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Amazon Prime will exclusively stream morning coverage of the first two rounds of the 2026 Masters.
ESPN will broadcast the afternoon coverage for the first two rounds, with CBS handling the weekend.
The 2026 Masters Tournament is scheduled to take place from April 9 to April 12 at Augusta National.

The 2026 Masters Tournament is adding a new streaming partner. Amazon Prime will exclusively stream morning coverage in the United States of the first and second rounds from the iconic Augusta National.

Amazon Prime Video’s coverage of the Masters, the first golf major of the year, will kick off on Thursday, April 9, and continue on Friday, April 10, from 1 p.m. ET to 3 p.m. ET. ESPN will then take over coverage in the afternoon from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET. Over the weekend, CBS will continue to broadcast the tournament as it has in previous years. The tournament also will be available for streaming on the Masters’ website, offering fans multiple ways to ensure they don’t miss out on the golf action.

‘It’s an honor for all of us to become a broadcast partner of the Masters Tournament and to provide four additional hours of coverage,’ said Jay Marine, head of Prime Video for U.S. and Global Sports said to Front Office Sports. ‘We are humbled and proud to begin our relationship with Augusta National Golf Club and cannot wait to get started.’

The 2026 Masters will begin on Thursday, April 9 and conclude on Sunday, April 12.

When is the 2026 Masters Tournament?

The 2026 Masters will take place at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, from Thursday, April 9 to Sunday, April 12.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, revealed Tuesday that the FBI’s election-related investigation into President Donald Trump, launched in 2022, swept in dozens of Republican entities, including the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA.

Speaking during a hearing focused on oversight of the FBI, Grassley said the investigation, which the bureau called ‘Arctic Frost,’ was partisan in nature and that its expansive scope was evidence of that.

‘In other words, Arctic Frost wasn’t just a case to politically investigate Trump,’ Grassley said. ‘It was a vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus.’

Since January, Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have been publishing records related to Arctic Frost, the investigation launched during FBI Director Chris Wray’s tenure that served as the basis for former special counsel Jack Smith to bring criminal charges against Trump related to the 2020 election.

Grassley unveiled a new set of documents during his opening statement on Tuesday that showed numerous Republican-affiliated organizations and people were targeted with subpoenas during Arctic Frost.

Some targets on the list were well known, such as Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, who spread unproven allegations that widespread election fraud occurred during the 2020 election. But the basis for targeting other groups, like Kirk’s group and the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), was less clear.

‘For years, the deep state, unelected Biden bureaucrats — including the FBI — used lawfare to target Republican AGs and many other close friends because we were allies of Donald Trump,’ RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper said in a statement to Fox News Digital. ‘The Biden Administration bastardized the rule of law, gave license to lawless liberals, and did everything possible to kneecap any and all opposition. Republican AGs will work to hold these bad actors accountable and help President Trump restore objectivity to our federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.’

Kirk was assassinated last week while speaking during an event at Utah Valley University. He was a prolific conservative activist and his massive organization remains a part of his legacy. Turning Point USA recruited conservative college students and was heavily involved in promoting election turnout. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Kirk amplified some of Trump’s claims about election fraud.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Department of Justice leaders have said the suspect in Kirk’s shooting, Tyler Robinson, was driven by leftist ideology but that the investigation remains in an early stage. Authorities said antifascist messaging found on bullet casings, Discord messages and other messages have helped to develop an understanding of Robinson’s motive as the investigation continues.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday released a roughly 120-page transcript of former Attorney General Bill Barr’s deposition, and it appears to affirm Republicans’ claims that the former Department of Justice (DOJ) official had no knowledge of any incriminating ties between President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.

That’s despite the top Democrat on the committee claiming last month that the full transcript did not clear Trump of wrongdoing.

The House Oversight Committee has been investigating the DOJ handling of Epstein’s case, having subpoenaed multiple people and entities in the process.

Among them is Barr, who told investigators that he’s had two conversations with Trump about Epstein – once after the late convicted sex offender committed suicide, and another time he could not place.

Barr also denied Trump expressed any views on the DOJ’s Epstein probe, nor did he give instructions or state preferences in its conduct, according to the transcript obtained by Fox News Digital.

During a line of questioning led by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, Barr said he never recalled telling Trump his name appeared in documents related to Epstein.

‘I’m curious to know, in those conversations that you do recall with the president, do you recall ever informing him that he was in the Epstein files at all, number one?’ Crockett asked, according to the transcript.

