Wander Franco, a Tampa Bay Rays baseball player, was found criminally responsible for abusing a minor but will not go to jail. A Dominican judge ruled he was also a victim of extortion by the minor’s mother and gave him a judicial pardon.
Key Facts
Wander Franco was declared responsible for sexual and psychological abuse of a minor.
The judge pardoned Franco and said he was also a victim of extortion by the minor’s mother.
The minor’s mother was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually trafficking her daughter.
Franco was arrested in January 2024 for having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and paying her mother to allow it.
He was previously found not guilty of sexual and commercial exploitation and human trafficking charges.
Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Rays in 2021.
The Tampa Bay Rays put Franco on a restricted list after his arrest, stopping his pay.
MLB said it is aware of the verdict and will finish its investigation soon.
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St Mirren avoided relegation after winning a close play-off against Partick Thistle, securing their place in the Scottish Premiership. Craig McLeish, who took over as interim manager after Stephen Robinson left, led the team during this period and wants to become the permanent manager.
Key Facts
St Mirren won the League Cup in December by defeating Celtic.
Stephen Robinson, the previous manager, left in March to manage Aberdeen.
Craig McLeish, former youth coach, became interim manager with the goal of keeping the team in the Premiership.
St Mirren won the play-off final 2-1 on aggregate against Partick Thistle to avoid relegation.
McLeish has expressed a strong desire to stay as the full-time manager.
The team had a difficult league season with inconsistent form and scoring problems.
Key defender Alex Gogic supports McLeish continuing if given the chance.
Former manager Ian McCall praised McLeish for handling pressure well and improving his chances of keeping the job.
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The New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in all their playoff games in the Eastern Conference finals. This victory sends the Knicks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Key Facts
The Knicks won every game against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.
This win allowed the Knicks to advance to the NBA Finals.
The last time the Knicks reached the NBA Finals was in 1999.
The Cavaliers were the opposing team in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Knicks ended a 27-year gap between NBA Finals appearances.
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England and New Zealand played the third match in their series of Twenty20 (T20) cricket games in Hove in 2026. The matches are part of a three-game series between the two teams.
Key Facts
The cricket series is between England and New Zealand women’s teams.
They are playing Twenty20 format matches, which are short, fast-paced games.
The third match took place in Hove.
Earlier matches in the series were held in Derby and Canterbury.
Each match lasts around 27 to 30 minutes in highlight coverage.
The matches were streamed or shown on BBC platforms.
This series is part of the 2026 women's T20 international cricket schedule.
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French tennis player Gaël Monfils lost in the first round of the 2026 French Open, marking his last appearance at the tournament. He fought hard but was defeated in five sets by fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston.
Key Facts
Gaël Monfils played his final French Open match on May 25, 2026.
Monfils lost in the first round to Hugo Gaston in five sets: 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0.
Monfils is 39 years old and a former world number six.
Monfils thanked fans, family, and his wife Elina Svitolina during an emotional farewell.
Monfils showed strong effort by coming back from two sets down to force a fifth set.
Gaston is 25 years old and ranked 118th in the world.
Gaston will next play 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo in the second round.
Monfils and his longtime friend Stan Wawrinka will both retire at the end of this season.
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The Scripps National Spelling Bee starts Tuesday in Washington, D.C., with 247 finalists from every U.S. state. ESPN reporter Mina Kimes will host the event this year and recently talked about her new role.
Key Facts
The spelling bee begins on a Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
There are 247 finalists competing this year.
Contestants come from all 50 U.S. states.
Millions of students across the country participated to reach this stage.
Mina Kimes, a reporter for ESPN, will host the competition.
Mina Kimes talked about hosting the event in an interview with Amna Nawaz.
The spelling bee is a national event where young people compete to spell difficult words.
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French tennis player Gael Monfils played his last match at the Roland Garros tournament on Monday. Other players acknowledged the positive impact he has made in tennis.
Key Facts
Gael Monfils is a French tennis player.
Monday marked his final match at Roland Garros, a major tennis event.
Fellow players praised Monfils for his influence in the sport.
Monfils is viewed as an inspiration in tennis.
Roland Garros is a well-known tennis tournament held in France.
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Astros' pitcher Tatsuya Imai and two relievers, Steven Okert and Alimber Santa, worked together to prevent the Rangers from getting any hits during a game. The Astros won the game with a score of 9 to 0.
Key Facts
Tatsuya Imai started the game as the pitcher for the Astros.
