Nike releases — and sells out — WNBA star Caitlin Clark's version of Kobe Bryant's sneaker

Nike releases — and sells out — WNBA star Caitlin Clark's version of Kobe Bryant's sneaker

Caitlin Clark's version of a popular Nike sneaker, where the WNBA superstar etched her name next to the late NBA icon Kobe Bryant, dropped and sold out quickly on Monday morning. The Kobe V Protroretails for $190and incorporates slightly more splashy versions of blue, red, and gold, colors of her team, the Indiana Fever. They were made available online at 10 a.m. EDT, and Nike's initial offering of the shoes was gone in minutes. It wasn't immediately clear how many pairs Nike sold or when the next offering would be made available. The Protros already appeared in the resale markets, with the onlineseller eBay featuringscores of pairs for more than $350. A rep for Nike could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday. Nike described the sneakers' shades as "Midnight Navy, Bright Crimson, vibrant hits of University Gold, and polished off with a high-gloss finish that glistens under the spotlight." Before his retirement in 2016 and death in a2020 helicopter crash, Bryant was arguably basketball's most famous contemporary name. And likewise, Clark has become the world's biggest name in women's basketball, if not the sport at large. Clark finished her amateur career at the University of Iowa last year as her sport'sall-time leading scorerbefore winning theWNBA's Rookie of the Year award. She was namedTime Magazine's Athlete of the Yearfor 2024. Also on Sunday, Clark and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier were named captains for the WNBA's All-Star Game, which will be held on July 19 at Fever's home court, Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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June 30, 2025

Nike releases — and sells out — WNBA star Caitlin Clark's version of Kobe Bryant's sneaker

Nike releases — and sells out — WNBA star Caitlin Clark's version of Kobe Bryant's sneaker Caitlin Clark's version of a popular ...

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EA Sports teases return of beloved college basketball video game in cryptic tweet

EA Sports teases return of beloved college basketball video game in cryptic tweet

EA Sports delighted video-game fans last July with the release of "College Football 25." Now, the company might try to recapture that magic with the return of another beloved sports franchise. EA Sports sent out a cryptic tweet Monday teasing the return of its college basketball video-game franchise. Bring the Madness. Let's run it back.#CBB#ItsInTheGamepic.twitter.com/iBNhGxn2yj — EA SPORTS (@EASPORTS)June 30, 2025 The tweet didn't exactly confirm the series — known as EA Sports' "NCAA Basketball" — would return, but it seems pretty likely. Why else would the company tweet about a long discontinued game series? Multiple reports suggest the series is aiming for a return in 2028. Roughly 730 teams are expected to be included, as the game will look to include both men's and women's players, per The Athletic. More on the College Basketball video game coming back, per source:- Upwards of 730 teams (men and women)- Plan is game modes like CFB- 2028 release date because it takes a LONG time to get assets and build a gameConfirming@MattBrownEP's reporting.https://t.co/LqhMQMLoKi — Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini)June 30, 2025 EA Sports' "NCAA Basketball" was a series of video games the company put out regularly between 1998 and 2009. It was known as "NCAA March Madness" the first 11 years of its existence before adopting the "NCAA Basketball" branding in its final two years. If you want to feel old, the last athlete to grace the cover of "NCAA Basketball" was Blake Griffin. The Oklahoma star appeared on the cover just months after the Los Angeles Clippers made him the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Griffin hasn't played in the NBA since the 2022-23 season, which gives a sense of how long the "NCAA Basketball" series has been on hiatus. The successful return of "College Football 25" may have played a role in EA Sports reviving its college basketball series. "College Football 25"received an 83 ratingon Metacritic, a strong figure for a sports game. That represents an increase over "NCAA Basketball 10," which received a 75 on the website before EA Sports discontinued the series.

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June 30, 2025

EA Sports teases return of beloved college basketball video game in cryptic tweet

EA Sports teases return of beloved college basketball video game in cryptic tweet EA Sports delighted video-game fans last July with the rel...

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Seattle switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje picked for All-Star Futures Game at Atlanta on July 12

Seattle switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje picked for All-Star Futures Game at Atlanta on July 12

NEW YORK (AP) — Seattle switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje was among nine first-round picks from last year's amateur draft selected Monday for the All-Star Futures Game at Atlanta's Truist Park on July 12. A 22-year-old from the Netherlands selected with the 15th overall pick, Cijntje is 4-4 with 4.88 ERA in 12 starts and three relief appearances for High-A Everett in his first professional season, striking out 58 and walking 31 in 51 2/3 innings. He has held 180 batters to a .165 average (26 for 158) with seven home runs pitching right-handed and 42 batters to a .360 average (9 for 25) with two home runs pitching left-handed. Among other first-round picks from last year are Colorado first baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon (third), St. Louis shortstop JJ Wetherholt (seventh), Pittsburgh shortstop Konnor Griffin (ninth), Chicago White Sox outfielder Braden Montgomery (12th), New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge (19th), Toronto right-hander Trey Yesavage (20th), Minnesota shortstop Kaelen Culpepper (21st) and Arizona outfielder Slade Caldwell (29th). There are 17 former first-round picks overall. San Diego 18-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries is among 13 international prospects, including five from the Dominican Republic, three from Venezuela, two from Canada, and one each from the Bahamas, Cuba and Panama. Detroit outfielder Max Clark was picked for the second straight year after going 1 for 4 at Texas last July. Washington right-hander Marquis Grissom Jr. is on the NL team. His father,Marquis Grissom, is the AL manager, while the NL is managed by Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones. Among 1,170 players who have appeared in Futures Games, 86.5% have played in at least one big league game and 250 total players (21.4%) have been selected for a major league All-Star Game. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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June 30, 2025

