Irish court rejects Conor McGregor appeal in sexual assault case

Irish court rejects Conor McGregor appeal in sexual assault case

Mixed martial arts fighterConor McGregoron Thursday lost his attempt to overturn a jury's order that he compensate a woman who accused him of raping her, with Ireland's Court of Appeal rejecting the appeal in its entirety. The plaintiff, Nikita Hand, alleged that McGregor sexually assaulted her on December 9, 2018.A jury last year ordered McGregorto pay her nearly 250,000 euros ($285,250) in damages. McGregor, 36, denied the allegation and said he had "fully consensual sex" with Hand. He also denied causing bruising to the plaintiff. In the appeal heard earlier this month, lawyers for McGregor said the judge erred in directing the jury to decide whether he "assaulted" rather than "sexually assaulted" the victim. Judge Brian O'Moore said on Thursday that the appeal court had no doubt the overall effect of the trial judge's charge was to tell them the central allegation by Hand against McGregor was that he had raped her. McGregor's legal team had also argued that the judge should not have allowed a line of questioning during cross-examination regarding McGregor's "no comment" responses in a police interview. That ground was also rejected. Hand embraced a number of people beside her after the appeal court ruling. "To every survivor out there, I know how hard it is, but please don't be silenced. … You deserve to be heard, you also deserve justice. Today, I can finally move on and try to heal," Hand said in a statement outside the court. Hand told the high court in November that she and a friend made contact with McGregor, whom she knew, after a work Christmas party. She said they were driven by McGregor to a party in a penthouse room of a Dublin hotel where drugs and alcohol were consumed. She saidMcGregor, who was not in court on Thursday, took her to a bedroom in the penthouse and sexually assaulted her. Hand's lawyer told the jury that when she was referred to a sexual assault treatment unit the day after the alleged assault, a doctor was so concerned that he directed that photographs be taken of her injuries. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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July 31, 2025

Irish court rejects Conor McGregor appeal in sexual assault case

Irish court rejects Conor McGregor appeal in sexual assault case Mixed martial arts fighterConor McGregoron Thursday lost his attempt to ove...

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Tom Brady responds to Scottie Scheffler's comments about choosing family over sports

Tom Brady responds to Scottie Scheffler's comments about choosing family over sports

