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CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Two-timeNASCAR Cup Serieschampion Kyle Busch has been hospitalized with a severe illness and won't competeat Charlotte Motor Speedwaythis weekend, his family said Thursday.

His family posted the news on social media and said he is currently undergoing treatment.

“We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation,” the statement continued.

During a Cup Series race on May 10 at Watkins Glen, Busch radioed in to his crew requesting medical aid from Dr. Bill Heisel and a “shot” after the race. According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the Upstate New York road course.

Busch continued to race and finished eighth.

Busch ranks 24th in the Cup Series standings, with two top-10 finishes in 12 races this season. The 41-year-old driver and Las Vegas native won championships in 2015 and 2019. Busch is in his fourth season at Richard Childress Racing after winning titles with Joe Gibbs Racing.

His last win came in 2023, his first with RCR.

One of NASCAR's most polarizing personalities, Busch has won 234 races across the sport's three national series, more than any driver in history.

He has won 63 Cup Series races, including the 2018 Coca-Cola 600.

This will be the first time in more than a decade that Busch has missed a Cup Series race.

In 2015, he missed the first 11 races of the season while recovering from a compound leg fracture and broken foot following a crash during the Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Austin Hill will replace Busch in the Coca-Cola 600.

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“Kyle Busch’s health is our utmost priority and he and his family have the full resources of RCR behind them,” RCR said in a statement. “Kyle is an integral part of our organization and we wish him a safe and speedy recovery. His No. 8 Chevrolet will be ready and waiting for him. We’re thankful to Austin Hill for stepping in to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend. Please keep Kyle and the Busch family in your prayers, and help us respect the family’s privacy at this time.”

Busch has struggled to find consistency since leaving for RCR.

His lack of success led to a spat with former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who appeared to criticize Busch on the Actions Detrimental podcast. Hamlin said, “If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to Victory Lane on a regular basis, you are kidding yourselves.”

While Hamlin later said he meant no harm by the comments and was just making an observation, Busch took exception and said he could make Hamlin’s life “hell” on the racetrack.

While several laps down at last month’s race at Kansas, Busch raced Hamlin hard instead of allowing the race leader to pass. That decision held up Hamlin during a crucial stage of the race.

Tyler Reddick wound up winning the race after Hamlin faded late, finishing fourth despite a race-leading 131 laps.

After winning the Trucks race at Dover last week and showing an uptick in speed, Busch seemed to make a veiled jab at Hamlin, saying “I guess I just remembered how to drive.”

The two appear to have made amends since with Hamlin saying Busch is on the “Mount Rushmore” of racing.

After earning his 69th career Trucks Series race win at Dover, Busch was asked how many races he wants to win in his career before he stops racing.

“You take whatever you can get, man,” Busch said. “You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all — trust me.”

AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - Homeland Security Department Secretary ‌Markwayne Mullin privately warned ‌officials could stop processing international ​travelers and cargo at major U.S. airports in "sanctuary cities" that have declined ‌to cooperate ⁠with the Trump administration's hardline immigration crackdown, ⁠sources told Reuters.

Mullin, who publicly made the ​threat in April ​during ​a DHS ‌funding dispute, privately told travel executives last week that the department could opt to stop processing international ‌travelers at airports ​such as ​Denver, ​Philadelphia, Chicago, Los ‌Angeles, New York City, ​Newark, ​Seattle and San Francisco.

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The Atlantic earlier reported Mullin's ​comments ‌to travel executives.

(Reporting by ​David Shepardson; Editing by ​Chris Reese)

Aaron Rodgers didn't leave anything up for interpretation.

The 2026 season will be his last.

"This is it," Rodgers said during a news conference May 20 on the second day of organized team activities followinghis return to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second year.

Rodgers, 42, signed a one-year contract with the Steelers earlier this week aftermonths of speculation on whether he would play again for his 22nd season.

The four-time NFL MVP, who spent the first 18 years of his career with theGreen Bay Packers, is reuniting with former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy for his final season in Pittsburgh. McCarthy was hired by the Steelers earlier this offseason.

McCarthy coached Rodgers for 13 years and the two teamed to win a Super Bowl during the 2010 season. Rodgers won his first two MVPs under McCarthy and they went to the playoffs for a franchise-best eight straight seasons from 2009-16.

Rodgers has implied retirement in the past.

He said last year after also signing a one-year contract with the Steelers that he was "pretty sure this is it."

"That’s why we just did a one-year deal," Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee Show." "Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on it."

Now, a year later, Rodgers is back with the Steelers, the team he helped lead to a division title in 2025.

