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The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s newly elected liberal majority on Wednesday voted to strike down a near-total state abortion ban, voting 4-3 to overturn the stringent, 176-year-old law. 

The decision reflected a deeply partisan split, with all four liberal justices voting to invalidate the 1849 abortion law and the three conservative justices dissenting.

It also crystallized the impact of the state’s Supreme Court election earlier this year that raked in millions of dollars in donations, the highest amount in U.S. history for a judicial race. It included involvement from then-Trump ally Elon Musk, former President Barack Obama and others.

Writing for the majority, Justice Rebecca Dallet said the law had been superseded by more recent precedent, including a 1985 statute that allowed for abortions up to the point of fetal viability, or around the 20-week mark.

‘We conclude that comprehensive legislation enacted over the last 50 years regulating in detail the ‘who, what, where, when, and how’ of abortion so thoroughly covers the entire subject of abortion that it was meant as a substitute for the 19th century near-total ban on abortion,’ Dallet wrote. 

‘Accordingly, we hold that the legislature impliedly repealed [the 1849 ban] to abortion, and that [that law] therefore does not ban abortion in the State of Wisconsin.’

Conservative Justice Annette Ziegler, in a dissent, described the ruling as ‘a jaw-dropping exercise of judicial will’ and charged that the liberal justices ruled on the matter based on their personal preferences.

The 1849 law, and efforts to revive it, came to the fore in Wisconsin in 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade — effectively snapping back into place the state law that had been dormant for decades. 

The Wisconsin law made it a felony for individuals in Wisconsin to perform abortions, including when the health of the woman was at risk, and without exceptions in cases of rape or incest. 

Though the law was not enforced by the state in recent years, at least some Republicans had urged the state Supreme Court to keep it in place, prompting opponents to push more urgently for it to be struck down.

The 4-3 decision puts to rest the possibility that it could be revived. 

It’s also the clearest sign to date of the impact that liberals on the bench could have after they regained the court majority in 2023 for the first time in 15 years. 

The closely watched state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin was the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, attracting more than $100 million in donations and far eclipsing the $56 million spent on the state Supreme Court race just two years earlier, according to figures compiled by the Brennan Center for Justice. 

Susan Crawford ultimately beat out conservative candidate Brad Schimel, who was backed by President Donald Trump and Musk.

Musk personally donated $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party earlier this year, while his two super PACs spent more than $17 million on Schimel’s behalf.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers praised the state Supreme Court decision Wednesday, describing it as a win ‘for women and families’ and healthcare professionals in the state.

‘Three years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court upended five decades of precedent and threw reproductive freedom in Wisconsin and across our country into chaos,’ Evers said in a statement. ‘I promised then to fight like hell to ensure every Wisconsinite has the freedom to consult their family, their faith and their doctor and make the reproductive healthcare decision that is right for them, and I’ve never stopped.

‘Today, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld that basic freedom.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

T.J. Watt has spent all eight of his NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers since being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Could that change during the 2025 NFL offseason?

Watt and the Steelers are in the process of negotiating a potential long-term extension. The 30-year-old is entering the final year of a four-year, $112.01 million contract he signed in 2021, but is due a raise after Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett reset the NFL’s edge rusher market with a four-year, $160 million deal earlier this offseason.

Thus far, Watt and the Steelers have not been able to bridge the gap. The veteran skipped Pittsburgh’s mandatory minicamp amid the negotiations, leading many to wonder whether the two parties would eventually be able to reach a deal.

The Steelers remain focused on keeping Watt and signing him to an extension and would prefer not to trade him. As such, it stands to reason they will eventually agree to a new contract that keeps the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Pittsburgh long-term.

Nonetheless, teams will continue to inquire about Watt’s availability. It is still possible, although unlikely, that the two sides could reach an impasse and part ways.

Who would be Watt’s top suitors if that happens? Plenty of contenders would be interested in his services, while the Steelers would likely prefer to send him to the NFC if their relationship deteriorates.

Philadelphia Eagles

Could Watt stay in Pennsylvania even if he and the Steelers can’t reach an agreement? Howie Roseman has never been afraid to make aggressive trades, has $30.8 million in cap space available and could use another playmaker on the edge.

