TAG · Religion & Society
A U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet flying at low altitude over Pensacola Beach, Florida, on Wednesday blasted sand into the air and sent beach chairs, umbrellas and canopies scattering across the shoreline. No injuries were reported.
2026-07-16 · 3 MIN READVail Resorts CEO Rob Katz, brought back for a second stint in 2025, said the company is shifting strategy away from reliance on Epic pass sales growth and toward a "best-in-class" on-mountain guest experience, announcing Tuesday a slate of…
2026-07-14 · 3 MIN READA prolonged and dangerous heat wave is intensifying across the central and eastern United States this week, with the National Weather Service placing approximately 120 million people under extreme heat warnings as the July 4 holiday…
2026-06-30 · 3 MIN READDeniz Undav, a German striker with Yazidi and Kurdish heritage, has emerged as one of the surprise stars of this World Cup, scoring three goals and providing two assists as a substitute for Germany. His success is being celebrated by the…
2026-06-26 · 3 MIN READFIFA has mandated three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half of all World Cup matches, the first widespread cooling rule in the tournament's history, as this summer's co-hosted event faces predictions of extreme heat across the…
2026-06-18 · 3 MIN READGuardian opinion columnist Moira Donegan described the Ultimate Fighting Championship event held on the White House lawn on President Donald Trump's 80th birthday as a "frantic and unbeautiful spectacle" that reflected Trump's "own most…
2026-06-15 · 3 MIN READHorses bred in England, Ireland, Chile, South Africa and Canada won major races at U.S. tracks over Flag Day weekend, while Japan's Meisho Tabaru captured the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen and Ireland's Diamond Necklace prevailed in the French…
2026-06-15 · 3 MIN READNearly 120 years before President Donald Trump hosted a UFC championship fight on the White House South Lawn for his 80th birthday, President Theodore Roosevelt suffered partial blindness in his left eye during a boxing match at the White…
2026-06-14 · 3 MIN READThe New York Knicks are one win away from their first NBA championship in 53 years, playing Game 5 of the NBA Finals on the road in San Antonio on Saturday — a saving grace for New York City, which is simultaneously hosting a World Cup…
2026-06-13 · 3 MIN READTicketmaster and the San Antonio Spurs moved to reassure New York Knicks fans that their tickets to Saturday's Game 5 of the NBA finals in San Antonio would be honored, after a Friday night report sparked a weekend of panic, outrage, and…
2026-06-13 · 5 MIN READDelaware Park takes center stage in weekend horse racing with a pair of graded stakes for fillies and mares, while Santa Anita and Monmouth Park add to the mix. On the global scene, Japan continues its spring Grade 1 events with the…
2026-06-12 · 3 MIN READCanada will make national history when they co-host the World Cup for the first time, beginning their campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. The Canadian men's national team has never won a match in three previous tournament…
2026-06-11 · 3 MIN READThe Ultimate Fighting Championship will pay bonuses to fighters in a form of cryptocurrency issued by Trump family business World Liberty Financial at Sunday's White House mixed martial arts event, the UFC announced Friday, connecting the…
2026-06-14 · 3 MIN READChristmas Day won the Epsom Derby by 3 lengths on June 7 at Epsom Downs as the race favorite, Benvenuto Cellini, was ruled a non-starter after stewards found his hind leg was caught in the starting gate. The victory was trainer Aidan…
2026-06-08 · 3 MIN READ
Golden Tempo, winner of the Kentucky Derby, captured the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in New York, giving trainer Cherie DeVaux her second Triple Crown victory with the same horse in the same year.
