It’s time to think about smart Digi skills because women love smart digital skills. Today, let it be smart Digi skills. Happiness is smart Digi skills-shaped.
Allina Health, a large nonprofit health system based in Minnesota, announced on Friday that it would stop withholding care from patients with outstanding medical debt as it “re-examines” its policy of cutting off services for those who have accrued at least $4,500 in outstanding bills.
The health system will now temporarily halt this practice but will not restore care for indebted patients who have already lost access.
Although Allina’s hospitals treated anyone in emergency rooms, other services were cut off for indebted patients, including children and those with chronic illnesses like diabetes and depression, The New York Times reported last week. Patients weren’t allowed back until they had paid off their debt entirely.
Allina’s chief executive, Lisa Shannon, called the move a “thoughtful pause” while the company re-examined the policy.
Dr. Matt Hoffman, an Allina primary care physician in Vadnais Heights, Minn., said he was encouraged by the change and hopeful that Allina would eventually make more significant reforms to how it treats indebted patients.
“I hope this is not just a temporary pause until the heat is off,” Dr. Hoffman said. “I hope they do the right thing, and reinstate the patients who were already terminated.”
Minnesota Public Radio first reported on the policy change.
Allina Health owns 13 hospitals and more than 90 clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Thanks to its nonprofit status, Allina avoided roughly $266 million in state, local and federal taxes in 2020, according to the Lown Institute, a think tank that studies health care.
Attorney General Keith Ellison of Minnesota has asked patients to contact his office if they have been affected by Allina’s policies.
“I read The New York Times article with great concern and am reviewing it closely,” Mr. Ellison said in a statement to a local television station, KARE 11. “Allina is bound under the Hospital Agreement to refrain from aggressive billing practices and provide charity care when patients need and qualify for it, as all Minnesota hospitals are.”
‘Indiana Jones 5’ has the Dial which may give space to time travel
Indiana Jones revolved around items with supernatural powers.
Now, the coveted orb in the latest film, Dial, could be used for time travel, as producer Frank Marshall recently teased.
“The Dial of Destiny is perfect for us because it’s about time,” the 76-year-old told SFX magazine.
“It’s math and time. We always try and have some sort of archaeological connection, and there was certainly that — there’s a mythology to the Dial of Destiny that exists. It turned out to be the perfect thing for this movie.”
Marshall added that the titular object has the potential to turn fiction into reality.
“It works in the plot because it is scientific,” Marshall continued. “Well, I guess it’s scientific! It really works for what we are doing, and it sets up a whole lot of great plot points. The question is, if you can control time, like in Back to the Future, would you change things? And what would that mean? That’s a big question for everybody and certainly is in the movie.”
The producer also opened up about the evil intentions of the antagonists related to Dial of Destiny’s use.
“It’s a plot point that drives the story,” the producer explained. “[Mads Mikkelsen’s character] wants to go back and change time, change what happened, and obviously, it turns out to be in Nazi Germany. The Nazis are kind of a thread we’ve had through all of the movies. I think it definitely works this time.”
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will hit the cinemas on June 30th
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Beth Holloway said that justice is finally on the horizon after Joran van der Sloot was arraigned in federal court on Friday morning.
During a Friday morning arraignment, the Dutch national pleaded not guilty to charges of extortion and wire fraud in the U.S. after allegedly attempting to sell Beth Holloway, Natalee’s mother, information regarding the location of her daughter’s body.
In this courtroom sketch, Joran van der Sloot is arraigned in federal court on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama.(William J. Hennessy, Jr.)
In this courtroom sketch, Joran van der Sloot is arraigned in federal court on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama.(William J. Hennessy, Jr.)
In this courtroom sketch, Joran van der Sloot is arraigned in federal court on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama.(William J. Hennessy, Jr.)
Federal prosecutors say van der Sloot asked for $250,000 — $25,000 upfront for the information, and the rest to be paid out when the body of Natalee Holloway was positively identified.
However, van der Sloot lied to Beth Holloway’s lawyer, John Q. Kelly, about where her daughter’s remains were located, according to American prosecutors.
In this courtroom sketch, Joran van der Sloot is arraigned in federal court on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama.(William J. Hennessy, Jr.)
In this courtroom sketch, Joran van der Sloot is arraigned in federal court on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama.(William J. Hennessy, Jr.)
Van der Sloot walked into the Birmingham courtroom confidently with a smirk on his face, with Beth Holloway’s eyes on him for most of the arraignment.
In this courtroom sketch, Joran van der Sloot is arraigned in federal court on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama.(William J. Hennessy, Jr.)
