Toronto awarded WNBA expansion team to begin play in 2026

Ladies’s skilled basketball is coming to Toronto. 

CBC Sports activities has discovered that Kilmer Sports activities Inc., headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, has been granted an enlargement franchise with the Ladies’s Nationwide Basketball Affiliation.

An announcement is anticipated Could 23 in Toronto, with the group to start play in Could 2026, based on 4 individuals with data of the deal however who will not be approved to discuss it.

The WNBA didn’t verify the Toronto transfer.

“We proceed to interact in productive conversations with possession teams in quite a lot of markets and the granting of any enlargement groups requires a vote of the WNBA and NBA board of governors,” the league mentioned.

Tanenbaum is a minority proprietor and chairman of sporting large Maple Leafs Sports activities and Leisure which owns the Maple Leafs, Raptors, TFC, Argos and Marlies.

The 79-year-old initially pursued the enlargement group via MLSE, however it was turned down by different members of the board. 

Larry Tanenbaum, left, presents a hoop to Kyle Lowry in 2019 to have a good time the Toronto Raptors’ NBA championship. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

The WNBA not too long ago expanded to 13 groups with San Francisco-based Golden State to start play subsequent 12 months, and commissioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned in April Toronto was among the many cities being thought of because the 14th group.

In a press release, Courtney Glen, vice chairman of public affairs and communications for the Kilmer Group, mentioned the group has “no replace right now.”

A WNBA spokesperson mentioned: “We proceed to interact in productive conversations with possession teams in quite a lot of markets however don’t have any information to report right now.”

WATCH | What a Toronto WNBA group means for the town, gamers and followers:

Toronto is getting a WNBA group. What it means for the town, gamers and followers

Ladies’s skilled basketball is coming to Toronto in Could 2026. CBC Sports activities has discovered that Kilmer Sports activities Inc., headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, has been granted an enlargement franchise with the Ladies’s Nationwide Basketball Affiliation.

Mayor Olivia Chow mentioned in a tv interview on Friday she was conscious there was motion on Toronto getting a girls’s basketball group.

“Watch for it. Hopefully, there will likely be one thing afterward,” mentioned Chow in an interview with native information channel CP24. “Basketball, it is simply nice and having position fashions, it is time.

“Hopefully, there will likely be excellent news quickly and I can not anticipate that to occur.”

A supply mentioned the group would play at Coca-Cola Coliseum, an 8,000-seat enviornment at Toronto’s Exhibition Place which is residence to the Marlies and the place Toronto’s Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League franchise is at present taking part in its first playoff sequence.

Canada’s Bridget Carleton greets followers after her Minnesota Lynx group’s pre-season sport in opposition to the Chicago Sky in Toronto final Could. (Chris Younger/Canadian Press)

Skilled girls’s sports activities has been on the rise in Canada with the formation of the PWHL that has two different Canadian franchises in Ottawa and Montreal, in addition to a brand new girls’s soccer league that’s anticipated to start play in 2025. 

A 12 months in the past, Toronto’s Scotiabank Enviornment bought out for the WNBA’s first pre-season sport in Canada and on Saturday, greater than 16,000 tickets have been bought for a sport in Edmonton’s Rogers Place.

The league not too long ago held its novice draft, with NCAA star Caitlin Clark going first total to the Indiana Fever.

Kilmer Sports activities Inc. is a brand new arm of Tanenbaum’s Kilmer Group, and it has employed former European soccer govt Ivan Gazidis to guide the brand new group. Teresa Resch can be a part of the brand new group after leaving her job with the Raptors as vice chairman of basketball operations.

WATCH | How sports activities followers are reacting to potential Toronto WNBA enlargement group:

How sports activities followers are reacting to Toronto’s WNBA enlargement group

CBC Sports activities has discovered that Kilmer Sports activities Inc., headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, has been granted an enlargement franchise with the WNBA. The official announcement is about for Could 23 and the group is anticipated to start taking part in in 2026. Ali Chiasson spoke to excited Torontonians outdoors Scotiabank Enviornment.

Former NBA player Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis sentenced to 40 months for defrauding league insurance plan

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Boston Celtics participant Glen “Massive Child” Davis was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in a federal jail for his participation in a scheme New York prosecutors stated defrauded an insurance coverage plan for NBA gamers and their households of greater than $5 million.

Greater than 20 folks had been convicted within the case, a lot of them onetime NBA gamers who submitted fictitious dental and medical claims to the NBA Gamers’ Well being and Profit Welfare Plan. A jury discovered Davis and former Detroit Pistons guard Will Bynum responsible in November.

Davis could have three years of supervised launch after he serves his time period, and he has been ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution. Davis’ legal professional, Sabrina Shroff, declined to remark. Bynum was sentenced final month to 18 months in jail and three years of supervised launch and in addition should pay $182,224 in restitution.

Prosecutors stated medical doctors and dentists working with the gamers created fraudulent invoices that had been submitted to the supplemental insurance coverage plan for reimbursement.

Davis was discovered responsible of well being care fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to make false statements and conspiracy to commit well being care and wire fraud.

