Alex Morgan becomes a minority stakeholder in her former NWSL club, the San Diego Wave

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Alex Morgan becomes a minority stakeholder in her former NWSL club, the San Diego Wave

2025-05-14 01:28 Last Updated At：02:01

Alex Morgan has joined the investor group for the San Diego Wave, the National Women’s Soccer League team she played for before retiring from professional soccer.

The Wave announced Tuesday that the two-time Women's World Cup winner has rejoined the club as a minority stakeholder.

“San Diego is where I’ve built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career,” Morgan said in a statement. “I believed in Wave FC before a single match was played, and I still believe this Club has the power to change the future of women’s sports."

Morgan announced she was retiring after a 15-year career in professional soccer last September, when she was pregnant with her son Enzo, who was born last month. A crowd of 26,516 filled San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium for Morgan’s farewell match.

Morgan was among the first players signed by the Wave after the club joined the NWSL in 2021. She went on to play 63 matches with the Wave and scored 28 goals, including the team's first.

Morgan played in 150 NWSL matches over her career, which included stints with the Portland Thorns and the Orlando Pride.

In addition to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Morgan also won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 for the United States. She played in 224 matches for the U.S., with 123 goals (fifth on the career list) and 53 assists. She was named the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year in 2012 and 2018.

Off the field, Morgan advanced women’s soccer through her fight for equal pay. The U.S. women filed a lawsuit in 2019 that led to a historic agreement in 2022 that provided the women with pay equitable to what U.S. men's players received.

She also paved the way for reforms in the NWSL, calling for the adoption of an anti-harassment policy after a coach misconduct scandal rocked the league in 2021.

“Alex has always fought to positively impact this game beyond the pitch,” said Lauren Leichtman, controlling owner of the Wave. “She used her platform to lead, to advocate, and to build something meaningful in San Diego. Her decision to invest is not only a continuation of her leadership but also a reflection of her belief in what we are building.”

In addition to their son, Morgan and her husband, Servando Carrasco, have a daughter, Charlie, who was born in 2020.

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Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.