Category Archives: Yahoo

Let's get the obvious out of the way. No one on the fantasy baseball waiver wire is going to be a 1-for-1 replacement for Bryce Harper. The All-Star outfielder had been hitting an excellent .318/.385/.599 with a .985 OPS and 15 home runs. He was playing like a clear NL MVP candidate.

But now he's set to be out indefinitely after fracturing his thumb as a result of getting hit by a Blake Snell pitch.

So yeah, no one player will replace the production of a Bryce Harper, which is no consolation to fantasy managers who used a top-10 draft pick to select the Phillies superstar.

What fantasy managers can do, however, is seek out a productive, maybe even underrated outfield-eligible player or more than one to fill the position slot while their star is on the mend.

You could try to swing a fantasy trade to help make up for Harper's loss, but here are five low-rostered players to consider on the waiver wire today, if you prefer to go the traditional route.

Cooper has been delivering in June, going 29-for-80 and bringing his season line up to .307/.372/.452 with an .824 OPS. Statcast supports that sublime line, with his expected average and slugging to this point coming in at .298 and .499, respectively.

Cooper might not deliver Harper's dynamic numbers, but he'll help solidify your batting average and provide some over-the-fence pop. There's also room for underrated run and RBI potential with Cooper, who usually bats in the middle of the order for a surprising Marlins offense that may just be playing in a park that seemingly no longer suppresses scoring. He also qualifies at first base as well, which is always a plus.

Let's see: A catcher who qualifies in the outfield, batting high in the batting order of a solid offense who's finally getting the consistent playing time he deserves. What's not to like?

Alfaro's bat has always held serious potential even going back to his Miami days, and he could be reaching that potential now with increased opportunities. Alfaro's expected numbers are now .271 (average) and .571 (slugging); those are drool-worthy marks for any fantasy hitter in today's MLB, much less a CATCHER. His current BABIP is only 5 points higher than his career mark, so it doesn't look like this is just some blip on the radar.

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San Diego will need Alfaro's offense with Manny Machado still sidelined. Ride the wave.

Speaking of riding the wave, yet another Pirates rookie hitter is making an impact. Suwinski has gotten off on a hot note in the power department to start his MLB career. Pittsburgh's No. 28-ranked prospect is up to 12 home runs in 171 at-bats; hard to have seen this coming.

Jack Suwinski's power has been making a fantasy impact. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Of course, Suwinski comes with a major warning label: He could single-handedly debilitate your batting average category. With that, a current .242 BABIP might signify that the youngster has been mired in a bit of bad luck (his 112.4 average exit velocity does inspire some confidence that his fortunes could change), but he'll have to cut back on his ugly 31.6 K-percentage mark for that to get going. For what it's worth, he never struck out more than 28 percent of the time in the minors; of course, the Majors are a different beast.

Suwinski is not the first unheralded prospect to make an early mark in MLB this year. If you can stomach Suwinski's batting average woes say, if you have guys like Luis Arraez and Michael Brantley on your team he could be worth a look for potentially dynamic power and underrated speed for as long as the good times last.

This pick is solely for deep-league fantasy managers who are not only looking for a replacement outfielder but someone who can provide a stolen-base boost as well.

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Peterson is now up to nine stolen bases on the year in limited playing time for the Brewers. He also has six home runs, so a 10-15 season might be in the cards, especially with Peterson getting more playing time as a multi-position defender.

Full disclosure: Max Kepler might be my favorite pick out of this bunch, solely because of what he could be for the rest of the season.

If you open up Kepler's Statcast page, you will witness a glorious sea of red. Kepler is currently slashing an unassuming .244/.348/.401, but Statcast says he should be up to a .305 average and a .523 slugging (not to mention, a .393 xwOBA).

Of course, Kepler's issue has been the same one it's always been: He's struggled against lefties (he has a disappointing .642 lifetime OPS against them for his career), but there could be signs of hope this season. The 29-year-old outfielder has put together a .747 OPS against left-handed pitchers this year (not to mention a .360 OBP mark helpful for his run-scoring potential as part of a potent Twins lineup).

You'll want Kepler in your lineup if (and when) his Statcast expected numbers start taking shape on the field of play.

Read more:

Fantasy Baseball: 5 outfield-eligible players who could help fill the Bryce Harper void - Yahoo Sports

The LIV Golf Invitational Series has made its way to the United States.

The second LIV Golf event will take place this week at Pumpkin Ridge outside of Portland, marking the first event inside the United States.

Though the controversy surrounding the new Saudi Arabian-backed venture hasnt died down, it has recruited several more of the sports biggest names in the weeks since the inaugural tournament in London.

Heres everything you need to know for the LIV Golf event in Oregon.

The tournament wont be broadcast on TV anywhere, but it will be streamed for free on LIV Golfs YouTube and Facebook pages, and on LIVGolf.com.

The shotgun start will begin at 4:15 p.m. ET.

Most of the 12 teams will have the same captains that ran teams in the London event. A few, however, have new captains.

4 Aces - Dustin Johnson

Niblicks - Graeme McDowell

Majestics - Lee Westwood

Iron Heads - Kevin Na

Stinger - Louis Oosthuizen

Cleeks - Martin Kaymer

Crushers - Bryson DeChambeau

Hy Flyers - Phil Mickelson

Fire Balls - Sergio Garcia

Smash - Brooks Koepka

Torque - Hideto Tanihara

Punch - Wade Ormsby

Each regular season LIV Golf event has a purse of $25 million.

Of that, $5 million will be split between the top three teams, with the top team receiving $3 million. The remaining $20 million will be split individually, with the first place winner earning $4 million and the last place finisher receiving $120,000.

