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With Cam Akers apparently on the outs, the Rams don’t rule out adding a running back

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Well, it looks as if No. 3 will be available for Odell Beckham, Jr., if he re-signs with the Rams.

The team’s decision to rule running back Cam Akers out for “personal reasons” this weekend, coupled with comments made by coach Sean McVay regarding the situation, creates the clear impression that Akers’s time with the team is coming to an end.

“We’re working through some different things right now,” McVay told reporters regarding the third-year tailback. “Like I said, just want to kind of want to be able to . . . hopefully you guys understand and respect that we want to just be able to keep things internal right now.”

They want to keep things internal, because they apparently are figuring out what to do about Akers. Ideally, they’d like to trade him. If it’s obvious they’re moving on, it becomes harder to get maximum value.

“It’s one of those deals where, like I said, kind of want to be able to just keep things internally, but as it relates to just the football stuff, it is certainly not all on our running backs,” McVay said when asked about a need for urgency has led to Akers being ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Panthers. “We’ve got to be better, starting with myself being able to execute the fundamentals of the techniques, being able to get a hat on a hat, being able to press the line of scrimmage. The run game truly does take all 11, but there’s a lot of layers to it and that’s kind of where we’re at with it.”

It’s clear there’s an issue, because McVay explained that he hasn’t had many issues like this during his time with the Rams.

“What I’ve been very fortunate with, going into the sixth year, I think you realize how blessed and fortunate you’ve been where those things have been at a minimum,” McVay said. “But that is what you sign up for. You’ve got to be able to deal with it the best way that you know how, leaning on the resources, asking the right questions, being willing to listen then learn and then you can lead and make decisions the right way. Never are they always easy, but I’m always going to try to do what I think is best. There’s a lot of instances where you’re saying, ‘I haven’t really been here, who can I lean on to help provide some perspective and some context?’ That’s what you try to do in any of these types of situations. But I do know that dealing with things clear, open, and honest, and in the best way that you think, based on those values foundationally that kind of guide our everyday approach and behavior have helped. Is it perfect? I will never claim to be that, but I always do try to learn from the mistakes and make sure that you use both the good and the bad to make sure that you’re doing what’s best for everybody that you’re responsible for as it relates to the decision making and some of those different things.”

So will the Rams be in the market for another running back?

“I don’t know,” McVay said. “I wouldn’t say no ever. We’ll always explore options if we feel like there’s chances to upgrade, that’s probably not something that’s at the forefront. What I am excited about seeing is let’s see if we can go find a way to play some good football against what we know is going to be an incredibly tough opponent, see if we can get to 3-3, and then be able to take a step back and do a lot of things that give us a chance to really exhale, but also address who we’re getting back, what does that look like as it relates to trying to have the best plan for the remainder of the season that we’re guaranteed. Those are things that you want to just take it a step at a time, and that’s where my mindset is right now.”

McVay was pressed a bit on the “personal reasons” that have Akers not available.

“I would say it’s more like we’re dealing with things internally,” McVay said. “I don’t know exactly . . . this is kind of unchartered territory and I think the biggest thing is, out of respect for the situation, we want to keep it internally. You guys will have more information later on, but as it relates to everything right now, that’s how we’re articulating it. He’s going to be OK.”

He’s going to be OK. But it sounds as if he’s not going to be a Ram.

Akers, 23, was a second-round pick from Florida State in 2020. A strong finish to his rookie season, including 171 yards in a Thursday night thrashing of the Patriots, created expectations that he’d have a breakout year in 2021. A ruptured Achilles tendon suffered before training camp kept that from happening. He returned for the tail end of the regular season and the postseason.

This year, Akers has failed to live up to expectations. He had 61 rushing yards in a Week Three win over the Cardinals. He has 90 total rushing yards in the team’s four other games, combined.

Akers has a base salary of $1.17 million this year, and $1.45 million in 2023. It’s unclear whether a team would be willing to trade for his contract, given the overall questions about his performance this season.

Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown are the only other running backs on the active roster. Ronnie Rivers is on the team’s practice squad.

