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– As House GOP leaders advance President Donald Trump’s so-called ‘big, beautiful bill’ toward a floor vote this week, Democrats, who are in the minority, are sounding a warning.

‘We’re going to hold Republicans accountable and there will be a price to pay,’ Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington State, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, emphasized as she pointed to next year’s midterm elections during a Fox News Digital interview.

Republicans are holding onto an extremely razor-thin majority in the chamber right now, and Democrats only need a three-seat pickup to win back the House majority in the 2026 elections.

Additionally, they view the sweeping and controversial GOP-crafted measure stocked full of Trump’s second-term priorities on tax cuts, immigration, defense, energy and the debt limit – which is currently making its way through numerous votes and hurdles in the House – as political ammunition.

‘This is a terrible piece of legislation,’ DelBene argued.

Democrats from across the party are shining a spotlight on the Republicans’ restructuring of Medicaid, the nearly 60-year-old federal government program that provides health insurance for roughly 71 million adults and children with limited incomes.

‘Let’s be clear, all Republicans are talking about right now is how many people and how fast they’re going to take away healthcare. They have these huge cuts to Medicaid, 14 million people lose healthcare across the country, and they’re talking about how fast they can do that,’ DelBene charged on Tuesday.

She claimed that House Republicans are ‘all blindly following the president and going to blindly follow him off the cliff.’

Rep. Ted Lieu of California, another member of the House Democrat leadership, argued as he took questions from reporters that the bill ‘has the largest cut to healthcare in U.S. history.’

The cuts to Medicaid, being drafted in part as an offset to pay for extending Trump’s 2017 tax cut law, which is set to expire later this year, include a slew of new rules and regulatory requirements for those seeking coverage. Among them are a new set of work requirements for many of those seeking coverage.

‘When you go across the country and talk to folks, folks are outraged, and they’re scared. They’re scared about the cuts to healthcare, not only cutting 14 million people off of healthcare but then raising costs beyond that for everyone and things like rural hospitals closing,’ DelBene argued. ‘This would have devastating impacts across the country. This is policy that Republicans are fighting for, cutting nutrition health programs so that families don’t even have healthy food.’

House Republicans push back against the Democrats’ attacks and say what they are doing is putting an end to waste, fraud and abuse currently in the Medicaid system, so the program can work for the public in the way that it was intended.

They call any talk that they are cutting aid to mothers, children, people with disabilities and the elderly a ‘flat out lie.’

DelBene countered, saying, ‘we’re not buying the argument because what we’ve seen in committee, what they’ve written down on paper is massive cuts in healthcare and all to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest in our country. This isn’t a bill about helping working families. This bill is devastating for working families.’

However, her counterparty, Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Fox News Digital in a statement that ‘Republicans are ending waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid so the most vulnerable get the care they need.’

Additionally, Hudson argued that ‘Democrats are lying to protect a broken status quo that lets illegal immigrants siphon off billions meant for American families. We’re strengthening Medicaid for future generations by protecting taxpayers and restoring integrity.’

Dating back to last year’s presidential campaign, Trump has vowed not to touch Medicaid. On Tuesday, as he made a rare stop on Capitol Hill to meet behind closed doors with House Republicans in order to shore up support for the bill, Trump’s message to fiscally conservative lawmakers looking to make further cuts to Medicaid was ‘don’t f— around with Medicaid.’

While there are divisions between Republicans over Medicaid, and a chasm between the two major parties over the longstanding entitlement program, there is one point of agreement – this issue will continue to simmer on the campaign trail in one form or another long after the legislative battles on Capitol Hill are over.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Politics

China accuses US of ‘turning space into a warzone’ with Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense project

China is concerned by President Donald Trump’s proposal for a new U.S. missile defense system, called the Golden Dome, which is designed to protect against adversarial attacks on America.

Golden Dome has a ‘strong offensive nature and violates the principle of peaceful use in the Outer Space Treaty,’ Chinese Foreign Minister Mao Ning said Wednesday.

‘The project will heighten the risk of turning space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control system,’ Mao said. ‘We urge the U.S. to give up developing and deploying global anti-missile system.’

