Goal No. 1 for Renegade: Overcome fabled Kentucky Derby jinx

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is one of the few times in thoroughbred racing when getting first is not something to celebrate.

Last Saturday, during the draw for this Saturday's 152nd running of the race at Churchill Downs, that distinction went to Renegade.

Despite the ominous spot for Renegade, Churchill Downs' morning-line oddsmaker Nick Tammaro still set the 3-year-old colt as his early 4-1 favorite for the 1-1/4-mile race that serves as the start of racing's Triple Crown.

Drawing the inside post means Renegade will be the horse closest to the rail. While he would have the shortest path to the finish line, he will also have to avoid getting pinched along the rail as up to 19 competitors try to move in at the start.

The last horse to win from the No. 1 post position was Ferdinand in 1986, the last Derby win for legendary jockey Bill Shoemaker.

As for Renegade, the horse trained by Todd Pletcher has never finished out of the money in five starts. After placing twice and showing once in his 2-year-old campaign, Renegade has won both starts this year, including the Arkansas Derby a month ago.

Another horse seeking to buck a trend is Emerging Market. Trainer Chad Brown's horse, who has morning-line odds of 15-1, won the Louisiana Derby in just his second start. However, the last horse to win the Kentucky Derby in just a third start was Leonatus in 1883.

Brown, though, thinks his colt can end that 143-year streak.

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"He has such a wonderful mind and is so calm and collected," said Brown, whose entry got the 15th gate.

Based on Tammaro's projected odds, Renegade is considered one of four horses that stand out in the field. The co-second choices are Further Ado and Commandment at 6-1. Both are trained by Brad Cox, a Louisville native. Commandment has won four straight, including the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 28, while Further Ado impressed many with his 11-length win in the Blue Grass Stakes a week later at Keeneland.

Commandment drew the sixth post, and Further Ado will break from the 17th. Further Ado moved into that spot after Silent Tactic was scratched on Wednesday.

The fourth choice at 8-1 is Chief Wallabee, who will break from the 12th gate. He finished second to Commandment in the Fountain of Youth Stakes in February and third in the Florida Derby. Trained by Bill Mott, who won the Kentucky Derby last year with Sovereignty, is adding blinkers to the colt in hopes it will improve his performance.

"He seemed to be maybe just a little more straight and maybe a little more true," Mott said after the draw.

Another horse drawing interest is The Puma, who won the Tampa Bay Derby on March 7 and followed that up by finishing second in the Florida Derby three weeks later. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the colt will break ninth and has odds of 10-1.

Trainer Bob Baffert has a pair of longshots in the field as he seeks a record seventh Derby win. Litmus Test is 30-1 coming off a seventh-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, while Potente, at 20-1, finished second in the Santa Anita Derby to So Happy (15-1). Litmus Test is starting fourth, Potente 14th.

There are currently 20 horses entered, with three also-eligibles. Great White joined the field Wednesday after Silent Tactic was scratched. An also-eligible can enter the race, based on the points they acquired in prep races, if another starter is scratched before 9 a.m. ET Friday.

--Steve Bittenbender, Field Level Media

byVaclav Urich

in

April 30, 2026

Goal No. 1 for Renegade: Overcome fabled Kentucky Derby jinx

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is one of the few times in thoroughbred racing when getting first is n...

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Vatican court deadline passes for prosecutors to deposit all evidence in financial trial

ROME (AP) — Vatican prosecutors on Thursday seemingly defied anappeals court orderto turn over to the defense all the evidence gathered in the Vatican’s big financial trial, setting the stage for another clash in the long-running case.

Vatican Trial

In a three-page letter, prosecutors said they would allow the appeals court judges to consult the material. But they didn’t deposit the documentation for the defense to see in the chancery as ordered, saying it was “irrelevant” to the trial and could harm the Vatican’s interests.

It wasn’t immediately clear howthe appeals courtwould respond. The next hearing is scheduled for June 22.

A vast inquiry

Prosecutors had acquired the material during their sprawling investigation into a 350-million-euro (around $410 million) investment by the Vatican Secretariat of State into a London property. In December 2023, after a two-year trial, a cardinal and eight other people were convicted of several financial charges. But the prosecutors’ overarching theory of a grand scheme to defraud the Holy Seewas thrown out.

