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Charlie Woods made a remarkable climb on the leaderboard after the second round at the 49th Junior PGA Championship on Wednesday at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana.

After a second day on the course, Woods had a crowd that watched him make nine birdies and finished the second round with a score of 6-under 66 at Purdue University. This brought his total score to 7-under, placing him in a tie for fifth with Carson Kittsley from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This performance follows a week in which Woods missed the cut at the U.S. Junior Amateur, finishing with a score of 14-over.

The competition is fierce at the 49th Junior PGA Championship with Lunden Esterline from Andover, Kansas, currently leading the leaderboard with a score of 14-under. Currently, the top 60 players and ties, with a projected cut at 1 under, will advance to Thursday’s Round 3. Here is the status of the leaderboard:

Charlie Woods score, results after Round 2

Charlie Woods finished the second round of the 2025 Junior PGA Championship with a 6-under par, putting him at 7-under for the tournament, good for T5 overall.

2025 Junior PGA Championships leaderboard

Top of the leaderboard according to the Junior PGA Championship after Round 2:

  • 1. Lunden Esterline: -14
  • T2.  Max VanderMolen: -9
  • T2:  Chase Yenser: -9
  • 4.  Zenghao Hou: -8
  • T5:  Charlie Woods: -7
  • T5: Carson Kittsley: -7
  • T7: Jessy Huebner: -6
  • T7: Tyler Mawhinney: -6
  • T7: Kailer Stone: -6
  • T7: Silas Haarer: -6
  • T7: Drew Woolworth: -6
  • T7: Sam Carraher: -6
  • T7: Ronin Banerjee: -6
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The 2025 World Jump Rope Championships are underway, with the fastest rope-skippers and Double Dutch masters converging in Kawasaki, Japan.

The World Championships, which will be administered by the International Jump Rope Union (IJRU), will include a wide range of single rope and Double Dutch events, with participants vying for supremacy in individual, pair, and team categories.

Culttz Kawasaki (a.k.a. the Kawasaki City Sports and Culture Center) is hosting this year’s event, with competition in 12 different events taking place from July 27 to August 4. According to the IJRU, over 2,600 participants from more than 30 countries are set to compete. The World Jump Rope Championships are held once every two years, with Belgium (female and mixed) and Hong Kong (male) looking to defend their Team Overall titles.

Colorado Springs, Colo. hosting the last edition in 2023.

Here’s what to know about the 2025 World Jump Rope Championships, including a schedule and how to watch:

World Jump Rope Championships 2025 schedule

All times Eastern.

JWC Freestyle, WC SRIF, JWC Speed, WC Speed, JWC Freestyle events (Thursday, July 30 to Friday, July 31)

  • 8:30 p.m.: JWC SRSS + SRSE
  • 9:15 p.m.: WC SRSS + SRSE
  • 10:00 p.m.: Award JWC SRSS + SRSE
  • 10:15 p.m.: JWC WHPF
  • 11:30 p.m. (July 30) to 2:00 a.m. (July 31): JWC SRIF
  • 2 a.m.: WC SRIF
  • 4:45 a.m.: Award JWC WHPF, SRIF, JWC Individual overall
  • 5:30 a.m.: Team Show Practice

JWC Team Speed, JWC Team Freestyle, Team Show Events (Thursday, July 31 to Friday, Aug. 1)

  • 8:30 p.m.: JWC Team Speed
  • 9:45 p.m.: JWC SRPF
  • 11:45 p.m (July 31) to 12:15 a.m. (August 1): Award JWC Team Speed
  • 12:15 a.m.: JWC SRTF
  • 2:00 a.m.: Award JWC SRPF
  • 2:15 a.m.: JWC DDPF + DDSF
  • 5:00 a.m.: Award JWC SRTF, DDPF, DDSF
  • 5:45 a.m.: Team Show

JWC DDC, WC DDC, Finals and DDC Events (Friday, Aug. 1 to Saturday, Aug. 2)