Davis was the Southeastern Convention participant of the 12 months whereas main LSU to the 2006 NCAA championship recreation. He performed for 3 groups over eight NBA seasons and was a member of the Celtics’ 2008 title crew.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Northern lights may appear in Iowa due to geomagnetic storm

Chances are you’ll need to search for within the sky this weekend, Iowans.

The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s House Climate Prediction Middle forecasts the potential for a extreme geomagnetic storm starting Friday night.

When a coronal mass ejection, or an eruption of photo voltaic materials, reaches Earth, a geomagnetic storm can happen, in line with the prediction heart.

Geomagnetic storm ranges might proceed Saturday night, and probably Saturday in a single day, stated Shawn Dahl, a service coordinator with the prediction heart in an e-mail to the Register.

Among the many impacts of this storm is that an aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, could also be seen for folks throughout America.

Right here’s what to know so that you don’t miss out on a putting show of lights within the sky.

What are the northern lights forecast in Iowa?

Iowans can anticipate to see the northern lights this weekend, Dahl stated.

The geomagnetic storm has the potential to be thought-about a G4 on NOAA’s House Climate Scales, thought-about extreme, starting Friday night and into Saturday, in line with Dahl.

A G4, in line with the size of 1-5, means an aurora may be seen “as little as Alabama and northern California.”

Friday evening can have a stronger chance of seeing the aurora in Iowa, in line with an up to date forecast posted Friday morning by the House Climate Prediction Middle.

How can I see the northern lights in Iowa?

To see the northern lights, you’ll want clear skies.

Friday evening might see rain within the early night in central Iowa earlier than turning principally clear round 7 p.m. For jap Iowa, rain might stick round by means of about 10 p.m.

In Des Moines, Ames and Iowa Metropolis, Saturday evening is predicted to be “principally clear,” in line with the Nationwide Climate Service as of Friday morning.

To extend your possibilities of seeing the aurora, you need to journey to areas the place there may be much less gentle air pollution, Dahl stated.

Traditionally, one of the best time to see the lights is between 10 p.m. and a couple of a.m.

Chances are you’ll need to carry your telephone with you while you step out to view the aurora. The digital camera in your system is delicate and may decide up the lights higher than your eye, USA TODAY reported.

What’s a geomagnetic storm?

A geomagnetic storm is “a serious disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere,” in line with the prediction heart.

Earth’s magnetosphere protects our planet from photo voltaic and cosmic particle radiation and erosion of our ambiance by photo voltaic wind, in line with NASA.

The storm happens as a consequence of a “very environment friendly trade” of vitality from photo voltaic wind — “the fixed movement of charged particles streaming off the solar,” says NASA — into the house surroundings surrounding Earth, in line with the prediction heart.

A extreme geomagnetic storm may cause issues for energy techniques, spacecraft operations and extra.

Go to swpc.noaa.gov for updates on the geomagnetic storm.

What are the northern lights?

The phrase aurora refers back to the gentle produced when electrons from house, touring down Earth’s magnetic subject, collide with atoms and molecules of the higher ambiance, in line with the prediction heart.

The colourful aurora types when particles flowing from the solar get caught up in Earth’s magnetic subject. The particles work together with molecules of atmospheric gases to trigger the famed glowing inexperienced and reddish colours of the aurora.

USA TODAY reporter Doyle Rice contributed to this report.

Paris Barraza is a trending and common project reporter on the Des Moines Register. Attain her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Comply with her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis sentenced to 40 months in prison over fraud scheme

NEW YORK — Former NBA ahead Glen “Large Child” Davis was sentenced by a federal decide Thursday to 40 months in jail, plus three years’ supervised launch, for his November 2023 conviction in an alleged scheme to defraud the league’s well being care advantages plan.

Twenty-two individuals — 18 of them former gamers, together with Terrence Williams and Keyon Dooling — have been sentenced within the case for submitting false medical claims with the NBA Gamers’ Well being and Profit Welfare Plan.

Davis, 38, who has maintained his innocence since indictments within the case have been handed down in October 2021, was discovered responsible of a number of fraud fees and conspiring to make false statements. He was ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution. The situations of his supervised launch embody attending a monetary administration class and receiving obligatory drug therapy.

Williams, the supposed ringleader of what the Southern District of New York U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace has described as a “wide-ranging scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of {dollars},” was sentenced to 10 years final August.

However apart from Williams, no former NBA participant has acquired extra jail time than Davis. Final month, former NBA guard Will Bynum, who was convicted alongside Davis in November, was sentenced to 18 months, partly for mendacity to a jury whereas beneath oath.

Davis’ protection lawyer, Sabrina Shroff, declined remark. The press workplace of the Southern District of New York additionally declined remark.

In court docket, assistant U.S. lawyer Ryan Finkel characterised Davis as having allegedly executed a “refined and clever effort” to masks his misdeeds.

A raft of pre-sentencing paperwork submitted to the court docket on Davis’ behalf included letters of testimony from household, former coaches and a number of officers with the NBA gamers’ union: NBPA common counsel Ron Klempner and government director Andre Iguodala.

