NFLPA hires David White as interim executive director

NFLPA hires David White as interim executive director

Less than three weeks after NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned amid numerous allegations of impropriety, the union elected David White as it interim executive director on Sunday. White is the chief executive officer of consulting firm 3CG Ventures and the former national executive director and chief negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). He was a finalist for the NFLPA post when a the board of 32 player representatives elected Howell in June 2023, according to multiple media reports. NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin said in a statement regarding the move by the Board of Player Representatives to appoint White, "This decision is the result of a comprehensive, player-led process. We understood the urgency to fill this role and did our due diligence to identify the right person to lead our union in this moment. "We have full faith in David to take the union forward and operate in the best interests of our membership. David has spent much of his career fighting for collectively bargained rights in the labor movement and is committed to putting players first in all the union does. We are confident that he will inspire solidarity and provide the necessary stability during this period of transition." White added in a statement, "I am grateful to the NFLPA's player leadership for entrusting me with the privilege and responsibility to guide their union as interim executive director. It's a duty I do not take lightly, and I'm committed to reestablishing trust and ensuring the union is serving its members best. I look forward to working with the entire NFLPA team to protect players' health and safety, secure their financial well-being, and further strengthen their voice to shape their futures." Howell stepped down on July 17 to no longer be a "distraction" for the NFLPA. During his tenure, he allegedly reached a confidentiality agreement with the NFL over a collusion case, worked for a private equity firm approved to pursue NFL minority ownership stakes and made inappropriate charges to the union, include a strip club visit. Former NFLPA president JC Tretter, considered a possible replacement for Howell, resigned from his job as the NFLPA's chief strategy officer after Howell's exit. Tretter was viewed as instrumental in getting the union to hire Howell, who also left a previous job at Booz Allen, where he was reportedly accused of sexual discrimination. --Field Level Media

byLiam Oneel

in

August 03, 2025

NFLPA hires David White as interim executive director

NFLPA hires David White as interim executive director Less than three weeks after NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr...

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F1 'silly season' puts Red Bull, Mercedes and Cadillac on the spot

F1 'silly season' puts Red Bull, Mercedes and Cadillac on the spot

It's time for Formula 1's risk-taking drivers, overworked engineers and harried team principals to relax. At least in theory. With four weeks until the next race, including a mandatory 14-day shutdown of all racing operations from next week, the F1 season is on hold. It's what F1 calls "silly season," the time when contract talks — and rumors — fill the vacuum. It often seemed like silly season started early amid feverish speculation about a move from Red Bull to Mercedes for four-time champion Max Verstappen. Now that Verstappen hasconfirmedhe's staying with Red Bull, other decisions — such as contract renewals at Mercedes — could speed up. Russell at Mercedes Most F1 teams saw the sweeping rule changes coming for 2026 and tied down key drivers to long contract extensions last year, or even the year before. The idea was to lock in experienced drivers who could help with development throughout 2025, so the very different 2026 cars wouldn't come as a surprise. Mercedes does things a little differently. As well as checking out a potential Verstappen move, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has waited on contract extensions for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who aren't confirmed beyond 2025. Both went through Mercedes' young driver program, which helped them through the junior series and seemingly gives the team more control over their careers. "Mercedes manage me as well, so it's not really a deadline in my hands as such," four-time GP winner Russell said last month, adding he'd had no talks with other teams. Antonelli started his debut F1 season strongly but the 18-year-old driver's performances have dipped in recent months. Red Bull's other seats Verstappen's decision has taken a lot of pressure off, but the broader Red Bull organization still has three seats to fill — one at Red Bull and two at Racing Bulls. It's not clear who will take the final decision, and when, after longtime team principalChristian Horner was fired. If the logic behind dropping the underperforming Sergio Perez last year was that any Red Bull replacement would do better, it's been proved wrong. Liam Lawson lasted two races as Verstappen's teammate andYuki Tsunodahas only scored points in three of 12 race weekends since his promotion. The team's engine partnership with Honda ends this year, which could affect Honda-backed Tsunoda's place. French rookie Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls has outscored both Tsunoda and Lawson this season and might be the frontrunner for the Red Bull seat. F1's governing body, the FIA, made an exception to grant Red Bull-backed Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad its super license in June before his 18th birthday. Cadillac is coming "That's actually a nice seat... I wouldn't mind." Valtteri Bottas' comments in asocial media skitin June fawning over a Cadillac road car went viral and cemented him in many fans' minds as the front-runner to join the new General Motors-backed team for 2026. Bottas and Perez are both F1 race winners, popular with fans, who had underwhelming seasons in 2024 and aren't racing in 2025. Their experience might be a boost to a new team, though other reported options include Ferrari reserve Zhou Guanyu, an ex-Sauber driver who could unlock big sponsor backing from China, or ex-Haas driver Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher. The Alpine carousel Ruthless? Yes. Successful? No. Alpine benched the departing Esteban Ocon for Jack Doohan for the last race of 2024, then dropped Doohan for Franco Colapinto six races into 2025. Given that neither Doohan nor Colapinto has scored a point for Alpine, it's perhaps no wonder the team hasn't confirmed who'll partner Pierre Gasly next year. One option is Alpine reserve Paul Aron, who'd be the first Estonian in F1. He's had two practice drives with Sauber this year but was unlucky last week when his car broke down Friday after just eight laps. ___ AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