By comparison, The Players Championship offers a purse of $20 million, which is the most in any single event on PGA Tour outside of the Tour Championship.

There are several big names joining the event this week in Oregon.

Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and Abraham Ancer will all be competing. That group adds significant credibility to the new league considering where they all stand in the Official World Golf Rankings. The league now has eight players inside the top-40 in the OWGR, thanks to the four new additions.

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Matthew Wolff, Eugenio Chacarra and Carlos Ortiz joined the series on Monday too.

Dustin Johnson is still the highest-ranking player in the world at No. 17, though hes followed closely behind by Koepka at No. 19. DeChambeau enters at No. 31, and Reed is No. 39.

Those rankings are sure to get worse as the weeks go by, however, as the LIV events arent eligible for any points in the rankings.

LIV Golf has made its way to the United States. Here's everything you need to know before the tournament at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon. (Steve Dykes/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

The London event was held without much issue. While very few golfers were willing to address the sportswashing accusations head on, and the event averaged fewer than 100,000 viewers in each round, Charl Schwartzel took home the first title of the season.

The PGA Tour is holding the John Deere Classic this week at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. Most of the big names on Tour are sitting this week out ahead of the Scottish Open and the British Open in the coming weeks.

As far as the field in Oregon, the PGA Tour will suspend the new players indefinitely once they tee off on Thursday.

While the league is pushing forward, local officials arent happy about it.

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden called out the league, and directly cited a former hit-and-run case in the state in 2016 while doing so. A Saudi Arabian student was facing a first-degree murder charge after the death of Fallon Smart, but he vanished after a tracking device was removed something the U.S. government thinks the Saudi Arabian government was behind.

Its wrong to be silent when Saudi Arabia tries to cleanse blood-stained hands, in the fight for Oregonians to get justice Fallon Smart was killed very close to our house in Southeast Portland, and the person charged with the crime, a hit-and-run death, was, based on all the evidence, whisked out of the country by the Saudis before he stood for trial, Wyden said.

North Plains, Oregon, mayor Teri Lenahan was one of 10 local mayors who wrote a letter officially opposing the tournament too. Pumpkin Ridge sits just west of Portland in North Plains, which has a population of less than 4,000 people.

We oppose this event because it is being sponsored by a repressive government whose human rights abuses are documented. We refuse to support these abuses by complicity allowing the Saudi-backed organization to play in our backyard, the letter read.

We believe that we have a moral obligation to take a stand and speak out against this event in order to protect the people we serve. While our local jurisdictions may not be able to prevent this event, we stand together to voice our concerns about the unwelcomed potential risks, visitors and harm this event could have on our communities.

See more here:

How to watch the second LIV Golf tournament in Oregon - Yahoo Sports

Urban Meyer was the worst head-coaching hire in NFL history.

Here's where some feel the need to point out other bad hires. Yes, Steve Spurrier, Lou Holtz and Bobby Petrino were bad. And none of them, or any other failure you want to name, was worse than Meyer.

Meyer was a unique combination: atrocious on the field while also bringing immense shame to the franchise off the field. Meyer started making terrible decisions days after he was hired, and it never stopped. It would be fun to recount the dozens of incredibly bad moments from the Meyer era, but this preview is about the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars.

Hopefully Jacksonville has cleaned up the mess from last season.

It cant get worse than what weve been through here, Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen said, according to the Associated Press.

It's hard to properly project the Jaguars this season because last season was so toxic. The Jaguars were 3-14 and earned the first overall pick of the draft. None of those players could have thrived in such a stunningly dysfunctional environment.

The Jaguars need to quickly put that in the past because it would be a shame if they wasted another year with Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence has to feel like this is his rookie season. It must have seemed last year like he wasn't even in the NFL, with a head coach who was more interested in staying behind in Ohio and hanging out at bars after a loss than making his team better. At one point Lawrence had to question why Meyer made the inexplicable decision to bench top running back James Robinson. Not many rookie quarterbacks have to be the adult in the room.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is hoping for bigger things in his second season. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Lawrence didn't have a great team around him either. Lawrence was one of the most hyped prospects in NFL history, but stuck with a disaster of a head coach and a team that couldn't help him. He had a bad season, and it can't all be blamed on Meyer. Lawrence missed way too many easy throws and had too many costly mistakes. But of all the 2021 Jaguars who were held back due to an incompetent coach, Lawrence tops the list. Hopefully there is no long-term damage. A stellar performance by Lawrence in a Week 18 upset win over the Indianapolis Colts provides hope.

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"I dont want to say anything, you never know whats around the corner, but I really do feel like Ive been through more than a lot of people can say theyve been through in their first season," Lawrence said, according to the Florida Times-Union.

The Jaguars hired a former NFL quarterback to help develop Lawrence. Doug Pederson, who once outcoached Bill Belichick to win a Super Bowl, is the Jaguars' new head coach. Pederson's time with the Philadelphia Eagles went sour in a hurry. A lot of the shine has come off Pederson since that Super Bowl. But he's unquestionably an upgrade, and his experience as a QB and a coach will help Lawrence. That's crucial.

