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More:South Dakota Commission raises new flag for America's 250th

Beginning May 1, customers at Hy‑Vee stores, which includes Sioux Falls,Harrisburg and Tea,can participate in theHy-Vee Homefront Round Upby choosing to round their purchases to the nearest dollar to support organizations serving veterans, active-duty service members and their families, which include TheAmerican Red Cross,Honor Flight Network,Hope for the Warriors,Operation First Responseand thePuppy Jake Foundation.

Hy‑Vee will also match customer donations up to $100,000, as in years past. In November 2024, Hy-Vee shoppers raised more than $200K in honor of Veterans Day. The total donation amount from all stores iscurrently $3,887,195.

Another initiative throughout the month of May is that veterans and active‑duty personnel will also be treated to free weekly coffee from 6 to 10 a.m. every Wednesday at Hy‑Vee locations with hot food service.

More:Hy-Vee coming to Tea, Harrisburg in former Dollar Fresh stores

From 6 to 10 a.m. on May 20, those same stores will host a free buffet‑style breakfast for veterans and active-duty service members, which will include items such as eggs, biscuits and gravy, hashbrowns and other items as a gesture of appreciation.

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In late May, Hy‑Vee will partner with theUnited Service Organizations(USO), one of the nation’s leading organizations serving active U.S military men and women and their families, to distribute 5,000hygiene and care package kitsto deploying and active‑duty service members across the Midwest. The USO hassupported military communities since 1941, and operates more than 260 locations worldwide, providing programs ranging from care‑package delivery to family support services.

These efforts build on the long‑standing mission of Hy‑Vee Homefront, established in 2013 to strengthen support for veterans and military families. The program has contributed more than $3.8 million to veteran‑serving nonprofits, according to aHy-Vee press release, and is known for its annual Veterans Day Breakfast in November, Honor Flight funding and employee benefits for veterans and active‑duty service members.

More:Two South Dakota cities are among the best for veterans, a new report says

“At Hy-Vee, we are a company built on a commitment to doing what is right,” theHy-Vee Homefront webpage states. “We're proud to be supporters of these American heroes. But as a company that cares deeply about the communities and people we serve, we know that we can do more. That's the mission of Hy-Vee Homefront.”

Vanessa Carlson Bender is the Development and Public Health Reporter at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Reach her atvbender@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader:Hy-Vee celebrates America 250 with expanded veteran support

"What you're seeing is the side effects of extensive radiation that I went through for carcinoma in my throat," the St. Clair Shores native said in the video.

"I haven't been able to eat solid food in months. And so I've lost 45 pounds, that's what you're seeing, and it's affected my ability to speak. Some of you said I sound differently, so yeah, you're right on with what you're seeing and what you're hearing."

Coulier, 66, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a year and a half ago and underwent chemotherapy treatment.

Thenin Decemberhe revealed he was undergoing treatment for tongue cancer, but he said the prognosis looks good for both the carcinoma and his lymphoma.

"We're very pleased with all of that," Coulier said.

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The actor said he's been away from social media and has been spending his time creating artwork and doing creative writing, and has been working on creative materials for his store for non-toxic products,AwearMarket.

"Be on the lookout," Coulier said, signing off by saying, "I wish good health to all of you."

Coulier starred on "Full House" as Joey Gladstone for eight seasons from 1987 to 1995.

Last month, he appeared at the pop culture convention Astronomicon in Ypsilanti.

agraham@detroitnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News:Dave Coulier reveals 45 pound weight loss, voice change in new video

Hunter Patterson: J.B. on Cade’s defensive effort: “He’s not a one dimensional or one-way player.I think he’s one of the top 10 two-way players in our league. You look at his steals, the moments where he gets big blocks for us.… He runs from nothing, and he’s done it all year for us.”

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype:JB Bickerstaff on Cade Cunningham: 'He's one of the top 10 two-way players in our league'

Black Bear Sports Group purchased Kensington Valley Ice House in Brighton Township in February 2024 — becoming Biggby Coffee Ice Cube Brighton. The company promised equipment and building upgrades, more tournaments and "first class" service.

What was uncovered by USA TODAY?

USA TODAY found the result of Black Bear's takeover includes higher prices, fewer choices and growing concern from legal experts that one company is consolidating power over a sport long rooted in local nonprofits, turning youth hockey into a pay-to-play pipeline where families must spend hundreds more each year or risk being shut out.

The newspaper's reporting — based on interviews with more than 80 parents, players, coaches, rink operators and current and former employees, along with thousands of pages of records — found the company's business model is reshaping youth hockey from a network of community-based nonprofits into a vertically integrated, for-profit system with fewer checks on how money flows.

Those changes are also raising deeper questions: whether nonprofit teams are being used to feed private businesses, whether families are being forced into buying bundled services they don’t want, and whether one company now has outsized control over who gets access to the sport and at what price.

“We’re all paying so much money, and each year, they take away more and more,” said Stephanie Kurzweil, a hockey parent who, in 2023, paid $4,600 for her nine-year-old son’s spot on a team owned by Black Bear in New Jersey. That doesn’t include hundreds more for hotels, travel, uniforms, equipment and a tryout fee.

Black Bear, in less than a decade, has grown into the single largest owner-operator of ice rinks in the country, with 47 facilities across 11 states. The business owns not only rinks but hundreds of youth teams inside them; the leagues, tournaments and showcases they compete in; even the streaming software parents use to watch their children’s games — and it bills families separately for each.

Gunty defended his company in a 90-minute interview with USA TODAY, dismissing many criticisms as coming from a vocal minority of customers. He said Black Bear has saved struggling ice rinks, grown participation in the sport faster than the national average and made hockey more fun and accessible. To be sure, many rinks were in dire financial straits when Black Bear purchased them and might not have stayed open otherwise.