byLiam Oneel

in

August 03, 2025

F1 'silly season' puts Red Bull, Mercedes and Cadillac on the spot

F1 'silly season' puts Red Bull, Mercedes and Cadillac on the spot It's time for Formula 1's risk-taking drivers, overworked...

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Soulja Boy arrested on suspicion of weapons charge during a traffic stop

Soulja Boy arrested on suspicion of weapons charge during a traffic stop

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Soulja Boywas arrested early Sunday following a traffic stop on suspicion of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Soulja Boy, 35, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, was a passenger during a traffic stop at 2:35 a.m., police said, and was arrested. Way was booked into jail in the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire Division a little after 6 a.m., according to the sheriff department's inmate database. Additional information on what prompted the stop and who else was in the vehicle was not immediately available, police said. A representative for Way did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. The Chicago hip-hop artist is best known for his 2007 single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and brought him a Grammy nomination for best rap song. The rapper was recently ordered to paymore $4 million in damagesin April after being found liable for sexually assaulting and physically and emotionally abusing a former assistant.

byLiam Oneel

in

August 03, 2025

Soulja Boy arrested on suspicion of weapons charge during a traffic stop

Soulja Boy arrested on suspicion of weapons charge during a traffic stop LOS ANGELES (AP) —Soulja Boywas arrested early Sunday following a t...

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Drag Race legend Jinkx Monsoon delivers brutal takedown of JK Rowling’s pen name

