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Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WNBA players and league officials meet for CBA discussions during All-Star weekend
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — WNBA players and league officials met Thursday before the start of the All-Star weekend festivities for discussions on a new collective bargaining agreement. All-Stars Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese were among about 40 players who took part in the first face-to-face meeting featuring players since December. Players opted out of the current CBA last October and are seeking a better revenue sharing model, increased salaries, improved benefits, and a softer salary cap. The sides are far apart in preliminary discussions and agreed to another meeting this weekend. ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jesse Watters Ridicules Barack Obama for Not Being a ‘Real' Man After Joining Michelle's Podcast: ‘Boring Guy'
Jesse Watters ridiculed Barack Obama on Thursday for appearing on Michelle's 'IMO' podcast. 'The Five' host had more than a few things to say about the Obamas appearing together on a podcast, particularly saying that unlike the former president a 'real' man would never appear on his wife's program. He also said the the episode made Obama come off as 'boring.' More from TheWrap Jesse Watters Ridicules Barack Obama for Not Being a 'Real' Man After Joining Michelle's Podcast: 'Boring Guy' | Video 'General Hospital' Star Tristan Rogers Remains Hopeful After Cancer Diagnosis NBC News Sees 12% Web Traffic Boost as NYT, WaPo Visitors Decline | Exclusive 'Captain Planet' Live-Action TV Series in the Works at Netflix 'This is why he puts himself on his wife's podcast – which real men don't do,' Watters said on the Fox News program. 'He ships all these jobs to China and then wonders why men are looking around like 'what are we supposed to do now.' So they're angry, they voted Trump, and then the next thing you know they say we're waging war on women, and men are toxic and the patriarchy's holding everybody down. So the men just leave the party.' He continued later: 'He's a boring guy, and the same thing that's happening with the rest of the Democratic party. Without all the lights, camera, action and the teleprompters, you sit a guy down with his 'wife' and it's just a boring, nerdy conversation that no one can relate to.' Watters: This is why he puts himself on his wife's podcast — which real men don't do — Acyn (@Acyn) July 17, 2025 Watters threw 'wife' in quotes when referring to Michelle Obama likely because the former president and first lady have been deep in the divorce rumor mill for weeks now. It is something the couple touched on right as the latest 'IMO' episode began. 'She took me back,' Barack Obama joked as he entered the studio and co-host Craig Robinson asked if they still liked each other. 'It was touch and go for a while.' Watters: You sit a guy down with his 'wife' — Acyn (@Acyn) July 17, 2025 Michelle Obama added that a lot of people seem to think their relationship is only good if they're seen together and when they are doing their own thing 'folks think we're divorced.' 'There hasn't been one moment in our marriage where I have thought about quitting on my man,' she said. 'And we've had some really hard times. We've had a lot of fun times, a lot of adventures. I've become a better person because of the man I'm married to.' Barack and Michelle Obama have been married since 1992. You can watch 'The Five' segments in the video above. You and listen the full 'IMO' podcast episode here. The post Jesse Watters Ridicules Barack Obama for Not Being a 'Real' Man After Joining Michelle's Podcast: 'Boring Guy' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bethenny Frankel, 54, sizzles in skimpy thong bikini after jaw-dropping SI Swimsuit runway appearance
Bethenny Frankel put her enviable bikini body on display in her latest Instagram post. The former Real Housewives of New York star, 54, showed off her trim figure in a tiny terracotta thong bikini, in a video she shared to her social media on Thursday. The 5′ 7″ star flaunted her trim midriff and toned legs in the two-piece, and added more height to her look with a pair of open-toe pink heels. In the clip the entrepreneur was advertising a t-shirt which featured three of the bikini looks she wore during the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway show last month - an appearance that left fans in awe of her age-defying physique. She began the clip in just her bikini, then transitioned to the t-shirt and heels. The mom-of-one further accessorized with a gold necklace, a watch and pink-tinted sunglasses. The clip was set to RuPaul's song 'Call Me Mother.' Frankel performed a runway walk on the dock next to her pool, mouthing the lyrics as she went. 