The Eagles lost several edge rushers during the offseason, as Josh Sweat signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency, Bryce Huff was traded to the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Graham retired. Philadelphia still has some young talent at the position in Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt, but adding a proven veteran like Watt would help keep its Super Bowl window open.

Detroit Lions

Detroit is one of just three NFL teams with more than $40 million in cap space for the upcoming season, making it relatively easy for Brad Holmes to fit Watt into the team’s financial plan.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers spent a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Lukas Van Ness, hoping he could develop into a quality starter across from Rashan Gary. That plan hasn’t yet come to fruition.

Watt would be a quality partner for Gary and would allow Van Ness to remain in a top backup role while he continues to develop. Green Bay has $35.5 million in available cap space – the fifth-most in the NFL – so the Packers could easily afford to swing a deal for the All-Pro.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers signed Haason Reddick to a one-year deal during the 2025 NFL offseason but that won’t preclude them from pursuing a talent like Watt. Calijah Kancey led Tampa Bay with 7.5 sacks last season, but the Buccaneers could use a legitimate double-digit sack threat on the outside.

Watt would qualify, and the Buccaneers – who have won three consecutive NFC South titles – have a respectable $26.6 million in cap space for the upcoming season.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams have plenty of young talent on the defensive line, including reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse. Los Angeles could choose to roll with what it has at the position, but there’s little doubt Watt and Verse would make a fierce pass-rushing duo, much like the one Von Miller and Aaron Donald formed during the Rams’ Super Bowl 56 win.

Les Snead has never been afraid to trade draft picks for proven players, and Matthew Stafford is entering his age-37 season. That should put Watt firmly on Los Angeles’ radar.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

As college football fans well know, having the best quarterback in the league does not guarantee a championship. But it certainly helps, and having an experienced hand directing the offense is a huge advantage, especially in the era of the portal.

It therefore should come as no surprise that the two teams that squared off for the ACC title last season and appeared in the inaugural 12-team playoff, both of which have incumbent signal callers in place, can be found at or near the top of our ranking of each team’s QB situation with fall practice getting underway in just a few weeks. Of course, transfers are part of the picture as well, with programs seeking to maintain upward trajectory or reverse their tumbling fortunes. Here’s how we rank the ACC starters.

1. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

The Tigers needed Klubnik to improve in his second season, and he did just that as he threw for 3,639 yards and 36 TDs in 2024 as part of a run to the ACC title and College Football Playoff. If he continues to progress, Clemson fans can think about not just making the playoff again but sticking around a while.

2. Haynes King, Georgia Tech

When healthy King was outstanding, tossing 14 TD passes with just two picks. He was also a productive runner with 587 yards and 11 scores. But his aggressive style led to some nagging injuries during much of the season, so keeping him protected will be a major priority for the Yellow Jackets.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS: Familiar faces top Big Ten QB rankings

TIME TO SHINE: Arch Manning headlines SEC QB rankings

3. Kevin Jennings, SMU

Jennings was a revelation after assuming the starting job early last season. Unfortunately, he had his the worst day of an otherwise outstanding campaign in the Mustangs’ first-round playoff loss to Penn State. But now with a full year under his belt he should keep SMU in the league title hunt once again.

4. Carson Beck, Miami (Fla.)

In arguably the splashiest move of the early transfer cycle, Beck left Georgia after two seasons as the team’s starter. He will look to pick up where No. 1 draft pick Cam Ward left off for the Hurricanes. But while his stint with the Bulldogs was largely successful, his resume does not include a national championship and he his health remains a question after an arm injury in the SEC title game.

5. Darian Mensah, Duke

The fact that the Blue Devils were able to gain the services of the highly sought after Tulane transfer indicates how serious the school is about not just being a basketball destination. Mensah threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns while leading the Green Wave to a nine-win campaign as a freshman. His sophomore campaign will be a step up in competition, but he seems ready for it.

6. Chandler Morris, Virginia

The well-traveled Morris was most recently putting up lofty passing numbers at North Texas (3,774 yards, 31 TDs). He wasn’t nearly as productive at his previous Power Four locations (Oklahoma and TCU), but he might be the experienced hand the Cavaliers need to recharge their program.

7. Max Johnson or Gio Lopez, North Carolina

Johnson’s season was over before it really got started when he was injured in last year’s opener at Minnesota, and he was still unable to participate in spring drills for new Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick. That might give the edge in the competition to Lopez, who transfers in from South Alabama, where he led the Jaguars to the program’s first bowl win.

