
At Wimbledon, a player's lament about loneliness revives a conversation about mental health
In the time since, more and more players have spoken about the topic and seeking help, and whatever taboos there were seem to have faded. Still, the way three-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev discussed his state of mind after a first-round exit at Wimbledon this week revived the conversation.
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Red Bull's Christian Horner says Max Verstappen intends to stay despite Mercedes links
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands makes a pit stop during the first practice of the British Formula One Grand Prix in Silverstone, England, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said Max Verstappen intends to stay with the team for next year despite speculation about a move to Mercedes which would shake up Formula 1. Verstappen has repeatedly declined to say he's committed to Red Bull for 2026 following a suggestion last week from Mercedes' George that his team spoke with Verstappen. Russell doesn't have a contract for 2026. Advertisement The four-time world champion has a contract through 2028 at Red Bull but there have been indications that a performance-related clause could allow him to exit earlier. The exact details are not public. 'The contracts between the drivers and the teams are always going to remain confidential. With any driver's contract there is an element of a performance mechanism, and of course that exists within Max's contract,' Horner said on Friday at the British Grand Prix. 'His intention is that he will be there and driving for us in 2026. It's inevitable that he's of huge interest to any other other team in the pit lane.' Horner suggested Russell 'probably triggered all this speculation' to strengthen his hand in talks with Mercedes. 'I think the most important thing is the clarity that exists between Max and the team and that's very clear,' Horner added. Advertisement Horner also said of Verstappen: 'He's made it quite clear that he would like to finish his career in a Red Bull car from start to finish. I think that's quite special and unique for him.' Russell said on Thursday he believed there was an 'exceptionally low' chance he'd have to leave Mercedes for 2026. Horner added that Yuki Tsunoda will get the rest of 2025 to show he deserves to keep a seat at Red Bull, but signaled he'd consider a range of options inside and outside the wider Red Bull organization, including Liam Lawson and his rookie Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar. Tsunoda was promoted to Verstappen's teammate in March after Lawson struggled in the first two races. Advertisement 'Yuki has got until the end of the season to demonstrate that he's the guy to remain in the car,' Horner said. 'We have Isack also doing a good job and Liam finding his form as well. So within the Red Bull pool we have talent. Of course, you're also open to what is outside of that. We want to field the best lineup that we can for next year. We've gone outside of that pool in recent years. If we feel the necessity to do so, we wouldn't be afraid to do so again." ___ AP auto racing:
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Controversial businessman Stephen Vaughan dies as son hails 'best man I've ever known'
Controversial Liverpool businessman Stephen Vaughan has died, his son has announced. The former football club owner's death was announced by his son, of the same name, in a Facebook post. Stephen Vaughan Jr, a former Liverpool reserves player, posted on social media: "Absolutely devastated the best man I've ever known RIP Dad our hero." Vaughan's football legacy is controversial after her bought Chester in 2001 from American Terry Smith and oversaw the club's promotion back to the Football League in 2004. The club ran into financial difficulty and collapsed into administration with debts of £8 million following relegation in 2009 – the same year Mr Vaughan also became the first owner to fail the Football Association's 'fit and proper person' test. READ MORE: Live updates as main road shut after police incident READ MORE: Woman who collapsed in holiday hotel room given devastating news It came after he had six fraud charges involving deception and obtaining high value cars dropped at Liverpool Crown Court in March 2008 while still serving as Chester City owner. They were alleged to have occurred between March, 2005, and March, 2006. The Liverpool-born businessman was also over the years a boxing promoter, a director of rugby league club Widnes Vikings and owner and chairman of Barrow. In late 2009 Mr Vaughan was disqualified from acting as the director of any company for 11 years following his involvement in an alleged £500,000 VAT fraud while he was owner of Widnes Vikings. Posting on Facebook, Liverpool-born former boxer Derry Mathews wrote: "They say he only takes the best and he's taking one of the greatest men ever, my first ever manager who got George out of retirement to train me, thank you for everything Ste people in the boxing world are going miss you. "No one could do a prep talk before a fight like you, you would have me wanting to walk through walls and with you by my side in changing rooms we could beat anyone. Gutted for my mate @stephen_vaughan_85, Pat and all the family on the loss. Goodnight God bless Ste." Mr Vaughan also bought Maltese club Floriana in April 2012 with his son, who captained Chester during his father's ownership and was appointed president soon after. The Vaughan family ended its association with Floriana in February 2014 but continued to have an involvement in Maltese football as sponsors of Mosta and Hibernians. The off-duty policeman died after he was struck in Colquitt Street in the early hours of Friday, December 19. His son's Facebook post was filled with tributes from friends and family, with many simply posting 'RIP' and broken heart emojis, while another said: 'So sorry to hear this sad news Ste, condolences to you and the family'. A second added: 'Condolences to the family Ste! What a gent your dad was!' And a third said: 'So sorry to hear this awful news about your Dad RIP. Sending my deepest sympathy and condolences and prayers to you and all your beautiful family.'