Barr replied, ‘Well, I’m not sure what ‘Epstein files’ refer to these days. But, no, I didn’t – I didn’t have that kind of conversation with him. I think at some point logs were made public that he was on Epstein’s plane making commutes from – or flying between Miami and New York or Miami and New Jersey or stuff like that, and I think that that got out publicly. I don’t recall discussing that with him.’

Crockett then asked, ‘And you have no direct knowledge of any of the young women or women that claimed that they had encounters with the president through Epstein, correct?’

‘I was never told that there was evidence to support that claim,’ Barr said, according to the transcript.

Barr later told investigators that he believed any incriminating evidence about Trump would have leaked if it existed, and he suggested the same would have been true of former President Bill Clinton, who, like Trump, was also known to be friendly with Epstein at one point.

‘I think it would come out if there was any feeling that, within the government, on either side, that someone was covering up. I think it would get out. I mean, [the Southern District of New York] is also – and New York – is also well-known as being the home of many, many a leak on investigations,’ Barr said.

A House Oversight lawyer asked, ‘So, in your experience, you have no doubt, if SDNY prosecutors saw evidence of a crime, they would’ve followed that evidence, and if it led to an indictment, they would’ve indicted, and if it led to a conviction, they would’ve followed the facts where they led. Is that fair?’

Barr said he would have anticipated such moves, even for high-profile individuals.

‘I also feel, you know, that, you know, they would’ve done the same for Clinton, I believe,’ he said.

‘I think – you know, remember, this stuff also went on under President [Joe] Biden’s administration, and they were looking for something to bring against President Trump, and this was – if they had evidence, this would’ve been low-hanging fruit. I just don’t – I was never informed of the evidence, and I’m skeptical there is any.’

The former Trump administration official also conceded, however, ‘I think it is possible that the SDNY did not inform me, you know, how deep they were in the investigation of particular individuals. That would not surprise me.’

‘By the same token, I feel that my view of that office and the people involved would be that, if they had evidence establishing a crime, they would pursue it as such,’ Barr added.

Partisan sparks flew after Barr’s testimony after the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., argued that his remarks did not clear Trump of wrongdoing.

‘[T]o be clear, yesterday, during his deposition with the committee, Attorney General Barr could not clear President Trump of wrongdoing. Chairman [James Comer, R-Ky.,] should release the full unedited transcript of his interview for the public,’ Garcia wrote in an August statement.

But the transcript appears to show that, at least to Barr’s recollection, Trump was not tied to Epstein in any criminally liable way.

Of the two conversations with Trump regarding Epstein, Barr said, ‘One was when I heard about the suicide. I called him up and said, ‘You better brace for this,’ and I told him words to that effect, and I told him about it and told him we were going to be investigating it very vigorously. And the second one, I can’t say for sure whether it happened before his suicide, during – meaning around the time of his arrest or whether it happened after his suicide during the continued developments there.’

The transcript also showed Barr defending current Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly informing Trump that his name appeared in the Epstein files in recent months as standard procedure.

‘I think that would normally be what the attorney general would do, you know, is to give the president a heads-up if something is going to happen like that, the release of documents that have his name in it and that will be, you know, a lot – there would be a lot of speculation about it,’ Barr said. 

‘It’s completely normal to tell the chief executive that his name is about to be released. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that.’

Barr did not recall many specifics of the investigation throughout, but he did concede at one point that there were shortcomings in the federal probe. More specifically, he described the period when authorities were unable to locate Ghislaine Maxwell as ’embarrassing.’

And despite controversy erupting over the DOJ declaring the case closed earlier this year, Barr dismissed any conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death.

‘Absolutely,’ he answered when asked if he still believed Epstein committed suicide.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Texas quarterback Arch Manning is taking accountability for his poor performance early in the season.
Speculation about Manning’s struggles ranges from injury to simply not being as talented as his famous relatives.
Coach Steve Sarkisian suggests Manning’s mechanics may need work to prevent him from relying too much on athleticism.

He sat there stoically, at the end of another this can’t be what we’ve been sold moment, and repeated exactly what needed to be said. 

“I got to play better. It’s not good enough, as y’all can see,” Texas quarterback Arch Manning said. 

And just like that, the quarterback who isn’t playing like a Manning, is accountable and responsible like a Manning. 

But maybe we’re going about this the wrong way. Maybe Manning is just not as good as his name.

“A lot of quarterbacks, and a lot of players are hard on themselves,” Manning said. “They want to be great. And it’s frustrating.”

But this isn’t any quarterback. This is Peyton and Eli’s nephew, and Archie’s grandson. This is football royalty, even if he’s not playing like it. 