Steven Okert and Alimber Santa were relief pitchers who finished the game.
Together, they did not allow any hits from the opposing team, the Rangers.
The final score was 9-0 in favor of the Astros.
A no-hitter means the opposing team did not get any hits throughout the entire game.
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Casper Ruud won a difficult first-round tennis match at the French Open despite suffering from extreme heat and physical problems. The match lasted nearly four hours, and Ruud used medical breaks, ice towels, and rest time to manage his condition before finishing the match in five sets.
Key Facts
Casper Ruud played against Roman Safiullin in the first round of the French Open in Paris.
Temperatures reached 33°C, creating tough conditions for the players.
Ruud felt dizzy, tired, and like a "zombie" due to the heat and nearly suffered heatstroke.
He took medical timeouts and used ice towels and water to cool down during the match.
Safiullin won 11 games in a row in the third set but also had injury problems.
The match lasted 3 hours and 56 minutes and ended with Ruud winning 6-2, 7-6, 5-7, 0-6, 6-2.
Ruud said the win felt like a mental victory because he kept going despite his physical struggles.
Ruud has been runner-up at the French Open twice before.
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Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler have planned to fight several times but never made it happen due to injuries and scheduling. McGregor’s manager said there is still a chance the fight could happen in the future, especially if Chandler wins his upcoming match. McGregor will next fight Max Holloway in July 2024 after a long break from fighting.
Key Facts
McGregor and Chandler were supposed to fight multiple times, including during “The Ultimate Fighter 31” show.
Their planned fight in June 2024 was canceled because McGregor broke his toe in training.
McGregor’s manager, Audie Attar, said McGregor wanted Chandler to get the return fight.
The UFC did not approve the fight at that time.
Chandler is on a three-fight losing streak but remains a top lightweight fighter.
Chandler is scheduled to fight Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, 2024.
If Chandler wins, a fight with McGregor might be possible.
McGregor’s next confirmed fight is against Max Holloway on July 11, 2024, after a five-year break due to injury.
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Michael Jordan and other well-known figures joined a farewell party for Pep Guardiola, who is leaving as manager of Manchester City after ten years. Guardiola won 20 trophies with the club, and thousands of fans also celebrated him in a parade and events around the city.
Key Facts
Pep Guardiola is stepping down as Manchester City manager after 10 years in charge.
Guardiola won 20 trophies with Manchester City during his time as manager.
Michael Jordan sent a video message congratulating Guardiola and joined the farewell party.
The farewell event was held at Co-Op Live arena and attended by 19,000 fans.
Thousands of Manchester City supporters lined the streets to celebrate Guardiola’s final day.
Current and former players like Vincent Kompany and Erling Haaland spoke at the event.
Manchester City’s women’s striker Khadija Shaw announced a new four-year contract during the celebrations.
Guardiola expressed deep gratitude to the club and fans in his final public message.
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Tampa Bay Rays player Wander Franco was found criminally responsible for abusing a minor but will not go to jail. The judge ruled he was also a victim of blackmail by the girl’s mother, who received a prison sentence for trafficking.
Key Facts
Wander Franco was accused of having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl.
Franco sent money to the girl’s mother to allow the relationship.
The girl’s mother was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually trafficking her daughter.
The judge ruled Franco is exempt from punishment because he was a victim of extortion.
Franco was arrested in January 2024 in the Dominican Republic.
He was placed on the restricted list by the Rays, losing his salary during the investigation.
Franco signed an $182 million, 11-year contract with the Rays in 2021.
The full court sentence will be released on June 16, 2024.
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Wyndham Clark won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament after overcoming a difficult year. He credits his comeback to hard work on his swing and putting, as well as support from his sponsors.
Key Facts
Wyndham Clark won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson with a final round score of 60.
He became the fifth player since 1983 to shoot 28 on the last nine holes and win on the PGA Tour.
Clark had a tough year after an incident at Oakmont where he damaged a locker and was banned.
His sponsors, including Power Design, SOFI, T-Mobile, and Lexus, continued to support him.
Clark worked on improving his golf swing and putting during the off-season.
He has four PGA Tour wins, including the 2023 U.S. Open.
Clark won by three shots over Si Woo Kim, who had a two-shot lead before the final round.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers had a 10-7 season in 2025 but lost badly in the playoffs. To improve for 2026, they hired coach Mike McCarthy, who knows quarterback Aaron Rodgers well, and added new players to their offense. Former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch expects Rodgers and the team to perform better and compete strongly in their division next season.
