Latest news with #intrigue
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michael Chandler still wants Conor McGregor fight, but won't 'lose sleep at night' over it
Michael Chandler still wants Conor McGregor fight, but won't 'lose sleep at night' over it Show Caption Hide Caption Michael Chandler breaks silence on Paddy Pimblett, Conor McGregor Michael Chandler talks to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn in his first interview since his loss to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314. Michael Chandler isn't giving up on the idea of a fight against Conor McGregor, but he isn't losing any sleep over it either. After coaching opposite one another on "The Ultimate Fighter," Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) and McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) were supposed to put a cap on the season by meeting in the octagon. Although the fight was trending towards becoming a reality as contracts were drawn up for last June, the fight never materialized. "I get asked about it in every single interview, and rightfully so," Chandler told MMA Junkie. "The Conor-Chandler thing just stays alive, right? Just a couple of weeks ago, all of a sudden, he said, 'Iron' Michael Chandler, unfinished business.' It's not just the fact that we had the contract that we were supposed to fight in June, we did 'The Ultimate Fighter,' we have to finish 'The Ultimate Fighter.' It's just like staying alive." Chandler decided to move on after sitting on the sidelines for two years while waiting for McGregor to make it to the octagon. After a submission loss to Dustin Poirier in November 2022, Chandler returned to action at UFC 309 in November 2024, where he dropped a unanimous decision in a rematch against Charles Oliveira. Chandler's most recent outing was at UFC 314, where Paddy Pimblett stopped him in the third round. It's been a rough stretch for Chandler. While the interest in a McGregor matchup isn't nearly as high as it once was, talk of the potential fight continues. McGregor hasn't been active since a gruesome injury in a trilogy bout against Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. The intrigue remains due to the personalities and their ability to create excitement in the cage. While Chandler himself still wants the fight to happen, he learned his lesson about waiting around before for the former two-division UFC champ. If it happens, it happens. "It's one of those deals where I'm not losing sleep at night, trying to get the Conor fight, wanting to get the Conor fight," Chandler said. "If me and Conor are supposed to fight, and he's supposed to come back, it's gonna happen and I don't need to force it. With that being said, if I'm a betting man, I'm not sure if he comes back. Do I want to fight him? Do I want to finish 'The Ultimate Fighter 31'? Absolutely. So, we'll see. "All I know is, I'm going to enjoy my family over the summertime, work on some big time business that I've been working on for the last couple weeks since the fight, and see how this whole thing unfolds. ... If that Conor fight is out there and that needs to happen in January, that makes a lot of sense, so we'll see."
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Unknown Mortal Orchestra Announce New EP ‘Curse'
Unknown Mortal Orchestra announces a new EP CURSE, which is set for release on Wednesday, June 18th via Jagjaguwar. The announcement comes alongside the release of a new single and music video 'BOYS WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOLVES.' The single encompasses so much of what has made Unknown Mortal Orchestra a source of intrigue since the project's enigmatic debut in 2011 - from spectral, experimental jamming to its metal-indebted earworm of a chorus. The song arrives with a Ruban Nielson -directed music video. CURSE reflects these cursed times we find ourselves in. Taking inspiration from Italian horror films of the 1970s and 1980s, the six songs on the release are as cathartic a listen as the band has ever recorded. Featuring both abrasive riffs reminiscent of Black Sabbath on 'BOYS WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOLVES' as well as the laid back, intricate guitar playing UMO is maybe most famous for on 'DEATH COMES FROM THE SKY', the CURSE EP is the perfect soundtrack to your next confrontation with the void. In defining what CURSE contends with thematically, Nielson shares: "In the hearts of men there are sometimes goodnesses hidden but substantial, which would be the difference in times of woe between finding oneself at the mercy of a monster or a more heroic creature. For the sake of sanity we can fool ourselves into believing these silver slivers of morality are visible from the outside, even when we know they aren't. And anyway, so much of what we believe we can see from the outside is a mirage, especially these days. In the clownish, happy-go-lucky soil of lies and chaos, a silly kind of music can grow; a senseless laughter, and we can amuse ourselves with it, however darkly. We can dance with lost minds and howl in valiant hysteria as the stormtroopers of death, confused and incredulous, pile us or those we love into their meat wagons." The EP closely follows Unknown Mortal Orchestra's IC-02 Bogotá, which was just released this past March.
Axios
3 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Yee challenges Horne in GOP primary for state superintendent
State Treasurer Kimberly Yee is taking on state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne in the Republican primary, challenging him from the right over Arizona's school choice system. State of play: Yee, who is termed out, will attempt to wrest the GOP nomination from Horne as he seeks reelection. She announced her candidacy from the state Capitol Wednesday, touting her career-long dedication to education issues and pledging to "build a stronger and higher-achieving school system." Yee criticized Horne for what she called "government overreach" in his administration of the voucher-style Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program and argued that he's exceeded his legal authority in imposing restrictions on it. She also dismissed the types of excesses by some ESA parents that critics focus on as a minute fraction of a percentage of the total program. Background: Yee chaired the Senate Education Committee and focused on education issues during her 2010-2018 legislative career, as a legislative staffer and as an aide to former California Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson. The intrigue: State Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), who leads the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus, told reporters last month he wanted to find a GOP primary challenger for Horne, whom he called "the single greatest threat" to the ESA program. Hoffman is backing a slate of candidates for statewide offices and introduced Yee at Wednesday's press conference. Yee said parents in the school choice community had been asking her to run for superintendent well before Hoffman's recruitment efforts. Between the lines: The superintendent proposes changes to the handbook that governs the ESA program. Horne's Arizona Department of Education in March proposed changes to require a curriculum for supplemental materials; impose spending caps for expenses like computers, musical instruments and home economics appliances; and ban expenses like smartwatches, multi-person kayaks, Amazon Prime fees and certain appliances like espresso machines and freeze-dryers. The State Board of Education postponed a vote on the new handbook after about three dozen ESA parents spoke out against the changes. Horne last month asked the board to again push back the vote, saying he wanted to meet with state lawmakers who had voiced concerns to him. The other side: Horne, a longtime school choice advocate who previously served as superintendent from 2008-2011, said in a press statement Wednesday that the state education department is strongly in favor of parental choice and ESAs. But he rejected the notion that the program should be unrestricted, pointing to expenditures he's rejected like a $5,000 Rolex watch, a $24,000 golf simulator and a vasectomy testing kit. If the department approved such expenditures, it would provoke a negative public reaction and threaten the program's survivability, he said. Horne added he has a duty to responsibly manage taxpayer funds, which includes limiting ESA expenses to reasonable educational purposes.