  • 7:30 p.m.: JWC DDC Speed
  • 7:45 p.m.: WC DDC Speed Qualifier
  • 8:00 p.m.: JWC DDC Freestyle
  • 9:00 p.m.: WC DDC Freestyle Qualifier
  • 10:45 p.m.: Award JWC DDC
  • 11:30 p.m. (August 1) to 3:35 a.m. (August 2): Finals Session 1
    • 11:30 p.m.: Finals WC SRDR, Female, Mixed, Male
    • 11:50 p.m.: Finals WC SRSR Female, Mixed, Male
    • 12:10 a.m.: Finals WC DDSR Female, Mixed, Male
    • 12:35 a.m.: Finals WC SRPF Female, Mixed, Male (incl. awards)
    • 2:10 a.m.: Finals WC DDPF Female, Mixed, Male (incl. awards)
    • 3:30 a.m.: Closing remarks
  • 4:15 a.m.: Finals Session 2
    • 4:15 a.m.: Finals WC SRSS Female, Male
    • 4:45 a.m.: Finals WC DDSF Female, Male
    • 5:50 a.m.: Finals WC SRTU Female
    • 6:15 a.m.: Finals WC SRIF Male (incl. awards)
    • 6:55 a.m.: Closing remarks

Finals and DDC Events (Saturday, Aug. 2 to Sunday, Aug. 3)

  • 8:30 p.m. (August 2) to 12:30 a.m. (August 3): Finals Session 1
    • 8:30 p.m.: Finals WC DDSS Female, Mixed, Male
    • 8:50 p.m.: Finals WC SRSE Female, Male
    • 9:10 p.m.: Finals WC SRTF Female, Mixed, Male (incl. awards)
    • 10:30 p.m.: Finals WC WHPF Female, Mixed, Male (incl. awards)
    • 11:50 p.m. (August 2) to 12:25 a.m. (August 3): Finals WC DDSF Mixed (incl. awards)
    • 12:25 a.m: Closing remarks
  • 1:30 a.m.: Finals Session 2
    • 1:30 a.m.: Finals WC DDC 1×30
    • 1:50 a.m.: Finals WC SRIF Female (incl. award)
    • 2:20 a.m.: Finals WC SRTU Male
    • 2:40 a.m.: Finals WC DDC Freestyle Mixed (incl. awards)
    • 4:25 a.m.: IJRU flag handed over from Japan to next host country

World Jump Rope Championships 2025 – Time, streaming, how to watch

The 2025 World Jump Rope Championships, running from July 27 to August 4, will be streamed by the International Jump Rope Union on their site IJRU.live. The event finals on August 1-3 will be streamed live on the Olympic Channel.

Viewers in Canada can watch on CBC Sports’ YouTube channel.

  • Time: Events range in time depending on daily schedule
  • Location: Culttz Kawasaki (Kawasaki, Japan)
  • TV: None
  • Stream: IJRU.live (all events), Olympic Channel (finals only)

World Jump Rope Championships acronyms explained

Wondering what the events are at the World Jump Rope Championships, or at least what all these acronyms mean? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered:

  • Double Dutch competition (DDC)
  • Double Dutch pair freestyle (DDPF)
  • Double Dutch single freestyle (DDSF)
  • Double Dutch speed relay (DDSR)
  • Junior World Championships (JWC)
  • Single rope double-unders relay (SRDR)
  • Single rope individual freestyle (SRIF)
  • Single rope pair freestyle (SRPF)
  • Single rope speed endurance (SRSE)
  • Single rope speed relay (SRSR)
  • Single rope speed sprint (SRSS)
  • Single rope team freestyle (SRTF)
  • Single rope triple-unders (SRTU)
  • World Championships (WC)
  • Wheel pair freestyle (WHPF)
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Major League Baseball trade deadline offers playoff contenders one last opportunity to improve their rosters for the stretch run and position themselves for a World Series push.

Talks are expected to go down to the wire on many of the top available players, but in the meantime here’s a brief overview of who could make the biggest splash over the final two months of the regular season … and into October.

Just for fun, we’re ranking them on their potential impact for the rest of this year – and which teams could be/should be the most interested in them as the clock counts down to the 6 p.m. ET deadline on Thursday.

3B Eugenio Suárez, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks have the best collection of trade chips in the majors, with Suárez, 34, the top impact bat on the market. He already has 36 home runs this season and is a free agent this winter. Arizona will likely want a pair of top prospects and possibly another player as well, so his price will be high.

  • Potential suitors: Tigers, Mariners, Cubs, Astros, Phillies

RP Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals

Relief pitchers are the most plentiful commodity at the trade deadline, but top closers are few and far between. Helsley fits the bill after leading the majors in saves last season with 49. He’s racked up 21 saves in 26 chances this season, pitching to an even 3.00 ERA. Since June 15, however, he’s allowed only one run in his last 11 innings. He’s also a free agent at the end of this season.

  • Potential suitors: Blue Jays, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers

SP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins

If the Twins decide to sell, Ryan could be the top starting pitcher available. Despite a rocky last start vs. Washington, Ryan has been excellent all year with a 10-5 record, 2.82 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. He’s lined up to start on Saturday so he could jump right into a contending team’s rotation. Ryan is in his first year of arbitration.