The Jaguars are probably going to post another losing season. The roster still has plenty of holes. One safe prediction remains about the 2022 Jaguars: It will be better than last season.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

The Jaguars overpaid for everyone. The contract given to Christian Kirk $72 million over four years for a receiver with no 1,000-yard seasons and four 100-yard games in four NFL seasons was so egregious it completely changed the receiver market in the NFL. Even if there's an argument that the contract didn't look so bad once the details were revealed, it's one of the biggest overpays in recent history. Maybe ever. It's questionable how much Kirk will even help Trevor Lawrence. Signing Brandon Scherff, an elite guard, will help an offensive line that needed it. But he wasn't cheap either: $49.5 million over three years. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (three years, $45 million), defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (three years, $30 million), cornerback Darious Williams (three years, $30 million) and receiver Zay Jones (three years, $24 million) were all severely overpaid. But the Jaguars must have felt they needed to pay a tax to land anyone, and those player are all upgrades. The draft brought top overall pick Travon Walker, whose selection will be questioned if it doesn't work out, and linebacker Devin Lloyd in the first round. More offensive line help might have been better than a combine superstar with little college production or an off-the-ball linebacker. Luke Fortner, a third-round pick, could end up replacing retired Brandon Linder at center. It's not that the Jaguars didn't upgrade the roster. They did. But the costs involved were shocking.

GRADE: B-minus

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

If you want to be optimistic that Trevor Lawrence will take a huge leap in year two prospects graded as high as Lawrence rarely bust then rewatch the season finale against the Colts. All of a sudden, Lawrence looked like a star. From the first drive of the game he was in control. He made multiple third-down throws on that drive that some NFL veterans couldn't make. He made the right decisions from the first drive throughout the game. Then he had the highlight of his rookie year, bringing in a bad snap and buying time to find Marvin Jones on a beautiful touchdown throw.

The Jaguars kept the Colts from the playoffs with an upset win, and Lawrence was the best player in that game. He threw for 223 yards, two touchdowns and had a 111.8 passer rating. That was the game in which Lawrence finally looked like he was worth all the hype. It was a great way to enter the offseason.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

The Jaguars' win total at BetMGM is 6.5, and there are reasons to believe they can hit the over. Even if you don't love Doug Pederson, the upgrade from Meyer to Pederson (or to any professional, really) is massive. Going from the worst coach in NFL history to a former Super Bowl winner should be worth a few wins. Trevor Lawrence will be better and the roster is upgraded, even if the Jaguars overpaid for all the upgrades. A 7-10 season is possible.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Travis Etienne had a washout rookie year, suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury in August. But at least the injury is far in the rearview mirror, and Etienne is on track to be ready to start 2022 on time. The new Jacksonville coaching staff was impressed with Etiennes work during June workouts, and lets not forget Etienne was a star at Clemson and a first-round draft choice.

"The Jaguars dont have much running back depth, especially if James Robinson has a sluggish return from his Achilles injury. And unlike Etienne, Robinson doesnt have time on his side his injury occurred in December. With Urban Meyer mercifully gone and Trevor Lawrence almost certain to improve in his second year, the Jaguars offense likely takes a modest step forward this year. Etienne is far from a sure thing, but hes an exciting pass-catcher and a capable runner, even if no one really considers him a true bell cow. Hash it all together and Etienne looks like an interesting option in early Yahoo drafts, with a reasonable ADP of 54.5."

[Create or join a Yahoo fantasy football league now!]

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

Simply put, Travon Walker wasn't as good as Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux in college. Maybe that will mean nothing in the NFL, but it also can't be ignored. Walker had 13 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in three college seasons at Georgia. He had a lot of competition for tackles on a stacked Bulldogs defense, but you'd still like to see more out of a top overall pick. Hutchinson was second in the Heisman Trophy voting last season. Thibodeaux had nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss as a freshman alone. The Jaguars took Walker, who was awesome at the combine, ahead of both pass rushers, two elite offensive tackles and a pair or top-end cornerbacks too. Walker's athletic profile is intriguing and it could work out great for the Jaguars, but there will be plenty of scrutiny over the next few years regarding that decision.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

One of the most telling quotes of the offseason came from Khan, the Jaguars owner. He said, in regards to Urban Meyer, "When you lose the respect, the trust and an issue of truthfulness, how can you work with someone like that?" That quote said more about Khan than Meyer. Khan was the one who hired Meyer, despite many unflattering stories about Meyer at Florida and Ohio State. The hire was questionable from the start, but Khan couldn't see that. He's the one responsible for the worst head-coaching hire in NFL history, and he resisted firing Meyer until he had no choice, long after everyone else realized Meyer needed to go. The Jaguars are 42-119 since Khan became owner. We put owners in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for "their record," so Khan should be judged by his record too. He has long been accused of being an absentee owner, and the results don't lie. His decision to keep GM Trent Baalke was widely criticized, and could turn out to be another mistake from the owner. Jaguars fans deserve better than a stretch of 10 double-digit losing seasons in 11 years. That failure starts at the top.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

It's hard to predict big things for a team as bad as the Jaguars were last season. Yet, their three wins were against the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Colts. That's not bad. They have a quarterback who could take a massive leap. They had an enormous upgrade at head coach. There are some good young players like pass rusher Josh Allen, and perhaps running back Travis Etienne can take off in his second year after missing his rookie season due to a foot injury. The schedule is much easier this season. If you simply erase everything about the 2021 Jaguars because their head coach was aggressively making them worse at every turn, you can see a team that could be pretty good. If we're talking absolute best-case scenario, maybe Trevor Lawrence is an MVP candidate and the Jaguars are in the playoff hunt. There's a reason Lawrence had such a high grade coming out of Clemson. If he plays 17 times like he did against the Colts in last season's finale, the NFL will have a new star quarterback.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

Trevor Lawrence was bad for most of last season. He had valid excuses, especially since he was a rookie, but Urban Meyer wasn't the one airmailing easy passes. There were times last season Lawrence looked nothing like a generational prospect. When you land a Lawrence, you expect greatness for a decade or more. If Lawrence looks lost again, the Jaguars might start worrying. Jacksonville can lose a lot of games, Travon Walker can look like a bad pick and the Jaguars might feel they wasted a lot of money on all those free-agent additions, but all that really matters this season is Lawrence's development.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

I believe in Trevor Lawrence. He's too good to fail. With a better situation last season, we might view him like we did Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert coming into their second seasons. Lawrence is about to make a pretty big leap and that can carry the Jaguars up the standings. The AFC will be too tough for the Jaguars to make the playoffs, but they'll look like a different team, Lawrence will establish himself as a future star and things will be looking up in Jacksonville for the first time in a while.

