SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " rivalry " 300 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Rays handle Braves
Another day, another game not gained by the Yankees in the AL East.
How geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaboration
Researchers have measured how worsening geopolitical relations hobble scientific collaboration, at last quantifying the impact of rifts between governments on cooperation between labs. Over the last decade, a tenser world has thrown up new barriers to cross-border science. Collaboration between the US and China has dimmed as the two countries have sunk into an ever-deeper rivalry. Links between Russia and Europe have collapsed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But while a concern, the magnitude of the damage is less than might be expected. For all the geopolitical turmoil of the last decade, international scientific collaborations are near a record high. “Some part of the story is positive,” said Shreyas Gadgin Matha, a social scientist at Harvard University and an author of the new study. “Research collaborations are largely resilient.” Matha and colleagues looked at data on cross-border research papers and patents in the period 2000-23, and analysed how they were impacted by countries’ political relations, as measured by how often states voted together in the United Nations. They found that when states drift apart at the UN by the median difference in votes between all countries, joint scientific papers decline by 3.1% over the next three-year period. To put that in context, over the last decade, the US and China have diverged by around a third of that difference in votes every three years. In other words, on average, it takes quite a significant diplomatic rift even to trigger a small single-digit percentage drop in joint papers. “In the short term, even something like a 3% reduction [in joint papers] is, in some ways, not that big of a number,” said Matha. Research remains more international than ever, according to an analysis extending to 2023 released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2025. We’re still living in an era of unprecedented scientific globalisation, the analysis says, with 27% of papers in OECD countries written across borders. In 1970, just 2% of articles had authors from different countries. Longer-term damage?However, this trend towards increasing international collaboration “has lost momentum and might be partly breaking down,” the OECD analysis says, largely due to a fall in the intensity of US-China joint papers since 2018. Matha and his colleagues stressed they are not complacent about the global science system. For now, “it's pretty resilient,” said co-author Muhammed Yildirim, director of academic research at Harvard’s Growth Lab. But if links are weakened, through the denial of study visas, for example, then this could have a much longer-term effect, cascading through generations of scientists, he added. Related articlesChina becomes Russia’s biggest collaborator after war decimates science ties with the west US scientists prefer German to Chinese collaborators, study finds Horizon Europe is now truly global. But what comes next? Another finding of the study, Burning bridges or bridging divides: Geopolitics and collaboration in research and innovation, is that trust appears easier to destroy than create.The hit to scientific collaboration when countries drift apart is around three times as big as the growth in joint papers when they move closer, the paper finds. “It's far easier to break these ties than to mend them, and that that also perhaps has some larger policy lesson,” said Matha.PatentsThe results around patents were less clear cut. Some methods of analysis found a statistically significant link between a diplomatic rift and a drop in co-patenting, but others did not. According to Yildirim, patents with cross-border inventors are often developed by multinational companies, which may have invested heavily in global R&D facilities, so are less likely to change how they operate simply due to a change in the geopolitical weather. “That's why we might not be seeing the effect immediately in technology,” he said.By contrast, researchers might be more sensitive to geopolitics, because visa policies can quickly affect who meets who at academic conferences, he went on. International collaboration on patents is much lower than for academic articles, the study shows. It peaked at around 10% in 2010, and has since fallen back to around 8%. This could be because China dramatically ramped up domestic patents in the 2010s, said Yildirim, squeezing the international share.
How geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaboration
Researchers have measured how worsening geopolitical relations hobble scientific collaboration, at last quantifying the impact of rifts between governments on cooperation between labs. Over the last decade, a tenser world has thrown up new barriers to cross-border science. Collaboration between the US and China has dimmed as the two countries have sunk into an ever-deeper rivalry. Links between Russia and Europe have collapsed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But while a concern, the magnitude of the damage is less than might be expected. For all the geopolitical turmoil of the last decade, international scientific collaborations are near a record high. “Some part of the story is positive,” said Shreyas Gadgin Matha, a social scientist at Harvard University and an author of the new study. “Research collaborations are largely resilient.” Matha and colleagues looked at data on cross-border research papers and patents in the period 2000-23, and analysed how they were impacted by countries’ political relations, as measured by how often states voted together in the United Nations. They found that when states drift apart at the UN by the median difference in votes between all countries, joint scientific papers decline by 3.1% over the next three-year period. To put that in context, over the last decade, the US and China have diverged by around a third of that difference in votes every three years. In other words, on average, it takes quite a significant diplomatic rift even to trigger a small single-digit percentage drop in joint papers. “In the short term, even something like a 3% reduction [in joint papers] is, in some ways, not that big of a number,” said Matha. Research remains more international than ever, according to an analysis extending to 2023 released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2025. We’re still living in an era of unprecedented scientific globalisation, the analysis says, with 27% of papers in OECD countries written across borders. In 1970, just 2% of articles had authors from different countries. Longer-term damage?However, this trend towards increasing international collaboration “has lost momentum and might be partly breaking down,” the OECD analysis says, largely due to a fall in the intensity of US-China joint papers since 2018. Matha and his colleagues stressed they are not complacent about the global science system. For now, “it's pretty resilient,” said co-author Muhammed Yildirim, director of academic research at Harvard’s Growth Lab. But if links are weakened, through the denial of study visas, for example, then this could have a much longer-term effect, cascading through generations of scientists, he added. Related articlesChina becomes Russia’s biggest collaborator after war decimates science ties with the west US scientists prefer German to Chinese collaborators, study finds Horizon Europe is now truly global. But what comes next? Another finding of the study, Burning bridges or bridging divides: Geopolitics and collaboration in research and innovation, is that trust appears easier to destroy than create.The hit to scientific collaboration when countries drift apart is around three times as big as the growth in joint papers when they move closer, the paper finds. “It's far easier to break these ties than to mend them, and that that also perhaps has some larger policy lesson,” said Matha.PatentsThe results around patents were less clear cut. Some methods of analysis found a statistically significant link between a diplomatic rift and a drop in co-patenting, but others did not. According to Yildirim, patents with cross-border inventors are often developed by multinational companies, which may have invested heavily in global R&D facilities, so are less likely to change how they operate simply due to a change in the geopolitical weather. “That's why we might not be seeing the effect immediately in technology,” he said.By contrast, researchers might be more sensitive to geopolitics, because visa policies can quickly affect who meets who at academic conferences, he went on. International collaboration on patents is much lower than for academic articles, the study shows. It peaked at around 10% in 2010, and has since fallen back to around 8%. This could be because China dramatically ramped up domestic patents in the 2010s, said Yildirim, squeezing the international share.
