Chatting Practice, Powered by Zoom Events | MLB.com
Ask longtime MLB pitcher and current MLB Network host Ryan Dempster a question today at 2 p.m. ET when he joins Chatting Practice Powered by Zoom Events.
Morning Digest
Thursday, August 20, 2026
35 stories from 8 sources, 69 more held back.
Cubs — MLB.com
Shaw begins rehab assignment; Milner throws a scoreless inning
Shaw landed on the 10-day Injured List on June 29 with a left-hand sprain that he suffered while fouling off a pitch. Shaw, 24, is hitting .246/.322/.415 (105 OPS+) through 56 games with Chicago this season. He also spent time on the IL earlier in the year with back tightness.
Hitter Power Rankings: Fresh faces join familiar names at the top
It’s a long season, as they say. And that means a long runway for players looking to find their footing. It’s not ideal, but it’s also not the end of the story of your season.
The 10 biggest breakouts on the new Top 100 Prospects list
MLB Pipeline gave a full refresh to its Top 100 Prospects list last week -- and each team’s Top 30 -- now that the 2026 draftees have joined their respective organizations. That makes it as good a time as any to look at the biggest breakout players in Minor Leagues. Some of these players were high Draft picks or on the preseason Top 100 Prospects list.
Cubs bolster SS depth, claim Arias from Mets; transfer Maton to 60-day IL
CHICAGO -- With Dansby Swanson currently on the injured list and sidelined for at least the next month, the Cubs’ depth at shortstop has been thinned at a crucial point in the baseball calendar. On Wednesday, the Cubs made a move to boost the depth chart, claiming utility man Gabriel Arias off waivers from the Mets to add a layer of insurance not only at shortstop, but around the infield.
Holmes settles in for solid showing in first Crosstown Classic
CHICAGO -- The crowd inside Wrigley Field roared as the baseball that left Alex Bregman’s bat in the seventh inning on Wednesday afternoon carried high over left field. It seemed destined for the bleachers, but this was one of those days when the wind can transform the old ballpark into a hitter’s nightmare.
RT
Russia and China stand against Japan’s nuclear ambitions – Beijing
Japan ‘playing with fire’ over nuclear ambitions – China. Russia and China are both opposed to Japan’s accelerating militarization and growing debate over acquiring nuclear weapons, Beijing’s ambassador to Moscow, Zhang Hanhui, has said, warning that Tokyo’s policies could trigger a new arms race.
Bangladesh elects Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its new president
Bangladeshi lawmakers have elected Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a candidate of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as the country’s 23rd president. The former secretary-general of the BNP secured 255 parliamentary votes in the presidential election, while Oli Ahmed, a former army colonel from the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, received 88 votes.
Hezbollah stronghold residents reject call to disarm (VIDEO)
Residents of a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut have said they will not trade the group’s weapons for reconstruction money, while decrying a US-brokered framework peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
Diddy could face criminal charges over Tupac Shakur killing – Telegraph
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs could face criminal charges linked to the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas 30 years ago, The Telegraph has reported, citing sources. According to the outlet, prosecutors could take action if the man currently on trial over the murder is convicted.
South African cleric calls US blockade of Cuba ‘genocide without bombs’
South African Anglican priest and anti-apartheid activist Michael Lapsley has accused the US of inflicting “a genocide without bombs” on Cuba through sanctions that he says are causing severe shortages and worsening the island’s humanitarian crisis.
Ex-Liberian vice president charged with drug trafficking and money laundering
Former Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has been charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, and other offenses as part of an investigation into an alleged transnational narcotics network, the authorities have said.
The Robot Report
Agtonomy releases new autonomous multi-point turning features - The Robot Report
Off-road physical AI company Agtonomy has expanded its commercial platform with fully autonomous multi-point turning and enhanced passive data collection. The company said this enables farm equipment to execute complex maneuvers in tight headland spaces without human intervention. Agtonomy develops full-autonomy packages that retrofit vehicles from its OEM partners, Kubota and Bobcat.
Kollmorgen to give a joint-by-joint guide to humanoid motion at RoboBusiness - The Robot Report
Today, humanoid robot OEMs are facing one central challenge: How do they bridge the gap between a working prototype and a manufacturable, scalable product? according to Kollmorgen. While software iterates in weeks, motion hardware moves from paper to functional sample in months and to volume production in years. That mismatch—not concept design—is often the real bottleneck.
