Mavs sign No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to rookie contract; Exum is returning, AP source says

Mavs sign No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to rookie contract; Exum is returning, AP source says

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks have signed No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg to his four-year rookie contract, and a person with knowledge of the agreement said Wednesday the club is bringing back guard Dante Exum on a one-year contract. The team didn't disclose details in announcing Flagg's deal. The total value of the contract for the top pick on the 2025-26 rookie wage scale is in the range of $62.7 million, with a first-year salary of about $13.8 million, according to Spotrac. Those numbers can fluctuate slightly. There are team options in the third and fourth seasons of rookie deals. The Mavericks will have to clear a roster spot to re-sign Exum, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Dallas can't yet sign the eight-year veteran. Exum, who is set for his third season with the Mavs, will help fill the void in the backcourt while Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL. Flagg said during hisintroductory news conference last weekthat he intends to play in the Summer League in Las Vegas later this month. The Mavericks' Summer League opener against the Los Angeles Lakers and Bronny James is set to be nationally televised on July 10. Flagg was taken with the top pick after Dallas converted just a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery. The 18-year-old from Duke became the fourth freshman to winThe Associated Press national player of the yearhonors in the 64-year history of the award. Flagg led the Blue Devils to the Final Four in his only season. The 6-foot-9 forward joins a frontcourt that should include 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and promising young center Dereck Lively II, Flagg's fellow Duke alum. The Mavs shocked the NBA by sending 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Davis in February. Irving is another former Duke player to go first overall in the draft, in 2011. He will be out, probably until at least midseason, while recovering from a torn ACL. Irving was injured in March. ___ AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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July 02, 2025

Mavs sign No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to rookie contract; Exum is returning, AP source says

Mavs sign No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to rookie contract; Exum is returning, AP source says DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks have sign...

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Wimbledon: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the last top-five women's seed left. Carlos Alcaraz wins

Wimbledon: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the last top-five women's seed left. Carlos Alcaraz wins

LONDON (AP) —Aryna Sabalenkajoked that she'd love it if the upsets atWimbledonwould stop, which makes sense, given that she is ranked No. 1. She's also the only one of the five top-seeded women still in the bracket after No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, last year's runner-up, followed No. 2Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 5 Zheng Qinwen on the way out. Sabalenka was two points from dropping the opening set of her second-round match three times on Wednesday before asserting herself for a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over Marie Bouzkova. In all,a record-tying 23 seeded players— 10 women, 13 men — were gone by the end of Day 2, equaling the most at any Grand Slam event in the past 25 years. Five more women joined them by losing Wednesday: Paolini, No. 12 Diana Shnaider, No. 21 Beatriz Haddad Maia, No. 22 Donna Vekic and No. 29 Leylah Fernandez. "Of course you're going to know the overall picture," Sabalenka said, then added with a chuckle: "I hope it's no upsets anymore in this tournament, if you know what I mean." She isa three-time Grand Slam champion, with all of those titles coming on hard courts at the Australian Open or U.S. Open. She also was the runner-up to Gauffat the clay-court French Openlast month — drawing criticism from some over her post-match comments, a flap she and Gauff set aside via social media videos last week — but hasn't been past the semifinals on the grass of the All England Club. A year ago, Sabalenka was forced to miss Wimbledon because of an injured shoulder. On Wednesday, the record-breaking heat of the first two days gave way to rain that delayed the start of play on smaller courts for about two hours, along with temperatures that dropped from above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) to below 68 F (20 C). At Centre Court, the 48th-ranked Bouzkova went ahead 6-5 in the first set with the match's initial service break thanks to a double-fault by Sabalenka. Bouzkova served for that set, and was two points away from it at 30-15 in that game, again at 30-all, then once more at deuce. But on the last such occasion, Sabalenka came through with a forehand volley winner she punctuated with a yell, followed by a down-the-line backhand winner that was accompanied by another shout. "That was a tough moment," said Sabalenka, who will face 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu next. "Until that point, (my) return wasn't great enough to break her serve. I'm really glad ... everything clicked together and I was able to break her back. I kind of like felt a little bit better." That sent them to a tiebreaker, and from 4-all there, Sabalenka took the next three points, ending the set with a powerful forehand return winner off a 67 mph second serve. In the second set, the only break arrived for a 3-2 lead for Sabalenka, and that was basically that. Sabalenka compiled a 41-17 edge in winners while making only 18 unforced errors in a match that lasted a little more than 1 1/2 hours. What else happened Wednesday at Wimbledon? Raducanu defeated 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3, and Australian Open championMadison Keys, who is seeded sixth, beat Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2. In men's action, two-time defending championCarlos Alcarazextended his winning streak to 20 matches with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 733rd-ranked qualifierOliver Tarvet, who plays for the University of San Diego, and No. 5 Taylor Fritz got past Gabriel Diallo of Canada 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-3 for his second consecutive five-set win. But No. 12 Frances Tiafoe joined the parade of seeds exiting, eliminated by 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Cam Norrie 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5. Who plays Thursday at the All England Club? Novak Djokovic, who has won seven of his 24 major championships at Wimbledon, will lead off the Centre Court schedule on Day 4 against Britain's Dan Evans at 1:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. ET), followed by Iga Swiatek vs. Caty McNally, and No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. Aleksandar Vukic. ___ AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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July 02, 2025

Wimbledon: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the last top-five women's seed left. Carlos Alcaraz wins

Wimbledon: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the last top-five women's seed left. Carlos Alcaraz wins LONDON (AP) —Aryna Sabalenkajoked that she...

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Young Mets fan shares wholesome reaction after earning 'Kidcaster' invitation to SNY booth

Young Mets fan shares wholesome reaction after earning 'Kidcaster' invitation to SNY booth

Antonio Veneziano's jaw was dropping before he even heard the news. The wide-eyed, 12-year-old New York Mets fan looked in awe as SportsNet New York Mets field reporter Steve Gelbs approached him in the stands. Wearing a glove, a Francisco Lindor jersey, a matching 2024 City Connect cap and eye black that covered most of his face, Veneziano looked like he belonged on the diamond. He was moments from learning that he's actually headed to the booth ... as this year's SNY "Kidcaster." Young Mets fan Antonio Veneziano finding out he'll be a Kidcaster for SNY made for great live television.Antonio, as SNY reporter Steve Gelbs approached: "Oh my god! He knows my name!" ⚾️🎙️#MLBpic.twitter.com/lKfZREFDR3 — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing)July 2, 2025 Veneziano gently waved as his faint "Hi, Steve" was picked up on the SNY mic. "Hey, Antonio, what's up, man?" Gelbs said. While shaking Gelbs' hand, Veneziano's head swung like Lindor's bat, with his mouth gaping. Then it came back like a yo-yo as he exclaimed, "Oh, my God! He knows my name." Gelbs put his arm around Veneziano's shoulder and said, "I do know your name. You want to know why I know your name?" Not even halfway through Gelbs delivering the news, Veneziano could have finished the sentence. "Would you like to be the 'Kidcaster' with Gary [Cohen], Keith [Hernandez] and Ron [Darling] on July 22?" Without hesitation, Veneziano took the offer. "I would love to," he said with emotion shaking his voice. "Really?" Gelbs confirmed this was really happening and praised Veneziano's audition, which he said featured some "pretty spectacular" home run calls. Gelbs then asked if Veneziano could give viewers a sneak peek. He obliged and gave his best play-by-play narration of a Lindor dinger to right field. It was a wholesome moment halfway through the first game of New York's doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. The Mets lost the game 7-2, but Veneziano came out a winner. According to Gelbs, Veneziano emerged as SNY's "Kidcaster" after a record number of entries. The Kidcaster program invites one fan aged 9-12 every year to call an inning of a Mets game alongside SNY's announcers. Now Veneziano is on deck.

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July 02, 2025

Young Mets fan shares wholesome reaction after earning 'Kidcaster' invitation to SNY booth

Young Mets fan shares wholesome reaction after earning 'Kidcaster' invitation to SNY booth Antonio Veneziano's jaw was dropping ...

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Stateless Palestinian woman released from ICE custody after 5 months

Stateless Palestinian woman released from ICE custody after 5 months

Ward Sakeik -- a stateless Palestinian woman who wasdetained on her way back from her honeymoon-- has been released from ICE detention nearly five months after her arrest, her husband confirmed to ABC News. Sakeik, whose husband is a U.S. citizen, was arrested at the St. Thomas Airport in the U.S. Virgin Islands in February. "The Trump administration's brazenly unconstitutional attempt to deport this young woman in violation of a federal court order should shock the conscience of every American. Had we not intervened, she may very well be in a foreign country right now, separated from her family like so many others illegally deported to third countries," Eric Lee, Sakeik's attorney, said in a statement Wednesday. MORE: Newlywed bride's honeymoon ends with months of ICE detention and the prospect of deportation The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on Sakeik's release. The government had attempted to deport Sakeik twice -- the first time reportedly to Israel just hours before it launched its attack on Iran in June. Thesecond attempt to deport hercame despite a federal judge ordering that she remain in the northern district of Texas and not be removed from the U.S. The government and its attorneys told her husband, Taahir Shaikh, and Sakeik's lawyers that the attempt to deport her earlier this week was "an honest mistake," according to Shaikh. On Tuesday evening, Shaikh received a call from his wife asking him to pick her up from the Texas detention facility where she was being held. "I'm just completely confused. And she says, 'An ICE officer just came to me and said he's going to serve me papers for my release.' And I told her, 'I don't believe it,'" Shaikh told ABC News. "The ICE officer spoke directly with our legal team, and about four hours later, I was able to go pick her up directly from Prairieland Detention Center -- just me by myself, and at 9:30 at night, she ran directly into my arms," Shaikh said. Sakeik's family is from Gaza, but she is legally stateless and has lived in the U.S. since she was 8 years old. Her family had traveled to the U.S. on a tourist visa and applied for asylum, according to Shaikh. MORE: Government attempts to deport stateless Palestinian woman again despite court order Sakeik was issued a deportation order more than a decade ago after her asylum case was denied, but she was permitted to stay in the U.S. under what's known as an "order of supervision," in which she was given a work permit and regularly checks in with federal immigration authorities, according to her attorney and her husband. While Sakeik was being detained, the first stage of her green card application was approved, Shaikh said. "Now that we have that first part of the green card application already approved, all we need to do is work on reopening her immigration case, and once that order of deportation is lifted, she has a clear path to a green card," Shaikh said. After nearly five months in detention, an ICE officer told Sakeik that she would not be re-detained but there will be future commitments for her to show up either in immigration courts or immigration check ins, Shaikh said. "I'm not saying that that is justice served, because five months of detention for a woman who never committed a crime, there is no justice served by, you know, announcing her discretionary release, but it's a good step in the right direction," Shaikh said. Shaikh said his wife's release was a shock after the government had refused her release at every stage of her detention. "Whoever it was that made the call probably saw just how many mistakes the people on the ground were making with my wife, and they probably felt like they dug themselves way too deep to where they knew they couldn't afford to make another mistake. And before they allowed that mistake to happen, someone made a call to say, 'We're going to grant this release,'" Shaikh said. Shaikh also pointed to the media attention his wife's case had garnered. In statement shared with ABC News previously, DHS said Sakeik was not detained as part of a targeted operation by ICE, in a statement to ABC News earlier this week. "She chose to fly over international waters and outside the U.S. customs zone and was then flagged by CBP trying to renter the continental U.S.," DHS said. When ABC News followed up to ask if it is the government's position that travel to the Virgin Islands, a U.S. territory, constitutes someone choosing to "leave the country," DHS provided an updated statement. "The facts are she is in our country illegally. She overstayed her visa and has had a final order by an immigration judge for over a decade. President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to restoring integrity to the visa program and ensuring it is not abused to allow aliens a permanent one-way ticket to remain in the U.S.," DHS said in its statement. DHS did not previously acknowledge the judge's order barring Sakeik's removal from Texas or that she was previously under an order of supervision.

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July 02, 2025

Stateless Palestinian woman released from ICE custody after 5 months

Stateless Palestinian woman released from ICE custody after 5 months Ward Sakeik -- a stateless Palestinian woman who wasdetained on her way...

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DHS and FBI warn about potential lone wolf attacks ahead of July 4 celebrations

DHS and FBI warn about potential lone wolf attacks ahead of July 4 celebrations

Attacks perpetrated by lone actors are the biggest terrorism threat to July 4th festivities in New York City and elsewhere, federal authorities said in a threat assessment obtained by CNN. The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies issued a joint bulletin in late June saying "the most significant terrorism threat facing the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks stems from lone offenders and small groups of individuals seeking to commit acts of violence." "These individuals are often motivated by a broad range of racial, ethnic, political, religious, anti-government, societal, or personal grievances," the assessment continued. But the threat is not limited to New York City. The bulletin said other large gatherings could be targeted. "Special events with high attendance and media coverage … remain attractive targets" for domestic and foreign terrorists and violent extremists who may want to "cause mass casualties or draw attention to their causes," the bulletin said. The agencies said they had not received any reports of specific threats at the massive fireworks show or related events. However, "high-profile, large events can draw interest from malicious actors looking for targets of opportunity to perpetrate criminal schemes," the bulletin said. It's not uncommon for authorities to issue threat assessments before major events. But several recent, high-profile attacks have spurred additional concern heading into July 4. "We are concerned about the potential threat of copycat attacks inspired by the 2025 New Year's Day vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans and continued FTO (foreign terrorist organization) messaging calling for attacks against Western targets," the bulletin said. On January 1, a driver intentionally rammed a6,000-pound truck into a crowdof revelers in New Orleans' bustling French Quarter,killing 14 people. The assailant, a Texas-born Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, was killed in a shootout with police. Investigators later discovered he had recorded several videos before the attack that mentionedhis divorce and claimed he had joined ISIS. Just one month before that massacre, the FBI and DHS warned about the threat of violence from lone offenders and thepotential use of vehicle ramming, according to two internal memos obtained by CNN. Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have been linked to a spate of recent violence in the United States, and authorities say similar attacks could erupt on July 4. "Most attackers motivated at least in part by the Israel-HAMAS conflict have selected targets with a symbolic link to Israel, houses of worship, or locations associated with houses of worship. Individuals with grievances linked to the conflict could also perceive large gatherings, such as Independence Day celebrations, as opportunistic targets symbolic of the West in general," the threat assessment said. The DHS and FBI cited last month's firebomb attack in Boulder, Colorado, that targeted a group of demonstrators supporting Israelis who were held hostage by Hamas. Dozens of people were injured, andan 82-year-old woman died. The attack marked "the most recent act of terrorist violence in the Homeland motivated by the Israel-HAMAS conflict," the joint bulletin said. "This attack came shortly after the (May 21) attackkilling two Israeli embassy staffin Washington, DC." Drones have also raised the specter of possible violence at large holiday events, the threat assessment said. "Unauthorized unmanned aircraft system (UAS) activities may pose a hazard to participants and attendees, delay events, and disrupt law enforcement operations," the FBI and DHS said. "Although we have no credible, specific reporting regarding illicit plans to use UAS to target the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks, we assess that unauthorized UAS operations have the potential to increase public safety risks." While most drones are flown legally by hobbyists, they "have also been used to facilitate terrorist and other criminal acts," the threat assessment said. "Various state and nonstate actors have increased their use and modification of short-range UAS to conduct surveillance of adversary positions, drop small munitions on targets, and detonate explosive-laden UAS on impact to targets in conflict zones abroad," the bulletin said. "Malicious use of UAS poses a potential risk to spectators, volunteers, security personnel, and first responders in and around the event." For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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July 02, 2025

DHS and FBI warn about potential lone wolf attacks ahead of July 4 celebrations

DHS and FBI warn about potential lone wolf attacks ahead of July 4 celebrations Attacks perpetrated by lone actors are the biggest terrorism...

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