Defense lawyers had argued from the start of the trial that their clients couldn't get a fair trial with key evidence either redacted or withheld entirely by the prosecution. They cited in particular the full interrogations of a key prosecution witness and contents of his sequestered laptops and cellphones.

Prosecutors had argued that the redactions were necessary to preserve the integrity of other, ongoing investigations and refused aninitial Oct. 6, 2021 court orderto turn over the documentation.

An order to turn over the evidence

Attorney Luigi Panella, defending money manager Enrico Crasso, had argued from the verystart of the trial, in July 2021, that the indictment was null because prosecutors had withheld evidence from the defense.

Five years later, the appeals court on March 17 agreed with him and other defense lawyers. The court ordered the prosecutors to deposit in the chancery “all the acts and documents of the investigation in their integral version” by April 30.

In response Thursday, the prosecutors repeated their objection to the court ruling and reasoned that the material was “irrelevant” to the case. They said it “could pose a grave danger” to the public interest, if given over to the defense lawyers. Prosecutors told the judges the material remained in their offices and was available for “consultation” to the judges via USB drive.

Court calls for retrial

The appeals court had determined that the refusal of prosecutors to provide all the evidence to the defense in the first round of the trial had nullified the original indictment. The appeals court declared a partial mistrial and ordered a retrial.

Defense lawyers said the prosecutors’ response to the appeals court order amounted to contempt.

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“In what country in the world can it be that the acts (of an investigation) are shown to the judge but not to the defense?” Panella said in a telephone interview. “What concept of ‘fair trial’ can this type of statement represent?”

A request to end the trial

Attorneys Cataldo Intrieri and Massimo Bassi, defending former Vatican official Fabrizio Tirabassi, said that the prosecutors’ response was unprecedented.

“We wonder how a fair judgment can be reached under these conditions,” they said in a statement that urged the court to throw out the trial entirely.

Attorneys Fabio Viglione and Maria Concetta Marzo, representing Cardinal Angelo Becciu, said that the prosecutors’ response constituted a failure to comply with the court order.

“This is precisely the selective discretion that the court has ruled out: the prosecution cannot unilaterally decide which documents the defense has the right to access,” they said. “The right to defense, the equality of the parties, and the adversarial process require full access to the documents.”

A separate blow to the Vatican

Swiss federal prosecutors shelved an investigation initiated in 2020 after the Vatican Secretariat of State accused Crasso, its former money manager, of embezzlement, fraud and disloyal administration in a complaint filed with Swiss prosecutors. The accusations paralleled those against Crasso in the Vatican tribunal.

Crasso had managed the Secretariat of State’s assets while employed at Credit Suisse Italia and Credit Suisse in Switzerland, before he launched his own company and fund that took over the Vatican accounts.

In a decision dated April 23, Swiss federal prosecutor Annina Scherrer noted that the Vatican tribunal itself had acquitted Crasso and his company and fund of the same charges definitively and shelved the Swiss case.

But in her 31-page ruling, Scherrer noted “with a certain surprise” that her requests to Vatican prosecutors to question some of the key witnesses had been refused after clearly being sent to the Vatican Secretary of State to evaluate. She said that demonstrated the Secretariat of State’s “influence” over the entire Vatican judicial system, which is supposed to be independent.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’scollaborationwith The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

byVaclav Urich

in

April 30, 2026

Vatican court deadline passes for prosecutors to deposit all evidence in financial trial

ROME (AP) — Vatican prosecutors on Thursday seemingly defied anappeals court orderto turn over to the defense all the evidence gathered...

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Cambodian court upholds opposition leader's treason conviction

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — ACambodiancourt Thursday upheld the treason conviction and 27-year prison sentence for opposition leader Kem Sokha, whose 2017 arrest opened a broad government crackdown on political opponents in the country.

Cambodia Politics

The Phnom Penh Appeals Court also barred Kem Sokha from leaving the country for five years after he finishes his sentence, which he is serving under house arrest.

Cambodia’s government has long been accused of using the judicial system topersecute critics and political opponents. The government insists it promotes the rule of law under an electoral democracy, but political parties seen as potential rivals have been dissolved by the courts or had their leaders jailed or harassed.

