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Some of the most dedicated World Cup fans skipping this year’s tournament, citing costs and politics

Soccer fans will soon crisscross continents to see their beloved national teams compete on the sport’s grandest stage, the World Cup. They’ll pack bars and fan zones, singing chants and debating who is going to win it all.

This time, however, it’s different for some superfans, who say organizers have made this summer’s World Cup the least welcoming one they have experienced. Ticket prices, expensive cross-country travel and concerns about entering the U.S. have prompted some of them to stay home.

London-based IT worker Mike Wilson has been to four World Cups over the past 20 years. This summer, he’ll be staying in Europe and watching part of the tournament from a Portuguese beach.

Argentine doctor Emiliano Becerra likes to follow his team through every step of the elimination round. This time he’ll attend two early matches and then fly home.

Dutch-born finance manager Peter Bergakker flew to South Africa to watch the Netherlands play in the 2010 World Cup final. But no matter how far the “Oranje” advance this summer, he said he won’t travel to the U.S.

Exactly how many fans are staying away is unclear, but the warning signs are there.

Hotel bookings have been lighter than expected in many U.S. host cities. Meanwhile, the president of the travel agency association in soccer-mad Uruguay said they have arranged tour packages for about 3,000 fans, significantly fewer than attended recent World Cups.
A financially inaccessible tournament

The number of fans able to travel and take weeks off of work to cheer on their team during the World Cup understandably skews to the wealthy. But previous tournaments have remained accessible for fans who, in some cases, would save for years for their flights and match tickets.

Four years ago, lower-tier Category 3 tickets to group stage matches were $69. This year, FIFA has been selling them for as much as $265.

The last two tournaments in Russia and Qatar offered match-going fans free transportation between host cities, though many matches were much closer than the vast area covered by the 16 stadiums hosting matches across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

And while fans there were not permitted by FIFA to sell their tickets on the official resale site for above face value, the sports governing body has taken a different approach this time — encouraging fans to resell tickets for as high as they want, with FIFA pocketing 30% in fees along the way. FIFA did not respond to a request for comment Thursday but has previously defended ticket prices as a reflection of “record-breaking” demand.

Tomonori Akutsu, who lives outside Tokyo, said if he had realized how expensive this tournament would be when he started making plans, he might have reconsidered attending his sixth straight World Cup.

Without question, he believes, the U.S. has been the worst host, and tournament organizers have demonstrated a “complete lack of hospitality in every aspect,” citing things like ticket prices, an inflated resale market, expensive hotel prices and fan festivals that cost money to attend.

“Simply, my impression is ‘this is America,’ the ultimate capitalism,” Akutsu said.

Becerra, of Argentina, spent $1,100 to see Argentina defeat France in the 2022 final in Qatar. For the past three World Cups, he followed Argentina through the knockout stages.

Not this time.

This year, he paid even more — $1,200 — for a resale ticket to see Argentina’s match against low-ranked Jordan in Dallas.

“It’s absolutely crazy – it’s just a group stage match,” said Becerra, a 64-year-old ophthalmologist who lives in Neuquén, in northern Patagonia.

Becerra will head home before the knockout stage begins. The prices, he said, are “just not possible for me.”
Will ticket prices cost the World Cup some of its culture?

Wilson, the IT specialist from England, said he and his friends opted to skip this summer’s tournament because they couldn’t justify spending the prices they were seeing.

Wilson had never spent more than $200 for any World Cup match, a price that, on the resale market, barely buys a nosebleed seat at a group stage match between two obscure teams. Instead, he and his friends have booked a Portugal getaway.

For Wilson, the World Cup is more about the atmosphere than the matches.

“That’s the great thing about these tournaments: You’re sitting at a hostel, chatting with U.S. fans, and then you go to a bar up the road and there are loads of Chileans who have just taken over the place,” Wilson said, recalling a memorable night in Johannesburg in 2010. “It’s stuff like that which makes the World Cup. But now they’ve just priced everyone out.”

Mark Doidge, a sociologist at England’s Loughborough University, said World Cups have long been defined by their traveling supporters, pointing to Colombia’s famous “Birdman” and the sea of St. George’s crosses at every England match. Rising costs, he said, risk losing exactly those fans.

“Most of those buying expensive tickets are not those passionate fans, but wealthy people paying for an experience,” he said.
Expensive World Cup won’t deter some ardent fans

There is at least one group of supporters that appears determined to come regardless of the cost: the Scots, who are eager to see their team compete in their first World Cup in 28 years.

Campbell Lewis and his friends began booking refundable accommodations across the U.S. as soon as Scotland qualified last year before prices rose.

With tens of thousands of Scottish fans expected to attend, tickets for their team’s matches have proven harder to obtain.