8. Miller Moss, Louisville

As a promising season as the replacement for Caleb Williams at Southern California drifted into mediocrity, Moss lost his starting job and entered the portal. Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm’s track record with transfer quarterbacks suggests the results here will be good given the physical tools Moss brings to the table.

9. Thomas Castellanos, Florida State

As Florida State fans know all too well, not every quarterback transfer is a home run. The DJ Uiagalelei experiment was part of a disappointing two-win season last year. They hope this one will work out better, although Castellanos’s tenure at Boston College was a mixed bag as he ultimately wound up on the bench at the end of the season. His mobility and moxie should help bring improvement to the Seminoles offense.

10. Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech

Drones had highlight moments for the Hokies, but he also made his share of mistakes as the team went through a subpar season after high expectations. Consistency from the offense would go a long way toward cooling coach Brent Pry’s potentially warm chair.

11. Robby Ashford or Deshawn Purdie, Wake Forest

New Demon Deacons coach Jake Dickert has also demonstrated the ability to develop transfer QBs. Both Ashford and Purdie have starting experience at Auburn and Charlotte, respectively, though neither posted eye-popping numbers. The competition is expected to extend deep into training camp and might now be fully decided before the opener.

12. Pittsburgh, Eli Holstein

Holstein’s first season at Pitt was going swimmingly until it wasn’t, as a 7-0 start was followed by the team’s six-game losing skid. Multiple injuries sidelined him for most of the last four games. He returns after posting a respectable 61.9% completion rate with 17 scoring throws, though he must manage more accomplished defenses better.

13. Grayson James, Boston College

James started the last four games for the Eagles after replacing Castellanos in the starting lineup. He finished with solid numbers – 1,202 yards passing and six TDs – and ran for three more scores. The offense is his now, and he should be able to negotiate the Eagles’ early schedule before things heat up in October.

14. Rickie Collins, Syracuse

After seeing limited action in two seasons at LSU, Collins moved north with the Orange needing a replacement for Kyle McCord. Collins was officially named the starter by coach Fran Brown coming out of the spring. He’s a huge wildcard on this list with significant talent but few live reps.

15. C.J. Bailey, North Carolina State

Pressed into service ahead of schedule as a freshman when Grayson McCall was injured, Bailey posted solid stats with 2,413 yards and 17 TDs. He was intercepted 10 times, a number that must be reduced if the Wolfpack are to get back to the league’s upper tier. A full offseason as the starter should serve him well

16. Devin Brown, California

Cal faithful are hopeful that signing a guy who has been in Ohio State’s quarterback room works out as well as McCord did at Syracuse. Brown completed just 11 passes on 20 attempts with a touchdown in mop-up duty behind Will Howard on the Buckeyes’ title team.

17. Elijah Brown or Ben Gulbranson, Stanford

Brown, the former four-star recruit out of perennial prep power Mater Dei, is the lone remaining quarterback on the Cardinal roster with any live reps. Interim coach Frank Reich might instead turn to Gulbranson, a late portal arrival from Oregon State, to ease the transition from a chaotic offseason.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

There are plenty of reasons Caitlin Clark was ranked so low by her fellow WNBA players, and jealousy isn’t one of them.

The injuries that have limited her to nine games. Her turnovers. Her shooting slump. Her continued struggles defensively. Even players recognizing Clark was almost certain to win the fan vote and wouldn’t need the boost that their teammates might.

All of these were far more likely to have been factors in players ranking Clark as the ninth-best guard than a league’s worth of green-eyed monsters.

But there’s a good number of Clark fans who are, how to put it nicely? irrational, incapable of seeing her and her game through an objective lens. Sure enough, within hours of the WNBA releasing the All-Star starters, the howling was in full throat, led by men’s college basketball analyst Dick Vitale, who claimed that ‘PURE JEALOUSY’ was to blame for Clark’s low ranking.

‘Some day they will realize what she Has done for ALL of the players in the WNBA,” Vitale huffed. ‘Charted planes – increase in salaries-sold out crowds – improved TV Ratings.’

This conspiracy theory about fellow W players resenting Clark is tired, and does a disservice to both her and the rest of the league.

