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While theNittany LionslostLayton Von Brandtearlier in the recruiting cycle and were not the favorites to land him again, many expected him to sign with theNotre Dame Fighting Irish. However, after moving up his commitment date to today, he went a highly unexpected route. Instead of following several other four star O-linemen to South Bend, Von Brandt committed to theAuburn Tigers. While Penn State will be disappointed that he did not stick with his early intentions, it somewhat feels like a win after Penn State lost out on many players to theFighting Irishon the recruiting trail.
For now, this leaves theNittany Lionswithout a four star lineman amongst their class, but still enough talent at the position to get by. With local recruits in David Tarawallie and Ryan Robbins, Campbell could have two bookend tackles of the future. They also have some interior talent with Jon Sassic and Owen Reilly. However, Notre Dame being spurned is the bigger takeaway as they looked to continue to stockpile at the position. Auburn's win is perhaps a testament to their persistence in recruiting him and both Penn State and Notre Dame landing other commits at the position, thus losing focus on Von Brandt.
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Now all eyes will be on another prospect, this time three star Lucas Rhoa, who locked down an official visit. For now, the sting of losing Von Brandt hurts just a little less than potentially expected.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire:Penn State miss out on former O-line commit
Sarah Jessica Parker wore a black spaghetti strap gown with a ruffled skirt for her 1997 nuptials to Matthew Broderick
The Morgane le Fay design was an off-the-rack purchase
Parker has said she wore black because she was "too embarrassed to get married in white"
Sarah Jessica Parkerbucked tradition when she marriedMatthew Broderick29 years ago on May 19, 1997, wearing a black gown instead of bridal white.
The iconic black wedding dress went on to spark a lasting trend, but Parker toldMarie Clairein 2006 that it was never intended to be a style statement.
"I was too embarrassed to get married in white, and both Matthew and I were reluctant to have people pay so much attention to us,” the actress said. “Which is ridiculous, because that's when you can relish the attention, when it's natural.”
Like her dress, the couple’s ceremony was rather unconventional. In fact, it was a total surprise to the 100 guests who attended, all of whom were simply told in the invitation (which Parker shared for the duo's25th-anniversary celebration) to join Parker and Broderick for “a party."
“We treated it like it was a big party on a Monday night, and I regret it,” theSex and the Citystar toldMarie Claireof the couple's casual nuptials that took place at the Angel Orensanz Foundation.
Parker later toldTodaythat if she had to do it all over again, she’d choose differently. “[I’d] white it up,” she said. “I’d wear a beautiful, proper wedding dress like I should have worn that day.”
Here are all the details about Sarah Jessica Parker's memorable wedding dress — including how many gowns she tried on first and what she wishes she had worn instead.
While many brides dream of the gown they’ll walk down the aisle in, Parker told PEOPLE in 2018 that she was more focused on her would-be groom.
“I never thought about a wedding dress. Never. Had not one daydream about it,” she said. “At one point, I just simply remember thinking, ‘God, I really hope he asks me to marry him.’ I don’t know when or why. It was fairly early on.”
While discussing her big day withAndy CohenonWatch What Happens Live With Andy Cohenin 2016, Parker revealed that the dresswas not a custom design.
“There was a store that I liked that I knew, and I just went and got whatever they had hanging,” she told the talk show host. "I just was too embarrassed to spend any time looking for a wedding dress.”
In fact, as theDivorcestar toldGlamourin 2008, “I bought the first dress I looked at.”
Chelsea-based designer Morgane le Fay, which wasfounded in 1983 by Liliana Casabal, was behind the frock Parker exchanged her vows in.
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According to the company’s website, the brand’s identity is based in “feminine form and diaphanous story-telling." Its motto: “Fashion should be a healing force that makes the wearer feel limitless.”
Given Parker’s high-fashion background, one might assume that the nontraditional black hue of her gown was worn to make a serious style statement, but it was actually quite the opposite.
As she explained toGlamour, the dress was meant to keep the focus off the bride and on the guests who attended the ceremony. “Our logic was we didn't want to call attention to ourselves that day, because we're actors and we get attention all day long,” she explained. “It was a party for everybody else.”
Despite the actress’s desire for something more demure, the dress itself was actually quite ornate. The bodice was simple enough, with a plain spaghetti strap top and scoop neckline, but the bottom cascaded out into a pouf of black ruffles for the skirt.
