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George Clooney is keeping quiet after Hunter Biden unleashed a string of vulgar attacks on the Hollywood actor.

Hunter, 55, accused Clooney, 64, of turning on his father, former President Joe Biden, and helping lead the charge to push him out of the 2024 race. 

‘I love George Clooney’s movies, but I don’t really give a s— what he thinks about who should be the nominee for the Democratic Party,’ Hunter said on the ‘At Our Table’ podcast. 

‘I was about to say I really like George Clooney as an actor, but the truth of the matter is, the truth is, I’ll be honest, I really don’t like George Clooney as an actor or as a person.’

Hunter recalled tensions between Clooney and his father behind the scenes at an event prior to the election.

‘George Clooney, before that event … literally threatened to pull out of the event — how many times? Five, six times? Over and over again, saying that he was so upset because my dad refused to recognize the arrest warrant for Netanyahu,’ Hunter said as he referred to the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hunter claimed Clooney’s behavior at the event was distant and alleged the actor only stayed for five minutes, spoke to no one except Barack Obama and ignored the rest of the crowd.

‘Literally, I was whispering in [Biden’s] ear saying, ‘Dad, f— him.’ … You got to be kidding me because I was so mad,’ Hunter added. ‘And he claims in his arrogance that my dad, the president of the United States, didn’t know who the actor was.’

Reps for Clooney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Clooney has yet to comment publicly on Hunter’s comments, even as the president’s son continues his media blitz.

In a separate appearance with Andrew Callaghan on his ‘Channel 5’ podcast over the weekend, Hunter’s criticism of Clooney escalated into a full-blown, hourslong meltdown accusing the ‘Ocean’s 11’ star of sabotaging his father’s re-election effort.

Hunter said the alleged move was made with ‘the blessing’ of former President Obama and his cohorts.

‘F— him! F— him and f— everybody around him,’ Hunter said bluntly. ‘I don’t have to be f—ing nice. No. 1, I agree with Quentin Tarantino. George Clooney is not a f—ing actor. He is a f—ing, I don’t know what he is. He’s a brand.’

The former president’s son’s rage emerged as they discussed Clooney’s infamous New York Times op-ed, which was published days after his father’s widely criticized debate performance. 

Clooney called for Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee at the time. 

‘It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big f—ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020,’ Clooney wrote. ‘He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.’

Clooney’s statement appeared to trigger a furious response from Hunter, who blasted the actor for spreading what he called false claims about his father’s mental health. 

‘Why do I have to f—ing listen to you?’ Hunter asked during the podcast. ‘What do you have to do with f—ing anything?… What right do you have to step on a man who’s given 52 years of his f—ing life to the service of this country and decide that you, George Clooney, are going to take out basically a full-page ad in the f—ing New York Times to undermine the president?’

Biden withdrew from the race July 21, 2024, and was replaced on the Democratic ticket by Kamala Harris.

Hunter also noted Clooney was friends with former President Obama and only published his essay with the ‘blessing of the Obama team.’ 

‘You know what George Clooney did? Because he sat down with, I guess, because he was given a blessing by the Obama team, the Obama people and whoever else,’ he said. 

In April, Clooney spoke with CNN’s Jake Tapper about writing the op-ed, saying it was his ‘civic duty.’

‘It was a civic duty because I found that people on my side of the street — you know, I’m a Democrat in Kentucky, so I get it. When I saw people on my side of the street not telling the truth, I thought that was time to … some people [are mad], sure. That’s OK, you know. Listen, the idea of freedom of speech is you can’t demand freedom of speech and then say, ‘But don’t say bad things about me,‘’ Clooney said.

While on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ in February, Clooney spoke about Harris losing to Donald Trump in the presidential election. 

‘I was raised a Democrat in Kentucky … and you know I’ve lost a lot of elections. … You know, this is democracy and this is how it works,’ he said.

‘It didn’t work out. That’s what happens. It’s part of democracy. … And, you know, there’s people that agree and people who disagree, and most of us still like each other. We’re all gonna get through it.’