This is the preseason Heisman Trophy front-runner (on name alone) wallowing at 83rd in the nation in quarterback rating, after a heavyweight match against Ohio State and two body-bag games against San Jose State and Texas-El Paso. 

This is a bill of goods sold, and arriving in an empty crate. From million dollar baby to dime store markdown.    

In three weeks, we’ve gone from Heisman Trophy lock and No.1 overall pick in the NFL draft, to who again in the Texas backup? (It’s Troy transfer Matthew Caldwell).

Just how hilariously crazy is the Arch Madness? After struggling against San Jose State, media covering the Longhorns went with message board gossip and tossed chum at Texas coach Steve Sarkisian that Arch must be injured.

Because, it can’t be that – gulp – he’s just a guy. The only thing more ridiculous was Sarkisian’s response, which was, in a word, creepy. 

“I don’t know, I’ve never filmed any of you guys when you’re using the restroom,” Sarkisian said last week. “So I don’t know what faces you make when you’re doing that.”

I’m not exactly sure what that means (or frankly, where it comes from), but I know the faces Texas fans make when watching the offense, so let’s start there.

Maybe Arch isn’t all that — yet, anyway. Maybe he’s just a young player trying to find his way at the most important position on the field.

Maybe he really is the player who, as Steve Spurrier said, couldn’t beat out a seventh-round pick in the draft (Quinn Ewers) ― so what makes anyone think this thing will go smoothly?

Maybe Arch was right in July when he spoke the truth while attending SEC Media Days, where he was swallowed by a media crowd as large as what Tim Tebow experienced prior to his final season of college football.

“I never asked for any of this,” he said then.

But he’s in the middle of it now, like it or not. Conspiracy theories and second-guessing has replaced good, old-fashioned quarterback work and development. 

We’ve heard it all less than a month into the season. He has a popgun arm. He runs too much. He has no motivation after earning all of that NIL money. 

He’s pampered, he’s not talented enough to play at the highest level of college football. He’s living off his family’s name.

And on, and on and on.

Before we go completely off the deep end, maybe Manning’s mechanics need tweaking. His feet, his frame, his throwing motion. 

Little things that become big things when a play has to be made. Those little things then begin a chain reaction of second-guessing, adjusting and relying too much on athleticism. 

“And then we’re out of our scheme,” Sarkisian said. “And now we’re just playing athlete football. Sooner or later, that catches up with you.”

Sooner or later, you’re no longer the Heisman frontrunner and media darling, you’re the guy who threw 10 consecutive incompletions against UTEP. You’re the quarterback who has one more tuneup game before the eight-game SEC schedule begins on the road at Florida ― an environment (and a defense) that will rival what Manning faced against Ohio State in the season opener.

And we all know what happened to Uncle Peyton in The Swamp.

“Maybe it slides against UTEP, but it’s not going to win a game against the SEC,” Manning said. “I got to play better.”

Speak it into existence, Arch. Before you really are a Manning in name only.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Early season results are already shaping the 12-team College Football Playoff projections.
Florida State is now projected to make the playoff field after a strong start to its season.
Despite an 0-2 start, Notre Dame is still considered a potential playoff team if it wins its remaining games.

The college football season is only three weeks old, but some contenders are already making their cases for the playoff and others have fallen by the wayside or are left with no margin for error.

That means there’s more changes in this week’s bowl projections trying to forecast how the 12-team CFP field will look in December.

Clemson’s last-second loss to Georgia Tech sent the Tigers tumbling out of the playoff. The decision was then which team would replace them. There was thought of a fifth SEC team (Mississippi). Maybe one from the Big 12 (Iowa State). But in the end, the choice is Florida State, which is off a strong start with its defeat of Alabama and faces a manageable schedule in the ACC.

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One team still sticking around is Notre Dame. While the Irish are 0-2, the two losses are against two strong teams by a combined four points. The schedule gets easier for Marcus Freeman’s squad, and there’s enough quality there to justify a spot if they can run the table.

Many of the top teams are off this week ahead of some huge showdowns in Week 5. But there’s enough important matchups that we could see more changes in next week’s edition.

Notes: Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season. Not all conferences will fulfill their bowl allotment. An asterisk represents a replacement pick. 

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Trump administration said Tuesday it would appeal a lower court’s decision blocking the president’s effort to fire Fed’s Lisa Cook to the Supreme Court, an eleventh-hour effort to remove her from the board in the run-up to a crucial interest rate-setting meeting.