Like Carrie Bradshaw, who tied the knot withChris Noth’s Mr. Big in a pair of Manolo Blahnik blue Hangisi stilettos at their courthouse wedding, Parker opted for a pair of colored heels while saying her own “I dos.”
“I wore teal blue velvet Robert Clergeries with a rounded toe and a classic Clergerie heel, from Barneys,” she said at the debut of herSJP Shoe brand’s bridal collaboration with Giltin New York City in 2018.
In addition to her shoes, which took care of one part of the old “something borrowed” adage, Parker incorporated several other key accessories into her big day.
"I borrowed a handkerchief, someone gave me an old coin, and the dress was new, so I covered all my bases,” she toldMartha Stewart Weddings.
While black wedding dresses have since become a common choice for unconventional brides, in 1997, the hue was a rare one, and like it or not, SJP paved the sartorial way for other celebrity brides, includingEllen Pompeo,Avril Lavigne,Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn and Shenae Grimes — all of whom said their “I dos” while wearing onyx — to do the same.
According to industry experts, the fadofficially peaked in 2020with the onset of COVID-19. “It’s our hottest trend,” Laura McKeever, head of public relations for David’s Bridal, told theWashington Postin May 2022.
If she could do it all over again, Parker has said her dress would be far more conventional.
"If I were getting married today, I'd likely wear cream, just to have that bridal experience," she toldMartha Stewart Weddings.
TheFailure to Launchstar also elaborated to the publication on what it might look like. "Now, I would want my dress to have an Oscar de la Renta feel, pockets below the waist, a very fitted bodice, a huge skirt, in taffeta or duchesse satin,” she explained. “That silhouette appeals to me because it's old-fashioned, yet can look very modern."
Read the original article onPeople
Dominic Russo was killed when his girlfriend, Mackenzie Shirilla, crashed her car into a brick wall in July 2022
The 20-year-old's family members initially stood by Mackenzie before realizing the crash may have been intentional
Dominic's dad, Frank Russo, and older sister, Christine Russo, were both interviewed for the Netflix documentary The Crash
Dominic Russowas just 20 years old when he waskilled in a high-speed car crash.
Dominic began datingMackenzie Shirillawhen she was a freshman in high school, and they started living together after she graduated high school. Although the two were called inseparable, they also struggled with challenges in their relationship — including trust issues and volatile behavior.
On July 31, 2022, Mackenzie, who was 17 at the time, was driving Dominic and their friend, 19-year-oldDavion Flanagan, home from a party in the early morning hours. Within a few moments, Mackenzie suddenly accelerated her car to 100 mph and crashed it into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio.
Both Dominic and Davion were killed in the crash, while Mackenzie was hospitalized for her injuries and survived. Mackenzie vehemently maintained that the crash was an accident and that she didn't remember the moments leading up to it. However, she was arrested in November 2022 and wasconvicted of Dominic and Davion's murdersthe following March.
While Dominic's parents and family members initially stood by Mackenzie and believed her story, they have since changed their minds and have expressed mixed opinions after seeingvideo footage of Mackenzie's pre-crash behavior.
Both Dominic's dad Frank and sister Christine, opened up about their love for their son and his tragic death in the Netflix documentary,The Crash, which came to the streamer on May 15.
Here's everything to know about where Dominic Russo's family is now.
Dominic was raised in Strongsville, Ohio, and had a close relationship with his parents, Christine and Frank, and his siblings.
“He literally was just starting his life... and he was just a baby. So he had his whole life ahead of him," his sister Christine told PEOPLE in 2023.
Christine described her younger brother as kind, funny and caring.
"He was the most doting and proud uncle to our children," she said. "He was so loved, and he is so indescribably missed. I'm so proud to call him my brother.”
The older sister also participated in the Netflix documentary with some of her other family members and later toldNBC Newsthat the grief has "gotten worse."
"As time goes, we're missing him more as different stages of grief are hitting,” she explained. “Since the sentencing, it's appeal after appeal after appeal. There's no resting; there's no finding peace. It's just constant, like them slapping it again in our face every six months.”
Meanwhile, Dominic's father, Frank, said that his son was a "go-getter" who loved music and basketball.
“He was opening up his own clothing line, he was not average kid, I'll tell you that,” Frank toldNBC Newsin 2023.
Around 5 a.m. on July 31, 2022, Mackenzie started driving Dominic and Davion home from a graduation party. Thirty-six minutes later, she slammed her 2018 Toyota Camry into a brick wall.
Dominic and Davion were pronounced dead at the scene, while Mackenzie was rushed to the hospital and treated for various injuries, including multiple bone fractures.
