Former New York Jets executive Scott Pioli, who also played a key role in Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots dynasty, gives his reaction to the Jets trading away defensive stars Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the NFL’s trade deadline.
President Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP after a pair of judges’ rulings required it to keep the food aid program running.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month nationally.
It’s not clear how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly beneficiaries will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the nation’s largest food program, said last month that benefits for November wouldn’t be paid out due to the federal government shutdown. That set off a scramble by food banks, state governments and the nearly 42 million Americans who receive the aid to find ways to ensure access to groceries.
Most states have boosted aid to food banks, and some are setting up systems to reload benefit cards with state taxpayer dollars.
It also spurred lawsuits.
Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled separately but similarly Friday, telling the government that it was required to use one fund with about $5 billion to pay for the program, at least in part. The benefits and administration cost over $8 billion per month.
The judges gave the government the option to use additional money to fully fund the program and a deadline of Monday to decide.
Judge John J. McConnell Jr., in Providence, Rhode Island, said if the government chose full funding, it would need to make payments Monday. With a partial version, which would require recalculating benefits, the payment deadline is Wednesday.
Trump said on social media Friday that he does “NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.” He said he was telling government lawyers to prepare SNAP payments as soon as possible.
Benefits will be delayed in November because many beneficiaries have their cards recharged early in the month and the process of loading cards can take weeks in many states.
Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions. Cities and nonprofits also filed a lawsuit.
The USDA has a $5 billion contingency fund for the program, but the Trump administration reversed an earlier plan to use that money to keep SNAP running. Democratic officials argue that the administration could also use a separate fund of about $23 billion.
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, said SNAP must be funded using at least contingency funds, and he asked for an update on progress by Monday.
In an additional order Saturday, McConnell said if the government makes full payments, it must do so by the end of the day Monday. If it chooses partial ones — which involve recalculating how much recipients get — those would need to be issued by Wednesday.
That does not mean people would necessarily see the payments that quickly, because the process of loading cards can take up to two weeks in some circumstances.
McConnell also ruled that all previous work requirement waivers must continue to be honored. During the shutdown, the USDA has terminated existing waivers that exempted work requirements for older adults, veterans and others.
In Boston, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled the suspension was unlawful and said USDA has to pay for SNAP. Talwani ordered the federal government to advise by Monday whether they will use emergency reserve funds to provide reduced SNAP benefits for November or fully fund the program using both contingency funds and additional available funds.
Advocates and beneficiaries say halting the food aid would force people to choose between buying groceries and paying other bills. The majority of states have announced more or expedited funding for food banks or novel ways to load at least some benefits onto the SNAP debit cards.
Rhode Island officials said Monday that under their program, SNAP beneficiaries who also receive benefits from another federal program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, received payments Saturday equal to one-fourth of what they typically get from SNAP. Officials in Delaware are telling recipients that benefits there won’t be available until at least Nov. 7.
To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a household’s net income after certain expenses can’t exceed the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that’s about $32,000 per year. Last year, SNAP assisted nearly 42 million people, about two-thirds of whom were families with children.
Mulvihill writes for the Associated Press. AP reporter Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, R.I., contributed to this report.
The new government, led by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, must present a 2026 draft budget on Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled a new government after holding marathon talks with newly re-appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ahead of a fast-approaching deadline to present next year’s budget to parliament.
In Lecornu’s new cabinet, Jean-Noel Barrot remains as foreign minister, while outgoing Labour Minister Catherine Vautrin takes on the defence portfolio, according to a lineup published by the president’s office on Sunday.
list of 3 itemsend of list
In a post on X, Lecornu wrote: “A mission-based government has been appointed to draw up a budget for France before the end of the year.”
“I would like to thank the women and men who have freely committed themselves to this government, putting aside personal and partisan interests. Only one thing matters: the interests of the country.”
Macron reinstated Lecornu late on Friday, just four days after the premier had resigned and as his first government collapsed, leading to outrage and pledges from opponents to topple any new cabinet at the first chance.
The former defence minister was tasked with assembling a government to present a 2026 draft budget on Monday, giving parliament the constitutionally required 70 days to scrutinise the plan before the year’s end.
But the right-wing Republicans (LR), a key political ally, complicated matters on Saturday by announcing that the party would not take part in the new government but only cooperate on a “bill-by-bill” basis.
Other allied and rival parties wrestled all weekend over whether to join Lecornu’s new government or vote to topple it.
The premier had pledged to work with all mainstream political movements and to select cabinet members who are “not imprisoned by parties”.
A Macron loyalist, Lecornu agreed after he had quit to stay on for two extra days to talk to all political parties.
He told the French weekly La Tribune that he had resigned “because the conditions were no longer met” and said that he would do so again if that remained the case.
The French president, facing the worst domestic crisis since the 2017 start of his presidency, has yet to address the public since Lecornu’s first government fell.
On Monday, Macron is due to travel to Egypt to support a Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by the United States, a trip that could delay the presentation of the draft budget.
Lecornu’s reappointment comes as France faces political deadlock and a parliamentary impasse over an austerity budget against a backdrop of climbing public debt.
The country faces pressure from the European Union to rein in its deficit and debt, with the fight over cost-cutting measures toppling Lecornu’s two predecessors.
Lecornu has pledged to do “everything possible” to give France a budget by the end of the year, saying that restoring the public finances was “a priority” for the future.