  • Potential suitors:Red Sox, Blue Jays

SP Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks

Kelly has seemingly overtaken teammate Zac Gallen as the top trade target in the Arizona rotation. Since the beginning of June, he’s pitched to a 2.56 ERA, averaging just about six innings over 10 starts. He has generally been a ground-ball pitcher over the course of his career so he could fit in most anywhere. Kelly is a free agent at the end of the season.

  • Potential suitors: Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs

SP Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins

Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young award winner, missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He’s had a rocky start in his return to action (6.36 ERA), but has been much better lately — not allowing an earned run in winning his last two starts. He has $17.3 million left on his contract for next season, with a club option for 2027, so acquring him will come with a sizable financial commitment.

  • Potential suitors: Yankees, Mets, Cubs

SP Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins

The arbitration-eligible Cabrera is a younger, less-expensive and perhaps more volatile version of Alcantara. With persistent injury issues, he’s never pitched more than 100 innings in any major league season – and he’s already at 94 innings this season. He experienced some elbow discomfort in his final start before the All-Star break, but has looked fine in two starts since then.

  • Potential suitors: Yankees, Mets, Cubs

OF Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox

Robert, 27, showed difference-making potential in 2023 when he hit 38 homers with an .857 OPS, stole 20 bases and won a Gold Glove in center field. However, he hasn’t come close to that kind of production the past two seasons. The White Sox have club options for 2026 and 2027 so they don’t have to deal him if the price isn’t right. But it’s also highly unlikely he’ll stick around until the White Sox are ready to contend again.

  • Potential suitors: Mets, Phillies

RP David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates

Toiling away on a last-place team, Bednar seems like a lock to be dealt. He picked up his 17th save on Monday, although he did allow a run for the first time in 24 appearances. That’s the kind of consistency any contender would love to have in its bullpen down the stretch. On the season, Bednar has a 2.37 ERA and is striking out 12.1 batters per nine innings. He has one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2026.

  • Potential suitors: Tigers, Rangers, Phillies
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The New York Liberty won the 2024 WNBA championship over the Minnesota Lynx following a hard-fought five-game finals series. More than nine months later, the Liberty and Lynx finally meet again.

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier said the 2024 WNBA Finals rematch has been a long time coming.

‘It should’ve been the first game of the season,’ she said matter-of-factly on Tuesday.

The Lynx host the defending champion Liberty on Wednesday, the first of four regular-season games. Although the Lynx and Liberty kept the majority of their rosters intact, Wednesday’s matchup will look a little different as the Liberty battle the injury bug. Breanna Stewart (right leg), Nyara Sabally (right knee) and Kennedy Burke (right calf) have all been ruled. Liberty starting guard Natasha Cloud is also questionable due to an illness.

Minnesota (22-5) and New York (17-8) sit atop the WNBA standings, but both teams are looking to bounce back from losses. The battered Liberty trailed by as many as 30 points in their wire-to-wire loss to the Dallas Wings on Monday. Meanwhile, the Lynx dropped their first home game of the season after falling short in comeback bid vs. the Atlanta Dream at Target Center on Sunday.

The Liberty haven’t lost three consecutive games this season and the Lynx have not dropped back-to-back contests this year. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 WNBA Finals rematch:

Breanna Stewart injury update: Is Stewart playing vs. Lynx?

Stewart was ruled out of Wednesday’s matchup with a right knee bone bruise, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello confirmed ahead of the matchup. Stewart suffered the injury less than four minutes into the Liberty’s 101-99 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on July 26. She appeared to suffer a non-contact injury as she ran up the court in transition. Brondello said Stewart avoided ligament damage, but noted that the Liberty will be cautious with her. There’s no timetable for her return to the court.

End of Q1: Liberty 24, Lynx 24

We are all square after one quarter. The Liberty led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, but the Lynx went on a 7-0 run to tie things up.

Marine Johannes leads the Liberty with a game-high eight points, while Sabrina Ionescu added six points. New York is collectively shooting 62.5% from the field and 3-of-7 from three.

The Lynx’s Alanna Smith hasn’t missed so far. She’s up to a team-high seven points, shooting 3-of-3 from the field and 1-of-1 from three. Napheesa Collier added six points and Jessica Shepard has six off the bench. The Lynx are shooting 52.6% from the field, 3-of-6 from three and are out-rebounding the Liberty, 9-6.