“Now eighteen years later, the wheels of justice have finally begun to turn for our family and we are getting our long-awaited day in court,” Beth Holloway said. “With the felony arraignment complete, prosecution of this criminal case has officially begun. Joran van der Sloot’s not guilty plea is not disheartening to us, it simply means that his legal team is going to try to make the state prove the case against him. We are confident the U.S. Attorney’s office in Birmingham, Alabama will succeed in getting a conviction, and we are very grateful to them for their hard work on this case.”
Beth Holloway is spotted arriving to court in Birmingham, Alabama. Dutch national Joran Van Der Sloot is due in court to face charges of extorting the family of American student Natalee Holloway.(The Image Direct for Fox News Digital )
“As I’ve said before, I was blessed to have had Natalee in my life for 18 years, and as of this summer, I have been without her for exactly 18 years. She would be 36 years old now. It has been a very long and painful journey, but we are finally getting justice for Natalee,” she added.
Natalee Holloway was last seen alive in Aruba while on a Mountain Brook high school senior trip.(Federal Bureau of Investigation)
Van der Sloot then traveled to Peru and met Stephany Flores, 21, at a Lima casino owned by her father. Van der Sloot admitted to killing Flores, claiming he murdered her May 30, 2010, in a fit of anger after the 21-year-old found out he was connected to Natalee Holloway’s disappearance.
While van der Sloot was originally sentenced to 28 years in prison for the killing of Flores, more time was added because of a drug smuggling scandal he was involved in while in jail.
General view of the Hugo L. Black Federal Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama on Friday, June 9, 2023.(Dana Mixer for Fox News Digital)
The charges brought against him in the U.S. were filed by prosecutors in 2010, but officials in Peru didn’t agree to release van der Sloot into American custody until this May, when a Peruvian court ordered the temporary transfer.
Adam Sabes is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.
The Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi is seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on January 20, 2023.
Eisai | via Reuters
A panel of independent advisors to the Food and Drug Administration on Friday unanimously endorsed the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi made by Eisai and Biogen, paving the way for full approval of the treatment this summer.
The advisors voted 6-0 that Eisai’s data demonstrated a clinical benefit to patients. The FDA is not required to follow the advisors’ recommendation, but the panel’s vote for Leqembi will weigh heavily in favor of full approval.
The FDA is expected to make a final decision on Leqembi on July 6. The agency’s decision will determine whether Medicare broadly covers the treatment. The program for seniors is severely restricting coverage of Leqembi right now because it was previously approved through an expedited process.
Eisai has set the annual list price of Leqembi at $26,500 per year, which means most patients cannot afford the treatment without Medicare coverage.
The advisory committee for Leqembi was unusually small, with just six voting members.
Dr. Teresa Buracchio, acting head of the FDA’s neuroscience office, said the smaller-than-usual committee resulted from a number of experts recusing themselves from Friday’s meeting due to conflicts of interest.
“While this group is small, it contains the appropriate expertise necessary to have a robust discussion on the topic at issue today,” Buracchio said.
Leqembi is the second Alzheimer’s treatment from Eisai and Biogen to come under FDA review, after the controversial approval of the drug Aduhelm in the summer of 2021.
The drug regulator granted expedited approval to Aduhelm, developed by the two companies, despite 10 out of 11 advisory committee members concluding that the treatment did not demonstrate a clinical benefit. A congressional investigation subsequently found that the approval of Aduhelm was “rife with irregularities.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders, chair of the Senate Health Committee, told the Health and Human Services Department in a letter Wednesday that the “FDA has a special responsibility to restore the public trust after its inappropriate relationship with Biogen during the agency’s review of a prior Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm.”
FDA sees clinical benefit
Eisai’s study of Leqembi found the drug slowed cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s patients by 27%. The antibody is administered twice monthly through intravenous infusion. It targets a protein called amyloid, often referred to as plaque, that builds up in the brain and is associated with the disease.
Buracchio told the panel that the agency views these results as clinically meaningful for patients. Several families who have loved ones diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease told the panel during the public comment section that Leqembi has provided them with hope.
Joanne Bridges told that panel that Leqembi had helped her husband Jerome continue his daily activities: “Going from hopeless to hope for our future was made possible by Leqembi — a new lease on life,” Bridges told the panel
“Alzheimer’s is a terrible, crippling disease for patients and their caregivers,” Bridges said. “The fact that Leqembi can slow the process is a giant step in combatting the disease and making life more worthwhile for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.”
Serious risks
But Leqembi also carries serious risks of brain swelling and bleeding. During the study, 13% of patients who received Leqembi had swelling and 14% had bleeding.
The swelling and bleeding are normally mild without obvious symptoms, but these episodes can be life-threatening, according to the FDA.
