F Alex Condon opts out of NBA draft, returns to Florida
May 27 - Forward Alex Condon, who played a key role in Florida's run to the national championship, will return for his junior season after telling ESPN on Tuesday that he is withdrawing from the 2025 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-11 native of Australia averaged 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 37 games (35 starts) for the Gators in 2024-25.
"It's a really good situation waiting for me there," Condon told ESPN. "A great coach with Todd Golden. Teammates I won a national championship with. I have great chemistry with those boys. We have a good transfer class coming in. I expect guys to make a leap. My big man coach Carlin Hartman is returning, so I will keep developing my game with him."
The deadline for players to withdraw from the June 25-26 draft and maintain their college eligibility is Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Condon is ranked No. 38 in ESPN's latest draft projections. The third-team All-Southeastern Conference selection shot 49.3 percent from the field and 32.8 percent (19 of 58) from 3-point distance this season.
He contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals in Florida's 65-63 victory against Houston in the NCAA Tournament final on April 7.
"It's a hard thing to do, winning back-to-back," Condon said. "We're not taking it lightly. We need to get together as a team. ... Part of the reason we were so good last season was we got used to playing with each other for two years. We need to continue that. When guys have your back, that's what makes a great team."
--Field Level Media
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The Guardian
21 minutes ago
- The Guardian
A scuffle in the lolly aisle. The sickening death toll climbs. Another family face gut-wrenching grief
Five years ago thousands of Australians defied Covid restrictions to pour on to the streets of our cities and towns as part of the global Black Lives Matter movement. The protests here highlighted the appalling rates of Aboriginal people dying in police and prison custody. One death in particular became a rallying point: that of David Dungany Jr, who died while being restrained, pleading that he could not breathe, in similar circumstances to George Floyd in the US. The 26-year-old Dunghutti man, who had diabetes and schizophrenia, was in Long Bay jail hospital in November 2015 when five guards stormed his cell after he refused to stop eating a packet of biscuits. Dungay, known to his family as Junior, was dragged to another cell, held face down and injected with a sedative. In harrowing footage later shown to the coroner and partly released to the public, Junior said 12 times that he couldn't breathe before losing consciousness and dying. Junior's family – especially his mum, Leetona, and nephew Paul Silva – have since been catapulted into representing a movement whose ranks are continuously swelled by more grieving Aboriginal families, all of them forced to deal with alienating and opaque processes of police 'investigation', and coronial inquests that take years to get to court, more years to decide what happened to their loved ones, and then all the years after which nothing appears to change. In Junior's case, the coroner heard that medical staff at Long Bay had failed for periods up of up to eight minutes to perform basic CPR. They had then forgotten to remove the safety cap from resuscitation equipment, which came off in Junior's mouth. The inquest took four years for the coroner to find that while the nurse who administered the sedative might be referred to a professional standards review, none of the guards who restrained Junior should face disciplinary action as their 'conduct was limited by systemic efficiencies in training'. As we stood outside the court that day, an aunty asked: 'How much training do they need to stop killing our people?' On the streets in 2020, people held up placards with the number 432. At that time, it was our best calculation of the number of Aboriginal people who had died in custody since the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody in 1991. New placards will be needed for this weekend's rallies in protest at yet another death in custody, in an Alice Springs supermarket last week. The number now stands at 597. Kumanjayi White, a 24-year-old disabled Warlpiri man from Yuendumu died after being restrained by police in the confectionery aisle at the Coles supermarket. According to the Northern Territory police assistant commissioner Travis Wurst, two plainclothes officers were in Coles about 1.10pm when they 'were alerted to a confrontation' between Kumanjayi and a security guard. After being restrained by the officers, Kumanjayi stopped breathing. He was taken to Alice Springs hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later. Kumanjayi had disabilities and was living away from his community in supported accommodation. His unnecessary death is a 'tragic case at the intersection of disability and race', the family's lawyer, George Newhouse of the National Justice Project, told Guardian Australia. The family, who are sadly experienced in navigating the nightmare world of police, media and the coronial process, have called for an independent investigation – meaning they want