But he is under pressure from parties across the political spectrum, including the Socialists, who have threatened to topple his government unless he backs away from the 2023 pension reform that pushed the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Lecornu said on Saturday that “all debates are possible” over the pension reforms, and that his “only ambition is to get out of this situation that is painful for everyone”.
If Lecornu fails to secure parliamentary support, France would need emergency stopgap legislation to authorise spending from January 1 until a full budget is adopted.
French politics has been deadlocked ever since Macron gambled last year on snap polls that he hoped would consolidate power, but that instead ended in a hung Parliament and more seats for the far right.
DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip — President Trump said Friday that Hamas must agree to a proposed peace deal by Sunday evening, threatening an even greater military onslaught nearly two years into the war sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel.
Trump appears keen to deliver on pledges to end the war and return dozens of hostages ahead of the second anniversary of the attack on Tuesday. His peace plan has been accepted by Israel and welcomed internationally, but key mediators Egypt and Qatar, and at least one Hamas official, have said some elements need further negotiation, without elaborating.
“An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time,” Trump wrote Friday on social media. “Every Country has signed on! If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas. THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”
Trump’s plan would end the fighting and return hostages
Under the plan, which Trump unveiled earlier this week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas would immediately release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive. It would also give up power and disarm.
In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of the territory, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction. Plans to relocate much of Gaza’s population to other countries would be shelved.
The territory of some 2 million Palestinians would be placed under international governance, with Trump himself and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it. The plan provides no path for eventual reunification with the Israeli-occupied West Bank in a future Palestinian state.
A Hamas official told the Associated Press this week that some elements of the plan are unacceptable and need to be amended, without elaborating. Palestinians long for an end to the war, but many view this and previous U.S. proposals as strongly favoring Israel.
U.S. and Israel seek to pressure Hamas
Israel has sought to ramp up pressure on Hamas since ending an earlier ceasefire in March. It sealed the territory off from food, medicine and other goods for 2 1/2 months and has seized, flattened and largely depopulated large areas of the territory.
Experts determined that Gaza City had slid into famine shortly before Israel launched a major offensive aimed at occupying it. An estimated 400,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks, but hundreds of thousands more have stayed behind.
Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office, said she saw several displaced families staying in the parking lot of Shifa Hospital during a visit on Thursday.
“They are not able to move south because they just cannot afford it,” Cherevko told the Associated Press. “One of the families had three children and the woman was pregnant with her fourth. And there were many other vulnerable cases there, including elderly people and people with disabilities.”
Trump wrote that most of Hamas’ fighters are “surrounded and MILITARILY TRAPPED, just waiting for me to give the word, ‘GO,’ for their lives to be quickly extinguished. As for the rest, we know where and who you are, and you will be hunted down, and killed.”
Most of Hamas’ top leaders in Gaza and thousands of its fighters have already been killed, but it still has influence in areas not controlled by the Israeli military and launches sporadic attacks that have killed and wounded Israeli soldiers.
Hamas has held firm to its position that it will only release the remaining hostages — its sole bargaining chip and potential human shields — in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Hamas must surrender and disarm.
Second anniversary approaches
Thousands of Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, attacking army bases, farming communities and an outdoor music festival, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted 251 others, most of them since released in ceasefires or other deals.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half the dead.
The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
The offensive has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population, often multiple times, and left much of the territory uninhabitable.
Both the Biden and Trump administrations have tried to end the fighting and bring back the hostages while providing extensive military and diplomatic support to Israel.
Shurafa and Khaled write for the Associated Press. Khaled reported from Cairo. AP writer Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.
YouTube TV dropped Univision’s Spanish-language networks late Tuesday, a contentious turn in a simmering dispute that has already drawn scrutiny from members of Congress.
“Google’s YouTube TV has refused to ‘Do the Right Thing’ and dropped Univision from its platform — stripping millions of Hispanic viewers of the Spanish-language news, sports, and entertainment they rely on every day,” parent company TelevisaUnivision said in a statement, alluding to its campaign slogan.
The outage began about 7 p.m. PDT, shortly before the federal government shutdown — a newsworthy event that Univision journalists have been covering.
The impasse occurred as another deadline loomed in separate contract talks between YouTube TV and NBCUniversal, raising the possibility of a second blackout. Both Univision and NBCUniversal’s distribution agreements were set to expire Tuesday night. But at the deadline, NBCUniversal granted YouTube TV a short-term extension to allow the two sides to continue working on a new deal.
NBCUniversal owns Telemundo, the other major Spanish-language broadcast network.
Prominent members of Congress, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), have demanded answers from Google executives, including Chief Executive Sundar Pichai.
A major sticking point was YouTube TV’s proposal to shift the Univision network from its basic plan, which is available to all subscribers, and put the channel on a more expensive Spanish-language add-on package.
Univision cried foul, saying the switch would amount to an 18% fee increase for its Spanish-language viewers. The move would also dramatically cut the revenue that Univision receives because YouTube and other distributors pay fees based on the number of subscribers that have access to a channel.
“Google shouldn’t be abusing its monopoly power by forcing millions of Texans & Americans to pay extra for Spanish-language programming,” Cruz said in a message on X. “That’s not right & it’s not fair.”