‘Pay The Players’ signs on display

The crowd is rocking at Target Center for the 2024 WNBA Finals rematch between the Lynx and Liberty and the fans have something to say. Multiple spectators held ‘Pay the Players’ signs on Wednesday as WNBA stars continue to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the league before the current contract expires at the end of the 2025 season.

The message went mainstream at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, when Team Caitlin Clark and Team Napheesa Collier donned matching pregame shirts that read, ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us.’ After Collier was named the MVP of the WNBA All-Star Game, the crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse chanted ‘Pay them!’

What time is the New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx?

The Minnesota Lynx will host the New York Liberty at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, July 30 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

How to watch New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx: TV, stream

  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Location: Target Center (Minneapolis)
  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Streaming: The ESPN App

New York Liberty starting lineup

Minnesota Lynx starting lineups

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba will return to action, and Rodrigo De Paul will make his debut as Inter Miami hosts Mexican club Atlas in their 2025 Leagues Cup tournament opener on Wednesday, July 30.

Messi and Alba are expected to play in their first match following their one-game suspensions for skipping the MLS All-Star Game.

Meanwhile, De Paul will make his debut after signing with the club last week, and receiving clearances on his P1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate on Wednesday, July 30. De Paul is one of Messi’s closest friends from the Argentine national team. They won the World Cup together in 2022, and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.

Inter Miami begins play in the Leagues Cup, a tournament featuring Major League Soccer teams and LIGA MX clubs from Mexico. Inter Miami won the 2023 Leagues Cup, shortly after Messi’s arrival.

Here’s everything you need to know about Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match:

Inter Miami 1, Atlas 0: Segovia scores goal on Messi assist

Sergio Busquets found Lionel Messi sneaking behind the defense, and Messi dropped off a pass to Telasco Segovia as the Atlas goalie narrowed in on him.

Goal, Segovia. It’s 1-0 Inter Miami in the 58th minute.

Busquets found himself with possession after Messi swung and missed on a shot that hit a defender. When Messi saw Busquets with the ball, he pointed toward the penalty area for Busquets to pass it. Segovia patiently delivered the finish.

Inter Miami 0, Atlas 0: Halftime update

  • Luis Suarez hit the crossbar on the final play of a scoreless first half that was feisty between both sides.
  • Messi was gut-checked by Atlas’ Sergio Hernández in the 6th minute, setting the early tone.
  • Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano and Atlas coach Gonzalo Pineda were arguing face to face with each other in the 35th minute as strong contests led to testy moments between both teams.
  • Messi fired a shot in the 44th minute directly into a defender, as Inter Miami had just one shot on goal in the first half.

Inter Miami 0, Atlas 0: Goalie Rocco Rios-Novo has stellar save

Inter Miami 0, Atlas 0: Tadeo Allende misses shot on goal

Inter Miami 0, Atlas 0: Jordi Alba offside after pass from Messi

Is Messi playing tonight?

Yes, Messi is playing tonight. Rodrigo De Paul will also start in his Inter Miami debut.

Inter Miami starting lineup vs. Atlas

What time does Inter Miami vs. Atlas match begin?

The match begins 7:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. in Argentina).

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Atlas live stream link?

The match will be available on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Watch Leagues Cup games on MLS Season Pass

Messi has another busy week with time off

Messi should be refreshed after his All-Star Game absence on July 23, and his suspension in Inter Miami’s scoreless draw with FC Cincinnati on July 26. Messi and his wife were on the Coldplay kiss cam during a Miami concert on July 27.

“Let’s hope he’s super motivated,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said of Messi, adding the suspension had a “silver lining” of “mandatory rest after many consecutive games.”

“I think, in a way, the break was good for him. And well, to start this new marathon of games we’re going to have ahead of us with the Leagues Cup and then the MLS, it’s good for him to be a little fresher.”

Inter Miami vs. Atlas prediction

Inter Miami 4, Atlas 1: Lionel Messi scores two goals and assists another in a dominant return to action after his All-Star Game suspension. — Safid Deen

Inter Miami vs. Atlas betting odds

Here are the betting odds, according to BetMGM.

  • Inter Miami: -300
  • Draw: +400
  • Atlas: +525
  • Over/under: 3.5

Inter Miami upcoming schedule

  • Aug. 2: Inter Miami vs. Necaxa, 7 p.m. ET (Leagues Cup)
  • Aug. 6: Inter Miami vs. Pumas, 7:30 p.m. ET (Leagues Cup)
  • Aug. 10: Orlando City vs. Inter Miami, 8 p.m. (MLS regular season)
  • Aug. 16: Inter Miami vs. LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m. (MLS regular season)
  • Aug. 23: D.C. United vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET (MLS regular season)

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

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., plans to force a vote on banning arms sales to Israel, a move that will prove to be a test for Senate Democrats whose position on the Jewish state has shifted in recent weeks.