Both China and Russia have placed offensive weapons in space, like anti-satellite capabilities that could potentially be used to try to take the U.S. offline, American intelligence officials have warned.

However, China said it was the U.S. that was ‘obsessed’ with offensive space dominance.

‘The U.S., by putting itself first, and being obsessed with pursuing absolute security, violates the principle of, and diminishes, the security for all and undermines the global strategic balance and stability,’ Mao said.

‘China is gravely concerned about this,’ she added. ‘We urge the U.S. to give up developing and deploying the global anti-missile system at an early date and take concrete actions to enhance strategic mutual trust between major countries and safeguard global strategic stability.’

Trump laid out a broad overview of the Golden Dome plan from the White House on Tuesday, projecting the cost figure at $125 billion. The current government funding bill working its way through Congress includes an initial $25 billion to kick off the project.

Trump also offered an ambitious timeline for the project to be completed before he leaves office.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on China’s reaction.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, said the Golden Dome project could prompt talks on strategic arms control between Russia and the U.S.

The U.S. withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019 and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002, citing Russian violations which Moscow denied.

‘Now that the legal framework in this area has been destroyed, and the validity period has expired, or deliberately, let’s say, a number of documents have ceased to be valid, this base must be recreated both in the interests of our two countries and in the interests of security throughout the planet,’ said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

China’s space-based targeting capabilities have ‘grown most impressively’ in recent years, according to Space Force Vice Chief Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, with hundreds of satellites now dedicated to tracking U.S. assets in orbit. He called China’s rapid advances ‘mind-boggling’ during a hearing on Capitol Hill last month and said the U.S. was at risk of losing its dominance in orbit.

Weeks before that, Space Force Vice Chief of Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein revealed that China has been practicing satellite ‘dogfighting,’ a sign of its growing ability to conduct complex operations in orbit.

Space Force has observed ‘five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchronicity and in control,’ he said.

‘That’s what we call dogfighting in space,’ Guetlein said. ‘They are practicing tactics, techniques and procedures to conduct on-orbit operations from one satellite to another.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Business

Tariffs or not, a Chinese baby products company is ramping up its U.S. expansion

BEIJING — One Chinese baby products company announced Tuesday it is officially entering the United States, the world’s largest consumer market — regardless of the trade war.

Shanghai-based Bc Babycare expects its supply chain diversification and the U.S. market potential to more than offset the impact of ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions, according to Chi Yang, the company’s vice president of Europe and the Americas.

“Even [if] the political things are not steady … I’m very confident about our product for the moment,” he told CNBC, adding he anticipates “very fast” growth in the U.S. in coming years. That includes his bold predictions that Bc Babycare’s flagship baby carrier can become the best-seller on Amazon.com in half a year, and that U.S. sales can grow by 10-fold in a year.

The $159.99 carrier, eligible for a $40 discount, already has 4.7 stars on Amazon.com across more than 30 reviews. The device claims to reduce pressure on the parent’s body by up to 33%. A far cheaper version of the baby carrier is a top seller among travel products for pregnancy and childbirth on JD.com in China.

Bc Babycare already has the carrier stocked in its U.S. warehouses, and has a network of factories and raw materials suppliers in the Americas, Europe and Asia, Yang said. “The global supply chain is one of the things we keep on building in the past couple years.”

The Trump administration has sought to reduce U.S. reliance on China-made goods and to encourage the return of manufacturing jobs to the U.S. In a rapid escalation of tensions last month, the U.S. and China had added tariffs of more than 100% on each other’s goods. Last week, the two sides agreed to a 90-day pause for most of the new duties in order to discuss a trade deal.

Baby gear is particularly sensitive to tariffs since the majority of those sold in the U.S. are made in China, said U.S.-based Newell Brands, which owns stroller company Graco, on an April 30 earnings call. That’s according to a FactSet transcript.

The company said it raised baby gear prices by about 20% in the last few weeks, but had not incorporated the additional 125% tariffs announced in mid-April. Newell said on the call it had about three to four months of inventory in the U.S., and had paused additional orders from China.

The company did not respond to a request for comment about whether it had resumed orders from China and whether it planned more price increases.