Kem Sokha, now 72, wasconvicted in 2023following a long pretrial detention. He was accused of conspiring with the United States to topple the Cambodian government. The primary evidence against him was a video of him discussing political advice from U.S.-based pro-democracy groups.

His Cambodia National Rescue Party had been the only credible opponent of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, but it was dissolved by the Supreme Court after his arrest and was unable to contest the 2018 election.

The party of long-serving Prime MinisterHun Sensubsequently swept all the seats in the National Assembly. His son,Hun Manet, succeeded him in the position in 2023 buthas not liberalized the system.

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Speaking before the appeals court earlier this month, Kem Sokha declared he had never conspired with any foreign country at the cost of the lives of Cambodian citizens or the loss of national territory and that he had acted in a spirit of nonviolence and national unity.

Kem Sokha’s lawyer, Pheng Heng, told reporters he regretted the court’s decision and that he and his client would have to decide whether to appeal further to the Supreme Court. He urged the government to promote national reconciliation.

Western embassies in Cambodia expressed concern over the ruling.

“We would like to see Kem Sokha released and his political freedoms restored,” the British Embassy said in a statement. “ We believe this would help strengthen democracy in Cambodia.”

Peck reported from Bangkok.

byVaclav Urich

in

April 30, 2026

Cambodian court upholds opposition leader's treason conviction

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — ACambodiancourt Thursday upheld the treason conviction and 27-year prison sentence for opposition leader Ke...

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DOJ seeks pretrial detention of shooting suspect Cole Allen, shares new photos

What's next for correspondents' dinner shooting suspect as he faces attempted assassination charge 07:08

The government is asking the court to detain White House Correspondents' Association Dinnershooting suspectCole Allen pending trial, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro filed amemorandummaking the request and included a new photo of Allen with his weapons that officials say he took shortly before the attack Saturday night.

"At approximately 8:03 p.m., while back inside his hotel room, the defendant used his cellphone to take a photograph of himself in the mirror," the memorandum states, pointing out items including a gun holster, sheathed knife, and ammunition bag in the photo. He wore a black dress shirt, black slacks, and bright red tie.

Abouthalf an hour later, authorities say, the suspectsprinted pastthe magnetometers and fired a shotgun blast beforefalling downand being restrained by officers.

The memorandum provided more details about Allen's actions in the weeks and days leading up to the dinner, alleging that Allen's attack involved "extensive planning and preparation" dating back to at least April 6, when he searched on his phone for "white house correspondents dinner 2026." Hours later, Allen booked a two-night stay at the Washington Hilton, the memorandum said, and on April 16, Allen again searched for articles on the dinner, including the event's host, schedule and expected attendees.

According to prosecutors, on the day of the dinner, Allen left his hotel room multiple times. Around 6:26 p.m., he allegedly used his phone to check the president's schedule on a site called CivicTracker. At 8:03 p.m., he took the selfie in the mirror, and about 10 minutes later, he visited the CivicTracker webpage again, according to the memorandum. He exited the hotel room around 8:15 p.m.

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Minutes before the alleged attack, prosecutors said, Allen looked at a media outlet's video called "WATCH LIVE: President Trump, first lady en route to White House Correspondents' Dinner" on his phone. He then visited a website with live coverage of President Trump exiting his car for the dinner, followed by a web search for "trump white house correspondents dinner." Around 8:30 p.m., prescheduled emails went to Allen's friends and family with "Apology and Explanation" in the subject line.

"Shortly thereafter, the defendant rushed the screening checkpoint on the Terrace Level of the Washington Hilton with a raised shotgun," wrote the prosecution, discarding a black coat under which he had concealed a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. He sprinted through a magnetometer and ran toward the stairs to the ballroom, shotgun in his hands.

Prosecutors said the six shots were fired — one by Allen, who allegedly fired his shotgun in the direction of the stairs leading down to the ballroom. Then, a Secret Service officer drew his service weapon and fired five times at Allen. Allen fell, injuring his knee, but he had not been shot. He was restrained by law enforcement and arrested.

"At the time of his arrest, the defendant was in possession of a Mossberg 12-gauge pump action shotgun with one spent cartridge in the barrel and eight unfired cartridges in the magazine tube," the filing said.

Allen wascharged Monday in federal courtwith three counts, including attempting to assassinate the president. The other two charges involved the use and transport of firearms.