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Entertainment

Maria Kanellis makes her AEW debut, and she didn’t come alone

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The main event of tonight’s (Oct. 14) episode of Rampage featured Shawn Spears teaming up with FTR to take on The Embassy (Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony (Toa Liona & Kaun)).

Seeing the Gates of Agony in the main event of this wrestling show was a head-scratcher because they’ve barely done anything of significance on AEW television. As it turns out, AEW had plans for a big angle after the match.

Spears and FTR won the match, of course, but their victory celebration was interrupted The Kingdom (Maria Kanellis, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett). This was The Kingdom’s debut in AEW, fresh off their recent run in Impact Wrestling. Maria made it clear that Matt and Mike are the real top guys, and they want FTR’s ROH and IWGP tag titles.

When Maria finished her spiel, Cage and the Gates of Agony attacked the babyfaces from behind. The Kingdom ran in to help The Embassy, outnumbering the babyfaces in a massive beatdown.

That’s when Samoa Joe and Wardlow came down for the save. The Kingdom and The Embassy scattered from the ring before Joe and Wardlow could lay a hand on them.

It looks like we have more faction warfare heading our way in AEW / ROH, folks.

Are you excited to see The Kingdom on AEW television?

Catch up on all the results from Rampage right here.

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Sports

Guardians rally past Yankees in Game 2 and even the ALDS

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NEW YORK — The New York Yankees entered October on a tightrope, one they hoped to stay on to the World Series if they could somehow avoid slipping. If everything goes right — if Aaron Judge hits, if their starters dominate, if their bullpen, well, survives — the Yankees could gut their way through this postseason. But if any of those things does not happen, let alone more than one, this team does not seem to have the requisite depth to avoid a fall.

As the Cleveland Guardians rallied to beat them, 4-2, in extra innings, it became clear just how thin that tightrope really is for the Yankees. Judge went 0 for 5 with four strikeouts against the Guardians’ dominating pitching staff, the Yankees’ offense could not score again after Giancarlo Stanton’s first-inning home run, and when the four proven relievers left in the Yankees’ bullpen had come and gone, starter Jameson Taillon began his first career relief appearance by surrendering two bloop hits and the go-ahead run.

“We never expected any of this time of year to be easy,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said, “and nothing’s been easy for us this year, especially in the second half of the season.”

A funny thing tends to happen in October in the Bronx, a phenomenon wherein if the Yankees lose it is because they did not do enough, not because the other team did more. And in the case of the Guardians, to suggest that the Yankees frittered away Friday’s game would be to erase exactly what has made Cleveland so good.

The Guardians are built around a lineup that makes contact and a pitching staff that avoids it. Three of the hits that led to runs Friday — Andres Gimenez’s fourth-inning RBI single, Jose Ramirez’s 10th-inning double and Oscar Gonzalez’s go-ahead single — had exit velocities below 80 mph. Against Nestor Cortes and the four relievers who followed the wily left-hander, the Guardians struck out just eight times. Every player in the Guardians’ starting lineup reached base via hit or walk.

“We just try find a way on base any way we have. If it’s a bloop hit, it’s a bloop hit; if it’s a hard-hit single, double, whatever the case it, we just try to hustle,” said first baseman Josh Naylor, whose 10th-inning double was one of the few hard-hit balls the Guardians managed Friday, though exit velocity did not measure their efficacy.

“We seem to have played in a lot of games where that’s the outcome,” Guardians Manager Terry Francona said. “It’s not an easy way to win, but it doesn’t mean you can’t. And fortunately our guys keep plugging away.”

Four runs stood up because the Guardians are also built around a flame-throwing bullpen, marked by depth and swing-and-miss stuff — the kind the Yankees thought they had to start the season before injuries and the disappearance of Aroldis Chapman left them crossing their fingers.

Once Cortes and Cleveland starter Shane Bieber were both out of a tie game in the sixth, it qualified as a distinct advantage for the Guardians given the state of the Yankees’ bullpen. And because of the strange day off after Game 1, followed by the rainout Thursday, they faced the prospect of playing four games in four days should the series go five — a nightmare for even the healthiest of playoff relief corps.