2026-06-06 · 3 MIN READTestimony unfolded this week in the murder trial of a 19-year-old accused of fatally stabbing a fellow high school student during a track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025. The case has drawn national attention amid debate over racial…
2026-06-05 · 4 MIN READFootball's governing body has prohibited reusable water bottles and containers from stadiums just a week before the tournament's opening match, citing safety concerns over thrown projectiles. Heat and health experts have criticized the…
2026-06-04 · 3 MIN READThe 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off this week across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first time the tournament has been co-hosted by three nations. The unprecedented arrangement comes after months of…
2026-06-04 · 3 MIN READThe Pan American Health Organization warned this week that a resurgent measles outbreak across the Americas, which has produced more than 20,000 confirmed cases and 25 deaths this year, poses a growing public health threat as millions…
2026-06-03 · 3 MIN READABC announced Wednesday that Marcello Hernandez, the 28-year-old *Saturday Night Live* cast member and comedian, will host the 2026 ESPY Awards on July 15 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
2026-06-03 · 3 MIN READNew York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has emerged as the Knicks' cheerleader-in-chief as the team marches toward the NBA Finals, finding one of the few sources of universal approval during a tenure that has drawn sharp criticism from the…
2026-06-02 · 4 MIN READAs the 2026 World Cup approaches, fans across the 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada express a mix of excitement and deep reservations over ticket prices, political tensions and logistics concerns, according to a series…
2026-06-02 · 4 MIN READUSMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino used a mandatory mid-half water break during Sunday's 3-2 friendly win over Senegal to huddle players around a laptop for an impromptu video session, creating a viral moment that highlighted the…
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READThe New York Giants signed free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on Monday, reuniting the former first-round pick with the franchise that selected him 12th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Beckham, 33, did not play in 2025 and returns…
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READSergiño Dest scored the United States men’s national team’s opening goal in a 3-2 friendly victory over Senegal, marking the first start together for Dest and Antonee Robinson under head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READVictor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA finals on June 1, 2026, after the team defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. The victory secured a championship-series berth for San Antonio…
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READThe fourth round of the 2026 French Open begins June 1 at Roland-Garros, headlined by Madison Keys, Flavio Cobolli and Félix Auger-Aliassime as the tournament advances into its second week.
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READChristian Pulisic scored a goal and assisted another in the United States men's national team's 3-2 friendly win over Senegal on Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina, ending a nearly six-month goal-scoring drought for club and country.
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READThe 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest edition of the tournament in its history, will be played across 16 stadiums in the United States, Mexico and Canada when it opens June 11. The venues range from the recently renovated Estadio Azteca in…
2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READThe United States men's national soccer team defeated Senegal 3-2 in a pre-World Cup friendly on May 31, overcoming a second-half rally by the West African side to secure the tournament tuneup victory.
2026-05-31 · 3 MIN READThe Scripps National Spelling Bee begins Tuesday and runs through Thursday night in Washington, where the nation’s top young spellers compete in preliminaries, quarterfinals and semifinals before the finals. This year’s 98th bee is set to…
2026-05-25 · 3 MIN READNew York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that 1,000 World Cup tickets costing $50 will be made available to New York City residents for seven matches at MetLife Stadium, with distribution through a lottery starting May 25. Mamdani said…
2026-05-22 · 3 MIN READMayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday that New York City will distribute 1,000 World Cup tickets priced at $50 each through a lottery opening May 25, with free roundtrip bus transportation to MetLife Stadium for ticket holders. The…
2026-05-21 · 3 MIN READNew York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that 1,000 $50 World Cup tickets will be made available to city residents for seven matches at MetLife Stadium, with distribution through a lottery that starts May 25. The tickets will include…
2026-05-21 · 3 MIN READDallas has replaced a longtime downtown mural of swimming whales with World Cup-themed art, triggering an outcry from residents and the mural’s artist. The mural, created by Wyland and dedicated in 1999, had covered two walls of a parking…
2026-05-21 · 3 MIN READJoey “Jaws” Chestnut will defend his Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating title at the July 4 contest while on probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge in Indiana, his attorney said. A judge granted Chestnut permission to…
