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Five former members of the 2018 Canadian world junior hockey team were found not guilty of sexual assault on Thursday, July 24, after a trial in London, Ontario, with a judge saying she didn’t find the complainant’s evidence ‘credible or reliable.’

“I cannot rely upon the evidence of (the accuser) and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,’ Justice Maria Carroccia said, per the Athletic.

Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton, who all played in the NHL, were charged with sexual assault. McLeod faced a second charge of being a party to the offense, and he was also acquitted of that charge. All had pleaded not guilty. Hart was the only defendant who testified.

Carroccia rendered the ruling on Thursday, spelling out her reasoning. Juries had been dismissed on two occasions, once after an early mistrial was declared in the eight-week trial, and it was decided that the judge would rule on the case.

The players were in London in June 2018 for a Hockey Canada gala honoring the gold medal-winning world junior championship team. The tournament is for under-20 players. Police say the alleged assaults took place in a hotel room after the defendants had met the woman, then 20, at a downtown bar.

“I shut down and let my body do what it needed to do to keep me safe,’ she told the court, per the network. ‘It felt like the safe thing to do was give them what they were wanting.’

But the judge said, ‘In this case, I have found actual consent not vitiated by fear,’ The Athletic reported.

Carroccia addressed consent videos that McLeod recorded with the woman. The judge said the woman ‘did not display any signs of intoxication’ in the videos and had ‘no difficulty speaking,’ per CBC. Carroccia said she believed the woman exaggerated her level of intoxication.

CBC also said the judge noted the woman talked in court about telling ‘her truth,’ not ‘the truth.’

Prosecutors have 30 days to file an appeal based on legal flaws in the judge’s ruling.

‘We will carefully review Justice Carroccia’s decision and as this case is still within the appeal period, we have no further comment to make about the decision at this time,’ prosecutor Meaghan Cunningham told reporters.

History of the investigation

The London police department’s initial investigation closed in February 2019 without any charges. It was reopened in July 2022, two months after TSN reported that May that Hockey Canada paid an undisclosed settlement to a woman who alleged in a $3.55 million lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by eight players in a hotel room.

The players were charged in February 2024.

Detective Sgt. Katherine Dann of the police department’s Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section said at the time that additional witnesses were spoken to and additional evidence was collected, starting in 2022.

‘I can confirm that some of this evidence was not available when the investigation concluded in 2019,’ she said in a news conference. ‘This is one investigation, not two. The evidence that was collected in 2018 and 2019 was used in combination with newly gathered evidence to form reasonable and probable grounds to charge these five individuals with sexual assault.’

Police chief Thai Truong put out a statement on Thursday commending ‘the outstanding courage and strength shown by (the woman) in coming forward and enduring this prolonged and difficult judicial process. We remain committed to ensuring that survivors of sexual violence feel supported and safe when interacting with the London Police Service, recognizing the distinct impact trauma can have.’

All but Formenton were with NHL teams at the time they were charged and took leaves of absences. Their teams cut them loose in June 2024 by not giving them qualifying offers, making them free agents.

McLeod, now 27, played for the New Jersey Devils, Hart, 26, for the Philadelphia Flyers, Dubé, 27, for the Calgary Flames and Foote, 26, played for three NHL teams, mostly recently the Devils. Formenton, 25, played for the Ottawa Senators until 2021-22.

What lawyers for Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, the woman said

David Humphrey, McLeod’s lawyer: “Justice Carroccia’s carefully reasoned decision represents a resounding vindication for Mr. McLeod and for his co-defendants. … The damage to Mr. McLeod’s reputation and his career has been significant. But today’s decision begins to restore what was very unfairly taken away from him.”

Megan Savard, Hart’s lawyer: “The Crown attorney did not have take this case to trial. Mr. Hart, in particular, had been willing to engage in a restorative justice process. He was willing to be publicly named and prepared to use his public platform to teach other athletes how to ensure that their sexual encounters are responsible and thoughtful.

“Instead of pursuing restorative justice, the Crown forced a distressful and unnecessary trial to the detriment of Mr. Hart, his co-defendants, the complainant and the Canadian public. Mr. Hart regrets that it took a public trial for the truth to come out, but he has learned from the experience and he’s committing to sharing what he learned with others in his personal circle and in his professional life.”

Karen Bellehumeur, the woman’s lawyer: “I am hopeful that the verdict today is not the end, and I know that (the woman) wants some good to come from this case. To those other brave souls who are willing to do whatever it takes to pursue justice, we hope you do not give up. In a country where only 6% of sexual assaults are reported to the police, courageous people like you are important. Without you, there is no criminal accountability at all. But the justice system must do better for you.”

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The NFL’s annual offseason reality television show is following a contender in 2025.

For the first time, the ‘Hard Knocks’ sports documentary show will follow the Buffalo Bills. Last season was another success for the team as they won a fifth consecutive AFC East title and made it to the AFC championship game, while quarterback Josh Allen won NFL MVP honors.

The 2025 season marks the ninth under coach Sean McDermott and eighth with Allen under center. The duo has established the Bills as one of the top teams in the league and an annual AFC contender against the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

‘Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills’ will follow the team from St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York, over five episodes, which will stream on HBO Max.

The new season premieres Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 9 p.m. ET. A team like this has plenty of intrigue as they’re preparing for another postseason run and a potential championship.

