Robert MacIntyre leaps out to 4-shot lead at Valero Texas Open

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre opened up a four-shot lead at the midway point of the Valero Texas Open on Friday at TPC San Antonio.

MacIntyre shot the round of the week so far, an 8-under-par 64, to climb to 14-under 130 through two rounds. Sweden's Ludvig Aberg is his closest competitor after he shot a second consecutive 67 to get to 10 under par.

Bud Cauley (66), Kevin Roy (68), Tony Finau (69) and Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen (66) are tied for third at 9 under.

MacIntyre started on the back nine and went 4 under through a three-hole stretch at Nos. 14-16. He set himself up for an 8-foot eagle putt at the par-5 14th, then knocked in two more putts inside 8 feet for birdies at the next two holes.

The World No. 11 finished his round with four birdies on the final five holes. He made just one bogey against seven birdies.

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While MacIntyre seeks his third PGA Tour win, Finau is vying for his seventh. The difference is he hasn't triumphed since April 2023, and he has yet to be invited to next week's Masters -- something only a victory in Texas can change.

Finau ended his round with a bang, sinking a 34 1/2-foot eagle putt at the par-5 18th. He made an even longer eagle putt at No. 14 on Thursday, from 41 1/2 feet.

As the final few groups finished their rounds Friday evening, the cut line was projected to be 2 under. Jordan Spieth shot consecutive 71s to sit right on the line. Mark Hubbard, the first-round leader following a 7-under 65, stumbled to a 77 Friday and may also make the cut right on the number.

Those on the wrong side include Russell Henley (1 under), Max Homa (1 under), South Korea's Tom Kim (even), Austrian Sepp Straka (even), Rickie Fowler (1 over) and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon (4 over).

--Field Level Media

byAlex Forten

in

April 03, 2026

Robert MacIntyre leaps out to 4-shot lead at Valero Texas Open

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre opened up a four-shot lead at the midway point of the Valero Texas Open on Friday at T...

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John Oates Calls “Masked Singer” the 'Weirdest Thing' He's Done, Almost Fainted During His Elimination: 'Never So Happy to Lose'

John Oates called his time on The Masked Singer both the "weirdest thing I've ever done"

NEED TO KNOW

• The Hall & Oates rocker struggled with the bulky costume, and nearly fainted during his elimination

• He appeared on season 10 of the hit series in 2023 as Anteater

John Oatesis no longer masking his true feelings on his time spent competing onThe Masked Singer.

The former Hall & Oates rocker, 77, came in sixth place when he competed as Anteater on season 10 of the Fox series in the fall of 2023. But in a new interview on theRock & Roll High Schoolpodcast, Oates said his experience wasn't exactly the best.

"It's either a high point in my career or a low point in my career. Maybe a little of both," he said on Thursday, April 2. "I took a leap of faith and I said, 'Sure, let me give it a try.' I didn't know what I was getting myself into. It was really weird, I have to say. In fact, it was the weirdest thing I've ever done."

Oates said he'd never seen the show before, but is at a point in his career where he "just want[s] to do stuff." Still, he faced difficulty singing, moving and seeing while stuck inside the bulky costume.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer explained that he wasn't allowed to tell anyone that he was filming the show, so "made up some bulls---" about filming a TV pilot to explain why he was constantly flying to and from Los Angeles.

On the day he was eliminated, Oates had flown into L.A. around 2:30 a.m. after playing theNewport Folk Festival, and had to report to set at 8:30 a.m.

"So I go from folk music to wearing an anteater suit, and then I get out there and I was starting to feel dizzy and really weird," he recalled.

After his performance, Oates was semi-eliminated, and had to compete in a sing-off to battle it out in an attempt to stick around.

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"I'm on stage and I'm literally thinking, 'I'm gonna fall over. I know I'm going to fall over.' I'm sweating and I felt so s---ty," he said. "And so luckily, I lost. And when they told me I lost, I was so happy. I couldn't wait to take that head off."

He continued: "I did my best to act like I was having fun, but honestly, I swear to God, I thought I was going to faint. And I said, 'Okay, that's it.' I was never so happy to lose."

Other stars on Oates' season ofThe Masked Singerincluded tennis playerBillie Jean Kingand singersMacy GrayandKeyshia Cole. Cow — who turned out to beNe-Yo— was eventually crowned the winner.

