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Connections — The New York Times

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 23:23:14 +0000

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The 3 Best Business Laptops of 2026 | Reviews by Wirecutter

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:58:38 +0000

A good business laptop works quickly, offers lengthy battery life, and has a few extra ports in case you need to plug it into a meeting-room TV, or if a client hands you an older USB-A thumb drive. Business machines should also be easier to repair than most thin-and-light laptops, so you won’t lose access to your files and communication for long when something breaks.

Many of the laptops we tested this year are extremely expensive due to the ongoing chip shortage, but the Dell 14S offers strong multitasking performance, a sharp OLED screen, and 17-hour battery life for hundreds less than the competition.

If you have more room in your budget, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition offers similarly strong performance but includes upgrades such as an especially lightweight design and a high-resolution OLED display, which is perfect for spreadsheets with small numbers.

And if you prefer Macs or want your laptop to seamlessly integrate with your iPhone, we recommend Apple’s MacBook Air (13-inch, M5, 2026). You’ll have to take it to Apple if something goes wrong, but the company’s global presence makes replacing your laptop easy.

Everything we recommend

Top pick
The best business laptop
Dell 14S
$1,520 from Dell
Upgrade pick
Sleeker design, OLED display
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
$2,137 from Lenovo
Budget pick
A cheaper MacBook
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M5, 2026)
$1,249 from Amazon
$1,299 from Walmart
$1,299 from Apple

Top pick

Top pick, The best business laptop Dell 14S

Dell 14S

The Dell 14S has a slimmer design, a better screen, and longer battery life than the competition, and it’s designed to be repaired.

Buying options: $1,520 from Dell, opens in a new tab

Key specs

Processor:	Intel Core Ultra 7 355	Storage:	512 GB
Graphics:	Intel Graphics	Screen:	1920×1200 OLED
Memory:	16 GB	Weight:	3.26 pounds
Tested battery life:	17.6 hours

The Dell 14S has the same specs as many of the more expensive business laptops we tested, but it includes a better screen, a reasonable selection of ports, and a 17-hour battery life. It also has a sharp webcam, a comfortable keyboard and trackpad, and convenient sign-in features such as Windows Hello facial recognition. It offers the best value of the current crop of business laptops, typically at about half the cost of our upgrade pick.

Upgrade pick

Upgrade pick, Sleeker design, OLED display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition

This thin-and-light business laptop still has all the ports you need — plus a high-res display.

Buying options: $2,137 from Lenovo, opens in a new tab

Key specs

Processor:	Intel Core Ultra 7 355	Storage:	512 GB SSD
Graphics:	Intel Graphics	Screen:	2880×1800 OLED
Memory:	32 GB	Weight:	2.16 pounds
Tested battery life:	15 hours

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition provides a few significant upgrades over our top pick, but the most noticeable is that it’s dramatically lighter. This model weighs a pound less and adds a higher-resolution OLED display. Like the versions of the X1 Carbon we’ve recommended in the past, it has USB-A, USB-C, and HDMI ports, as well as Lenovo’s classic keyboard, trackpad, and red pointer nib. You can opt for a larger, haptic trackpad if you don’t like the three large buttons that take up about a third of the default touchpad.

Budget pick

Budget pick, A cheaper MacBook Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M5, 2026)

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M5, 2026)

This version of the MacBook Air isn’t really a business laptop, but it is inexpensive and powerful enough to get work done.

Buying options: $1,249 from Amazon, opens in a new tab

$1,299 from Walmart, opens in a new tab

$1,299 from Apple, opens in a new tab

Key specs

Processor:	Apple M5	Storage:	256 GB SSD
Graphics:	Apple M5	Screen:	13.3-inch 2560×1600
Memory:	16 GB	Weight:	2.8 pounds
Tested battery life:	16 hours

The Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M5, 2026) doesn’t have many of the features that are important for a business laptop, such as a variety of ports or a user-repairable design. However, the processing power, battery life, and display are better than what you can find in any similarly priced Windows option, and Apple’s worldwide network of retail stores makes it easy to get your laptop repaired or replaced.

Book Review: ‘The Disappearers,’ by Marlon James - The New York Times

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:20:25 +0000

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Fiction

This Masterpiece Is the Novel of the Decade, if Not the Century

Marlon James’s story of gay experience and murderous homophobia in Jamaica is a maximalist’s banquet — and the Booker Prize winner’s finest book yet.

Kingston Harbor, Jamaica, in 1982.Credit...Alain Le Garsmeur/Alamy

By Dwight Garner

Aug. 30, 2026

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When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.

THE DISAPPEARERS, by Marlon James

In the souk that is contemporary publishing, much attention has gone recently to the minimalists and the tinkerers, to writers of short novels steeped in irony. It’s been a meal of small plates, reflective of short attention spans.

The Jamaican writer Marlon James’s new novel, “The Disappearers,” at 600-plus pages, is instead a maximalist’s banquet: It is humane, blood-flecked, disturbing and sustaining. It takes James 90 pages to say hello. It’s another 70 pages before his story settles into your guts and begins to twist them. It’s yet another 150 before you fully comprehend his loping authority and the scale of his ambitions. Booster rockets fall away. Disparate coordinates begin to converge.

The Disappearers

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Why not just say it? With this novel about gay experience and murderous homophobia in Jamaica and elsewhere during the 1980s and ’90s, James has written a masterpiece, the novel of the decade and possibly of the century thus far.

It deserves to be talked about alongside Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children,” for its tumult of language and its crisscrossing post-colonial themes; Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” (James picks up on a revenge scenario from that novel); and William Faulkner’s “Absalom, Absalom!” — the greatest American novel, I’d argue — for many reasons but especially for the way James, like Faulkner, hammers his themes like a Vulcan, rolling over them relentlessly from new and sometimes oblique angles, advancing and enlarging his attack each time. This is another way of saying “The Disappearers” was one of the signal reading experiences of my adult life. It sank knives deep into my heart. I’m still in recovery from it.

A bonus is that James is casually funny in a way Faulkner rarely is, and his novel has Nirvana and Soundgarden and Duran Duran and Prince cassettes locked into its boom box. It occurred to me around Page 350 that “The Disappearers” places him near the front of the line, a decade or two from now, for the Nobel Prize.

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Wordle — The New York Times

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 23:37:31 +0000

Guess the hidden word in 6 tries. A new puzzle is available each day.

Romania - News, Schedule, Scores, Roster, and Stats - The Athletic

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USMNT's most iconic World Cup kits, ranked: All-time jerseys from 1990 and on

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Weston McKennie on target again as Juventus cruise in Champions League win

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Fiorentina's Fabio Grosso first head coach sacking in Europe's top leagues of 2026-27

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Belgium cites Folarin Balogun case in withholding support for Gianni Infantino's FIFA re-election

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Carlos Queiroz reappointed Ghana coach, two months after stepping down

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Romania soccer introduces black card to ‘combat abusive behaviour’ from parents at youth games - The Athletic

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 22:06:15 +0000

Romania soccer introduces black card to ‘combat abusive behaviour’ from parents at youth games

The card can be used to permanently cancel the match if they “observe inappropriate behaviour from spectators or parents". George Wood/Getty Images

By Colin Millar

Sept. 12, 2026 Updated

The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has introduced a new black card to help prevent abusive behaviour from parents at youth-team matches.

In addition to the standard yellow and red cards, which determine disciplinary sanctions for individual players on the pitch, referees will have a black card which can be used to permanently cancel the match if they “observe inappropriate behaviour from spectators or parents”.

The FRF said the move was designed to combat “bullying and pressure exerted by parents and spectators in the stands”, making it the first football federation to introduce such a measure.

The black card being brandished will be the final part of a three-step process. In the first instance, the referee will temporarily suspend the match and ask coaches to speak directly to its team’s supporters and parents, while an announcement will also be communicated to supporters should a public address system be available.

Should the behaviour continue, the referee will suspend the match for 10 minutes and send the teams off the pitch to their dressing room while once again asking coaches to attempt to de-escalate the behaviour of those in the stands.

The FRF then detail the process behind using the black card as the final step: “If abusive behaviour persists after play resumes, the referee blows the final whistle. The match is permanently abandoned and cannot be resumed.”

The new procedure is designed to prevent abuse aimed at young footballers, coaching staff members, referees, match officials, or other parents and spectators present.

This behaviour encompasses verbal abuse or physical assault, with the FRF distributing a kit containing a banner, posters with rules of conduct for parents, and flyers explaining the 3-step procedure to all 130 Romanian academies within its remit.

Sep 13, 2026

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John Klingberg announces retirement, talks playing through pain and next chapter in TV - The Athletic

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:14:26 +0000

There is the John Klingberg whose offensive gifts from the blue line often masked his defensive warts as he became one of the NHL’s top puck-moving defensemen at his peak.