Here are five storylines we’re looking forward to following on Hard Knocks this season:

Will James Cook get an extension?

The Bills’ top running back isn’t holding out but has been outspoken about wanting to get an extension done. He tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024 and made his second consecutive Pro Bowl. He’s confident in what he’s shown on the field and spoke on Thursday, July 24 about the importance of being at camp.

‘It’s my job,’ Cook said. ‘I got to participate out here so I won’t get fined. And just come out here and show them I’m ready to go and earn what I got to go get.’

Cook was a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and will be the 18th-highest paid running back in the league in 2025 at $5.7 million, per Spotrac. That puts him behind the likes of Chuba Hubbard, Travis Etienne and Devin Singletary.

It’s currently not a contentious standoff between the two sides, but it’s one of the bigger storylines of the Bills’ offseason. We will hopefully get a closer look at negotiations thanks to Hard Knocks.

Keon Coleman in year two

The Bills’ top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft had a solid but unspectacular rookie season with 556 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. Compared to other top-50 wide receivers in the class, it was disappointing, especially compared to Los Angeles’ Ladd McConkey selected one pick later.

Coleman agrees.

‘You want to know exactly what I see?’ Coleman said when asked about reviewing his 2024 tape. ‘Man, that (expletive) trash. You got to be better, simple as that … call out everything you’re doing wrong to make it right.’

He’s outspoken and one of the funnier young players behind closed doors. During his combine interview with the Bills, Coleman said he likes to golf and go bowling when not playing football.

‘I’m Tiger ‘wish-he-could,’ I’m not Tiger Woods,’ he said as Bills officials laughed. ‘I wish I could putt and do all that … it might take me five (shots) just to putt it in but I’m going to go have fun. Like, you know, it’s controlled chaos.’

Coleman quotes alone should be must-watch TV.

Josh Allen, board game MVP

Allen became the first Bills player to earn NFL MVP honors since 1973. He’s had a busy offseason as well, marrying actress Hailee Steinfeld in a ceremony in Montecito, California.

Allen’s training camp performances will be closely tracked given the pressure on him and the team following a close loss to the Chiefs in last year’s AFC championship game. To clear his mind and provide another way to bond with teammates, Allen taught fellow players the popular board game ‘Settlers of Catan.’

He started playing during 2020 and is well-established as the top player on the Bills in the game.

‘I just hate when Josh wins, honestly,’ Bills tight end Dawson Knox told ESPN in 2024. ‘But no, it’s been fun. We’re definitely not teaming up against him, but we just, we hate when he wins. ‘

There’s a good chance ‘Settlers of Catan’ comes up at some point during training camp. Good luck to anyone trying to beat the MVP.

How are the Bills’ free agents fitting in?

Buffalo spent money in free agency to bolster both the offense and defense like a true Super Bowl contender. On offense, the biggest signing was wide receiver Joshua Palmer, with more depth pieces brought in among the pass catchers. The defense saw more big names like edge rusher Joey Bosa, cornerback Tre’Davious White, defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi and cornerback Dane Jackson.

That’s a lot of big names who could have important roles in 2025 for a team with aspirations of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February 2026. How well and how quickly each of them get settled in with their respective units will be important to follow throughout this season of Hard Knocks.

How much will the rookie defensive linemen play?

Buffalo spent a lot of top draft capital on the defensive line in the 2025 NFL Draft, starting in the second round with defensive tackle T.J. Sanders. The Bills then selected athletic edge rusher Landon Jackson in Round 3 and massive defensive tackle Deone Walker in Round 4.

These players likely won’t have huge roles in 2025 but will be contributors on a rotational basis as they represent the potential future of the defensive line in Buffalo.

Jackson was an NFL combine darling for his athletic feats and could offer some splash plays in the offseason. Walker, at 6-foot-7 and 331 pounds, is one of the biggest players on the team in the mold of longtime Bills nosetackle DaQuan Jones. Walker and Jones’ interactions could be interesting to follow as Walker develops behind the 33-year-old veteran.

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President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Thursday, July 24 that attempts to create a national standard for NCAA name, image and likeness programs.

The order is Trump’s latest entry into a debate that has embroiled the NCAA since NIL rules went into effect in 2021, ushering in a wild-west era of college sports that has come under increasing scrutiny by local and national legislators.

Broadly focused on efforts to “save college athletics,” a fact sheet sent out by the White House says the order also seeks to preserve and support ‘expansion of opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports.’ Most of the NIL money is given to athletes in football and men’s and women’s basketball.

The settlement in the long-running House v. NCAA case went into effect July 1 and allowed schools to directly pay college athletes through a revenue-sharing model.

Trump’s order says, in part, ‘it is the policy of the executive branch that third-party, pay-for-play payments to collegiate athletes are improper and should not be permitted by universities. This policy does not apply to compensation provided to an athlete for the fair market value that the athlete provides to a third party, such as for a brand endorsement.’

There has been considerable debate since the House legal settlement took effect about the role that collectives can have in providing NIL compensation for athletes, and how to assess those deals in terms of market value.

In May, Trump appeared poised to create a commission co-chaired by former Alabama coach Nick Saban and influential Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell with a directive to explore and address major issues facing college sports. But there have been no announcements regarding that directive.

This week, a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at restructuring rules around the administration of college athletics passed two committees and is expected to move to the House floor when the summer recess is over in September.

