly attended China’s prestigious China Development Forum alongside executives like Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman and Mastercard’s Michael Miebach. The annual forum, which includes delegates from all over the world, also includes access to dozens of top CCP officials, according to a list of delegates released earlier this year.

During this same week, Greenberg was pictured in a press release posted by the Chinese government showing him shaking hands with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, a top CCP position. The press release paraphrased Greenberg saying, ‘U.S.-China relationship is the most significant bilateral relationship in the world.’

In 2024, Greenberg was photographed not only shaking hands with Xi in Beijing as Chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, but was also offering glowing remarks about China’s ‘resilience and vitality.’ 

‘China’s exceptional economic growth and transformation over the past decades speak to its strong resilience and vitality,’ Greenberg said.

In November 2023, he introduced Xi at a San Francisco event.

‘Like many others in this room, I believe that a strong and prosperous China that supports and invests in the international system can be a force for good in the world,’ Greenberg said at that event. 

‘We are gathered today to gain insight from President Xi into his vision for the future of his country, and of the relationship between the United States and China. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in warmly welcoming President Xi Jinping.’

That same month, Evan Greenberg was elected Board Chair of the National Committee on
U.S.-China Relations after having been ‘an exemplary’ board member and officer of the National Committee and ‘supporting the Committee’s mission.’ The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations sold $40,000 tickets to Americans and American businesses to sit at Xi Jinping’s table during the welcome banquet in San Francisco featuring several other senior CCP officials and guests, which got slammed in a scathing letter from the House Select Committee on the CCP.

In 2022, Xi sent personal greetings to a gala honoring Greenberg. Meanwhile, Greenberg sits on the advisory board of Tsinghua University School of Economics & Management, an institution tied directly to China’s national security and defense apparatus. That university operates under a wing of the Chinese government known for defense tech development — a connection that would likely raise red flags for any U.S. executive overseeing sensitive insurance data.

Greenberg is not the only prominent American business leader serving on that board, a group that includes Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein, and Apple CEO Tim Cook. 

Greenberg has also called on the U.S. to ‘tone down rhetoric around Taiwan’ and slamming efforts to contain the CCP as ‘self-isolating’ and doomed to fail. In shareholder letters, he’s warned against treating U.S.-China competition as a ‘new cold war,’ and labeled some American trade protections as ‘wrongheaded’ and ‘unwise.’

Greenberg has acknowledged the complicated nature of the Taiwan situation, however.

‘Taiwan presents the most proximate risk of conflict for the U.S.-China relationship,’ he said in 2022. ‘Beijing has made its ambition clear that it wants to pull Taiwan into its orbit and, increasingly, is matching resources to its ambitions. Washington is improving coordination with allies to collectively deter China from using force, while at the same time supporting Taiwan’s efforts to improve its self-defense.’

Also in 2022, Chubb secured Chinese government approval to acquire majority control of Huatai Insurance Group, a Chinese firm with over $10 billion in assets. That stake has since grown to 85.5%. Meanwhile, Greenberg’s father, Hank Greenberg, orchestrated business deals and meetings with CCP officials, including a Xi-endorsed event ahead of a key U.S.-China summit.

That same year, Greenberg’s father led a group of executives meeting with Chinese officials ahead of Xi’s summit with President Biden in Bali. A think tank affiliated with China’s foreign ministry
organized the Chinese delegation.

Additionally, a company owned by Greenberg’s father, C.V. Starr, owns over 90% of a Chinese insurer formerly known as Dazhong. 

Greenberg has not exclusively been complimentary of China and has voiced concerns and critiques about China, saying last year, ‘China has undermined its appeal in many parts of the region through its revanchist efforts to demand acquiescence to its territorial claims and mismanagement of its own economy.’

‘Beijing’s dimming domestic performance is reducing its appeal, and its bullying behavior is driving many countries closer to the United States.’

A 2022 Chubb annual report states that the U.S. is seeking an Indo-Pacific regions that ‘remains free from Chinese hegemony.’ The insurance company’s 2023 annual report was also critical of China saying, ‘China is viewed both as important and as a source of anxiety for many countries around the world. China is a revisionist and revanchist power that is pursuing a large-scale expansion in military capabilities.’

Fox News contributor and China expert Michael Pillsbury told Fox News Digital that Greenberg has been playing a role communicating with China to benefit the Trump administration.

‘Over the last few months before China accepted President Trump’s request to meet with Xi Jinping, Evan Greenberg played a backstage role to get American complaints by bringing together American CEOs to meet Xi Jinping,’ Pillsbury said. 

‘Learning how badly American companies have been treated helps President Trump because he is determined to end outrageous mistreatment of American companies. White House friends of mine tell me Evan Greenberg developed a list of grievances of how badly treated our companies are in China. One CEO even used the term China ‘gangsterizes our companies.’’

Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild told Fox News Digital that Chubb’s leadership has ignored clear national security warnings about China.

‘Despite growing warnings from U.S. intelligence about the risks posed by the Chinese Communist Party, Chubb has invested billions of dollars in Chinese companies and Greenberg continues to treat Chinese President Xi Jinping as a partner and friend, even meeting personally with Xi Jinping and publicly introducing him as a force for good,’ Hild said.

‘As the saying goes, your friends show who you really are and Greenberg’s actions have made it clear he is all in on the CCP. Our campaign exposes the uncomfortable truth: when American corporations cozy up to Communist dictators and push woke policies at home, they betray not just their country, but their customers,’ he added.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

When President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb sealed their latest trade agreement on Thursday, it wasn’t just a handshake for 11 rugged ships. 

It was another sign of a friendship that’s quickly turning into strategy.

Where other European leaders have tried to win Trump’s respect through policy and persuasion, Stubb chose the fairway. In March, the Finnish president — once a national golf team player — turned up at Mar-a-Lago not with briefing notes, but with clubs, challenging Trump to a round and earning something rarer than a trade deal: rapport.

Presentation matters to Trump, and Stubb — 6-foot-3, fit and sharply dressed in a double-breasted coat — seemed to meet the moment. When the two last met at the White House in August, Trump told him he ‘looked better than ever’ and introduced him as ‘a young, powerful man.’

That personal chemistry, maintained through frequent text exchanges, has quietly opened doors for the Finnish president, a longtime marathoner and triathlete with a competitive streak. What’s more, it’s translating into real policy — from defense contracts to Arctic cooperation — elevating the once-quiet Nordic nation to new prominence in Washington.

It’s an unlikely rise for a country better known for saunas and serenity than for summits. Stubb hails from a nation of 5.6 million that routinely tops the world’s happiness index, where forests blanket nearly 75% of the land and lakes glint by the hundreds of thousands.

Finland — slightly smaller than the state of Montana and wedged between Sweden and Russia — has long had its security outlook shaped by geography, a position that now places it on the front line of NATO and Arctic strategy.

The trade deal signed Thursday, for 11 ships valued at roughly $6.1 billion, is the latest sign of how that alignment is taking shape. Under the deal Trump approved, three of the ships will be built by Davie in Galveston, Texas, and four by Bollinger Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana, a setup that aligns with his ‘Made in America’ credo and emphasis on creating U.S. jobs, injecting billions of dollars into the maritime industrial base.

And when it comes to icebreakers, Helsinki is firmly in its element: Finnish companies design roughly 80% of the world’s fleet.

Finland’s expertise has made it more than just a supplier. It’s turned Helsinki into a trusted player in Trump’s Arctic strategy, a region increasingly defined by military competition with Russia and China, melting sea routes and access to critical minerals.

That partnership cuts both ways. For Finland, the agreement deepens defense cooperation with the U.S. and elevates it from NATO newcomer to strategic partner, a bridge linking Washington to the fast-changing Arctic frontier.

‘We are very pleased with the fact that we have so much training going on with American soldiers right now. They are getting experience from our Arctic conditions, and we are integrating our militaries together,’ Stubb said during a meeting in the Oval Office Thursday. 

For now, Stubb’s rapport with Trump has turned the fairway into a diplomatic fast track. Whether that personal chemistry endures amid shifting politics remains to be seen, but, for Finland, the gains are already tangible. 

Stubb has learned what some other global counterparts haven’t. With Trump, a well-timed drive can travel farther than any policy memo. And, so far, that lesson is paying off for both men.

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PHOENIX ― Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally will not play in Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals, the team announced Thursday.

If the Mercury can keep their title hopes alive, after falling behind three games to none to the Las Vegas Aces, it will have to be without Sabally. The Phoenix forward has been ruled out after suffering a concussion during Game 3 of the Finals on Wednesday at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Sabally went up for a layup and made contact with Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young. When she came down from her shot and grabbed a rebound, she got tangled up with Young. As Sabally went to the ground, she made contact with Aces forward Kierstan Bell’s knee. She remained on the court, and Young was called for a loose-ball foul.

The foul was reviewed for a possible upgrade, but the call was upheld. Sabally stayed down for several minutes before being helped to her feet after multiple attempts to steady herself. A nearby staff member and Mercury player eventually helped her walk to the tunnel. She did not return to play on Wednesday.

Sabally has averaged 19 points and seven rebounds in the postseason for the Mercury. DeWanna Bonner will likely start for Phoenix in Game 4 on Friday at Mortgage Market Center (8 p.m. ET, Friday). She took Sabally’s place earlier the season when she was out with an ankle injury.

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