Sanders, an independent who routinely caucuses with Senate Democrats, announced he would force a vote on a pair of resolutions to block the $675 million sale of thousands of bombs and guidance kits for the bombs and to halt the sale of ‘tens of thousands’ of automatic rifles to Israel.

‘U.S. taxpayers have spent tens of billions of dollars in support of the racist, extremist Netanyahu government,’ Sanders said in a statement. ‘Enough is enough.’

It’s not the first time Sanders has pushed to block arms sales or military aid to the Jewish state. Since December 2023, just months after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began, the lawmaker has either introduced or forced votes on resolutions five times, each intended to block military aid and billions of dollars in munitions and arms.

His latest attempt comes after photos revealed starving children in Gaza, which he squarely blamed on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

‘The time is long overdue for Congress to use the leverage we have — tens of billions in arms and military aid — to demand that Israel end these atrocities,’ he said.

The vote, expected late Thursday, comes as Senate Democrats have undergone a tonal shift on Israel since the events of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas executed a brutal attack on Israeli soil.

Sanders’ last attempt earlier this year that sought to block over $8 billion in arms sales, saw 15 Senate Democrats vote for it, while all Senate Republicans voted against it. Though the resolutions are likely to fail as his previous attempts have, more Democrats are expected to vote alongside him. 

Earlier this week, 40 Senate Democrats wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and called on the administration to push for ‘a large-scale expansion of humanitarian assistance and services throughout the Gaza Strip.’

Senate Republicans have largely blamed the reported conditions in Gaza on Hamas, with some calling for more food aid making its way into the Gaza Strip. President Donald Trump vowed that more food centers, administered by Israel, would be coming.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he shared Trump’s view and that there was a desire to ‘meet that need and alleviate that pain.’

‘But you got to understand, too, that when you got a terrorist group like Hamas operating in that region, they intercept and divert a lot of that food aid that’s going in there,’ he said. ‘That’s the challenge that the Israelis have. That’s the challenge that we have and other nations around the world.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

President Donald Trump and several key health advisors in his Cabinet held a formal event Wednesday at the White House unveiling new efforts to improve healthcare technology and partnerships with private-sector technology companies. 

The ‘Make Health Tech Great Again’ event laid out a new voluntary commitment from several major tech and tech-healthcare firms aimed at developing a better process for digital health record sharing, which Trump admin officials said would ultimately improve health outcomes for Americans. In addition to the commitment, the new health tech efforts will also include the development of personalized tools meant to help patients obtain greater control of their health information to make more informed decisions.

‘For decades, America’s healthcare networks have been overdue for a high-tech upgrade, and that’s what we’re doing. The existing systems are often slow, costly, and incompatible with one another,’ Trump said from the White House during the Wednesday afternoon event. ‘But with today’s announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age, something that, is absolutely vital. We’ve got to do it. Moving from clipboards and fax machines into a new era of convenience, profitability and speed and, frankly, better health for people.’

The event announcing the Trump administration’s plan to advance a ‘next-generation digital health ecosystem,’ was attended by representatives of companies, including Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, OpenAI, Anthropic, Epic, Oracle, Athena Health, and Noom, who will be participating in the voluntary pledge aimed at improving health record sharing. As part of the pledge, the companies will ‘voluntarily’ share information with each other, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also present at the Wednesday event. 

‘For decades, bureaucrats and entrenched interests buried health data and blocked patients from taking control of their health,’ Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a statement Wednesday ahead of the event. ‘That ends today. We’re tearing down digital walls, returning power to patients, and rebuilding a health system that serves the people. This is how we begin to Make America Healthy Again.’

The Trump administration is partnering with more than 60 companies to bolster how health information is shared electronically, including through the use of apps, and beef up the interoperability of health information networks, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

The apps aim to address issues including diabetes and obesity management, and provide beneficiaries with AI assistants to walk through symptoms, provide care options, and assist with scheduling appointments. Other functions that the technology aims to solve are providing digital check-ins to streamline services and cut down on paper intake forms. 

‘It gives [patients] a sense of responsibility and allows them to measure the interventions if they change their diet, if they change their exercise, it can show you how many steps you took today, it can tell you if your glucose is spiking, and all of that information will now be available to American citizens,’ Kennedy said Wednesday. 

