Archive

2025

Browsing

The American Bar Association asked the Department of Justice on Tuesday to reconsider its historic decision to shut the organization out of the judicial nomination process and insisted it rates potential judges fairly.

ABA President William Bay wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi that he was ‘surprised and disappointed’ by her decision, which Bondi revealed in a letter two weeks ago.

‘It is deeply disturbing that the Justice Department has decided to restrict access to judicial nominees without justification or basis,’ Bay wrote.

Bondi accused the ABA, which comprises hundreds of thousands of lawyers and other legal professionals, of favoring Democratic administrations’ nominees and refusing to ‘fix the bias in its ratings.’

The ABA has for seven decades been involved in rating presidents’ nominees to serve as judges in the district and appellate courts and the Supreme Court.

An ABA committee rates potential judges as ‘well qualified,’ ‘qualified’ or ‘not qualified’ based on their experience level, legal writings, and dozens of interviews with the candidates’ colleagues and peers.

Bay noted the ABA rated all three of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominees as ‘well qualified’ and that it has given ‘well qualified’ or ‘qualified’ ratings to at least 97% of rated nominees for the last two decades.

The ABA has also received nonpublic information about nominees, including their bar records, through DOJ waivers. Bondi said the department will no longer provide those.

Bay’s remarks were the latest development in a protracted legal fight that Trump and Republicans have waged against the ABA and big law over allegations they are plagued by bias. The ABA has on occasion promoted liberal initiatives, including abortion access, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the LGBTQ agenda. Bay said the rating committee is walled off from the rest of the organization.

‘The Standing Committee’s work is insulated from all other activities of the ABA to ensure its independence and impartiality,’ Bay wrote.

Presidents nominate federal judges, and the Senate votes on them. The judges, once confirmed, serve lifetime appointments.

Presidents and the Senate have for decades included the ABA in the nomination process, but Trump and President George W. Bush declined to give the ABA a first look at potential nominees before announcing them.

Former President Joe Biden continued Trump’s practice but clarified that he valued the ABA’s ratings and only gave it post-nomination access to nominee information to save time.

A DOJ spokesman said in response to Bay’s letter: ‘It’s clear that the American Bar Association has lost its way and no longer treats all nominees in a fair and impartial manner.’

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who leads the Senate panel tasked with vetting potential judges, said in response to Bondi’s decision that it was ‘hardly surprising’ and that the legal organization has ‘consistently taken partisan stances on political issues.’ Grassley noted the ABA could still weigh in on nominees independently of the administration.

‘The Judiciary Committee will still accept letters from the ABA, the same as we do for all outside organizations, but it doesn’t make sense for this administration to be giving favored access to an organization that’s consistently shown political bias,’ Grassley said.

Grassley’s Democratic counterpart, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, said in a statement online that the ABA’s ratings process was objective.

‘The Trump Administration is clearly just trying to cover for unqualified and extreme nominees,’ Durbin said.

Among those once rated as ‘not qualified’ by the ABA was DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle’s wife, Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who serves as a federal judge in Florida. The rating was due to her lack of experience, as the ABA’s criteria for federal judges includes 12 years of experience practicing law.

The ABA had mixed reviews for Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991, ultimately giving him its mid-level ‘qualified’ rating.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Nintendo sold more than 3.5 million units of its flagship Switch 2 gaming system in the four days following its launch, with online stores of major U.S. retailers putting up “out of stock” signs.

The record-breaking start for the company’s first new console in eight years, puts Nintendo on the path to realizing its aim of selling 15 million units of the Switch 2 console in the fiscal year ending March 2026.

However, analysts continue to believe that those expectations are modest, and forecast the strong initial demand to sustain.

“The market expected a record from Nintendo, and as it turns out, Nintendo delivered,” Serkan Toto, CEO and founder of gaming industry consultancy Kantan Games, told CNBC.

“All signals prior to launch pointed to significant demand, and I believe we will see further records broken over the next weeks or months,” he added.