Clooney spoke about President Trump again in April during an interview with Patti LuPone for Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors: Broadway.’

‘He’s charismatic. There’s no taking that away from him. He’s a television star. But eventually we’ll find our better angels. We have every other time,’ he said.

‘If you’re a Democrat, we have to find some people to represent us better, who have a sense of humor and who have a sense of purpose. I think we’ll get the House back in a year and a half, and I think that’ll be a check and balance on power.’

Earlier this year, Clooney was thrust into the spotlight as questions about his family’s future in the U.S. under President Trump’s administration arose.

Clooney’s wife, Amal, is an international human rights lawyer born in Lebanon and raised in the U.K., and she holds legal credentials in both Britain and the United States. 

Amal reportedly gave legal advice in a war crimes case against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the war in Gaza, according to the Financial Times.

A Trump executive order claimed the court ‘engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel. The ICC has, without a legitimate basis, asserted jurisdiction over and opened preliminary investigations concerning personnel of the United States and certain of its allies, including Israel, and has further abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

‘The United States will impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions, some of which may include the blocking of property and assets, as well as the suspension of entry into the United States of ICC officials, employees, and agents, as well as their immediate family members.’ 

Clooney proposed to Amal in April 2014, and the couple married five months later in Venice, Italy. In 2017, the Clooneys welcomed twins Alexander and Ella.  

Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.

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In a damning new report, researchers reveal how China came to control over 80% of the critical raw battery materials needed for defense technology — posing an urgent national security threat.

Through lax permitting processes, weak environmental standards, and aggressive state-led interventions, China has come to dominate global supplies of graphite, cobalt, manganese, and the battery anode and cathode materials that power advanced defense systems.

‘Batteries will be one of the bullets of future wars,’ the report’s authors warn, citing their essential role in drones, handheld radios, autonomous submersibles, and emerging capabilities like lasers and directed energy weapons.

According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has weaponized global battery infrastructure through a combination of state subsidies, forced intellectual property transfers, and predatory pricing practices.

China didn’t just rely on low-cost tactics — it also used its financial muscle abroad. Over the past two decades, at least 26 state-backed banks have pumped roughly $57 billion into mining and processing projects in Africa, Latin America, and beyond. These investments, often structured through joint ventures and special-purpose vehicles, gave Chinese firms controlling stakes in mineral mining, the report said. 

Through its Belt and Road Initiative, China has leveraged influence in resource-rich developing nations, securing control over massive critical mineral deposits. Today, it processes approximately 65% of the world’s lithium, 85% of graphite, 70% of cathodes, 85% of anodes, and a staggering 97% of anode active materials.

Beyond powering drones, handheld radios, and electric vehicles, lithium is critical in strategic military systems: lithium-ion batteries are used in grid support for bases and emerging directed-energy weapons.

Moreover, Beijing has begun weaponizing export controls: since 2023, it has tightened restrictions on processed graphite, gallium, and germanium — later adding antimony, tungsten, and rare earths to the roster. These measures curb exports via a licensing regime and broad bans on exports to the U.S., signaling a clear geopolitical leverage too, according to the report. 

Both lithium and graphite are essential for modern nuclear weapons. Cobalt alloys are used in jet engines, naval turbines, electronics connectors, and sensors capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, vibration, and radiation-making. 

While American and allied reserves of lithium — both brine and hard rock — are being tapped, with new projects in North and South Carolina targeting domestic spodumene processing, the report claims U.S. mineral mining and refining are not advancing quickly enough to meet national security demands.

Permitting obstacles account for roughly 40% of all delays in mining projects, the report notes, with processing operations facing similarly cumbersome constraints.

Chinese subsidies ‘dwarf’ those available to U.S. firms, and include tax exemptions, direct manufacturing grants, and ultra-low-interest loans, the report said. 

U.S. firms are now accelerating investment in domestic alternatives to China’s lithium. With new Trump administration initiatives aimed at incentivizing critical mineral development—and forecasts projecting the U.S. lithium market to grow by roughly 500% over the next five years — American companies are beginning to build out processing capacity on home soil. 