But after prices began to drop in recent weeks, Lewis bought two tickets for Scotland’s second match for him and his 10-year-old son. He and his friends are still waiting until the final days to get tickets to the team’s opener against Haiti, though. As of Thursday, the cheapest resale ticket for that match outside Boston exceeded $600.

“For a lot of Scottish people of my generation, this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” he said. “We were all kids the last time we qualified. And even though the prices have gotten out of hand, there’s just this determination that we want to go.”
Fans have concerns about traveling to the U.S.

U.S. entry requirements may also be limiting international visitors.

Unlike Russia in 2018, which waived visa requirements for ticketholders, and Qatar in 2022, which streamlined entry for fans, many traveling to the U.S. still face strict visa requirements. Until the U.S. reversed course last month, ticket-holding fans from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia were even going to have to pay as much as $15,000 in bonds to enter the country.

Carlos Pera, president of Uruguay’s travel agency association, recently told Uruguay’s Subrayado that U.S. visa requirements were among the reasons fewer Uruguayans are making the trip this year.

U.S. officials have pushed back on concerns about visitors encountering an unwelcome environment, and the White House’s World Cup task force has highlighted efforts to prioritize visa interviews for fans with tickets. Andrew Giuliani, who leads the task force, dismissed concerns Thursday that traditional traveling supporters may be staying away.

“We want superfans and first-time visitors alike to know: America welcomes you to what will be the greatest World Cup yet,” he said in a statement.

For some fans, however, the concern goes beyond visas and cost.

Bergakker, a 48-year-old Dutch financial controller who lives near Heidelberg, Germany, said President Donald Trump’s “hostile” approach toward European allies has changed his view of traveling to the U.S.

Bergakker has attended two World Cups and four European Championships and said he is extremely susceptible to “Oranjekoorts” — the orange fever that grips Dutch fans as a tournament progresses.

A deep Netherlands run usually would be all it takes to get him on a plane, no matter the price of tickets. But Bergakker said he worries his criticism of Trump on social media could lead to problems at the border, a concern the White House rejected. A spokesperson said Thursday that a Customs and Border Protection proposal to scrutinize World Cup visitors’ social media accounts was never enacted.

Still, Bergakker said that as long as Trump is president, “this Oranje fan won’t be visiting.”

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Rico reported from Atlanta. Associated Press reporters Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo; and Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands; and Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed to this report.

Javier Bardem, Amy Adams unpack their new reimagining of ‘Cape Fear’

Javier Bardem and Amy Adams in 'Cape Fear.' (Apple TV)

Max Cady is back, and this time he's played by Javier Bardem.

Apple TV's limited series adaptation of Cape Fear has just debuted its first two episodes. This reimagining of the classic 1962 film and Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake finds Bardem taking on the role of the former prisoner set on revenge. He told ABC Audio he felt pressure stepping into both Robert De Niro and Robert Mitchum's shoes.

"Of course, the pressure is about me being a huge admirer of De Niro's and Mitchum's iconic performances," Bardem said. "But also, the pressure was off when I first read the scripts and I felt that there was a different take, different character to play because it's a different time in history."

Bardem said he didn't have to emulate anything specifically from De Niro or Mitchum's takes on the role, outside of the "sense of humor" and "the irony of those performances," although those aspects "were present [in] the writing."

This take on Cape Fear gender swaps Max Cady's lawyer into a woman — a new, reimagined character named Anna Bowden. Amy Adams portrays Anna, and she spoke about what this change brings to the story.

"I really love that aspect of it, this dynamic between them and the sort of power play. ... There's a depth and sort of a complexity to the relationship that we got to explore," Adams said.

Going further, Adams said the story has more nuances when Max Cady's lawyer is a mother, with audiences "understanding the risk and the protective nature that she would have."

"Women's relationship with shame is also something that I was interested in exploring through this. And pressuring yourself and being unforgiving to yourself," Adams said. "It gave me a lot to play with."

Hiring blows past expectations, accelerating in May despite Iran war

e HR recruitment manager holding resume in hands while having an interview in a modern office. (Xavier Lorenzo/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- Hiring blew past expectations in May, registering at a blockbuster clip despite a continued rise in inflation set off by the Iran War.

The U.S. added 172,000 jobs in May, according to the report, which marked an acceleration from 115,000 jobs added in April. The reading for April exceeded economists' expectations. The reading amounted to a slight downshift from March, when the U.S. economy gained 185,000 jobs.

Still, the job gains in May indicated a robust expansion of the labor market, defying concern about a potential economic downturn. Hiring has proven unexpectedly resilient in recent months, despite a rise in costs borne by businesses and shoppers.

The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3% in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said. Unemployment remains low by historical standards.

The leisure and hospitality sector added 70,000 jobs in May, far exceeding an average of 14,000 jobs added each month over the past year. Job gains also came in local government and healthcare.