There is also the John Klingberg who fashioned a 700-game career in the world’s best hockey league while often playing in pain after multiple hip surgeries.

Both can be true. And it’s a career the skilled and once fleet-footed Swede now looks back on with immense pride after he battled through physical challenges.

“As a professional athlete, all I’ve done for 30-plus years is breathe hockey and try to become better and better in every aspect of the game,” Klingberg told The Athletic recently, before he announced his retirement Friday. “But especially for me as a player who’s been skating up and down the ice my entire career and been playing a lot through my skating and my ability to move the puck and join the rush and beat guys one-on-one, right?

“Bottom line is my body doesn’t allow me to do it anymore, and I’ve been trying everything to get it to a point where I can be the best version of myself, but I haven’t seen any positive feedback of my body wanting me to do it anymore. So what do you do as a perfectionist and as a competitor when you start losing hope that it’s going to come to a point where you want it to be? You start losing motivation, right?”

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Klingberg, 34, came to terms with this hard reality over the summer months. His mind for the game, he feels, has never been better. It is an asset that Dallas’ 2010 fifth-round NHL Draft pick used to become a key cog in quarterbacking the Stars’ game on the offensive end. His body, which had to recover from two surgeries to repair both of his hips before he reached the NHL and a major resurfacing procedure almost three years ago, isn’t responding as well as it once did.

Training earlier in the summer helped provide the conclusion he’s arrived at. The decision to end a career is rarely easy for a professional athlete, much less one who played the game at a high level. Rather than press on and see whether he could latch on with another NHL team after spending last season with the San Jose Sharks, Klingberg concluded that enough was enough.

“The motivation, I think, moving into last year, was really high with San Jose, but as the season went longer and longer and I’m not seeing my body changing and reacting the way I want to, I think I realized more and more that it probably would be the last year,” Klingberg said from his home in Sweden. “I kind of knew it was going to be either/or. But at the same time, there only was going to be probably a one-year deal on the table. And then bouncing to another team again, which has been one of the hard parts for me.

“I’ve been a part of (teams), but for me, I expect myself to be at least a top-four defenseman, play big minutes, which I did earlier in my career. And then the frustrating part (is) when you feel in your brain that you’re a smarter hockey player and getting more experience throughout the year, but then your body doesn’t keep up and doesn’t allow you to be the player you can be out there. The bottom line is just the motivation of trying everything for my body to react to what my brain wants to do, but it didn’t work anymore.”

While training this summer, his hips wouldn’t cooperate to give him the confidence to skate and battle in the situations NHL defensemen run into every game.

“That’s where you have your answer, and it’s like, ‘Am I really going to try to do this one more year? What’s that going to give me?’” he said. “You’re just going to skate around frustrated, not being able to play the game you want to.

“At the same time as well, for me, I know I’m going out on my own choice right now instead of just feeling I’m trying all the way down to the end.”

Even as Miro Heiskanen came on the scene and became the Stars’ go-to blueliner, Klingberg racked up more points than any other defenseman the Stars employed during his eight-year run in Dallas. He had five consecutive seasons of 40 points or more from his rookie year onward, including a career-high 67 in 2017-18, the second of two seasons when he earned Norris Trophy votes.

The past four years have seen him bounce among teams — the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers before finishing with the Sharks, where he still managed 10 goals and 27 points in 56 games. Those hip problems returned with greater force when he joined the Ducks and plagued him until more relief came following his 2023 surgery. Klingberg credits the Leafs with helping him get back to a point where he believed he could contribute effectively to a team.

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That was apparent when he joined the Oilers for their 2025 run back to the Stanley Cup Final. He played in 19 of their 22 playoff games and averaged 19 minutes. For a time, Klingberg wasn’t hobbling into arenas on game nights the way he did in Anaheim, Minnesota and Toronto, wondering how he could help his teams when he was, in his words, operating “at 60 percent today.”

“When I had my last surgery, when I re-did my entire hips, (my doctor) said when they opened me up — he’s had like 5,000-plus surgeries — he said this is some of the worst hips I’ve ever seen, and you’re only 30 years old,” he said.

Craig Oster, Klingberg’s agent, still marvels at all the time and money spent in extensive rehabilitation to remain a functioning player determined to extend his career as long as he could.

“It was literally a full-day process to be ready to compete,” the Toronto-based Oster said. “And it’s incredible for him to go through that unique surgery that has only been done by a handful of hockey players and a handful of athletes in the world and be able to come back from it. Another amazing thing.”

Through it all, Klingberg never developed a reputation for having a strong defensive game in his own end. It wasn’t as if he didn’t want to play defense; his hips never gave him an explosive feeling in his skating. Instead of being able to engage freely at any time and close those gaps against onrushing forwards, he’d leave more space to protect himself from being beaten repeatedly. “I would never hit anyone, but the reason why it was so visible was because I couldn’t move,” Klingberg said.

The mental acumen he’s long possessed is what Klingberg hopes to impart and convey in his next act. He’ll be doing television work for SVT, serving as an in-game analyst and doing studio work for national broadcasts in Sweden. Discussing the NHL, the Swedish Hockey League and the national team will be part of his repertoire. Commentary could be a natural fit for a gold medalist in the World Juniors and IIHF World Championship known for his candor.

Because he’s only 34 and just removed from the game, Klingberg said he believes he can bring a fresher perspective and connect with younger viewers. “I feel like I’m a smart hockey guy, and I think I can be really good at it because I can come in and talk hockey through what I see in my eyes and from my experience,” he said. “I’m excited about it.”

And he has found peace with his NHL career. He feels he accomplished a lot but also carries some disappointment with being physically limited to what he could do on the ice.

He’ll cherish his two cracks at a Stanley Cup with the Stars and Oilers; his years with the Stars, when he was a kid who never felt like a superstar but grew into a franchise bedrock and made Dallas his second home; the many teammates he played with over his 12 seasons; all the frivolity over countless dinners; the nights playing cards; and the many people he has come across during his hockey journey.

Mostly, Klingberg wants to be remembered as someone teammates enjoyed playing with and “a guy that people looked up to.” Now he eagerly chases after his two young daughters, Elsa and Ida, with his self-described “sh—y hips,” and does it without pain.

“Living a normal life outside of hockey, when I didn’t work out for a while this summer, it’s been better than it’s ever been,” he said.

NHL Prospect Tiers 2025-26: Scouts rank and project league’s top 122 young players - The Athletic

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 02:34:51 +0000

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Tier 1 — MVP

A top 10 player. Someone who is very likely to get serious trophy consideration at season’s end and whom championship-caliber teams are built around. The best player on almost any team in the league.

Macklin Celebrini

Why he's here

Celebrini and Bedard stand alone as the league's next-in-line superstars, and it feels like Celebrini is slightly ahead of Bedard right now in the consensus. Slotting them alone in the MVP-caliber tier, but within different letter grades, with Celebrini firmly in it and Bedard closer to potentially ending up a tier lower in the Franchise tier, felt like the sweet spot. The premium of Celebrini's position as a first-line center separates him from the Matvei Michkovs and the Ivan Demidovs, too.

"I like seeing Celebrini over Bedard," said one scout.

Tiers over time

Tier 1 — MVP

SJS

Connor Bedard

Why he's here

Bedard's talent is singular in his age cohort, but room for improvement on the defensive side and on smaller things, such as the faceoff circle, does cast doubt on whether he'll become more of a tweener between Tier 1 and Tier 2 for some. There were some scouts who wondered if he'd get to the MVP level or finish as more of a Tier 2A than a Tier 1C. It's on the Blackhawks to get him some help and give him a better chance at getting to that MVP tier, too. We haven't seen the best of Bedard yet. Not anywhere close. Getting here would mean he has that Patrick Kane peak.

Tiers over time

Tier 1 — MVP

CHI

Tier 2 — Franchise

A top 30 player. Someone who is the best player on a contending team or second best on a championship-caliber team. An unquestionably elite player.

Matthew Schaefer

Why he's here

The most common comp for Schaefer is Miro Heiskanen, and Heiskanen has lived in Tier 2B for years.

Scouts have common nitpicks about Lane Hutson, Owen Power, Luke Hughes and Zayne Parekh's games. They find fewer in Schaefer's. His world-class skating is a differentiator, too.

Where scouts are split continues to be on the lack of games played. One scout argued he'd move Schaefer down a letter grade because he hasn't played enough to be this high, but another went as far as to say that he thinks Schaefer is actually capable of ending up higher than this. "I think sky is the limit for Schaefer, but having not seen him in a game for so long, it may be better to keep him where he is," the second scout said. I decided to leave him as is as a result.

