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☆ Canada headlines second day of Women’s World Cup action as Olympic champion faces Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The Women’s World Cup is finally here and the tournament’s second day of action holds plenty of intriguing storylines. Olympic champion Canada kicks off its campaign in the opening game of Friday’s action, before one of the Women’s World Cup debutants – the Philippines – make its bow at the worldwide event. Nigeria vs. CanadaCanada is considered one of the favorites to compete for the Women’s World Cup title in Australia and New Zealand following its recent success. I know being in the World Cup is going to bring a lot of awareness. From 1995 onwards, only three World Cup debutants have won their opening match at a World Cup.

Persons: La Roja, Christine Sinclair, Adriana Leon, Allysha Chapman, Kadeisha Buchanan, Shelina Zadorsky, Ashley Lawrence, Sinclair, Julie Ertz, Jack GruberUSA, Bev Priestman, ” Priestman, ”, Sarina Bolden, Bolden, ” Bolden, “, Jason McCawley, Alisha Lehmann, Inka Grings, ” Lehmann, ’, Alexia Putellas, Jennifer Hermoso, Putellas –, Juan Manuel Serrano Arce, Raquel Rodríguez Cedeño Organizations: CNN, Canada, La, . Canada, Sinclair, Olympic Games, Olympics, FIFA, Super Falcons, Republic of Ireland, Dunedin, –, soccer team, Western Sydney Wanderers, Western United, New, ”, Wellington Regional, Women’s Champions League, Portland Thorns Locations: Philippines, Costa Rica, Qatar, Nigeria, Canada, Melbourne, Switzerland, Dunedin, Wellington, Spain, . Canada Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Tokyo, Sweden, Republic of, Zealand, Norway, Ecuador, ” Spain, Barcelona, Panama

☆ ‘Wham!’ Review: They Made It Big, Then Broke Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Wesley Morris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The new documentary about George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley and the music they made as Wham! — it’s just called “Wham!” — found me in a moment of need for a nostalgic, fantastical elixir, something short, sweet and tangential to my feeling of national blues. For one thing, Wham!, the duo, made soul music that popped. And the movie dances past all of the thorny moral and ethical questions of white people making Black stuff. The disembodied voices of Michael and Ridgeley guide the whole thing — rumination and memory as narration.

Persons: George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley, —, George, Barry Manilow, Freddie Mercury, Billy Joel, Oates, Chris Smith, Michael’s, ”, Ridgeley’s misapprehended, “ Son, Albert, Michael, Ridgeley, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, Richard Simmons Organizations: BBC Locations: England, scrapbooks

☆ 'I'm still cool': US World Cup squad bridges generational divide
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Jun 23, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Thorns FC forward Sophia Smith (9) celebrates a goal in the second half against the Washington Spirit at Providence Park. Building chemistry on a World Cup squad is no easy feat, as players who once regarded one another as club foes must bond as team mates in a span of a few weeks, forming a cohesive unit. Veteran forward Megan Rapinoe turns 38 next month and finds herself on the same squad as 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson. Thompson and 21-year-old forward Trinity Rodman count retired great Carli Lloyd's goal from half-field the 2015 World Cup final as a pivotal memory from their childhood. Five of their team mates this year were on the team with Lloyd when it happened.

Persons: Sophia Smith, Craig Mitchelldyer, Smith, ribbing, Tupac, Vlatko Andonovski, Megan Rapinoe, Alyssa Thompson, Thompson, Trinity Rodman, Carli Lloyd's, Lloyd, Crystal Dunn, Marcel, Dunn, Amy Tennery, Lincoln Organizations: Portland Thorns FC, Washington Spirit, Providence, U.S, United States, Thomson Locations: Portland , Oregon, USA, Australia, New Zealand, U.S, Los Angeles

☆ Veterans Rapinoe, Morgan named in U.S. World Cup squad
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Jun 10, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe (15) is seen before the game against the Kansas City Current at Lumen Field. Five players, Rapinoe, Morgan, midfielder Julie Ertz, defender Kelley O’Hara and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher were part of the victorious U.S. World Cup squads in 2015 and 2019. The top-ranked Americans are fielding one of their least experienced squads in recent memory, with 14 of the 23 players going to their first World Cup, compared to 11 in 2019 and seven in 2015. Sam's sister and fellow midfielder, Kristie Mewis, was included in the roster for her first World Cup at age 32. Her Gotham FC team mate, Lynn Williams, also made the cut for the global showpiece tournament for the first time at age 30.