Cleveland’s bullpen pitched 4⅓ scoreless innings, seven outs of which came from hard-throwing closer Emmanuel Clase. Francona could afford to push his closer to win this game, in part because he couldn’t afford to lose this game and in part because he has plenty of firepower available in the form of Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak and others if Clase needs a day off Saturday. Then again, Stephan and Karinchak had to throw more than 20 pitches each Friday. Both bullpens will be tired.

Meanwhile, though the four most proven remaining members of the Yankees’ bullpen — Lou Trivino, Jonathan Loáisiga, Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes — combined to throw four scoreless, hitless innings, all of them will be needed almost nightly if the Yankees are to win the series.

When Boone had used all of them to his comfort Friday, he turned to career starter Taillon in the 10th. And the Yankees’ bullpen blinked. In fairness to Taillon, he had pitched 143 times in the major leagues, none of them as a reliever. And in fairness to Taillon, the bloop double with which Ramirez greeted him need not have led to a run had Josh Donaldson’s hurried attempt to catch him at second not flown past the base, allowing Ramirez to reach third.

From third, Ramirez had no trouble scoring on Gonzalez’s bloop to right field. Then Naylor doubled over Harrison Bader’s head in dead center field, one of the hardest-hit balls the Guardians had all day. Taillon left the game after that, and the Yankees’ first attempt to push their bruised bullpen past its comfort zone devolved into a loss that sent the series to Cleveland on Saturday knotted at a game apiece.

“Facing two of their more dangerous hitters, we got weak contact,” Taillon said. “And kind of the game of baseball happened there.”

The game of baseball is also striking Judge when the Yankees can least afford it. After going hitless in Game 1, he is 0 for 8 in the series. The one thing the Yankees knew they needed this October, other than their bullpen to hold or their starters to keep games out of the hands of their bullpen or something in between, was Judge to be Judge. If he isn’t, their offense becomes very average.

“My timing’s a little off, and I’ve got to fix it,” Judge said. “That’s pretty much what it comes down to.”

But when Judge’s timing is a little off, the Yankees’ offense is very off. And when the games get to the bullpen, the Yankees can quickly run out of options. They are hardly doomed, just as the Guardians have hardly pulled the upset. But the Yankees’ tightrope is getting shakier, and it is not clear how long they can resist the gravity that has been pulling them to earth for most of the season’s second half.

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Entertainment

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend daughter North’s basketball game separately

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While they may not be on speaking terms of late, Kim Kardashian and her ex-husband Kanye West both attended their daughter North’s basketball game on Friday — although the two arrived separately.

Kardashian pulled up to the game with North, 9, along with her and West’s three other children — Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3, TMZ reported.

West, meanwhile, showed up solo.

The two have not been communicating since the “Yeezus” hitmaker’s recent “White Live Matters” shirt stunt in Paris, his subsequent interview with Tucker Carlson, and his anti-Semitic rants, sources told Page Six.

The Skims mogul is so fed up with West’s behavior that she doesn’t even talk to him about their kids’ schedules anymore without a third party, sources familiar with the situation tell Page Six.

Kardashian, 41, arrived at the game with her and West’s four children.
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West and Kardashian have not spoken for weeks in the wake of West’s recent controversies.
WCP,4cnrs / BACKGRID

“They have had zero communication in several weeks, and all communication regarding the kids’ schedules are now coordinated through assistants,” a source told Page Six.

Friday was only the second time in weeks that the two appeared at one of North’s events after the reality tv star and rapper both attended one of her basketball games last week.

West, 45, and Nick Cannon embraced outside of West’s daughter’s basketball game Friday.
WCP,4cnrs / BACKGRID

West was seen embracing fellow celebrity Nick Cannon before he walked into the game.

He left before North’s game ended while Kardashian stayed with the four kids the whole time, according to TMZ.

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Entertainment

Meghan Trainor details ‘traumatic’ experience when her newborn son, Riley, ‘didn’t wake up for a week’

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Meghan Trainor recently opened up about her experience in the hospital shortly after the birth of her son in February 2021.

The singer welcomed her now 20-month-old son Riley with husband Daryl Sabara last year. Trainor and Sabara met and started dating in 2016 after they were set up by mutual friend Chloe Grace Moretz, eventually getting married in December 2018.