Toto has maintains that the Switch 2 will sell over 20 million units in its first 12 months. David Gibson, senior research analyst at MST Financial told CNBC that he expects 20 million sales for the year ending March 2026.

The Switch 2, which was released on June 5, has been met with much fanfare, with people lining up for hours ahead of midnight releases at Nintendo stores.

“Fans around the world are showing their enthusiasm for Nintendo Switch 2 as an upgraded way to play at home and on the go,” Nintendo of America President and Chief Operating Officer Doug Bowser said in a statement, adding the company was thankful for the response.

Tokyo-listed shares of Nintendo, which have gained nearly 30% so far this year, were down 3.5% on Wednesday, LSEG data showed. The company has seen its shares rise nearly fivefold since the original Switch debuted in early March 2017.

It remains to be seen if the Switch 2 can recapture the magic of its predecessor, which had set the bar with 15 million unit sales in its first year. It went on to sell more than 152 million units to become the second-highest selling Nintendo device ever, behind the Nintendo DS.

The record initial sales of the Switch are in line with the strong demand analysts had predicted. However, the rush has put into question Nintendo’s ability to meet demand.

Retailers including Walmart, GameStop, Target and Best Buy were out of stock of the consoles, their online stores showed Wednesday.

In April, Nintendo’s Bowser told CNBC that the company had been working with “retail partners to ensure there’s ample supply for not only the launch weekend, but well beyond.”

However, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa stated the same month that 2.2 million people in Japan had entered the lottery to purchase the Switch 2 on launch day, exceeding expectations and what the company had initially planned to deliver to stores.

Kantan Games’ Toto said shortages in Japan were expected to persist, but would be less impactful elsewhere.

“Except for Japan where demand for Switch 2 is extraordinarily high, it looks like fans who really want the console and invest time in trying to secure one actually can get one,” he said. “It might take a while, but as far as can be monitored, supply seems to be more robust than around the launch of the original Switch in 2017.”

President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” on most countries around the world also present headwinds for the Switch 2.

In April, the company announced that it would delay preorders of the Switch 2 in the U.S. while it considers the impact of tariffs.

The Switch 2 retails for $449 in the U.S., which makes it Nintendo’s priciest console to date.

Nintendo’s Bowser said in April the company was going to “monitor where tariffs are going” before making any further decisions on price hikes.

MST Financial’s Gibson said that a resolution to Trump’s tariffs and lower duty rates could see the Switch 2 prices drop in the U.S.

The Switch 2 builds on the success of the original Switch, featuring a larger screen and improved performance. The system also introduces the new GameChat2 feature, which allows players to voice or video chat with friends online and share game screens.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Legendary Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton has pleaded no contest to a charge of driving under the influence after being stopped by police last month in West Virginia.

The 1984 all-around gold medalist took full responsibility for her actions, according to a statement issued by her attorney Edmund J. Rollo.

‘What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses,’ she said. ‘To my family, friends and my fans: I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry. I am determined to learn and grow from this experience, and I am committed to making positive changes in my life. I truly appreciate your concern, encouragement and continued support.’

As a first-time offender, Retton was ordered to pay a $100 fine.

Retton, 57, was stopped in Marion County, West Virginia, on May 17, following a report about a person in a Porsche driving erratically. According to a criminal complaint, when officers pulled her over, she smelled of alcohol and failed a field sobriety test.

Retton was in the news last year when her daughter revealed on social media that the five-time Olympic medalist was ‘fighting for her life’ with ‘a very rare form of pneumonia’ and was not insured.

That led to a flood of donations totaling over $450,000 – but also to questions about basic details of Retton’s illness, whether or not she had health insurance and exactly how the money collected was being spent.

Retton did agree to an interview with NBC’s ‘Today’ show in January 2024, appearing with an oxygen tube in her nose and describing a harrowing, month-long hospital stay, including a moment when ‘they were about to put me on life support,’ she said.

Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, told USA TODAY Sports at that time Retton could not get affordable health care because of pre-existing conditions, stemming from ‘over 30 orthopedic surgeries, including four hip replacements.’