Persons: Megan Rapinoe, Michael Thomas Shroyer, Alex Morgan, Vlatko Andonovski, Alyssa Thompson, Naomi Girma, Savannah DeMelo, Andonovski, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Morgan, Julie Ertz, Kelley O’Hara, Alyssa Naeher, Mallory Swanson, Becky Sauerbrunn, Catarina Macario, Sam Mewis, Kristie Mewis, Lynn Williams, Aubrey Kingsbury, Casey Murphy, Alana Cook, Crystal Dunn, Emily Fox, Sofia Huerta, Kelley O'Hara, Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Kristie, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan, Amy Tennery, Ed Osmond Organizations: Kansas, Lumen, YORK, Savannah, Women's Soccer League, U.S, Gotham FC, Washington, North, Courage, Chicago Red Stars, Portland Thorns FC, Diego Wave FC, NY Gotham FC, Racing Louisville FC, FC, Olympique Lyonnais, San Diego Wave FC, Angel, Thomson Locations: Seattle , Washington, USA, States, Australia, New Zealand, NJ, Angel, New York

☆ Eurovision: The coronation may have passed off peacefully. But song contest could be a bigger headache
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

London CNN —Britain’s security services are quietly relieved that the coronation of King Charles III passed without major incident – save for some accusations of heavy-handed policing. On the face of it, the stakes associated with the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest would not appear to be particularly high. For that reason, British security officials are more exercised than they might otherwise have been about a kitschy musical competition. “On one hand you have thousands of people enjoying the nightlife, which means potential of physical targets and organized crime. This year’s event is, at its heart, a partnership between the UK and Ukraine, two major thorns in the Kremlin’s side.

☆ Arsenal's Wienroither latest to suffer ACL injury in women's game
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Arsenal's Austria defender Laura Wienroither is the latest player in the women's game to rupture an anterior cruciate ligament after the club confirmed her injury on Thursday. Wienroither, 24, sustained the injury in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final defeat by Wolfsburg on Monday. She is the fourth Arsenal player to rupture an ACL this season after England captain Leah Williamson, England forward Beth Mead and Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema. Studies have found women in sports that involve sudden deceleration or changing direction such as soccer are up to six times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than men. The prevalence of injuries in women's soccer in recent times has led to calls for better research.

☆ If You Stop Mowing This May, Will Your Lawn Turn Into a Meadow?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Margaret Roach | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

It’s No Mow May, time for the annual campaign that advocates just what it says: Skip mowing the lawn this month, in the name of providing additional resources for early-season pollinators. One day during the first week of May is the only time all year that I actually do mow several increasingly large swaths of my property. I started growing my first little meadow about 30 years ago, and since then I have stopped cutting a few other areas, too, except for that one day a year. They’re not all desirable, admittedly, as I have made very clear repeatedly, in rude language, to the brambles encroaching on the oldest, largest area. They fight back in their own way, their thorns drawing blood.

☆ Inside Disney it's 'Revenge of the Creatives' and 'Shields Up!' against outside foes as returned CEO Bob Iger is taking no prisoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Since returning as Disney CEO, Bob Iger has vanquished foes and dumped many of predecessor Bob Chapek's hires. But it's a supercharged Bob Iger who is really taking command. "If I'm inside Bob's head coming back, after the downfall of Bob Chapek, this is all about taking no prisoners," said Will Schutte, a high-level executive coach. Disney World is scheduled to host a major conference on gay rights in September, according to the Miami Herald. Even if he wants to be the Bob Iger of old he can't be.

☆ A lot of money is on the line for women's pro soccer in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Restore faith in women's soccer and grow the business. The league averaged 37 sponsorship deals per team, which is more than any other women's sport, according to sports data and intelligence platform Sponsor United. Women's pro soccer valuations are also soaring. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman speaks during the 2023 NWSL Draft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on January 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Culture changeOL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe (15) scores on a penalty kick during the second half of the National Womens Soccer League game between NJ/NY Gotham FC and OL Reign on September 21, 2022 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

☆ American labor shortage is a rose with many thorns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The short supply of US workers is starting to look more permanent than temporary. In this Exchange podcast, former White House economist Jason Furman explains how near-record job openings could lift prices, and why unemployment probably needs to rise for inflation to cool off. /div>Listen to the podcastFollow @BenWinck on TwitterSubscribe to Breakingviews' podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Thomas ShumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Biden and Republican senators join forces in attack on Big Tech at Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | David Ingram | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A person walks in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building during rainy weather, in Washington, U.S. January 17, 2023. WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and some of his most prominent Republican adversaries in Congress have become allies, of sorts, in an upcoming Supreme Court showdown between Big Tech and its critics. Biden took a shot at tech companies in his State of the Union address earlier this month, although he did not mention Section 230. "I think this is an opportunity for the Supreme Court to disentangle some of the knots that the courts themselves have woven here into the law," he said in an interview. "The rhetoric is that these are bad powerful tech companies that are harming ordinary people and causing a lot of harm and injustice," Rathi said.