The White House event is a follow-up to the request for information notice that the CMS posted in May requesting information from stakeholders on ways to beef up health technology interoperability. 

Other technological advances on the health front include plans for CMS to launch an app library on Medicare.gov to best direct beneficiaries to the right digital health tools, according to CMS. 

‘The average Americans are tired. They’re tired of waiting for a doctor’s appointment. They’re tired of waiting for the surprise of what your hospital bill is going to offer. That’s being addressed,’ CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz added Wednesday. 

‘They’re tired of waiting for access to their medical records. You own your medical records, they’re yours. Why you can’t have access to them is a stunning reality in modern-day America,’ Oz continued. ‘They’re also tired of waiting for Washington to take action. And this president early on emphatically stated that wasn’t going to happen anymore. And today we made that vision into a reality.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has been forced to learn a new way of living after having his bladder removed in May.

That includes certain issues involving his job:

“Can I make it through a game?” Sanders asked in a podcast with former Dallas Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin posted Monday, July 28.

While he said he never considered retiring from coaching, Sanders, 57, did think about the ways he’d need to work through his new health situation, which includes incontinence and a smaller, newly constructed bladder.

‘I know I got halftime, but can I make it through a game?” Sanders said to Irvin. “What if there’s a long quarter?  OK, so I start thinking I gotta get a Porta Potty for the sideline.”

To get a better sense of what Sanders will face as a college football coach in his recovery from bladder cancer, USA TODAY Sports discussed his situation with medical experts. These doctors are not treating the Pro Football Hall of Famer but described what life is like for a patient in his general situation. It won’t be easy.

“You are heralded as one of the best athletes to play the game, and you peeing on yourself, man,” Sanders said in the podcast.

But there also is reason to believe he won’t be noticeably different on the sideline when Colorado opens the season against Georgia Tech Aug. 29.

STEPPING UP: Colorado coach embraces cancer awareness fight

TIMELINE: A look at the recent health issues of Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders has a neobladder: What that means

After Sanders’ cancerous bladder was removed in surgery, a new one was made for him from his small intestine. This is called a neobladder. It’s different from having a catheter emptying urine into an external bag, though patients with new neobladders do use catheters and bags while the neobladder heals, as Sanders did.

A neobladder “has the advantage of not requiring an external appliance, as patients urinate through their native urethra,” said Solomon Woldu, associate professor of urology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Patients with neobladders still cannot urinate in a ‘normal’ way, Woldu said. “Instead patients have to learn to empty their neobladder by using abdominal muscles to generate sufficient pressure on the neobladder to push the urine out. Some patients will not be able to this efficiently and need to catheterize.”

Sanders talked about his with Irvin.

“You have to push through your stomach and force the pee out,” Sanders said. “Like you can’t just pee, and when you feel like you gotta go pee, you need to pee or you gonna start leaking.”

What about portable toilets on the sideline?

Sanders Sr. mentioned that with a sense of humor, but it speaks to the reality of his situation, specifically his loss of control over urination. One way he can deal with it is to wear Depend underwear for incontinence to absorb any leaking. Sanders even has a partnership with Depend and hopes to remove any shame of using it by raising awareness of it.

In the meantime, he’s got newly installed plumbing that doesn’t have the same capacity.

“You make the neobladder, and it’s usually the size of a grapefruit,” said Adam Kibel, the urology department chair at Mass General Brigham in Massachusetts. “Your (normal) bladder when it’s filled is about 2-3 times the size of that. Over time it stretches it out, but what happens is it doesn’t hold that much urine. So it reaches capacity very quickly.”

Can Deion Sanders make it through a game?

A college football game can last four hours, sometimes in warm conditions. He might need water.

That’s where the Depend garments come into play, as well as his halftime break and a possible portable toilet.

“Thank God for Depend,” Sanders said.

Otherwise Sanders has worked on his overall physical stamina since surgery and might not be noticeably different on the sideline this season. He previously had to sit down during a game after leg surgeries to remove blood clots in 2023.

“If he’s 3-6 months out, he should be in pretty good shape,” Kibel said. “If he has incontinence, he can wear a garment.”

Sanders is otherwise physically fit for someone his age and wants to use his situation to motivate others.

“If you’re asking about the average person, I would say yeah, that’s a big lift,” Kibel said. “But my guess is he’s going to do better than the average person.”

Is Deion Sanders using a catheter?