(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)

32. Houston Texans 31. Atlanta Falcons30. New York Giants

The rest is here:

2022 NFL Preview: Jaguars try to remove the stink of the disastrous Urban Meyer era - Yahoo Sports

For many high school female students, sports are a way to remain active, play alongside friends and possibly support their families at the professional level in the future. This month marked 50 years since the landmark federal law Title IX helped women across the country receive a fair chance in athletics, increasing access to perks usually reserved to men. These benefits certainly leveled the playing field, but did they enhance the chances of Black and Brown student-athletes?

Reilyn Turner is the exception to that statement. The sophomore forward on the UCLA womens soccer team is a force in the Pac-12 and became the first college student-athlete to sign a sponsorship deal with Nike.

"As an advocate for women in sports and equality, Nike having those same values is really important to me," Turner told Yahoo Sports. "I know they're going to push the boundaries the same way I want to in professional career on and off the pitch."

Half a century later, Title IX remains undeniably significant. However, Black girls routinely still endure some form of disparity; the 37-world legislation makes no mention of race in its language. Title IX followed other monumental measures rooted in equal opportunity. The Civil Rights Act became law eight years prior and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 forbid discriminatory voting practices. Why couldn't the same energy be kept for Black competitors?

According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls are withdrawing from sports at two times the rate of boys at the age of 14. Factors like cost and transportation are primary contributors, but the nonprofit also notes the lack of role models for young women. As someone who credits her parents and older sister for instilling a competitive spirit early on, Turner, who is half Black and half Mexican, wants to leverage her influence to encourage young women of color that a career in sports is attainable, regardless of whether you were raised with and athletic mindset or not.

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"With Title IX, I think it's so important to strive for equality between men and women in sports. As an African American and Mexican American woman, really trying to be that representation for younger kids that have the same background as me is a real privilege. It's easier for them to see their goals as achievable when they see someone that looks like them doing the same thing."

UCLA soccer player Reilyn Turner is one of many Black, Brown and Native female athletes who are paving the way for future generations in the net 50 years of Title IX. (Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Many of the athletics expanded after the Title IX agreement rowing, swimming and lacrosse, for example were not as readily accessible to Black women in 1972, perhaps even today. U.S. womens national team (USWNT) winger Crystal Dunn told Yahoo Sports in August 2020 about her own experience playing in a "middle-class sport."

"Youre basically the only one on the pitch until you play on a college team. Although its getting better, I think where we really dropped the ball was at the youth level. In our country, soccer is pretty much a middle-class sport, compared to overseas where you dont need to invest a lot of money for your child to play. Thank goodness I had parents who were financially able to finance my participation in a traveling club where I would be seen by top recruiters."

Madison Hammond, defender for the NWSL's Angel City FC, told Yahoo Sports that during her time with the OL Reign, she participated in an exercise that examined the individual players privilege. As prompts like "Did you grow up in a two-parent household" and "Could you afford to attend college without a scholarship?" were asked, Reign players were instructed to step forward. After all 10 questions, it was a moment of reflection for the 24-year-old Nike athlete.

"Every single person that participated were also Black and Brown, and that moment was extremely eye-opening for me," Hammond recalled. "We're all on the same team together, but I have a teammate who didn't take any steps forward and then there's another who took all 10. Yet, you're still somehow supposed to reach the same goals and accumulate similar awards. Your starting point is much different than the woman next to you. You're a pro, you're at the same level and you might have made it, but many don't realize the sacrifices we all have to make to get to this position."

Hammond understands the influence she has as a Native American and Black female player, and her message to younger women is ingrained in recognizing her impact doesnt have to be made on the pitch. Women can make a sizable difference across all sectors of sport.

Madison Hammond, now with Angel City FC, knows her impact on the game goes beyond just the playing field. (Jane Gershovich/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Hammond and Turner both credit Nike for encouraging them to openly discuss these topics. As the first Native American player in the NWSL, Hammond is an ambassador of Nike's N7 program. The focus of N7 is to shine a light on Native American and Indigenous athletes and figures across North America. Title IX encourages women to play as their authentic selves, and that's what Hammond intends to do for the entirety of her career.

By 2025, Nike also plans to reach a target goal of 50% girl participation worldwide in all sport-based community programs funded by the Made to Play commitment. That includes recruiting more female coaches and developing gender-inclusive programs that are tailored specifically toward individuals of all fitness levels. The mission promotes sport as creative, inclusive and unlimited in possibility. In the company's words, "If you have a body, you are an athlete."

Fifty years may have passed, but Title IX is still young at heart. As we enter the next half century, filled with Black, Brown and Indigenous players leveraging their platform for societal changes, theres a confidence among women in sports that barriers will be broken and an equal playing field will be achieved for all women, no matter their race.