“On behalf of all of our NBPA members previous and current, I respectfully ask that you simply take into account Glen’s accomplishments and the optimistic impression he has had on these round him when figuring out his sentence,” Iguodala wrote in his letter. “I acknowledge the seriousness of this authorized matter and admire the thoroughness of the judicial course of and ask for leniency with these elements in thoughts.”

However apart from two journalists and a half dozen attendees affiliated with the prosecution, no different members of the general public attended the sentencing.

“It pains me that there is no such thing as a one right here for Mr. Davis,” Shroff advised the court docket whereas combating by means of tears. She acknowledged her consumer’s “poor selections” however argued for a time-served sentence with necessities for group service, psychological well being remedy and therapy for a hashish habit.

Davis, who helped the Boston Celtics win the 2008 championship and retired from the NBA after his ultimate season in 2014-15, grew more and more animated all through the listening to, shaking his head, burying his face in his arms and sighing deeply in disbelief.

“After I misplaced basketball, I misplaced myself,” he pleaded to Choose Valerie E. Caproni earlier than the sentence was handed down. “I ask you, your honor, to assist me get again to who I’m.”

How Oklahomans could see the Aurora Borealis

When you’ve ever needed to see the Northern Lights however cannot make the journey north, tonight could also be your fortunate evening.

The Nationwide Climate Service’s House Climate Prediction Middle has issued a “G4 (Extreme) Geomagnetic Watch” for Could 11, which has Northern Lights-hopefuls excited throughout the US.

This is what the forecast means, together with when the aurora will likely be seen and what your finest possibilities of seeing it in Oklahoma are.

Aurora forecast: Will the Northern Lights be seen tonight?

The House Climate Prediction Middle stated a number of coronal mass ejections from the solar, or “massive expulsions of plasma and magnetic discipline from the Solar’s corona,” are anticipated to reach at Earth late on Could 10 or early Could 11.

Auroras might be seen over many of the northern half of the US, and the prediction middle stated the Northern Lights might be seen as far south as Alabama or northern-California.

Easy methods to see the Northern Lights in Oklahoma

A serious requirement for viewing the Northern Lights is evident skies, and the Nationwide Climate Service in Norman stated Oklahoma cloud cowl needs to be restricted the evening of Could 10.

Whereas Oklahomans possible will not have the ability to view the lights overhead, the workplace stated auroras might be seen alongside the northern horizon, particularly with a digicam.

The most effective possibilities of seeing auroras are late at evening, between 10 p.m. and a couple of a.m. native time, away from metropolis lights.

Why will the Northern Lights be seen thus far south?

With the phenomenon’s title indicating its important viewing space is the north, why may we see them as far south as Oklahoma?

The Aurora Borealis has in truth been showing extra regularly all through the US, like in 2023 when the lights had been seen so far as Arkansas within the South and Arizona within the West.

This improve in widespread sightings is due to the “photo voltaic most,” which is predicted to peak this yr, in response to USA As we speak.

“There have been a rise in aurora seen usually on Earth,” Shannon Schmoll, the director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State College instructed USA TODAY final yr. “The solar has been extra energetic, leading to extra photo voltaic storms that trigger photo voltaic flares and coronal mass ejections (CME).”

What causes the Northern Lights?

When the CME’s attain Earth, they react with the magnetic discipline and create a show generally known as the Northern Lights.

Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA As we speak

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Friday tee times: Round 2

Rory McIlroy is on the lookout for some momentum heading into subsequent week’s PGA Championship.

Andrew Redington/Getty Photographs

The 2024 Wells Fargo Championship continues on Friday, Might 10, with the second spherical at Quail Hole Membership in North Carolina. You could find full Wells Fargo Championship tee occasions for the second spherical on the backside of this put up.

All eyes are on Rory McIlroy on the Wells Fargo Championship, as he preps for a run at his third PGA Championship title subsequent week. Can the World No. 2 present a severe problem to the far-and-away World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at Valhalla?

With Scheffler sitting out, McIlroy has a golden alternative to achieve some profitable momentum this week at Quail Hole. A win would go a protracted strategy to serving to him construct sufficient confidence to finish his prolonged major-winning drought.

McIlroy had a day tee time alongside Tom Kim and Max Homa on Thursday, so for Friday’s second spherical our featured trio will change to a morning beginning time of 11:33 a.m. ET.

You may watch the second spherical of the Wells Fargo Championship on ESPN+ with unique early motion and featured group protection all day, and on Golf Channel beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Peacock will supply a simulcast of Golf Channel’s protection.

You may take a look at the whole Spherical 2 tee occasions for the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship beneath.