Aaron Rodgers on retirement

Here's how Rodgers answered the question about retirement on May 20.

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Asked by a reporter if the 2026 season could be his last year, Rodgers replied emphatically "yes" before confirming that he plans to call it quits after the year.

Rodgers will get a chance for a bit of redemption afterlast season's dismal 30-6 loss in the wild card round in which his final pass was an interception.

Rodgers turns 43 in December.

It will also give him a chance to move up another list. He enters the 2026 season fourth all-time in touchdown passes with 527 but with 13 more the future first-ballot Hall of Famer will pass Peyton Manning for third.

Last season, in 16 games with the Steelers, Rodgers completed 65.7% of his passes, threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Aaron Rodgers on the Steelers in 2026

What does Rodgers think of the Steelers' chances this season?

"I think you have to temper expectations this time a year," Rodgers said, "because all the years I played sometimes you get excited about guys how they look in shorts and a helmet and then when the pads go on it just changes everything. It changes the offensive line first and foremost, but it changes how guys play.

"Some guys slow down, some guys speed up, some guys have extra confidence with pads on, some guys have some trepidation with the pads on.

"You just got to temper your expectations, not make any snap judgments and wait to camp to see how things come together. But I am excited about these guys. I am excited about the team and it's fun to be back in the locker room with those guys."

A year afterthe Packers played Rodgersin a regular season game in Pittsburgh – a 33-25 win for Green Bay – they'll see him again in 2026, thoughthis time just in the preseason.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Aaron Rodgers provides major update on NFL future, retirement

The New York Knicks are no strangers to playing with plenty of momentum during the NBA playoffs. Nor are the Cleveland Cavaliers unfamiliar with climbing back from discouraging losses.

But Game 1 of their Eastern Conference finals series on Tuesday might have provided the Knicks with their most momentum yet and presented the Cavaliers their biggest challenge.

The host Knicks will aim to take a 2-0 series lead as the Cavaliers will look to bounce back from a stunning defeat in Game 2 of the best-of-seven set on Thursday.

The Knicks won Game 1 in historic fashion, overcoming a 22-point deficit in the final 7:52 of regulation and never trailing in overtime on their way to a 115-104 victory.

The victory was the eighth straight for the Knicks, who won their previous seven games by an average of 26.4 points before mounting the second-biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history.

The Los Angeles Clippers trailed the Memphis Grizzlies by 24 before earning a 99-98 win in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round series in 2012.

On Tuesday, the Knicks squandered an 11-point second-quarter lead and were outscored 66-33 over a span of 21-plus minutes between the second and fourth quarters. But Jalen Brunson scored 15 points in the fourth quarter as New York ended regulation on a 30-8 run before OG Anunoby scored nine points in overtime.

"They were playing great basketball, had us on our heels, give them a lot of credit -- obviously we played well in the fourth and overtime," Brunson said. "It was the middle, second and third quarter, where we let go of the rope. So that's our biggest takeaway."

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That plus the fact that the series isn't over just because of a resounding Game 1 victory. In 2012, the Clippers had to go the distance to eliminate the Grizzlies, who forced a decisive Game 7 after falling behind 3-1.

"They're going to come out with extreme energy, attention to detail, focus, sense of urgency and desperation," Knicks forward Josh Hart said. "They're looking at it like that was our game that we gave away."

The loss was the seventh of the postseason for the Cavaliers, who needed the full seven games to eliminate the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors in the first round and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the second round.

"We've had some tough ones, but it's one loss," said Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who scored 29 points but just three during the Knicks' fourth-quarter surge. "It's not like that loss gives them two or three games. It's one. So we have an opportunity to come back here in two days and steal one here."

Cleveland squandered a 2-0 series lead against the Raptors, who forced Game 7 when RJ Barrett hit a 29-footer that bounced high above the rim and through the net to give Toronto a 112-110 win.

The Cavaliers trailed the Pistons 2-0 in the second round, then won three straight before missing a chance to close out the series at home last Friday, when Detroit rolled to a 115-94 victory. However, Cleveland responded with a 125-94 road rout in Sunday's Game 7.

"Just understanding that we didn't have the best effort (Tuesday) night, we didn't have the best outcome," Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen said. "And the resiliency is going to show (Thursday in) how we come out."

--Field Level Media

President Donald Trump's success in unseating a Republican congressman from Kentucky who had bucked him demonstrated his dominance in steering the GOP where he wants the party to go.

Yetpolls showthe president has been leading Republicans into politically perilous territory with the broader electorate, and his demands of absolute loyalty could put GOP lawmakers in a bind as the midterm election approaches with many of the president’s policies proving unpopular.