Drag Race legend Jinkx Monsoon delivers brutal takedown of JK Rowling's pen name

RuPaul's Drag RacewinnerJinkx Monsoonhas brutally mockedJK Rowling'sviews ontransgender people. The author, 60, has been publicly criticized for her controversial statements about transgender people, including celebrating the UKSupreme Court's April rulingthat trans women are not legally women under theEquality Act. However, theHarry Potterauthor hasdenied being transphobic. Many famous faces have hit back at Rowling's views, including Monsoon, who identifies as non-binary. During Thursday's episode of comedian Ziwe's podcast, he asked Monsoon if Rowling would "make a good Roxy Hart inChicago," the Broadway musical. The drag performer responded: "Who is this? Who is this Jake? Who is he? JK Rowling." When Ziwe said Rowling "is a she," Monsoon then mocked the author's name. Rowling notably goes by her initials, JK, which stands for Joanne Kathleen. "That is not a feminine name in the slightest," they said about Rowling. "I know that oftentimes, female authors use initials so that people assume it's a male writer." Monsoon continued to throw shade at Rowling's views about transgender rights and issues. "I have to presume that J.K. Rowling was unsatisfied with the way that the world saw her, and then she transitioned herself into a new personality so that the world would perceive her the way she wanted to be perceived," they continued. After a moment of silence, Ziwe responded to the remark with: "Gagging," prompting Monsoon to burst out laughing. Rowling has previously opened up about going by the pen name, tellingCNNin 2017 that it wasn't her idea to use it. Instead, it was her publisher who was trying to "disguise [her] gender." "I was so grateful to be published, if they told me to call myself Rupert, I probably would have done to be honest with you," she said. "But now, I actually quite like having a pen name, because I feel that's — to an extent, that feels like an identity and then I'm — in private life, I'm Jo Murray. And it feels like quite a nice separation." Rowling also uses the pen name Robert Galbraith when publishing her ongoing detective series, Cormoran Strike. She uses the pseudonym because she "wanted to take [her] writing persona as far away as possible from [her]," as noted on herwebsite. Since December 2019, Rowling has also hit the headlines for her views on transgender issues. She came out in support ofMaya Forstater, who worked as a tax expert at the Centre for Global Development, an international think tank, and was sacked after tweeting that transgender people cannot change their biological sex. Since then, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, the trio of child actors who played Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in the film series, have all publicly shunned Rowling over her apparent anti-transgender views. The author has said she would not forgive them for criticizing her,telling them to "save their apologies." Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, was recently askedwhether Rowling's views"impact you at all or impact your work in the world of Harry Potter at all." "No, I can't say it does," he replied. "I'm not really that attuned to it." In May, Rowling announced the launch of theJ.K. Rowling Women's Fund.The legal fund, which doesn't specifically mentiontransgender people,will support "individuals and organizations fighting to retain women's sex-based rights in the workplace, in public life, and in protected female spaces," its website says. However, many bookstores in San Franciscolater responded to the fund in with protest bypullingHarry Potterbooks from stores' shelves.

byLiam Oneel

in

August 03, 2025

Drag Race legend Jinkx Monsoon delivers brutal takedown of JK Rowling’s pen name

Drag Race legend Jinkx Monsoon delivers brutal takedown of JK Rowling's pen name RuPaul's Drag RacewinnerJinkx Monsoonhas brutally m...

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William Byron wins NASCAR Cup race at Iowa with fuel running out

William Byron wins NASCAR Cup race at Iowa with fuel running out

William Byronnursed his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the finish line at Iowa Speedway as his wholeNASCAR Cup Seriesteam held its breath that there was enough fuel left in the car to take the checkered flag. After running out of gas while running third at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week and while leading the race at Michigan International Speedway earlier this summer, Byron managed to save enough fuel to make it to the finish line and to hold off Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney to win theIowa Corn 350on Sunday, Aug. 3. "How about that for some fuel mileage," a relieved Byron said after climbing out of his car on the start/finish line. "We've had our share of things not going our way with fuel mileage. We've been through a lot this year. It's been a lot of growing pains. It's been tough on us, but it feels really good today to get a win. "Luckily, the fuel was enough at the end. I think I ran out there. That's why I stopped." WILLIAM BYRON WINS AT IOWA! 🌽🏁pic.twitter.com/KWwuJd70x6 — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX)August 3, 2025 Byron, who started second behind Briscoe, led a race-high 141 of 350 laps. He took his final lead after passing his teammate Chase Elliott on a restart on Lap 277, but multiple cautions shook up the fuel strategy for many teams. Byron had made the earliest pit stop among the drivers chasing him down in the closing laps, forcing both the driver and the No. 24 team to walk a tightrope between having enough speed to keep the lead and enough gas to make it to the end. Byron began the season witha victory in the season-opening Daytona 500in February, but despite leading the points standings for most of the season, Daytona remained his lone win of 2025. "Our confidence in each other never wavered," Byron said. "Our speed's been better than it's ever been, and that's a big reason why we stayed confident. We needed just one to go our way, and today it did." Briscoe finished second, Keselowski third, Blaney fourth and Ryan Preece fifth.Last week's winner Bubba Wallacerebounded from damage earlier in the race to finish sixth. Alex Bowman, Carson Hocevar, Joey Logano and Austin Dillon rounded out the top 10. Briscoe has now finished second in three of the last four races — Iowa, Dover and Sonoma — and thought he was in the catbird's seat to pick up the win with Byron low on fuel. "It's unfortunate, I was trying everything I had, I just didn't have anything left in the tank," Briscoe said. "It just kind of died there at the end of the run. "I don't know, we've been in position enough, running second like that, you're going to end up winning some of them. It just hasn't went our way the last three or four of them." With starting position in parentheses, driver, car number and manufacturer and laps completed: (2) William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet, 350 (1) Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota, 350 (5) Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford, 350 (6) Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford, 350 (33) Ryan Preece, No. 60 Ford, 350 (15) Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota, 350 (16) Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet, 350 (7) Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet, 350 (14) Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, 350 (18) Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, 350 (28) Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet, 350 (4) Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford, 350 (12) Josh Berry, No. 21 Ford, 350 (8) Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet, 350 (29) John H. Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota, 350 (25) Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota, 350 (17) Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota, 350 (9) A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet, 350 (22) Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota, 350 (37) Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet, 350 (20) Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota, 350 (27) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford, 350 (10) Justin Haley, No. 7 Chevrolet, 350 (11) Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, 350 (26) Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Chevrolet, 350 (19) Cole Custer, No. 41 Ford, 350 (13) Michael McDowell, No. 71 Chevrolet, 350 (3) Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet, 350 (31) Noah Gragson, No. 4 Ford, 350 (24) Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota, 350 (21) Shane Van Gisbergen, No. 88 Chevrolet, 349 (35) Cody Ware, No. 51 Ford, 349 (30) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, No. 47 Chevrolet, 347 (34) Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Ford, 347 (32) Ty Dillon, No. 10 Chevrolet, 346 (23) Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford, 344 (36) Joey Gase, No. 66 Ford, 340 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NASCAR results: William Byron wins Iowa race, holds off Chase Briscoe

byLiam Oneel

in

August 03, 2025

William Byron wins NASCAR Cup race at Iowa with fuel running out

William Byron wins NASCAR Cup race at Iowa with fuel running out William Byronnursed his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the finish...

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Bills RB James Cook on not practicing Sunday: "Business"

Bills RB James Cook on not practicing Sunday: "Business"

With his contract dispute ongoing, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook showed up for Sunday's mandatory practice but did not participate. Instead, the 25-year-old stood off to the side and spent a short amount of time on an exercise bike. After practice, when asked why he did not participate, Cook offered just three words: "Oh, nothing. Business." Sunday marked the first time Cook did not participate since requesting a contract extension during the offseason. The two-time Pro Bowler, who shared the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns last season, wants to become one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. Cook also was asked whether he was holding out or planning to suit up for Monday's practice. Again, Cook kept his response short: "Business." The Bills provided no comment on Cook, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. Cook -- who did not attend Buffalo's voluntary offseason team activities but did participate in the mandatory three-day minicamp as well as the first eight practices of training camp -- was not on the team's list of injured players leading up to Sunday's practice. Entering his fourth year in the league, Cook has put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. His 2,638 rushing yards are the most among his peers in the 2022 draft class. Yet he is not on the list of Bills' 2022 draftees -- wide receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard and cornerback Christian Benford -- who have been rewarded with extensions. The Bills traded their first-round pick from that season, cornerback Kaiir Elam, to the Dallas Cowboys in March. "Sometimes you can't get on the same page or sometimes you're trying to fit it in," Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane told reporters at the start of camp. "There's times guys have left here that we really wanted. We just couldn't make it work. "But I can tell you, I'm hopeful, when we're sitting here at next year's training camp, that James Cook is out there practicing and still representing the red, white and blue." --FIeld Level Media

byLiam Oneel

in

August 03, 2025

Bills RB James Cook on not practicing Sunday: "Business"

Bills RB James Cook on not practicing Sunday: "Business" With his contract dispute ongoing, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook ...

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