There is no question Clark is a transcendent athlete, and her arrival has supercharged what was already exploding interest in women’s sports. But the W did not begin the day Clark was drafted or played her first game, and to insist the league and its players show her deference or gratitude is absurd. It ignores the foundation on which Clark stands, of course. But it also treats the W as if it’s some carnival act or reality TV show rather than a real sport. As if it would fall apart without Clark propping it up.

Shop Caitlin Calrk’s Wilson basketball line

It also diminishes Clark as an athlete. Clark is as competitive as they come, and this idea that she needs to be given things or that her game shouldn’t be evaluated honestly is insulting. We don’t do that to male athletes. Stop doing it to women athletes.

No one understands this better than the other players in the W, who have fought their entire careers to be taken seriously as athletes and earn the respect they deserve. Now that they’re finally getting it, they’re not about to turn around and start handing out participation trophies or pats on the head. They’re going to judge Clark’s game critically and, this season, there are places where it’s wanting.

Let’s start with the injuries. After never missing a game in her four years at Iowa, Clark will miss her eighth game of the season Tuesday night, ruled out for the championship of the Commissioner’s Cup between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx.

Even before the strained quad that cost her five games, though, Clark’s shooting numbers had dipped. She was 31% from 3-point range in her first four games of the season, and had her first game without a 3 since her sophomore year at Iowa.

She’s had two more 0-fers since then, and was just 1 of 23 from 3-point range in her last three games before she was sidelined by her current groin injury.

Overall, Clark is shooting 39% from the floor. She also leads the league with 5.9 turnovers per game, 2.5 more per game than anyone else. It’s not a secret to anyone in the league that she can’t go left and her defense is, if not a liability, a weakness.

And while Clark bulked up during the offseason, she still can’t match the physicality of an Allisha Gray or a Skylar Diggins.

That’s not to say Clark is not deserving of being an All-Star. Her passing alone is worth paying money to watch — she is second to Alyssa Thomas with 8.9 assists per game — and her connection with Aliyah Boston is a joy to watch. Even if her 3-point accuracy is down, she’s still making 2.6 per game and almost every one of them is a banger.

But the bottom line is, all of this is irrelevant!

Clark got the most votes from fans, which makes her not only a starter but a captain along with Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier. Whether other players ranked her ninth or 19th, it wasn’t going to change that. It’s also an All-Star Game, not the WNBA Finals.

But no one wants to hear that. Creating Clark drama is a new favorite pastime for pundits and some fans. This is just the latest example.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

LONDON – The All England Club’s decision to replace line judges with artificial intelligence technology at Wimbledon has received mixed reviews from players and fans alike.

This week has marked the first time the tournament has been played without meticulously dressed judges determining whether the ball is in or out.

The 300 line judges have been cut to 80 who are instead assisting chair umpires and interceding should the latest Hawk-Eye Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system, fail.

The system uses AI to analyse footage from up to 18 cameras to track the progress of the ball and decide if it is in or out.

Sally Bolton, the Chief Executive of the All England Club, said the new system was brought in to ensure the calls were accurate and not to cut costs.

“It’s not a money-saving exercise; it’s about evolving the tournament and making sure that we’re providing the most effective possible line calling,” she said.

World number one Jannik Sinner told a press conference after his victory over fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi:

“As tennis tries to get better for the umpire it’s very difficult to see, especially when first serves are over 200km per hour, so it’s very difficult to see in a small space if they’re in or out, so for sure the technology helps, especially here on grass.”

However, other players found problems with the technology. On Monday, China’s Yuan Yue complained that the system was too quiet for her to hear its decision.

There were small protests outside the grounds against the technology, while some fans expressed sadness about the absence of line judges – a tradition that goes back to the 1870s – and the drama that often accompanies a player’s challenge.

“Tennis is a physical sport, but it’s also a mental game and at a professional level I think that idea of challenging a call is really part of the game,” Jess from Oxford told Reuters.

“As a spectator when they review the footage and everybody is clapping, and it’s the whole thing that this decision comes out and there’s uproar or whatever.

‘It’s sad that part of the atmosphere is gone, because you can’t challenge the calls now. It’s AI, it’s resolute.”

Ivan from Northern Ireland raised concerns that the technology may have some teething problems.

“It was strange not having a line judge. We watched a game on Court Two and a couple of times a ball from where we were sitting, which was close to the line, was out.

“The player pointed to it and stopped and looked to the umpire, and he just ignored it, and the player accepted it. But I expected to see the replay.

‘There were a couple of other times when it was obviously out and obviously in and the replay came up. So the replays were not consistent.”

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Bob Zingg said he answered his phone Tuesday and it was a detective. Zingg said he has been doing detective work of his own — for the same tragedy.

His son Aidan, a 16-year-old rising motocross star, died Saturday during a mid-race crash on a dirt track in Mammoth Lakes, California, about 300 miles north of Los Angeles.

Zingg said he spoke with two riders who were in the race, and what they told him about the crash conflicted with what race officials told him. The Mammoth Lakes Police Department is also investigating the death, according to a press release on the police department’s website.

‘I was told by the head of the event’s safety that Aidan was involved in a crash by himself,’ Zingg said during an interview with USA TODAY Sports.

But, Zingg said, one rider told him that after crashing, Aidan ended up under that rider’s bike and Aidan ‘got up and was going to his bike.” A second rider said he witnessed it, according to Zingg, who added, ‘Some people said he didn’t move at all. And (another rider) said that he saw him push the bike off of him.’

USA TODAY Sports is not publishing names of the riders because they are minors.

“(The riders) were both very upset, crying, and I told them, ‘Guys… that it was a racing incident.’ They’re all good boys. I know that nobody did anything on purpose.”

Added Zingg, ‘I’m just, ‘Why, the discrepancy in the story?”

Was there negligence?

Zingg said the officials he talked to included flaggers, who are responsible for putting the race under caution after a crash. ‘To let the riders know that there’s an incident ahead of them, to slow down so that they don’t injure themselves or the person who’s down or injured,’ Zingg said.

Zinng and his wife, Shari, said they’re waiting for answers on whether there was negligence or delayed reactions that could have prevented what happened.

Myron Short, the race promoter, said Aidan’s death resulted from chest trauma.

‘My flagger that witnessed it said he seen (Aidan Zingg) high-side flying through the air and hit the ground and he never gained consciousness at all. … Flaggers were all there on him, working on him doing CPR instantly. The flagger and the medics.’

Father held his dying son

By the time Zingg reached the site of the crash, he said, ‘they’re cutting off his chest protector and starting to work on him doing chest compressions and stuff like that. I hold his head and I go up to his ear and I’m like, ‘Aidan, please don’t go, buddy. Please don’t go.”

Aidan was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Mono County Coroner’s office is conducting an investigation, according to the Mammoth Lakes Police Department. Shari Zingg said they’re also hoping an autopsy will help provide clarity.

The Zinggs said they have no information about the autopsy results. Mammoth Lakes Police Department directed inquiries about the autopsy to the Mono County Sheriff’s Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for information sent by email.

Speculation on social media that Aidan ran into a tree or was landed on by another rider coming off a jump are untrue, according to Zingg.

Undersized among other riders at 5-foot-7, Aidan still ascended to the top ranks of amateurs last year by winning his first AMA national championship. It happened at Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, the most prestigious event in motocross.

On Tuesday, Bob and Shari Zingg were grappling with the loss of their son.

“My son died with me holding him,’’ Bob Zingg said. “That’s going to be something that haunts me forever.’’

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Hamas confirmed on Wednesday that it is ‘ready to accept’ a ceasefire agreement with Israel, but did not endorse a 60-day pause put forward by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the terrorist organization is ‘ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.’ Trump has increasingly pressured Israel and Hamas to accept a ceasefire, but the details of such an agreement still have not been worked out.

A Hamas delegation is expected to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss Trump’s proposal, according to an Egyptian official.

Hamas has previously said it was willing to release the remaining 50 hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement, though it has noted that fewer than half of the hostages are still alive. In return, however, Hamas demands that Israel fully withdraw from Gaza and end the war.

Meanwhile, Israel has said Hamas must surrender, disarm and exile itself from Gaza.

An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the U.S. would provide assurances about talks to end the war, but Israel is not committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said.

Roughly 10 hostages would be released under the agreement.

Trump announced the ceasefire proposal in a Tuesday statement on social media.

‘My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

‘The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal. I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better – IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’ he added.

‘Israel is serious in its will to reach a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza,’ Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar said Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian enacted a law passed by the country’s parliament last week that would end Tehran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

The legislation was approved within days of the U.S. carrying out Operation Midnight Hammer, in which it struck three major nuclear sites in Iran: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.