During his stint on the series, Oates sang hits including "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn, "I Want it That Way" byBackstreet Boysand Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode."

During his unmasking, Oates appeared somewhat relieved as the judging panel expressed shock that they hadn't been able to guess his identity.

"I'll tell you what. I've done a lot of crazy stuff in my career. This is one of the best things I've ever done. So thank you very much" he said on stage at the time. "It's been a blast. It's so great to be in this costume and just sing whatever you want. No one knows.. This is crazy."

Oates released his self-titled solo album in August, which followed his 2024 solo recordReunion.

"I spent the entire early 2000s squeezing my individual creativity into this very regimented schedule of touring and business," hetold PEOPLE in 2024. "It was debilitating for me, and I couldn't do it anymore. There was really no creativity left for me in that. It was just about celebrating our past," he said, noting that Reunion felt like the first time he'd been able to "fully commit."

Read the original article onPeople

byAlex Forten

in

April 03, 2026

John Oates Calls “Masked Singer” the 'Weirdest Thing' He's Done, Almost Fainted During His Elimination: 'Never So Happy to Lose'

John Oates called his time on The Masked Singer both the "weirdest thing I've ever done" NEED TO...

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Ye performs first US show in years: What critics and fans are saying

WhenYereturned to Los Angeles for his first full live show in the United States since 2021, it was as if time hadn't passed.

The hip-hop mogul, formerly known asKanye West,hit the stage at SoFi Stadium on Wednesday, April 1, for his first of two shows following recent performances in Mexico City and China, and his first apology in years for the antisemitic messages he spewed. The rapper previously sharedrhetoric widely deemed as antisemiticon social media, used a 2025 Super Bowl ad to redirect viewers to a website selling a $20 swastika T-shirt, and dropped asong praising Adolf Hitler.

In a lengthy advertisement fromThe Wall Street Journal's Jan. 26 issueaddressed to "those I've hurt," Ye stated he was not an "antisemite" and detailed a rocky mental health history, which included his bipolar disorder diagnosis, that he said fueled his behavior.

"My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that," he wrote.

Here's what the artist said at his first show back, and how critics and fans at the show responded.

Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house, cut ties with the star after he made antisemitic remarks.

Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye gestures upon arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 11, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye hit the 2025 Grammys red carpet donning a black shirt and pants, sunglasses and a chain. Meanwhile, wife Bianca Censori wore a black fur coat that she removed to pose in a nearly nude, see-through dress as photographers captured the couple's appearance.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Bianca Censori attend the Marni fall/winter 2024 fashion show on Feb. 23, 2024, in Milan, Italy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Bianca Censori are seen in the stands during the UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg football match Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Feb. 20, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Charlie Wilson, left, and Ye attend Wilson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on Jan. 29, 2024, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye attended the premiere for "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM," a documentary by conservative political commentator Candace Owens, on Oct. 12, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> during an appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast a few days after the event found the rapper making controversial statements on the manner of Floyd's death." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and his children Saint West, Chicago West and Psalm West, who he shares with ex Kim Kardashian, attended the Balenciaga womenswear spring/summer 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 2, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> gave an impassioned speech about Diddy, who he called his "brother."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> were rumored to be romantically linked at the time." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> then-girlfriend Julia Fox, an actress and model, attended the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show during Paris Fashion Week on Jan. 23, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> temporarily moved into the venue following the event while he finished work on his 10th studio album "Donda," named after his late mother Donda West." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Easter Sunday service during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21, 2019." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "feel like Superman." Trump called him "a smart cookie."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See Kanye West, Ye, the polarizing rapper, fashion mogul

Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house,cut ties with the starafter he made antisemitic remarks.Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

What did Ye say at his concert?

At Wednesday's show, Ye did not address any controversies; instead, he focused on performing 32 tracks, including many from his new studio album "Bully," which dropped on March 28. The show also featured guest performances from rapperDon Toliver, who played the "Donda" track "Moon," and Ye's 12-year-old daughterNorth West, whom he shares withKim Kardashian.

Ye's only commentary at the show, according toThe New York Times, was berating stage technicians over the pace of the lighting.

"Is this an 'SNL' skit or something?" Ye said on stage as the crowd laughed, the Times reported. "Stop doing the vibrating, Vegas lights, bro. We went over this in rehearsal."