☆ Retail CEO crisis: With recent shakeups at Kohl's, Adidas, Dollar General, and more, the industry's top job is suddenly the hardest to fill
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Matthew Kish | Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It's the surest sign yet of a crisis facing the retail industry. Supply chains got snarled, shoppers stopped visiting stores, and stimulus payments spiked demand, each making it difficult to measure how business was doing. Then stimulus payments sent demand for everything from sneakers to home goods spiking while supply chains snarled. And just when supply chains started to sort themselves out, inflation hit, and shoppers started to scale back spending. Retail CEOs need 'peripheral vision'Workers at Starbucks stores and Amazon warehouses across the country have pushed to unionize, with many calling out the pay disparity between front-line workers and top executives.

☆ NWSL Set to Expand With Record-Setting $50 Million Franchise Fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Portland Thorns FC pose with the trophy after winning the NWSL Championship in 2022. The National Women’s Soccer League is in advanced discussions to expand by three teams, according to people familiar with the situation, with two of those teams set to pay around $50 million each in franchise fees that dwarf previous payments required to enter the league. The new teams are set to launch in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston and Utah. The Bay Area and Boston groups each have agreed to pay about $50 million for a team. Owners in Utah will pay between $2 million and $5 million, an arrangement agreed to a few years ago.

☆ Retail CEO crisis: why the industry's top job is suddenly the hardest to fill
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Matthew Kish | Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

☆ NWSL bans four coaches, fines teams after misconduct inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has handed lifetime bans to four former coaches and fined the Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns $1.5 million and $1 million respectively, part of sweeping sanctions from a misconduct inquiry. An independent investigator brought in by U.S. Soccer found last year that abuse and misconduct "had become systemic" in the NWSL. Former North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley, Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly, Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames and Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke will each be subject to "permanent exclusion" from the league. Arnim Whisler, who owns the Red Stars, and Thorns owner Merritt Paulson have agreed to sell their teams. The NWSL is compelling the owners of both teams to hire sporting staff that is "completely distinct" from their respective men's teams.

☆ Thorns' Smith voted U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 6 (Reuters) - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) MVP Sophia Smith was voted the 2022 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year, the sport's governing body said on Friday, after scoring 11 goals for the national team last year. The 22-year-old forward helped the Portland Thorns to their third NWSL final and scored three braces in international matches. Smith is widely expected to feature in the upcoming World Cup, where the Americans will battle for an unprecedented third successive title. "She is a special player with special qualities, but the best thing is that has the humbleness, work ethic and drive to keep developing all aspects of her game," said U.S. women's national team coach Vlatko Andonovski. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Independent investigation of US women's professional soccer reveals 'widespread misconduct' by those in positions of power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( David Close | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The National Women’s Soccer League and its players’ union have released a 128-page independent investigation report following a 14-month inquiry into accusations of “discrimination, harassment, abuse (physical, emotional or sexual) and retaliation” within the women’s professional league. The joint investigative team, which included members from two law firms, found “widespread misconduct directed at NWSL players” by those in positions of power. Portland Thorns fans hold signs during the first half of the team's National Women's Soccer League soccer match against the Houston Dash in Portland, Oregon, on October 6, 2021. Following Wednesday’s release of the new report, US Soccer released a statement acknowledging the misconduct which mirrored incidents detailed in the Yates report. US officials said a committee looking at implementing recommendations in the Yates report should announce “a robust action plan” by the end of January.

For decades, searching for such hard-to-reach plants and collecting samples was carried out by intrepid botanists who rappelled by rope down dangerous cliffs to hunt for what was lost. Now, we may have a little more time before extinction.”DIRE SITUATIONToday, two in five plant species globally are threatened with extinction. Kauai has 250 plant species that can be found only on the island. To protect species in the long run, botanists need to collect samples — seeds and genetic material — which they can cultivate in greenhouse nurseries. They might even use drones to bomb down collected seeds, packing them into sticky fertilizer balls that can adhere to steep cliffs.

