Hurricane Idalia makes landfall near Keaton Beach, bringing ‘catastrophic surge’ to Florida coast  —  rwebb@sunsentinel.com, ANGIE DIMICHELE |  adimichele@sunsentinel.com and VICTORIA BALLARD |  Hurricane Idalia is leaving a wake of destruction from the Gulf inland, including two storm-related deaths, as it makes its way into Georgia.

Angels go from all-in to folding, inexplicably placing six veterans on waivers  —  The Los Angeles Angels are the gift that keeps on giving.  —  Just when everyone questioned why they didn't trade Shohei Ohtani before his torn UCL, wondering why they decided to go for it by trading away …

Sources: Yankees calling up Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells  —  With the New York Yankees now focused on seasons beyond the disaster of 2023, they have informed top outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez that he will be activated on Friday, sources confirmed, in time for the team's series …

White House says Putin and Kim Jong Un traded letters as Russia looks for munitions from North Korea  —  WASHINGTON — The White House on Wednesday said that it has new intelligence that shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have swapped letters as Russia looks …

UCLA confident in its quarterbacks but questions remain  —  Kelly says Garbers will start and Moore and Schlee will play in Saturday's opener - how much is to be determined  —  The word that shows up most frequently on the UCLA football team's depth chart ahead of its season opener against Coastal Carolina is “or.”

Sources: D.R. investigating second complaint against Wander Franco  —  A special prosecutor in the Dominican Republic is investigating a second formal complaint that Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco engaged in a relationship with a minor, the latest of three accusations against the 22-year-old, sources told ESPN's Juan Recio.

Yankees release 3-time All-Star Josh Donaldson after two disastrous seasons  —  Roughly six months after Aaron Boone said it would be “crazy” to think that Josh Donaldson wasn't capable of a bounce-back season, the Yankees have released the 37-year-old third baseman.

MLBPA to review safety protocols after incidents in Chicago, Denver  —  CHICAGO — A shooting that likely happened inside of Guaranteed Rate Field, followed by a scary moment for Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. in Colorado.  Both in a span of four days.

Press-Telegram Boys Athlete of the Week: Tyree McCowen, Lakewood  —  McCowen is averaging 16.5 tackles per game this season.  —  PRESS-TELEGRAM BOYS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK  —  Name: Tyree McCowen  —  School: Lakewood  —  Sport: Football  —  Year: Senior

Sparks squander chance to improve playoff odds with loss to Chicago  —  The Sparks miss three potential game-winning shots in a 76-75 loss to the Sky, who close the gap in the race for the eighth seed and secure the head-to-head tiebreaker  —  LOS ANGELES — Another double-double …

Mets place starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco on waivers: reports  —  The Mets have placed struggling right-hander Carlos Carrasco on waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal.  The situation had become untenable with the veteran starting pitcher and it appears as though the club has finally admitted defeat.

Velocity at what cost?  MLB's hardest throwers keep succumbing to Tommy John surgery  —  From Little League to MLB, baseball's never-ending quest for velocity runs parallel to the ‘astronomical’ frequency of Tommy John surgery.  —  The road to a 100 mph fastball is littered with ruptured ulnar collateral ligaments.

Garver homers, Heaney throws shutout ball in the Rangers' 2-1 win over the Mets  —  NEW YORK — Winning close ballgames has been a challenge for the Texas Rangers all season, but that's two in a row they've taken at Citi Field.  —  Mitch Garver homered to snap a scoreless tie …

Dispatch pauses AI sports writing program  —  The Columbus Dispatch paused use of an artificial intelligence sports writing tool after a Westerville football recap faced criticism on social media that went viral last week. … - One such Dispatch article from Aug. 18 was blasted on social media …

Wittenmyer & Williams: Why 24 hours out west might've buried the Cincinnati Reds' season  —  Jason Williams Gordon WittenmyerCincinnati Enquirer … Williams: So much for that one starting pitcher making the big difference you said it would.  —  Wittenmyer: I know where you're going with this.

Moore officials express confidence in Orioles' lease deal, but won't offer details or status of negotiations  —  Facing a fast-approaching deadline and mounting public pressure to secure the Orioles' long-term commitment to Baltimore, three officials in Gov. Wes Moore's administration …