it to be conducted by anyone other than the NT police. Given their years of deeply negative interactions with the NT police, it's understandable. This is the same police force that shot dead the Warlpiri teenager Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu 2019. The same police force in which Alice Springs officers, including those in leadership roles, were revealed at his inquest in 2022 to have exchanged racist, sexist and homophobic text messages. The same police force alleged to have used military-style tactics in policing, amid allegations of the use of excessive force. The same police force in which the TRG elite group, now disbanded, bestowed a racist mock-award known as the 'Coon of the Year' on the officer who behaved 'most like an Aboriginal'. The winner was given a club and made to wear a toga. You can see why they might mistrust the outcome of that investigation. The federal minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, has said an independent investigation 'may be warranted'. The NT Labor opposition leader, Selena Uibo, said she hoped it was 'something that could be considered'. But Wurst has already ruled it out. The family has also called on the federal government to convene an Indigenous-led independent oversight body to supervise the investigation of First Nations deaths in custody as a matter of urgency. And, 'given the mistrust that exists between the family, First Nations community and the police, it is incumbent on police to show close family members the CCTV and body worn footage of the incident as soon as possible', Newhouse told Guardian Australia. The findings in the Walker inquest were due to be handed down in Yuendumu on 10 June. They will now be postponed while the community comes to terms with yet another senseless violent death involving the NT police. Late on Tuesday a former Coles employee came forward to say he'd known Kumanjayi White and had seen him in the shop from time to time. Gene Hill told the ABC he used to spot Kumanjayi wandering the aisles and would 'simply go up to him and grab the products off him and just explain to him that it's got to be paid for'. He suggested that Coles hire more Indigenous staff with local language skills and better support Aboriginal shoppers with disabilities. Also on Tuesday, Coles finally broke its silence on the matter. A spokesperson said the supermarket was 'deeply saddened' and would assist police with their investigations. Almost a week after Kumanjayi White's death in the lolly aisle, it seems a thin response from a company proud of being 'one of the largest private sector employers of Indigenous Australians', according to its website and its reconciliation action plan. One wonders what its chief executive and shareholders think of the optics of Coles now being permanently linked to an Aboriginal man's death involving police. As in 2020, rallies are being planned for this weekend in capital cities around the nation, to mourn the loss of another young Aboriginal person, to support another family devastated by the ongoing obscenity of carceral violence. 'This is gut wrenching pain. It is sickening. The kind that stops you form eating and keeps you up at night,' Samara Fernandez-Brown, Kumanjayi Walker's cousin, said in a statement. 'I can't believe this has happened again to a young Warlpiri nan, and I am so deeply saddened by the gross injustice of how Kumanjayi White was treated. Absolutely disgraceful. 'Has our community not gone through enough?' Lorena Allam is descended from the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay nations of north-western NSW. She is the industry professor of Indigenous media at Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Technology, Sydney
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
MAGA civil war erupts as Trump allies begin to side with Elon Musk over 'big beautiful bill'
Marjorie Taylor Greene has taken Elon Musk 's side in the GOP war over Donald Trump 's 'big, beautiful bill' but only after having voted for it, while insiders reveal why Musk has turned on the president. The former 'First Buddy' has been raging against the bill which the GOP leadership want approved and on Trump's desk in time for the fourth of July. Musk has publicly said that the enormous price tag 'undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing' and referred to it as 'a disgusting abomination' before promising Tuesday to 'fire' any politician who votes for it. Now, MAGA allies are taking sides on the bill, with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson saying Musk was 'wrong' about it. Greene, long one of Trump's strongest allies in the Senate, admitted to voting for the bill without having read one section that would have led to her reversing that decision. 'Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years,' she said. 'I am adamantly OPPOSED to this and it is a violation of state rights and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in there.' She promised she would change her vote if the bill keeps that section in it when it returns to the House of Representatives following any Senate changes. 'We should be reducing federal power and preserving state power. Not the other way around. Especially with rapidly developing AI that even the experts warn they have no idea what it may be capable of,' she added. Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry also voted for the bill before slamming it on Tuesday. 'So @elonmusk is right to call out House Leadership. I wish I had a nickel for every time the @freedomcaucus sounded the alarm and nobody listened, only to find out the hard way we were right all along,' he wrote. A Community Note simply stated that Perry had, in fact, voted for the bill but he appeared to be making the same bet as Greene regarding a revised bill. 'We expect MASSIVE improvements from the Senate before it gets back to the House,' he said. Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who has yet to vote on the bill, came out guns blazing against the bill on Tuesday. He quote-tweeted Musk's claim that the bill would add $2.5trillion to the deficit, calling it 'nothing short of stunning.' 'Congress has hollowed out America's middle class through reckless deficit spending and the inflation it causes. The Uniparty propels this vicious cycle, and must be stopped in its tracks,' he wrote. Stephen Miller, whose wife Katie now works for Musk, sided with Trump and Johnson and ardently defended the bill on social media. 'The bill was designed by President Trump, his loyal aides, and his closest allies in Congress to deliver fully and enthusiastically on the explicit promises he made the American People,' he said. Within the package is about $5 trillion in tax cuts, to be partially funded by repealing or phasing out more quickly the clean energy tax credits passed during Joe Biden's presidency. Meanwhile, insiders are suggesting that Elon's heel turn on Trump has come from his inability to secure favorable treatment from the bill. 'Elon was butthurt' about his treatment regarding the bill and at large within the administration, a source told Axios. Sources cited cuts to an electric vehicle tax credit that would have impacted Tesla and wanted the Federal Aviation Administration to use his satellite system Starlink in a revamp of to air traffic control which was denied. The administration reportedly rejected both of Musk's ideas out of worries about conflicts of interest. However, the straw that broke the camel's back may have been Trump's surprise torpedo of Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator. The president maintains he backflipped on billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman's appointment after learning of his past donations to the Democrats. But MAGA loyalists suspect Trump may have been set up to make the call by insiders who have it out for Elon Musk and are looking to hurt him by punishing his friend. Trump ally Laura Loomer wrote: 'There is reason to believe that Isaacman may be facing retaliation because of his friendship with Elon Musk. 'If so, this would suggest there is a coordinated hit job on Isaacman in an effort to damage ties between President Trump and Elon Musk before the 2026 midterms. 'Is President Trump aware of the ulterior motives by some individuals in the administration who have an interest in seeing Isaacman's nomination pulled?' The New York Times revealed on Sunday that Trump reportedly knew about Isaacman's donations from the moment he chose to nominate him to run NASA. Sergio Gor - director of the Office of Presidential Personnel and a Musk foe in the White House - reportedly made that call. One White House official said: 'This was Sergio's out-the-door 'f**k you' to Musk. I'm pretty sure Elon thought the NASA situation was a last insult.' The 'Big Beautiful Bill' is intended to be an encompassing piece of legislation to allow Trump to move forward with much of his agenda, with policies ranging from tax cuts to immigration. The legislation brings large spending increases that the GOP has fought against in recent years, including raising the debt limit by more than $4 trillion over the next two years. Within the package is about $5 trillion in tax cuts, to be partially funded by repealing or phasing out more quickly the clean energy tax credits passed during Joe Biden's presidency. Musk has publicly said that the enormous price tag 'undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing' and referred to it as 'a disgusting abomination.' On Tuesday, he promised that anyone who votes for the bill will face consequences in the 2026 midterm elections. 'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,' he said ominously. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed Musk's tweets when asked about it during a televised press briefing. 'Look the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill, and it hasn't changed the president's opinion,' she said. 'This is one big, beautiful bill, and he's sticking to it.' When has reached out to the White House for comment on the new tweet, they directed us to Leavitt's statement earlier today. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Musk was 'wrong' about the bill. 