The Middle East conflict, which began on Feb. 28, prompted the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of global oil supply. The standoff triggered one of the largest oil shocks ever recorded.

The U.S. is a net exporter of petroleum, meaning the country produces more oil than it consumes. But since oil prices are set on a global market, U.S. prices move in response to swings in worldwide supply and demand.

The price of an average gallon of gas stood at $4.24 as of Thursday, AAA data showed – an increase of $1.26 per gallon since the war began on Feb. 28. That amounts to a roughly 42% price jump in about three months.

Grocery prices have also climbed as a result of higher diesel costs borne by suppliers.

A persistent increase in consumer prices may put pressure on the Fed to raise interest rates as a means of dialing back inflation. The choice to raise interest rates could slow price increases, but it risks a cooldown in economic performance.

For now, the U.S. economy appears robust. The economy grew at a solid pace over the first three months of 2026, rebounding from sluggish performance at the end of last year.

Futures markets overwhelmingly expect the Fed to hold interest rates steady when policymakers meet next month, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of investor sentiment.

Senate approves $70 billion immigration enforcement bill

: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) heads for the Senate Chamber in between votes at the U.S. Capitol on June 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Senate began a marathon session of amendment votes on the $70 billion immigration enforcement bill. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) --The Senate voted early Friday morning to approve a $70 billion immigration enforcement package that includes nothing to rein in the administration's so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund."

The immigration enforcement bill passed by a vote of 52-47.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican to join all Democrats in voting against the bill. All other Senate Republicans voted for it, giving the legislation enough support to be narrowly approved. Republicans applauded as the bill was gaveled down early Friday morning.

The bill now heads to House of Representatives, which is not expected to take it up for consideration until next week.

The Senate sends this bill to the House with no language that would in any way restrict or permanently end the administration's so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund."

The Department of Justice created the $1.8 billion fund in exchange for President Donald Trump agreeing to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. But after backlash, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said earlier this week the DOJ was scrapping plans for the fund, though Trump has continued to defend it as a "beautiful thing."

Democrats and some Republicans wanted to use the more than 18-hour voting process overnight to amend the bill to include something to rein in fund, but they ultimately failed to get the votes necessary to approve a single amendment related to it.

There were several Republicans who supported amendments to curtail the fund throughout the process, including Sens. Murkowski, Thom Tillis, Bill Cassidy, Jon Husted, Dan Sullivan and Susan Collins.

That support, however, wasn't enough to make any of those amendments stick and, despite previously expressing reservations about supporting this bill if amendments to rein in the fund went unapproved, Tillis and Cassidy both ultimately supported final passage of the immigration enforcement bill.

"After tonight's vote, it's clear to Americans that Republicans refuse to outlaw Donald Trump's $2 billion slush fund," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chamber's top Democrat, said on the Senate floor. "Now the whole country can see the truth: Republicans fought like hell to please Donald Trump and his slush fund but didn't lift a finger to help working Americans lower their costs."

Brendan Banfield to be sentenced for elaborate double-murder plot to get rid of his wife

The judge's gavel and scales as a symbol of the judiciary and justice. (SimpleImages/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- A Virginia man found guilty of killing his wife and a stranger lured to their home in an elaborate plot to get rid of his spouse so he could be with his au pair is set to be sentenced on Friday.

Brendan Banfield was convicted in the 2023 murders of his wife and a man prosecutors said he "catfished" on a fetish website. Prosecutors said Brendan Banfield pretended to be his wife to lure the man to their Fairfax County home for what was believed to be a consensual fake rape scenario in order to frame that stranger for his wife's murder.

A jury found him guilty of two counts of aggravated murder in February. He faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The former IRS agent was charged with two counts of aggravated murder in 2024 following a monthslong investigation into the deaths of his wife, 37-year-old nurse Christine Banfield, and the stranger, 39-year-old Joseph Ryan.

Prosecutors said Brendan Banfield plotted the murders with the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, with whom he was having an affair.

Police responded to a 911 call from the home in Reston on Feb. 24, 2023, and found Ryan dead in an upstairs bedroom with gunshot wounds to his head and chest. Christine Banfield had been stabbed seven times in the neck, prosecutors said.

At the time, Magalhães and Banfield told police they came home to find Ryan stabbing Christine Banfield to death. Banfield and Magalhães each shot Ryan, they said in their 911 call and to responding officers at the scene.

Magalhães was arrested first and initially charged with second-degree murder for the death of Ryan. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2024 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, the maximum, in February. Prosecutors said she admitted to shooting Ryan at Brendan Banfield's direction.

Brendan Banfield was arrested several months after Magalhães and charged with two counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of his wife and Ryan.