The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the IAEA must be approved by the country’s Supreme National Security Council, according to Reuters. Iran maintains that the IAEA sided with the U.S. and Israel in the recent conflict. Additionally, Tehran claims that the IAEA’s resolution in early June paved the way for Israel’s strikes.

Pezeshkian’s order reportedly had no timetable or details about what the suspension of cooperation would entail, The Associated Press reported.

IAEA head of Media, Multimedia and Public Outreach Section and spokesperson Fredrik Dahl told Fox News Digital that the agency was still awaiting confirmation from Iran.

Nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran have been on pause since Israel launched Operation Rising Lion. Iran then wavered on whether it would continue the talks, claiming that the U.S. was complicit in Israel’s actions. However, President Donald Trump appeared hopeful that the two countries would return to the table, even after the U.S.’ historic strikes. On June 25, the president told reporters that the U.S. would talk with Iran the following week.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently told CBS News that ‘the doors for diplomacy will never slam shut.’ However, he also cast doubt on Trump’s timeline for when talks would resume.

‘I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,’ Araghchi told CBS News. ‘In order for us to decide to reengage, we will have to first ensure that America will not revert back to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations.’

While Trump’s critics have argued that the administration has exaggerated the extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear sites, parties involved in the conflict seemingly agreed on the status of the facilities. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei acknowledged that the sites were ‘badly damaged’ in an interview with Al Jazeera. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Something doesn’t seem quite right when the day before free agency is more exciting than the actual opening of free agency.

That’s because NHL general managers did their best to remove some of the bigger names in the market on June 30. Mitch Marner, Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, Patrick Kane and Ivan Provorov were all gone on Monday.

There still was some action on Tuesday. Brock Boeser, who had seemed all but gone, re-signed with the Vancouver Canucks. Mikael Granlund joined the Anaheim Ducks. Vladislav Gavrikov went to the New York Rangers, and the Rangers traded K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Here are the winners and losers from the last two days of NHL free agency:

WINNERS

Florida Panthers

It seemed unlikely that Panthers general manager Bill Zito would be able to bring back his big three free agents of Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand but he got it done.

‘This is 100 percent those guys wanting to be part of something they created,’ Zito said.

He then got Tomas Nosek re-signed, meaning all 12 forwards who skated in the Panthers’ Stanley Cup-clinching win are under contract. The only main player who left is defenseman Nate Schmidt, but Zito signed Jeff Petry as a replacement.

Vegas Golden Knights

They’re adding prolific scorer Mitch Marner to a roster that already has lots of offense in Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev. The question is whether Marner can produce in the postseason, but that’s pretty far away.

New York Rangers

The Rangers have been sloppy defensively, so it was good to add Gavrikov, the top defensive defenseman in the free agent class. They had to part with Miller to make the money work, but they received a prospect and two draft picks in the deal. General manager Chris Drury also got restricted free agent forward Will Cuylle re-signed for two years. He had been considered a potential target for an offer sheet.

LOSERS

Los Angeles Kings

Losing Gavrikov was tough. They also traded young defenseman Jordan Spence. Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin don’t seem like adequate replacements.

Teams seeking goaltending help

Jake Allen was the top free agent goalie and he signed a five-year, $9 million contract to return to the New Jersey Devils. Goaltenders Vitek Vanecek (Utah), Dan Vladar (Philadelphia), David Rittich (Islanders), Anton Forsberg (Los Angeles), Matt Murray (Seattle) and Alex Nedeljkovic (San Jose) did move. Ilya Samsonov, James Reimer and Alexandar Georgiev are among the goalies still available.

Dallas Stars

Mikael Granlund was a good fit for the Stars after he arrived before the 2025 trade deadline, but they didn’t have the cap space to re-sign him. They did sign Radek Faksa, a former Star, but he’s more of a depth player.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Once a revolutionary militia, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps built power through ideology and fear. Now, after devastating losses, its future is uncertain.

After major military setbacks, Iran’s IRGC faces a turning point. Experts explain its roots, power, and whether its reign of repression and terror can endure.

Once a fringe militia born of revolution, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has grown into the regime’s most feared and powerful force. But according to Dr. Afshon Ostovar, a leading expert on Iran and author of ‘Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,’ said the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran may have permanently altered its trajectory.