The memorandum noted that Allen, if convicted, faces a possible maximum life sentence in prison.

"The defendant's actions were premeditated, violent, and calculated to cause death," the memorandum said. "Considering the relevant statutory factors, there is no condition or combination of conditions that will reasonably assure the safety of other people or the community if the defendant were released from custody. The Court should detain the defendant pending trial."

byVaclav Urich

in

April 30, 2026

DOJ seeks pretrial detention of shooting suspect Cole Allen, shares new photos

What's next for correspondents' dinner shooting suspect as he faces attempted assassination charge 07:08 The government i...

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Kevin Durant reportedly expected to miss Lakers-Rockets Game 4

Houston Rockets All-Star Kevin Durant is expected to miss Sunday’s Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers with a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle,ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

If confirmed, Durant will miss his third game of the series. He missed Game 1 with a knee injury, then missed Game 3 with his sprained ankle.

Per the report, the bone bruise is an injury that would typically sideline a player 2-3 weeks during the regular season, putting Durant’s availability in question moving forward if the Rockets manage to extend the series Sunday night. The Lakers have a 3-0 series lead and can close it out with a win in Game 4.

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The Rockets have struggled with and without Durant on the floor during this series and are now faced with becoming the first NBA team to ever rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a series or face elimination in the first round. Playing without Durant in Game 4, obviously, makes their task that much tougher.

Durant scored 20 points in the first half of Game 2. But the Lakers limited him to three points after halftime en route to a 101-94 win. The Rockets then blew a six-point lead in the final 30 seconds of Game 3 before going on to lose in overtime Friday night.

The Lakers have built their 3-0 lead despite playing without their top two scorers, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. LeBron James has led the Lakers’ effort while Los Angeles’ role players have stepped up in Reaves’ and Dončić’s absence.

byVaclav Urich

in

April 29, 2026

Kevin Durant reportedly expected to miss Lakers-Rockets Game 4

Houston Rockets All-Star Kevin Durant is expected to miss Sunday’s Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers with a bone bruise in his spra...

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Raiders Veteran Maxx Crosby Delivers Critical Message to Fernando Mendoza as QB Begins NFL Chapter

Maxx Crosby has advice for Fernando Mendoza

NEED TO KNOW

• The Las Vegas Raiders defensive end offered some insight about transitioning to the NFL, while on his podcast

• Mendoza was selected first by the Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft

Maxx Crosbyis offeringFernando Mendozaa little advice on the eve of the quarterback’s rookie season.

“It's a whole another game, coming to the NFL, it's the highest level — there's no other level higher,” the Las Vegas Raiders defensive end, 28, said on the Tuesday, April 28 edition of his podcastThe Rush. “And you have to realize that you're there for a reason. You can't let that be intimidating. It's easy to say, but harder to do.”

He continued, “And you just got to be 100% bought in on the process because your time, it's not on your timing. ... You don't know when it's going to be, your name's going to be called. And that's one of the toughest things in this league, you know what I mean? I've seen it break a lot of people.”For Crosby, his name was called after a tradenearly sent him to the Baltimore Ravenslast month.

Three days later, the Ravens canceled the deal after Crosby failed his physical, sending the Texas native back to Vegas — and setting the table for him to have Mendoza, 22, as a teammate.

All of which has him seemingly understanding where the Heisman Trophy winner is coming from.

“With Fernando, he didn't have the easiest road. He started at Cal, and then he transferred," Crosby said. "He wasn't considered the No. 1 pick going into this past season, but he handled the adversity incredibly. He goes and wins every single game, wins a natty, wins a Heisman and now look at what it's done for his life, you know what I mean? So anytime you get an opportunity to go out there and just compete and just put your best foot forward, that's what it all comes down to and that's where you earn respect from the guys.”As far as the former Indiana Hoosiers signal-caller is concerned, consider that a message already received.

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"Whatever everyone is ranking me, I don’t know those specifics, but I’m at the bottom of the totem pole right now, and I’ve got to first earn the respect to my teammates, earn that equity, and I’ve also just got to immerse,”Mendoza told reportersafter he was drafted No. 1 on Thursday, April 23. “And I’m just ready to do whatever the team needs and calls me to do to help them win.”