Prosecutors said Brendan Banfield stabbed his wife with a kitchen knife that Ryan had been instructed to bring, and, before calling 911, altered the crime scene to make it look as though Ryan stabbed her -- including by transferring some of his wife's blood onto Ryan's hands.

Magalhães testified against Brendan Banfield during his trial, telling the court that he expressed his desire to "get rid of" his wife in October 2022. She said he told her he wanted to marry her and have children with her, and that he didn't want to divorce his wife because "she would have more money than he would" and because he wanted custody of the couple's daughter.

She prayed for forgiveness from the victims' families during her sentencing hearing.

"There is nothing I could possibly do to make it up to you, for your loss. There are so many regrets, this is my biggest. It's a tragedy I have been carrying with me, and I know I can never take back the devastation of what I have done," she said.

Following Magalhães' sentencing, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said the au pair's testimony was "invaluable in helping the jury understand the convoluted double-murder plot orchestrated by Brendan Banfield."

During his three-week-long trial, Brendan Banfield testified in his own defense. He admitted to the affair though maintained his innocence.

He said he came home on Feb. 24, 2023, after the au pair called to alert him about a stranger in the home. He said he went up to his bedroom with his gun drawn and found his wife naked with Ryan and that she called out, "Brendan, he has a knife!"

"I was extremely terrified," Brendan Banfield told the jury. "I don't think I've ever been more panicked in my life."

He said he fired his government-issued firearm, striking Ryan in the head, after he said the man appeared to stab his wife.

The couple's then-4-year-old daughter was in the basement of the house at the time of the killings. Brendan Banfield was additionally found guilty of child endangerment, as well as using a firearm while committing or attempting to commit murder.

ABC News' Sophie Sonnenfeld contributed to this report.

Appeals court to hear arguments over whether Trump’s ballroom plans can continue

A 31-page report on the White House ballroom submitted to the panels reviewing the project show the proposed addition to the White House from additional angles and features new renderings of the project. Commission of Fine Arts

(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's plans to build a White House ballroom are in the hands of three appellate judges who will hear oral arguments Friday over whether construction should be allowed to continue.

The panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will weigh the Trump administration's request to throw out a lower court judge's order halting the construction, in a lawsuit brought by historic preservationists.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled in late March that Trump has gone beyond his authority in building the ballroom, given that it has not been authorized by Congress.
Leon's order was administratively stayed by the appellate panel on April 17, a move that has allowed construction to continue since then.

The Trump administration has argued in court papers that beyond the president's desire to build a large, permanent event space to host future inaugurations and state dinners, the ballroom -- part of a broader "East Wing Modernization Project" -- is essential to national security.

The Justice Department points to recent shootings that have occurred in relatively close proximity to the president, including at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April and on Pennsylvania Avenue in May, as examples of why the ballroom is needed for security reasons. Both of those incidents had gunmen allegedly exchanging fire with Secret Service police officers.

The government's filings in the case have described the ballroom project as a fortification of the entire White House complex, saying that with its "deeply ensconced bunker, and its attendant bomb shelters, hospitals, medical facilities, and other National Security functions, to the highly sophisticated Drone Port and Sniper Nests atop the Ballroom, the complex is a highly knitted, unified whole."

The administration also argues that the group that has sued, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, lacks the standing necessary to bring a case.

Lawyers for the National Trust say that it's Congress, not the president, that controls the grounds of the White House, and that Leon was correct to determine in his ruling that no statute "comes close" to giving Trump the authority he claims to construct a large edifice next to the executive mansion.

"The public's interest in its government following the law, and the maintenance of the President's proper role in our system of separated powers, underscore that the district court did not abuse its discretion," they write in a brief, urging the appeals court judges to let Judge Leon's injunction stand.

Prior to beginning consideration this week of an immigration enforcement funding bill, Senate Republicans removed a $1 billion provision, drafted in response to a request from the Secret Service, that officials said a portion of which would have gone toward security-related aspects of the ballroom project.

Arguments in the case will be heard by Obama-appointee Patricia Millett, Trump-appointee Neomi Rao and Biden-appointee Brad Garcia.

ABC News' Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.

In brief: ‘The Odyssey’ gets an R rating and more

Christopher Nolan fans scrambled to get tickets to his upcoming film The Odyssey on Thursday. Variety reports demand for IMAX screenings and other premium large format screenings of the film was so high this week that AMC's ticketing app paused briefly. Those attempting to buy tickets also waited in virtual queues for up to an hour. Nolan's take on Homer's epic also received an R rating, the outlet reports, making it one of the most expensive R-rated movies in history. The film arrives in theaters on July 17 ...

Joshua Jackson has joined the season 3 cast of Your Friends & Neighbors. Deadline reports that Jackson has joined the ensemble in a major recurring role. He joins season 3 newcomer Michelle Monaghan, who will be a series regular. The news comes ahead of the show's season 2 finale, which debuts on Friday ...