Tiers over time

Tier 2 — Franchise

NYI

LHD

Matvei Michkov

Why he's here

If Celebrini and Bedard are the top two young centers in the game, Michkov and Demidov are the top two wingers. Because we've seen Michkov do it, the consensus seemed to favor him ever so slightly.

This sets a Mikko Rantanen-level projection for Michkov becoming a consistent 90-100 point winger, which is lofty but doesn't feel out of reach for him.

Tiers over time

Tier 2 — Franchise

PHI

Lane Hutson

Why he's here

Hutson is viewed unequivocally as the most talented young defenseman in the game, but scouts still view him more as a Franchise tier guy than the potential MVP-caliber talents that Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes have become. Don't take that as a knock, either, Habs fans. Names such as Roman Josi and Charlie McAvoy have lived in the Franchise tier. Even that level isn't fully agreed upon, though, either, which results in the bubble Tier 2C slotting.

"Hutson is interesting to me. I’m not entirely convinced the elite offense will translate to the elite overall in the same way it has for Fox, Makar and Hughes. I see a few Karlsson peak seasons (and) a career of debate about his true net impact. I’m not sure that player is Franchise to me. All-Star, sure. But in the All-Star tier, you have a number of 1D, 25-min guys who likely get you 50+. I think that’s worth more, to be honest." Said another: "Hutson might have that value, but I am doubtful he is not going to regress with Dobson there, teams now knowing how to play him and additional structure as they push to be a real playoff team."

On the back of the feedback I got, Hutson was closer to dropping down into Tier 3A than moving up to Tier 2B, it should be noted.

Tiers over time

Tier 2 — Franchise

MTL

LHD

Adam Fantilli

Why he's here

Fantilli has all of the makings of a top-end forward. The physical tools of size, power and skating. The dexterous tools of shooting and quick-twitch hands. He scored 31 goals (tied for the most on the Blue Jackets) as a 19-year-old last season, and it felt like he was just starting to hit his stride. He's already their first-line center, and it looks like there's still another level to come.

Tiers over time

Tier 2 — Franchise

CBJ

Ivan Demidov

Why he's here

There are just six Tier 2 wingers in this year's Player Tiers: Matthew Tkachuk (2A), Mikko Rantanen (2B), Mitch Marner (2B), William Nylander (2C), Artemi Panarin (2C) and Sam Reinhart (2C). That's what Demidov is reaching for, specifically the Nylander/Panarin ceiling, I'd think. His skill level gives him a chance to become one of the higher-end wingers in the game.

Two scouts did say they'd have him grouped with Michkov in Tier 2B (one of those scouts actually said he was partial to Demidov), but a couple others felt it was just right when I asked. "I think it makes sense where you have Michkov/Demidov slotted," said one scout.

I don't think the Michkov versus Demidov debate is going anywhere, regardless.

Tiers over time

Tier 2 — Franchise

MTL

Logan Cooley

Why he's here

I believe Cooley is going to have a big year this season, and I'm not alone in that camp. He's already a 1C for his team, but he has it in him to take some leaps and elevate himself into the bottom of the Franchise tier. Dom and I talked about Cooley, Fantilli and Wyatt Johnston as the future Brayden Point, Sebastian Aho and Nico Hischier Tier 2C-level types. Those guys feel bang on in particular for Cooley, though, because of his size/game.

Tiers over time

Tier 2 — Franchise

UTA

Wyatt Johnston

Why he's here

Johnston has been a top player on a top team as a second- and third-year player already. He provides two-way value as well. This counts on him getting from an impact 70-point player he already is to a consistent 80-point version of that who becomes one of the top two-way forwards in the game.

Tiers over time

Tier 2 — Franchise

DAL

Leo Carlsson

Why he's here

I started Carlsson in Tier 3A instead of Tier 2C because I felt Fantilli had shown more in the NHL, and I wanted that to be reflected in the groupings until Carlsson proved otherwise. But Carlsson still has a strong camp of supporters who believe he's going to elevate and that he and Fantilli should be grouped together, so I moved him from Tier 3A to Tier 2C.

Two scouts even went as far as to say they'd have Carlsson ahead of Fantilli still.

Tiers over time

Tier 2 — Franchise

ANA

Michael Misa

Why he's here

Misa and Will Smith felt like they belonged in the same tier for me, both as prospects and because they're likely going to be jostling for the No. 2 forward marquee in San Jose for the next decade. One is going to be the second-line center in San Jose behind Celebrini, and the other will likely end up moving to the wing to ride shotgun with him. Both have clear All-Star potential, and I started them in Tier 3A. But when a couple scouts argued Misa belonged in the same tier as the Tier 2C guys, and a couple others expressed reservations about Smith, that seperated them.

One scout did say that he felt Misa could "possibly be higher than 3A," and another said he wasn't sure he saw a gap between Cooley/Fantilli/Johnston and Misa.

Tiers over time

Tier 2 — Franchise

SJS

Tier 3 — All-Star

A top 60 player. Someone who wouldn’t be the best player on a contender, but would be an important part of any contending or championship core. A strong top-line forward, above average No. 1 defenseman, or borderline top five goalie.

Will Smith

Why he's here

Smith still has some skeptics who think he's more of a Tier 3B or 3C than a Tier 3A, but they're fewer after the way he produced and looked in the second half. His sophomore year feels like it's going to take on more importance for his perception leaguewide than most sophomore years do. People will be paying close attention to see if he can be a top dog for a full 82 games and really stamp himself.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

SJS

James Hagens

Why he's here

Though he wasn't necessarily selected in line with it when he fell to No. 7 in the draft, most scouts still view Hagens in line with how they viewed Logan Cooley, and Cooley actually slots one bucket above this. Those I spoke with think Hagens is going to have a prove-it year, and I thought it was interesting he ended up in the same grouping as two players who were drafted ahead of him in Michael Misa and Porter Martone.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

BOS

Owen Power

Why he's here

Power is an interesting one, because the NHL people Dom, Shayna and Sean surveyed for Player Tiers who work on the pro side have grown frustrated with his lack of physicality and take-charge, but the amateur folks I surveyed still have a tough time putting prospects over a defenseman who has already played 25 minutes per game in the NHL for years at an early age.

One scout did say that he'd have Power a letter grade lower, though, so the two groups may be coming closer together. This feels like a prove-it year for him despite his strong NHL results and usage.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

BUF

LHD

Juraj Slafkovsky

Why he's here

I was expecting Slafkovsky to be more of a talking point, as he often has been in the past. But a second consecutive 50-point season and his fit on Montreal's top line seem to have combined to stabilize the way he's viewed. He's still going to have to find another level and become one of the game's top power forwards to justify a high all-star slotting, but not a single scout raised him as someone they'd move higher or lower.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

MTL

Why he's here

I started Guenther in Tier 3B, but he got a lot of love from the scouts surveyed and was moved up a letter grade.

"I don’t see much difference between Guenther and the wingers in 3A. He is probably in that bucket for me as an established scorer," said one scout.

"Guenther higher for sure," argued another.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

UTA

Sam Dickinson

Why he's here

I started Dickinson in Tier 3B with Zeev Buium and Artyom Levshunov, but one scout really pushed for him to move up to Tier 3A. "Dickinson reminds me of John Carlson at the same age when he was in London. He was more athlete than reads in his draft year all the way through but the game really slowed down for him this past year finally," the scout said.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

SJS

LHD

Why he's here

Frondell had some real fans in his draft year who fell in love with some of the highs he had and felt he was a top-three prospect in the class, but also some skeptics who felt he'd had too many dips in his play to be a top-five guy. He's not polarizing, per se, but he is a topic of conversation, and that was true in the feedback. I started him here in Tier 3B, and I had one scout say he could "possibly be higher" and another say "Frondell should be lower." Because there wasn't a consensus one way or another, he remained here with fellow center Desnoyers.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

CHI

Simon Edvinsson

Why he's here

Scouts think Edvinsson is going to be a legit No. 2 D in the NHL for a long time (or maybe a No. 3 on a true contender). The bubble between star and all-star felt appropriate, and he has been given the benefit of the doubt for Tier 3C because he has proven more than the D who clustered into Tier 4.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

DET

LHD

Roger McQueen

Why he's here

Matthew Knies

Why he's here

Knies is and will be a fascinating case study because he's already slotted in Tier 4B in Player Tiers and he's an extremely coveted player type, but there are some who wonder whether he's closer to maxed out than most others his age because of his physical maturity and the fact that he may never play with linemates as strong as the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner pair again.