Bc Babycare declined to share how much it planned to invest in the U.S. But Yang said the company plans to open an office in the country and hire about five to 10 locals.

The company initially plans to sell online, spend on marketing and eventually work with major retailers for offline store sales. Its partners for raw materials and research include three U.S. companies: Lyra, Dow and Eastman.

The Chinese company, which entered the baby products segment in 2014, in 2021 claimed a 700 million yuan ($97.09 million) funding round from investors including Sequoia Capital China.

Yang said the company scrutinizes the comments section on Chinese and U.S. e-commerce websites to improve its products. As a result, the U.S. version of the baby carrier is softer and larger than the Chinese version, he said.

Bc Babycare’s U.S. market ambitions reflect how large U.S. and European multinationals not only face growing competition in China, but also in their home markets.

“After experiencing substantial growth due to the premiumization of consumption in the Chinese market, multinational brands are now entering a challenging second phase where they compete fiercely for market share,” Dave Xie, retail and consumer goods partner in Shanghai at consultancy Oliver Wyman, said in a statement last week.

Oliver Wyman said in a report last month that the Chinese market has become the incubator for premium product innovations that are being exported. The authors noted, for example, that Tineco floor scrubbers have become Amazon best-sellers.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Business

Levi Strauss to sell Dockers to brand management firm Authentic Brands Group

Levi Strauss has agreed to sell Dockers to brand management firm Authentic Brands Group for $311 million, the companies announced Tuesday.

Under the terms of the deal, Authentic will own Dockers’ intellectual property while Centric Brands will take on operations, handling manufacturing, sourcing and distribution. Under the brand management business model, Levi’s stands to make up to $391 million in future years based on how well Dockers performs under the Authentic umbrella, which also includes Forever 21′s intellectual property and brands like Reebok and Nautica.

“The Dockers transaction further aligns our portfolio with our strategic priorities, focusing on our direct-to-consumer first approach, growing our international presence and investing in opportunities across women’s and denim lifestyle,” Levi’s CEO Michelle Gass said in a statement. “After a robust process, we are confident that we maximized the value of the business and that Authentic is the right organization to usher in the next chapter of growth for the Dockers brand.”

In October, Levi’s announced it was considering selling Dockers as it looked to focus on growing its namesake line and its athleisure brand, Beyond Yoga. Levi’s created Dockers in 1986 as a hedge against denim and to offer consumers an alternative: khakis. The brand was hugely popular throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but khakis have since fallen out of fashion in the U.S., especially recently as denim makes another comeback.

To grow Dockers, Levi’s needed to offer more tops and bottoms, but the company is doing the same thing at its namesake banner and there was too much overlap between the two brands. Dockers’ performance was also dragging down Levi’s results and Gass, who took the helm of the company a little over a year ago, has been working to cut off extraneous businesses to fuel growth and focus on direct selling.

In the three months ended March 2, Levi’s reported $67 million in revenue related to Dockers. The figure isn’t comparable to the year-ago period because Levi’s only recently started breaking out the performance of each individual brand.

While khakis have fallen out of favor in the U.S., Dockers is still popular abroad, which is what makes a brand management company a strategic fit, according to people who have seen Dockers’ financials and spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details were private. Firms like Authentic are skilled at rapidly licensing and deploying brands internationally.

In a press release, Authentic said it plans to “unlock new opportunities” for Dockers through its global network of 1,700 licensing partners. It said it is in active discussions with regional operators in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to expand Dockers’ existing businesses across those markets.

“Few brands own a category the way Dockers does, yet still have so much room to grow,” said Matt Maddox, president at Authentic. “Its legacy in casualwear gives it a strong foundation, but the real opportunity lies in reimagining the brand for a new generation. Through our global platform and deep licensing network, we’re committed to stewarding the brand into its next era of growth and relevance.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Sports

Ranking Stanley Cup matchups with four teams remaining in NHL playoffs

The Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars are facing each other in the NHL Western Conference finals for the second year in a row, starting Wednesday night in Dallas.

In the Eastern Conference finals, the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes will meet in a rematch of the 2023 series. That series will open on Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina.

