Coco Gauff digs deep to survive Ajla Tomljanović test in US Open marathon

 Coco Gauff survived a shaky serving performance to battle past Ajla Tomljanović in the first round of the US Open, winning 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5 after 2hr 57min on Tuesday night.

The No 3 seed finished with 10 double faults, was broken six times and squandered a string of opportunities to close the contest earlier, but conjured enough resilience to scrape into round two under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Gauff appeared in control after winning five of six games from a break down to take the opener and twice leading by a break in the second. Yet she faltered when serving for the match at 5-4 in the third, conceding two double faults and a pair of forehand errors as Tomljanović levelled at 5-5.

The 21-year-old American responded instantly, breaking back before sealing victory at her second attempt with a crisp backhand winner down the line, lifting her arms to the crowd in relief as much as celebration. “It wasn’t the best, but I’m happy to get through,” Gauff said. “I had so many chances. I just kept telling myself eventually one of them would go my way.”

Her serve remains a clear work in progress despite recent changes to her team, including the addition of biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan. Gauff admitted the past week of practice had been punishing: “I was spending a lot of time on court literally serving until my shoulder was hurting,” she said. “It’s like learning a new language … I know this is the part of my game that needs to improve if I want to get the results I want.”

The tension was evident in the deciding set. “That game where I served at 5-4 was definitely like an old habit,” she said. “The next game was a lot better. At 6-5 I told myself, trust the work we did on court.”

Tomljanović, ranked 79th, had her chances too. The Australian committed 56 unforced errors and eight service breaks of her own, her heavy forehand threatening at times but ultimately too erratic to deliver the upset.

Gauff, who admitted she had reminded herself of Tomljanović’s career-best win over Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows, felt the contest was the perfect early-round test. “First round is more stressful than the final, in my experience,” she said. “I don’t think it could get any more stressful than this.”

Gauff will face Croatia’s Donna Vekić in the second round as she continues her campaign in New York, with the prospect of leapfrogging Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek for the world No 1 ranking for the first time still within reach if she can string together a deep run.

Emma Heming Willis, the wife of retired US actor Bruce Willis, has spoken for the first time publicly about how his brain "is failing him" now and his "language is going".

 The Sixth Sense and Die Hard star, 70, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia more than three years ago.

"Bruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, you know," she told ABC News via Good Morning America on Tuesday. "It's just his brain that is failing him."

The author of an upcoming book about her family's experience with dementia, Heming Willis also advocated for fellow carers. "The language is going, and, you know, we've learned to adapt," she added.

"And we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a... different way."

The Willis family revealed in 2023 that the star had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which, according to the NHS website, is "an uncommon type of dementia that causes problems with behaviour and language."

A lesser-known but deeply impactful condition, it is estimated by Alzheimer's Research UK to affect more than 30,000 people around the country.

Model and entrepreneur Heming Willis said she thought at first she had to help her husband all by herself, which led to sleepless nights and withdrawal from social life.

She said she hopes her new book, titled Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, can serve as a road map and guide for other carers whose lives may be similarly affected by dementia.

'Twinkle in his eye'

The family - including the couple's two young daughters, and Bruce's other three daughters with former partner, actress Demi Moore - still see flashes of his true personality, Heming Willis noted, as well as the "twinkle in his eye."

"Not days, but we get moments," she said. "It's his laugh, right? He has such a hearty laugh. And sometimes you'll see that twinkle in his eye, or that smirk, and I just get transported."

She continued, "And it's just hard to see, because as quickly as those moments appear, then it goes. It's hard. But I'm grateful. I'm grateful that my husband is still very much here."

Samantha Benham-Hermetz, executive director at Alzheimer's Research UK, told BBC News it was "heartbreaking to hear the impact" dementia was having on the "iconic actor" and his family.

She described Heming Willis's decision to speak publicly about her husband's diagnosis as "a powerful act of courage", saying her words will "resonate with so many people affected by dementia.

"Her openness will mean so much to the many families who are facing similar challenges, reminding them that they are not alone," she added. "Personal stories like Emma and Bruce's are vital. They raise awareness, foster understanding, and highlight the urgent need for research."

Heming Willis was speaking in a preview of ABC's special, Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey, which airs in the US on Tuesday at 20:00 BST. It will be made available to stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.

Trump orders removal of Federal Reserve governor

 US President Donald Trump has said he will immediately remove Federal Reserve official Lisa Cook from her position, in a major escalation in his battle against the US central bank.

He said there was "sufficient reason" to believe Cook had made false statements on mortgage agreements, and cited constitutional powers which he said allowed him to remove her.

In response, Cook said Trump had no authority to fire her and she would not resign.

It is an unprecedented move for the president to dismiss a member of the central bank's leadership, and comes as Trump has put increasing pressure on the Fed - especially its chair Jerome Powell - over what he sees as an unwillingness to lower interest rates.

Kirk powering up as Blue Jays' bats erupt vs. Twins

 

TORONTO -- As fall baseball creeps closer, the Blue Jays have a lightning rod in Alejandro Kirk. And lately, he’s doing plenty to jolt Toronto’s offense.

Kirk has long been a defensive stalwart. The numbers back it up: he leads MLB in blocks above average (+14) and ranks second in catcher framing runs (+12). He’s also a master at getting on base, his salsa walk-up music making him a fan favorite at Rogers Centre. But after going deep in Monday night’s 10-4 win -- his fourth home run in eight games -- you can add bona fide power threat to the list.

• Charlie Brown Bobblehead Giveaway is Sept. 13!