☆ Rhian Wilkinson: Portland Thorns FC head coach resigns at players' request following a 'friendship' with a player
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Wayne Sterling | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Rhian Wilkinson has resigned as the head coach of the Portland Thorns FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) at the request of the players following her “friendship” with a player, she said Friday. “During my time as the Thorns coach, a player and I formed a friendship that turned into more complex emotions,” Wilkinson wrote on Twitter. “The Portland Thorns and Coach Wilkinson followed all League processes and policies and fully cooperated with this investigation,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement posted on Portland’s website. “The investigative process and player and staff willingness to use human resources and league reporting is critically important,” Wilkinson tweeted. Wilkinson led the club to a 10-3-9 record and Portland’s league-best third championship in her only season as head coach.

☆ Inside TikTok's push to win over the global sports community, from setting up concerts for the NHL to sponsoring a women's rugby championship
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Colin Salao | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The company has leaned in, setting up sponsorship deals with teams and leagues. Tune into a professional rugby match in one of Europe's Six Nations leagues and it's impossible to miss TikTok's branding plastered all over the field. Twelve of the top 25 fastest growing brands on TikTok between March 2021 and March 2022 were sports teams or leagues. The company has even tested streaming live games that are shot vertically to match TikTok's video format. Enya Breen of Ireland kicks a late try conversion during a TikTok Women's Six Nations match on April 30, 2022.

☆ Portland Thorns Win NWSL Title, Capping Season of Off-Field Turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sophia Smith scored the game’s opening goal for the Portland Thorns in the NWSL title game. WASHINGTON—The Portland Thorns entered Saturday night’s National Women’s Soccer League title game with a difficult assignment: to win a championship for the team whose management is at the heart of a league-wide scandal over the sexual abuse and harassment of players. Yet the Thorns capped a season of turmoil with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Current for the league championship in front of 17,624 at Audi Field.

☆ Portland Thorns defeat Kansas City Current to win the 2022 NWSL championship
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Jacob Lev | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —The Portland Thorns defeated the Kansas City Current to win the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League championship on Saturday. The 2-0 victory at the Audi Field in Washington DC gives the Thorns their third championship in team history. Portland had an early lead during Saturday’s game with Thorns striker Sophia Smith scoring the first goal four minutes into the match. The 22-year-old Smith became the youngest regular-season MVP in NWSL history this season. In the second half, Kansas City’s Addisyn Merrick netted an own goal to extend Portland’s lead.

☆ Portland Thorns and Timbers Owner Says He Will Step Down as CEO of the Soccer Teams
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Portland Thorns and Timbers owner Merritt Paulson resigned Tuesday as chief executive officer of the two teams, after an unsparing report of abuse in women’s professional soccer included him among the leaders in the sport who had failed to check predatory coaches. Paulson did not address the future of his ownership of the Thorns, one of the most successful teams in the National Women’s Soccer League, or the Timbers, who play in Major League Soccer.

☆ Thorns owner stepping down as CEO after NWSL misconduct report
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Amy Tennery | Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 11 (Reuters) - Merritt Paulson, the CEO of the Portland Thorns and their Major League Soccer counterparts, the Timbers, said he was removing himself effective immediately, following a report that detailed abuse in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). An investigation released earlier this month said that abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic throughout the NWSL and that the league and U.S. Soccer failed to put in "basic measures" to safeguard players. The report also said that the Thorns failed to be transparent about the 2015 firing of a former coach, who was accused of abuse, and that U.S. Soccer and the NWSL did not stop him from coaching elsewhere. A report in The Athletic a year ago detailed allegations of misconduct against Riley, prompting a reckoning throughout the league. "No matter what happens, ensuring the long-term health and success of the Portland Thorns is critical to me, as I know it is for our players and the community."

☆ Archeologists discovered a 17th-century Polish 'vampire' with a sickle across its neck meant to prevent a return from the dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-04 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A female "vampire" skeleton was found in a 17th-century Polish graveyard. It was found restrained to prevent the dead woman from returning from the grave. The skeleton had a sickle laying across the throat and a padlock on its big toe. Professor Dariusz Poliński from Nicolaus Copernicus University headed up the archaeological dig that led to the discovery of the skeleton, the Daily Mail reported Friday. Later on, as the lore evolved, people believed that vampires were rising from the dead and strangling people the night.

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