When investigating the deadly crash, authorities learned that the interior of the car had "exploded" upon impact, Assistant Prosecutor Tim Troup said inThe Crash.Forensic auto investigators subsequently conducted an in-depth investigation that determined Mackenzie had accelerated the car to an estimated 100 mph in the moments before the crash.
The investigation also found that there were no technological malfunctions that caused the car to inexplicably speed up. The Camry's "black box" revealed that the accelerator pedal was pressed 100% down with no indication of braking.
“Three seconds before the impact, there was some steering input: Right movement, left movement and then a hard right movement,” Sergeant Ryan Fox of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in the doc. “It shifted from drive into neutral, back into drive again.”
Mackenzie's bloodwork tested positive solely for THC and psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana were found in the car. Her attorneys later argued that she could have unconsciously crashed the car as a result of a medical emergency.
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After a three-month investigation, Mackenzie was ultimately arrested in connection with Dominic and Davion's deaths. She was charged with four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, one count of drug possession and one count of possessing criminal tools.
“The evidence all comes together to show: This was not an accident,” Troup said in the Netflix doc.
In August 2023, Mackenzie wassentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prisonwith credit for time served and a permanent suspension of her driver's license.
Shortly after losing their beloved family member, Dominic's parents initially supported Mackenzie and believed that the crash was an accident.
However, in September 2022, Dominic's brother, Angelo, started speaking with authorities and admitted that his brother and Mackenzie's relationship was far from perfect. Angelo also claimed that Dominic tried breaking up with Mackenzie several times and shared video footage of Mackenzie allegedly trying to break into Dominic's home after he wouldn't let her inside.
“Dom tried to break up with her multiple times,” Angelo told police, per footage shown inThe Crash. “Dom would have to call Kenzie's parents, call her mom and stuff, and say, ‘Hey, you need to get Kenzie out of here. She's refusing to leave my house; she's being crazy.' "
Dominic's sister Christine told police that she knew they were fighting but also thought it was a tragic accident.
"You know, they were kids. Accidents happen all the time like that," Christine said inThe Crash. "You never in a million years think, 'This girl killed your brother.' "
Upon seeing the footage of Mackenzie trying to break into Dominic's house, the Russo family's opinions changed, and many of them believed that Mackenzie had intentionally killed Dominic. Both Dominic's mom and brother Angelo ended up testifying in court about the couple's allegedly volatile relationship.
Even though many of the Russo family members came to the same conclusion about what happened to Dominic, not all of them agreed on Mackenzie's sentencing.
“It's horrible for everybody. Yeah, I lost my son, it's harder on our family, but I don't want the rest of her life ruined too. It isn't going to make me feel any better,” Frank told NBC News at the time. "The whole thing's just a shame."
Frank added, "She's just a little kid. She f---ed up. She did a damn stupid thing but now her parents are destroyed, her family's destroyed too. I wish there was a way she could get some kind of help, some kind of treatment.”
However, his sister Christine told PEOPLE that she disagreed with the sentencing for different reasons.
“I feel like the sentences should have been [run] consecutively,” she said. “I can't imagine how I would feel if Mackenzie got out in 14 years. My brother's life and Davion's life was completely stolen. They don't get out in 15 years. They don't come back in 15 years. They don't get any chance to live a life.”
Dominic's mom,Christine, spoke at Mackenzie's sentencingand said that "evidence and science proved" she "murdered my son Dominic, as well as Davion."
"Time does not heal this wound," she emotionally shared. "Mackenzie is going to prison because you did this. Be thankful that you're still alive and have a future, whatever that may be. Dom and Davion were robbed of their futures, their hopes and their dreams. Mackenzie showed no mercy on Dom, nor did she on Davion. Only God at this time can have mercy on her soul."
In the years since Dominic tragically died, his family members have either taken a step out of the public eye or continued advocating for him.
Both Frank and his daughter, Christine, appeared inThe Crashwhere they opened up about Dominic's death and legacy. The two further slammed Mackenzie for trying to get her conviction appealed.
"She actually intentionally murdered him," Christine said of Mackenzie in the doc, while later adding, "She got 15 years, that's nothing."
Since the documentary was released on May 15, Christine hasaccusedThe Crashfilmmakers of lyingabout aspects of the case and only using interviews from Mackenzie's friends. She went on to launch a podcast,The Big Sister: Unhinged, where she says she is "working tirelessly to reclaim his narrative from media sensationalism and misinformation."