Retton later told NBC in the interview that she was able to get medical insurance.

Retton’s family said that any funds remaining after her medical expenses were paid would be donated to a charity of her choice. But no further information was ever revealed.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Puka Nacua was already in the process of changing his number from 17 to 12 when Davante Adams signed with the Los Angeles Rams.

“Yeah, I had already planned to make the switch over to number 12. It was perfect timing,” Nacua said last week.

Nacua is more than happy to wear No. 12, as Adams will continue to don No. 17. The seamless transition epitomizes Adams’ fit early on with the Rams.

“It’s been exactly what I’ve needed. I’m feeling rejuvenated,” Adams said Tuesday. “It feels like I’ve been on this team for a couple years now based on how open and receptive the guys have been to me.”

The Rams are Adams’ third team in two seasons and fourth overall. Adams noted the atmosphere already feels a lot different on the Rams following a bitter breakup with the Raiders and a disappointing finish as a member of the Jets.

“It feels like a college-type of camaraderie. I don’t think I’ve seen a linebacker and a punter talking as much as I have since I’ve been here, or the kicker and quarterbacks, or whoever it is. There’s just so much crossover. “Adams said. “I feel like this is what I needed just based off the vibe and the aura of the building. Everybody’s in a good mood. It’s not like a dark cloud over the building, and I’ve experienced that quite a bit over the last few years. So, it’s a glaring difference when you come into a building like this.’

The quarterback and wide receiver connection is important on all teams, but particularly for Adams. Adams has been close with his starting quarterback for most of his career. The wideout played with Aaron Rodgers for eight seasons in Green Bay before he reunited with his college teammate Derek Carr with the Raiders. Carr signed with the Saints in 2023 after being released by the Raiders. Adams became disgruntled in Las Vegas, was traded during the 2024 season and rejoined his friend Rodgers with the Jets.

The relationship between Adams and Matthew Stafford has grown since the wide receiver joined the Rams in March and continues to develop.

“It’s always a work in progress. We’re always talking out there, which is a lot of fun. A guy that’s a veteran player, has played a lot of football, and had a lot of success, so it’s fun just trying to communicate as much as I can with him,” Stafford said. “It’s fun to work with guys that understand the game and still have a lot left in the tank. So, it was good.”

The connection between Adams and Stafford on and off the field could determine whether the Rams can repeat as NFC West champions and be a legitimate contender. Stafford’s already built chemistry with Nacua and had a well-documented rapport with Cooper Kupp that helped the franchise win Super Bowl 56. The Rams essentially replaced Kupp, who’s battled injuries since the Super Bowl-winning season, with Adams.

Adams is one of best wide receivers of his era. He’s produced five straight 1,000-yard seasons, tied for the second-longest active streak in the NFL. Additionally, he’s one of four players in NFL history to record 100-or-more receptions and 1,000-or-more yards in four consecutive seasons (2019-22) and is the only player in NFL history to tally three seasons of at least 110 receptions, 1,350 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Adams averaged over three yards of separation last season. He’s 32 years old and is entering his 12th season, but he’s shown he’s got plenty of Pro Bowl-level football in front of him. And the onboarding process thus far is going as seamless as obtaining his No. 17 jersey number. 

“We’ve got a really good quarterback in here. You’ve got a really good young team that shows a lot of promise and was obviously really close to being able to have a chance at the whole thing last year,” Adams said. “So just knowing how hungry this team is and seeing the work they’re still putting in after having a year like last year—it just kind of confirms that I’m in the right place.’

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

– Sixteen Palestinian children, 10 of whom are cancer patients, were evacuated from Gaza on Wednesday as part of an ongoing Jordanian initiative to help civilians amid the war, Fox News has learned.

The humanitarian effort is part of a larger initiative called the ‘Jordan Medical Corridor’ that was developed by King Abdullah II and announced during a White House meeting between the Jordanian leader and President Donald Trump in mid-February.

‘Jordan is keen to bring more child patients from Gaza in each evacuation batch and to expedite the process,’ a Jordanian source told Fox News. ‘There are limitations due to technical and logistical challenges facing the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as Israeli restrictions.’