I originally slotted him Tier 4A here to couch in a little more development but two scouts argued they thought he'd reach Tier 3C. "Everyone would sell a lot for a guy like him," the scout said.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

TOR

Beckett Sennecke

Why he's here

I initially slotted Sennecke into Tier 4A at the top of star and on the cusp of all-star, but a couple of scouts rightly argued his pure puck game gives him Tier 3C potential. He's an imperfect player but a rangy winger with little-guy hands and continued room to fill out. We've got a pretty good sense of what Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier are going to be at this point, but he and McQueen might be the X-factors in setting the Ducks' ceiling as a team.

Tiers over time

Tier 3 — All-Star

ANA

Tier 4 — Star

A top 100 player. Someone who would be a strong piece within a contending or championship core, but not a go-to option. An average top-line forward, below average No. 1 defenseman, or top 10 goalie.

Cutter Gauthier

Why he's here

Gauthier stays in 4A as a bubble guy between star and all-star for the second straight year in Prospect Tiers. He had a very respectable 20-goal, 44-point rookie season last year. Now he has to build toward 30-30-60, which most scouts think he's capable of.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

ANA

Ryan Leonard

Why he's here

Leonard has always had some big, big fans. "I would firmly be Leonard ahead of Smith long-term," said one scout of the Tier 3A to Tier 4A gap between the two here. That was a pretty widely held view in their NTDP and BC days together, too. But there is a growing minority of scouts who do wonder about Leonard's ultimate offense, and his muted impact with the Capitals (albeit on a contending team in the midst of a playoff run) does have some taking a more wait-and-see approach now. There are some who think he's a hard player to play with because of his singularly focused style, too.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

WSH

Gabe Perreault

Why he's here

Perreault's hands, vision and offensive smarts would all grade right at the top of this list, but questions about strength, pace and how it'll work in the NHL continue to follow him. I think they're overstated and slotted him here because I think it's where he belongs. There wasn't any dissent on his placement either. If Kent Johnson can get to Tier 3C, I don't see why Perreault can't maybe elevate there and turn more people into believers, too, so don't be surprised if he does.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

NYR

Why he's here

I originally threw Coronato in the Tier 4B bucket with the Eklunds, but he got some love from scouts for his performance last year and the $6.5 million AAV he has earned and frankly I think he was misplaced to start. Coronato and Beniers are viewed as a similar tier of player, and are paid accordingly. Coronato's more of a scorer but he's also a winger to Beniers' center. This is the right spot for him.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

CGY

Mikhail Yegorov

Why he's here

Yegorov is the sport's darling goalie prospect right now. He completely changed BU's upside when he joined them for the second semester last year and led them to the Frozen Four, and he's viewed as a highly talented, toolsy goaltender who still has untapped potential. He has clear starter upside with the right development and patience.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

NJD

Axel Sandin Pellikka

Why he's here

I started Sandin Pellikka in Tier 4A, but one scout argued he should be moved down a letter grade. He had another strong season last year in the SHL and should be one of the top young players in the AHL this season. Though the game is moving away from sub-6-foot D, scouts credit ASP for his competitiveness on top of the offensive talent he has.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

DET

RHD

Carter Yakemchuk

Why he's here

I started Yakemchuk in Tier 4A, but the consensus view is that his post-draft season was just OK and that kept him back in Tier 4B for the second year running. His potential is real as a big right-shot D who is going to run a PP1 and score in the NHL, but some scouts still wonder if his skating and defence will ever be more than average. Brent Burns is probably the best-case scenario, but it's not one everyone is willing to bet on.

"I would put Yakemchuk down one group. He's an incomplete player that leans offense," said one scout.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

OTT

RHD

William Eklund

Why he's here

Eklund was on the bubble between Tier 4A and Tier 4B for most, but the star grade was the consensus, and this became the sweet spot. It's a letter grade higher than a year ago, too. Scouts believe he's going to be more of the fourth fiddle to Celebrini, Smith and Misa than an equal. That's still a very good player, though, and his 58-point season as their second-leading scorer last year deserves a ton of credit considering how poor that team was.

One scout did credit that he has been a consistently improving player while playing in the NHL, but that scout still viewed him as a Tier 4A player at most.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

SJS

Jimmy Snuggerud

Why he's here

After a strong showing with the Blues to finish last season, Snuggerud moves from Tier 4C to Tier 4B this year. One scout did think he could maybe move to Tier 4A as well, but he wasn't prepared to fight for that, and the consensus seems to prefer him here for now. Snuggerud is expected to have a long career as a strong top-six winger, but he's viewed as more of a 20-30 goals and 50-60 points guy than as a future all-star.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

STL

Frank Nazar

Why he's here

Nazar's impressive second half with the Blackhawks and men's worlds with Team USA vaulted him from the support tier into the star tier here. There are some scouts who think that if he can build on that this year, Tier 4A is within reach for him as well.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

CHI

Shane Wright

Why he's here

Wright had a quietly strong first full season last year and now has 51 points in his first 95 NHL games. Scouts have taken notice and have always respected his commitment off the puck as well. They believe he's going to be an excellent two-way forward and every bit as important to the Kraken's future as Beniers, Catton, O'Brien and company

Anthony Cirelli is a Tier 4B guy in Player Tiers this year and while he's not a perfect comp for Wright, that's the impact you hope he makes in the prime of his career, maybe with a little more offense and as a little bit less of a defensive driver.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

SEA

Pyotr Andreyanov

Why he's here

Andreyanov going as high as No. 20 to the Blue Jackets was a bit of a surprise for some, but he is still viewed as firmly in this tier of goalie prospects behind Fowler and Yegorov with Augustine, Ravensbergen, Nabokov and company. His numbers are pristine, and if he continues to stack up seasons like last year's .942 in the MHL, he could conceivably rise higher. I debated slotting him one letter grade higher in Tier 4B, but I erred on the side of caution with the goalies.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

CBJ

Joshua Ravensbergen

Why he's here

Despite his first-round selection, size and skill, there's less of a consensus on Ravensbergen than on the other three goalies in Tier 4C. There's a camp that thinks he's a Tier 4A or Tier 4B projection and another that thinks he's a Tier 5 guy somewhere and comes with some development risks.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

SJS

Victor Eklund

Why he's here

Travis Konecny is the most common comp for Eklund, and Konecny is a Tier 4B guy in this year's Player Tiers. There's obviously some risk with a player this young that he doesn't reach that level, though, which resulted in the Tier 4C designation. I flirted with slotting him in Tier 4B, but once a few scouts advocated moving Martin and O'Brien into Tier 4C, it felt odd to put a player drafted well after them a letter grade higher. I think there's a chance Eklund finishes as more of a Tier 5A type in the end as well, but he's well-liked by scouts, and this slotting didn't receive any commentary.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

NYI

Justin Carbonneau

Why he's here

Carbonneau was a bubble star/support guy but landed here because of his unique combination of skill, scoring, strength and physicality. Those who thought he should be more of a Tier 5A guy point to ongoing work on his skating and consistency. A talked-about development camp performance this summer helped his case.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

STL

Dmitri Simashev

Why he's here

After winning a Gagarin Cup, Simashev, the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft, is making the jump to North America this season and has apparently looked really good in skates. He doesn't have the offense of most of the D in the star tier and above, but his impact as a high-end defender and skater at 6-4/5 is expected to be significant in his prime.

One scout felt he should be higher, even.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

UTA

LHD

Pavel Mintyukov

Why he's here

Mintyukov lost a letter grade after a challenging sophomore season, as former Ducks coach Greg Cronin scratched him periodically. He has always been a bit of an enigma, and there are other young D in Anaheim that have either leapfrogged him (Jackson LaCombe) or will challenge him (Olen Zellweger, Tristan Luneau, Stian Solberg), but his good rookie season and obvious talent still loom large. This year will be an important one for him.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

ANA

LHD

Cole Hutson

Why he's here

After a slow start by his standards at BU last fall, Hutson was one of the top players at the World Juniors (where he led the tournament in points) and in college hockey in the second half, finishing the year with nearly 50 points as a freshman defenseman and virtually identical numbers to Lane. He projects as a high-end offensive defenseman but, like Lane, will have to prove he can hold his own defensively. He plays a more physical style than Lane as well, which could be harder to play against bigger competition in the NHL.

There's definitely a chance with his profile that he becomes more of a Tier 5 player.

Tiers over time

Tier 4 — Star

WSH

LHD

Radim Mrtka

Why he's here

A top 150 player. Someone who would offer strong support to a contending or championship core, but wouldn’t be an integral piece within it. A below-average top-line forward, a strong No. 2 defenseman, or an above average starter.

Jackson Blake

Why he's here

Blake was one of the final cuts for last year's Prospect Tiers, and he leaps past Tier 5B/C and into Tier 5A after proving to scouts and the Canes that he could make an impact in the NHL as a rookie. They've bet big on him by giving a 34-point player last year a $41 million contract, but the consensus seems to be that he'll be a high-end support piece a la Sean Monahan (a Tier 5A player this year).

