Female athletes appeal landmark NCAA settlement, saying it violates federal antidiscrimination law
Eight female athletes filed an appeal Wednesday of a landmark NCAA antitrust settlement, arguing that women would not receive their fair share of $2.7 billion in back pay for athletes who were barred from making money off their name, image and likeness.
U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved the settlement last week, clearing the way for direct payments from universities to athletes and the end of the NCAA's amateurism model.
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Associated Press
27 minutes ago
- Associated Press
J.J. Spaun handles tough Oakmont with the putter for a 66 and early US Open lead
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun handled the toughest test with a club that never fails any U.S. Open. His putter carried him to a 4-under 66, only the second bogey-free round in the last three U.S. Opens at Oakmont for an early one-shot lead. Spaun, who started his round by chipping in from ankle-deep rough just right of the 10th green, was walking down the 18th fairway when a spectator looked at the group's scoreboard and said, 'J.J. Spaun. He's 4 under?' The emphasis was on the number, not the name. Only five players from the morning wave managed to break par on an Oakmont course that was still trying to dry out from rain, and still very much holding its own. Thriston Lawrence of South Africa, who contended at Royal Troon last summer, had six birdies in a round of 67. Si Woo Kim was at 68, with Ben Griffin and Thomas Detry at 69. The course allowed plenty of birdies, and doled out plenty of punishment. Masters champion Rory McIlroy also was bogey-free, at least on his opening nine. Then he three-putted for bogey on No. 1 and wound up with a 41 on the front nine for a 74. That included a 30-foot putt to save bogey after taking three hacks to get out of the rough on the par-5 fourth. Shane Lowry became the first player to hole out from the fairway for eagle on No. 3. He also had three double bogeys and shot 79. Spaun was not immune from this. He just made everything, particularly five par putts from 7 feet or longer. 'I think today was one of my best maybe putting days I've had maybe all year,' Spaun said. 'Converting those putts ... that's huge for momentum and keeping a round going, and that's kind of what happens here at U.S. Opens.' Spaun wouldn't know that from experience. This is only his second U.S. Open, and his ninth major since his first one in 2018. He didn't have to qualify, moving to No. 25 in the world on the strength of his playoff loss to McIlroy at The Players Championship. 'I haven't played in too many,' Spaun said 'I knew it was going to be tough. I did my best just to grind through it all.' It was every bit of a grind, from the rough and on the fast greens. Xander Schauffele had to birdie his last two holes to salvage a 72. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau had four bogeys over his last 10 holes for a 73. On this course, at this major, those weren't bad starts. PGA champion Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player, was among those who played in the afternoon as the breeze got a little stronger, the greens got a little firmer and the rough stayed as thick as ever. The average score already was in the 75 range as the late wave was starting out. Eight players already shot 80 or worse, including Matt Vogt, the Indiana dentist and former caddie at Oakmont. Vogt was selected to hit the opening shot, an appropriate choice for a U.S. Open that prides itself on giving anyone a chance to qualify. He was among 16 players who had to go through two stages, 54 holes, just for a crack at Oakmont. 'Oakmont is relentless,' said John Bodenhamer, the chief championships officer at the USGA who sets up the course. 'There's no let up. It's a grind. That's the U.S. Open.' It was living up to its reputation in the opening round. Spaun managed to avoid any calamity. The chip-in on No. 10 to start his round was a bonus. His best shot was a long iron to 5 feet on the par-3 16th. His longest birdie putt was 12 feet on the short par-4 17th, where he drove to the collar of thick rough around the green. But it was those par putts that saved him — from 8 feet on the par-5 fourth after driving in a grassy 'pew' in the famed Church Pew bunker; from 16 feet after finding a bunker off the tee on the par-3 sixth; and from 8 feet on the par-3 eighth toward the end of his round. McIlroy's biggest putt was 30 feet on the fourth, and that was for bogey. He drove right into rough that came up to his shins. He hammered that shot all of 20 yards into more rough. The next one went 10 yards and stayed in the rough. He finally got out to the fairway, and from there was 30 feet left of the pin. So it could have been worse. There also was the par-3 eighth, with a front pin so that it only played 276 yards. McIlroy went with 3-wood and sent that well right, where it disappeared into the high grass. Two hacks later, he was on his way to another double bogey. ___ AP golf:
Bloomberg
30 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Private Equity Is Looking for a Little Help
Things aren't going all that great for private equity firms. They're struggling to sell the companies they own and return cash to investors. But it turns out their counterparts in the world of private credit are offering special loans to tide them over. Direct lending arms at shops from Ares Management to Neuberger Berman Group and even private equity titan KKR have all launched what some are calling 'dequity' funds—to convey the presence of both debt and equity—to the tune of $30 billion industry-wide since 2023. Demand for this type of stopgap financing has soared lately as cash-strapped PE firms face a prolonged deal drought. Higher borrowing costs as well as erratic US trade policies have made it harder for corporate buyers to appraise the value of potential targets or for sponsors to figure out how public stock offerings will go. That's left PE firms saddled with their portfolio companies longer than they'd planned, creating a situation where they don't have enough money to distribute to their limited partners.