YouTube is flexing its market muscle. The Google platforms have become the dominant video service in the U.S., according to Nielsen, with YouTube attracting more than 120 million active daily users.
The YouTube TV service has become a major draw with more than 10 million customer homes that receive its traditional TV channel packages that include NBC, ABC, Fox News and Comedy Central.
A YouTube spokesperson downplayed Univision’s departure, saying the Spanish-language company continues to have a massive following on its main YouTube site with more than “160 million subscribers and billions of views across YouTube, where they generate ad revenue from their content.”
However, on the paid service, YouTube TV, the Spanish-language programming “only represents a tiny fraction of overall consumption,” the YouTube spokesperson said.
The blackout comes a month after YouTube avoided a collision with Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corp. The two companies hammered out a new distribution deal a few days after the August deadline.
NBCUniversal’s talks with Google have also been rocky. The tech behemoth has expressed a desire to fold Peacock programming onto its YouTube TV platform rather than the current stand-alone service. But NBCUniversal has balked because it has spent billions of dollars building Peacock and it wants to remain the conduit for its customers.
YouTube TV launched in April 2017 for $35 a month. The package of channels now costs $82.99.
In a bid for more sports fans, YouTube TV took over the NFL Sunday Ticket premium sports package from DirecTV, which had been losing more than $100 million a year to maintain the NFL service. YouTube TV offers Sunday Ticket as a base plan add-on or as an individual channel on YouTube.
WASHINGTON — President Trump plans to meet with the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Monday, one day before the deadline to fund the federal government or face a shutdown.
The meeting involving the top Republican leaders, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, as well as the Democratic leaders, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, was confirmed Saturday by a White House official and two other people familiar with the planning. They were granted anonymity to discuss a meeting that has not been announced.
Trump relented after initially refusing to meet with the top Democrats.
“President Trump has once again agreed to a meeting in the Oval Office. As we have repeatedly said, Democrats will meet anywhere, at any time and with anyone to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people,” Schumer and Jeffries, both of New York, said in a joint statement Saturday night. “We are resolute in our determination to avoid a government shutdown and address the Republican healthcare crisis. Time is running out.”
The meeting was first reported by Punchbowl News.
The parties have been at a standoff for days as Democrats are pushing for healthcare protections as a condition of their support for the spending plan. Senate Democrats have refused to offer the necessary votes to pass a funding measure that would keep the government open beyond Tuesday.
Absent any action, a shutdown would begin at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Democrats had secured a meeting with Trump until Republican leaders intervened and the president called it off. But Schumer spoke privately with Thune (R-S.D.) on Friday, pushing the majority leader to get a meeting with the president scheduled because of the approaching funding deadline, according to an aide to Schumer.
“As rank-and-file Democrats begin to question their leadership’s unsustainable position, Sen. Schumer is clearly getting nervous,” Ryan Wrasse, a spokesman for Thune, responded Saturday night. “There’s an easy way out, and they’ll get a chance to take it next week.”
Democrats, believing they have leverage, have insisted on key healthcare provisions in exchange for their votes. They want an extension of subsidies that help low- and middle-income earners purchase insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Democrats are also insisting on reversing cuts to Medicaid that were included the GOP’s signature tax measure this summer.
Republicans say that those demands are nonstarters and that they are willing to have a conversation with Democrats on those issues separate from government funding talks. The GOP is asking for a straight extension of current funding for seven weeks.
Earlier last week, Johnson acknowledged he had encouraged Trump not to meet with the Democratic leaders.
“He and I talked about it at length yesterday and the day before. I said, ‘Look, when they get their job done, once they do the basic governing work of keeping the government open, as president, then you can have a meeting” with them, Johnson said on the “Mike & McCarty Show” in his home state of Louisiana. “Of course, it might be productive at that point, but right now, this is just a waste of his time.”
And Thune had said earlier in the week that he “did have a conversation with the president” and offered his opinion on the meeting, which he declined to disclose. “But I think the president speaks for himself, and I think he came to the conclusion that meeting would not be productive,” Thune said.
Democrats have expressed confidence that voters would blame Trump and Republicans for any disruptions in federal services, even though that is uncertain.
Republicans, on the other hand, had been heading toward the work week with plans in the Senate to keep showcasing Democrats’ refusal to agree to the stopgap measure, while the House GOP planned to stay away from Washington in a show of their own unwillingness to engage Democratic alternatives.
That too, came with potential political drawbacks for House Republicans, as Democrats hammered them for being, as Jeffries said, “on vacation.”
Kim and Mascaro write for the Associated Press.
Another pair of influencers might be joining President Trump’s effort to preserve TikTok in the U.S.: Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch.
The Trump administration has been working on a deal that would keep the wildly popular social video service operational for millions of Americans. Under a law signed by President Biden, TikTok’s U.S. service must separate from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face going dark.
Congress passed the law out of security concerns over TikTok’s ties to China and worries that the app would give the communist government access to sensitive user data, which TikTok has denied doing.
Trump revealed more details about the plan over the weekend. The president on Sunday told Fox News that people involved in the deal include Oracle Corp. cofounder Larry Ellison, Dell Technologies Chief Executive Michael Dell and, probably, Rupert Murdoch and his eldest son, Lachlan.
“I think they’re going to be in the group, a couple of others, really great people, very prominent people,” Trump said on “The Sunday Briefing” on Fox News. “They’re also American patriots. They love this country, so I think they’re going to do a really good job.”