“I just hope everybody knows that I come from a really good place in trying to deliver a great experience for our families,” said Gunty, who frequently answered questions by pivoting to his company's accomplishments. His relaxed, friendly demeanor contrasted at times with that of his crisis communications consultant, Evan Nierman, who sat nearby.

“I believe that the vast majority of our customers love our coaches. They love what we’re doing in our buildings. They love the people they associate with,” Gunty said. “If they don’t like what we’re doing, they can leave.”

Gunty demonstrated a pattern of unethical business practices over a private-equity career spanning three decades, USA TODAY’s investigation found. His and his companies' alleged conflicts of interest, self-dealing and refusal to cooperate with a government recall of dangerous cribs prompted two federal agencies to rebuke him and his companies. The findings call into question the extent to which Black Bear's leaders have prioritized profits over children's and families' interests.

The Michigan Attorney General's Office, in fact, recentlylaunched an investigationinto potential anticompetitive business practices in youth hockey, with a focus on Black Bear. AG spokesperson Danny Wimmer said the department is "looking into this matter out of concern for the risk of consumer harm — including higher prices and reduced service quality — that can arise from diminished access to community and recreational services."

In an emailed statement addressing the state investigation, Nierman pointed to Black Bear's ownership of less than 10% of rinks in Michigan, ice rental contracts with third parties, and participation growth as evidence that families have choices and are choosing Black Bear.

Days after USA TODAY asked to interview him, Gunty announced his resignation as CEO of Black Bear, citing health and family reasons. His investment firm, however, remains in charge, and the brand's new CEO — Kevin Kuby — is an executive from Blackstreet.

Why are so many ice rinks owned by Black Bear?

Over four short years, Black Bear purchased 14 rinks in Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut — in most cases for less than $5 million each, according to county property records.

When the pandemic shuttered in-person events across the country, crippling the ice rink industry, Black Bear’s acquisition pace accelerated. It scooped up 33 more rinks over the next six years, more than doubling the company's footprint.

Some rinks were deep in debt or in foreclosure. Others were profitable businesses in established hockey markets. Many rink operators were more than willing to sell.

Across a total of 25 years, no one had ever offered to purchase Mark Schaffer’s two ice rinks in southeast Michigan, he told USA TODAY. So, when Gunty called in 2023, he listened.

Even in a hockey hotbed, running an ice rink was difficult work — a largely seasonal business with high energy, maintenance, labor, tax and insurance costs. Schaffer wasn't sure another buyer would come along.

He wondered how a Maryland company would fare managing the daily demands of ice rinks in Michigan, but he didn’t ask many questions during a 20-minute meeting — nor did Gunty.

“I had a feeling it probably wasn’t going to go well,” Schaffer said.

Schaffer sold one of his two rinks, Kensington Valley Ice House of Brighton, to Black Bear in February 2024. The deed doesn’t list the sales price, but an affiliate of Black Bear took out a $12.6 million mortgage on that property and three others in Michigan in 2025.

Soon after taking over, Black Bear raised hourly ice rates for the Kensington Valley Hockey Association, a youth nonprofit that's rented ice time for years, from $320 to $370 an hour — according to board member Caryn Michalak.

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Black Bear threatened to raise that price even higher, she said, unless the association agreed to switch to the brand's official apparel provider, from which the company receives kickbacks. Black Bear — which denied making such a threat — also required the association to affix the logo of corporate sponsor Biggby Coffee to players’ jerseys.

Despite the nonprofit spending $925,000 on ice rental in 2025-26, conditions at the rink deteriorated under Black Bear, according to Michalak, who briefly worked at the rink after the purchase. In addition to frequent plumbing and electricity issues, she said, the building didn't have heat for several months during the wintertime, leaving families freezing during their children's games and practices.

In February 2026, Black Bear offered to purchase the association's teams for $1, according to a copy of the proposal reviewed by USA TODAY. If the board doesn’t accept, Michalak fears the company will kick the nonprofit’s teams out.

“We push all their programs, we put their names on their jerseys, and it still isn’t enough,” she said.

Gunty told USA TODAY that Black Bear won't boot the association’s teams from the rink, adding his company tries to raise prices in line with the nationwide inflation rate — 2.7% in 2025 — but that many rising costs, such as utilities and insurance, are beyond the business' control. He said he believes heating issues were fixed within weeks, not months.

“I felt terrible, and we tried to jump on it as quickly as we could,” he said. “We feel bad that people were cold in that rink, but that problem has been resolved.”

Schaffer said he regrets selling to Black Bear.

“Unfortunately,” Schaffer said, “I think parents and kids are paying the price.”

'They see dollar signs'

What concerns antitrust experts about Black Bear isn’t so much the consolidation of ice rinks — it’s the way the company has used its dominance in the rink market to gain an unfair advantage in other markets critical to the sport’s infrastructure.

As the company bought rinks, it also took control of many of the teams inside them. Some, it purchased outright. In other cases, longstanding local organizations were squeezed out and replaced with in-house, for-profit teams.

Once it controlled enough teams, Black Bear withdrew players from many of the community-based leagues they'd long competed in and started for-profit leagues. The depleted competition in the old leagues led other teams to follow suit.

Black Bear also started Defender Hockey Tournaments, whose events take place almost exclusively at company-owned rinks. As is increasingly standard practice across youth sports, tournaments under Defender have strict “stay-to-play” rules, which require participants who live more than 60 or 75 miles from the host rinks to book rooms at designated hotels from which the company receives kickbacks. Those who flout the rules face disqualification from the events without a refund, according to a hotel policy.