Piedmont Lithium is developing a lithium hydroxide facility in North Carolina to process spodumene concentrate from its U.S. deposits, while Albemarle recently announced plans for a new lithium processing plant in Chester County, South Carolina. Both projects are designed to feed a fast-growing domestic battery ecosystem and reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains.

But to become globally competitive, the report argues, the U.S. must take a far more proactive approach, including incentivizing private-sector investment, streamlining federal permitting, establishing a national critical minerals stockpile, building technical talent pipelines, creating special economic zones, and developing robust domestic processing infrastructure.

The authors also stress the importance of ally-shoring, recommending diplomatic coordination with trusted partners — similar to prior U.S. efforts involving Ukraine, Greenland, and the DRC in rare-earth sourcing — to construct resilient supply chains beyond China’s reach.

‘Despite China’s control of the battery supply chain, this is a time of great vulnerability for Beijing, while the United States and its core allies remain strong,’ the report concludes. 

‘It is time for new guardrails, muscular statecraft, and a unified international response to non-market manipulation. Building critical supply chains that are independent of China’s coercive economic practices can help unleash a wave of cooperation among free-market nations that will lift up both established allies and emerging market partners and turn the tide against China’s parasitic economic model.’

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Major League Soccer’s All-Stars beat Liga MX in the 2025 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge on Tuesday, July 22 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.

Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga hit both shots from Zone 1, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Yohei Takoaka hit the game-winner in the crossbar challenge to secure the 4-2 victory in the skills exhibition.

“I feel great. It’s such an honor to be here, and I’m really happy,” Takoaka said after the win.

The MLS All-Stars hope to pull off the double victory against Liga MX during the All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 23.

Former U.S. men’s national team star Clint Dempsey and current U.S. women’s national team captain Lindsey Heaps also helped MLS secure the victory, while popular YouTube personality and streamer Speed brought attention to the event by participating.

“Austin has definitely showed up and showed up,” Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver said after the event.

Check out these highlights from the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge:

Watch 2025 MLS All-Star

MLS beats Liga MX in 2025 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge

LAFC’s Denis Bounaga hit both shots from Zone 1, and Vancouver FC goalkeeper Yohei Takoaka hit the game-winner to help the MLS All-Stars beat the Liga MX All-Stars in the skills challenge.

“I feel great. It’s such an honor to be here, and I’m really happy,” Takoaka said after the win.

Clint Dempsey, Evander helps MLS beat Liga MX in Passing Challenge

USMNT legend Clint Dempsey beat Orie Peralta 4-3 in the first round, but struggled to hit the final spot hitting the post several times. Cincinnati’s Evander beat Rodrigo Dourado 5-4 in the second round to secure the point in the passing challenge.

Alejandro Zendejas (Club América) beat Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver FC) in the final round.

MLS leads Liga MX, 3-2, heading into the final portion of the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.

Who won the Goalie Wars final at MLS All-Star Challenge?

Pedro Cruz (Houston Dynamo II) beat Carlos Mercado (Orlando City B) 4-3 in the Goalie Wars final.

MLS and Liga MX draw in Cross & Volley Challenge

Gilberto Mora, a 16-year-old for Club Tijuana and the Mexican national team in the Gold Cup final, scored 50 points to begin the Cross & Volley Challenge.

Austin FC goalie Brad Stuver gave the home fans something to cheer about by limiting Ángel Sepúlveda (Cruz Azul) to 15 points.

And LAFC’s Denis Bouanga scored 45 points to help MLS tie with Liga MX at 70 points.

Both teams earned a point in the challenge, and are tied 2-2 heading into the final stage – the passing challenge.

Liga MX teammates set record in touch challenge

Club América teammates Alejandro Zendejas and Brian Rodríguez set the All-Star touch challenge record with 120 points during their round.

Liga MX beat MLS 199-58 during the touch challenge to take the second point of the All-Star Challenge.

Evander sets new MLS All-Star shooting challenge record

Cincinnati’s Evander, a favorite alongside Lionel Messi to win MLS MVP this season, set the shooting challenge record with 72 points. He helped MLS beat Liga MX, 132-106, to take the first point of the All-Star Challenge.