Read this article:

Title IX: How the next generation of Black and Brown athletes are taking action to champion more diversity in sport - Yahoo Sports

So much for that touching goodbye post to Sheryl Sandberg that Mark Zuckerberg posted just 9 days ago, when after a 14-year run at Facebook now Meta Platforms Sandberg said she was resigning from her post as COO. At the time, Zuckerberg called Sandberg's planned departure the "the end of an era" and spoke glowingly of her as an "amazing person, leader, partner, and friend."

Today, the Wall Street Journal reports for the second time since Sandberg resigned that Facebook has been investigating Sandberg since at least the fall for the possible misuse of corporate resources.

Under review: whether she had Facebook employees engaged in work that supported her Lean In foundation, whose mission it is to foster women's leadership and workplace inclusion; whether she pulled Facebook staffers into the writing and promotion of her second book, "Option B," which focused on overcoming the sudden death of her husband in 2015; and finally whether she diverted the time and attention of Facebook employees to her upcoming wedding this summer.

What a monster.

We don't know who is leaking details of this investigation to the WSJ, but if the "people familiar with the matter" are trying to destroy her reputation, they're doing a comically lousy job. (We reached out to Facebook for more information earlier and have yet to hear back from the company.)

For one thing, no one thinks Sheryl Sandberg is an angel. If they ever did, they reassessed many years ago, across numerous scandals, from Facebook's obvious ambivalence about data privacy, to her handling of Facebook's public relations after revelations of Russian interference on the platform in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (While Zuckerberg launched an apology tour at first, she launched an aggressive lobbying campaign to combat Facebooks critics.)

It plainly takes a certain kind of person to run a rule-bending company like Facebook, and you can't help it grow into one of the most powerful companies in world history without getting even dirtier. Still, a newer story leaked to the Journal in April managed to further raise questions about Sandberg. According to the report, Sandberg, who earlier dated Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, twice pressed a U.K. tabloid to shelve a potential article about him, relying on a team that included both Facebook and Activision employees, as well as paid outside advisers.

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A lot of people found the possibility that Sandberg would potentially use her muscle in this way disturbing. The newest articles about Sandberg are different, though. In fact, we hope these leaks about investigations into Sandberg's potential misuse of assets are coming from Sandberg and her associates. Talk about brilliant machinations, if so.

Think about it. In Sandberg, we have a commanding female COO, who has long been credited for much of Facebook's growth, being investigated for relying on staff to (1) nurture an organization for women, (2) write a book primarily for women about overcoming grief and (3) being a human who is planning a joyous wedding after suffering unimaginable loss.

If Facebook really wants to take issue with Sandberg planning her wedding on company time, so be it. But clearly both Lean In and Sandberg's books proceeds of which were reportedly given to Lean In were very good for Facebook's brand when it most needed some softening.

Alas, we don't actually think Sandberg is seeking out coverage in the Journal. The more likely scenario is that there are people inside Facebook with an axe to grind. If so, their efforts to take down Sandberg may backfire in a big way unless these internal investigations reportedly the outgrowth of hiring its first chief compliance officer last year lead to a much bigger reveal.

As for now, Sandberg mostly looks to be getting the world's worst send-off from a company to which she remained dedicated longer than nearly any other executive aside from Zuckerberg himself. In fact, the Journal notes that it's well known already that both Sandberg and Zuckerberg use corporate resources for some personal matters. Facebook even makes "extensive disclosures" about these things in its regulatory filings, notes the outlet.

In the meantime, these slow leaks make Facebook appear petty and vindictive even borderline absurd. As reports the WSJ: "Some within Meta close to the investigation worry about potential Securities and Exchange Commission violations if Ms. Sandberg used professional resources for personal matters without adequate disclosures, although it isnt yet clear what such violations might be, people familiar with the matter said."

Link:

Wow, Facebook really knows how to give someone a send-off! - Yahoo Finance

Warren Buffett is using these 3 top stocks to generate a fat inflation-fighting income stream of $1.9 billion follow along now for some healthy cash return

Investors may feel a bit battled in this environment. Some experts say that the market will bottom soon, while others argue that theres plenty more downside ahead.

Put simply, while everyone wants to buy low and sell high, the concern is that you might buy low and sell lower.

If you dont feel confident in the markets direction right now, remember: You dont have to trade stocks to make money.

Each year, Warren Buffett collects billions of dollars just from dividends. In fact, the majority of Berkshire Hathaways holdings are now dividend stocks.

Heres a look at three companies in the Oracle of Omahas collection that provide Berkshire with a generous total of $1.9 billion in annual dividend income. Of course, you dont need billions of dollars to ride his coattails.

As the parent company of U.S. Bank, U.S. Bancorp is one of the largest banking institutions in the country.

Last summer, the bank increased its quarterly cash dividend from 42 cents to 46 cents per share thats $1.84 per share annualized. At the current share price, the company yields a generous 3.6%.

Berkshire owns 144,046,330 shares of U.S. Bancorp, meaning its earning over $265 million in annual dividend income just from this one holding.

It also helps that banks are solidly positioned for the rising interest rate environment: they lend money out at higher interest rates than they borrow, pocketing the difference. As interest rates increase, the spread earned by banks widens.

To tame spiking inflation, the Fed raised its benchmark interest rates by 50 basis points on May 4, marking the first half-point increase since 2000. Similar moves are expected to occur at the Feds upcoming meetings in June and July.

A discussion of Buffetts dividend stocks would not be complete without his beloved Coca-Cola.

Buffett started hoarding shares of the beverage giant in the late 80s. Today, Berkshire owns a whopping 400,000,000 shares of the company.

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Coca-Cola went public more than 100 years ago. This February, the board approved the companys 60th consecutive annual dividend increase, raising the annual payout to $1.76 per share.

And that means Berkshire now collects $704 million in dividends a year from Coca-Cola.

Its not hard to see why the payout has been so reliable: The companys iconic products are sold in more than 200 countries and territories, and even in a recession, a simple can of Coke is still affordable to most people.

The stock currently yields 2.8%.

Energy stocks have turned out to be big winners amid the oil price boom, and Buffett expects the fun to continue.

The legendary investor significantly increased his stake in Chevron in Q1. Owning 159,178,117 shares, Berkshires Chevron position has a market value of over $28 billion, making it the third-largest holding in the portfolio.

As an oil and gas supermajor, Chevrons business is firing on all cylinders. For Q1, the company reported earnings of $6.3 billion, which more than quadrupled the $1.4 billion in the same period last year. Revenue totaled $54.4 billion for the quarter, up 70% year-over-year.

In January, Chevrons board approved a 6% increase to the quarterly dividend rate to $1.42 per share.

Holding 159,178,117 shares of Chevron, Berkshire now collects a staggering $904 million a year in dividends from the oil producer.

Chevron shares are already up 50% in 2022 and now offer an annual dividend yield of 3.2%.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

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Warren Buffett is using these 3 top stocks to generate a fat inflation-fighting income stream of $1.9 billion follow along now for some healthy cash...

This article was first featured in Yahoo Finance Tech, a weekly newsletter highlighting our original content on the industry. Get it sent directly to your inbox every Wednesday by 4 p.m. ET. SubscribeThe tech giant is listening to customers a lot more

Apple (APPL) is famous for trying to anticipate its customers desires. And that tactic has obviously paid off. However, during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) Monday, the company rolled out a new strategy: giving users exactly what theyre asking for, too.

WWDC highlights what Apple has cooked up over the last year. And during the event, the company offered a glimpse at technologies landing on users devices in the months ahead. It turns out consumers have been demanding many of these innovations for years.

Were talking about a far more capable iPad operating system, huge customization options for the iOS lock screen, the welcome return of the MagSafe charger for the new MacBook Air, and, most important of all, the ability to retract and edit texts youve sent in Messages.

It all adds up to a major change for Apple and a boon for its customers. The late Steve Jobs, an Apple co-founder and former CEO, famously eschewed market research in favor of anticipating users needs. But Apple is a far more mature business than when Jobs last ran the company in 2011. Customers know Apples products better than they once did, and theyre finally starting to know what they need before Apple does.

Apples iOS powers more than 1 billion active iPhones around the world, impacting everyone from heads of state to teens idly swiping through TikTok to pass the time.

Needless to say, even the slightest changes to iOS are noteworthy. And the biggest change this year is a new edit and revoke option for Messages. Yes, youll soon be able to edit your texts if your message has a typo.

Better still, youll now be able to delete sent texts. Everyone has sent a regrettable text. And now you will be able to easily undo that text. Twitter users mostly praised the changes, with the majority pointing out that Twitter still hasn't gotten around to adding an edit option.

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Apple is finally giving users the ability to customize its long-stagnant lock screen. (Image: Apple)

Oh, and lets not forget Apple will, at last, let you mark your read messages as unread. How many times have you read a text, not wanted to reply immediately, and then forgot to respond because you couldnt mark it as unread? Thats going to change with iOS 16.

Messages isnt the only place Apple is giving users what theyve been asking for. IOS 16 will also let iPhone owners customize their lock screen. This is a big shift for Apple, which usually wont let consumers dramatically alter their iPhones interface, for fear of making it unrecognizable as an Apple product.

Thats changing with the new ability to adjust the lock screen. Its not just about moving icons around, either. Youll now be able to change the font, font color, background, add on-screen widgets, and get real-time app updates without having to unlock your phone. Its not the kind of wholesale customization Apple users might want, but its a solid start.

When Apple introduced USB C charging to its MacBooks, it also killed its beloved MagSafe charger that magnetically clipped to the side of a MacBook powering the device without having to be tightly connected to the system. This way, if you happened to walk into your charging cable, it would detach rather than drag your computer off of your desk.

It was a seemingly ridiculous choice to get rid of it. Sure, USB C provides charging and data transferring capabilities, but why not just add USB C ports and keep MagSafe too? Well, after an outcry from consumers, Apple is finally doing just that with its new MacBook Air. Yes, MagSafe returns, and those two USB C ports are sticking around, too.

Apple is, mercifully, bringing back the MacSafe charger. (Image: Apple)

Not only that, Apple has also revised the design of the MacBook Air with a more contemporary look. Its edges are slightly more rounded and its packing a larger 13.6-inch display and a webcam thats fit for our new remote work world.

Apple has been pushing the iPad Pro as a pseudo laptop replacement for some time. But it never quite reached that goal; moving apps and dragging windows around on the iPad felt cumbersome compared to clicking and dragging a window on a MacBook.

But with its latest version of iPadOS, called iPadOS 16, Apple has created a potential laptop replacement, at least in certain circumstances. Thats thanks to a new feature called Stage Manager, which lets you multitask on an iPad Pro while still taking advantage of its touch capabilities.

Apple has introduced the latest version of its iPadOS, complete with improved multitasking features. (Image: Apple)

When using Stage Manager, two resizable app windows will now sit on top of each other, just like they do on a laptop. Theres no more having to arrange them side-by-side if you dont want to. Got more apps open? Up to four of them can sit on the left side of the screen, all running live so you can quickly drag them onto the main viewing area.

