Outdoor recreation is on track for another record-setting year. In 2022, US national parks logged more than 300 million visits – and that means a lot more people on roads and trails.

While research shows that spending time outside is good for physical and mental health, long lines and gridlocked roads can make the experience a lot less fun. Crowding also makes it harder for park staff to protect wildlife and fragile lands and respond to emergencies. To manage the crowds, some parks are experimenting with timed-entry vehicle reservation systems and permits for popular trails.

For all of their popularity, national parks are just one subset of US public lands. Across the nation, the federal government owns more than 640 million acres (2.6 million square kilometers) of land. Depending on each site’s mission, its uses may include logging, livestock grazing, mining, oil and gas production, wildlife habitat or recreation – often, several of these at once. In contrast, national parks exist solely to protect some of the most important places for public enjoyment.

In my work as a historian and researcher, I’ve explored the history of public land management and the role of national parks in shaping landscapes across the Americas. Many public lands are prime recreational territory and are also becoming increasingly crowded. Finding solutions requires visitors, gateway communities, state agencies and the outdoor industry to collaborate.

Alternatives to national parks

The US government is the nation’s largest land manager by far. Federal property makes up 28% of surface land area across the 50 states. In Western states like Nevada, the federal footprint can be as large as 80% of the land. That’s largely because much of this land is arid, and lack of water makes farming difficult. Other areas that are mountainous or forested were not initially viewed as valuable when they came under US ownership – but values have changed.

Public lands are more diverse than national parks. Some are scenic; others are just open space. They include all kinds of ecosystems, from forests to grasslands, coastlines, red rock canyons, deserts and ranges covered with sagebrush. They also include battlefields, rivers, trails and monuments. Many are remote, but others are near or within major metropolitan areas.

Many people who love hiking, fishing, backpacking or other outdoor activities know that national parks are crowded, and they often seek other places to enjoy nature, including public lands. That trend intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic, when lockdowns and social distancing protocols motivated people to get outside wherever they could.

The rise of remote work has also fueled a population shift toward smaller Western towns with access to open space and good internet access for videoconferencing. Popular remote work bases like Durango, Colorado, and Bend, Oregon, have become known as “Zoom towns” – a fresh take on the old boomtowns that brought people west in the 19th century.

With these new populations, gateway communities close to popular public lands face critical decisions. Outdoor recreation is a powerful economic engine: In 2021, it contributed an estimated US$454 billion to the nation’s economy – more than auto manufacturing and air transport combined.

But embracing recreational tourism can lead local communities into the amenity trap – the paradox of loving a place to death. Recreation economies that fail to manage growth, or that neglect investments in areas like housing and infrastructure, risk compromising the sense of place that draws visitors. But planning can proactively shape growth to maintain community character and quality of life.

Broadening recreation

People use public lands for many activities beyond a quiet hike in the woods. For instance, the Phoenix District of the federal Bureau of Land Management operates more than 3 million acres across central Arizona for at least 14 different recreational uses, including hiking, fishing, boating, target shooting, rock collecting and riding off-road vehicles.

Not all of these activities are compatible, and many have not traditionally been rigorously managed. For example, target shooters sometimes bring objects like old appliances or furniture to use as improvised targets, then leave behind an unsightly mess. In response, the Phoenix District has designated recreational shooting sites where it provides targets and warns against shooting at objects containing glass or hazardous materials, as well as cactuses.

Skiing also can pose crowding challenges. Many downhill skiing facilities in the West operate on public land with permits from the managing agency – typically, the US Forest Service.

One example, Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area is a nonprofit ski slope 16 miles from Boise, Idaho. Demand surges on winter weekends with fresh powder, creating long lift lines and crowded slopes.

The mountain is open for 12 hours a day, and Bogus Basin uses creative pricing structures for lift tickets to spread crowds out. For example, it draws younger skiers with discounted night skiing and retired skiers during the week. As a result, the parking lot only filled up once in the 2022-2023 season.