If the Murdochs were to be involved, it could be through their media company Fox Corp. investing in the deal, according to a source familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Fox Corp. owns Fox News, Fox Business and the Fox broadcast network. Fox News’ opinion hosts are vocally supportive of Trump.
The pending agreement would hand over TikTok’s U.S. operations to a majority-American investor group, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Saturday. The app’s data and privacy in the U.S. would be led by Texas-based cloud computing company Oracle, she added.
Oracle’s cofounder and chief technology officer Ellison is a Trump ally who is the world’s second-richest person, according to Forbes. TikTok already works with Oracle. Since October 2022, “all new protected U.S. user data has been stored in the secure Oracle infrastructure, not on TikTok or ByteDance servers,” TikTok says on its website.
Leavitt told Fox News that six out of the seven board seats controlling the TikTok app in the U.S. would be held by Americans and that the app’s algorithm would be controlled by America.
“We are 100% confident that a deal is done,” Leavitt said.
In a Monday news briefing, Leavitt said Trump expected to sign the deal later this week.
ByteDance would retain a less than 20% stake in TikTok U.S. The investor group is still being sorted out, reported CNN, citing a White House official.
The White House, Dell Technologies and Oracle did not immediately return a request for comment. Fox Corp. declined to comment.
TikTok’s future has been uncertain for months since the law was signed. After Biden had signed the 2024 law, ByteDance was initially given a deadline of Jan. 19, which has since been extended several times by Trump. The current deadline is Dec. 16.
Any deal would also need the approval of the Chinese government.
On Friday, Trump suggested on his social media platform Truth Social that China’s president, Xi Jinping, had approved the pact during a call between the two leaders.
Reports cited Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency, which quoted Xi as saying the Chinese government “respects the wishes of companies and welcomes them to conduct commercial negotiations based on market rules and reach solutions that comply with Chinese laws and regulations and balance interests.”
ByteDance in a statement on Friday thanked President Xi and President Trump “for their efforts to preserve TikTok in the United States.”
“ByteDance will work in accordance with applicable laws to ensure TikTok remains available to American users through TikTok U.S.,” the company said.
Trump has said he believes TikTok played a key role in helping him reach younger voters and win the 2024 presidential election. During his first term, he was a prominent voice calling for TikTok to be banned during his broader campaign against China over trade and COVID-19.
Background
India and the European Union restarted trade negotiations in 2022, but talks gained urgency after U.S. President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases. Both India and the EU are now pushing for deals to counter rising trade pressures from Washington.
What Happened
According to Reuters, negotiators are meeting in New Delhi this week to resolve long-standing differences on agriculture, dairy, and non-tariff barriers before an ambitious year-end deadline. So far, 11 of 23 negotiating chapters have been settled, covering customs, digital trade, intellectual property, subsidies, and dispute resolution.
Why It Matters
A deal would mark India’s deepest trade partnership with the West, strengthening ties amid concerns about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s outreach to China and continued Russian oil imports. For Brussels, the pact would expand access to India’s vast market while countering U.S. tariff pressure.
Stakeholder Reactions
Indian officials stress they will not compromise on agriculture and dairy, while EU negotiators demand market access for cars and alcoholic drinks. Brussels has also raised concerns about New Delhi’s Russian oil imports, which it says weaken sanctions on Moscow. Indian officials, however, dismiss the EU’s planned carbon border tax as a “disguised trade barrier.”
What’s Next
EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen and trade chief Maros Sefcovic will join talks in Delhi later this week, alongside a high-level EU political and security delegation. Whether compromises emerge on agriculture, carbon taxation, and non-tariff rules will determine if a final agreement can be reached before year-end.
with information from Reuters
Graham Greene, the Oscar-nominated actor who helped open doors for Indigenous actors in Hollywood, died on Monday in Toronto after battling a long illness, Deadline and others report. The Canadian actor was 73.
Born in Ohsweken, on the Six Nations Reserve, Greene saw his Hollywood profile catapult after Kevin Costner cast him as Kicking Bird (Ziŋtká Nagwáka) in 1990’s “Dances With Wolves,” which won the Academy Award for best picture and earned Greene an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
During his screen career, which began with the 1979 Canadian drama series “The Great Detective,” Greene was cast in more than 180 films and TV shows. His first movie role was in 1983’s “Running Brave.”
He went on to star in several other high-profile films including “Maverick,” “The Green Mile,” “Die Hard With a Vengeance” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2.” The actor also appeared in “Tulsa King,” “Riverdale” and as Maximus in the final season of the Emmy-nominated show “Reservation Dogs,” which was among his final roles.
Graham Greene, right, and Kevin Costner in “Dances With Wolves.”
(Courtesy of Orion Pictures Corp.)
At the time of his death, he had eight upcoming projects, including the Stefan Ruzowitzky-directed thriller “Ice Fall,” which he had completed filming with Joel Kinnaman and Danny Huston. It’s scheduled to be released in October.
“He was a great man of morals, ethics and character and will be eternally missed,” Greene’s agent Michael Greene (no relation) said in a statement released to several outlets, including Deadline and TMZ. “You are finally free. Susan Smith is meeting you at the gates of heaven,” he added, referring to the actor’s former agent, who died in 2013.