What does Unitree Robotics' IPO mean for the humanoid industry? - The Robot Report
This week, Unitree Robotics made its debut on Shanghai’s STAR Market, closing its first day 460% higher. The company raised 6.1 billion yuan, around $905 million U.S., with its initial public offering. Unitree said it is the first major legged robotics company to go pubic.
Serve Robotics to deploy its autonomous delivery robots with Grubhub - The Robot Report
Serve Robotics Inc., a developer of sidewalk delivery robots, this week announced a partnership with Grubhub, a subsidiary of Wonder. Serve will now be offering robotic deliveries on the Grubhub marketplace starting in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Alexandria, Va.
ESPN
Max Verstappen on new Red Bull deal: I was 'closer to retiring than changing teams'
The new contract, which adds two more years to his previous deal, was announced ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. It follows more than a year of speculation about Verstappen's future, including reports linking him to Mercedes last year and McLaren this season.
2027 NHL draft prospect watch list: Top prospects heading into the season
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup and World Junior Showcase wrapped up recently, officially kicking off the 2027 NHL draft cycle. Every year, ESPN puts together a watch list of players to track to start the season. Many, if not all, of the players on this list are likely to be drafted in the top 20.
How Georgia turned Sanford Stadium into a soccer pitch
On Thursday night, thousands of fans will flock to Sanford Stadium to watch Georgia play football. The venerable 93,033-seat venue will instead host Georgia's women's soccer squad as it takes on James Madison in nonconference play. And records are in reach: The NCAA's attendance records of 14,410 for women's soccer and 22,512 for men's soccer have stood for 27 and 46 years, respectively.
Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd offer rare comments about relationship
The Dallas Wings teammates spoke about their relationship and their experiences playing under legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma in the three-part docuseries titled "The Dynasty: UConn Huskies." In the docuseries' trailer, which was released Tuesday, Bueckers and Fudd made rare comments about their relationship.
From Knicks to Yankees, Nick Jonas finds the perfect song
First, it was the New York Knicks' first NBA title in 53 years. Then it was the "American royal wedding" between pop star Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce keeping the historic Madison Square Garden busy this summer. However, summer at the world's most famous arena isn't over yet.
Women's college basketball recruiting: Top 25 players regardless of class
How do the best girls' high school players stack up against each other? Four NCAA live periods have come and gone, and this summer's circuit champions have been crowned in the EYBL (Sports Academy Swish), Under Armour Next (Northwest Blazers), adidas 3ssb (7 Days) and Select Power 24 (YKS).
Simon Willison
Research: smolmachines / smolvm as a sandbox for untrusted Python & JavaScript
I tasked Claude Fable 5 running in Claude Code for web with the following research task:. Put https://smolmachines.com through its paces as a fast secure sandbox.
A quote from Jeremy Morrell
My hypothesis is that there is a new opportunity for Extensible Software on the web. LLMs radically lower the cost of authoring extensions, and modern sandbox primitives lower the deployment cost and provide good security boundaries. We can build our app as a solid, accountable core, and allow users to safely extend it in many directions by having LLMs fill in the missing pieces.
Conceptual integrity and counting lines of code
Last week I recorded an episode of the Talking Postgres podcast with Claire Giordano on the subject of “How AI is changing software development”. We had a really great conversation. Here are a couple of my highlights from a lightly edited transcript (prompt to Claude: “very minor edits to remove disfluencies”).
Raw America
Revealed: Shocking Video Shows McConnell in Addled State Before Hospitalization
Donald Trump was caught on camera this week holding a “cheat sheet” in the Oval Office, the same kind of note card Republicans once said was proof Joe Biden had dementia. Newly surfaced video shows Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky sitting almost completely motionless for hours during a Senate vote session just days before he completely vanished from public view.
SCOOP: Pentagon Insider Fears Trump May Use Nuclear Weapons on Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a cabinet meeting at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland, U.S., July 31, 2026.
Revealed: Natalie Harp’s Brazen Move Against Melania
A new book claims Trump White House staffer Natalie Harp was perhaps the biggest driving force behind the destruction of the East Wing of the White House, which houses the First Lady’s office. New FCC documents show Chairman Brendan Carr has been in constant contact with right-wing media executives and White House officials while refusing to discuss any of it in public.