Local governments can help find ways to balance access with creative crowd management. In Seattle, King County launched Trailhead Direct to provide transit-to-trails services from Seattle to the Cascade Mountains. This approach expands access to the outdoors for city residents and reduces traffic on busy Interstate 90 and crowding in trailhead parking lots.

Other towns have partnered with federal land agencies to maintain trail systems, like the Ridge to Rivers network outside Boise and the River Reach trails near Farmington, New Mexico. This helps the towns provide better nearby outdoor opportunities for residents and attract new businesses whose employees value quality of life. Creating corridors from the “backyard to the backcountry,” as the Bureau of Land Management puts it, can help create vibrant communities.

A less-extractive view of public lands

For many years, Western communities have viewed public lands as places to mine, log and graze sheep and cattle. Tensions between states and the federal government over federal land policy often reflect state resentment over decisions made in Washington, D.C. about local resources.

Now, land managers are seeing a pivot. While federal control will never be welcome in some areas, Western communities increasingly view federal lands as amenities and anchors for immense opportunities, including recreation and economic growth. For example, Idaho is investing $100 million for maintenance and expanded access on state lands, mirroring federal efforts.

As environmental law scholar Robert Keiter has pointed out, the U.S. has a lot of laws governing activities like logging, mining and energy development on public lands, but there’s little legal guidance for recreation. Instead, agencies, courts and presidents are developing what Keiter calls “a common law of outdoor recreation,” bit by bit. By addressing crowding and the environmental impacts of recreation, I believe local communities can help the U.S. move toward better stewardship of our nation’s awe-inspiring public lands.

Editor’s Note: Emily Wakild is the Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Professor for the Environment and Public Lands, Boise State University. She has received past funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Ruins of a private theater belonging to the 1st century Roman Emperor Nero have been unearthed in the Italian capital just meters from the Vatican, in what experts are calling an “exceptional” find.

The discovery, revealed by Rome’s special superintendent Daniela Porro on Thursday, unveils the venue where Nero rehearsed poetry and music, and lies near to where St. Peter’s Basilica now stands.

Until now, the existence of the ancient theater had perplexed many historians because it was mentioned in Roman texts written by Pliny the Elder but its whereabouts had not previously been documented.

Nero was the fifth Roman emperor, ruling between 54 and 68 AD. An unpopular leader, he became famous for his extravagances and personal debaucheries.

The site includes elegant marble columns, gold-leaf decorations and storage rooms with remnants of costumes and backdrops used in Nero’s theatrical productions.

The dig is part of a renovation project of the Palazzo della Rovere on the Via Della Conciliazione, which leads to St. Peter’s Square.

The project will turn part of the Renaissance-era building into a Four Seasons hotel, set to open in 2025 – in time for Rome’s Jubilee year celebrations, which are expected to draw millions of people to the city.

Superintendent Porro said in a press statement that the “exceptional” findings provide a rare glimpse of the period beginning with Nero’s reign through to the 15th century. Some of the later artifacts bear witness to the site’s use as a theater, including remnants of costumes, as well as more recent pottery and cooking utensils.

Previously only seven glass chalices from between Nero’s reign and the 15th century, which marked a period during which Rome was pillaged multiple times, had been found. Porro said the dig turned up seven more.

Meanwhile, colored glass goblets and pottery remnants provisionally dated to the 10th century were also discovered during the extensive dig, which covers a city block.

Among the 15th century artifacts recovered during the excavation were glass goblets, cooking pots, coins and remnants of musical instruments, Di Mento aded. She said combs made from bones and various tools to make rosary beads were also found.

Many of the smaller pieces will be taken to Roman museums for display and the ruins of the structure will be reburied once they have been cataloged, Porri said.

The renovation of the palazzo and garden above the ruins continues.

Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport became the scene of a simulated Chinese invasion on Wednesday for the first time ever as the island’s military conducted an anti-takeover drill to fend off any possible attack from Beijing.

The drill was designed to test the Taiwanese military’s cross-branch coordination and emergency response capabilities during a simulated Chinese invasion, the Ministry of National Defense previously said.