As the Raiders aim to pick up the pieces after last season's 3-14 campaign, Mendoza is poised to make an impact, but how much so is currently unknown.

Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field withPEOPLE's free sports newsletter— sign up now!

With veteran quarterbackKirk Cousinson the roster, the franchise could choose, at least initially, to let the Miami native watch and get acclimated to league.

“I think for him, just come in and just be himself. That's what I told him. Just just be yourself. Come in and do what you do,” Crosby said, sharing that Mendoza should “carry” himself like he’s the starter.He added, “Don't wait until you're out there on the field to go and lead. Like even if you're the second-string guy, if you're the third-string guy, whatever it is, still be 100% yourself and let your personality show and just be authentic. I think that's the most important thing.”

Read the original article onPeople

byVaclav Urich

in

April 29, 2026

Raiders Veteran Maxx Crosby Delivers Critical Message to Fernando Mendoza as QB Begins NFL Chapter

Maxx Crosby has advice for Fernando Mendoza NEED TO KNOW The Las Vegas Raiders defensive end offered some insight ...

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Swiss court throws out graft case against imprisoned daughter of former Uzbek president

GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss court on Tuesday dismissed a trial against the daughter of a former president of Uzbekistan on charges including money laundering and bribery, noting that she is in prison at home and has not been allowed to take part in the proceedings.

The Swiss case againstGulnara Karimova, the daughter of former President Islam Karimov, was abandoned one day after the trial opened in the southern city of Bellinzona. It had been set to run through May 22.

The presiding judge said Uzbek authorities had indicated that Karimova, 53, would not be released until after her full sentence is completed in December 2028 on convictions in Uzbekistan including embezzlement. The judge said the charges in Switzerland will have elapsed under the statute of limitations.

Karimova was first convicted in Uzbekistan in 2015. She was initially ordered to serve her sentence at her daughter’s home, but a 2019 court ruling placed her behind bars for violating the terms of her confinement.

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She is now serving a 13-year sentence for organizing a criminal group, extortion and embezzlement. Uzbek news outlet Podrobno reported Monday that Karimova has been held in a women’s penal colony in outskirts of the capital, Tashkent, since early last year.

The Swiss case centered onalleged bribery and money launderinginvolving assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars and a crime ring known as “The Office," which involved several dozen people and multiple companies.

The trial will continue against Swiss private bank Lombard Odier and a former employee over allegations from Swiss prosecutors that they had a “decisive role" in hiding the proceeds of the crime ring's activities.

Lombard Odier has said the charges against it — which it contests and will defend against — center on “organizational shortcomings in prevention measures,” not allegations of involvement in money laundering.

byVaclav Urich

in

April 29, 2026

Swiss court throws out graft case against imprisoned daughter of former Uzbek president

GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss court on Tuesday dismissed a trial against the daughter of a former president of Uzbekistan on charges including ...

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Rays' third baseman Junior Caminero leaves game vs. Guardians due to bruised jaw

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero is day-to-day with a bruised jaw after getting struck with a foul tip during the first inning of Tuesday night's game against Cleveland.

Caminero was injured when he fouled a cutter from Cleveland's Tanner Bibee off the plate. The ball bounced off the plate and hit him in the area of the right jaw. Caminero fell to the ground and was face down for a couple minutes as Tampa Bay's trainer came out.

Caminero was examined for a couple minutes before deciding to remain in for the at-bat. He grounded out to Bibee before being replaced by Ben Williamson.

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The 22-year old Caminero — who spent three years in Cleveland's organization — leads the Rays with eight home runs and had hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games before Tuesday night.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byVaclav Urich

in

April 28, 2026

Rays' third baseman Junior Caminero leaves game vs. Guardians due to bruised jaw

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero is day-to-day with a bruised jaw after getting struck with a foul tip during t...

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Olivia Pichardo is a reluctant groundbreaker as a woman in baseball

In her ideal world, Olivia Pichardo would just play ball and not take attention away from her teammates.

Brown Woman Pitcher

“Sometimes it feels a little ridiculous,” she told The Associated Press, “but it’s something I understand is going to happen. That's not what my primary focus is ever on.”