That leaves four possible matchups in the Stanley Cup Final: Stars vs. Hurricanes, Stars vs. Panthers, Oilers vs. Hurricanes or Oilers vs. Panthers, last year’s championship round.

Which matchup would be the best one to watch? All have their merits. USA TODAY ranks the four possibilities for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final:

1. Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers

Why not a rematch? Last year’s Stanley Cup Final certainly was entertaining, at least by the end. Florida won the first three games and appeared poised to sweep, only to be blown out 8-1 in Game 4. The Oilers forced a Game 7, but the Panthers found their game and won 2-1 at home for their first Stanley Cup title.

Both teams are filled with stars and are deeper than they were last season. Edmonton and Florida have the top offenses of the four remaining teams. Plus, the storylines abound. Can the Panthers repeat, and would we call them a dynasty if they do after three consecutive trips to the final? Will the Oilers become the first Canadian team since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup? Will Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, last year’s playoff MVP, and Leon Draisaitl win their first championships? The Oilers would have home-ice advantage this time.

2. Dallas Stars vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Want some fresher faces? This one works. Dallas was last in the final in 2020, Carolina in 2006. Plus, there is the Mikko Rantanen factor. He already beat the Colorado Avalanche this postseason after that team surprisingly traded him to the Hurricanes earlier in the season. He would have a chance to knock off another former team because the Hurricanes dealt him to the Stars when they feared he wouldn’t sign in Carolina. He has been a force in the playoffs with a league-best nine goals and 19 points. The Hurricanes, though, have been good at neutralizing other teams’ stars. Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov is right behind Rantanen with eight goals.

3. Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers

These teams were well-represented at the 4 Nations Face-Off, so there is top-end talent. The Finnish Olympic team certainly would be paying attention. These teams also have the best remaining power plays. Panthers coach Paul Maurice and Stars coach Peter DeBoer are friends and are highly quotable. We would want this to go to Game 7 because DeBoer is 9-0 in winner-take-all games and Maurice is 6-0.

4. Edmonton Oilers vs. Carolina Hurricanes

This would be the top remaining offense (Edmonton) vs. the best defense (Carolina), though the Hurricanes’ style isn’t always the most exciting to watch. This would also be a rematch of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes led that series 3-1, but the eighth-seeded Oilers fought back before Carolina won in Game 7. Rod Brind’Amour was the first player to lift the Stanley Cup as Hurricanes captain. Will he get to lift the trophy for the first time as a coach?

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Sports

MLB power rankings: Red Sox get pummeled as star slugger powers up

In reality, Rafael Devers is among the least of the Boston Red Sox’s worries.

Devers’ reticence – or flat-out refusal – to move to first base after he agreed to a shift to designated hitter created plenty of headlines and prompted owner John Henry to fly to Kansas City and talk it out with his $313.5 million slugger.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Henry didn’t pack any pitching reinforcements on the plane.

Since that summit, Devers has been nearly unstoppable – with 15 hits in 34 at-bats, three homers and 13 RBIs in nine games. But the Red Sox are slowly slipping from shouting distance of the first-place New York Yankees, with 11 losses in their past 17 games to fall six spots in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings.

It might have been 12 losses in 17 games if not for Devers, who saved them with his first career walk-off homer against Atlanta on Saturday.

A few hours later in the series finale, he erased an early deficit 3-0 with a grand slam. But the Red Sox gave up that lead and more, as they’ve done often lately. In losing five of its last six, Boston has twice given up 10 runs in a game and 14 in another. Their rotation ERA now languishes at 4.28, 22nd in the majors.

And nowadays, that means it doesn’t much matter how many runs the Red Sox score.

A look at our updated rankings:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

Feeling the change of the guard: Stalwarts Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes cut as Dalton Rushing steps on the scene.

2. Detroit Tigers (+2)

Tigers win Jackson Jobe’s first eight starts, setting franchise record.

3. New York Mets (-1)

Edwin Diaz, now 10-for-10 in save chances, ramps his fastball back up to 99 mph.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (+5)

At least Jose Alvarado’s PED suspension came well before the trade deadline.