Scottie Scheffler and Tom Brady are not in the same season of life, but the two athletic titans have clashing opinions on how they view the balancing act ofparentingand professional sports. Earlier this month,world No. 1 golferScottie Scheffler made very clear where his priorities lie -- first as a family man for his wife and son, second as a professional golfer -- just days before winning his fourth major championship of his PGA career. Why Scottie Scheffler says winning at golf is 'not a fulfilling life' ahead of British Open In a July 15 press conference before the tournament began at Royal Portrush Golf Club, Scheffler delivered a deeply honest speech on success, sharing his poignant perspective that underscored the duality of motivation and fulfillment that he said is "something I wrestle with on a daily basis." "At the end of the day it's like -- this is not a fulfilling life," Scheffler said at the time, referring to winning at golf. "And all of a sudden you get to No. 1 in the world, and you're like, 'What's the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad?' Because if I win -- it's going to be awesome for about two minutes." In May, at just 29 years old, Scheffler, a two-time Masters champ in 2022 and 2024, won the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club. After his July 15 press conference, he also secured his first Open Championship title at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Scheffler now only needs a U.S. Open win to complete thePGA career grand slam. Speaking to that success, he told reporters, "If my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or with my son, that's gonna be the last day that I play out here for a living. This is not the be-all, end-all. This is not the most important thing in my life. And that's why I wrestle with, 'Why is this so important to me?' Because I would much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer." Brady, regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time with seven Super Bowl titles and countless stats in the football record books, had a few thoughts about Scheffler's comments, which he expanded on in hisweekly newsletter, 199, on Tuesday. Gisele Bundchen opens up about Tom Brady divorce, co-parenting and more "Scottie said he'd rather be a better father and husband than a good golfer. And my question is: why are those mutually exclusive?" Brady wrote in his newsletter. "Sure, they're different blocks on the pyramid, but they're part of the same pyramid. They're connected! For instance, I think part of being a great father is being a great example of doing what it takes to take care of your family. I chose to do it by playing football." He then argued that giving his all to his job was synonymous with being a great dad and family man. "The hours of practice, the moments when I was laser focused -- those were times when I believe I was doing the best possible thing for my family and my kids, by prioritizing my profession and teaching, by example, what it takes to be really good at your job," he wrote. Brady and his ex-wife, supermodel Giselle Bündchen, were married for 13 years and share two children. Brady also shares a son with actress and model Bridget Moynahan. Both Brady and Bündchen spoke candidly during their marriage about the impact his career had on the family dynamic. In a 2021 episode of his podcast, "Let's Go," Brady, then the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said, "My wife has held down the house for a long time now, and I think there's things that she wants to accomplish. You know, she hasn't worked as much in the last 10, 12 years, just raising our family and kind of committing to being in a life in Boston and then moving to Florida." In 2022, Bündchen told British Vogue that Brady's "focus is on his career, mine is mostly on the kids. And I'm very grateful that he lets me take the reins when it comes to our family." In February 2022, after two seasons with the Buccaneers, Brady announced hisretirementfrom the NFL, then 40 days later flipped the script andunretiredto return for his 23rd season in the league. At the time, Brady missed 11 days of training camp as the team gave him an excused absence to attend to personal matters. In October 2022, during what was Brady's final NFL season, Brady and Bündchen announced theirdivorce. Sports psychologist Dr. Leah Lagos told "Good Morning America" that "there's no one size fits all where every athlete has to prioritize their family over sport, or every athlete has to prioritize their sport over their family." "But knowing which kind of prioritizations and your preferences and just being very authentic about those and harnessing those with truth becomes very powerful," she added. "GMA" co-anchor and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, who played for the New York Giants for 15 years, also weighed in on Brady's and Scheffler's comments, as well as the balancing act that comes with being a professional athlete. "I don't know why it's an argument. Different things work for different people," he said Thursday. "I honestly think the sports are different. Golf, you go for a week and a lot of time they take their family. Football, you're in and out." "I think they're both at different stages of parenting as well. I do think, regardless of how great you are at your job, you are an example to your kids. I see both arguments. Neither is wrong. Both are great," Strahan added.

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July 31, 2025

Tom Brady responds to Scottie Scheffler's comments about choosing family over sports

Tom Brady responds to Scottie Scheffler's comments about choosing family over sports Scottie Scheffler and Tom Brady are not in the same...

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Tigers bolster bullpen and perhaps pitching chaos with right-handers Finnegan, Sewald and Heuer

Tigers bolster bullpen and perhaps pitching chaos with right-handers Finnegan, Sewald and Heuer

DETROIT (AP) — TheDetroit Tigersseem to be setting themselves up to potentially go back to what manager A.J. Hinch callspitching chaos. Detroit bolstered its bullpen, and options in games without a traditional starting pitcher, with a series of moves to add a trio of right-handers in the hours before the trade deadline on Thursday. The Tigers acquired Washington's Kyle Finnegan, Cleveland's Paul Sewald and Texas minor leaguer Codi Heuer for prospects and cash. Detroit made the trades — and one earlier this week — hoping to increase its chances of winning aWorld Seriesfor the first time in more than four decades. The AL Central-leading Tigerswon their fourth straightgame with newly acquired starting pitcher Chris Paddack on Wednesday, two days after he was added in a trade with the Minnesota Twins. Later that day, they acquired right-handed reliever Rafael Montero from Atlanta for minor league infielder Jim Jarvis. Detroit has nearly a double-digit game lead in a division suddenly filled with rebuilding teams, including the defending AL Central-championGuardians, and is vying with Toronto and Houston for the best record in the league. The Tigers, trying to take advantage of ace Tarik Skubal and a balanced lineup, are aiming for their first World Series title since 1984. Detroit earned a spot in the playoffs last year for the first time in the decade after a late-season surge, using Hinch's unconventional approach to using relievers to start and pitch in games for an inning or two. The 33-year-old Finnegan was an All-Star in 2024, but his velocity has been down this season. He has 20 saves with a 4.38 ERA in 2025. In the trade for Finnegan, the Tigers sent minor league pitchers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales, Detroit's third and 10th round draft picks from 2024, respectively, to Washington. The 35-year-old Sewald is eligible to return from the injured list on Sunday after being shut down with a strained right shoulder, but he isn't expected to pitch until September. He is 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA in 18 games this season, averaging more than one strikeout each inning. The 29-year-old Heuer, who will report to Triple-A Toledo, was 3-2 with a 3.43 ERA and four saves in 35 games at Triple-A Round Rock this year and pitched in one game for the Rangers. Detroit opens a three-game series Friday night at Philadelphia. ___ AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/MLB