'Shop the #Supermodel shirt now on her caption read. Frankel's Supermodel Tee retails for $55 on her website. Fans praised her svelte physique, with one writing, 'Dammmm girl you are a supermodel.' 'Wow Bethenny your body is ROCKING!!!' 'You just keep getting better and better,' another added. The brunette beauty also shared another bathing suit snap to her Instagram Stories, this time wearing a beige and white one-piece along with a straw hat as she lounged near the ocean. Last month Frankel stunned fans around the world as she strutted her stuff on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway in a barely-there bikini. She left little to the imagination at the event, leaving many wondering how exactly the reality TV star achieves her enviable physique. During the show, the Skinnygirl founder wore multiple looks, showing off her toned legs and stomach in a sultry pink polka dot bikini and black cover-up, which she later ripped off to reveal a thong bikini bottom underneath. In the clip the entrepreneur was advertising a t-shirt which featured three of the bikini looks she wore during the SI Swimsuit runway show last month When she reached the end of the runway, Frankel turned around to show her backside to the audience, as she jokingly covered her mouth in surprise. Later on during the runway show, she emerged in a denim bikini top and black bottoms, which she paired with a cowboy hat; she also flashed some side boob in tiny leopard-print one-piece swimsuit. As clips of the former Real Housewives of New York star circulated around the internet this weekend, many viewers couldn't help but wonder what the star has been doing both diet and fitness-wise to look that good. 'Show us the fitness routine now. Goals,' one person wrote in a comment on TikTok. Another agreed, 'We need a workout routine asap please.' It even caught the attention of her pal Lauren Sanchez, who reposted a clip of Frankel on the catwalk and gushed, 'We all need this energy. And this body. Wow.' After the big response to her walk, Frankel took to TikTok to share more about the buzz around her looks. She explained that although the internet was 'fascinated' by her age, weight, and appearance, it took a lot of contouring makeup and spray tanning to look like that. And though people may be begging her for her workout routine, it actually turns out that the star doesn't exercise - at all. 'I did not crash diet, I don't go to a gym, I don't have a workout, I walk on the beach,' she admitted. 'Everything I do has balance, I self-regulate, so I have a good relationship with food and exercise.' 'It wasn't always that way, this is not that I have a good metabolism or just good genes, because I used to be 25 pounds heavier in my early thirties,' Frankel continued. 'Why? Because I was fixated and obsessed, and I would binge and then starve.' Now, Frankel said that she approaches everything with balance. In the past, she's explained that the only form of activity she does is walking, sharing that she primarily enjoys long strolls on the beach. 'I walk now everyday, for the past several years I didn't really do much of anything, unless I was in a beach place, I'd walk on the beach, or if I was away snowboarding, I'd do that, but that's not something regular,' Frankel admitted in a video posted to her TikTok account last summer.
Malay Mail
25 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Nearly 75pc of US teens use AI companions: Study highlights mental health risks and warns against use for those under 18
SAN FRANCISCO, July 18 — Nearly three in four American teenagers have used AI companions, with more than half qualifying as regular users despite growing safety concerns about these virtual relationships, according to a new survey released Wednesday. AI companions — chatbots designed for personal conversations rather than simple task completion — are available on platforms like Replika, and Nomi. Unlike traditional artificial intelligence assistants, these systems are programmed to form emotional connections with users. The findings come amid mounting concerns about the mental health risks posed by AI companions. The nationally representative study of 1,060 teens aged 13-17, conducted for Common Sense Media, found that 72 per cent have used AI companions at least once, while 52 per cent interact with such platforms a few times per month. Common Sense Media is a leading American non-profit organisation that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. The survey revealed that 30 per cent of respondents use the platforms because 'it's entertaining' and 28 per cent are driven by curiosity about the technology. However, concerning patterns emerged: one-third of users have chosen to discuss serious matters with AI companions instead of real people, while 24 per cent have shared personal information including real names and locations. Perhaps most troubling, 34 per cent of teen users reported feeling uncomfortable with something an AI companion had said or done, though such incidents were infrequent. 