There were three deaths in the study that are possibly related to Leqembi, though the FDA was unable to draw definitive conclusions in its review.
Two patients who died suffered cerebral hemorrhages after receiving the infusions. They had been administered blood thinner medications. A third patient who died had an underlying condition called cerebral amyloid angiopathy in which the blood vessels in the brain are weak, which can lead to bleeding.
Dr. Deniz Erten-Lyons, an FDA official, told the panel that taking blood thinners during treatment with Leqembi might increase the risk of cerebral hemorrhages.
Several groups expressed strong opposition to FDA approval of Leqembi during the meeting’s public comment section Wednesday.
Nina Zeldes with the Public Citizen‘s Health Research Group said the FDA has not been presented with clearly compelling evidence that Leqembi has a clinical benefit. Zeldes said serious safety concerns associated with the treatment outweigh the benefit based on the current data.
Dr. Dona Kim Murphey, a neurologist with Doctors for America, said Eisai’s study was flawed because Black Americans, who are at higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, were severely underrepresented in the trial. Black Americans represented 2.3% of participants who received Leqembi during the trial.
“With racialized instance of Alzheimer’s and brain bleeding in Black patients and with their significant underrepresentation in this trial, I cannot as a neurologist advise this group with lecanemab data,” Murphey said.
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Small panel due to conflicts of interest
Buracchio said panel was smaller than usual due to experts recusing themselves due to conflicts of interest.
The FDA’s decision on whom to include in Friday’s meeting was impacted by a letter from the Alzheimer’s Association that advocated for Leqembi’s full approval, Burrachio said. At least one member of the FDA advisory committee, Dr. David Weisman, signed that letter.
Weisman was originally granted a waiver to participate in Friday’s meeting despite serving as the principal investigator for Biogen and Eisai clinical trials on Leqembi and Aduhelm at Abington Neurological Associates.
Weisman subsequently recused himself from the meeting and did not participate.
Acting Chair Dr. Robert Alexander was granted waiver to lead the panel Friday despite holding stocks valued up to $150,000 in companies that compete with Eisai and Biogen. The FDA disclosure did not name the companies.
Alexander is the chief scientific officer of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative at the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. Banner is conducting an Alzheimer’s clinical trial for a competing firm, and Alexander receives $50,000 to $100,000 in salary per year from funding supporting the trial.
Bryan Marshall, who heads the office that manages the FDA’s advisory committees, asked the agency to grant Alexander a waiver because he has unique expertise that is “invaluable” to Friday’s meeting.
Medicare coverage, price controversy
Leqembi is technically already available on the U.S. market after receiving fast-track approval in January, but very few seniors can access the expensive treatment because Medicare is restricting coverage to only people who are participating in clinical trials. There are no clinical trials underway.
As consequence, most seniors can only access Leqembi if they can afford to pay for the drug out of pocket. Leqembi has a list price of $26,500 per year.
Medicare has promised to broadly cover Leqembi on the same day the FDA fully approves the drug. The Veterans Health Administration is already covering the treatment for veterans.
Sen. Sanders said the price of Leqembi is “unconscionable” and called on HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to take action to slash the price in a letter ahead of the meeting this week.
Sanders said seniors would face substantial out-of-pocket costs even if Medicare covers Leqembi. The price of the drug would also put a substantial financial burden on the program for seniors, raising premiums even for people who are not using the medication, he said.
Moscow and Kyiv both reported heavy fighting in Ukraine on Friday, with bloggers describing the first sightings of German and U.S. armour, signalling that Ukraine’s long-anticipated counterattack was under way.
With virtually no independent reporting from the front lines and Kyiv saying little, it was impossible to assess whether Ukraine was penetrating Russian defences in its bid to drive out occupying forces.
“We can state for sure that this offensive has begun,”Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Sochi. “Ukrainian troops did not achieve their goals in any sector.”
Ukraine’s President Voldymyr Zelenskiy said he had discussed tactics and “achievements” with military leaders but gave little away.
“For our soldiers, for all those who at this time are engaged in particularly heavy combat. We see your heroism, and we are grateful for every moment of your lives,” he said in his nightly video address. “Ukraine is as free as you are strong.”
The counteroffensive is ultimately expected to involve thousands of Ukrainian troops trained and equipped by the West. The United States announced an extra $2.1 billion in security assistance on Friday, including air defence and ammunition.
Russia, which has had months to prepare its defensive lines, says it has repelled attacks since the start of the week. Kyiv has said its main effort has yet to begin.
Moscow and pro-war Russian bloggers reported intense battles on the Zaporizhzhia front near the city of Orikhiv, around the mid-point of the “land bridge” linking Russia to the Crimea peninsula, seen as one of Ukraine’s likeliest targets.
Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said reports from the Russian bloggers of German-made Leopard tanks and U.S. Bradley armoured vehicles near Tokmak south of Orikhiv, if confirmed, would provide the first evidence that Ukraine’s new brigades of Western-armed troops had joined the battle.
In all, Kyiv has 12 brigades totalling 50,000-60,000 troops ready to unleash in the counteroffensive. Nine of the brigades have been armed and trained by the West.
“They’ve got a choice of how many they commit initially and how many they keep in reserve in case the battlefield dynamics change,” Barry said, adding that Ukraine’s initial priority would be trying to keep the Russians off balance and gain tactical surprise through deception and camouflage.
The Russian defence ministry said its troops had repelled two Ukrainian assaults south of Orikhiv and four near Velyka Novosilka further east, where it said Ukraine’s attack force included two battalions of troops supported by tanks. Several battalions of up to 1,000 troops comprise brigade.
The southern front is where Ukrainian forces are widely expected to attempt their main push, towards the coast. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said only that battles were continuing for Velyka Novosilka and Russian troops were mounting “active defence” at Orikhiv.
In the east, Ukraine has reported advances around Bakhmut, which Russian forces captured last month after nearly a year of the deadliest ground combat in Europe since World War Two. Ukraine generally bars journalists from reaching its side of front lines during offensive operations.
The initial days of the counteroffensive have been overshadowed this week by a huge humanitarian disaster after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam holding back the waters of the Dnipro River that bisects Ukraine.
Communal employees work on a site of an overnight explosion in the centre of Kharkiv on June 6, 2023, following missile strike, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.(Photo by SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty Images)
Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate homes flooded in the war zone, vast nature preserves have been wiped out and the destruction to irrigation systems is likely to cripple agriculture across much of southern Ukraine for decades. Kyiv said at least four people had died and 13 were missing.
Ukraine’s security service released a recording on Friday of what it described as an intercepted phone call in which a Russian soldier confides to another man that a Russian sabotage group had blown the dam up. Moscow says Ukraine sabotaged it.
Western countries say they are still gathering evidence but argue that Ukraine would have no reason to inflict such a devastating disaster on itself, especially right as its forces were shifting onto the attack.
In Hola Prystan on the Russian-occupied side of the river, rescuers evacuated residents in rubber dinghies. Villagers carried pets or small children to safety.
“Our house was carried away by a torrent of water,” said a woman who gave her name as Oksana, being evacuated in a boat with her teenage daughter and their two dogs.
Some relatives of people in Russian-controlled flooded areas said their loved ones were still stuck on roofs with dwindling food supplies. The United Nations has no access to those areas, its Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Denise Brown said, adding that some 17,000 people were affected in Ukrainian-controlled areas, with numbers changing “by the minute”.
The river divides the two sides, which accuse each other of shelling across it, interfering with rescue efforts. The Kremlin said Ukrainian shelling had killed people including a pregnant woman. It provided no evidence.
Ukraine’s general staff said on Friday evening there had been 27 armed engagements in the east over the past 24 hours.
It also reported 58 Russian air strikes and 31 incidents of Russian shelling. “Unfortunately, there are civilian deaths and injuries and damage to private homes, a hospital and other infrastructure,” it said, without elaborating.
Russian officials said Ukraine had struck the Russian city of Voronezh with a drone, wounding three people, and reported other drone attacks in Belgorod and Kursk. Kyiv withholds comment on reports of attacks inside Russia.
Before he returned it to the video store — F.B.I. agents, look away! — my dad gamely taped the closing credits for me on a blank VHS. It’s still an inside joke in my family, the story of a 3-year-old future music critic constantly asking her parents to put on “the ‘Lethal Weapon tape,’” just so she could listen to this Harrison song over and over.
You can learn a lot about a person from asking about their first favorite songs — it’s the sonic equivalent of looking at someone’s baby pictures. And since I’ve been dropping into your inbox twice a week with this newsletter, I figured it was only fair that you heard a few of mine.