Evander beat Hector Herrara’s previous record of 65 points, set in 2022.

CF Monterrey’s Sergio Canales scored 64 points during his round, before Evander set the new mark.

USWNT star shines in MLS Shooting challenge

Lindsey Heaps, of the U.S. women’s national team, scored 35 points during the shooting challenge.

How did iShowSpeed do in MLS All-Star challenge?

The streamer also known as Speed scored 25 points during the shooting challenge.

Goalie Wars kicks off the action

Pedro Cruz (Houston Dynamo II) will meet Carlos Mercado (Orlando City B) in the Goalie Wars final.

Cruz beat Adisa De Rosario (Toronto FC II) 5-2 in the first semifinal, while Mercado (Orlando City B) beat Eldin Jakupović (Chattanooga FC) 4-1 in the second match.

MLS All-Stars vs. Liga MX All-Star Skills Challenge rosters

(Italics indicate goalkeeper)

MLS All-Stars

Sebastian Berhalter – Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Denis Bouanga – LAFC
Anders Dreyer – San Diego FC
Evander – FC Cincinnati
Alex Freeman – Orlando City
Diego Luna – Real Salt Lake
Sam Surridge – Nashville SC
Brad Stuver – Austin FC
Yohei Takoaka – Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Obed Vargas – Seattle Sounders
Clint Dempsey – MLS great
Lindsey Heaps – USWNT Star

Liga MX All-Stars

Juan Brunetta – Tigres UANL
Sergio Canales – CF Monterrey
Rodrigo Dourado – Atlético San Luis
Luis Malagón – Club América
Kevin Mier – Cruz Azul
Paulinho – Toluca
Brian Rodríguez – Club América
James Rodríguez – Club León
Alexis Vega – Toluca
Alejandro Zendejas – Club América
Nicki Hernández – Liga MX Femenil
Oribe Peralta – Liga MX Great

When is the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge?

When: Tuesday, July 22
Where: Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas)
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Channel/streaming: Apple TV (Watch here)

MLS All-Star Skills Challenge events

Shooting Challenge
Touch Challenge
Cross & Volley Challenge
Crossbar Challenge
Passing Challenge
Goalie Wars

IShowSpeed will rep MLS in Skills Challenge

MLS announced that the YouTube personality and social media influencer will participate in the All-Star Skills Challenge.

USA TODAY Sports’ 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today!

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

After his 2024 season with Georgia prematurely ended due to an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury in the SEC championship game, the former Bulldogs quarterback declared for the NFL draft. But less than two weeks later, he decided to skip the pros and enter the transfer portal.

Despite an inconsistent season, Georgia wanted him back, and Alabama was also ready to nab him.

Instead, Beck opted to play with the Hurricanes, and he’s feeling comfortable with the pick.

‘This is my future, and I think that this decision is one of the better decisions I’ve made,’ Beck said at ACC Kickoff on Tuesday, July 22. ‘Just trying to develop those relationships and that camaraderie, it’s just reinforced my decision in a positive way.’

A two-year starter at Georgia, Beck started 27 games for the Bulldogs, throwing for 7,426 yards with 57 total touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Head coach Mario Cristobal said Beck has played in ‘monster’ games and played a high level that drew him to bringing the quarterback in.

‘Carson has as good of experience as a quarterback as you can have,’ Cristobal said.

Beck wasted little time in the transfer portal before deciding to play for Miami. He had a do not contact request and announced his commitment less than 48 hours after hitting the portal. He said the offensive fit is what drew him to Miami, along with offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and the talent surrounding the team, which has to replace several pieces from the 2024 squad that had the best total offense in the country.

Coincidentally, Beck is replacing Cam Ward, who threw for 4,313 yards last season − second-most in FBS − and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite the big shoes to fill and given his status in college football, Beck said he doesn’t feel much pressure replacing Ward. He mentioned it’s somewhat the same role he stepped in at Georgia.