Devil May Cry has been renewed for a third and final season. Netflix announced that the animated series has been renewed for season 3, which will end the adaptation of the popular Capcom game. Adi Shankar showruns the series about the portal between the human and demon realms and the demon-hunter-for-hire named Dante in the middle of it all ...

Nick Jonas on ‘Power Ballad’ role: ‘I’ve lived a lot of these experiences’

Nick Jonas as Danny and Paul Rudd as Rick in 'Power Ballad.' (David Cleary)

In the new John Carney movie Power Ballad, Nick Jonas plays a former boy band member who steals a song from Rick — a wedding singer played by Paul Rudd — and uses it to establish his solo career. Nick said he really wanted work with Carney and Rudd, but took on the role of Danny in the film because he could relate to it on several levels.

"I've lived a lot of these experiences," he told ABC Audio. "And not just the career stuff and the fame aspect of Danny's life, but the songwriting and the journey to find yourself, push the envelope, do something different, the pressure that you can feel."

That pressure is what leads Danny to claim Rick's song as his own. Rick then crashes out, and begins regretting putting his own music career on hold to have a family. Nick says the movie asks the question, "How far would you go to get everything you ever wanted, and at what cost?"

Carney told ABC Audio that he chose Nick because it was important to him to cast an actual musician in the role of Danny.

"He just has stood on so many stages in the world. He walks onto a stage and he just is natural, he knows how it works," Carney said. He added that an actor "can't carry that off as well as a real singer who's been onstage since he was like 6."

As for Rudd, he shows off some very impressive singing and guitar skills in the film. But he didn't look at it as a way to surprise people with his hidden talents.

"I'm always just like, 'Oh God, I hope I don't fall on my face,'" he said. "But I feel that with just about every job I do. ... It's more of just, 'I hope it's believable.'"

Ryan O’Hearn powers Pirates past Astros 5-1 with a 3-RBI night

HOUSTON (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn homered and drove in three runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-1 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday night.

O’Hearn hit an RBI single in the first inning and his two-run homer in the sixth made it 4-0.

Pittsburgh’s Jared Jones (1-0) allowed four hits and walked two in five scoreless innings. Carmen Mlodzinski gave up four hits and a run the rest of the way to get his first save. It was his first work since being put on the restricted list for a day after general manager Ben Cherington told reporters he wasn’t ready to pitch Sunday following a move to the bullpen.

Isaac Paredes hit a solo homer in the sixth inning for the Astros to become the fourth Mexican-born player in the MLB history to reach 100 for his career. But it wasn’t nearly enough to keep Houston from its third loss in four games.

The Pirates’ run of four straight games in which they scored at least nine runs ended. But they still generated plenty of offense to bounce back and take the series after a late-game collapse cost them Wednesday’s game.

Houston starter Kai-Wei Teng (3-4) gave up seven hits and five runs — both season highs — in five-plus innings.

The Pirates led by a run when Brandon Lowe doubled to open the sixth before scoring on a single by Bryan Reynolds.

O’Hearn then launched Teng’s next pitch over the short fence in right field to push the lead to 4-0. Nick Gonzales singled to chase Teng and Steven Okert took over.

Oneil Cruz singled on a groundball to right field. There were two outs in the inning when Jared Triolo reached on an error by Jeremy Peña that allowed Gonzales to score and make it 5-0.
Up next

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (5-2, 4.35 ERA) opposes Atlanta LHP Martín Pérez (3-3, 2.79) when Pittsburgh opens a three-games series against the Braves on Friday night.

Astros: RHP Peter Lambert (4-4, 3.77) pitches against RHP Jack Perkins (2-2, 5.46) on Friday night in the first of three games against the Athletics.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Blue Jays rookie Dallas says ‘a little God wink’ set stage for beating Braves in major league debut

ATLANTA (AP) — Chad Dallas was told on Tuesday he would be promoted for his major league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The call came on Lou Gehrig Day, and it happened to be about a year since Dallas’s father, Tony, died from ALS, the neurodegenerative disease now commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease in honor of the New York Yankees Hall of Famer.

“It was extremely special, like a little God wink,” Dallas said after allowing only two hits and one run in 3 2/3 innings to earn the win in the Blue Jays’ 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.

Dallas was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo to serve as the Blue Jays’ bulk reliever behind opener Mason Fluharty.

Dallas immediately was given the opportunity to prove he could thrive in a stressful situation. The Braves had a runner on third base after Michael Harris II doubled and advanced to third before Toronto manager John Schneider pulled Fluharty and summoned Dallas, a right-hander.

Dallas entered the game with one out in the second and stranded Harris on third base. He ended the inning by striking out Sandy León.

