Sports, Entertainment & Culture — August 25, 2026

CTE found in a quarter of former NFL players studied. A new study found at least 25% of former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had the brain disease, the latest evidence linking football to long-term neurological damage.

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Angel Reese rewrites the rebounding record book. Reese grabbed a WNBA-record 26 rebounds in the Dream's 78-71 win over the Sparks, breaking the league's single-game and single-season rebounding records in the same night.

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Browns hand Watson the starting job. Cleveland named Deshaun Watson its starting quarterback over Shedeur Sanders for the season opener. His contract structure makes it nearly impossible for him to stay beyond 2026.

CBS Sports frames the decision against the backdrop of Watson's deal, describing it as giving Cleveland roughly 200 million reasons to release him once the 2026 season ends. That financial reality means the choice to start him ahead of Sanders in the opener carries a built-in expiration point, with the contract's structure effectively ruling out a longer-term future for Watson with the franchise, according to the outlet.

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Aaliyah's death, 25 years on. The R&B star died in a plane crash at age 22 on this date in 2001, a milestone anniversary generating retrospectives across music and culture.

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