With military helicopters in the sky and soldiers on the tarmac, the drill at Taiwan’s busiest international gateway reflects how Taipei is preparing for multiple scenarios in the face of fears over China’s increased military intimidation – concerns which have amplified since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began last year.

China’s ruling Communist Party claims the self-governing democracy of Taiwan as its territory despite never having controlled it, and has spent decades trying to isolate it diplomatically.

Beijing has not ruled out using force to take control of Taiwan, and has been putting growing military pressure on Taipei by sending aircraft into its self-declared air defense identification zone and warships in waters around the island.

Airports, civilian or otherwise, are primary targets, as was vividly displayed by Moscow’s ultimately unsuccessful attempt to seize Kyiv’s Hostomel Airport in the opening stages of their invasion last year.

At Taoyuan on Wednesday, soldiers wearing red helmets to mark themselves as simulated infiltrators engaged in a shootout drill with airport police. Firefighters also practiced putting out simulated fires.

Military choppers simulated flying over the airport and deploying enemy troops on the tarmac. As they approached an airport building, they exchanged fire along the way with the Taiwanese military defending the facility and those hiding in makeshift covers.

The drills, which lasted for 30 minutes, wrapped up as the Taiwanese military practiced clearing out residual enemy forces, brandishing Taiwan’s flag in the end to signify their simulated successful defense of the airport.

The airport drill was newly added to the Han Kuang military exercise held annually since 1984 and involving all branches of Taiwan’s military – including its reserve forces – in an effort to boost overall defense capabilities.

There was “no major impact” on passengers after the airport adjusted schedules for eight flights, the spokesperson added.

Elsewhere, Taiwan’s military canceled some Han Kuang exercises as Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in the northern Philippines on Wednesday.

The storm’s outer bands are beginning to impact eastern Taiwan, according to the island’s Central Weather Bureau and is set to press on toward the island and China in the coming days.

Taiwan’s Air Force decided to call of the drills at Taitung’s Fengnian airport on its eastern shores on Tuesday due to “safety concerns” as the typhoon approached, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement Monday.

An independent panel of experts investigating the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from a rural teachers’ college in Mexico announced they’re withdrawing from their probe because the government had failed to give them access to vital information.

The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), a committee of jurists and doctors, are in Mexico to investigate the disappearance of the students, who vanished during a visit to the southwestern city of Iguala.

But after presenting their final fact-finding report on Tuesday, the experts said they faced a series of roadblocks, and would be withdrawing from the investigation and leaving the country next week.

“The failure to provide existing information for the investigation of atrocious events such as these, must be denounced by the Prosecutor’s Office and investigated to achieve justice,” the GIEI report read.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, told a morning press conference on Tuesday that his government was “going to continue the investigation.”

The college-aged students, from a teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa, disappeared on September 26, 2014, as they traveled through the southwestern city of Iguala to attend a protest in Mexico City.

Exactly what happened remains unknown, since most of the missing students were never found.

Bullet-riddled buses were later seen in the city’s streets with shattered windows and blood. Survivors from the original group of 100 said their buses had been stopped by armed police officers and soldiers who suddenly opened fire.

Last August, a Mexican court issued at least 83 arrest warrants for people allegedly involved in the 2014 disappearance, but so far no one has been convicted in relation to the students’ disappearance.

The long list of suspects includes dozens of military commanders, troop personnel, police officers, as well as administrative and judicial authorities, who were accused of “organized crime, forced disappearance, torture, homicide and crimes against the administration of justice.”

The GIEI experts said throughout the different stages of the investigation they faced pressures and obstacles such as “lack of information,” “secrecy” and “hidden evidence” until it reached a “critical point in August 2022.”

The group added that the GIEI was forced to leave the investigation in 2016 and were only invited back in 2020 by the new government of Mexico under President Obrador, who made it a campaign promise to investigate the disappearance.

“The concealment of that information has contributed not only to the concealing of government responsibilities, but it has constituted in itself a responsibility of the state in the disappearance of these young men,” GIEI member Carlos Beristain told reporters on Tuesday.