“It was cool, though,” Dallas said of inheriting the runner on third when he is more accustomed to starting games. “It was something kind of new. And all you can do is go out there and just give them your best stuff. And you know tonight, I felt like I did that a good bit.”

Schneider said pitching out of the jam helped to ease the rookie’s nerves.

“I think getting out of that inning there kind of set him up to settle down a little bit,” said Schneider of Dallas. “And he was great, man. You know, gets his first win in his debut. So pretty cool. Breaking stuff was really, really good and did his part tonight.”

Dallas said he had “tons of emotions” as the anticipation grew for his major league debut. He had friends and family travel from Orange, Texas, and Knoxville, Tennessee, where he pitched in college for Tennessee.

“Dreamed of this day since I was 3 or 4, once I started realizing what professional baseball was,” Dallas said. “And tons of emotions … tons of happy, super excited. But overall, it was an amazing experience.”

Dallas was only 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA at Buffalo in his comeback after missing the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery. But the right-hander made an impression on Schneider while perhaps proving he could help the Blue Jays as a reliever when there is no longer a need for another starter.

When asked what is next for Dallas, Schneider said “Beer shower and a good flight to Toronto.”

Added Schneider “But really impressed with the job that he did tonight. … The overall message is just go out, compete, trust your stuff and you know, get ready for whatever’s next.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

George Pickens isn’t with Cowboys for voluntary work as Schottenheimer says communication is good

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — George Pickens isn’t with the Dallas Cowboys during the opening week of voluntary offseason practices, while coach Brian Schottenheimer says the receiver is “taking care of his business” and their communication has been good.

Pickens signed his $27.3 million franchise tag a little more than a month ago but has stayed away from the team. The Pro Bowler isn’t required to show up until mandatory minicamp June 16-18.

“Communicated with (Pickens) yesterday,” Schottenheimer said Thursday. “He’s got a football camp this weekend that he’s doing. So communication is good, and as you guys know it’s voluntary and he’s taking care of his business.”

Pickens waited two months before signing the one-year contract that’s worth three times what the 25-year-old earned on his four-year rookie contract.

Pickens told the Cowboys before the draft in April that he intended to sign the franchise tag, prompting speculation that Dallas might try to trade him. The Cowboys made it clear they had no such plans. He signed the tag about a week later.

Acquired last year in a trade with Pittsburgh, Pickens thrived alongside CeeDee Lamb, finishing with career highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season.

Lamb is going into the second year of a $136 million, four-year contract that ranks him fourth among NFL receivers with an average annual value of $34 million.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has said the club has long-term plans for Pickens, who has spent time in the offseason with quarterback Dak Prescott.

“I’m not sure exactly what they do,” Schottenheimer said. “You guys know Dak does a great job working with all the guys, whether they’re here, whether it’s this time of year, whether it is in the summer, they always go someplace. They’ll go someplace this summer and train and throw, and it’s a chance for them to develop their timing.”

Schottenheimer said the club believes Pickens will report for minicamp.

“I think he’s in a good spot,” Schottenheimer said. “I know that he misses his teammates. So we miss him, too. You guys know how we feel about him.”

This is the third consecutive offseason with a significant contract issue for the Cowboys.

Two years ago, Lamb stayed away from the team the entire offseason and training camp before signing his extension about two weeks before the season.

Last year, Micah Parsons was in a contract stalemated that finally ended when Dallas traded the star pass rusher to Green Bay exactly a week before the season opener.

“I’ve always believed this, and this has got nothing to do with a single player,” Schottenheimer said. “How do you prove to your teammates that you’re doing everything in your power to be the best version of yourself if they don’t see you doing it? I have no question George is prepared, just like I had no question that Micah was going to prepare or whoever.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

NBA bans two fans for life after one runs onto court during Game 1, attempts selfie with Wemby

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The NBA banned two people for life from its arenas on Thursday, after one of them was arrested shortly after running onto the court during Game 1 of the NBA Finals and appearing to take a selfie next to San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama.

The incident occurred midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game between the Spurs and New York Knicks. The NBA did not disclose what role the second banned person, who did not run onto the court, played in the incident.

“The individual who entered the court area during Game 1 of The Finals was arrested and will be banned for life from all NBA arenas,” an NBA spokesman said in a message sent to The Associated Press and other outlets. “A second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident.”

The person who was arrested after running onto the court is a juvenile, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because that detail — first reported by the San Antonio Express-News — was not revealed publicly.

That fan appeared to enter the court from the sideline opposite the team benches, starting from behind the play and running into San Antonio’s offensive end. The person was quickly pulled from the court by two security guards and it did not appear the person made any physical contact with Wembanyama or any New York players.

“I even hesitate to describe that person as a fan,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday. “They seemed to have some ulterior motive for doing so.”

