Shohei Ohtani's trading card value has risen 781% since the start of 2021, the highest year-to-date return of any athlete on Alt, a sports card exchange that aims to bring more liquidity to alternative assets.
Why it matters: The trading card market is the closest thing we have to a stock market for sports.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from Wimbledon, but will still compete at the Tokyo Olympics, her agent said Thursday, per AP.
Why it matters: Wimbledon is the third tournament Osaka, 23, has withdrawn from in recent weeks. In May, Osaka withdrew from the French Open after the first round for a mental health break. Osaka also pulled out of next week's Berlin WTA 5000 tournament, per ESPN.
The 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause prevents West Virginia and Arkansas from carrying out laws that exclude transgender girls from women's sports and ban gender-affirming care, respectively, the Justice Department argued Thursday in two statements of interest for separate lawsuits.
Why it matters: They are the Justice Department's first direct statements on the record number of bills targeting trans youth. The statements come after the White House repeatedly deferred to the DOJ on whether it will take action against the predominately Republican-backed legislation.