Cubs — Sun-Times
Splittsville! Stellar Cubs-White Sox season series ends tied 3-3
Chicago baseball fans might not love it, but they won’t forget it. With the White Sox beating the Cubs 3-0 Wednesday at Wrigley Field, the best Crosstown season series of ’em all ended in a 3-3 deadlock. Yes, you read that correctly — the best, since interleague play began in the major leagues in 1997.
How are Cubs liking trade-deadline acquisitions Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes? ‘They’re going to help us a lot’
If you had to choose one word to sum up Clay Holmes’ 2026, what would it be? “He’s been disgusting all season, man,” outfielder Tyrone Taylor said. That’s a compliment, by the way.
Cubs showed off playoff potential with Crosstown series win over postseason-caliber White Sox team
The overwhelming majority of the guys to play for the Cubs aren’t Chicago born and bred, so excuse them for not seeing the Crosstown series against the White Sox as the biggest three days of the year.
White Sox hold Cubs to two hits, avoid sweep with shutout win in Crosstown series finale
This site is free thanks to our community of supporters. Voluntary donations from readers like you keep our news accessible for everyone. White Sox hold Cubs to two hits, avoid sweep with shutout win in Crosstown series finale.
Acusan a hombre de darle puñetazo a otro aficionado en el partido de los Cubs contra los Sox en Wrigley Field
Un hombre fue arrestado y acusado de golpear a un aficionado en el juego del Clásico Crosstown del lunes por la noche en Wrigley Field, donde los Cubs vencieron a los White Sox 7-5 en entradas extras.
Manufacturing Dive
Bristol Myers Squibb to build $2.3B manufacturing campus in Houston
The project, slated for Generation Park in Houston, is part of Bristol Myers Squibb’s larger plan to invest $40 billion in the United States through 2030 across research and development, technology and domestic manufacturing. The company said it designed the Houston campus to be modular and multimodal, allowing for flexibility as demand shifts to certain medicines over others.
Nearly 60 members of Congress call for aluminum pricing investigation
Many regions across the world have physical premiums over the global benchmark price of aluminum. Despite its name, the Midwest Premium functions as the nationwide premium for aluminum in the U.S. market. Premiums are broadly viewed as surcharges to account for factors including regional transportation costs and tariffs.
RT
Russia and China stand against Japan’s nuclear ambitions – Beijing
Japan ‘playing with fire’ over nuclear ambitions – China. Russia and China are both opposed to Japan’s accelerating militarization and growing debate over acquiring nuclear weapons, Beijing’s ambassador to Moscow, Zhang Hanhui, has said, warning that Tokyo’s policies could trigger a new arms race.
Bangladesh elects Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its new president
Bangladeshi lawmakers have elected Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a candidate of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as the country’s 23rd president. The former secretary-general of the BNP secured 255 parliamentary votes in the presidential election, while Oli Ahmed, a former army colonel from the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, received 88 votes.
Hezbollah stronghold residents reject call to disarm (VIDEO)
Residents of a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut have said they will not trade the group’s weapons for reconstruction money, while decrying a US-brokered framework peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
Diddy could face criminal charges over Tupac Shakur killing – Telegraph
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs could face criminal charges linked to the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas 30 years ago, The Telegraph has reported, citing sources. According to the outlet, prosecutors could take action if the man currently on trial over the murder is convicted.
South African cleric calls US blockade of Cuba ‘genocide without bombs’
South African Anglican priest and anti-apartheid activist Michael Lapsley has accused the US of inflicting “a genocide without bombs” on Cuba through sanctions that he says are causing severe shortages and worsening the island’s humanitarian crisis.
Ex-Liberian vice president charged with drug trafficking and money laundering
Former Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has been charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, and other offenses as part of an investigation into an alleged transnational narcotics network, the authorities have said.
ESPN
Max Verstappen on new Red Bull deal: I was 'closer to retiring than changing teams'
The new contract, which adds two more years to his previous deal, was announced ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. It follows more than a year of speculation about Verstappen's future, including reports linking him to Mercedes last year and McLaren this season.
2027 NHL draft prospect watch list: Top prospects heading into the season
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup and World Junior Showcase wrapped up recently, officially kicking off the 2027 NHL draft cycle. Every year, ESPN puts together a watch list of players to track to start the season. Many, if not all, of the players on this list are likely to be drafted in the top 20.