During an interview with People, Trainor detailed the week following her son’s birth. He would not stay awake long enough to feed, and she was frustrated doctors were unable to give her and her husband answers as to why or let them know when their son’s condition would improve.

“It was just really frustrating not having an answer,” the singer said. “Not having answers for why my kid didn’t wake up for a week was very frustrating.”

Trainor previously explained in an interview with Romper that Riley was in the NICU because he was struggling to wake up to feed.

It was frustrating for Trainor not to have answers for why her son would not wake up.
(Mike Coppola/Getty Images for American Heart Association)

MEGHAN TRAINOR OPENS UP ABOUT ‘PANIC ATTACKS’ SHE EXPERIENCED ON LIVE TV: ‘I HAD A MENTAL BREAKDOWN’

Trainor was also frustrated by the fact many of the nurses were trying to convince her that her son’s condition was her fault because she was on antidepressants during her pregnancy.

“They were like, ‘Sometimes it happens,’ and then some nurses were like, ‘Well, it’s because you’re on antidepressants,'” Trainor said. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been told by others that it’s not that.'”

The “All About That Bass” singer didn’t realize how much the whole experience affected her until discussing it with her therapist and realizing she was having nightmares about her birth experience, seeing herself being operated on during the C-section.

“[We] realized how traumatic that all was, and how I was having PTSD at nighttime when I would try to go to sleep,” she said. “I would be back in the C-section, on the table.”

The trauma she experienced led her to fear getting pregnant again and having to go through another scary post-birth situation. Despite her trauma, Trainor and Sabara are trying for another baby so they can give their son a sibling. 

Trainor said it is scary thinking about getting pregnant again with the fear of another traumatic birth.
(Jeff Spicer/BFC/Getty Images for BFC)

“It’s scary going into another pregnancy being like, ‘Well, I hope that doesn’t happen again.’ Do I have to change up my whole life? I don’t know,” she explained. “So it’s infuriating.”

Despite Riley’s bumpy start in life, Trainor says he is doing great and is hitting all kinds of milestones, including recognizing her as his mom and showing her affection, something Trainor is very excited about. 

She explained that, up until now, her son has been a daddy’s boy. And, while he still doesn’t say “mama,” he runs up and gives her big hugs, which she loves.

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“He finally knows who I am, and he gives me those running hugs. It’s like my little koala. He just squeezes me so tight, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, he knows who I am, and he loves me,’” Trainor said. “Because this boy says, ‘Dada,’ and that’s about it. So I’m like, ‘Does he even know I exist?’ But no, now I finally feel like he loves me, and it’s the greatest feeling ever.”

Trainor has never second-guessed her decision to open up about her mental health struggles as a mother, noting it’s her way of letting other moms know they aren’t alone in their feelings and that she can relate to them.

“When I talk about what I went through with my mental health stuff, or anything bad or something I struggled with, … I was like, ‘I bet there’s many other moms out there that are dealing with this too,'” she said. “I’m comfortable telling my truth and talking about my personal things if it helps others, you know?”

Trainor shares her mental health struggles to help other moms who may be going through similar issues.
(Noam Galai/Getty Images)

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Trainor’s newest song, “Made You Look,” will premiere exclusively on the mobile gaming app Candy Crush Saga Oct. 20, and her fifth studio album, “Takin’ it Back,” is set to be released Oct. 21.

Lori Bashian is an entertainment production assistant for Fox News Digital. 

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Entertainment

Stu Grayson returns on AEW Rampage – WON/F4W

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Five months after he couldn’t come to terms with AEW on a new deal, Stu Grayson has returned.

Grayson made a surprise return on Friday’s Rampage in a backstage segment with the Dark Order. After 10 challenged Rush to a match next week, he, Evil Uno, John Silver and Alex Reynolds put their hands together in a sign of unity.

Then, a bandaged hand appeared on top and the camera pulled back to reveal it was Grayson, much to the surprise of the group. He said he wasn’t going to miss AEW’s debut in Canada and the segment ended.

The Canadian native departed AEW in May after he and the company couldn’t come to a financial agreement on a new deal. He had been with the company since Double or Nothing in May 2019 where he and Evil Uno debuted.

It’s unknown what type of contract, if any, the 33-year-old has signed and what changed from either side since May.