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July 31, 2025

Tigers bolster bullpen and perhaps pitching chaos with right-handers Finnegan, Sewald and Heuer

Tigers bolster bullpen and perhaps pitching chaos with right-handers Finnegan, Sewald and Heuer DETROIT (AP) — TheDetroit Tigersseem to be s...

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Trump announces 90-day negotiating period with Mexico as 25% tariff rates stay in place

Trump announces 90-day negotiating period with Mexico as 25% tariff rates stay in place

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will enter a 90-day negotiating period with Mexico over trade as25% tariff ratesstay in place, part of the rush oftrade activityThursday beforePresident Donald Trumpplans to impose a broad set of globalimport taxesstarting Friday. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that his phone conversation with Mexican leader Claudia Sheinbaum was "very successful in that, more and more, we are getting to know and understand each other." The Republican president had threatenedimport taxesof 30% on goods from Mexico in a July letter, something that Sheinbaum said Mexico gets to stave off for the next three months. "We avoided the tariff increase announced for tomorrow and we got 90 days to build a long-term agreement through dialogue," Sheinbaum wrote on X. The leaders' morning call came at a moment of pressure and uncertainty for the world economy. Nations are scrambling to finalize the outlines of a trade framework with Trump in order to avoid him simply imposing higher tariff rates that could upend economies and governments. Trump reached a deal withSouth Koreaon Wednesday, and earlier with the European Union, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. His commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, said on Fox News Channel's "Hannity" that there were agreements with Cambodia and Thailand after they had agreed to a ceasefire to their border conflict. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump "at some point this afternoon or later this evening" will sign an order to impose new tariff rates starting midnight on Friday. Countries that have not received a prior letter on tariffs from Trump or negotiated a trade framework will be notified of their likely tariff rates, either in the form of a letter or through the executive order, she said. Among those uncertain about their trade status were wealthy Switzerland and Norway. Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg said it was "completely uncertain" whether a deal would be completed before Trump's deadline. But even the public announcement of a deal can offer scant reassurance for an American trading partner. EU officials are waiting to complete a crucial document outlining how the framework to tax imported autos and other goods from the 27-member state bloc would operate. Trump had announced a deal Sunday while he was in Scotland. "The U.S. has made these commitments. Now it's up to the U.S. to implement them. The ball is in their court," EU commission spokesman Olof Gill said. The document would not be legally binding. Trump said as part of the agreement with Mexico that goods imported into the U.S. would continue to face a 25% tariff that he has ostensibly linked to fentanyl trafficking. He said autos would face a 25% tariff, while copper, aluminum and steel would be taxed at 50% during the negotiating period. He said Mexico would end its "Non Tariff Trade Barriers," but he didn't provide specifics. Some goods continue to be protected fromthe tariffsby the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, orUSMCA, which Trump negotiated during his first term. But Trump appeared to have soured on that deal, which is up for renegotiation next year. One of his first significant moves as president was to tariff goods from both Mexico and Canada earlier this year. U.S. Census Bureau figures show that the U.S. ran a $171.5 billion trade imbalance with Mexico last year. That means the U.S. bought more goods from Mexico than it sold to the country. The imbalance with Mexico has grown in the aftermath of the USMCA as it was only $63.3 billion in 2016, the year before Trump started his first term in office. Besides addressing fentanyl trafficking, Trump has made it a goal to close the trade gap. ___ Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

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July 31, 2025

Trump announces 90-day negotiating period with Mexico as 25% tariff rates stay in place

Trump announces 90-day negotiating period with Mexico as 25% tariff rates stay in place WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will enter a 90-...