Tier 5 — Support

CAR

Why he's here

Nadeau is the prototypical Tier 5A, bubble star guy in my mind as a talented, attacking winger who can score and make plays at pace and go downhill on the flank, but might never be more than a 20-30-goal winger who flirts with stardom but isn't a true driver on his own in the NHL.

Tier 5 — Support

CAR

Dalibor Dvorsky

Why he's here

One scout made a case to move Dvorsky from Tier 5A as a high-end support type into Tier 4C as a low-end star, but others felt this was the right placement for now. He has always been a top player in the 2005 age group and had a really strong first season in the AHL last year. He's also got great defensive detail and habits while still having power-play finesse tools. Some do still wonder, though, if he has the pace to be a high-end top-six center as opposed to more of a productive middle-sixer.

Tier 5 — Support

STL

Danila Yurov

Why he's here

After the highs of his standout 2023-24 season, Yurov regressed a little last year. He has been one of the top young players in Russia for years and is now poised to make the transition to North America with the Wild. He has also made a successful move from the wing to center over the last couple of years. He's pretty unanimously viewed as a very good prospect who is going to become a very good player.

Tier 5 — Support

MIN

Calum Ritchie

Why he's here

Ritchie was actually a bit of a debate. I started him here and had scouts who argued he should move up to Tier 4C and down to Tier 5B.

Why he's here

Savoie was a bubble guy between Tier 5B and Tier 5C for me, but I've always been a fan of the player and think he's ready to take the NHL step. And so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and started him here, expecting to get feedback to move him down a letter grade and I was willing to do that if I did. Nobody made that case, though. I think it's fitting that he and Howard start the year in the same grouping as well: a prelude to their battle with the Oilers for a top-nine role this year.

Tier 5 — Support

EDM

David Jiricek

Why he's here

Scouts have really turned on Jiricek. They see a player who has struggled to establish himself and whose skating remains an issue defensively. The talent, size and boldness of his game are still real, but the warts have turned some off of his potential, and he has fallen almost two full tiers in the last year. I started him in Tier 5B, but a couple of scouts didn't seem willing to give him the same benefit of the doubt.

"Jiricek is below Morrow (Tier 5C) and Mailloux (Tier 5C) at this point. He has stalled and the Wild are not doing him any favors," said one scout.

Tier 5 — Support

MIN

RHD

Ben Kindel

Why he's here

Kindel has the talent and IQ to become more than this and maybe even be a Tier 4 guy, but some scouts are still unsure and point to his size and pace as questions about how it will translate. He could slot in Tier 5B, though, for me.

Tier 5 — Support

PIT

Lynden Lakovic

Why he's here

Lakovic has the tools (size, skating, skill, shot, etc.) to become more of a Tier 5A/B guy, but scouts give him mixed reviews and want to see him lean into an identity and be more consistent. This felt like the natural starting point for him.

Tier 5 — Support

WSH

Easton Cowan

Why he's here

Cowan has been one of the top players in the OHL in two consecutive seasons, winning a league regular-season most outstanding player award and a playoff MVP. I slotted him in in Tier 5B to start, but some scouts are softer on him.

One scout argued he wouldn't list him, pointing to "size, lack of defensive effort/sense, (and) NHL-average skill."

Tier 5 — Support

TOR

Why he's here

I debated whether to include the three small D of Cagnoni, Mikhail Gulyayev and Seamus Casey in Tier 5C before settling on Cagnoni based on the year he had in the AHL last year (he and Tristan Luneau tied to lead all U23 D in scoring) and the path to a role that seems there for him in San Jose. I view him and Casey as equal prospects, and while I typically don't consider opportunity in my personal rankings, it does feel more relevant in a project like this that Casey is blocked by more in New Jersey than Cagnoni is in San Jose. It's worth noting as well that nobody wrote back to me to argue for Casey's inclusion — I would have quickly inserted him if someone did — but someone did for Gulyayev.

Tier 5 — Support

SJS

LHD

Logan Hensler

Why he's here

I placed Hensler one letter grade higher in Tier 5B initially, but it was a hesitant placement and when multiple scouts said they'd move him down a letter grade to Tier 5C, I did. I've always comped him as that Brady Skjei/Damon Severson type who puts up 25-45 points and is a second-pairing D in the league but is never the top guy at five-on-five, on the PK or on the PP.

Scouts continue to wonder what exactly he is and whether he'll ever take that next step and really take charge of an identity, and I share in that question. This is a big prove-it year for him, even though he's still so young.

Tier 5 — Support

OTT

RHD

Maveric Lamoureux

Why he's here

Lamoureux was initially one of my last cuts at D, but one scout argued he should be in Tier 5B. This is the middle ground. His length and mobility will mean he has a long career. But a long career isn't enough for the support tier, so he's going to have to establish himself as a legit top-four guy.

Tier 5 — Support

UTA

RHD

Noah Ostlund

Why he's here

Ostlund is a player who is beloved by coaches and scouts alike for his blend of speed and creativity on offense, and his commitment to the little details off the puck. He's also viewed as a comparable player and prospect to the others in this tier. And yet the consensus is that he's a bubble guy for inclusion here. He got enough love to make it, but some wonder whether he'll score enough in the NHL or become more of a Peyton Krebs type.

Tier 5 — Support

BUF

Ryker Lee

Why he's here

Lee is one of the most purely skilled wing prospects in the game and has a real chance to climb into the star tier, but questions about his skating give some scouts enough pause to want to wait and see.

Tier 5 — Support

NSH

Trevor Connelly

Why he's here

Connelly, like Lee, is one of the most purely skilled wingers in the game. Scouts are even less sure about him than they are Lee, though. Where they wonder about Lee's pace, they wonder about Connelly's brain and decision-making on the ice. If he can fill out his frame and work on his habits, he'll be a top-six winger in the league and a power-play guy. But there's some risk he never quite reaches his potential.

Tier 5 — Support

VGK

Ari Daniel - The New York Times

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 22:36:54 +0000

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Ari Daniel

Recent and archived work by Ari Daniel for The New York Times

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Trump Officials Draft Plan to Pay At-Home Parents, Using Funds for Working Ones

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 22:36:54 +0000

The 4 Best Food Storage Containers of 2026 | Reviews by Wirecutter

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:15:13 +0000

Top pick

Top pick, Versatile, airtight, and durable Pyrex Freshlock 10-piece Glass Storage Set

Pyrex Freshlock 10-piece Glass Storage Set

These lock-top glass containers won’t leak or shatter, and they easily weather the freezer, dishwasher, microwave, and oven.

Buying options: $39 from Amazon, opens in a new tab

$31 from Walmart, opens in a new tab

Top pick, Versatile, airtight, and durable Snapware Total Solution Pyrex Glass 10-piece Food Storage Container Set

Snapware Total Solution Pyrex Glass 10-piece Food Storage Container Set

Identical to the Pyrex Freshlock containers, these lock-top glass containers also won’t leak or shatter, and they stand up to varying temperatures.

Buying options: $36 from Amazon, opens in a new tab

The identical Pyrex Freshlock 10-piece Glass Storage Set and Snapware Total Solution Pyrex Glass 10-piece Food Storage Container Set combine the best of two brands: sturdy Pyrex tempered-glass containers and airtight, locking Snapware lids. The lids are easy to snap on and off, and their silicone seals prevent leakage. They come in a range of sizes and shapes — round, square, rectangular — and they’re easy to stack, nest, and store.

These containers are useful throughout the kitchen. And since they’re microwave-, oven-, dishwasher-, and freezer-safe, they passed all of our heat, cold, and cleaning tests without any issues. They also did a good job of resisting most odors or stains. We especially appreciate the lifetime warranty on the Snapware lids, since in other sets they can be pricey to replace. The lids are also conveniently interchangeable with our plastic pick, the Snapware Total Solution 20-piece Plastic Food Storage Container Set.

Upgrade pick

Upgrade pick, Chic and plastic-free Pyrex Ultimate 10-Piece Glass Storage Set

Pyrex Ultimate 10-Piece Glass Storage Set

Made entirely of glass with silicone trim, these multipurpose containers are a terrific non-plastic alternative.

Buying options: $60 from Pyrex, opens in a new tab

For those who are looking to reduce plastic in their lives, the Pyrex Ultimate 10-piece Glass Storage Set’s containers are made entirely of glass, with glass-and-silicone lids. Though not airtight (they don’t claim to be), they do suction closed and won’t leak unless roughly jostled. In other words, we wouldn’t throw these in a backpack for school or work, but they won’t readily spill at home. The lids, trimmed in white silicone, look chic and minimalist, and they’re easy to suction on and peel off with the pull tab.

