Aaron Judge shames slumping Yankees for 'lack of focus' as losing streak drags on: 'We just gotta dial it in'
The New York Yankees came into Wednesday's series finale against the Tigers in the midst of a skid. They've lost six in a row while scoring a total of 15 runs over that span. Overall, the Yankees have dropped nine of their last 11, which was sufficient to give them a losing record for the month of June.
In very much related matters, the Yankees have been without reigning back-to-back American League MVP Aaron Judge, who's been sidelined since the end of May with a stress fracture in his ribcage. Even though Judge this season hasn't quite been his vintage self, he's still been highly productive and, thus, keenly missed of late. To put a finer point on it, the Yankees are 13 games above .500 when Judge plays this season and two games below .500 when he doesn't appear. That's in keeping with much of recent history.
The 34-year-old future Hall of Famer is also the Yankees' team captain, and not surprisingly, he has some thoughts on how the club has fared of late. Judge before Wednesday's game told reporters the following about his team's recent struggles, via The Athletic:
"Well, it's not great. Just a little lack of focus. We just gotta dial it in. Our ultimate goal is to win a World Series. I think guys have to remember that every single day they show up here. We're here to win a World Series.
"That should motivate you every single day you step on that field, no matter what happens, no matter what happens the day before. 'I got a job to do.' We've got an important sign when you walk out on the field. It's the last sign you see before you're out there; it says do your job. Guys are here to do their job."
Judge is not normally an outspoken sort, which means these words carry some extra weight. Yes, the Yankees remain firmly in playoff position, but that perhaps says more about the generalized weakness of the American League this season. The Yankees also trail the Rays by 2 ½ games in the AL East, which means they're not on target to earn a first-round bye in the postseason.
No doubt, Judge's eventual return to a lineup that's also missing Trent Grisham (hamstring) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) will help matters, but it's not yet certain when that's going to happen. The best Judge can do for now is motivate, and his recent words are no doubt designed to do just that.
Ideally for the Yankees, they'll find their way to a Judge-less turnaround in time for the key four-game road set with the Rays that begins on July 6.
Add CBS Sports on GoogleTwins top prospect Walker Jenkins carries young fan off field after collapse during national anthem
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Jack BaerStaff writerThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·1 min readMinnesota Twins minor leaguer Walker Jenkins stepped up before Tuesday's St. Paul Saints game in a way that had nothing to do with his top prospect status.
Jenkins, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went viral on Wednesday via a video that showed him taking care of a young fan who collapsed while standing with the players during the national anthem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJenkins noticed the fan wobbling and was soon carrying him off the field, eventually giving him to a staff member at the dugout.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, confirmed Wednesday morning that the boy, named Lincoln, is doing well and has received some team merchandise.
After helping Lincoln, Jenkins proceeded to go 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored in a 12-6 win over the Buffalo Bisons. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
The Twins selected Jenkins fifth overall out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina in the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly developed into one of the best prospects in the minors, showcasing five-tool talent while playing well above his age at each level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis season, Jenkins, 21, is slashing .273/.394/.436 in 30 games with the Saints.
Philadelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
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6 Potential Landing SpotsBest Place To Sign?Record 24th SeasonLA LegacyWarriors Make SensePhiladelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James and Joel Embiid shake hands after a February game between the Lakers and Sixers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images
By Tony JonesJuly 1, 2026 8:39 pm EDT UpdatedThe Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.
James, 41, remains an All-Star-caliber player and one of the league’s most impactful talents. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship.
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Tagged To: NBAPhiladelphia 76ersPacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Pacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Indiana was heavily linked to Walker Kessler before the trade deadline, but acquiring Ivica Zubac instead may have been one of the franchise's smartest decisions.Alex Golden|
In this story:
Indiana PacersLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzLos Angeles ClippersOn Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a lucrative four-year, $130M deal with Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Los Angeles and Utah have agreed to complete a sign-and-trade that will send Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
This is a massive haul that the Lakers are paying to solidify the now and future of their center position, going after the best five man on the open market. Indiana was once rumored to have interest in the Jazz's big man during the NBA Trade Deadline period, but Utah reportedly declined the Pacers offer. This was the exact same offer that Indiana ended up sending the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac.
While there are reasons to believe that trading for Kessler would have been the better move for Indiana, there is no denying that Indiana in retrospect made the right move in February. While Kessler is a solid young player with plenty of room to grow, he is making an average annual value of $32.5M. Indiana's big man, Ivica Zubac is making $20.3M this season, and $21.7M the folliwing season according to SpoTrac.com.
Being able to acquire a center that is just as good, or slightly even better for $11M less this season is a steal in itself, and it allowed the Pacers more financial flexibility to sign another free agent in the offseason.
If the Pacers had acquired Kessler at the trade deadline and agreed to the same exact deal the Lakers agreed to, Indiana would have been a first-apron team, and would not have been able to inked Kelly Oubre Jr. to the two-year, $17M contract they signed him to -- unless they elected to move off of Jarace Walker's $8.4M contract.