I am pretty sure someone sang this as a lullaby to me when I was a baby, and to this day the-artist-formerly-known-as-Cat-Stevens’s voice can still make me feel an almost preternatural comfort — a feeling of being swaddled beyond what even the heaviest weighted blanket can offer. My parents got a CD player (state-of-the-art technology) when I was young, and I can still remember being taught how to place “Cat Stevens: Greatest Hits” into the tray very, very carefully and cue up track 8, which was of course my song, “Moonshadow.” (Listen on YouTube)
2. Tom Petty: “Free Fallin’”
I grew up in New Jersey and did not visit the West Coast until my mid-20s, so throughout my youth the proper nouns in this song sounded exquisitely exotic to me: Mulholland, Ventura Boulevard, this surely indescribably glamorous oasis called “Reseda.” “Free Fallin’” would now probably land on the shortlist of the most overplayed American rock songs of the 20th century, and yet — perhaps the reason I cannot imagine ever getting sick of it — I can still travel back to a time when its lyrics sounded alluringly strange to me, and when I believed there might be actual vampires haunting Ventura Boulevard. (Petty also co-wrote “Cheer Down,” and Jeff Lynne helped produce both of those songs — so clearly the Traveling Wilburys had a hold on my musical taste from an early age.) (Listen on YouTube)
3. U2: “Zoo Station”
After it came out in late 1991, U2’s angsty, glammy “Achtung Baby” was an absolute staple in my parents’ steel-blue Ford Taurus. Taking it in over and over again from the back seat, this album seemed to contain all of the mysteries of the adult world, set somewhere just beyond my realm of understanding. All I knew was that it sounded cool. And a little scary! On “Achtung Baby,” relatively straightforward rock songs are haunted by weird, ghostly sounds, like the mournful, malfunctioning tape loop at the beginning of “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” the eerie distortion of “Until the End of the World” or any number of ghost noises that lurk throughout the tone-setting opener “Zoo Station.” I later realized that a lot of this strangeness was the result of the Edge’s adventurousness with effects pedals and, even more ineffably, Brian Eno’s arty production. (I also realized much later — for shame — that “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” was an iconic second-wave feminist slogan, not a funny lyric that Bono made up.) No matter what U2 does or how many albums it forcefully installs on my iPhone, “Achtung Baby” will always have a special place in my heart for being one of the first records to freak me out — in a good way. (Listen on YouTube)
Luis Miguel Echegaray, ESPNJun 9, 2023, 12:49 PM ET
Each week, Luis Miguel Echegaray discusses the latest from the soccer world and shares his opinions, whether you agree with them or not. From standout performances, what you might have missed and what to keep an eye on in the coming days, LME has a few things to say.
To call Messi’s move to MLS and Inter Miami monumental moment for America’s soccer landscape is to undersell it. His arrival will undoubtedly be a catalyst for the sport’s popularity in the country and accelerate viewership ahead of the 2026 World Cup when the U.S., Canada and Mexico host.
When David Beckham arrived in 2007 to the Los Angeles Galaxy, he catapulted the league’s popularity while simultaneously introducing more commercial and team control (the designated player rule was created because of him) at time when growth and exposure was essential. Messi’s arrival will make Beckham’s move to L.A. look like Dietmar Hamann to Bolton Wanderers (sorry Dietmar, didn’t mean to throw shade). My point is that Messi — whose announcement alone is already making a significant impact (see Inter Miami’s ticket sales and social media followers) — will influence so many factors in regard to the sport’s growth in the U.S. This wave is only getting bigger.
I am going to use a few of my “Onsides” today to explain the different factors of the Argentinian’s move to South Beach, but in conclusion of this particular segment, Messi in Miami is a win for the overall exposure of the sport and everyone benefits, except Barcelona president Joan Laporta and whoever was in charge of writing the team’s statement in response to Messi’s move.
play
1:04
Why Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami deal is so ‘unprecedented’
Sebastian Salazar dissects the details of Lionel Messi’s contract that has brought him to MLS and Inter Miami.
Messi, wife Antonella and their family win
The other talking point of Messi’s arrival to Miami is that their family can finally balance Leo’s demanding schedule, the growing Messi brand and the continued objective of delivering for a few more seasons, all while doing it in a city that can culturally facilitate the entire process. As a Spanish-speaking South American with family in Europe, it’s important to understand that cultural and social acclimation can be difficult. When I left Peru for England, I was overwhelmed by many aspects of English life.
For Messi and his family, it won’t be as challenging. But still, moving to another continent can be daunting for a family. I don’t care how much money is thrown around, it’s still difficult. Enter Miami, the Latin American capital of the world. The family already knows the city and owns property in South Beach. The language barrier won’t be an issue (there are stores in Miami with signs that say, “We speak English”) and many of their friends and family are constant visitors, making it a perfect place to continue Messi’s next chapter.
Here’s the biggest selling point, however, and one I have talked to many overseas MLS players about over the years. The pressure of playing and dealing with European, English and South American sports media can be too much to handle. Especially for Messi, whose life is a constant headline.