Family members who don’t wish to travel can pay extra to watch their children play through Black Bear’s proprietary live streaming service, Black Bear TV. The price is $14.99 per game or up to $320 for an annual subscription, plus additional fees to stream junior league games.

A behemoth three-day tournament in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in January 2026 reflected the company’s enormous influence over the sport in the region. Black Bear runs the tournament company, all six rinks that hosted games and 76 of the 114 participating teams.

“It just feels like Black Bear is slowly becoming a monopoly,” said Chris Boughman, whose son's team played in the tournament. “It shouldn’t be at the expense of kids.”

The costs aren’t purely financial. The demanding schedules in Black Bear leagues — roughly 50 games over six months — force players to specialize at a young age, which medical experts say contributes to overuse injuries and burnout. Boughman’s son used to play football as a quarterback, he said, but quit to focus on hockey.

Gunty insists Black Bear is not a monopoly. He said the company only buys rinks in areas where there are competing rinks within a 30-minute drive and reinvests "almost all" profits back into the business.

“We are a small piece of the overall hockey market in the United States,” Gunty said. “We are required every single year to deliver a great product to our customers, and we have been fortunate that we're growing in states where hockey is declining.”

The hallmark of a monopoly is a company’s ability to raise prices without losing many customers. That’s exactly what Black Bear did in 2025.

Between seasons, Black Bear raised prices for 142 of 209 in-house teams whose prices were listed online. The hikes, usually increases of $100 to $400 per player for a full season, were highest for some of the company's youngest clients: 9- to 12-year-olds.

All those costs add up for families like Dan Keel’s. He said he paid close to $5,000 in tuition alone for his eight-year-old son’s season with the Mercer Chiefs — plus hundreds more for travel, hotels, equipment, league fees and Black Bear TV.

“They don’t care about the kids and their development,” Keel said. “They see dollar signs.”

Kenny Jacoby is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY who uncovers issues in sports, higher education and law enforcement. Contact him by email atkjacoby@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:USA TODAY investigates new owner of Kensington Ice House in Brighton

After hisCleveland Cavalierslost to theDetroit Pistonsin Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal, on Tuesday, May 5, he complained to reporters that the referees werebig ol’ meanies– they weren’t calling enough fouls.

Jackson – the Hall of Fame coach of the LA Lakers andChicago Bullswhose coaching skills are perhaps matched only by his public relations talent – once lobbied the refs during a playoff series against the Pistons, too.

He just took it a step – or 10 – further and told the media the Pistons werebad for the game.

Ugly, even.Graceless bullies.

Mitchell wouldn’t go that far and seemed to undermine himself when he said Tuesday's free throw disparity wasn’t the reason his team lost. But hewasfrustrated; he politely lobbied for more calls.

MITCH ALBOM:Cade Cunningham puts the icing on Pistons' Game 2 cake

On Thursday, his plea worked ... sort of.

Cleveland got to the line more in Game 2 and, more importantly for the Cavs, more than Detroit did. That it didn’t matter inthe Pistons' 107-97 win at Little Caesars Arenashould send a shudder through the Cavaliers as they head back home. They can shoot more free throws. They can take more overall shots. They can win the possession battle.

They can still lose.

They did, as a matter of fact, on Thursday, in similar fashion to Game 1: They fell behind early, trailed at the half, rallied, got in the game in the fourth ... and fell apart in the high-leverage moments. They’ll tell themselves they wereright there.

Good for them.

But really, they should tell themselves they’re getting out-toughed and out-muscled, and that if they’re taking to post-game talks with the media to try to win the game, they’re already losing the battle.

YOUTH MOVEMENT:J.B. Bickerstaff's growth-first approach is winning playoff games for Pistons

Besides, these Cavaliers – and Mitchell, especially – have neither the stomach nor the haughty countenance to go all in when trying to denigrate the Pistons. Nor, for that matter, do they have the personnel to attack the rim with enough vigor.

Superstar guard James Harden, savvy though he still is, plays at half his old speed and struggles to get byDuncan Robinson(with apologies for the emphasis there).

And when the Pistons' Ausar Thompson or Cade Cunningham have guarded Harden?

It has been, well, unusually cruel.

Those matchups should also be a reminder of who these Cavaliers are. They may yet come back and win this series. But it’d be surprising at this point, even though so many consider Cleveland’s roster to be superior.

The fouls don't matter

Part of that is the NBA's natural bias toward offense – folks putting the ball in the basket remains the principal goal.

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And yetkeepingfolks from putting the ball in the basket seems pretty important, too, and on that front, the talent comparison tilts toward Detroit.

Mitchell no doubt figured he’d try to leverage that bias when he complained about officiating Tuesday. He understands what he and his teammates are up against. Well, unless he was the one whotold a reporter who covers the Cavs that the Pistons weren’t in their class, and hubris has kept him from understanding what the Pistons truly bring.

But I doubt it. Besides, the wholenot-in-our-classvibe doesn’t sound like Mitchell. And if he really thought that, then why lobby the refs?

As explosive and creative a scorer as Mitchell is, his go-to move relies more on interpretive dance than shoulder-to-sternum force; as impressive and unstoppable as his windmill-dribble-and-floater game can be, it’s rarely going to convince the refs to blow their whistle.

Mitchell probably knows this more than he’d like to let on, as he perhaps acknowledged when he told reporters this:

“I’m just not getting the calls. I don’t know why. I don’t flop, maybe that’s why,” Mitchell said Tuesday. “And this isn’t just a [tonight thing]. This has been the entire [playoffs], and it’s frustrating a little bit, but because I’m such a dynamic driver, right? But I can’t control that. So, if they’re not going to call it for me, I got to find a way to finish and do that.”