Despite the limitations, a total of 64 Palestinians were able to leave Gaza on Wednesday for Jordan. The youngest is a 5-month-old baby suffering from severe malnutrition. Other patients include a 6-year-old with explosive injury burns and a 2-year-old with blood cancer. 

Four of the patients were taken by helicopter from the Israel-Jordan border. In Amman, the entire group of children, with the exception of two who will be flown to nearby countries, will receive free medical treatment and housing until the completion of their care.

The current Jordanian mandate aims to evacuate 2,000 children from the Palestinian enclave, while continuing internal efforts to provide field hospital treatment and aid to those still trapped in Gaza.

‘The ongoing Israeli operations make it hard to ensure the safety of the child patients and their families during their transportation to the assembly point and inside the assembly point,’ a Jordanian source added. 

An Israeli official confirmed the evacuation took place at the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, adding that there is cooperation between Israel and Jordan despite the security challenges.

Earlier in the war, Jordan used C-130 aircraft to drop food into Gaza using pallets attached to large parachutes. Some of these drops were done in coordination with U.S. Central Command.

More than 600 days into the war, regional conversations continue to take place aiming for a ceasefire that would end the suffering of Palestinian civilians and bring the remaining 55 hostages held by Hamas home.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has spoken out against discussions of forced displacement for Palestinians living in Gaza.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is rehiring more than 450 previously fired employees belonging to multiple divisions within the agency’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to an HHS official familiar with the matter.

The rehired workers come from four different operational divisions within the CDC: the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention (NCHHSTP); the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH); the Immediate Office of the Director (IOD), and the Global Health Center (GHC). 

The move to bring these employees back follows the Trump administration’s sweeping efforts to reorganize HHS and its sub-agencies during its first few months, which reports said included as many as 10,000 layoffs at various health agencies. It also follows multiple actions by the Trump administration following those layoffs to rehire some of the HHS staffers who were initially let go, such as those within the CDC’s World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Institutes of Health.

‘Personnel that should not have been cut, were cut,’ HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told CBS News in April. ‘We’re reinstating them. And that was always the plan. Part of the – at DOGE, we talked about this from the beginning, is we’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstated, because we’ll make mistakes.’

NCHHSTP will see the greatest number of its workers rehired out of the four divisions, with 214 returning. This HHS division consists of several smaller groups, including the Division of HIV Prevention, which media reports said was cut in half by the Trump administration. 

NCEH will see the next greatest number of returned employees, with 158 coming back. NCEH consists of multiple groups, including one titled the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, which the Trump administration initially eliminated altogether as part of its reforms.

IOD will see the third most returning with 71 and CDC’s Global Health Center will see the fewest employees return out of the four divisions with 24 rehired workers.

HHS is just one of several agencies that have rehired employees following reductions in force spurred by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Internal Revenue Service, the Food and Drug Administration, the State Department, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have all taken actions to rehire employees who were initially fired as a result of the reduction in force, per the Washington Post. 

‘Under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, the nation’s critical public health functions remain intact and effective. The Trump administration is committed to protecting essential services – whether it’s supporting coal miners and firefighters through NIOSH, safeguarding public health through lead prevention, or researching and tracking the most prevalent communicable diseases,’ HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said. 

‘HHS is streamlining operations without compromising mission-critical work. Enhancing the health and well-being of all Americans remains our top priority.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The Trump administration slammed the U.K., Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia after the five nations imposed sanctions and travel bans—along with other actions—against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

‘These sanctions do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. ‘We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace. We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.’

Ben-Gvir praised Rubio for his statement, saying that ‘the American administration is a moral compass in the face of the confusion of some Western countries that choose to appease terrorist organizations like Hamas.’ He added that Israel would continue its fight against terrorism.

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar also thanked Rubio for being ‘a clear moral voice’ and said the U.S. official’s statement ‘should be a compass to the international community, to all those preaching [to] Israel, ignoring realities.’