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Consumer sentiment jumps after U.S.-China trade truce
Americans upgraded their view on the economy for the first time in five months, helped by the Trump administration's agreement to ease tariffs on China, the Conference Board said on Tuesday. Why it matters: The data shows how closely consumers tie their economic confidence to Trump's trade war, with concerns about personal finances, inflation and employment prospects receding when tariff tensions appear to be cooling. What they're saying: "The rebound was already visible before the May 12 US-China trade deal but gained momentum afterwards," Stephanie Guichard, a senior economist at the Conference Board, a nonprofit group, said in a release. "[C]onsumers continued to express concerns about tariffs increasing prices and having negative impacts on the economy, but some also expressed hopes that the announced and future trade deals could support economic activity," Guichard added. Details: The Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose more than 12 points in May, with improvements among all demographic groups and political affiliations — though the strongest improvement was among Republicans. Consumers had a more optimistic outlook on business conditions, the labor market and future income, while the share of consumers expecting a recession declined. Consumer inflation expectations for the year ahead fell a half-percentage point to 6.5%. What to watch: The Conference Board said about half its responses were collected before Trump announced that the U.S. would slash tariffs on Chinese imports to 30% from 145% for the next 90 days. The survey ended before Trump's latest threat of 50% tariffs on European imports, which was later pushed off — a sign of the on-again, off-again trade tensions. The intrigue: The volatility has spilled over into the economic data, where it has been difficult to get a read on how tariffs are weighing on demand. There was a historic rush to stockpile goods earlier this year before tariffs took effect. Now that is rapidly unwinding. For instance, factory orders plunged by more than 6% in April after a near-8% surge the prior month, as businesses ordered ahead to avoid tariffs, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Non-defense capital goods orders — which includes machinery, construction equipment and more — fell 19% in April, one of the biggest drops in percentage terms since the pandemic. That followed a 27% surge in March, one of the largest monthly increases ever.
Axios
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
California to sue over federal attempt to revoke EV mandate
In another swift rebuke of the Trump administration, California officials announced Thursday they plan to sue the federal government over the U.S. Senate's decision to revoke a waiver allowing the state to set its own air quality standards. Why it matters: The Senate's action on Thursday to block California's emissions rules has the potential to jeopardize the long-term future of U.S. auto markets and the state's 2035 ban on new gas cars. The lawsuit marks the 23rd time the state has challenged President Trump in court just four months into his second term. What they're saying: "Our lawsuit will be about ensuring California can enforce its state laws under the Clean Air Act," Bonta said at Thursday's press conference. "Waivers granted by the EPA have allowed us to improve our standards — they lower harmful emissions, they improve overall public health." "This Senate vote is illegal," Gov. Gavin Newsom added, citing the environmental record of Republicans like Ronald Regan who championed the state's clean air policies. "We won't stand by as Trump Republicans make America smoggy again. We're going to fight this unconstitutional attack on California in court." Catch up quick: In a striking blow to California's authority to set stricter rules that exceed national standards, the Senate invoked the Congressional Review Act to overturn the state's Clean Air Act waiver in a 51-44 vote and send it to Trump's desk. Republicans, who had to execute a complex parliamentary maneuver to avoid filibuster rules, overrode opinions from an independent legislative agency and the Senate's bipartisan referee that the waiver isn't subject to that federal law. The intrigue: On Thursday, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) lambasted Republicans "for going nuclear" on the filibuster process and warned that such violations of Senate procedures over the Congressional Review Act could set a dangerous precedent if and when Democrats resume power. "If this gambit works, it will not be the last time this tactic is used," he said. The big picture: California's climate goals and longstanding battle against air pollution hinge on the state's ability to decarbonize the transportation sector, which accounts for nearly 40% of all carbon emissions. Rolling back the state's waiver "undermines the 11 other states" — including Massachusetts, New York and Oregon — "that have adopted our standards and depend on our authority to defend their own communities' health," said Mary Creasman, chief executive officer of California Environmental Voters. Flashback: In a historic move to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, California in 2022 enacted nation-leading rules to phase out all gas car sales by 2035, effectively forcing drivers to switch to zero-emission models. That mandate was made possible under the federal waiver, which was first granted to California by the EPA in 1970 under a bipartisan law to help the state address severe air pollution in Los Angeles. By the numbers: California now leads the U.S. in EV sales, which have sharply increased in recent years as the state has expanded its charging network. Californians now own about 2.24 million EVs, including 620,175 vehicles in Los Angeles County, 186,728 in San Diego County, and 54,535 in San Francisco, per the California Energy Commission. About 23% of all new cars sold in California were zero emission in the first quarter of 2025.
