
Sly Stone, leader of funk revolutionaries Sly and the Family Stone, dies at 82
Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, had been in poor health in recent years. His publicist Carleen Donovan said Monday that Stone died surrounded by family after contending with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other ailments.

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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ilona Maher wants America to fall in love with rugby during Women's World Cup
SUNDERLAND, England (AP) — Ilona Maher's mission at the Women's Rugby World Cup is about more than just winning games. Heading into the United States' tournament opener on Friday, the world's most followed rugby player on social media wants to get more eyeballs on the sport as it ramps up attempts to crack the market in America. 'Not many people know that there's a Women's Rugby World Cup going on, so we try to get as many people as we can to spread that knowledge,' Maher said ahead of the match against host England in the World Cup curtain-raiser in Sunderland. 'We want the fans in America to see us play here because we've got a World Cup there in eight years and we need to start building for that.' Rugby authorities see America as a vital new market for the sport. The United States will stage the men's Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the women's tournament in 2033. The presence of Maher is key to attracting attention on rugby in the U.S., given she has 5.2 million followers on Instagram and 3.6 million on TikTok — platforms on which she promotes body positivity. The 29-year-old Vermont native believes she and her teammates are 'changing the game on and off the field a lot.' 'This is a time where women's rugby is in a state where it could grow massively,' she said, 'and I do believe this team is at the forefront with how we present ourselves and people's perception of us.' Maher certainly stands out, having been named as the best breakthrough athlete at the ESPYs last month. In an interview with the BBC ahead of the World Cup, she said she has been approached by the WWE — joking that her ring name would be 'Maher-vellous' if she ever became a wrestler — and that she'd love to get into acting. First, though, she wants to deliver at the World Cup, starting with the match in front of 40,000 spectators against England, the tournament favorite, in the north of the country. A star in rugby sevens, in which she won a bronze medal with the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics last year, Maher also had a three-month stint at English club Bristol in the 15 players-a-team format at the start of 2025. 'I think it's so cool,' Maher said, 'that we're up here, so far away from maybe where rugby union is big, and yet we're getting 40,000 people out to a game.' The Americans also will play Australia and Samoa in Pool A at the World Cup. ___ AP rugby:


Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Man charged with killing an ‘American Idol' exec and husband will undergo mental evaluation
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man charged with fatally shooting an 'American Idol' music supervisor and her husband in their Los Angeles home will undergo mental evaluation to determine whether he's fit to stand trial, a judge ruled Wednesday. Raymond Boodarian, 22, was set to be arraigned in a courthouse in Los Angeles but did not enter a plea. A judge suspended the criminal proceedings against him while a psychiatrist examines him to determine his competency. He's charged with two counts of murder in the killing of longtime 'American Idol' producer Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, both 70, who were shot when they came home unexpectedly during a burglary on July 10. A judge at a court that specializes in mental health will consider the evaluation and decide whether Boodarian will proceed toward trial or be placed in a state hospital. Boodarian stood behind a window in a custody area of the courtroom, and appeared to try to remain out of sight. His attorney declined comment, and the district attorney's office had no immediate comment. Boodarian will undergo the same evaluation in the same small courthouse on Hollywood Boulevard where a man charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston and driving into the front gate of her home was recently found to be not competent to go to trial. Police said they responded to a 911 call about a burglary at the home of Kaye and Deluca in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. Police said they found no sign of forced entry or other trouble and left. Four days later the couple's bodies were found, shot to death, when officers carried out a welfare check at the home. Boodarian was arrested the following day. District Attorney Nathan Hochman later said in a community meeting that investigators believe the couple arrived home unexpectedly while Boodarian was burglarizing it. He shot them with their own gun and later called 911 himself, Hochman said. Kaye had been with 'American Idol' for more than 15 years and was working on the upcoming season of the hit singing competition TV series at the time of her death. She had also worked in the music departments of several other productions, including 'The Singing Bee,' 'Hollywood Game Night,' 'Lip Sync Battle,' and several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.


Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Cruiserweight Jake Paul and lightweight Gervonta Davis announce they will fight on Nov. 14
ATLANTA (AP) — YouTuber-turned-cruiserweight boxer Jake Paul and undefeated WBA lightweight champion Gervonta 'Tank' Davis have agreed to fight on Nov. 14 at Atlanta's State Farm Arena. Paul's promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, and Netflix announced the highly unusual matchup Wednesday. Netflix will stream the fight worldwide to its more than 300 million subscribers. The 30-year-old Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs), a three-division world champion, would be the first star near his ostensible prime to face Paul (12-1, 7 KOs), the online celebrity who has become one of the world's highest-paid combat sports athletes despite never fighting an elite boxer. Netflix and Nakisa Bidarian, Paul's business partner, did not refer to the fight as an exhibition, but it's unclear how Georgia officials would allow the matchup to be held as a competitive bout, given the fighters' dramatic difference in size and experience. Paul typically weighs more than 200 pounds in the ring, while Davis is a 135-pound champion who has never fought above 140 pounds. The fighters did not announce a contracted weight or the number of rounds in their planned bout. The fight would mark a return to Netflix for the 28-year-old Paul, whose victory last November over the then-58-year-old Mike Tyson drew an estimated 108 million viewers globally. After Paul beat a tepid Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by decision earlier this summer, he entered the World Boxing Association's cruiserweight rankings at No. 14, making him eligible to fight for world titles. Instead of pursuing a cruiserweight belt, Paul recently discussed a fight with two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua — a more logical opponent in terms of size and strength — but shifted his focus to the popular Davis. who has jousted with Paul on social media for years. Perhaps Paul can look inside his own family for a plan: His older brother, Logan, weighed 189 pounds before fighting Floyd Mayweather at 155 pounds in an eight-round exhibition bout in 2021. Promoters said the spectacle sold more than 1 million pay-per-view buys and made more than $80 million. Davis has been billed by his promoters as 'the modern day Mike Tyson' because of the frequency with which he has won by knockout, but his career and life have been rocky in 2025. He struggled to a shocking draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in his most recent ring outing in March, and he was arrested on a domestic violence charge in Florida last month before the misdemeanor battery case was dropped last week. Bidarian said Paul and Davis are 'favorites of the Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences,' and that their bout will 'determine the true face of boxing's next generation.' 'This isn't just a fight, it's a spectacle that brings together two of the most electrifying figures in boxing today,' Netflix vice president Brandon Riegg said. ___ AP boxing: