
Injuries force USMNT to make roster changes as the Gold Cup nears
Already without several key players for its last tournament before the 2026 World Cup, the U.S. men's national soccer team announced Sunday that forward Folarin Balogun will miss the Concacaf Gold Cup with an ankle injury.
As players began assembling in Chicago for training camp, Coach Mauricio Pochettino scratched three players from his roster, including Balogun, who was slated to return for the first time since September after recovering from a shoulder injury.
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Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Derrick Rose Drops Surprising GOAT Take And Picks Chicago Legend
Derrick Rose Drops Surprising GOAT Take And Picks Chicago Legend originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose retired from the NBA before the 2024-25 season. The 2011 MVP appeared in 723 NBA games with the Bulls, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies. Advertisement Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history during the 2010-11 season with his hometown Bulls. The Chicago native averaged 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks in 81 games. Rose finished his NBA career with averages of 17.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks. He made three All-Star teams and one All-NBA team and won the 2009 Rookie of the Year Award. Rose and Michael Jordan are the only players in Bulls history to win the MVP Award. Since Rose grew up in Chicago, it wouldn't be much of a shock if Jordan was Rose's G.O.A.T. over LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. Derrick RoseDavid Banks-Imagn Images However, during an interview with Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, Rose admitted that Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas is his GOAT. Advertisement Rose and Thomas were born and raised in Chicago. "I mean, my G.O.A.T. now is Isiah Thomas because he's from Chicago," Rose said. "The only guy who beat Magic [Johnson], Mike [Jordan], and [Larry] Bird all in their prime at 6-3. Chicago's way of doing [expletive]. "I used to say MJ, but it wasn't MJ. I said it because I was intrigued by his story and how he won. But I'm not a two-guard. I don't score like him at all. So it was just me just admiring his story." Thomas spent his entire career with the Pistons. The Hall of Famer had a fierce rivalry with Jordan, who hated Thomas back then and still hates him to this day. Advertisement Thomas won two rings and one Finals MVP with the Pistons. He averaged 19.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.3 blocks. Related: Former LeBron James Teammate Delivers Verdict on GOAT Debate With Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.


Medscape
36 minutes ago
- Medscape
Wildfire Smoke Linked to Respiratory Admissions in Seniors
Among older adults in the western United States, exposure to high concentrations of smoke-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was associated with increased rates of hospitalizations for respiratory diseases, with weaker but suggestive ties to cardiovascular hospitalizations. METHODOLOGY: Researchers carried out a retrospective cohort study to analyze the association between exposure to smoke-specific PM2.5 and cause-specific hospitalizations in older adults in the United States. They used inpatient claims data of 10,369,361 Medicare beneficiaries (mean age, 74.7 years; 53.1% women) across 11 western United States during wildfire seasons from 2006 to 2016, with 57,974,120 person-months of follow-up. The causes of unscheduled hospitalizations were inferred from International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes and classified into various disease categories. codes and classified into various disease categories. Daily concentrations of surface-level smoke-specific PM2.5 were estimated through machine learning models that utilized ground measurements, satellite data, and reanalysis data sources. The associations between causes of hospitalization and smoke-specific PM2.5 were characterized by examining daily county-level rates of unscheduled hospitalization by disease category, modeling hospitalization rates according to same-day and prior-week smoke-specific PM2.5 exposure. TAKEAWAY: The leading cause of unscheduled hospitalizations was cardiovascular disease, with a mean daily rate of 7.92 per 100,000 persons, followed by digestive system disease at 3.62 and respiratory disease at 3.53 per 100,000 persons. Respiratory hospitalizations increased as smoke-specific PM2.5 exceeded 25 μg/m 3 , with average daily rates increasing by 2.40 (95% CI, 0.17-4.63) per 100,000 persons when PM2.5 levels rose from 0 to 40 μg/m 3 over a week. , with average daily rates increasing by 2.40 (95% CI, 0.17-4.63) per 100,000 persons when PM2.5 levels rose from 0 to 40 μg/m over a week. Hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diseases were unrelated to smoke-specific PM2.5 at exposure levels < 20 μg/m 3 but showed an increasing trend at higher concentrations. but showed an increasing trend at higher concentrations. No significant associations were seen for hospitalizations related to injuries, digestive issues, neuropsychiatric conditions, or endocrine disorders. IN PRACTICE: 'This information can be used by both policymakers and clinicians to design policies and guidelines to protect vulnerable older adults from the escalating health threats posed by wildfire smoke,' the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Sofia L. Vega, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston. It was published online on April 30, 2025, in JAMA Network Open . LIMITATIONS: Estimating concentrations of smoke-specific PM2.5 proved challenging due to the lack of direct measurements. County-level exposure measures may not have accurately reflected the exposures experienced by individual residents. This study did not include information on wildfires from recent years when their intensity increased. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported by the Harvard Climate Change Solutions Fund and grants from the National Institutes of Health. One author reported receiving support through an environmental fellowship at the Harvard University Center. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.


