PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal. The league will notify its players and staff by Thursday.

Reports of PIF pulling its funding have been rampant for weeks. The Telegraph reported LIV officials were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York last week, and a tournament scheduled for June in Louisiana was postponed. In a statement issued to Field Level Media, the league said it planned to move the tournament to the fall to avoid "the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar."

Last Wednesday, ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O'Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue "exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle." He made no mention of LIV's future beyond 2026, however.

Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF's governor and LIV's main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects.

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DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour.

"At the moment, we're in the mode of just listening because we don't know any more than anyone else does", DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told MSN. "But we'll listen and we'll make sure that we're fully informed before we make the decisions that we need to do. But for sure, there are people who are concerned and we will be having conversations with them at the right time."

PIF and the PGA Tour signed a Framework Agreement on June 6, 2023, throwing out the lawsuit LIV filed that accused the PGA of being a monopoly. But a deal to work together never came to fruition, despite the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump.

LIV has seven more events scheduled for this year, including May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C.

--Field Level Media

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 29, 2026

PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal....

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Orioles put opening day starter Trevor Rogers on IL with undisclosed illness

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles placed opening day starter Trevor Rogers on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday as the left-hander deals with an undisclosed illness.

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The move came a few hours afterBaltimore's game against Houston was postponedby inclement weather and rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on Thursday. The Orioles recalled right-hander Cameron Foster from Triple-A Norfolk.

Rogers allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings after throwing 47 pitches in his most recent start,a 17-1 loss to Bostonon Saturday. The IL move was retroactive to Sunday.

The 28-year-old Rogers has allowed 13 runs, 12 earned, in 11 1/3 innings over his past three starts. He pitched seven scoreless innings ina 2-1 win over Minnesotaon opening day.

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Rogers is 2-3 with a 4.75 ERA in six starts this season.

Foster made his major league debut for the Orioles on April 16 after getting called up from Triple-A. He was sent back down Saturday with a 6.35 ERA in four relief appearances.

Baltimore did not immediately announce its pitching plans for the doubleheader. The Orioles were set to send right-hander Chris Bassitt on Wednesday and righty Brandon Young on Thursday.

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

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 29, 2026

Orioles put opening day starter Trevor Rogers on IL with undisclosed illness

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles placed opening day starter Trevor Rogers on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday as the left-han...

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Undermanned Wolves try to eliminate balanced Nuggets in Game 6

Faced with key injuries, the Minnesota Timberwolves will try to close out their Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday in Minneapolis.

Minnesota successfully managed Game 4 despite losing star Anthony Edwards and his starting backcourt mate, Donte DiVincenzo, early. But with Edwards sidelined due to a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee and DiVincenzo gone with a torn right Achilles tendon, the Timberwolves dropped a close-out opportunity on Monday in Denver, 125-113.

Edwards and DiVincenzo were both catalysts as Minnesota gained the early advantage in the series, with Edwards going for 30 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2. DiVincenzo scored a total of 31 points in Games 2 and 3, both Timberwolves victories.

With the two perimeter playmakers out Monday, Minnesota committed 25 turnovers -- two more than the Timberwolves lost in their previous two games combined, and a team-high dating back to before the All-Star break.

"A lot of silly, forced play by guys trying to make something out of nothing," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said of the Game 5 turnover woes.

Finch also pointed to Denver's defensive adjustments, noting that the Nuggets "put two (defenders)" on Ayo Dosunmu for the first time in the series.

Dosunmu, a late-season acquisition via trade from Chicago, emerged as the hero in Game 4 after Edwards and DiVincenzo exited. He scored 43 points, bookended by performances of 25 and 18 points, respectively, in Games 3 and 5.

Aside from Julius Randle's 27 points, however, no other Minnesota player managed more than 13 in Monday's loss.

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Denver, meanwhile, got 18-plus points from four of its five starters in the elimination contest. Among the quartet was forward Spencer Jones, who has seen a significant uptick in minutes with Aaron Gordon dealing with a calf injury.

Jones, who scored 11 total points in the series' first four games, went for 20 in Game 5. Gordon, who averaged 16.2 points per game in the regular season, played limited minutes in Game 4, but missed both Games 3 and 5 and is listed as questionable for Thursday.

Jones, who averaged just 5.5 points per game in the regular season, delivered his highest-scoring performance since Dec. 1 (28 points) at an opportune time.

"It's something that happened throughout the season, guys going down and me getting an opportunity to start," Jones said. "I'll get more minutes, but the role is still the same, the duties are still the same."

Building on the momentum from his making four 3-pointers Monday, Jones could play a role in Denver's key perimeter scorer, Jamal Murray, finding cleaner looks from beyond the arc.

Murray has scored 30 points three times in the series, and with his 24 in Game 5, he is up to 26.0 points per game through the five contests. That's a team-high, outpacing three-time league Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic's 25.4 ppg.