After last wrestling in AEW in April, Grayson has competed nine times on the indies, nearly all of them in Canada, with more coming up.

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Entertainment

WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from October 14 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

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WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from October 14

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    Credit: WWE.com

    Bray Wyatt stunned the wrestling world with his unforgettable return at Extreme Rules last weekend, and Friday, he made his first appearance since the shocking conclusion of the pay-per-view.

    What did he have to say and what did he do when he returned to WWE for the first time in over a year?

    Find out now with this recap of the October 14 broadcast.

Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn

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    Credit: WWE

    SmackDown went on the air with breaking news: Karrion Kross and Scarlett were involved in a car accident backstage. Drew McIntyre attacked a staggered Kross and promised, “this is just the beginning!”

    Back in the arena, Kofi Kingston and Sami Zayn kicked off the in-ring portion of the night’s broadcast. Xavier Woods and Jey Uso accompanied the competitors, respectively.

    Zayn controlled the action, putting the former WWE champion on the defensive. Kingston fought back into the match, showing some of that trademark resiliency, but a superkick from Uso to Woods on the floor provided enough of a distraction for The Honorary Uce to deliver a Blue Thunder Bomb for two.

    Kingston appeared poised to win the match via rollup but Uso slid in, reversed it in favor of Zayn and watched as his budding rival scored the assisted victory.

    This was a damn good match between two grizzled pros who know what it takes to deliver when given the time this one was.

    Zayn’s attempts to further prove himself part of The Bloodline family were humorous and effective, but it was Uso helping him to win the match that was the biggest takeaway. Eager to please The Tribal Chief, but infuriated over being placed under Zayn’s control, he put personal vendettas aside and did what was right for the The Bloodline.

    There will come a time when he does not and what that means for him, Zayn and their place in Reigns’ empire remains one of the most engaging stories in all of wrestling.

    Result

    Zayn defeated Kingston

    Grade

    B

    Top Moments

  • Zayn took a phone call from Roman Reigns prior to the match, shielding Uso from the call and refusing to fill him in on whatever The Tribal Chief had to say.
  • The Honorary Uce delivered the running hip attack ala The Usos, really hammering home his place in The Bloodline.

Braun Strowman vs. Brian Thomas and James Maverick

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    Credit: WWE.com

    Braun Strowman found himself confronted by two enhancement talent, Brian Thomas and James Maverick, in a Handicap Match Friday night.

    The Monster Among Monsters destroyed the competition, earning the win easily, all while staring down Omos and MVP, who watched from ringside.

    After the match, the latter warned Strowman that “monsters fade into the shadows,” suggesting the former Universal champion is no match for the giant competitor.

    The idea of Strowman vs. Omos is hardly appealing but as a spectacle, there are few matches that would be better. If Triple H does not have anything else better for them to do, there are far worse options for the upcoming Crown Jewel card than a battle of the Goliaths.

    Result

    Strowman defeated Maverick and Thomas

    Grade

    C-

    Top Moments

  • Cole just nonchalantly referring to Thomas and Maverick as “these two jabronis” was great and further evidence of his comfort on the mic.

LA Knight vs. mån.sôör

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    Credit: WWE.com

    A week ago, LA Knight shed his “Max Dupri” moniker and returned to the name he made famous in NXT. His opponent? Former Maximum Male Models associate mån.sôör, who was accompanied to the squared circle by Maxxine Dupri and ma.çé.

    A distraction from the latter allowed the heel to take control momentarily but Knight fought back, fended off ma.çé and put mån.sôör down for the pinfall victory.

    After the match, Knight put the WWE Superstars on notice, but not before turning heel on the fans by claiming he does not need them chanting his name.

    Knight is always going to excel as a heel but it was certainly interesting to see him turn so quickly after dumping the Maximum Male Models. It will benefit him in the long run but it remains to be seen if such a quick turn after another just two weeks earlier was the right call or not.

    Result

    Knight defeated mån.sôör

    Grade

    C+

    Top Moments

  • “What a physique on that man. Why would we keep that covered up with a suit for so long?” Wade Barrett questioned, asking the hard-hitting questions every fan demands.