Key Facts
The Steelers finished 10-7 in 2025 and won their division (NFC North).
They lost in the playoffs to the Houston Texans by a score of 30-6.
Aaron Rodgers played poorly in that playoff game.
The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as head coach; he previously coached Rodgers when Rodgers won a Super Bowl.
The team added several new offensive players, including running backs, wide receivers, a tight end, and offensive linemen.
Charlie Batch, a former Steelers quarterback, believes Rodgers will have a better season in 2026.
Batch thinks the Steelers are favorites to repeat as division champions.
Analysts disagree, noting that rivals Baltimore and Cincinnati have strong teams.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder lost Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, 103-82, with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama scoring 33 points. The Thunder face injury concerns for key players Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell before Game 5, making the series outcome uncertain.
Key Facts
The Thunder lost Game 4 by a score of 103-82 to the Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 33 points.
The Thunder shot only 33% from the field and had 20 turnovers.
The series is tied 2-2 and Game 5 is crucial for control.
Jalen Williams has a left hamstring injury, which he re-aggravated in Game 2.
Ajay Mitchell is dealing with a right calf strain from Game 2, worsened in Game 3.
Both players’ playing status for Game 5 is uncertain and considered day-to-day.
The Thunder rely on Mitchell’s scoring and versatility to maintain their team depth.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder lost Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs with a score of 103-82. The series is tied 2-2 as it moves back to Oklahoma City for Game 5, with the Thunder missing two key injured players.
Key Facts
The Thunder lost Game 4 to the Spurs by 21 points (103-82).
The Western Conference Finals series is now tied 2-2.
Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were injured and did not play in Game 4.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 19 points but also had 4 turnovers.
ESPN insider Brian Windhorst warned that missing two players made it harder for the Thunder’s offense.
The Thunder are unsure if Williams and Mitchell will return during the series.
Game 5 will be played in Oklahoma City on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, said he knows not everyone in the SEC agrees about having a 24-team College Football Playoff. He also said he is not upset about this disagreement.
Key Facts
Greg Sankey is the commissioner of the SEC (Southeastern Conference).
The discussion is about expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams.
There is a disagreement within the SEC on this issue.
Sankey said he is not worried about the lack of full agreement.
The College Football Playoff determines the national champion in college football.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder lost 103-82 to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4, with a poor shooting performance and many turnovers. Head coach Mark Daigneault said the team lacked sharpness and precision, and the series now moves back to Oklahoma City for Game 5.
Key Facts
The Thunder scored 82 points and shot 33% from the field in Game 4.
They made only 18.2% of their three-point shots.
The team committed 20 turnovers, leading to 25 points for the Spurs.
Coach Mark Daigneault said the Thunder were not sharp or precise enough offensively.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-high 19 points.
No other Thunder player scored more than 12 points in the game.
This was the Thunder’s lowest scoring game since a 79-point loss in 2021.
Game 5 will be played in Oklahoma City on May 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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Conor McGregor will fight Max Holloway on July 11 at UFC 329 after nearly five years away from the UFC. McGregor has two fights left on his current contract and has not yet agreed to a contract extension, which could cause problems for the UFC if he decides to leave.
Key Facts
Conor McGregor returns to UFC on July 11 during UFC 329 against Max Holloway.
This fight is McGregor’s second-to-last bout on his current UFC contract.
McGregor has not signed a new contract extension with the UFC yet.
UFC President Dana White and the UFC want McGregor to stay with the organization.
McGregor is one of the biggest draws in mixed martial arts (MMA) and is the only MMA fighter on Forbes’ highest-paid athletes list.
Other companies like Netflix or Amazon could offer McGregor large contracts if he leaves the UFC.
McGregor might also consider other combat sports like boxing or bare-knuckle fighting, where he has shown interest before.
The outcome of the Holloway fight may affect McGregor’s future decisions and potential earnings.
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Colton Cowser hit a walk-off home run for the second day in a row, helping the Orioles win 9-7 in a game that lasted 13 innings against the Rays. Cowser said this win was one of his favorite because the whole team played well.
Key Facts
Colton Cowser hit a walk-off home run on Monday.
This was the second day in a row he hit a walk-off home run.
The Orioles defeated the Rays with a final score of 9-7.
The game lasted 13 innings, which is longer than the usual nine innings.
Cowser described the win as one of his favorite because the entire team contributed.
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