"This doesn’t play well with swing voters. Most want an independent voice in Congress," retiring Nebraska GOP Congressman Don Bacon told USA TODAY of Trump’s involvement inknocking out Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie."One can have a totally loyal minority or a majority. I prefer a majority."

Trump's sway with his MAGA base, which has made him such a force in GOP primaries,isn't translating to other key voting groupsand hisapproval ratings have suffered, threating to drag down other Republicans even as he pushes them to get behind him.

Trump's Republican targets fall

Trump targeted Massie for defeat after the lawmakervoted againstthe president’s signature tax cut legislation last year andpushed to releasethe government’s files on Jeffrey Epstein. Trump-backed candidate EdGallrein defeated Massieby 10 percentage points in themost expensivecongressional primary in U.S. history.

The president was deeply involved in the contest,repeatedly slammingMassie in social media posts and public comments leading up the May 19 primary election. Trump touted his primary endorsement record the next day,telling reporters"we won everything."

Massie’s ouster is the latest example of Trump’s long history of purging the party of those he clashes with, such as former Rep. Liz Cheney and former first-term Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once one of Trump’s closest allies,resigned this yearafter splitting with him over the Epstein files.

Trump has been active in GOP primaries during the 2026 campaign cycle, helpingunseat five Republican state senatorsin Indiana who opposed him on redistricting andU.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, who voted to impeach him. And he is seeking to knock off Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, accusing him of not being supportive enough andendorsing Cornyn's primary opponent, Ken Paxton, who is more aligned with the MAGA base.

Some senators disgruntled about Trump's primary involvement

Trump's efforts have upset some Republicans.

"There are a lot of folks in our conference who are disappointed," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, said after Trump’s endorsement of Paxton.

GOP Senate leadership backed Cornyn, arguing he has a better chance of winning the general election.

The president downplayed GOP concerns about Paxton, telling reporters May 20 that Republican senators will be "alright with it" because "they want to win" and "I know how to win." But the Paxton endorsement is adding tocriticism within his own partythat Trump is hurting his chances of maintaining a GOP congressional majority by his actions in the primaries.

"It weakens the GOP in the long run" and for November, Bacon said.

The pressure Trump is exerting on Republican lawmakers to fall in line puts them in a difficult position when his policies are unpopular, said Bacon, adding, "That’s how we become the minority."

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Mark Bednar, a Republican strategist and former House leadership aide, said Trump’s push to enforce party unity could help the GOP as the election approaches, arguing the "muscle" Trump applied to the primaries will help "build a cohesive coalition."

Bednar said that Republicans need to speak with "one voice" heading into the election.

"An important step to getting to that point is kind of clearing the static and the cobwebs of internal disagreement," he said, arguing Republicans who clash with Trump are a distraction.

GOP primary winners need more votes in November

Republicans face a difficult election cycle. They control Congress and the White House, and the party in power typically is at a disadvantage in the midterms. Trump’s low polling numbers also could be a drag on the party.

Massiesuggested in his concession speechthat the president is not focused on the right issues, highlighting his push to build a White House ballroom.

"While gas is almost $5 and diesel's almost $6 they're talking about this big ballroom they're going to build and it looks like the Roman Empire, architecture from the Roman Empire," Massie said. "I see a few analogies there. And people are just trying to make ends meet."

The president’s approval rating has been dropping amid the Iran war, with just 40% of the overall electorate happy with his job performance, according to theReal Clear Politics polling average. Recentsurveysshow a majority of voters disapprove of his handling of the economy, cost of living and Iran.

The war has driven up gas prices, which are now at $4.55 for a gallon regular nationwide on average,according to AAA.

Republicans still strongly back Trump, with 83% approving of his job performance in a recent New York Times/Siena poll. But 91% of Democrats and 70% of independents disapprove of the president,according to the survey.

Former Michigan GOP Congressman Fred Upton, who voted to impeach Trump and later endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, told USA TODAY in a text message that GOP candidates in swing districts "for sure are very wary of the 2-edged sword with gas prices headed above $5 and the belief particularly among independents that the country is headed in the wrong direction."

Yet lawmakers who try and distance themselves from Trump are likely to face his wrath, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

"They’re stuck. There’s nothing they can say, nothing. Whatever Trump says is law," Sabato said.

The president is "insisting that they ford the stream" in backing him unconditionally, he added, but it could turn into "an onrushing river that sweeps them away."

Contributing: Zachary Schermele

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Donald Trump ousts Thomas Massie. Could strategy backfire in midterms?