Pleasant Grove and Liberty-Eylau reignite football rivalry
Pleasant Grove is scheduled to host Liberty-Eylau on September 11 at Hawk Stadium, featuring a pregame tribute for the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Harrison Smith Returns — And the Cap Gets Complicated
Harrison Smith's $12.25M return, cap concerns, bold predictions, and an NFL Rivalry Weekend pitch.
Battle of 224 headlines Friday’s Game of the Week
Around here, the Battle for 224 is one of the greatest rivalry games on the calendar - Poland versus Canfield.
Kansas prepares for first ‘Border Showdown’ in Lawrence since 2005
LAWRENCE (KSNT) — The ‘Border Showdown’ returns to Lawrence, in its 122nd playing, for the first time in 21 years. The rivalry was renewed last year, for the first time since 2011, when the Missouri Tigers took the 42-31 win. Head coach Lance Leipold was impressed with what he saw from the Tigers in their […]
Hawks Schedule 2026-27 Season Has Big Rivalry Games
The 2026-27 Atlanta Hawks schedule is finally here, and it looks like a wild ride. Fans can look forward to intense matchups against old rivals and emotional returns to the arena. I was just sitting on my porch thinking about how fast time flies. It feels like just yesterday we were worrying about last season’s…
CBS Sports: 10.5-Win O/U shows NFL sleeping on Seahawks
Never predict a rivalry purely on paper.
Washington vs. Washington State – Game Thread and How to Watch
It’s not Thanksgiving and it’s not the Apple Cup of old. The Dawgs and Cougs will kick off the ‘26 season by renewing their rivalry at Husky Stadium. WSU is part of the new-look Pac-12 with a new-look roster and a new-looking coaching staff. Kirby Moore arrives for his first head coaching job after serving […]
Cubs outfielder uses expletive toward Brewers pitcher after striking out
Rivalry games tend to bring out the swear words more often than not.
GM vs. Ford: U.S. defense, energy sectors add to automakers' century-old rivalry
General Motors and Ford are looking for new potential growth areas, including by seeking military contracts and getting into energy storage businesses.
Texas A&M-Texas Volleyball Rivalry Lands National ABC Spotlight
No. 12 Texas A&M and No. 9 Texas will meet Nov. 1 on ABC, giving one of the SEC’s hottest volleyball rivalries a major national television stage.
Kevin Zegers, Milla Jovovich added to 'Heated Rivalry' season 2
Kevin Zegers headshot (Courtesy of Kevin Zegers); Milla Jovovich headshot (Photo credit: An Le)
Brain implants fuel U.S.-China bioscience rivalry
The devices are bringing new hope to patients with strokes, Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions.
Seminoles MBB Schedule Highlighted By SEC Showdowns
Coach Leonard Hamilton’s squad navigates a grueling non-conference slate featuring a fierce rivalry renewal with Florida and high-stakes road tests against powerhouse Tennessee and Houston programs.
Ranking the NFL’s new rivalry uniforms
A second batch of rivalry uniforms has been revealed.
Is there an RU football game you’re waiting for?
Rutgers doesn’t have a “rivalry game” so…. It’s football time! This coming week opens the college football season. So, are you looking for some must-see college football games this fall? Try these : Some of these are traditional rivalries, games that fans circle on the calendar. But, if you try to find Rutgers’ “rivalry game […]
Wisconsin Friday night football sets stage for high school rivalries
The Reedsburg vs. Baraboo football rivalry is among the state's longest as the WIAA season kicks off this week.
College Football Fans Obsessed With Alabama, Tennessee's Uniform Matchup
When the Alabama-Tennessee football rivalry continues on October 17 this year, both teams will get to wear special uniforms for it.
From heated rivalry to frenemies: Inside the cutthroat business of ruling tech in Asia
Doomscrolling on an iPhone, firing endless questions at ChatGPT, or streaming a 4K film on Netflix on your laptop – behind these modern life conveniences lies a high-stakes contest between two Asian technology powers.
Dorian TV Awards 2026 Winners Include ‘Heated Rivalry’, ‘Hacks’ Final Season & More
The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) has voted on another year of the best in LGBTQ television. On Saturday, GALECA announced the winners of the LGBTQ journalist organization...