White House officials confirmed to Fox News Digital that they will seek to stay the lower court’s ruling, and a filing is expected imminently. 

‘The president lawfully removed Lisa Cook for cause,’ White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. ‘The administration will appeal this decision and looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue.’ 

On Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals blocked President Donald Trump from immediately firing Lisa Cook from her role on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, clearing the way for her to participate in a crucial interest rate-setting meeting that begins in a matter of hours.

It was not immediately clear whether the Trump administration would seek an emergency stay from the Supreme Court before the two-day meeting of central bankers kicks off on Tuesday. 

For months, Trump has pressed the Federal Reserve to cut rates in order to help spur the nation’s economic growth. Fed watchers broadly expect the central bank to cut rates during the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). 

The outcome of the FOMC meeting impacts every American, with knock-down effects felt in borrowing costs from everything from mortgages to credit cards. 

The D.C. Appeals Court ruling also comes as the Senate narrowly voted 48-47 Monday night to approve Trump’s Fed board nominee, Stephen Miran. He will also participate in the FOMC meeting that will help decide the direction of the economy.

Trump last month tapped Miran — who currently leads the White House Council of Economic Advisers — to fill the seat vacated by Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler, following her resignation in August. He will finish the remainder of Kugler’s term, which ends on Jan. 31, 2026.

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb temporarily blocked Cook’s firing, allowing her to continue in her current role for now. She said Trump likely violated Cook’s due process rights and that the Federal Reserve statute does not account for conduct that occurred before a governor took office, like the mortgage fraud alleged against Cook.

The allegations originated with Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the federal agency that regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

Pulte tied Cook to a trio of properties in Michigan, Georgia, and Massachusetts, which prompted scrutiny over whether Cook had misrepresented how the homes would be used. The three mortgage loans were issued in 2021, before she was nominated by former President Joe Biden to join the Fed board. 

Pulte made two separate referrals to the Justice Department over Cook’s mortgage applications.

Trump seized on those allegations and ousted Cook on Aug. 25, which prompted her to sue him in federal court three days later. Her lawsuit named as defendants Trump, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

The suit, which was filed on Aug. 28, centered on whether Trump satisfied the ‘for cause’ provisions under federal law required to remove a sitting Fed governor, is the first of its kind. Cook’s lawsuit does not address the allegations that she listed multiple houses as a primary residence on mortgage filings. 

The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation on Sept. 4 into Cook over allegations of mortgage application fraud. Her lawyer, Abbe Lowell, wrote in a filing on Sept. 2 that she ‘did not ever commit mortgage fraud.’

Cook’s lawyers have also stressed both in court filings and in arguments before Judge Cobb last month the novelty of Trump’s attempt to oust her — a move they argued lacked sufficient cause, and could be used as a dangerous pretext to oust other members of independent federal boards.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

For the second consecutive week, many fantasy football matchups have been decided by a controversial, late-game fumble on ‘Monday Night Football.’

In Week 1, there were questions about whether Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore was down before his last-second lateral against Minnesota Vikings.

This time, the question isn’t about whether there was a fumble. It’s about whether Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert or rookie running back Omarion Hampton was responsible for it.

Here’s what to know about the play and the NFL’s fumble rule.

Did Justin Herbert fumble in Chargers vs. Raiders?

Yes, Herbert fumbled twice and was credited with a lost fumble on the Chargers’ penultimate drive of their 20-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. It came after he and Hampton botched a routine handoff exchange.

Hampton was hit by Maxx Crosby as the rookie was attempting to secure the ball. That caused it to bounce to the ground and into the waiting arms of Raiders defensive tackle Adam Butler.

The fumble being charged to Herbert vexed many fantasy football managers and left them questioning whether a stat correction will be coming.

That said, it appears the official scorer may have been correct to credit the turnover to Herbert.

NFL fumble rule, explained

‘Loss of player possession by unsuccessful execution of attempted handing is a fumble charged to the player that last had possession,’ the rulebook states. ‘A muffed handoff (legal or illegal) is a fumble, unless either player immediately regains control of the ball, and the ball remains alive.’

Hampton never appeared to firmly possess the ball on the botched exchange. That likely means the fumble will remain a part of Herbert’s statline from Monday’s game.

How do NFL stat corrections work?

According to Elias’ ‘Contact Us’ page, the sports data company meets with the NFL every Wednesday to review plays like Herbert’s fumble and determine whether a stat needs to be changed.

Most often, these stat corrections have fantasy football implications, so the NFL announces any official changes on its official fantasy website. Given that Wednesday is review day for the two parties, the league usually announces which stat corrections become official on Thursday morning after the week of action that concluded the previous Monday.