However, Murray has gone 0-for from deep twice, including the Game 3 loss.

Jokic, meanwhile, had his best game of the series Monday, finishing as a plus-18 with 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds. He was a plus-one, minus-21 and minus-12 in Denver's three losses.

--Field Level Media

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 29, 2026

Undermanned Wolves try to eliminate balanced Nuggets in Game 6

Faced with key injuries, the Minnesota Timberwolves will try to close out their Western Conference first-round playoff series against t...

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Drought Response Level 1 issued statewide in Georgia. What are rules?

As the northern part of Georgia finally sees some rain, the rest of the state remains dry andwildfires burnacross the south.

Hundreds of fires have started across southern and coastalGeorgia, with dozens ofnew fires every day, and officials say drought conditions provided the kindling. The water conditions have now warranted a more serious response statewide.

"On April 27, 2026, after consideration of the drought severity and the water resource impacts, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) declared a state-wideDrought Response Level 1for public water systems using surface water or groundwater," the agency said in a statement.

What is a Drought Response Level 1?

The designation sets into course a series of public information campaigns across the state aimed at informing Georgians about the drought conditions and what they can do to be good water stewards. This includes online ads, bill inserts, posts on social media and public notices.

"Outdoor water use between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. is still allowable and unaffected by the Drought Response Level 1," the agency said. "Public water systems may not impose restrictions on outdoor watering that are different from state requirements unless they obtain a variance from EPD."

Watering isnot currently limited, but if drought conditions worsen or continue for an extended period of time before the heat of summer, there may be some water restrictions.

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How bad is the drought in Georgia?

According to data from the National Weather Service,98% of Georgiais now under what is considered severe drought or worse.

About one-fifth of the state is in exceptional drought, the highest level of drought designation.

In Atlanta, there would need to be more than 10 inches of rain in a single month to get within five inches of normal water levels, the NWS said. That would be a record rainfall for any month.

In Macon, there would need to be nearly a foot of rain within 30 days to get close to normal levels. Over the course of three months, Macon would need more than 20 inches of rain, or more than 30 inches of rain over six months.

Where are the fires in Georgia?

Tens of thousands of acres of land have burned in southern Georgia, ranging from outside Valdosta to south of Waycross and around Folkston, crossing the Florida-Georgia line. Other fires west of Brunswick have also grown.

Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Level 1 drought response issued in Georgia. Here are the rules

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 28, 2026

Drought Response Level 1 issued statewide in Georgia. What are rules?

As the northern part of Georgia finally sees some rain, the rest of the state remains dry andwildfires burnacross the south. Hund...

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Poland recruiting top USMNT prospect Julian Hall

Julian Hall's red-hot start to the MLS season is earning plenty of attention, including from Poland's national team.

The New York Red Bulls forward has scored six goals in 10 matches so far, leading a youth movement under head coach Michael Bradley.

Hall was born and raised in the U.S. but also has Polish citizenship through his mother. The forward wears his mother's maiden name, Zakrzewski, on the back of his jersey.

The 18-year-old has been called up to Poland's youth national teams but thus far has only represented the United States at the youth international level.

March 21: Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crapeau (71) blocks the header by Nashville SC's Sam Surridge during the first half at Geodis Park. Nashville SC won the match, 5-0.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> March 1: Inter Miami's German Berterame controls the ball against Orlando City during the second half at Inter&Co Stadium. Inter Miami won the game, 4-2.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Feb. 28: Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga and the Houston Dynamo's Antonio Carlos (left) compete for possession during the first half at Shell Energy Stadium. LAFC won the match, 2-0.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Feb. 21: Fans watch during the national anthem before the game between Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami CF at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. LAFC won the game, 3-0, knocking off the defending MLS champs.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season

Cezary Kulesza, Poland's soccer federation president, is trying to change that.

Kulesza traveled to New York this week to meet with Hall's mother, posting a picture on X of the two of them holding up a Poland jersey with "Zakrzewski" on the back.

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"I met in New York with Julian Zakrzewski Hall's mom, Ms. Agnieszka," Kulesza said. "It's impressive how she supports her son on his soccer journey.

"We were of the same opinion – that the surname Zakrzewski looks beautiful on a white-and-red jersey."

Poland just missed out on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup,losing to Sweden in a playoff finallast month.

Hall could be seen as an heir apparent to Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, forwards who have carried the Polish national team for many years but who are both nearing the end of their international careers.

In 2024, Hall said he was still undecided on his international future.

"Of course, there’s thought going into it now,"Hall told amNY. "But playing for whatever country would be an honor for me. Representing any country would be an honor."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Julian Hall: Poland recruiting USMNT and Red Bulls forward

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 28, 2026

Poland recruiting top USMNT prospect Julian Hall

Julian Hall's red-hot start to the MLS season is earning plenty of attention, including from Poland's national team. The ...

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