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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
On Thursday evening, Prince Harry delighted attendees at New York City’s Time100 Sports Gala with an unexpected appearance and some personal family news.
Sources at the event shared with Page Six that the Duke of Sussex mentioned his father, who has been privately fighting an unspecified cancer since 2024, is “doing great.”
The same insider also caught the prince speaking fondly about his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. He noted that they are “happy” to be settled back in California following a short trip to the UK.
Harry amusingly remarked to a fellow guest that his children are “growing like weeds.”
Sharing his sporty side earlier on the red carpet, Harry spoke exclusively with Page Six, expressing his disappointment over England’s 1-2 loss to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
Harry’s appearance at the Time100 Sports Gala came as a surprise, with many guests jumping at the opportunity to speak to the royal.
Page Six obtained video of Harry, 41, meeting New York Knicks player Jalen Brunson, as the two shook hands and posed for photos.
Reps for Harry did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
During the event, he took the stage to deliver a speech about the Invictus Games, which he launched in 2014 to provide a multi-sport event for wounded military service veterans.
“It’s truly an honor to be here tonight to celebrate the power of sport,” the speech began. “I don’t just mean the big wins and historic moments. I mean the tough loses, the sacrifices, the moments that no one ever sees.
“Sport is where you first felt the essence of teamwork and community. It shaped your discipline, your drive and your very identity. It taught you to revel in the challenges and the joy of overcoming or defining the odds.”
He continued, “For many of you, sport shaped who you became. For me, sports instilled essential core values from a very young age. But it didn’t shape my identity as a young man; the British army did.”
Harry explained how he felt “lost” when he hung up his uniform, but turned to sports to help him cope.
“Sport isn’t just entertainment and competition; sport is medicine,” he inspiringly said.
The most influential athletes in global sports gathered on Thursday, including NBA legend LeBron James, who closed the evening with a speech, NFL icon Russell Wilson, Olympic ice skater Alysa Liu, alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn, “DWTS” pro Witney Carson and more.
The gala came just days after Harry’s reunion with his estranged family in the UK. He initially arrived alone after he was denied taxpayer-funded security.
But on Friday, Buckingham Palace announced Charles and Queen Camilla hosted Harry, Markle and their children at Highgrove House. This was the first time Charles, 77, has seen his grandkids since 2022.
Markle and the children did not make any public appearances during the visit.
The “Spare” author resigned from his royal duties in 2020 and moved to Montecito, California with his family.
Despite his recent return, he is still estranged from his older brother, Prince William.
The enigma surrounding the tragic stabbing of New Jersey therapist Brooke Hanlon has only deepened six weeks after her untimely death. Recently, two FBI experts have shared potential key insights that could be vital to solving the case.
Renowned former agents and profilers, James R Fitzgerald and Gregg McCrary, have conducted independent evaluations of the case for the Daily Mail. Their focus highlights several crucial forensic and behavioral aspects: from the possibility of the killer leaving behind DNA evidence, to the significance of Conor Hanlon’s initial words during his 911 call, which might clarify the timeline of events.
On June 6, Brooke Haggerty Hanlon, aged 35 and the daughter of a prominent Big Pharma attorney, was discovered brutally stabbed in her Chester Township home. She lived there with her husband and their infant daughter, Avery.
Despite extensive inquiries, the Morris County prosecution office remains silent about the ongoing investigation. This has left local residents anxious and uncertain about whether a suspect has been identified.
“The detectives’ ongoing questions suggest they have yet to make significant progress. It’s alarming and confusing,” one concerned neighbor shared with the Daily Mail.
The unease intensified this week after residents spotted Conor Hanlon and his white Volvo back at the Pottersville Road home where his wife was found. The car hadn’t been seen since the time of the murder.
The vehicle returned for several hours one afternoon before leaving in the evening at around 8pm, neighbors told the Daily Mail.
Conor Hanlon, 36, who is originally from the Boston area, took a job at a local construction company when he and his wife moved back to her tony hometown of Chester Township two years ago. Until this week, he had not been seen by neighbors in the five weeks since his wife was killed. Conor has not been identified by authorities as being connected to the murder.
Brooke Hanlon, 35, was found stabbed to death inside the Chester Township, New Jersey home she shared with husband Conor Hanlon and their one-year-old daughter on June 6
Last week, the Daily Mail exclusively revealed the 911 call that captured the psychotherapist’s husband pleading for help after discovering his wife’s body
In their interviews with the Daily Mail this week, both former FBI agents stressed that there is not enough information out yet to pinpoint any suspects in the case and cautioned against jumping to conclusions too early.
But one detail that caught the attention of Fitzgerald, a forensic linguist who was pivotal in the arrest of the Unabomber in 1996, was the language used during the six-minute 911 call to police.
‘I just found my wife!… She’s not breathing or conscious,’ Hanlon, 36, shrieked on the call, exclusively revealed by the Daily Mail last week.
‘What the f***, what the f***! I need CPR. Oh my God there’s a laceration in there!’
He can also be heard telling the 911 dispatcher that he needs CPR and an ambulance for his wife while saying there is ‘blood everywhere.’
‘The interesting thing I found about this is both of the first two sentences stated by Conor Hanlon were exculpatory in terms of his activities at the scene that day,’ Fitzgerald, who co-hosts the Cold Red podcast, told the Daily Mail.