Fantasy managers with or playing against Herbert or Hampton in tightly contested Week 1 matchups will need to wait until then to see if the fumble will remain a part of the quarterback’s statline or if it will be transferred to the rookie running back.

But again, given the letter of the NFL law, it appears likely to stick with Herbert.

USA TODAY Sports’ Jack McKessy also contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The 2025-26 NHL season will begin ramping up this week with the start of training camps.

The Florida Panthers are trying to win a third consecutive Stanley Cup title and eight teams will have new coaches. Preseason games will start on Saturday, Sept. 20, and the regular season opens on Oct. 7 with an ESPN tripleheader.

Which NHL team did the most to improve itself in the offseason?

The Vegas Golden Knights landed the biggest free agent, Mitch Marner, in a sign-and-trade, leaving a big hole for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Here’s a look at what each NHL team did during the offseason and their grades:

Anaheim Ducks – A-

GM Pat Verbeek has been adding veterans to the young core during the team’s rebuild. This time, he traded for veteran Chris Kreider and signed Mikael Granlund. He also traded part of that young core, Trevor Zegras, 24. The Ducks moved out goalie John Gibson was traded and re-signed Lukas Dostal for five years. The hiring of coach Joel Quenneville shows Anaheim is serious about pushing for a playoff spot.

Boston Bruins – C

Newcomer Viktor Arvidsson is a goal scorer but the five-year deal for Tanner Jeannot seemed puzzling. New coach Marco Sturm will attempt to bring the Bruins back to the playoffs after last season’s sell-off.

Buffalo Sabres – B-

Can the Sabres end their 14-season playoff drought? The trade of 68-point scorer J.J. Peterka doesn’t help their cause. They do get back promising young forward Josh Doan. They worked on improving their defensive depth, including acquiring Michael Kesselring in the Peterka deal. They also signed goalies Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev.

Calgary Flames – B-

The Flames cemented Dustin Wolf as their No. 1 goalie by giving the Calder Trophy runner-up a seven-year, $52.5 million extension. Most of their moves involved re-signing players to a team that missed the playoff on a tiebreaker.

Carolina Hurricanes – A

Free-agent signee Nikolaj Ehlers will provide speed and scoring punch. They locked in Logan Stankoven, acquired in the Mikko Rantanen deal, for eight years. Their defense gets younger after the trade for K’Andre Miller and the free-agent departures of Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov.

Chicago Blackhawks – C

The Blackhawks re-signed Ryan Donato (four years) and Frank Nazar (seven years). Connor Bedard has yet to sign an extension. The trade for Andre Burakovsky will help if he can get back to his 20-goal ways. This team needs work to get in playoff contention. New coach Jeff Blashill will run the bench.

Colorado Avalanche – B-

They re-signed trade deadline acquisition Brock Nelson, a No. 2 center, and signed defenseman Brent Burns. They moved out Charlie Coyle and Miles Woods, getting back prospect Gavin Brindley and cap space.

Columbus Blue Jackets – B

The Blue Jackets added scoring depth with trades for Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood. Trading goalie Daniil Tarasov opens a path for goalie Jet Greaves to play a bigger role. He was 5-0 after a late season call-up. The Blue Jackets also traded for Ivan Fedotov for depth in net.

Dallas Stars – C

The Stars fired coach Peter DeBoer and hired onetime Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. They re-signed Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn and others, plus bought back Radek Faksa, but had to trade Mason Marchment to make the money work. Having Mikko Rantanen for a full season will help the Stars as they try to move forward after three consecutive years of losing in the conference finals.

Detroit Red Wings – B

Gibson should upgrade the Red Wings’ goaltending, an offseason priority. They dealt disappointing forward Vladimir Tarasenko and added depth up front with Mason Appleton and James van Riemsdyk. Is it enough to get to the playoffs? Probably not on its own, but a full season of midseason replacement coach Todd McLellan could help.

Edmonton Oilers – B-

The Oilers are giving star Connor McDavid time to decide on a contract extension. A key would be whether the Oilers can finally win after back-to-back losses in the Stanley Cup Final. Re-signing Evan Bouchard long-term helps. Trading for Hobey Baker winner Isaac Howard shows promise. Newcomer Andrew Mangiapane once scored 35 goals, but he’s usually in the 14 to 18 range. Arvidsson, Evander Kane, Corey Perry, Connor Brown, Jeff Skinner and John Klingberg are gone. The up-and-down goalie tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard remains the same.