‘Heated Rivalry’ actor says he got ‘in trouble’ after seemingly leaking info about upcoming episodes
Dylan Walsh, who plays David Hollander on ‘Heated Rivalry,’ paused his Cameo account after a video where he talked about season 2 of the hit hockey romance went viral.
Bryce Underwood’s Ohio State Comment Will Get Michigan Fans Talking
Bryce Underwood called Ohio State “just another game,” but Michigan’s quarterback once described the rivalry as the biggest in sports.
New Purdue AD had the guts to rip Indiana. Then he folded
Purdue's new AD leaned into Indiana rivalry with one comment. What should worry Boilermaker fans isn't what he said. It's how quickly he took it back.
When politics becomes a duel
The Burr-Hamilton clash showed how humiliation and revenge could turn public rivalry into private ruin, leaving a republic with nothing gained.
ABC Sports magnified USC-UCLA football rivalry at the perfect time
As great as the 1967 USC-UCLA football game was, its impact was magnified many times over by the ABC Sports presentation of the epic battle
Woofing 101: Don’t Do It In The Summer
The UNC-State rivalry isn’t as tense as Duke-UNC, but it is more vicious.
World number one Sabalenka ousted in Toronto by Alexandrova
World number one Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated by Russian 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova on Saturday in a fourth-round match at the WTA Toronto Masters tournament.Sabalenka, who will seek her third consecutive US Open title next month, fell to 5-5 in her career WTA rivalry with Alexandrova, who will face either American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova or Ukraine's ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals.
Viewpoint: Europe needs a new scientific contract
The White House's new science strategy should be required reading in the Berlaymont and every European capital.Not because Europe should copy it. Parts of it should concern Europeans deeply. But because it asks the question Europe has so far avoided while steadily losing ground in the global race for technological leadership.Europe already possesses many of the world's finest universities, scientists and research-intensive companies. It produces world-leading research in fields ranging from quantum technologies and biotechnology to climate science. Yet time and again Europe generates the scientific breakthroughs while others build the companies, industries and strategic advantages around them, particularly in digital technologies. Increasingly, we find ourselves regulating technologies whose underlying capabilities were developed elsewhere.This is not primarily a scientific failure. It is an institutional one.The settlement that shaped modern science policy emerged after the Second World War. In Science, the Endless Frontier, Vannevar Bush argued that governments should invest in fundamental research while protecting scientists from political direction. Public investment was justified precisely because no government, university or company could predict where the next transformative discovery would emerge.That scientific contract served liberal democracies extraordinarily well. It underpinned decades of advances in medicine, computing, energy and communications, but the world for which it was designed no longer exists.Artificial intelligence is transforming not only technology but the production of knowledge itself. Advanced chips, computing power, data and scientific instruments have become strategic assets. Scientific knowledge now diffuses globally almost instantly. Competitive advantage increasingly lies not in making discoveries first, but in possessing the infrastructure, capital, engineering capability and institutions required to translate those ideas into products, industries and strategic advantage.The old boundaries between science, industrial policy, national security and geopolitics have largely disappeared. Dual-use technologies now underpin both economic power and military deterrence.The US has recognised this shift. In July, the White House published Science: A New Golden Age, a comprehensive attempt to rethink the relationship between science and national power. The report builds on Bush's legacy, but departs from his framework in important ways. Science is no longer treated simply as the source of future discoveries. It is presented as the foundation of economic resilience, technological leadership and national security. AI, advanced infrastructure and the capacity to build become as important as discovery itself.Yet the report also reveals a striking paradox. The same administration calling for “a new golden age” of US science has simultaneously proposed deep cuts to the federal research enterprise while expanding political influence over the allocation of public research funding. Europe should therefore distinguish between the report's diagnosis and its prescription. The diagnosis, that science has become a strategic asset, is compelling. But the prescription is self-defeating. Long-term technological leadership depends on strong universities, academic freedom and the institutional autonomy that makes scientific discovery possible. This distinction matters. Bush's achievement was never simply to make science serve national strength. It was to establish a division of labour in which governments invested in research without attempting to direct discovery itself. Scientific breakthroughs emerge precisely because researchers retain the freedom to pursue questions whose value cannot yet be demonstrated and whose conclusions cannot be anticipated.Neither China, nor the USAs science becomes more strategically important, the temptation to politicise it inevitably grows. But scientific freedom is not an obstacle to technological leadership, it is an essential precondition.China represents the opposite model. For decades it has integrated science, manufacturing, infrastructure and industrial policy into a single national strategy. Its ability to mobilise resources around critical technologies is formidable. But it does so within an authoritarian system where scientific priorities are increasingly inseparable from political power.Europe should imitate neither model. It should learn from the strategic ambition of the US without importing its growing politicisation of science. And it should learn from China's capacity to build without adopting its concentration of power.Instead, Europe needs a scientific contract of its own. Bush's scientific contract protected the freedom to discover because the defining challenge of the 20th century was producing new knowledge. Europe's next scientific contract must preserve that freedom while ensuring that scientific discoveries can be converted into technological, industrial and strategic capability. Because in a transactional world, Europe's freedom to shape its own future depends on its capacity to build it.Related articlesThe US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to knowEuropean researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationNIH turmoil risks reciprocal EU-US access to health research fundingThis does not mean subordinating free science to competitiveness or industrial policy. On the contrary. Scientific autonomy remains the first principle of Europe's next scientific contract. Governments should not direct scientific discovery. Their responsibility is to ensure that Europe's scientific, industrial, financial and regulatory institutions work together rather than in isolation.Meeting that responsibility requires far more than research funding. European researchers need access to world-class computing infrastructure, advanced laboratories, shared datasets and scientific facilities. Innovative companies need patient capital, testing environments and a genuine single market in which they can scale without facing 27 different regulatory regimes. Public procurement must evolve from purchasing existing technologies to creating markets for new ones. Regulators must become partners in experimentation rather than guardians of yesterday's rules.A connecting architectureEurope does not need to invent the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) model from scratch. Britain's Aria, Germany's Sprind and Wellcome Leap already show that Europe can build institutions capable of taking high-risk, mission-oriented bets while preserving democratic accountability. The challenge now is not to create more isolated initiatives, but to connect them to Europe's broader scientific, industrial and financial system so that breakthrough discoveries can scale.Above all, Europe must stop treating research, innovation, industrial policy, finance and security as separate policy domains. The challenge is no longer to create excellent institutions in each of these fields, but to make them work as one European innovation system. Europe's strength will increasingly depend not on excellence within institutions, but on excellence across them.Europe's ambition should be neither to imitate the US nor to emulate China. It should demonstrate that scientific freedom, democratic legitimacy and technological capability are not competing objectives, but mutually reinforcing strengths. In an age of geopolitical rivalry, Europe's greatest advantage may ultimately be its ability to attract the world's best talent by combining scientific freedom, democratic openness and technological ambition.Bush's scientific contract helped define the 20th century because it protected the freedom to discover. Europe's challenge is not to abandon that achievement but to extend it. The defining task of Europe's next scientific contract is to preserve the freedom to discover while building Europe's capacity to translate scientific discovery into technological power.Kaare Nielsen is founder of Pomus, a Danish think tank on science and innovation.
‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 Is Filming, and the Show Has a Message for Overexcited Fans
As season 2 of 'Heated Rivalry' begins production, the official account for the show has posted a statement asking fans to give the cast and crew the space they need.
USC, Notre Dame renew rivalry series with a key adjustment
USC coach Lincoln Riley said the Trojans could not compromise on scheduling all future games against Notre Dame to early in the season.
Exclusive | ‘Science is a universal language’: US materials pioneer defends global ties
Elsa Reichmanis spent decades collaborating with Chinese science teams and says research should remain distinct from tech rivalry.
Now off-Broadway: Whoopi renewed, a drama on Israel and a ‘Heated Rivalry’ spoof
“The Whoopi Monologues,” “Birthright” and “Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody” excel on New York stages.
'Heated Rivalry' Success Sparks Gay Adult Company Publishing House
Gay adult entertainment company Falcon | NakedSword has launched a publishing house with three imprints.
‘Heated Rivalry’ Success Sparks New Publishing House From Gay Adult Entertainment Giant Falcon
Just nine months after “Heated Rivalry” premiered and became a worldwide phenomenon, gay adult entertainment company Falcon | NakedSword is getting into the book business. The San Francisco-based comp...
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Rasmussen stars as the Rays blank Cleveland
Drew Rasmussen, Munetaka Murakami, and Dominic Canzone all starred for their teams Sunday
The return of power politics
Post-Cold War integration increased prosperity but did not eliminate rivalry. Emerging powers and strategic risks are driving a prolonged transition.
Sarkisian, Elko reveal respect behind Texas-Texas A&M rivalry
Steve Sarkisian and Mike Elko discussed the intensity of the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry at SEC Media Days, saying mutual respect has helped define the series' return despite the high stakes.
2026 FSU Schedule Preview: Florida Gators
Florida’s reset while FSU enters the rivalry with Norvell under fire and little room left for excuses.
Bedlam Basketball Belongs in Oklahoma City
Conference realignment may have changed college sports, but Bedlam basketball still deserves a place on the schedule. I think Oklahoma City has become the perfect home for the rivalry, giving both fan bases a neutral stage while keeping one of the state's best traditions alive.
Roundup: LNG exports / Prairieville market / GLP-1 rivalry
Predicted to double: U.S. LNG exports are expected to nearly double by 2031, becoming the country’s second-largest net export industry and contributing an estimated $1.4 trillion to the economy. The growth is driven by abundant shale gas supplies, major Gulf Coast investments and rising global demand, with LNG exports projected to support hundreds of thousands […]
Shanghai science forum photos show China's AI and robotics advances in rivalry with US
BEIJING (AP) — China's leading technology companies showcased hundreds of cutting-edge products at the World AI Conference in Shanghai — from advanced robotics to artificial intelligence systems.
Shanghai science forum photos show China's AI and robotics advances in rivalry with US
BEIJING (AP) — China's leading technology companies showcased hundreds of cutting-edge products at the
LSU Football Schedule: Tigers lock in future nonconference games
LSU football added four nonconference games to its future schedules, including the renewal of an old rivalry.
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Red Sox sweep Rays doubleheader
A look at the action around the American League on July 18th.
“Heartstopper” stars still haven’t seen “Heated Rivalry”: ‘We probably have very similar experiences’
Kit Connor and Joe Locke know it’s “terrible” that they haven’t seen the spicy hockey romance.
Todd Howard Dismisses 'Fan Chatter' About Purported Rivalry Between Bethesda and Obsidian as the New Vegas Developer Starts Work on a New Fallout Game
Todd Howard has dismissed what he described as “fan chatter” about a supposed rivalry between Fallout developers Bethesda Game Studios and Obsidian Entertainment.