2026-05-21 · 3 MIN READDallas began repainting a downtown whale mural ahead of World Cup 2026, prompting an outcry from residents and the mural’s creator who said the work was erased without dialogue. The mural, installed in 1999 by artist Wyland, had covered…
2026-05-20 · 3 MIN READCompetitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut will defend his hot dog eating title on July 4 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery and receiving 180 days of probation in Indiana, the Associated Press reported. A judge granted permission…
2026-05-20 · 3 MIN READA mural depicting swimming whales that covered two walls of a downtown Dallas parking garage for nearly 30 years has been painted over to make way for World Cup-themed public art, drawing criticism from residents and the artist who created…
2026-05-19 · 3 MIN READAssociated Press photographer Alessandra Tarantino has shared a behind-the-scenes look at how she captured a widely circulated portrait of Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner during the Italian Open in Rome. Tarantino detailed the specific…
2026-05-16 · 4 MIN READNAIROBI, Kenya — Sabastian Sawe became the first human to run an official marathon in under two hours, winning the London Marathon on April 26 with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds. The 31-year-old Kenyan runner had attended…
2026-05-16 · 4 MIN READNorth Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC arrived in South Korea on Sunday to play in the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League, the first visit by North Korean athletes in eight years amid persistent political tensions. The team…
2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READSabastian Sawe, 31, became the first runner to complete a marathon in under two hours when he won the London Marathon in a record 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, according to Religion News Service and the Associated Press. The report…
2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READBulgaria won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday in Vienna, as singer Dara captured the grand final with her party anthem “Bangaranga.” The Israeli entry by Noam Bettan finished second after Eurovision’s Israel participation…
2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READPolice in London deployed thousands of officers and other resources on Saturday to manage two rival marches through central areas of the U.K. capital and keep them separate from the FA Cup final, which took place at Wembley. By 7:30 p.m.,…
2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READNEW YORK — Global Citizen on Thursday announced the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, a $100 million initiative to support education for underserved children, anchored by the first-ever halftime show at the men’s World Cup on July 19.…
2026-05-15 · 4 MIN READGlobal Citizen is preparing the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show, planned for July 19, and says the performances will help raise money for education through its FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The antipoverty group said it aims…
2026-05-15 · 3 MIN READThe Trump administration is suspending a requirement that some foreign visitors pay immigration bonds to enter the United States, the State Department said Wednesday. Ticket holders from five World Cup-qualified countries—Algeria, Cape…
2026-05-14 · 3 MIN READU.S. hotel operators say the surge in World Cup bookings they anticipated has not materialized, with room demand in most of the 11 host cities running flat or below typical spring levels, according to an April survey by the American Hotel…
2026-05-14 · 3 MIN READThe promised economic boost from the World Cup has not yet matched expectations for U.S. hotels, according to an April survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Room bookings have been lighter than expected in many of the 11 U.S.…
2026-05-14 · 3 MIN READA performer who disrupted Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance was found guilty Monday of resisting an officer, after police said he ran across the field at the Caesars Superdome with a Sudanese flag reading “Sudan and Free…
2026-05-11 · 3 MIN READZul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, 41, was among the dancers in black outfits during the Feb. 9, 2025, halftime show but deviated from his role when he displayed a flag bearing the phrase 'Sudan and Free Gaza' atop a prop car, then jumped off the…
2026-05-11 · 3 MIN READThousands of people filled plazas in downtown Buenos Aires on Sunday to trade Panini World Cup sticker cards, a communal tradition that peaks a month before the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, the Associated Press reported.
2026-05-11 · 3 MIN READBuenos Aires and other Argentine cities are seeing a surge of World Cup sticker trading about a month before the 2026 FIFA tournament begins, with fans gathering in plazas to complete official Panini stickerbooks through swaps. Parents and…
2026-05-11 · 4 MIN READThe 85th Iroquois Steeplechase kicked off Saturday with its most popular event: a parade of more than 20 foxhounds that ended with one hound’s unauthorized detour into a beer tent as 25,000 spectators cheered.
2026-05-10 · 3 MIN READNASHVILLE, Tenn. — Foxhounds wearing GPS collars paraded Saturday to kick off the Iroquois Steeplechase, an 85-year-old steeplechase tradition where horse races and fox hunting remain closely linked. More than 20 hounds—trained to run…
2026-05-10 · 3 MIN READNew Jersey Transit is lowering a planned $150 round-trip fare to MetLife Stadium for the upcoming World Cup to $105, following a directive from Gov. Mikie Sherrill to find alternative funding to cushion the cost for fans.