He finished more often in Game 2 than in Game 1 and finished with a game-high 31 points, mostly on those pretty windmill rip-through floaters and mid-range pullups. He shot nine free throws, too – seven more than he attempted in Game 1.

In that sense, his strategy ...worked?

Likewise, Cleveland attempted 27 free throws to Detroit’s 20, a far better ratio, from the Cavs' perspective, than Game 1's 35-16 disparity.

And yet, it didn’t matter.

It's the defense, not foul calls, that matters

Surely, that’s more frustrating than anything else. In the end, the lobbying – if it made a difference at all – helped flip the free throw attempts. But little else

That’s the easy assumption, anyway. The truth is never so black-and-white. The play on the court is where it’s revealed, and for a while Thursday night, Cleveland set better screens to free up Harden and Mitchell, and that opened more frequent paths to the paint.

But only for a while.

When those paths closed in the fourth quarter, and Harden and Mitchell were flailing and fading and avoiding contact nearly often as they sought it, the path to the free throw line dried up, too.

A long time ago, Jackson employed thework-the-refs-through-the-mediastrategy. He wanted more calls, yes, but he also meant to eviscerate the entire Bad Boys era. His effort no doubt contributed to the way those teams are remembered outside of Michigan, thanks to his Chicago Bulls getting the better of the Pistons eventually (not to mention the rest of the NBA for six out of eight years).

Yet that was mostly because he had Michael Jordan on his roster. And when you’ve got the GOAT – well,aGOAT – you get to rewrite history.

The Cavaliers have no such player, as good as Mitchell is. And ultimately, his plea proved useless.

Not because of how the game was called, but becauseit didn’t matterthat Cleveland shot more free throws. When the Pistons swarm and teleport and behave as they're all connected to the same central nervous system, there isn’t much these Cavaliers can do.

That, more than any off-the-court lament, is clear two games into this series – and no amount of postgame chatter is going to change that.

Contact Shawn Windsor:swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him@shawnwindsor.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press:Detroit Pistons won't take Cleveland Cavaliers road of whining to refs

And yes, it's clear games are won on the field, not with praise in the offseason.

How important of a factor was this in the Giants' quest to set a new tone under John Harbaugh?

Harbaugh left no doubt as far as the significance of not allowing opponents to impose their will on the ground back at the Scouting Combine in late February.

"Well, we better [be improved] - it's a must thing, I can tell you that," Harbaugh said. "There's a lot to it. There's three levels and layers to your defense, and all three layers and levels have got to be committed to and incorporated in stopping the run, no doubt. Every single one of the 11 guys has got to be committed to stopping the run. You can't let people run all over you, there's no doubt about it."

It's not like Harbaugh went out on a limb with his declaration about fixing the Giants' 31st-ranked run defense from a year ago. Then All-Pro Dexter Lawrence was traded with team brass adhering to his request for the 10th overall pick from theBengalsthat they used on offensive lineman Sisi Mauigoa, who is penciled in as the starting right guard on the opposite side of the ball.

Yet somehow, the Giants have managed to rework and reshape their defense under new coordinator Dennard Wilson, and no one is pretending the bar was set too high coming off the last two years.

Under former DC Shane Bowen, who was fired with a month left in the 2025 season, the Giants allowed 5.3 yards per carry and surrendered 2,470 total rushing yards, finishing 31st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game with 145.3 yards per contest. They also gave up 21 rushing touchdowns, the second-most in the league, and allowed 69 runs of 20+ yards.

So here's where things stand as the Giants continue through their offseason program post-NFL Draft with rookie camp on tap for this weekend:

New York Giants defensive line depth chart

• Who's here (projected starter in bold, rookies in italics):D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris,Darius Alexander, Leki Fotu, Roy Robertson-Harris, Sam Roberts, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Zacch Pickens, Elijah Chatman, Marlon Tuipulotu, Anquin Barnes(undrafted free agent), Ben Barten (undrafted free agent)

Lawrence's departure to Cincinnati put pressure on the front office and the coaches to figure out ways to replace him. It was a huge void, and while the right move was to trade one of the team's foundational pieces, his exit left a gaping hole.

How Giants newcomers D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris fit on defense

Reader has been an elite run stopper in his career, and while he is about to enter his age 32 season, there is enough quality play left in his game to believe he can be a big part of this effort. He often occupies double teams at nose tackle, and has been a part of winning in recent seasons from the Bengals' run to the Super Bowl to the last two seasons for the Lions near the top of the NFC.

Meanwhile, Harris has played an integral role in Cleveland's strong front, complementing star Myles Garrett on the interior. He's more of a three-technique and can play alongside Reader.

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Neither veteran will be a full-time, three-down player in terms of eating the number of snaps the way Lawrence did. But it's important to note that, with the rest of the talent the Giants have to deploy in their pass rush, the primary responsibility will be in getting this defense into those favorable scenarios.

An overlooked gem: Darius Alexander

There is an open spot in the starting lineup beside Reader and Harris, and Alexander should get the first chance to put his development on display. He showed well down the stretch of his rookie season and more will be expected. Check that: more will be needed, and if the Giants can get Alexander to become the caliber of player they hoped when they drafted him, he'll be an overlooked gem.

Could Roy Robertson-Harris find himself on the way out?

Another returnee in Roy Robertson-Harris was initially viewed as a potential cap casualty, but prior to the Reader and Harris additions - not to mention Fotu's arrival - he was in the starting lineup. That may longer be the case, and if Robertson-Harris finds himself fighting for a role, he might land on the wrong side of that. He could face the possibility of being forced to take a pay cut or being released if the depth around him pans out.