How Georgia turned Sanford Stadium into a soccer pitch
On Thursday night, thousands of fans will flock to Sanford Stadium to watch Georgia play football. The venerable 93,033-seat venue will instead host Georgia's women's soccer squad as it takes on James Madison in nonconference play. And records are in reach: The NCAA's attendance records of 14,410 for women's soccer and 22,512 for men's soccer have stood for 27 and 46 years, respectively.
Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd offer rare comments about relationship
The Dallas Wings teammates spoke about their relationship and their experiences playing under legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma in the three-part docuseries titled "The Dynasty: UConn Huskies." In the docuseries' trailer, which was released Tuesday, Bueckers and Fudd made rare comments about their relationship.
From Knicks to Yankees, Nick Jonas finds the perfect song
First, it was the New York Knicks' first NBA title in 53 years. Then it was the "American royal wedding" between pop star Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce keeping the historic Madison Square Garden busy this summer. However, summer at the world's most famous arena isn't over yet.
Women's college basketball recruiting: Top 25 players regardless of class
How do the best girls' high school players stack up against each other? Four NCAA live periods have come and gone, and this summer's circuit champions have been crowned in the EYBL (Sports Academy Swish), Under Armour Next (Northwest Blazers), adidas 3ssb (7 Days) and Select Power 24 (YKS).
Raw America
Revealed: Shocking Video Shows McConnell in Addled State Before Hospitalization
Donald Trump was caught on camera this week holding a “cheat sheet” in the Oval Office, the same kind of note card Republicans once said was proof Joe Biden had dementia. Newly surfaced video shows Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky sitting almost completely motionless for hours during a Senate vote session just days before he completely vanished from public view.
SCOOP: Pentagon Insider Fears Trump May Use Nuclear Weapons on Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a cabinet meeting at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland, U.S., July 31, 2026.
Revealed: Natalie Harp’s Brazen Move Against Melania
A new book claims Trump White House staffer Natalie Harp was perhaps the biggest driving force behind the destruction of the East Wing of the White House, which houses the First Lady’s office. New FCC documents show Chairman Brendan Carr has been in constant contact with right-wing media executives and White House officials while refusing to discuss any of it in public.
Cubs — MLB.com
Chatting Practice, Powered by Zoom Events | MLB.com
Ask longtime MLB pitcher and current MLB Network host Ryan Dempster a question today at 2 p.m. ET when he joins Chatting Practice Powered by Zoom Events.
Shaw begins rehab assignment; Milner throws a scoreless inning
Shaw landed on the 10-day Injured List on June 29 with a left-hand sprain that he suffered while fouling off a pitch. Shaw, 24, is hitting .246/.322/.415 (105 OPS+) through 56 games with Chicago this season. He also spent time on the IL earlier in the year with back tightness.
Hitter Power Rankings: Fresh faces join familiar names at the top
It’s a long season, as they say. And that means a long runway for players looking to find their footing. It’s not ideal, but it’s also not the end of the story of your season.
The 10 biggest breakouts on the new Top 100 Prospects list
MLB Pipeline gave a full refresh to its Top 100 Prospects list last week -- and each team’s Top 30 -- now that the 2026 draftees have joined their respective organizations. That makes it as good a time as any to look at the biggest breakout players in Minor Leagues. Some of these players were high Draft picks or on the preseason Top 100 Prospects list.
Cubs bolster SS depth, claim Arias from Mets; transfer Maton to 60-day IL
CHICAGO -- With Dansby Swanson currently on the injured list and sidelined for at least the next month, the Cubs’ depth at shortstop has been thinned at a crucial point in the baseball calendar. On Wednesday, the Cubs made a move to boost the depth chart, claiming utility man Gabriel Arias off waivers from the Mets to add a layer of insurance not only at shortstop, but around the infield.
Holmes settles in for solid showing in first Crosstown Classic
CHICAGO -- The crowd inside Wrigley Field roared as the baseball that left Alex Bregman’s bat in the seventh inning on Wednesday afternoon carried high over left field. It seemed destined for the bleachers, but this was one of those days when the wind can transform the old ballpark into a hitter’s nightmare.
Cubs — Sun-Times
Splittsville! Stellar Cubs-White Sox season series ends tied 3-3
Chicago baseball fans might not love it, but they won’t forget it. With the White Sox beating the Cubs 3-0 Wednesday at Wrigley Field, the best Crosstown season series of ’em all ended in a 3-3 deadlock. Yes, you read that correctly — the best, since interleague play began in the major leagues in 1997.