Graham Greene and Molly Kunz in a scene from the 2021 drama “The Wolf and the Lion.”
(Emmanuel Guionet / Courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment)
Outside of his acting career, Greene won a Grammy in 2000 for best spoken word album for children for his work on “Listen to the Storyteller.” He is also a Gemini and Canadian Screen Award winner and an Independent Spirit nominee. In 2021, he was immortalized with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, and earlier this year, he received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in his native country.
Graham Greene in 2022 at the unveiling of his commemorative plaque for Arts & Entertainment on Canada’s Walk of Fame at Beanfield Centre in Toronto.
(Mathew Tsang / Getty Images)
In 1991, Greene told The Times that “Dances With Wolves” “was certainly the biggest film I’ve done. It’s made definite changes in my life — I’m more popular with the media, scripts are being offered to me from people I’ve never heard of. On the other hand, I’m being inundated. It’s good in a way. I shouldn’t complain.”
Greene is survived by his wife of 35 years, Hilary Blackmore; daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene; and grandson Tarlo.
While Isak’s move was one between Premier League clubs, many of the major deals this summer have involved signings from Europe.
Liverpool, for example, brought in Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m, Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79m, full-back Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5m, keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia for £29m and Giovanni Leoni from Parma for £26m.
In other headline deals, Arsenal spent a combined £114.5m on bringing in striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting and midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, while Manchester United signed striker Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig for £73.7m.
Premier League clubs buying players from the European leagues will have contributed to the Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1 finishing the window with a net profit of more than £400m between them.
“We are reaching a situation where the Premier League spending is so far ahead of the others and is so essential to the transfer market ecosystem, that the remaining ‘big five’ competitions are becoming feeder leagues,” said Paul MacDonald of FootballTransfers.com.
“La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 all spent this summer, but it was money they had already generated from sales.
“Put simply there is the ‘Big One’ – the Premier League is such a behemoth it should no longer really be categorised with the other leagues in Europe.”
SNOOKER star Mark Allen has slammed Sky Sports News over their transfer deadline day coverage.
It has been an action-packed day of transfers across the Premier League and EFL.
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But Allen has taken exception to the guests who have appeared on Sky Sports News.
He questioned the presence of ‘fans’ on the show discussing transfers, rather than experts.
The Northern Irishman tweeted: “Jesus, just turned on @SkySportsNews to follow deadline day…… why oh why are they bringing in fans rather than experts for discussions?
“Pretty sure paying customers won’t be happy with this. Sort it out.”
Allen, 39, is not afraid to voice his opinion – but this is one that has been shared by other viewers.
One wrote: “Podcasters and youtubers 👎🏼”
Another added: “Games gone Mark. Barely watch it now.”
A third wrote: “The whole thing is hyped-up nonsense!”
And another commented: “Like inviting me down to the Crucible to critique you, Ronnie and Judd’s long potting 🤣”
One supporter remarked: “Very poor.”
MARC GUEHI may be on standby to have a medical in London before his long signing-posted move to Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s mega-spending club are confident they will get their man having spent the whole summer pursuing the Crystal Palace captain.
But his arrival does not automatically mean that Joe Gomez, a £14M target of AC Milan, will be leaving.
For Liverpool continue to be deeply concerned that Ibrahima Konate will follow Trent Alexander-Arnold and leave for Real Madrid at the end of the season.
The centre back, after a difficult start to the season, played well alongside skipper Virgil van Dijk in Sunday’s 1 – 0 win over Arsenal.
But the fear within Anfield is that he already sees himself as a team mate of Alexander-Arnold by next summer.
And Guehi’s expected arrival, almost certainly as VVD’s regular partner would only further unsettle the Frenchman, 26.
Slot needs plenty of dependable back – up cover for the centre of his rearguard and Gomez, while susceptible to injury, provided exactly that after replacing thigh-injury victim Konate against the Gunners.
Liverpool do, of course have a new Italian stallion in Giovanni Leoni, bought from Parma for £24M.
There are high hopes for him down the line and last week received his first call – up to the senior national team.
But at the age of 18 he is still seen as one for the future and won’t be pushed so Gomez could well remain as the got – to guy for Slot.
MANCHESTER UNITED are set for a make-or-break deadline day after failing to sell any players this window.
But Ruben Amorim’s side is running out of time with the window shutting at 7pm tonight.
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United are keeping potential deals with Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens warm before deciding which one to go for.
Both players want to join Amorim’s side and were left out of their respective squads over the weekend. United aren’t in line to sign both goalkeepers.
£17million-rated Lammens, 23, is a project for the future, while World Cup winner Martinez can surely put things up between the sticks immediately.
SunSport understands Lammens is happy with the personal terms now on offer after talks stalled last week, and the Belgian wants to move to Old Trafford.
However, the Red Devils still need to agree a fee with Royal Antwerp, who are believed to be seeking £20 million.
Martinez, 32, would cost significantly more at around £40million and would demand higher wages in line with his current Villa Park deal, which still has five years left.
United winger Antony is expected to travel to Spain for a medical with Real Betis, where he enjoyed a revitalising six month loan last season.
He will take a significant pay cut to leave and will join Betis for £21.7m, with the deal made up of an initial £19m payment plus £3.4million in adds.
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It stalled on Friday night due to a £4-5million loyalty bonus that the player felt he was due from Old Trafford chiefs.