Auburn's Bobby Jamison-Travis, one of the Giants' three sixth-round picks, is an accomplished run stuffer who could grab a rotational role as a rookie. They also claimed Zacch Pickens off waivers from the Chiefs on Tuesday.

Impact of inside linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese

The history in Baltimore at the position during Harbaugh's 18-year tenure speaks for itself. He had All-Pros in Ray Lewis and C.J. Mosley in the middle of talented defenses. TheRavensalso had Patrick Queen, a first-round pick, and when that did not pan out to the level theRavenshoped, they went and traded for another All-Pro in Roquan Smith.

Enter Tremaine Edmunds and the somewhat surprising addition of first-round draft pick Arvell Reese.

Calling Reese solely a pass rusher during the pre-draft process led many to miss out on what his fit with the Giants will be. He's a projection in that role and putting him in that room doesn't truly represent his value. Because his comfort as an off-ball LB provides this defense another weapon and in theory strengthens the entire unit. He'll play "WILL" 'backer next to Edmunds, who was one of the Giants' big ticket newcomers on the free agent market.

The Giants have not had a pair of linebackers with this level of athleticism and length in the middle of their defense in quite some time. Micah McFadden signed a one-year prove-it deal after missing all but one game last year with a foot injury, so he should also find a role. Watch out for sixth-round rookie Jack Kelly who could put the squeeze on the rest of the depth chart, including 2024 sixth rounder Darius Muasau.

The edge group of Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Chauncey Golston represents the deepest and most talented of any on the team. Teams attacked the Giants on the edges last year, and not solely because of their outside 'backers, but the lack of awareness in the run game from the back end.

Why Colton Hood represents upgrade in run defense, too

Hood is strong and physical on the boundary, and yes, his presence in the secondary as a cover guy should show up immediately. He's also been very good in the run defense, and the biggest reason why former first-round pick Tae Banks fell out of favor initially under the previous coaching staff was his apparent unwillingness to be sound in that aspect.

The Giants are going to play the corners that prove they can contribute on early downs. There won't be any running from that responsibility under Wilson and if Harbaugh has any say in the matter, which he absolutely does.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com:NY Giants run defense overhaul fueled by John Harbaugh’s standard

Israel's new air force chief said on Tuesday that the country was prepared to deploy its entire fleet of fighter jets against Iran if necessary.

"We are closely monitoring the developments in Iran and are prepared to deploy the entire air force eastward if required," Maj. Gen. Omer Tischler said at a ceremony where he assumed command from his predecessor, Tomer Bar.

Iran vows "firm response" if ships diverge from declared corridor in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned on Tuesday that it would respond firmly to any ships that diverge from the Islamic Republic's approved route through the Strait of Hormuz.

"We warn all vessels planning to transit the Strait of Hormuz that the only safe passage is the corridor previously announced by Iran. Any diversion of ships to other routes is dangerous and will result in a firm response from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards navy," it said in a statement carried by state television.

The warning came on the second day of a U.S. effort to facilitate the transit of commercial ships through the waterway, which Iran closed in response to the U.S.-Israeli war.

Iran's Foreign Ministry insists "no hostility toward Arab countries of the Gulf," despite ongoing attacks

Iran bears "no hostility toward Arab countries of the Gulf," the country's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei insisted Tuesday, but he warned Iran's neighbors against what he called a reliance on "imported security."

In remarks to Iran's state-runIRNA news agency, Baqaei called the U.S. military presence "the only source of insecurity" in the region and said Gulf states were exposing themselves to risk rather than finding protection by allying with Washington.

He gave the statement shortly before the United Arab Emirates reported incoming Iranian missile and drone fire for a second consecutive day. Monday's attacks, which UAE authorities said included 15 Iranian missiles and numerous drones, were the first since the U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on April 8.

"Iranians never surrender under pressure," said Baqaei, insisting that all of Iran's actions were defensive, targeting U.S. military assets and bases used for operations against Iran, and not aimed at harming other regional countries.

Trump says "we don't want to go in and kill people"

President Trump said he doesn't want to send U.S. forces into Iran, calling on the Islamic Republic to "do the smart thing."

"They should do the smart thing because we don't want to go in and kill people, really," Mr. Trump told reporters during an Oval Office event. "I don't want to, I don't want to. It's too tough."

The president made the comment while talking about Iran's fragile economy, which is facing skyrocketing inflation under the strain of the war and Western sanctions.

"I hope it fails," Mr. Trump said. "You know why? Because I want to win."

Arab interior ministers condemn Iran's renewed attacks on UAE

Arab interior ministers condemned Iran's renewed attacks on the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE said Tuesday that Iran had targeted it with a missile and drone attack for a second consecutive day after Iranfired 15 missilesat the Gulf nation on Monday, wounding at least three workers.

On Tuesday, the General Secretariat of the Arab Interior Ministers Council, which consists of the 22 members of the League of Arab States, "strongly condemned renewed Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates, targeting civilian and economic sites with missiles and drones," according to Sana, theSyrian state news agency.

Trump says Iran will be on agenda during China visit

President Trump said the Iran war will be on the agenda when he meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next week.

"I'll be talking about that, that'll be one subject," Mr. Trump said. "But, he's been very nice about this."

The president reiterated his offer for China, which relies on oil from the Middle East, to send tankers to Alaska, Louisiana and Texas instead.

Trump says Iran knows "what not to do" during ceasefire

President Trump was asked during an Oval Office event what action by Iran would be considered a violation of the ceasefire after the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire Monday.