"A central focus of her work is debunking lies and defending Dominic's character," the description reads. "She dives into the realities of public tragedies and the warning signs of toxic relationships, offering a platform where victims' families can find clarity. Based in Ohio, Christine remains a pillar of the Russo family, dedicated to advocacy and ensuring Dominic and his friend Davion are remembered for the truth of who they were and the lives they lived."
Read the original article onPeople
May 19 (Reuters) - China's armed forces secretly trained about 200 Russian military personnel in China late last year and some have since returned to fight in Ukraine, according to three European intelligence agencies and documents seen by Reuters.
While China and Russia have held a number of joint military exercises since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Beijing has repeatedly stated that it is neutral in the conflict and presents itself as a peace mediator.
The covert training sessions, which predominantly focused on the use of drones, were outlined in a dual-language Russian-Chinese agreement signed by senior Russian and Chinese officers in Beijing on July 2, 2025.
The agreement, reviewed by Reuters, said about 200 Russian troops would be trained at military facilities in locations including Beijing and the eastern city of Nanjing. The sources said around this number subsequently trained in China.
The agreement also said hundreds of Chinese troops would undergo training at military facilities in Russia.
By training Russian military personnel at an operational and tactical level who then participate in Ukraine, China is far more directly involved in the war on the European continent than previously known, one intelligence official said.
The Russian and Chinese defence ministries did not respond to requests for comment on the details outlined in this article.
"On the Ukraine crisis, China has consistently maintained an objective and impartial stance and worked to promote peace talks, this is consistent and clear and is witnessed by the international community," China's foreign ministry said in a statement to Reuters. "Relevant parties should not deliberately stoke confrontation or shift blame."
The intelligence agencies spoke on condition they not be identified in order to discuss sensitive information.
European powers, which see Russia as a major security threat, have watched warily at increasingly close relations between Russia and China, the world's second largest economy and an important European Union trade partner.
The two nations announced a "no limits" strategic partnership days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and pledged to conduct military exercises to rehearse coordination between their armed forces. As the West tried to isolate Russia, China provided a lifeline by buying its oil, gas and coal.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is due to host Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and Wednesday, less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump's high-profile visit.
China and Russia have cast Putin's trip - his 25th visit to China - as further evidence of their "all-weather" partnership, even as the West urges Beijing to pressure Moscow into ending its war in Ukraine.
DRONE WARFARE
Drones have proved to be a vital weapon in Ukraine.
Both sides use long-range models to attack targets hundreds of miles away, while on the battlefield, smaller drones remote controlled by pilots using first person view equipment (FPV) and armed with explosives dominate the sky, making it hazardous for armoured vehicles or infantry to move.
In September, Reuters reported that experts from private Chinese companies had conducted technical development work on military drones for a Russian attack drone manufacturer, according to European officials. China's foreign ministry said then it was unaware of the collaboration.
The two companies identified in the article were sanctioned by the EU last month.
According to the training agreement reviewed by Reuters, the Russians would be schooled in disciplines such as drones, electronic warfare, army aviation and armoured infantry. The agreement prohibited any media coverage of the visits in either country and said no third parties should be informed.
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Visits by Chinese troops to Russia for training have been taking place since at least 2024, but Russian personnel training in China is new, two of the intelligence agencies said.
While Russia has extensive combat experience in Ukraine, China's vast drone industry offers technological know-how and advanced training methods such as flight simulators, they said.
China's People's Liberation Army has not fought a major war for decades, but it has expanded quickly in the past 20 years and now rivals U.S. military might in some areas.
A significant number of Russian personnel who received training in China were ranking military instructors in a position to pass knowledge down the chain of command, the two intelligence agencies said.
One of the agencies said they had confirmed the identities of a handful of Russian military personnel who trained in China and had since been directly involved in combat operations with drones in Ukraine's occupied Crimea and Zaporizhzhia regions.
The rank of those people ranged from junior sergeant to lieutenant colonel, the agency said.
The names of the individuals appeared in a Russian military document seen by Reuters that listed the servicemen going to China. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the subsequent involvement of those individuals in the Ukraine war.
The same intelligence agency said it was highly probable that many of those who trained in China had gone to Ukraine.
MORTARS AND FLIGHT SIMULATORS
Internal Russian military reports reviewed by Reuters described four of the training sessions for Russian troops in China after they had taken place.
One report dated December 2025 described a training course on combined arms warfare for about 50 Russian military personnel at the PLA's Ground Forces Army Infantry Academy branch in Shijiazhuang.