“After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it was time to go to the league in the United States and live football in a different way and enjoy my day-to-day,” Messi told Mundo Deportivo and Sport regarding his announcement. “Obviously with the same responsibilities and desire to win and to always do things well. But with more peace.”
Peace is the operative word. Messi wants to be happy. He wants his family to be happy. Anyone who knows Miami well will tell you that you don’t necessarily associate peace with the city in south Florida, but his point remains. The pressures are different.
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3:36
Messi explains why he chose MLS over Barcelona and Saudi Arabia
Lionel Messi speaks candidly about his decision to join Inter Miami over offers from Barcelona and the Saudi Pro League.
MLS and Inter Miami also win
When Beckham arrived at the Galaxy — essentially as the second chapter of MLS’ growth and evolution (the first chapter was its debut in 1996) — the league had 13 teams. His arrival exploded attendance numbers at Home Depot Center and elevated the league to new heights. Granted, this took time, but his introduction also introduced the DP role and forever changed the salary restrictions in MLS.
Part of his arrival agreement was also the opportunity to purchase a franchise (except New York City) for a fixed price of $25 million. The choice? Inter Miami. Fast forward to the present and MLS now has 29 teams with the 30th (San Diego) landing in 2025. Inter Miami was the 25th back in 2020 and three years later, Beckham’s friend Messi is on his way.
Apple, the league’s main distributor, gambled on a global strategy with MLS and Messi’s arrival now adds the exclamation point of marketable exposure. Adidas, the league’s kit partner, also wins in what should be unprecedented shirt sales. Just for context, PSG sold more than million Messi-printed shirts in their first season and that number is going to be low compared with Inter Miami’s expectations. Their ticket sales and the current Fort Lauderdale-based stadium will be a problem in terms of handling demands, and as I write this, Inter Miami’s Instagram account has grown from 1 million to 6.7 million followers, within the first 48 hours of Messi’s announcement.
There are also talks of Sergio Busquets joining as well as other reputable, albeit aging, stars such as Jordi Alba. Time is not necessarily an issue but it’s also not commodity. Beckham had to wait until his fifth season with the Galaxy to win his first MLS Cup, and Messi probably doesn’t have that long (he turns 36 this month), but the hope is to strengthen the team sooner rather than later. It won’t be easy or quick, since Miami sit bottom of the table and don’t have a coach.
Regardless, Messi’s arrival is a victory for other clubs in the league as his introduction impacts other possible transfer targets. More players from all over the world will want to come to the league. Before Messi, MLS was already healthy as it has a core of young Latin Americans including young Argentinians (Thiago Almada, Emanuel Reynoso, Julian Carranza) as well as Europeans (Lorenzo Insigne, Xherdan Shaqiri) and big Mexican names (Carlos Vela, Javier Hernandez).
Now, MLS has Messi. This is how a league becomes powerful.
OFFSIDE
Can Inter block Man City’s treble?
The Messi telenovela made us forget that there’s a tiny, trivial thing called the Champions League final on Saturday. The imperial Man City, genius manager Pep Guardiola and his team of superstars, notably the Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland, are hoping for history against Internazionale with the chance of a treble after winning the Premier League and FA Cup.
Let’s begin with the fact that I don’t see anything less than a Man City victory. This team is just too good. Even when they’re not good, they’re good. Even when they’re down on their luck during a match, all they need is a moment. So do I think Simone Inzaghi’s resilient, stubborn Inter can get something here? No. I don’t.
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1:58
How will Inter’s attack line up against Man City in UCL final?
Alejandro Moreno and Craig Burley explain why Simone Inzaghi should start Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko in the UCL final.
I don’t want Man City to win. It’s too much. It’s overwhelming to think that this is an omnipotent team, one built out of proverbial titanium. Yes, I’m jealous of their grandiosity. I’m jealous of their almost perfection and honestly, I don’t think I have gotten over Jack Grealish‘s exit from Aston Villa to City. I can’t shake off these charges of breaches of financial fair play, either.
Pep is Thanos, the squad represents his infinity stones and by Saturday night, the world will be theirs. At least for a few years.
Why we need to talk about Saudi Arabia’s intriguing and controversial master plan
Thank God Lionel Messi chose MLS because honestly, the Saudi Pro League was about to have its own lunch, eat it and then take over the whole restaurant. After Cristiano Ronaldo‘s arrival at Al-Nassr — combined with the Public Investment Fund’s majority takeover of Newcastle United in 2021 and the more recent LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger — we knew that this league and the nation were ready to make a continued statement of sporting dominance.
Along came Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, the ludicrous offer to Messi and other players such as Luka Modric, Busquets and more. What’s next? A bid for the 2030 World Cup is undoubtedly in the cards. From a footballing perspective, I don’t know if this plan will work because the Chinese Super League and early stages of MLS taught us that aging superstars alone can’t build a power league. You need much more. That’s the next step.