Jadon Sancho could follow in Marcus Rashford’s footsteps by joining Aston Villa on loan with hours left in the window.
Villa Park chiefs have made contact with Sancho’s camp over personal terms but there is no agreement yet on either.
Sancho has one year left on his United deal.
Sancho, 25, seems the most likely Bomb Squad member to stay at the moment due to his outrageous £350,000-per-week wages.
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Injuries to Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount have hit Kobbie Mainoo‘s slim chances of being allowed to leave United today.
The Red Devils were not willing to let him leave on loan anyway.
But the first half injury blows against Burnley have only hardened their resolve.
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United are waiting for a suitable loan offer from LaLiga side Elche for left-back Tyrell Malacia, but it looks set to happen today.
Malacia enjoyed a loan spell at PSV last season where he won the Dutch league.
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Sheffield Wednesday are in talks with United over a move for left-back Harry Amass.
United will consider a straight season-long loan as Amass, 18, is still seen as one for the future.
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Manchester United ace Kobbie Mainoo has told club officials he wants to move to Napoli.
According to The Mirror, Mainoo – who could cost £50million – wants to reunite with former team-mate Scott McTominay in Naples.
However, United have denied this is the case and are unwilling to cut ties with the midfield.
The same source claims Man Utd weren’t keen on the deal after seeing the impact of McTominay has had with the Italian champions.
The Red Devils would be keen to avoid a repeat of last year’s transfer mistake involving the Scotland international.
However, the England international is said to be “adamant” about making the move to the Serie A.
Manchester United ace Rasmus Hojlund is set to move to Napoli.
United have reportedly reached an agreement with the Partenopei for Hojlund.
According to transfer insider Nicolo Schira, the striker’s agent is currently in Naples to finalise the deal.
The paperwork is being completed and the Denmark international is signing a contract until 2030 with the option to extend for another year.
Marseille are working on a deal to sign Arsenal ace Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Zinchenko is among a group of players, which includes Jakub Kiwior, Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga, that will be allowed to leave the Gunners..
This comes as the North Londoners look to ensure they comply with UEFA’s Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules.
According to transfer insider David Ornstein, L’OM are exploring a permanent deal for Zinchenko but talks are complicated by his salary demands.
Xavi Simons has officially joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig.
Spurs confirmed Simons is joining the club on a five-plus-two-year contract.
This comes after the North Londoners struck a £52million deal with Leipzig.
The Playmaker revealed a meeting with Tottenham boss Thomas Frank was the moment he decided to join the club.
Liverpool are expected to make a record bid for Newcastle star Alexander Isak in the coming days.
SunSport revealed last week that the Reds’ chiefs had sanctioned a £130million bid for Isak.
And the Merseysiders are now expected to finally launch it ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline day.
According to The Telegraph, discussions over the potential sale of the striker have progressed in the last 24 hours.
Liverpool are now set to launch a Premier League record offer this weekend.
The Prem champions are hopeful that it will be accepted, although the bid is £20m short of the Magpies’ £150m valuation.
Jose Mourinho has left his position as Fenerbahce boss after failing to lead the Turkish giants to the Champions League.
Mourinho has been linked with a move to Nottingham Forest after the Premier League outfit’s current manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s explosive press conference.
Nuno claimed his relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is not as close as it used to be and strongly suggested he will be leaving the club.
SunSport, however, understand Nottingham have no interest in hiring Mourinho at the moment and their current manager is not leaving.
Marinakis also stated his relationship with Nuno is “solid” without problems “whatsoever” and the two will meet over the weekend.
The Greek businessman also said the Portuguese tactician is the right man to lead the Tricky Trees this season.
The new account comes as Trump has three times delayed implementing a ‘sell or ban’ law for the Chinese-owned app.
The White House has launched an official TikTok account, even as the future of the Chinese-owned social media app in the United States remains uncertain due to legislation passed by the US Congress last year.
The official White House account’s first post on Tuesday was a 27-second video featuring a voiceover from President Donald Trump, saying: “Every day I wake up determined to deliver a better life for the People all across this nation. I am your voice.”
The account’s description read: “Welcome to the Golden Age of America”.
TikTok, which remains owned by Chinese technology company ByteDance, is popular among young people, and has an estimated 170 million users in the US.
Trump has so far delayed the implementation of a 2024 law that ordered TikTok to either to sell to non-Chinese buyers or be banned in the US, with three 90-day extensions.
The US House of Representatives voted 352 to 65 in favour of the “sell or ban” bill in March 2024, with widespread support from both Republicans and Democrats.
The latest extension delaying the ban is due to expire in early September.
“My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress,” Trump posted on the Truth Social network, which he owns, in April.
Few representatives questioned the bill to ban TikTok at the time it was passed, although then-Democratic representative Barbara Lee asked why only one company was being singled out in an attempt to address problems that relate to social media companies more broadly.
“Rather than target one company in a rushed and secretive process, Congress should pass comprehensive data privacy protections and do a better job of informing the public of the threats these companies may pose to national security,” Lee had posted on the social media platform X.
Although the vast majority of both Democratic and Republican representatives supported the “sell or ban” bill, many members of both parties have used the TikTok platform for campaigning and official communications.
Both Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Trump used the app to campaign in the 2024 Presidential election.