"You'll find out because I'll let you know," Mr. Trump told reporters. "They know what to do, and they know what not to do more importantly, actually."

Trump says Iran doesn't like "playing games" with U.S.

President Trump briefly addressed the Iran war at the beginning of an Oval Office event after complimenting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was standing near the president.

Mr. Trump said Hegseth gave a "great news conference" with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"They don't like playing games with us," Mr. Trump said, referring to Iran. "They don't like it at all. You'll see that. As time goes by, you're going to see it. I think you've already seen it. We basically wiped out their military in about two weeks."

UAE reports new "missile and drone attacks originating from Iran"

"The UAE's air defenses are currently dealing with missile and drone attacks originating from Iran," the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense said Tuesday in a social media post.

Iran launched 15 missiles at the UAE on Monday, in the first such attacks since a U.S.-Iran ceasefire came into effect on April 8. Tension between Washington and Iran soared again on Monday as the U.S. began a new military operation, dubbed Project Freedom, to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz in defiance of Iranian threats to the vital waterway.

In addition to the attacks on the UAE, which caused a fire at the sprawling Fujairah industrial complex and wounded at least three workers, Iran also renewed attacks on commercial vessels Monday, targeting at least two ships with drones and disabling one.

UAE air defenses were "actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats" again on Tuesday, the defense ministry said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegesth said Tuesday that, despite the renewed violence, "right now, the ceasefire certainly holds," but he warned the Trump administration was closely monitoring Tehran's actions, and that the military remained poised "to restart major combat operations if necessary."

CENTCOM says 51 vessels "directed to turn around or return to port" by U.S. blockade

The U.S. military's Central Command said in asocial media postthat 51 vessels "have been directed to turn around or return to port" as of Tuesday under the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and Iran-linked vessels.

Iran has blasted the blockade as a violation of the ceasefire with the U.S., and the Islamic Republic regime insists it controls maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to attack ships that try to transit the narrow waterway, with or without U.S. military assistance.

On Monday, as the first two commercial vessels were escorted through the strait with U.S. protection under Project Freedom, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones at the vessels. President Trump said seven or eight small Iranian military boats were destroyed in the encounter.

Iran claims some tankers loaded with its energy products are getting through the strait to reach customers in Asia, but the Pentagon insists no Iranian or sanctioned vessel has made it through the blockade.

Germany sends minesweeping ship to Mediterranean ahead of possible mission to help clear Strait of Hormuz

Germany is sending a minesweeping vessel from its navy to the Mediterranean, ready for potential participation in a future effort to clear the Strait of Hormuz, theDer Spiegelnews magazine says, citing the country's Defense Ministry.

The Fulda left the Kiel-Wik naval base Monday, breaking off a previous deployment as part of a NATO mission.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stressed that repositioning the ship would save time if a decision was made by the government to join an international effort to clear the Middle Eastern waterway, but that any such deployment remained contingent on an end to hostilities between Iran and the U.S. and Israel.

France and the U.K. have led efforts to build a coalition of nations willing to help ensure the strait remains safe and passable after the war, amid sharp criticism from President Trump at all NATO allies for declining to join offensive efforts against Iran.

Lebanese president says army should be "sole authority for security" in long-time Hezbollah stronghold

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said Tuesday that the country's army should be the "sole authority for security" in the south of the country, where Iranian-backed Hezbollah has long had a major presence.

Hezbollah has criticized the ceasefire agreed to by the Israeli and Lebanese governments in mid-April, with one lawmaker from the group last week calling it "appeasement."

Both Hezbollah and the Israeli military have launched regular attacks since the U.S.-brokered truce began, both claiming to act in self-defense and accusing the other side of breaching the deal.

During a meeting Tuesday with local leaders from southern Lebanon, which has been a base of Hezbollah's operations for decades as it fired rockets at northern Israel, Aoun said "when the south is exhausted, the whole of Lebanon is affected. It is time for the south… to rest."

"The negotiation path is the only option left after other solutions, including war, have been exhausted," he said in a statement posted onX. "It is time for [the army] to return fully and assume its responsibilities as the sole authority for security there."

"Those attempting to stir sectarian or religious strife will not succeed, because civil peace is a red line," he said, in an apparent reference to Hezbollah.

Hegseth says U.S. military is "locked, loaded and ready to go" if necessary as clashes test ceasefire

As the U.S.-Iran ceasefire continues, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said President Trump "retains the opportunity and the capabilities — more capabilities than we had at the start of this — to restart major combat operations if necessary."

"If Iran is not willing to follow through on its side of the bargain or make a deal, then the War Department is postured, locked, loaded and ready to go," he said.

"We hope it doesn't have to go in that direction," Hegseth added, but he said U.S. forces were "in a three-point stance and ready to go."

U.S. renews call for citizens to "depart now" as Iraq reopens airspace for limited commercial flights

Iraq has reopened its airspace with limited commercial flights available, the U.S. Embassy in Iraq said Tuesday, reminding Americans of standing guidance for anyone considering air travel within Iraq to "be aware of the ongoing potential risks posed by missiles, drones, and rocket-propelled grenades in Iraqi airspace."

In a post onX, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad also reiterated the standing guidance to not travel to Iraq for any reason and for citizens to "Depart now if you are there."

"Iraq's Iran-aligned terrorist militias continue to plan additional attacks against American citizens and U.S.-associated targets throughout Iraq," the embassy said. "Additionally, certain entities affiliated with the Iraqi government continue to provide political, financial, and operational cover for these terrorist militias."

Hegseth says "right now, the ceasefire certainly holds"

Secretary of Defense PeteHegseth told reporters Tuesday that "the ceasefire is not over"with Iran, calling the Project Freedom operation to guide commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz "a separate and distinct project."

