Sports

Reuters reports: Baseball’s annual All-Star Game next month will remain in Denver after a federal judge on Thursday rejected a conservative small business group’s request that it be returned to Atlanta. Major League Baseball had moved the July 13 game to Denver’s Coors Field from Truist Park outside Atlanta in early April, shortly after Georgia adopted a restrictive new voting …

ESPN reports: The CONCACAF Nations League final in Denver between the United States and Mexico was marred by unruly fan behavior that included objects thrown onto the field and a brief pause in the game because of fans using an anti-gay chant. The pause occurred during the final moments of the second half before the game went to extra time …

Changing America reports: The San Francisco Giants will quite literally be wearing their pride on their sleeves this weekend, becoming the first MLB team to incorporate LGBTQ Pride colors into their on-field uniforms. In honor of Pride month, the team announced that players would sport an SF logo Pride Patch on the right sleeve of their home jersey as well …

The New York Times reports: The Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit’s post-race positive drug test was confirmed, setting the stage for the colt trained by Bob Baffert [photo] to be the second horse in the 147-year history of America’s greatest race to be disqualified for a failed drug test. Immediately after announcing Medina Spirit’s positive test on May 9, Baffert …

The Associated Press reports: Japan extended a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas for 20 more days on Friday, with infections still not slowing as it prepares to host the Olympics in just over 50 days. Cases remain high and medical systems in Osaka, the hardest-hit area in western Japan, are still overburdened, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga …

The New York Daily News reports: If the Knicks advance, the Garden is going fully vaxxed. The club announced it will only sell tickets in the second round of the playoffs to vaccinated individuals, opening up the possibility of something at least close to a capacity crowd. In the first round against the Hawks, roughly 10% of the crowd has …

The Texas Tribune reports: The Texas House gave preliminary approval on Monday to the so-called “Star Spangled Banner Protection Act,” a conservative-backed bill that would require any professional sports teams with contracts with the Texas state government to play the national anthem before the start of a game. Senate Bill 4 was passed on a voice vote, with no changes …

The Washington Post reports: The Japanese government is pushing ahead with the Tokyo 2020 Games this summer even as the State Department issued an advisory warning Americans against visiting the Northeast Asian country, which is struggling with a spike in coronavirus infections. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee said that it intended to participate in the Games, which begin July …

The Guardian reports: Japan’s ruling party has been accused of violating the Olympic charter after it failed to approve a bill to protect the rights of the LGBT community, during discussions marred by homophobic outbursts from conservative MPs. Closed meetings held this month to discuss a bill, proposed by opposition parties, stating that discrimination against LGBT people “must not be …

Page Six reports: Following his breakup with Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez is going for a glow up. The former baseball pro, 45, teamed up with Hims & Hers — the beauty and wellness company in which he and Lopez, 51, became investors together last year — to develop the brand’s first makeup for men. “I wanted to create a product …

ESPN reports: The New York Road Runners announced Monday that the 50th running of the New York City Marathon will be held on Nov. 7. NYRR says a modified field of 33,000 runners. NYRR’s guidelines for the marathon will include social distancing, elimination of touchpoints, enhanced health and safety protocols, and testing and tracing. Runners should be prepared to provide …

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports: Bob Baffert acknowledged Tuesday morning Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit was treated with an anti-fungal ointment called Otomax, which includes betamethasone. Baffert announced Sunday that Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone, which has put his Kentucky Derby victory in jeopardy. Betamethasone is anti-inflammatory drug that otherwise is legal but is illegal when found in the blood …

“Racing has a problem, Bob Baffert is not the problem. Bob Baffert is not stupid. I haven’t heard anything officially. They haven’t told me anything. “I know when Churchill Downs came out with that statement, that was pretty harsh. And I think they had to just—with all the noise going on, we live in a different world now. “This America …

ABC News reports: Preparations for the Tokyo Olympics have suffered another setback after a poll found that nearly 60% of people in Japan want them to be cancelled, less than three months before the Games are due to open. The Olympics, which were delayed by a year due to the pandemic, are set to open on 23 July. Japan has …

The New York Times reports: Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a post-race drug test, once more putting the practices of his Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert under uncomfortable scrutiny. The colt cannot be disqualified until a split sample confirms the result. Baffert will then have an opportunity to appeal. If disqualified, Medina Spirit would be stripped of the …

The New York Daily News reports: Baseball fans can get free tickets to a Yankees or Mets game if they get vaccinated against COVID at either of the team’s facilities, Gov. Cuomo announced on Wednesday. The doses available outside Citi Field and Yankee Stadium will be the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the governor said. “We call that a New …

“George Floyd’s murder was a flash point for how we look at race and justice inner county, and we are pleased that justice appears to have been served. But we also recognize that there is much work to be done and the National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association, together with our newly-formed Social Justice Coalition, will redouble …

Reuters reports: The Olympic Games scheduled to be held in Tokyo this summer may have to be canceled depending on the coronavirus situation, a senior member of Japan’s ruling party said Thursday. The remarks were the first public admission by the ruling party that cancellation or postponement were under serious consideration, though the challenges of holding the Games have become …

NBC News reports: The NCAA Board of Governors released a statement Monday that it will not host championships in places that discriminate against transgender athletes. “The NCAA Board of Governors firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports. This commitment is grounded in our values of inclusion and fair competition,” the statement read in …

ESPN reports: The Vancouver Canucks said 25 players and coaches have tested positive in a COVID-19 outbreak involving a variant of the virus. The team said Wednesday that 21 players, including three from the taxi squad, and four members of the coaching staff have tested positive, and one other player is considered a close contact. “This is a stark reminder …