The plane towed a banner with big red letters reading: 鈥淔IRE CRAIG! SELL THE TEAM!鈥�

The banner was aimed at Craig Breslow, Boston’s chief baseball officer, and Red Sox principal owner John Henry.

Boston enters Friday game against the Astros in last place in the AL East, with a 12-19 record.

after a 17-1 road victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

The small plane circled the ballpark for over an hour. Fans outside the park were seen looking up and trying to read the banner.

With the Red Sox off to such a poor start this season, chants of 鈥淪ell the team!鈥� have been heard at Fenway. Last week, those chants grew louder after the Red Sox were swept at home by their longtime rivals, the New York Yankees.

The 50-year-old Cora was the manager of Boston鈥檚 last World Series team in 2018, which won a club-record 108 regular-season games. And, Cora was a member of the team鈥檚 2007 World Series-winning club. Cora was 620-541 as Red Sox manager, and the first manager to be filed this season.

Henry also owns the Liverpool soccer team.

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The Eastern Conference’s top seed closed last Saturday, then spent four days waiting for the Flyers to set up the next best-of-7 series that begins Saturday night in Raleigh.

That meant plenty of downtime for a team in its eighth straight postseason. Forward Andrei Svechnikov and goaltender Frederik Andersen talked this week about filling time watching other playoff games, while top-line center Sebastian Aho spent more time playing with his daughter, during last year’s playoffs.

鈥淵ou like having a couple of days to decompress but then you want to get right at it, and we didn’t have that,鈥� Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said Friday. 鈥淲e’ll see how we come out, it could help us, it might not, I don’t know. We’ll see. It’s an interesting debate, everybody has it when you have this much time off.鈥�

The Flyers closed out the Penguins in overtime on Wednesday in their first postseason appearance since 2020, ending a series that had them take a 3-0 lead then lose twice to turn it into a longer grind.

鈥淢y mind went, 鈥楢w man, I wish we had two more days to prepare,'” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said Friday of the shorter turnaround. 鈥淏ut then I’m thinking, 鈥楴o, I want us to stay with the same routine.'”

In net

Neither team could have asked for much more from their goaltenders in Round 1.

Andersen stopped 105 of 110 shots (.955) with a 1.10 goals-against average in the Ottawa series, including a Game 1 shutout. Philadelphia鈥檚 Dan Vladar wasn鈥檛 far behind, stopping 148 of 158 shots (.937) and posting a 1.61 GAA with shutouts in Games 2 and 6.

Start spreading the news

Cam York鈥檚 Game 6 winner was a long time coming for the 2019 first-round draft pick who spent the early years of his Flyers career in former coach John Tortorella鈥檚 doghouse.

Once Tortorella moved on, the Flyers showed their faith that York could still be a centerpiece to the rebuild with a five-year, $25.75 million contract last July.

The defenseman scored four goals this year, but it was his first career playoff goal that sent the Flyers into the second round.

鈥淲e needed one good decent look and we were able to capitalize,鈥� York said. 鈥淟ast year didn鈥檛 go my way, obviously. I wanted to have a bounce back year. I feel like I鈥檝e done a pretty good job at it.鈥�

Healthier Hurricanes

The past week gave forward Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Alexander Nikishin . Ehlers was a late scratch for Game 4 of the Ottawa series with a lower-body injury, while Nikishin was knocked from Game 4 on a jarring hit that left him with a concussion.

Nikishin returned to the ice Wednesday with a yellow non-contact jersey, then shed that for Friday’s practice. Ehlers sat out earlier in the week but was back on the ice Friday morning.

What about Michkov?

Matvei Michkov could be one of the deciding factors in the series for the Flyers. As long as he plays.

Once the the Flyers pinned , the Russian has instead been one of the more perplexing members of the roster. He admittedly arrived at training camp out of shape and fell into Tocchet鈥檚 doghouse. After the Olympics, he arguably became their most indispensable player and was the Flyers鈥� leading scorer after the break.

After he was held without a point in the first four games against Pittsburgh, he was a healthy scratch in Game 5. Alex Bump took Michkov鈥檚 spot and scored. Michkov was back for Game 6 and had the primary assist on York鈥檚 overtime game winner.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e called building blocks,鈥� Tocchet said. 鈥淚鈥檝e talked to you guys all year about it, I know he鈥檚 a lightning rod, and all that stuff. But he鈥檚 just a guy trying to build his game. We鈥檙e trying to help him like he鈥檚 trying to help himself. And I thought (Game 6) was a building block for him.鈥�

Flyer ties

There’s plenty of Philadelphia ties in the Hurricanes’ locker room.

Carolina defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere played his first seven NHL seasons with the Flyers, while the Hurricanes acquired forward Nicolas Deslauriers as a trade-deadline depth piece in March amid his fourth season with the Flyers.

