His sudden death prompted an immediate outpouring of grief. The world had lost more than just a great athlete and competitor. We’d lost a bit of ourselves. For the millions of fans who watched a young Bryant come up the ranks from high school through adulthood and his NBA retirement, he was Michael Jordan and Julius Erving in one body. As the cameras locked all day Sunday on the entrance of the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, fans wandered around in utter shock....

Well, this year, an injury-plagued one for Bryant, will be the first time we won't see the Lakers star take the court since 1997, which was only his second year in the league. Bryant is now in his 18th NBA season. Over the course of 16 seasons with a Christmas Day game, Bryant has made many memories, with his 2004 matchup with Shaquille O'Neal's Miami Heat sort of setting forth the craze that surrounds the matchups to this day....

Leaders of the network built by the billionaire Koch family said that while they don’t necessarily support the concepts believed to align with the race theory, they oppose government bans that could stifle free expression. “Using government to ban ideas, even those we disagree with, is also counter to core American principles—the principles that help drive social progress,” said Evan Feinberg, executive director of the Koch-affiliated Stand Together Foundation....

Davies and fellow youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin were both handed their first starts of the season by Koeman in Everton’s 3-0 victory over Southampton, becoming the first teenage duo to start in a Premier League fixture this term. Calvert-Lewin went off injured early on, but Davies impressed in central midfield, providing the assist for Romelu Lukaku’s 89th-minute strike. Koeman was encouraged by the performance of the 18-year-old, who made his Everton debut against the Dutchman’s Southampton side last season....

Everton were comprehensively beaten 4-0 by United at Old Trafford on Sunday, a result which condemned Koeman’s side to a fourth successive defeat in all competitions. Toffees 8/11 to beat Bournemouth Five of Everton’s close-season signings started the defeat, with one more – Sandro Ramirez – making an appearance from the bench in the second half. Their transfer dealings are estimated to be in excess of £140m, a fact that led Mourinho to suggest in his programme notes that Everton should be looking to finish in the top four....

This mutation is believed to develop as a result of genetic alterations that occur in the body due to smoking. The KRAS G12C gene abnormality induces growth and proliferation of cancer. Research shows that having a KRAS G12C mutation with NSCLC is associated with a worse cancer prognosis and a reduced response to certain chemotherapeutic medications that are used for treating the disease. For some people who have NSCLC, identifying the KRAS G12C mutation helps guide cancer treatment....

Derek Fisher’s team lost for the sixth time in its last seven games to fall a season-worst five games under .500. Worse yet, the Knicks dropped to 3 1/2 games out of eighth place in the rejuvenated East. This year, in a twist, it’s looking as though teams in the East will need to be above .500 to make the playoffs. MORE: Ranking every All-Star, from Curry to Kobe | NBA scout on top rookies...

Then she dropped the hammer. Her father, Mark Anthony Urquiza, had faith in President Donald Trump, she said. He voted for Trump and listened to him about how the coronavirus was under control and going to disappear, and that it was OK to end social distancing rules. After a night of karaoke, he got sick weeks later, suffered from COVID-19 for five “agonizing days” and died alone in an ICU with a nurse holding his hand....

The truth is, though, that the mystical life of the Shaolin Temple disappeared long ago. But the fantasy is very much for sale. Each year more than 1 million Chinese (and some Western) tourists visit the temple nestled in the mountains of Henan province in central China, about 800 kilometers south of Beijing. They gape in wonder at gravity-defying kung fu performances; they buy swords, figurines and Bruce Lee DVDs at the temple store; and they touch the stone where, nearly 1,500 years ago, the founder of Chan Buddhism and Shaolin kung fu left his shadow after nine years of intense meditation in a cave....

The third day of testimony follows two days from last month, when Driscoll and the Stewart-Haas Racing driver testified about what happened in his motorhome Sept. 26 at Dover International Speedway. MORE: Police investigation complete | Busch-Driscoll relationship at center of hearing | Busch among most intriguing drivers Driscoll claims that Busch put her hands on her neck and smashed her head against the motorhome wall. Busch claims he cupped her face trying to diffuse a situation where he had repeatedly asked her to leave....

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver posted the top speed in practice Friday. He turned a lap of 180.353 mph in preparation for Sunday’s GoBowling.com 400. MORE: Junior and fantasy football | Mark Martin done driving | Hamlin safety issue | The Hendrick way Brad Keselowski, who led the most laps on his way to a second-place finish in June, was second at 180.155 mph. Keselowski’s Penske teammate Joey Logano was third, followed by Kyle Larson and Clint Bowyer....

He says he tested positive because of an “energy drink” that he has used since high school. MORE: Images | CNN tells Jameis Winston to pound sand | Eagles locker room questions Murray’s effort “It’s my fault. … I’ve never been in any trouble or anything,” Alexander said via the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s very disappointing. I’m really disappointed in myself. All they kept saying is if you’re about to drink something, ask somebody first....

German tabloid newspaper Bild reported on Friday that there had been “heavy fighting in the northern districts of Kyiv.” “So far I’ve only seen Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicles, but there seem to be Russian paratroopers,” tweeted Bild correspondent Julian Röpcke. A freelance journalist in Kyiv, Neil Hauer, posted a tweet saying Russian special forces had penetrated the city center and there were reports of fighting near the country’s parliament, the Rada....

In a video message to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country’s air defenses downed all 13 Russian Shahed “kamikaze” drones that targeted the Kyiv region and capital on Wednesday. “The terrorists began this morning with 13 Shaheds. According to preliminary information, all 13 drones were shot down by our air defence systems. Well done. I’m proud,” he said. “Dear citizens, we thank the air defense and do not forget about the sirens,” the president said....

They started things off right by blocking Miami’s 41-yard field goal attempt and running it back for a quick six. MORE: Week 15’s must-see photos | C.J. Mosley mourns Jakell Mitchell’s death | Could Stanton return for playoffs? Kyle Arrington was the one to scoop it up for the 62-yard return. Unfortunately, he didn’t stick the landing on his end zone flip.

Gibbs spoke to NASCAR media members ahead of Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Atlanta and updated an update on Busch, who was injured at Daytona. MORE: Cold, wet Atlanta worries | Good memories for Gordon | Kahne will test Logano Busch is recovering from a broken right left and broken left foot. Those injuries are likely to cost him months, not weeks. So, how long will he be out of the car?...

Busch reveled and Gibbs confirmed on Thursday a contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed, and Busch would only admit the deal covers multiple years. MORE: Championship contenders | Race winner seldom claims Cup | Rainy weekend ahead Busch will drive in Sunday’s championship race at Homestead-Miami. He joined the Gibbs team in 2008. Earlier this week, the Gibbs team closed on an extended sponsorship arrangement with candy marker Mars Inc....

That’s because Kyle Field’s bathrooms didn’t work after a water outage forced anyone who needed to use the bathroom to leave the stadium and use relieve themselves at one of the nearby buildings. No, we’re being serious. MORE: Week 5 college football highlights, scores What makes this even more hilarious unbelievable is the fact this stadium recently underwent a $400 million renovation — and yet, here we are. The issue, of course, was related to the stadium’s plumbing infrastructure....

Larson, whose Cup career was launched thanks to his success in sprint cars, will compete in three dirt-track events in November and January during the NASCAR offseason. MORE: Kurt Busch investigated for domestic assault | Allegations by ex-girlfriend | Harvick doesn’t regret shove NASCAR drivers have been involved in two tragedies and three bad crashes in sprint-car races in the past two years. Larson will be the first full-time Sprint Cup driver to compete in a sprint-car since Tony Stewart competed Aug....