After ‘Heated Rivalry’ mania, a very adult ‘Heartstopper’ is here
(CNN) — It takes less than 10 minutes of watching the new “Heartstopper Forever” movie on Netflix to realize this is not the same tenderhearted romance to which audiences were
Sports without politics is a fantasy and the World Cup proves it
From ancient Greece to Nazi Germany, sport and politics have long been intertwined. Nevertheless, we still imagine that international sport can be kept above the fray and serve as a neutral arena where nations compete on merit alone. In this article, diplomacy scholar Geoffrey Allen Pigman argues the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows this is a dangerous illusion. When international sport is left entirely to revenue-maximizing private bodies like FIFA, it doesn't escape politics, but rather surrenders to its worst expressions. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, the IOC must decide whether to learn that lesson or repeat the same mistakes. The largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup ever draws toward its climactic conclusion amidst a swirl of controversy. Team members, staff, fans, and spectators have been denied their right to enter the United States to participate, and US President Donald Trump intervened with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to overturn a referee’s call that Trump believed disadvantaged the US national team. It is a moment to step back and reflect on what the purposes of international sport mega-events like the World Cup, and international sport more broadly, are, and what they should be. Does international sport serve public purposes? Is there a public interest? Or is it primarily a private endeavor organized by commercial enterprises to entertain the global public (and generate profit in the process), which is occasionally used by governments and leaders for raisons d’etat? Central to the idea of sport is the principle of fair play, which in the international context demands that games be free from political interference. However, it is impossible to separate sport from politics, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding. The most positive political use of international sport through the millennia has been to facilitate diplomacy. The use of international sport for diplomatic objectives has existed since at least the time of the ancient Olympic Games, around which was instituted the custom of the Ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, between participating states to facilitate fair competition and diplomatic achievements by ensuring that participants could travel safely to the Olympiad. In his seminal work On Diplomacy (1987), diplomacy scholar James Der Derian characterized the objectives of diplomacy as overcoming alienation and mediating estrangement between governments and between peoples. One increasingly important diplomatic tool in the technology-infused media environment over the past century has been public diplomacy, under which governments and non-state diplomatic actors (e.g. transnational corporations) communicate to global publics about their international policy objectives and to shape their global brand image. Political scientist Michał Kobierecki, in his important book Sports Diplomacy (2020), views sports diplomacy as falling broadly within the ambit of public diplomacy, as international sport intimately involves the participation of global publics as spectators and consumers of global media. Diplomacy scholar Stuart Murray and this author, in a 2013 article, distinguish between international sport used for diplomatic purposes and international sport-as-diplomacy, which encompasses the range of diplomacy that occurs as teams and competitors, spectators and fans, and government officials all converge for international sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Diplomacy scholar H.E. Chehabi, in a 2001 article on US-Iran sports diplomacy, describes the interaction between spectators and fans at international sporting events as “people-to-people diplomacy,” in which relationships develop independently of governments and their objectives. Diplomacy by the aforementioned definitions is often unsuccessful. Moreover, all too often the tools of diplomacy may be employed by governments and other actors to thwart or oppose the objectives of diplomacy as characterized by Der Derian. Governments routinely use the tools of public diplomacy to disseminate propaganda, spreading misinformation in the attempt to deceive global publics about their objectives and to create misleading impressions about their brand identity. Within sports diplomacy, the term “sportswashing” has been coined recently to describe how governments invest in and promote international sport to create positive global public impressions of their nations and, in doing so, to distract the global public from their deficient records in areas such as human rights and democratic governance. Murray, in his 2018 book Sports Diplomacy: Origins, Theory and Practice, introduces the concept of sports anti-diplomacy, wherein governments intentionally use international sport to advance aggressive and nationalistic objectives. Obvious historical examples include Hitler’s use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify his Third Reich and the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras football “war.” SUGGESTED READING The beautiful game made ugly By Emily Ryall FIFA argues that it is and seeks to be apolitical in its stewardship of international Association Football (soccer). FIFA policies governing bids to host the World Cup require uninhibited and non-discriminatory access for players, team staff, and spectators of all participating countries to host nations and venues. It became clear soon after Trump returned to power in the United States in January 2025 that Trump’s political intentions and objectives to limit non-US citizens from living and working in the United States and, in numerous cases, even visiting the country, would collide with FIFA’s host nation policies. Beginning soon after the start of the second Trump administration, US federal authorities imposed restrictions on entry to the United States of citizens of between 20 and 40 countries for any purpose, with only limited exceptions. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting non-US citizens in the United States, including persons with and without legal status, holding them in jails, concentration camps, and other detention facilities until they were deported to their home or third countries, where they faced substantive risks to their personal safety. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, in an effort to ensure the most successful and lucrative World Cup in history, engaged diplomatically with President Trump in an attempt to facilitate entry to the US for World Cup participants. Infantino did all in his power to ingratiate himself with Trump, to the extent of creating a FIFA “Peace Prize,” which he awarded to Trump in December 2025 at a ceremony in the then Trump-controlled John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the World Cup draw. The prize was an ersatz consolation for someone who aspired in vain to win the rather more prestigious and well-known Nobel Peace Prize. And in the run-up to the World Cup, conditions became worse. In February 2026, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a war of aggression against Iran, illegal under international law, under the false pretence that Iran’s government was preparing to attack the United States and Israel. During the US aerial bombardment of Iran, US planes bombed Azadi Stadium, the facility where Iran’s national football team trained. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, it was clear that Infantino’s efforts had been for naught: the Trump administration would not adhere to FIFA policies governing access to World Cup host nations. World Cup referee Omar Artan, a citizen of Somalia, was denied a US visa to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup. Trump’s government only granted US visas to Iran’s football team ten days before they were scheduled to arrive for the tournament. Numerous members of the support staff for Iran’s team were denied US visas. Iran’s team, which had been scheduled to train in Arizona, was directed to shift its training site to Tijuana, Mexico, notwithstanding that all three of their group stage matches took place at US venues. The US Department of Homeland Security only permitted the Iranian team to enter the US on the day before each scheduled match and then to return to Mexico immediately after playing. Members of Iraq’s and Switzerland’s football teams were delayed for hours by US officials at the US border, and an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry. Spectators and fans from Haïti and Iran were denied entry to the United States altogether. A large number of fans from a range of countries had their applications for US visas rejected. There were multiple off-ramps through which participants could have avoided the negative consequences of Trump’s decisions for the 2026 World Cup. Once it was clear that the Trump government intended to violate the established expectations for World Cup hosts, FIFA could have shifted the matches scheduled to take place in the United States to Mexico and Canada. The three nations were already designated as co-hosts, and host cities and venues had been selected. Once it was clear that FIFA, governed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s dependent and dysfunctional relationship with Trump, would never consider this option on its own, it fell to the national football federations to act. The national federations, particularly some combination of federations of the leading contenders (France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, England, Germany, etc.), could have refused to participate under the US-imposed conditions or, at the least, demanded an ironclad agreement with the Trump government that FIFA policies on access would be respected. ___ International sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. ___ Why did neither FIFA nor the national football federations act to protect the interests of players, team staff, referees, fans, and spectators? In essence, the relentless engines of capitalism prevailed over norm observance, ethics, and fair play. The revenue interests of FIFA, sponsors, global media, and host cities won out. FIFA’s managers viewed hosting another World Cup principally in the United States as a veritable pot of gold for FIFA and its collaborators. FIFA has estimated its own revenue over the 2023-26 budget cycle, which includes the 2026 World Cup, at $13 billion, revised up from an initial projection of $11 billion, and 72% higher than the previous revenue cycle. Of that total, FIFA is estimated to have generated $8.9 billion from the Cup itself in revenue from TV rights ($3.92 billion), sponsorships ($2.69 billion), ticket sales ($3.1 billion), licensing rights, and other sources. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the World Cup will contribute over $40 billion to global GDP, including nearly $14 billion in direct visitor spending in the three host countries (but principally in the United States, which hosted the lion’s share of the matches). The FIFA World Cup is now reportedly “the single most lucrative recurring commercial property in global sport.” And yet, notwithstanding the Trump government’s uses of the World Cup for sports anti-diplomacy, and the climate of anxiety that this created for participants and spectators, diplomacy that did not depend upon governments was able to thrive at the World Cup. Examples of successful people-to-people diplomacy were legion, as citizens of towns and cities across the States, as well as in Mexico and Canada, welcomed team members, their families and supporters, to training sites across North America. Fans of different teams joined together in person in stadiums for matches, at watch parties and bars, and at welcome events sponsored by host cities. The joy and camaraderie shared between the citizenry of Boston and Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of fans is but one example of how the “Beautiful Game” brings people together. Friendships forged across continents are likely to endure well beyond the Cup final. Even those achievements cannot be seen as unalloyed, however. As South African football fan Byron Pillay commented to Al Jazeera, “Football is called the Beautiful Game for a reason, for its ability to unite people. But it’s hard to believe in that magic with the politics and war rhetoric off the field of play, especially when one of the tournament hosts is central to that.” Ultimately, the experience of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates that, as international sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. As long as there is the possibility of diplomatic progress in mediating estrangement between governments or between peoples, there is a broad and overarching public interest in international sport. Likewise, as it would be difficult to put on an international sport mega-event without international sporting organizations like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), global media firms, and companies purchasing sponsorships, public and private interests in international sport must coexist, most likely somewhere on a shifting spectrum between partnership and rivalry or cross purposes. As the World Cup wraps up, the IOC needs to consider its lessons before the scheduled 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they want to avoid a media-hyped Trump version of the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The IOC and the National Olympic Committees need to set conditions on and make demands of Trump’s government with clearly articulated consequences for non-compliance, up to and including cancellation of the Games. Time is running out for the IOC, as unlike with the FIFA World Cup, there is no at-the-ready alternate venue for Los Angeles.
We Called It the Greatest Rivalry in Sports. Readers Showed Us the Red Card.
England vs. Argentina may be the most explosive game of this World Cup. But Wall Street Journal readers ranked this grudge match far behind some of the famous feuds of U.S. sports.
From The Sports Desk: Argentina, England renew bitter rivalry in World Cup semifinals
Argentina is the defending World Cup champion and England is looking for its first title since 1966. The winner will face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Bellingham, Messi Lead England-Argentina Rivalry's Next Chapter
England and Argentina face off in the World Cup semifinal match. Here's everything to know.
England vs. Argentina Is the Greatest Rivalry in Sports—and It’s Bracing for Its Biggest Game Ever
There are other epic rivalries, from Yankees-Red Sox to Ohio State-Michigan. But nothing comes close to the 64-year-old World Cup feud that is England vs. Argentina.
Why “Heated Rivalry” isn’t nominated for Emmys
The Emmys rule that impacts “foreign television productions.”