‘Obviously his success is undeniable,’ he said. ‘The last school I was at, I followed up the two-time national champion, so I didn’t really feel any pressure there. It’s a game; I’ve played football my whole life. I’ve played quarterback since I was seven years old, and it’s something that I love to do and I’ve got a lot of good talent around me and really good coaches in position to not only help me not only achieve my goals, but be really successful.’

However, he’s given his teammates the same feeling as Ward. Offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa said his new quarterback is ‘a very special guy, just like Cam Ward last year.’

‘I feel the same energy with Carson Beck,’ Mauigoa added.

Carson Beck injury update: Miami QB at 100%

Beck described his spring was ‘a little slow’ as he recovered from injury. But Cristobal confirmed ‘he’s been cleared’ and has been participating in all team workouts for several weeks.

The quarterback said he spent much of the spring in a coaching role and helping out the other signal-callers on the roster. But now that he’s at 100%, the off-season has been ‘really good and full of good work.’

‘Really just looking forward to the opportunity, and again, have the opportunity to go out and play football again. I haven’t done it in a while, so looking forward to it,’ Beck said.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Kansas City Royals turned to 45-year-old Rich Hill to start Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs, making the left-handed pitcher the oldest player to appear in MLB this season.

Hill pitched five innings against the Cubs, allowing three runs — just one earned — striking out one batter and walking two. The Cubs went on to win the game, 6-0, with Hill taking the loss.

Hill was called up from the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers on Monday, July 21. The veteran left-handed pitcher last appeared in the majors late in the 2024 season, making four relief appearances in August and September for the Boston Red Sox.

Hill is one of just five players over 45 to play in the majors since 2010, and the first to do so since 2018. Hill also became the oldest player to ever play for the Royals, playing for his 14th MLB team. That ties Edwin Jackson’s record for the most teams played for by one player.

Here’s what to know about Rich Hill and the oldest active players in the majors:

Oldest active players in MLB

Rich Hill might be the oldest active player in Major League Baseball, but he’ll have to stick around for some time to break Satchel Paige’s incredible record. Paige was 59 years old when he made his final MLB appearance on Sept. 25, 1965, a record that might never be broken.

However, that’s not to take away from Hill and the other durable players across the majors who are still plugging away at the top of the sport. Here, per Baseball Reference, is a list of the 10 oldest active MLB players:

1. Rich Hill (Kansas City Royals) – 45 years, 133 days
2. Justin Verlander (San Francisco Giants) – 42 years, 152 days
3. Charlie Morton (Baltimore Orioles) – 41 years, 252 days
4. Max Scherzer (Toronto Blue Jays) – 40 years, 360 days
5. Justin Turner (Chicago Cubs) – 40 years, 241 days
6. Carlos Santana (Cleveland Guardians) – 39 years, 105 days
7. Chris Martin (Texas Rangers) – 39 years, 50 days
8t. Martín Maldonado (San Diego Padres) – 38 years, 340 days
8t. Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres) – 38 years, 340 days
10. Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh Pirates) – 38 years, 285 days

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It’s the reunion season of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025.

First, the franchise traded for quarterback Geno Smith to reunite him with former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, now at the helm in Las Vegas. This week there’s another reunion but this time in the secondary.

The Raiders have signed safety Jamal Adams, the team announced Tuesday, July 22.

Adams played for Carroll in Seattle from 2020 to 2023. He made the Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro in 2020, the last time he earned those accolades.

Adams played five games in 2024: three with the Tennessee Titans and two with the Detroit Lions. The former No. 6 overall draft pick will turn 30 during the season.

This will be his fifth team in the NFL after stints the New York Jets, Seahawks, Titans and Lions.

He joins a secondary with a lot of new faces entering 2025. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is also working free-agent signees Eric Stokes at cornerback and Jeremy Chinn at safety into the fold. Las Vegas also spent a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on cornerback Darien Porter and he is expected to compete for a starting job.

Las Vegas’ veterans reported to training camp Tuesday. Adams won’t have to wait long to face a former team on the football field; the Raiders will play the Seahawks in their preseason opener on Thursday, Aug. 7.