Hanlon’s opening words to the 911 dispatcher, ‘I just found my wife,’ immediately caught his attention, he said.
‘So he’s putting a timestamp’ on when he says he first encountered her, Fitzgerald explained.
The couple shared a daughter, Avery, who is believed to be staying with Brooke’s parents following her death
Hanlon’s next statement, ‘I don’t know what’s going on,’ followed immediately afterward.
To Fitzgerald, those opening seconds are precisely the sort of language investigators would spend hours dissecting during formal interviews.
‘”I just found my wife” would mean to detectives well let’s go over your time schedule for the whole day,’ Fitzgerald said. ‘Let’s go over where you were.’
Fitzgerald also noticed that the same phrase appeared at both ends of the 911 call.
When the EMTs arrived, Hanlon can be heard telling them again that ‘I found my wife.’
‘Now he bookends his communications with law enforcement,’ Fitzgerald said.
‘The very beginning, “I just found my wife,” and then the very end… “I found my wife.” “Found” being an operative word.’
Fitzgerald said Hanlon’s description of his wife’s injuries also stood out.
Rather than saying his wife had been stabbed or was bleeding, Hanlon told the dispatcher there was ‘a laceration in her chest.’
‘Laceration is different than puncture… different than slash,’ Fitzgerald noted.
He explained that detectives would be conducting a thorough victimology – the process of understanding why a particular person became the victim.
‘The police have to rule out the husband before they move on to anyone else,’ Fitzgerald said.
McCrary, one of the FBI’s best-known former investigators, focused on the physical evidence detectives would be analyzing.
For him, every homicide investigation begins the same way.
‘The statistical probability is always that there’s a known relationship between the victim and the offender in the vast majority of violent crime cases,’ he said.
‘Somebody wants somebody dead for a personal reason, a business reason… there’s some motive behind that rather than just a random stranger-based sort of case.’
Rather than immediately searching for an unknown killer, McCrary said experienced detectives begin with the victim herself, working outward in what he described as ‘concentric circles.’
Her younger sister, Paige Haggerty, 28, broke her silence last month with this Instagram tribute
The two sisters are pictured together in an undated social media photo
‘You look at the people closest to the victim first, the nature of those relationships,’ he said. ‘The least likely scenario… is that it was a stranger.’
The process, he said, includes examining the marriage, finances, insurance policies, recent relationships, possible affairs and any other motive before broadening the investigation.
Chester Township sources have questioned whether Brooke Hanlon might have been attacked by a patient or a former patient.
She apparently worked mostly out of her home for LifeStance Health in nearby Bernardsville and focused on teens, children and young adults in her practice.
The crime scene itself, McCrary said, should answer many of the investigators’ biggest questions.
If Brooke Hanlon suffered multiple stab wounds, detectives would immediately want to know whether she had defensive wounds on her hands and forearms, indicating she fought back.
‘The more stab wounds we have, the more likely the offender has cut himself at the scene,’ McCrary said.
That possibility makes DNA one of the most important pieces of evidence.
Retired FBI agents James R. Fitzgerald and Gregg McCrary reviewed the case for the Daily Mail and highlighted key clues and behavioral evidence that investigators would be examining closely
Investigators would be looking for blood from more than one person, particularly if the killer accidentally cut himself while stabbing the victim.
If someone genuinely performed CPR on a stabbing victim, McCrary said, investigators would expect that person’s hands and clothing to be covered with the victim’s blood.
But detectives would also be studying whether the blood was merely transferred during lifesaving efforts or whether it appeared as cast-off or impact spatter consistent with someone wielding the knife.
Investigators, he said, would also be searching for evidence that someone tried to clean up afterward.
‘They would pull the drains and do an in-depth search for any fresh blood at the scene,’ McCrary said.
Signs of cleanup, he noted, are generally not associated with stranger attacks.
McCrary also questioned whether the publicly reported timeline ultimately withstands forensic scrutiny.
The 911 call came in at 4.29pm that fateful Saturday. If investigators are working from a scenario in which Hanlon briefly left the home before returning to find his wife mortally wounded, detectives would be testing every minute of that account against the physical evidence, McCrary said.
Multiple neighbors told the Daily Mail they all texted Conor immediately after seeing swarms of police cars and officers at the family’s home on the afternoon of June 6 but never heard back
They would compare the estimated time of death with receipts, surveillance video, phone records and electronic data.
They would also be looking for blood on doorknobs, door frames or any route an attacker would have used to leave the residence.
Like McCrary, Fitzgerald said detectives would be trying to nail down why a particular person became the victim.
‘Why was she chosen to be murdered?’ he asked. ‘Is it robbery? Is it theft? Is it a sex crime? Was there a burglary taking place?’
Fitzgerald said the homicide appears more consistent with a deeply personal act than an elaborately planned murder.
‘This looks like a crime of passion of some sort,’ he said.
The couple’s daughter is believed to be staying with Brooke’s parents in Chester.
Chester Township sources have told the Daily Mail that Hanlon reportedly has a strong alibi.
One local resident said Hanlon was seen outside the home on the Saturday morning of the murder but his alibi reportedly involves a trip he took to a nearby store at some point during the day.
On Friday, July 17, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke on the critical matter of election integrity, following President Donald Trump’s national address.