Speaking at a National Press Club event in Washington earlier the day, before the order was signed,  NCAA President Charlie Baker was asked about possible executive order on college sports. He said he was open to ideas, but “our focus needs to be on the legislative process.”

The leaders of three House committees issued a statement lauding the order, but indicating that they plan to move forward with the legislation. While Trump’s order directs various cabinet secretaries to work on various issues, the bill, for example, has antitrust-exemption language that specifically would allow the NCAA, and potentially the new College Sports Commission, to make operational rules affecting schools and athletes in areas that have come into legal dispute in recent years. That would include rules about transfers and the number of seasons for which athletes can compete.

“We thank President Trump for his commitment to supporting student-athletes and strengthening college athletics in the NIL era,’ read the statement from Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee; Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., who chairs the Education and Workforce Committee; and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the the Judiciary Committee. ‘The SCORE Act, led by our three committees, will complement the President’s executive order, and we look forward to working with all of our colleagues in Congress to build a stronger and more durable college sports environment.”

The order states that athletics departments with more than $125 million in revenue in 2024-25 ‘should provide more scholarship opportunities in non-revenue sports than during the 2024-2025 athletic season and should provide the maximum number of roster spots for non-revenue sports permitted under the applicable collegiate athletic rules.’

Departments with revenue of more than $50 million in 2024-25 should provide at least as many scholarships in non-revenue sports as they did in 2024-25 and should provide the maximum numnber of roster spots for non-revenue sports.

Departments with $50 million or less in 2024-25 ‘should not disproportionately reduce scholarship opportunities or roster spots for sports based on the revenue that the sport generates.’

Under the House settlement, the NCAA’s sport-by-sport scholarship limits were replaced by sport-by-sport roster limits. Many top-revenue schools have been planning to add scholarships in a variety of sports. They also have been dealing with the prospect of having to cut athletes because of the roster limits.

The order directs the Education Secretary, ‘in consultation with’ the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Federal Trade Commission chair to advance the order’s policies.

It also directs the Labor Secretary and the National Labor Relations Board to ‘determine and implement the appropriate measures with respect to clarifying the status of collegiate athletes’. The House bill would prevent college athletes from being employees of their school, conferences or athletic associations.

However, backers of the House bill already had been struggling to find support from Democrats, several of whom criticized the measure after it passed the two commitees on July 23. And that task didn’t get any easier on July 24, when Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., was involved in the re-introduction of two bills. Along with Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., he announced a bill that would help athletes with NIL deals in a variety of ways, including making easier for foreign athletes to make NIL deals in the United States.

Later in the day — but before Trump’s order — Murphy unveiled an effort with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that would make athletes school employees under the National Labor Relations Act and give them the right to organize and collectively bargain. That announcement carried a headline that began: ‘As Trump, Congressional Republicans Side With NCAA Bosses …’

Murphy’s announcement said this effort had the backing of eight House Democrats and multiple labor unions, including major pro sports players’ associations.

(This story was updated with new information.)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Alphabet reported second-quarter results on Wednesday that beat on revenue and earnings, but the company said it would raise its capital investments by $10 billion in 2025.

Here’s how the company did, compared with estimates from analysts polled by LSEG:

Wall Street is also watching several other numbers in the report:

The company’s overall revenue grew 14% year over year, higher than the 10.9% Wall Street expected, but Alphabet is going to spend more on artificial intelligence in 2025 than it anticipated.

In February, the company said it expected to invest $75 billion in capital expenditures in 2025 as it continues to expand on its AI strategy. That was already above the $58.84 billion Wall Street expected at the time.

The company increased that figure on Wednesday to $85 billion, saying it was raising it due to “strong and growing demand for our Cloud products and services.” The company expects to further increase capital expenditures in 2026, Alphabet finance chief Anat Ashkenazi said on an earnings call.

The company reported revenue of $13.62 billion for its cloud computing business, which is a 32% increase from a year ago. Last week, OpenAI announced that it expected to use Google’s cloud infrastructure for its popular ChatGPT service. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said “we are very excited to be partnering with them.”

Alphabet’s net income increased to $28.20 billion, up nearly 20% from the previous year.

The company’s search and advertising units still showed growth in the second quarter despite AI competition heating up. The company’s search unit brought in $54.19 billion during the quarter, and its advertising revenue grew to $71.34 billion — up about 10.4% from $64.61 billion the year prior.

YouTube advertising revenue came in at $9.8 billion, higher than Wall Street expected.

The company said its “Other Bets” segment, which includes its self-driving car unit Waymo and life sciences unit Verily, brought in $373 million — up from $365 million a year ago. Other Bets reported a loss of $1.25 billion, up from the $1.13 billion a year ago.

AI Overviews, Google’s AI search product that summarizes search results, now has upward of two billion monthly users across more than 200 countries and territories, Pichai said during Wednesday’s earnings call. That’s up from 1.5 billion monthly users last quarter.

The Gemini app, which has the company’s AI chatbot, now has more than 450 million monthly active users, Pichai said.

When asked about large spending on AI talent, Ashkenazi said Alphabet makes “sure that we invest appropriately to have the best and brightest minds in the industry.”

Google made a splash in the AI talent wars, announcing earlier in July that it would bring in Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan and other top researchers at the AI coding startup as part of a $2.4 billion deal that also includes licensing the company’s technology.

Total operating expenses increased 20% to $26.1 billion, Ashkenazi said on Wednesday. The biggest driver of growth was expenses for legal and other matters due in part to a $1.4 billion charge related to a settlement, she said on Wednesday’s earnings call. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in May announced a $1.37 billion settlement with Google related to a data privacy rights lawsuit it made against the company in 2022.

Ashkenazi said Alphabet’s third-quarter revenue “could see a tailwind” due to several reasons. That includes a negative impact for advertising, which benefited from “strong spend on U.S. elections” in late 2024, particularly on YouTube, she said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Uber announced a new feature Wednesday that pairs women drivers and riders, in its latest move to address safety on the ride-hailing platform.

The new tool, which the platform will begin piloting next month in the U.S., allows women passengers to match with women drivers when booking or pre-booking rides, and create a preference in their app settings. Women drivers can also choose to drive women.

“It’s about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive,” Camiel Irving, Uber’s vice president of U.S. and Canada operations, said in a release.

The company said the rider’s preference isn’t guaranteed but the feature increases the chances women will be paired in the app.

Uber will pilot the program in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit. The company also said it tested the feature in countries such as France, Germany and Argentina.

This isn’t Uber’s first foray into gender preferences on its platform.

In 2019, Uber rolled out a women rider preference feature for female drivers in Saudi Arabia after women won the right to drive in 2018. That offering later expanded to about 40 countries. A survey from the company in 2015 found that about a fifth of its U.S. drivers were women.

Over the years, ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft have faced safety concerns and questions over the roles these platforms have played in various sexual assault and harassment incidents.

Uber has rolled out several features in recent years to improve safety on the platform, including teen accounts and rider and pin verification.

Competitor Lyft launched an option in late 2023 that pairs women and nonbinary drivers and riders.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

UnitedHealth Group revealed Thursday it is facing a Justice Department investigation over its Medicare billing practices.

It comes after the Wall Street Journal reported in May that the Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into the health-care giant over possible Medicare fraud. In response at the time, the company said it stands “by the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program.”

In July, the Journal also reported that the DOJ interviewed several doctors about UnitedHealth’s practices and whether they felt pressured to submit claims for certain conditions that bolstered payments from the Medicare Advantage program to the company.

That marked the second time this year that the insurer’s Medicare Advantage business has come under federal scrutiny. The Journal also reported in February that the DOJ is conducting a civil investigation into whether the company inflated diagnoses to trigger extra payments to its Medicare Advantage plans.

But in March, UnitedHealth moved a step closer to ending a yearslong legal battle with the DOJ that began with a whistleblower who alleged the company illegally withheld at least $2 billion through the Medicare Advantage program. A special master assigned to the case by the judge issued a recommendation in favor of UnitedHealth, saying the DOJ lacked evidence.

UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare and retirement segment, which includes the Medicare Advantage business, is UnitedHealth Group’s largest revenue driver, raking in $139 billion in sales last year.

The update in the probe comes after a tumultuous last year for UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest and most powerful private health insurer. Shares of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, are down more than 42% for the year after it suspended its 2025 forecast amid skyrocketing medical costs, announced the surprise exit of former CEO Andrew Witty and grappled with the reported probe into its Medicare Advantage business.

The company’s 2024 wasn’t any easier, marked by a historic cyberattack and the torrent of public blowback after the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson.

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Famed wrestler Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, died Thursday, July 24, per Florida police and the WWE.

Bollea had been struggling with health issues for years at this point, including a lingering back injury he suffered during his wrestling career.

Throughout his career, Hogan was the face of professional wrestling for decades. In fact, he was the headliner for the main event in seven of the first eight WrestleMania’s. He was on the covers of magazines, and had a myriad of toys and brands backing him up. He starred in movies, captivated fans and had one strange failed pasta restaurant.

That said, despite his massive success, Hogan was not immune to controversy and criticism. With immense fame came scrutiny and Hogan was not a perfect man. Throughout his career, Hogan was the subject of many negative incidents that played a large role in his fall from grace.

Here are the biggest controversies of Hogan’s career:

Hulk Hogan’s biggest controversies

Hogan’s racist tirade/sex tape

A sex tape is bad enough, but when Hogan was heard also saying horrendous things about Black people, liberally using a racial slur, his reputation took an ever harsher hit. Hogan also said heinous words about the possibility of his daughter dating a Black man. If it wasn’t already clear enough, he also made sure everyone know he was racist by uttering, ‘I am a racist, to a point, (expletive) (racial slur).’

Large role in the destruction of WCW

When Hogan refused to lose a fight with WCW, Vince Russo went out of his way to trash Hogan via a promo. However, given Hogan was handed creative control of WCW, the promo broke that contract, allowing Hogan to sue WCW, costing them tons of money and playing a large role in WCW eventually selling to WWE.

Very messy divorce with Linda Hogan

Linda Hogan was the Hulkster’s wife for most of his wrestling career. However, the marriage did not end well. The pair bickered constantly as each wanted to drag the other down. Linda even accused Hogan of cheating on her.

Laundry list of lies

Hogan would do anything to make himself look cool, even if that meant stretching the truth from time to time. Hogan would lie about everything, small to large.

No one cared that George Foreman was the face of the George Foreman grill instead of Hogan, until Hogan falsely claimed that he was supposed to be the face and only wasn’t because he missed the company’s call. Hogan swore that he received a voicemail claiming that both he and Foreman had received offers. However, the inventor of the grill claimed that he’d never even considered Hogan.