Wembanyama did not appear bothered by the incident, either as it was happening or afterward.

“I’ve never been in that situation,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t know how to act.”

He compared the moment to a game in January 2024 when a bat got into the Spurs’ arena and flew around the court, stopping a game against Minnesota for a couple of minutes.

Play on Wednesday was stopped for 1 minute and 29 seconds before the game resumed with a jump ball. The fan who entered the play was taken out of the court area through a baseline tunnel.

“I don’t think it was an event at all,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I thought security got him out of there. I think everybody moved on to the next play.”

Silver lauded crew chief Scott Foster and the game’s officiating crew for handling the incident quickly, not disrupting the game for any longer than necessary.

“It’s unfortunately part of all sports,” Silver said. “There’s lot more security, much more apparatus in place than we needed maybe in the old days. I think the other side of the coin of global attention is that somebody realizes that there’s this enormous platform to do stupid things. So, we learn from every incident.”
League investigating fan’s words to Brunson

Another incident involving fan behavior occurred in the final minute of Wednesday’s Game 1, when New York guard Jalen Brunson — who had a game-high 30 points in the Knicks’ come-from-behind win — appeared to be upset by something said to him by a patron in a courtside seat.

Silver confirmed Thursday that the league is looking into what was said to Brunson. Asked about that incident, Brunson declined to comment.

“To be honest, I didn’t even see what happened,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said. “I heard something about it. I didn’t really see it. I don’t know. He’s always pretty calm, pretty composed. I’m sure the fans probably said something crazy to kind of get him going.”

Fan behavior and conduct has been a point of emphasis for the NBA in recent years, and the league sent a memo to all 30 clubs at the start of this season saying it wants “consistent and vigilant enforcement of the NBA Fan Code of Conduct … to deter and address fan misconduct at NBA games and events.”

The NBA, in that October memo, told teams that arena staff “must be trained to identify behavior that violates NBA rules and to respond proactively.” The NBA, like many leagues, also has a video detailing a code of conduct for fans played in every arena before each game.

“It is critical that teams and arenas vigorously enforce the Code of Conduct and not tolerate any misconduct that impacts our players, fans, or otherwise disrupts the game,” the league said.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Fleetwood part of 4-way tie for the lead at Memorial in a tough opening round for Scheffler

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Scottie Scheffler never thought two straight victories in the Memorial would be of any value when he began his bid for three in a row. It sure felt that way Thursday in a tough start that left him exasperated by the wind and six shots behind a four-way share of the lead.

Wyndham Clark, coming off a victory in the Byron Nelson, U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Tommy Fleetwood and the Ryan Gerard were each at 5-under 67, among only 22 players who broke par at Muirfield Village.

Scheffler was poised to be among them until a bad wedge led to a careless bogey on the 14th, and what he thought was a great shot on the 16th bounced into the water for double bogey.

He walked 96 yards to the drop area with his palms upward when they weren’t slapping his thigh, all the while seeking answers from caddie Ted Scott that neither of them had. “I don’t think you understand how frustrating that is,” he said to Scott, who replied quietly with the obvious answer. “I do,” the caddie said.

Six of the seven players who broke 70 started before 10 a.m. and missed out on the swirling wind on a hot, clear day that made the greens even firmer than they already were.

The exception was Gerard, who had quite the wild ride. He had a 3 on a par 5 and followed that with a 5 on a par 3. He had five straight birdies on the back nine and only five pars on his scorecard for the entire round. It added to a 67, which was all that mattered.

“The small misses often lead to big punishments at this golf course,” Gerard said “I don’t think we aimed at a flag stick on the back nine and shot 5 under. You’re picking small targets around either the edge of a bunker or a rake or some guy wearing a bright-colored shirt in the background or a TV tower or whatever it might be.”

Fleetwood’s 67 was his lowest round in his fifth time playing the Memorial, and this wasn’t the way he would have drawn it up. He was solid off the tee, not so much from the fairway. Fleetwood hit only seven greens and still played bogey-free.

“I got the most out of the round, totally. I got away with a couple of poor misses. Hit the pin a couple of times when it was going past. … Shot 5 under, so it couldn’t have been that bad. I was just getting a little frustrated at the end not being able to execute the iron shots that I wanted to.”

Nick Taylor wasted a good start with a double bogey on the par-5 seventh and a bogey on the next hole, only to played bogey-free on the tough back nine and finishing with one of only seven birdies on the the 18th hole.

Justin Rose and Sam Burns were at 69.

Scheffler provided the entertainment, even it didn’t feel all that entertaining to him. He had changed clubs on the ninth, took the longer one and still was short. He changed clubs three times from the fairway on the par-5 11th and came up short. And then the water ball on the 16th was the capper.