Soccer-Politics aside, Mexico and Ecuador fans keep World Cup rivalry friendly
By Janina Nuno Rios and Natalia Siniawski MEXICO CITY, June 30 (Reuters) - Shrugging off a raucous midnight serenade outside their team hotel as part of football's folklore, travelling Ecuadorean fans
Politics aside, Mexico and Ecuador fans keep World Cup rivalry friendly
Shrugging off a raucous midnight serenade outside their team hotel as part of football's folklore, travelling Ecuadorean fans embraced a festive World Cup atmosphere in Mexico City on Tuesday ahead of their World Cup round of 32 clash with co-hosts Mexico.
Kings’ Acuff Jr., Nets’ Brown Jr. Rivalry Continues in NBA
From high school shootouts to collegiate clashes, these elite lottery picks bring a storied history to the pros as they prepare to ignite a cross-conference professional feud.
Yankees vs Red Sox: Cam Schlittler vs Connelly Early
The Yankees are back in Boston, but the rivalry is not.
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Royals drop double-digit runs on Rays
Recapping how the Yankees’ top American League opponents fared on June 23rd.
Roku May Help Fox Avoid Aggregeddon
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Scrolling through links over the last week, I stumbled across this fun headline: Wow. Formula 1 (the sport, not the docu-series) is the perfect “dog not barking”. As a reminder, each week in my Streaming Ratings Report, I call out the shows that miss every viewership chart. I dub them “dogs not barking”—like the Sherlock Holmes mystery—because without any data, we forget they even exist. This is in contrast to something like, say, a film flop—cough The Mandalorian and Grogu cough—where even underperforming at the box office is widely discussed here, there and everywhere. In the US, Formula 1 is now in “no public viewership data, so not discussed” territory. After moving to Apple TV from its former home of ESPN, basically no one talks about it. Apple did publish an initial, unsourced, unsubstantiated, (dare I say unserious) datecdote claiming more folks are watching Formula 1 on Apple than ESPN, but we haven’t gotten any updates since. This stands in contrast to when the sport streamed on ESPN, and ESPN PR provided weekly viewership figures. Formula 1 was, at best, a niche sport in America—averaging 1.3 million viewers in the Big Data Plus era—but now it’s basically anonymous. (And yeah, after moving to Apple, I very, very, very much doubt its ratings increased.) Unfortunately, that story isn’t quite big enough to warrant a section in today’s “Most Important Story of the Week” column, but I wanted to call it out, because otherwise, no one else will! Certainly, no one will write articles about the silence/ratings decline, unlike when they wrote breathless articles connecting the rise in viewership to Netflix’s Drive to Survive, including Reuters just last month. (This is a topic I’ve tried to provide a moderate/nuanced/non-hyped take since 2022.) Anyway, on to this week’s issue. I was a bit worried I didn’t have a juicy topic, then the Murdochs went out and did their Murdoch thing: buying Roku. So that’s the story of the week, and it happens to touch on quite a few themes of the streaming wars and the disruption therein. I’ll cover that, plus why more consolidation in Hollywood media looks likely, more good news on the Hollywood labor front, whether we’ll see an uptick in production in Los Angeles, some Broadway and theme park news, cellphone prices going up in the third world (and possibly everywhere), and more. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Another Big Media & Entertainment Merger The story of the week is clearly Fox is buying Roku for $22 billion. I read a lot of good strategy takes on why Fox bought this streaming TV device maker—and I’ll have mine below—but what fascinates me more is how this deal connects to quite a few themes of the streaming wars, linking to everything from the pace of M&A to “aggregeddon” to Netflix’s recent M&A actions/inactions to the shift to advertising from pure play streaming and more. The only topic I can’t really connect it to is my old theory, “never bet against Rupert Murdoch” because he isn’t the one who did this deal; his son Lachlan inked it. (Do I think he provided advice, even at his 95 years of age? Sure.) That plus I have one additional piece of strategy for all entertainment players, inspired by this deal. So let’s dive into all those topics, starting with why I like this deal. Roku is a Great M&A Buy
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Royals’ Wacha outduels Rays’ Rasmussen
Recapping how the Yankees’ top AL opponents fared on June 22nd.
Microsoft Makes Big AI Inroads in China by Selling OpenAI Models
Microsoft Corp. has built a big business selling AI models to Chinese companies despite the growing rivalry between the US and China over artificial intelligence.
From The Sports Desk: Messi’s hat trick caps day of stars
On Wednesday, England and Croatia renew their rivalry.
Dorian TV Awards nominations: ‘Heated Rivalry,’ ‘Hacks,’ ‘Pluribus,’ ‘The Pitt’ lead the way for queer-themed shows
Now in its 17th year, the Dorian TV Awards are voted on by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Dodgers best Rays on late blast
The Yankees had one opponent of note playing on Monday, and the result was quite favorable.
Palmetto Sports Daily: Hurricanes win Stanley Cup, USC-Coastal baseball rivalry brewing?
More on the Carolina Hurricanes' Stanley Cup win and a new rivalry possibly brewing in college baseball.
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Rays keep pace, M’s get shelled
Tampa wins another one while Washington trounced Seattle
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Angels stifle Tampa; Skubal returns from injury
The Angels blew out Tampa to hand first place in the East back to New York.
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Rays can’t come back against Angels
A look at the action around the American League on June 12th.
