Verratti is Xavi’s heir at Barcelona Backed by their wealthy Qatari owners, PSG have won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles, though they face a battle with Monaco and Nice to retain their crown this term. However, their domestic dominance is yet to be replicated on the European front, with PSG falling short in the quarter-finals in each of the past four seasons. On two of those occasions, in 2012-13 and 2014-15, it was La Liga giants Barcelona who dumped them out and the Catalans this time provide a daunting task in the round of 16....

“Let College Football Playoff Star Ezekiel Elliott Go Pro” reads the headline. It states the argument that Elliott receives no money from all the money — and there was lots of it — that the playoff generated. MORE: Best college players who never played in NFL | SN early Top 10 | 10 burning questions And it reminds us that as a sophomore and just two years removed from high school, Elliott is ineligible to move to the NFL where he can make a lot of money....

Bryce Harper’s flowing mane has been one of baseball’s most analyzed heads of hair since his arrival in the sport in 2012. With 242 career home runs, there’s a decent chance he’s doubled that in bottles of hair gel he’s used over the course of his big-league career. As with anyone who’s used some sort of gel, pomade, mousse, wax, hairspray or other, that stuff can get sticky (and hot and itchy), especially during the summer months....

“One reason: winning,” he said after donning a No. 31 jersey at his introductory news conference at Nationals Park. He added, “I think this team is capable of winning, and winning a lot. … I want to win, and that’s why I’m here.” The feeling is mutual. “Who wouldn’t want Max Scherzer on their club?” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “These opportunities don’t come up every day with a player of this caliber and an ownership group willing to put themselves out there....

The hype surrounding the fight is almost overshadowing the bout itself. Fans are going crazy over the two fighters like this is the last fight ever. What ever happens, the fight will be one of the more memorable ones, if only for the strangeness that has surfaced because of it. MORE: Fight time, info | Mayweather hinting at retirement? | Pacquiao’s five best fights To get the day started, there are Mayweather-Pacquiao lattes....

Mbappe announced himself to the world with Monaco last season, playing a starring role as Leonardo Jardim’s men won the Ligue 1 title and reached the Champions League semi-finals. Mbappe 22/1 to be CL top scorer Monaco’s talent pool was raided by a number of Europe’s leading clubs ahead of the 2017-18 campaign and Mbappe was the biggest name to depart, joining PSG in a loan deal which will be made permanent for €160 million (plus bonuses) next year....

The matchup will feature plenty of firepower on both sides as Seattle boasts playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro, while Toronto has Michael Bradley, along with Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore, who will often drop deeper in order to impact the game. And McBride, who spoke to Goal USA as part of an Allstate-sponsored clinic to help underfunded youth soccer teams, sees dealing with those attacking threats as the deciding factor in the contest....

Speaking before reporters in a dingy hotel ballroom in Toledo, Ohio, where the senator is campaigning today, McCain described Vicki Iseman, a Washington lobbyist who represented companies with business before the Senate Commerce Committee, which McCain once chaired, as a “friend.” He denied a report in The New York Times that suggested he had done favors for one of Iseman’s clients, Paxson Communications, which donated money to McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign and allowed him to fly on its corporate jets at a cut rate....

The Senate majority leader was asked about the timescale for a further such package, to address hardships posed by COVID-19 and set to include further direct stimulus checks, after previous suggestions one would pass this month. Asked whether it will be signed off by the end of next week, the last of the month, he said: “No.” Amy McGrath, who won the Democratic primary to challenge McConnell for his seat come November, hit out at her rival in response to this....

Democrats charged Republicans with hypocrisy for pushing for a vote on Trump’s nominee when in 2016, they blocked President Barack Obama’s nominee because it was an election year. McConnell argued the situation in 2016 was different from 2020 because the same party holds control of the Senate and presidency—a qualifier Fox News’ Shannon Bream acknowledged on Thursday that some see as a “distinction without a difference.” McConnell told Bream the last time a seat on the Supreme Court was filled during a presidential election when the president wasn’t of the same party as the Senate—as was the case in 2016—occurred in 1888....

