The tailwinds are behind us. The Mises Caucus, a group of Libertarian Party members, recently announced that it is launching what it’s calling the Decentralized Revolution Campaign, in which it will focus primarily on local races in upcoming elections instead of emphasizing state and national elections. In the announcement, the party acknowledged its struggles to make a positive showing in national and state elections though noting that out of the 63 candidates running for local offices, 33 percent of them won....

When the Tebow zeitgeist crested back in, oh, 2011, I was the first person to complain about it. It wasn’t directed at him, necessarily — more at your Skip Baylesses, your First Takists, your Sporting Newses, et al, for turning everything the dude did into a web traffic grab or debate point or political football. I was really, really tired of him. MORE: Each team’s most indispensible non-QB | NFL roster cut schedule | Must-see Tebow photos...

In other words, the Serbs were looking for trouble. And they couldn’t have picked a more sensitive time–right in the middle of a major international push to resolve the Kosovo crisis. Last Friday, the day of the killings, the six-nation ““Contact Group’’ monitoring the former Yugoslavia ordered the Serbs and Albanians to start peace talks near Paris before Feb. 6 or face the possibility that NATO ground forces will move into the province....

Nobody ever claimed that the job would be easy. Reform has been tried, and failed, more times than any commissioner remembers. Yet despite bitter complaints by a lot of vested interests, some major changes now seem inevitable. Suddenly, at least at the top, “clarity,” “simplicity” and “transparency” are the new buzzwords of Brussels. And not a moment too soon, it would seem, since scandals forced the mass resignation of President Jacques Santer and his entire European Commission last March....

But abortion isn’t health care. And it’s time to stop playing word games. Health care’s dictionary definition is “efforts made to maintain or restore physical, mental, or emotional well-being especially by trained and licensed professionals.” But abortion doesn’t treat a disease or improve a disorder. It forcibly ends a life. The Hippocratic Oath, one of the foundational pillars of the medical profession, explicitly bans doctors from administering abortions or euthanasia....

Employees who don’t show their Green Pass upon arrival at work will be marked as absent without justification and could face fines of between 600 euros and 1,500 euros. Employers who don’t check their employees’ Green Passes or test results could face fines ranging from 400 to 1,000 euros, the AP reported. Italy already required residents to show a Green Pass for entry into a host of indoor venues, such as restaurants, museums, theaters and some trains....

The Italian government first imposed a national lockdown on March 9, but health experts say their delayed response had fatal consequences. On Saturday, Italy’s number of coronavirus-related deaths surged by 627 – the largest single day of fatalities recorded in any country in the world, including China. Physicians and public health professors say Italy’s soaring death toll could be a sign of what’s to come in the U.S. and U....

Ivory Coast defeated Ghana on penalties two years ago in Equatorial Guinea to clinch their first African title since 1992 and finally make the most of their so-called ‘golden generation’. A number of that team’s more experienced players have since retired or been phased out, with Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure, Siaka Tiene, Boubacar Barry and Seydou Doumbia all missing, while Gervinho is absent through injury. But now coach Michel Dussuyer has a strong core of young talent at his disposal, as Eric Bailly, Serge N’Guessan, Franck Kessie and Wilfried Zaha all prepare to take centre-stage for their title defence, and veteran Togo coach Claude Le Roy accepts his side are outsiders to make the knockout stages....

Watt got to meet a police horse that was named after him. Watt wasn’t sure if the horse could handle him, but in all seriousness can anyone really handle him? MORE: J.J. Watt gets fourth TD | NFL must-see photos | Super Mario to the rescue Even though the horse is a huge and sometimes intimidating animal, I’d still take the original Watt.

Open shots are just not as exciting as having a defender right in your face, according to Smith. MORE: Smith, Shumpert thrilled to be ex-Knicks | All-NBA teams | Classic Lebron photos “I’d rather take a contested shot than an open shot any day,” Smith said per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “It’s kind of boring when you take open shots.” The numbers back up Smith’s shot selection. He is making 29 percent of his open spot up jump shots in the playoffs compared to 48 percent of his contested spot up jumpers, according to Synergy Sports....