Seattle switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje picked for All-Star Futures Game at Atlanta on July 12

Seattle switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje picked for All-Star Futures Game at Atlanta on July 12 NEW YORK (AP) — Seattle switch-pitcher Jurr...

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Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'? FAA notice hints at presidential stop

Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'? FAA notice hints at presidential stop

IsPresident Donald Trumpheading to Florida's so-called"Alligator Alcatraz"immigration detention center? The Federal Aviation Administration issued a "VIP Movement Notification" for Tuesday, July 1, for Ochopee, Fla. The alert is for a 30/10 NMR, which stands for a protective inner core radius of 10 nautical miles and an outer ring radius of 30 nautical miles. Those distances are reserved for the U.S. president. Ochopee is the site of Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport. It has been in the news for more than a week as the location of a planned immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades that has been dubbedAlligator Alcatraz. However, a notice of temporary flight restrictions had not been posted by the FAA. An attempt to seek confirmation Sunday from the White House on the president's travel plans this week was not successful. The president, who was focused on U.S. Senate passage of the massiveGOP tax and spending billall weekend, had not posted about a potential visit on his Truth Social account either. Florida Gov.Ron DeSantisdid offer the president an invitation to visit the facility during a cable news interview. The governor even said that Air Force One could land at the Everglades airstrip, once envisioned as an airport site. The first detainees from what Trump has promised will be the biggest immigration deportation crackdown in U.S. history are to arrive at the holding facility July 1. "I think the president will be impressed with what these guys are doing out here," DeSantis said on the "Fox and Friends" program June 29. Nonetheless, the development of a detention facility at the site near Everglades National Park is a source of contention. Two groups, Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, have filed a lawsuit against the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stop what they said is the "unlawful construction of a prison in the heart of the Everglades." Sierra Club Florida also is opposed to the development, which it said is "irresponsible." "This proposal is not only deeply inhumane, it is profoundly irresponsible from an environmental, ethical, and fiscal standpoint," the state chapter of the national organization said in a statement June 24. On Saturday, June 28, protesters gathered at the access road to the Dade-Collier Airport to protest the construction of the detention center. The demonstration was led by Betty Osceola, an activist and a member of the Miccosukee tribe. The president's visit would come as his immigration policies are roiling Miam-Dade County, a jurisdiction that has been a longtime bastion of Hispanic population, business hub and political base. And a place where Republicans have made significant inroads in the Trump era. Trump crushed Vice PresidentKamala Harrisin the traditional blue county in the 2024 presidential balloting. He lost the county to PresidentJoe Bidenin 2020, though by a narrower margin than in 2016 against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. But the crackdown on immigration, particularly detaining and deporting people with pending asylum and other status cases, has caused consternation. So has the administration's ending temporary protective status for Venezuelans and canceling a humanitarian parole program that benefited Cubans and Nicaraguans. Earlier this month, state Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Miami Republican, spoke out on X in a post highly critical of White House immigration adviser Stephen Miller. "I understand the importance of deporting criminal aliens, but what we are witnessing are arbitrary measures to hunt down people who are complying with their immigration hearings — in many cases, with credible fear of persecution claims — all driven by a Miller-like desire to satisfy a self-fabricated deportation goal," wrote Garcia, a founder of the Latinas for Trump movement. "This undermines the sense of fairness and justice that the American people value," she said. Another southern Miami-Dade County immigration holding facility, the Krome Detention Center, has been the site of protests. Activists and attorneys for some of those being held there have decried the conditions and overcrowding. While critical of the Biden Administration's border policies, Miami's three Cuban-American members of Congress, Mario-Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar, have also supported continuing TPS coverage for Venezuleans. In May, the three, all Republicans, issued a statement saying they "have consistently supported and will continue to support Temporary Protected Status" for Venezuelans in the United States. "There is a clear distinction between individuals, such as members of the Tren de Aragua who exploited Biden's open border and wreaked havoc on American communities, and the many Venezuelans who have arrived in our country, fleeing the political crises under the repressive dictatorship of [Nicolás] Maduro with legitimate claims of persecution," the lawmakers said. Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor atThe Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him atafins@pbpost.com. This article originally appeared on USATNetwork:Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'?