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2024 Wells Fargo Championship tee occasions for Friday: Spherical 2 (ET)

Tee No. 1

11:00 a.m. – Austin Eckroat, Adam Scott, Ben Kohles
11:11 a.m. – Lucas Glover, J.T. Poston, Cam Davis
11:22 a.m. – Chris Kirk, Taylor Moore, Tommy Fleetwood
11:33 a.m. – Nick Taylor, Tony Finau, Adam Hadwin
11:44 a.m. – Stephan Jaeger, Matt Kuchar, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
11:55 a.m. – Taylor Pendrith, Akshay Bhatia, Justin Thomas
12:06 p.m. – Brian Harman, Jason Day, Patrick Cantlay
12:17 p.m. – Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele
12:28 p.m. – Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth
12:39 p.m. – Keegan Bradley, Kurt Kitayama, Cameron Younger
12:50 p.m. – Grayson Murray, Justin Rose, Webb Simpson

Tee No. 10

11:00 a.m. -Jake Knapp, Will Zalatoris, Alex Noren
11:11 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Sam Burns, Harris English
11:22 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Sahith Theegala, Viktor Hovland
11:33 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Tom Kim, Max Homa
11:44 a.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Corey Conners, Adam Svensson
11:55 a.m. – Billy Horschel, Nick Dunlap, Kevin Tway
12:06 p.m. – Peter Malnati, Matthieu Pavon, Gary Woodland
12:17 p.m. – Sungjae Im, Brendon Todd, Denny McCarthy
12:28 p.m. – Tom Hoge, Andrew Putnam, Adam Schenk
12:39 p.m. – Sepp Straka, Mackenzie Hughes, Eric Cole
12:50 p.m. – Si Woo Kim, Seamus Energy, Patrick Rodgers
1:01 p.m. – Lee Hodges, Russell Henley, Byeong Hun An

Kevin Cunningham

Golf.com Editor

As managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes tales on GOLF.com, and manages the model’s e-newsletters, which attain greater than 1.4 million subscribers every month. A former two-time intern, he additionally helps maintain GOLF.com buzzing outdoors the news-breaking tales and repair content material offered by our reporters and writers, and works with the tech group within the growth of recent merchandise and modern methods to ship an attractive website to our viewers.

Israël en finale de l’Eurovision malgré les critiques | Proche-Orient, l’éternel conflit

Israël s’est qualifié pour la finale samedi de l’Eurovision de la chanson à Malmö, en Suède, où des milliers de personnes ont manifesté contre sa participation à ce concours en raison de la guerre à Gaza.

Eden Golan, 20 ans, a décroché son billet jeudi soir avec la chanson Hurricane, dont la model initiale avait dû être modifiée, automobile elle faisait allusion à l’attaque du groupe islamiste Hamas qui a ensanglanté Israël le 7 octobre.

Israël intègre ainsi le groupe de 26 pays qui s’affronteront samedi pour succéder à la Suède comme lauréate de cette compétition suivie en 2023 par 162 tens of millions de téléspectateurs.

Je suis si reconnaissante à tous ceux qui ont voté pour nous et qui nous ont soutenus, a déclaré l’Israélienne. C’est vraiment un honneur d’être ici, sur scène, de jouer et de montrer notre voix, de nous présenter avec fierté.

Israël participe depuis 1973 à l’Eurovision, qu’il a remporté pour la quatrième fois en 2018.

Vendredi, le pays figurait parmi les favoris pour la victoire finale derrière la Croatie et devant la Suisse, selon le comparateur de websites de paris en ligne Oddschecker.com.

Avant la demi-finale, le premier ministre israélien Benyamin Nétanyahou avait déclaré qu’Eden Golan avait déjà gagné.

Non seulement vous participez fièrement et de manière admirable à l’Eurovision, mais vous affrontez avec succès une horrible imprecise d’antisémitisme.

Une quotation de Benyamin Nétanyahou, premier ministre israélien

Manifestation contre la participation d’Israël

Près de 12 000 personnes, dont la militante pour le climat Greta Thunberg, ont manifesté jeudi à Malmö contre la participation d’Israël.

Cette année, on boycotte complètement, a confié Cecilia Brudell, 31 ans. Un nouveau rassemblement est prévu samedi.

Un groupe de manifestants propalestiniens se sont rassemblés à Malmö, jeudi.

Photograph : Getty Photographs / IDA MARIE ODGAARD / AFP

Les syndicats de la chaîne de télévision publique flamande VRT ont brièvement interrompu la retransmission jeudi soir pour diffuser un message de soutien aux Palestiniens.

CeaseFireNow.StopGenocideNow“,”textual content”:”Ceci est une motion syndicale. Nous condamnons les violations des droits de l’homme par l’État d’Israël. En outre, l’État d’Israël détruit la liberté de la presse. C’est pourquoi nous interrompons un instantaneous la diffusion. CeaseFireNow.StopGenocideNow”}}”>Ceci est une motion syndicale. Nous condamnons les violations des droits de l’homme par l’État d’Israël. En outre, l’État d’Israël détruit la liberté de la presse. C’est pourquoi nous interrompons un instantaneous la diffusion. CeaseFireNow.StopGenocideNow (Un cessez-le-feu, maintenant. Arrêtez le génocide, maintenant), pouvait-on lire à l’écran en néerlandais, sur fond noir.

Hurricane a toutefois été interprétée sans accroc ni interruption par Eden Golan devant les 9000 spectateurs du Malmö Enviornment.

Dans l’enceinte, l’Union européenne de radiotélévision (UER), qui chapeaute le concours, a comme à l’accoutumée interdit tout drapeau autre que ceux des contributors et toute bannière à message politique.