5. San Diego Padres (-2)

Almost mathematically eliminated in the Vedder Cup.

6. San Francisco Giants (-)

Wilmer Flores, RBI machine, wins epic battle against Mason Miller for walk-off walk.

7. Chicago Cubs (-1)

PCA vs. the White Sox was no match: 8-for-14, nine RBIs, four extra-base hits.

8. New York Yankees (-1)

Jonathan Loaisiga’s return a nice boost for bullpen.

9. Seattle Mariners (-)

There’s a new ace in town and his name is Bryan Woo.

10. Cleveland Guardians (-)

Shane Bieber getting closer to a rehab assignment.

11. Minnesota Twins (+7)

You win 13 in a row, you jump 14 spots in the standings. Them’s the rules.

12. St. Louis Cardinals (-)

Started the year 1-10 on the road; just finished 7-2 road trip.

13. Kansas City Royals (-2)

Those heavy footsteps you hear? Jac Caglianone is one step from the big leagues.

14. Arizona Diamondbacks (+1)

Will be more than halfway done with Dodgers after three-game road set this week.

15. Houston Astros (-1)

Thirteen come-from-behind wins.

16. Texas Rangers (+3)

Evan Carter’s injury woes continue with quad strain.

17. Cincinnati Reds (+3)

Is Will Benson happening? He slams five homers in four games.

18. Atlanta Braves (+3)

They climb over .500, just in time to welcome back Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr.

19. Boston Red Sox (-6)

Kristian Campbell sliding to first to create room for Marcelo Mayer would be a helluva fix.

20. Toronto Blue Jays (-4)

Tigers show how far they have to go to be playoff team

21. Milwaukee Brewers (-4)

Jackson Chourio dropped to sixth in order, promptly strikes out four times.

22. Tampa Bay Rays (-)

Chandler Simpson survives unsettling slide at home plate.

23. Athletics (-)

Yolo County vs. San Francisco doesn’t quite have the same ring.

24. Washington Nationals (-)

Michael Soroka wins first game since July 2023.

25. Los Angeles Angels (+1)

First three-game sweep over Dodgers since 2010.

26. Baltimore Orioles (-1)

15-30 record matches 2019 start, when they lost 108 games.

27. Miami Marlins (-)

Sandy Alcantara drops his sixth straight decision, a career high.

28. Pittsburgh Pirates (-)

Shut out in eight of their 32 losses.

29. Chicago White Sox (-)

.University of Tampa product Jordan Leasure racking up 12.9 strikeouts per nine.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

8-38, a pace that would knock the White Sox out of the record books.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Sports

Storm top Wings, but Paige Bueckers shines in second WNBA game

Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings hosted the Seattle Storm on Monday night.

Skylar Diggins and the Storm were coming off a season-opening loss to the Phoenix Mercury on the road. Meanwhile, the Wings looked to bounce back from a season-opening loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday.

Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, had 10 points and seven rebounds in her pro debut against the Lynx. She did even better Monday in Arlington, Texas, in her second game, but the Storm got the better of the Wings, with a 79-71 road victory. Bueckers looked nothing like a rookie, scoring a team-high 19 points, while adding eight assists, five rebounds and two steals.

For a lot of this game, Dallas actually looked like the superior team, but the second and fourth quarters were not kind to the Wings. Seattle won those quarters by a combined score of 44-25.

Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with a monster double-double of 23 points and 18 rebounds. Diggins tallied 21 points and nine assists, and Gabby Williams added 17 points, five rebounds and five assists.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates and highlights throughout the game. Scroll below for the full recap of Storm vs. Wings:

Storm vs. Wings highlights

Final: Storm 79, Wings 71

The fourth quarter got off to a slow start. With both teams playing to prevent three-pointers, it took over two minutes for the first bucket of the quarter, when after a Bueckers missed jump shot, Kaila Charles was able to grab the rebound and shovel a quick pass to Maddie Siegrist for an easy layup.

After that bucket though, it was all Seattle. The Storm scored eight points before the Wings could record another bucket. Arike Ogunbowale particularly struggled, shooting just 2-of-14 on the night and just 1-of-8 from three. Ogunbowale has earned a little leeway given her strong career, but her poor shooting definitely contributed to Seattle’s loss.