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June 30, 2025

Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'? FAA notice hints at presidential stop

Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'? FAA notice hints at presidential stop IsPresident Donald Trumpheading to Florida's so-cal...

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States brace for impact as Trump's big bill nears completion in Congress

States brace for impact as Trump's big bill nears completion in Congress

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — PresidentDonald Trump'sbig bill to cut taxesand reduce federal spending on some social safety net programs could have large implications for states, but for many it's too late to do much about it this year. Tuesday marks the start of a new budget year in 46 states. Though some legislatures are still working, most already have adjourned and finalized their spending plans without knowing whether federal funding will be cut and, if so, by how much. "The ebb and flow of rumors and reality have created great uncertainty and some anxiety in state governments," said David Adkins, executive director of The Council of State Governments. Several states have taken preemptive steps, setting aside money in reserves or tasking committees to monitor the impact of federal funding reductions. Others are tentatively planning to return in special sessions this year to account for potential fundingcuts to joint federal-state programssuch as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Others will have to wait until their legislatures are back in session next year. What's at stake for states? "If there are significant cuts, states wouldn't be able to fully absorb those," said Brian Sigritz, director of state fiscal studies at the National Association of State Budget Officers. Nationally, theMedicaid health care programfor lower-income residents accounts for 30% of total state expenditures, according to the health policy research organization KFF. That makes it the costliest program in many states, ahead of even K-12 education. The bulk of Medicaid money comes from the federal government, meaning any changes in federal policy can create big ripples for states. Legislation pending in Congress would affect Medicaid in several ways. New work requirements are expected toreduce enrollment by millionsof people, while other proposed changes also could reduce federal payments to states. Until now the federal government also has covered the full cost of SNAP benefits and half the administrative costs. Trump's bill would shift more of those costs to states, leaving them to either divert money from other purposes or trim back their food assistance programs. The Medicaid and SNAP changes are just the latest in a series of Trump policies affecting state finances, including the rollback of grants fortransportationandhigh-speed internet projectsand attempts to withhold federal funds fromsanctuary jurisdictionsthat limit cooperation with federalimmigrationauthorities. Some legislatures are stocking up on savings A surge in federal aid and state tax revenue during the coronavirus pandemic led to booming budgets andhistoric cash surplusesin many states. As revenues slow and those surpluses get spent, some states now are trying to guard against federal funding reductions. New Mexicoenacted a lawthis year creating a Medicaid trust fund gradually stocked with up to $2 billion that can be tapped to prop up the program if federal funding cuts would otherwise cause a reduction in coverage or benefits. Hawaii lawmakers, in crafting the state's budget, left an extra $200 million in the general fund as a contingency against federal funding uncertainty. They plan to return for a special session. And Vermont's budget sets aside up to $110 million in case federal funding is cut. That includes $50 million that can be spent while the Legislature is not in session and up to $60 million that could be appropriated in the future to address federal funding shortfalls. Though not necessarily tied to federal cuts, Florida lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment that wouldset aside $750 million a year— or an amount equal to up to 25% of the state's general revenue, whichever is less — in a reserve fund that lawmakers could use for emergencies. That measure still must go before voters. Some governors are cutting back on spending Because of legislative deadlines, some state lawmakers had to craft budgets well before the details of Trump's bill took shape. Virginia lawmakers passed a budget in February for their fiscal year that starts Tuesday. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announcedseveral dozen line-item vetoesin May with the goal of creating a roughly $900 million financial cushion. "There are some short-term risks as President Trump resets both fiscal spending in Washington and trade policies that require us to be prudent and not spend all of the projected surplus before we bank it," Youngkin said in a statement. Other states also have left money unspent, even though it has not always been touted as a buffer against federal cuts. States are "enacting really cautious budgets, knowing that they may have to kind of revise them in special sessions or address changes in next year's sessions," said Erica MacKellar, a fiscal affairs program principal at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some are taking a wait-and-see approach Before adjourning their sessions, some state legislatures established procedures to monitor federal funding cuts and recommend budgetary changes. Montana's budget includes $50,000 for an analysis of the financial implications of federal actions, but that spending kicks in only upon the cancellation of at least $50 million of previously approved federal funding or the anticipated loss of at least $100 million of future revenue. If federal funding to Maryland decreases by at least $1 billion,a provision approved by lawmakersrequires the state budget office to submit a report to the General Assembly with proposed actions and potential spending reductions. The spending plan passed by Connecticut lawmakers also requires the state budget office to respond quickly to federal reductions by identifying state funds that could be used to preserve programs, particularly those providing health care, food assistance, education and other priorities. North Dakota lawmakers left room for more work. They adjourned their biennial session six days shy of their 80-day limit, allowing time to reconvene if needed.

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June 30, 2025

States brace for impact as Trump's big bill nears completion in Congress

States brace for impact as Trump's big bill nears completion in Congress JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — PresidentDonald Trump'sbig bill ...

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