Sécurité renforcée

La sécurité a par ailleurs été renforcée tant dans la salle que dans le reste de la ville, où vit la plus importante communauté d’origine palestinienne de Suède et où les drapeaux palestiniens côtoient les fanions aux couleurs acidulées.

UER prend toutes les précautions nécessaires pour faire de ce lieu un endroit sûr et uni pour tous”,”textual content”:”L’UER prend toutes les précautions nécessaires pour faire de ce lieu un endroit sûr et uni pour tous”}}”>L’UER prend toutes les précautions nécessaires pour faire de ce lieu un endroit sûr et uni pour tous, s’est félicitée après la demi-finale Eden Golan, qui a fait l’objet de menaces sur les réseaux sociaux.

La neutralité du télé-crochet avait été bousculée mardi lors de la première demi-finale par le chanteur suédois Eric Saade, qui portait un keffieh palestinien autour du bras.

Le slogan de l’Eurovision est « United by music » (unis par la musique).

Photograph : Getty Photographs / IDA MARIE ODGAARD / AFP

Un geste regretté par la télévision publique suédoise SVT et par l’UER, qui avait interdit au président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky de s’exprimer lors du concours l’an dernier.

Cette année, le conflit en Ukraine a été éclipsé par la guerre à Gaza, déclenchée le 7 octobre par l’attaque sanglante du Hamas contre Israël qui a fait plus de 1170 morts, selon un bilan de l’AFP établi à partir de données officielles israéliennes.

En riposte, l’armée israélienne a lancé une offensive à Gaza, qui a fait jusqu’à présent 34 904 morts, selon le ministère de la Santé du Hamas.

Il doit y avoir des manifestations, les gens doivent exprimer leurs opinions, les gens doivent boycotter, a déclaré Magnus Børmark, candidat pour la Norvège avec son groupe Gåte, qui, comme huit autres contributors, ont appelé à un cessez-le-feu sturdy.

Les représentants de certains pays avaient envisagé de boycotter le concours, mais n’ont finalement pas donné suite.

Des renforts policiers sont venus de toute la Suède, mais aussi du Danemark et de la Norvège pour sécuriser le concours.

Il n’y a pas de menace dirigée contre l’Eurovision, a cependant assuré un porte-parole de la police.

Une démonstration de la tolérance européenne

Pour les admirateurs – la ville attend jusqu’à 100 000 visiteurs samedi –, : les contributions, les artistes et la musique, et non la politique”,”textual content”:”c’est ce qui est sur scène qui est essential: les contributions, les artistes et la musique, et non la politique”}}”>c’est ce qui est sur scène qui est essential : les contributions, les artistes et la musique, et non la politique, estime le professeur d’histoire des idées Andreas Önnerfors, spécialiste de l’Eurovision.

Presque septuagénaire, ce concours est une démonstration de la tolérance européenne que l’on ne trouve pas sous d’autres formes ni dans d’autres lieux, souligne-t-il.

Au sein de la communauté juive de Malmö, certains comptent quitter la ville pour le week-end.

octobre, de nombreux juifs sont inquiets”,”textual content”:”Avec l’Eurovision, il y a comme une intensification. Le sentiment d’insécurité s’est accru après le 7octobre, de nombreux juifs sont inquiets”}}”>Avec l’Eurovision, il y a comme une intensification. Le sentiment d’insécurité s’est accru après le 7 octobre, de nombreux juifs sont inquiets, a expliqué un porte-parole, Fredrik Sieradzki.

Mais d’après lui, les nombreuses manifestations propalestiniennes n’ont pas donné lieu à des appels visant les juifs de la ville.

À lire et à écouter :

2024 Wells Fargo Championship picks, predictions, odds, field: Golf expert likes Wyndham Clark at Quail Hollow

A renovated Quail Hole Membership will greet PGA Tour gamers this week when play begins within the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship starting on Thursday at Quail Hole Membership in Charlotte. After final 12 months’s event, the membership closed for a couple of months to endure a renovation. The undertaking included redoing all of the tees and greens, putting in a brand new drainage system, and overhauling the bunkers. Quail Hole is ready to host subsequent 12 months’s PGA Championship.

This week, three-time champion Rory McIlroy is the favourite within the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship odds at +650. Xander Schauffele is the +900 second alternative within the Wells Fargo Championship 2024 subject. Defending champion Wyndham Clark (+1600), Patrick Cantlay (+1800) and Max Homa (+2200) spherical out the highest 5 selections. Earlier than locking in any 2024 Wells Fargo Championship picks, be sure to see the PGA Tour predictions and greatest bets from golf betting and fantasy skilled Sia Nejad, contemplating the success he had selecting the event final 12 months.

Nejad makes a speciality of betting and DFS in golf, amongst different sports activities. He is had unimaginable success within the outright and first-round chief markets and in betting head-to-head matchups. He additionally has been stable together with his head-to-head matchups since final 12 months’s Charles Schwab Problem, going 41-27-3 and returning 10.64 models over that span. That is a $1,064 revenue for $100 bettors since Could 2023.