During his address on Thursday night, Trump delivered startling revelations, announcing that vast amounts of American voter data had been compromised by the Chinese government. He also claimed that over 250,000 non-citizens were mistakenly registered to vote in federal elections, and accused the Deep State of concealing the full extent of the vulnerabilities in U.S. elections.
“Evidence indicates that during this timeframe, many crucial CIA and NSA reports on China’s attempts to influence our elections were excluded from the presidential briefings,” the president explained, noting these were briefings he received nearly daily. He called on Congress to support the SAVE America Act, aimed at strengthening the security of American elections.
The transformation of Australia’s ‘Red Centre’ into a lush, green expanse due to unprecedented rainfall has taken social media and television by storm.
This breathtaking change, however, carries a dire warning for the residents of Alice Springs, a town embedded in the Northern Territory. For locals, the vibrant new scenery signifies more than just a visual marvel.
The deluge has triggered a surge in the growth of buffel grass, an invasive species now covering roughly 80 percent of the terrain around Alice Springs. Environmentalists are calling it ‘ground zero’ for the species’ infiltration across Central Australia.
As the push by environmentalists and Traditional Owners to categorize buffel grass as a weed of national significance gains momentum, pastoralists caution that any policy adjustments must account for the plant’s vital role in supporting the cattle industry. This sets the stage for a heated debate on the future management of Australia’s arid heartland.
The repercussions of buffel grass extend beyond the vast tracts it occupies; its presence is acutely felt by the community members who live and work amidst this evolving environment.
A fight on the doorstop
Few people have witnessed that transformation more closely than Anna Dakin.
She fell in love with Central Australia more than a decade ago and moved from the United Kingdom to work as a tour guide. Today, she runs her own business, taking visitors into landscapes she says are increasingly being transformed by buffel grass.
Despite cost of living pressures reducing visitor numbers, compounded by Qantas’ decision to end its Melbourne to Alice Springs service, Dakin says the biggest challenge facing her business is growing outside her front door.
Her eight-hectare property just outside of town has been “absolutely overrun” by buffel grass, impacting her day-to-day operations and plans to open a campsite for visitors.
Dakin says during three weeks of heavy rain, she spent up to 10 hours a week mowing the grass.
It is a big emotional drain. It’s a big financial drain. It takes a huge amount of time and it causes stress like I can’t explain.
Dakin is concerned about the impact on tourism, because she says visitors are “fascinated” by Central Australia’s unique desert landscapes.
“When I start to talk about buffel grass to groups, I personally feel quite embarrassed at the lack of management that we do in the Northern Territory,” she tells SBS News.
“There are plants that have not been documented by science yet, and the buffel grass is outcompeting those plants.”
Earlier this year, NASA’s Terra satellite captured Australia’s iconic Red Centre blanketed in green following exceptional rainfall.
Watch the images below change and see how buffel grass is transforming the Red Centre:
The region is best known for its red landscapes, coloured by iron-rich soils and rock formations, including Uluru, but unusually wet conditions triggered widespread vegetation growth across Central Australia.
February 2026 brought an average of 239 millimetres of rain — the territory’s third-wettest February on record, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Rain has continued since, with a cold band in mid-May bringing unseasonable rainfall to the southern parts of the territory.
Alex Vaughn, policy advocacy coordinator at environmental organisation, Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC), describes the transformation as “the canary in the coal mine”.
“The green buffel grass growth cures and dries into a tinderbox before it goes up in flames and creates blackened landscapes,” he tells SBS News.
“We’re talking about iconic and widespread places from the Victorian Mallee to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa, towns like Alice Springs and Larapinta Trail, as well as huge parts of Western Australia and Queensland.”
For Dakin, the changes are most obvious through the eyes of her customers.
She takes beginner artists into the landscape to paint the region’s beauty and says the spread of buffel grass has turned once-diverse scenes into what she describes as a “monoculture” with only “one texture” at the end of the paintbrush.
“It’s something that we talk about pretty much on every tour, and it is massively devastating environmentally, but also the look of the landscape is impacted,” Dakin says.
“When we’re painting in places that are buffel-free, you tend to see a lot more bird life, a lot more wildlife. In my opinion, native grasses are much more beautiful. There’s a diversity to them.”
Around Alice Springs, buffel grass is hard to miss. Its deep root system allows it to thrive after rain and outcompete native vegetation, with plants growing to around 2m tall.
Can buffel grass be contained?
Environmentalists agree there is little realistic prospect of eradicating the weed entirely, but they argue governments could do more to control the spread — including securing a listing as a national weed of significance.
Since 1999, the federal government has listed 32 weed species based on criteria including invasiveness, potential for spread, and environmental, social, and economic impacts.
So far, buffel grass has not been added to the list, although it remains under consideration for a potential national listing. Former Greens leader Adam Bandt, who is now CEO of the Australian Conservation Foundation, said during a recent trip to Alice Springs that he was “horrified” by the situation.
“Here in Central Australia is ground zero for buffel grass and serves as a warning for other places; the federal government needs to step up to protect places not yet invaded,” he said in June.
In 2015, South Australia became the first jurisdiction to declare buffel grass a weed, and the Northern Territory followed in 2024, setting up a six-year management strategy.