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2:13
Karim Benzema bids farewell as Real Madrid draw with Athletic Club
Real Madrid and Athletic Club draw 1-1 with Karim Benzema scoring in his last game for the club.
Then there’s the other, difficult question outside of football. What does it all mean from a social perspective? From a political one? Is this blatant sportswashing getting out of control? Or are we being culturally ignorant to a league and culture we know little about but love to criticize? Or do we do just that and take head-on Saudi Arabia’s record on human rights violations and oppression of the LGBTQ+ community and women?
There is also the perspective from the Saudi Arabian people, whose population is young. 70% are under 35, and Saudi Arabia’s aim is to attract more tourists to the country while generating a stronger economy. The leaders, like those in Europe and America, want to solidify their economic prosperity.
But I’m just going to tell you this. Sportswashing succeeds when we let it go. There is a clear plan to expand the sporting industry thanks to the Saudis’ prodigious wealth, but at the same time it is inside a society that limits freedom of speech and imposes shocking punishments, such as executions, on those who break the law.
Of course, we live in a hypercritical world and also one that pushes whataboutism. The point is to keep having these conversations and not to lecture but to learn and progress.
Tweet of the week
Give this kid all the flowers. He even had time to throw shade at Spurs.
Less than six months ago, Alvarez was one of the break-out stars of Argentina’s World Cup win. He became first choice during the course of the campaign in Qatar. His youthful legs did lot of the hard running for Lionel Messi and he contributed four goals to the cause — the only Argentine player other than Messi to score more than once. Lautaro, meanwhile, lost his place in the starting lineup, seemed to suffer a breakdown in form, had to content himself with a bit-part role off the bench and was not able to get onto the scoresheet. Come the end of the tournament, then, there was no doubt about the respective places in Argentina’s pecking order.
True, this is the first season at Manchester City for Alvarez, and he has certainly not disappointed. His total of 17 goals in all competitions is more than reasonable return, especially as his opportunities are limited. For his club, Alvarez is the bit-part player; Erling Haaland is king of the front line and everything has to fit around the Norwegian goal machine. When City are at full strength, Alvarez has to make do with a place on the bench, where he sits in very good company alongside outstanding players such as Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and the ghost of the 2022-23 season, England’s Euro 2020 first-choice central midfielder, Kalvin Phillips.
Internazionale have nothing like the same astonishing strength in depth, but they pose threat. They can rotate their big striker, with the veteran former Manchester City centre-forward Edin Dzeko starting and then giving way to Romelu Lukaku. But alongside them there is no doubt about it — he may have lost the World Cup battle to Alvarez but, at Inter, Lautaro is the main man. The 25-year-old responded to the experience of Qatar by helping himself to 20 goals this season, and City will underestimate him at their peril.
Lautaro will look to take advantage of flicks and knock downs from Dzeko and Lukaku and will prowl around them with the predatory menace of a hammerhead shark. After five seasons in Italy he has scored more than 100 goals for the club. It is almost inevitable that he will have to get by on scraps in Istanbul on Saturday. City will surely enjoy the bulk of possession, leaving Inter to take the direct route whenever they can. Lautaro may go a while without seeing the ball and chances on goal may be scarce. But if and when they come, his teammates have total confidence in him. And he has enough in himself to deal with the pressures of the big occasion.
His World Cup made for fascinating viewing. In the first half of the opening game against Saudi Arabia he helped himself to couple of efficiently taken goals, both ruled out for the narrowest of offsides. Thereafter, with Argentina under surprise scoreboard pressure, his touch seemed to desert him, and then things only got worse. He was clearly struggling for form, going through one of those phases when the target looks tiny and the goalkeeper looms large. In subsequent games, Argentina would bring him off the bench and try to get him a goal, and the harder he tried the worse his finishing became.
And then came that penalty shootout against Netherlands. Argentina had the game in the bag, only to be foiled by an outrageously cunning last-gasp equaliser. Might the same thing happen in the shootout? The South Americans were two up and seemingly on the verge of triumph. But then Enzo Fernandez shot wide. Netherlands scored, the nerves were jangling and the pressure was right back on. Some went weak at the knees when they saw Lautaro stride forward to take the next penalty. Nothing, absolutely nothing, had gone right for him in the tournament until that point. Was he now going to confirm his status as the villain of the piece?
Merely having the guts to step up at a time like that was an act of valour. Blasting his kick home as if he never held the slightest doubt was almost superhuman. And it helps explain why Lautaro scores so many goals: because he has the mental strength to accept the responsibility, and the chance that he might miss.