Nestable, stackable, and available in various shapes and sizes, these containers are convenient to use in the oven and microwave, and they seal well enough to prevent freezer burn. In our stain and odor tests, the silicone trim did yellow slightly, but not in an unsightly way. And the container itself remained the most odor-free of all the containers we tested.

Top pick

Top pick, Light, sturdy, and portable Snapware Total Solution 20-Piece Plastic Food Storage Container Set

Snapware Total Solution 20-Piece Plastic Food Storage Container Set

These leakproof, locking plastic containers have lids that are a snap to open and close. This set also offers the best range of sizes and shapes among the plastic containers we tested.

Buying options: $29 from Amazon, opens in a new tab

$29 from Target, opens in a new tab

Like our Pyrex and Snapware lock-top glass picks, the Snapware Total Solution 20-piece Plastic Food Storage Container Set’s containers stayed fully sealed during our leak tests. And after being repeatedly dropped from waist height, they sustained only minor cracks on the edges of the lids. Compared with other plastic containers we’ve tested, these didn’t stubbornly hold onto stains and smells, and any odors that remained faded after a second washing.

These are the exact same locking lids included in the Pyrex and Snapware glass sets we recommend, so if you’re seeking glass and plastic containers for different needs, you’ll have an easier time matching lids. The containers nest well, too, so they take up less space in a cupboard than much of the competition.

Spelling Bee — The New York Times

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 09:43:18 +0000

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Spelling BeeSeptember 6, 2026

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The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 23:05:40 +0000

White House Drafts Plan to Pay At-Home Parents, Using Funds for Working Ones

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Kevin Lamour, key FIFA official who criticised Infantino’s World Cup plans, leaves role - The Athletic

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 23:05:35 +0000

Kevin Lamour has left his position as chief operating officer at FIFA.

Lamour’s departure comes after the FIFA executive released a statement to the Associated Press on July 31 criticising Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, amid the fallout from the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.

Lamour told AP that staff had been “deceived” by Infantino regarding the FFE plan, which would have seen world soccer’s governing body make stakes in the World Cup available for private investment.

A FIFA spokesperson said in a statement to The Athletic: “FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026.

“FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future. No further comment will be made on the matter.”

The FIFA sell-off scandal, explained

Hannah Vanbiber and Reuben Pinder

Lamour, who previously worked with Infantino at UEFA, the governing body for European football, told AP in July: “It is the project of one person. Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”

Lamour also said that he was prepared to lose his job over speaking out publicly.

“If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” his statement to AP added. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”

Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA’s secretary general, informed staff at FIFA via email that Lamour would be leaving the organisation and also thanked him for his service.

Lamour had been in the role since November 2024. He was previously UEFA’s deputy general secretary, having joined the European federation in 2007.

Lamour’s departure follows that of Infantino’s senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro, who resigned in July due to his opposition to the FFE plans.

In an internal letter sent to colleagues on Monday, first published on X by Jan Aage Fjortoft and since confirmed by The Athletic, Lamour praised Grafstrom and Dan O’Toole, FIFA’s chief of staff.

“His task is not an easy one, and he is doing his utmost to protect FIFA’s interests,” Lamour said of Grafstrom. “Mattias, I’m sorry for sometimes putting you in difficult situations… but thank you for always understanding me, never judging me and supporting me right up to the very end.”

He thanked O’Toole for their “daily morning chats” and his “infectious passion for work and football”, adding: “You should be proud to have Dan as a colleague. Appearances can sometimes be deceiving, things are far more complex than they seem, and FIFA is very fortunate to be able to count on Dan on a day-to-day basis and for years to come.”

Lamour then thanked other staff members at FIFA, but there was no mention of Infantino. He did thank one person called Gianni, but pointedly added “…(Manca)”.

He signed off his letter by writing: “FIFA is going through a difficult period, but don’t worry. Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay it’s not the end.”

The fallout from Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to make FIFA’s commercial and event operations available for private investment continues. (Tasos Katopodis — FIFA / FIFA via Getty Images)

In July, FIFA announced its plans to sell a significant minority stake in a new entity that it, as a non-profit organisation, was planning to set up to run its main events, such as the World Cups and Club World Cups.

FIFA wanted to sell a fifth of the new entity to an investor group led by Thrive Eternal — a U.S. investment fund run by Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — for $4.2billion (£3.1bn). The plans were ultimately scrapped following significant backlash.

The plans led to UEFA, Concacaf — the confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean — and the Asian Football Confederation calling for Infantino to resign from his role at FIFA. South American federation CONMEBOL and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have not called for the FIFA president to resign.

UEFA has also threatened to boycott all future FIFA competitions.

“UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non participation in FIFA competitions,” a UEFA spokesperson told The Athletic on August 6.

“First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.

“These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.”

This statement was released by UEFA following a crisis meeting of FIFA’s senior leadership team Morocco on August 5, which led to a joint apology from Infantino and Grafstrom. Despite being part of the management board, Lamour was not invited to attend.

LeBron James, ESPN close to major deal for ‘Last Dance’-esque documentary: Sources - The Athletic

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 03:47:03 +0000

LeBron James and ESPN are closing in on an agreement for a behind-the-scenes documentary series similar to Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance,” according to industry sources granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the deal, which is not finalized.

One of the sources described the talks as being at the “1-yard line,” with the expectation that James, 41, will have a camera crew documenting his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, with whom James signed this month. The 76ers are expected to be the final home of his legendary career.

The documentary is expected to also use footage from earlier in James’ career, as NBA crews have filmed him since he was a rookie, including some never-before-seen footage.

The financial terms and potential other components of the agreement are not yet known. When Netflix picked up the eight-episode Jerry Jones/Dallas Cowboys documentary, Puck reported the deal was for slightly less than $50 million.

For the James documentary, there is no set date for when it would be completed and air. ESPN and a representative for James declined comment.

James, a four-time NBA champion, signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers on July 26.

Jordan’s 10-part documentary was a cultural phenomenon when it aired in the spring of 2020, as sports were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ESPN broadcast the shows weekly, and then ESPN and Netflix hosted them on their apps. “The Last Dance” won a Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series” in 2020.

James and Jordan are widely considered among the two greatest players in NBA history. Jordan’s career was mostly pre-internet, which kept him slightly less in the spotlight than James.

As a 17-year-old junior in high school, James was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in February 2002. His career has coincided with the growth of the internet, the iPhone and social media, making it even more difficult to maintain privacy.

The documentarians might deviate from the template of Jordan’s “Last Dance,” but like most everything between the two all-time greats, there will inevitably be comparisons.

One Habit Successful People Share

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 06:21:18 +0000

Cellblock Justice - The New York Times

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 02:14:41 +0000

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Cellblock Justice

Articles in this series by The New York Times and the Marshall Project examine brutality and corruption in the New York State prison system.

Highlights

An Inmate Dies, and No One Is Punished
The 2010 death of Leonard Strickland would have probably been forgotten by all but the officers and inmates at Clinton Correctional Facility. Then a breakout brought attention to the prison’s secrets.
By Michael Winerip and Michael Schwirtz
Credit
After 2 Killers Fled, New York Prisoners Say, Beatings Were Next
In letters to the authorities and interviews, inmates at the Clinton Correctional Facility who were housed near the escapees tell of being abused by guards while a frantic search for the pair was underway in June.
By Michael Schwirtz and Michael Winerip
CreditMark Lennihan/Associated Press
1. Prison Guard ‘Beat Up Squad’ Is Blamed in New York Inmate’s Death
  Samuel Harrell, an inmate at the Fishkill Correctional Facility in Beacon, N.Y., died in April after a fight with officers, records show. Other prisoners say the beating was not an isolated incident.
  By Michael Winerip and Michael Schwirtz
  Credit
2. A Brutal Beating Wakes Attica’s Ghosts
  Three corrections officers at the prison in western New York face gang-related assault charges after an inmate was brutally beaten.
  By Tom Robbins
  CreditChang W. Lee/The New York Times

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New York State Corrections Dept. Takes On Guards’ Union Over Brutality
For decades, the union has held the power in disciplinary decisions and whether guards accused of wrongdoing can be transferred.
By Michael Winerip, Michael Schwirtz and Tom Robbins
Upstate Prosecutor Is Revisiting 2010 Death of Clinton Prison Inmate
Andrew J. Wylie, the Clinton County district attorney, said Wednesday that his office was reviewing the case of Leonard Strickland, who died at Clinton Correctional Facility after a violent encounter with guards.
By Michael Schwirtz and Michael Winerip
New York State Prisons Take Steps to Track Complaints About Guards
The State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said the system, which will electronically document staff member misconduct complaints, should be completed next year.
By Tom Robbins
A Former Inmate, Beaten but Not Broken, Gets a Chance at Renewal
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Prison Inmates Put a Name to a Feared Guard Known as Captain America
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The federal inquiry was revealed in court filings by former officers who pleaded guilty in March to state charges stemming from the beating of a 29-year-old inmate.
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3 Attica Guards Resign in Deal to Avoid Jail
The correction officers at the western New York prison, who were accused of beating an inmate, made last-minute plea deals to a misdemeanor misconduct charge.
By Tom Robbins and Lauren D’Avolio

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The Best Cloth Diapers | Reviews by Wirecutter

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 01:10:47 +0000

Top pick

Top pick, The best cloth diaper bumGenius Original 5.0

bumGenius Original 5.0

The bumGenius Original 5.0 excels at containing leaks, is easy to understand and use, and is readily available in many colors.

Buying options: $17 from bumGenius, opens in a new tab

The bumGenius Original 5.0 pocket diaper (we recommend the version with snaps over Velcro) adjusts to fit a wide range of sizes, absorbs well, is relatively easy to use, and has a reputation for durability over time. Unlike many competitors, it comes with two inserts, making the shopping process a bit easier. In our at-home tests, the bumGenius pocket diaper had the fewest leaks. It is straightforward and easy to clean, and it’s available in a wide variety of colorful designs and patterns. The company estimates its diapers fit babies from 7 to 35 pounds, but many people find it’s easier to start a newborn with prefolds (we have a pick below), both because they fit tiny babies better and because newborns go through so many diapers each day.

Also great

Also great, A cloth diaper with snap-in liners that reduce the laundry load GroVia Hybrid

GroVia Hybrid

The GroVia allows parents to change just the liner, rather than the full diaper, so the shell can be reused several times between washings. This “hybrid” diaper can also be used with disposable inserts.

Buying options: $12 from Pi Baby Boutique, opens in a new tab

May be out of stock

The GroVia Hybrid diaper is similar in design to the bumGenius pocket diaper, but instead of a pocket for absorbent inserts, the Grovia diaper keeps inserts in place with snaps, which means that the inner surface of the cover often stays clean and dry and the cover doesn’t have to be washed after every use. Like the bumGenius, the GroVia uses snaps to adjust for size, holds messes in well, comes in many colors and patterns, and is praised for durability over time. It’s called a “hybrid” diaper because you can also use the diaper cover with disposable inserts. But unlike the bumGenius diaper, which comes with two cloth inserts, the GroVia’s cloth inserts are sold separately, making the overall diaper more expensive. GroVia estimates its diapers fit babies from 8 to 30 pounds, a slightly smaller range than our top pick.

Top pick

Top pick, A reliable, affordable, prefold diaper Gerber Prefold Premium 6-ply

Gerber Prefold Premium 6-ply

Traditional cotton prefold diapers, paired with a simpler cover, are an inexpensive option often favored by diaper services.

Buying options: $70 from Amazon, opens in a new tab

(pack of 10)

Prefolds are simple rectangles of cloth that can be folded to create a triple absorbent layer, secured with pins or a Snappi, and covered with a basic diaper cover, which adds a wetness barrier. Many parents find that they’re more practical for newborns than diapers like our top pick (which officially fits from 7 pounds and up) since they’re very inexpensive and newborns go through so many diapers each day. Gerber Premium 6-ply Prefolds were our favorite of four types of highly rated prefolds we looked at. They shrunk the least in the wash and have extra padding in the center that adds absorbency without too much bulk.

Thirsties Duo Wraps are simpler and cheaper than our other picks and are designed to be used with traditional prefold inserts (usually secured with a Snappi before the cover is layered on) rather than with specific inserts that attach to the diaper cover without the use of pins, like those of our picks do. Thirsties are available with snaps or Velcro; we recommend choosing snaps, as they age better with frequent washings. The covers come in over a dozen colors and patterns.

Arsenal working on deal to sign Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen - The Athletic

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:58:56 +0000

Arsenal are working on a deal to sign Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen — if they manage to move players out before the summer transfer window shuts.

Hincapie is under contract at Leverkusen until June 2029, but wants to leave and has informed the Bundesliga club of his wish.

They would prefer to keep the 23-year-old unless a €60million release clause in his terms is activated, although efforts are being made to lower that fee to a more realistic market value.

Hincapie’s preference is to join Arsenal and the Premier League side are ready to push for him, should departures materialise. The defender appeared tearful on the pitch after this side’s 2-1 defeat to Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Jakub Kiwior is being pursued by FC Porto — with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson among the other squad members who could go.

Hincapie normally operate as a left centre-back but can also be deployed at left-back — and the Ecuador defender has featured prominently on Arsenal’s recruitment lists for some time.

He joined Leverkusen from Argentinian side CA Talleres in the summer of 2021 and has established himself as one of Europe’s most promising defenders.

During his four seasons in Germany, Hincapie has made 166 appearances for Leverkusen in addition to making 46 appearances for the Ecuador national team.

The defender has appeared in Leverkusen’s first two games of the 2025/26 season.

Leverkusen have already seen several members of the side that have brought them their recent success depart this summer. Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, Granit Xhaka, and Jonathan Tah have all left the club, as has former head coach Xabi Alonso.

A cornerstone of Leverkusen’s league-winning side

Analysis by The Athletic’s Seb Stafford-Bloor

Hincapie has developed at pace in Leverkusen, having impressed at the 2021 Copa America.

In fact, Hincapie was so prominent for Ecuador at that tournament that he made Simon Rolfes, B04’s managing director for sport, accelerate his plans to sign him, knowing that he would quickly become out of reach for all but the biggest clubs in Europe.

A versatile, technical and aggressive left-sided defender, who can play on the outside of a back-three, or even as a wing-back, Hincapie was one of the cornerstones of the 2023-24 team that went unbeaten in the Bundesliga in 2023-24, also winning the DFB-Pokal and reaching the final of the Europa League.

(Photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Giovanni Leoni: Italy’s next great defensive hope is ready to learn from Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool - The Athletic

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:58:55 +0000

It was winter in the Spanish capital. Fabio Cannavaro was leaving Real Madrid’s training ground when a stranger flagged him down. An autograph hunter, he thought. A piece of paper was produced from a pocket. But there was no pen to apply the accompanying signature.

Instead, he was presented with what turned out to be a business card. Cannavaro saw the red lettering of France Football, the magazine behind the Ballon d’Or. Their reporter asked if he could get in the Italian defender’s car. He was insistent. The vote for that year’s award was happening in real time and a tipping point had been reached.

He thought Cannavaro was going to win. Cannavaro thought it was a joke.

This was 2006 and, only a few months earlier, Cannavaro had captained his country to World Cup final glory. Still, he didn’t think much of his chances. Zinedine Zidane’s red card in that final gave him a shot. But a defender had never won the award, given to the world’s best footballer over the previous year (and none have since). Franco Baresi had come second in 1989, Paolo Maldini “only” third in 1994.

But it was to be different for Cannavaro. During that tournament in Germany, he earned the nickname ‘The Berlin Wall’.

As the fourth and, so far, final Italian to collect the Ballon d’Or and the most recent man to skipper the country’s national team to victory at a World Cup, Cannavaro is often asked about Italy’s travails. Why have they gone from winning the greatest tournament of all to not even qualifying for the finals in 2018 and 2022?

On some occasions, he has been critical: Italy has lost itself. It has tried to be different when it does not need to be ashamed of its football DNA. In others, he has been more diplomatic: football is cyclical and, sooner or later, a new generation will bring renewed competitiveness.

Giovanni Leoni, the Parma centre-back on his way to Liverpool for an initial £26million ($35.3m), was born less than a month after Cannavaro was presented with the Ballon d’Or in November 2006, so he is too young to have seen him in his prime.

(Ivan Romano/Getty Images)

Aged only three when Italy’s defence of their title ended in a bottom-of-the-table and winless group-stage exit from South Africa 2010 (a point below New Zealand), he was seven when they made it to their most recent World Cup in Brazil, again going out after three first-phase games, beating England but losing to Uruguay and Costa Rica.

In truth, producing defenders such as Leoni has never been an issue for Italy in the meantime. It’s the Baggios, Tottis, Vieris and Del Pieros they have lacked.

Leoni, who after only 14 starts in Serie A is already being hastily talked about as a future captain of Italy, grew up in the era of the BBC defence — Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini — at Juventus. They have been succeeded by Alessandro Bastoni and a late bloomer in Francesco Acerbi as a pair at Inter. It has been a time of European Championship finals lost (2012) and won (2021) and Italian back lines being the bedrock of Champions League runners-up in 2015, 2017, 2023 and 2025.