End of Q3: Storm 66, Wings 61

It’s been a back-and-forth affair. Even though the Storm have been leading for most of this game, the push-and-pull from Dallas has been unforgiving. Every time the Storm think they have figured something out, the Wings storm back to make it interesting, outscoring the Storm 20-10 in the third.

Bueckers improved drastically with her ball control between the second and third quarters, recording three assists, a huge part of Dallas’ comeback attempt. Although Bueckers only had four points, she had two rebounds and two steals as well, creating opportunities on both ends of the floor, while Seattle has continued to rely on the Nneka Ogwumike (15 points), Gabby Williams (17), and Skylar Diggins (18) to provide almost all of the scoring. In fact, the rest of the Storm combined only have 14 points. Seattle will need someone else to step up in the final 10 minutes if they want to prevent Dallas from coming back.

End of Q2: Storm 56, Wings 41

Well, if you thought Dallas’ offensive outburst at the end of the first quarter would carry into the second, you’d be dead wrong. It was Seattle that stormed back (buh dum tss), almost furious at their performance at the end of the first.

The Storm outscored their opponents 31-15. Seattle shot 9-of-11 from beyond the arc.

Bueckers especially struggled in this quarter, tallying only five points (only three through the first 9.5 minutes) while recording some unfortunate turnovers in transition that led to points for Seattle. With about three minutes left in the quarter, there was one instance where a missed shot from the Storm led to a counterattack for Dallas. Bueckers tried threading the needle to her teammate who was out in front, but the pass was intercepted by Alysha Clark. On the ensuing defensive possession, Bueckers jumped in the air anticipating a pass, but Gabby Williams just drove past her instead and kicked the ball out to the corner, leading to a three-pointer from Skylar Diggins.

Bueckers has taken some big steps forward in between her first game and tonight. After all, she’s already set a career-high with 11 points, but plays like the one above will make it tough for Dallas to come back in the second half.

End of Q1: Wings 26, Storm 25

It’s been a close game through 10 minutes, with the Storm out in front of the Wings. Dallas’ Paige Bueckers had seven points in the first quarter, including a clutch three-pointer with under a minute to go to give Dallas the lead. The Wings ended the quarter on a 15-7 run.

Dallas’ passing also played a massive role in their comeback in the quarter. The team tallied seven assists on their first eight baskets and nine assists throughout the whole quarter. Myisha Hines-Allen had four of those assists for Dallas. However, Seattle’s Skylar Diggins leads all hoopers with five assists through the first.

Seattle’s Nneka Ogwumike leads all scorers with eight, but Dallas’ Bueckers and McCowan are close behind with seven and six respectively.

What time is Storm vs. Wings WNBA game?

The Seattle Storm will play the Dallas Wings at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, May 19, 2025. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch Storm vs. Wings WNBA game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: College Park Center (Arlington, Texas)
TV: NBATV, KFAA (Dallas), CW (Seattle)
Stream: WNBA League Pass

Predictions for Storm vs. Wings:

Tyree writes, ‘Bueckers paced all Dallas Wings starters with 30 minutes in her debut and amassed 10 points alongside seven rebounds and a pair of assists. She wasn’t far off 22.5 despite shooting just 3-for-10 from the field against Minnesota. The WNBA is a step up from college but Bueckers shot better than 52% from the field in all four of her campaigns at UConn and only fell short of 41.0% from three in 2021-22.’

Dewey writes, ‘Seattle’s offense was stuck in mud in its season opener, while the Wings put up a cool 84 points in a loss to the Minnesota Lynx – who were one of the best defensive teams in the WNBA last season. Trading away Loyd for draft capital signaled to me that the Storm were willing to take a step back, and they lack proven scoring options after Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike.’

Edgington writes, ‘Paige Bueckers did score 10 points in her first WNBA game, but did so on only 30% shooting and zero made threes, along with four free throws. Hopefully, having first-game jitters out of the way, she has a more efficient shooting night against the Storm.’