2026-05-08 · 3 MIN READKathmandu, Nepal — Hundreds of climbers and their Nepali guides are assembling at Mount Everest’s base camp as the climbing season gets under way, despite a warning about an unstable ice block above a key route. The Sagarmatha Pollution…
2026-05-08 · 3 MIN READNew Jersey Transit is reducing a planned $150 round-trip train fare to MetLife Stadium for World Cup matches to $105, state officials said May 7. The move follows outcry over the steep cost of getting to East Rutherford for the tournament,…
2026-05-08 · 3 MIN READA participant in the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon died Tuesday after experiencing a medical emergency on trails in northern Arizona, race organizers and local law enforcement said. First responders attended to a woman in her 40s who…
2026-05-07 · 3 MIN READA participant in the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon in northern Arizona died Tuesday after experiencing a medical emergency on trails near a Groom Creek trailhead south of Prescott, officials said. First responders attended to a woman in her…
2026-05-06 · 3 MIN READRunners who were struggling to reach the Boston Marathon finish line were helped by fellow competitors during Monday’s race, the Associated Press reported. Ajay Haridasse was lifted and carried about 1,000 feet (305 meters) to the finish…
2026-04-23 · 3 MIN READBoston Marathon runners kept finishing hopes alive on April 21 by stopping to help fellow racers who were struggling near the finish line, according to accounts from competitors and officials. In one episode, Ajay Haridasse’s legs gave out…
2026-04-22 · 3 MIN READA French soldier died and three others were wounded Saturday in an attack in southern Lebanon near UNIFIL positions, just two days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. French President Emmanuel Macron said Hezbollah…
2026-04-18 · 3 MIN READNew Jersey Transit will charge World Cup fans $150 for a round-trip train ride to MetLife Stadium from Manhattan — nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for the roughly 9-mile trip. The agency announced Friday that the elevated fare was…
2026-04-17 · 5 MIN READPARIS (AP) — The French Open’s total prize money has increased by about 10% to 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), tournament officials said Thursday. Play at Roland Garros begins Sunday, May 24 in western Paris.
2026-04-16 · 3 MIN READThe French Tennis Federation announced Thursday that prize money for this year’s French Open will rise about 10% to 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million) for the tournament that begins May 24 at Roland Garros in western Paris. Tournament…
2026-04-15 · 3 MIN READWashington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said after the team’s 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins that he will “think about it” after fans chanted for one more season. The longtime forward, who is 40 and turns 41 in September, has 32 goals…
2026-04-13 · 4 MIN READOklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams is set to return to the lineup Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers after missing the previous 16 games with a right hamstring strain, the team said. Williams injured his hamstring…
2026-03-24 · 3 MIN READJessie Holmes, a former reality TV star, won a repeat title in the Iditarod on Tuesday night in Nome, Alaska, after nine days, 7 hours and 32 minutes on the roughly 1,000-mile route. Holmes, who guided his team of 12 dogs across the finish…
2026-03-19 · 3 MIN READProvidence, R.I., March 18, 2026 — Rhode Island’s Blackstone Valley Co-op won the Division 2 boys’ state championship 3-2 over Lincoln High School Wednesday after player Colin Dorgan and his teammates advanced through weeks of grief…
2026-03-19 · 3 MIN READJessie Holmes, a former cast member on Nat Geo’s “Life Below Zero,” won the Iditarod sled dog race for a second straight year, finishing Tuesday night in Nome, Alaska. Holmes completed the roughly 1,000-mile route in nine days, 7 hours and…
2026-03-18 · 3 MIN READMexico City set a world record for the largest soccer class ever on Sunday, organizers said, as 9,500 participants filled the capital’s Zócalo ahead of the World Cup opening match in June. Guinness World Records’ Alfredo Arista Rueda…
2026-03-16 · 3 MIN READShohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. combined for two leadoff home runs to kick off the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal as defending champions fell into a 1-1 tie before Acuña’s blast helped flip the game. In Venezuela’s 8-5 win over…
2026-03-14 · 3 MIN READCORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Paralympians at the Milan Cortina Games have competed in unusually warm weather, with some athletes saying soft, slow snow has left them at a disadvantage and raised safety concerns. The conditions have…
2026-03-14 · 3 MIN READShohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. combined for two leadoff home runs as the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal began with a fast start, the Associated Press reported. In the game on Saturday night, Acuña homered on the second pitch as…
2026-03-14 · 3 MIN READSome athletes at the Milan Cortina Paralympics have complained about warm, “tropical” conditions that left them skiing or snowboarding in softer snow and raised concerns about safety. As temperatures climbed during the Games, the warm…
2026-03-14 · 3 MIN READColin Dorgan, a senior hockey player for Blackstone Valley Co-op in Rhode Island, scored the game-winning goal in double overtime on March 11, 2026, to advance his team to the state championship game. The win came nearly a month after he…
2026-03-13 · 3 MIN READThousands of fans turned out in Finland’s far north for the Salla Reindeer Cup this past weekend, drawing crowds despite frigid subfreezing temperatures near the Russian border. The Salla event, roughly 264 kilometers (164 miles) northeast…
2026-03-13 · 3 MIN READ