Only one of those great centre-backs played outside of Italy going into their peak years.

The reason for that is quite simple. For many Italians, it doesn’t get any bigger than playing for one of their country’s big three. Few stages are greater than San Siro. Few clubs, historically, guarantee you success like Juventus. Cannavaro, for instance, only moved to Madrid on the back of that World Cup, the Calciopoli scandal and Juventus’ subsequent relegation. Chiellini and Bonucci departed Turin in their twilight years for experiences in Los Angeles (for Chiellini) and Berlin then Istanbul.

The exception is Barzagli, and it’s Barzagli to whom one Italian sporting director, speaking on the condition of anonymity, compares Leoni.

A squad player at that 2006 World Cup and a member of the Wolfsburg team that upset the odds to win the German Bundesliga three years later, the Tuscan heart-throb, now a pundit and wine-maker, was Andrea Agnelli’s favourite signing throughout his chairmanship of Juventus — and not just because he cost as little as €300,000 (£258,000; $350,000 at the curent rates) in January 2011.

Chiellini and Bonucci were already at the club when Barzagli arrived a few months before his 30th birthday. Juventus were floundering, finishing seventh for a second season running, and wouldn’t start a nine-year Scudetto winning streak until Antonio Conte was appointed and Andrea Pirlo arrived from Milan on a free that summer.

But within Juventus, Barzagli continues to be recognised as a foundational piece. He is lesser spotted than Chiellini and Bonucci, and yet both credit him with making them better centre-backs. Both bow to him. When Barzagli retired in 2019, Juventus’ manager at the time, Max Allegri, called him “the professor of defenders”. It chimed nicely with Jose Mourinho’s comment about the club being the Harvard of defending.

And so for Leoni to draw comparisons with Barzagli at only 18 is no faint praise.

(Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)

It is rare for the big three in Italy to let a talent like him get away, and perhaps there is a parallel to be drawn with Marco Verratti here. Paris Saint-Germain gazumped Juventus in 2012 and Verratti, then a 19-year-old at second-division Pescara, never looked back.

Is that what’s happening with Leoni?

On the one hand, the powerlessness to stop his move reflects the financial state of Serie A and the gulf in spending power between Italy’s elite and their English peers. Serie A clubs have spent €860million (£742m; $1bn) gross so far this summer. A fair amount. Premier League teams, though, have cut cheques for nearly €2.4bn…

At the same time, better choices could have been made by the domestic candidates for Leoni’s signature. For example, the commitment made by Juventus’ old sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli to sign Lloyd Kelly from Newcastle is one to rue. In that they only have themselves to blame.

On the other hand, England is no longer the road less travelled for Italian players. It is more and more the direction of travel, especially for the young. If, like Leoni, Cannavaro had been playing for Parma in 2025 instead of 2002, his next move would probably have been to the Premier League, not Inter.

The financial pull is too great but, regardless of the economics at play, it is where up-and-coming Italians are being encouraged to test themselves. When champions Italy were eliminated from Euro 2024 at the round-of-16 stage last summer, their coach at the time, Luciano Spalletti, said if the opportunity presents itself to go abroad, particularly to England, then Italians need to seize it. They’ll be better for it, he argued, such is the standard and competitiveness.

Leoni in action for Italy Under-18s last year (Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Flash forward 13 months and the Premier League has never been able to count on so many. Sandro Tonali, Riccardo Calafiori, Federico Chiesa, Michael Kayode, Luca Koleosho, Wilfried Gnonto, Diego Coppola, Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie. Maybe Gianluigi Donnarumma soon.

This should be a source of optimism in their homeland.

Kayode, who got the only goal of the final when Italy won the Under-19 Euros two years ago, was an under-the-radar signing by Brentford from Fiorentina on an initial loan in January. Coppola, a 21-year-old who plays the same position as Leoni, has been picked up this summer by Brighton. Both signing clubs are renowned for talent identification.

As for Liverpool, well, their reputation in that regard precedes them.

Leoni’s rise, it must be said, has been stratospheric — so rapid, he has played just eight times for Italy at youth levels. He is the son of a banker and a physiotherapist, who both played water polo to a high level. One of his brothers, Edoardo, has followed in their wet footsteps and also competes in that sport in Italy’s second division. A sporty family, they fostered a basketball player, Mahamadou Diarra, who made it onto their local professional team, Petrarca.

Leoni is their only footballer. He made his debut for Padova, then in the third tier, at 16, showing himself to be even more precocious than Alessandro Del Piero, the future Italy great who came through at the same club as a teenager in the very early 1990s.

One of Leoni’s role models around then was Smalldini. No, not Paolo Maldini, who he never saw play. For the uninitiated, ‘Smalldini’ is the nickname bestowed upon Chris Smalling during the Englishman’s head-anything-that-comes-into-the-box phase with Roma at the start of this decade. The other? One of his new team-mates at Anfield, a certain Virgil van Dijk.

Smalldini, hero of Leoni (Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Even amid their current dysfunction, Sampdoria spotted Leoni early and snapped him up in February last year. Pirlo, their coach at the time, quickly brought him into a promotion-chasing first team where Leoni, benefiting from some injuries to more senior players, partnered 22-year-old Daniele Ghilardi. Although Sampdoria didn’t go up that summer, Leoni and Ghilardi did. One joining Parma, the other Verona. Ghilardi played more regularly last season, next to the aforementioned Coppola. They clocked up more than 2,000 Serie A minutes each; Leoni, by contrast, scraped to just over a thousand in 17 appearances.

For now, Coppola is the only one of them to have been capped at senior level, but neither of the Verona duo made the impression Leoni did when he established himself in the Parma team under Fabio Pecchia, then stayed here when Cristian Chivu took over in February. Leoni stood out for defending one-v-one and winning duels in big open spaces.

Such was the impression he made in a short space of time, it came as no surprise when Chivu, a former centre-back himself, expressed his desire to bring the kid with him to Inter, where he replaced Simone Inzaghi there earlier this summer.

While Leoni can improve in terms of guile and edge in his own penalty area, the prevailing sense is that he has what it takes to partner Bastoni at international level in the near future. No doubt, the likes of Arsenal’s Calafiori and Alessandro Buongiorno at Napoli will have something to say about that. Both of them, unfortunately for them, are injury-prone. Leoni, so far, is not.

In moving to Liverpool, the talented teenager addresses both immediate and long-term needs; a combination that perhaps makes it the ideal time and place for him to develop and learn from one of his heroes, a now 34-year-old Van Dijk.

Leoni means Lions in Italian. It is a surname that calls to mind one of the most famous (now defunct) ultras groups in Italy, the Fossa dei Leoni at Milan, which translates as The Lions’ Den.

We’ll have to see if that’s what Liverpool’s penalty area becomes in the Leoni era: a place to fear, a place nobody gets near.

(Top photo: Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Villarreal sign Chelsea’s Renato Veiga in permanent transfer - The Athletic

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:58:55 +0000

Villarreal have completed the signing of Chelsea’s Renato Veiga on a permanent transfer.

The move is for an upfront fee of around €24.5million (£21m) alongside a further €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons and a significant sell-on clause for the Premier League side.

The London club signed the versatile defender, who primarily plays at centre-back, from Basel for €14m last summer on a contract until June 2031, with the option of a further 12 months.

After scoring two goals across 18 Chelsea appearances, the Portugal international spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus, where he made 15 appearances and helped the club qualify for the Champions League after the club paid a €5m loan fee.

Veiga became a Portugal international following his move to west London, and has since played five times for Roberto Martinez’s side.

The Athletic reported on July 22 that Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich were among the clubs who had registered their interest in the 21-year-old.

Veiga was primarily a squad player in the first half of the season for Chelsea, making only one Premier League start and playing 90 minutes in all six of their Conference League league-phase matches.

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Sources close to Veiga, who spoke anonymously to protect relationships, told The Athletic in January that he wanted to establish himself in the Portugal team after breaking into Martinez’s senior side in the opening months of 2024-25. He then joined Serie A side Juventus on loan, where he made 12 league starts in the second half of the campaign as they qualified for the Champions League with a fourth-place finish.

Veiga was then not included in Chelsea’s travelling squad for the Club World Cup after his spell in Italy ended, instead returning to their Cobham training base outside London alongside other returning loanees such as Ben Chilwell and Joao Felix, the latter of whom has joined Al Ittihad in a permanent move.

Veiga was used primarily as an inverting left-back at Chelsea, occasionally playing as a defensive midfielder or centre-back. But all his Juventus appearances came in the heart of defence, where he has also featured for Portugal.

Additional reporting by Guillermo Rai

(Photo: Alexandra Beier/AFP via Getty Images)

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