He went on to say that “access to information has been partial and another part of it continues to be hidden.”

Angela Buitrago, another panel member, said the experts were unable to access key intelligence files.

“That condition was to have all the information that was in the files that had not been opened, such as intelligence files,” she said.

In 2008, first grade teacher Alvin Irby stopped by a Bronx barbershop after school for a haircut. Before long, one of his students came in.

“He is getting antsy; he’s kind of looking bored,” Irby recalled. “I’m looking at this student (thinking), ‘He should be practicing his reading.’ But I didn’t have a book.”

That moment stayed with Irby, and five years later he started Barbershop Books. Since 2013, the nonprofit has brought more than 50,000 free children’s books to more than 200 barbershops in predominantly Black neighborhoods across the country.

After the pandemic, math and reading scores in the US dropped to levels not seen for decades, yet literacy rates have long been lower for Black students. Only 17% of Black fourth graders are proficient in reading – and that number is likely even lower for the boys, who consistently score lower than girls in reading. The long-term implications of this can be serious.

Irby is working to change that, but not by helping children practice phonics or decode words. While he acknowledges those skills are essential, his approach is different: He wants to encourage boys to read for fun, on their own.

“So many kids associate reading with something you do in or for school,” he said. “If the only place a kid practices piano is during a lesson, the progress will be slow. … Our program is about getting kids to say three words: ‘I’m a reader.’”

Boys, books, and barbershops

Irby’s program may seem straightforward, but there’s a lot of thought behind it. He puts a colorful, kid-sized bookshelf in each shop, making it inviting to children. The books displayed are all carefully chosen based on recommendations from Black boys ages 4 to 8, his target audience. Many of these stories feature people of color, but for Irby, the most important quality of a book is that it should be fun to read.

“When we ask Black boys about what they want to read, you hear ‘Captain Underpants’ or ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid,’” he said. “Kids are more than their skin color.”

The setting for his work is both practical and meaningful. Not only do boys visit barbershops once or twice a month, but they are important hubs of the Black community.

“We are putting books in a male-centered space,” Irby said. “Less than 2% of teachers are Black males and many Black boys are raised by single moms. Black boys don’t see Black men reading.”

So, Irby involves the barbers in his mission – training them to engage boys about reading.

“We want them to encourage kids to use the reading spaces,” he said. “Then they can talk to them about how they like reading, how funny a book was, or tell them about another book another kid was reading.”

Irby believes that talking about books with a Black man can be powerful for the boys he serves.

“Our goal is not to turn barbers into tutors,” he said. “This is an opportunity to provide boys with male role models.”

Denny Moe was the first barber to work with Irby. Moe had previously offered video games at his Harlem shop, to bring in extra income, but he was willing to forego that to help the community.

“I decided to pay it forward by getting rid of the video games, putting books in here, just to get the kids’ minds going,” he said. “You want to make an impact.”

In Philadelphia, barber Mike Monroe joined Irby’s program a couple of years ago. He says he’s happy to encourage children to browse through the bookshelf in his shop.

“A lot of times we direct them to the books,” he said. “It’s a beautiful feeling, just seeing that they’re putting electronic devices down and actually reading a book.”

Larry Wilson, owner of Levels Barbershop in Harlem, gets a lot of personal satisfaction from seeing children reading.

“The kids – they love it. They’re reading with their parents, and that’s great to see as well,” he said. “It just adds more substance to what I do, to my job.”

Irby’s group now also partners with libraries and school districts. His program is in nearly 60 cities in 24 states, impacting more than 10,000 children a year.

Reading unlocks potential

Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, Alvin Irby’s mother taught elementary school and always emphasized the importance of reading to him. But it wasn’t until he got to high school that he began to realize its value.

“In my 10th grade English class, we were reading short stories and doing spelling tests and I was bored out of my mind, so I went to the counselor to ask if I could be in another class,” he said. “I got into pre-AP (advanced placement) and we were reading novels and doing book reports.”

The class inspired him and challenged him in ways he found rewarding. But he was disturbed to see that the advanced class had mostly white students, while his other English class had been mostly students of color.

