Sports
Protests prevalent in Milan ahead of Olympics' opening ceremony
Demonstrators take to the streets as part of a protest organized by Committee Against Winter Olympics on the day of the opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, in the neighborhood of Segesta, in Milan, Italy, on Friday. MILAN, Italy — Hundreds of protesters chanted slogans, blew whistles and set off flares at a rally on Friday to oppose the presence in Italy of U.S. immigration agents and the closure of streets ahead of the Milan Cortina Winter Games’ opening ceremony.
The reported presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to protect Americans around the Olympics has galvanized protests, given their front-line role in U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation push at home.
“ICE OUT” and “ICE should be in my drinks not my city” read some of the banners held by the student-led demonstrators.
Blowing plastic whistles, which have become a symbol of anti-ICE rallies in the U.S., the demonstrators in Milan also urged visiting U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to go home.
“I thought that this was a good opportunity to show that the rest of the world is not OK with what’s happening in Minnesota,” said Katie Legare, a protester from Minnesota currently studying in Europe, in reference to ICE agents’ killing of two U.S. citizens in her home city.
“It’s not OK to just acquiesce and go with the status quo. But to say there’s something wrong that’s happening and to speak out.”
Italy’s government has said the controversy is unfounded, with ICE personnel not on the streets during the Olympics and only operatives from its Homeland Security Investigations in Italy working out of U.S. diplomatic missions.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has also said no agents from ICE were providing security for Team USA.
With the opening ceremony due on Friday evening, Italian authorities ordered schools in central Milan to remain shut and blocked access to some areas to bolster security and ease traffic disruptions.
In the afternoon, a separate demonstration was held in a square near the San Siro stadium, where the opening ceremony will take place.
A few hundred people — including a committee of public-housing tenants protesting against the high cost of living, and the Unsustainable Olympics Committee, which accuses the government of funneling public funds rather than supporting lower-income residents — marched against what they see as the social and economic impact of the Games.
Protesters say the Olympics are a waste of money and resources while housing prices are unaffordable and public meeting places scarce. Some demonstrators also chanted slogans criticizing Israel and expressing support for Palestinians.
On Thursday, environmental group Greenpeace staged a protest in front of Milan’s cathedral, protesting the role of Italian oil major Eni ENI.MI as a sponsor of the Games.
Later on Friday a torchlit march organized by a protest movement against the Games is expected in an area close to the site of the opening ceremony.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
Team Vitality sweep Natus Vincere, win BLAST Open Spring
A backlit keyboard is part of the gear online video game streamer Jordan Woodruff uses in his Gilbert home.
Jordan Woodruff
Team Vitality recorded a 3-0 victory over Natus Vincere on Sunday in the best-of-five grand final of the BLAST Open Spring at Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Vitality posted a 13-7 win on Inferno and 13-10 triumphs on both Anubis and Dust II to pocket the first-place prize of $150,000 and three BLAST Frequent Flyer tokens.
Robin ‘ropz’ Kool of Estonia had 65 kills for Team Vitality, while Drin ‘makazze’ Shaqiri of Kosovo led Natus Vincere with 48.
We came, we saw, we conquered without dropping a single map.
Your BLAST Rotterdam Champions ?? pic.twitter.com/xAOdztlp7S
— Team Vitality CS (@TeamVitalityCS) March 29, 2026
The 16 teams in the $400,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event were split into two groups of eight that contested double-elimination brackets in Copenhagen, Denmark. The top three finishers in each bracket advanced to the six-team playoffs in Rotterdam.
BLAST Open Spring prize pool (cash prize, BLAST Frequent Flyer tokens)
1. $150,000, 3 — Team Vitality
2. $60,000, 1 — Natus Vincere
3-4. $40,000, 1 — PARIVISION, Aurora Gaming
5-6. $20,000, 1 — Team Falcons, The MongolZ
7-8. $10,000 — FURIA, Team Spirit
9-12. $7,500 — TYLOO, NRG, 9z Team, Team Liquid
13-16. $5,000 — FaZe Clan, B8, MOUZ, Ninjas in Pyjamas
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angels select contract of RHP Shaun Anderson
May 21, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shaun Anderson (64) delivers a pitch against the Athletics in the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Angels selected the contract of right-hander Shaun Anderson from Triple-A Salt Lake in advance of Sunday’s series finale against the Houston Astros.
To make room on the active roster, the Angels optioned right-hander Walbert Urena, while right-hander Victor Mederos was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Anderson, 31, was 1-0 with a 10.32 ERA in seven appearances with the Angels last season and had a 5.27 ERA over nine spring training appearances with the club. In parts of six major league seasons with eight different clubs, he is 4-7 with a 6.39 ERA in 76 appearances (18 starts).
Urena, 22, made his major league debut Thursday then gave up six unearned runs over one inning Saturday against the Astros.
Mederos, 24, had 12 appearances (three starts) for the Angels since 2023 and went 0-3 with an 8.53 ERA.
The Angels also traded left-hander Jayvien Sandridge to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday for cash considerations. Sandridge, a 27-year-old who was born in Maryland, has one major league appearance and it came with the New York Yankees last season.
Sandridge was designated for assignment by the Angels in advance of Opening Day.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom to make season debut this week
Sep 24, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) throws the ball during the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom is expected to make his season debut either Tuesday or Wednesday after skipping his scheduled start Saturday with neck stiffness.
After he was physically limited Saturday, deGrom threw from120 feet Sunday. The Rangers switched to left-hander Jacob Latz against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday and ended up with a 5-4 victory in 10 innings.
The Rangers are set to start a three-game series on the road against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Texas manager Skip Schumaker said deGrom is expected to pitch in the latter part of the series.
deGrom played catch and threw up to a distance of 120 feet on Sunday.
“We’ll see how it goes (Monday),” deGrom told reporters. “It’s definitely a big improvement from yesterday.”
The 37-year-old deGrom is coming off a season when he made 30 starts for the first time since 2019. He was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts.
After missing most of the 2023 and 2024 seasons after Tommy John surgery, the two-time Cy Young Award winner returned to make three brief starts for Texas in September 2024. He went 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA last year while earning his fifth career All-Star selection.
–Field Level Media
Team Vitality sweep Natus Vincere, win BLAST Open Spring
Angels select contract of RHP Shaun Anderson