What did critics say about Ye's concert?

TheLos Angeles Times' music critic Mikael Wood said the show had a tense, unsettling environment as Ye reportedly scolded people on stage, including collaborators and dancers, in what Wood described as a "bully's arena."

"The show felt less like a concert and more like watching a superstar bully everyone in his orbit," Wood's review reads.

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TheHollywood Reporter's Ethan Millman called Ye's live vocals "muddy at times as well," emphasizing the difficulty in distinguishing his actual voice from his recorded vocals and backing tracks.

Variety's Steven J. Horowitzalso highlighted the backing vocals being louder than his and stated that the stage fog blocked the crowd's ability to see him.

"But that was of little concern to those who seemed to forget about the very heavy baggage accompanying the performance. It was an evening to remember the greatness of Ye as he once was, and perhaps still is: imaginative, boundlessly creative and transformative," his review reads.

What did concertgoers say?

Based on several reviews of the show, the audience seemed thrilled to see Ye return to the United States, with some saying that his new "Bully" album brought them back to the "old Kanye" era, according to Millman with The Hollywood Reporter.

Ahead of the show, fans seemed willing to separate Ye's past actions from his music and ability to put on a good show.

"We know his medical history and why he has his rants, he talks about being bipolar," 32-year-old Chris Gutierrez told the Hollywood Reporter. "We're coming here more to appreciate the music."

Gutierrez said he understands why many former fans stopped listening to him after his recent controversies.

"It's hard, I get it. I come from a psych background," Gutierrez told the Hollywood Reporter. "I don't know if he was lucid enough or he wasn't. But we're here more for the music."

Julian Caratachea, 20, also emphasized separating the process of separating art from the artist to the New York Times.

"His music never did nothing to us," Caratachea told the Times, expressing excitement for Ye to do more live events. "As long as you're here for the music and you're not here just on your opinion of something, then that's all that matters. That's what's going to bring us together — the music."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ye returns to US stage after his apology. What did critics, fans think

byAlex Forten

in

April 03, 2026

Ye performs first US show in years: What critics and fans are saying

WhenYereturned to Los Angeles for his first full live show in the United States since 2021, it was as if time hadn't ...

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18 Years Ago, Pop Superstar Surpassed Elvis Presley's Record of 17 No. 1 Hits

It's been officially 18 years sinceMariah Careydethroned the King.

On April 3, 2008, the Queen of Christmas knocked the King of Rock and Roll,Elvis Presleyout of second place for the most No. 1 hits on theBillboardHot 100 chart of any artist.

Carey's hit song "Touch My Body" became her 18th song to hit No. 1, surpassing Elvis' previous record of 17. (Elvis was in the second place position overall, behindThe Beatleswith 20, but he held the record of the most No. 1's for a solo artist—until Carey, that is.)

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"Touch My Body" was released in February 2008 as the lead single of Carey's 11th studio album,E=MC². It became her 18th No. 1 hit, spending two consecutive weeks at the top.

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But Carey has since added one more chart-topper to her resume. In 2019 her iconic holiday hit "All I Want For Christmas Is You" reached the summit of the Hot 100 nearly 20 years after its initial release, becoming her 19th career No. 1.

All of Mariah Carey's No. 1 Hit Songs:

1. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - 22 weeks

2. "We Belong Together" - 14 weeks

3. "Always Be My Baby" - 2 weeks

4. "Hero" - 4 weeks

5. "Dreamlover" - 8 weeks

6. "One Sweet Day" (with Boyz II Men) - 16 weeks

7. "Love Takes Time" - 3 weeks

8. "Fantasy" - 8 weeks

9. "Vision of Love" - 4 weeks

10. "Don't Forget About Us" - 2 weeks

11. "Touch My Body" - 2 weeks

12. "Heartbreaker" ft. Jay Z - 2 weeks

13. "Thank God I Found You" ft. Joe and 98 Degrees - 1 week

14. "Emotions" - 3 weeks

15. "I'll Be There" - 2 weeks

16. "Honey" - 3 weeks

17. "My All" - 1 week

18. "Someday" - 2 weeks

19. "I Don't Wanna Cry" - 2 weeks

All of Elvis Presley's No. 1 Hit Songs

Many of Elvis' No. 1 hit songs predated the Hot 100 chart, butBillboardhas factored in the numbers he accumulated on now-retired rankings, like the Top 100, disc jockey and juke box charts.

