‘It’s an excuse’: New York Giants’ Cam Skattebo says CTE and asthma are ‘fake’
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo is facing backlash after dismissing both chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and asthma as “fake” during a recent podcast appearance.Speaking on the Bring the Juice podcast, the 24-year-old was asked whether he believes CTE – a degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head trauma – is real.Skattebo called it an “excuse”, agreeing with the host before making a similar claim about asthma.“Yeah, asthma’s fake too,” Skattebo said, adding at one point that people should “just breathe air”.The comments have drawn criticism given the scientific consensus around both conditions.
CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a progressive neurological disease associated with repeated blows to the head,It is marked by a buildup of abnormal tau protein in the brain, which can damage blood vessels and disrupt functions tied to memory, mood and impulse control,Symptoms can include cognitive decline, behavioral changes and, in advanced cases, dementia,The condition can only be definitively diagnosed posthumously,It has been identified in numerous former football players after their deaths, including Junior Seau and Aaron Hernandez.
A 2023 Boston University study found evidence of CTE in roughly 92% of former NFL players whose brains were examined, while the league finally acknowledged a link between football and the condition in 2016,Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of Americans and can be life-threatening in severe cases,Skattebo, a fourth-round pick out of Arizona State in the 2025 NFL draft, emerged as a key contributor for the Giants as a rookie before his season ended early due to an ankle injury,He finished with 410 rushing yards and five touchdowns in eight games,The Giants have not publicly commented on his remarks.
US interest in electric vehicles surges as gas prices jump amid Iran war
US car buyers are showing a surge in interest in electric vehicles after Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran helped cause a major jump in gasoline prices.The cost to refuel a vehicle in the US is at its highest level in nearly three years, with the average national price of gas standing at $3.90 a gallon on Friday.This increase has been driven by the rising global cost of oil in the wake of the US and Israel’s bombing of Iran, a major oil producer. The conflict has resulted in the strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that conveys around a fifth of the world’s oil, being shut off by Iran
‘It’s come at the wrong time’: how Iran war has floored the Gulf as a sports hub
The sight of Nasser al-Khelaifi grounded in Doha when Paris Saint Germain hosted Chelsea in the last-16 of the Champions League last week provided a symbolic illustration of the fragility of the Gulf’s sports project amid the conflict in the Middle East.Al-Khelaifi is the president of PSG, the chair of Qatar Sports Investments and, most crucially, the European Football Clubs, a lobby group that, along with Uefa, runs the Champions League. He is seen as the second-most powerful individual in world football, after the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino. Yet, with Qatari airspace closed, the 52-year-old was forced to miss his first PSG match for years.After watching PSG’s thrilling 5-2 victory in the first leg on the sports channel of the global TV network he also chairs, BeIN Media Group, Al-Khelaifi made it to London to watch Luis Enrique’s side inflict further misery on Chelsea with a 3-0 win in the second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday
US stock markets dip for fourth straight week over US-Israel war on Iran
US stock markets dropped again on Friday, capping off a fourth week of market turbulence as investors worried about the US-Israel war on Iran and its widespread impact on global oil prices.The Dow lost over 400 points on Friday, with the S&P 500 slipping 1.5% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq down 2%.The biggest losses of the week were seen in the Russell 2000, which tracks the performance of small-cap companies. The Russell 2000 entered correction territory on Friday after dipping 2
Lowering speed limits among contingency plans to curb UK oil demand
Lowering speed limits to minimise fuel consumption is among potential contingency plans being drawn up by the UK government as the crisis in the Middle East threatens global oil supplies.Sources stressed that there is no shortage of fuel in the UK, but said that officials in the Department for Transport were working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) on an analysis of what measures could be taken to curb oil demand.The world’s energy watchdog has advised its government member states, including the UK, to consider lowering road speeds and limiting when cars can drive.The International Energy Agency (IEA) recommended a raft of Covid-style emergency measures, including working from home, to cope with soaring oil prices and looming supply problems triggered by the US-Israel strikes on Iran.The agency said governments should encourage shared transport, whether public or car-pooling, and efficient driving, and tell citizens to avoid air travel where possible
FTSE 100 loses all its 2026 gains as Middle East conflict hits shares, and UK borrowing costs reach highest since 2008 – as it happened
Shares in London are suffering an end-of-week sell-off, following a report that the US is to send more troops to the Middle East.The blue-chip FTSE 100 share index is now down 90 points, or 0.9%, at 9970 points, back below the 10,000-point mark. That’s its lowest level since 5 January, as the Iran war wipes out almost all of its gains during 2026.Energy company BP (-3
FCA investigates collapsed lender MFS amid £1.3bn mortgage scandal
The UK’s financial regulator has launched an investigation into Market Financial Solutions (MFS), the mortgage lender that collapsed last month amid allegations of fraud.The move follows the granting of a £1.3bn worldwide asset-freezing order on MFS founder Paresh Raja on Wednesday, as creditors successfully gained court orders in London and Dubai barring the tycoon from dissipating assets.On Friday, the Financial Conduct Authority said it had “opened an enforcement investigation” into the stricken mortgage lender, which borrowed £1.3bn from a string of financial companies and slumped into administration in February
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Tory peer accuses Nick Timothy of ‘instilling fear’ over Islamic prayers
Department of Health retracts claim sunbeds are as dangerous as smoking
More British teenagers stranded abroad as result of new rules on dual nationals
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Claimants drop lawsuit against Gerry Adams over IRA bombings