Lindell, portrayed by Beck Bennett, joined Colin Jost during a Weekend Update segment to discuss his ban from the social media platform for repeatedly pushing conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election. After Jost noted that the baseless claims inspired the insurrectionists that stormed and ransacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, Bennett’s Lindell furiously pushed back. “Well hold on there, Bucko!” Beckett’s Lindell said. “I didn’t inspire no insurrection, nobody!...

Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for the Iran Atomic Energy Organization, told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency on Thursday that an incident had occurred at the Natanz nuclear facility in central Isfahan province south of Tehran. He downplayed the event, saying it did not inflict casualties or cause extensive destruction or radioactive pollution due to the “inactivity” of the complex. But soon after, BBC Persian reported that some of its journalists had received a message from a group calling itself “Homeland Cheetahs” prior to what the previously-unknown organization called an act of sabotage against the Iranian government....

The Florida Panthers forward extended his franchise-record point streak to 15 games against the New York Rangers on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Hoffman tied the game 1-1 just 4:40 into the first period as he rocketed a slap shot past Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Hoffman’s eighth goal of the season made him the first player to record a point streak of at least 15 games in his first season with a team since Dany Heatley had a 22-game run with Hoffman’s former team, the Ottawa Senators, in the 2005-06 season....

In a clip shared on Twitter Wednesday, Lindell, an ally of former President Donald Trump, said on his “The Lindell Report” podcast that he had his “cyber guys” watching the election in Brazil. He did not say who these individuals were, or how they were monitoring the vote. He also spoke about how “corrupt judges” voted down what he said was an attempt to have paper put into electronic voting machines so that it could print out “paper copies” that can be used to conduct an audit....

The Cowboys were a comedy of errors during the last few minutes of their divisional matchup loss to the 49ers, with the final act a baffling effort that will be replayed on blooper reels for years to come. With Ezekiel Elliott playing center and the offensive line split and taking up formation near the sidelines, Dak Prescott dumped the ball over the middle to KaVontae Turpin, who was immediately tackled to end the matchup....

Agen faces one felony count of perjury for allegedly lying “during an investigative subpoena investigation” and “giving false statements under oath,” Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud said in a Thursday morning press conference. Agen’s arraignment and indictment are part of efforts by the state’s Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel to indict the state’s former Republican Governor Rick Snyder, its former Michigan Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon and eight other former officials who now face charges of willful neglect of duty and involuntary manslaughter due to their oversight of the environmental and health disaster....

Piazza’s likeness on his Hall of Fame plaque will sport a Mets logo, the catcher announced at a news conference Thursday in New York, joining Tom Seaver in that club. Griffey, of course, will go in as a Seattle Mariner — the first to do so, after longtime teammate Randy Johnson chose to go with a Diamondbacks logo last year. Griffey spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Seattle, plus the mostly forgettable last two, with a nine-year run in his hometown of Cincinnati in between....

The Liberty Times, which is hosting a business forum in the island’s southern port city of Kaohsiung, said it has invited the former secretary of state to delivery the keynote on September 27. Pompeo will meet with Taiwanese business leaders and also give opening remarks at a second gathering the following day. The 58-year-old former CIA director last visited Taiwan in early March, at the invitation of the Taiwanese government....

Pompeo is currently in London to discuss what he earlier said were “shared security challenges” with Johnson. He is also expected to discuss China with the U.K. prime minister although he made no reference to the country in his tweet, which said: “Constructive visit with @BorisJohnson today. Our two countries’ long-standing, strong bilateral relationship has laid the foundation for today’s candid discussion on issues ranging from 5G telecommunication to our negotiations for a U....

Trout was removed from the Halos’ 11-8 victory over the Brewers after three innings. Manager Brad Ausmus told reporters the move was precautionary. “Trouty wanted to stay in the game,” Ausmus said, per MLB.com. “He said there might have been a little soreness from a workout that he’d had either earlier (Tuesday) or (Monday), but we can’t lose that guy for any length of time, so it was really my call....

The Nigerian spent 11 years at the Stamford Bridge before he moved to the Tianjin Tigers in the summer while Pato had a short spell at the London Stadium after he secured a move from Corinthians in 2016. The Brazilian now plays in the Chinese topflight under manager Fabio Cannavaro and Mikel who plies his trade with their archrivals has taken to the social media, expressing his anticipation to face the former AC Milan striker....

Many boxing pundits, including those closest to Garcia, wanted him to shift his focus elsewhere as he would be jumping up two weight classes to battle one of the fastest rising stars of the sport. The name that has come up most prominently for the four-division world champion was Manny Pacquiao, who is closer in weight and arguably still a bigger star than Spence. The idea of a Pacquiao-Garcia fight has picked up some steam and has gotten to the point where Pacquiao rival Floyd Mayweather said he was going to give the Filipino senator a call and try to secure a deal that would see Garcia and Pacquiao square off....

Today Paine’s world is finally coming into view. The growth of India and China and the shift of power from states to citizens have huge potential for good. But the United States remains the world’s defining power; its decisions create the framework for everyone else. It must therefore take the lead in redefining the global game—addressing the threats that divide us, from nuclear proliferation to religious extremism, but also preserving the goods we share, from climate stability to the international finance system....

The cameras will begin to roll on Tuesday, and despite what’s sure to be wall-to-wall coverage of ceremonial events, punctuated by mind-numbing dissections of the pontiff’s veiled pronouncements, the truth is that among American Roman Catholics, excitement about this pope and his trip is remarkably low. It’s not just that Benedict pales in comparison to his predecessor John Paul II in almost every respect, including looks, vitality, charisma, showmanship, tenure and popular appeal—facts so obvious that even Benedict’s defenders concede them immediately before trying to spin their man’s “timid” temperament and essential “humility” as spiritual assets....

McConnell laughed when a reporter asked him Tuesday whether he expected another economic relief bill to be approved by the end of next week. “No,” the Kentucky Republican responded. The federal $600 weekly unemployment bonus that is set to expire this weekend will mean jobless recipients will only receive state benefits that average around $370 per week. Many will see their total benefits cut in more than half starting next week rather than the end of the month because of the way the CARES Act was written and due to how jobless benefits are distributed....

At around 4:40 p.m. local time, a red SUV drove through a barrier and slammed into a crowd, knocking over at least 40 people, according to local news. Eleven adults and 12 children were injured in the tragic incident, and immediately transported to six nearby hospitals for treatment. Police confirmed there were “some” fatalities, but have not yet released the number of individuals that were killed in the incident....

“The Watch List” is named after a decidedly more serious (and arguably less effective) list kept by Homeland Security. The show’s mix of stand-up and sketch comedy, which debuted this week, has a raw YouTube appeal, yet the humor here is anything but amateur. Comedy Central was hip to this fact, and though they won’t admit it, it’s more than likely that the network—home to Jon Stewart and Dave Chappelle—is testing out this new strain of ethnic comedy on its Web site before making an airtime commitment....

The $97 million renovation of the 23-year-old, city-owned Target Center includes a redesign of the outdated exterior, additional clubs and gathering spaces, as well as improved traffic flow. The Timberwolves and Lynx will pay $43 million toward the project. The city will contribute $48.5 million and building manager Anschutz Entertainment Group Facilities will pay $5.5 million. As part of the deal, the Timberwolves will extend their lease at Target Center through 2032....

Fans of the city’s revered son Prince will recognize the club, located on the corner of First Avenue and 7th Street, as the location for scenes of the musician’s 1984 film Purple Rain. On Thursday, thousands of protesters from a coalition of groups are turning up outside the Target Center across the street to voice their opposition to Trump’s Keep America Great rally inside. Among the groups is the Anti-War Committee, which said that they wanted to “protest Trump and his racist policies....