Aug 4, 2020 - Sports

The "richest game" in soccer will decide who enters the Premier League

Kendall Baker, author of Sports

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Brentford and Fulham match up on Tuesday at world-famous Wembley Stadium in the EFL Championship Playoff Final, with the winner earning promotion to the English Premier League.

Why it matters: The annual match has been dubbed "the richest game in football," with the winner receiving hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to increased TV revenue and other financial perks of joining the world's best soccer league.

How it works: The 24-team Championship automatically promotes its top two finishers, while Nos. 3–6 fight for the third and final slot.

No. 1 Leeds United and No. 2 West Bromwich Albion earned automatic promotions.
No. 3 Brentford beat No. 6 Swansea City, 3-2 on aggregate.
No. 4 Fulham beat No. 5 Cardiff City, 3-2 on aggregate.

What we're watching: Brentford and Fulham are local rivals, living in the shadow of Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea in West London.

Brentford is looking to return to the Premier League for the first time in 73 years.
Fulham is hoping to bounce back after being relegated last season. The club is owned by Jaguars owner, Shahid Khan, and is known for signing Americans like Clint Dempsey and Brian McBride, and currently has two on the roster: starting defender Tim Ream and reserve midfielder Luca de la Torre.

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Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. EST: 32,135,220 — Total deaths: 981,660 — Total recoveries: 22,149,441 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m EST: 6,975,980 — Total deaths: 202,738 — Total recoveries: 2,710,183 — Total tests: 98,481,026 — Map.
Politics: House Democrats prepare new $2.4 trillion coronavirus relief package.
Health: Cases are surging again in 22 states — New York will conduct its own review of coronavirus vaccine.
Business: America is closing out its strongest quarter of economic growth.
Technology: 2020 tech solutions may be sapping our resolve to beat the pandemic.
Sports: Pac-12 will play this fall despite ongoing pandemic — Here's what college basketball will look like this season.
Science: Global coronavirus vaccine initiative launches without U.S. or China — During COVID-19 shutdown, a common sparrow changed its song.

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5 hours ago - Sports

Pac-12 will play football this fall, reversing course

A view of Levi's Stadium during the 2019 Pac-12 Championship football game. Photo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images

The Pac-12, which includes universities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington state, will play football starting Nov. 6, reversing its earlier decision to postpone the season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The conference's about-face follows a similar move by the Big Ten last week and comes as President Trump has publicly pressured sports to resume despite the ongoing pandemic. The Pac-12 will play a seven-game conference football season, according to ESPN.

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Dave Lawler, author of World

5 hours ago - World

Global coronavirus vaccine initiative launches without U.S. or China

Data: Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; Map: Naema Ahmed/Axios

A global initiative to ensure equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines now includes most of the world — but not the U.S., China or Russia.

Why it matters: Assuming one or more vaccines ultimately gain approval, there will be a period of months or even years in which supply lags far behind global demand. The COVAX initiative is an attempt to ensure doses go where they're most needed, rather than simply to countries that can produce or buy them at scale.

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