Manchester City are the form horse. They have the style and the swagger, and the silverware already this season to back it up. They have a squad with sufficient quality to leave Alvarez on the bench. But to achieve the dream and lift the Champions League trophy they will need to keep a close eye on Lautaro.
The Mediterranean diet is inspired by foods eaten in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. This includes Greece, Spain, France, and southern Italy. In some ways, the Mediterranean diet is like other heart-healthy diets. It promotes foods such as fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. It does not include many meats, dairy products, or sweets. In other ways, the Mediterranean diet is different. For example, it allows for more calories from fats, like olive oil. The diet also allows for moderate intake of wine.
Path to improved health
Studies show that the Mediterranean diet has many health benefits. These are greater when combined with exercise. The diet can help you lose or maintain weight. It also helps to manage your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. In older adults, it can improve your brain function. Following the Mediterranean diet may also protect against some chronic diseases, such as:
Heart disease
Cancer
Type 2 diabetes
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
You can integrate the Mediterranean diet into your lifestyle. Try some of the tips below. Talk to your doctor or a dietician if you have questions.
Make vegetables, fruits, and whole grains the base of your meals. Your meals should center around these foods. Choose a wide mix of fruits and vegetables and prepare them in simple ways. For example, you can roast your vegetables in the oven. If you sauté them, use olive oil instead of butter. Switch to whole-grain breads, pastas, and cereals. Try different whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, and millet.
Use unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats. Make good choices about which fats you eat. When cooking, choose unsaturated fats, such as olive or canola oil. Limit your intake of saturated fats, such as butter, margarine, and coconut oil. Choose low-fat dairy products.
Choose fresh, healthy snacks. Nuts are good snacks and a natural source of unsaturated fat. Eat a small handful of walnuts, cashews, almonds, or pistachios. Spread some all-natural peanut butter (with no added sugar or fillers) on a slice of whole-grain bread. Fresh vegetables are another good option. Eat them with hummus or olive oil instead of sour cream or cheese.
Get most of your protein from plant sources, poultry, and fish. During the week, try eating mostly vegetarian meals. You can combine lentils, beans, or chickpeas with whole grains and vegetables. Once or twice a week, bake or grill fish, such as salmon, trout, or tuna. When you eat meat, choose poultry instead of red meat. Keep your portions at 3 to 5 oz. (the size of a deck of cards). Avoid red meat, sausage, bacon, and other high-fat meats.
Raise a glass.On the Mediterranean diet, you can consume a moderate amount of wine. Red wine may have more health benefits than white wine. Women (or men over age 65) can drink up to 1 glass of wine a day. Men under age 65 can have up to 2 glasses a day. Drinking more than this can increase your risk of health problems.
Limit sweets. Try to reduce your intake of soda, sweetened cereals, granola bars, and desserts. You only should consume these once or twice a week. Instead, if you have a sweet tooth, try eating a piece of fresh, dried, or baked fruit.
Stay active. Remember, exercise helps boost the effects of the Mediterranean diet. Try to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week. A moderate exercise raises your heart rate and makes you break a sweat. Pick something that you enjoy. Walking, hiking, swimming, and riding a bike are good options.
Things to consider
New studies continue to find health benefits from the Mediterranean diet. However, there are health concerns that you should be aware of. If your iron levels are low, make sure you eat foods rich in iron and vitamin C. Combining foods such as spinach (high in iron) and strawberries (high in vitamin C) can help your body absorb iron. You also may have a calcium loss from eating fewer dairy products on this diet. Ask your doctor if you should take a calcium supplement.
Questions to ask your doctor
Is a Mediterranean diet meant to be short-term or long-term?
Should my kids follow the Mediterranean diet, too?
Are there vitamins or supplements I should take that go with the Mediterranean diet?
This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.
Kate Middleton and Prince William want to have a healthy childhood for their kids.
Parents to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the royal couple are taking their time to adapt a parenting style like Princess Diana’s.
“Being a royal is isolating enough,” royal expert Jennie Bond told OK Magazine.
“This way George, Charlotte and Louis have a ready-made, in-built support network as they can all go to school together for the foreseeable future. That was incredibly important to William and Kate. They want their children’s lives to be as normal as possible.”
He said: “Prince Charles had a dreadful time at school and William and Harry also had it tough so William is determined that his own children don’t suffer in the same way.”
Royal biographer Katie Nicholl says, “The most important thing to William and Kate is allowing George and his siblings a wonderfully grounded and supportive childhood”
“It’s very much the Diana style of parenting. They want them to know how lucky they are and not take any of it for granted.”
