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Sports

Caleb Swanigan, the 2017 Big Ten basketball player of the year at Purdue, dies at 25 of natural causes

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Former Purdue basketball star Caleb Swanigan has died at 25.The Allen County Coroner’s office confirmed Tuesday that Swanigan died Monday of natural causes at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana.AdvertisementA private doctor will be handling his death certificate, according to Rebecca Maze, a senior investigator at the coroner’s office.The Purdue men’s basketball account tweeted Tuesday: “Devastated. Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan’s family and friends. The world lost a gentle soul last night. Love you Biggie.”Advertisement💔 Devastated. Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan’s family and friends. The world lost a gentle soul last night. Love you Biggie. pic.twitter.com/spU2hQtJdi— Purdue Mens Basketball (@BoilerBall) June 21, 2022

The 6-foot-9 center was from Fort Wayne and attended Homestead High School before playing for the Boilermakers from 2015 to 2017. He averaged more than 14 points and 10 rebounds for Purdue.Swanigan was selected as The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten in 2017, when he averaged more than 18 points. He was a unanimous pick for both Big Ten Player of the Year and the AP All-Big Ten team.Swanigan was a first-round draft pick in 2017 by the Portland Trail Blazers. He also played for the Sacramento Kings.

Sports

Brittney Griner’s phone call to her wife to be rescheduled after US officials make ‘unfortunate mistake’ and ‘logistical error’

WASHINGTON — A phone call between jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner and her wife is being rescheduled after an earlier attempt to connect on the couple’s anniversary failed because of an “unfortunate mistake,” Biden administration officials said Tuesday.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the State Department was working to arrange a new call but did not say when that would be. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the call could not be completed because of a “logistical error” that officials have worked quickly to fix so that a new call can take place.AdvertisementGriner was to have spoken with her wife Cherelle on Saturday, the couple’s fourth anniversary, for the first time since her arrest in Russia in mid-February. The call was to have been routed through the American embassy in Russia, which was to have patched the conversation through.Cherelle Griner told The Associated Press on Monday that no call ever came. She said she later learned that her wife had tried 11 times to call her through the embassy by dialing a number that she had been given, but that no one picked up because that particular desk was unstaffed on Saturday.AdvertisementPrice said Tuesday that the problem was compounded by staffing limitations at the embassy, including technicians that are located in a third country because of Russian government restrictions placed on the embassy and its operations.A senior State Department official, speaking earlier on Tuesday said the call was supposed to have gone through the Marine Guard station at the embassy, which is staffed around the clock. but the call was apparently re-routed through a remote location that was unstaffed on Saturday.“This was an unfortunate mistake,” Jean-Pierre said Tuesday, adding that, “the Department of State is working to rectify this as quickly as possible.”Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time WNBA All-Star who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained at a Russian airport on Feb. 17 after authorities there said a search of her bag revealed vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.The State Department in May designated her as wrongfully detained, moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator. Russian state-run news agency Tass reported last week that her detention had been extended until July 2.Jean-Pierre said she had no information about whether President Joe Biden would meet with Cherelle Griner, but said: “The State Department has been in regular touch with Mrs. Griner. She’s also spoken with Secretary (Antony) Blinken. Any American who is held abroad is a priority for this president.”Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.

Sports

20 of the 24 sexual misconduct lawsuits against Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson have settled, lawyer says

NFL star Deshaun Watson has reached confidential settlements in 20 of the 24 sexual misconduct lawsuits filed against him.The announcement came Tuesday from Tony Buzbee, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs.Advertisement“Today I announce that all cases against Deshaun Watson, with the exception of four, have settled. We are working through the paperwork related to those settlements,” Buzbee said in a statement. “Once we have done so, those particular cases will be dismissed. The terms and amounts of the settlements are confidential.“We won’t comment further on the settlements or those cases.”AdvertisementWatson has been accused of sexual misconduct by 24 women working as massage therapists while he was the quarterback of the Houston Texans. The women said the NFL star sexually assaulted, harassed or touched them during private massage sessions.A recent New York Times investigation found that Watson had booked appointments with “at least 66 different women in just the 17 months from fall 2019 through spring 2021.”The damning article, written by Jenny Vrentas, also found that the Texans “provided the venue Watson used for some of the appointments.” A Texans representative also provided the team’s star player a nondisclosure agreement that he gave to some of the women, per The Times.Browns QB Deshaun Watson has settled all but four of the lawsuits filed against him. (Ron Schwane/AP)Despite the allegations against him, the Cleveland Browns signed Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in March after acquiring the three-time Pro Bowler in a trade with the Texans. It’s the largest guaranteed contract in league history.The Browns, desperate for a franchise quarterback, sent the Texans three first-round picks and a third-round pick to complete the trade.Watson has denied the allegations.“I never assaulted anyone,” he said following practice during mandatory minicamp with the Browns last week. “I never harassed anyone or I never disrespected anyone. I never forced anyone to do anything.”Watson, who was not indicted on criminal complaints by a pair of grand juries in Texas, could still be punished by the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The league’s investigation is ongoing and a decision is expected before training camp, the AP reported last week.Advertisement“Today’s development has no impact on the collectively bargained disciplinary process,” Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s communications boss, said in a statement to the Daily News.Ashley Solis, the first woman who publicly identified herself as a plaintiff in the case, is not one of the 20 women to reach a settlement, Buzbee said.“Her case has not settled and thus her story and that of the other three brave women will continue,” Buzbee said, calling Solis a “hero,” via ESPN. “I look forward to trying these cases in due course.”Solis went public with her accusations against Watson during a press conference on April 6, 2021.“I come forward now so that Deshaun Watson does not assault another woman… I am seeking justice not just on behalf of myself but for all survivors… This is about having my voice heard,” Solis said.With News Wire Services