The report said the course involved training soldiers to fire 82mm mortars while using unmanned aerial vehicles to identify their targets.
A second report described air defence training at a military facility, including with electronic warfare rifles, net-throwing devices and drones to counter incoming drones. Two officials said the facility was located in Zhengzhou.
All of these types of equipment are relevant to the war in Ukraine. Electronic warfare rifles are aimed at incoming drones to interfere and disrupt their signals, while nets can be thrown around drones to ensnare them as they get close.
Both sides use fibre-optic aerial drones connected to their pilots by fine thread which cannot be jammed electronically. Fibre-optic drones typically operate with a range of 10 km to 20 km, but some can go as far as 40 km (25 miles).
A third report, dated December 2025 and written by a Russian major, described drone training for Russian personnel at Yibin's PLA Training Centre for Military Aviation, first brigade. The course centred around multimedia presentations and involved the use of flight simulators, training to use several types of FPV drone and two other types of drone, it said.
A fourth report described a course in November, 2025 at the Nanjing University of Military Engineering of the PLA Infantry. The training covered explosives technology, mine construction, demining as well as the removal of unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices.
This report included photographs of Russian soldiers in uniform being taught by Chinese instructors in military uniform. The images also showed Russian soldiers being shown engineering equipment and how to sweep for mines.
(Additional reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Mike Collett-White and David Clarke)
It was obviously a disaster for the Pac-12 Conference that the league splintered and watched USC leave. The Trojans left for the Big Ten, as did UCLA, Oregon and Washington from the West Coast. The Arizona schools left for the Big 12. So did Utah and Colorado. Cal and Stanford left for the ACC.Now USA TODAY Sports has detailson the extent to which the Pac-12's collapse crushed conference revenue.
"The numbers in it are jarring but also a reminder that this is a league that is building back up soon withseven incoming full members in 2026. The tax return was obtained from the league by USA TODAY Sports for fiscal year 2025, which runs from July 2024 through June 2025, a year in which Oregon State and Washington State were the Pac-12’s only members. Here is what it shows:
"Revenue collapsed from $566.6 million in fiscal 2024 to $111.5 million in fiscal 2025. This is primarily because there was a drastic reduction in television companies wanting to pay for their games. The league’s television rights fees went down to $3 million from $381 million in the previous fiscal year, when the Pac-12 still had 12 members. Oregon State and Washington State football games in 2024 were televised byThe CW Network and Fox Sports. The depleted revenue stream also led to a deficit of $21.7 million after $133.2 million in expenses.
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“'FY25 is the first of two build-up years ahead of the Pac-12’s launch as a new conference beginning with the 2026-27 season,' the league said in a news release May 15. That’s when the league will add Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State."
The Pac-12 could have played its cards differently ... but it didn't. The costs can now be seen in full.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire:Pac-12 Conference revenue cratered after major realignment exodus
The countdown to the2026 World Cupis on! Each day ahead of the tournament’s return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world’s biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year’s global event.
Uzbekistan secured qualification to the 2026 World Cup last June. Despite the achievement for the central Asian nation, the Uzbekistan Football Association sought a manager with more international experience.
National team hero Timur Kapadze had led the country to the tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, but the goal is to do more than just show up.
Joachim Löw, the man who led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title, and Paulo Bento, who managed Portugal and South Korea, were linked to the job. Neither ended up coming on board, resulting in theUzbekistan turning to Fabio Cannavaro.
Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournament
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The 52-year-old Italian had a distinguished playing career, suiting up for clubs including Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid, among others. He also captained Italy to the 2006 World Cup title and made 136 appearances for his country. His exploits on the field earned him the 2006 Ballon d'Or.
After retiring, Cannavaro took on the job of manager working in the Middle East, China, Italy and Croatia before Uzbekistan got in touch last fall. In six matches in charge, the “White Wolves” have two wins, two draws and two defeats under Cannavaro.
Uzbekistan will finish World Cup preparations with friendly’s against Canada and the Netherlands before heading into battle against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal, DR Congo and Colombia in group play.
As the excitement builds ahead of the country’s first World Cup experience, Cannavaro hopes fans set realistic expectations as he knows how difficult of a competition it is.
“They are expecting great results from us, some even expect us to win the title. But this is our first World Cup,”Cannavaro said. “Therefore, we should not put excessive pressure on the players. The most important thing is to enjoy this tournament. I believe the players will give their all for our people and the honor of the Motherland.”
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