However, the NT government has also granted a permit to import buffel grass seed for use on pastoral properties around Alice Springs, where the species continues to be used for cattle production.
Kathleen Herbert, policy and advocacy officer at ALEC, says: “Bringing more buffel grass seed into the environment undermines the hard work on the ground to control it. It doesn’t recognise fence lines, it will spread by wind, fire, water.”
Explore a 3D model of buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) below:
NT Environment Minister Joshua Burgoyne told the territory’s estimates committee last month that was the reason a management plan had been introduced.
“On pastoral properties, buffel grass is managed through grazing of the buffel grass, and that does not happen in towns, in city centres or national parks,” he said.
“Not only do I recognise the impacts; they are written in the plan … there is $750,000 annually, ongoing, to address its impacts.”
But Burgoyne admitted the territory needs more help.
“I look forward to hopefully receiving additional funding and resourcing from the federal government. Just like they fund gamba grass management in the Top End, in Central Australia, we will require additional resources to deal with buffel grass.”
Lifeline or liability?
For many pastoralists, buffel grass is not a weed but an essential source of feed.
First brought into the Northern Territory by Afghan cameleers in the late 1800s, buffel was later intentionally planted around the 1950s and 1960s to suppress dust and erosion, with its extensive root system helping stabilise fragile soils.
In times of drought or after fire, buffel grass often recovers quickly, providing feed to sustain cattle on pastoral land.
Romy Carey, CEO of the NT Cattleman’s Association, says the grass is “vital” for the industry but agrees that where it’s not actively managed, it can “pose a risk”.
“I think it’s really important that we move beyond whether buffel grass is good or whether buffel grass is bad,” she tells SBS News.
“In our arid and semi-arid areas, [we] cannot have an industry without it … it’s an industry that has been here since the beginning and really is a powerhouse for our economy, and I think that’s the piece that can’t be missed here.”
Carey says there’s still uncertainty about what a national listing would mean for producers, pointing to existing weed management frameworks.
It can’t come at the detriment of an industry that sustains our regional economies.
“We already have declared weeds of national significance here in the Northern territory, things such as apple pine, blackberry bushes.”
‘We’re mourning the Country that used to be’
For Traditional Owners, the spread of buffel grass is more than an environmental issue — it’s also changing cultural landscapes that have been cared for over thousands of years.
Buffel is widely known for altering fire behaviour. Its dense growth creates heavier fuel loads, while its ability to quickly regenerate after rain can contribute to more frequent burns.
Traditional Owners say those changing fire patterns are making it harder for many native plants and animals to recover.
Even after drying to a golden-brown, buffel grass remains dormant until the next rainfall, when it rapidly regenerates.
Eastern Arrernte woman Camille Dobson says around Alice Springs the “species is on steroids”.
“People who have chronic illness suffered greatly because of the impact of the smoke from the fire and all of the ash that was falling onto the community,” she tells SBS News.
But she says the impacts extend well beyond the bushfire.
“There’s a story about one plant called the Alangkwe, which is a bush pear. Most of the people my age, which is around 50, have never seen nor know what that plant is because it competes with buffel, but it gets out-competed,” Dobson says.
There’s a lot of plants and animals that [this] has happened to that just sort of fade out of our memories and fade out of our language.
After this year’s heavy rain, many locals and visitors celebrated the unusually green landscape. For Dobson, however, it represented something very different.
“I was flying in and looked out the window and I felt really, really sad for Country because the buffel’s now up on top of the mountain ranges,” she says.
“I had no idea where we were in the plane looking over the landscape, which is not something that’s happened before … it made me so emotional.”
Dobson was part of a delegation that travelled to Canberra earlier this year to lobby federal ministers for stronger action on buffel grass and greater recognition of its impacts on Country.
“There hasn’t been a scientific study to kind of survey what plants we’ve lost, we’re kind of relying on Aboriginal people’s knowledge to kind of highlight the plants that have been lost in areas,” she says.
In 2022, rangers from Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands came together to sign a statement of concern about buffel grass.
The APY Lands cover about 103,000 square kilometres in remote north-west South Australia and are home to about 2,000 Aboriginal people living across communities and homelands dotted throughout desert Country.
Known as the Umuwa Statement, the declaration called for greater recognition of the Traditional Owners’ role in managing the threat.
“For too long, we have been pushed to the side when making decisions about this tjanpi kura [bad grass].”
Buffel grass is a dangerous threat to us and we need to be resourced to manage it.
A call for national action
The spread of buffel grass has become a national issue, with infestations identified across all states and territories.
ALEC says more than 70 per cent of Australia’s land area has conditions suitable for buffel grass growth, although the extent and severity of invasions vary significantly between regions.
A spokesperson from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said it “recognises the serious threat buffel grass poses”.
“The Threatened Species Scientific Committee is currently assessing buffel grass for potential listing as a key threatening process under national environmental law,” they said in a statement to SBS News.
The NT has received $4 million from the federal government to support fire management, buffel grass control and feral animal management in the MacDonnell Ranges, stretching east and west of Alice Springs, but critics say there is currently no dedicated national funding program specifically targeting buffel grass.
In response to this story, Burogyne said he “had spoken to the federal environment minister about buffel grass, and I will continue engaging with the federal government on this issue”.
While responsibility for managing pests and weeds largely sits with state and territory governments, Traditional Owners and environmental groups say the scale of the challenge requires greater national support.