'With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big, beautiful bill,' Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill. Musk left his job as a special government employee only five days ago. He and President Trump appeared to part on good terms, with Trump gifting him a golden key to the White House. It wasn't immediately clear how Musk's tirade will affect their relationship given that Trump typically has a low tolerance for criticism. Musk has previously indicated he was against the bill, which funds the federal government. He said he was concerned it would undo the work of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But his comments on Tuesday were his harshest to date and come as the bill is being debated in the Senate. It also came five days after he formally left the Trump administration. The legislation will add about $3.8 trillion to the federal government's $36.2 trillion in debt over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, it will boost the nation's debt by $3.1 trillion. But Trump has defended his signature legislation, arguing it will lower taxes. 'We will take a massive step to balancing our Budget by enacting the largest mandatory Spending Cut, EVER, and Americans will get to keep more of their money with the largest Tax Cut, EVER, and no longer taxing Tips, Overtime, or Social Security for Seniors — Something 80 Million Voters supported in November,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday. Democrats, meanwhile, had a field day with Musk's tweets. 'I agree with Elon Musk,' Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, holding up a print out of Musk's tweets. 'Republicans should listen to him.' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took it to another level on Tuesday. 'Breaking news: Elon Musk and I agree with each other. The GOP tax scam is a disgusting abomination,' Jeffries said. Notably, Trump didn't criticize Musk during a joint press conference with him in the Oval Office on Friday. The president defended his signature legislation but didn't mention Musk. In the past, Trump has attacked others who have criticized him. Musk, the world's richest man, spent $290 million in the last election cycle to help get Trump and Republican candidates elected. Instead Trump said he would negotiate parts of the bill as it makes its way through the legislative process. 'We will be negotiating that bill, and I'm not happy about certain aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by other aspects of it,' Trump told reporters, without directly addressing Musk's concerns.
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Potential ‘agroterrorism weapon' fungus smuggled into US by Chinese scientists, FBI alleges
Two Chinese scientists have been charged with smuggling a toxic fungus into the United States that they planned to research at an American university, the justice department has said. Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, are charged with conspiracy, smuggling, false statements, and visa fraud, the US attorney's office for the eastern district of Michigan said in a statement on Tuesday. The justice department said the pair conspired to smuggle a fungus called Fusarium graminearum into the United States that causes 'head blight,' a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice. The fungus is classified in scientific literature as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon,' the FBI said, and causes billions of dollars in losses each year. It causes vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock, it said. Jian appeared in court and was returned to jail to await a bond hearing on Thursday. An attorney who was assigned only for her initial appearance declined to comment. In July 2024, Liu was turned away at the Detroit airport and sent back to China after changing his story during an interrogation about red plant material discovered in his backpack, the FBI said. He initially claimed ignorance about the samples but later said he was planning to use the material for research at a University of Michigan lab where Jian worked and where Liu had previously worked, the FBI said. According to the complaint, Jian and Liu, her boyfriend, had both previously conducted work on the fungus in China. The FBI said authorities found a scientific article on Liu's phone that was titled, 'Plant-Pathogen Warfare under Changing Climate Conditions.' Messages between the two in 2024 suggest that Jian was already tending to Fusarium graminearum at the campus lab before Liu was caught at the Detroit airport, the FBI said. The university does not have federal permits to handle it. The US does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu's arrest unlikely unless he returns. US Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr described the smuggling of the fungus into the United States as a 'national security' concern and emphasized Jian's membership of the Chinese Communist party. 'These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme,' Gorgon said. US secretary of state Marco Rubio vowed last week to 'aggressively revoke visas' for Chinese students, a move condemned by Beijing as 'unreasonable' and 'discriminatory.' The move is part of a wider crackdown on immigration by the Trump administration. The US has also said it will refuse visas to foreign officials who block Americans' social media posts and has rescinded visas for people who criticize Israel. Meanwhile, Kseniia Petrova, a scientist from Russia at Harvard, is facing potential deportation after she failed to declare biological samples in her luggage upon returning from a trip to Paris. Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