Shotzi, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez vs. Damage CTRL

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    Credit: WWE.com

    NXT’s Roxanne Perez joined Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez for a Six-Woman Tag Team Match against Damage CTRL’s Bayley, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai.

    A fired-up Perez fearlessly took the fight to the heels before tagging Shotzi into the match. The high-energy match broke down late, with Shotzi, Kai and Sky all flying through the air to the benefit of their team.

    Perez, proving no stage is too big for her, kicked out of Bayley’s trademark Bayley-to-Belly suplex. The two continued their back-and-forth, concluding with Bayley countering a rollup for the hard-fought victory.

    This was a frantically paced match that attempted to highlight everyone involved and did so fairly well. There was no structure to speak of but it did what it set out to: highlight Shotzi and Rodriguez as potential challengers to Kai and Sky’s Women’s Tag Team Championships while presenting Perez as a star of WWE’s future.

    The young NXT star, in particular, showed up and showed up in her first opportunity and all involved should feel very good about her prospects moving forward. The match also served as a nice primer for Halloween Havoc, the October 26 NXT event.

    Result

    Damage CTRL defeated Perez, Shotzi and Rodriguez

    Grade

    B

    Top Moments

  • The exchange of dives late in the match was a lot of fun and set the stage for Perez to battle it out with Bayley in an attempt to prove herself on this stage.

Hit Row vs. Legado Del Fantasma

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    Credit: WWE.com

    Hit Row’s Ashante Thee Adonis and Top Dolla sought revenge Friday night as they battled Legado Del Fantasma’s Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde in tag team action. Santos Escobar and Zelina Vega accompanied the heels while B-Fab seconded Hit Row.

    The short-lived match saw del Toro and Wilde score the win when Escobar pulled Adonis off the apron and Vega wiped out B-Fab, leaving Top Dolla to suffer Sacrificio.

    This was a logical continuation of what we saw last week but you could tell from the reaction (or lack thereof) from the WWE Universe that they are not sure what to make of the newcomers.

    There was little explanation of who they are or what they are about and while some of that is preserving the intrigue as to what Vega’s relationship is with the group, it is certainly something Triple H will have to examine to prevent fans from tuning the faction out early on.

    A simple video package would suffice and we know from its long and illustrious history on that front that few do those better than WWE.

    Result

    Legado Del Fantasma defeated Hit Row

    Grade

    C

    Top Moments

  • Vega flattened B-Fab with a clothesline off the ring steps.
  • Top Dolla is a charismatic worker and debuted a flashy elbow drop that could prove to be a signature move of his before all is said and done.

Fatal 4-Way Match: Ricochet vs. Sheamus vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Solo Sikoa

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    Credit: WWE.com

    A shot at Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship awaited the winner of the Fatal 4-Way Match pitting rival Sheamus against Ricochet, The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa and Rey Mysterio.

    Karrion Kross was originally scheduled for the bout but after the events at the top of the show, was replaced by the future Hall of Famer Mysterio.

    The action was nonstop, with Sheamus teasing a fight with Sikoa, only for Ricochet to wipe the second-generation star out at ringside. Sikoa recovered and stood tall entering the commercial break.

    He showed off his strength with a late tower of doom spot but left himself open for a beating at the hands of Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior had Sikoa poised to tap but Jey Uso and Sami Zayn intervened. Butch and Ridge Holland joined the fray, leaving Mysterio and Ricochet to close out the match.

    The Master of the 619 delivered his trademark move, then added a frog splash for the win.

    Mysterio appears to be in the early moments of a push, his story being one of the most prominent of the show. After a low point Monday night following the disrespect and humiliation at the hands of his son, he recovered like greats do and earned a championship opportunity by defeating three of SmackDown’s best.

    Beyond the sure-fire Hall of Famer, it now appears as though The Brawling Brutes may be on a collision course with The Bloodline. That should make for some damn good television and elevate the status of the babyfaces in the process.

    Result

    Mysterio defeated Ricochet, Sikoa and Sheamus

    Grade

    A

    Top Moments

  • Michael Cole pointed out on commentary that this marked the first time Sheamus and Mysterio have squared off against each other, which is astonishing when you consider how long they have been battling in the WWE rings.
  • Cole announced that Mysterio has officially inked a deal with Triple H to be a member of the SmackDown roster, an interesting development given what appeared to be a destined showdown with son Dominik.