Dobson believes a solution is still possible but says it will require cooperation across communities, governments and industries.
“We can’t just go, ‘Oh, it’s too much. It’s too hard. We’re not going to do anything because it’s just gone too far.’ I think we’ve really got to be dedicated to working on finding a solution and everyone needs to be part of that.
“We also need to be mindful about the territory being such a unique place and having very unique experiences, environments, animals, plant species, and what that means if we lose that.”
CHICAGO (WLS) — Residents of the Chicago area are currently facing an Air Quality Alert, triggered by smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires.
This alert will remain active until midnight on Friday.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
On Friday morning, the air quality in the region was categorized as hazardous.
According to Tracy Butler, an ABC7 Accuweather Meteorologist, the air quality is expected to be at its worst during the morning, but there may be some improvement by the afternoon.
SEE ALSO: Tracking air quality across the Chicago area
Butler also indicated that the afternoon and evening could bring rain and storms, potentially mixing with the smoke and resulting in a sludge-like residue.
Butler said the air quality should be better on Saturday, but smoky skies could return on Sunday.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires is seen in downtown Chicago.
The air is unhealthy for anyone to breathe.
The pollution forced several major events in the city to be rescheduled, including a Millennium Park summer music series performance and the Chicago Fire match at Soldier Field.
The Chicago Park District officially closed all beaches and outdoor pools Friday, designating only indoor ones stay open. They also moved all-day camps inside.
The smoke and haze blanketing the Chicago area is causing low visibility and could create some delays here at O’Hare Airport.
“I feel like I want to go get me a mask for this,” traveler Gary Coleman of Racine Wisconsin said. “I’m glad I’m leaving Chicago today so I don’t have to deal with this. I’m going down south for a little bit.”
Coleman said he loves visiting Chicago, but he said he doesn’t mind getting out of town and away from the smog.
Martic Davis shared the same sentiment as she and her granddaughter head out of town.
“Difficult, very difficult,” Davis said. “Thank God I don’t have any asthma or anything like that but even she is saying, ‘Grandma it is so foggy and smoky.'”
The haze also threatened to cause low visibility at O’Hare Airport, possibly delaying Megan Maresco and her softball trip.
“Some of my teammates are having some flight delays right now, so I hope we don’t have a flight. I don’t love the airport, but I don’t love sitting and waiting here forever, but it is what it is. As long as we get there safe,” Maresco said.
While health experts say the air is unhealthy for anyone to breathe and encourage people to avoid or limit time outdoors until the air quality gets better, the doctors at eye physicians and surgeons of Chicago say if you have to go outside, ditch the contact lenses.
“So the biggest thing that you can do is stay inside,” Dr. Fred Crawford said. “Outside of the that, you know, not be exposed to the elements, other things that you can do if you do have to go outside, if you wear a contact lens, I would try and use your glasses so that the irritants don’t get caught in between your contact lens and your tear film using artificial teardrops that are over the counter at many pharmacies.”
Health experts said the air is unhealthy for everyone to breathe and are encouraging people to avoid or limit time outdoors until the air quality gets better.
“If you can see it, and you can smell it, you’re breathing it in…so recommendations right now: if you don’t have to go out, then stay home,” Dr. Juanita Mora of the American Lung Association, said.
Doctors also recommend that people stay hydrated, which can help the respiratory system in these smoky conditions.
Due to the conditions, the Morton Arboretum’s outdoor areas are closed Friday. Programs scheduled for indoors will continue.
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In a surprising twist, an inmate from Rikers Island, convicted on serious firearm charges, found himself amid a lively FIFA World Cup watch party. This unique event, held in the presence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, unfolded as court records, examined by News Media, recently revealed.
One of the event’s notable attendees, Thomas McCoy, 52, hailing from Brooklyn, shared his thoughts during an interview amid the excitement of Wednesday’s England vs. Argentina semifinal. He expressed his sentiments to The Associated Press, reflecting on his 21-month incarceration, and delighting in the rare experience of enjoying “real food.”
Court records from Queens County, thoroughly scrutinized by News Media, indicate that McCoy was found guilty this past May. He faced two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a loaded firearm, alongside misdemeanor charges for criminal use of drug paraphernalia and possessing a controlled substance.
During this highly unusual gathering, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani engaged in conversations with inmates on Rikers Island, all while they enjoyed a thrilling World Cup semifinal soccer match. This memorable event took place on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in New York.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Following his conviction, McCoy was held without the possibility of bail. He is slated to receive his sentencing on July 22, marking the next stage in his journey through the justice system.
The World Cup watch party was one of roughly 90 held at Rikers during the tournament. According to the mayor’s office, about 4,500 of the jail’s roughly 6,600 inmates participated as a reward for good behavior.
More than 100 inmates attended Wednesday’s England-Argentina semifinal viewing, where Mamdani greeted inmates and spoke with attendees.
Rikers Island inmates watch the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.(AP Photo / Seth Wenig)
Video showed Mamdani greeting inmates and speaking with attendees during the watch party.
During the visit, the mayor said those incarcerated remain “New Yorkers” and emphasized the importance of recognizing their humanity.
Another inmate interviewed by The Associated Press, Ralph Veal, is awaiting trial in Manhattan after pleading not guilty to multiple felony counts of third-degree grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.
Rikers Island inmate Victor Caldas, an Argentina fan, reacts during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina, at the jail complex in New York, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.(AP Photos / Seth Wenig)
In a news release recapping the city’s World Cup initiatives, the Mayor’s Office highlighted the Rikers watch parties alongside free fan festivals, discounted tickets, neighborhood watch parties and other tournament programming for New Yorkers.
“These are New Yorkers, and they will be New Yorkers when they get out of Rikers,” the mayor said. Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards defended the programming, saying, “Programs like this equal safety in our jail.”
Earlier this year, Mamdani appointed former Rikers inmate Stanley Richards as correction commissioner after pledging to overhaul the city’s troubled jail system.
The appointment came as Rikers remained under federal oversight after a judge appointed an independent remediation manager to oversee reforms amid years of violence, staffing shortages and findings that city officials had failed to correct unconstitutional conditions inside the jail.
News Media has submitted public records requests seeking the identities of inmates selected for the World Cup watch parties, the criteria used to determine eligibility and whether inmates charged with or convicted of violent felonies participated.
News Media also asked the Mayor’s Office whether Mamdani was briefed on the criminal histories of the inmates who attended before his visit.
Given that John Henry, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, also possesses the Boston Globe, one might assume he frequently engages with the media and routinely speaks with reporters.
However, nothing could be further from the truth.
In a candid email exchange with Fangraphs’ Jason Schwartz, Henry shed light on why he has distanced himself from public interviews with Red Sox journalists since the onset of the pandemic.
“I viewed engaging with the media as not particularly productive,” Henry explained in the email. “Why? The Red Sox already have a baseball chief, CEO, manager, and chairman addressing the public regularly. There are ample front office voices available every day.”
Red Sox owner John Henry holds the team’s 2007 World Series trophy. REUTERS
Henry’s last interaction with reporters dates back to February 2020, shortly after the Red Sox made headlines by trading Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in a monumental deal.
Rather than Henry, the Red Sox’s front office of Sam Kennedy, Tom Werner and whoever the president of baseball operations is has been fielding questions from the media instead.
Henry was not among those to speak when the Red Sox let Xander Bogaerts walk in free agency in 2022, nor when they traded franchise icon Rafael Devers in June 2025.
Even faced with renewed calls to speak to the media after Red Sox manager Alex Cora was fired this April, he chose not to.
“I know that local media are frustrated that once again I’m not taking questions from them, but I had a long, close relationship with Alex [Cora],” Henry wrote. “I’m not going to discuss why these changes were made. It would be a disservice to Alex and others. This is a very emotional time for my family who loves Alex and his family.”
Red Sox owner John Henry holding a wood box with a World Series ring. New York Post
The Fenway Sports Founder was tabbed as a savior when it came to print media as he purchased the Boston Globe for $70 million in 2013 and turned it into one of the world’s most iconic news publications.
Though it appeared Henry helped save a dying industry with the purchase, he’s since caused a stir by not answering “hard” questions on the Red Sox and transactions they’ve made.
“The owner’s silence isn’t golden,” The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli wrote, “it’s cowardly and speaks volumes about how one of the sport’s most iconic franchises has become rudderless.”
Every four years, like clockwork, a familiar conversation resurfaces as soon as the U.S. men’s national soccer team exits the World Cup.
The dialogue inevitably targets certain athletes: ‘Imagine if LeBron James dedicated himself to soccer–we’d dominate… if only Odell Beckham Jr. had chosen the soccer field over the gridiron… if only…’
These wistful ‘if only…’ musings are more fantasy than fact, as even their proponents understand. Yet, they lead to an unanswered question that America still grapples with: ‘Why didn’t they pursue soccer?’
For years, the internal criticism of the U.S. youth soccer structure has been persistent, albeit misunderstood externally. The system demands significant financial contributions from parents—amounting to thousands annually—without delivering the success expected from a sports-driven nation like the United States, which can barely advance beyond the World Cup’s Round of 16.
These stark realities are what truly need to be confronted. The financial burden on parents is substantial, yet the system itself seldom equips young players with the essential skills and mentality to compete at elite levels.
As a result, some of the best players America could be producing are left by the wayside – burnt out financially or frustrated with an experience where little gets taught, winning is emphasized over development and athleticism is prioritized over ability.
The Daily Mail spoke with youth soccer administrators, parents and athletes to paint a broad picture of the way things are in the US, what needs to change and what it would take for America to be the sport’s superpower that it has the potential to be.
Another disappointing exit for the United States has fans once again wondering what would happen if the top athletes that the country produces to choose soccer over other sports
Names that constantly get batted around in these conversations are NBA legend LeBron James (R) as well as Odell Beckham Jr – who had a promising youth soccer career before the NFL
But the current state American youth soccer paints a bleak picture on the future of the sport
It’s important to set a baseline expectation for what good development looks like. The systems in England, France, Germany and Spain are largely community-based at the beginning, before top talents are plucked out by clubs who are incentivized to develop players for use on their first-teams – or, to be sold off to bigger clubs, who pay restitution in return.
But in the United States, the system is much more stark, capitalistic and convoluted under what is referred to as the ‘pay-to-play’ model.
Rob Holliday is the executive director of Massachusetts Youth Soccer. A native of England, Holliday had his own experience in the sport growing up, before attending the University of Southampton and then moving to the US to help expand the game.
As he explains it, there are multiple reasons why development lags behind, with culture being No 1: ‘The beliefs, the values, the behaviors of the American soccer system generally don’t align to benefit the greater good,’ Holliday tells the Daily Mail.
For Holliday, the lack of a ‘Ministry of Sport’ to set standards and a lack of investment in player development from the top-down leads to America lagging behind.
But he points to the economic model and incentives as the biggest reason for the system’s shortcomings.
In Massachusetts, Holliday estimates, younger children can play in their town’s recreational league at a cost of $100 for a ten-week program. From there, they can progress to their town’s travel teams where they pay up to $700 for a program where they go on the road to play matches competitively.
But the biggest financial burden is at the private club level. These clubs promise elite competition in the course of two seasons in the fall and spring, but charge thousands of dollars for dues and fees – with uniforms sold separately. Moreover, these clubs often travel significant distances – with costs from road trips bringing a full-season financial total up to as high as $15,000.
America’s model of ‘pay-to-play’ puts up financial barriers to sporting success
While rec leagues are affordable, the best of the best play in clubs that demand thousands in fees and thousands more in travel costs – putting financial strains on families
The result is a system that prioritizes winning over development to keep fees rolling in
While some of these clubs have partnerships with MLS or US Soccer itself, none of them guarantee opportunities with said MLS clubs or with any of the youth national teams.
In fact, as Holliday explains, identification and development structures in the United States ‘don’t really start until U12’ – as opposed to other nations which start at age four or five.
Most of those come from MLS teams’ own academies – which are free to play in. But these opportunities are rare and restrictive to parents and players based on geography.
So if the goal isn’t to develop players until their teens, what’s the main incentive for clubs? Winning. But winning for the sake of luring other players to their club to reap the dues and fees parents pay.
Holliday stressed, ‘there’s thousands of coaches out there who really care about player development.
‘But the economic realities are, if you don’t create teams that can compete and be successful and provide or meet the expectations of parents and players on the team, those players and parents on the team won’t pay the fees associated with it.’
MLS clubs offer free academies, but those spots are rare and geographically limiting to all
Player development and identification doesn’t truly begin in MLS academies until the age of 12
This is different than in places such as Spain, who begin development at younger ages
In European countries, clubs have those dues and fees, but they also have revenue streams such as government grants, sponsorships and ticket sales to pro sports teams.
‘We don’t get that in the US,’ Holliday says. ‘Almost everything is paid for by the parent. Revenue diversification is one of the key challenges.’
Youth clubs in Europe also get funds through training compensation fees and solidarity rights when players move to bigger clubs – as well as transfer fees and likely a percentage of the sell-on fee if the player moves from there.
Such things don’t exist in the United States, which Holliday points to as one of the main reasons why the model is the way it is.
‘The incentives [for development] aren’t there for the professional clubs at the local level and in grassroots soccer,’ Holliday says. ‘There’s some really good collaboration that occurs between MLS or NWSL clubs, but it doesn’t happen at the same level as it does in other countries around the world.’
So for those players seeking advanced development, a trip abroad may be required. This was the case for 16-year-old fullback Kieran O’Connor.
Even when he was younger, Kieran’s parents admitted they fell into the ‘first trap of American soccer’ after hearing other soccer moms and dads were hiring personal trainers for their sons.
‘What we noticed was that Kieran was being pigeonholed and we wanted him to play more positions,’ his mom, Erin Sheehan, explained.
An example of how the American system failed to develop a player comes in Kieran O’Connor
After playing youth soccer growing up, Kieran began growing his interest in the sport
But even at a young age, Kieran says he felt pressure from coaches and other parents to win
As a youngster, Kieran was taller, often leading coaches to pushing him toward the back of their formations – first at goalie, then center back before a brief stint up the wings. Even at that young age as he was still learning the game, that culture of winning took priority.
‘When I’m a goalie and I hear parents screaming on the sidelines, coaches yelling from the sidelines… there’s a period where my confidence was really bad because I would make a mistake. I definitely felt a lot of pressure,’ Kieran recalled.
While he excelled, playing on the A-Teams of six total clubs as a kid, he eventually felt his development hit a wall. His father, Seton O’Connor – a veteran of ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and longtime soccer media member and advocate – recalled feeling frustrated watching coaches fail to properly train his son.
‘I just want somebody to teach him the game,’ Seton recalled. ‘It doesn’t seem like a crazy concept: just put the time in and if you see a kid making a mistake over and over again, pull them to the side… Not be like, “It’s obviously not working, why are you still doing that?” Who the hell does that teach? That’s not teaching anybody anything.’
It’s this lack of development that puts the USMNT behind. Without a deep pool of senior-ready talent coming up, US Soccer has often fallen back on just creating the best athletes possible. For some positions, and for some soccer players, that’s enough. In other more skilled positions, the US falters.
Seton ballparked his family’s financial investment in the six-figure range – which included their largest expenditure.
With his development hitting a wall, Kieran was sent to Spain to train at Marcet for ten months
He tells the Daily Mail he went in not knowing much about tactics and left ‘knowing a complete system, a complete style of play’
He adds the culture within the locker room was unlike anything he experienced in the USA
After years of growing frustration and feelings of inadequacy with the American system, Kieran spent ten months training in Spain at the Marcet Football University in Barcelona.