Here are the 17 songsBillboardconsidersto be Elvis' 17 No. 1 hits:

1. "Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog" - 11 weeks

2. "All Shook Up" - 9 weeks

3. "Heartbreak Hotel" - 8 weeks

4. "Jailhouse Rock" - 7 weeks

5. "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" - 7 weeks

6. "Are You Lonesome To-night?" - 6 weeks

7. "It's Now Or Never" - 5 weeks

8. "Don't" - 5 weeks

9. "Love Me Tender" - 5 weeks

10. "Stuck on You" - 4 weeks

11. "Too Much" - 3 weeks

12. "A Big Hunk O'Love" - 2 weeks

13. "Good Luck Charm" - 2 weeks

14. "Surrender" - 2 weeks

15. "Hard Headed Woman" - 2 weeks

16. "Suspicious Minds" - 1 week

17. "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" - 1 week

Related: On This Day in 1957, Elvis Presley Released One of His Biggest No. 1 Hits

This story was originally published byParadeon Apr 3, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byAlex Forten

in

April 03, 2026

18 Years Ago, Pop Superstar Surpassed Elvis Presley's Record of 17 No. 1 Hits

It's been officially 18 years sinceMariah Careydethroned the King. On April 3, 2008, the Queen of Christma...

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Trump is considering more changes to his Cabinet in the coming weeks

In his first year back in the White House, President Donald Trump avoided using his famous "You're fired" phrase when it came to members of his Cabinet. But this year is shaping up to have far more changes.

In less than a month, Trump removed Department of Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noemand Attorney GeneralPam Bondi. The shake-up has spurred the possibility that the president's desire to project stability among his top appointees has passed, and more changes are coming in the near future.

"I expect something in terms of the next several weeks, and the president is mulling both changes and reorganizations," said a person directly familiar with Trump's thinking, who added that they didn't know who could be next.

Nothing, of course, is certain, and individuals who are in his favor may suddenly find themselves out, and vice versa.

It's a stark departure from Trump's previous term. Then, several high-level administration officials left during his first year in office, including Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price, national security adviser Michael Flynn and White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.

This time, some topadministrationofficials have faced high-profile scandals or missteps, but Trump opted not to remove them.

"For the first year, they wanted to avoid the bad optics — the stuff that comes with high-level staff churn," said a Trump ally, who, like others in this article, was granted anonymity to speak freely. "That is ending. He no longer seems to care about the perception issue."

Among those who have been at the center of public controversies or missteps are Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Director of National IntelligenceTulsi Gabbardand Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, each of whom has received varying degrees of public backlash for personal scandal or decisions their agencies have made.

Lutnick has been caught upin the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, forced to explain why he appears multiple times in the late convicted sex offender's files and why he visited his private island. Lutnick has said he "did not have any relationship with him."

"He's been on the rocks off and on," a Trump adviser said of Lutnick's standing.

The adviser said he's also fallen out of favor with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

"I don't think she is a big fan," a second Trump ally familiar with the White House's thinking said. "That can be a problem if the administration is in reset mode."

A White House spokesperson said that Trump continues to support his administration officials.

"President Trump has the most talented cabinet and team in American history," White House spokesman Davis Ingle. "Patriots like DNI Gabbard, Secretary Lutnick, and Secretary Chavez-DeRemer are tirelessly implementing the President's agenda and achieving tremendous results for the American people. They continue to have the President's full confidence."

Spokespeople for Lutnick, Gabbard and Chavez-DeRemer did not immediately return requests for comment.

Wiles, these two sources said, had been a driving force behind the idea that Trump's first year in office should not be dominated by headlines of administration turnover, but that calculation from top officials has since changed.

"Susie was trying to hold it off as long as she could, but once you oust the attorney general, you may as well rip the Band-Aid off on a couple of others," the Trump ally said.

Some see the timing — more than a year into the administration — as a natural point for turnover and a signal that Trump is willing to adjust when he deems course corrections necessary.

"It's a year and a half in, and they are analyzing what's working and what's not working," said a former administration official from Trump's first term. "He understands that there are times when you need to make a change."