What followed was a stream of frustrating lines: “I never thought that was in the water. … I don’t know what to do. … I absolutely flushed a 7-iron and we get the wind wrong and I’m in the water. … I’m hitting good shots and dropping from hazards.”

So when he was asked after signing for his 73 if he had any fun at any point, Scheffler gave a half-laugh as he rubbed his chin and said, “Not that I can recall at the moment.”

The 17th was kind of fun. From a fairway bunker, 182 yards to a tucked pin in the front right, Scheffler hit 7-iron to the collar 15 feet away and chipped in for birdie.

“See, that’s the thing that can be so frustrating about golf,” Scheffler said. “I striped one on the hole before that and I end up in the water. That one I kind of hit thin, and you get a good bounce and I end up on the fringe and I chip in.

“Yeah, what a game,” he said. “I felt like I didn’t get anything out of the round, all of a sudden you get a lucky bounce and you’re like, ‘OK, well, I’m going to try to smile.’ It’s still hard.”

He did smile as he headed to the wind, late enough in the afternoon the wind was starting to calm. He also realized his score wasn’t all that bad compared with other players from the afternoon.

It was tough all over for just about everyone. Patrick Cantlay was 3 over through holes and recovered for a 70. Rory McIlroy overcame an early double bogey to go 3 under the rest of the way for a 71. Aaron Rai played alongside Scheffler in his first start since winning the PGA Championship and shot 73.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Asian shares drop, with South Korea’s Kospi down more than 5%

HONG KONG (AP) — Shares have fallen in Asia, with South Korea’s benchmark dropping more than 5%, after sharp declines for some big artificial intelligence-related stocks in the U.S.

U.S. futures also retreated.

On Wall Street on Thursday, computer chipmaker Broadcom’s shares sank 12.6% when it gave a forecast that fell short of investors’ expectations, raising concerns over the wider AI and technology sector.

U.S. memory chip maker Micron Technology dropped 7.7%, and cybersecurity company CrowdStrike Holdings fell 3.8%.

Still, the benchmark S&P 500 climbed 0.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.7% to a record. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite edged 0.1% lower.

But in Asia, investors dumped key AI-related shares, with South Korea’s SK Hynix plunging 8.6% and Samsung Electronics shedding 5.4%.

The Kospi dropped 5.1% to 8,199.44. The index has roughly doubled in the past year, lifted by gains for such big tech companies.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 1.3% to 66,573.85, with technology shares leading the decline, even as official data showed that Japan’s real wages rose for the fourth straight month. Chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron’s shares fell 7%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 1.2% to 24,948.96, while the Shanghai Composite index fell 0.3% to 4,045.45.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.7% to 8,623.50.

Taiwan’s Taiex gave up 1.3%, while India’s Sensex was up 0.1%.

Oil prices stabilized after falling on Thursday. Brent crude, the international standard, was up 0.4% to $95.41 per barrel. It fell to around $95.03 a barrel on Thursday, and was approximately $70 per barrel before the start of the war in late February.

Benchmark U.S. crude flatlined at $93.04 a barrel.

Strong corporate earnings and excitement about AI demand have helped pushing some stock markets to new heights, despite repeated jolts from the Iran war. Oil prices are still under pressure as the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway crucial for global oil and natural gas transport, remains effectively closed, and the war-caused energy shock is threatening to slow economic growth and fuel inflation in many countries.

American and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative deal last week to extend their ceasefire, but the agreement has not been finalized, as meanwhile developments in Lebanon have cast doubts on prospects for a permanent end to the conflict.

On Thursday, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah rejected the latest ceasefire agreement between the Lebanese and Israel governments.

“While there are few signs of progress in US-Iran talks, the oil market continues to trade on expectations of an imminent deal that would resume flows through the Strait of Hormuz,” ING commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a report.

Hopes regarding the U.S.-Iran negotiations may have been “overly optimistic,” they said.

In other dealings early Friday, the U.S. dollar fell to 159.96 Japanese yen from 160.03 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1614, up from $1.1610.

New city attorney hired

CHANDLER – The Chandler City Council voted to hire a new city attorney in a meeting discussing the city’s leadership on Thursday night. During the meeting, city council discussed the conduct of City Administrator Kalon Rollins and Chandler Police Department Chief Johnny Foster. The city’s agenda for Thursday’s meeting included discussion of improper spending, bond issues, social media policy and hiring policy under Rollins and Foster.

The city council members also voted to hire Ronald D. Stutes, 67 of Tyler, as the new Chandler City Attorney during Thursday’s meeting. Stutes is a member of the Fairchild, Price, Haley & Smith law firm and has represented both the City of Palestine and the City of Dallas.

Ultimately, no formal action was taken against either Rollins or Foster at Thursday’s meeting.