While the American youth soccer style of play prioritizes athleticism – often seeing the stronger, faster and taller kids get more time than others – Kieran says he was able to learn much more about the game than he ever had in America.
‘I went in not really knowing much, tactically. And I left knowing a complete system, a complete style of play. Like my team, our chemistry was insane. We would know exactly where everybody’s going,’ Kieran said.
‘And they incorporated each new element very naturally. I wouldn’t even realize that I’m learning a whole new like thing until I reflected on it at the end of the year. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever had in the US.’
Kieran also recalled the locker room chemistry at Marcet being a high point: ‘Everybody there wanted to be a professional player. They’re from places where soccer is ingrained in everything.
‘After every single win, we would celebrate more than any other win in the United States. It would just be another Wednesday and we’re in the locker room, we would be celebrating, dancing, having the best time.’
While the men’s game in the US lags behind, the women’s program still leads the pack
Proper funding would allow the USMNT to achieve long-term success in the future
But unless changes happen, the USMNT can get used to disappointment at the World Cup
So if the United States gets lapped by other nations (on the men’s side at least, the women’s team has remained the preeminent force in the game) in terms of culture, development and overall happiness within the system, how does it change?
A simple answer would be to properly fund clubs so they have no financial incentive to try and survive off the money from parents.
As the discourse around this topic grew in the aftermath of the USMNT’s elimination, a number in the range of $400million, the equivalent of just under three percent of the US military budget, was thrown out. Holliday believes that number would allow the US Soccer Federation to fund programs run by them or other state associations.
‘We’re not just investing money so that somebody can build a field,’ Holliday says. ‘You’re investing money so that somebody can build a field so that someone can create a great environment where great players are going to come.
‘And then the cycle is going to continue and you have more kids playing soccer or more people playing soccer, more fans, more money reinvested in the game.’
From there, with greater expansion of access, the development will follow – which could finally bring the United States to the precipice of what the nation hopes to achieve.
‘The thing that gets me angry is people just defending the model so much,’ Seton told the Daily Mail. It’s like, “well, this is the way we do it, so that means it has to be the best way because obviously we’re doing it that way, it’s obviously the best way.” And it’s just really not the case.
‘I think sometimes a little humility and looking at the outside world and saying, well, how does Spain keep developing these players, and Germany, and France, and other places. Looking at a model similar to theirs, I think would go a long way.’
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5 Morning Exercises That Restore Muscle Mass Faster Than Gym Sessions After 60
Inside digital evidence presented during preliminary hearing in Tyler Robinson trial
The courtroom drama surrounding Tyler Robinson intensifies as tensions mount in the trial regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Amidst the intense atmosphere, the testimony of Robinson’s ex-roommate, Lance Twiggs, emerged as a pivotal moment. During a preliminary hearing in Provo, Utah, Twiggs, who secured immunity, recounted a chilling revelation: Robinson had confessed to the crime through a series of texts and face-to-face discussions, expressing regret over the act.
In the wake of court proceedings, Tyler Robinson’s father swiftly returned to his entrepreneurial life, skillfully managing his local business. This came just days after standing alongside his son with prosecutors presenting extensive evidence during the last week’s hearing, according to a news report.
Matthew Robinson, remaining a steadfast presence by his son’s side, played a vital role in the unfolding events. He was instrumental in turning Tyler over to authorities following an alleged admission of the murder of Charlie Kirk, a conservative figure. Despite this unwavering support, the financial burden of the legal defense looms large, with projections estimating Utah taxpayers may face costs exceeding $10 million, as highlighted by the New York Post.
In the quiet of southern Utah, Matthew Robinson oscillates between his responsibilities at the $600,000 family house and maintaining the masonry business he owns. This routine continued unabated despite attending his son’s crucial preliminary hearing, as reported by the New York Post.
Matthew Robinson remains committed to operating his masonry venture, even while his son, Tyler Robinson, navigates the legal complexities stemming from accusations tied to the high-profile assassination of Charlie Kirk. (Alec Thornock for News Media and Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
According to sources who spoke with the outlet, the business relies almost entirely on referrals and long-standing client relationships to stay afloat.
After his son was accused of killing Kirk, most of Matthew Robinson’s clients have decided to keep doing business with the company. Only on rare occasions does Matthew Robinson mention his son, according to a colleague.
Matthew Robinson was sued by his brother and a co-founder of the company, claiming $100,000 was embezzled over two years, according to a 2014 lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that Matthew Robinson concealed financial records and bartered work in exchange for personal favors.
Tyler Robinson, accused of the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, Thursday, December, 11, 2025.(Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
The brothers would eventually reach a confidential settlement.
The total cost of prosecuting Tyler Robinson has yet to be finalized, but his defense team has requested an additional $2 million in state funding, a figure experts believe could ultimately balloon past $10 million overall.
During the preliminary hearing, prosecutors played a recorded video interview with the Kirk assassination suspect’s ex-roommate and lover, Lance Twiggs, who said Tyler Robinson confessed to the killing.
“I am still ok my love, but am stuck in orem for a little while longer yet,” Robinson allegedly texted Twiggs. “Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.”
“You weren’t the one who did it right????” Twiggs replied.