“It was jarring for me, looking at this difference in the demographics of the students and looking at this difference in the rigor,” Irby said. “And at the center of all of this was the difference in reading expectations.”

For a school project, he surveyed his classmates about their reading habits and discovered that most of them didn’t read at all if it wasn’t required. The experience galvanized him to run for student council president, vowing to create a reading incentive program. He won and designed a competition encouraging students to write about books for a chance to win gift cards to a local bookstore. The experience left a lasting impact on him.

“It showed me my ideas could do something,” he said. “I didn’t think of myself as a literacy advocate at that time, but looking back, I’ve been on this journey for a minute.”

Irby attended college in Iowa and eventually moved to New York City, where he got a degree in education and became a teacher. Now, he draws on all this experience in his work.

New challenges spark new Ideas

During the coronavirus pandemic, Irby’s organization went online. He created a free e-library on his website featuring videos of him reading picture books aloud as well as digital copies of books by authors of color.

He also created Reading So Lit, an online program designed to help Black and Brown children understand and express their reading preferences.

“We ask them to think about their favorite reading spot, or their favorite genre of fiction and nonfiction,” he said. “We want to help them develop a reading identity.”

He’s now expanded this into a curriculum that will pilot in several schools this fall and he’s working with developers to build an educational technology platform to expand it nationwide. He hopes this program will help teachers better understand how to engage their students.

But the heart of his program remains in barbershops and reaching boys like 8-year-old twin brothers Chance and Chase, who read every time they come to Wilson’s shop.

“These books, I would say, have power,” Chance said. “The power of funness.”

That’s what keeps Irby motivated.

“I’m just excited that we get to create a safe space for boys to do something that’s really life changing,” he said. “That’s what I really believe reading is. It unlocks potential.”

Want to get involved? Check out the Barbershop Books website and see how to help.

To donate to Barbershop Books via GoFundMe, click here

When Angel Yin finished an impressive first round at the Evian Championship, she spent some time signing autographs for a gaggle of junior fans excitedly bundled together at the ropes.

Yet two young spectators had already collected souvenirs from the American golfer before she had even finished playing on Thursday.

For the second year running at the major championship in France, a player suffered the unfortunate fate of having their ball picked up while it was still in play.

Yin had been playing the par-five 15th hole at Evian Resort Golf Club when her shot skimmed over the fairway to settle just outside the ropes – much to the thrill of a nearby young fan, who picked up the ball before walking off with his sister.

The 24-year-old’s caddie, Markus Zechmann, was less ecstatic. Having sprinted off in pursuit of the collector, Zechmann walked the boy back to ask him to point out where the ball had initially landed.

Two negotiations then ensued. First, with the rules official, to determine where the shot should be taken from, and then, between Yin and the siblings, with the golfer “trading” two signed balls from her bag for her original ball.

Last year at the Evian Championship, Nelly Korda suffered a similar fate when a spectator picked up her ball.

Nor was it the first time that Yin had been playing when a spectator picked up her ball, though Thursday’s incident had a happier ending.

The American golfer had once been in contention at an event in Korea when a spectator took her ball but, positioned too far away, it was never found and Yin ultimately had to write it off as a lost ball, accepting a shot penalty in the process.

“Thank god my caddie was up front and he chased him down. I don’t really know the ruling if a kid takes my golf ball,” Yin said on Thursday.

“He plays tennis so he does run. With a bag on your shoulders it’s not fun.”

Yin parred the 15th before racing home with two birdies across the final three holes to card a four-under 67, leaving her just three strokes behind South African first-round leader Paula Reto.

Yin, who is the world No. 37 is chasing a first major win after two runner-up finishes, including an agonizing playoff defeat to Lilia Vu at the Chevron Championship earlier this year.

“Course is really difficult,” Yin said. “View is really nice so it does get difficult at times, but I held it through. Played good golf and was able to make birdies and capitalize on that.”

Yin tees off for her second round at 1:39 p.m. local time (7:39 a.m. ET) on Friday.

Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of NBA legend LeBron James, has been released from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after being treated for a sudden cardiac arrest, the Los Angeles hospital said Thursday.

“Although his workup will be ongoing, we are hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response, resilience, and his family and community support,” Dr. Merije Chukumerije, a cardiologist at the hospital, said.

Bronny James, an incoming freshman for the University of Southern California’s basketball team, suffered a cardiac arrest during practice at the University of Southern California and was hospitalized Monday, his family had said.

Chukumerije on Thursday complimented the “swift and effective response” of the USC training staff when James suffered cardiac arrest during basketball practice Monday and was hospitalized.

“He arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center fully conscious, neurologically intact and stable,” Chukumerije said.

“Listen … listen to me,” the caller said to the operator. “Get an ambulance here now.”

“Alright, sir, we’re going to send help,” the operator responded. “Don’t hang up, sir, don’t hang up.”

The operator asks if there is “a doctor on scene” or a registered nurse and the caller says a doctor is not there.

Earlier Thursday, LeBron James tweeted about his son for the first time since the practice incident, thanking well-wishers for sending his family “love and prayers.”

“We feel you and I’m so grateful. Everyone doing great,” the Lakers star wrote. “We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang”

Cardiac arrest occurs when electrical disturbances cause the heart to suddenly stop beating. It may be fatal if not immediately treated but can be reversed by CPR and a defibrillator, according to the American Heart Association.

“He’s probably wearing a monitor to monitor his heart rhythms while he’s at home to see if there’s any abnormalities,” Gupta said. “But so far it sounds like there’s nothing serious that they have found and they feel comfortable releasing him.”

Sudden cardiac arrest among young athletes is rare but not unheard of. A 2011 study that examined NCAA student-athlete sudden deaths between 2004 and 2008 found cardiovascular-related sudden death was the leading cause of death in 45 cases, or about 9 each year.

“Adolescent male basketball players and college male basketball players, for reasons that we don’t fully understand, are by far our single highest risk group of athletes for sudden cardiac arrest,” Drezner said. “In my opinion, they should all be screened with more robust and intensive cardiac screening than occurs typically.”

Bronny James had a cardiac screening several months ago as part of a program for prospective NBA players, according to a source familiar with the matter. The screening included a transthoracic echocardiogram, which looks at blood flow through the heart and heart valves, and an EKG, which is a recording of the heart’s electrical activity, the source said. Both screenings came back with normal results.

The 6-foot-3 combo guard graduated this spring from Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, where he averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals his senior year. He was rated a four-star recruit, and he stood out in the McDonald’s All-American Game in March, featuring some of the country’s top high school basketball players.

Experts say it’s hard to map out exactly what James’ recovery will look like until more is known about the cause of his cardiac arrest and his specific health condition. But the fact that he was treated immediately and is already out of the intensive care unit bodes well for his recovery, Drezner said.

In a rare critique of the team’s previous coach and staff, new Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton told USA Today that his predecessors had done “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”

Payton, who was hired this past offseason by the Broncos, sounded off on former head coach Nathaniel Hackett and others. Last season, Hackett was let go by the team after a 4-11 record under him.

The 59-year-old Payton didn’t hold back on his disgust for the team’s former coaches and their treatment of quarterback Russell Wilson last season.

“There’s 20 dirty hands, for what was allowed, tolerated in the fricking training rooms, the meeting rooms,” Payton told USA Today Thursday.

“I don’t know Hackett. A lot of people had dirt on their hands. It wasn’t just Russell. He didn’t just flip. He still has it. This B.S. that he hit a wall? Shoot, they couldn’t get a play in. They were 29th in the league in pre-snap penalties on both sides of the ball.”

Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLVIII champion, had a career-worst season in his first year in Denver, finishing with 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and only 3,524 yards passing.

“That was the parents who allowed it (to happen),” Payton added. “That’s not an incrimination on him, but an incrimination on the head coach, the GM, the president, and everybody else who watched it all happen.”