'Heated Rivalry' tops Television Critics Awards nominations — and, yes, its leading men are going head to head
'Heated Rivalry' leads the 2026 TCA Awards nominations with dueling bids for Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. See the full list.
‘Criminal Minds’ Fans, Here’s What the Showrunner Really Thinks About Connor Storrie Being in ‘Heated Rivalry’ (Exclusive)
Simu Liu defends Hudson Williams against 'massive hate campaign' after resurfaced photo sparks backlash
Marvel star Simu Liu has spoken out in defense of 'Heated Rivalry' star Hudson Williams amid backlash after an unverified photo of him as a teenager with a swastika drawn on his forehead surfaced online: 'The internet is insane.'
An Actor Just Revealed Why They Can't Do Heated Rivalry Season 2
I need to be transported to the alternate universe where this actually worked out.
Jack Innanen offered “Heated Rivalry” season 2 role but couldn't accept due to production conflicts (exclusive)
Fans have long dream-cast the "Adults" and "Big Mistakes" star for the new season, which is set for 2027.
Why 'Heated Rivalry' season 2 hopeful Jack Innanen couldn't make role work
Jack Innanen, a longtime 'Heated Rivalry' hopeful, was offered a season 2 role, but the 'Adults' and 'Big Mistakes' star couldn't accept due to production conflicts, EW can confirm.
Where to watch Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Sunday, June 7
The Red Sox and Yankees meet in the latest chapter of their AL East rivalry.
Here's how you can win tickets to the “Heated Rivalry” season 2 premiere
The show is giving away two tickets to the big event next year.
Packers’ Keisean Nixon facing backlash after blunt words for Bears
The 2026 NFL season is still months away, but the rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears never stops. It simply does not take a pause. Just recently, Packers defensive back Keisean Nixon further fueled that with a statement on Chicago. Via Dave Schroeder of WBAY-TV: Keisean Nixon on the Bears: “Free [...]
Nvidia takes AI battle from the data centre to the laptop
Chipmaker opens new front in rivalry with Apple, Intel, AMD and Qualcomm
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Rays blanked by Tigers
Detroit, and an old friend, ensured the Yankees didn’t lose any ground in the AL East on Tuesday.
Alliance Home Entertainment Secures Exclusive Home Entertainment Rights for Heated Rivalry Series
Alliance Home Entertainment secures exclusive rights to release "Heated Rivalry," enhancing engagement for its devoted fanbase.Quiver AI SummaryAlliance Entertainment Holding Corporation announced that its Alliance Home Entertainment division has secured exclusive rights to distribute the Crave Original series "Heated Rivalry," based on Rachel Reid's bestselling book series. The series will launch on digital platforms in June 2026, followed by ph
‘Enough is enough’: Shaq does not hold back his opinion on Angel Reese
Over the years, Atlanta Dream superstar Angel Reese has become one of the most polarizing players in sports, thanks in large part to her high-profile rivalry with the face of the league, Caitlin Clark. Given her role as a sort of villain to Clark, Reese has received a disproportionate amount of criticism and negative attention…
OpenAI and Anthropic have a new rivalry: who rings the bell first
Conventional wisdom holds that going public first is better because there is only so much capital to go around. But what if it's better to go second?
Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham takes wild IndyCar ride
Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham enjoyed a high speed ride at the Detroit Grand Prix despite some rivalry ribbing.
Deadline Hollywood
'Heated Rivalry' producer Accent Aigu Entertainment has restructured its management team, while also making several hires. Read more below.
'Heated Rivalry' Maker Accent Aigu Entertainment Sets Management Team
'Heated Rivalry' producer Accent Aigu Entertainment has restructured its management team, while also making several hires.
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Injury scares in Toronto
Recapping how the Yankees’ top AL opponents fared on May 24th.
The New #1 Show with a 93 Percent 'Rotten Tomatoes' Rating Is Giving 'Heated Rivalry' Energy—& Fans Are Obsessed
A new romance drama similar to 'Heated Rivalry' is quickly climbing the streaming charts and giving viewers major early 2000s rom-com energy. Get all the details here.
Ranking the NFL's Christmas games for the 2026 season
The NFL’s 2026 Christmas schedule features rivalry games, playoff rematches, and several potential postseason previews.
Subway to Freeway: MLB Rivals Bring The Heat
It’s Rivalry Weekend in Major League Baseball. So, of course, we’re getting Yankees vs. Mets, and Cubs vs. White Sox, and Angels vs. Dodgers. But we’re getting a lot more than that - for better and for worse. Here’s a ranking of all 15 Rivalry Weekend matchups, from best to worst. Hate mail will ...
Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Varsho’s slam secures dramatic win for Jays
Recapping a dramatic day of American League baseball on Wednesday.
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Tuesday, April 28, 2026: South Park, Avonworth write next chapter in rivalry
The two high schools are not neighbors, as the distance between them is 37 miles.
See where Kansas baseball ranks in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
KU baseball enjoyed a rivalry sweep over the weekend against Kansas State. So, where does it rank in the top 25 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll?
I let my tween watch shows intended for more mature viewers
There's a huge to upside to letting my tween watch my favorite not-for-kids shows like "Good Omens," "Lost," and even clips from "Heated Rivalry."
Singapore emerging as neutral ground as AI firms navigate Sino-US rivalry
Singapore is transforming from East-West gateway to neutral ground for the AI sector, with Chinese startups hoping to operate beyond government reach while U.S. firms seek foreign talent without the headache of stricter visa regulations.