Florida Panthers – A

GM Bill Zito pulled off the improbable by getting Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand re-signed. He also re-signed Tomas Nosek for a year, brought in goalie Daniil Tarasov to back up Sergei Bobrovsky and signed defenseman Jeff Petry to replace Nate Schmidt.

Los Angeles Kings – C

Vladislav Gavrikov leaving in free agency was a big loss and fellow defenseman Jordan Spence was traded. New GM Ken Holland signed Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, not quite the same. Perry, a frequent visitor to the Stanley Cup Final, could miss the first month of the season after knee surgery. Joel Armia will help the penalty kill and Anton Forsberg is the new backup goalie.

Minnesota Wild – C

The key question is whether Kirill Kaprizov signs an extension. That will affect the trajectory of this franchise. GM Bill Guerin traded for Tarasenko (coming off a down season) and signed Nico Sturm, who’s solid on faceoffs.

Montreal Canadiens – B+

GM Kent Hughes pulled off a big pre-draft trade to land defenseman Noah Dobson, then signed him to an eight-year, $76 million extension. He and rookie of the year Lane Hutson can bring offense from the defense. The other moves were adding forward depth: Zach Bolduc, Sammy Blais and Joe Veleno.

Nashville Predators – C

The Predators made a splash in the 2024 offseason (Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault) and the team fizzled and missed the playoffs. Their 2025 moves were subtle: defensemen Nick Perbix and Nic Hague and forward Erik Haula.

New Jersey Devils – B

The Devils added depth forwards Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov and held on to goalie Jake Allen. A return to health for Jack Hughes will help the team. New Jersey still needs to sign his brother, Luke.

New York Islanders – B

Trading Dobson gives No. 1 overall draft pick Matthew Schaefer a path as a rookie. New GM Mathieu Darche also signed forward Jonathan Drouin and Kontinental Hockey League forward Maxim Shabanov. Goalie David Rittich provides insurance as Semyon Varlamov recovers from surgery.

New York Rangers – B

More core players moved out with the trades of Kreider and K’Andre Miller. Gavrikov was a solid pickup who will help the team’s defensive play. The Rangers subbed out one name coach (Peter Laviolette) for another (Mike Sullivan). They needed a new voice after the team took a major step back last season.

Ottawa Senators – B-

The Senators traded for Spence and moved on from defenseman Travis Hamonic. Lars Eller could play on the fourth line. Claude Giroux signed a one-year extension and Leevi Merilainen will be the backup goalie after Forsberg left.

Philadelphia Flyers – B

The Flyers signed penalty killer Christian Dvorak and traded for Zegras. If healthy, Zegras is a 60-point player, but he has been injury-prone recently. They’ll need new coach Rick Tocchet to unlock his potential.

Pittsburgh Penguins – C

The Penguins traded for defensemen Matt Dumba and Connor Clifton, plus goalie Arturs Silovs. Pittsburgh, though, seems like a team that will be in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes rather ending a three-year playoff drought. When coach Dan Muse was hired to replace Sullivan, the Penguins touted how he worked with younger players.

St. Louis Blues – B

Defenseman Torey Krug likely won’t play this season, so the Blues traded for prospect Logan Mailloux. St. Louis also added 25-goal scorer Pius Suter and depth forward Nick Bjugstad.

San Jose Sharks – B-

The Sharks had to spend money to get to the salary cap floor, so they brought in Orlov, Klingberg, Skinner, Ryan Reaves, Adam Gaudette, Alex Nedeljkovic and others. The veterans will surround youngsters Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund and No. 2 overall pick Michael Misa. The moves could be enough to end their two-year reign at the bottom of the league, but they’re far from being a playoff team.

Seattle Kraken – B-

Coach Dan Bylsma was fired after one season and the Kraken hired Lane Lambert. They added forwards Mason Marchment and Frederik Gaudreau, plus defenseman Ryan Lindgren.

Tampa Bay Lightning – C+

After a 2024 offseason in which they signed Jake Guentzel and parted ways with Steven Stamkos, this offseason was quiet. Perbix left and forwards Pontus Holmberg and Jacob Pelletier joined in depth moves.

Toronto Maple Leafs – C

Marner is gone and his absence will be felt in many aspects of the game. New forwards Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua combined for 63 points last season, though Maccelli averaged 53 points the two seasons before that.

Utah Mammoth – B+

Peterka joins a solid group of forwards and Schmidt takes the place of traded defenseman Kesselring. Goalie Karel Vejmelka was re-signed long term and Connor Ingram was cleared to return by the player assistance program.