Hogan also lied about being hurt by Undertaker via a piledriver. Undertaker feared for his job and was only saved because video evidence showed that the Undertaker had performed the move perfectly, not allowing Hogan to get hurt at all.

Hogan also erroneously claimed that he was offered a role in the band Metallica as a bassist. It wasn’t long before band members Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield shot down those rumors, calling Hogan a liar.

Hogan’s abuse of power within pro wrestling

When WCW signed Hogan, they gave him creative control over the company, but that did not go as well as they’d hoped. At Starrcade 1997, many fans were hoping to see Sting dethrone Hogan as champion, but Hogan’s contract clause gave him the authority to change the outcome, giving himself the win, much to the chagrin of fans everywhere.

Hogan continued abusing this power elsewhere, too. Fellow wrestler Bret Hart recalls Hogan being unwilling to drop the championship in 1993. Shawn Michaels also tells a story of Hogan backing out of an agreement in which Michaels would win a rematch between the two.

Hogan’s weird moments in politics

Throughout his career, Hogan made a few strange decisions in the world of politics. Not only did he fake a presidential campaign in 2000, but he also threatened to body slam former Vice President Kamala Harris at a Trump rally. That’s taking things a bit too far.

Steroid usage

The 1990s WWE steroids trial saw Vince McMahon under fire for illegal drug usage in pro wrestling. Hogan was the biggest witness of the case, and after years of claiming he’d never used steroids, he finally came clean in an effort to avoid a perjury charge.

At the very least, Hogan did not throw McMahon under the bus, claiming that McMahon had never offered or supplied him with steroids. Hogan’s testimony played a large role in McMahon avoiding jail time.

Preventing Jesse Ventura from starting a union

Although Ventura and Hogan were good friends in professional wrestling, that didn’t stop Hogan from snitching on Ventura as he and several other wrestlers attempted to start a union to protect themselves and their futures.

Hogan told Vince McMahon of Ventura’s plans, allowing McMahon to stop it before it began. To this day, Ventura holds a large grudge against Hogan. There is no evidence that Hogan ever apologized.

Hogan booed at final WWE appearance

Hogan’s final WWE appearance was rather recent, occurring in January 2025, when RAW was broadcast on Netflix for the first time. Hogan was booed during his appearance, fans still upset about the numerous controversies he’d been involved with in the past, including his support for President Donald Trump.

Hogan bit back at the boos though, reminiscing about his time as a wrestler, even claiming that his days as a professional were the best of his life. The moment became even more ridiculous when it was revealed that Hogan was there to promote his new beer brand, ‘Real American Beer.’ It all felt facetious and did not do much to dissuade fans upset with his previous antics.

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Antonio Brown sat by the pool one night earlier this month as rows of multi-colored jewels flashed on the screen in front of him. ‘Let’s win some money, guys,’ he said into the camera.

For nearly 90 minutes, the man who was once the NFL’s most dominant and enigmatic wide receiver hawked promo codes for an offshore gambling website while a livestream audience of a few dozen people watched him play online slots. One fan in the stream’s chatroom told Brown they were praying for him. He smiled.

‘I can’t let them take me out,’ Brown said with a laugh. ‘… Nah. AB snuck out the back door.’

The context was unspoken but clear. A little less than three weeks earlier, Brown had flown to the Middle East after authorities in Miami-Dade County charged him with attempted second-degree murder. According to a copy of the arrest warrant obtained by USA TODAY Sports, he allegedly grabbed a security guard’s gun and fired two shots at an acquaintance outside an amateur boxing event May 16.

Brown, 37, described the charge as ‘fake’ in a post on social media but has a warrant out for his arrest − the latest twist in what has been a tumultuous three-year stretch since he last played professional football.

After removing his jersey and walking off the field midway through a game in January 2022, Brown has attempted to reinvent himself as a musician, entrepreneur and crude-humored influencer on social media. He has recorded songs with well-known rappers, and briefly owned an arena football team. But he has also faced a consistent string of legal issues, including criminal charges, lawsuits alleging unpaid bills and, most recently, Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings.

According to court records, the former wideout could soon be forced to sell two of his Florida homes to repay more than $3.5 million in debt. He has publicly estimated that he made more than $100 million during his NFL career.

‘Yeah, I’m (expletive) up,’ he said with a smile, when asked about the bankruptcy proceedings on ‘The Pivot’ podcast last summer. ‘I just can’t comply with debts. … I’m not broke, but I’m fractured.’

Brown did not reply to interview requests sent via e-mail and social media. USA TODAY Sports also contacted 15 people who were or are in the former NFL star’s orbit, including family members, current and former attorneys, business associates and former teammates. All of them either did not respond to messages or declined to comment on Brown. One associate requested compensation in exchange for an interview, which violates USA TODAY’s code of ethics.

In social media posts, livestreams and podcast interviews, however, the man commonly known as ‘AB’ has offered frequent, if incomplete, glimpses into his life and mindset after football.

‘The first rule of life is self-preservation,’ Brown said on the ‘Assets Over Liabilities’ podcast less than a year after his retirement from the NFL. ‘You’ve got to take care of yourself first. If you ain’t self-sufficient, you can’t really take care of no one else.’

A once great NFL career sputters

In many ways, Brown’s first three years outside of professional football have been a continuation of his last three years within it.