‘What the IRGC tried to achieve over the last 25 years is basically toast,’ Ostovar told Fox News Digital, ‘Their campaign to build a military deterrent at home through missiles and nuclear enrichment, and to expand regionally through proxies, has essentially collapsed.’

Founded in the wake of the 1979 revolution, the IRGC was created to safeguard and spread the Islamic Republic’s values — often through violence. Ostovar describes how its legitimacy evolved over time, initially drawn from the overthrow of the Shah, then the Iran-Iraq War, and later through the manufactured narrative of an eternal struggle with the U.S. and Israel.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of FDD’s Iran Program Behnam Ben Taleblu, told Fox News Digital the IRGC’s origin reflects a deep mistrust of Iran’s traditional military, which had remained loyal to the Shah. 

‘The IRGC were created through efforts to collect pro-regime armed gangs called Komitehs. They enforced revolutionary edicts and developed a parallel and ideological military force due to clerical skepticism in the national army,’ he explained.

‘The IRGC are tasked with preserving and defending the revolution in Iran,’ Taleblu said. ‘That’s one reason why the 1979 Islamic Revolution has not been tamed, nor has the regime’s extremism lost any luster. If anything, terrorism and hostage-taking have continued.’

‘They created a boogeyman in the U.S. and Israel,’ Ostovar added. ‘But today, that ideology no longer resonates with most Iranians. The majority want better relations with the West and are tired of the regime’s isolationist stance.’

Today, the IRGC is deeply intertwined with the clerical elite. ‘The IRGC and the clerical elite are partners in power, treating Iran as a springboard to export their revolution,’ Taleblu noted.

Over the past year, Iran has suffered a series of strategic defeats: Hezbollah has been degraded in Lebanon, Hamas crippled in Gaza, Syria effectively lost, and Iranian military infrastructure — including nuclear and missile sites — destroyed in many cases by U.S. and Israeli strikes. Ostovar says these losses have decimated the IRGC’s regional footprint and forced the regime to reevaluate its strategy.

‘They can try to rebuild everything — but that would take too long and be too difficult,’ he said. ‘More likely, we’ll see them repress harder at home and lean on China and Russia to rebuild conventional military capabilities like air defense and advanced jets.’

Internally, the IRGC’s economic empire is also under growing strain. Sanctions, cyberattacks, and battlefield losses have made operations far more difficult. Ostovar said that foreign banks avoid any connection with Iran out of fear they may inadvertently deal with IRGC-linked entities, forcing the group to operate through front companies abroad. ‘They’ve lost a lot, and now they’ll have to redirect their limited resources to rebuild. That’s going to stretch them even thinner.’

Despite these pressures, both Ostovar and Taleblu agree that the IRGC is unlikely to turn against the regime. ‘Much like the regime elite, the IRGC is at a crossroads,’ Taleblu said. ‘They have lost much of their strategic brain trust, but are likely to remain loyal for a combination of ideological and material reasons — so long as the status quo doesn’t change.’

Looking ahead, Iran may shift focus inward, relying more on domestic repression than on external terror. ‘They can’t get weapons into Gaza. They’ve lost access to Lebanon. They may still attempt terrorism, but they’ve failed repeatedly — especially against Israeli targets,’ Ostovar said. ‘In contrast, repressing their own people is something they can do easily.’

He warns that Iran could become ‘more insular, more autocratic — more like North Korea than what it is today.’ While regime collapse is always a possibility, Ostovar believes autocracies are often resilient. ‘Look at Venezuela or Cuba — they’ve run their countries into the ground but still hold on to power.’

Ostovar thinks change — and not for the better — could come via generational shift. ‘The IRGC’s younger cadre is less religious but no less hardline,’ he said. ‘They may not care about hijabs, but they’ve spent the last two decades fighting the U.S. and Israel in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. That’s the war they know.’

Some reformist elements within the regime envision a different path — one focused on normalization and growth. ‘They want to preserve the regime not by fighting the world, but by opening up to it,’ Ostovar said. ‘They look more to Vietnam or China as models.’

Taleblu warned that despite recent setbacks, the IRGC’s grip remains strong. ‘Right now, the Guards have power without accountability, wielding political, economic, and military influence in Iranian policy. How this influence is channeled by the next generation of Guardsmen remains to be seen.’

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