Vancouver Canucks – C

Brock Boeser seemed all but gone but re-signed at the last minute. The team also traded for Kane, gave extensions to Thatcher Demko and Conor Garland and promoted Adam Foote to coach after Tocchet left. They’ll need Demko to stay healthy and Elias Pettersson to return to form if they’re going to get back to the playoffs.

Vegas Golden Knights – A

Marner, a 100-point scorer, will boost the team’s production from the wing. That enthusiasm was tempered by the fact that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo likely won’t play this season because of an injury.

Washington Capitals – C+

The Capitals made most of their moves by extending their key players during the 2024-25 season. Their offseason acquisitions (Declan Chisholm, Justin Sourdif) were for depth. Still, this is a solid team that finished with the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference under coach of the year Spencer Carbery.

Winnipeg Jets – B-

Jonathan Toews has chosen the Jets as the team where he’ll make his NHL comeback and Gustav Nyquist signed. Ehlers has left and captain Adam Lowry (hip) will miss the start of the season. Still, Vezina/Hart winner Connor Hellebuyck and company should keep the Jets among the league’s top teams.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 20-9 to improve to 2-0 on the season.
The Chargers defense forced three interceptions and held the Raiders offense out of the end zone.
The Raiders offense struggled, leading to boos from the home crowd at Allegiant Stadium.

LAS VEGAS — Allegiant Stadium converted back into a football venue after Terence Crawford beat Canelo Álvarez by unanimous decision two days prior.

The Los Angeles Chargers scored the KO over their AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night.

Justin Herbert and the Chargers defeated the Raiders, 20-9, to improve to 2-0 and are in first place of the AFC West after Week 2. Los Angeles never trailed in the contest.

The Chargers are now 2-0 for the second consecutive season under head coach Jim Harbaugh.

WINNERS

Chargers’ defense

Linebacker Daiyan Henley intercepted a deflected pass from Geno Smith on the first play of the game.

Deflections were a theme. The Chargers had eight pass deflections in the first half.

In total, the Chargers defense produced an impressive 15 pass deflections and three interceptions in the win. Los Angeles’ stingy defense bottled up the Raiders offense and kept them out of the end zone.

Henley and Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. were the best two players on the field.

Henley compiled a game-high 10 tackles, one sack, one interception and two pass deflections. James tallied seven tackles and two pass deflections.

The worst news was Khalil Mack suffered an elbow injury in the first quarter and didn’t return. Mack watched the second half from the bench with his arm in a sling.

Quentin Johnston

Johnston caught a 60-yard touchdown late in the second quarter to give the Chargers a 17-6 advantage.

Johnston produced three catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.

The Chargers wideout has three touchdowns in the first two weeks of the regular season.

Cameron Dicker

Dicker became the most accurate kicker in NFL history for a player with a minimum of 100 attempts.

Dicker converted two field goals in the victory.

Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll head coaching rivalry

Jim Harbaugh is 5-5 versus Pete Carroll in his NFL head coaching career after the win.

Pete Carroll (again)

Monday marked Carroll’s 74th birthday. He’s the oldest coach in NFL history.

Allegiant Stadium and Las Vegas

Allegiant Stadium was back in the spotlight for ‘Monday Night Football’ two days after Terence Crawford beat Canelo Álvarez inside the venue in a marquee boxing showdown. Crawford even returned to the building Monday with his new championship belt.

Monday marked two primetime sporting events in the span of 48 hours for the Las Vegas stadium.

LOSERS

Raiders’ offense

The Raiders offense was booed by the home crowd multiple times during the second half.

The first boobirds came when the Raiders elected to let the third quarter time expire while down 20-6.

On the same possession in the fourth quarter, the Las Vegas crowd booed again when the Raiders settled for a field goal at the end of a long 19-play drive to cut their deficit to 20-9 with 11:15 remaining in the game.

The Raiders were held out of the end zone in the loss.

Geno Smith

Smith was picked off on the first play of the game. It typified the kind of night it was going to be for the Raiders quarterback.

Smith air mailed a couple throws and never found a rhythm behind center.

The Raiders quarterback was intercepted three times and 15 of his passes were defensed.

Smith finished 24-of-43 for 180 yards and had three interceptions. He ended with a terrible 37 passer rating.

Kansas City Chiefs

The 0-2 Chiefs have won the AFC West for nine straight years, but find themselves two games behind the 2-0 Chargers after Week 2.