On Tuesday, the US state of Minnesota joined a wave of states suing TikTok, alleging the social media giant preys on young people with addictive algorithms that trap them into becoming compulsive consumers of its short videos.
Minnesota is also among dozens of US states that have sued Meta Platforms for allegedly building features into Instagram and Facebook that addict people. The messaging service Snapchat and the gaming platform Roblox are also facing lawsuits by some other states alleging harm to children.
CHELSEA are willing to send out Raheem Sterling on loan again – as they try to shift up to TEN players before the transfer window closes.
Both the Blues and Sterling would prefer to find a permanent deal.
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But they equally want to avoid the kind of last-minute scramble that sent the England international to Arsenal last season.
Chelsea are seeking to offload Sterling, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, David Datro Fofana and Ben Chilwell in the next fortnight.
Young winger Tyrique George could also be on the way out, while defender Aaron Anselmino is surplus to the current requirements of boss Enzo Maresca.
Sterling has two years left on a contract worth more than £300,000 per week.
Chelsea ended up paying a significant proportion of those wages last season as part of an 11th-hour deal with the Gunners on transfer deadline day.
Sterling would prefer to stay in England and preferably in the London area. Son Thiago, eight, signing for Arsenal’s academy earlier this summer.
Fulham have shown interest but it is yet to turn into a concrete offer, and oversea clubs including Napoli have also been linked to the winger..
Chelsea still want to bring more new players IN to the club, despite already spending more than £240m this summer.
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They have recouped £200m in sales by moving on players like Noni Madueke, who joined Arsenal for £52m.
But the Blues will need to sell in order to feel comfortable about making deals for Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons.
So far Chelsea have struggled to find clubs willing to match their valuations for Jackson, Nkunku, Veiga, Chuwuemeka and Disasi.
And although the Blues would prefer to sell them all if possible, they are now open to loan deals with obligations or options to buy for at least some of them.
Napoli could now join Newcastle, Aston Villa, Juventus and AC Milan among the potential suitors for Jackson, after former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku suffered an injury.
But the Blues are struggling to create a competitive market for their other unwanted stars.
Duds ready to go – and where they could end up…
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has refused to rule out using Rasmus Hojlund on Sunday against Arsenal, despite the uncertainty over the striker’s future.
He is one more option. We will see and Rasmus is still our player.
Ruben Amorim
Mikel Arteta has outlined how he and his coaching staff plan to get the best out of new striker Viktor Gyokeres this season.
He said in his press conference today: “We want to do everything. First of all, understanding the player and exposing the player to the conditions that he can fulfil his incredible potential.
“Then that’s going to be the key, and the good thing is that many players, many strikers, they have come from different leagues, they have come to the Premier League and been successful.
“And it’s for us, creating the right context for Viktor to do what he does best, which is to score goals.”
Here’s a quick glance at Arsenal’s business already this summer…
IN
TOTAL – £208m
OUT
TOTAL – £7m
Arsenal have announced that Max Porter will take over as the club’s new U21 head coach.
Porter has been with the Gunners since 2017, where he started life as an U9s coach.
Since then he has worked with the U13s, U17s and U19s.
Academy manager Per Mertesacker said: “Max has got the qualities needed to be a successful leader and coach.
“The environment he creates for staff and young players is always one of high challenge and ultimate care. Max is driving the highest standards and is a brilliant colleague and coach.
“We are all looking forward to supporting Max as he continues to develop in this role, and thank him for all his hard work and commitment so far.”
Arsenal fans are clamouring to find out if new striker Viktor Gyokeres will start against Manchester United on Sunday.
Although Arteta didn’t give an explicit yes, the Gunners boss hinted that his new frontman is ready to go.
He said: “He’s getting better and better every day. He’s normally a really fit player. It’s true that he hasn’t trained so much with us.
“He had those two moments in games when he’s participated and the feeling was very good, so let’s see what we do on Sunday.”
Mikel Arteta has revealed that his players overwhelmingly voted in favour of keeping Martin Odegaard as captain this season.
Arsenal legend Tony Adams had said earlier in the week that Odegaard should be replaces by Declan Rice, but Arteta has revealed that is not a sentiment shared by the squad.
He said: “Well, my opinion is clear. It’s not just my opinion, it’s all the staff and especially the players.
“I asked them to vote for the captain and I got the result yesterday.
“By a mile, by a big, big 100 marks, everybody’s choosing the same person, which is Martin Odegaard, which is the most clear sign that you can have, how they feel about who has to be their captain to defend, improve and win the matches that we want to win.
“So there’s no question about that.”
The US and China have extended their trade truce until 10 November, just hours before a jump in tariffs had been set to take effect.
In a joint statement, the world’s two biggest economies said triple-digit tariffs on each other’s goods announced earlier this year will be suspended for another 90 days.
Talks last month ended with both sides calling the discussions “constructive”. China’s top negotiator said at the time that the two countries would push to preserve the truce, while US officials said they were waiting for final sign-off from US President Donald Trump.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order to extend the tariff truce.
It means Washington will further delay imposing 145% tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing will continue its pause on 125% duties on US shipments.
Under the agreement, the US will hold its tariffs on Chinese imports at 30%, while China will keep a 10% tariff on American goods.
The truce extension will give more time for negotiations about “remedying trade imbalances” and “unfair trade practices”, the White House said.