Nejad additionally nailed Clark, a 75-1 longshot, because the outright winner on the Wells Fargo Championship. In 2023, SportsLine debuted “The Early Wedge,” and within the first three months of the present, he hit two first-round leaders and three outright winners.

Now, Nejad has turned his consideration to the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship subject and locked in his greatest bets, high sleepers and favorites to keep away from. See who they’re at SportsLine.

High 2024 Wells Fargo Championship skilled picks

One shock: Nejad is totally fading Tommy Fleetwood, despite the fact that he is without doubt one of the favorites at +2200. The 33-year-old from Southport, England, has eight worldwide wins. Earlier this 12 months, he received the Dubai Invitational on the DP World Tour by one stroke over, amongst others, McIlroy.

However whereas Fleetwood has had success internationally, he has but to win on the PGA Tour in 134 profession begins. “[He] has no enterprise being +2200,” Nejad instructed SportsLine. “He has nice historical past at Quail Hole, however he is proven no skill to shut on the PGA Tour over his profession and this isn’t the sphere for him to lastly pull it off.”

Nonetheless, Nejad is excessive on the possibilities of Wyndham Clark, who’s +1600 within the Wells Fargo Championship odds. Ranked No. 3 on the earth, Clark has one win, two seconds and 4 top-10 finishes in 10 occasions this season. He hasn’t performed since ending third within the RBC Heritage three weeks in the past.

Nejad likes that Clark has excelled in all the strokes gained metrics this 12 months. He ranks second in strokes gained: complete (1.780) behind solely Scottie Scheffler. “The strategy play hasn’t been excellent, however he comes again to a spot the place he has received and he’s notably unafraid of the massive moments on Sundays,” Nejad mentioned. See which different golfers to again at SportsLine.

How you can make 2024 Wells Fargo Championship picks

Nejad has locked in his greatest bets for the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship and is backing a number of longshots, together with one that’s priced at greater than +4000. This participant “has spiked sufficient recently” and is a longshot who may shock. You may see Nejad’s PGA Tour picks solely at SportsLine.

So which gamers do you have to goal or keep away from for the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, and which participant within the Wells Fargo Championship 2024 subject may carry an enormous payday at greater than +4000? Take a look at the percentages beneath, then go to SportsLine to see Sia Nejad’s high picks for the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, all from the skilled who’s 41-27-3 on his final 71 head-to-head picks.

2024 Wells Fargo Championship odds, subject

See Nejad’s picks, greatest bets and predictions right here.

Rory McIlroy +650
Xander Schauffele +900
Wyndham Clark +1600
Patrick Cantlay +1800
Max Homa +2200
Justin Thomas +2200
Collin Morikawa +2200
Viktor Hovland +2500
Tommy Fleetwood +2500
Sahith Theegala +2500
Cameron Younger +2500
Si Woo Kim +3000
Will Zalatoris +3500
Tony Finau +3500
Sam Burns +3500
Matt Fitzpatrick +3500
Hideki Matsuyama +3500
Byeong Hun An +3500
Jordan Spieth +4000
Alex Noren +4000
Akshay Bhatia +4000
Adam Scott +4000
Stephan Jaeger +4500
Jason Day +4500
Brian Harman +4500
Sungjae Im +5000
Sepp Straka +5000
Russell Henley +5000
Harris English +5000
Corey Conners +5000
Adam Schenk +5000
Rickie Fowler +5500
Lucas Glover +5500
J.T. Poston +5500
Denny McCarthy +5500
Chris Kirk +5500
Billy Horschel +5500
Tom Hoge +6000
Shane Lowry +6000
Kurt Kitayama +6000
Mackenzie Hughes +7500
Keegan Bradley +7500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +7500
Tom Kim +8000
Taylor Moore +8000
Austin Eckroat +8000
Eric Cole +9000
Patrick Rodgers +10000
Matthieu Pavon +10000
Jake Knapp +10000
Cam Davis +10000
Taylor Pendrith +11000
Nick Taylor +11000
Andrew Putnam +11000
Adam Hadwin +11000
Justin Rose +13000
Seamus Energy +15000
Emiliano Grillo +15000
Brendon Todd +15000
Webb Simpson +18000
Peter Malnati +25000
Nick Dunlap +25000
Lee Hodges +25000
Ben Kohles +25000
Adam Svensson +25000
Matt Kuchar +30000
Kevin Tway +30000
Grayson Murray +30000
Gary Woodland +30000

Eurovision | Israël en finale malgré les critiques

(Malmö) La qualification d’Israël pour la finale samedi de l’Eurovision de la chanson en Suède a suscité vendredi des dissonances en Europe, un parti représenté au gouvernement espagnol réclamant l’exclusion de la candidate israélienne tandis que Berlin et Paris fustigent les protestations contre la participation du pays.  




Camille BAS-WOHLERT

Agence France-Presse

Joost Klein, le représentant des Pays-Bas, qui avait marqué son désaccord jeudi soir d’être placé à côté de la candidate israélienne Eden Golan, a lui été privé de répétition générale, l’organisation évoquant un « incident » sans plus de détails.

Devant 9000  spectateurs, Eden Golan, 20 ans, a décroché son ticket jeudi soir à Malmö, avec Hurricane, dont la model initiale avait dû être modifiée, automobile elle faisait allusion à l’attaque du Hamas qui a ensanglanté Israël le 7 octobre.

Israël a ainsi intégré les 26 pays qui s’affronteront samedi pour succéder à la Suède comme lauréate de cette compétition suivie en 2023 par 162 hundreds of thousands de téléspectateurs.

PHOTO MARTIN MEISSNER, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Eden Golan

Une participation contestée par le parti d’extrême gauche Sumar –– dont la dirigeante Yolanda Diaz est numéro trois du gouvernement espagnol – qui a lancé vendredi une pétition pour demander l’exclusion du pays de la finale.  

Sumar reproche à l’Union européenne de radio-télévision (UER) d’avoir accepté « la participation d’Israël, au second où ses troupes exterminent le peuple palestinien et détruisent toute la région ». Vendredi après-midi, la pétition était signée par un peu moins de 7000 personnes.  

« Honneur et Fierté »

« Les appels au boycottage contre la participation d’artistes israéliens » à Malmö « comme partout en Europe […] sont totalement inacceptables », a écrit sur X, à l’opposé, la ministre allemande de la Tradition, Claudia Roth.  

« La politique n’a pas sa place à l’Eurovision », a également estimé le ministre français chargé de l’Europe, Jean-Noël Barrot, jugeant lui aussi « inacceptables » les « pressions sur les artistes ».  

« C’est vraiment un honneur d’être ici […] de nous présenter avec fierté », s’était réjouie jeudi la candidate israélienne. Israël participe depuis 1973 à l’Eurovision, qu’il a remporté pour la quatrième fois en 2018.

Vendredi, le pays figurait parmi les favoris derrière la Croatie, selon le comparateur de websites de paris en ligne Oddschecker.com.

Avant la demi-finale, le premier ministre israélien Benyamin Nétanyahou avait jugé qu’Eden Golan avait « déjà gagné », la saluant dans un message vidéo pour avoir affronté « avec succès une horrible obscure d’antisémitisme ».  

Près de 12 000 personnes, dont la militante pour le climat Greta Thunberg, ont manifesté jeudi contre la participation d’Israël à Malmö, où un nouveau rassemblement est prévu samedi.

Les syndicats de la chaîne de télévision publique flamande VRT ont aussi brièvement interrompu la retransmission jeudi soir pour diffuser un message de soutien aux Palestiniens et de condamnation des « violations des droits de l’homme par l’État d’Israël ».  

La neutralité revendiquée du télé-crochet avait été bousculée mardi par le chanteur suédois Eric Saade, apparu le bras ceint d’un keffieh palestinien.  

Un geste regretté par la télévision publique suédoise SVT et par l’UER, qui avait interdit au président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky de s’exprimer lors du concours l’an dernier.

Renforts policiers

PHOTO IDA MARIE ODGAARD, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Les gardes de sécurité sont nombreux à l’Eurovision.

Cette année, le conflit en Ukraine a été éclipsé par la guerre à Gaza, déclenchée par l’attaque du mouvement islamiste palestinien, qui a fait plus de 1170 morts, selon un bilan de l’AFP établi à partir de données officielles israéliennes.

En riposte, l’armée israélienne a lancé une offensive à Gaza, qui a fait jusqu’à présent 34 904 morts, selon le ministère de la Santé du Hamas.

« Les gens doivent exprimer leurs opinions, les gens doivent boycotter », a déclaré Magnus Børmark, candidat pour la Norvège, qui a appelé à un cessez-le-feu sturdy avec huit autres contributors.

Des renforts policiers ont afflué de toute la Suède mais aussi du Danemark et de la Norvège à Malmö, où vit la plus importante communauté d’origine palestinienne de Suède. « Il n’y a pas de menace dirigée contre l’Eurovision », a toutefois assuré un porte-parole de la police.  

Pour les followers –– la ville en attend jusqu’à 100 000 -, « c’est ce qui est sur scène qui est vital : les contributions, les artistes et la musique, et non la politique », estime le professeur d’histoire des idées Andreas Önnerfors, spécialiste de l’Eurovision.

Presque septuagénaire, ce concours est « une démonstration de la tolérance européenne » sans équivalent ailleurs, souligne-t-il.

Au sein de la communauté juive de Malmö, certains comptent quitter la ville pour le week-end. « Le sentiment d’insécurité s’est accru après le 7 octobre, de nombreux juifs sont inquiets », a expliqué un porte-parole, Fredrik Sieradzki.

D’après lui, les nombreuses manifestations propalestiniennes n’ont toutefois pas donné lieu à des appels visant les juifs de la ville.

PHOTO IDA MARIE ODGAARD, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Près de 12 000 personnes, dont la militante pour le climat Greta Thunberg, ont manifesté jeudi contre la participation d’Israël à Malmö, où un nouveau rassemblement est prévu samedi.

