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Report: Jon Rahm jet carries seven LIV Golf players out of Dubai to Hong Kong tournament

A midnight flight out of bordering Oman on a jet arranged by Jon Rahm brought seven players out of a war zone and into safety 24 hours before the start of LIV Golf Hong Kong, according to Golf.com.

LIV Golf was set to begin play in the annual event in Hong Kong on Thursday and made an attempt to arrange travel from Dubai, which has been struck repeatedly during an escalating conflict involving Iran, Isreal and the United States.

U.S. officials called for American citizens to evacuate 14 Middle East nations, but only after damage had already been done around Dubai International Airport, grounding flights. Several LIV Golf players and caddies live in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the report, Rahm's plan required players to coordinate from different locations in the Middle East to travel toward Oman. The driving distance from downtown Dubai to the border is more than 90 minutes. The usual flight time from Oman to Hong Kong is approximately seven hours.

Golf.com reported Lee Westwood, Anirban Lahiri, Thomas Detry, Sam Horsfield, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk and Caleb Surratt and a caddie traveled in a shuttle van to the Oman border under the cloak of darkness before switching to another shuttle for transportation to an airstrip where the aircraft waited to fly the crew to Hong Kong.

"It was terrifying," Surratt told Golf.com via text on Tuesday. "But since then, it's been OK. It was bad Sunday and Monday here with missile interceptions, but all day today was fine."

McKibbin and Surratt are teammates on Rahm's Legion XIII.

They landed just before midnight local time and all are expected to participate in the event this weekend.

Multiple reports indicated Laurie Canter, an eighth LIV Golf player who was in Dubai, was not on the flight but was expected to arrive in time for the start of the event. By late Wednesday, a limited opening of the main airports in Dubai and Oman was permitted.

--Field Level Media

byAnio Baumeister

in celebrities, Lifestyle, politics, showbiz, Sports

March 04, 2026

Report: Jon Rahm jet carries seven LIV Golf players out of Dubai to Hong Kong tournament

A midnight flight out of bordering Oman on a jet arranged by Jon Rahm brought seven players out of a war zone and in...

WNBA executive committee meets, Stewart says players still unified amid CBA talks

MEDLEY, Fla. (AP) — Breanna Stewart, who teamed with fellowWNBAstar Kelsey Plum on a letter to the players' association this week expressing concerns about thestate of labor talks with the league,said Wednesday she feels better about where things stand and is convinced players are still unified in what they want in the next collective bargaining agreement.

Mist BC wing Breanna Stewart (30) chases down a loose ball during the second half of a semifinal in an Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball game against Breeze BC, Monday, March 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Mist BC wing Breanna Stewart (30) celebrates with teammate Alanna Smith (8) after scoring during the second half of a semifinal in an Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball game against Breeze BC, Monday, March 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Phantom BC guard Kelsey Plum (10) reacts after making the game-winning shot during the second half of a semifinal in their Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball game against Vinyl BC, Monday, March 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Phantom BC guard Kelsey Plum (10) drives past Vinyl BC guard Erica Wheeler (17) during the second half of a semifinal in their Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball game, Monday, March 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Unrivaled Basketball

And the union, later Wednesday, released a statement saying the league's latest offer "is not worth taking" — with less than a week remaining until the deadline for getting a deal done and preserving a full 2026 WNBA season.

Stewart was part of a call with other members of the players' executive committee on Tuesday night, hours after the letter that she and Plum wrote to WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson — one where they expressed "serious concerns about how (the union) is handling the current negotiations."

Several media outlets, including The Associated Press, obtained copies of the letter, which was dated Monday.

"The call made me feel better," Stewart told AP, speaking after her Mist team finished its final shootaround practice in advance of Wednesday night'sUnrivaledchampionship game against the Phantom team that features Plum. "Sometimes hard conversations need to be had. I felt better after it and know that we finished that call understanding that we're representing the larger body (of players) and we have work to be done and we're going to do that work."

The union — in a statement from its executive committee, of which Stewart and Plum are members — echoed Stewart's comments in its statement, saying it remains "united and focused on delivering a transformational CBA ... and are committed to negotiating for as long as it takes."

There is obvious urgency to get a deal done.

The WNBA has told the players' union that it needs to get a deal in place by this coming Tuesday to start the season on time. That would allow the new CBA to be written and signed by the end of the month, which would in theory be followed by expansion drafts for the new franchises in Portland and Toronto during the first week of April. Free agency would follow, signings could start on April 12, training camps would open about a week later and the season would begin May 8.