Sa’ar condemned the U.K., Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia’s ‘outrageous’ actions against Ben-Gvir and Smotrich on Tuesday. He said the ‘actions and decisions against Israel also contribute to hardening Hamas’ stance in the negotiations for the hostage deal—and distance it and the ceasefire.’

In a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of U.K., Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were accused of inciting ‘extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.’ 

All five nations whose foreign ministers issued the joint statement have been critical of Israel as it pursued its post-Oct. 7 war against Hamas.

In May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the U.K., France and Canada of ‘enabling Hamas’ after the countries demanded that Jerusalem halt its military campaign in Gaza. 

‘I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer: When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice,’ Netanyahu said in a video statement. ‘You’re on the wrong side of humanity and you’re on the wrong side of history.’

Australia and New Zealand also issued a joint statement on the Israel-Hamas war in December 2024 in which they called for a ceasefire in Gaza and scolded Israel over its treatment of U.N. agencies, such as the controversial United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

In his Tuesday statement, Sa’ar said Israel will convene a government meeting early next week to discuss its response to the actions taken against the ministers.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Tony Meola can still see all the American flags that made their way onto the field at the Rose Bowl more than 30 years ago. He can still feel Thomas Dooley jumping on his back in celebration, the thrill of the 2-1 USA win over Colombia in the 1994 World Cup — the first American win in the World Cup since 1950 — as shocking to them as it was the rest of the soccer world at the time.

“I hope the players have the feeling that we had when that final whistle blew against Colombia,’ Meola told USA TODAY Sports earlier this week. ‘I hope there’s a moment like that for this group in 2026.’

Wednesday, June 11 marks exactly one year until the FIFA World Cup officially returns to the United States for the first time since that memorable 1994 experience. Canada and Mexico also will serve as co-hosts next year, with the first games of the tournament scheduled to take place in Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 11, 2026. The United States and Canada will play their first games of the group stage on June 12, 2026, with matches slated for SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and BMO Field in Toronto.

A lot of has changed within the American soccer infrastructure over the past 31 years, beginning with the introduction of Major League Soccer in the aftermath of the sport’s surging popularity coming off the first American-hosted World Cup. But so too have the expectations, and Meola — the starting goalkeeper for the 1990 and 1994 United States World Cup teams and a member of the 2002 team — is among those who have circled 2026 as a critical juncture for the United States national team.

USA TODAY: How does the soccer culture in the United States heading into the 2026 World Cup compare to 1994?

Tony Meola: “That team in ‘94 had sort of two missions. We had to get ready to play soccer every day and then you had to promote the game all day. The players now don’t have that. We have outlets now. We have video on everybody’s phone. We have Major League Soccer to look at. We have all these things that we never had back then and we all knew that was part of the responsibility. We were doing it prior to getting ready for the World Cup and it just seemed like it got magnified when the World Cup was about to start. We’re certainly ahead of where we were. I guess the hope would be we use this World Cup the same way we used the ‘94 World Cup as a springboard because I still think there’s growth here in the country.’

USA TODAY: What’s your current assessment of the U.S. men’s national team a year out from the 2026 World Cup?

Tony Meola: ‘Well, it is going to be a showcase, and I hope they’re ready for that. And the guys that played in ’94 can tell you how it changes your life forever. … I came out of 2022 feeling really good about the progress that we had made and where we were because I think we were the second-youngest team in the World Cup. We played really well. I don’t think we were better than the Netherlands in any moment in that (Round of 16) game, and probably wouldn’t have been. But I said, ‘ok, well four years from now, if we continue to improve in this fashion, we’re going to be pretty good’ and we’ve kind of pumped the breaks a little bit on that. But I’m steadfast on this team will be good enough at the World Cup.”

USA TODAY: What is a realistic goal for success for the U.S. men’s national team at the 2026 World Cup?