How are Cubs liking trade-deadline acquisitions Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes? ‘They’re going to help us a lot’
If you had to choose one word to sum up Clay Holmes’ 2026, what would it be? “He’s been disgusting all season, man,” outfielder Tyrone Taylor said. That’s a compliment, by the way.
Cubs showed off playoff potential with Crosstown series win over postseason-caliber White Sox team
The overwhelming majority of the guys to play for the Cubs aren’t Chicago born and bred, so excuse them for not seeing the Crosstown series against the White Sox as the biggest three days of the year.
White Sox hold Cubs to two hits, avoid sweep with shutout win in Crosstown series finale
This site is free thanks to our community of supporters. Voluntary donations from readers like you keep our news accessible for everyone. White Sox hold Cubs to two hits, avoid sweep with shutout win in Crosstown series finale.
Acusan a hombre de darle puñetazo a otro aficionado en el partido de los Cubs contra los Sox en Wrigley Field
Un hombre fue arrestado y acusado de golpear a un aficionado en el juego del Clásico Crosstown del lunes por la noche en Wrigley Field, donde los Cubs vencieron a los White Sox 7-5 en entradas extras.
The Robot Report
Agtonomy releases new autonomous multi-point turning features - The Robot Report
Off-road physical AI company Agtonomy has expanded its commercial platform with fully autonomous multi-point turning and enhanced passive data collection. The company said this enables farm equipment to execute complex maneuvers in tight headland spaces without human intervention. Agtonomy develops full-autonomy packages that retrofit vehicles from its OEM partners, Kubota and Bobcat.
Kollmorgen to give a joint-by-joint guide to humanoid motion at RoboBusiness - The Robot Report
Today, humanoid robot OEMs are facing one central challenge: How do they bridge the gap between a working prototype and a manufacturable, scalable product? according to Kollmorgen. While software iterates in weeks, motion hardware moves from paper to functional sample in months and to volume production in years. That mismatch—not concept design—is often the real bottleneck.
What does Unitree Robotics' IPO mean for the humanoid industry? - The Robot Report
This week, Unitree Robotics made its debut on Shanghai’s STAR Market, closing its first day 460% higher. The company raised 6.1 billion yuan, around $905 million U.S., with its initial public offering. Unitree said it is the first major legged robotics company to go pubic.
Serve Robotics to deploy its autonomous delivery robots with Grubhub - The Robot Report
Serve Robotics Inc., a developer of sidewalk delivery robots, this week announced a partnership with Grubhub, a subsidiary of Wonder. Serve will now be offering robotic deliveries on the Grubhub marketplace starting in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Alexandria, Va.
Simon Willison
Research: smolmachines / smolvm as a sandbox for untrusted Python & JavaScript
I tasked Claude Fable 5 running in Claude Code for web with the following research task:. Put https://smolmachines.com through its paces as a fast secure sandbox.
A quote from Jeremy Morrell
My hypothesis is that there is a new opportunity for Extensible Software on the web. LLMs radically lower the cost of authoring extensions, and modern sandbox primitives lower the deployment cost and provide good security boundaries. We can build our app as a solid, accountable core, and allow users to safely extend it in many directions by having LLMs fill in the missing pieces.
Conceptual integrity and counting lines of code
Last week I recorded an episode of the Talking Postgres podcast with Claire Giordano on the subject of “How AI is changing software development”. We had a really great conversation. Here are a couple of my highlights from a lightly edited transcript (prompt to Claude: “very minor edits to remove disfluencies”).
Manufacturing Dive
Bristol Myers Squibb to build $2.3B manufacturing campus in Houston
The project, slated for Generation Park in Houston, is part of Bristol Myers Squibb’s larger plan to invest $40 billion in the United States through 2030 across research and development, technology and domestic manufacturing. The company said it designed the Houston campus to be modular and multimodal, allowing for flexibility as demand shifts to certain medicines over others.
Nearly 60 members of Congress call for aluminum pricing investigation
Many regions across the world have physical premiums over the global benchmark price of aluminum. Despite its name, the Midwest Premium functions as the nationwide premium for aluminum in the U.S. market. Premiums are broadly viewed as surcharges to account for factors including regional transportation costs and tariffs.