Its not exactly the same as opening gobs of windows on a MacBook, but its a heck of an upgrade for people who bought an iPad Pro and wanted it to be more productive.

Consumers who have pined for all of these features will no doubt be happy with these updates. Now if Apple would just show us its rumored AR/VR headset, Ill be completely satisfied, too.

By Daniel Howley, tech editor at Yahoo Finance. Follow him @DanielHowley

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Apple is finally giving the people what theyre asking for - Yahoo Finance

Yahoo today (June 8th 2022) announces its latest offering in Southeast Asia, Yahoo Stories Ad, an innovative solution that enables a dynamic and interactive storytelling experience. A mobile-web-first solution, Yahoo Stories Ad brings one of social medias most popular formats to premium environments on the open web, offering advertisers the ability to deliver a more seamless storytelling experience on a larger scale and with greater reach.

Attention is a precious commodity in our information-rich world. With over 1.88 billion websites offering a wealth of content, people have become increasingly discerning in selecting content they wish to consume and how they spend their most valuable asset. As attention spans narrow, standing out in a crowded digital space and acquiring consumer attention continue to be an ongoing challenge for brands and advertisers.

Stories are one of the fastest-growing formats to engage audiences, with over one billion users daily exposed to the format across social media platforms. Among the reasons for the meteoric rise in the appeal of stories is its ability to offer snackable content that favours audiences attention investment. Another factor is the nature of stories which empowers consumers with the option to select the content they would like to see.

Yahoo Stories Ad is a self-contained brand experience formatted for action. With the ability to customise functionality and provide an elegant and highly visual framework within premium environments, Yahoos latest native format will enable brands to not only focus on ad performance but also build brand image and awareness through experiences that consumers know, want and love, said Carol Tay, senior director sales southeast Asia, Yahoo.

Bringing together the popularity of social stories, the seamless browsing experience of native ads, and the power of programmatic advertising, Yahoo Stories Ad delivers rich, full-screen brand narratives in premium, trusted environments. Utilising a range of creative tools, brands and advertisers can now leverage synergistic capabilities to include a combination of static visuals and videos in different panels and allow users to interact and rewatch content with left and right navigation clicks.

Primed to take advantage of smartphone features that appeal to consumers, the solution enables advertisers greater flexibility to tailor audience journeys towards consideration and response. Advertisers can directly integrate CTA buttons into Yahoo Stories Ad that bring users to brand and e-commerce websites, booking engines, maps, coupons, discount codes, or shopping carts for consumer action.

Delivered via native ads on mobile, Yahoo Stories Ad is now available in markets across Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

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Yahoo Transforms Audience Experiences with Immersive Yahoo Stories Ad - ExchangeWire

'The tide has changed': This investing veteran says hot inflation and a tight Fed call for a shift in strategy. He likes 3 specific areas for protection

2022 continues to give growth stocks particularly those in the tech sector a blunt reality check.

The tech-centric Nasdaq index is down 24% year to date, more than double the 10% decline of the Dow over the same period.

MoneyWise recently interviewed investing veteran Claudio Chisani investment advisor and portfolio manager at BlueShore Financial for his advice on how to navigate the current environment.

According to Chisani, the investment climate today is very different compared to years in the past, where stocks welcomed the benefits of accommodating monetary policy and abundant liquidity. And that calls for a shift in strategies.

The tide has changed, he says. Staring at an environment of high inflation and higher interest rates, an investor would be well served to be a bit more conservative.

With that in mind, Chisani suggests several areas where investors can still find attractive opportunities.

Chisani says it would be wise to start focusing on conventional dividend-paying strategies, such as looking at financials and insurance companies.

Those would be beneficiaries of higher rates as long as rates do not get out of control.

Banks lend out money at higher rates than they borrow, pocketing the difference. When interest rates go up, the spread earned by banks widens.

But Chisani also warns investors to pay attention to the default rate at financial institutions. If rates are rising at a pace thats beyond expectations and places pressure on consumers mortgage payments, it could hurt bank earnings.

These days, banks are generous dividend payers. Several large U.S. institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs raised their payouts in 2021.

Investors can gain access to the group through ETFs like the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF).

Chisani says it might also be worthwhile looking at financial names north of the border. Manulife Financial (MFC), he points out, is a Canadian multinational insurance company that offers a generous annual dividend yield of 5.5%.

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When it comes to fighting inflation, few assets work as well as real estate.

So its no surprise that in todays environment where consumers prices are rising at their fastest pace in 40 years real estate is also on Chisanis shortlist.

He suggests taking a serious look at real estate investment trusts, which are publicly-traded companies that own income-producing real estate.

REITs are great cash flow mechanisms, Chisani says.

REITs collect rent from the tenants and pay regular dividends to shareholders. And because rents are going up, investors of high-quality REITs can look forward to collecting a steadily growing stream of dividends.

Additionally, real estate typically appreciates in times of inflation, making the asset class a natural hedge against spiking price levels.

Buying shares in a publicly-traded REIT is just as easy as buying stocks. And if you dont want to pick individual names, ETFs such as the Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) or the Schwab US REIT ETF (SCHH) provide convenient exposure to large baskets of REITs.

Finally, Chisani points to metals, minerals and energy as proven ways to defend against the threat of rising interest rates. But he also highlights the fact that they have a different set of risks and rewards.

When investing in metals and minerals, the risk associated with being in those sectors will be higher than conventional blue-chip dividend-paying stocks.

The commodities market continues to be a volatile place. And for that reason, Chisani thinks ETFs represent the safest way for beginners to gain exposure to the space.