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Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis says he won't seek reelection after 15 terms in Congress

Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis says he won't seek reelection after 15 terms in Congress

CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. Rep.Danny Davisannounced Thursday that he won't seek reelection next year after 15 terms in office, making him the latest longtime Illinois Democrat to announce their retirement from Congress. Davis, 83, sits on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means. First elected in 1996, he represents a solidly Democratic district that includes downtown Chicago, large sections of the city's South and West Sides, and inner ring suburbs. "We're not going to go away," Davis said, flanked by his wife, local pastors and congressmen at a parking lot in East Garfield Park on Chicago's West Side. "But the time has come." Davis's retirement adds to an already unsettled 2026 congressional landscape in Illinois, where there are now four open seats. His announcement comes months after longtimeU.S. Rep. Jan Schakowskysaid she won't run again and U.SSen. Dick Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, decided he won't seek a sixth term in 2026. There are two other open congressional seats, with U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly planning to run for Senate. Davis emphasized the importance of passing the torch to young people "who can grow into leadership" and said he will campaign for them in 2026. He warned about "tyrants likeDonald Trump" and efforts to undo his and other Democratic officials' health care advocacy efforts. "There are efforts right now underway to try to diminish Medicare, Medicaid," he said Thursday. "If those programs are seriously diminished, thousands and thousands and thousands of people will not have access to health care." Davis has easily won reelection for decades, enjoying his status as a respected elder statesman. Known for his deep and distinct voice, he remained visible in his district, which includes large low-income pockets. However, his last two primaries werechallenging, with questions about his age and whether he remained the right fit for the district. During the campaign, he fended off questions about his acumen by playing up his experience and using humor. "I'm not running to be the quarterback for the (Chicago) Bears. I'm not running to carry the torch in the Olympics," he told the Associated Press last year. "I'm running to use my knowledges, my expertise, my intellect." Davis — among the most liberal members of Congress and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus — has made issues of racial equality central to his political career. Davis was among the House Democrats who took part in a 2016 sit-in to demand a vote on gun control measures. His advocacy took a personal turn later that year when his15-year-old grandson was fatally shotin Chicago after a dispute over basketball shoes. He also pushed for legislation that would ban racial profiling, saying he was a victim of it himself when he was pulled over by two white police officers in Chicago. He was co-chair of the Congressional Black Men and Boys Caucus, which was formed in 2013 after the death of 17-year-oldTrayvon Martin, the Florida teenager who was shot and killed during a confrontation with a neighborhood watch volunteer. Over the years, he has also pushed for legislation to help former prison inmates find jobs and has helped inmates in his district by sponsoring workshops. He has spent Christmas Day with inmates at Cook County Jail. Born in Arkansas to a sharecropper father, Davis worked as a school teacher and Civil Rights activist. Before Congress, he served as a Chicago city alderman and Cook County board member. In 1991, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Chicago against Mayor Richard M. Daley. "I rose from the cotton fields of Arkansas," Davis said. "I used to pick cotton. The hands that picked cotton ended up picking presidents. I've known five of them." He actively sought other offices while in Congress too. He contemplated another Chicago mayoral run in 2010 after Daley announced he was leaving office. In 2009, he threw his name in the hat for Cook County Board president, filing as a candidate for Congress and for board president. He eventually dropped the board president bid. Word of Davis' retirement set off a scramble among potential replacements, including on Thursday when Davis endorsed longtime state legislator, Rep. La Shawn Ford of Chicago. Davis called Ford "young, energetic, super ready," calling it "my honor, my pleasure, my delight" to endorse him. Several others have floated the idea of running, including Chicago City Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who unsuccessfully challenged Davis last year, and businessman Jason Friedman.

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July 31, 2025

Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis says he won't seek reelection after 15 terms in Congress

Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis says he won't seek reelection after 15 terms in Congress CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. Rep.Danny Davisannounc...

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