He did after his surgery, but it wasn’t permanent. Sanders said before undergoing surgery he would have a catheter for about two weeks, according to a video posted by his eldest son Deion Jr. July 28. Another video posted by his son July 29 showed him with a tube from his stomach area draining red liquid into a bag. The footage was from May. He also went fishing with his bags at his estate in Texas during his recovery there in May and June.

“I’m just ready to be disconnected from all this so I can resume the normalcy of life,” Sanders said in the video.

Recent videos show him walking around and functioning without being attached to a bag.

“He probably had a catheter in to allow the bladder to drain while it healed up, because you don’t want it filling and stressing the suture line by having it increase in size and decrease in size,” Kibel said.

Has Deion Sanders beaten cancer?

Yes, according to his doctor, Janet Kukreja. He could have chosen to keep his bladder and get regular treatments for it over the next three years, Kukreja said − an option that comes with a 50% chance of recurrence. He chose to have it removed instead, eliminating the malignant tumor that had been discovered in a routine checkup and CT scan earlier this year.

Sanders told Irvin his new bladder is “gonna get a little better” but also said, “This ain’t gonna change.”

Sleeping is a different challenge, he said, which includes putting towels down for any leaking.

“The actual surgery itself is pretty big surgery,” Kibel said. “It’s not a part of your body that’s meant to be removed.”

Cancer forced the issue.

“When we hear that word, it’s normally a life sentence attached to it,” Sanders said. “But not this time.”

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

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

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The New York Liberty won the 2024 WNBA championship over the Minnesota Lynx following a hard-fought five-game finals series. More than nine months later, the Liberty and Lynx finally meet again.

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier said the 2024 WNBA Finals rematch has been a long time coming.

‘It should’ve been the first game of the season,’ she said matter-of-factly on Tuesday.

The Lynx host the defending champion Liberty on Wednesday, the first of four regular-season games. Although the Lynx and Liberty kept the majority of their rosters intact, Wednesday’s matchup will look a little different as the Liberty battle the injury bug. Breanna Stewart (right leg), Nyara Sabally (right knee) and Kennedy Burke (right calf) have all been ruled. Liberty starting guard Natasha Cloud is also questionable due to an illness.

Minnesota (22-5) and New York (17-8) sit atop the WNBA standings, but both teams are looking to bounce back from losses. The battered Liberty trailed by as many as 30 points in their wire-to-wire loss to the Dallas Wings on Monday. Meanwhile, the Lynx dropped their first home game of the season after falling short in comeback bid vs. the Atlanta Dream at Target Center on Sunday.

The Liberty haven’t lost three consecutive games this season and the Lynx have not dropped back-to-back contests this year. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 WNBA Finals rematch:

What time is the New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx?

The Minnesota Lynx will host the New York Liberty at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, July 30 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

How to watch New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx: TV, stream

  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Location: Target Center (Minneapolis)
  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Streaming: The ESPN App

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NFL power rankings with the 2025 preseason set to begin July 31 (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Philadelphia Eagles (1): The offense returns virtually intact, former coordinator (and new Saints head coach) Kellen Moore a notable exception. Coordinator Vic Fangio is back for a second year running the defense, though that unit will need to adapt from significant losses in free agency. Last year’s club was one of the very best of the past quarter century and seems to have an excellent shot at repeating − especially when you consider proven NFL players like RB AJ Dillon, CB Adoree’ Jackson and OLBs Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche are all projected to be among the backups.

2. Baltimore Ravens (2): How talented is this secondary? Chidobe Awuzie, a Round 2 pick in Dallas eight years ago, projects as the dime back after former Green Bay Pro Bowler Jaire Alexander joined up as the fifth first-rounder likely to play ahead of him on this unit. Stopping the pass was a big problem here a year ago but could be a strength as QB Lamar Jackson and Co. make their latest run at a Super Bowl.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (4): With G Trey Smith and DE George Karlaftis extended, the only piece of semi-pressing team business remaining is a new deal for All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie − and that may have to wait. Resolution on WR Rashee Rice’s post-legal status would also be nice, but even having him back for some portion of this season is a win over his injury-aborted 2024 campaign. K.C.’s biggest issue, the O-line notwithstanding, could be a quickly narrowing gap with their AFC West competitors.

4. Buffalo Bills (5): The only franchise to play in four consecutive Super Bowls − all infamous losses in the 1990s − is now the only team with 78 wins (playoffs included) over a six-season stretch without reaching a Super Bowl. Will Josh Allen’s (and the Mafia’s) suffering finally end in 2025?