'The reality that nearly three-quarters of teens have used these platforms, with half doing so regularly, means that even a small percentage experiencing harm translates to significant numbers of vulnerable young people at risk,' the report said. The survey revealed an age divide in trust levels. While half of all teens expressed distrust in AI companion advice, younger teens (ages 13-14) were more likely than older teens (15-17) to trust advice from these systems. Despite widespread usage, most teens maintained perspective on these relationships: two thirds found AI conversations less satisfying than human interactions, and 80 per cent spent more time with real friends than AI companions. Based on the findings, Common Sense Media recommended that no one under 18 use AI companions until stronger safeguards are implemented. 'Companies have put profits before kids' well-being before, and we cannot make the same mistake with AI companions,' the report said. — AFP
Medscape
25 minutes ago
- Health
- Medscape
Endurance Training Leaves Mark on Athletes' Hearts
TOPLINE: Myocardial fibrosis was detected in 47.2% of asymptomatic male veteran endurance athletes and was associated with a nearly fivefold increased risk for ventricular arrhythmia, a study found. During follow-up, 21.7% of athletes experienced episodes of ventricular arrhythmia, with 2.8% developing sustained ventricular tachycardia. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a prospective observational cohort study involving 106 asymptomatic male competitive cyclists and triathletes aged 50 years or older who had exercised at least 10 h/wk for more than 15 years. Men were excluded from the study if they had been diagnosed with a preexisting cardiovascular condition. Participants underwent cardiovascular MRI, stress perfusion late gadolinium enhancement, exercise testing, and implantable loop recorder implantation for ventricular arrhythmia detection. Analysis included a median follow-up period of 720 days, during which participants were monitored for the primary endpoint of incident ventricular arrhythmia. TAKEAWAY: Cardiac MRI found nearly half (47.2%) of athletes in the study had focal myocardial fibrosis (all nonischemic distribution), predominantly affecting the basal inferolateral left ventricular segment. Myocardial fibrosis was independently associated with an increased risk for ventricular arrhythmia (hazard ratio [HR], 4.7; 95% CI, 1.8-12.8; P = .002), even after adjusting for left ventricular end-diastolic volume (HR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.7-12.7; P = .002). Athletes with ventricular arrhythmia exhibited significantly greater left ventricular end-diastolic volume (113 ± 18 mL/m² vs 106 ± 13 mL/m²; P = .04) and native T1 times (1252 ± 46 ms vs 1241 ± 39 ms; P = .03). Athletes with fibrosis showed a higher prevalence of premature ventricular contractions during exercise testing than those without (71.4% vs 42%; P = .003), with more atypical features (46.9% vs 18%; P = .002). IN PRACTICE: 'In this prospective study, myocardial fibrosis on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging was independently associated with the risk of ventricular arrhythmia in healthy, asymptomatic veteran male endurance athletes,' the researchers of the study reported. 'Other predictors of ventricular arrhythmia included left ventricular dilatation, and exercise-induced premature ventricular contractions. As the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia may be associated with sudden cardiac arrest, the presence of myocardial fibrosis, left ventricular dilatation and exercise-induced premature ventricular contractions may play a role in indirectly predicting the risk of sudden cardiac arrest among certain athletes. However, further studies are needed to confirm this and to determine whether athletes with myocardial fibrosis on cardiovascular magnetic resonance have a concealed form of cardiomyopathy.' SOURCE: The study was led by Wasim Javed, PhD, of the Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, in the United Kingdom. It was published online July 17 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. LIMITATIONS: The researchers acknowledged several key limitations of their study, including the limited sample size and highly selected nature of participants. The findings may not be generalizable to other groups, including female and non-White athletes. The single-lead nature of the implantable loop recorders did not allow for localization of ventricular arrhythmia to confirm its origin from the site of myocardial fibrosis. The endpoint of ventricular arrhythmia only indirectly correlates with sudden cardiac death, requiring further study for clinical implications. DISCLOSURES: This research was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, the British Heart Foundation, and the Leeds Clinical Research Facility. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