"He's a demanding boss," the person added. "He has high expectations at all times."

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Others say that if there's more reshuffling — the president is famously the host of "The Apprentice," a show based on firing contestants — it's a return to form for Trump.

"Watching the Cabinet right now is like a reality TV show — but it's not 'The Apprentice' as much as it may be 'Survivor,'" said Matthew Barlett, a GOP consultant who worked in the first Trump administration. "Personal responsibility and public accountability are essential in government service, but these moves seem more about presidential loyalty and frustration."

A shake-up before the November election also has the added benefit of some certainty in the Senate, where Republicans control the majority and are more likely to confirm Trump's nominees. Waiting to bring in new officials until after November risks running into the potential of Democrats in charge, or a narrow margin of Republican control.

Trump announced Noem — who faced significant backlash and congressional scrutiny over a $220-milliontaxpayer-fundedad campaign prominently featuring her encouraging migrants to self-deport — was leaving DHS in a social media post shortly before she was set to give the keynote address at aNashville eventattended by members of police unions.

A few weeks later, Trump informed Bondi that her time was nearing an end while they were in the motorcade togetheron the way to the Supreme Courton Wednesday, according to an administration official, but they didn't finalize the decision or timeline in that conversation. It was left open-ended, the official said, and Bondi thought she might still be able to save her job.

The next day, Trump announced she was fired.

The administration official described the Noem and Bondi firings as "totally separate situations." Trump had been considering firing Bondi for months, whereas the decision to fire Noem was quicker. Trump told NBC News he "wasn't thrilled" with Noem's performance testifying before Congress in March and the $220-million ad campaign.

Bondi, on the other hand, had lost the confidence of Trump and his allies over time for her handling of the Epstein files and the Justice Department's inability to secure indictments against the president's political foes,as NBC News previously reported.

Trump praised Noem and Bondi after their departures. He moved Noem to another administration job leading the newly created Shield of Americas, and he called Bondi a "Great American Patriot." Bondi said she will bemoving into the private sector.

Matt Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Conference, interviewed then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche onstage last week in Texas atthe group's annual meeting. That was a few days before Bondi was fired and Blanche became acting attorney general.

Schlapp, in an interview on Friday, said that he had told Blanche beforehand about the criticism that the Justice Department hadn't done enough to hold Joe Biden's administration accountable for what Schlapp called "clear wrongdoing."

Blanche told Schlapp that he welcomed "hard questions" and was prepared to give "good answers," Schlapp recalled.

"He was certainly aware that people are saying, 'Come on, why are people taking so long'" to prosecute former Biden administration officials, Schlapp told NBC News.

But even with a change in leadership at the Justice Department, the prosecutions still might not be as successful as Trump would like —coming up against facts, law and evidencethat do not support viable criminal prosecutions, according to former federal prosecutors.

Aside from Lutnick, another administration official who has faced public blowback is Chavez-DeRemer, who leads the Labor Department. Her husband has been prohibited from entering the Labor Department's headquarters after allegedlysexually assaulting female staff members. A D.C.police investigation was closedafter authorities found no evidence of a crime. Two of her aides have alsoresigned amid an internal investigationinto possible misconduct. Chavez-DeRemer has denied wrongdoing.

Gabbard, who ran for president as a Democrat in 2020, has also been inthe spotlightsince the war with Iran started because of her longstandingpublic opposition to "regime change,"including in Iran. Last month, one of her top deputiesresigned over his oppositionto the Iran war.

During a hearing last month before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard said it was not her job to determine if Iran was an "imminent threat" to the U.S., which was one of Trump's initial justifications for the attacks.

The potential shuffle comes as Republicans are trying to hold onto slim majorities in both the House and Senate in the midterms, but it's unclear how much these changes might affect the election.

"People, especially those in the MAGA movement who follow this stuff closely, care to some degree," said a Republican directly involved in several GOP Senate campaigns. "But for the most part, it will still be the economy driving things. These Cabinet moves are a flashpoint that people react to quickly, but they tend to go away quickly."

"This sort of stuff is an emotional high for people in the moment," this person added, "but don't tend to last."

byAlex Forten

in

April 03, 2026

Trump is considering more changes to his Cabinet in the coming weeks

In his first year back in the White House, President Donald Trump avoided using his famous "You're fired" p...

Read More