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

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The WNBA All-Star break is over and the 2025 regular season resumed Tuesday, July 22 with a huge Eastern Conference showdown between the Indiana Fever and defending WNBA champion New York Liberty.

New York closed strong in the fourth quarter to win 98-84.

The Fever were without star Caitlin Clark again after she suffered a right groin injury. It was the 12th overall game she has missed this season. Indiana is now 12-12 and sits in sixth place in the WNBA standings, with the top eight qualifying for the playoffs.

The Liberty (16-6) are now on a four-game winning streak and currently have the second-best record in the league behind the Minnesota Lynx. Reigning WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones is off the team’s injury report after dealing with an ankle injury since last month. The Liberty were 9-0 before Jones got hurt and went just 7-5 in games in which she didn’t play, including a loss to the Fever when Clark returned from her last stint on the team’s injured list.

Check out highlights from the game between the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty:

Fever vs. Liberty final score

The New York Liberty closed strong to defeat the Indiana Fever 98-84 on Tuesday. New York outscored Indiana 29-17 in the fourth quarter.

Six Liberty players scored in double figures, led by Jonquel Jones’ 18 points. Kelsey Mitchell had a game-high 29 points for Indiana, which had three other double-digit scorers (Natasha Howard, Aliyah Boston, Sophie Cunningham).

Fever vs. Liberty highlights

Caitlin Clark Injury Update:

The Indiana Fever will face off against the New York Liberty on Tuesday, marking the Fever’s first game back since the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend, but star guard Caitlin Clark won’t be in the lineup.

Clark was ruled out of Tuesday’s contest with a right groin injury.

White said Clark met with doctors and underwent evaluations in New York ahead of the Fever’s matchup against the Liberty on Tuesday. White said she hasn’t received a medical update from the trainers yet, but noted that she will have a better understanding of Clark’s return when she does. — Cydney Henderson

What time is Fever vs. Liberty?

The WNBA regular season game between the Indiana Pacers and New York Liberty on July 22, 2025 is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch Fever vs. Liberty WNBA game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Barclays Center (Brooklyn)
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

Watch Fever vs. Liberty with Fubo

Breanna Stewart calls for longer ‘All-Star’ break

Team Napheesa Collier and Team Caitlin Clark both prioritized fun during the 2025 WNBA All-Star game, resulting in a lopsided 151-131 win by Team Collier. On Tuesday, Breanna Stewart said a longer All-Star break would result in a more competitive environment.

‘If we want the product in the All-Star Game to be better, then we have to have more time in between the games,’ Stewart said on Tuesday. ‘There’s no way that you’re going to have a super competitive All-Star game with a Liberty game on Tuesday.’

Last year, WNBA teams got nearly a month off after the 2024 All-Star game between Team WNBA and the U.S. women’s national basketball team to accommodate for the 2024 Paris Olympics. With no Olympics on the schedule for this year, the All-Star ‘break’ is less than a week. The Liberty, for example, played their last game on Wednesday and open the second half of the season six days later against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday.

Stewart isn’t the only player to share this sentiment. Clark said players “would appreciate a longer break.’

Sabrina Ionescu on CBA negotiations

Sabrina Ionescu had some thoughts on the CBA that is quickly taking over the discourse around the league. Adding that she is confident a deal will get done, the Liberty had this to say ahead of the game against the Fever:

‘I think that’s something, we’re really talking about trying to really kind of put our best minds together and figuring out what that looks like on revenue share, on valuation, on new teams coming in, and how that impacts, everything I feel like we’re just bringing in a bunch of new teams, crazy buy-ins of $200 million. How does that, how is that reflected in our salaries, as well as the league continues to gain more and more?’

Indiana Fever starting lineup

New York Liberty starting lineup

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Players will compete in shooting, touch, cross & volley, passing, and crossbar challenges – plus the fan-favorite Goalie Wars, pitting goalkeepers against each other as they try to both score defend their nets.

It’s the second year in a row that the MLS All-Stars will face All-Stars from Mexico’s top league, continuing a format that also ran in 2021-2022. From 2005-2019, the All-Star festivities featured MLS players facing a club from Europe.