New York Times
39 minutes ago
- New York Times
Mets' Paul Blackburn returns looking better than ever in win over Dodgers
For the final time Monday night, New York Mets starting pitcher Paul Blackburn pulled from his scouting report on Shohei Ohtani, memories of first-hand experience from their shared time in the same division. Judging from how Blackburn pitched to Ohtani, it's likely the prep work strongly suggested to locate cutters up and in, offer changeups low and out of the strike zone. For the third time using that formula, Blackburn retired Ohtani, who hit a routine grounder with two runners on base to end the fifth inning. Advertisement Blackburn is typically reserved and soft-spoken. But after recording the final out of the fifth inning, which concluded his outing, he slapped his glove in triumph. While walking to the dugout with his head down, he briefly shouted to himself. Given Blackburn's path, some show of emotion, even for a 31-year-old veteran, seemed only natural. After waiting nine months since his last appearance in the major leagues, Blackburn blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers for five innings in the Mets' 4-3 win. Blackburn last pitched in a major-league game on Aug. 23, 2024. In that game, he was struck by a comebacker and landed on the injured list. From there, he missed the rest of the 2024 season due to a spinal leak in his back. He did not know if he would pitch again. After surgery, however, he entered spring training as a healthy player. Then came what he said was the worst part: right knee inflammation in late March resulting in a trip to the injured list, where he stayed until Monday (along the way, he also got sick, delaying an earlier return). 'For him to be out there after so much time that he missed, unbelievable job there,' Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. Welcome back, Blackburn!@moomooApp | #LGM — New York Mets (@Mets) June 3, 2025 In line with the overall upswing of the Mets' pitching staff this season, Blackburn returned looking better than before. Despite being sidelined, Blackburn gained movement on all of his pitches. Also, he pitched smarter, and not just against Ohtani, who struck out twice against him. Blackburn leaned on his cutter, curveball and changeup. He did not throw a single four-seam fastball, a pitch he used to throw about 20 percent of the time. He didn't throw a four-seamer in his final rehab appearance, either. That is not a coincidence. The thinking for Blackburn and the Mets is, why should he mess with throwing a four-seamer, a pitch batters slugged .694 in plate appearances that ended against it last season, when his cutter is good? Advertisement Under pitching coach Jeremy Hefner's guidance, the Mets' pitching staff owns the best ERA (2.88) in MLB. They are rolling to such an extent that they didn't merely survive by plugging in a sixth starter making his season debut against the defending World Series champion — they succeeded. Blackburn, who attacked the strike zone and pitched efficiently, allowed just three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. The Mets called on Blackburn to give their starters, notably Kodai Senga, an extra day of rest while in a stretch of 10 straight games. His stay in the rotation is not expected to last longer than Monday. He is likely to slide into a long relief role. 'There's a good chance he goes back to the bullpen for now, and we'll go from there,' Mendoza said. Even after a strong first start back, the Mets don't need Blackburn in the rotation. New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns' pitching plan is working. Stearns went into last offseason with a preference on adding to his starting pitching depth. He steered away from long-term contracts, didn't last long in the most expensive aisle for pitchers during free agency. The Mets (38-22) have played all season without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, their two top pitching acquisitions from the winter. Montas, who has made two rehab starts, may return by the end of June and Manaea is behind him after just recently starting to face batters. Blackburn said he is willing and ready to pitch in whatever role the club needs. 'I'm not blind to the guys who are coming off the IL here soon,' Blackburn said. The downside of relying on depth in the way the Mets do is they will likely need to make roster moves for their bullpen. With six starters, even temporarily, the bullpen is down a pitcher until Blackburn is rested enough to appear in relief. After a 10-inning game on Monday, it would likely be challenging to get through the next six games before the next off day without fresh arms. The Mets are proving that the upside, at least right now, is hard to argue against. (Jason Parkhurst/Imagn Images)