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Billionaire Reid Hoffman Bets $12M On This AI Brain Scanner To Rival Neuralink — Without Surgery Or Drugs
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GoSun's Breakthrough Rooftop EV Charger Already Has 2,000+ Units Reserved — Sanmai's headset uses low-intensity transcranial-focused ultrasound to target specific brain regions associated with conditions such as anxiety, depression, pain, epilepsy, and tremors, Bloomberg says. According to a LinkedIn post by neurotechnology research scientist and first employee at Sanmai Sharena Rice, an integrated AI companion guides treatment and helps determine which protocols are most effective, adapting the stimulation to each user's skull structure and brain activity. The system compensates for skull variations and dynamically adjusts ultrasound parameters to maximize efficacy and safety. Rice confirmed in the LinkedIn post that combining AI with focused ultrasound enables precise deep‑brain stimulation without surgery. Sanmai has developed an early clinical prototype of its device for generalized anxiety disorder. Bloomberg says that the company is also in discussions with the Food and Drug Administration as it prepares for formal clinical trials and regulatory review. Sanmai aims to validate its technology in clinical settings before expanding toward broader consumer availability. "I thought it was very cool that it gives you a new instrument for dealing with a whole wide variety of brain things which are otherwise very difficult to deal with," Hoffman told Bloomberg. "Your toolset for dealing with things that are going wrong in the brain is very limited." Trending: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — Sanmai's low-intensity focused ultrasound system is designed to deliver energy through the skull, reaching precise areas of brain tissue without breaking the skin. According to Bloomberg, the technology, which stimulates neural activity by directing sound waves to specific targets, reflects more than ten years of academic research now transitioning into regulated clinical testing. Sanmai founder Jay Sanguinetti began exploring brain stimulation as a graduate student, observing its effects on Parkinson's patients during invasive procedures. That experience laid the foundation for his pursuit of a safer, scalable alternative. "I saw every patient's life changed," he told Bloomberg. "But I got kind of bit by the bug of like, 'How do you do this but non-invasively and at scale?'" The company's eight-person team, operating largely in stealth until now, is preparing for broader trials after initial testing began at a Sunnyvale, California clinic for patients with generalized anxiety disorder. While Sanmai's goal is to create a home-use device priced below $500, Bloomberg says that the path forward requires individualized calibration, including magnetic resonance imaging scans and real-time adjustments to ultrasound dosage, before moving beyond clinical settings. "The way to do this safely and at scale is to first go through the clinics," Sanguinetti told Bloomberg. "Then leverage that data to go out to the consumer."Hoffman's investment in Sanmai comes at a time when private funding is playing an increasingly critical role in neuroscience innovation. With the U.S. government reducing its support for biomedical research, wealthy individuals like Hoffman are stepping in to advance technologies aimed at treating mental health disorders and neurological conditions, Bloomberg reports. At a recent neuromodulation conference near Washington, dozens of scientists and clinicians voiced concern over federal funding cuts, including proposed reductions to the National Institutes of Health and the departure of more than 143 staffers from its neurological division. In this tightening environment, Bloomberg says that investors like Hoffman, who previously backed OpenAI, are becoming central to the development of next-generation brain technologies. "Non-invasive is a much less risky approach for a significant benefit," Hoffman told Bloomberg. "The risk and difficulties in invasive strike me as very difficult to navigate and will take years, decades maybe." Read Next: Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Billionaire Reid Hoffman Bets $12M On This AI Brain Scanner To Rival Neuralink — Without Surgery Or Drugs originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.