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

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FBI Director Kash Patel vowed that the bureau would continue on a quest for transparency during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee as criticism of his handling of the Charlie Kirk assassination investigation lingers.

In his opening statement to the committee obtained by Fox News Digital, Patel listed a series of accomplishments the agency has achieved since President Donald Trump took office, including tens of thousands of arrests, a realignment of the agency and an emphasis on cracking down on illicit drugs.

Patel acknowledged the growing criticism over his direction of the FBI and challenged lawmakers on the panel to come after him. 

‘I’m not going anywhere,’ he said. ‘If you want to criticize my 16 years of service, please bring it on.’

Patel kicked off his testimony by offering an update on the FBI’s investigation into the ‘appalling assassination of Charlie Kirk.’

‘It’s important that the FBI is as transparent as possible without jeopardizing our investigation,’ Patel said.

The FBI chief listed off numerous findings in the case, including an ‘extensive review’ of suspect Tyler Robinson’s accounts and devices. He said over 100 interviews had been conducted since the shooting, and that the FBI has received over 11,000 submissions through the National Threat Operations Center and over 16,000 submissions through the Digital Media Tipline.

‘We are making a traditionally nontransparent agency the most transparent it has ever been,’ Patel said.

He lauded the public participation in the case, too, and noted that the tens of thousands of tips that poured in helped identify a suspect.

‘Tyler Robinson is in custody today because of this partnership,’ he said.

Patel’s appearance before the committee had been on the books for weeks before Kirk’s death and was initially geared as an annual oversight hearing of the FBI. However, his handling of the investigation, social media misfires and a wave of firings at the agency have generated fresh scrutiny over his leadership.

Patel came under the microscope for a post he made on X in the hours after Kirk was killed, where he wrote, ‘The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.’

However, that individual and another were caught and released before law enforcement nabbed 22-year-old Robinson, some 33 hours after the shooting.

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, addressed Kirk briefly in his opening remarks, saying, ‘God Bless you, Charlie Kirk.’

The chair, who has advocated for whistleblowers for decades, then dove into lengthy remarks about government weaponization and praised Patel for compensating what he said were 10 FBI employees who lost their security clearances in recent years.

‘In the short amount of time you’ve been director, you’ve corrected whistleblower retaliation and increased transparency more than any other FBI director I’ve seen, and I’ve been around here more than anyone else on this committee,’ Grassley said.

But the top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., zeroed in on the wide swath of DOJ and FBI personnel who have been fired, sometimes without explanation, a topic expected to crop up repeatedly during Democrats’ questioning.

Durbin criticized Patel’s deference to Trump, saying the director ‘installed MAGA loyalists’ to key positions and initiated internal ‘loyalty tests,’ including polygraph tests. Durbin revealed that some FBI officials failed those tests and needed waivers to continue working at the bureau.

He noted the recent lawsuit brought by three ousted top FBI officials, who have accused Patel of unconstitutionally firing them and wielding the president’s Article II powers to do so.

Durbin also noted that Patel has little experience working in law enforcement, calling his inexperience ‘staggering’ and accusing him of fast-tracking similarly unqualified recruits to fill the FBI’s open jobs.

Patel repeatedly stressed that he has made strides to transform the agency into a more transparent organization and used the ‘Epstein files’ as an example.

Earlier this year a memo from the DOJ and FBI stated that ‘it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted,’ after investigating the tens of thousands of documents associated with Jeffrey Epstein.

That triggered a firestorm on Capitol Hill that is still roiling. Prior to becoming director, Patel had promoted the idea that the government was hiding a secret list of sexual predators affiliated with Epstein. Patel during the hearing argued that the ‘original sin’ of the Epstein case began in the early 2000s, where ‘very limited search warrants that didn’t intake as much material into the FBI possession as it should have’ were issued. 

‘If I were FBI director then, I wouldn’t have allowed such a limited search warrant to be issued for these types of atrocious offenses,’ he said.

He argued that under former U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, Epstein was allowed to enter into a plea deal with non-prosecution agreements, ‘plus the courts issued protective orders and sealed large volumes of material from ever being disclosed.’

‘The non-prosecution barred any future criminal culpability for this entire time period,’ Patel said.  ‘Still, this administration has done more than any of the previous administrations to seek transparency in this case.’

‘[The] DOJ has made motions to the court to unseal grand jury records on multiple occasions, but the courts have denied these motions,’ he continued. ‘Further, it was the first Trump administration that brought the renewed case against Epstein in 2019. Under the direction of this president, we have turned over ALL credible information in conjunction with our partners in Congress.’

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