I would use exchange-traded funds as diversified ways to participate in baskets and sectors of commodities, Chisani says. I think those could be quite lucrative down the path, and to a degree a great hedge against inflation in a clients investment portfolio.

Chisani singles out the SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF (XME) as an attractive inflation-fighter. He also says that Barrick Gold (GOLD), which pays regular dividends and raised its payout this year, could be worth a look for income investors.

For energy investors, Chisani suggests taking a look at Freehold Royalties (FRU), an Alberta-based oil and gas royalty company with assets in five provinces in Canada and eight states in the U.S. Freehold currently offers a dividend yield of 5.8%.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

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'The tide has changed': This investing veteran says hot inflation and a tight Fed call for a shift in strategy. He likes 3 specific areas for...

Submitted by YAHOO of Sterling| The Item

STERLING YAHOO(Young Adults Helping Out Others) is proud to highlight the graduating high school seniors who have worked so hard to keep YAHOO going through two especially difficult years.

We are so grateful to these young adults who gave their time, energy, and creativity to this program and to Sterlings older citizens who need help with yard work each fall and spring.

If you would like to learn more about YAHOO, please visit https://sterlingyahoo.org or send an email to Stuartand Karen Ormsbee at stuormsbee@gmail.com

Harrison Graffam attended Wachusett Regional High School and will study aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Dayton, Fla.

My dream would be to help design and create the most intuitive vehicles of space technology available so they may help humanity advance and grow.

Harrison participated in YAHOO for four years and was a member of the Youth Board for three as equipment manager and clerk. What he liked best about YAHOO washaving the opportunity to connect with a senior of the community on a Saturday morning was really nice. You get to meet such nice folks that I would have otherwise never appreciated despite their close proximity to my daily life. On the other hand, seeing other volunteers out in the mornings doing their best and talking to them is the best way Ive seen kids of different classes connect outside of school.

"Outside of school, I like going out and doing activities with friends. I follow Formula 1 as my favorite sport; a passion to be interested in for mostly no reason. At home I enjoy playing video games, particularly ones that connect to my other interests. Unfortunately, Ill be moving away from Sterling, where I lived all my life thus far. Its been a great home to start my journey towards the adventures of the unknown future.

Hi, my name is Kael McManus. I am 18 years old, I attended Wachusett Regional High School, and will be going to UMass-Boston in the fall, focusing on political science and history. Im not sure exactly what I want to do in this field yet, however, I would explore options to work on campaigns or go into law school.

Ive been doing YAHOO since I was in seventh grade, and have been on the Youth Board since sophomore year, in the positions of recruitment officer, equipment manager, and Scout. I always liked the opportunity that YAHOO provided for getting together on Saturday morning with your friends and to work with them.

The snacks from homeowners were always a plus as well.

This summer, I plan on spending a lot of time with my friends, playing videogames, watching moviesand camping.

Hi, my name is Kyla Ormsbee and I am graduating from Wachusett Regional High School. In the fall I will be attending Endicott College to study elementary education. In the future I hope to become an elementary school teacher.

I have been a YAHOO volunteer for six years and on the Youth Board for five years. Through these years, I have held various positions on the Youth Board, such as a recruitment officer, equipment manager, recording officer, engagement officer and co-chair.

I loved making more friends and being more involved in the community. Outside of YAHOO I like photography, readingand being outside.

Maegan Fitzpatrick attended Bancroft in Worcester and plans to attend Northeastern University this fall as an undeclared major, although she hopes to become a private or federal investigator.

Maegan has participated in YAHOO for five years, serving on the board for four as the engagement officer, social media officer and co-chair. What she liked best about YAHOO is, the people: The kids volunteering, the kids on the Youth Board, the 'drivervisors,'.and the seniors! I've made so, so many lasting friendships through YAHOO and I'm eternally grateful for what it's helped me through."

Maegan enjoys CrossFit, swimming, eating ice cream, and laughing (a lot).

Hey guys, my name is Mitchell Thoday and Im graduating this year from Wachusett Regional High School. I plan on going to Otis College of Art and Design in California,majoring in game and entertainment design. I hope to become a digital artist working for a movie or game entertainment company.

Ive been doing YAHOO for about six years, four of which I have been on the board. YAHOO has been a great way for me to hang out and meet other people in the community. Id like to thank YAHOO for the great opportunities and ways to develop into my town community.

I hope the program can continue to give a helping hand to those in need.

Hey guys, my name is Oliver Hoang and Im graduating this year from Wachusett Regional High School. I plan on going to UMass-Amherst,majoring in accounting. I hope to become an accountant, but the likelihood of that changing is pretty high.

Ive been doing YAHOO for about five years, and Ive been on the board for three. YAHOO has been a great way for me to hang out with friends and meet other people in the community. Most notably, I loved the snacks the homeowners gave. They were always such a nice treat after working hard on their yard.

Id like to thank YAHOO for all the great opportunities it has given me. I hope the program can continue to thrive for years to come.

Hi everyone. My name is Thomas Foley and I have lived in Sterlingmy entire life.

During my first two years of high school, I attended Saint Peter-Marian in Worcester. For the last two years, I have attended Saint Paul Diocesan High School, which is also in Worcester. This fall, I will be attending Assumption University, where I plan to study business management with the hopes of owning and operating my own business.

I have been involved in the YAHOO program for six years and have been a member of the Youth Board for four. While on the Youth Board, I have held various roles including being press secretary and equipment manager.

My favorite part of YAHOO has been being able to make a true difference in my community and being able to work with my friends. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends and camping.

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From snack to friendships, graduating seniors talk about the benefits of serving with YAHOO - Worcester Telegram