The MLS All-Star Game itself is Wednesday, July 23, a day after the skills challenge.

Here’s what you need to know:

When is the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge?

When: Tuesday, July 22
Where: Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas)
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Channel/streaming: Apple TV (Watch here)

Watch 2025 MLS All-Star

MLS All-Stars vs. LIGA MX All-Star Skills Challenge rosters

(Italics indicate goalkeeper)

MLS All-Stars

Sebastian Berhalter – Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Denis Bouanga – LAFC
Anders Dreyer – San Diego FC
Evander – FC Cincinnati
Alex Freeman – Orlando City
Diego Luna – Real Salt Lake
Sam Surridge – Nashville SC
Brad Stuver – Austin FC
Yohei Takoaka – Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Obed Vargas – Seattle Sounders
Clint Dempsey – MLS great
Lindsey Heaps – USWNT Star

LIGA MX All-Stars

Juan Brunetta – Tigres UANL
Sergio Canales – CF Monterrey
Rodrigo Dourado – Atlético San Luis
Luis Malagón – Club América
Kevin Mier – Cruz Azul
Paulinho – Toluca
Brian Rodríguez – Club América
James Rodríguez – Club León
Alexis Vega – Toluca
Alejandro Zendejas – Club América
Nicki Hernández – LIGA MX Femenil
Oribe Peralta – LIGA MX Great

MLS All-Star Skills Challenge events

Shooting Challenge
Touch Challenge
Cross & Volley Challenge
Crossbar Challenge
Passing Challenge
Goalie Wars

IShowSpeed will rep MLS in Skills Challenge

MLS announced that the YouTube personality and social media influencer will participate in the All-Star Skills Challenge.

USA TODAY Sports’ 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today!

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The father of Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter has been arrested in Palm Beach County, Florida, after allegedly violating the terms of his probation, according to Palm Beach County records obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

The arrest follows a warrant that was issued for Travis Hunter Sr. July 10 after his probation officer said his whereabouts went unknown for 11 minutes on the night of June 28 when he was “too far away from his monitoring device to be accurately tracked.”

An attorney for Hunter Sr. didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.

Hunter Sr., 39, is under electronic monitoring as part of a three-year probation stemming from gun and drug charges in 2023. The lapse in electronic monitoring allegedly violated his “community control” probation, leading to the warrant and arrest.

He is being held without bond pending further court proceedings, pursuant to the warrant. The jail in West Palm Beach confirmed to USA TODAY Sports he was arrested July 22 and is being held there with no bond.

How did Travis Hunter Sr. violate his probation?

Hunter Sr. generated a “bracelet gone” alarm between 8:07 p.n. and 8:18 p.m. ET on June 28, according to the probation officer’s report.

When contacted by the monitoring center on June 28, Hunter Sr. said he was in his bedroom while the monitoring device was in the living room, according to the report. Then on July 1, he stated that he had misplaced the monitoring device during the alarm and was looking for it.

Deion Sanders ‘not all the way recovered’ from health issue but planning return soon

On July 4, the probation officer tested the equipment and determined it was functioning properly. Hunter Sr. stated then that he was “moving too fast and forgot it.”

This was enough to constitute a probation violation for failing to submit to electronic monitoring, according to the warrant signed by Judge Howard K. Coates.

How does this relate to his son’s football career?

Hunter Jr. brought attention to his father’s case when he won the Heisman Trophy as a two-way player for Colorado in December. Hunter Jr. talked generally about what his father went through in recent years and told him he loved him.

Since then, Hunter Sr., a former athlete in Palm Beach County, has sought permission from the court to attend the NFL draft with his son in April and then attend his son’s wedding in Tennessee in May − two requests that were granted by Judge Coates.

Hunter Sr. also asked the court to convert his remaining sentence of community control supervision to a less restrictive form of probation so that he can “assist his son with furthering his very promising career with the National Football League,” according to his request in court.

Hunter Sr.’s attorney argued in court that he was successfully fulfilling his obligations in community control, which is basically home confinement.