You Won’t Believe How Deep This Well Goes

It’s been weeks since I completed Animal Nicely and I nonetheless can’t get it out of my thoughts. I’m utilizing the phrase ‘completed’ fairly liberally right here. I beat the ultimate ‘boss’ (one other phrase I’m utilizing liberally), noticed the credit roll, and even went again to totally discover the world, uncovering each final pixel on the map in that oh-so-satisfying Metroidvania manner. And but, I do know there’s nonetheless a lot extra to seek out.




Animal Nicely’s secrets and techniques run extremely deep, and each discovery results in new alternatives. That’s partly why I can’t shake it now. Its unsolved mysteries cling to me, demanding to be resolved. A phrase of warning: when you enter the Animal Nicely, you would possibly by no means depart.

I’ve been infatuated with Animal Nicely since I first noticed it years in the past at PAX. Developer Billy Basso’s seven-year solo venture is without doubt one of the most gorgeous pixel artwork video games I’ve ever seen. The way in which he makes use of reflections and light-weight to offer depth and dimension to every setting is masterful, making a temper that’s as serene and peaceable as it’s foreboding and hostile. The juxtaposition in tone is bolstered by its music and sound design: A synth-y, dreamy, arhythmic rating layered on high of the ambient symphony of nature. Water dripping, wings flapping, the pitter-patter of squirrels’ and rabbits’ little toes, a disembodied canine demon that chases you endlessly – Animal Nicely’s vibe is singular. In case you get it, you received’t have the ability to get sufficient of it.


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After we discuss Metroidvanias, it’s usually helpful to give attention to the methods they depart from the established requirements. Animal Nicely is firmly rooted within the well-worn conventions of style, however the methods by which it departs make it a basically totally different expertise. Many video games have developed from Tremendous Metroid, however Animal Nicely is on a branching path. Simply as Hades’ narrative-driven strategy to Roguelikes was a brand new start line for the style, Animal Nicely represents one thing new and far wanted within the Metroidvania house.

The factor that almost all units Animal Nicely aside from different Metroidvanias is the shortage of fight. There are risks – the aforementioned ghost canine for one – and the little blob you play as has a well being bar, however the recreation is constructed round avoiding threats, utilizing your gadgets to distract or disable the creatures that wish to eat you, and most significantly, studying the way to work with animals to unravel puzzles.


Its energy fantasy stays the identical: you start weak, scared and misplaced in an enormous complicated world, and finally you grow to be the grasp of that world. However whereas your typical Metroidvania creates that development by juicing you up with tremendous missiles, energy bombs, and vitality tanks, you may solely grow to be the grasp of Animal Nicely by studying the way to safely navigate the world and co-exist with the animals who dwell there.

Upgrades are as core to Animal Nicely’s lock-and-key strategy to exploration the identical manner they’re in any recreation, however these mundane upgrades have surprisingly novel expressions. To unravel the sport’s many puzzles and make your manner by its elaborately constructed, interconnected world, you’ll depend on on a regular basis objects like frisbees, yo-yos, and slinkys.


These all signify unconventional methods to work together with the world. Fairly than unlocking a double bounce, you unlock a bubble wand that permits you to blow bubbles and bounce on them to succeed in larger locations. The frisbee, slinky, and yo-yo can activate switches you may’t usually attain, in three distinct methods. There’s an unbelievable quantity of depth in the best way these things work collectively, and even after greater than a dozen hours of exploration, I’m nonetheless discovering new makes use of for them.

Talking of playtime, your mileage will range fairly dramatically. In case you’re fairly skilled with Metroidvanias and puzzle video games it’s best to have the ability to roll credit in 5 to seven hours. After that you simply’ll be on the hunt for easter eggs, that are hidden all all through the world, many in locations which might be extremely tough to seek out. Once I had the map totally explored, each pixel stuffed in, I used to be nonetheless in some way lacking ten eggs. That is the sort of recreation that may take a neighborhood of recreation detectives to crack, as a result of discovering all of the eggs isn’t even the top. The extra you set into Animal Nicely, the extra you’ll get out of it. It’s unbelievable what number of secrets and techniques Basso managed to pack in. There’s nothing in Animal Nicely that’s so simple as it appears.


I’m spellbound by Animal Nicely, and I’ve each religion that it’s going to be the most important breakout indie hit since Balatro. There’s a lot extra I’d prefer to say, however each additional phrase dangers ruining some essential a part of the expertise. There are such a lot of joys in small discoveries that you simply hardly ever discover anymore in such a well-established style, and I can’t wait to see what sort of affect Animal Nicely has on future video games.

This can be a recreation greatest performed alongside buddies who can go in with none expectations and work by obstacles collectively. Don’t anticipate to have the ability to resolve every little thing by yourself, however on the identical time, do every little thing you cannot to ask for assist. In case you may be snug with contradictions like that, you’ll discover loads to like in Animal Nicely.


Reviewed on PC

Professionals
  • Sound and artwork work collectively to create a fantastically haunting world.
  • Subverts the Metroidvania conventions to create a very distinctive expertise.
  • Unbelievably dense with secrets and techniques to uncover.

Subsequent: Stellaris: The Machine Age Evaluation