Tony Meola: “If we were in a quarterfinal in 2002, we need to surpass that. That’s the next step for me. I don’t know if I’ll measure success (that way). It’s the World Cup. Your team could play great and, like, we got a bad call in that game against Germany (in 2002), that could happen here in the tournament. That doesn’t mean you played poorly. It just means something didn’t go your way. But me, personally, the next great national team will be the team that gets to a semifinal of the World Cup. That’s just my personal opinion. Other people will judge it other ways. But that’s how I’ll judge it.”

USA TODAY: Do you have a favorite moment from the 1994 World Cup?

Tony Meola: “I hope the players have the feeling that we had when that final whistle blew against Colombia. If you go back and look at those pictures of the Rose Bowl and you look at the flags being thrown on the field to the players, I hope there’s a moment like that for this group in 2026 because I can still feel the ground underneath my feet right now when I talk about it and mention it. I can feel Thomas Dooley jumping on my shoulders. I still can feel that moment and it doesn’t matter if you played at the biggest club in Europe or the smallest team in the world. Those moments you’ll never forget.”

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports’ newsletter.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

BEREA, OH – Earlier in June, Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz dropped a famous “Spider-Man” line while discussing defensive end and $40 million man Myles Garrett. 

With great power, comes great responsibility.

“So that would make him my Uncle Ben?” Garrett said with a smile Tuesday following the Browns’ first minicamp practice. 

Schwartz charged his star player to have the best season of his career now that he’s the highest-paid defensive player in football (and the second-highest non-quarterback behind Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase). Production has never been lacking for Garrett, as he’s racked up 102.5 career sacks since the Browns drafted him first overall in 2017 (60 of those have come in the last four seasons). 

Growing as a leader is the next step for the 29-year-old and is something the Browns have discussed from owner Jimmy Haslam to head coach Kevin Stefanski. 

“That’s what’s been laid out for me,” Garrett said.

Garrett’s appearance at minicamp came four months removed from his trade request and the assertion that, given his desire to win, moving on from the Browns and a 3-14 season was necessary. 

“I’m back and it’s time to go,” said Garrett, who will play on a four-year, $160 million deal with $123 million guaranteed. 

Garrett’s teammates understand football is a business. He loves his job and the Browns. But Garrett had to do what he felt was best for him. 

“What’s best for me and what’s best for this team, eventually that aligned,” Garrett said. “Looking forward to the future of this team and how we can achieve the goals we want to.” 

The urgency will have to increase another level to reach that point, said Garrett. Everything feels like it’s “really clicking” on the defensive side of the ball. He wants to set standards and show the heralded rookie class what it takes to win in the NFL. Asked to assess the roster, Garrett replied: “That’s what minicamp and training camp are for.” 

But it wasn’t his best comeback of the day – by far. With Aaron Rodgers making his Pittsburgh Steelers practice debut Tuesday, Garrett had this to say about playing No. 8 (formerly No. 12) twice a year. 

And to think he ever thought about leaving the AFC North. 

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Female players who choose to undergo a fertility protection procedure will be allowed to take time away from the sport and return to competitive action with a protected ranking, the governing body of women’s tennis (WTA) said.

The new rule aims to support women athletes to balance their family goals and career ambitions and comes three months after the WTA offered players up to 12 months of paid maternity leave for the first time.

‘The new rule means that players can now take time away from professional tennis for a fertility protection procedure such as egg or embryo freezing and safely return to competition with a protected ranking,’ the WTA said in a statement.

‘Eligible players will receive a Special Entry Ranking (SER), which can be used to enter up to three tournaments, based on the 12-week average of their WTA Ranking from eight weeks prior to the start of their out-of-competition period.’

Sloane Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, has previously called for egg freezing to be recognized as a protected ranking activity and called Wednesday’s announcement a ‘ground-breaking’ move.

‘I’m incredibly proud of our sport in recognizing the importance of fertility treatments for female athletes. For any woman, the conversation of family life versus a career is nuanced and complex,’ the former world number three said.

‘The WTA has now created a safe space for players to explore options and to make the best decisions for themselves.’

The WTA also said players will benefit from paid maternity leave and grants for fertility protection through the WTA Maternity Fund sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY