Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies uncover drone procurement graft scheme

Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies uncover drone procurement graft scheme

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies said they had uncovered a major graft scheme involving inflated military procurement contracts, just two days after Ukraine's parliamentvoted to restorethe agencies' independence. In a joint statement published Saturday on social media, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said the suspects had taken bribes in a scheme that used state funds to buydrones and other military equipmentat inflated prices. "The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices," the statement said, adding that offenders had received kickbacks of up to 30% of the contracts' value. The anti-corruption bodies did not identify the detainees, but said a Ukrainian lawmaker, local district and city officials, and National Guard servicemen were involved. Four people have been arrested so far, they said. The Interior Ministry said the National Guard personnel implicated in the case were removed from their positions. Drones have become a crucial asset in modern warfare for both Ukraine and Russia, enhancing military reconnaissance, precision strikes, and strategic flexibility on the battlefield. The majority of Russian military assets destroyed by Ukrainian forces, including manpower and heavy weaponry, have been targeted by drones. Drone production is also a key aspect of Kyiv's hopes to expand domestic military production and export markets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the development in his nightly address on Saturday, calling the graft scheme "absolutely immoral" and thanking the anti-corruption agencies for their work. "Unfortunately, these corruption schemes involved the procurement of electronic warfare systems and FPV drones ... There must be full and fair accountability for this," he said in his address, posted to X. In an earlier post, which also included photos of him meeting with the agency heads, Zelenskyy said it is "important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently," adding that "the law passed on Thursday guarantees them all the tools necessary for a real fight against corruption." The exposure of the graft scheme by NABU and SAPO came just two days after Ukraine's parliament voted to restore their independence. Ukraine's Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the bill presented by Zelenskyy, reversing his earliercontentious movethat curbed their power and sparked a backlash, including street protests, a rarity in wartime. Last week's measure to place the watchdogs under the oversight of the prosecutor-general prompted rebukes from Ukrainians, the European Union and international rights groups. It raised fears that the government could meddle in investigations and potentially shield its supporters from scrutiny. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the European Union and maintain access to billions of dollars of vital Western aid inthe all-out war, now in its fourth year.It's also an effort that enjoys broad public support. ___ Morton reported from London.

byAlpha World

in

August 03, 2025

Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies uncover drone procurement graft scheme

Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies uncover drone procurement graft scheme KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies said t...

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Israeli forces kills over 20 people seeking food in Gaza, witnesses and health officials say

Israeli forces kills over 20 people seeking food in Gaza, witnesses and health officials say

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) —Israeli forceskilled at least 23 Palestinians seeking food on Sunday in the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials and witnesses, who described facing gunfire as hungry crowds surged around aid sites as the malnutrition-related death toll surged. Desperation has gripped the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts have warned is atrisk of faminebecause of Israel's blockade and nearly two-year offensive. Yousef Abed, among the crowds en route to a distribution point, described coming under what he called indiscriminate fire, looking around and seeing at least three people bleeding on the ground. "I couldn't stop and help them because of the bullets," he said. Southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital said they had received bodies from near multiple distribution sites, including eight from Teina, about three kilometers (1.8 miles) away from a distribution site in Khan Younis, which is operated by theGaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private U.S. and Israeli-backed contractor that took over aid distribution more than two months ago. The hospital also received one body from Shakoush, an area hundreds of meters (yards) north of a different GHF site in Rafah. Another nine were also killed by troops near the Morag corridor, who were awaiting trucks entering Gaza through an Israeli border crossing, it said. Three Palestinian eyewitnesses, seeking food in Teina and Morag, told The Associated Press the shootings occurred on the route to the distribution points, which are in military zones secured by Israeli forces. They said they saw soldiers open fire on hungry crowds advancing toward the troops. Further north in central Gaza, hospital officials described a similar episode, with Israeli troops opening fire Sunday morning toward crowds of Palestinians trying to GHF's fourth and northernmost distribution point. "Troops were trying to prevent people from advancing. They opened fire and we fled. Some people were shot," said Hamza Matter, one of the aid seekers. At least five people were killed and 27 wounded at GHF's site near Netzarim corridor, Awda Hospital said. Eyewitnesses seeking food in the strip have reported similar gunfire attacks in recent days near aid distribution sites, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead. The United Nations reported 859 people have been killed near GHF sites from May 27 to July 31 and that hundreds more have been slain along the routes of U.N.-led food convoys. The GHF launched in May as Israel sought an alternative to the U.N.-run system, which had safely delivered aid for much of the war but was accused by Israel of allowing Hamas, which guarded convoys early in the war, to siphon supplies. Israel has not offered evidence of widespread theft. The U.N. has denied it. GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Israel's military has said it only fires warning shots as well. Both claimed the death tolls have been exaggerated Neither Israel's military nor GHF immediately responded to questions about Sunday's reported fatalities. Meanwhile, the Gaza health ministry also said six more Palestinian adults died of malnutrition-related causes in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours. This brings the death toll among Palestinian adults to 82 in the past five weeks since the ministry started counting deaths among adults in late June, it said. Ninety-three children have also died of causes related to malnutrition since the war in Gaza started last year, the ministry said. The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, and abducted another 251. They arestill holding 50 captives, around 20 believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed more than60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel has disputed its figures, but hasn't provided its own account of casualties. ___ Metz reported from Jerusalem and Magdy from Cairo. ___ Follow AP's war coverage athttps://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

byAlpha World

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August 03, 2025

Israeli forces kills over 20 people seeking food in Gaza, witnesses and health officials say

Israeli forces kills over 20 people seeking food in Gaza, witnesses and health officials say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) —Israeli forcesk...

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'Is it worth it?': Red flags to watch with youth sports programs

'Is it worth it?': Red flags to watch with youth sports programs

USA Hockey didn't invent the line, but Ken Martel has used it when he talks about succeeding in sports. "As many as possible for as long as possible with the best environment possible," the organization's senior director of player and coach development told USA TODAY Sports in an interview last year. He was referring to the American Development Model program he helped install more than a decade and a half ago, when the sport was losing young players in our country. The ADM, which has become thecornerstone of USA Hockey's message, has helped bring them back to the ice in droves and, in Martel's thinking, continues to help generateworld junior championship titles. "When you have more kids playing, certainly a few more of them will turn out to be good and you'll see 'em on TV, right?" he says. USA Hockey created the ADM to help keep kids, parents and coaches engaged while, at least in theory, giving everyone a chance to organically develop to his or her full athletic potential. It starts with getting boys and girls enthused from an early age, infusing a love of competition (without a laser focus on winning) and engaging them into adulthood. USA Hockey reports 577,864 registered players (kids and adults) for 2024-25, up from 465,975 in 2008-09. "Geography is no longer a predetermining factor in who can be good in our sport," Martel says. USA TODAY reported Aug. 1, however, about how one NHL club has a monopoly over North Texas ice. It effectively controls the pathways by which the region's young players advance,Kenny Jacoby writes, and has reminded (and even threatened) parents they can block it at any time. "You get so beaten down, and you see your kid get screwed over for opportunities, and you decide, 'You know what? Maybe I do have to play by their rules to get where I want to be,' " says Kat Pierce, a hockey mom whom aDallas Starsemployee attempted to reprimand when she criticized them in a social media post. The power to decide to play a sport, and to stick with it, is ultimately the choice of our kids. As parents we have a right to speak up to a coach or organization without fear of them being penalized. We know from this story and others about the so-called "professionalism of youth sports" that the system isn't always that simple. Here are eight red flags to watch with youth sports programs: USA Hockey delegates much of its authority to regional affiliates. The Texas Amateur Hockey Association oversees Texas and Oklahoma. Member associations' votes are weighted by the number of players they register and, as USA TODAY reports, tilt heavily in the interests of those in Stars leagues or with teams that rent Stars ice. It's an issue with which many of us can relate, at least to some degree. Running a youth team or league is entrusted in the hands of a few – club owners or the board. All too often, it seems, they prioritize their own interests: Making a steep profit or giving their own kids All-Star slots. You should never feel you don't have power, though. Volunteer for the board, file a complaint with the league about a nepotistic coach or speak to other parents if something doesn't feel right. It probably isn't. Band together in your opposition. A board or coach can brush aside one complaint but collective one isn't as easily ignored, and it isn't good for business. Coach Steve:How do I deal with a bad coach? Here are three steps OK, maybe it's not that simple. When Jacoby, my USA TODAY colleague, reported about the Stars' heavy influence in North Texas, he came across a number of parents hesitant to raise concerns out of fear of retaliation against their kids. One dad who coached at a Stars complex inquired about coaching at a competing rink after he felt the Stars had failed to address a safety concern. The Stars fired him when he did so, according to emails he provided, and allegedly banned his 5- and 7-year-old daughters. (A Stars employee denied banning his daughters.) No one wants to risk putting their kids' dreams, or even their playing time, in jeopardy. But think about the concern for a moment. Is being on a team where you're afraid to rock the boat really a situation you want your child to have to endure? Before you do anything, talk to your son or daughter about their experience. They might not want to be there anyway. You always have a voice in their sports journey. Think of yourself as an investor in your team or league. Its leaders should be open to your constructive criticism on how to make it better. Don't take to social media to complain, where you risk making someone feel public embarrassment. Instead, schedule a private meeting where you can mention your concerns diplomatically. The reaction you get will give you a good indication of where you stand. If they aren't willing to consider spreading out rink fees over a larger group of teams, or giving every kid equal playing time when you're paying for a college showcase experience, for example, this might not be worth your time. No single team will make or break whether your child reaches an elite level of a sport, but asingle experiencemight determine whether they keep playing at all. We can help.Submit your feedback hereabout how the corporatization of youth sports has affected you and your kids. We wrote in a line specifically for those of you who've faced retaliation or threats. An internal study the NHL and NHL Players' Association conducted in 2018 found that out of the 700-plus players on rosters, 98% of them were multisport athletes as kids. "Get out, play multiple sports," says USA Hockey's Martel. "Look, if your passion's not ice hockey, you're never gonna really turn out to be a great player if you don't truly love it. And if you find a passion that happens to be another sport, wonderful." TheAmerican Development Modelrecommends multisport play until at least age 12. Arguments can be made to take it longer. "I am dead set against single-sport athletes (while kids are growing up)," former football coach Urban Meyerhas said. "When my son was playing baseball I had many people tell me that he should just stop playing other sports and focus on baseball. I got in big arguments with people, and a lot of those kids that (at) nine, 10 years old were great - they blew out. They burned out, andthey're not playing anymore." Meyer said he looked at kids who played football and another sport at a high level. Brenda Frese, another national championship-winning coach, also loves recruiting basketball players who play multiple sports. "We just see the benefits of it – you know, mentally, physical, socially, you name it," Frese's husband, Mark Thomas, told me in an interview for a 2023profile of the Maryland women's coachand her family. "At an early age, teams try to take over your calendar. A key little tool I learned is that as long as you're playing multiple sports, you give yourself some leverage that they can't take over your schedule completely because you have commitments to multiple teams. Eventually, you may have some hard-line coaches." When one of the couple's twin sons played club soccer in seventh grade, Thomas recalled the coach telling parents and players:We expect you to only play soccer now and if you're not just playing soccer, then we don't want you. "From the soccer club's end, why wouldn't you keep more kids involved?" Thomas said. "I mean, he was never a kid who was gonna be a professional or anything like that. I didn't understand the point." The National Athletic Trainers' Association recommends playing for one team at a time, playing a sport for less than eight months per year and at no more hours per week than your age. You can always specializethe year before high school if you are concerned about making a specific team, but playing other sports recreationally on the side will make you a better athlete. As Martel looked to reinvent American hockey, he discontinued a 12-and-under national championship. "The only pushback we got was from a few adults that run programs; it was more about them than it was about the kids," he says. "Why do we need to run across the country at 12 for a championship? If you're gonna run a 12U national championship, the 10U coach starts aggregating players because we need to get them all together so that they're ready by the time they're 12. And it juststarts the race to the bottomsooner." Project Play, a national initiative of the Aspen Institute to build healthy communities through sports, surveys children. When it asks them what they like most about playing sports, having fun and playing with friends always ranks at the top and by a lot, according to Aspen Sports & Society community impact director Jon Solomon. Solomon says winning games and chasing scholarships rank lower, such as in theWashington, D.C. State of Play report. Yes, kids thrive off game situations. But instead of loading up on age-specific travel tournaments, play the 8- through 12-year-olds together, as USA Hockey suggests. Prioritize small-sided games in practice over "boring" drills, as Martel calls them. "We do different things in that to get them to work on different technical abilities and different tactical situations," Martel says. "But kids have fun. They get to problem solve. There's autonomy to that. And you see that in our play." It costs a lot less, too. We love the adventure of traveling with our kids through their sports. Hitting the road can give them exposure to top competition. It's also a prime intersection for collusion. For years, according to USA TODAY reporting, three Stars executives organized tournaments that required out-of-town participants to book minimum three-night stays at select hotels. At the same time, they ran their own for-profit company that took a cut of the revenue. After our investigation, the Stars say they will be "loosening" the policies. Although stay-to-play arrangements remain common across youth sports, I have never encountered one over about eight years of traveling with my sons for their baseball teams. The hotels our team or a tournament recommends are always suggestions. I book at a better rate through my rewards program if I find one. We sometimes run into tournaments that are a couple of hours from home. Once the game times are announced, we might choose to return for one of the nights. Having that choice improves our quality of life, and our satisfaction with the team. The most effective coaches maintain a cordial yet arm's length rapport with parents. They lay out the ground rules in a meeting before the season – no parent coaching from the bleachers, perhaps? – and say something to parents who violate them. Playing for close friends is inevitable when kids are younger. When they are preparing to play high school ball or competing in front of college coaches, though, there are enough distractions without having to worry about your coach favoring someone over you. Brent Tully was a former defenseman who helped Team Canada win two world junior championships in the 1990s. He later became general manager for an elite junior hockey team in Ontario and has coached younger players. He's also a father of two athletes. He has seen first hand the long hours and travel, the tens of thousands of dollars spent, the living "hand-to-mouth," as Pierce, the Texas hockey mom, described in my colleague's story. All for what? "I can't imagine parents at the end of that last year (when) their child isn't drafted," Tully said in 2024. "And that's the end. The disappointment of the ending, it's all too frequent. "My oldest son, back when he was playing, they were an average to below average team. And they stayed that way, even beyond the years he had stopped playing. I knew some of the fathers pretty well. And one father, at the end of nine years of minor hockey - and he complained all the time, complained about his son's ice time, about the coaching -  I remember saying to him, 'So was that all worth it?' Was that fun? All the money you spent. Your son's now gone to college, and he's working a job and you could have had him play house league, probably left with a lot less frustration. And he can still play the game his whole life at the level he's playing. ... "Regardless of where a boy or girl plays, that should be a great experience." Coach Steve:10 questions athletes should consider if they play on a travel team With the right experience, his sport can be ingrained in someone from "cradle to grave," as USA Hockey's Martel describes. "Hockey is played with no contact in a lot of places," he says. "We have 70-and-over national championships. It's really low impact and it's a lot of fun. There's people that play when they're 100. So hopefully you come back to the sport and you're involved over a life. "You don't see that in American football. No one wants to go out and get tackled and have to go to work the next day." Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons' baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly.For his past columns, click here. Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him atsborelli@usatoday.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Red flags in youth sports programs, how to spot and respond to them

byAlpha World

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August 03, 2025

'Is it worth it?': Red flags to watch with youth sports programs

'Is it worth it?': Red flags to watch with youth sports programs USA Hockey didn't invent the line, but Ken Martel has used it w...

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MLB trade deadline awards: Twins' mind-boggling fire sale shook baseball

MLB trade deadline awards: Twins' mind-boggling fire sale shook baseball

It was ugly. Outrageous. Unfathomable. Disgraceful. It was perhaps the most stunning and quickest fire sale in baseball history. TheMinnesota Twins, that lovable little team in the upper Midwest that once won two World Series titles in four years, with St. Paul producing four Hall of Fame ballplayers from the same neighborhood who played for the Twins,ripped out the heart of the franchisein less than 24 hours. They traded 10 active major-league players from their team, including 11 players off their 40-man roster, and saved $26 million in one fell swoop. They traded away All-Stars. They traded away a World Series champion. They traded away their team captain. They traded away their popular homegrown dude. They traded away their soul. The fire sale was so hideous that a local bar in Mankato offered a free drinks for anybody wearing Twins attire. The promotion: "Free Drinks For All Twins Fans! Because this level of (expletive) requires alcohol." While everyone in Minnesota has beenimploring the Pohlad family to sellthe team as quickly as possible, they didn't mean for the Pohlads to take it literally, selling off everything but the cup holders. "The deadline was going to be a complete dud," one current general manager told USA TODAY Sports, "but what changed the entire deadline were the Twins selling. They said they were going to just trade players on expiring contracts. They were going to re-visit the other stuff in the winter. Then, they started selling off everyone. "I mean, no one expected them to do this. They had everyone going everywhere. The trade deadline wouldn't have been nearly this active without the Twins doing what they did." The GM spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity in order to freely analyze the trade deadline. Houston Astrosowner Jim Crane, who was golfing with Twins Hall of Famer Joe Mauer last weekend in Cooperstown, N.Y., during the Hall of Fame weekend, perhaps lit the first match in the fire sale in a casual conversation at the Leatherstocking Golf Course. He mentioned that they might try to pursue All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, and with the Twins so deep in debt – about $440 million with $40 million in losses this year – that they may have no choice but to dump him. Crane returned home and had Astros GM Dana Brown telephone the Twins to inquire if they would be willing to trade Correa and one of their outfielders to the Astros. Oh, and could they pick up about $50 million of the remaining $103 million on Correa's contract, too? The Twins laughed, and hung up. When USA TODAY Sports contacted Correa's agent, Scott Boras, to inquire whether Correa would waive his no-trade clause, he laughed, too. Correa loved Minnesota, he said. The Twins loved him. Besides, there was no way, he said, the Astros would take on that kind of money. Correa's phone started to blow up with messages when USA TODAY Sports published a report Wednesday morning that theAstros were interested in a possible reunion. Correa was completely caught by surprise, and he too, scoffed at the idea. "That's nothing that's serious right now," he told reporters. While some were dismissive of the idea, Crane refused to blink. He wanted to make sure the Twins understood the severity of their financial woes. The Twins are deep in debt. They are trying to sell the team for $1.7 billion. The team will be more attractive to every suitor, Crane said in talks with the Pohlad family, if their payroll was slashed. Correa's contract happened to be the biggest financial commitment. The Pohlad family got back to Derek Falvey, Twins president of baseball operations. They suddenly were curious. Correa, who left the game early Tuesday with a migraine, suddenly felt good enough to sit down with Falvey, himself. If the Twins indeed are rebuilding, he said, he'd gladly waive his no-trade clause for a chance to get back to Houston. Crane, realizing he suddenly had the Twins' attention, used his business acumen. The Astros kept hammering away at the Twins, and at one point, even talked about Astros first baseman Christian Walker being part of the package. By mid-afternoon Thursday, hours before the trade deadline, they got the Twins to swallow $33 milllion that would be spread over the life of the contract. Just like that, after originally offering Correa a five-year, $160 million contract to remain in Houston after the 2021 season to avoid free agency, the Astros got him back for three-plus years at just $70 million. Finally, after watching his clients like Alex Bregman, Gerrit Cole and Correa depart Houston in free agency, Boras told Crane, "Jim, we finally have a deal." The Twins' teardown jumped into high speed, and by the end of the day, the only confusion was why All-Star pitcher Joe Ryan was still wearing a Minnesota uniform. Wondered one GM who was in trade talks with the Twins: "Why keep him when you traded everyone else?" Valid point. TheBoston Red Soxtried, but pivoted to Dodgers starter Dustin May, leaving Ryan as a top trade target this winter. The Twins' fire sale was so ruthless that 27-year-old reliever Louie Varland, the hometown kid who absolutely loved being a Twin, making only $8,150 more than the minimum salary, and wasn't even eligible for salary arbitration for two more years, was dumped and sent to theToronto Blue Jayswith first baseman Ty France. Varland was devastated, leaving Twins players seething and rivals GMs dumfounded as to why the Twins would actually trade a valuable reliever (2.02 ERA, 47 strikeouts in 49 innings) with five years of control. My God, he was born and raised in St. Paul, with his wife and a family coming to virtually every home game. This is the way you treat him? "By and large across the board, [these] were baseball trades, trades we felt we got real talent back," Falvey told reporters, "and were not geared toward the financial flexibility component to it." Believe it or not, those words were uttered with a straight face. Meanwhile, the Twins, who had to call up eight players from the minor leagues just to field a team Friday, will play on. They've got no choice. Maybe they'll be a contender one day again. But for now, it's 34 years and counting since they've been to the World Series, and the only thing that can save them is for the Pohlad family to sell the team as quickly as possible. Yet, even when the Twins finally are sold, the scars and memories from this dark day of July 31, 2025, will last for generations. While the Twins certainly stole the trade show, let's present our 2025 trade deadline awards, with the assistance of GMs, executives and scouts. They really had no intention of trading closer Mason Miller. He was their prized hometown product, a third-round pick in the 2021 draft. He was their All-Star. He was their most electric reliever in the game. And he was theirs through 2029. Yet, what good is it having a lights-out closer, striking out 13.85 batters per nine innings, when you don't have enough games to save? The A's, wanting to make sure they have a powerful contender when they get to Las Vegas in 2028, had no choice but to accept theSan Diego Padres' overwhelming offer: prized 18-year-old infielder Leo De Vries, and right-handed pitchers Braden Nett, Henry Barez and Eduarniel Nunez. They were the Padres' No. 1, No. 3, No. 13 and No. 17 prospects. "Ultimately, it took a player the caliber of De Vries to get our attention and get us to the negotiating table," A's GM David Forsttold MLB.com. "In Mason's case, we knew it was going to take something special. When the Padres suggested they were open to including Leo, that's kind of when this got serious." Was it a smart move by the A's? "It was a no-brainer," one GM said. "Look, the kid throws 102 mph. Guys don't sustain throwing 101-102 for six years. I don't know how many years he has. At some point, he's going to break. Guys just don't have the consistency of a Mariano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman." "So the A's had to do it. Really, they had no choice." Sure, no one did more than San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller, but it cost him 17 prospects to get five players. But no one got more by giving up less than David Stearns of the Mets, rival GMs and executives overwhelmingly say. They acquired closer Ryan Helsley from theSt. Louis Cardinals, setup man Tyler Rogers from theSan Francisco Giants, reliever Gregory Soto and center fielder Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles, without touching their most prized prospect. "The Padres had to go for it because of all of the back-loaded contracts," one rival GM said. "At some point, a rebuild is going to have to come, but for now, they're willing to do everything it takes. "But what Stearns did was a stroke of genius. They traded away a lot of bodies, but no real prospects. Stearns had a hell of a deadline." The D-backs thought they were going to clean up at the deadline with third baseman Eugenio Suárez, easily the best position player available, along with first baseman Josh Naylor, starters Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, outfielder Randal Grichuk and reliever Shelby Miller. Nope. The best they got in return was $18 million in savings, thanks in part to the Milwaukee Brewers taking on part of Jordan Montgomery's salary as part of the Miller deal where the Brewers didn't send back one of manager Pat Murphy's pocket pancakes. The overall return was ugly. The best prospect they received was only Mariners Triple-A first baseman Ryan Locklear, who couldn't crack the Seattle roster, along with a whole lot of questionable young arms. The pitcher with the highest upside is David Hagaman, 6-foot-4, who throws 98-mph but is only in Class A. The D-backs were frustrated at the little interest shown in Suárez, despite his 36 homers and 87 RBIs. Once the Yankees pivoted toRyan McMahonof the Rockies, and the Cincinnati Redsgrabbed Ke'Bryan Hayes, the market shrunk. It was a painful reminder of the little demand for position players at the deadline. As one GM said, all you have to do is look back to see the little return the Detroit Tigers received from the D-backs in 2017 to remind everyone that position players just aren't as same attractive as relievers this time of year. It also didn't help, executives say, that Suárez is 34 years old and was nearly released a year ago. The Diamondbacks barely even got a sniff for Gallen, who finished third in the Cy Young balloting two years ago. They were left with no choice but to keep him and will give him a qualifying offer to at least get a draft pick in return. Jordan Montgomery, recovering from Tommy John surgery with the Diamondbacks, was stunned to find himself traded to Milwaukee when he hasn't thrown a pitch since spring training and is a free agent at the end of the season. Imagine everyone's surprise, too, when they learned he has a $500,000 bonus for being traded. Carlos Correa, playing for the Twins with a home in St. Paul, was residing in a state where the tax rate is 9.85%. He was traded to the Astros where there are no state taxes in Texas. He just saved himself $4.7 million, and even more, considering the AL West schedule features road games in Arlington. The Yankees overhauled their bullpen, bringing in three new shiny toys and featured them all in the first game after the trade deadline. What happened? Jake Bird (acquired from the Colorado Rockies) came in and gave up a grand slam. Dave Bednar (Pittsburgh Pirates) coughed up a lead. And Camilo Doval (San Francisco Giants) blew the save, with the Yankees losing 13-12 to the Marlins. It was the first time since July 24, 1940 against the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park that they scored 12 runs in a game and lost. The three relievers combined to give up nine runs (seven earned) in 2.1 innings. "It was definitely not an ideal start," Bednar told reporters, "by any means." Oh, and for good measure, new addition Jose Caballero made a massive gaffe in the ninth inning when he ran past a routine ground ball in right field for a critical two-base error. TheSeattle Marinerssent third baseman Eugenio Suárez to the Arizona Diamondbacks 20 months ago in a salary dump for Carlos Vargas and Seby Zavala, only to watch Suárez become one of the elite power-hitting third baseman in the game while they missed the postseason by one game. Their team's basemen combined to hit just 12 homers and 49 RBI while Suárez had 30 homers and 101 RBIs by himself. The Mariners traded back for him to make sure it doesn't happen again. In December, the Cardinals agreed to trade Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado in to the Houston Astros, but he exercised his no-trade clause. He had a chance to be traded to the Los Angeles Angels in January. He turned it down. At the deadline, the Astros instead turned to Carlos Correa, who waived his no-trade clause and came home. That's twice Arenado has been thwarted by former Astros. First, it was Alex Bregman signing a free-agent contract with the Boston Red Sox in February with Arenado being their back-up plan, and now Correa, with Arenado the backup plan again. TheCleveland Guardianswere planning to pull off a heist like theAthleticsdid in the Mason Miller trade by dealing closer Emanuel Clase, setting themselves up for a glorious future. Oh, if only they had acted a month ago. When MLB began investigating Guardians starter Luis Ortiz for potential gambling in at least two games that he pitched, Clase's name suddenly came up, too. Now, instead of clearing out Clase's locker because of a trade, the Guardians cleared it out along with Ortiz's, fearing they may have thrown their final pitch in major league baseball. They are on paid administrative leave through at least Aug. 31, and if found guilty, will be banned for life from MLB. Remember when they traded away Rafael Devers, saying they'll be better off with him, and just you wait until they use those resources? Well, the trade deadline came and went, and their only two moves were picking up starter Dustin May, who wasn't good enough to stay in the Dodgers' rotation with his 5.95 ERA in eight starts, and swingman Steven Matz, who was yielding a 6.19 ERA in his last 12 appearances with the Cardinals. Those hardly are the moves to inspire confidence for a team that was 59-51 at the deadline, and sitting in second place in the wild-card race. The last time the Red Sox had a winning record after the trade deadline? It was 2018, the last time they won the World Series. They fired GM Dave Dombrowski less than a year later and haven't been the same since. Los Angeles Dodgers: They were badly trying to acquire Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, believing he would be the perfect fit to replace Michael Conforto in left field. But after hours of negotiations, were left empty-handed. The consolation prize was Washington Nationals outfielder Alex Call. "Everyone in baseball though they were getting Kwan," one GM said. John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, made one last trade with 68 seconds to spare in his final trade deadline with the Cardinals, sending reliever Phil Maton to the Texas Rangers for two minor league pitchers. Mozeliak officially steps down after the season ends and will be replaced by former Boston Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom. Yes, it's true that the Padres traded one of baseball's best prospects when they sent shortstop Leo De Vries to the Athletics in the Mason Miller trade. But while DeVries, 18, certainly can hit, it's almost impossible to find a single talent evaluator who believes he will remain at shortstop, believing he'll be eventually moved to third base or first base. While social media can be a powerful and entertaining tool, and where agents leak 99% of the trades and free-agent signings to reporters, it should not be the vehicle where players find out they are traded. Pirates closer David Bednar found out on social media that he was being traded to the Yankees before getting a call from the Pirates front office. The same scenario was about to happen in Baltimore when the Orioles swung a trade for Andrew Kittredge to the Chicago Cubs. The trade was complete Wednesday night when USA TODAY Sports notified Kittredge's agent, Brian Grieper. He had no idea, and neither did Kittredge. Grieper immediately sent a text message to the Orioles front office. They confirmed the trade was consummated and it would be announced Thursday morning. The news, of course, was immediately leaked to X. Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan was sitting with his teammates in their Cleveland hotel Thursday when the news flashed on social media feeds. The Twins were trading him to the Boston Red Sox. He kept waiting and waiting for the Twins front office to call him. The call never came. It took several minutes before he learned it was wrong. It turns out that to be completely wrong. The teams had talked but were not even remotely close to a deal, with the Red Sox refusing to meet the Twins' request to include outfielders Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu in a package. "I was kind of in a weird state of mind and physically pretty exhausted, too," Ryantold the Minnesota Star-Tribune. "We were hearing so many different things. The weird part is what was expected. It feels a little bit different than what some of us were led to believe. That was interesting." TheSan Diego Padresled the major leagues in ERA (2.93), batting average allowed (.216) and WHIP (1.16) and still unloaded their farm system to grab Athletics closer Mason Miller and his 102-mph fastball. Yes, that's how vital a bullpen is in October baseball. This is why the Los Angeles Dodgers, despite getting only two six-inning appearances from their starters in 16 postseason games, still won the World Series last year. Teams used their starters an average of only 4.25 innings in last year's postseason, with 51.5% of all innings pitched by relievers. In 2023, it was 48.1% with starters averaging 4.6 innings. In 2022, it was 45.2% with starters averaging 5 innings. No wonder the Padre could only laugh when Miller's first pitch on Friday night was clocked at 102 mph.. The Padres wound up making five trades, involving 22 players, and shipping 14 prospects out of town – including seven ranked among their top 16 – by the time the smoke cleared. "Welcome to the San Diego Padre deadline," Padres All-Star third baseman Manny Machado told reporters. "I'm never shocked about anything we do at the deadline, let's be honest." Sure, the White Sox didn't get the offer wanted for center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who's having another injury-prone, underperforming season. But guess what? No team shopping their position players got what they wanted either. You think the Pittsburgh Pirates still wanted Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Tommy Pham still on the roster? You think Atlanta still wanted Marcell Ozuna around? You think the Washington Nationals didn't want to unload Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell or Paul DeJong. The White Sox not only didn't move Robert, but now are planning to throw bad money after bad money and pick up his $20 million option. If no one wanted Robert bad enough at his $15 million salary, why would they want him at $20 million? And what happens at next year's trade deadline if they still can't unload him? Would they throw another $20 million his way and pick up his 2027 option? Please, make it make sense. Los Angeles Dodgers: They sent Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox simply because he wasn't good enough to make their rotation, and brought back minor league outfielder James Tibbs, who was the Red Sox's fifth-ranked prospect, and a key piece from San Francisco in the Rafael Devers' trade. Rival executives believe the deal could be a steal for the Dodgers with Tibbs having a chance to become a star. Tyler Rogers: The submarine reliever who was traded by the San Francisco Giants to the New York Mets, caught a plane ride with his former teammates to New York, still wearing his Giants sweats. In exchange for their hospitality, Rogers donated his beer refrigerator and wine collection to his former bullpen. No offense, but there's not a single contender who wants to see the Rangers in the postseason. Not with that pitching staff. Not after acquiring starter Merrill Kelly from Arizona along with veteran relievers Danny Coulombe and Phil Maton, joining a pitching staff that already has an MLB-best 3.24 ERA. Can you imagine a team having to face Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Kelly in a short series? "You think someone wants to face those guys in October?'' one rival GM said. "They would scare me to death." Toronto Blue Jays:The Blue Jays are taking the chance that Shane Bieber, who hasn't pitched in the big leagues all season recovering from Tommy John surgery, will return to become the Cy Young winner of old. "The risk is, almost in some ways, the exciting aspect of it because of the upside," Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins told reporters. "The upside is just so big, and I think what makes it riskier is the fact that he's not pitching in major-league games right now." Bieber would be potentially their Game 1 starter in the playoffs ahead of Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer. This is a dude that won the Cy Young award in 2020, and two years later went 13-8 with a 2.88 ERA, striking out 198 batters in 200 innings. Just six weeks ago, they were all in, acquiring Rafael Devers and the remaining $254.5 million remaining on his contract. They since have baseball's worst record, going 13-26, and waved the white flag, dumping closer Camilo Doval and right fielder Mike Yastrzemski. They badly need shortstop Willy Adames to live up to his $182.5 million contract for them to become a contender again. "We wish we were in a spot that we were adding," Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey told reporters, "but as poorly as we've played since the All-Star break, we all felt like it was the best decision for the organization to try to get those pieces coming back that will help us in the future." Suárez had just arrived in Sacramento with his family after the D-backs had played in Detroit when he got the call he was traded to Seattle. The Mariners, who had just played in Sacramento, were still on the ground boarding their plane back to Seattle when there was a 30-minute delay. The door opened at about 11:30 p.m. It was Suárez and his family. The Mariners' somber mood after their loss quickly turned into a party. Pittsburgh Pirates: Yes, once again, instead of improving, they succeeded in only dumping money. They no longer have the remaining $32.2 million left in Ke'Bryan Hayes contract, David Bednar's $5.9 million deal or Bailey Falter's $2.2 million contract. They now have an extra $18 million, shedding about $42 million once their free agents walk away after the season. Will they use the savings to enhance their roster for 2026 or will owner Bob Nutting simply stuff it in his pocket? Come on, you already know the answer. BEST USE OF UNHERALDED PROSPECTS: New York Yankees. The Yankees were able to snag Pirates closer David Bednar with catcher Rafael Flores, catcher Edgleen. Perez, and center fielder Brian Sanchez. Let's see Flores was an undrafted catcher in Orange County, and Perez and Sanchez were international signings that cost them less than $100,000. They turned them into Bednar. Take a bow, scouting director Damon Oppenheimer. NL CENTRAL SIGHT-SEEING TRIP: Taylor Rogers. In a matter of 48 hours, he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, suited up for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He and his twin brother, Tyler, were even traded an hour apart. It's just the third time two brothers were traded the same day – but never a set of twins. Seranthony Dominguez: He went to work last Wednesday morning, got dressed in an Orioles uniform in the home clubhouse at Camden Yards before Game 1 of a doubleheader. He got the news after the game that was traded to Toronto. He simply strolled down the hall to put on a Blue Jays uniform. It was the first time a player suited up in different uniforms in a doubleheader since May 30, 1922, when Max Flack started for the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 and the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2, according to Jayson Stark of the Athletic. Buster Posey: Posey just finished playing for the San Francisco Giants four years ago before becoming president of baseball operations. So, imagine the conversations when three of the five players he traded this week were his former teammates: Tyler Rogers, Mike Yastrzemski and Camilo Doval. – In less than six hours after the MLB trade deadline was complete, rumors already were swirling that the Pirates will be replacing Ben Cherington as GM, just as rumors prevail that Bill Schmidt of the Colorado Rockies would be re-assigned. They still retained their jobs entering the weekend, but no one in baseball has less job security. – Boston Red Sox rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer's sprained wrist is more serious than the Red Sox initially envisioned, and season-ending surgery is a possibility after consulting with specialists. – The Minnesota Twins front office asked center fielder Byron Buxton if he wants to stay through the Twins rebuild, and he answered with a resounding, "Yes." Buxton, 31, who signed a seven-year, $100 million contract three years ago, has a full no-trade clause. He's under contract through 2028. – The Twins had the opportunity to acquire Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker in their Carlos Correa trade talks, but passed, not wanting to take on the two years and $40 million left on his contract. It's possible Walker is shopped this winter to make room for Isaac Paredes at first base. – The Padres never had any intention of trading closer Robert Suarez, and were never close to trading starter Dylan Cease, realizing they are a much stronger team with him. They did have late talks with the Astros, but the Astros balked at including younger Spencer Arrighetti in a package with three prospects. – The Milwaukee Brewers added about $4 million to their payroll at the trade deadline by picking up $2.2 million by sending starter Nestor Cortes to San Diego for outfielder Brandon Lockridge, while also chipping in $2 million in their acquisition for reliever Shelby Miller, which included injured starter Jordan Montgomery. – If the NL Manager of the Year balloting was done today, Miami Marlins rookie manager Clayton McCullough would be your winner. It's remarkable that this team is hovering around .500 with the lowest payroll in baseball, and is on one of the greatest tears in franchise history. They entered Sunday with a 29-14 record since June 13. – It's hysterical that everyone is going wild with new Phillies closer Jhoan Duran's wild walk-off entrance in his debut at Citizen's Bank Park. It's the same exact entrance that accompanied him in Minnesota.It's just that no one watched the Twins. The difference? "Here," Duran says, "I've got a chance to win the World Series." – The Astros are weighing the possibility of bringing back reliever Ryan Pressly after he was released by the Chicago Cubs. They passed on the idea of trying to re-acquire Justin Verlander at the deadline. – The Cardinals would have loved to move starters Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas, and first baseman Willson Contreras, too, but all three told the Cardinals they would not waive their no-trade clauses. – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is going to ask the commissioners and players unions from the six major U.S. sports leagues – MLB, NFL,NBA, NHL, WNBA and MLS – to support a ban on prop betting. The request comes in the aftermath of MLB's gambling investigation of Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. "The evidence that prop betting is harming athletics in Ohio is reaching critical mass," DeWine said in a statement. "First, there were threats on Ohio athletes, and now two high-profile Ohio professional athletes have been suspended by Major League Baseball as part of a 'sports betting investigation.' The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm. The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly." – It could be quite the winter for starting pitchers on the block: Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez of the Minnesota Twins and Sandy Alcantara and Edwin Cabrera of the Miami Marlins and Mitch Keller of the Pittsburgh Pirates. – The cost of the A's ballpark in Las Vegas, which was originally estimated $1.5 billion, has now climbed over $2 billion. – The Brewers are the first team to score 16 runs in a game in four different road ballparks in the same season since 1939. – Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet has pitched 66 ⅓ innings since June 1, already exceeding his entire total of 64 innings in August and September in his career. – There's something about Cleveland that the Twins just can't stand. The Twins have lost 14 consecutive one-run games at Progressive Field. The Guardians have outscored the Twins only 123-111 in their last 29 meetings in Cleveland, but the Guardians have gone 21-8 in those games. – Yes, that was Athletics starter Luis Severino, falling down after his second and third pitches, winning his first game of the season at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, giving up one run in fifth. He entered the game with a 6.68 ERA at home in his first 12 starts. The A's are expected to trade him this winter. – What was the significance of the Chicago White Sox's 41st victory this season? It matched their entire total of a year ago when they went 41-121, a record for futility. – RIP Ryne Sandberg, who left a legacy with the way he played the game, and offered this message in his Hall of Fame speech: "You hit a home run, you drop the bat, put your head down and run around the bases because the name on the front of your uniform is a lot more important than the name on the back. That's respect." Amen. Follow Nightengale on X:@Bnightengale This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:MLB trade deadline awards: Twins' fire sale shocked baseball

byAlpha World

in

August 03, 2025

MLB trade deadline awards: Twins' mind-boggling fire sale shook baseball

MLB trade deadline awards: Twins' mind-boggling fire sale shook baseball It was ugly. Outrageous. Unfathomable. Disgraceful. It was perh...

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Israel's Ben-Gvir says he prayed at Al Aqsa mosque compound

Israel's Ben-Gvir says he prayed at Al Aqsa mosque compound

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem on Sunday and said he prayed there, challenging rules covering one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East. Under a delicate decades-old "status quo" arrangement with Muslim authorities, the Al-Aqsa compound is administered by a Jordanian religious foundation and Jews can visit but may not pray there. Videos released by a small Jewish organisation called the Temple Mount Administration showed Ben-Gvir leading a group walking in the compound. Other videos circulating online appeared to show Ben-Gvir praying. Reuters could not immediately verify the content of the other videos. The visit to the compound known to Jews as Temple Mount, took place on Tisha B'av, the fast day mourning the destruction of two ancient Jewish temples, which stood at the site centuries ago. The Waqf, the foundation that administers the complex, said Ben-Gvir was among another 1,250 who ascended the site and who it said prayed, shouted and danced. Israel's official position accepts the rules restricting non-Muslim prayer at the compound, Islam's third holiest site and the most sacred site in Judaism. Ben-Gvir has visited the site in the past calling for Jewish prayer to be allowed there and prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue statements saying that this was not the policy of Israel. Ben-Gvir said in a statement he prayed for Israel's victory over Palestinian militant group Hamas in the war in Gaza and for the return of Israeli hostages being held by militants there. He repeated his call for Israel to conquer the entire enclave. The hillside compound, in Jerusalem's Old City, is one of the most sensitive locations in the Middle East. Suggestions that Israel would alter rules at the compound have sparked outrage in the Muslim world and ignited violence in the past. There were no immediate reports of violence on Sunday. A spokesperson for Palestinians President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Ben-Gvir's visit, which he said "crossed all red lines." "The international community, specifically the U.S. administration, is required to intervene immediately to put an end to the crimes of the settlers and the provocations of the extreme right-wing government in Al Aqsa Mosque, stop the war on the Gaza Strip and bring in humanitarian aid," Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in Jerusalem and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Editing by Toby Chopra)

byAlpha World

in

August 03, 2025

Israel's Ben-Gvir says he prayed at Al Aqsa mosque compound

Israel's Ben-Gvir says he prayed at Al Aqsa mosque compound JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itama...

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