After making seven Pro Bowls in nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Miami native was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019 and his career began to sputter. He bounced between three teams in three years, while also facing multiple league suspensions and lawsuits — including separate claims that he sexually assaulted a former trainer and assaulted a moving truck driver. (Brown settled the lawsuit filed by the trainer, which included an allegation of rape that he denied, and lost a $1.2 million judgment to the truck driver.)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released Brown after he left the field midway through the penultimate game of the 2021 season. And although he didn’t immediately announce his retirement, his focus began to shift.

Brown was announced as the president of Donda Sports, the sports arm of a company founded by controversial musician Ye. He released rap songs under the name ‘AB,’ including one track featuring prominent rapper Young Thug. And he traveled to Dubai and hung out with Floyd Mayweather ahead of one of the boxer’s fights.

Later that summer, Brown signed a record deal with Secure The Bag (STB) Entertainment, which gave him a $150,000 advance and arranged for him to perform at a hip-hop music festival called Rolling Loud. But the relationship quickly soured when he sent the company an invoice for $178,000 after returning from the festival, which STB Entertainment refused to pay, according to a lawsuit later filed by the company.

Brown stopped returning messages from STB Entertainment’s owner, Ryan Kane, and began publicly distancing himself from the company with which he had signed a distribution contract, according to court records.

‘I don’t got a deal with nobody, man,’ Brown said on ‘Assets Over Liabilities’ that fall, when asked about rumors he had secured a different record deal. ‘I own myself.’

It wasn’t just the lawsuit, however, that defined Brown’s first fall since leaving the NFL. In October, the New York Post published video of Brown exposing himself to a woman at a hotel pool in Dubai. (He dismissed the footage in a social-media post as ‘disinformation.’)

He also faced a misdemeanor battery charge for allegedly throwing a shoe at a woman while attempting to evict her from a house in Tampa. She later declined to press charges. USA TODAY Sports does not identify the victims of alleged domestic violence without their permission.

After football, Brown faces numerous lawsuits

Brown has been party to at least 10 lawsuits since retiring from the NFL, according to USA TODAY Sports research. Some alleged that he broke contracts, did not repay bills and did not return lucrative pieces of jewelry. One civil case claims Brown sold the plaintiff — Kane, the STB Entertainment head — a fake Richard Mille watch for $160,000. Kane’s attorney did not provide answers to written questions about his interactions with Brown.

Brown has also filed several legal complaints himself — some of which cited esoteric legal statutes and appear to have been drafted without the help of a lawyer.

After Tampa police responded to the domestic incident in Tampa in late 2022, for example, Brown filed a document accusing officers of trespassing and seeking $68 million in damages from Hillsborough County.

One year later, he filed a 65-page complaint in federal court against 11 different entities, including lawyers and a state judge, after he was arrested for failing to pay child support. Brown − who, according to the 2018 Steelers’ media guide, was born in Miami − identified himself in the document as ‘a foreign national by birth but not a citizen of the United States. He alleged, among other things, violations of the 1886 Civil Rights Act. The case was swiftly dismissed by a judge, who called it ‘a quintessential shotgun pleading.’

While juggling various legal claims, Brown has also remained in the public eye.

In March 2023, he was introduced as a new co-owner of the Albany Empire, a National Arena League football team for which his father, Eddie ‘Touchdown’ Brown, had previously been a star player. Within three months, the Empire was booted from the league because it said Brown failed to pay league membership fees and fines. Game checks for players also went unpaid, according to The Albany Times-Union.

‘I feel like this was his plan all along,’ Empire wide receiver Fabian Guerra told the newspaper. ‘I feel like he does stuff for social media and to sell his songs. I think it’s just what he does. That’s the type of guy he is. No one trusts him anymore.’

‘People don’t understand’

Since retiring, Brown has been a frequent guest on podcasts and TV shows, sitting for lengthy interviews in which he’s discussed his music career, his stance on social media and his hopes of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027.

During an appearance on ‘The Pivot’ podcast last summer, Brown said he meets with a therapist to talk about trauma from his football career. When co-host Fred Taylor said there are people who are concerned about him, Brown interjected.

‘I just feel like people don’t understand,’ he said. ‘It’s always when people don’t understand, you’re crazy. Or you’re not from where I’m from, so you don’t get to understand it.’

Brown has talked openly and repeatedly about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the neurodegenerative brain disease more commonly known as CTE. He has also posted videos and conducted interviews for a self-described sports outlet that he’s dubbed ‘CTESPN’ — a crude combination of the popular sports network and the disease that has been found in the brains of deceased NFL players.

It was on CTESPN’s social media accounts that he announced in May 2024 he had filed for bankruptcy − alongside a video clip featuring a comedic moment from ‘The Office.’

In initial court filings, Brown claimed to have less than $50,000 in assets. But that figure has changed drastically in subsequent filings, as he included or revealed additional assets technically owned by trusts or corporate entities he controls.

Creditors and the trustee assigned to the case have criticized Brown for the financial mixups and his conduct in court − including a March hearing that he asked to postpone because he said he was dealing with an unspecified medical issue.

‘The Debtor, however, was not in poor health,’ the U.S. trustee later wrote in a court filing. ‘In fact, the Debtor participated as an invited guest on The Joe Rogan Experience (a podcast) for 98 minutes the very next day.’