The league and the players have been unable to reach anew collective bargaining agreementsince the union opted out of the previous deal.

Stewart and Plum are in unique roles; both are vice presidents of the players' association, both are among the biggest names in women's basketball, and both have been dealing with the CBA uncertainty while on Unrivaled playoff runs with their clubs.

"I've always approached anything in life, any adversity, by staying in the game," Plum said after shootaround Wednesday, when asked about simultaneously dealing with an Unrivaled title push amid the WNBA's labor uncertainty. "I'm a human being. It's hard. I definitely have moments, but at the end of the day, I know my heart. I know I'm super excited about tonight, and when you work all year for something, you want to finish it."

Added Stewart: "We've been in CBA negotiations for more than just the past two weeks. It's been 17, 18 months. I don't know exactly how long. And to be able to compartmentalize that hasn't been easy."

In the letter, Stewart and Plum said WNBA players "are at one of the most consequential moments in the history of this league" and called upon Jackson to provide many things, including:

— a detailed breakdown of the WNBA's expenses and revenue.

— analysis between the potential losses players would face in a delayed or strike-shortened season vs. the gains that could be earned through a new CBA.

— player opinions on the WNBA's latest proposal.

— clarity on the rookie salary scale.

— an explanation of what Jackson thinks the executive committee's "role and responsibilities should be in this process."

Stewart said it wasn't her intention for the letter to get out publicly.

"This is a letter that was meant for Terri, and for the EC, for us to really have a conversation and stay strong in all the things that we're negotiating, and I believe that we are," Stewart said. "We are still unified and understanding what we're fighting for and that's the messaging that we had on our call last night. ... Our main goal is to make sure that we have the best possible deal for all players."

AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg in New York contributed to this report.

AP WNBA:https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

byAnio Baumeister

in celebrities, Lifestyle, politics, showbiz, Sports

March 04, 2026

WNBA executive committee meets, Stewart says players still unified amid CBA talks

MEDLEY, Fla. (AP) — Breanna Stewart, who teamed with fellowWNBAstar Kelsey Plum on a letter to the players' associat...

Who won the Trent McDuffie trade? Grading blockbuster Rams-Chiefs deal

TheLos Angeles Ramsand Kansas City Chiefs have swung the first major trade of the NFL offseason.

The Chiefsare trading cornerback Trent McDuffieto the Rams in exchange for the No. 29 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, along with fifth- and sixth-round picks this year and a third-round pick in 2027, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade could not become official until the start of the new league year on March 11.

The deal significantly changes the landscape for two teams desperate to claw back to the front of the pack in their respective conferences. For Los Angeles, it serves as the latest marquee veteran addition – at perhaps the most pressing area of need – for a team seeking to capitalize onNFL MVP Matthew Stafford's return. The Chiefs, meanwhile, receive more ammunition for resetting a roster that still has several needs and is undergoing some salary cap-related shifts.

But who came out ahead in the deal? Here are grades for each team:

Rams trade grade: B

Turns out Rams general manager Les Snead wasn't kidding about trying to maximize Stafford's competitive window.

After the 38-year-old quarterback announced after taking home the league's top individual award that he would be returning for the 2026 season, Snead later suggested that the team was intent on catering its offseason to "make the most of the time we have" with the passer. On Tuesday, Snead seemed to tease the possibility of using one of his two first-round picks to swing a splashy deal.

"Is there an All-Pro that you could add?" Snead told reporters. "That would be nice."

Less than 24 hours later, he has one in the former Chiefs standout.

McDuffie's arrival shores up the back end of a Rams defense that unraveled down the stretch, culminating with Sam Darnold torching the group for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Los Angeles' NFC championship game defeat. Coverage performance can be volatile, but the four-year veteran has reliably clamped down on opposing receivers. And parting with the latter of the Rams' two first-rounders and holding onto their payoff from the Atlanta Falcons' ill-conceived gamble last year was a nice touch from Snead.

Still, this is a fairly considerable compensation package – including the a likely extension that should be costly – for a player not in an elite tier at his position group. And there are at least a couple areas of concern.