Pichardo has grown accustomed to being the only girl on her baseball team during her years in Little League, high school and travel ball. Four years ago she tried out for the Brown University team, made it and early in her freshman season became thefirst woman to appear in a Division I gamewhen she pinch-hit against Bryant.

On her senior day last Saturday, she became the first woman to pitch in a Division I game when she got the final out in a key win over Cornell.

“I feel like sometimes it might distract a bit too much from the success of our team,” Pichardo said. “We just made the playoffs for the first time since 2007, so that’s a huge accomplishment, and I wouldn’t want to take away from that."

Pichardo was listed as an outfielder and pitcher her first three years and focused only on pitching this season. The fact she stuck it out four years might seem surprising. Brown has played 151 games since Pichardo arrived, and she has appeared in only six. She pinch-hit once as a freshman, once as a sophomore and three times as a junior, when she also played right field for an inning and caught two flies.

Until Saturday, she hadn't appeared in a game this season, let alone warmed up in the bullpen. With Brown leading Cornell 16-3 in the ninth inning, coach Frank Holbrook's plan was to have little-used reliever Ty Harris get the first two outs and have Pichardo finish.

The 5-foot-7, 165-pound Pichardo has a four-pitch repertoire that includes a low-80s four-seam fastball to go with a sinker, changeup and curve. She entered with the bases loaded and threw two fastballs to Tyler Beaulieu, who grounded out to short to end Brown's 16-4 win.

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Pichardo said she has never had any problem melding with her teammates. She prefers just being one of the guys and not taking spotlight away from the team. She does, however, understand the magnitude of what she’s accomplished, not just in college but also in summer ball. In 2023, she became the first woman to hit a home run in a summer league,connecting for Sag Harborin the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League.

“It’s important for inspiring the younger generation of female baseball players, give them some kind of hope, I guess, that if they want to play at the collegiate level, no matter what division, that door is open for them and it is possible,” she said.

Pichardo, who graduates this spring with a degree in business economics, has been able to capitalize on name, image and likeness opportunities as the most visible woman in college baseball. She's in her third year as an endorser for the baseball equipment and apparel company Warstic Sports and she has a deal with Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards.

Once Brown's season ends, she'll turn her attention to trying out for the U.S. women's team that will play in the group stage of the 2027 World Cup. She has been a regular on Team USA since 2022 and pitched against Japan in the 2024 World Cup in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Pichardo said she's been grateful for every baseball opportunity since her father signed her up for a league in her hometown of Queens, New York, when she was 6.

“He didn't have any sons, so I like to say I was his designated son,” she said. “I've always been able to play at every level that I've progressed to, so there was never any reason for me to stop playing baseball just because I didn't see other women in the same space as me. It was my first sport, my first love and I knew I wanted to try and play at the highest level possible.”

AP college sports:https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

byVaclav Urich

in

April 28, 2026

Olivia Pichardo is a reluctant groundbreaker as a woman in baseball

In her ideal world, Olivia Pichardo would just play ball and not take attention away from her teammates. Brown Woman Pitcher “S...

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Trump’s ‘pool guy’ appears hard at work on Lincoln Memorial icon, new photos reveal

New photos ofthe Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Poolshow the latest mark that PresidentDonald Trump is havingon some of themost iconic spacesin the nation’s capital.

Officials insist that a new ocean-blue swimming pool coating beingapplied to the base of the Reflecting Poolwill make for a cleaner, more picturesque scene for the thousands of tourists and D.C. locals who walk by the spot every day.

The renovations come afterTrump complained that the 2,030-foot by 167-foot pool, which was built in 1922 between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, “never looked great” because the stone on the bottom of the pool was “not really meant to be a stone that's underwater for that much of a period of time.”

Trump told reporters last week that to sort the situation, he was hiring a contractor he’d used to build pools at his Trump hotels and residential towers. “I have a guy who’s unbelievable at doing swimming pools up the road,” the president said.

For now, the entire pool is fenced off, drained, and covered with construction equipment, including port-a-potties, as D.C.’s peak tourism season begins. On Monday, college graduates were taking photos in front of the empty cement basin, where a small blue square of sprayed-on coating is beginning to take shape at one end.

Tourists took photos at the Lincoln Memorial steps and with the backdrop of the Washington Monument but a handful of others peered through the fences, wondering what was going on. No signage indicates what the pool’s eventual appearance will look like for the families walking by or overlooking the project on the Lincoln Memorial’s steps.