It cited a trade deficit of nearly $300bn (£223bn) with China in 2024 – the largest among any of its trading partner.
The talks will also aim to increase access for US exporters to China and address national security and economic issues, the statement said.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said: “Win-win cooperation between China and the United States is the right path; suppression and containment will lead nowhere.”
In the statement, China also called on the US to lift its “unreasonable” trade restrictions, work together to benefit companies on both sides and maintain the stability of global semiconductor production.
A return of higher duties would have risked further trade turmoil and uncertainty amid worries about the effect of tariffs on prices and the economy.
Trade tensions between the US and China reached fever pitch in April, after Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs on goods from countries around the world, with China facing some of the highest levies.
Beijing retaliated with tariffs of its own, sparking a tit-for-tat fight that saw tariffs soar into the triple digits and nearly shut down trade between the two countries.
The two sides had agreed to set aside some of those measures in May.
That agreement left Chinese goods entering the US facing an additional 30% tariff compared with the start of the year, with US goods facing a new 10% tariff in China.
The two sides remain in discussions about issues including access to China’s rare earths, its purchases of Russian oil, and US curbs on sales of advanced technology, including chips to China.
Trump recently relaxed some of those export restrictions, allowing firms such as AMD and Nvidia to resume sales of certain chips to firms in China in exchange for sharing 15% of their revenues with the US government.
The US is also pushing for the spin-off of TikTok from its Chinese owner ByteDance, a move that has been opposed by Beijing.
Earlier on Monday in remarks to reporters, Trump did not commit to extending the truce but said dealings had been going “nicely”. A day earlier he called on Beijing to increase its purchases of US soybeans.
Even with the truce, trade flows between the countries have been hit this year, with US government figures showing US imports of Chinese goods in June cut nearly in half compared with June 2024.
In the first six months of the year, the US imported $165bn (£130bn) worth of goods from China, down by about 15% from the same time last year. American exports to China fell roughly 20% year-on-year for the same period.
Aug. 8 (UPI) — President Donald Trump‘s deadline for Russia to end its ongoing war in Ukraine or face stiffer U.S. economic sanctions arrived Friday.
Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had been pushing for trilateral negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Moscow announced Thursday that Putin and Trump would hold a meeting about cease-fire talks in the coming days.
“It’s gonna be up to him (Putin),” Trump responded Thursday when asked about the looming deadline.
“We’re going to see what he has to say. It’s gonna be up to him. Very disappointed.”
There was no official word from Washington as Trump’s deadline arrived Friday.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow this week and has met with Putin. Officials have described those talks as constructive, while Trump this week called them “highly-productive.”
Russian and U.S. negotiators were reportedly close to a deal, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing sources close to the matter.
The deal would reportedly allow Russia to keep the territory it has gained thus far since it invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.
Last month, Trump announced he would enact “severe tariffs” if Russia failed to reach a peace deal with Ukraine within 50 days. Those sanctions were to encompass 100% secondary tariffs on countries doing business with Moscow, including those buying Russian oil.
Weeks later, Trump said he would shorten that 50-day window to reach a deal.
“I want to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made,” Trump told reporters at the time.
Trump this week imposed new tariffs on India in response to that country’s continued purchases of oil from Moscow.
Aug. 8 (UPI) — Texas Democrat elected officials who fled the state to prevent redistricting face Gov. Greg Abbot’s deadline Friday to return to the state.
The Texas House of Representatives will reconvene at 2 p.m. EDT Friday, and there would need to be at least 12 Democrats to have a quorum.
In a call with reporters, Texas Democratic Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, said he believed the majority of his colleagues are still committed to staying out of state until the end of session.
Texas Republicans seek to redraw the state’s maps to add five Republican House seats, an effort Democrats are blocking by fleeing the state to deny the Texas House the two-thirds quorum necessary.
Critics of the new maps said Republicans are seeking to increase Republican seats in the House through racial gerrymandering that reduces the voting power of people of color in the state.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he’ll go to court to try to remove the Democrats from office if they refuse to return. Gov. Greg Abbott, R, has sued the Democratic leader of the state House, Gene Wu, D-Houston, to have him removed.
Wu responded on CNN: “This is not my seat, and it’s sure as hell not Gov. Abbott’s seat. This seat belongs to the people of the state of Texas, and I’ve taken multiple oaths to defend them and protect them at any cost. … I have an obligation to stop [the redistricting] using every legal means necessary.”
Wu is required to respond Friday to the lawsuit before the Republican-dominated state Supreme Court.
The redistricting fight is going nationwide, with Republicans targeting Republican-heavy states with redistricting at the urging of President Donald Trump, who is concerned about the 2026 midterm elections.
Thursday, JD Vance visited Indianapolis to discuss redistricting in Indiana with Gov. Mike Braun. Republicans are also eyeing Ohio, where a state law requires the maps to be redrawn, and Missouri, for more seats. Democratic governors in California, Illinois, New York and other states are threatening to retaliate with their own redistricting.
Abbott said Friday if the Democrats don’t return to Texas soon, his party might draw a map that is even more GOP-friendly.
“If they don’t start showing up, I may start expanding,” Abbott said on the “Ruthless” podcast, a Fox News-owned conservative show. “We may make it six or seven or eight new seats we’re going to be adding on the Republican side.”