He’s Here

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    Credit: WWE.com

    The hotly anticipated return of Bray Wyatt headlined this week’s show.

    A new entrance theme guided The Eater of Worlds to the squared circle, where he stood in plain clothes and no mask. He cut a sincere, genuine promo, speaking from the heart to the fans.

    Then, the cryptic Max Headroom-like figure appeared and warned that they don’t know who they are dealing with, but they will.

    The show went off the air with the new Wyatt logo displayed on the screen.

    This was a different Wyatt than we have seen before, one that was open and honest before giving way to the enigmatic theatricality that we expect from him. This did nothing to tell us what this new incarnation of the former world champion is all about but it did intensify the interest in him, which will benefit all involved.

    Grade

    A

    Top Moments

  • “I’m incredibly grateful and very nervous because I never thought this would happen.”
  • “This is just me being me. Genuine me. For the first time.”
  • “I lost my career, I lost my confidence…I lost two people who were very, very close to me. I lost my way.”
  • “You saved my life,” Wyatt told the audience.



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Business

Abbott recalls several ready-to-feed liquid baby formula

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Food Fix founder & editor-and-chief Helena Bottemiller Evich discusses how parents are still struggling to find baby formula on ‘Fox Business Tonight.’

Abbott is voluntarily recalling several of its Similac ready-to-feed liquid baby formula products because of a bottle defect.

The Food and Drug Administration announced the recall on Friday, stating that certain lots of Abbott’s liquid baby formula products are being recalled because less than 1% of the bottles “may not have been sealed completely,” which “could result in spoilage.”

According to the FDA, the impacted products are: Similac® Pro-Total ComfortTM, Similac® 360 Total Care®, Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive, Similac® Special Care® 24, Similac Stage 1, Similac® NeoSure®, Similac Water (Sterilized) and Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution.

If consumed, individuals may experience “gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.”

ABBOTT RECALLS SIMILAC, OTHER BABY FORMULAS AFTER 4 REPORTED ILLNESSES

A general view of the Abbott Healthcare Nutrition plant in Cootehill Co Monaghan. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Several lot numbers for the affected products are being recalled, and were manufactured from the company’s Columbus, Ohio facility.

The FDA says that the recall isn’t expected to effect the “overall U.S. infant formula supply,” and said that the recalled products were mainly distributed to hospitals and some doctors’ offices, distributors, and retailers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

ABBOTT’S TROUBLED BABY FORMULA FACTORY BACK IN BUSINESS

Several lot numbers for the affected products are being recalled, and were manufactured from the company’s Columbus, Ohio facility. (FDA / Fox News)

Production for Similac 2 fluid ounce/59 milliliter Ready-to-Feed liquid formula products given to hospitals and other healthcare providers’ will continue on a different production line, according to the announcement.

The recall doesn’t include other powder or liquid formula brands produced at the Columbus facility or elsewhere.

Abbott’s Executive Vice President for Nutritional Products, Joe Manning, said that the company is addressing the issue and minimizing any inconvenience to customers.

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Several lot numbers for the affected products are being recalled, and were manufactured from the company’s Columbus, Ohio facility. (FDA / Fox News)

“We take our responsibility to deliver high-quality products very seriously,” Manning said. “We internally identified the issue, are addressing it, and will work with our customers to minimize inconvenience and get them the products they need.”

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Entertainment

Bray Wyatt cuts emotional promo in return to SmackDown … but it still got weird

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Bray Wyatt made his return to Friday Night SmackDown this week after an epic return at Extreme Rules. We didn’t really know what to expect from him, after so much time away and with so much changing at WWE while he was gone.

What do you know, we got yet another version of Wyatt.

The man himself.

The human being.

He talked about having gone through a really hard time while he was away.

“I lost my career, I lost two people who were very, very close to me, and I lost my way. I got to a point where I thought that everything that Id’ ever done here was all meaningless, that nothing I ever did has mattered to anyone. And I was wrong.”