Payton’s sharp commentary of a fellow NFL coach is uncommon among the league’s coaching fraternity.

He took aim at Hackett’s new employer, the New York Jets, who hired him as the offensive coordinator this past offseason. The Jets had a big offseason after trading for four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and were recently named the participant in HBO and NFL Films’ five-part docuseries “Hard Knocks.”

Despite the big acquisitions and big media hype around the Jets, Payton feels the team will fail to live up to expectations.

“We’re not doing any of that,” Payton said. “The Jets did that this year. You watch. ‘Hard Knocks,’ all of it. I can see it coming.”

Jets head coach Robert Saleh addressed the comments while talking to reporters during training camp on Thursday. Saleh said Payton can say “whatever the hell he wants.”

“I kind of live by a saying: ‘If you ain’t got no haters, you ain’t popping.’ So hate away,” Saleh said. “Obviously, we’re doing something right if you’ve gotta talk about us when we don’t play you until week 4 and I’m good with it. The guys in the locker room, they’ve earned everything that’s coming to them and really excited about what’s going on.”

The Jets are scheduled to play the Broncos in Denver in week 5.

Saleh was also complimentary of the job Hackett has been doing with the Jets so far, calling him “phenomenal.”

“We are focused on us. I get it, there’s a lot of external noise, there’s a lot of people who are hating on us. There are a lot of people looking at us to fail,” Saleh continued. “There’s a lot of crows pecking at our neck but all you could do is spread your wings and keep flying high until those crows fall off and suffocate from the inability to breathe.”

Payton has had plenty of success in the NFL, coaching the New Orleans Saints for 15 years. He led the franchise to the playoffs nine times and won the Super Bowl in 2010.

Following the 2021 season, Payton stepped down as head coach in New Orleans and worked as a broadcaster last season. The Broncos hired him in February after a disappointing 5-12 season.

Women’s World Cup 2023: Live scores, fixtures, results, tables and top scorers

England’s 1-0 win over Denmark at the Women’s World Cup on Friday was overshadowed by a serious-looking injury sustained by its star midfielder Keira Walsh who had to be stretchered off in the first half.

Lauren James scored the only goal of the game in the sixth minute, curling home an exquisite effort from just outside the box to give the European champions the lead.

However, a dominant first half was tarnished when Walsh – England’s midfield metronome – went down clutching her knee with no other player in her vicinity, with the 26-year-old appearing to be in visible pain.

TV cameras appeared to show the Barcelona midfielder telling the England bench that she had “done my knee.” After receiving some medical treatment on the pitch, Walsh was stretchered off in tears.

England is already without defender Leah Williamson and forward Beth Mead, who both suffered anterior cruciate ligaments last season. Williamson, Mead and Walsh played major roles in England’s Euro 2022 title win.

In Walsh’s absence, England continued to create opportunities and had the better of proceedings without finding the necessary cutting edge to extend its lead.

Knowing a win would secure its spot in the knockout phase of the tournament, Denmark ramped up the pressure on England’s goal, but was unable to find a way past Mary Earps.

Denmark came within the width of the post from earning a late draw when Amalie Vangsgaard’s glancing header clipped the frame of the goal with Earps stranded.

In the end though, England was able to move to the brink of booking its spot in the last 16, with one final group game against China to come. If Haiti avoid defeat against China later on Friday, England will reach the knockout stages.

After the 1-0 victory, England manager Sarina Wiegman called Walsh’s injury “serious” and said that she will “probably” go for a scan.

Asked if Walsh’s injury affected her team for the remainder of the game, Wiegman told the BBC: “I think they did a great job. The team really picked it up but it is not nice to see a player on the pitch [like that]. I think the team picked up really well and we had to fight. That’s what we did.”

Argentina vs. South Africa

Argentina completed a dramatic comeback to earn a 2-2 draw against South Africa earlier on Friday.

In an topsy-turvy game in Dunedin, New Zealand, Banyana Banyana opened the scoring, Linda Motlhalo tapping home after 30 minutes, though the Argentina defenders thought the move in the build-up was offside. However, the video assistant referee confirmed Thembi Kgatlana, who provided the assist, was onside and the goal stood.