Brown’s first bankruptcy attorney has since resigned and his case has been converted to Chapter 7 − a form of bankruptcy in which the court can seize assets and garnish wages to repay creditors. (His current bankruptcy attorney, Chad Van Horn, declined comment.)

According to court records obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the trustee in Brown’s case is in the process of selling two of his homes, and also asking a judge to force him to provide accurate financial data to the court. The next hearing in the case is July 24.

Andrew Dawson, a professor of bankruptcy law at the University of Miami, said the bankruptcy proceedings are actually protecting Brown by pausing any lawsuits filed against him and preventing new suits from being filed. But disobeying court orders could, in theory, prompt a judge to throw out the case.

‘If he loses the protection, in some ways, he might be worse off,’ Dawson said. ‘Now, creditors are actually aware that, wow, he owes a lot of money to a lot of people, and there may be some property we didn’t know. It leads to what we sort of call the proverbial race to the courthouse. Everyone wants to go and file their claim.’

Brown apparently in United Arab Emirates

One will find little evidence of Brown’s financial issues on his social media feeds, where he portrays himself as living the same luxurious lifestyle he led when he was in the NFL.

Since arriving in the Middle East nearly six weeks ago, he has posted images of sprawling marble floors and flashy sports cars. He celebrated his 37th birthday on a yacht with several of his children. On June 26, he posted a screenshot on X of an account balance exceeding $24 million. ‘Bankrupt over,’ he wrote in part of the caption.

Tamara Lave, a former public defender and law professor at the University of Miami, said the frequent social media posts could complicate Brown’s bankruptcy claims because they could be later used against him in court. ‘I think silence would be a virtue for him, right now,’ she said.

Brown also is still wanted by the state of Florida after he allegedly fired two gunshots at Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, 41, during the May 16 incident in Miami. According to the arrest warrant, the shots came after a physical altercation between Brown and Nantambu, who previously sued the former NFL wide receiver, won a judgment of nearly $1 million from a jury and is now among the creditors named in Brown’s bankruptcy case.

Miami police have repeatedly declined to answer questions about the warrant or Brown’s case, citing ‘an open active investigation.’ And it is unclear whether they, or the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, are aware of Brown’s whereabouts or have been in contact with him or his attorney.

At least as of July 23, Brown appeared to be living in the United Arab Emirates, according to social media posts. Lave said that would mean he could only be taken into custody in one of two ways: If he returned to the United States, where he would likely be detained by Customs and Border Protection, or if the U.S. asked the UAE to extradite him.

‘I think it’s more a geopolitical question − what the UAE would want to do in terms of the relationship with our president,’ Lave said.

Brown campaigned for President Donald Trump and spoke at one of his rallies last fall.

Online, at least, Brown remains relatively easy to find. He has 2.5 million followers on X, where many of his posts include racist, homophobic or otherwise vulgar language. He has also hosted multiple livestreams in what appears to be an attempt to drum up interest for a Belize-based gambling company, BC.GAME.

During one such stream, which is no longer archived online, Brown balked at the suggestion from a commenter that he was ‘hiding out’ in the Middle East.

‘I’m here full-time,’ he said. ‘We’re not hiding.’

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.

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After an offseason dominated by intrigue and previously unimaginable headlines, Bill Belichick is only about a month away from coaching his first football game at North Carolina.

Before he does that, though, the legendary NFL coach will get to take part in one of his favorite exercises — speaking in front of a group of hundreds of reporters.

Heading into his first season ever as a college football coach, Belichick will make his scheduled appearance at ACC media days in Charlotte on July 24, where he’ll discuss his Tar Heels team ahead of its highly anticipated September 1 season-opener against TCU.

Since North Carolina stunned much of the college football world by hiring Belichick last December, the six-time Super Bowl champion has been breathlessly discussed, though usually outside of the confines of football and his new job.

Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson, his 24-year-old girlfriend, became a source of widespread public fascination that went beyond amusing social media posts of the couple wearing costumes or doing beach yoga. Hudson famously interjected during a CBS Sunday Morning interview in April when Belichick was asked how the two met, a moment that was captured on camera and set off a wave of reporting on Hudson, her role as Belichick’s manager and what impact, if any, it has had on the North Carolina program.

In Chapel Hill, he’ll look to inject life into a program that has often been described as a sleeping giant, but has routinely struggled to wake up. Though they’ve been a perennial bowl participant for the past 40 years, the Tar Heels haven’t won the ACC since 1980 and have won at least 10 games only once since 1998.

USA TODAY Sports will be providing live updates and highlights from Belichick’s interviews at ACC media days. Follow along here:

Bill Belichick ACC media days live updates

This section will be updated closer to the start of Belichick’s news conference

Bill Belichick non-committal on North Carolina QB battle

Arguably the most important position on the North Carolina roster is still a bit of a question mark heading into Bill Belichick’s first season at the helm.

The Tar Heels have six quarterbacks on their roster, but the battle for the starting spot is widely seen as coming down to Max Johnson, a Texas A&M transfer who was their starter last season before breaking his leg in the season-opener against Minnesota; Gio Lopez, a South Alabama transfer; and Bryce Baker, a freshman who was a four-star recruit and top-100 prospect nationally in the 2025 class.

Belichick said every quarterback will get an opportunity to win the job, with the final result of the competition coming down to their play on the field.