"We expected there would be some churn at the beginning, which happened, and we said we would defend and defend aggressively and we absolutely have," he said, referring to a violent encounter between the U.S. and Iran on Monday during the first Project Freedom operation to guide two commercial vessels through the strait.

Hegseth said "Iran knows" the U.S. military is resolved to continue with Project Freedom, "and ultimately the president's going to make a decision whether anything were to escalate into a violation of a ceasefire. But certainly we would urge Iran to be prudent in the actions that they take to keep that underneath this threshold."

The defense secretary said "right now, the ceasefire certainly holds." But he noted that "we're going to be watching very, very closely."

Caine says clashes with Iran so far "below the threshold of restarting major combat operations"

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, speaking at the briefing alongside Hegseth, said beyond the operation in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. forces "remain ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if ordered to do so."

"No adversary should mistake our current restraint with a lack of resolve," he added.

Caine outlined that on Sunday, CENTCOM initiated Project Freedom at the president's direction, "with the objective of facilitating the safe passage of international, commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz."

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He said guided missile destroyers and warships are "detecting and defeating Iranian threats," while more than 100 aircraft are in the air providing defensive overwatch. He said the forces are made up of over 15,000 American service members.

"Commercial vessels that transit through the area will see, hear and frankly feel U.S. combat around them — on the sea, in the skies and on the radio," Caine said.

Caine said Iran had attacked U.S. forces "more than 10 times" since President Trump first announced the ongoing ceasefire on April 8, but said that fell "below the threshold of restarting major combat operations."

"Since the ceasefire was announced, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships," Caine said. "And they've attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times, all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point."

Hegseth says Project Freedom not part of wider war effort, "and temporary in duration"

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday defined Project Freedom, a day-old U.S. military operation to assist commercial vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf to get out via the Strait of Hormuz, as completely separate from hostilities with Iran that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on the country on Feb. 28.

"This operation is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury. Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope, and temporary in duration, with one mission: protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression," Hegseth said at a press briefing.

Hegseth said American forces would not need to enter Iranian waters or airspace for Project Freedom, adding: "We're not looking for a fight."

"But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway," he said, calling Iran the "clear aggressor," and accusing the Islamic Republic regime of "weaponizing a critical chokepoint for its own financial benefit."

"Iran's plan, a form of international extortion, is unacceptable," Hegseth said. "That ends with Project Freedom."

Hegseth said U.S. warships and aircraft assisting two commercial vessels to transit the strait on Monday showed "the lane is clear."

He said U.S. Central Command was actively communicating with hundreds of ships from around the world that "want to get out of the Iranian trap that they have been stuck inside."

"We'd prefer this to be a peaceful operation, but are locked and loaded to defend our people, our ships, our aircraft and this mission without gestation," he said. "To Iran: Let innocent ships pass freely. These international waters belong to all nations, not to Iran to tax, toll for control."

Iranian news agency claims U.S.-flagged commercial ships stuck in shallow, rocky area off Oman

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, which is associated with the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claimed Tuesday that two U.S.-flagged commercial vessels had become stranded off Oman's coast in shallow, rocky waters near the southern entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

The report came a day after the U.S. military said warships and aircraft hadassisted two U.S.-flagged ships in transiting the straitas part of the newly launched Project Freedom.

Danish shipping giant Maersk confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday that one of the ships guided out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, under U.S. military protection, was the cargo ship ALLIANCE FAIRFAX.

Maersk did not give a precise location for the vessel but said it had "exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by U.S. military assets" on Monday and that the company "looks forward to the ALLIANCE FAIRFAX returning to its normal commercial service."

Under Project Freedom, the U.S. military has urged vessels to coordinate passage through the strait via a southerly route, skirting Oman's coast, rather than the normal route through the middle of the waterway, where there are believed to be sea mines. Iranian authorities previously told ships to use a northern path, but only after gaining explicit permission from the Islamic Republic's military.

Fars claimed the southern section of the strait, near Oman's Musandam Peninsula and the Al Kheil islands, is unsuitable for maritime passage due to shallow waters and rocky terrain.

According to theStrauss Center for International Security and Law, however, the strait "is deep and relatively free of maritime hazards," and is actually deepest "near the Musandam Peninsula and tapers as you move north toward the Iranian shore."

According to the Strauss Center, which is affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin, the water is "deep enough for large ships to travel through an Inshore Traffic Zone south of the Omani island of Didimar. Depths in this area reach over 650 feet, but the Omani government restricts access to this area to smaller vessels in normal, peacetime situations."

Senior Iranian commander predicts U.S. "will ultimately be defeated," as Trump again says U.S. has already won

A high-ranking commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned Tuesday that any further "escalation of tensions between Iran and the U.S." would bring a "much more severe" outcome for the U.S., which he said "will ultimately be defeated," despite the Iran's military being vastly outgunned.

President Trump downplayed a clash between U.S. warships and Iranian forces on Monday during which American ships and aircraft destroyed seven Iranian fast boats. Speaking later in the day with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Mr. Trump renewed his assertion that the U.S., "from the military standpoint," has already won the war, saying all of Iran's navy ships were "at the bottom of the sea."

Nonetheless, Major General Yadollah Javani, deputy IRGC commander for political affairs, said Tuesday that if there was further escalation between Iran and the U.S., the fallout "will be much more severe for the latter."

"The U.S. will flex its muscles, but will ultimately be defeated," he claimed in remarks carried by Iran's state-runPress TV.

The commander renewed Iran's threat to shipping after the first operation under the U.S Project Freedom to get commercial vessels through the strait, warning that any ship wishing to transit the waterway must do so with permission from the Iranian Armed Forces "in order to stay safe."