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Sports

Shedeur Sanders, Browns agree to rookie deal: Contract details

While he had to wait until the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to hear his name called, the 144th pick didn’t have to wait long before inking his deal to play in the league.

The Cleveland Browns announced on Monday that they have signed Sanders to his rookie deal. The contract is a four-year deal worth $4.6 million. For reference, fellow 2025 draft pick and current teammate Dillon Gabriel will eventually receive a slotted four-year deal worth $6.2 million for being drafted two rounds earlier.

It hasn’t been an easy road this offseason, but the ink is dried and now the work begins. Here’s what to know about Sanders’ first NFL contract.

Shedeur Sanders contract details

Sanders signed a four-year deal worth $4.6 million.

The quarterback will carry an average annual value (AAV) of about $1.16 million and received a signing bonus of $446,553, according to Spotrac.

It represents a steep drop from the contract that is slotted in the first round, which would’ve been a four-year deal worth over $40 million in total value if drafted inside the top five.

Early in the process, Sanders was considered in the running for the No. 2 pick, which later became his college teammate, Travis Hunter. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ two-way player received a contract worth $46.5 million in total value.

Sanders carried an NIL evaluation of $6.5 million, according to On3 Sports, but elected to pass on his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

The move hasn’t worked out from a monetary standpoint, but he did land on a team that presents an opportunity to start. It’s a crowded room in Cleveland, but anyone’s guess who eventually ends up with the job.

So while it’s a rocky start for Sanders in the pros, things change quickly – especially if he outplays that rookie deal.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Sports

49ers make defensive star highest-paid linebacker in NFL with new deal

The San Francisco 49ers continue to dole out big-money contract extensions to their best players. Their latest extension is for linebacker Fred Warner.

Warner and the 49ers agreed to a three-year, $63 million contract extension including $56 million guaranteed, a source confirmed to USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon.

This is the second extension Warner’s signed since the 49ers drafted him in the third round, No. 70 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft out of BYU. He’s only missed one regular season game in seven years in the league and was a starter immediately.

Warner was a first-team All-Pro in 2020, the same year he made his first Pro Bowl. He’s made both in each of the last three seasons as one of the best linebackers in the NFL.

Warner had two years left on the extension he’d signed prior to the 2021 season. That deal made him the highest-paid linebacker in the league and this new extension does so again.

Warner joins tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy among 49ers players who signed multi-year extensions this offseason. Kittle became the highest-paid tight end in the league with his deal.

The 2025 season marks Warner’s age-29 campaign and his eighth in the NFL. San Francisco’s defense could look much different this fall after losing players in free agency and bringing in new talent via the NFL Draft. Longtime coordinator Robert Saleh is back in the building as well.

Fred Warner stats

Since Warner entered the league in 2018, only three players have tallied more tackles than him: Bobby Wagner, Roquan Smith and Foyesade Oluokun.

Here’s how his stats have looked every season:

2018 (16 games): 124 tackles, three tackles for loss, six passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery
2019 (16 games): 118 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, one interception, nine passes defensed, three forced fumbles
2020 (16 games): 125 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, two interceptions, six passes defensed, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries
2021 (16 games): 137 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, four passes defensed, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries
2022 (17 games): 130 tackles, three tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one interception, 10 passes defensed, one forced fumble
2023 (17 games): 132 tackles, six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions, 11 passes defensed, four forced fumbles
2024 (17 games): 131 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, two interceptions, seven passes defensed, four forced fumbles

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Stocks

Earnings Watch: Smart Setups in HD, PANW, and BJ

Earnings season continues with names like Home Depot, Palo Alto Networks, and BJ’s Wholesale flashing signals that investors shouldn’t ignore. Whether you’re following home improvement trends, cybersecurity growth, or retail resilience, these stocks offer insight into where the stock market could be headed next.

Let’s break down the charts, decode the earnings, and explore the setups that could shape your next move.

DIY Boom Fizzling: What Home Depot’s Earnings Might Tell Us

Home Depot, Inc. (HD) reports earnings on Tuesday, and its results will give a peek at how the DIY home retail investor is changing their spending habits. HD’s stock price has struggled and is down about 2.5% year-to-date, but well off its lows. Like most stocks reporting earnings this quarter, investors will listen for any revisions to HD’s guidance, especially considering ongoing economic challenges such as high interest rates and their impact on consumer spending.