“I’ve been waiting 20 years,” Robinson’s widow Rachel said, via the Los Angeles Times . “It’s the fulfillment of a dream.” MORE: 42 rare Jackie Robinson images from SN’s archives | MLB must invest in next generation of African-Americans Dodger Stadium has never had a statue on its grounds. Team president Stan Kasten indicated Robinson’s statue would be the first of a series. “I would not be surprised if there are more to come,” he said....

DeGrom has been away from the Mets since early last week to be with his wife, Stacey, at their home in Florida after the April 11 birth of Jaxson Anthony. Later in the week, unspecified heath complications arose following the delivery, and the Mets placed deGrom on MLB’s family emergency leave list Saturday to allow him more time to remain with his family. MORE: Two weeks in, here’s why every MLB team should panic...

Jacob deGrom, the best pitcher in baseball, was supposed to start for the Mets on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, but he was scratched a few hours before the scheduled first pitch. He felt tightness on his side, and there are no chances taken with the best pitcher in baseball. An MRI revealed inflammation on his right lat, and as MRI news goes, that’s definitely on the good side. The plan for now is for the right-hander to rest for a few days without throwing....

For a team that is 1-5-1 in a recent slide, Schwartz will be a welcome addition. The Blues get their third-leading scorer and second-leading goal man for a game they need to turn their fortunes. Schwartz, incidently, missed the Blues’ past seven games with a bum foot. To make room Saturday, they assigned Colin Fraser to their AHL Chicago affiliate. Also Saturday, the Sharks said center Joe Thornton would not play because of a shoulder injury....

“He had a 99-overall rating on Madden, so that’s like what, that’s damn near unguardable on Madden right?” Ramsey told reporters Thursday. “It’s pretty much like that in real life too, it’s tough.” Hopkins has finished in the top 10 in receptions and touchdowns four times each, receiving yards three times and yards per reception once. He has also made two All-Pro rosters. Hopkins did all of that with very little help in his first four years in the NFL....

Those Jaguars are going back to the playoffs soon and will be going for a long time. That’s what happens. The qualifier is that two of the youngsters, Dante Fowler and Myles Jack, are coming off serious knee injuries. The qualifier for the qualifier, though, is that Fowler, the third overall pick in last year’s draft, is on track to make his delayed debut after tearing up his knee in minicamp....

In the toughest fight of his career, Paul scored a late knockdown of Anderson Silva and then won a controversial unanimous decision to remain undefeated at 6-0. It wasn’t the decision so much as it was the wide scorecards that drew boos from the 14,430 fans in attendance at Desert Diamond Arena. Silva often landed the harder combinations and put Paul in uncomfortable positions as he applied pressure. Although he is now 47, Silva resembled the man who remains the UFC record-holder for his middleweight title reign with his showboating, sharp counterpunching and evasiveness....

Now, Jalen Brunson is set to sign a four-year $104 million deal with New York. Brunson scored his first major payday in free agency and became the Knicks’ new starting point guard in the process. Brunson had a breakout year in 2021-22 after a disappointing playoff performance against the Clippers in the previous season. He averaged 16.3 points on 50.2 percent shooting, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds last year in his fourth NBA season....

It wasn’t long after the Rams’ 17-9 home win over the Giants that the teams met at midfield but also set off fireworks when the Rams cornerback and the Giants wideout exchanged blows. While Fox’s broadcast didn’t catch much of the hubbub, Greg Beacham of The Associated Press detailed the dust-up: Ramsey’s history with Tate’s sister Breanna Tate hit the back pages last year. Golden Tate took issue with Ramsey breaking up with his sister while she was pregnant and then dating a Las Vegas dancer....

The 2015 first overall pick lit up the Falcons in Tampa Bay’s 31-14 win at Atlanta. After needing a little time to warm up, he posted an exceptional line of 23-of-33, 281 yards and 4 TDs for a super-efficient 135.2 passer rating. His only blemish was being intercepted by Pro Bowl cornerback Desmond Trufant. Otherwise, Winston delivered lasers all over the field. He put the game away with a pair of brilliant third-quarter deep scoring strikes, taking advantage of 6-7 tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (30 yards) and wide receiver Mike Evans (45 yards)....