Beating Twins ace Joe Ryan is no small feat, even for a Blue Jays lineup that entered this home contest leading baseball in average (.276), OBP (.345), and SLG (.452) since May 8. Still, Toronto wasted no time in the bottom of the first.

Love Island USA Season 7 Reunion: Date, time, hosts, location, trailer, what to expect and how to watch in US, Canada, Australia, UK and New Zealand

Love Island USA Season 7 reunion is officially set to air on Peacock. The special episode will be released on Monday, August 25. It will feature returning islanders, behind-the-scenes clips, and major updates. The show remains one of Peacock’s most popular reality programs, attracting wide audiences across the summer. Love Island USA Season 7 reunion is officially set to air on Peacock. The special episode will be released on Monday, August 25. It will feature returning islanders, behind-the-scenes clips, and major updates. The show remains one of Peacock’s most popular reality programs, attracting wide audiences across the summer.

Love Island USA Season 7 Reunion Date, Time and How to Watch in US

Love Island USA Season 7 reunion will premiere on Monday, August 25. The episode will air at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and 6 p.m. Pacific Time. It will be available only on Peacock in the United States. Viewers can stream the special through the Peacock app or website.

Read more at: https://xily.pro/ZQBYR

Tommy Fleetwood becomes Tour Championship winner to claim first PGA Tour title

 Tommy Fleetwood ended an agonizingly long wait for a first PGA Tour title on Sunday, out-dueling Patrick Cantlay down the stretch to win the Tour Championship and pocket the $10 million top prize and FedEx Cup playoffs crown.

England's Fleetwood, a seven-time DP World Tour winner whose 30 prior top-fives on the US circuit included six runner-up finishes, fired a two-under-par 68 for an 18-under-par total of 262 and a three-shot triumph at East Lake in Atlanta, Georgia.

Two weeks after he let a late Sunday l Cantlay and world number five Russell Henley.

"I'm just so happy that I got it done and happy with my work ethic," Fleetwood said. "And I'll continue to try and get better and try and be the best that I can be."

Tied with Cantlay for the lead to start the round, Fleetwood rolled in a 19-foot birdie at the par-three second.

He gave a stroke back at the fifth, where he was in the right rough off the tee, but pushed his lead to three strokes with birdies at the sixth and seventh where he fired out of a fairway bunker to 12 feet.

The SICKENING Raja Jackson Incident in 60 Seconds

 The video circulating of Rampage Jackson’s son, Raja Jackson attacking independent wrestler, Syko Stu is absolutely sickening and disgraceful.

If this was a “work” there is no way Raja was supposed to knock him out cold and feed him with numerous punches while he’s already unconscious.

Raja could’ve seriously hurt this man

New poll shows more Americans 'strongly disapprove' of Trump's second term: What to know

 Twice as many Americans say they strongly disapprove of President Donald Trump's second term than those who strongly approve, according to a new poll.

In a survey from YouGov and The Economist, conducted Aug. 15-18, two-thirds of respondents said they have strong feelings about Trump — and, increasingly, most of them are negative. The poll found 47% said they strongly disapprove of the second-term president, compared to 23% who say they strongly approve. 

About 70% of Americans say they either "strongly approve" or "strongly disapprove" of Trump's job performance, while 27% say they have a more muted opinion of the president. That includes people who either "somewhat approve" or "somewhat disapprove."

When broken down along party lines, most Democrats say they disapprove of Trump, and most Republicans approve of him, matching what has been a consistent theme among polling since the Republican took office a second time in January.

The YouGov/Economist poll found Democrats' sentiment toward the president is even stronger than Republicans', with 83% of Democrats saying they strongly disapprove of him. Among his Republican supporters, a little over half describe their approval in similarly passionate terms, with 54% saying they strongly approve of his performance.

That's a shift from earlier in Trump's second term, according to an Aug. 22 YouGov analysis of the data.

In January ,a majority still said they had a strong opinion about Trump, with 69% either strongly approving or disapproving. But unlike the most recent poll, 36% of Americans strongly disapproved of Trump at the time, and 34% strongly approved.

That's an 11-point increase in respondents who strongly disapprove of the president from the beginning of his term to recent weeks. Similarly, the August survey shows a nine-point drop since January among those who say they strongly approve of him.

The poll surveyed 1,568 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points. Overall approval ratings put the president at a 40% approval and 56% disapproval mark.

Aggregations of recent approval polling from The New York Times and RealClearPolitics place Trump's approval between 44% and 45%, respectively, with disapproval rates of 53% and 50%, as of Aug. 24.

A historical analysis and average by Gallup shows Trump's approval ratings in the first July of both of his terms are lower than those of any other modern president. In comparison, former President Joe Biden had a 50% average approval rating in July 2021, while former President Barack Obama's first and second-term July approval ratings were 57% and 46%, respectively. Gallup's analysis puts Trump's second-term average to date at 42%.

Frustrated voters cauPentagon plans military deployment in Chicago as Trump eyes crackdown

The Pentagon has for weeks been planning a military deployment to Chicago as President Donald Trump says he wants to crack down on crime, homelessness and undocumented immigration, in a model that could later be used in other major cities, officials familiar with the matter said.

The Pentagon has for weeks

The planning, which has not been previously disclosed, involves several options, including mobilizing at least a few thousand members of the National Guard as soon as September to what is the third most populous city in the United States.

The mission, if approved, would have parallels to the polarizing operation that Trump ordered in Los Angeles in June, when he deployed 4,000 members of the California National Guard and 700 active-duty Marines despite the protests of state and local leaders. The use of thousands of active-duty troops in Chicago also has been discussed but is considered less likely at this time, said two officials who, like others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.