Trump has repeatedly attacked McConnell in public statements since McConnell condemned the former president last year for inciting his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. “There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day,” McConnell said in a Senate floor speech on February 13, 2021. The former president then responded with a statement, describing the Senate minority leader as “a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack....

With Election Day just four days away, Republicans are fighting to flip the Senate in their favor. Many Trump-endorsed candidates are neck-and-neck in tight races against their Democratic opponents. Every dollar counts this close to the election and despite last minute fundraising pushes on both sides, many races remain tight. In the meantime, Trump is directing his attention toward McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, blaming him for allowing Democrats to “blow up the debt ceiling....

Barrett’s nomination was opposed by many Democrats who felt that no Supreme Court nominee just be appointed before the 2020 presidential election. Democrats also balked at Barrett’s conservative leanings, concerned she may try to overturn the Affordable Care Act and Roe v. Wade. According to McConnell’s former chief of staff Josh Holmes, McConnell spoke with Trump soon after Ginsburg’s passing. “McConnell told [Trump] two things,” Holmes said in the documentary Supreme Revenge: Battle for the Court....

In a statement, CEO Chris Kempczinski reaffirmed the company’s support for the Ukrainian people amidst Russia’s invasion of the country. Kempczinski also discussed McDonald’s close ties with Russian employees, farmers, and suppliers that work with its franchises in the country. “McDonald’s has decided to temporarily close all our restaurants in Russia and pause all operations in the market,” Kempczinski said in the statement. “We understand the impact this will have on our Russian colleagues and partners, which is why we are prepared to support all three legs of the stool in Ukraine and Russia....

Excess salt consumption leads to increased blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. According to the CDC, 659,000 people die from heart disease in the U.S. every year. Research published by the American Heart Association in 2017 found that Americans get an estimated 70 percent of their daily sodium intake from processed and restaurant foods. As America’s most popular fast-food outlet, much focus has been placed on the level of salt in McDonald’s offerings....

To complement the spicy new menu items, McDonald’s is also introducing a Chips Ahoy! McFlurry for a limited time. McDonald’s teased the launch on Thursday in four tweets depicting the four classic nugget shapes made out of the fire emoji. New McDonald’s Products Spicy Chicken McNuggetsMighty Hot SauceChips Ahoy! McFlurry New McDonald’s Products Release Date From September 16, McDonald’s fans will be able to enjoy three new products, including a twist on the classic McNuggets....

In a video posted to the TikTok account Raise Up for $15, a group of workers from an unspecified branch of the Golden Arches explain to the camera that they are protesting because of the sweltering heat and lack of air conditioning. The clip begins with an employee named Tara Ali exiting the fast-food restaurant and explaining that she has left her post because “it is burning up in there and hot like an oven....

McIlroy received praise for taking time out of his round at the British Masters to give one of his golf balls to a supporter in the crowd. The Northern Irish golfer admitted that he always has time for his fans, after a chance encounter with former Manchester United midfielder Keane many years ago. “I must use between six and nine balls a round, and every time I need a new one, I look for a young kid in the crowd in between holes to give it to,” McIlroy told reporters....

When he rolled in a 10-foot eagle putt on the final hole for a 4-under 68, he straightened his back, stared defiantly at thousands of fans crammed into the horseshoe arena around the 18th green at Royal Liverpool and lightly pumped his fist. He went from being tied for the lead to six shots ahead of Rickie Fowler in just over an hour. And suddenly, the biggest challenge facing the 25-year-old from Northern Ireland was reminding himself that he had one more round left....

The former Massachusetts governor is giving the speech because he is a Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There are conservative Christians (and no doubt others) who believe Mormons are not Christians, or that the church is a cult. A new study from Vanderbilt University’s John Geer, released on Wednesday, has found that “bias against Mormons is significantly more intense among the public compared to bias against women and blacks....