Workers weren’t present at the site Monday, but a handful of tools were strewn around. National Park Service personnel could be seen performing other repair and beautification work nearby at the Vietnam War Memorial, where fence poles were being replaced and repainted by staff.

Photos taken byThe Independentshow the sheer scale of the project, which will likely take weeks or even months to complete, depending on the pace of progress. Only a few hundred square feet appeared to be covered by Monday afternoon. The pool itself is more than 330,000 square feet in area.

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For Washington D.C. officials, it’s one more headache caused by a president who made a physical transformation of the nation’s capital one of his top priorities upon his return to the White House. Preservationistsalso fear that the new look will be tacky and artificial,compared to the solemn feeling meant to be evoked by the old design.

Even as his legislative agenda has been stalled by slim GOP majorities in the House and Senate, the president has focused a large portion of his energy on construction and beautification projects at the White House and across the District of Columbia.

Inside the White House, gold filigree and lettering have appeared across the West Wing, which has also evolved to suit Trump’s decorative tastes in other ways. The complex’s historic East Wingwas demolished last year,stunning preservationists and city residents, to make roomfor a planned ballroomand other renovations, like a secure bunker for the president and his staff.

Across the city, the changes are just as apparent.

Parks and public edifices from one end of D.C. to the other are undergoing renovations, refurbishments and more as the president directed the Parks Service to repair fountains and conduct other beautification work to improve the scenery and encourage tourism. That’s hardly the half of it, though: Trump’s “takeover” of the nation’s capital last year involved an effort to federalize the city’s police force and deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops around D.C., many of whom remain in place at transit stations and are conducting foot patrols downtown. Federal law enforcement also swarmed the city, conducting a massive wave of immigration-related arrests and providing a visible, militarized presence on city streets.

The initial pressure on D.C.’s leaders and population was heavily resisted by residents, who engaged in verbal and sometimes physical confrontations with members of federal law enforcement during immigration-related stings and raids. A man was charged after throwing a sandwich at one agent, but a juryrefused to convict him.

One year later, that law enforcement presence has disappeared, but has spread around the country to places like Minneapolis, where two Americans were killed protesting ICE and DHS operations. The National Guard remains, largely milling about and occasionally intervening in incidents that take place in their vicinity. Two Guardsmen were shot, one fatally, last year outside a Metro station near the White House. A memorial is now on the spot.

Other aspects of Trump’s efforts to assert his presence and control across the city remain, however, as many federal buildings and headquarters still bear massive banners depicting his face.

Beautification projects like the one at the Reflecting Pool also bear small signs indicating that they are part of the administration’s overall efforts to make the nation’s capital “safe and beautiful”.

byVaclav Urich

in

April 28, 2026

Trump’s ‘pool guy’ appears hard at work on Lincoln Memorial icon, new photos reveal

New photos ofthe Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Poolshow the latest mark that PresidentDonald Trump is havingon some of themost iconic spa...

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1 injured in Arkansas State University shooting, campus says

A woman was shot in the leg on the campus of Arkansas State University early on Sunday morning, the campus said.

Law enforcement responded just after midnight to a 911 call reporting shots fired at a gathering at Unity Park, the campus said, adding that investigators from Jonesboro Police Department and ASU Police Department were on the scene.

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"One female victim has been confirmed with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the lower leg," the university said in a statement. "Additional reports indicate minor injuries, including scrapes and scratches, as the crowd dispersed."

Police said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident and there was "no broader threat to the campus community," the university said.

byVaclav Urich

in

April 27, 2026

1 injured in Arkansas State University shooting, campus says

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Photos show China’s automakers unveiling the future of driving at Beijing auto show

BEIJING (AP) — China’s top automakers unveil cutting-edge models and technology atthe Beijing auto show, highlighting advances in intelligent driving, ultrafast charging and electric vehicles.

China Auto Show

More than 1,450 vehicles are on display, including 181 global debuts.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

byVaclav Urich

in

April 27, 2026

Photos show China’s automakers unveiling the future of driving at Beijing auto show

BEIJING (AP) — China’s top automakers unveil cutting-edge models and technology atthe Beijing auto show, highlighting advances in intel...

Read More