Associated Press
33 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Jury finds New Orleans police officer who shot and killed puppy violated rights but has immunity
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A jury in federal court ruled that a New Orleans police officer who shot and killed a puppy had violated its owners' constitutional rights but was shielded from punishment under qualified immunity because of his government role, according to the plaintiffs' attorney William Most. The jury awarded $10,000 in damages for emotional distress to the puppy's owners, to be paid by the city, Most said. An additional $400 was awarded for the rescue dog's market value. The jury found that the city held a degree of liability tied to the officer's actions but was not ultimately responsible for the killing of Apollo the puppy, Most said. The jury ruled the officer violated state laws of negligence and wrongful destruction of property. The jury also found the owners and Burmaster's police partner had some liability in the dog's death, Most added. 'We are so glad to have justice for Apollo,' Most said in a text message. 'We hope that this trial will achieve lasting change in the way the New Orleans Police Department trains its officers to handle animals they meet in the field.' The city and police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Derrick Burmaster, the police officer, declined to comment. The civil lawsuit arose after the 16-week old, 22-pound (10-kilogram) Catahoula Leopard puppy ran up to Burmaster when he and a police partner entered the couple's yard in response to a report of a domestic disturbance in 2021. Burmaster, who has said he feared Apollo would bite him in the genitals, fired three shots at the puppy with one hand while covering his crotch with the other, court records show. Another larger adult dog had barked and moved toward Burmaster's colleague, who stepped out of the yard before it reached him. Police body camera shows Apollo died in the arms of his distraught owners, who later were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to their lawyer. 'How could you shoot a puppy?' screamed Apollo's owner, Julia Barecki-Brown, immediately after the incident, footage shows. 'This is the love of our lives.' In footage, Burmaster repeatedly apologized but also asked why they had let the dogs out. Multiple internal police investigations found Burmaster's actions violated department policies. The department's Use of Force Review Board unanimously ruled the shooting was unjustified. Police investigators stated that Apollo did not pose a threat. Burmaster did not consider alternative options such as kicking the dog or using a Taser, investigators noted. In violation of department protocol, he was not wearing body armor or equipped with a baton. This is the second time he has fatally shot a dog, court records show. Apollo's owners, Barecki-Brown and her husband Derek Brown, sued Burmaster and the City of New Orleans in 2022. In July 2023, after a federal judge ruled that the lawsuit could move to jury trial, department leadership cleared Burmaster of wrongdoing for his use of force during the final step in the internal review process. The city's Independent Police Monitor Stella Cziment criticized the department's reversal and told The Associated Press that she disagreed with the decision to clear Burmaster of misconduct in the aftermath of a civil lawsuit. 'The claim that the NOPD 'reversed' in response to the civil lawsuit is spurious,' the City of New Orleans said in a Wednesday statement. 'Prior to the filing of the lawsuit, the NOPD had not reached a final decision regarding disciplinary action for Officer Burmaster.' The city noted that Sgt. David Duplantier, a police training academy instructor, issued a report on Oct. 12, 2021 — after the first two internal reviews — finding that Burmaster 'acted properly' because he believed he was at risk of imminent harm. Long-standing federal oversight of the city's police department put in place after a decades-long history of misconduct and culture of impunity is in the process of winding down. Department leaders have sought to reassure the public that they have built a system of transparency and accountability. ___ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