But the judge denied that request, saying it would appear to be “special treatment” if he allowed this simply because the father’s circumstances changed since his son was picked No. 2 overall in the NFL draft in April.

Why is Travis Hunter Sr. on probation?

He was pulled over by police in Lantana, Florida, in November 2023, after the officer said he didn’t have “any lights for the tag” on his car, according to the police report. Police identified him as a habitual traffic offender with no driver’s license and subjected him to a search that allegedly found drugs and a backpack with a pistol and loaded magazine, according to court records.

Did Deion Sanders’ absence affect Colorado’s recruiting? ‘I got on the phone with him’

Hunter Sr. then was charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon after a prior conviction in 2018 for “sale or possession of heroin with intent to sell.” Hunter Sr. reached a plea deal in 2024 to plead guilty to drug possession and the gun charge, leading to a sentence of 90 days in jail. He got released on Dec. 5, just nine days before his son’s Heisman ceremony in New York.

He also was sentenced to three years of probation, including one year of community control supervision.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer@Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

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Ben Askren, the former MMA star and champion wrestler, has survived the fight of his life.

Askren, 41, headed home on Tuesday, July 22 after spending 59 days at the hospital during which he had a double lung transplant, lost 50 pounds and was on ventilator support.

Initially he was hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia, which led to the lung transplant.

In an emotional video Askren said he was taping Tuesday while driving home from the hospital, he smiled and cried.

‘Day 59, I’m out, with my beautiful wife, supporter,’ Askren said from the front passenger seat. ‘Man, that was a long journey, and it’s not over because I still can’t really walk. I’ve got to reteach myself to do that, among many other things. I guess I can make light of it because it was me, and I don’t really remember it. … I don’t remember 35 days of this journey. I think surgery was 24 or 25 days ago. It was hard. It was hard.’’

In a previous video released July 10, Askren said he “died four times.’’

‘So, I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds,’’ he said from his hospital bed. “That’s not ideal, you guys know that. But I got the double lung transplant. I made it out to the other side of it — gaining quite a bit of strength, learning to use everything again.’

Askren and his wife, Amy, have three children.

Ben Askren gives thanks for support

‘I said this already in one of the videos, but the support you guys gave me, whether it was starting a GoFundMe, whether it was helping my kids and wife get through it, I had friends come from all over the country to hang out for a couple days,’’ Askren said. “It meant so much. It was so great to just have all the support and all the love. Hopefully I’m not in this situation again for a really, really, really, really long time. I plan on living a while. Thank you guys again for all the positive comments online, everything. It means so much. Love you guys.’

Wrestler Mark Bader, a friend of Askren’s, said last month that Askren’s insurance would not cover the lung transplant that Bader said comes with “astronomical costs.”

A double lung transplant costs almost $800,000 according to a report cited by Help Hope Live, a nonprofit organization that provides double lung transplant financial assistance to patients through crowdfunding, according to its website.

Efforts to raise money for Askren have been set up on Help Hope Live and GoFundMe.

UFC’s Dana White has said he donated money.

Jake Paul did not address a report from The Rugby League Report on Facebook that he donated $500,000 for Askren’s medical costs. But Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian interjected and said Paul has given generously to people in need.

Who is Ben Askren?

Some people might know Askren best for his boxing match against Jake Paul. It did not last long.

They fought in April 2021 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and Askren got knocked out in the first round. That overshadowed two decades of accomplishments.

Askren was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA finalist while wrestling at Missouri from 2003-2007. He won gold medals at the 2005 Pan Am Games and the 2009 World Championships.

The year he competed in the 2008 Olympics, during which he lost in the quarterfinals, Askren made his professional MMA debut – and got rolling. He won his first 19 bouts. That included a victory in 2019 over former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in Askren’s UFC debut.

But Askren lost his next two fights and shortly thereafter announced his retirement from MMA.

Before his hospitalization, Askren had been coaching youth and high school wrestlers at The Askren Wrestling Academy, which offers classes and camps and has seven locations, according to its website.

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