Seeking a first ever Women’s World Cup victory, South Africa doubled its lead midway through the second half after Kgatlana once again combined with Motlhalo to edge Banyana Banyana a step closer to a famous victory.

However, in the space of five second-half minutes, Argentina clawed its way back into the Group G match.

A stunning, dipping strike from Sophia Braun from the outside of the area gave Argentina a foothold in the game and Romina Núñez completed the turnaround with a header to make it 2-2.

Both sides have a point after two games at the tournament and South Africa has its first ever point at a Women’s World Cup.

Fellow Group G sides, Sweden and Italy, play on Saturday in their second group stage games.

In Argentina and South Africa’s final group games, they will face Sweden and Italy respectively knowing they will need to win to have any chance of making it to the knockout stages of the tournament.

Scorching temperatures will continue to smother millions from the Midwest to the Northeast on Friday and into the weekend, triggering emergency mode for cities and testing nation’s largest power grid.

Forecasters are cautioning about 150 million people of extreme heat Friday as severely high temperatures persist for much of the US – from California, Arizona and Texas to Missouri, Illinois and New York.

“Within these areas, daytime temperatures are forecast to approach and exceed 95-100F heading into this weekend, but oppressive humidity will make these temperatures feel much hotter,” the National Weather Service warned.

“In addition to the hot daytime highs, nighttime lows are also expected to be 10 to 15 degrees above average, with the potential for several warm nighttime low records to be broken,” weather service forecasters added.

Heat indexes – a measure of what the temperature feels like on the skin when accounting for relative humidity – are expected to be between 105 and 110 degrees on Friday, particularly over the Mid-Atlantic and Central Plains, the weather service said.

The agonizing, unrelenting heat has taken a hefty toll on many communities, as well as wildlife.

The number of people dying from heat-related complications is rising in the US. In Arizona, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office in Phoenix brought in 10 refrigerated containers to handle a possible overflow of heat-related deaths.

“While we typically see a surge in heat-related deaths in July, we won’t know how many … we have this year until forensic pathologists complete their investigations,” said Maricopa County spokesperson Jessie Caraveoa. The county has reported 25 heat-associated deaths so far this year as of Monday.

Arizona officials are also reporting emergency room visits for extreme heat burns after people fall to the ground – and even cacti are dying from the persistent triple-digit temperatures.

The intense heat is spreading as a newly published report indicates July is likely the planet’s hottest month on record.

The report, published Thursday by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization, notes July’s heat has been so intense that it is “virtually certain” this month will break records “by a significant margin.”

In the US on Thursday, record-high temperatures were reported in Arizona, California, Texas, Louisiana and Washington, DC, according to preliminary data.

As the heat continues Friday before slowly waning in some areas during the weekend, here’s how some communities have taken precautions.

The heat is also taxing power infrastructure in many parts of the country.

Energy provider Con Edison has asked New York residents to reduce their consumption. “Intense heat and increased demand for air conditioning can cause strain on the electric system and may lead to localized outages,” the utility said in a news release.

And PJM Interconnection – the nation’s largest power grid system – on Thursday declared an emergency alert, which instructs all systems to be online, including those with planned outages. The utility coordinates electricity for more than 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC, according to its website.

How hot it will be this weekend

The heat index in Washington, DC, is expected to exceed 100 degrees Friday and Saturday. Low temperatures won’t dip below 74 on both days, providing little relief for the nation’s capital.

Meanwhile in Chicago, residents could see a heat index of 101 degrees Friday, but temperatures are expected to cool Saturday when a high of 78 is forecast.

In New York, temperatures may begin to improve Sunday, when the high is forecast at 82 degrees.

Elsewhere, Phoenix saw a much-needed improvement Wednesday night when the temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport fell below 90 degrees for the first time since the morning of July 9, according to the city’s National Weather Service office. Nearby thunderstorms cooled the area after it reached a record high of 118 degrees Wednesday afternoon.