He would go on to say he would see people out in the world, once he ventured out there to see those people, who would thank him for saving them with his words when they were just as down as he was. He said the fans were there when he was weak, and he was vulnerable, and they saved his life.

Then, of course, it got weird again.

As he was talking, it went dark and this happened:

“You got no idea who you’re dealing with, do you? Oh, but you will.”

Oh boy.

Get complete SmackDown results and coverage of this week’s show here.

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Health

Researchers Have a New Theory About What Causes Alzheimer’s, And It’s Not Plaque : ScienceAlert

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In 1906, Alois Alzheimer, a psychiatrist and neuroanatomist, reported “a peculiar severe disease process of the cerebral cortex” to a gathering of psychiatrists in Tübingen, Germany.

The case was a 50-year-old woman who suffered from memory loss, delusions, hallucinations, aggression, and confusion – all of which worsened until her untimely death five years later.

In the autopsy, Alzheimer noticed distinctive plaques on her brain. These plaques – clumps of amyloid-beta protein – are still considered to be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

However, this theory has two major problems.

First, it does not explain why many subjects (even old people) have plaques in their brains in the absence of any neurological symptoms, such as memory loss.

Second, clinical trials for drugs that reduce these plaques have been unsuccessful – with one recent exception, but more of that later.

When amyloid-beta protein accumulates in the form of plaques (insoluble clumps), the original soluble form of the protein, which performs important functions in the brain, is consumed and lost.

Some studies have shown that reduced levels of soluble amyloid-beta – called amyloid-beta 42 – have led to patients having worse clinical outcomes.

In a recent study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, we investigated whether it’s the amount of plaques in the brain or the amount of amyloid-beta 42 remaining that is more important for Alzheimer’s disease progression.

To answer this question, we studied data on a group of people who have a rare inherited gene mutation that puts them at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The participants were from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network cohort study.

We found that the depletion of amyloid-beta 42 (the functional version of amyloid-beta) is more harmful than the amount of plaques (the insoluble clumps of amyloid beta).

Participants had an average of three years follow-up and we found that those with high levels of amyloid-beta 42 in their cerebrospinal fluid (the liquid around the brain and spinal cord) were protected and their cognition was preserved over the study period.

This chimes with many studies that showed important functions of amyloid-beta 42 in memory and cognition.

It is also relevant because we studied people with the genetic mutation who develop Alzheimer’s disease, a group that is considered to provide the strongest evidence supporting the idea that amyloid-beta plaques are harmful.

However, even in this group, those with higher cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of amyloid-beta 42 remained cognitively normal regardless of the amount of plaques in their brains.

It is also worth mentioning that in some rare, inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease – for example, in carriers of the so-called Osaka gene mutation or Arctic mutation – people can develop dementia having low levels of amyloid-beta 42 and no detectable plaques.

This suggests that plaques aren’t the cause of their dementia, but low levels of amyloid-beta 42 might be.

Lecanemab – the one recent exception

How will our findings affect drug development and clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease? Until the recent trial with lecanemab, an antibody drug that reduces plaques, all the drug trials in Alzheimer’s disease have failed.

Some drugs were designed to reduce the levels of amyloid-beta 42, based on the rationale that if levels of the normal protein are reduced, patients will accumulate fewer plaques. Unfortunately, these drugs often made the patient’s condition worse.

Lecanemab was recently reported to have a small but significant effect in reducing cognitive decline. According to previous studies, this drug increases the levels of amyloid-beta 42 in the CSF.

This is, again, in line with our hypothesis, namely that the increase of the normal amyloid protein can be beneficial.

We will know more when the results of the lecanemab trial are published. At the moment, all we have is a press release from the makers of the drug.

We think that it will be important for future trials to focus on the levels of amyloid-beta 42, and whether it is beneficial to increase and restore its levels to normal values instead of targeting it for removal.

This could be achieved using proteins similar to amyloid-beta 42 – so-called “protein analogs” – but that clump together less than the natural ones.

This active protein replacement approach might become a promising new avenue of treatment for Alzheimer’s and other protein aggregation diseases, such as Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease.

Andrea Sturchio, MD, PhD Student, Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet; Kariem Ezzat, Research Scientist, Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and Samir EL Andaloussi, Professor, Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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