5. Los Angeles Rams (3): No team pushed Philly closer to the precipice in the 2024 playoffs than the Rams. No team might be more heavily reliant on a seemingly brittle component − Matthew Stafford − than the Rams, their 37-year-old quarterback sidelined so far this summer by a balky back. He’s missed 11 starts over the past three seasons. But if he’s generally available in 2025, LA could wind up in SF for SB60.

7. Washington Commanders (6): If you’d told their fans a year ago that the 2025 Commanders would reach the divisional round of the postseason, imagine what the excitement level would have been. Now? That might seem like a major disappointment for a team led by a quarterback, albeit the amazing Jayden Daniels, heading into just his second season.

8. Denver Broncos (13): While coach Sean Payton and QB Bo Nix might be this team’s most recognizable faces, a defense that ranked seventh overall in 2024 might wind up being its strength.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (16): If the Aaron Rodgers era lasts eight months, this season could be the sterling silver Stairway to Seven. If the Aaron Rodgers era lasts seven months, this season will be a slag pile that could land some folks on the scrap heap. But it seems off to an encouraging start in steamy Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

15. Los Angeles Chargers (11): While the eye injury to RB Najee Harris and retirement of WR Mike Williams have generated the summer headlines, the main concern here might be the defense given the Bolts allowed an average of more than 25 points over their final five games of last season … and that was before they lost Joey Bosa and several others in free agency.

18. Cincinnati Bengals (12): In case you were wondering just how bad this defense might get without All-Pro DE Trey Hendrickson − though he’s at least ready to end his holdout and stop getting fined − no one else had more than five sacks or 23 pressures in 2024. He had a league-leading 17½ and 54, respectively.

21. Dallas Cowboys (22): Tyler Guyton, last year’s first-rounder, avoided a catastrophic camp injury and could be ready by Week 1. But whether he’s in the lineup or not, this team needs much better play from the left tackle spot if QB Dak Prescott is going to survive the full season.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (26): The attention is understandably focused on WR/CB Travis Hunter, the second pick of the 2025 draft. Much more should be focused on QB Trevor Lawrence, the first pick of the 2021 draft − and upon whose shoulders, surgically repaired and otherwise, this franchise’s fortunes will rise or fall.

23. New York Jets (25): They’ve got certifiable stars, a new coach who seems to be galvanizing the entire organization, a compelling haul of rookies and ample buzz around new QB1 Justin Fields. But given how often potential and production are inversely related in the New York market, Glenn and Co. have plenty to prove despite all the promise.

24. Atlanta Falcons (27): Amid the runaway speculation about QB2 Kirk Cousins’ future here … it might be here. With all of 230 snaps as a rookie, QB1 Michael Penix Jr. hasn’t played much more than 2024 draft mate McCarthy, who also effectively replaced Cousins. But now two years removed from his Achilles tear plus arm and shoulder woes in 2024, don’t be surprised if ‘KFC’ comes out of the bullpen at some point and plays much better than he did late last season.

26. Las Vegas Raiders (21): Maybe the departure of DT Christian Wilkins proves to be addition by subtraction. But it also leaves the defense in an even more precarious position while further incentivizing opponents to double- and triple-team DE Maxx Crosby.

27. Miami Dolphins (24): Speaking of defenses that have shed Wilkins − and CB Jalen Ramsey and S Jevon Holland and DL Calais Campbell − if the Fins’ pass rush can’t live up to its dominant potential, then this offense might have to win a lot of shootouts.

28. Tennessee Titans (31): They got QB Cam Ward atop the draft and, to the degree it wasn’t already, it’s full speed ahead with the rookie now that backup Will Levis has opted for season-ending shoulder surgery. Could be a rough, if hopeful, ride in Nashville.

30. Indianapolis Colts (30): Legend has it that legendary coach and analyst John Madden uttered the phrase, “If you’ve got two quarterbacks, you have none.” Not sure many folks will be playing ‘Madden NFL’ with this Colts team.

31. Cleveland Browns (29): Given the open question here at quarterback, the offense would most obviously benefit from a strong rushing attack. But Chubb left and rookie second-rounder Quinshon Judkins remains unsigned due to ongoing legal issues. Jerome Ford, who rushed for a team-best 565 yards in 2024, stands to get a heavier workload than the DUDE Wipes that seem to underpin much of the team’s marketing efforts.

32. New Orleans Saints (32): Derek Carr − gone. Tyrann Mathieu − gone. The core of what was a top-10 scoring defense four of the past five seasons − gone. Hope at the outset of the 2025 season − a camp holdout.

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