Let’s look at the daily chart of HD.

FIGURE 1. DAILY CHART OF HOME DEPOT, INC. STOCK PRICE. The $377 area and 200-day moving average act as the middle road for a potential setup.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The chart of HD stock displayed a head-and-shoulders top last quarter, which we warned about. Sadly, that pattern broke to the downside and hit its target some $50 lower. Since bottoming, shares have retreated to where they were before their last report.

The set-up is a coin flip, with the $377 area and 200-day simple moving average (SMA) acting as the middle road. Stock prices are known to gap and trend for roughly two weeks in the gap’s direction before reversing direction.

If HD’s stock price dips, there are clear support and potential entry points. Look for the rising 50-day SMA to hold at around the $360 level. A dip and hold here would be good for the longer-term turnaround story and the bullish case. If there’s a break, wait for a deeper drop to enter HD. A gap above the 200-day SMA should lead to near-term smooth sailing and enable a trader to use the average as a great stop loss guide.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW): Can It Keep Climbing?

It’s one of the biggest names in cybersecurity, and it’s on the verge of getting back to its all-time highs.

Fundamentally, Palo Alto Networks’ annual recurring revenue (ARR) continues to be the significant growth driver. In Q1, ARR grew 40% year-over-year to $4.5 billion. For Q2 2025, the company projected ARR between $4.70 billion and $4.75 billion. Investors will be keen to see if the company meets or exceeds this guidance.

Technically, we wanted to look at this chart on a longer time frame. The five-year weekly chart of PANW below shows the trend is stalling under a double top at the $205 level. There are some good signs that it may be able to get back on track and push to new highs.

FIGURE 2. WEEKLY CHART OF PALO ALTO NETWORKS STOCK PRICE. Monitor the rising 50-week SMA. Will it hold that level after earnings? The MACD is displaying a bullish crossover, which signals a favorable risk/reward setup.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The key level to watch for the bulls is the rising 50-week (blue line) SMA. Shares had consistently trended above this level since initially surpassing it in early 2023. Price action briefly broke below that average, but recaptured it two weeks ago. Now it must hold that level, so watch $178.50 for support on any weakness.

The technical indicator that caught my eye was the moving average convergence/divergence (MACD), which just experienced a bullish crossover. This has a history of leading to great risk/reward setups in a stock. The chart highlights the current crossover and the last two notable ones in green to demonstrate the indicator’s past performance.

Any upside movement should take PANW’s stock price back to the $205 level and a re-test of all-time highs.

BJ’s Wholesale (BJ): Quietly Outperforming

BJ’s has quietly enjoyed a strong 2025, despite tariff talk and negative consumer sentiment. Shares of BJ are up 29% year-to-date and over 44% over the last 52 weeks. While its $14 billion market cap pales in comparison to the $450 billion size of its biggest wholesale competitor in Costco (COST), BJ continues to exceed expectations and thrive.

BJ’s stock price has rallied after four of the last five earnings reports, with an average gain of 8%, including a 12% rally last quarter. Coming into the results, the stock price is starting to rally back towards all-time highs. Maybe this will be the catalyst to break out even higher.

Technically, there is much overhead resistance at the $120 level (see daily chart of BJ below). A break above there should lead to another $10–$15 on the upside.

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF BJ STOCK. Note the overhead resistance at around the $120 level. On the downside, there’s support at $108 and the rising 100-day SMA.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes only.

Weakness has given investors opportunities as well. There is clear support at the $108 level and the rising 100-day SMA (in green). The long-term trend has been strong and, barring a major change in the fiscal direction of BJ’s, the trends should continue to be your friend and give solid risk/reward entry points.

Final Thoughts

Charts aren’t just squiggly lines. They’re tools to help you make smarter decisions with your hard-earned money.

Whether you’re eyeing a potential rebound in Home Depot, the strength of cybersecurity, or a quiet winner like BJ’s, remember: technical patterns can give you an edge, but so can patience and perspective.