At 5-11 and 193, McDuffie doesn't solve Los Angeles' lingering problem of matching up with bulkier receivers. Those size limitations led Kansas City to place the 2022 first-round pick in the slot early in his career, and the result was an All-Pro campaign in 2023. Staying there full-time with the Rams might be a non-starter given how much the team gave up to land him, but moving him inside at least occasionally should be a consideration.

McDuffie also struggled last season with the Chiefs tilting more toward zone coverages, allowing a career-worst catch rate of 67.9% and a passer rating of 96.3 when targeted, according to Next Gen Stats. That might seem like a bad fit for defensive coordinator Chris Shula's scheme, which tends to live in zone looks. Maybe the move indicates the team wants to deploy more man coverage to better combat the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and other top-flight targets capable of burning the secondary.

There's plenty to like about the configuration the Rams have to make this work, including the presence of Jimmy Lake, McDuffie's college coach at Washington, as the newly appointed defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. And perhaps this was merely an overdue investment for Snead, who had largely scoured the bargain bin at cornerback since parting with Jalen Ramsey in 2023.

Still, as Snead somewhat returns to his "(expletive) them picks" roots, it seems clear that the Rams paid a premium to address their most glaring deficiency with a proven entity rather than one of the draft's top cover men. Whether that apparent overpay will be justified in the end won't become clear until at least next January.

MORE:Latest NFL free agency news, rumors, trade buzz and more

Chiefs trade grade: A-

The knee-jerk reaction for many in Kansas City might be best summed up by Patrick Mahomes.

"Damn," the Chiefs quarterback wrote after news broke of McDuffie being sent packing.

Some disappointment is only natural for an organization attempting to reclaim its status as the AFC's alpha after falling to 6-11 last season, the franchise's worst mark in a decade-plus. Viewed through the proper lens, however, this deal might actually help fast-track a resurgence.

That general manager Brett Veach bailed on paying yet another standout cornerback should come as no surprise. Veach previously walked away from both L'Jarius Sneed and Charvarius Ward rather than pay them top-of-market contracts.

If McDuffie wasn't in Kansas City's long-term plans, offloading him before he reaches free agency might simply have been good business. Not only do the Chiefs not have to worry about fitting him into a cap-crunched roster this year and beyond, they can now focus on re-signing fellow cornerback Jaylen Watson, whoranked 13th on Nate Davis' top 100 free agent rankingsand likely would not have been able to return without the secondary's sea change.

But the big boon here is the draft picks. As Kansas City gets set to make its earliest selection (No. 9) since 2013, the breadth of the team's needs at premium positions is rather imposing. Yes, a wide receiver to assist Mahomes would be of massive value. Then again, a massively disruptive defensive end or defensive tackle could also be required. And don't forget about the lackluster outlook at running back, safety and potentially tight end if Travis Kelce retires.

With a second Day 1 selection and additional draft resources in hand, Veach now is well-positioned to build something formidable for the latter half of Mahomes' career rather than merely cling on to the vestiges of a bygone era. And going this route was necessary given what Kansas City faced with its salary cap.

Pressure on Veach, however, ramps up considerably in April. Describing the general manager's draft track record as uneven would be charitable, and his various missteps in evaluating young talent have played a central role in Kansas City's roster becoming so lopsided.

But Veach has also displayed a shrewd sense for when to sell high on his existing veterans, and he might have timed the market correctly again here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trent McDuffie trade grades: How Rams, Chiefs fared in huge NFL deal

byAnio Baumeister

in celebrities, Lifestyle, politics, showbiz, Sports

March 04, 2026

Who won the Trent McDuffie trade? Grading blockbuster Rams-Chiefs deal

TheLos Angeles Ramsand Kansas City Chiefs have swung the first major trade of the NFL offseason. The Chiefsa...

Lily Allen's receipt dress features lyrics dissing ex David Harbour

British pop starLily Allenstunned in a sheer black knit dress at "The Hunger Games: On Stage" premiere at the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre on Nov. 12, 2025, in London.Allen's record "West End Girl," which ispacked with revelatory lyricsabout the dissolution of her relationship with "Stranger Things" star David Harbour, has been making waves since the album's debut in October 2025.

British pop star Lily Allen stunned in a sheer black knit dress at "The Hunger Games: On Stage" premiere at the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre on Nov. 12, 2025, in London.

Allen's record "West End Girl," which is packed with revelatory lyrics about the dissolution of her relationship with "Stranger Things" star David Harbour, has been making waves since the album's debut in October 2025.