Then there’s Brind’Amour, who was in his ninth season with the Flyers when he was traded to the Hurricanes in January 2000.

鈥淚’ve always thought it was one of the best fan bases,鈥� Brind’Amour said. 鈥淭hey’re fair. If you put in a good effort, it’s there for you. And if you’re not, they let you know about it. That’s actually what kept me on my toes all the time I played there, you didn’t want to disappoint them, because you knew you’d hear about it.鈥�

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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

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The two-time All-Star left midway through the second quarter of Toronto’s 125-120 loss at Cleveland on Wednesday night. He scored one point in 11 minutes before departing.

After averaging 21.5 points per game in the regular season, his first with Toronto, Ingram has struggled in the playoffs, averaging 12 in the five games against the Cavaliers. He’s shooting 19 for 58 overall and 5 for 13 from 3-point range.

Cleveland leads the series 3-2 and can advance with a win Friday. The home team has won each of the five games in the series.

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Moreno had been sidelined by a strained left oblique. He started the opener of a weekend series against the Chicago Cubs and went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts in .

鈥淗aving Gabby healthy and in this lineup means we鈥檙e a different team,鈥� Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said before the game. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the quality of at-bat, it’s how he controls the running game defensively, how he runs the game behind the plate. So nothing against the other catchers, he鈥檚 just very dynamic, has a lot of tools.鈥�

The Diamondbacks also recalled left-hander Brandyn Garcia from Triple-A Reno. Left-hander Philip Abner was sent down and catcher Aramis Garcia was designated for assignment.

Brandyn Garcia pitched two perfect innings in the loss to the Cubs. The 25-year-old lefty was helped by a solid running catch by Tim Tawa in left for the final out of the sixth.

鈥淕arcia is really a great weapon for us in the bullpen,鈥� Lovullo said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 not just left on left. He鈥檚 got wipeout stuff against any type of hitter. And when it鈥檚 on, it鈥檚 very impressive. So he鈥檚 been throwing the ball well. The things that we asked him to do when he went down, he鈥檚 taken care of piece by piece.鈥�

Garcia was 0-1 with a 2.19 ERA in 10 appearances for Reno, striking out 18 in 12 1/3 innings. He pitched for Arizona and Seattle last year, going 0-2 with a 5.65 ERA in 14 games. He was acquired by the Diamondbacks in .

The 26-year-old Moreno is batting .244 with five RBIs in 14 games this season. He on April 10 against Philadelphia.

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Even as negotiations continue, Trump is claiming that because of the ceasefire. The president also called the War Powers Resolution, which states Congress must declare war or authorize the use of force within 60 days,

The resolution鈥檚 May 1 deadline is without action, as lawmakers left town for a week on Thursday after the Senate rejected a Democratic attempt to halt the war for a sixth time.

Trump also said Friday that he will from the European Union next week to 25% after claiming without evidence that the E.U. was 鈥渘ot complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal.鈥� The U.S. and E.U. reached a that sets a 15% tariff on most goods.

Here’s the latest:

US to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany in next 6-12 months after feud over Iran war

Trump had threatened to withdraw some troops from its NATO ally earlier this week as he continues to feud with over the . Merz said the U.S. was being 鈥渉umiliated鈥� by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington鈥檚 lack of strategy in the war.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the 鈥渄ecision follows a thorough review of the Department鈥檚 force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.鈥�

The U.S. has several major military facilities in Germany, including the headquarters for U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command. The number of troops leaving Germany would be 14% of the 36,000 American service members stationed there.

Court restricts abortion access across the US by blocking the mailing of mifepristone

A panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is requiring that the pill 鈥� one of the most common means of abortion in the U.S. 鈥� be distributed only in-person at clinics.

Judges have long deferred to the Food and Drug Administration鈥檚 judgments on the safety and appropriate regulation of drugs. FDA officials under Trump have repeatedly stated the agency is conducting a new review of mifepristone鈥檚 safety, at the direction of the president.

Since the Supreme Court鈥檚 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed enforcement of abortion bans, prescriptions by mail has become a major way that abortions are provided 鈥� including in states where bans are in place.

鈥淭his is going to affect patients鈥� access to abortion and miscarriage care in every state in the nation,鈥� said Julia Kaye, an ACLU lawyer.

Trump opens event with older Americans in Florida by referencing shooting at Washington dinner he attended

Trump is visiting The Villages in central Florida, a community for older Americans, to talk about how his policies are helping them.

He said he loves Florida and was 鈥渢hrilled鈥� to be among the 鈥済reat American patriots鈥� of The Villages.

鈥淣ow, you know I shouldn鈥檛 be here,鈥� Trump said, referencing what law enforcement authorities have said was an attempt on his life during a gala dinner in Washington last weekend.

Trump said he should be 鈥渋ndoors at a secure facility鈥� and asked, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 more secure than The Villages?鈥�

EPA says oil and gas producers can continue routine flaring at new oil wells

had set a May 7 deadline to halt routine flaring of planet-warming methane at new wells. However, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it won鈥檛 make that change in response to concerns from energy companies.

Republican Rep. Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota hailed the new guidelines, which she said will allow continued production of up to 40,000 barrels of oil a day in her state.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat far more efficiently than carbon dioxide over the short term and is a major driver of climate change. Energy companies routinely flare, or burn, excess methane produced by oil wells because it鈥檚 less valuable than the oil.

Chinese envoy says 鈥榳orld is big enough鈥� for both US and China ahead of Trump鈥檚 visit to Beijing

Asked if the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S. will overshadow the upcoming Trump-Xi summit, China鈥檚 U.N. ambassador Fu Cong said the relationship between the two world powers 鈥済oes beyond鈥� the issue of reopening the critical waterway.

鈥淚 think it is in the interest of both countries and both people 鈥� and I may say, to the entire world, of the people of the entire world 鈥� that China and U.S. maintain a steady and sound and sustainable relationship,鈥� he told reporters at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

Fu added that there鈥檚 room for both on the world stage and that 鈥渋t doesn鈥檛 have to be a zero-sum game between the two countries.鈥�

Trump contends hostilities with Iran have 鈥榯erminated鈥�

The White House asserted to Congress in a letter Friday that hostilities with Iran have 鈥渢erminated鈥� despite the continued presence of U.S. armed forces in the region.

The message from Trump effectively skirts a May 1 legal deadline for gaining approval from members of Congress to continue the war with Iran. That deadline was already set to pass without action from Republican lawmakers, who are deferring to the president.

The letter brings into stark relief the bold but legally questionable assertion of presidential power at the heart of Trump鈥檚 war, which he began without congressional approval two months ago.

He also made it clear in the letter that the war may be far from over.

鈥淒espite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,鈥� the Republican president said.

US military reaches deals with 7 tech companies to use their AI on classified systems

Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX will provide resources to help 鈥渁ugment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments,鈥� the Defense Department said.

can help the U.S. military reduce the time it takes to identify and strike targets on the battlefield, while aiding in the organization of weapons maintenance and supply lines, according to a report in March from the Brennan Center for Justice.

Friday鈥檚 announcement comes after not on the list, Anthropic, whose battle with the Pentagon to put up AI guardrails has .

The tech company said it wanted assurances in its contract that the military would not use its technology in fully and the surveillance of Americans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the company must allow for any uses the Pentagon deemed lawful.

Trump says after CENTCOM briefing that he has two options for Iran

Discussing a Thursday briefing with Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, Trump said the U.S. has just two options in Iran.

鈥淚 mean, do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal? I mean, those are the options,鈥� Trump said.

Asked if he wanted to pursue the former, Trump said: 鈥淚鈥檇 prefer not. On a human basis, I鈥檇 prefer not, but that鈥檚 the option.鈥�

Trump said he believes Iran鈥檚 leadership has made some progress toward unifying around a resolution.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e made strides, but I鈥檓 not sure if they ever get there,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 tremendous discord, they鈥檙e having a tremendous problem getting along with each other in Iran.鈥�

Trump dismisses war powers law as 鈥榰nconstitutional鈥�

Friday marked the 60th day since the White House notified Congress of its military operations in Iran, meaning Trump would have to withdraw forces or seek formal approval from Capitol Hill.

But the president said his predecessors have similarly not sought congressional approval for military action abroad, and he wasn鈥檛 going to be any different.

鈥淓very other president considered it totally unconstitutional, and we agree with that,鈥� Trump said at the White House as he departed for Florida on Friday.

He also agreed with an argument advanced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week that ceasefire days should not count as hostilities and thus not toward the 60 day limit.

A senior administration official says the U.S.鈥檚 military actions in Iran have effectively 鈥渢erminated鈥� since the April 7 ceasefire.

Meet Dr. Nicole Saphier, Trump鈥檚 third pick for US surgeon general

Trump dropped his pick for surgeon general Dr. Casey Means this week after it became clear she didn鈥檛 have enough Senate votes.

His new pick Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox 海角社区app Channel contributor, has promoted much of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 agenda, including cutting ultraprocessed foods from diets and encouraging exercise.

But she has been a more vocal advocate for vaccination than Kennedy. She鈥檚 also criticized the administration鈥檚 handling of some issues as 鈥渆mbarrassing.鈥�

鈥淭he more vaccine confusion we create, the more preventable disease we will see,鈥� she said in September, urging the administration to get itself in order on the issue.

Trump sounds open to putting former 2024 GOP rival Ron DeSantis in his Cabinet

When asked Friday if he鈥檇 consider a Cabinet role for the Florida governor, who is term-limited and will be out of office in 2027, Trump responded by saying, 鈥淲ell, I like him a lot.鈥�

Trump鈥檚 team in 2024 was considering DeSantis as his defense secretary when then-nominee Pete Hegseth鈥檚 path to Senate confirmation seemed shaky.

Trump says he鈥檚 still looking at a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at it. If we could do it, we鈥檒l do it. But only if it鈥檚 a good deal,鈥� Trump told reporters on Friday as he prepared to leave the White House for a trip to Florida.

He didn鈥檛 offer any details about what proposal he was considering but said he鈥檇 like to save jobs at the airline. Trump said his administration gave Spirit 鈥渁 final proposal鈥� and would make an announcement Friday or Saturday.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at Spirit and if we can help them, we will. But we have to come first,鈥� he said.

Trump says he鈥檚 鈥榥ot satisfied鈥� with Iran鈥檚 latest proposal in negotiations to end the war

鈥淭hey want to make a deal, I鈥檓 not satisfied with it, so we鈥檒l see what happens,鈥� Trump told reporters Friday at the White House.

Asked about what he sees as the proposal鈥檚 shortcomings, Trump said, 鈥淭hey鈥檙e asking for things I can鈥檛 agree to.鈥�

The president said negotiations have continued by phone after he called off his envoys鈥� trip to Pakistan last week. He expressed frustration with Iran鈥檚 leadership, which he described as fractured.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very disjointed leadership,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey all want to make a deal, but they鈥檙e all messed up.鈥�

Some background on the 2025 trade deal between the US and EU

The 2025 deal was first cast into doubt after the U.S. Supreme Court this year ruled the Republican president lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency and charge tariffs on EU goods.

The initial agreement had been a tariff ceiling of 15% on goods from the EU, but the Supreme Court ruling reduced that to 10% as the Trump administration launched a new set of import taxes based on other laws. The Trump administration is in the middle of investigations on trade imbalances and national security risks to impose a new tariff regime, which could ultimately put the agreement with the EU in risk of violation.

The EU had said it expected the bilateral deal would about 500 million to 600 million euros ($585 million to $700 million) a month.

The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat.

Trump says he鈥檒l place 25% tariff on autos from EU, accusing bloc of not complying with trade deal

It鈥檚 a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment.

Trump said in a post that the EU 鈥渋s not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal,鈥� though he did not flesh out his objections in the post.

Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had last July. It set a 15% tariff on most goods.

Bessent wants Americans to avoid easy-money traps and invest in financial literacy

winces at the allure of easy money 鈥� whether it鈥檚 lottery tickets, or the promise of a crypto windfall 鈥� warning that the get-rich-quick mindset often leads Americans farther from financial stability, not closer to it.

鈥淭here are a lot of young people, mostly young men, going to blue-collar construction jobs, playing the lottery. It drives me crazy,鈥� Bessent said in an interview.

鈥淭he best thing you can do is not play the lottery,鈥� he said 鈥� rather, people should invest and 鈥渢hen watch it grow.鈥�

Bessent spoke about the basics of building a workable budget and saving for the future at the tail end of Financial Literacy Month, an initiative the billionaire hedge fund manager has made a priority since joining Trump鈥檚 administration, driven by a childhood marred by poverty.

King Charles III wins praise for deft handling of Trump on his US state visit

sang the praises of after the monarch鈥檚 this week. He even lifted some as a favor to the British monarch.

The king delivered a diplomatic master-class on the trip, mixing praise for his host with subtle criticism. It鈥檚 unclear, though, whether it will make a major difference to a trans-Atlantic relationship by divisions over issues including .

鈥淚n the short term probably yes, in the long term probably no,鈥� said Kristofer Allerfeldt, a University of Exeter professor specializing in American history. But he said Charles had 鈥渄efinitely clawed back some of the prestige of the monarchy鈥� in his homeland with his assured performance.

鈥淗e鈥檚 done us proud,鈥� Allerfeldt said.

Joe Biden endorses a former Atlanta mayor and White House adviser for Georgia governor

The former Democratic president is wading into the midterms, making his first political endorsement of the 2026 cycle by backing Keisha Lance Bottoms for the state鈥檚 top job.

Bottoms served as Biden鈥檚 senior adviser for public engagement after her tenure as Atlanta mayor.

In a promoting her candidacy, Biden praised her track record as mayor and said 鈥渢hose same qualities that made her a great mayor made her invaluable to our administration 鈥� smart, focused, gets things done.鈥�

鈥淪he handled it all with steady and thoughtful leadership,鈥� Biden said in the video. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the definition of battle-tested.鈥�

After major enforcement operations, the Trump administration recalibrates its immigration crackdown

When Homeland Security Secretary was questioned by senators during his confirmation hearing about his vision for implementing President Trump鈥檚 mass deportation agenda, he said his goal was to keep his department off the front pages of the news.

To some degree, he has. Gone are the social media video clips of now-retired clashing with protesters. Mullin鈥檚 predecessor, , made her first trip as secretary to New York City to make arrests with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In contrast, to review hurricane recovery efforts.

The Republican administration appears to be recalibrating its approach to a centerpiece policy that helped bring Trump back to the White House, moving in many ways away from aggressive, public-facing tactics toward a quieter approach to enforcement. Despite that shift, the administration insists it鈥檚 not backing down from its lofty deportation goals.

Republicans say they will defer to Trump on Iran war despite arrival of 60-day deadline

Many Republicans who have been uneasy with Trump鈥檚 war in Iran emphasized that there would be a May 1 deadline for Congress to intervene. But the date is now set to pass with no action from GOP lawmakers who continue to defer to the White House.

Under the , Congress must declare war or authorize the use of force within 60 days 鈥� a deadline that falls on Friday 鈥� or within 90 days if the president asks for an extension. But Congress made no attempt at enforcing that requirement, leaving town for a week on Thursday after the Senate rejected a Democratic attempt to halt the war for a sixth time.

The Trump administration has shown no interest in seeking congressional approval at all. It is arguing that the deadlines set by the law don鈥檛 apply because the effectively ended when a ceasefire began in early April.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday he doesn鈥檛 plan on a vote to authorize or otherwise weigh in.

Trump gives go-ahead to major new Canada-US oil pipeline

President Donald Trump granted a key approval Thursday for a major new from Canada into the U.S. that鈥檚 been dubbed 鈥淜eystone Light鈥� over its similarities to a contentious project blocked by the Biden administration.

The three-foot-wide (1 meter) Bridger Pipeline Expansion would carry up to 550,000 barrels (87,400 cubic meters) of oil a day from Canada through Montana and Wyoming, where it would link with another pipeline.

The pipeline needs additional state and federal environmental approvals before construction, which company officials expect to start next year. Environmentalists hope to stop the project over worries that the pipeline could

At peak volume, the 650-mile (1,050-kilometer) pipeline would move two-thirds as much oil as the better-known that got partially built before President Joe Biden, citing climate change, on the day he took office in 2021.

Prosecutors release video of armed man storming correspondents鈥� dinner

Federal prosecutors released a video Thursday showing the moment authorities say a man armed with guns and knives tried to and attempt to kill Trump.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, posted the amid questions over whose bullet struck a Secret Service officer as Cole Tomas Allen ran through security with a long gun toward the hotel ballroom packed with journalists, administration officials and others.

Prosecutors had previously claimed the agent was shot in the bullet-resistant vest during the melee, but had not confirmed it was Allen who shot the agent. Pirro, however, said Thursday that there is no evidence that the officer was hit by friendly fire.

Allen was injured but was not shot during the Saturday night attack at the , which disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation鈥檚 capital.

Trump administration says its war in Iran has been 鈥榯erminated鈥� before 60-day deadline

The Trump administration is arguing that the has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.

The statement laid out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate earlier Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a 1973 law to seek formal approval from Congress for military action that extends beyond 60 days.

A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration鈥檚 position, said for purposes of that law, 鈥渢he hostilities that began on Saturday, Feb. 28 have terminated.鈥� The official said the U.S. military and Iran have not exchanged fire since the two-week ceasefire that began April 7.

While the ceasefire has since been extended, Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. Navy is to prevent Iran鈥檚 oil tankers from getting out to sea.

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Average attendance increased 2.8% and the big league batting average went up by one percentage point to .243. Home runs are being hit at the same rate as last year and stolen bases and success rate dipped.

The has upheld 53.4% of challenges (1,030 of 1,928), with catchers far more successful than batters.

Walks are up from 6.8 per game through April of last year. Over a full season, the average would be the highest since 2000 and the ninth highest in major league history, but walks have declined since the season’s start and averaged 6.98 per game from April 21-30.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 the same thing that happened in the minor leagues. So I don鈥檛 think this is unexpected at all,” Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Friday. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 our job to make those adjustments.鈥�

Pitches in the strike zone were 47.3% of offerings according to MLB Statcast, down from a record high 50.6% last year. Since tracking began, the previous low of 47.5% was in 2019 and 2020.

This year is down from 50.1% through April 30 last year and the second-lowest through the first full month, above only 47.2% in 2010. Statcast switched its measurement to the ABS version of the strike zone this year.

鈥淭he strike zone was always the umpire behind home plate, his representation or judgment of the strike,鈥� Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. 鈥淚 think now is the first time ever we actually have a clear strike zone.鈥�

Instead of using the cube strike zone in the rule book, ABS calls strikes solely based on where the ball crosses the midpoint of the plate, 8.5 inches from the front and the back. The top of the strike zone is 53.5% of batter height and the bottom 27% rather than the rule book definition of the top as the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the bottom as the hollow beneath the kneecap.

Strikeouts have increased slightly to an average of 16.9 per game from 16.6 through April last year and scoring is up slightly to 9 runs per game from 8.7.

Hitters have succeeded on 46% of challenges (409 of 890), catchers on 60.6% (605 of 997) and pitchers on 41.5% (17 of 41), leaving the fielding team at 59.8% (621 of 1,038).

鈥淚 do think that the catchers have a better vantage point just because they鈥檙e directly behind the zone,鈥� Tampa Bay catcher Nick Fortes said.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo, a former infielder, anticipated catchers’ success.

鈥淚 think emotion gets involved on every level with every player. I think the catcher probably has the least emotion,” Lovullo said. 鈥淚 think with the pitcher, there鈥檚 a head jerk, the body鈥檚 moving, you don鈥檛 get a great look at it.鈥�

Teoscar Hern谩ndez of the Los Angeles Dodgers is 4 for 4, the most successful challenges among batters who are at 100%. Miami鈥檚 Agust铆n Ram铆rez is 0 for 5, the most misses among batters with no successes.

Catchers with the best success rate among those with at least 10 challenges are Seattle’s Mitch Garver (10 of 11), Detroit’s Dillon Dingler (13 of 15) and the Chicago Cubs’ Carson Kelly (12 of 14). Kansas City’s Carter Jensen (3 of 10) and Houston’s Christian V谩zquez (4 of 13) are the lowest.

Among umpires who have worked more than two games behind the plate, Willie Traynor (95.3%) and Edwin Moscoso (95.2%) had the best accuracy rate, according to taptochallenge.com. Paul Clemens (91%), Chris Segal (91.1%) and Dan Iassogna (91.1%) were the lowest.

鈥淚 think you just see the umpires being really cognizant of the challenges,鈥� Albernaz said, “because I don鈥檛 think anyone wants to be embarrassed at their job and get posted up there and see if it鈥檚 a ball of a strike.鈥�

The average time of a nine-inning game has crept up to 2 hours, 42 minutes, up from 2:37 through April last year. MLB said it attributes 64 seconds of the increase to the ABS system.

Pitch clock violations through 468 games averaged 0.20 per game, up from 0.19. Of the violations, 0.16 were on the defensive team and 0.04 on batters.

Attendance has averaged 28,545 per game, up from 27,744 through April last year, when the in the third straight season of increase.

Stolen bases have slid to 1.4 per game from 1.6 through April last season and the success rate decreased to 76.6% from 78.4.%.

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AP Sports Writers Jay Cohen and Steve Megargee, and AP freelance writer Ken Powtak contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump had threatened to withdraw some troops from the NATO ally earlier this week as he continues to feud with over the . Merz said the U.S. was being 鈥渉umiliated鈥� by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington鈥檚 lack of strategy in the war.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the 鈥渄ecision follows a thorough review of the Department鈥檚 force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.鈥�

The U.S. has several major military facilities in Germany, including the headquarters for U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, Ramstein Air Base and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest American hospital outside the United States.

The number of troops leaving Germany would be 14% of the 36,000 American service members stationed there.

Nico Lange from the Center of European Policy Analysis told The Associated Press earlier this week that they primarily serve U.S. interests, including 鈥渢he projection of American power globally,鈥� rather than helping with the defense of Germany.

Trump ignored questions from reporters about the withdrawal on Friday as he boarded Air Force One in Ocala, Florida, following a rally to tout his economic agenda.

Trump made a similar threat in his first term, saying he would pull about 9,500 of the roughly 34,500 U.S. troops who were then stationed in Germany, but he didn鈥檛 start the process and Democratic President Joe Biden soon after taking office in 2021.

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In the Eastern Conference, Carolina and Philadelphia and will face each other beginning with Game 1 on Saturday. In the West, Colorado will play Minnesota in a must-watch showdown of division rivals.

Going into the three Game 6 games Friday night, there were three matchups needed to be settled: Anaheim’s opponent (Vegas or Utah) and the other East semifinal. with the winners of Boston-Buffalo and Montreal-Tampa Bay.

and no three-peat after were derailed by injuries following three consecutive trips to the final. Both finalists will be new after Edmonton got .

What’s happened so far

The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche , the Wild in six games and the Oilers, also in six. Vegas and Utah have gone back and forth in a surprisingly competitive and eventful series.

Ottawa, and archrival Pittsburgh in six. Boston-Buffalo and Montreal-Tampa Bay have had many memorable games.

The matchups

The top three teams in each of the four divisions make the playoffs. The other four spots go to the next two highest-placed teams in each conference, regardless of division.

The teams with the best record in each conference open against the wild-card team with the worst record; the other wild card plays the other division winner. Teams that finish second and third in their division play each other in the bracket headed by their respective division winner, so had some rivalry-style games. The second round thus carries an even higher prospect of division opponents matching up ahead of the conference finals.

All four rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven; the first team to 16 victories wins the Stanley Cup.

East

鈥� vs. , Game 1 on Saturday.

鈥� Boston-Buffalo winner vs. Montreal-Tampa winner.

West

鈥� vs. Minnesota.

鈥� vs. Utah-Vegas winner.

The favorites

Colorado is the favorite to win the Stanley Cup at just over 2-1, followed by Carolina at just under 3-1 and Vegas at 13-2.

How to watch

Every playoff game will be nationally televised in the U.S on an ESPN or Turner network. The NHL schedule is and a streaming guide Much of TNT鈥檚 coverage, which includes the Stanley Cup Final, will be simulcast on truTV and available on Max鈥檚 B/R Sports Add-On. In Canada, games will be showcased on Sportsnet and CBC.

After three rounds of seven-game series, the final starts in early June. If the final goes the distance, Game 7 could go as late as June 21.

What to know

WEST: The West is loaded, even after Connor McDavid’s early exit. Colorado leads the way with MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon and star defenseman Cale Makar. If you don’t know Minnesota standouts Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, you will when you see them take on the Avalanche.

The Pacific Division side of the bracket is weaker and the Golden Knights may have the clearest path to the final if they survive Utah and deal with the Ducks, who have an intriguing mix of under one of the all-time great coaches in Joel Quenneville.

EAST: The feel-good stories reside here in Buffalo and Philadelphia.

Buffalo snapped the NHL’s longest postseason drought at 14 years and did it in style, winning the Atlantic Division behind leading scorer Tage Thompson (a big part of the and raising hopes that the city could finally, maybe, win its first Stanley Cup. The , sending Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang home.

All these teams are underdogs to the powerhouse Carolina Hurricanes, who have another chance to show they can break through after early-playoff success and some disappointing losses.

With the losses by Ottawa and Edmonton, Canada’s hopes of ending a 33-year Cup drought rests with the Canadiens. Montreal was the last team north of the border to win it back in 1993.

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May 1 is a public holiday in many countries to mark International Workers鈥� Day, or Labor Day, when workers鈥� unions traditionally rally around wages, pensions, inequality and broader political issues. Demonstrations were held from Seoul, Sydney and Jakarta to many European capitals. In the U.S., activists also held marches and boycotts.

鈥淲orking people refuse to pay the price for Donald Trump鈥檚 war in the Middle East,鈥� the European Trade Union Confederation, which represents 93 trade union organizations in 41 European countries, said. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 rallies show working people will not stand by and see their jobs and living standards destroyed.鈥�

What to know about May Day:

Demonstrations across the world

Rising living costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East was as a key theme in Friday鈥檚 rallies.

On a main avenue in Casablanca, Morocco鈥檚 largest city, taxi drivers honked their horns and bus drivers parked their vehicles to protest rising fuel costs.

鈥淎ll my expenses have gone up, but my wages haven鈥檛 budged,鈥� Akherraz Lhachimi of the Moroccan Labor Union said.

Several rallies were staged in South Africa, where the head of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Zingiswa Losi, said workers were 鈥渟uffocating鈥� under rising costs of food, electricity, transportation and healthcare.

Turkish authorities in Istanbul for attempting to march in areas declared off-limits on security grounds, most notably central Taksim Square, the epicenter of 2013 protests. May Day rallies in Turkey are frequently marred by clashes with authorities.

A demonstration in Santiago, Chile, ended with vandalism and clashes between protesters and police, who used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Several thousand people gathered across Portugal as unions rallied together to protest proposed changes to labor laws that including making worker dismissals easier and reducing miscarriage bereavement leave.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the only voice we have,鈥� public sector worker Paulo Domingues said of the protests.

France鈥檚 mandatory day off

May Day carries special meaning this year in France, after a heated debate about whether employees should be allowed to work on the country鈥檚 most protected public holiday 鈥� the only day when most employees have a mandatory paid day off.

Tens of thousands of people joined marches across the country, including in Paris, where brief scuffles with police broke out.

Almost all businesses, shops and malls are closed, and only essential sectors such as hospitals, transport and hotels are exempt.

A recent parliamentary proposal to expand work on the day prompted major outcry from unions and left-wing politicians.

Faced with the dispute, the government this week introduced a bill that would allow bakeries and florists to open. It is customary in France to give lily of the valley flowers on May Day as a symbol of good luck.

鈥淢ay 1 is not just any day,鈥� Small and Medium-sized Businesses Minister Serge Papin said. 鈥淚t symbolizes social gains stemming from a century of building social rules that have led to the labor code we know in France.鈥�

Street protests and boycotts in the US

In the United States, where May Day is not a federal holiday, May Day Strong, a coalition of activist groups and labor unions, urged people to protest under the banner of 鈥渨orkers over billionaires鈥� and called for an economic blackout through 鈥渘o school, no work, no shopping.鈥�

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed a largely supportive crowd at a Manhattan rally organized by unions and immigrant advocates. He reiterated his promise to raise taxes on the wealthy and 鈥減rotect our neighbors from the cruelty of ICE,鈥� or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

At a protest outside the New York Stock Exchange, multiple people were arrested, according to police, who did not have an exact count or information on charges. Video showed some protesters tried to chain themselves to a railing. One struggled with officers.

Across the U.S., many protesters voiced opposition to Trump鈥檚 policies, including his .

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing tons and tons of attacks on working people and on oppressed communities from the Trump administration, both at home and abroad,鈥� said Kathryn Stender, an activist with the Party for Socialism and Liberation who was among thousands at a rally in a Chicago park.

The atmosphere there was festive, with Native American dancers, mariachi bands and monarch butterfly signs, which have become a symbol of the immigrant rights movement.

While labor and immigrant rights are historically intertwined, the focus of May Day rallies in the U.S. shifted to immigration in 2006. That鈥檚 when roughly 1 million people, including nearly half a million in Chicago alone, took to the streets to protest federal legislation that would have made living in the U.S. without legal permission a felony.

Roots in Chicago

May Day, or International Workers鈥� Day, traces back more than a century to a pivotal period in U.S. labor history.

In the 1880s, unions pushed for an eight-hour workday. A Chicago rally in May 1886 turned deadly when a bomb exploded and police responded with gunfire. Several labor activists 鈥� most of them immigrants 鈥� were convicted of conspiracy and other charges; four were executed.

Unions later designated May 1 to honor workers. A monument in Chicago鈥檚 Haymarket Square commemorates them with the inscription: 鈥淒edicated to all workers of the world.鈥�

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Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed to this report.

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Hoerner’s neck started to bother him before the game. He hit a leadoff double in the first inning and scored on Michael Busch’s two-run single. But Matt Shaw batted for Hoerner in the second and remained in the game at second base.

鈥淚t locked up moving around pregame and then just wasn’t in a good place on the field,鈥� Hoerner said. 鈥淪o get some good treatment and see where I’m at tomorrow.鈥�

Hoerner’s neck tightness was on his left side.

鈥淗e tried to go out there in the second and he couldn’t throw, just couldn’t move his neck at all,鈥� manager Craig Counsell said. 鈥淚t’s a muscle thing. We’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow. It may be a day or two, but I think it’ll be fine after that.鈥�

The gametime temperature at Wrigley Field was 44 degrees, and the wind was blowing in.

Hoerner has been one of the majors’ best players so far this season. The two-time Gold Glove winner is batting .297 with four homers, 26 RBIs and seven steals in 32 games.

Hoerner, who turns 29 on May 13, agreed to in March. He was selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 2018 amateur draft.

鈥淣ico’s really fun to watch, and I think his game is improving,鈥� Counsell said, 鈥渁nd that’s fun to watch.鈥�

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At Greystone GC

Birmingham, Ala.

Purse: $2.6 million

Yardage: 7,249; Par: 72

Second Round

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At Greystone GC

Birmingham, Ala.

Purse: $2.6 million

Yardage: 7,249; Par: 72

Second Round

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According to Washington County Sheriff , Lindsey was booked shortly after 1 a.m. and released on bond about seven hours later. According to multiple media reports, citing Fayetteville police, a staff member at a bar near the University of Arkansas campus flagged Lindsey for possession of a possible fake ID, which he admitted to police he’d used.

The 20-year-old Lindsey has court dates scheduled for June 1 and June 29. Gophers players are on a break after their spring practice sessions concluded last weekend.

The Minnesota athletic department said it was aware of the situation and will 鈥渁ddress it internally.鈥�

Lindsey, who was not recruited by his hometown team the Razorbacks, picked the Gophers and had a strong debut season in 2025 as a redshirt freshman. Lindsey started all 13 games and set the freshman program record for wins as the Gophers . Lindsey completed 249 of 386 passes for 2,382 yards and 18 touchdowns against only six interceptions.

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