‘We’ll let the competition play out on the field,’ he said in an interview on SportsCenter. ‘I can’t control how players play. Never have and never will. Performance is up to the players and we’ll do the best we can to coach all of them.’

ACC media clears out after Bill Belichick news conference

Bill Belichick wasn’t the only person to leave the hotel ballroom in Charlotte once he was done with his news conference.

Most of the assembled media departed the room with him, with Belichick’s more intimate breakout session with reporters taking place shortly after he was done at the dais. By the time NC State coach Dave Doeren had his news conference, the room that Belichick had filled was largely empty, prompting Doeren to note that it had gotten a little sleepier in the room.

Bill Belichick breaks down difference between coaching NFL and college players

One of the biggest questions facing Belichick entering his first season at North Carolina is how the NFL lifer will adjust to coaching college football, particularly during a time of such profound change in the sport.

During an interview with SiriusXM Radio Thursday, Belichick detailed the differences between coaching at the college and professional level. He noted that college coaches have more time to train players and, because of larger rosters, get more practice reps. He believes college players are more eager and less stubborn than their NFL counterparts, though he added that someone like Tom Brady was always open to learning and soaking in new information.

“They don’t have as many bad habits,’ Belichick said. ‘They’re more anxious to learn fundamentally the right way, or at least the way we’re teaching them to do things. They really embrace it. That’s not always the case in the NFL. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn’t.”

Bill Belichick answers question about fullbacks

Over the course of his two decades with the New England Patriots, the famously terse Belichick developed a reputation for long-winded answers about football minutiae, particularly when it pertained to important-but-overlooked positions like long-snapper and punter.

Sure enough, one of the three questions he received during his news conference Thursday was about the evolution of the fullback position.

Bill Belichick details relationship with Dabo Swinney

Earlier on Thursday of ACC media days, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney discussed how much he has already learned from Bill Belichick in his brief time in the ACC.

The feeling is evidently mutual.

Belichick described Swinney as a ‘friend for a long time,’ noting that the two often interacted when Belichick was with the Patriots and was evaluating Clemson players he was interested in drafting.

‘I have so much respect for him,’ Belichick said.

Bill Belichick drawing huge crowds at ACC media days

Even for something as mundane as walking from one media hit to another inside the convention space of a Charlotte hotel, Bill Belichick has been attracting a crowd of reporters chronicling his every step — including when he’s coming out of the bathroom.

What time is Bill Belichick speaking at ACC media days?

Date: Thursday, July 24
Time: 2 p.m. ET

Belichick is scheduled to take the stage at ACC media days in Charlotte at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 24.

What channel is ACC media days on today?

TV channel: ACC Network
Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

Belichick’s news conference at ACC media days, as well as all coach and player news conferences at the event, will air on the ACC Network.

Streaming options include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access; ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service; and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Will Jordon Hudson be at ACC media days?

It’s unclear whether Belichick’s girlfriend, who he described in his memoir as his “creative muse,” will be joining him in Charlotte for ACC media days.

At the very least, Belichick will be in Charlotte with four of his players — defensive backs Thaddeus Dixon and Will Hardy, quarterback Gio Lopez and wide receiver Jordan Shipp — all of whom will also be speaking with the assembled media.

ACC media days schedule today

With Belichick serving as the headliner — which is no small feat considering he’s speaking the same day as a two-time national championship head coach in Clemson’s Dabo Swinney — here’s a rundown of what teams will be sending out their coaches and players to meet with the media Thursday:

All times Eastern

Boston College: 10-10:30 a.m.
Virginia Tech: 11-11:30 a.m.
Clemson: 12-12:30 p.m.
Duke: 1-1:30 p.m.
North Carolina: 2-2:30 p.m.
NC State: 3-3:30 p.m.

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The WNBA regular season heats up as the Indiana Fever host the Las Vegas Aces in a highly anticipated matchup on Thursday, July 24.

The Fever will be without Caitlin Clark, who has been ruled out of the game against the Aces due to a right groin injury. This will mark the 12th regular-season game that Clark has missed. Ahead of tonight’s game, the Fever announced Clark underwent further medical evaluations earlier this week, which confirmed no additional injuries or damage. There is no timetable for her return, however, as Clark and the team prioritize the All-Star guard’s long-term health.

The Fever are aiming to snap a two-game losing streak after their recent loss to the New York Liberty. All-Star Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever in scoring in the loss, recording 29 points, two rebounds and two assists.

The Aces are currently enjoying their first three-game winning streak of the season after an 87-72 deafeat of the Atlanta Dream. Three-time MVP A’ja Wilson led the team with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Jackie Young and Dana Evans contributed a combined total of 28 points in the victory.

Here is how to watch the Indiana Fever take on the Las Vegas Aces tonight:

What time is Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever?

The Indiana Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Fans can watch the action on Prime Video.

How to watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever: TV, stream

Time: 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT)
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
Streaming: Prime Video
Local TV: WTHR Channel 13 (Indianapolis), Vegas 34 (Las Vegas).

The game will also be available to view on demand on WNBA League Pass after it concludes.

Stream Aces vs. Fever on Prime

Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Injury status vs. Aces

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces. Clark will miss her third consecutive game due to a right groin injury suffered in the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15. 

Thursday will mark the 12th regular-season game Clark has missed this season due to injury. There’s no timetable for her return.

Indiana Fever starting lineup

Las Vegas Aces starting lineup

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