Nobody knew exactly how much Kessler would demand on the open market, and maybe the Lakers had to overpay to keep the Jazz from matching the offer, but for a Pacers team that is trying to win a championship next season, adding Zubac and Oubre Jr. for almost $4M less than what the Lakers will be paying Kessler in his first season was a no-brainer decision.
At the end of the day, the Pacers feel the best way to build a roster is with depth. By focusing in on acquiring a player at the Trade Deadline who fits perfectly into their budget, fills a hole on their roster, and has the skillset to elevate this team's ceiling, Indiana was not only able to address their starting center need, but their backup wing depth.
The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have done a terrific job of targeting the right players with the right skillset to ensure that this team is strong enough to compete in the improved Eastern Conference. There would have been other holes to fill had Indiana tied itself to an overpay for Walker Kessler, especially when it can get similar -- if not better-- production from Ivica Zubac for $11M less per season.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 22 minutes ago
ALEX GOLDENI was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and I am the host and creator of Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast. I have been covering the team since 2015, and talking about them on the podcast since 2018. I have been a credentialed media member since 2023.
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NPR’s Alito retirement blunder raises eyebrows after reporter’s ‘not plausible’ explanation stuns media world
NPR’s Alito retirement blunder raises eyebrows after reporter's ‘not plausible’ explanation stuns media world- US News
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Skip to main content MediaNPR’s Alito retirement blunder raises eyebrows after reporter’s ‘not plausible’ explanation stuns media world
By Brian Flood, Fox News Published July 1, 2026, 7:55 p.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
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The strange explanation surrounding NPR’s erroneous story about Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s retirement has raised more questions about the journalism debacle.
NPR was forced to retract a story Tuesday by legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, who wrongly reported that Alito was retiring. NPR published the story headlined, “Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, retires,” but quickly replaced it with an editor’s note insisting it was “erroneously published.”
NPR top editor Thomas Evans issued a statement calling the botched report a “misunderstanding” and said Totenberg would appear on “All Things Considered” to explain how the gaffe occurred.
But NPR Public Editor Kelly McBride addressed the situation before Totenberg appeared on-air and wrote that Totenberg “misheard” an announcement by Chief Justice John Roberts and simply thought he said Alito was retiring.
Totenberg then appeared on “All Things Considered” Tuesday and provided a different explanation for the “rookie mistake” that contradicted her own public editor. The 82-year-old Totenberg, who has been a working journalist for over five decades, read a letter she wrote to Alito apologizing for the mistake.
“Dear Justice Alito, there are no words to adequately apologize for today’s error in reporting your retirement. It was entirely my fault,” Totenberg said.
3
“I rushed out of the courtroom after the opinion announcements, and when I realized that the usual rush of folks after a few minutes had not happened, I asked somebody what was going on inside, to which the answer was, ‘retirement announcements.’ I didn’t hear the ‘s’ on ‘announcements,’ and I assumed, something no reporter should ever do, that you were retiring,” Totenberg continued. “It was the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism. I could go on, but I don’t know what else to say, except that I am so, so sorry.”
NPR was then forced to issue its second correction of the day, this time to McBride’s story about Totenberg’s misstep. McBride initially wrote that Totenberg misheard Justice Roberts, but the veteran reporter admitted on-air that she instead heard “somebody” say a retirement was being announced.
“This story was updated to include Totenberg’s description of her error, as broadcast on ATC. She did not personally hear the announcement from the chief justice,” the correction stated.
3
Alito’s retirement would have massive implications if it happened, as President Donald Trump would be in position to have a fourth Supreme Court pick over his two terms.
Totenberg’s puzzling explanation not only contradicted McBride but also stunned media observers from across the industry. CNN media reporter Brian Stelter posted her apology on X and was promptly met with confusion.
Axios reporter Alex Thompson replied, “I don’t understand,” to which Stelter added, “I don’t either.” Others suggested that Totenberg might have jumped the gun on a looming announcement and many wondered why a veteran journalist would have published a pre-written bombshell without clear confirmation.
Bethany Mandel added, “Her version of events is not plausible. She heard the word retirement and assumed Alito and published a whole story?”
“That is not an explanation. It’s either a lie or unforgivable incompetence for which she must be fired,” Miranda Devine responded.
Former CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane wrote, “This is staggering. Just… gobsmacking.”
3
“The Press Box” host Bryan Curtis added, “This is a different level of screw-up than a pre-write accidentally getting pubbed.”
Many others took to X with thoughts:
NPR has said the process for posting breaking news will be reviewed. In the meantime, McBride blasted her colleague.
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“As Totenberg said on air later in the day, ‘It was a rookie mistake.’ But had a rookie made such a mistake, he or she would have been dismissed. To make such an assumption is inexplainable,” McBride wrote.
NPR did not immediately respond to a series of Fox News Digital questions, including whether Totenberg would be disciplined and how the process for posting breaking news will change.
Alito, an appointee of President George W. Bush, has fueled speculation about his retirement because of two factors: his age and the length of his tenure on the bench. The 76-year-old justice has been part of the court for more than 20 years.
Republicans currently control the U.S. Senate and White House, so a hypothetical Trump nominee wouldn’t need Democratic support to get confirmed.
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf, Alec Schemmel and Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
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