Iran's foreign minister to visit Beijing for talks on bilateral ties and "international developments"

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was headed to China's capital Beijing on Tuesday for discussions on bilateral ties between the two countries and on "international developments" amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Araghchi and the foreign ministry confirmed his trip on Tuesday, saying he would meet for the talks with his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, but offering no additional information.

China has portrayed itself as a neutral party during the two-month war, calling often for diplomacy to end the conflict, but continuing to support its trade partner by buying Iranian energy — reportedly even since the U.S. imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and vessels.

American intelligence agencies detected signs early in the war that Russia and China were both supporting Iran in a bid to blunt the joint U.S.-Israeli military operations.

U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency analysts assessed that China had been considering whether to provide Tehran with advanced radar systems, multiple U.S.officials familiar with the matter told CBS Newsin mid-April.

South Korean ship hit by Iranian fire disabled and waiting for a tow into Dubai port

A South Korean cargo ship that President Trump said was hit by an Iranian attack Monday in the Strait of Hormuz was waiting to be towed into Dubai's port Tuesday after being disabled by the strike, according to South Korea's state-ownedYonhapnews agency.

The ship's operator, Seoul-based logistics company HMM, confirmed a fire on board the NAMU had knocked out the vessel's primary power supply Monday, leaving the ship unable to move on its own power.

Yonhap said six South Korean sailors were planning to return home, while 24 others of various nationalities were to remain on board, where a backup generator was keeping the lights on, and HMM said there were adequate food and water supplies.

"The conditions are for the crew to disembark if they decide to disembark, but it seems that the fire suppression has been completed and there are no additional risk factors, so it is determined that they will stay on the ship," Yonhap quoted an HMM representative as saying.

South Korea's governmentsaid earlier Tuesday that it would "review its position"on joining U.S. military operations to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after President Trump called explicitly for Seoul to do so in light of the attack on the NAMU.

Saudi Arabia calls for "de-escalation, restraint" and diplomacy amid "military escalation in the region"

After Iran launched its first attack on a Persian Gulf neighbor in almost a month on Monday, lashing out as the U.S. started an operation to guide tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia's government issued a call for "de-escalation, restraint" and diplomacy.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry voiced concern over the "current military escalation in the region" and called for "de-escalation, restraint, and support for Pakistani mediation and diplomatic efforts to reach a political solution that prevents the region from sliding into further tension and instability, which is not in the interest of the region or the world."

The Saudi government also stressed "the importance of restoring international maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to its normal state," demanding that all ships "be guaranteed safe and secure passage without restrictions."

Top Iranian negotiator claims "status quo is intolerable for" U.S., while Iran has "not even started"

Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the United States warned Tuesday that his country has "not even started" in its standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.

"We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America; whilst we have not even started yet," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a social media post.

Ghalibaf, who's also the speaker of Iran's parliament, said the actions of the U.S. and its allies had put shipping security at risk but said their "malign presence will diminish."

South Korea to review joining U.S. Hormuz operation

South Korea said Tuesday it will "review its position" on joining U.S. operations in the Strait of Hormuz after President Trump urged Seoul to take part in what he has dubbed "Project Freedom," in the wake of an apparent Iranian attack on one of its ships.

An explosion and fire were reported on a South Korean cargo vessel on Monday in the key waterway, which has been effectively blocked since the Mideast war erupted on Feb. 28.

South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday that all 24 crew members aboard the stricken HMM Namu — including six South Korean nationals — were unharmed and the fire on the vessel had been "completely extinguished."

Mr. Trump said the incident should prompt South Korea to join American efforts to guide stranded ships through the strait, a major artery for the fuel exports that Seoul relies on.

On Tuesday, South Korea's defense ministry said it would "carefully review our position" but didn't commit to any change.

Seoul would consider its stance based on international law, the safety of international maritime routes, its alliance with the United States and the security situation on the Korean peninsula, the ministry said.

It added that it had been "actively participating in international discussions on cooperation to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz."

The HMM Namu is almost 590 feet long and sails under the flag of Panama, data from tracking site MarineTraffic shows.

Maersk says ship transited Strait of Hormuz under U.S. escort

Denmark's freight giant Maersk said on Tuesday that one of its ships has successfully sailed through the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. escort.

The ship, the U.S.-flagged Alliance Fairfax, had been stuck in the Gulf since the war erupted in February and was "offered the opportunity" to leave accompanied by the U.S. military, Maersk said in a statement.

"The vessel subsequently exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by U.S. military assets" on May 4, the company said, adding that "the transit was completed without incident, and all crew members are safe and unharmed."

2 U.S. Navy destroyers transit Strait of Hormuz after dodging Iranian onslaught

Two U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf after navigating an Iranian barrage, according to defense officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters.

The USS Truxtun and USS Mason, supported by Apache helicopters and other aircraft, faced a series of coordinated threats during the passage, the defense officials said. Iran launched small boats, missiles and drones against them in what officials described as a sustained barrage.

Despite the intensity of the attacks, neither U.S. vessel was struck.

Military officials said that defensive measures, bolstered by air support, successfully intercepted or deterred each incoming threat. They added that no projectiles that were launched reached the ships.

Read more here.

Iran's foreign minister says "talks are making progress," but Project Freedom can't solve a political crisis

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday talks with the U.S. are making progress but criticized the U.S. military's Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz.

"Events in Hormuz make clear that there's no military solution to a political crisis," Araghchi said in asocial media post."As talks are making progress with Pakistan's gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE."

"Project Freedom is Project Deadlock," he added.